I've lost it a few times from the comfort of my home where nobody could see/hear me raging like a 15 year old playing halo. Even when I'm raging here out loud I never say anything rude to my opponent and I'm typically just mad at myself for a horrible play.
Yeah, this is me. I've gone absolutely bonkers in the privacy of my own home when I lose to their only out or I do something stupid or draw 7 lands in a row, but I keep it to myself. It's just as much my embarrassment over my rage as it is etiquette.
Thanks for all the input. I'm not even going to post the next draft I had, even I know where I went wrong. Ended up in the wrong color, played horribly, died to Recluse + Quiver, and learned once and for all that Blood Feud is simply not all that good. I should stop drafting at 3am. Though I did have a successful 2-0 + split finals in a paper draft tonight with U/W fliers.
I think the main thing you need to do is draft with more of a plan and keep an eye on your curve more.
I do need to keep a better eye on my curve. Sometimes it's just the packs, but I think I too often end up desperate for 2-3 drops late in the draft. Quality early drops seem especially scarce in DKA, so this is probably exacerbating my tendencies.
Possible alternatives:
P1P3 Relentless Skaabs
P1P6 Headless Skaab
...this puts you in a position where you're looking to kill problem creatures, lock up the ground and win with Blue flyers and Flashback. That's a plan.
Is it really better to take a card along a third axis rather than take a card I know will help me play whatever I've picked and will pick? You can't make safe picks for all 42 cards and expect to win, but isn't it better to wait and see when nothing stands out?
Re: Looting vs. Wilds - again, Looting is solid, but I'm not sure it's something that says GO RED. I'd rather take the Wilds now instead of needing to take an Amulet or Grotto later over something better.
Wild Hunger and Vengeful Vampire were the only other considerations P1P1. Vampire just ends up too slow and Wild Hunger seems to fit into less decks overall, whereas Burning Oil is playable in both defensive or aggressive strategies.
I can say I would almost always avoid a full 3-color deck in this format, as you're just asking for mana trouble. I don't think Forge Devils or Village Ironsmith are worth stretching the mana to that degree.
Still not sure about the equipment in my deck, but I do seem to underrate them as a whole and should maybe be picking them higher than I do.
Overall I consider myself a pretty solid player, but this format for whatever reason has been kicking my ass. I lose in the second round 90 percent of the time, after beating a typically poor deck in the first round. When I almost lost to Sanctuary Cat/Selfless Catharx2/Headless Skaabx2/Dream Twist targeting me.dek in my last draft, I realized something has to change, so I'm going to post these things until further notice.
Figured it was between this and Death's Caress, and I can go into some combination of two of the three colors so far, splashing the other
Pack 1 pick 3:
Swamp
Black Cat
Secrets of the Dead
Shriekgeist
Russet Wolves
Heavy Mattock
Faithless Looting
Gravetiller Wurm
--> Evolving Wilds
Falkenrath Torturer
Relentless Skaabs
Counterlash
Young Wolf
I'm planning on splashing and nothing in this pack is particularly worthy of committing to.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Mountain
Chalice of Life
--> Tragic Slip
Torch Fiend
Somberwald Dryad
Saving Grasp
Pyreheart Wolf
Farbog Boneflinger
Scorch the Fields
Undying Evil
Wakedancer
Crushing Vines
Not sure if this is better than Boneflinger. In my personal experience I've been much happier with Slip. Not too happy that the best three cards are all black, but what can you do?
Pack 2 pick 1:
Harvest Pyre
Smite the Monstrous
Nightbird's Clutches
Grizzled Outcasts
Makeshift Mauler
Murder of Crows
Endless Ranks of the Dead
Furor of the Bitten
Hamlet Captain
Mulch
Feeling of Dread
Darkthicket Wolf
Mountain
Memory's Journey
--> Typhoid Rats
Ugh.
Pack 2 pick 2:
Feral Ridgewolf
Avacynian Priest
Cellar Door
Riot Devils
Moon Heron
Thraben Sentry
Makeshift Mauler
--> Unburial Rites
Kindercatch
Spare from Evil
Curse of the Bloody Tome
Plains
Geistflame
Rolling Temblor
Probably should've just taken Priest here, but I'm always drawn to the potential of Unburial Rites. Now I kinda wish I had Boneflinger.
I could maybe take Evil Twin and splash blue instead of red...
