Yes there are. At at GP, there can be various pods of seven players instead of eight. For instance, if you have 126 players, you'll have 14 pods of 8 players and 2 pods of 7 players.
If you're actually planning to run the tournament at Competitive REL, then you can't mix draft pods:In particular, this means you won't get an answer for how this is done at a GP, because a GP is run at Competitive/Professional REL and therefore does not pair players between pods.
(For the record, I'm not running the tournament, merely asking as a participant.) Well, in that case I suppose I should recommend they run it at a lower REL to keep from violating DCI rules...
But really though, are there pods of numbers other than 8 at a GP? Even if they don't "mix" pods, I still have to assume the player count is rarely such that everyone can draft in a pod of 8 with no leftover players. My question is how an "uneven" player total is meant to be handled, as well as whether the answer varies based on what REL is in effect.
Alright, I just looked this up in the tournament rules, and found the following somewhat confusing:
7.6
Draft Pod Assembly
For Booster Draft and Team Rochester Draft tournaments, players assemble into random drafting circles (called pods) of roughly equal size at the direction of the Head Judge.
My question is as follows: what is the procedure followed at GPs (or similar high REL events) for a large-scale draft event when the total player count isn't evenly divisible by 8? Is creating a pod (or pods) containing less or more than 8 players the solution, or is it handled in some other manner?
My LGS is having an event tomorrow advertised as being a draft event wherein the pods are to be mingled for the swiss rounds (I.E you can play against someone who wasn't in the pod you drafted with) with a cut to single-elim following the appropriate number of rounds. However, the 1st place prize is a box of Modern Masters, so it's expected the event will be treated as competitive... but I'm concerned for the issue with the number of participants, as a deck drafted from a pod of 6 may be disproportionately powerful compared a deck drafted from one of 8, and one drafted from a pod of 10 may be lacking. Am I just overthinking this, or do the DCI's judges have a method commonly agreed on to avoid this sort of thing?
I don't think going all in on the combo is a good idea, but I definitely see dedicating slots to Lotus/Navigator/Conscripts in a Bant shell (or even going straight up RUG) being a legitimate strategy. A splash of red means Kessig Wolf-Run can give you infinite damage while being a fine utility land on it's own, alongside Refuge. Thragtusk not only gives you infinite life, but infinite beasts as well, which can then gain haste ftw via Conscripts, giving you an instant win. Slime blowing up all the opponent's lands is a definite lock even if you don't kill them that turn. Devil's play is an instant win as well, even out of the GY.
Hell, the way Deadeye Navigator is worded, you can even combo off of your opponent's Thragtusk. How ridiculous is that?
Edit: Nevermind, this combo will give you the win on it's own, period. If your opponent doesn't have the instant speed removal to disrupt the chain before it starts, the opponent's only chance to stop it would be a Think Twice/Azorius Charm into Terminus on their upkeep in response to their lands being stolen again. That's the only hail mary they can possibly hope for, and that's assuming you have absolutely no other ways to abuse the infinite mana/threaten effects...
My Japanese set of TSP Expanses are quite upset that their functional reprint is coming back instead. Sure, it sucked when it didn't get reprinted in M11, but this is just an insult...
I'm sure I'll be over it in about 60 seconds, but it is a little frustrating.
Think Twice definitely isn't the most efficient draw card ever, but the idea of cards like this in general, as others have said, is to get to your answers and threats quicker than your opponent gets to theirs. They also make top deck tutors like Vampiric Tutor and Mystical Tutor far better by turning them into a pseudo Demonic Tutor (Think Twice could actually be quite good here, drawing a card, and then just flashbacking it after using a top deck tutor :)).
You're correct in surmising that Think Twice isn't the most efficient spell for what it's meant to do. However, your assessment of it's purpose (and those of the above posts) are a little off. The idea behind Think Twice isn't exactly to get to your threats/answers faster per se, it's to end up with more of them than your opponent when the dust settles. Casting a Think Twice, then flashing it back will result in you having 1 more card in hand than you had before you played it from your hand, and thus 1 more card than your opponent. This isn't very efficient, because it costs 5 mana to do and only generates +1 card advantage. Tidings on the other hand, results in the same total mana investment (although all at once as opposed to 2 separate payments) but you will end with 3 more cards in hand than before (+3 card advantage) pulling you far ahead of your opponent in the following turn(s).
