I was thinking about Grapeshot for the same reason. Storm in general makes quite a splash. Making a bunch of goblins is almost as fun as making a bunch of tokens.
So, I was messing around with "good" commons the other night, and I saw a lot in R, G, and U that I liked. I then looked at the commanders in those colors, and thought Riku looked like a lot of fun. So, I whipped together this deck.
Like I said, I put this together with little more than the thought of "I think it would be fun to copy XYZ." There are a few things in there with actual purposes (i.e., the Auras and Equipment to protect the general), but for the most part it's just commons I like thrown together. After trying it out a few times. I see I can get some lands out, then draw a lot of cards. And then I can recur some of those cards. And then draw... some more cards.
The thing I'm really missing is some sort of win condition. I realize that asking for a common win condition is a little pie in the sky, but if I could come up with something, I think this deck could be really fun to play. For dirt cheap, to boot.
Loving this deck and am looking to tweak it a bit for myself. Some thoughts:
--Does anyone have success running a snow mana base with this? In green you can get a snow dual, Scrying Sheets, Coldsteel Heart, snow basics, and use an Into the North to fetch. Doublebonus if you get a Top out.
Is that good, then? I've been leaving it in the sideboard.
It's been used against me somewhat effectively in game 1. If they're leaving 4 mana open with double white, I guess I'd anticipate it, but after G1, if they show it off, you should think about it.
I think the Revenant is great; its ability has multiple uses above and beyond its own. In a format where you want to ramp, it helps out greatly. Also plays nicely with things like the higher-costing black levelers and Zof Shade. It's no Drana, but it's most certainly first pickable.
I don't know about Mammoth. Boar and Drake are definitely superior to it; an extra 2 mana for flying seems a lot better than an extra 2 mana for vigilance.
Was pleased to get a moment this evening to get some play in. Despite some curious decisions in the draft, this deck went 3-0 in a Swiss pod (2-1, 2-1, 2-0).
There are other good cards here, a lot of playables in this pack, but I get the mindset that I want to be in white for sure. In this draft, I will definitely realize that black is open, and I could have been in it, but I'm all right with my decisions to stick with white.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Demonic Appetite
Spawning Breath
Naturalize
--> Boar Umbra
Dread Drone
Battle Rampart
Stomper Cub
See Beyond
Hand of Emrakul
Escaped Null
Merfolk Observer
Plains
I am a fan of umbras, you will see.
Pack 1 pick 5:
--> Lone Missionary
Evolving Wilds
Eel Umbra
Crab Umbra
Akoum Boulderfoot
Bloodrite Invoker
Haze Frog
Raid Bombardment
Nema Siltlurker
Fleeting Distraction
Island
Probably should have been the Wilds here, though I got one later. Bloodrite Invoker actually would have been the best pick, or another blue Umbra. I hadn't seen nearly enough red to think that the Boulderfoot was a good idea.
Pack 1 pick 6:
Ancient Stirrings
Lay Bare
Mnemonic Wall
Cadaver Imp
Lust for War
Snake Umbra
Smite
Lavafume Invoker
--> Heat Ray
Forest
WOW is black open. Neither of those should be there 10th. Given that I don't have that great of a white base, I probably should have considered shifting, but I figured it was too late.
Pack 1 pick 13:
Raid Bombardment
--> Nema Siltlurker
Island
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Ancient Stirrings
Forest
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Plains
------ ROE ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Pestilence Demon
Vent Sentinel
Arrogant Bloodlord
Lust for War
Deprive
Last Kiss
Might of the Masses
Hand of Emrakul
Goblin Arsonist
Glory Seeker
Runed Servitor
Totem-Guide Hartebeest
--> Kozilek's Predator
Affa Guard Hound (FOIL)
Island
If I had wanted to move into black, this was my turning point, but I didn't take it. The Demon is a bomb, certainly, but I wasn't feeling it. I figured I would be getting cut hard this pack in B and then who knows what I'd end up with in pack 3.
Was very, very torn between this and the Guardians. Wanted to be a little faster, though, so I took the one-drop.
Pack 2 pick 3:
Death Cultist
Demonic Appetite
Inquisition of Kozilek
Jaddi Lifestrider
Deprive
Stalwart Shield-Bearers
Shrivel
Sporecap Spider
--> Kor Line-Slinger
Guard Gomazoa
Shared Discovery
Mountain
Leaf Arrow
I landed two of these guys, and I like them, but I did side them out. Jaddi Lifestrider maybe should have been the pick here instead.
