The best card in the pack is Bitter Revelation. While I'm quite a big fan of the 2CMC 2/x in this set, I don't think we should pass up a much better card for any of them. The banner is not even worth considering at this point. We may as well play 2 color for all we know.
Abomination of Gudul, Tormenting Voice, Valley Dasher and Awaken the Bear are cards to consider here. I think it's too early to take a mediocre card for consistancy. I prefer to stay open and take the more powerful sultai card. We are only 1 card into red, which is also highly splashable if we consider 4 color later in the draft.
I've had Singing Bell Strike cast against me on multiple occasions, and I was unimpressed by the card each time. I think the card is really sweet in a tempo deck, however, I think it's too early to commit to a deck type for a mediocre common at this point.
I also strongly disagree with our first pick. I don't think you can afford to draw a 5 mana do nothing card in the late game in this format, because there is a lot to do with your mana even at very late turns.
I think the strongest card here is Snowhorn Rider.
Cool deck. I love RG in JBT. Perfect example of getting rewarded for red in BNG hohoho!
I have to question your first pick though, there are so many cards in that pack that I would take over Polymorphous Rush. Hour of Need being the most obvious one. But even the Satyr Grovedancer will be more consistent and probably a better top-deck than Polymorphous Rush in most situations.
Here are seven cards I would take over Polymorphous Rush in that pack:
1. Hour of Need
2. Oakheart Dryads
3. Hubris
4. Flurry of Horns
5. Feast of Dreams
6. War-Wing Siren
7. Satyr Grovedancer
Base is W/U heroic while splashing black for some awesome heroic enablers as well as high power level spells in Thoughtseize (that card is just insane in sealed right?) and Silence the Believers. Land base is really tough.. and running 18 lands in a relatively aggressive heroic deck isn't optimal. Would appreciate some feedback
I hope they keep continue with mechanics that offer deck consistency in limited. Mechanics that make it easier to end up with a good hand. I think these mechanics give us more decisions to make during a game. Theros offered:
- Scrying lets you dig for specific answers. (Scry for lands, scry away lands, scry for removal..)
- Bestow gives you options for two different game states.
- Monstrosity gives you flood ensurance.
What's the chance that scry will stick around with the next block?
I'd say this is really close between Launch the Fleet and Feast of Dreams. Launch the Fleet is obviously more powerful, but asks much more of you. It's hard to imagine a game where Feast of Dreams is going to be a dead card, while top-decking Launch the Fleet while you're behind and on the defense is going to be really bad.
Phalanx Leader is surprisingly strong in slow decks. When he has underperformed for me, it's in the super agressive WU and WR decks. He is better in WG and slower WU decks.
Dragon Mantle is a good card in R/U and a good pick up. Nylea's Emissary being the 2nd best option here, but I think our blue bombs are too solid to give up on, and 3 color decks that aren't base-green are usually quite bad.
Bitter Revelation gets my vote.
Abomination of Gudul gets my vote.
But we are comparing it to Crippling Chill, which also seems like a solid playable, but not really an early pick.
I still think Crippling Chill is the correct pick for the reasons stated above.
Haven't played Crippling Chill yet, but it seems like a really good card in a tempo deck.
Since we aren't really committed to green I'd rather continue in our main color, Crippling Chill gets the vote.
I also strongly disagree with our first pick. I don't think you can afford to draw a 5 mana do nothing card in the late game in this format, because there is a lot to do with your mana even at very late turns.
I think the strongest card here is Snowhorn Rider.
I have to question your first pick though, there are so many cards in that pack that I would take over Polymorphous Rush. Hour of Need being the most obvious one. But even the Satyr Grovedancer will be more consistent and probably a better top-deck than Polymorphous Rush in most situations.
Here are seven cards I would take over Polymorphous Rush in that pack:
1. Hour of Need
2. Oakheart Dryads
3. Hubris
4. Flurry of Horns
5. Feast of Dreams
6. War-Wing Siren
7. Satyr Grovedancer
My result (cmc for mana curve purposes):
1 Deepwater Hypnotist (2)
1 Lagonna-Band Trailblazer (2)
1 Oreskos Swiftclaw (2)
1 Vaporkin (2)
1 Lagonna-Band Elder (3)
1 War-Wing Siren (3)
1 Nyxborn Triton (3/5 bestow)
1 Nimbus Naiad (3/5 bestow)
1 Akroan Mastiff (4)
1 Ornitharch (5)
1 Floodtide Serpent (5)
1 Skyspear Cavalry (5)
1 Arbiter of the Ideal (6)
1 Ghostblade Eidolon (3/6 bestow)
1 Silence the Believers
1 Ordeal of Thassa
1 Hubris
1 Battlewise Valor
2 Sudden Storm
8 Plains
7 Island
3 Swamp
Base is W/U heroic while splashing black for some awesome heroic enablers as well as high power level spells in Thoughtseize (that card is just insane in sealed right?) and Silence the Believers. Land base is really tough.. and running 18 lands in a relatively aggressive heroic deck isn't optimal. Would appreciate some feedback
Thoughts?
- Scrying lets you dig for specific answers. (Scry for lands, scry away lands, scry for removal..)
- Bestow gives you options for two different game states.
- Monstrosity gives you flood ensurance.
What's the chance that scry will stick around with the next block?
Feast of Dreams is my pick.
http://lrcast.com/limited-resources-196-how-to-go-infinite-on-magic-online/