Brainstorm is used for a significantly different purpose: It doesn't generate card advantage (count the number of cards in your hand before and after you cast Brainstorm, both numbers are the same) it provides card selection/filtering. the point of this is to make your spells count, so ideally it will allow the threat/answer 3 cards down in your deck to affect the board this turn, instead of being late to the party. Sure, you have to put 2 cards on top, but with the help of a Fetchland you can shuffle away those 2 unneeded cards (or just leave them on top if they're important) Ponder and Preordain are also effective cantrips that work to help you dig for a specific card you need, so that you'll draw it sooner as opposed to later.
That's only true if they don't have a board presence, Blade Splicer turns Rager into a 3 mana Draw one, Lose one life... Which is crap...
Now this is not true. All you have to do to make your cantrip bear relevant again is... kill their Golem token, something you probably want to do either way. With that accomplished, your board is suddenly superior to theirs, as you have a relevant beater, where a 1/1 needs infinite time (or a Titan/Lashwrithe to chump) in order to be relevant.
Having played Sorin in my list from the previous post-rotation/states era meta, I can tell you that he probably still isn't good enough. He'd be great if he were cheaper, but he simply costs too much for what he does. He comes down too late to turn a losing situation in your favor, and even against an empty board he doesn't win you the game any faster than a Titan or Wurmcoil. Also, frustrating as it is to admit, in the current format he's no less susceptible to removal than any of our other threat options what with how commonly played Oblivion Ring and Beast Within are, so there really aren't any good reasons to run him even in addition to the aforementioned 6 drops, let alone in place of one of them.
TL;DR He's a win-more card. I very badly wish he weren't, but he is.
I have a theory that this behavior stems in part from an established scene's tendency to follow and emulate the most successful players in the area. In short, the majority of regular players can and will follow the example of those who consistently place highest in FNM. Sometimes the best players are also the biggest *******s, and the generally impressionable scene may pick up on that as a result. However, if your shop's best players are considerate, humble individuals, their success will encourage the overall flow of the shop in a more positive direction, and the scene will benefit greatly.
Thus, assuming that this hypothesis is in fact accurate, then my advice to the OP would be to win, but win with respect. If you can show the shop that you're the best, the majority of players will opt to follow your example, and if you encourage friendly behavior, the impressionable ones will change their ways. This will cause the truly bad apples to lose face, and eventually they will be forced to either adapt themselves or simply leave the scene.
Round One: Bant Tokens (2-1)
Round Two: Looter Flare (0-2)
Round Three: U/B Control (2-0)
Round 4: G/W Aggro (ID with friend)
Round 5: U/W All-in Geist (2-1)
Top 8 Quarters: RDW (2-0)
Top 8 Semis: G/W tokens (2-0)
Top Finals: G/W "Little Kid" (2-0)
My friend made top 8 and was in the opposite bracket, but made play mistakes and lost in the semi to what was almost the mirror. Both ran Mana Dorks, Crusaders, Heroes, and Swords, but said friend had Mortarpod tech and planeswalkers (Garruk Relentless, 1of Primal Hunter, Elspeth) where his opponent had Angelic Destiny, Mayor of Avabruck, Angelic Overseer, and mainboard Beast Within.
I know it's sad that I won my semis and finals matches thanks to my opponents making glaring play errors (my semis opponent cast a main phase Midnight Haunting, for example) but I'm still proud to be successful, if only on a local scale. However...
My friend and I discussed the Lashwrithe slot, and I've determined that 4 is too many. There are admittedly more games than I'd like where I draw it in multiples and get stuck on 3 mana, or otherwise lose tempo because my hand is too top-heavy on the curve. My friend noted that I don't have very many 3 drops, and we brainstormed options for what 3 drop I could put in place of the 4th Lash. Though after scouring Gatherer, the best one I could find was Tumble Magnet...
Spellskites have been HUGE for me in my build (very similar to yours) so I definitely suggest trying them out. I cut my Distress for them, since it was always underwhelming for me.
A couple of questions for you:
1. Maindeck Ratchet Bomb - how has this been performing for you?
2. Mimic Vat - this is one I've been really wanting to try out myself, haven't had the chance yet though. How do you like it?
3. Tezzeret's Gambit - So you're obviously using it just for the card draw, but do you feel you could maybe include Tumble Magnet or some planeswalkers to add some synergy?