Pack 2 pick 4:
Nightbird's Clutches
Ambush Viper
--> Thraben Sentry
Diregraf Ghoul
Vampire Interloper
Urgent Exorcism
Spare from Evil
Selhoff Occultist
Full Moon's Rise
Corpse Lunge
Mountain
Maw of the Mire
Not aggressive enough for the Ghoul.
Pack 2 pick 5:
Kessig Wolf
Ghost Quarter
Grizzled Outcasts
Elder Cathar
--> Village Bell-Ringer
Wooden Stake
Curse of Stalked Prey
Festerhide Boar
Hysterical Blindness
Caravan Vigil
Swamp
Elder Cathar might be better here.
Pack 2 pick 6:
Kessig Wolf
Smite the Monstrous
Unruly Mob
Mask of Avacyn
Graveyard Shovel
Grizzled Outcasts
Moonmist
--> Silverchase Fox
Lost in the Mist
Plains
Need two drops
Pack 2 pick 7:
--> Ghoulcaller's Chant
Stitcher's Apprentice
Graveyard Shovel
Skaab Goliath
Wooden Stake
Crossway Vampire
Traitorous Blood
Lost in the Mist
Island
Considered Pike with a potential 7 instants/sorceries so far, but it seemed greedy. As you'll see, someone could've gotten the nuts Invisible Stalker deck just in this pack.
Pack 3 pick 2:
Prey Upon
Skirsdag Cultist
Moon Heron
Ulvenwald Mystics
Makeshift Mauler
--> Village Bell-Ringer
Bramblecrush
Spare from Evil
Stromkirk Noble
Brain Weevil
Rotting Fensnake
Avacyn's Pilgrim
Island
Geistflame
My ding-a-ling...
Pack 3 pick 3:
Prey Upon
Village Ironsmith
Bump in the Night
--> Pitchburn Devils
Stromkirk Patrol
Scourge of Geier Reach
Lumberknot
Fortress Crab
Infernal Plunge
Traveler's Amulet
Ghoulcaller's Bell
Burning Vengeance
Plains
Yeah, pretty bad. Where's all the black?
Pack 3 pick 4:
Invisible Stalker (FOIL)
Ghostly Possession
Nightbird's Clutches
Skirsdag Cultist
--> Blazing Torch
Grizzled Outcasts (FOIL)
Bump in the Night
Makeshift Mauler
Bramblecrush
Traveler's Amulet
Gnaw to the Bone
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 12:
--> Ghostly Possession
Nightbird's Clutches
Bump in the Night
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 13:
Riot Devils
--> Moonmist
Island
Pack 3 pick 14:
--> Inquisitor's Flail
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Plains
I ended up splashing a Mountain along with Evolving Wilds for Burning Oil and Pitchburn Devils. I never got the Mountain out and only drew Pitchburn Devils in a mull to 5 game so the results are inconclusive.
I beat U/B Mill in round 1. Game 1 he mulled to 5, I had Slip for his Mindshrieker, and it was fairly easy after that. Game 2 he had Mindshrieker again, this time holding back my attacks for a few turns until I could Caress it. A Fox killed his Tome and there wasn't a whole lot else to it.
Round 2 I lost to U/W Fliers. Mulled to 5 Game 1 and could never stabilize, though Griffin + Slip was almost enough to get me a breather. Game 2 he never drew an Island, and I grinded a fairly long game into victory. Game 3 he curved out (Loyal Cathar, Drogskol Captain, Thraben Sentry, Nibilis of the Mist) and pretty well stomped my lackluster deck.
Looking at replays, there were 5 white drafters at the table, including me. The downside of a 4-3-2-2, but when I keep losing in the second round, I'd rather get something for it. Obviously my pack 3 was a bit unlucky, but I'm curious to see where I could've done better.
Does anyone know any details about the mainboard of the storm deck?
Pretty standard Pyromancer Ascension + Past in Flames list. Did have Warrens maindeck. Thought Scour and Faithless Looting were used, no Desperate Ravings. Definitely Serum Visions, my memory is a bit fuzzy already on Sleight of Hand but I don't think I saw it.
While Blood Moon is completely awesome out of the SB, I don't think you want Magus of the Moon in your main deck. It makes your landfall guys so much worse, and in my experience you will sometimes need a big landfall turn to finish the game.
I placed second in my local PTQ with the list I posted earlier, except with two Relic of Progenitus in the board instead of Refraction Trap. I'll post more about the matches when I don't have a splitting headache.
Yes, the Fallouts are definitely staying, they kill just about everything in the Delver decks.
