So, I've been enjoying the JBT format so far. Maybe it's just because it's new, but it feels like there's more stuff going on in JBT and there are more decks you can draft, as opposed to BTT which was like 3 decks, with an unhealthy emphasis on RW. So far I haven't drafted the same deck twice and (for me, at least) I haven't yet noticed an overabundance of any one type. I actually tend to stay away from Red, as I have considered it the worst color in general, but this draft just went differently (which I like).
------ JOU ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Market Festival
Grim Guardian
Cloaked Siren
Rouse the Mob
Pheres-Band Thunderhoof
Bladetusk Boar
Dreadbringer Lampads
Supply-Line Cranes
Thassa's Devourer
Desecration Plague
Reprisal
Tormented Thoughts
Knowledge and Power
--> Prophetic Flamespeaker
Mountain
One thing I haven't done is open very many mythics in Journey. Before this guy the only Journey mythics I had seen were a pair of Sage of Hours (which I picked up in the same draft, and went all in on, and still never got one to trigger. Got to 4 a couple of times). Anyway, this guy was worth a few tix, and seemed like a reason to try Red. Preview - never shows up.
Pack 1 pick 2:
Font of Vigor
Kruphix's Insight
Pharika's Chosen
Countermand
Lightning Diadem
Eagle of the Watch
--> Starfall
Cruel Feeding
Stonewise Fortifier
Rise of Eagles
Phalanx Formation
Goldenhide Ox
Underworld Coinsmith
Mountain
Immediately I am faced with the choice of staying on color/forcing Red or taking a better card. I think the Coinsmith is good (though he's kind of another must-build-around guy) but I just stuck to the Red. Starfall is pretty underwhelming when compared to something like Lightning Strike, but sometimes you just need one.
Pack 1 pick 3:
Font of Return
Aerial Formation
--> Magma Spray
Eagle of the Watch
Font of Fertility
Supply-Line Cranes
Rise of Eagles
Satyr Grovedancer
Font of Ire
Bloodcrazed Hoplite
Quarry Colossus
Blinding Flare
Forest
This is better removal. Seems like there are White cards coming, so I'm considering the idea of going into R/W, but staying open.
I don't know how good this is. Possibly good in the right deck. The Hoplite was another option. Maybe it was the correct choice? Mastiff means White is still a possibility? And the Starfish is good, but not in an aggressive deck? I didn't know.
Pack 1 pick 5:
Market Festival
Grim Guardian
Rouse the Mob
--> Bladetusk Boar
Dreadbringer Lampads
Thassa's Devourer
Desecration Plague
Nightmarish End
Bassara Tower Archer
Nyx-Fleece Ram
Plains
Just kind of going all in on the Red now. No real reason to pick another color.
Pack 1 pick 6:
Armament of Nyx
Nyx Infusion
--> Harvestguard Alseids
Returned Reveler
Flamespeaker's Will
Cast into Darkness
Triton Shorestalker
Armory of Iroas
Pull from the Deep
Mountain
Until here, when there's just no Red. I debated between White cards and took the enchantment guy who is decent and kind of works with my other enchantment guy.
Pack 1 pick 7:
--> Cloaked Siren
Lightning Diadem
Market Festival
Rotted Hulk
Aspect of Gorgon
Renowned Weaver
Reviving Melody
Gold-Forged Sentinel
Swamp
Or maybe Blue is where I should be? This just seemed like the best card by a margin so I took it just in case.
Pack 1 pick 8:
Pharika's Chosen
Font of Fortunes
--> Sigiled Skink
Flamespeaker's Will
Dakra Mystic
Stormchaser Chimera
Skybind
Forest
Eh. He's a guy. I guess I need low drops. (preview - this guy over-performs)
Pack 1 pick 9:
--> Grim Guardian
Dreadbringer Lampads
Thassa's Devourer
Desecration Plague
Tormented Thoughts
Knowledge and Power
Mountain
Annnnd, maybe Black to pair with my Red? Again just seemed like the best card.
Pack 1 pick 10:
Font of Vigor
Lightning Diadem
--> Eagle of the Watch
Cruel Feeding
Stonewise Fortifier
Mountain
Or White. I'm flexible. Maybe I should have been committing to a second color?