-EDIT-
I'm really dissapointed that black doesn't have any good metalcraft cards. I love naming the deck BLACK METAL - so awesome! (huge black metal fan here)
First off... Yes, calling this deck Black Metal is probably the most fitting name I've ever coined for a deck. To be perfectly honest I'm not actually that into the genre (to be perfectly honest, Dimmu's cover is my favorite version of the song... and trust me, I've heard them all) but hopefully at my next FNM I'll get to play my music... if I do, I'll be sure to include it
Ratchet bomb is awesome, but I've had a lot of experience playing the card, and the most important thing about it is that there are times where you'll draw it when it can't do anything yet, and you'll need to determine what your opponent will drop in the coming turns that it'll get rid of (and that you need it to get rid of) so you can set it up to be ready to do the job you need it to. It's effectiveness can vary from matchup to matchup, but I can't think of any deck I'd side them out against. It's a card that can just do next to anything, even stuff Black has never been able to do (Blowing up Oblivion Rings and Swords is probably my favorite use for it, honestly) it can't stop Inkmoth, but rarely have I not been happy to see it. Hell, it would have stabilized my board and won the crucial final game on Tuesday had I drawn one.
Mimic Vat is also pretty cool. Putting just about any good creature on it will allow you to take over the game if you can start making copies, and it can even keep random **** like Chandra's Pheonix under control if necessary. I only play 2 because it sucks in multiples in 99% of games but again, rarely am I unhappy to see it.
On Tezz's Gambit... the other things it can do are Proliferate Ratchet Bomb and -1-1 counters from BSZ, but honestly I'm considering cutting it from my list for the Spellskites (and either a 3rd verdict or the 4th Go for the Throat) simply because to make it more relevant would mean adjusting my deck to use the aforementioned cards to serve that end, and that's not really the direction I want to go with this deck. I've had games where I've been able to make use of the above synergy and loved it, but there have also been games where I've cast it and still missed my 4th land drop, so I'm not sure what to think...
Looks like I've returned to playing the same budget deck I ran last time rotation happened... maybe this time it'll turn out better. Primeval titan isn't as scary now, and with no Jace blue decks aren't as scary either...
I've been successful lately at FNM with this deck:
I think Spellskite might be the answer to the current meta. It takes the blame for my important artifacts and messes with Wolf-Run activations, Burn Spells, Angelic Destiny... I need to test with it though, I'm not sure whether it's maindeck material right now, or just a SB card. What do you folks think?
Edit: If you're curious about any of my card choices, feel free to ask. I don't mind talking about my decks, I just didn't bother to write a gigantic primer atm.
But the same applies for counters in general. The point is, you have the choice - if a Green deck wants a counter without splashing Blue, it will be a great card. For example, if you have a key creature you want to protect or just to resolve, you might want to play the card. If the card doesn't fit your strategy, this doesn't make the card bad, just like Sun Titan isn't a bad card because some W/x don't play it.
Autumn's Veil does not deserve to be called a counter, or a "great card" for that matter. What makes the card next to unplayable in the current format is the fact that it can literally only serve one purpose: nullifying one of two specific kinds of answers your opponent can point at your threat... and that's it.
You may feel like the ability to play a card that says "counter target mana leak/doom blade" is powerful, but despite it's seemingly reasonable mana cost of G, It doesn't have anywhere near the amount of useful applications your average blue counterspell does. It's not even on the same level as cards like Brave the Elements or Stave Off, which grant a keyword ability that happens to be known for it's comparable versatility to blue's countermagic (thanks to it's potential to gain tempo and/or card advantage in proactive and reactive ways spanning across many potential applicable scenarios... all for the exact same cmc as Autumn's Veil.)
It's not that Autumn's Veil does nothing. The problem is that it's simply more likely to sit dead in your hand depending on the matchup/fail to give you the advantage you need despite having the opportunity to cast it than actually help you win the game... and that's assuming you even draw it at all. In addition to the above, it's also a terrible topdeck when you need a threat, an answer to your opponent's threat, or even a land.
On topic, I don't really have much to say about the deck itself... It's not my style, but I guess random Wolf Run decks are to be the defining strategy in the new format
Grapeshot is absolutely the way to go (unless for some reason you can't afford U/R duals) because it, Retriever and Summoning are all 2cmc, which pretty much makes Muddle the Mixture the best card in the deck, being able to tutor for any of the relevant pieces whilst also doubling as protection... the only use I see for Storm Entity is as a SB option, though really I can't think of any matchups where it would somehow be better than Grapeshot, even after board.
