Hi all,
So, Tonight I tried my second draft of the new format and I tanked. 2 losses and a bye. I wanted to post this to find some opinions on my drafting this time around because it felt kinda sloppy and this gives me a chance to reread through my picks and get some feedback all at once. Sorry if this is too longform for the norm over here, still kinda new to posting in forums in general. So! On to the draft cap then.
------ FRF ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Whisk Away
Temporal Trespass
Jeskai Runemark
Sandblast
Jeskai Sage
Great-Horn Krushok
Bathe in Dragonfire
Frontier Mastodon
Defiant Ogre
Ainok Guide
Cached Defenses
Pilgrim of the Fires
Jeskai Barricade
--> Monastery Mentor
Wind-Scarred Crag
This one seemed pretty obvious, money and a pretty good card, sad to pass the foil trespass, but whatever.
Pack 1 pick 2:
Lotus Path Djinn
Sultai Emissary
Harsh Sustenance
Abzan Skycaptain
Jeskai Runemark
Douse in Gloom
Hunt the Weak
Fierce Invocation
Temur Runemark
Tasigur's Cruelty
Winds of Qal Sisma
--> Pyrotechnics
Hewed Stone Retainers
Dismal Backwater
This card is good, just seems like nothing else in the pack compares.
Pack 1 pick 3:
Lotus Path Djinn
Sultai Emissary
Harsh Sustenance
Abzan Skycaptain
Jeskai Runemark
Douse in Gloom
Fierce Invocation
Temur Runemark
Tasigur's Cruelty
Arashin War Beast
--> Lightform
Scroll of the Masters
Blossoming Sands
Another great uncommon, and it looks like we are on the white path.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Harsh Sustenance
Pressure Point
Whisk Away
Temur Battle Rage
Return to the Earth
Mardu Scout
Archers of Qarsi
Fierce Invocation
Feral Krushok
Fascination
--> Orc Sureshot
Tranquil Cove
This guy's pretty good, and I think better than Whisk Away so I decided to spec a bit here.
Pack 1 pick 5:
Abzan Advantage
Refocus
Hooded Assassin
Enhanced Awareness
Temur Runemark
Write into Being
Map the Wastes
Destructor Dragon
Break Through the Line
--> Temporal Trespass
Wind-Scarred Crag
This was just a mistake, I don't really know why I took it.
Pack 1 pick 6:
Cunning Strike
Arashin Cleric
--> Aven Surveyor
Alesha's Vanguard
Gore Swine
Whisperer of the Wilds
Mardu Runemark
Fearsome Awakening
Break Through the Line
Thornwood Falls
I was willing to make a pick towards blue here with only one black card, I like the bird a lot, but I have notice he gets stuck in my hand more than I'd like.
Pack 1 pick 7:
--> Jeskai Runemark
Sibsig Host
Great-Horn Krushok
Frontier Mastodon
Defiant Ogre
Ainok Guide
Friendly Fire
Crucible of the Spirit Dragon
Blossoming Sands
Eh? Jeskai Runemark is definitely the best of these and I think playable. Nothing else here so moving on.
Pack 1 pick 8:
Rakshasa's Disdain
--> Will of the Naga
Sultai Runemark
Lightning Shrieker
Smoldering Efreet
Shifting Loyalties
Dark Deal
Honor's Reward
I'm noticing my white drying up here, but I'm okay with good blue cards.
Pack 1 pick 9:
Jeskai Sage
Great-Horn Krushok
Frontier Mastodon
Defiant Ogre
Cached Defenses
Pilgrim of the Fires
--> Jeskai Barricade
I may overestimate this guy a bit but I think he's good, so it's enough to make me want to stick to the WU plan.
Pack 1 picks 10-15:
Nothing else really interesting comes around, I pick up lifelands for WU and UB, and grab a Scroll of the Master's to stay in my board. I now take note of some decent green that I didn't notice before, but I feel really far away from making that happen anyway.