I've never wanted the extra damage in exchange for the versatility. Disenchant can deal with Seismic Assault, Ghostly Prisons, Leylines, Ascensions, and any other random thing you might run into in this format.
Blood Moon is the best sideboard card, and I sometimes wish I had 4. It hoses so many decks if you can land it.
The results of this deck in the metagame have fallen extremely hard recently. Seems like there are a lot more Baloths and Firewalkers running around than there used to be, plus sometimes you run into Martyr and auto-lose. I'm wondering if it's my best choice for a PTQ tomorrow. It's either this or UR storm.
Hey all, looking forward to seeing the full metagame reports from the GP and all the PTQs, but if people decide to bust out Aggro Loam, is there anything I should come prepared with? Never played constructed much until the past year, so I have no real experience with that deck or feel for the matchup. Jabs, Seismic, and the big creatures all seem like potential issues. Blood Moon looks like a potential MVP.
My PTQ is this weekend and this is what I've been running, pretty basic list:
The other rare I played in my pool was Vengeful Pharaoh, which is as good as expected, though I can potentially see times when you really don't want him to rise from his sarcophagus in your graveyard, but you can't stop him.
Also went 2-1 in a draft with U/W tempo fliers. Deck kinda sucked though.
The sad part was that between the two events and prizes, I cracked 22 packs and didn't open a single mythic. Bleh.
Yeah, this is me. I've gone absolutely bonkers in the privacy of my own home when I lose to their only out or I do something stupid or draw 7 lands in a row, but I keep it to myself. It's just as much my embarrassment over my rage as it is etiquette.
Mythic:
Savageborn Hydra
Ral Zarek
Rare:
Plasm Capture
Blood Scrivener
Land:
I don't even want to finish opening, it's gotta be all downhill from here.
http://www.pastimes.net/news/2012/apr/2/3312011-modern-ptq-decklists-and-results/
Esper Delver was the winner.
I do need to keep a better eye on my curve. Sometimes it's just the packs, but I think I too often end up desperate for 2-3 drops late in the draft. Quality early drops seem especially scarce in DKA, so this is probably exacerbating my tendencies.
Is it really better to take a card along a third axis rather than take a card I know will help me play whatever I've picked and will pick? You can't make safe picks for all 42 cards and expect to win, but isn't it better to wait and see when nothing stands out?
Re: Looting vs. Wilds - again, Looting is solid, but I'm not sure it's something that says GO RED. I'd rather take the Wilds now instead of needing to take an Amulet or Grotto later over something better.
1 Vengeful Vampire
1 Silverclaw Griffin
1 Black Cat
2 Typhoid Rats
1 Voiceless Spirit
1 Thraben Sentry
1 Village Bell-Ringer
2 Silverchase Fox
1 Village Cannibals
1 Chapel Geist
1 Pitchburn Devils
1 Unruly Mob
1 Lingering Souls
1 Tragic Slip
1 Death's Caress
1 Undying Evil
1 Unburial Rites
1 Blazing Torch
1 Smite the Monstrous
1 Mountain
7 Swamp
8 Plains
Wild Hunger and Vengeful Vampire were the only other considerations P1P1. Vampire just ends up too slow and Wild Hunger seems to fit into less decks overall, whereas Burning Oil is playable in both defensive or aggressive strategies.
I can say I would almost always avoid a full 3-color deck in this format, as you're just asking for mana trouble. I don't think Forge Devils or Village Ironsmith are worth stretching the mana to that degree.
Still not sure about the equipment in my deck, but I do seem to underrate them as a whole and should maybe be picking them higher than I do.
Draft:
Time: 3/15/2012 9:43:00 PM
Players:
--> Jens521
scottgolden12953
Kojak
docdave1974
a_fluffy_bunny
tWorld
robman427
pearlrice
------ DKA ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Swamp
Curse of Exhaustion
Chalice of Life
Ulvenwald Bear
Reap the Seagraf
Wild Hunger
Vengeful Vampire
--> Burning Oil
Undying Evil
Thought Scour
Gruesome Discovery
Midnight Guard
Predator Ooze
Skillful Lunge
Nearheath Stalker
Seems like an easy pick.