Pack 1 pick 11:
Font of Return
Font of Ire
Bloodcrazed Hoplite
--> Blinding Flare
Forest
I probably should have taken the Hoplite, and more strongly considered moving into R/B, but, in hindsight, this was practically the pick of the draft. I was thinking, maybe this could be a way to get my Speaker through in a pinch, but, if you happen to end up Mono-Red, this card is just amazeballs.
Pack 1 pick 13:
Market Festival
--> Nightmarish End
Plains
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Returned Reveler
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Swamp
At the end of Pack 1, I'm solidly Red and really open to any color as my second. I really wasn't thinking Mono-Red at all at this point.
------ BNG ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Ephara's Radiance
Bolt of Keranos
Setessan Oathsworn
Marshmist Titan
Chorus of the Tides
Nyxborn Shieldmate
Pheres-Band Tromper
Asphyxiate
--> Fall of the Hammer
Cyclops of One-Eyed Pass
Siren of the Fanged Coast
Sanguimancy
Mischief and Mayhem
Astral Cornucopia
Swamp
Great removal spell I won't complain.
Pack 2 pick 2:
Scouring Sands
Charging Badger
Floodtide Serpent
Felhide Brawler
Oreskos Sun Guide
Divination
--> Nyxborn Rollicker
Karametra's Favor
Stratus Walk
Archetype of Endurance
Gorgon's Head
Dawn to Dusk
Temple of Malice
Island
Here, I'll complain a little. There's just not much. I think this guy is sub-optimal, but he does go on a Speaker okay. I was looking for anything to pump my Speaker at this point.
Pack 2 pick 3:
Great Hart
Weight of the Underworld
Setessan Oathsworn
Rise to the Challenge
Nyxborn Rollicker
Sudden Storm
Aspect of Hydra
Claim of Erebos
Kraken of the Straits
Archetype of Aggression
--> Everflame Eidolon
Felhide Spiritbinder
Swamp
Here I was really uncertain. All the Red at once, but it's really between the Eidolon and the Spiritbinder. I don't know which is correct, but I took the bestow guy.
Pack 2 pick 4:
Warchanter of Mogis
Forsaken Drifters
Revoke Existence
Evanescent Intellect
Epiphany Storm
Deepwater Hypnotist
Nyxborn Shieldmate
--> Fall of the Hammer
Archetype of Aggression
Ephara's Enlightenment
Pinnacle of Rage
Island
Yes!
Pack 2 pick 5:
Great Hart
Weight of the Underworld
Setessan Oathsworn
Excoriate
--> Rise to the Challenge
Sudden Storm
Aspect of Hydra
Claim of Erebos
Oracle's Insight
Lightning Volley
Mountain
Eh. I'm still not seeing a good signal in any other color to make me want to take a non-Red card.
Pack 2 pick 6:
Rise to the Challenge
Charging Badger
Pharagax Giant
Sphinx's Disciple
Cyclops of One-Eyed Pass
Necrobite
Sudden Storm
--> Kragma Butcher
Dawn to Dusk
Mountain
At least the good Red cards are still coming though. This is giving me hope for Pack 3 at least.
Pack 2 pick 7:
Swordwise Centaur
Griffin Dreamfinder
Eye Gouge
Evanescent Intellect
Claim of Erebos
--> Reap What Is Sown
Peregrination
Heroes' Podium
Swamp
A whiff. I cut what I think could at least potentially be the most annoying card.
Pack 2 pick 8:
Mortal's Ardor
Eye Gouge
Culling Mark
Necrobite
Mortal's Resolve
--> Akroan Conscriptor
Whims of the Fates
Mountain
Here at the end of Pack 2 is where I'm starting to consider Mono-Red as a viable option. I got a ton of good cards. If it keeps up in Pack 3, maybe I'll try it. I don't think I've ever done a completely mono-colored draft deck online before.
------ THS ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Bronze Sable
Ephara's Warden
Sip of Hemlock
Stymied Hopes (FOIL)
Last Breath
Unknown Shores
Crackling Triton
Portent of Betrayal
Savage Surge
Opaline Unicorn
Ordeal of Thassa
Dauntless Onslaught
--> Flamespeaker Adept
Reaper of the Wilds
Island
Not the greatest opening ever. I kind of want to just take the Reaper since I can't beat it ever, but I decide to be disciplined.