------ KTK ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Feat of Resistance
Shatter
Awaken the Bear
Valley Dasher
Dragonscale Boon
Tranquil Cove
Wetland Sambar
Arrow Storm
Sidisi's Pet
Glacial Stalker
Timely Hordemate
Stubborn Denial
--> Jeskai Elder
Deflecting Palm
Island
This one was kind of hard between the elder and the feat, but noticing a lack of both prowess and creatures in general I felt I needed the Elder more.
Pack 2 pick 2:
Awaken the Bear
Canyon Lurkers
Bloodfell Caves
Wetland Sambar
Mardu Skullhunter
Rush of Battle
Leaping Master
Force Away
Rakshasa's Secret
Briber's Purse
Secret Plans
--> Watcher of the Roost
Rakshasa Vizier
Forest
The flavor of the day is pretty good dudes over spells I want. Force Away Would have been nice, but it cant punch in the air and gain some life.
Pack 2 pick 3:
Act of Treason
Woolly Loxodon
Defiant Strike
Bring Low
Kin-Tree Warden
Scoured Barrens
Smite the Monstrous
Bloodfire Mentor
Sultai Scavenger
Whirlwind Adept
--> Jeskai Charm
Icefeather Aven
Swamp
I was happy to take the charm here and it solidified that I was going to want to splash red.
Pack 2 pick 4:
Act of Treason
Tusked Colossodon
Sage-Eye Harrier
Trumpet Blast
Crippling Chill
Rotting Mastodon
Efreet Weaponmaster
Abzan Banner
Wind-Scarred Crag
War-Name Aspirant
--> Highspire Mantis
Forest
A little awkward here, I wanted the chill, but I really wanted a 33 flyer for 4, even if it did make the mana a little more awkward.
Pack 2 pick 5:
Act of Treason
Tusked Colossodon
Sage-Eye Harrier
Arrow Storm
Swiftwater Cliffs
Jeskai Windscout
Disowned Ancestor
--> Highspire Mantis
Horde Ambusher
Ugin's Nexus
Island
And again. Looking back maybe the windscout was a better pick at the time, being less mana intensive and similarly effective, especially in the prowess deck I wanted this to be at the time.
Pack 2 pick 6:
Salt Road Patrol
Canyon Lurkers
Firehoof Cavalry
Highland Game
Scoured Barrens
Embodiment of Spring
Molting Snakeskin
Mardu Blazebringer
--> Ride Down
Mountain
Okay, red It's getting a little awkward.
Pack 2 pick 8:
Feed the Clan
--> Tranquil Cove
Unyielding Krumar
Sultai Banner
Firehoof Cavalry
Dutiful Return
Mardu Blazebringer
Forest
WU fixing abound, now if only that other color would show up.
Pack 2 pick 9:
Shatter
Valley Dasher
--> Wetland Sambar
Sidisi's Pet
Glacial Stalker
Deflecting Palm
Island
Pack 2 pick 13:
Act of Treason
--> Horde Ambusher
Island
Why is this here so late? I don't comprehend what happened here. Red is flowing too well, kinda throwing off my plans
Pack 2 picks 14-15:
Nothing interesting.
------ KTK ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Barrage of Boulders
Savage Punch
Glacial Stalker
Swift Kick
Rakshasa's Secret
Disdainful Stroke
Snowhorn Rider
Throttle
Blossoming Sands
Abzan Guide
Scion of Glaciers
Chief of the Scale
Heart-Piercer Bow
--> Siege Rhino
Mountain
This pack sucks for me, best alternative to a $2 rare is like glacial stalker, or Scion if I wanted to further destroy my manabase.
Pack 3 pick 2:
Defiant Strike
Act of Treason
Tusked Colossodon
Sage-Eye Harrier
Shambling Attendants
Scaldkin
Mountain
Weave Fate
Rugged Highlands
Snowhorn Rider
Temur Charm
Mardu Charm
--> Murderous Cut
Swamp
Another bad one, I mean like... Scaldkin maybe?