Pack 1 pick 2:
Forest
Forge Devil
Russet Wolves
Ulvenwald Bear
Elgaud Inquisitor
Niblis of the Mist
Hinterland Hermit
Stromkirk Captain
Sightless Ghoul
--> Lingering Souls
Artful Dodge
Curse of Echoes
Death's Caress
Hollowhenge Beast
Figured it was between this and Death's Caress, and I can go into some combination of two of the three colors so far, splashing the other
Pack 1 pick 3:
Swamp
Black Cat
Secrets of the Dead
Shriekgeist
Russet Wolves
Heavy Mattock
Faithless Looting
Gravetiller Wurm
--> Evolving Wilds
Falkenrath Torturer
Relentless Skaabs
Counterlash
Young Wolf
I'm planning on splashing and nothing in this pack is particularly worthy of committing to.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Mountain
Chalice of Life
--> Tragic Slip
Torch Fiend
Somberwald Dryad
Saving Grasp
Pyreheart Wolf
Farbog Boneflinger
Scorch the Fields
Undying Evil
Wakedancer
Crushing Vines
Not sure if this is better than Boneflinger. In my personal experience I've been much happier with Slip. Not too happy that the best three cards are all black, but what can you do?
Pack 1 pick 5:
Plains
Ulvenwald Bear
Reap the Seagraf
Mystic Retrieval
Relentless Skaabs
Undying Evil
Gruesome Discovery
Clinging Mists
--> Death's Caress
Midnight Guard
Nearheath Stalker
Again, seems easy. Black appears pretty open...remember this for pack 3.
Pack 1 pick 6:
Plains
Shriekgeist
Dawntreader Elk
Headless Skaab
--> Niblis of the Mist
Faithless Looting
Falkenrath Torturer
Sanctuary Cat
Hollowhenge Beast
Silverclaw Griffin
Now it's looking like WBr.
Pack 1 pick 7:
Mountain
Ulvenwald Bear
Blood Feud
Screeching Skaab
Sightless Ghoul
Favor of the Woods
--> Vengeful Vampire
Faith's Shield
Bar the Door
Tempted to change my mind and take Blood Feud, but I stayed 'safe.'
Pack 1 pick 8:
Forest
Kessig Recluse
Executioner's Hood
Spiteful Shadows
Bar the Door
Midnight Guard
Sanctuary Cat
--> Silverclaw Griffin
Pack 1 pick 9:
Curse of Exhaustion
Chalice of Life
Ulvenwald Bear
--> Undying Evil
Gruesome Discovery
Skillful Lunge
Nearheath Stalker
Do I like this card too much? Is Lunge or even Stalker the better pick here?
Pack 1 pick 10:
Forest
--> Forge Devil
Russet Wolves
Hinterland Hermit
Artful Dodge
Hollowhenge Beast
Pack 1 pick 11:
Swamp
--> Black Cat
Secrets of the Dead
Russet Wolves
Young Wolf
Pack 1 pick 12:
Mountain
Chalice of Life
--> Torch Fiend
Scorch the Fields
Pack 1 pick 13:
Plains
--> Gruesome Discovery
Clinging Mists
Pack 1 pick 14:
Plains
--> Sanctuary Cat
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Mountain
------ ISD ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Harvest Pyre
Smite the Monstrous
Nightbird's Clutches
Grizzled Outcasts
Makeshift Mauler
Murder of Crows
Endless Ranks of the Dead
Furor of the Bitten
Hamlet Captain
Mulch
Feeling of Dread
Darkthicket Wolf
Mountain
Memory's Journey
--> Typhoid Rats
Ugh.
Pack 2 pick 2:
Feral Ridgewolf
Avacynian Priest
Cellar Door
Riot Devils
Moon Heron
Thraben Sentry
Makeshift Mauler
--> Unburial Rites
Kindercatch
Spare from Evil
Curse of the Bloody Tome
Plains
Geistflame
Rolling Temblor
Probably should've just taken Priest here, but I'm always drawn to the potential of Unburial Rites. Now I kinda wish I had Boneflinger.
Pack 2 pick 3:
Ghoulcaller's Chant
Unruly Mob
Villagers of Estwald
Evil Twin
Gallows Warden
Hysterical Blindness
Armored Skaab
Spidery Grasp
Forest
--> Voiceless Spirit
Paraselene
One-Eyed Scarecrow
Village Cannibals
I could maybe take Evil Twin and splash blue instead of red...
Pack 2 pick 4:
Nightbird's Clutches
Ambush Viper
--> Thraben Sentry
Diregraf Ghoul
Vampire Interloper
Urgent Exorcism
Spare from Evil
Selhoff Occultist
Full Moon's Rise
Corpse Lunge
Mountain
Maw of the Mire
Not aggressive enough for the Ghoul.