Annnnd, my internet crashes.
Nothing else recorded. I missed the next three picks rebooting my router, and got back for pick 5 with about 2 seconds on the clock, in which time I snagged an Observant Alseid as the only thing I had time to see. I then determine Modo has helpfully auto-picked a Returned Phalanx, and a Loathsome Catoplepas and a Land for me. I'll never know what I missed
The remaining pick-ups from Pack 3 consisted of a pair of Arena Athletes, a Borderland Minotaur, a Spearpoint Oread, and a Portent of Betrayal. I was majorly bummed, but had just enough playables to scrape together a deck.
I had no idea if this deck was any good at all. Seriously, no idea.
Matches
So, this deck simply rocked. Most games were not close at all. And this is despite never even seeing what I assumed were my best two cards in the Prophetic Flamespeaker and the Conscriptor.
M1G1: I open on a lowly Rollicker. Opponent opens on a Pharika's Chosen, but declines to block my lowly Rollicker, because, who would make that trade, right? Opponent then plays a Golden Hind, and I'm terrified this is the guy who got the Reaper. I kill it with a Hammer, and continue to attack and my opponent continues to decline the block. He casts a Bloodtoll Harpy and I cast Forgeborn Oreads, choosing to kill the snake over the Harpy. I think he's going to hold back and possibly try and trade, but (maybe fearing his Harpy getting pinged away) he drops an Armory of Iroas and attacks for 3, taking the Harpy out of ping range. My crackback is for considerably more, and I drop Borderland Minotaur. I have a Portent in my hand, threatening lethal on him if he attacks me again. He does and also drops a Nessian Asp, which I take and kill him with.
M1G2: This one is all about Arena Athlete. I Magma Spray his T2 Bloodcrazed Hoplite, and drop an Athlete. He's got no T3 play and I drop Kragma Butcher. T4 he has Rotted Hulk, but I have bestowed Everflame Eidolon and my guys just run by him. T5 he has a Deadbringer Lampads, but can't afford to attack. I have a bestowed Nyxborn Eidolon to make the Lampad irrelevant and swing both again. He goes to 9 after blocks. He casts Bloodtoll Harpy to go to 8 with 3 blockers. I have 4 lands, 8+ power and a Blinding Flare. GG.
1-0 (2-0)
M2G1: Didn't record. Opponent was U/W with flying things and opened on an Omenspeaker. I know I loaded up an Arena Athlete again, with both Everflame and Spearpoint, and had some other small dudes. He had a Deicide to kill the Spearpoint, but it didn't matter because he was too far behind and I got him with Blinding Flare.
M2G2: I keep a sketchy hand with a Skink and a Rise to the Challenge and some lands. Opponent drops a War Wing Siren and attempts the block and I clear it away. My next draws are Borderland Minotaur, Starfall and Arena Athlete. He has an Akroan Mastiff which keeps the Minotaur tapped, but the Skink keeps getting through. He drops an Elite Skirmisher, which he (probably incorrectly) declines to trade off with the Skink. I drop Athlete and Flamespeaker Adept (cu-cu-cu-combo with my Skink). He goes Rise of Eagles, which makes me feel good as I have the Starfall. I swing all out (minus tapped down Minotaur and he misplays by blocking the Adept with his Skirmisher, forgetting the first strike part. He also double-blocks my Skink with both birds so I can't save it. Opponent still takes 9 when the dust has settled and only has his Mastiff left vs. Minotaur, Athlete and Adept. He plays Coastline Chimera, which I attempt to make unable to block with a bestowed Rollicker, but he has God's Willing. I can still safely attack and he goes to 5. I drop Spearpoint. He drops Griffin Dreamfinder, but I have Blinding Flare once again, and he dies.
