Thanks for all the advice. I've taken it to heart and gave that PPTQ thing another spin last saturday, to better results this time. After announcing that there are 50 players (6 rounds of swiss) I get to open PPTQ pool #2:
Colorless has 1 bomb and 2/3 solid playables. Good, I need less playables from my other colors.
White has very good allies, but lacks removal and ways to make the 3-drops bigger. Getting to 4 power is very important in this format. Spawnbinder Mages have not impressed me in this format. Yeah, they stall you for a bit, but I usually am able to push through them after a little time.
Blue has some solid playables and looks 'fine' overall. There isn't much drawing me to this color.
Black has Grip, Drana's Chosen (if left unchecked, it does take over the game) and Essence Depleters. Drana's Chosen wants to be paired with white, but the Depleters want to be paired with blue.
Red has lots of bomby rares, but lacks early game creatures.
Green has some early creatures and some interaction
I considered a UB build, but didn't like the lack of interaction. In the end I went with a RGc build. Red and colorless provided the bombs, Green had spells that paired nicely with the Deep-Dwellers, and creatures stalled the board to make sure I get to my bombs.
Warping Wail? I was convinced during deckbuilding that it was Spatial Contortion, but the card did work. It took out Blinding Drones, Hedron Crawlers and lots of other important utility creatures.
Scour from Existence: I lacked unconditional removal and I needed it
Vines of the Recluse: I was weak to flyers and this card helps a lot. It's even better because nobody expects it and it only costs 1 mana.
Loam Larva: Search for a wastes, mountain. Alternatively: provide a shuffle effect after my Tyrant of Valakut got Swept Away while my opponent has an opposing Benthic Infiltrator (yeah, this actually came up)
I played some very good magic yesterday and got into the top8 as number #2 seed with a record of 5-0-1 (I played against someone with 10 points during round 5 and couldn't double draw). I took advantage of the play/draw rules (higher seed chooses during game 1) and drafted another RG deck with loads of stalking drones, lead by example, 2x outnumber and sparkmage's gambit to push through damage. 3 wins later and I'm qualified for the RPTQ!
Takeaways: Don't get too greedy with your mana. Make sure you stay hydrated and eat something each round.
Last but not least: thanks for all your advice (most of it boils down to: don't get too greedy!).
I've played in a sealed BFZ/OGW PPTQ last sunday and failed miserably (0-2 drop, 73 players). But I am really wondering if I made the right decisions with my build. You'll find my pool here, and I've added some variant builds I've created under the spoiler tag. I love to hear your input!
During deckbuilding I dismissed green, because it is rather shallow. Red does offer the two burn spells and rolling thunder, but doesn't have many creatures. White offers a good base of creatures and Munda's Vanguard and has the quarantaine field + isolation zone as removal. Black also doesn't offer many creatures, but has the Oblivion Strike. This leaves white and blue. Blue does have some nice creatures, and has some interaction. When I look at my lands, I see that it shouldn't be too hard to play black as a splash. I also wanted to play the Reality Smasher, and I have quite some colorless sources.
This gives me:
9 white sources (I count crumbling vestige as .5 source and the holdout settlements as 1.5 sources)
9 blue sources
5 black sources
7 colorless sources
Looking back at it, it isn't strange that I encountered mana issues during my two matches. I also made some questionable mulligan decisions, so I only have myself to blame for the result. I do wonder if you would have build the same way, or would you have gone for the more straightforward WRu or WRc deck I created after I was out:
Fwiw I love the new scroll thief with prowess. It is way better than the old scroll thief, because your opponent can't safely block it with a bear. And the additional point of toughness versus the jeskai elder is huge as well, since you can bluff attack into a bear.
The sealed format will be 4x DTK, 2x FRF (used for example during the RPTQ for PT Milwaukee). The prerelease format is 4x DTK, 1x FRF, 1x seeded.
I suspect that we'll get at least one on color dual land (from FRF) and a dragonstone in the seeded packs. I suspect they'll include one of the uncommon megamorph dragons in the seeded pack as well.