I see no reason to add any second-rate enablers/win cons, except maybe Grinning Ignus, which can singlehandedly generate infinite storm as opposed to needing 2 retrievers... although it's RR requirement to get going might be an issue. Overall, IMO the deck should be mostly U/B, with a basic package of cantrips and disruption to ensure a consistent win in spite of potential disruption. On your way to assembling it, the only things you need to worry about G1 are Qasali Pridemage (which we can easily deal with via Black Removal) other enchantment removal spells that we can counter, and of course other blue decks, which we can put up a reasonable fight against.
Thus, the only things we really need to worry about from opposing sideboards are split second cards (Krosan Grip, Extirpate, Trickbind) more opposing countermagic, and leylines.
This list is still rough, sideboards as always are meta dependent. Gitaxian Probe might be a better cantrip than Sleight (or visions, I'm not sure which one will end up being better) One could take a slightly more all-in route and skimp on MD disruption in favor of an extra tutor (I'd recommend Shred Memory or Dimir Infiltrator over Beseech the Queen, unless you plan on tutoring for Firespout a lot) but I think being a turn slower in favor of making sure I can beat whatever answers my opponent might have is a better plan.
This is the answer I was looking for, thanks!
(For the record, I'm not running the tournament, merely asking as a participant.) Well, in that case I suppose I should recommend they run it at a lower REL to keep from violating DCI rules...
But really though, are there pods of numbers other than 8 at a GP? Even if they don't "mix" pods, I still have to assume the player count is rarely such that everyone can draft in a pod of 8 with no leftover players. My question is how an "uneven" player total is meant to be handled, as well as whether the answer varies based on what REL is in effect.
My question is as follows: what is the procedure followed at GPs (or similar high REL events) for a large-scale draft event when the total player count isn't evenly divisible by 8? Is creating a pod (or pods) containing less or more than 8 players the solution, or is it handled in some other manner?
My LGS is having an event tomorrow advertised as being a draft event wherein the pods are to be mingled for the swiss rounds (I.E you can play against someone who wasn't in the pod you drafted with) with a cut to single-elim following the appropriate number of rounds. However, the 1st place prize is a box of Modern Masters, so it's expected the event will be treated as competitive... but I'm concerned for the issue with the number of participants, as a deck drafted from a pod of 6 may be disproportionately powerful compared a deck drafted from one of 8, and one drafted from a pod of 10 may be lacking. Am I just overthinking this, or do the DCI's judges have a method commonly agreed on to avoid this sort of thing?
Hell, the way Deadeye Navigator is worded, you can even combo off of your opponent's Thragtusk. How ridiculous is that?
Edit: Nevermind, this combo will give you the win on it's own, period. If your opponent doesn't have the instant speed removal to disrupt the chain before it starts, the opponent's only chance to stop it would be a Think Twice/Azorius Charm into Terminus on their upkeep in response to their lands being stolen again. That's the only hail mary they can possibly hope for, and that's assuming you have absolutely no other ways to abuse the infinite mana/threaten effects...
I'm sure I'll be over it in about 60 seconds, but it is a little frustrating.
You're correct in surmising that Think Twice isn't the most efficient spell for what it's meant to do. However, your assessment of it's purpose (and those of the above posts) are a little off. The idea behind Think Twice isn't exactly to get to your threats/answers faster per se, it's to end up with more of them than your opponent when the dust settles. Casting a Think Twice, then flashing it back will result in you having 1 more card in hand than you had before you played it from your hand, and thus 1 more card than your opponent. This isn't very efficient, because it costs 5 mana to do and only generates +1 card advantage. Tidings on the other hand, results in the same total mana investment (although all at once as opposed to 2 separate payments) but you will end with 3 more cards in hand than before (+3 card advantage) pulling you far ahead of your opponent in the following turn(s).
Brainstorm is used for a significantly different purpose: It doesn't generate card advantage (count the number of cards in your hand before and after you cast Brainstorm, both numbers are the same) it provides card selection/filtering. the point of this is to make your spells count, so ideally it will allow the threat/answer 3 cards down in your deck to affect the board this turn, instead of being late to the party. Sure, you have to put 2 cards on top, but with the help of a Fetchland you can shuffle away those 2 unneeded cards (or just leave them on top if they're important) Ponder and Preordain are also effective cantrips that work to help you dig for a specific card you need, so that you'll draw it sooner as opposed to later.