G1: I keep an admittedly sketchy hand of Borderland Minotaur, Starfall, Pinnacle of Rage, and Blinding Flare. His first play is a T3 Mogis Marauder. I respond with Minotaur. He plays Bladetusk and I counter with my own Bladetusk. He Weight's my piggy and gets in for 5. I bestow Everflame on the Minotaur and get in for 7. He casts Fearsome Temper on his piggy and gets in for 7 and now I'm at 6. He has two scrylands left untapped representing any combination of B/W/G tricks. Technically he's dead if I fully pump my Minotaur. I assume he's got something and hold back 2 lands. What he has is Feast of Dreams! I respond to the Feast with a Hammer on his pig, leaving him with only the Marauder, and me the Eidolon. I'm at 6 and he's at 9. He casts a Stormcaller of Keranos and Bile Blight's my Eidolon. I'm at 2. I Pinnacle both his guys, and he has no play. I cast Rollicker, and he Sips it to kill me.
G2: Didn't record. I know I was manascrewed the whole game, but still managed to pull it out with agressive little bestowed guys for the win. I think Blinding Flare was key as well.
G3: Having learned my lesson from G1, I mulligan 5 lands, Cyclops, Portent, into 3 lands, Skink, Cyclops, Starfall. Opp. Asphyxiates my Skink and I have no T3. Opp. plays Ill-Tempered Cyclops. I counter with my own One-Eyed Pass Cyclops. He declines to attack in and plays Disciple of Phenax, binning Spearpoint Oread. I Starfall his Cyclops and attack in, which he takes. He plays a Fearsome Temper and swings. I swing back and play a Bladetusk, opp. now at 10. Realizing he's not winning this race he holds back and plays Mogis Warhound. I decline to attack into it and play Arena Athlete. His Hound is forced to attack which I just take (I'm at 15) and he has no follow-up, with 7 lands and 2 cards in hand. I've only got lands and just swing in with Boar and Cyclops. I'm expecting some kind of trick/Removal, but he just trades Disciple with Cyclops and takes 3, going to 7. End of turn he Starfalls my Boar. I'm not sure why he took the 3 as I'm clearly Mono-Red and I don't know what kind of trick I could have had to play around it. Maybe he was just waiting to see if a better target presented itself. Now it's my Athlete vs. his Warhound. I'm at 15 and he's at 7. He swings and I'm at 13. No play. I swing and he's at 5. I play a second Athlete. He swings and I'm at 11. He drops Forgestoker Dragon! I am completely toast unless I topdeck something that both targets/pumps. My draw - Nyxborn Rollicker. Opp. was gracious in defeat.
3-0 (2-1)
So, I tried to build a deck around Prophetic Flamespeaker and then never drew him, and it still kind of smashed face. With what I thought were some sub-optimal cards. And I completely missed my p3p2-p3p4. Maybe Mono-Red is a real thing? Obviously this is not statistically significant and quality of opponents is uncertain. I actually kind of hope Mono-Red isn't a thing, because I don't imagine I would enjoy playing against it very much, much like playing against R/W in BTT. Thoughts?
Private Mod Note
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Quote from Bateleur »
Ambush Krotiq makes me laugh so much. I keep rereading the card and it keeps not having Flash. In what sense is this an ambush again? I just have visions of this huge Krotiq poorly concealed in some bushes, feeling slightly sad that his carefully planned ambushes never seem to work.
I've been beaten by monored in a couple documented games, some JJJ and some JBT. In JJJ, the guy had double Spawn of Thraxes, which explains going monored! Even in JBT there are cards like Everflame Eidolon and Dragon Mantle that reward you for having >10 Mountains in your manabase. But in JBT even if I get an amazing red pool I usually end up as Rx since I find red lacks ways to kill Voltrons and that's a dangerous way to play this format, so I'll usually play another color as secondary. Often blue, with Griptides and Sudden Storms doing everything red can't and the potential of Spellheart Chimera too good to pass up.
Congrats on doing well with monored though!
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------ JOU ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Market Festival
Grim Guardian
Cloaked Siren
Rouse the Mob
Pheres-Band Thunderhoof
Bladetusk Boar
Dreadbringer Lampads
Supply-Line Cranes
Thassa's Devourer
Desecration Plague
Reprisal
Tormented Thoughts
Knowledge and Power
--> Prophetic Flamespeaker
Mountain
One thing I haven't done is open very many mythics in Journey. Before this guy the only Journey mythics I had seen were a pair of Sage of Hours (which I picked up in the same draft, and went all in on, and still never got one to trigger. Got to 4 a couple of times). Anyway, this guy was worth a few tix, and seemed like a reason to try Red. Preview - never shows up.