Then I suggest not only recording that the top card is the card that you wanted to scry to the bottom, but also (after the game ended) drawing your entire library and see if the card you scryed to the bottom is the last card drawn (or not). Make sure you don't shuffle after scrying though
Another way to test if this happened is by drawing your entire deck after the game, and seeing if the card you scryed to the bottom is where you expect it to be.
When you want to make an alternative version of your limited deck you should:
make a copy of the decklist in the freeform category (so your original deck is still there
make sure to *only* drag and drop cards from your maindeck to your sideboard and vice versa. Doubleclicking on cards removes them from the deck alltogether. If the cards from your decklist don't match the cards from your pool, MtGO won't show you the decklist.
I think you get the clan's tri-land in the seeded booster (just like you did with the KTK prerelease), and perhaps one of the matching gainlands.
I suspect that you also get one of the 6 cmc uncommon dragons in your clan colors (otherwise you are unable to complete the challenge to attack with a dragon)
Perhaps you also get the common KTK clan morph from the seeded booster (he has ponyback brigade in his pool)
Wizards posted an article about the surveys they've been conducting during the last few months. Monday they announced that they'll reimburse complete entry for an event if you've encountered a bug, no matter how many prizes you have won during the event.
The main thing that caught my eye is that they are going to maintain a list of known issues with the client, and will list a targeted fix date (if available):
Second, starting next week, we'll begin publishing a known-issues list that will be updated weekly. This list will feature major known problems, though it won't be a complete catalog of every bug or defect in Magic Online. If we have a planned fix date, a known way to avoid the issue, or both, we will include that in the issues list as well.
I assume that they'll use this list to deny duplicate reimbursement requests (if there is a listed work around), but I'm fine with that.
I've noticed that the main way I lose games in this format is if I don't get past my first 3/4 landdrops, and your 5th landdrop is extremely important. I find that drawing first (in sealed) gets you there way more reliably, because of the extra card. Playing first and having to mulligan is devastating in this format. I've run some numbers (40 cards/18 lands) and found that if you play first, you have drawn 5+ lands in your opener + 4 draw steps about 35% of the time. If you draw first, that number goes up to 47%. However, if you mulligan on the play, you only hit that number 23%.
I still like to draw first in sealed.
Just finished an amazing KTK draft. 4 color morphs with two secret plans. Early picks were duneblast, a later pickup was a swarm of bloodflies. That's some amazing synergy (I was left with a 13/13 flyer). Another fine play was a Villainous Wealth for 6, which nabbed a Warden of the Eye from my opponents library. So I got to run it back again the next turn.
This video of opening a clan box and fanning through the seeded pack (starting @ 2:15) shows that this is way more like the RTR/GTC packs than the Theros/M15 packs: it contains only cards that are on-color for the clan.
Having a semi-random rare does make for more varied gameplay (actually: loosing a fixed rare).
1 Chitinous Cloak
1 Deceiver of Form
1 Desolation Twin
1 Pilgrim's Eye
2 Seer's Lantern
1 Scour from Existence
1 Warping Wail
White:
1 Cliffside Lookout
1 Kor Entanglers
1 Kor Scythemaster
3 Kor Sky Climber
1 Lithomancer's Focus
1 Make a Stand
1 Makindi Patrol
1 Mighty Leap
1 Tandem Tactics
2 Spawnbinder Mage
1 Stone Haven Outfitter
Blue:
1 Abstruse Interference
1 Ancient Crab
1 Comparative Analysis
1 Containment Membrane
1 Coralhelm Guide
1 Cultivator Drone
1 Eldrazi Skyspawner
1 Gravity Negator
1 Halimar Tidecaller
1 Murk Strider
1 Negate
2 Roiling Waters
1 Sweep Away
1 Umara Entangler
1 Wave-Wing Elemental
1 Culling Drone
1 Drana's Chosen
1 Dutiful Return
2 Essence Depleter
1 Grave Birthing
1 Grip of Desolation
1 Kozilek's Translator
1 Silent Skimmer
1 Tar Snare
1 Unnatural Endurance
1 Untamed Hunger
1 Vampire Envoy
Red:
1 Boulder Salvo
2 Consuming Sinkhole
1 Embodyment of Fury
2 Eldrazi Agressor
1 Expedite
1 Goblin Dark-Dwellers
1 Goblin War Paint
1 Maw of Kozilek
1 Outnumber
1 Tyrant of Valakut
1 Valakut Invoker
1 Zada, Hedron Grinder
Green:
1 Blisterpod
1 Broodhunter Wurm
1 Loam Larva
1 Natural State
1 Netcaster Spider
1 Oran-Rief Invoker
1 Pulse of Murasa
1 Ruin in Their Wake
1 Rot Shambler
1 Saddleback Lagac
1 Tajuru Pathwarden
1 Unnatural Aggression
1 Vines of the Recluse
2 Relentless Hunter
1 Skyrider Elf
Lands:
1 Meandering River
1 Unknown Shores
1 Wastes
Colorless has 1 bomb and 2/3 solid playables. Good, I need less playables from my other colors.
