I thought this one was interesting. Started with Athreos. White wasn't the openest, but got lots of good black and no other second color really begged me to take it.
Rungup
Vlad X
--> zanarkrynskia
Voice1Of1Resurgence
Diocletion
skittles16
syrfjok
Light_Yagami
------ JOU ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Magma Spray
Eagle of the Watch
Font of Fertility
Pharika's Chosen
Font of Fortunes
Sigiled Skink
Aspect of Gorgon
Oppressive Rays
Pin to the Earth
Renowned Weaver
Whitewater Naiads
Disciple of Deceit
Nyx-Fleece Ram
--> Athreos, God of Passage
Plains
Worth 3+ tix, so mostly a value pick. If tix weren’t an issue I would have taken the Naiads. I’m likely putting the player on my left into Blue, but on the other hand I don’t care too much about being cut off from blue in BNG.
Not a great pack. I think it’s between Mastiff, Cranes, and Nyx Infusion. I think at the beginning of the format I would have taken Cranes over Mastiff, but I’ve reversed that.
Pack 1 pick 3:
Golden Hind
--> Feast of Dreams
Cloaked Siren
Lightning Diadem
Lagonna-Band Trailblazer
Flurry of Horns
Thassa's Devourer
Gluttonous Cyclops
Sigiled Starfish
Riddle of Lightning
Solidarity of Heroes
Cyclops of Eternal Fury
Mountain
A pretty decent sign for black. On the other hand there are pretty good cards here in green, blue, and red as well.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Market Festival
Rotted Hulk
Goldenhide Ox
Pensive Minotaur
Starfall
Cruel Feeding
Stonewise Fortifier
Rise of Eagles
Pheres-Band Thunderhoof
--> Spiteful Blow
Gold-Forged Sentinel
Plains
I don’t think I’ve actually played one of these yet. I hope to play someone who is splashing.
Pack 1 pick 5:
Grim Guardian
Aerial Formation
Satyr Hoplite
Lagonna-Band Trailblazer
Oakheart Dryads
Font of Return
Satyr Grovedancer
Flurry of Horns
Dreadbringer Lampads
--> Felhide Petrifier
Forest
The Grim Guardian is a little tempting, but the Petrifier is just a huge roadblock, and it’s not impossible I end up in minotaurs - white isn’t looking too open.
Now this has over performed for me, and if I do end up black-white I’ll probably pick up a few more constellation cards. Bloodcrazed Hoplite is probably a more powerful card, but the black aggressive deck just seems hard to find (and really relies more on minotaur lords than tricks and bestow anyway).
Meh, but probably the most playable card left and it is in my colors.
Pack 1 pick 12:
Market Festival
--> Rotted Hulk
Rise of Eagles
Plains
Pack 1 pick 13:
--> Font of Return
Satyr Grovedancer
Forest
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Kruphix's Insight
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Forest
------ BNG ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Epiphany Storm
Hold at Bay
Marshmist Titan
Nyxborn Wolf
Floodtide Serpent
Setessan Oathsworn
Karametra's Favor
Stratus Walk
Nyxborn Shieldmate
Pheres-Band Tromper
--> Shrike Harpy
Archetype of Aggression
Sanguimancy
Whims of the Fates
Swamp
Fits right in my with my heavy black plan.
Pack 2 pick 2:
Weight of the Underworld
Setessan Oathsworn
Excoriate
Rise to the Challenge
Necrobite
Kragma Butcher
Aspect of Hydra
Mortal's Resolve
Divination
Peregrination
--> Odunos River Trawler
Fanatic of Xenagos
Plea for Guidance
Plains
Not a ton to get back with it yet, but in black-white hopefully I’ll get a few more bestow cards. Possible that Excoriate was the pick here.
Pack 2 pick 3:
Weight of the Underworld
Setessan Oathsworn
Excoriate
Rise to the Challenge
Necrobite
Kragma Butcher
Aspect of Hydra
Mortal's Resolve
Divination
Ashiok's Adept
Thunder Brute
--> Bile Blight
Mountain
Or maybe I’ll just get plenty of removal.
Pack 2 pick 4:
Ephara's Radiance
Bolt of Keranos
Setessan Oathsworn
Marshmist Titan
Chorus of the Tides
Mortal's Ardor
Mortal's Resolve
--> Asphyxiate
Kiora's Follower
Raised by Wolves
Hero of Leina Tower
Mountain
And more. Boy I’m seeing a lot of Marshmist Titans going around - I expect to be able to pick up a couple late.