Pack 3 pick 3:
Ainok Tracker
Smoke Teller
--> Ainok Bond-Kin
Bloodfire Expert
Dutiful Return
Crippling Chill
Kheru Dreadmaw
Snowhorn Rider
Jeskai Banner
Master the Way
Nomad Outpost
Jeskai Ascendancy
Island
I thought on the Ascendany for a while but didn't think it was going to happen for me, decided on the safer (I think) pick of Bond-Kin. Again Chill would have been nice but... creatures.
Pack 3 pick 4:
Tormenting Voice
Longshot Squad
Sage-Eye Harrier
Krumar Bond-Kin
Taigam's Scheming
Rite of the Serpent
Efreet Weaponmaster
Mardu Banner
Armament Corps
Warden of the Eye
--> Frontier Bivouac
Forest
Well theres some fixing for that awkward red.
Pack 3 pick 5:
Woolly Loxodon
--> Defiant Strike
Trumpet Blast
Alpine Grizzly
Scaldkin
Taigam's Scheming
Temur Banner
Incremental Growth
Mer-Ek Nightblade
Warden of the Eye
Plains
Not looking good.
Pack 3 pick 6:
Feed the Clan
--> Kill Shot
Ainok Tracker
Bloodfire Mentor
Highland Game
Dismal Backwater
Mardu Hateblade
Krumar Bond-Kin
Blinding Spray
Island
Pack 3 pick 7:
Ainok Tracker
Naturalize
Embodiment of Spring
Unyielding Krumar
Valley Dasher
Scout the Borders
--> Singing Bell Strike
Venerable Lammasu
Mountain
Don't really want to run this, but then I don't really want anything in here.
Pack 3 pick 8:
Tormenting Voice
Naturalize
Mardu Hateblade
Leaping Master
Scout the Borders
Rotting Mastodon
--> Ride Down
Swamp
Red Stahp. At this point I just really don't know how to deal with this now heavy red.
Pack 3 pick 9:
Barrage of Boulders
Swift Kick
Rakshasa's Secret
--> Disdainful Stroke
Snowhorn Rider
Heart-Piercer Bow
Mountain
Meh. Board it.
Pack 3 pick 12:
--> Sage-Eye Harrier
Taigam's Scheming
Mardu Banner
Forest
Well, a few less than Ideal curve fillers but as we're wrapping up I'm not feeling good about this.
Pack 3 picks 13-15:
Nothing Interesting
So The deck I built is in the attachments. Like I had expected mana was an issue, with me just often entirely missing a color. Looking at it I'm still not sure what the better path was, hopefully someone else does. Thanks for taking the time to look at this and help me out. And I do hope that the draft that Monastery Mentor buys me works out a bit better.
Pack 1 pick 4: Tranquil Cove over Orc Sureshot (lands are good and I think Jeskai is better for a prowess deck)
Pack 1 pick 5: Wind-Scarred Crag over Temporal Trespass (as you say, a mistake. I will note that you're not picking lands highly enough though)
Pack 1 pick 9: Jeskai Sage over Jeskai Barricade
Pack 2 pick 1: Feat of Resistance over Tranquil Cove over Glacial Stalker over Arrow Storm over Jeskai Elder
Pack 2 pick 9: Glacial Stalker over Wetland Sambar (2 drops are important, but this guy is above average)
Pack 2 pick 10: Wetland Sambar over Leaping Master (THIS is a mistake. YOu want red to be a splash, and blue to be your man colour. You HAVE to have your early drops in your main colours)
Pack 3 pick 2: Scaldkin over Murderous Cut
Pack 3 pick 3: Nomad Outpost over Ainok Bond-Kin (were you hate drating the Murderous Cut or did you actually want to cast it? this is a WR land even without that)
Pack 3 pick 5: Scaldkin over Defiant Strike
I think your mana problems were entirely self inflicted. Why did you tak red two-drops over blue two-drops?
All in all, I think you needed to prioritise fixing more highly and know what were your main colours. You should have been much more blue I think.