Pack 1 pick 2:
Font of Vigor
Kruphix's Insight
Pharika's Chosen
Countermand
Lightning Diadem
Eagle of the Watch
--> Starfall
Cruel Feeding
Stonewise Fortifier
Rise of Eagles
Phalanx Formation
Goldenhide Ox
Underworld Coinsmith
Mountain
Immediately I am faced with the choice of staying on color/forcing Red or taking a better card. I think the Coinsmith is good (though he's kind of another must-build-around guy) but I just stuck to the Red. Starfall is pretty underwhelming when compared to something like Lightning Strike, but sometimes you just need one.
Pack 1 pick 3:
Font of Return
Aerial Formation
--> Magma Spray
Eagle of the Watch
Font of Fertility
Supply-Line Cranes
Rise of Eagles
Satyr Grovedancer
Font of Ire
Bloodcrazed Hoplite
Quarry Colossus
Blinding Flare
Forest
This is better removal. Seems like there are White cards coming, so I'm considering the idea of going into R/W, but staying open.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Hubris
Satyr Hoplite
Akroan Mastiff
Humbler of Mortals
Cruel Feeding
Mortal Obstinacy
Sigiled Starfish
Desecration Plague
Starfall
Cast into Darkness
--> Forgeborn Oreads
Swamp
I don't know how good this is. Possibly good in the right deck. The Hoplite was another option. Maybe it was the correct choice? Mastiff means White is still a possibility? And the Starfish is good, but not in an aggressive deck? I didn't know.
Pack 1 pick 5:
Market Festival
Grim Guardian
Rouse the Mob
--> Bladetusk Boar
Dreadbringer Lampads
Thassa's Devourer
Desecration Plague
Nightmarish End
Bassara Tower Archer
Nyx-Fleece Ram
Plains
Just kind of going all in on the Red now. No real reason to pick another color.
Pack 1 pick 6:
Armament of Nyx
Nyx Infusion
--> Harvestguard Alseids
Returned Reveler
Flamespeaker's Will
Cast into Darkness
Triton Shorestalker
Armory of Iroas
Pull from the Deep
Mountain
Until here, when there's just no Red. I debated between White cards and took the enchantment guy who is decent and kind of works with my other enchantment guy.
Pack 1 pick 7:
--> Cloaked Siren
Lightning Diadem
Market Festival
Rotted Hulk
Aspect of Gorgon
Renowned Weaver
Reviving Melody
Gold-Forged Sentinel
Swamp
Or maybe Blue is where I should be? This just seemed like the best card by a margin so I took it just in case.
Pack 1 pick 8:
Pharika's Chosen
Font of Fortunes
--> Sigiled Skink
Flamespeaker's Will
Dakra Mystic
Stormchaser Chimera
Skybind
Forest
Eh. He's a guy. I guess I need low drops. (preview - this guy over-performs)
Pack 1 pick 9:
--> Grim Guardian
Dreadbringer Lampads
Thassa's Devourer
Desecration Plague
Tormented Thoughts
Knowledge and Power
Mountain
Annnnd, maybe Black to pair with my Red? Again just seemed like the best card.
Pack 1 pick 10:
Font of Vigor
Lightning Diadem
--> Eagle of the Watch
Cruel Feeding
Stonewise Fortifier
Mountain
Or White. I'm flexible. Maybe I should have been committing to a second color?
Pack 1 pick 11:
Font of Return
Font of Ire
Bloodcrazed Hoplite
--> Blinding Flare
Forest
I probably should have taken the Hoplite, and more strongly considered moving into R/B, but, in hindsight, this was practically the pick of the draft. I was thinking, maybe this could be a way to get my Speaker through in a pinch, but, if you happen to end up Mono-Red, this card is just amazeballs.
Pack 1 pick 12:
Cruel Feeding
--> Mortal Obstinacy
Desecration Plague
Swamp
Leaning back White again.