Pack 2 pick 4:
Demonic Appetite
Nest Invader
--> Artisan of Kozilek
Curse of Wizardry
Vent Sentinel
Dread Drone
Narcolepsy
Glory Seeker
Ondu Giant
Fissure Vent
Hyena Umbra
Island
Hey, I'm going to be running an Invoker that needs 8 mana... that's not a lot more AND can bring a killed Invoker back...not sure what that Narcolepsy's doing there.
Comment, please! I think I could have done better, although a nice 3-0 is encouraging. I will post match results later (one of my losses was to mana flood), but for now I have to watch the Cavs.
I have yet to draft this on MTGO, so these are not particularly informed opinions.
P1P1 - I think you made the right call, though I wonder whether taking Broodwarden here allows you to start crafting a sick token deck. Probably too linear to do in draft, though.
P1P3 - What gets taken over this, a rare and some common removal?
P1P5 - Don't know that it's just Swiss, or that white is OBSCENELY open. I would bank on the latter, esp. with the following pick (both Guardians and Line-Slinger sitting there).
P1P7 - I would have taken the Hyena Umbra, for Invoker defense.
P1P8 - Another black Invoker (honestly, it's a nice 3/1 for 3 in addition to its ability).
P1P11 - I doubt you play Lightmine Field, and someone else is going to maybe use a late Lagac Lizard.
P2P1 - I don't know that you really have enough to commit to green here. I think the Imp is actually the pick.
P2P4 - Again, I probably would have abandoned green and would be considering the Ulamog's Crusher here. You've got two Corpsehatches and will be wanting to hit 8 mana for invokers.
P2P5 - I agree with your call; Scorpion is very useful here.
P2P6 - I would hate to have Induce Despair in my hand without a creature, and I think you need more creatures still at this point.
P2P7 - We're really going to start differing, since I'm thinking WB; I would have taken the black luppers.
P2P9 - Man, Cadaver Imp tabling... that seems wrong.
Ending with Line-Slinger and Missionary...
WB is there. But that's just me. You get rewarded with Knight of Cliffhaven and Makindi Griffins early in pack 3. Also, you start to see some red removal in this pack; somewhere in there you passed a Prophetic Prism, which would allow you to take those late and splash WBr.
1 Riku of Two Reflections
Artifacts
1 Aether Spellbomb
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Horizon Spellbomb
1 Neurok Stealthsuit
1 Pilgrim's Eye
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Wanderer's Twig
1 Whispersilk Cloak
Creatures
1 Anarchist
1 Borderland Ranger
1 Civic Wayfinder
1 Cloud of Faeries
1 Coiling Oracle
1 Elvish Visionary
1 Essence Warden
1 Faultgrinder
1 Ingot Chewer
1 Izzet Chronarch
1 Kavu Climber
1 Keldon Marauders
1 Krosan Tusker
1 Manic Vandal
1 Mnemonic Wall
1 Mogg War Marshal
1 Mulldrifter
1 Ondu Giant
1 Pestermite
1 Quirion Elves
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Silhana Starfletcher
1 Stingscourger
1 Striped Bears
1 Surrakar Banisher
1 Sylvan Ranger
1 Tin Street Hooligan
1 Trinket Mage
1 Wickerbough Elder
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Clout of the Dominus
1 Diplomatic Immunity
1 Rhystic Study
Instants
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Capsize
1 Gush
1 Think Twice
1 Whiplash Trap
Sorceries
1 Acorn Harvest
1 Aftershock
1 Chatter of the Squirrel
1 Compulsive Research
1 Counsel of the Soratami
1 Deep Analysis
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Fissure Vent
1 Foresee
1 Hull Breach
1 Sift
1 Sizzle
1 Theft of Dreams
1 Tranquility
Lands
1 Bant Panorama
1 Command Tower
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Grixis Panorama
1 Gruul Turf
1 Izzet Boilerworks
1 Jund Panorama
1 Naya Panorama
1 Simic Growth Chamber
1 Terramorphic Expanse
10 Forest
10 Island
8 Mountain
Like I said, I put this together with little more than the thought of "I think it would be fun to copy XYZ." There are a few things in there with actual purposes (i.e., the Auras and Equipment to protect the general), but for the most part it's just commons I like thrown together. After trying it out a few times. I see I can get some lands out, then draw a lot of cards. And then I can recur some of those cards. And then draw... some more cards.
The thing I'm really missing is some sort of win condition. I realize that asking for a common win condition is a little pie in the sky, but if I could come up with something, I think this deck could be really fun to play. For dirt cheap, to boot.
Let me know what you think!
--Does anyone have success running a snow mana base with this? In green you can get a snow dual, Scrying Sheets, Coldsteel Heart, snow basics, and use an Into the North to fetch. Doublebonus if you get a Top out.