Thanks for taking a look. As for the pack one lands, I usually like to settle into colors before taking them but I probably should have taken the crag if nothing else though, and nomad outpost should have been at a premium for me while lacking red. I do however think you vastly underestimate Jeskai Elder, that loot with the threat of prowess is great. Should have taken the sanbar over the leaping master I just got distracted by it being better and red flowing really well.
I do however think you vastly underestimate Jeskai Elder, that loot with the threat of prowess is great.
Here's the thing though. If my opponent has Jeskai Elder and mana up, I'm *always* going to block with my 2/1 or 2/2. If they have an instant then they are effectively trading their instant for my dude. But that's still just a 1-for-1 trade and I'm just going to untap and play another 2/2. I'm not losing tempo or being blown out. And playing like this means that my opponent will have fewer instants for when they actually want to kill something, or trigger more prowess triggers on better creatures. And eventually the opponent will run out of instants and their 1/2 just becomes blanked.
I think if your opponent lets you loot they are doing it wrong.
In a way, I think we're both using circular logic. You think that it is a good card, so the block/instant play that leaves you with Jeskai Elder in play is a good play for you. I think it's a bad card, so the block/instant play just advances the game while leaving you with an increasingly irrelevant 1/2.
I do however think you vastly underestimate Jeskai Elder, that loot with the threat of prowess is great.
Here's the thing though. If my opponent has Jeskai Elder and mana up, I'm *always* going to block with my 2/1 or 2/2. If they have an instant then they are effectively trading their instant for my dude. But that's still just a 1-for-1 trade and I'm just going to untap and play another 2/2. I'm not losing tempo or being blown out. And playing like this means that my opponent will have fewer instants for when they actually want to kill something, or trigger more prowess triggers on better creatures. And eventually the opponent will run out of instants and their 1/2 just becomes blanked.
I think if your opponent lets you loot they are doing it wrong.
In a way, I think we're both using circular logic. You think that it is a good card, so the block/instant play that leaves you with Jeskai Elder in play is a good play for you. I think it's a bad card, so the block/instant play just advances the game while leaving you with an increasingly irrelevant 1/2.
What instants are you thinking of here that end up as a 1-for-1 trade? This doesn't seem like an accurate description of likely situations to me. I'm struggling to think of Jeskai instants you would cast after blocks in this situation and not be up a card. Feat I guess, but that leaves you with a 2/3 Jeskai Elder which is not a bad outcome either.
I do however think you vastly underestimate Jeskai Elder, that loot with the threat of prowess is great.
Here's the thing though. If my opponent has Jeskai Elder and mana up, I'm *always* going to block with my 2/1 or 2/2. If they have an instant then they are effectively trading their instant for my dude. But that's still just a 1-for-1 trade and I'm just going to untap and play another 2/2. I'm not losing tempo or being blown out. And playing like this means that my opponent will have fewer instants for when they actually want to kill something, or trigger more prowess triggers on better creatures. And eventually the opponent will run out of instants and their 1/2 just becomes blanked.
I think if your opponent lets you loot they are doing it wrong.
In a way, I think we're both using circular logic. You think that it is a good card, so the block/instant play that leaves you with Jeskai Elder in play is a good play for you. I think it's a bad card, so the block/instant play just advances the game while leaving you with an increasingly irrelevant 1/2.
This whole argument assumes their instant is a pump spell that's just trading 1 for 1 with your blocker. That's not a good assumption to make. It could be something like a defiant strike or crippling chill. It could be a removal/bounce spell for a different creature. It could be something that permanently buffs one of your creatures anyway. It could be a combat trick on a different attacker. It could just be a draw spell. You're regularly not just getting 1 for 1ed if they build a real prowess deck. That said, you're correct that it's definitely not the first pick in that pack (or pretty much any pack).
Edit: sorry, should have read the entire thread. Basically just exactly what Dolphan said.
Taking Honor's Reward over Will of the Naga and Feat of Resistance over Jeskai Elder would have solidified your main color as white and left blue or red as second main color options with one great red card and two solid blue cards. The mistake was not so much committing to blue vs. committing to red early so much as committing to any second color when you could have just stayed in white and remained more open.
