Hey guys. I've mostly been doing sealed events on MTGO lately but did my first draft in a couple weeks and ended up with what I feel was a pretty powerful deck, going 2-1 (and confident that I could have gone 3-0 if my play was up to par; I was very distracted and made some rushed decisions during some of my matches). Posting here to see if anyone has any tips or thinks I made the wrong decisions in the drafting process.
Here's the draft:
Pack 1 pick 1:
Dragon Bell Monk
Rakshasa's Disdain
Gurmag Angler
Abzan Advantage
Write into Being
Bathe in Dragonfire
Map the Wastes
Lightning Shrieker
Ainok Guide
Sandsteppe Outcast
Marang River Prowler
Mardu Shadowspear
Break Through the Line
--> Yasova Dragonclaw
Thornwood Falls
First picking the rare as usual lol. Yasova's a legit card and far better than anything else in this pack, I think.
Pack 1 pick 2:
Dragon Bell Monk
Rakshasa's Disdain
Gurmag Angler
Abzan Advantage
Write into Being
--> Bathe in Dragonfire
Map the Wastes
Lightning Shrieker
Ainok Guide
Sandsteppe Outcast
Rite of Undoing
Diplomacy of the Wastes
Rageform
Jungle Hollow
The only green card in this pack is the rather underwhelming Ainok Guide so I figured I'd look toward red and blue, since I want to get the full value out of Yasova. I could have taken Write into Being or Rite of Undoing here but I went with Bathe in Dragonfire which is a solid removal spell.
Pack 1 pick 3:
Enhanced Awareness
Gurmag Angler
Refocus
Soul Summons
Will of the Naga
Ancestral Vengeance
--> Gore Swine
Whisperer of the Wilds
Mardu Runemark
Ambush Krotiq
Shockmaw Dragon
Hewed Stone Retainers
Jungle Hollow
This was between Gore Swine and Whisperer and I'm not positive I made the right decision. At this point in the draft there wasn't anything profitable for me to ramp into so I went for the aggressive option and took the Swine.
Maybe it's early for me to pick this up but it's such a powerful combat trick and even though Lotus Path Djinn is a good card I wanted to stay on the colors I had instead of going straight into Temur so early in the draft.
Instant and sorcery count so far: 2 and 1. This card is very good when you can turn it on so at this point I'm trying to keep my eyes out for more playable instants and sorceries in my colors.
Pack 1 pick 8:
Cunning Strike
Abzan Runemark
Rakshasa's Disdain
Write into Being
Map the Wastes
Collateral Damage
--> Formless Nurturing
Channel Harm
It's a creature that helps with Bloodfire Enforcers!
Pack 1 pick 9:
Rakshasa's Disdain
Abzan Advantage
Map the Wastes
Lightning Shrieker
--> Marang River Prowler
Mardu Shadowspear
Break Through the Line
Taking a speculative River Prowler over the Map because I feel it's better for the deck I'm going for.
Pack 1 pick 10:
Rakshasa's Disdain
Abzan Advantage
Map the Wastes
Lightning Shrieker
Rite of Undoing
--> Rageform
I heavily debated between Tusker and Heart-Piercer and even though Tusker put in some work I'm not positive this was correct. I definitely feel like I have a good top end so far.
Pack 2 pick 2:
Act of Treason
Tusked Colossodon
Dismal Backwater
Sultai Banner
Disowned Ancestor
Siegecraft
--> Arrow Storm
Dragonscale Boon
Bitter Revelation
Force Away
Mardu Blazebringer
Watcher of the Roost
Monastery Swiftspear
Swamp
My other choices were Trumpet Blast and Colossodon when I already had some big guys and this isn't the type of deck that supports Blast, I think. Leaping Master would basically be a red Wetland Sambar in my deck but I had very few low-cost creatures at the time.