Now this is not true. All you have to do to make your cantrip bear relevant again is... kill their Golem token, something you probably want to do either way. With that accomplished, your board is suddenly superior to theirs, as you have a relevant beater, where a 1/1 needs infinite time (or a Titan/Lashwrithe to chump) in order to be relevant.
TL;DR He's a win-more card. I very badly wish he weren't, but he is.
Thus, assuming that this hypothesis is in fact accurate, then my advice to the OP would be to win, but win with respect. If you can show the shop that you're the best, the majority of players will opt to follow your example, and if you encourage friendly behavior, the impressionable ones will change their ways. This will cause the truly bad apples to lose face, and eventually they will be forced to either adapt themselves or simply leave the scene.
Either way, best of luck to you Ashinto.
Tonight's list:
23 Swamp
2 Buried Ruin
1 Ghost Quarter
Creatures
2 Spellskite
3 Solemn Simulacrum
2 Wurmcoil Engine
2 Grave Titan
4 Distress
4 Doom Blade
4 Lashwrithe
3 Ratchet Bomb
3 Go for the throat
3 Geth's Verdict
2 Mimic Vat
2 Black Sun's Zenith
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Phyrexian Metamorph
2 Entomber Exarch
2 Memoricide
2 Sever the Bloodline
3 Wring Flesh
1 Enslave
1 Rune-Scarred Demon
Round One: Bant Tokens (2-1)
Round Two: Looter Flare (0-2)
Round Three: U/B Control (2-0)
Round 4: G/W Aggro (ID with friend)
Round 5: U/W All-in Geist (2-1)
Top 8 Quarters: RDW (2-0)
Top 8 Semis: G/W tokens (2-0)
Top Finals: G/W "Little Kid" (2-0)
My friend made top 8 and was in the opposite bracket, but made play mistakes and lost in the semi to what was almost the mirror. Both ran Mana Dorks, Crusaders, Heroes, and Swords, but said friend had Mortarpod tech and planeswalkers (Garruk Relentless, 1of Primal Hunter, Elspeth) where his opponent had Angelic Destiny, Mayor of Avabruck, Angelic Overseer, and mainboard Beast Within.
I know it's sad that I won my semis and finals matches thanks to my opponents making glaring play errors (my semis opponent cast a main phase Midnight Haunting, for example) but I'm still proud to be successful, if only on a local scale. However...
My friend and I discussed the Lashwrithe slot, and I've determined that 4 is too many. There are admittedly more games than I'd like where I draw it in multiples and get stuck on 3 mana, or otherwise lose tempo because my hand is too top-heavy on the curve. My friend noted that I don't have very many 3 drops, and we brainstormed options for what 3 drop I could put in place of the 4th Lash. Though after scouring Gatherer, the best one I could find was Tumble Magnet...
What do you folks think?
First off... Yes, calling this deck Black Metal is probably the most fitting name I've ever coined for a deck. To be perfectly honest I'm not actually that into the genre (to be perfectly honest, Dimmu's cover is my favorite version of the song... and trust me, I've heard them all) but hopefully at my next FNM I'll get to play my music... if I do, I'll be sure to include it
Ratchet bomb is awesome, but I've had a lot of experience playing the card, and the most important thing about it is that there are times where you'll draw it when it can't do anything yet, and you'll need to determine what your opponent will drop in the coming turns that it'll get rid of (and that you need it to get rid of) so you can set it up to be ready to do the job you need it to. It's effectiveness can vary from matchup to matchup, but I can't think of any deck I'd side them out against. It's a card that can just do next to anything, even stuff Black has never been able to do (Blowing up Oblivion Rings and Swords is probably my favorite use for it, honestly) it can't stop Inkmoth, but rarely have I not been happy to see it. Hell, it would have stabilized my board and won the crucial final game on Tuesday had I drawn one.
Mimic Vat is also pretty cool. Putting just about any good creature on it will allow you to take over the game if you can start making copies, and it can even keep random **** like Chandra's Pheonix under control if necessary. I only play 2 because it sucks in multiples in 99% of games but again, rarely am I unhappy to see it.