Taking the blue 3 cards here is okay, but after pack 1 you should realize that blue is not the color to be in, so staying open would have been better. You are right, he wasn't W/R in pack one, but he neither was W/U (a single Surveyor doesn't make it for me).
After the second Mantis it was clear to go WR while keeping an eye open for a blue or black splash (Charm; Sureshot a that point).
I just want to point out, that he didn't abandon the plan to play blue throughout the draft - for no real reason.
It seems to me he did exactly what you are advocating here. Granted he complained about it throughout but who cares? I mean, what blue cards did he take in packs 2 and 3 that he shouldn't have? Jeskai Elder was a mistake but other than that I can't see any times he took a blue card over a better red/white pick. There's a few late choices where he could have taken like Ainok Tracker or Valley Dasher over Singing Bell Strike and Barrage of Boulders over Disdainful Stroke but none of those cards would have made the main deck anyway.
For example: "At this point I just really don't know how to deal with this now heavy red." -> p3p8!!!
At this point he is clearly WR and has the lands for a free splash for the charm... [/quote]
My Issue with red coming so heavily was that I didn't feel how heavy it had become until I already had my curve fillers for blue. I didn't feel I had time to flip and get a solid red curve through the last pack or so, especially when I saw very little in pack 1. I also had 2 pretty reliable double blue spells that I didn't really want to drop.
EDIT: Sorry about the quote I messed it up and don't know how to fix it.
So, Tonight I tried my second draft of the new format and I tanked. 2 losses and a bye. I wanted to post this to find some opinions on my drafting this time around because it felt kinda sloppy and this gives me a chance to reread through my picks and get some feedback all at once. Sorry if this is too longform for the norm over here, still kinda new to posting in forums in general. So! On to the draft cap then.
------ FRF ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Whisk Away
Temporal Trespass
Jeskai Runemark
Sandblast
Jeskai Sage
Great-Horn Krushok
Bathe in Dragonfire
Frontier Mastodon
Defiant Ogre
Ainok Guide
Cached Defenses
Pilgrim of the Fires
Jeskai Barricade
--> Monastery Mentor
Wind-Scarred Crag
This one seemed pretty obvious, money and a pretty good card, sad to pass the foil trespass, but whatever.
Pack 1 pick 2:
Lotus Path Djinn
Sultai Emissary
Harsh Sustenance
Abzan Skycaptain
Jeskai Runemark
Douse in Gloom
Hunt the Weak
Fierce Invocation
Temur Runemark
Tasigur's Cruelty
Winds of Qal Sisma
--> Pyrotechnics
Hewed Stone Retainers
Dismal Backwater
This card is good, just seems like nothing else in the pack compares.
Pack 1 pick 3:
Lotus Path Djinn
Sultai Emissary
Harsh Sustenance
Abzan Skycaptain
Jeskai Runemark
Douse in Gloom
Fierce Invocation
Temur Runemark
Tasigur's Cruelty
Arashin War Beast
--> Lightform
Scroll of the Masters
Blossoming Sands
Another great uncommon, and it looks like we are on the white path.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Harsh Sustenance
Pressure Point
Whisk Away
Temur Battle Rage
Return to the Earth
Mardu Scout
Archers of Qarsi
Fierce Invocation
Feral Krushok
Fascination
--> Orc Sureshot
Tranquil Cove
This guy's pretty good, and I think better than Whisk Away so I decided to spec a bit here.
Pack 1 pick 5:
Abzan Advantage
Refocus
Hooded Assassin
Enhanced Awareness
Temur Runemark
Write into Being
Map the Wastes
Destructor Dragon
Break Through the Line
--> Temporal Trespass
Wind-Scarred Crag
This was just a mistake, I don't really know why I took it.
Pack 1 pick 6:
Cunning Strike
Arashin Cleric
--> Aven Surveyor
Alesha's Vanguard
Gore Swine
Whisperer of the Wilds
Mardu Runemark
Fearsome Awakening
Break Through the Line
Thornwood Falls
I was willing to make a pick towards blue here with only one black card, I like the bird a lot, but I have notice he gets stuck in my hand more than I'd like.