White has very good allies, but lacks removal and ways to make the 3-drops bigger. Getting to 4 power is very important in this format. Spawnbinder Mages have not impressed me in this format. Yeah, they stall you for a bit, but I usually am able to push through them after a little time.
Blue has some solid playables and looks 'fine' overall. There isn't much drawing me to this color.
Black has Grip, Drana's Chosen (if left unchecked, it does take over the game) and Essence Depleters. Drana's Chosen wants to be paired with white, but the Depleters want to be paired with blue.
Red has lots of bomby rares, but lacks early game creatures.
Green has some early creatures and some interaction
I considered a UB build, but didn't like the lack of interaction. In the end I went with a RGc build. Red and colorless provided the bombs, Green had spells that paired nicely with the Deep-Dwellers, and creatures stalled the board to make sure I get to my bombs.
This is what I submitted:
1 Oran-Rief Invoker
1 Loam Larva
2 Relentless Hunter
1 Netcaster Spider
1 Valakut Invoker
1 Pilgrim's Eye
1 Saddleback Lagac
1 Broodhunter Wurm
1 Maw of Kozilek
1 Embodiment of Fury
1 Tajuru Pathwarden
1 Goblin Darkdwellers
1 Tyrant of Valakut
1 Deceiver of Form
1 Outnumber
1 Vines of the Recluse
1 Warping Wail
1 Seer's Lantern
1 Unnatural Aggression
1 Pulse of Murasa
1 Boulder Salvo
1 Scour from Existence
1 Unknown Shores
1 Wastes
6 Mountain
7 Forest
Questionable card choices:
I played some very good magic yesterday and got into the top8 as number #2 seed with a record of 5-0-1 (I played against someone with 10 points during round 5 and couldn't double draw). I took advantage of the play/draw rules (higher seed chooses during game 1) and drafted another RG deck with loads of stalking drones, lead by example, 2x outnumber and sparkmage's gambit to push through damage. 3 wins later and I'm qualified for the RPTQ!
Takeaways: Don't get too greedy with your mana. Make sure you stay hydrated and eat something each round.
Last but not least: thanks for all your advice (most of it boils down to: don't get too greedy!).