Pack 2 pick 8:
--> Canyon Lurkers
Defiant Strike
Embodiment of Spring
Unyielding Krumar
Scout the Borders
Kheru Dreadmaw
Tomb of the Spirit Dragon
Forest
Pack 3 pick 1:
--> Mardu Warshrieker
Feed the Clan
Jeskai Student
Mardu Skullhunter
Mardu Hateblade
Leaping Master
Scout the Borders
Bloodfell Caves
Sidisi's Pet
Glacial Stalker
Swarm of Bloodflies
Incremental Growth
Sultai Charm
Kheru Spellsnatcher
Island
Pick was somewhat close here. I just wanted more creatures and I ended up with a lot of 3s so I think Warshrieker was a good pick here, though Growth is justifiable. A case could also be made for Spellsnatcher but blue was a splash color here (that was assuming I play it at all) and I don't know how good it would be in this deck. Should I have just windmill slammed the rare?
It's just one of those unpredictable things but the blue was open in mid-FRF and you could have really stocked up there. I think that it's fine to play two Arrow Storms. Heart-Piercer is great and is usually a 2-for-1, I like that over the tusker.
The deck looks good, good number of creatures vs spells and Roar of Challenge is a good finisher here.
Pack 1 pick 4: Lotus Path Djinn over Temur Battle Rage
Pack 1 pick 5: Whisk Away over Feral Krushok
Pack 1 pick 6: Tranquil Cove over Ruthless Instincts
Pack 1 pick 8: Cunning Strike over Formless Nurturing
Pack 1 pick 12: Fierce Invocation over Temur Runemark
So I would have gone into UR much earlier than you.
Pack 2 pick 1: Avalanche Tusker (it's a bomb, even if it cements your third colour)
Pack 2 pick 2: Force Away over Arrow Storm
Pack 2 pick 4: Bring Low over Bloodfire Expert
Pack 2 pick 5: Tranquil Cove over Arrow Storm over Sagu Archer (this combined with P2P2 means you picked Sagu Archer over Force Away, which has to be wrong)
Pack 2 pick 6: Dragonscale Boon over Roar of Challenge
Pack 3 pick 1: Kheru Spellsnatcher over Mardu Warshrieker
Pack 3 pick 2: Glacial Stalker over Jeskai Elder over Dragonscale Boon
Pack 3 pick 3: Thornwood Falls over Rattleclaw Mystic
Pack 3 pick 4: Leaping Master over Awaken the Bear
Pack 3 pick 8: Force Away (!) over Smoke Teller
Pack 3 pick 11: Swift Kick over Whirlwind Adept
So you whiffed on fixing, Thornwood Falls was really your only chance to get some. I would have tried to keep green as the splash colour.
I felt Rattleclaw Mystic was better than Falls since Green was a main color - had I been RUg as you would have gone I probably would have made the same pick as you. I guess I should have moved in on blue earlier and capitalized on the blue cards being passed to me, though Temur Battle Rage and Roar of Challenge actually worked wonders and I feel like they performed as well as they possibly could because they had the creatures to support them (I realize this is somewhat anecdotal). And I don't value Sagu Archer over Force Away, nor do I really value it over Arrow Storm, I just didn't feel like my deck needed two of the card.
Like the others I'd have based myself in UR, and in that deck I'd absolutely take two Arrow Storms. I'd also have take Aven Surveyor over both the land and Ruthless Instincts P1P6. For me that was the first real signal that blue was probably open. P1P5 Whisk Away isn't anything special, but it's hard to imagine the FRF pack where Aven Surveyor is the 6th best card.
Here's the draft:
Pack 1 pick 1:
Dragon Bell Monk
Rakshasa's Disdain
Gurmag Angler
Abzan Advantage
Write into Being
Bathe in Dragonfire
Map the Wastes
Lightning Shrieker
Ainok Guide
Sandsteppe Outcast
Marang River Prowler
Mardu Shadowspear
Break Through the Line
--> Yasova Dragonclaw
Thornwood Falls
First picking the rare as usual lol. Yasova's a legit card and far better than anything else in this pack, I think.
Pack 1 pick 2:
Dragon Bell Monk
Rakshasa's Disdain
Gurmag Angler
Abzan Advantage
Write into Being
--> Bathe in Dragonfire
Map the Wastes
Lightning Shrieker
Ainok Guide
Sandsteppe Outcast
Rite of Undoing
Diplomacy of the Wastes
Rageform
Jungle Hollow
The only green card in this pack is the rather underwhelming Ainok Guide so I figured I'd look toward red and blue, since I want to get the full value out of Yasova. I could have taken Write into Being or Rite of Undoing here but I went with Bathe in Dragonfire which is a solid removal spell.