Pack 1 pick 7:
--> Jeskai Runemark
Sibsig Host
Great-Horn Krushok
Frontier Mastodon
Defiant Ogre
Ainok Guide
Friendly Fire
Crucible of the Spirit Dragon
Blossoming Sands
Eh? Jeskai Runemark is definitely the best of these and I think playable. Nothing else here so moving on.
Pack 1 pick 8:
Rakshasa's Disdain
--> Will of the Naga
Sultai Runemark
Lightning Shrieker
Smoldering Efreet
Shifting Loyalties
Dark Deal
Honor's Reward
I'm noticing my white drying up here, but I'm okay with good blue cards.
Pack 1 pick 9:
Jeskai Sage
Great-Horn Krushok
Frontier Mastodon
Defiant Ogre
Cached Defenses
Pilgrim of the Fires
--> Jeskai Barricade
I may overestimate this guy a bit but I think he's good, so it's enough to make me want to stick to the WU plan.
Pack 1 picks 10-15:
Nothing else really interesting comes around, I pick up lifelands for WU and UB, and grab a Scroll of the Master's to stay in my board. I now take note of some decent green that I didn't notice before, but I feel really far away from making that happen anyway.
------ KTK ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Feat of Resistance
Shatter
Awaken the Bear
Valley Dasher
Dragonscale Boon
Tranquil Cove
Wetland Sambar
Arrow Storm
Sidisi's Pet
Glacial Stalker
Timely Hordemate
Stubborn Denial
--> Jeskai Elder
Deflecting Palm
Island
This one was kind of hard between the elder and the feat, but noticing a lack of both prowess and creatures in general I felt I needed the Elder more.
Pack 2 pick 2:
Awaken the Bear
Canyon Lurkers
Bloodfell Caves
Wetland Sambar
Mardu Skullhunter
Rush of Battle
Leaping Master
Force Away
Rakshasa's Secret
Briber's Purse
Secret Plans
--> Watcher of the Roost
Rakshasa Vizier
Forest
The flavor of the day is pretty good dudes over spells I want. Force Away Would have been nice, but it cant punch in the air and gain some life.
Pack 2 pick 3:
Act of Treason
Woolly Loxodon
Defiant Strike
Bring Low
Kin-Tree Warden
Scoured Barrens
Smite the Monstrous
Bloodfire Mentor
Sultai Scavenger
Whirlwind Adept
--> Jeskai Charm
Icefeather Aven
Swamp
I was happy to take the charm here and it solidified that I was going to want to splash red.
Pack 2 pick 4:
Act of Treason
Tusked Colossodon
Sage-Eye Harrier
Trumpet Blast
Crippling Chill
Rotting Mastodon
Efreet Weaponmaster
Abzan Banner
Wind-Scarred Crag
War-Name Aspirant
--> Highspire Mantis
Forest
A little awkward here, I wanted the chill, but I really wanted a 33 flyer for 4, even if it did make the mana a little more awkward.
Pack 2 pick 5:
Act of Treason
Tusked Colossodon
Sage-Eye Harrier
Arrow Storm
Swiftwater Cliffs
Jeskai Windscout
Disowned Ancestor
--> Highspire Mantis
Horde Ambusher
Ugin's Nexus
Island
And again. Looking back maybe the windscout was a better pick at the time, being less mana intensive and similarly effective, especially in the prowess deck I wanted this to be at the time.
Pack 2 pick 6:
Salt Road Patrol
Canyon Lurkers
Firehoof Cavalry
Highland Game
Scoured Barrens
Embodiment of Spring
Molting Snakeskin
Mardu Blazebringer
--> Ride Down
Mountain
Okay, red It's getting a little awkward.
Pack 2 pick 7:
Sagu Archer
Shatter
--> Tranquil Cove
Wetland Sambar
Siegecraft
Bring Low
Glacial Stalker
Blinding Spray
Plains
Pack 2 pick 8:
Feed the Clan
--> Tranquil Cove
Unyielding Krumar
Sultai Banner
Firehoof Cavalry
Dutiful Return
Mardu Blazebringer
Forest
WU fixing abound, now if only that other color would show up.
