I have really enjoyed reading all of the draftcaps posted by other members here, so I thought I would do one of my own.
I have drafted Innistrad on MTGO maybe 50 times. I find that when I build GW, I usually win a very high percentage of my matches. I have had far less success with other combinations, even when drafting decks that look amazing on paper. Basically this leads me to just force the GW and it usually works pretty well.
I am curious if you guys would do anything different.
Pack 1 pick 1:
Graveyard Shovel
Reckless Waif
Silver-Inlaid Dagger
Bump in the Night
Pitchburn Devils
Makeshift Mauler
Moment of Heroism
Runic Repetition
--> Chapel Geist
Nephalia Drownyard
Caravan Vigil
Abbey Griffin
Swamp
Night Terrors
Geistflame
So, I actually consider taking the Reckless Waif here just because I haven't had an opportunity to run a really aggressive werewolf deck. I realize that I am passing Geistflame, and just shoot for my old stalwart GW
Pack 1 pick 2:
Feral Ridgewolf
Riot Devils
Stitched Drake
Trepanation Blade
Reckless Waif <--- (sort of made me angry)
Altar's Reap
Kindercatch
Curse of the Bloody Tome
Unbreathing Horde
--> Gallows Warden
Dissipate
Shimmering Grotto
Swamp
Curse of the Pierced Heart
I do not like Lumberknot. I prefer to double travel prep on turn four if at all possible.
Pack 1 pick 7:
Nightbird's Clutches
Curse of the Nightly Hunt
--> Urgent Exorcism
Spare from Evil
Dream Twist
Plains (FOIL)
Island
Manor Skeleton
Curse of the Pierced Heart
Pack 1 pick 8:
Ghostly Possession
Inquisitor's Flail
Moonmist
Thraben Purebloods
Traitorous Blood
--> Rally the Peasants
Island
One-Eyed Scarecrow
Pack 1 pick 9:
Graveyard Shovel
--> Silver-Inlaid Dagger
Bump in the Night
Runic Repetition
Caravan Vigil
Swamp
Night Terrors
I was VERY happy that this wheeled. I thought it was a pretty nice signal that there were not multiple others trying to build my deck.
Pack 1 pick 10:
Riot Devils
Kindercatch
Unbreathing Horde
--> Dissipate
Swamp
Curse of the Pierced Heart
Thank you MTG Gods for paying me for forcing White. This is essentially the second best possible card I could open. (Garruk)
Pack 2 pick 2:
Ghoulcaller's Chant
--> Travel Preparations
Unruly Mob
Dead Weight
Civilized Scholar
Unburial Rites
Runic Repetition
Chapel Geist
Think Twice
Grimoire of the Dead
Hysterical Blindness
Swamp
Voiceless Spirit
Ranger's Guile
Chapel Geist? Travel Preparations is too strong to pass.
Pack 2 pick 3:
Ghoulraiser
Travel Preparations
Cellar Door
--> Midnight Haunting
Sensory Deprivation
Chapel Geist
Fortress Crab
Feeling of Dread
Avacyn's Pilgrim
Corpse Lunge
Swamp
Night Terrors
Memory's Journey
Very tough pick. I took the Haunting because there is NO chance it wheels, but a small chance Travel Prep does. If I have this choice to make again I am taking Travel Preparations.
Pack 2 pick 4:
Frightful Delusion
Spectral Rider
--> Elder Cathar
Vampire Interloper
Urgent Exorcism
Grave Bramble
Nephalia Drownyard
Selhoff Occultist
Lost in the Mist
Forest
Rebuke
Bloodcrazed Neonate
Once, when watching Conley Woods draft, he called this a good card. It completely changed my opinion of it. It turns out 5 toughness is good in Innistrad.