Pack 1 pick 3:
Enhanced Awareness
Gurmag Angler
Refocus
Soul Summons
Will of the Naga
Ancestral Vengeance
--> Gore Swine
Whisperer of the Wilds
Mardu Runemark
Ambush Krotiq
Shockmaw Dragon
Hewed Stone Retainers
Jungle Hollow
This was between Gore Swine and Whisperer and I'm not positive I made the right decision. At this point in the draft there wasn't anything profitable for me to ramp into so I went for the aggressive option and took the Swine.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Grim Contest
Aven Skirmisher
Lotus Path Djinn
Sultai Emissary
--> Temur Battle Rage
Fierce Invocation
Temur Runemark
Tasigur's Cruelty
Arashin War Beast
Shifting Loyalties
Dragonrage
Dismal Backwater
Maybe it's early for me to pick this up but it's such a powerful combat trick and even though Lotus Path Djinn is a good card I wanted to stay on the colors I had instead of going straight into Temur so early in the draft.
Pack 1 pick 5:
Abzan Skycaptain
Jeskai Runemark
War Flare
Arashin Cleric
Whisk Away
Mardu Scout
--> Feral Krushok
Lightning Shrieker
Archers of Qarsi
Fascination
Shockmaw Dragon
Pack 1 pick 6:
Will of the Naga
Sultai Runemark
Abzan Runemark
Aven Surveyor
Ancestral Vengeance
Smoldering Efreet
Formless Nurturing
Tasigur's Cruelty
--> Ruthless Instincts
Tranquil Cove
Pack 1 pick 7:
Refocus
Enhanced Awareness
Defiant Ogre
Collateral Damage
Temur Runemark
Cached Defenses
Hero's Blade
--> Bloodfire Enforcers
Dismal Backwater
Instant and sorcery count so far: 2 and 1. This card is very good when you can turn it on so at this point I'm trying to keep my eyes out for more playable instants and sorceries in my colors.
Pack 1 pick 8:
Cunning Strike
Abzan Runemark
Rakshasa's Disdain
Write into Being
Map the Wastes
Collateral Damage
--> Formless Nurturing
Channel Harm
It's a creature that helps with Bloodfire Enforcers!
Pack 1 pick 9:
Rakshasa's Disdain
Abzan Advantage
Map the Wastes
Lightning Shrieker
--> Marang River Prowler
Mardu Shadowspear
Break Through the Line
Taking a speculative River Prowler over the Map because I feel it's better for the deck I'm going for.
Pack 1 pick 10:
Rakshasa's Disdain
Abzan Advantage
Map the Wastes
Lightning Shrieker
Rite of Undoing
--> Rageform
Pack 1 pick 11:
--> Enhanced Awareness
Refocus
Ancestral Vengeance
Mardu Runemark
Ambush Krotiq
Pack 1 pick 12:
Aven Skirmisher
Fierce Invocation
--> Temur Runemark
Shifting Loyalties
It's possible Fierce Invocation was the pick here; Temur Runemark isn't too playable.
Pack 1 pick 13:
--> Jeskai Runemark
Lightning Shrieker
Fascination
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Smoldering Efreet
Tasigur's Cruelty
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Temur Runemark
------ KTK ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Shatter
Tusked Colossodon
Erase
Mardu Warshrieker
Rotting Mastodon
Cancel
Blossoming Sands
Abzan Guide
Abzan Banner
Rite of the Serpent
Mardu Heart-Piercer
Secret Plans
Dragon's Eye Savants
--> Avalanche Tusker
Plains
I heavily debated between Tusker and Heart-Piercer and even though Tusker put in some work I'm not positive this was correct. I definitely feel like I have a good top end so far.