Pack 2 pick 9:
Shatter
Valley Dasher
--> Wetland Sambar
Sidisi's Pet
Glacial Stalker
Deflecting Palm
Island
Pack 2 pick 10:
Canyon Lurkers
Wetland Sambar
--> Leaping Master
Briber's Purse
Secret Plans
Forest
Pack 2 pick 11:
Act of Treason
--> Bring Low
Bloodfire Mentor
Whirlwind Adept
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 12:
Tusked Colossodon
--> Trumpet Blast
Abzan Banner
Forest
Pack 2 pick 13:
Act of Treason
--> Horde Ambusher
Island
Why is this here so late? I don't comprehend what happened here. Red is flowing too well, kinda throwing off my plans
Pack 2 picks 14-15:
Nothing interesting.
------ KTK ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Barrage of Boulders
Savage Punch
Glacial Stalker
Swift Kick
Rakshasa's Secret
Disdainful Stroke
Snowhorn Rider
Throttle
Blossoming Sands
Abzan Guide
Scion of Glaciers
Chief of the Scale
Heart-Piercer Bow
--> Siege Rhino
Mountain
This pack sucks for me, best alternative to a $2 rare is like glacial stalker, or Scion if I wanted to further destroy my manabase.
Pack 3 pick 2:
Defiant Strike
Act of Treason
Tusked Colossodon
Sage-Eye Harrier
Shambling Attendants
Scaldkin
Mountain
Weave Fate
Rugged Highlands
Snowhorn Rider
Temur Charm
Mardu Charm
--> Murderous Cut
Swamp
Another bad one, I mean like... Scaldkin maybe?
Pack 3 pick 3:
Ainok Tracker
Smoke Teller
--> Ainok Bond-Kin
Bloodfire Expert
Dutiful Return
Crippling Chill
Kheru Dreadmaw
Snowhorn Rider
Jeskai Banner
Master the Way
Nomad Outpost
Jeskai Ascendancy
Island
I thought on the Ascendany for a while but didn't think it was going to happen for me, decided on the safer (I think) pick of Bond-Kin. Again Chill would have been nice but... creatures.
Pack 3 pick 4:
Tormenting Voice
Longshot Squad
Sage-Eye Harrier
Krumar Bond-Kin
Taigam's Scheming
Rite of the Serpent
Efreet Weaponmaster
Mardu Banner
Armament Corps
Warden of the Eye
--> Frontier Bivouac
Forest
Well theres some fixing for that awkward red.
Pack 3 pick 5:
Woolly Loxodon
--> Defiant Strike
Trumpet Blast
Alpine Grizzly
Scaldkin
Taigam's Scheming
Temur Banner
Incremental Growth
Mer-Ek Nightblade
Warden of the Eye
Plains
Not looking good.
Pack 3 pick 6:
Feed the Clan
--> Kill Shot
Ainok Tracker
Bloodfire Mentor
Highland Game
Dismal Backwater
Mardu Hateblade
Krumar Bond-Kin
Blinding Spray
Island
Pack 3 pick 7:
Ainok Tracker
Naturalize
Embodiment of Spring
Unyielding Krumar
Valley Dasher
Scout the Borders
--> Singing Bell Strike
Venerable Lammasu
Mountain
Don't really want to run this, but then I don't really want anything in here.
Pack 3 pick 8:
Tormenting Voice
Naturalize
Mardu Hateblade
Leaping Master
Scout the Borders
Rotting Mastodon
--> Ride Down
Swamp
Red Stahp. At this point I just really don't know how to deal with this now heavy red.
Pack 3 pick 9:
Barrage of Boulders
Swift Kick
Rakshasa's Secret
--> Disdainful Stroke
Snowhorn Rider
Heart-Piercer Bow
Mountain
Meh. Board it.