Pack 2 pick 7:
Ghostly Possession
Purify the Grave
Thraben Purebloods
Furor of the Bitten
Walking Corpse
Dream Twist
Swamp
--> Gnaw to the Bone
Vampiric Fury
Pack 2 pick 8:
--> Smite the Monstrous
Sharpened Pitchfork
Cobbled Wings
Woodland Sleuth
Wreath of Geists
Walking Corpse
Spidery Grasp
Plains
Pack 2 pick 9:
Ghoulcaller's Chant
Wooden Stake
Fortress Crab
Ancient Grudge
Curse of Oblivion
--> Doomed Traveler
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 11:
Cellar Door
--> Fortress Crab
Swamp
Night Terrors
Memory's Journey
Pack 2 pick 12:
Frightful Delusion
--> Urgent Exorcism
Lost in the Mist
Forest
Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Forest
Paraselene
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Swamp
------ ISD ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Victim of Night
Avacynian Priest
Riot Devils
Screeching Bat
Pitchburn Devils
Chapel Geist
Hysterical Blindness
Caravan Vigil
Geistcatcher's Rig
Abbey Griffin
Somberwald Spider
Desperate Ravings
Plains
Memory's Journey
--> Geist of Saint Traft
Probably wasn't going to play it, but not passing 7 tix either. Wanted Priest bad for the deck though.
Pack 3 pick 2:
Ghoulraiser
Silent Departure
Prey Upon
Murder of Crows
Thraben Purebloods
Furor of the Bitten
Abbey Griffin
Feeling of Dread
Darkthicket Wolf
Swamp
Tree of Redemption
Bitterheart Witch
Ranger's Guile
--> Mayor of Avabruck
And it was good.
Pack 3 pick 3:
Kessig Wolf
Stitched Drake (FOIL)
Village Ironsmith
Pitchburn Devils
Kindercatch
Curiosity
Caravan Vigil
Silverchase Fox
Abbey Griffin
Rally the Peasants
Full Moon's Rise
--> Creeping Renaissance
Plains
I figured this could give me a strong late game.
Pack 3 pick 4:
Ghoulcaller's Chant
Ambush Viper
Mask of Avacyn
Cloistered Youth
Wooden Stake
Spare from Evil
Crossway Vampire
Traveler's Amulet
Doomed Traveler
Lost in the Mist
--> Darkthicket Wolf
Island
Round one I faced a RG werewolf build featuring Instigator Gang, 2 Scourge of Geier Ridge, Brimstone Volley, and an assortment of the common R and G Werewolves.
Game one I tap my creature down to attack him to 7 life, leaving myself open for a counterattack for the win. Village Bell-Ringer creates a blowout on his attack.
Game two I keep a two lander on the draw. He goes Reckless Waif, Ashmouth hound, Villagers, Tormented Pariah. I never see another land.
Game three I used t1 Pilgrim, t2 Chapel Geist, t3 Darkthicket Wolf and Travel Preparations to win on my fifth turn.
I frankly can not remember the details of the next round and it is not on my list of played games on MTGO. He was also playing White with multiple Whispering Spirits (2/1 Flying First Striker). We had an excellent match, but I won 2-0 on the strength of the Angel and Chapel Geist's superiority in air combat. Sideboarding Urgent Excorsism x2 was great vs. his air force, too.
I split for first place.
I sided out Creeping Renaissance every game. It turned out that I didn't care about the late game. This deck really came together and it was a perfect draft.
Basically, it seems like if you can get two creatures out and cast Travel Preparations twice on Turn 4, you are winning almost every time.
In summation.....Star Trek wins a prolonged naval battle against superior, yet less technologically advanced, numbers, with Picard leading the assault, while Kirk takes your soul by laying out Solo and probably his manservant Chewy as well, before impregnating and ditching your Princess.
Pack 2 pick 3: Travel Preparations over Avacyn's Pilgrim over Chapel Geist over Midnight Haunting
Pack 2 pick 5: Rebuke over Doomed Traveler
Pack 3 pick 3: Silverchase Fox over Creeping Renaissance
Pack 3 pick 5: (Ulvenwald Mystics vs Voiceless Spirit is very close. I would take the spirit since you want to curve into Travel Preparations on T4. But I guess if your curve is full at 3 then the spirit could be right.)
Nice draft. You opened well, drafted well, and were lucky with what you got passed. I'd expect 3-0 with this deck.
I have drafted Innistrad on MTGO maybe 50 times. I find that when I build GW, I usually win a very high percentage of my matches. I have had far less success with other combinations, even when drafting decks that look amazing on paper. Basically this leads me to just force the GW and it usually works pretty well.
I am curious if you guys would do anything different.