--Thoughts from Innistrad: Kessig Wolf Run? Bramblecrush?
--Snow or no snow, I'm in agreement of dropping the four-mana accelerators in favor of things like Farseek, North, and Nature's Lore.
--Personal preference, I'm going to find room for one of my favorite tramplers ever, Kodama of the North Tree
EDIT - nvm, Clan draft, missed that bit.
It's been used against me somewhat effectively in game 1. If they're leaving 4 mana open with double white, I guess I'd anticipate it, but after G1, if they show it off, you should think about it.
Time: 5/13/2010 6:18:02 PM
Players:
matwidney
koolaidg
rohra34
--> vonschiller
pjohannsen
ksntertainer
SardofKC
Relmo6680
------ ROE ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Valakut Fireboar
Evolving Wilds
Emrakul's Hatcher
Eel Umbra
Dreamstone Hedron
Survival Cache
Zof Shade
Puncturing Light
Dormant Gomazoa
Snake Umbra
Hand of Emrakul
Sea Gate Oracle
Totem-Guide Hartebeest
--> Kozilek's Predator
Plains
Was not terribly excited here. Considered the Dreamstone Hedron and blue Umbra, but I think the Predator is plenty solid.
Pack 1 pick 2:
Arrogant Bloodlord
Cadaver Imp
Battle-Rattle Shaman
Growth Spasm
Hedron Matrix
--> Dawnglare Invoker
Narcolepsy
Pathrazer of Ulamog
Broodwarden
Null Champion
Kiln Fiend
Daggerback Basilisk
Ondu Giant
Island
And now I want to play white.
Pack 1 pick 3:
Spawning Breath
Frostwind Invoker
Crab Umbra
Boar Umbra
Induce Despair
Zof Shade
Caravan Escort
Daggerback Basilisk
Nirkana Cutthroat
Essence Feed
Halimar Wavewatch
--> Knight of Cliffhaven
Mountain
There are other good cards here, a lot of playables in this pack, but I get the mindset that I want to be in white for sure. In this draft, I will definitely realize that black is open, and I could have been in it, but I'm all right with my decisions to stick with white.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Demonic Appetite
Spawning Breath
Naturalize
--> Boar Umbra
Dread Drone
Battle Rampart
Stomper Cub
See Beyond
Hand of Emrakul
Escaped Null
Merfolk Observer
Plains
I am a fan of umbras, you will see.
Pack 1 pick 5:
--> Lone Missionary
Evolving Wilds
Eel Umbra
Crab Umbra
Akoum Boulderfoot
Bloodrite Invoker
Haze Frog
Raid Bombardment
Nema Siltlurker
Fleeting Distraction
Island
Probably should have been the Wilds here, though I got one later. Bloodrite Invoker actually would have been the best pick, or another blue Umbra. I hadn't seen nearly enough red to think that the Boulderfoot was a good idea.
Pack 1 pick 6:
Ancient Stirrings
Lay Bare
Mnemonic Wall
Cadaver Imp
Lust for War
Snake Umbra
Smite
Lavafume Invoker
--> Heat Ray
Forest
Until that. Derp.
Pack 1 pick 7:
Curse of Wizardry
Frostwind Invoker
Mammoth Umbra
Dread Drone
Brood Birthing
--> Ondu Giant
Hyena Umbra
Prophetic Prism
Plains
Hey, I can splash now, wheee.
Pack 1 pick 8:
Lay Bare
Mnemonic Wall
Dread Drone
--> Snake Umbra
Null Champion
Not of This World
Virulent Swipe
Forest
I, like bateleur, got sucked in to this one. Ran it, though, and it did good things for me.
Pack 1 pick 9:
Valakut Fireboar
--> Evolving Wilds
Survival Cache
Zof Shade
Snake Umbra
Hand of Emrakul
Plains
Pack 1 pick 10:
Arrogant Bloodlord
Cadaver Imp
Battle-Rattle Shaman
--> Daggerback Basilisk
Ondu Giant
Island
WOW is black open. Neither of those should be there 10th. Given that I don't have that great of a white base, I probably should have considered shifting, but I figured it was too late.