Pack 2 pick 5:
Epiphany Storm
Hold at Bay
--> Marshmist Titan
Floodtide Serpent
Karametra's Favor
Stratus Walk
Pheres-Band Tromper
Oracle's Insight
Unravel the Æther
Heroes' Podium
Plains
Pack 2 pick 7:
Fearsome Temper
--> Servant of Tymaret
Satyr Wayfinder
Pharagax Giant
Great Hart
Snake of the Golden Grove
Cyclops of One-Eyed Pass
Reap What Is Sown
Forest
Pack 3 pick 1:
Chosen by Heliod
Mnemonic Wall
Viper's Kiss
Spark Jolt
Returned Phalanx
Coastline Chimera
Pharika's Cure
Defend the Hearth
Vaporkin
Setessan Battle Priest
Peak Eruption
Glare of Heresy
Ordeal of Nylea
--> Celestial Archon
Plains
Well, not exactly the plan with this deck, but it’ll do. Double white is a little awkward, but it’s just so much better than Pharika’s Cure, which is probably the pick otherwise.
A Wingsteed, on the other hand, I almost certainly don’t want here. The fact that I’m in a deck that has white that doesn’t want one makes me happy about the format.
Pack 3 pick 3:
Battlewise Valor
Loathsome Catoblepas
Omenspeaker
Fate Foretold
Thassa's Bounty
Lagonna-Band Elder
Priest of Iroas
Akroan Crusader
--> Cavern Lampad
Anvilwrought Raptor
Nylea's Emissary
Prophet of Kruphix
Island
Such a meh card, but provides black devotion for the Marshmists and the Gray Merchant I’m hoping to get passed here somewhere.
Again not exactly what I want to do, but with double asphyxiate, Bile Blight, and Feast of Dreams my early removal seems fine.
Pack 3 pick 5:
Fleetfeather Sandals
Guardians of Meletis
Wild Celebrants
Time to Feed
Asphodel Wanderer
Breaching Hippocamp
Triton Shorethief
Traveler's Amulet
--> Sea God's Revenge
Pharika's Mender
Plains
Nothing here, so I cut the best card. Could have taken the Amulet, but it just seems really unlikely that anything I see after this will be something I want to splash.
Not planning to run it, but worth cutting since it goes in the deck that probably has the best chance to beat mine.
Pack 3 pick 7:
Loathsome Catoblepas
Commune with the Gods
Returned Phalanx
Lagonna-Band Elder
Lost in a Labyrinth
Setessan Griffin
--> Disciple of Phenax
Rescue from the Underworld
Plains
Pack 3 pick 8:
March of the Returned
Agent of Horizons
Fade into Antiquity
--> Observant Alseid
Scourgemark
Opaline Unicorn
Hunt the Hunter
Forest
Geez. Since when do those go all the way around the table? I can only assume there was some crazy white in this pack.
Pack 3 pick 9:
Chosen by Heliod
Mnemonic Wall
Viper's Kiss
Coastline Chimera
Defend the Hearth
--> Setessan Battle Priest
Plains
Sideboard vs. aggro decks - I had 23 playables already and I don’t think Chosen was going to make the cut.
Match 1:
Versus red-green. Opponent didn’t show up until like 6-7 minutes after the match started. In game 1 I put up mostly defensive creatures while he was crimped on mana and put out a number of smaller things that couldn’t attack profitably for the most part.
Eventually he drew some land and got down a 2-headed Cerberus with a Feral Invocation on it followed up by Xenagod. However, the turn after Xenagod came down I dropped an Akroan Mastiff to go with my Servant of Tymaret, which meant that after having to chump once I was able to hold him off pretty indefinitely.
I was actually 1 turn away from being able to Nightmarish End Xenagod but he put a Feral Invocation on that too (which was frankly a mistake because it meant he only had 2 real threats and I could deal with 2 real threats). For some reason he kept swinging in, allowing me to keep pinging away by blocking and regenerating my Servant. I eventually won with a Shrike Harpy in the air and the Dreadbringer Lampads to get through lethal.
Game 2 he played a Fanatic of Xeanagos, which I paid tribute on and Nightmarish ended. He only had 4-5 minutes on his clock, so he decided to scoop (and for some reason dropped - I guess he figured he got his Xenagod and he was going home).