Event #: 3056163
Time: 11/18/2011 11:39:56 PM
Players:
buchou
Piraju
ShivaSkunk
IanS
Sapster
iannolte
leopoldstotch
---> Mastro80
------ ISD ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Graveyard Shovel
Reckless Waif
Silver-Inlaid Dagger
Bump in the Night
Pitchburn Devils
Makeshift Mauler
Moment of Heroism
Runic Repetition
--> Chapel Geist
Nephalia Drownyard
Caravan Vigil
Abbey Griffin
Swamp
Night Terrors
Geistflame
So, I actually consider taking the Reckless Waif here just because I haven't had an opportunity to run a really aggressive werewolf deck. I realize that I am passing Geistflame, and just shoot for my old stalwart GW
Pack 1 pick 2:
Feral Ridgewolf
Riot Devils
Stitched Drake
Trepanation Blade
Reckless Waif <--- (sort of made me angry)
Altar's Reap
Kindercatch
Curse of the Bloody Tome
Unbreathing Horde
--> Gallows Warden
Dissipate
Shimmering Grotto
Swamp
Curse of the Pierced Heart
Pack 1 pick 3:
Graveyard Shovel (FOIL)
Spider Spawning
Stromkirk Patrol
Witchbane Orb
Fortress Crab
Caravan Vigil
Ancient Grudge
Infernal Plunge
Battleground Geist
Traveler's Amulet
--> Avacyn's Pilgrim
Mountain
Village Cannibals
Pack 1 pick 4:
Ghoulraiser
Thraben Sentry
Thraben Purebloods
Laboratory Maniac
Furor of the Bitten
Abbey Griffin
Feeling of Dread
Lantern Spirit
Dissipate
--> Darkthicket Wolf
Swamp
Ranger's Guile
Best two drop in the format IMO for aggro deck that I want to build.
Pack 1 pick 5:
Tormented Pariah
--> Village Bell-Ringer
Diregraf Ghoul
Night Revelers
Grave Bramble
Spectral Flight
Silverchase Fox
Brain Weevil
Forest
Gruesome Deformity
Bloodcrazed Neonate
Pack 1 pick 6:
Skeletal Grimace
Cobbled Wings
Abattoir Ghoul
--> Village Bell-Ringer
Lumberknot
Think Twice
Caravan Vigil
Infernal Plunge
Plains
Bitterheart Witch
I do not like Lumberknot. I prefer to double travel prep on turn four if at all possible.
Pack 1 pick 7:
Nightbird's Clutches
Curse of the Nightly Hunt
--> Urgent Exorcism
Spare from Evil
Dream Twist
Plains (FOIL)
Island
Manor Skeleton
Curse of the Pierced Heart
Pack 1 pick 8:
Ghostly Possession
Inquisitor's Flail
Moonmist
Thraben Purebloods
Traitorous Blood
--> Rally the Peasants
Island
One-Eyed Scarecrow
Pack 1 pick 9:
Graveyard Shovel
--> Silver-Inlaid Dagger
Bump in the Night
Runic Repetition
Caravan Vigil
Swamp
Night Terrors
I was VERY happy that this wheeled. I thought it was a pretty nice signal that there were not multiple others trying to build my deck.
Pack 1 pick 10:
Riot Devils
Kindercatch
Unbreathing Horde
--> Dissipate
Swamp
Curse of the Pierced Heart
Pack 1 pick 11:
Graveyard Shovel (FOIL)
--> Witchbane Orb
Ancient Grudge
Infernal Plunge
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 12:
Thraben Purebloods
Feeling of Dread
--> Dissipate
Swamp
I figured if I moved to UW at this point, I could always pick up more Feeling of Dreads with Dissipate being uncommon.
Pack 1 pick 13:
--> Grave Bramble
Forest
Gruesome Deformity
Pack 1 pick 14:
Infernal Plunge
--> Plains
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Plains (FOIL)
------ ISD ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Ghoulcaller's Chant
--> Angelic Overseer
Ghost Quarter
Cloistered Youth
Diregraf Ghoul
Wooden Stake
Crossway Vampire
Fortress Crab
Geistcatcher's Rig
Orchard Spirit
Ancient Grudge
Curse of Oblivion
Traveler's Amulet
Doomed Traveler
Mountain
Thank you MTG Gods for paying me for forcing White. This is essentially the second best possible card I could open. (Garruk)
Pack 2 pick 2:
Ghoulcaller's Chant
--> Travel Preparations
Unruly Mob
Dead Weight
Civilized Scholar
Unburial Rites
Runic Repetition
Chapel Geist
Think Twice
Grimoire of the Dead
Hysterical Blindness
Swamp
Voiceless Spirit
Ranger's Guile
Chapel Geist? Travel Preparations is too strong to pass.