1 Kozilek's Channeler
1 Reality Smasher
1 Seer's Lantern
1 Spatial Contortion
1 Warden of Geometries
Blue:
1 Blinding Drone
1 Containment Membrane
1 Cyclone Sire
1 Eldrazi Skyspawner
2 Gravity Negator
1 Mist Intruder
1 Negate
1 Retreat to Coralhelm
2 Roilmage's Trick
1 Sweep Away
1 Void Shatter
Black:
1 Carrier Thrall
1 Corpse Churn
1 Demon's Grasp
1 Grave Birthing
1 Kozilek's Shrieker
1 Malakir Soothsayer
1 Mind Raker
1 Mire's Malice
1 Oblivion Strike
1 Reaver Drone
1 Skitterskin
1 Sky Scourer
1 Tar Snare
1 Witness the End
1 Belligerent Whiptail
2 Boulder Salvo
2 Consuming Sinkhole
1 Expedite
1 Maw of Kozilek
1 Processor Assault
1 Rolling Thunder
1 Shatterskull Recruit
1 Sparkmage's Gambit
1 Volcanic Upheaval
White:
1 Courier Griffin
1 Expedition Raptor
1 Isolation Zone
1 Kor Castigator
2 Kor Scythemaster
1 Makindi Aeronaut
1 Mighty Leap
1 Munda's Vanguard
1 Ondu War Cleric
1 Quarantine Field
1 Searing Light
1 Serene Steward
1 Shadow Glider
1 Stoneforge Acolyte
Green:
1 Call the Scions
2 Canopy Gorger
1 Natural State
1 Nissa's Judgement
1 Nissa's Renewal
1 Oran-Rief Invoker
1 Pulse of Murasa
1 Saddleback Lagac
1 Scion Summoner
1 Snapping Gnarlid
1 Vines of the Recluse
1 Zendikar Resurgent
1 Jori En, Ruin Diver
1 Mindmelter
1 Stormchaser Mage
Lands:
1 Crumbling Vestige
1 Evolving Wilds
2 Holdout Settlement
1 Looming Spires
1 Meandering River
1 Submerged Boneyard
1 Timber Gorge
1 Wastes
This is what I submitted:
1 Serene Steward
1 Ondu War Cleric
1 Kor Castigator
1 Blinding Drone
1 Shadow Glider
2 Kor Scythemaster
1 Mindmelter
1 Eldrazi Skyspawner
1 Courrier Griffin
1 Gravity Negator
1 Cyclone Sire
1 Malakir Soothsayer
1 Reality Smasher
1 Kozilek's Channeler
1 Munda's Vanguard
1 Containment Membrane
1 Isolation Zone
1 Oblivion Strike
1 Seer's Lantern
1 Searing Light
1 Sweep Away
1 Quarantine Field
Lands:
1 Crumbling Vestige
1 Evolving Wilds
2 Holdout Settlement
1 Meandering River
1 Submerged Boneyard
1 Wastes
1 Swamp
5 Plains
4 Islands
This gives me:
9 white sources (I count crumbling vestige as .5 source and the holdout settlements as 1.5 sources)
9 blue sources
5 black sources
7 colorless sources
Looking back at it, it isn't strange that I encountered mana issues during my two matches. I also made some questionable mulligan decisions, so I only have myself to blame for the result. I do wonder if you would have build the same way, or would you have gone for the more straightforward WRu or WRc deck I created after I was out:
1 Makindi Aeronaut
1 Serene Steward
1 Ondu War Cleric
1 Kor Castigator
1 Shadow Glider
2 Kor Scythemaster
1 Jori En, Ruin Diver
1 Belligerent Whiptail
1 Maw of Kozilek
1 Courier Griffin
1 Kozilek's Channeler
1 Munda's Vanguard
1 Shatterskull Recruit
1 Expedition Raptor
1 Searing Light
1 Expedite
1 Mighty Leap
1 Isolation Zone
2 Boulder Salvo
1 Rolling Thunder
1 Quarantaine Field
Lands:
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Looming Spires
1 Meandering River
1 Island
6 Mountain
7 Plains
For the WRc variant I would add in the Spatial Contortion and Reality Smasher for the Expedite and Jori En, Ruin Diver and switch some lands around (+Crumbling Vestige, 1 Holdout Settlement, -Meandering River, Island)
I suspect that we'll get at least one on color dual land (from FRF) and a dragonstone in the seeded packs. I suspect they'll include one of the uncommon megamorph dragons in the seeded pack as well.
Some speculations from that vid:
The main thing that caught my eye is that they are going to maintain a list of known issues with the client, and will list a targeted fix date (if available):
I assume that they'll use this list to deny duplicate reimbursement requests (if there is a listed work around), but I'm fine with that.
I still like to draw first in sealed.
Having a semi-random rare does make for more varied gameplay (actually: loosing a fixed rare).