1-0
Match 2:
Versus black-red-white. I think the black was the splash, but it wasn’t totally clear. I beat him 2 games in a row, boarding out the Dreadbringer and the Cavern Lampads for Necrobite and a second Marshmist. In the second game I beat him down with a Marshmist suited up with Celestial Archon and a Hopeful Eidolon.
2-0
Match 3:
Versus black-red. I was pretty surprised that there were 2 other black players - I’m guessing at least one of them switched in after pack 1. First game he dropped a Mogis’ Warhound on 2, which seemed a weird play. I was able to kill it and then he followed up with a Spiteful Returned. He eventually put a dragon mantle on the spiteful returned and got in with it once before I bile blighted it.
Game 2 he got pretty mana screwed and I was able to run him over, well at least to the degree that this deck was capable of “running someone over”. This was the only game where I got Athreos on line as a creature (and his ability never triggered in any game), but at that point it was win-more anyway.
Thoughts: I’ve ended up in White-Black in my last 2 drafts and I thought it was pretty neat how the two decks were really dissimilar (though to be fair this one was heavy black, while the other one leaned white. Also I was happy with how this deck performed despite not having what I think of as some of the key cards for it - no Scholar of Athreos, no Gray Merchant. On the other hand, I do feel like most of the better players are off playing Vintage Masters so I suspect the Swiss JBT queues are weaker than usual.
P1P9 -- EVERY black card in the pack wheeled, including the UB card. That's a pretty good sign to grab 4 Marshmist Titans LOL. Nice draft + wins.
I agree with the quality of JBT players seeming to drop. People getting bored of Theros block or probably playing VMA. I wheeled an Oreskos Sun Guide (my 4th) in an 8-4 last night only to discover my first 2 rounds of opponents were apparently trying to play white... Those were pretty easy wins. I think I won one game at 35 life between Sun Guides and a Hopeful Eidolon.
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Vlad X
--> zanarkrynskia
Voice1Of1Resurgence
Diocletion
skittles16
syrfjok
Light_Yagami
------ JOU ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Magma Spray
Eagle of the Watch
Font of Fertility
Pharika's Chosen
Font of Fortunes
Sigiled Skink
Aspect of Gorgon
Oppressive Rays
Pin to the Earth
Renowned Weaver
Whitewater Naiads
Disciple of Deceit
Nyx-Fleece Ram
--> Athreos, God of Passage
Plains
Worth 3+ tix, so mostly a value pick. If tix weren’t an issue I would have taken the Naiads. I’m likely putting the player on my left into Blue, but on the other hand I don’t care too much about being cut off from blue in BNG.
Pack 1 pick 2:
--> Akroan Mastiff
Nature's Panoply
Nyx Infusion
Godhunter Octopus
Sigiled Skink
Dreadbringer Lampads
Supply-Line Cranes
Thassa's Devourer
Desecration Plague
Flamespeaker's Will
Desperate Stand
Triton Cavalry
Gold-Forged Sentinel
Island
Not a great pack. I think it’s between Mastiff, Cranes, and Nyx Infusion. I think at the beginning of the format I would have taken Cranes over Mastiff, but I’ve reversed that.
Pack 1 pick 3:
Golden Hind
--> Feast of Dreams
Cloaked Siren
Lightning Diadem
Lagonna-Band Trailblazer
Flurry of Horns
Thassa's Devourer
Gluttonous Cyclops
Sigiled Starfish
Riddle of Lightning
Solidarity of Heroes
Cyclops of Eternal Fury
Mountain
A pretty decent sign for black. On the other hand there are pretty good cards here in green, blue, and red as well.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Market Festival
Rotted Hulk
Goldenhide Ox
Pensive Minotaur
Starfall
Cruel Feeding
Stonewise Fortifier
Rise of Eagles
Pheres-Band Thunderhoof
--> Spiteful Blow
Gold-Forged Sentinel
Plains
I don’t think I’ve actually played one of these yet. I hope to play someone who is splashing.
Pack 1 pick 5:
Grim Guardian
Aerial Formation
Satyr Hoplite
Lagonna-Band Trailblazer
Oakheart Dryads
Font of Return
Satyr Grovedancer
Flurry of Horns
Dreadbringer Lampads
--> Felhide Petrifier
Forest
The Grim Guardian is a little tempting, but the Petrifier is just a huge roadblock, and it’s not impossible I end up in minotaurs - white isn’t looking too open.