Pack 3 pick 10:
Tusked Colossodon
Shambling Attendants
--> Scaldkin
Mountain
Temur Charm
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 11:
--> Ainok Tracker
Dutiful Return
Kheru Dreadmaw
Jeskai Banner
Island
Pack 3 pick 12:
--> Sage-Eye Harrier
Taigam's Scheming
Mardu Banner
Forest
Well, a few less than Ideal curve fillers but as we're wrapping up I'm not feeling good about this.
Pack 3 picks 13-15:
Nothing Interesting
So The deck I built is in the attachments. Like I had expected mana was an issue, with me just often entirely missing a color. Looking at it I'm still not sure what the better path was, hopefully someone else does. Thanks for taking the time to look at this and help me out. And I do hope that the draft that Monastery Mentor buys me works out a bit better.
Pack 1 pick 5: Wind-Scarred Crag over Temporal Trespass (as you say, a mistake. I will note that you're not picking lands highly enough though)
Pack 1 pick 9: Jeskai Sage over Jeskai Barricade
Pack 2 pick 1: Feat of Resistance over Tranquil Cove over Glacial Stalker over Arrow Storm over Jeskai Elder
Pack 2 pick 9: Glacial Stalker over Wetland Sambar (2 drops are important, but this guy is above average)
Pack 2 pick 10: Wetland Sambar over Leaping Master (THIS is a mistake. YOu want red to be a splash, and blue to be your man colour. You HAVE to have your early drops in your main colours)
Pack 3 pick 2: Scaldkin over Murderous Cut
Pack 3 pick 3: Nomad Outpost over Ainok Bond-Kin (were you hate drating the Murderous Cut or did you actually want to cast it? this is a WR land even without that)
Pack 3 pick 5: Scaldkin over Defiant Strike
I think your mana problems were entirely self inflicted. Why did you tak red two-drops over blue two-drops?
All in all, I think you needed to prioritise fixing more highly and know what were your main colours. You should have been much more blue I think.
Here's the thing though. If my opponent has Jeskai Elder and mana up, I'm *always* going to block with my 2/1 or 2/2. If they have an instant then they are effectively trading their instant for my dude. But that's still just a 1-for-1 trade and I'm just going to untap and play another 2/2. I'm not losing tempo or being blown out. And playing like this means that my opponent will have fewer instants for when they actually want to kill something, or trigger more prowess triggers on better creatures. And eventually the opponent will run out of instants and their 1/2 just becomes blanked.
I think if your opponent lets you loot they are doing it wrong.
In a way, I think we're both using circular logic. You think that it is a good card, so the block/instant play that leaves you with Jeskai Elder in play is a good play for you. I think it's a bad card, so the block/instant play just advances the game while leaving you with an increasingly irrelevant 1/2.
I guess Defiant Strike was what I was thinking of, although things like Weave Fate also work.
What were you thinking would be the likely outcome when you attack with the elder and the opponent blocks with a 2/1?
This whole argument assumes their instant is a pump spell that's just trading 1 for 1 with your blocker. That's not a good assumption to make. It could be something like a defiant strike or crippling chill. It could be a removal/bounce spell for a different creature. It could be something that permanently buffs one of your creatures anyway. It could be a combat trick on a different attacker. It could just be a draw spell. You're regularly not just getting 1 for 1ed if they build a real prowess deck. That said, you're correct that it's definitely not the first pick in that pack (or pretty much any pack).
Edit: sorry, should have read the entire thread. Basically just exactly what Dolphan said.
You're right.
I think my reaction depends more on his thoughts (comments) while drafting than on his picks.
For example: "At this point I just really don't know how to deal with this now heavy red." -> p3p8!!!
At this point he is clearly WR and has the lands for a free splash for the charm... [/quote]
My Issue with red coming so heavily was that I didn't feel how heavy it had become until I already had my curve fillers for blue. I didn't feel I had time to flip and get a solid red curve through the last pack or so, especially when I saw very little in pack 1. I also had 2 pretty reliable double blue spells that I didn't really want to drop.
EDIT: Sorry about the quote I messed it up and don't know how to fix it.