Pack 2 pick 3:
Ghoulraiser
Travel Preparations
Cellar Door
--> Midnight Haunting
Sensory Deprivation
Chapel Geist
Fortress Crab
Feeling of Dread
Avacyn's Pilgrim
Corpse Lunge
Swamp
Night Terrors
Memory's Journey
Very tough pick. I took the Haunting because there is NO chance it wheels, but a small chance Travel Prep does. If I have this choice to make again I am taking Travel Preparations.
Pack 2 pick 4:
Frightful Delusion
Spectral Rider
--> Elder Cathar
Vampire Interloper
Urgent Exorcism
Grave Bramble
Nephalia Drownyard
Selhoff Occultist
Lost in the Mist
Forest
Rebuke
Bloodcrazed Neonate
Pack 2 pick 5:
Ghoulraiser
Frightful Delusion
Selfless Cathar
Spectral Flight
Brain Weevil
Rotting Fensnake
Battleground Geist
--> Doomed Traveler
Intangible Virtue
Plains
Rebuke (FOIL)
Pack 2 pick 6:
Kessig Wolf
Nevermore
Wooden Stake
--> Hollowhenge Scavenger
Demonmail Hauberk
Mulch
Naturalize
Forest
Paraselene
Typhoid Rats
Once, when watching Conley Woods draft, he called this a good card. It completely changed my opinion of it. It turns out 5 toughness is good in Innistrad.
Pack 2 pick 7:
Ghostly Possession
Purify the Grave
Thraben Purebloods
Furor of the Bitten
Walking Corpse
Dream Twist
Swamp
--> Gnaw to the Bone
Vampiric Fury
Pack 2 pick 8:
--> Smite the Monstrous
Sharpened Pitchfork
Cobbled Wings
Woodland Sleuth
Wreath of Geists
Walking Corpse
Spidery Grasp
Plains
Pack 2 pick 9:
Ghoulcaller's Chant
Wooden Stake
Fortress Crab
Ancient Grudge
Curse of Oblivion
--> Doomed Traveler
Mountain
Nice to see this wheel.
Pack 2 pick 10:
Ghoulcaller's Chant
Unruly Mob
Runic Repetition
--> Chapel Geist
Hysterical Blindness
Swamp
Yep. My deck officially takes off here.
Pack 2 pick 11:
Cellar Door
--> Fortress Crab
Swamp
Night Terrors
Memory's Journey
Pack 2 pick 12:
Frightful Delusion
--> Urgent Exorcism
Lost in the Mist
Forest
Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Forest
Paraselene
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Swamp
------ ISD ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Victim of Night
Avacynian Priest
Riot Devils
Screeching Bat
Pitchburn Devils
Chapel Geist
Hysterical Blindness
Caravan Vigil
Geistcatcher's Rig
Abbey Griffin
Somberwald Spider
Desperate Ravings
Plains
Memory's Journey
--> Geist of Saint Traft
Probably wasn't going to play it, but not passing 7 tix either. Wanted Priest bad for the deck though.
Pack 3 pick 2:
Ghoulraiser
Silent Departure
Prey Upon
Murder of Crows
Thraben Purebloods
Furor of the Bitten
Abbey Griffin
Feeling of Dread
Darkthicket Wolf
Swamp
Tree of Redemption
Bitterheart Witch
Ranger's Guile
--> Mayor of Avabruck
And it was good.
Pack 3 pick 3:
Kessig Wolf
Stitched Drake (FOIL)
Village Ironsmith
Pitchburn Devils
Kindercatch
Curiosity
Caravan Vigil
Silverchase Fox
Abbey Griffin
Rally the Peasants
Full Moon's Rise
--> Creeping Renaissance
Plains
I figured this could give me a strong late game.