Pack 1 pick 13:
Market Festival
--> Nightmarish End
Plains
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Returned Reveler
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Swamp
At the end of Pack 1, I'm solidly Red and really open to any color as my second. I really wasn't thinking Mono-Red at all at this point.
------ BNG ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Ephara's Radiance
Bolt of Keranos
Setessan Oathsworn
Marshmist Titan
Chorus of the Tides
Nyxborn Shieldmate
Pheres-Band Tromper
Asphyxiate
--> Fall of the Hammer
Cyclops of One-Eyed Pass
Siren of the Fanged Coast
Sanguimancy
Mischief and Mayhem
Astral Cornucopia
Swamp
Great removal spell I won't complain.
Pack 2 pick 2:
Scouring Sands
Charging Badger
Floodtide Serpent
Felhide Brawler
Oreskos Sun Guide
Divination
--> Nyxborn Rollicker
Karametra's Favor
Stratus Walk
Archetype of Endurance
Gorgon's Head
Dawn to Dusk
Temple of Malice
Island
Here, I'll complain a little. There's just not much. I think this guy is sub-optimal, but he does go on a Speaker okay. I was looking for anything to pump my Speaker at this point.
Pack 2 pick 3:
Great Hart
Weight of the Underworld
Setessan Oathsworn
Rise to the Challenge
Nyxborn Rollicker
Sudden Storm
Aspect of Hydra
Claim of Erebos
Kraken of the Straits
Archetype of Aggression
--> Everflame Eidolon
Felhide Spiritbinder
Swamp
Here I was really uncertain. All the Red at once, but it's really between the Eidolon and the Spiritbinder. I don't know which is correct, but I took the bestow guy.
Pack 2 pick 4:
Warchanter of Mogis
Forsaken Drifters
Revoke Existence
Evanescent Intellect
Epiphany Storm
Deepwater Hypnotist
Nyxborn Shieldmate
--> Fall of the Hammer
Archetype of Aggression
Ephara's Enlightenment
Pinnacle of Rage
Island
Yes!
Pack 2 pick 5:
Great Hart
Weight of the Underworld
Setessan Oathsworn
Excoriate
--> Rise to the Challenge
Sudden Storm
Aspect of Hydra
Claim of Erebos
Oracle's Insight
Lightning Volley
Mountain
Eh. I'm still not seeing a good signal in any other color to make me want to take a non-Red card.
Pack 2 pick 6:
Rise to the Challenge
Charging Badger
Pharagax Giant
Sphinx's Disciple
Cyclops of One-Eyed Pass
Necrobite
Sudden Storm
--> Kragma Butcher
Dawn to Dusk
Mountain
At least the good Red cards are still coming though. This is giving me hope for Pack 3 at least.
Pack 2 pick 7:
Swordwise Centaur
Griffin Dreamfinder
Eye Gouge
Evanescent Intellect
Claim of Erebos
--> Reap What Is Sown
Peregrination
Heroes' Podium
Swamp
A whiff. I cut what I think could at least potentially be the most annoying card.
Pack 2 pick 8:
Mortal's Ardor
Eye Gouge
Culling Mark
Necrobite
Mortal's Resolve
--> Akroan Conscriptor
Whims of the Fates
Mountain
Oh yes. (preview - never shows up)
Pack 2 pick 9:
Ephara's Radiance
Setessan Oathsworn
Pheres-Band Tromper
--> Cyclops of One-Eyed Pass
Sanguimancy
Astral Cornucopia
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 10:
Scouring Sands
Charging Badger
Floodtide Serpent
Archetype of Endurance
--> Gorgon's Head
Island
I was about to take the Sands as a sideboard card when I remembered how sweet First Strike/Deathtouch is.
Pack 2 pick 11:
Great Hart
Weight of the Underworld
--> Nyxborn Rollicker
Aspect of Hydra
Swamp
So I take one 2nd and then get one 11th. Sure.
Pack 2 pick 12:
Evanescent Intellect
Epiphany Storm
--> Pinnacle of Rage
Island
Not bad.
Pack 2 pick 13:
Claim of Erebos
--> Lightning Volley
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Charging Badger
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Swamp
Here at the end of Pack 2 is where I'm starting to consider Mono-Red as a viable option. I got a ton of good cards. If it keeps up in Pack 3, maybe I'll try it. I don't think I've ever done a completely mono-colored draft deck online before.