Pack 2 pick 5:
Kessig Wolf
Ghost Quarter
Grizzled Outcasts
Elder Cathar
--> Village Bell-Ringer
Wooden Stake
Curse of Stalked Prey
Festerhide Boar
Hysterical Blindness
Caravan Vigil
Swamp
Elder Cathar might be better here.
Pack 2 pick 6:
Kessig Wolf
Smite the Monstrous
Unruly Mob
Mask of Avacyn
Graveyard Shovel
Grizzled Outcasts
Moonmist
--> Silverchase Fox
Lost in the Mist
Plains
Need two drops
Pack 2 pick 7:
--> Ghoulcaller's Chant
Stitcher's Apprentice
Graveyard Shovel
Skaab Goliath
Wooden Stake
Crossway Vampire
Traitorous Blood
Lost in the Mist
Island
Pack 2 pick 8:
Ghostly Possession
Cobbled Wings
Woodland Sleuth
Grizzled Outcasts
Demonmail Hauberk
--> Silverchase Fox
Curse of Oblivion
Forest
Pack 2 pick 9:
--> Smite the Monstrous
Nightbird's Clutches
Furor of the Bitten
Mulch
Feeling of Dread
Mountain
Memory's Journey
Pack 2 pick 10:
Feral Ridgewolf
Cellar Door
Makeshift Mauler
Kindercatch
--> Spare from Evil
Plains
Pack 2 pick 11:
Ghoulcaller's Chant
Hysterical Blindness
Forest
Paraselene
--> Village Cannibals
Pack 2 pick 12:
Full Moon's Rise
--> Corpse Lunge
Mountain
Maw of the Mire
Pack 2 pick 13:
--> Wooden Stake
Hysterical Blindness
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Graveyard Shovel
Plains
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Island
------ ISD ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Ghoulraiser
Invisible Stalker
Skeletal Grimace
Unruly Mob
Cloistered Youth
Pitchburn Devils
Scourge of Geier Reach
--> Chapel Geist
Spectral Flight
Festerhide Boar
Claustrophobia
Runechanter's Pike
Gruesome Deformity
Mountain
Bitterheart Witch
Considered Pike with a potential 7 instants/sorceries so far, but it seemed greedy. As you'll see, someone could've gotten the nuts Invisible Stalker deck just in this pack.
Pack 3 pick 2:
Prey Upon
Skirsdag Cultist
Moon Heron
Ulvenwald Mystics
Makeshift Mauler
--> Village Bell-Ringer
Bramblecrush
Spare from Evil
Stromkirk Noble
Brain Weevil
Rotting Fensnake
Avacyn's Pilgrim
Island
Geistflame
My ding-a-ling...
Pack 3 pick 3:
Prey Upon
Village Ironsmith
Bump in the Night
--> Pitchburn Devils
Stromkirk Patrol
Scourge of Geier Reach
Lumberknot
Fortress Crab
Infernal Plunge
Traveler's Amulet
Ghoulcaller's Bell
Burning Vengeance
Plains
Yeah, pretty bad. Where's all the black?
Pack 3 pick 4:
Invisible Stalker (FOIL)
Ghostly Possession
Nightbird's Clutches
Skirsdag Cultist
--> Blazing Torch
Grizzled Outcasts (FOIL)
Bump in the Night
Makeshift Mauler
Bramblecrush
Traveler's Amulet
Gnaw to the Bone
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 5:
--> Butcher's Cleaver
Riot Devils
Moonmist
Markov Patrician
Forbidden Alchemy
Altar's Reap
Traitorous Blood
Somberwald Spider
Dissipate
Island
One-Eyed Scarecrow
After passing Pike and two Stalkers, this was made partly based on fear. Should've just taken the Scarecrow, it would've come in handy.
Pack 3 pick 6:
Sharpened Pitchfork
Cobbled Wings
Woodland Sleuth
Village Ironsmith
Inquisitor's Flail
Bramblecrush
--> Brain Weevil
Curse of Oblivion
Mountain
Stony Silence
Pack 3 pick 7:
Harvest Pyre
Feral Ridgewolf
Woodland Sleuth
Trepanation Blade (FOIL)
Selfless Cathar
Forbidden Alchemy
Plains
Vampiric Fury
--> Typhoid Rats
Pack 3 pick 8:
Rage Thrower
--> Altar's Reap
Grave Bramble
Disciple of Griselbrand
Gruesome Deformity
Vampiric Fury
Mountain
Bloodcrazed Neonate
Pack 3 has just been awful...