On Tezz's Gambit... the other things it can do are Proliferate Ratchet Bomb and -1-1 counters from BSZ, but honestly I'm considering cutting it from my list for the Spellskites (and either a 3rd verdict or the 4th Go for the Throat) simply because to make it more relevant would mean adjusting my deck to use the aforementioned cards to serve that end, and that's not really the direction I want to go with this deck. I've had games where I've been able to make use of the above synergy and loved it, but there have also been games where I've cast it and still missed my 4th land drop, so I'm not sure what to think...
I've been successful lately at FNM with this deck:
23 Swamp
2 Buried Ruin
1 Ghost Quarter
Creatures
4 Solemn Simulacrum
2 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Grave Titan
Spells
4 Distress
4 Doom Blade
4 Lashwrithe
3 Go for the Throat
3 Tezzeret's Gambit
3 Ratchet Bomb
2 Mimic Vat
2 Geth's Verdict
2 Black Sun's Zenith
2 Entomber Exarch
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Phyrexian Metamorph
2 Memoricide
2 Entomber Exarch
3 Wring Flesh
1 Enslave
1 Rune-Scarred Demon
I think Spellskite might be the answer to the current meta. It takes the blame for my important artifacts and messes with Wolf-Run activations, Burn Spells, Angelic Destiny... I need to test with it though, I'm not sure whether it's maindeck material right now, or just a SB card. What do you folks think?
Edit: If you're curious about any of my card choices, feel free to ask. I don't mind talking about my decks, I just didn't bother to write a gigantic primer atm.
Autumn's Veil does not deserve to be called a counter, or a "great card" for that matter. What makes the card next to unplayable in the current format is the fact that it can literally only serve one purpose: nullifying one of two specific kinds of answers your opponent can point at your threat... and that's it.
You may feel like the ability to play a card that says "counter target mana leak/doom blade" is powerful, but despite it's seemingly reasonable mana cost of G, It doesn't have anywhere near the amount of useful applications your average blue counterspell does. It's not even on the same level as cards like Brave the Elements or Stave Off, which grant a keyword ability that happens to be known for it's comparable versatility to blue's countermagic (thanks to it's potential to gain tempo and/or card advantage in proactive and reactive ways spanning across many potential applicable scenarios... all for the exact same cmc as Autumn's Veil.)
It's not that Autumn's Veil does nothing. The problem is that it's simply more likely to sit dead in your hand depending on the matchup/fail to give you the advantage you need despite having the opportunity to cast it than actually help you win the game... and that's assuming you even draw it at all. In addition to the above, it's also a terrible topdeck when you need a threat, an answer to your opponent's threat, or even a land.
On topic, I don't really have much to say about the deck itself... It's not my style, but I guess random Wolf Run decks are to be the defining strategy in the new format
I see no reason to add any second-rate enablers/win cons, except maybe Grinning Ignus, which can singlehandedly generate infinite storm as opposed to needing 2 retrievers... although it's RR requirement to get going might be an issue. Overall, IMO the deck should be mostly U/B, with a basic package of cantrips and disruption to ensure a consistent win in spite of potential disruption. On your way to assembling it, the only things you need to worry about G1 are Qasali Pridemage (which we can easily deal with via Black Removal) other enchantment removal spells that we can counter, and of course other blue decks, which we can put up a reasonable fight against.
Thus, the only things we really need to worry about from opposing sideboards are split second cards (Krosan Grip, Extirpate, Trickbind) more opposing countermagic, and leylines.
Here's my first draft:
4 Myr Retriever
Spells
4 Sleight of Hand
4 Serum Visions
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Heartless Summoning
4 Muddle the Mixture
4 Remand
3 Grapeshot
1 Doom Blade
3 Go for the Throat
1 Echoing Truth
1 Pact of Negation
1 Slaughter Pact
19 Other land
This list is still rough, sideboards as always are meta dependent. Gitaxian Probe might be a better cantrip than Sleight (or visions, I'm not sure which one will end up being better) One could take a slightly more all-in route and skimp on MD disruption in favor of an extra tutor (I'd recommend Shred Memory or Dimir Infiltrator over Beseech the Queen, unless you plan on tutoring for Firespout a lot) but I think being a turn slower in favor of making sure I can beat whatever answers my opponent might have is a better plan.