------ THS ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Bronze Sable
Ephara's Warden
Sip of Hemlock
Stymied Hopes (FOIL)
Last Breath
Unknown Shores
Crackling Triton
Portent of Betrayal
Savage Surge
Opaline Unicorn
Ordeal of Thassa
Dauntless Onslaught
--> Flamespeaker Adept
Reaper of the Wilds
Island
Not the greatest opening ever. I kind of want to just take the Reaper since I can't beat it ever, but I decide to be disciplined.
Annnnd, my internet crashes.
Nothing else recorded. I missed the next three picks rebooting my router, and got back for pick 5 with about 2 seconds on the clock, in which time I snagged an Observant Alseid as the only thing I had time to see. I then determine Modo has helpfully auto-picked a Returned Phalanx, and a Loathsome Catoplepas and a Land for me. I'll never know what I missed
The remaining pick-ups from Pack 3 consisted of a pair of Arena Athletes, a Borderland Minotaur, a Spearpoint Oread, and a Portent of Betrayal. I was majorly bummed, but had just enough playables to scrape together a deck.
The Deck
2 Arena Athlete
1 Everflame Eidolon
1 Sigiled Skink
1 Flamespeaker Adept
1 Kragma Butcher
1 Prophetic Flamespeaker
1 Spearpoint Oread
1 Bladetusk Boar
1 Borderland Minotaur
1 Cyclops of One-Eyed Pass
1 Forgeborn Oreads
1 Akroan Conscriptor
1 Gorgon's Head
1 Magma Spray
2 Fall of the Hammer
1 Rise to the Challenge
1 Portent of Betrayal
1 Starfall
1 Pinnacle of Rage
I had no idea if this deck was any good at all. Seriously, no idea.
Matches
So, this deck simply rocked. Most games were not close at all. And this is despite never even seeing what I assumed were my best two cards in the Prophetic Flamespeaker and the Conscriptor.
M1G1: I open on a lowly Rollicker. Opponent opens on a Pharika's Chosen, but declines to block my lowly Rollicker, because, who would make that trade, right? Opponent then plays a Golden Hind, and I'm terrified this is the guy who got the Reaper. I kill it with a Hammer, and continue to attack and my opponent continues to decline the block. He casts a Bloodtoll Harpy and I cast Forgeborn Oreads, choosing to kill the snake over the Harpy. I think he's going to hold back and possibly try and trade, but (maybe fearing his Harpy getting pinged away) he drops an Armory of Iroas and attacks for 3, taking the Harpy out of ping range. My crackback is for considerably more, and I drop Borderland Minotaur. I have a Portent in my hand, threatening lethal on him if he attacks me again. He does and also drops a Nessian Asp, which I take and kill him with.
M1G2: This one is all about Arena Athlete. I Magma Spray his T2 Bloodcrazed Hoplite, and drop an Athlete. He's got no T3 play and I drop Kragma Butcher. T4 he has Rotted Hulk, but I have bestowed Everflame Eidolon and my guys just run by him. T5 he has a Deadbringer Lampads, but can't afford to attack. I have a bestowed Nyxborn Eidolon to make the Lampad irrelevant and swing both again. He goes to 9 after blocks. He casts Bloodtoll Harpy to go to 8 with 3 blockers. I have 4 lands, 8+ power and a Blinding Flare. GG.
1-0 (2-0)
M2G1: Didn't record. Opponent was U/W with flying things and opened on an Omenspeaker. I know I loaded up an Arena Athlete again, with both Everflame and Spearpoint, and had some other small dudes. He had a Deicide to kill the Spearpoint, but it didn't matter because he was too far behind and I got him with Blinding Flare.