Pack 2 pick 2:
Act of Treason
Tusked Colossodon
Dismal Backwater
Sultai Banner
Disowned Ancestor
Siegecraft
--> Arrow Storm
Dragonscale Boon
Bitter Revelation
Force Away
Mardu Blazebringer
Watcher of the Roost
Monastery Swiftspear
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 3:
Ainok Bond-Kin
Shatter
Tusked Colossodon
Kin-Tree Warden
--> Swiftwater Cliffs
Jeskai Windscout
Disowned Ancestor
Rush of Battle
Dutiful Return
Disdainful Stroke
Scion of Glaciers
Secret Plans
Plains
Pack 2 pick 4:
Naturalize
War Behemoth
--> Bloodfire Expert
Tranquil Cove
Wetland Sambar
Siegecraft
Bring Low
Kin-Tree Warden
Krumar Bond-Kin
Taigam's Scheming
Briber's Purse
Island
Pack 2 pick 5:
--> Sagu Archer
Archers' Parapet
Tranquil Cove
Unyielding Krumar
Sultai Banner
Firehoof Cavalry
Arrow Storm
Dutiful Return
Whirlwind Adept
Raiders' Spoils
Plains
Don't think I'm gonna be playing a second Arrow Storm even though Archer's unlikely to make the cut for this deck.
Pack 2 pick 6:
Tormenting Voice
Dismal Backwater
Sultai Banner
Siegecraft
Dragonscale Boon
Disdainful Stroke
Sidisi's Pet
--> Roar of Challenge
Heart-Piercer Bow
Plains
Pack 2 pick 7:
Tusked Colossodon
Sage-Eye Harrier
Trumpet Blast
Mardu Hateblade
--> Leaping Master
Scout the Borders
Taigam's Scheming
Raiders' Spoils
Mountain
My other choices were Trumpet Blast and Colossodon when I already had some big guys and this isn't the type of deck that supports Blast, I think. Leaping Master would basically be a red Wetland Sambar in my deck but I had very few low-cost creatures at the time.
Pack 2 pick 8:
--> Canyon Lurkers
Defiant Strike
Embodiment of Spring
Unyielding Krumar
Scout the Borders
Kheru Dreadmaw
Tomb of the Spirit Dragon
Forest
Pack 2 pick 9:
Shatter
--> Tusked Colossodon
Erase
Cancel
Abzan Banner
Secret Plans
Plains
Pack 2 pick 10:
Tusked Colossodon
Sultai Banner
Siegecraft
Mardu Blazebringer
--> Monastery Swiftspear
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 11:
Shatter
Kin-Tree Warden
--> Disdainful Stroke
Secret Plans
Plains
Pack 2 pick 12:
--> Siegecraft
Taigam's Scheming
Briber's Purse
Island
Pack 2 pick 13:
--> Sultai Banner
Dutiful Return
Plains
Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Sultai Banner
Plains
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Mountain
------ KTK ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
--> Mardu Warshrieker
Feed the Clan
Jeskai Student
Mardu Skullhunter
Mardu Hateblade
Leaping Master
Scout the Borders
Bloodfell Caves
Sidisi's Pet
Glacial Stalker
Swarm of Bloodflies
Incremental Growth
Sultai Charm
Kheru Spellsnatcher
Island
Pick was somewhat close here. I just wanted more creatures and I ended up with a lot of 3s so I think Warshrieker was a good pick here, though Growth is justifiable. A case could also be made for Spellsnatcher but blue was a splash color here (that was assuming I play it at all) and I don't know how good it would be in this deck. Should I have just windmill slammed the rare?
Pack 3 pick 2:
Sage-Eye Harrier
Mardu Warshrieker
Dismal Backwater
Sultai Banner
Disowned Ancestor
Herald of Anafenza
Arrow Storm
--> Dragonscale Boon
Debilitating Injury
Glacial Stalker
Blinding Spray
Chief of the Scale
Jeskai Elder
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 3:
War Behemoth
Swift Kick
Awaken the Bear
Sultai Scavenger
Whirlwind Adept
Thornwood Falls
Efreet Weaponmaster
Abzan Banner
Throttle
Cranial Archive
Ride Down
--> Rattleclaw Mystic
Plains
Heyooo.