Pack 1 pick 6:
Nyx Infusion
--> Harvestguard Alseids
Returned Reveler
Kruphix's Insight
Nature's Panoply
Pheres-Band Thunderhoof
Gluttonous Cyclops
Bloodcrazed Hoplite
Oppressive Rays
Mountain
Now this has over performed for me, and if I do end up black-white I’ll probably pick up a few more constellation cards. Bloodcrazed Hoplite is probably a more powerful card, but the black aggressive deck just seems hard to find (and really relies more on minotaur lords than tricks and bestow anyway).
Pack 1 pick 7:
Lightning Diadem
--> Lagonna-Band Trailblazer
Thassa's Devourer
Gluttonous Cyclops
Wildfire Cerberus
Consign to Dust
Reviving Melody
Dictate of Karametra
Forest
Meh. Almost grabbed the Cerberus, but I just don’t think it is very good.
Pack 1 pick 8:
Font of Fortunes
Harvestguard Alseids
Stonewise Fortifier
Cruel Feeding
Mortal Obstinacy
--> Nightmarish End
Swarmborn Giant
Island
A pretty excellent sign for black. Also good to see there are 3 playable white cards in the pack, so maybe Athreos will be a thing after all.
Pack 1 pick 9:
Font of Fertility
--> Pharika's Chosen
Font of Fortunes
Aspect of Gorgon
Oppressive Rays
Disciple of Deceit
Plains
Probably the best black card in the pack wheeled.
Pack 1 pick 10:
Godhunter Octopus
--> Dreadbringer Lampads
Thassa's Devourer
Desecration Plague
Gold-Forged Sentinel
Island
Sure.
Pack 1 pick 11:
Lightning Diadem
--> Lagonna-Band Trailblazer
Thassa's Devourer
Solidarity of Heroes
Mountain
Meh, but probably the most playable card left and it is in my colors.
Pack 1 pick 12:
Market Festival
--> Rotted Hulk
Rise of Eagles
Plains
Pack 1 pick 13:
--> Font of Return
Satyr Grovedancer
Forest
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Kruphix's Insight
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Forest
------ BNG ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Epiphany Storm
Hold at Bay
Marshmist Titan
Nyxborn Wolf
Floodtide Serpent
Setessan Oathsworn
Karametra's Favor
Stratus Walk
Nyxborn Shieldmate
Pheres-Band Tromper
--> Shrike Harpy
Archetype of Aggression
Sanguimancy
Whims of the Fates
Swamp
Fits right in my with my heavy black plan.
Pack 2 pick 2:
Weight of the Underworld
Setessan Oathsworn
Excoriate
Rise to the Challenge
Necrobite
Kragma Butcher
Aspect of Hydra
Mortal's Resolve
Divination
Peregrination
--> Odunos River Trawler
Fanatic of Xenagos
Plea for Guidance
Plains
Not a ton to get back with it yet, but in black-white hopefully I’ll get a few more bestow cards. Possible that Excoriate was the pick here.
Pack 2 pick 3:
Weight of the Underworld
Setessan Oathsworn
Excoriate
Rise to the Challenge
Necrobite
Kragma Butcher
Aspect of Hydra
Mortal's Resolve
Divination
Ashiok's Adept
Thunder Brute
--> Bile Blight
Mountain
Or maybe I’ll just get plenty of removal.
Pack 2 pick 4:
Ephara's Radiance
Bolt of Keranos
Setessan Oathsworn
Marshmist Titan
Chorus of the Tides
Mortal's Ardor
Mortal's Resolve
--> Asphyxiate
Kiora's Follower
Raised by Wolves
Hero of Leina Tower
Mountain
And more. Boy I’m seeing a lot of Marshmist Titans going around - I expect to be able to pick up a couple late.
Pack 2 pick 5:
Epiphany Storm
Hold at Bay
--> Marshmist Titan
Floodtide Serpent
Karametra's Favor
Stratus Walk
Pheres-Band Tromper
Oracle's Insight
Unravel the Æther
Heroes' Podium
Plains
Or right now I guess.
Pack 2 pick 6:
Grisly Transformation
Setessan Oathsworn
Marshmist Titan
Mortal's Ardor
Elite Skirmisher
Mortal's Resolve
--> Asphyxiate
Stormcaller of Keranos
God-Favored General
Forest
Sweet.
Pack 2 pick 7:
Fearsome Temper
--> Servant of Tymaret
Satyr Wayfinder
Pharagax Giant
Great Hart
Snake of the Golden Grove
Cyclops of One-Eyed Pass
Reap What Is Sown
Forest
On the late side for this.