M2G2: I keep a sketchy hand with a Skink and a Rise to the Challenge and some lands. Opponent drops a War Wing Siren and attempts the block and I clear it away. My next draws are Borderland Minotaur, Starfall and Arena Athlete. He has an Akroan Mastiff which keeps the Minotaur tapped, but the Skink keeps getting through. He drops an Elite Skirmisher, which he (probably incorrectly) declines to trade off with the Skink. I drop Athlete and Flamespeaker Adept (cu-cu-cu-combo with my Skink). He goes Rise of Eagles, which makes me feel good as I have the Starfall. I swing all out (minus tapped down Minotaur and he misplays by blocking the Adept with his Skirmisher, forgetting the first strike part. He also double-blocks my Skink with both birds so I can't save it. Opponent still takes 9 when the dust has settled and only has his Mastiff left vs. Minotaur, Athlete and Adept. He plays Coastline Chimera, which I attempt to make unable to block with a bestowed Rollicker, but he has God's Willing. I can still safely attack and he goes to 5. I drop Spearpoint. He drops Griffin Dreamfinder, but I have Blinding Flare once again, and he dies.
2-0 (2-0)
M3G1: Opponent is R/B with multiple scrylands, and all the removal spells in the world. Over the course of three games I know I see at least Bile Blight, Feast of Dreams, Asphyxiate, Weight of the Underworld, Lash of the Whip, Sip of Hemlock, Magma Spray, Magma Jet, Starfall.
G1: I keep an admittedly sketchy hand of Borderland Minotaur, Starfall, Pinnacle of Rage, and Blinding Flare. His first play is a T3 Mogis Marauder. I respond with Minotaur. He plays Bladetusk and I counter with my own Bladetusk. He Weight's my piggy and gets in for 5. I bestow Everflame on the Minotaur and get in for 7. He casts Fearsome Temper on his piggy and gets in for 7 and now I'm at 6. He has two scrylands left untapped representing any combination of B/W/G tricks. Technically he's dead if I fully pump my Minotaur. I assume he's got something and hold back 2 lands. What he has is Feast of Dreams! I respond to the Feast with a Hammer on his pig, leaving him with only the Marauder, and me the Eidolon. I'm at 6 and he's at 9. He casts a Stormcaller of Keranos and Bile Blight's my Eidolon. I'm at 2. I Pinnacle both his guys, and he has no play. I cast Rollicker, and he Sips it to kill me.
G2: Didn't record. I know I was manascrewed the whole game, but still managed to pull it out with agressive little bestowed guys for the win. I think Blinding Flare was key as well.
G3: Having learned my lesson from G1, I mulligan 5 lands, Cyclops, Portent, into 3 lands, Skink, Cyclops, Starfall. Opp. Asphyxiates my Skink and I have no T3. Opp. plays Ill-Tempered Cyclops. I counter with my own One-Eyed Pass Cyclops. He declines to attack in and plays Disciple of Phenax, binning Spearpoint Oread. I Starfall his Cyclops and attack in, which he takes. He plays a Fearsome Temper and swings. I swing back and play a Bladetusk, opp. now at 10. Realizing he's not winning this race he holds back and plays Mogis Warhound. I decline to attack into it and play Arena Athlete. His Hound is forced to attack which I just take (I'm at 15) and he has no follow-up, with 7 lands and 2 cards in hand. I've only got lands and just swing in with Boar and Cyclops. I'm expecting some kind of trick/Removal, but he just trades Disciple with Cyclops and takes 3, going to 7. End of turn he Starfalls my Boar. I'm not sure why he took the 3 as I'm clearly Mono-Red and I don't know what kind of trick I could have had to play around it. Maybe he was just waiting to see if a better target presented itself. Now it's my Athlete vs. his Warhound. I'm at 15 and he's at 7. He swings and I'm at 13. No play. I swing and he's at 5. I play a second Athlete. He swings and I'm at 11. He drops Forgestoker Dragon! I am completely toast unless I topdeck something that both targets/pumps. My draw - Nyxborn Rollicker. Opp. was gracious in defeat.
3-0 (2-1)
So, I tried to build a deck around Prophetic Flamespeaker and then never drew him, and it still kind of smashed face. With what I thought were some sub-optimal cards. And I completely missed my p3p2-p3p4. Maybe Mono-Red is a real thing? Obviously this is not statistically significant and quality of opponents is uncertain. I actually kind of hope Mono-Red isn't a thing, because I don't imagine I would enjoy playing against it very much, much like playing against R/W in BTT. Thoughts?
Congrats on doing well with monored though!