Pack 3 pick 4:
War Behemoth
Swift Kick
--> Awaken the Bear
Bloodfell Caves
Wetland Sambar
Rush of Battle
Leaping Master
Dutiful Return
Disdainful Stroke
Mardu Charm
Suspension Field
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 5:
Erase
Tormenting Voice
--> Longshot Squad
Sage-Eye Harrier
Rakshasa's Secret
Disdainful Stroke
Abomination of Gudul
Mardu Banner
Jeskai Charm
Dragon's Eye Savants
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 6:
Sage-Eye Harrier
Trumpet Blast
--> Hooting Mandrills
Rakshasa's Secret
Wind-Scarred Crag
Ponyback Brigade
Weave Fate
Venerable Lammasu
Sultai Soothsayer
Plains
Pack 3 pick 7:
Trumpet Blast
Alabaster Kirin
Tormenting Voice
Sidisi's Pet
Scaldkin
Treasure Cruise
--> Snowhorn Rider
Seek the Horizon
Plains
Pack 3 pick 8:
--> Smoke Teller
Ainok Tracker
Mardu Hateblade
Leaping Master
Scout the Borders
Force Away
Windstorm
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 9:
Jeskai Student
Mardu Skullhunter
Leaping Master
Scout the Borders
Sidisi's Pet
--> Glacial Stalker
Island
Pack 3 pick 10:
Sage-Eye Harrier
Mardu Warshrieker
Sultai Banner
--> Arrow Storm
Blinding Spray
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 11:
Swift Kick
--> Whirlwind Adept
Abzan Banner
Cranial Archive
Plains
Pack 3 pick 12:
Swift Kick
--> Wetland Sambar
Dutiful Return
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 13:
Erase
--> Tormenting Voice
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 14:
--> Trumpet Blast
Plains
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Plains
The final product:
1 Rattleclaw Mystic
1 Smoke Teller
1 Bloodfire Expert
1 Gore Swine
1 Yasova Dragonclaw
1 Bloodfire Enforcers
1 Longshot Squad
1 Formless Nurturing
1 Rageform
1 Canyon Lurkers
1 Feral Krushok
1 Avalanche Tusker
1 Glacial Stalker
1 Hooting Mandrills
1 Snowhorn Rider
1 Temur Battle Rage
1 Bathe in Dragonfire
1 Ruthless Instincts
1 Roar of Challenge
1 Dragonscale Boon
1 Arrow Storm
1 Enhanced Awareness
LAND
7 Forest
4 Island
7 Mountain
1 Swiftwater Cliffs
Accidentally submitted 41 cards with 19 lands because I put in the basics before Swiftwater Cliffs. That was annoying.
It's just one of those unpredictable things but the blue was open in mid-FRF and you could have really stocked up there. I think that it's fine to play two Arrow Storms. Heart-Piercer is great and is usually a 2-for-1, I like that over the tusker.
The deck looks good, good number of creatures vs spells and Roar of Challenge is a good finisher here.
Pack 1 pick 4: Lotus Path Djinn over Temur Battle Rage
Pack 1 pick 5: Whisk Away over Feral Krushok
Pack 1 pick 6: Tranquil Cove over Ruthless Instincts
Pack 1 pick 8: Cunning Strike over Formless Nurturing
Pack 1 pick 12: Fierce Invocation over Temur Runemark
So I would have gone into UR much earlier than you.
Pack 2 pick 1: Avalanche Tusker (it's a bomb, even if it cements your third colour)
Pack 2 pick 2: Force Away over Arrow Storm
Pack 2 pick 4: Bring Low over Bloodfire Expert
Pack 2 pick 5: Tranquil Cove over Arrow Storm over Sagu Archer (this combined with P2P2 means you picked Sagu Archer over Force Away, which has to be wrong)
Pack 2 pick 6: Dragonscale Boon over Roar of Challenge
Pack 3 pick 1: Kheru Spellsnatcher over Mardu Warshrieker
Pack 3 pick 2: Glacial Stalker over Jeskai Elder over Dragonscale Boon
Pack 3 pick 3: Thornwood Falls over Rattleclaw Mystic
Pack 3 pick 4: Leaping Master over Awaken the Bear
Pack 3 pick 8: Force Away (!) over Smoke Teller
Pack 3 pick 11: Swift Kick over Whirlwind Adept
So you whiffed on fixing, Thornwood Falls was really your only chance to get some. I would have tried to keep green as the splash colour.
Your deck looks fine, although ideally you would have better cards than Temur Battle Rage, Ruthless Instincts, Roar of Challenge.