Pack 1 pick 11:
--> Spawning Breath
Crab Umbra
Zof Shade
Essence Feed
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 12:
--> Dread Drone
Battle Rampart
Merfolk Observer
Plains
Pack 1 pick 13:
Raid Bombardment
--> Nema Siltlurker
Island
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Ancient Stirrings
Forest
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Plains
------ ROE ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Pestilence Demon
Vent Sentinel
Arrogant Bloodlord
Lust for War
Deprive
Last Kiss
Might of the Masses
Hand of Emrakul
Goblin Arsonist
Glory Seeker
Runed Servitor
Totem-Guide Hartebeest
--> Kozilek's Predator
Affa Guard Hound (FOIL)
Island
If I had wanted to move into black, this was my turning point, but I didn't take it. The Demon is a bomb, certainly, but I wasn't feeling it. I figured I would be getting cut hard this pack in B and then who knows what I'd end up with in pack 3.
Pack 2 pick 2:
Spawning Breath
Unified Will
Near-Death Experience
Frostwind Invoker
Vent Sentinel
Living Destiny
Induce Despair
Pennon Blade
Battle Rampart
--> Caravan Escort
Stomper Cub
Soulbound Guardians
Glory Seeker
Island
Was very, very torn between this and the Guardians. Wanted to be a little faster, though, so I took the one-drop.
Pack 2 pick 3:
Death Cultist
Demonic Appetite
Inquisition of Kozilek
Jaddi Lifestrider
Deprive
Stalwart Shield-Bearers
Shrivel
Sporecap Spider
--> Kor Line-Slinger
Guard Gomazoa
Shared Discovery
Mountain
Leaf Arrow
I landed two of these guys, and I like them, but I did side them out. Jaddi Lifestrider maybe should have been the pick here instead.
Pack 2 pick 4:
Demonic Appetite
Nest Invader
--> Artisan of Kozilek
Curse of Wizardry
Vent Sentinel
Dread Drone
Narcolepsy
Glory Seeker
Ondu Giant
Fissure Vent
Hyena Umbra
Island
Hey, I'm going to be running an Invoker that needs 8 mana... that's not a lot more AND can bring a killed Invoker back... not sure what that Narcolepsy's doing there.
Pack 2 pick 5:
Naturalize
Bramblesnap
Eel Umbra
Grotag Siege-Runner
Puncturing Light (FOIL)
--> Overgrown Battlement
Reinforced Bulwark
Devastating Summons
Essence Feed
Bala Ged Scorpion
Forest
Was looking for some ground defense, found it.
Pack 2 pick 6:
Explosive Revelation
Raid Bombardment
Nema Siltlurker
--> Beastbreaker of Bala Ged
Perish the Thought
Spider Umbra
Lagac Lizard
Merfolk Observer
Demystify
Mountain
lol
Pack 2 pick 7:
--> Guard Duty
Aura Gnarlid
Zof Shade
Overgrown Battlement
Lavafume Invoker
Brood Birthing
Null Champion
Daggerback Basilisk
Plains
Chalk this one up to stupid. This should have been Aura Gnarlid (I got one later, thank god).
Pack 2 pick 8:
Grotag Siege-Runner
Battle-Rattle Shaman
Zof Shade
Snake Umbra
Overgrown Battlement
Essence Feed
--> Totem-Guide Hartebeest
Forest
Lots of shiny to grab. Also, that's three Battlements in a row.
Pack 2 pick 9:
Lust for War
--> Might of the Masses
Hand of Emrakul
Goblin Arsonist
Glory Seeker
Totem-Guide Hartebeest
Island
Pack 2 pick 10:
Spawning Breath
Living Destiny
Battle Rampart
--> Stomper Cub
Glory Seeker
Island
Pack 2 pick 11:
Death Cultist
Demonic Appetite
Inquisition of Kozilek
--> Sporecap Spider
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 12:
Demonic Appetite
Glory Seeker
--> Ondu Giant
Island
Pack 2 pick 13:
--> Grotag Siege-Runner
Essence Feed
Forest
Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Raid Bombardment
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Plains
------ ROE ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Death Cultist
Jwari Scuttler
Soul's Attendant
Shrivel
Might of the Masses
Prey's Vengeance
Pelakka Wurm
--> Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
Goblin Arsonist
Ulamog's Crusher
Nirkana Cutthroat
Bala Ged Scorpion
Demystify
Leaf Arrow
Swamp
O HAI.
Pack 3 pick 2:
Lone Missionary
Lay Bare
Jwari Scuttler
Growth Spasm
Wrap in Flames
Puncturing Light
--> Staggershock
Contaminated Ground
Zulaport Enforcer
Broodwarden
Vendetta
Hada Spy Patrol
Emerge Unscathed
Swamp
O HAI X2.
Pack 3 pick 3:
Unified Will
--> Aura Gnarlid
Soul's Attendant
Battle-Rattle Shaman
Sporecap Spider
Last Kiss
Ogre Sentry (FOIL)
Domestication
Sea Gate Oracle
Eland Umbra
Fissure Vent
Hyena Umbra
Island
Yay, I got one.