Pack 3 pick 4:
Ghoulcaller's Chant
Ambush Viper
Mask of Avacyn
Cloistered Youth
Wooden Stake
Spare from Evil
Crossway Vampire
Traveler's Amulet
Doomed Traveler
Lost in the Mist
--> Darkthicket Wolf
Island
Pack 3 pick 5:
Skeletal Grimace
Sharpened Pitchfork
Cobbled Wings
--> Ulvenwald Mystics
Inquisitor's Flail
Rage Thrower
Urgent Exorcism
Selhoff Occultist
Traitorous Blood
Forest
Voiceless Spirit
Spirit? I was short on four drops at this point so Mystics was the pick. Infi-3 drops at this point.
Pack 3 pick 6:
Frightful Delusion
Cobbled Wings
Graveyard Shovel
Moonmist
Grave Bramble
Selhoff Occultist
--> Traitorous Blood
Disciple of Griselbrand
Forest
One-Eyed Scarecrow
At this point I was really hoping for a travel prep in the next two packs because I passed the one earlier.
Pack 3 pick 7:
--> Travel Preparations
Skeletal Grimace
Spider Spawning
Pitchburn Devils
Kindercatch
Demonmail Hauberk
Witchbane Orb
Rotting Fensnake
Island
And at this point I felt like if I didn't 3-0 with this deck I need to seriously reevaluate my style.
Pack 3 pick 8:
--> Sensory Deprivation
Stromkirk Patrol
Rooftop Storm
Grave Bramble
Curse of the Bloody Tome
Brain Weevil
Intangible Virtue
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 9:
Riot Devils
Hysterical Blindness
--> Caravan Vigil
Abbey Griffin
Desperate Ravings
Plains
Memory's Journey
Pack 3 pick 10:
Thraben Purebloods
Furor of the Bitten
--> Darkthicket Wolf
Swamp
Bitterheart Witch
Ranger's Guile
Pack 3 pick 11:
Kessig Wolf
Kindercatch
--> Caravan Vigil
Rally the Peasants
Plains
Pack 3 pick 12:
Wooden Stake
--> Spare from Evil
Lost in the Mist
Island
Pack 3 pick 13:
Skeletal Grimace
--> Cobbled Wings
Forest
Pack 3 pick 14:
--> Cobbled Wings
Forest
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Island
So I built this
8 Plains
1 Midnight Haunting
2 Travel Preparations
1 Silver-Inlaid Dagger
1 Creeping Renaissance
1 Rally the Peasants
1 Smite the Monstrous
1 Avacyn's Pilgrim
3 Darkthicket Wolf
1 Mayor of Avabruck
1 Elder Cathar
2 Village Bell-Ringer
2 Chapel Geist
1 Uvenwald Mystics
1 Gallows Warden
1 Hallowhenge Scavenger
1 Angelic Overseer
I went 2-0-1 with an ID in the finals.
Round one I faced a RG werewolf build featuring Instigator Gang, 2 Scourge of Geier Ridge, Brimstone Volley, and an assortment of the common R and G Werewolves.
Game one I tap my creature down to attack him to 7 life, leaving myself open for a counterattack for the win. Village Bell-Ringer creates a blowout on his attack.
Game two I keep a two lander on the draw. He goes Reckless Waif, Ashmouth hound, Villagers, Tormented Pariah. I never see another land.
Game three I used t1 Pilgrim, t2 Chapel Geist, t3 Darkthicket Wolf and Travel Preparations to win on my fifth turn.
I frankly can not remember the details of the next round and it is not on my list of played games on MTGO. He was also playing White with multiple Whispering Spirits (2/1 Flying First Striker). We had an excellent match, but I won 2-0 on the strength of the Angel and Chapel Geist's superiority in air combat. Sideboarding Urgent Excorsism x2 was great vs. his air force, too.
I split for first place.
I sided out Creeping Renaissance every game. It turned out that I didn't care about the late game. This deck really came together and it was a perfect draft.
Basically, it seems like if you can get two creatures out and cast Travel Preparations twice on Turn 4, you are winning almost every time.
Pack 2 pick 5: Rebuke over Doomed Traveler
Pack 3 pick 3: Silverchase Fox over Creeping Renaissance
Pack 3 pick 5: (Ulvenwald Mystics vs Voiceless Spirit is very close. I would take the spirit since you want to curve into Travel Preparations on T4. But I guess if your curve is full at 3 then the spirit could be right.)
Nice draft. You opened well, drafted well, and were lucky with what you got passed. I'd expect 3-0 with this deck.