Pack 2 pick 8:
Setessan Starbreaker
Forsaken Drifters
Scouring Sands
Culling Mark
Loyal Pegasus
--> Grisly Transformation
Nyxborn Rollicker
Plains
Forsaken Drifters just doesn’t seem like what this deck wants to do.
Pack 2 pick 9:
Hold at Bay
--> Marshmist Titan
Floodtide Serpent
Karametra's Favor
Sanguimancy
Whims of the Fates
Swamp
And here they come.
Pack 2 pick 10:
Rise to the Challenge
--> Aspect of Hydra
Mortal's Resolve
Peregrination
Plea for Guidance
Plains
I’m not playing Plea, so cut something.
Pack 2 pick 11:
Weight of the Underworld
--> Necrobite
Aspect of Hydra
Divination
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 12:
Ephara's Radiance
--> Marshmist Titan
Mortal's Resolve
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 13:
Epiphany Storm
--> Heroes' Podium
Plains
Sweet rare draft.
Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Marshmist Titan
Forest
4 beautiful titans! Ah-ah-ah.
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Forest
------ THS ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Chosen by Heliod
Mnemonic Wall
Viper's Kiss
Spark Jolt
Returned Phalanx
Coastline Chimera
Pharika's Cure
Defend the Hearth
Vaporkin
Setessan Battle Priest
Peak Eruption
Glare of Heresy
Ordeal of Nylea
--> Celestial Archon
Plains
Well, not exactly the plan with this deck, but it’ll do. Double white is a little awkward, but it’s just so much better than Pharika’s Cure, which is probably the pick otherwise.
Pack 3 pick 2:
Lightning Strike
Fleshmad Steed
Cavalry Pegasus
--> Baleful Eidolon
Annul
Wingsteed Rider
Wild Celebrants
Felhide Minotaur
Shredding Winds
Tormented Hero
Battlewise Hoplite
Nylea's Emissary
Temple of Silence
Swamp
A Wingsteed, on the other hand, I almost certainly don’t want here. The fact that I’m in a deck that has white that doesn’t want one makes me happy about the format.
Pack 3 pick 3:
Battlewise Valor
Loathsome Catoblepas
Omenspeaker
Fate Foretold
Thassa's Bounty
Lagonna-Band Elder
Priest of Iroas
Akroan Crusader
--> Cavern Lampad
Anvilwrought Raptor
Nylea's Emissary
Prophet of Kruphix
Island
Such a meh card, but provides black devotion for the Marshmists and the Gray Merchant I’m hoping to get passed here somewhere.
Pack 3 pick 4:
Fleshmad Steed
Nylea's Disciple
Pharika's Cure
Rage of Purphoros
Returned Centaur
--> Hopeful Eidolon
Shredding Winds
Boulderfall
Karametra's Acolyte
Phalanx Leader
Decorated Griffin
Swamp
Again not exactly what I want to do, but with double asphyxiate, Bile Blight, and Feast of Dreams my early removal seems fine.
Pack 3 pick 5:
Fleetfeather Sandals
Guardians of Meletis
Wild Celebrants
Time to Feed
Asphodel Wanderer
Breaching Hippocamp
Triton Shorethief
Traveler's Amulet
--> Sea God's Revenge
Pharika's Mender
Plains
Nothing here, so I cut the best card. Could have taken the Amulet, but it just seems really unlikely that anything I see after this will be something I want to splash.
Pack 3 pick 6:
Stymied Hopes
Nessian Courser
Satyr Hedonist
Leonin Snarecaster
Fate Foretold
Opaline Unicorn
Vanquish the Foul
Karametra's Acolyte
--> Favored Hoplite
Mountain
Not planning to run it, but worth cutting since it goes in the deck that probably has the best chance to beat mine.
Pack 3 pick 7:
Loathsome Catoblepas
Commune with the Gods
Returned Phalanx
Lagonna-Band Elder
Lost in a Labyrinth
Setessan Griffin
--> Disciple of Phenax
Rescue from the Underworld
Plains
Pack 3 pick 8:
March of the Returned
Agent of Horizons
Fade into Antiquity
--> Observant Alseid
Scourgemark
Opaline Unicorn
Hunt the Hunter
Forest
Geez. Since when do those go all the way around the table? I can only assume there was some crazy white in this pack.
