I'm a beginner drafter playing MTGA Quick Draft (so sideboard's irrelevant)
After a few late tough choices (Disdainful Stroke over Fire Urchin, 2nd Smelt-Ward Minotaur over 2nd Sonic Assault - which I luckily got a 2nd of on the next pick), I ended up with a pretty strong Izzet pool.
I think my deck will perform best on the aggressive side, but I'm not sure where the right balance is, so I'd like your help building (also in image).
- Since curve is low, I realized 16 lands + Locket should be enough.
- I think the most obvious cuts here are Courier, Velocity, both Crabs, Punch, Expansion//Explosion - which leave me with 46 cards.
- Sergeant isn't great but goes well in an aggressive deck, perhaps even better here than the Watcher.
- I have 8 Surveil effects, one of which is the Sprite's recurring one, so Phantasm is good to go. I like them anyway in order to mill Jump-Start cards (5 after cutting 2).
- I don't admire Lights, Altitude, Mesmerist, Idea, Invert//Invent and Discovery//Dispersal; But I thought they become viable with the two Smelt-Wards (& Assaults), by further enabling attacks in mid-late game.
I'm not a pro player/drafter (and it's my first post here, so I hope it's alright), but I'd like to make the best out of this pool. How would you advise me to go about it?
There's some flexibility to swap a few spell slots depending on playstyle. Overall you're going for an Izzet tempo shell where you play cheap threats, disrupt their board with spells, and chip in some damage. Minotaurs + Sonic Assault and bounce will do a lot of work for you making it nearly impossible for your opponent to manage his defense.
Whisper Agent is really strong in this strategy. You can hold mana up for tricks all game (11 instant spells, 3 with Jump Start) and still EOT flash in a 3/2 (and fix your next draw!).
Discovery is a great card for card selection, even if you can't use Dispersal.
Radical Idea is pretty good with Electrostatic Field and the Minotaurs. It helps you cycle through your library and sculpt your hand while triggering the "instant and sorcery" stuff. I'd play 2 Ideas if it wasn't competing with so many other spells. It's also copiable with League Guildmage (essentially you can tap him to draw a card for 3 mana instead of 4!). All your cheap disruptive spells get better with League Guildmage.
As a controversial choice, I put Izzet Locket in the SB. It's a great card. I just like the other spells better with everything else your deck is trying to accomplish, and you don't really need the ramp mana except for Explosion.
After a few late tough choices (Disdainful Stroke over Fire Urchin, 2nd Smelt-Ward Minotaur over 2nd Sonic Assault - which I luckily got a 2nd of on the next pick), I ended up with a pretty strong Izzet pool.
I think my deck will perform best on the aggressive side, but I'm not sure where the right balance is, so I'd like your help building (also in image).
- Since curve is low, I realized 16 lands + Locket should be enough.
- I think the most obvious cuts here are Courier, Velocity, both Crabs, Punch, Expansion//Explosion - which leave me with 46 cards.
- Sergeant isn't great but goes well in an aggressive deck, perhaps even better here than the Watcher.
- I have 8 Surveil effects, one of which is the Sprite's recurring one, so Phantasm is good to go. I like them anyway in order to mill Jump-Start cards (5 after cutting 2).
- I don't admire Lights, Altitude, Mesmerist, Idea, Invert//Invent and Discovery//Dispersal; But I thought they become viable with the two Smelt-Wards (& Assaults), by further enabling attacks in mid-late game.
I'm not a pro player/drafter (and it's my first post here, so I hope it's alright), but I'd like to make the best out of this pool. How would you advise me to go about it?
Thanks ahead
1 Thoughtbound Phantasm
1 Nightveil Sprite
1 Goblin Cratermaker
1 League Guildmage
1 Vedalken Mesmerist
1 Electrostatic Field
2 Smelt-Ward Minotaur
3 Whisper Agent
1 Watcher in the Mist
//Spells: 12
1 Discovery // Dispersal
1 Radical Idea
1 Sure Strike
1 Disdainful Stroke
1 Unexplained Disappearance
2 Sonic Assault
1 Sinister Sabotage
2 Capture Sphere
1 Hypothesizzle
1 Expansion // Explosion
1 Izzet Guildgate
8 Island
7 Mountain
1 Selective Snare
2 Wishcoin Crab
1 Izzet Locket
1 Radical Idea
There's some flexibility to swap a few spell slots depending on playstyle. Overall you're going for an Izzet tempo shell where you play cheap threats, disrupt their board with spells, and chip in some damage. Minotaurs + Sonic Assault and bounce will do a lot of work for you making it nearly impossible for your opponent to manage his defense.
Whisper Agent is really strong in this strategy. You can hold mana up for tricks all game (11 instant spells, 3 with Jump Start) and still EOT flash in a 3/2 (and fix your next draw!).
Discovery is a great card for card selection, even if you can't use Dispersal.
Radical Idea is pretty good with Electrostatic Field and the Minotaurs. It helps you cycle through your library and sculpt your hand while triggering the "instant and sorcery" stuff. I'd play 2 Ideas if it wasn't competing with so many other spells. It's also copiable with League Guildmage (essentially you can tap him to draw a card for 3 mana instead of 4!). All your cheap disruptive spells get better with League Guildmage.
As a controversial choice, I put Izzet Locket in the SB. It's a great card. I just like the other spells better with everything else your deck is trying to accomplish, and you don't really need the ramp mana except for Explosion.