Pack 3 pick 9:
Skeletal Grimace
--> Unruly Mob
Scourge of Geier Reach
Spectral Flight
Gruesome Deformity
Mountain
Bitterheart Witch
Pack 3 pick 10:
Prey Upon
Bramblecrush
Spare from Evil
Brain Weevil
--> Rotting Fensnake
Island
Pack 3 pick 11:
--> Stromkirk Patrol
Infernal Plunge
Ghoulcaller's Bell
Burning Vengeance
Plains
Pack 3 pick 12:
--> Ghostly Possession
Nightbird's Clutches
Bump in the Night
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 13:
Riot Devils
--> Moonmist
Island
Pack 3 pick 14:
--> Inquisitor's Flail
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Plains
I ended up splashing a Mountain along with Evolving Wilds for Burning Oil and Pitchburn Devils. I never got the Mountain out and only drew Pitchburn Devils in a mull to 5 game so the results are inconclusive.
I beat U/B Mill in round 1. Game 1 he mulled to 5, I had Slip for his Mindshrieker, and it was fairly easy after that. Game 2 he had Mindshrieker again, this time holding back my attacks for a few turns until I could Caress it. A Fox killed his Tome and there wasn't a whole lot else to it.
Round 2 I lost to U/W Fliers. Mulled to 5 Game 1 and could never stabilize, though Griffin + Slip was almost enough to get me a breather. Game 2 he never drew an Island, and I grinded a fairly long game into victory. Game 3 he curved out (Loyal Cathar, Drogskol Captain, Thraben Sentry, Nibilis of the Mist) and pretty well stomped my lackluster deck.
Looking at replays, there were 5 white drafters at the table, including me. The downside of a 4-3-2-2, but when I keep losing in the second round, I'd rather get something for it. Obviously my pack 3 was a bit unlucky, but I'm curious to see where I could've done better.
Pretty standard Pyromancer Ascension + Past in Flames list. Did have Warrens maindeck. Thought Scour and Faithless Looting were used, no Desperate Ravings. Definitely Serum Visions, my memory is a bit fuzzy already on Sleight of Hand but I don't think I saw it.
They said the total, it was something like 104-108 I think.
I placed second in my local PTQ with the list I posted earlier, except with two Relic of Progenitus in the board instead of Refraction Trap. I'll post more about the matches when I don't have a splitting headache.
1st: UR Storm (w/Twin SB)
2nd: Boros (me)
3rd-4th: 5 color Dredge, GW Hawks/Shaman/Vengevine
5th-8th: RUG Delver, Melira Pod, Aggro Loam, and one I didn't catch.
I've never wanted the extra damage in exchange for the versatility. Disenchant can deal with Seismic Assault, Ghostly Prisons, Leylines, Ascensions, and any other random thing you might run into in this format.
Blood Moon is the best sideboard card, and I sometimes wish I had 4. It hoses so many decks if you can land it.
The results of this deck in the metagame have fallen extremely hard recently. Seems like there are a lot more Baloths and Firewalkers running around than there used to be, plus sometimes you run into Martyr and auto-lose. I'm wondering if it's my best choice for a PTQ tomorrow. It's either this or UR storm.
My PTQ is this weekend and this is what I've been running, pretty basic list:
2 Sacred Foundry
2 Boros Garrison
4 Arid Mesa
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Marsh Flats
4 Mountain
2 Plains
Creatures
4 Goblin Guide
3 Figure of Destiny
4 Chandra's Phoenix
4 Plated Geopede
4 Steppe Lynx
4 Grim Lavamancer
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lightning Helix
4 Path to Exile
3 Searing Blaze
3 Blood Moon
3 Refraction Trap
3 Disenchant
3 Combust
3 Volcanic Fallout
If anything is to be swapped out based on the new hotness, it'd likely be the Fallouts and/or Traps. The other three sideboard cards seem too vital.
The other rare I played in my pool was Vengeful Pharaoh, which is as good as expected, though I can potentially see times when you really don't want him to rise from his sarcophagus in your graveyard, but you can't stop him.
Also went 2-1 in a draft with U/W tempo fliers. Deck kinda sucked though.
The sad part was that between the two events and prizes, I cracked 22 packs and didn't open a single mythic. Bleh.