Pack 3 pick 9:
Chosen by Heliod
Mnemonic Wall
Viper's Kiss
Coastline Chimera
Defend the Hearth
--> Setessan Battle Priest
Plains
Sideboard vs. aggro decks - I had 23 playables already and I don’t think Chosen was going to make the cut.
Pack 3 pick 10:
--> Fleshmad Steed
Wild Celebrants
Felhide Minotaur
Tormented Hero
Battlewise Hoplite
Swamp
Was however short on 2-drops. While the Minotaur is a better card (especially with my petrifier) I had a zillion 3s already.
Pack 3 pick 11:
Loathsome Catoblepas
--> Fate Foretold
Thassa's Bounty
Priest of Iroas
Island
Pack 3 pick 12:
--> Fleshmad Steed
Returned Centaur
Boulderfall
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 13:
--> Asphodel Wanderer
Triton Shorethief
Plains
Pack 3 pick 14:
--> Karametra's Acolyte
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Plains
The deck:
1 Pharika’s Chosen
1 Baleful Eidolon
1 Fleshmad Steed
1 Feast of Dreams
1 Bile Blight
1 Harvestguard Alseids
1 Observant Alseid
1 Felhide Petrifier
1 Odunos River Trawler
1 Servant of Tymaret
1 Athreos, God of Passage
1 Nightmarish End
2 Asphyxiate
1 Cavern Lampad
1 Disciple of Phenax
1 Celestial Archon
1 Shrike Harpy
1 Dreadbringer Lampads
1 Spiteful Blow
1 Marshmist Titan
3 Marshmist Titan
1 Necrobite
Matches and thoughts:
Versus red-green. Opponent didn’t show up until like 6-7 minutes after the match started. In game 1 I put up mostly defensive creatures while he was crimped on mana and put out a number of smaller things that couldn’t attack profitably for the most part.
Eventually he drew some land and got down a 2-headed Cerberus with a Feral Invocation on it followed up by Xenagod. However, the turn after Xenagod came down I dropped an Akroan Mastiff to go with my Servant of Tymaret, which meant that after having to chump once I was able to hold him off pretty indefinitely.
I was actually 1 turn away from being able to Nightmarish End Xenagod but he put a Feral Invocation on that too (which was frankly a mistake because it meant he only had 2 real threats and I could deal with 2 real threats). For some reason he kept swinging in, allowing me to keep pinging away by blocking and regenerating my Servant. I eventually won with a Shrike Harpy in the air and the Dreadbringer Lampads to get through lethal.
Game 2 he played a Fanatic of Xeanagos, which I paid tribute on and Nightmarish ended. He only had 4-5 minutes on his clock, so he decided to scoop (and for some reason dropped - I guess he figured he got his Xenagod and he was going home).
1-0
Match 2:
Versus black-red-white. I think the black was the splash, but it wasn’t totally clear. I beat him 2 games in a row, boarding out the Dreadbringer and the Cavern Lampads for Necrobite and a second Marshmist. In the second game I beat him down with a Marshmist suited up with Celestial Archon and a Hopeful Eidolon.
2-0
Match 3:
Versus black-red. I was pretty surprised that there were 2 other black players - I’m guessing at least one of them switched in after pack 1. First game he dropped a Mogis’ Warhound on 2, which seemed a weird play. I was able to kill it and then he followed up with a Spiteful Returned. He eventually put a dragon mantle on the spiteful returned and got in with it once before I bile blighted it.
Game 2 he got pretty mana screwed and I was able to run him over, well at least to the degree that this deck was capable of “running someone over”. This was the only game where I got Athreos on line as a creature (and his ability never triggered in any game), but at that point it was win-more anyway.
Thoughts: I’ve ended up in White-Black in my last 2 drafts and I thought it was pretty neat how the two decks were really dissimilar (though to be fair this one was heavy black, while the other one leaned white. Also I was happy with how this deck performed despite not having what I think of as some of the key cards for it - no Scholar of Athreos, no Gray Merchant. On the other hand, I do feel like most of the better players are off playing Vintage Masters so I suspect the Swiss JBT queues are weaker than usual.
I agree with the quality of JBT players seeming to drop. People getting bored of Theros block or probably playing VMA. I wheeled an Oreskos Sun Guide (my 4th) in an 8-4 last night only to discover my first 2 rounds of opponents were apparently trying to play white... Those were pretty easy wins. I think I won one game at 35 life between Sun Guides and a Hopeful Eidolon.