Pack 3 pick 4:
Inquisition of Kozilek
--> Makindi Griffin
Survival Cache
Might of the Masses
Kor Line-Slinger
Regress
Pathrazer of Ulamog
Brood Birthing
Essence Feed
Halimar Wavewatch
Fissure Vent
Mountain
Yaaaaay.
Pack 3 pick 5:
Goblin Tunneler
Guard Duty
Gloomhunter
Aura Gnarlid
Evolving Wilds
Mnemonic Wall
Luminous Wake
Lavafume Invoker
Distortion Strike
--> Leaf Arrow (FOIL)
Swamp
This might have been silly; I don't know that two Gnarlids is one too many, so I opted for the hate here.
Pack 3 pick 6:
Aura Gnarlid
Nighthaze
Kor Line-Slinger
Aura Finesse
Hand of Emrakul
Lavafume Invoker
Repay in Kind
Gravity Well
--> Hyena Umbra
Plains
I was feeling good on low drops, and wanted more protection / umbras.
Pack 3 pick 7:
Jwari Scuttler
Nighthaze
Shrivel
--> Kor Line-Slinger
Battle Rampart
Raid Bombardment
Nema Siltlurker
Fleeting Distraction
Mountain
Often sided the second one out, and hating the Shrivel might have been smarter here.
Pack 3 pick 8:
Ancient Stirrings
Champion's Drake
Guard Duty
Battle-Rattle Shaman
Enatu Golem
--> Daggerback Basilisk
Prophetic Prism
Forest
Pack 3 pick 9:
Death Cultist
--> Shrivel
Might of the Masses
Goblin Arsonist
Demystify
Leaf Arrow
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 10:
Lone Missionary
Jwari Scuttler
--> Wrap in Flames
Contaminated Ground
Zulaport Enforcer
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 11:
--> Soul's Attendant
Sporecap Spider
Eland Umbra
Fissure Vent
Island
This saved my ass one game coming in from the side.
Pack 3 pick 12:
--> Might of the Masses
Brood Birthing
Fissure Vent
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 13:
--> Goblin Tunneler
Lavafume Invoker
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 14:
--> Nighthaze
Plains
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Mountain
1 Beastbreaker of Bala Ged
1 Caravan Escort
1 Daggerback Basilisk
1 Dawnglare Invoker
1 Knight of Cliffhaven
2 Kor Line-Slinger
1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
2 Kozilek's Predator
1 Makindi Griffin
2 Ondu Giant
1 Overgrown Battlement
1 Totem-Guide Hartebeest
1 Heat Ray
1 Hyena Umbra
1 Might of the Masses
1 Snake Umbra
1 Staggershock
1 Evolving Wilds
8 Forest
2 Mountain
7 Plains
Comment, please! I think I could have done better, although a nice 3-0 is encouraging. I will post match results later (one of my losses was to mana flood), but for now I have to watch the Cavs.
P1P1 - I think you made the right call, though I wonder whether taking Broodwarden here allows you to start crafting a sick token deck. Probably too linear to do in draft, though.
P1P3 - What gets taken over this, a rare and some common removal?
P1P5 - Don't know that it's just Swiss, or that white is OBSCENELY open. I would bank on the latter, esp. with the following pick (both Guardians and Line-Slinger sitting there).
P1P7 - I would have taken the Hyena Umbra, for Invoker defense.
P1P8 - Another black Invoker (honestly, it's a nice 3/1 for 3 in addition to its ability).
P1P11 - I doubt you play Lightmine Field, and someone else is going to maybe use a late Lagac Lizard.
P2P1 - I don't know that you really have enough to commit to green here. I think the Imp is actually the pick.
P2P4 - Again, I probably would have abandoned green and would be considering the Ulamog's Crusher here. You've got two Corpsehatches and will be wanting to hit 8 mana for invokers.
P2P5 - I agree with your call; Scorpion is very useful here.
P2P6 - I would hate to have Induce Despair in my hand without a creature, and I think you need more creatures still at this point.
P2P7 - We're really going to start differing, since I'm thinking WB; I would have taken the black luppers.
P2P9 - Man, Cadaver Imp tabling... that seems wrong.
Ending with Line-Slinger and Missionary...
WB is there. But that's just me. You get rewarded with Knight of Cliffhaven and Makindi Griffins early in pack 3. Also, you start to see some red removal in this pack; somewhere in there you passed a Prophetic Prism, which would allow you to take those late and splash WBr.
Agreed. This would actually be pretty awesome.