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Triple Zendikar is in it's last throws but it's still going. Another few weeks until Worldwake hits and hopefully changes the scenery of MTGO drafts. Until then, can I change the scenery on my win/loss ratio? Hit the link to find out.
I have to admit that ZZZ isn't as much fun for me when I play only one game and I'm out. I jumped in the Swiss queue this week for that reason, plus, it was so very close to firing while the other two queue's were not.
Pack One
Pick One:
A bombless pack. At least the Rite duplicates my opponents bombs. Other noteworthy picks are the Blazing Torch and the Baloth Cage Trap.
Pick Two:
Not exactly what I was hoping to see to go with my first pick but the two strong black cards tell me that maybe black is open. For now, I'll take the removal spell that requires less of a commitment.
Pick Three:
Well, no black signal but a very strong signal in the white rare. Nothing to really go with my blue first pick either so I'll go with the Pledge.
Pick Four:
This is the weirdest draft. Strong colored signals in four different colors in the first three passed packs. For me, this pack comes down to the Inferno Trap and the Woodcrasher. Now I know that green still doesn't get the respect it deserves while the red is still overdrafted so I'll go with the finisher over the removal this time.
Pick Five:
Looks like a good choice. I love the Chosen as one of the better two drops in the format if it can be played reliably.
Pick Six:
Not much, even for green. I like the flier with the big backside more than any of the green cards. Starting a u/g deck it looks like.
Pick Seven:
Another late-ish strong green card that I'm going to take.
Pick Eight:
Fixing that I might need, but it's not a two drop that I am hoping to play in a deck that is trying to survive or go aggro.
Pick Nine:
Wheeled one of the best cards from my opening pack? Yes, thank you.
Pick Ten:
The green looks to be flowing pretty hard. I'll go with the four drop that requires an answer.
Pick Eleven:
Can't expect much now.
Pick Twelve:
Amazing sideboard card capable of such huge blowouts.
Pick Thirteen:
Might play this one with the Woodcrasher and a chance to kick the Rite.
Pick Fourteen:
Pick Fifteen:
Pack Two
Pick One:
Another strong open with a couple picks that I can appreciate. I can expect something good in green or blue if I take the semi-bomb equipment.
Pick Two:
Looks like strong green is the way to go. Great card that requires an answer and could possibly come down early.
Pick Three:
No good green pick which is odd but a very good pick for blue that carries a machete.
Pick Four:
This was a tough pick. I could go with another Tern or another Larva, but right now, I think I need another two drop that can block if I need it too.
Pick Five:
Just the kind of card I was hoping for at this stage of the draft.
Pick Six:
Another card that I was hoping to see. I need the three drop more than the five drop and this is a good one for green.
Pick Seven:
No matter what, I don't like playing the Scythe Tiger. The other blue card is horrible in my deck and won't see play no matter what I draft from here on out. I'll go with cutting a spell this time around.
Pick Eight:
For some reason, my green decks have been missing this guy lately, they've been getting cut somehow. Not this time.
Pick Nine:
Well, I was hoping for one of the other green cards, but the Trap is a fine pick for me here.
Pick Ten:
Flying Terra Stomper for the win!
Pick Eleven:
Cut green.
Pick Twelve:
Cut FOIL.
FOIL Shieldmates Blessing
Pick Thirteen:
What a late gift!
Pick Fourteen:
Pick Fifteen:
Pack Three
Pick One:
Not exactly what I was hoping to take for my first pick but another Chosen is just fine with me. Only real pick for me anyway.
Pick Two:
This is another pack where I really only have one pick in the part time 4/4 flier.
Pick Three:
At least I'm getting one card from each of these packs. Easy pick here.
Pick Four:
Not excited to see that my one card from this pack is the Grasp, but it is removal for pesky cards like Vampire Nighthawk and the like.
Pick Five:
Tern number two is just fine with me.
Pick Six:
This is really bad. I'll discourage someone else from trying pesky Allies.
Pick Seven:
Seventh pick removal? I'm not going to say no to that.
Pick Eight:
I'm not going to play two of the Silhouette so I'll take the counterspell in case I need the card and so I don't have to play against it.
Pick Nine:
Not sure if I'll need this one but in case I need another creature, here it is.
Pick Ten:
Probably not playing either one of these, but everything else is worse anyway.
Pick Eleven:
Pick Twelve:
Pick Thirteen:
Pick Fourteen:
Pick Fifteen:
Final Deck
A few more creatures than I normally build, especially since two of my spells generate creatures. I have the chance to start aggro, continue in the midgame and good late game finishers.
Matches
Starting this one at 1746. Hoping I end higher than that after last week's dismal performance. Here's the opener:
Looks pretty decent, I'll have a nice defensive drop for turn three, removal and a flier killer likely on time to make a difference, I keep. I draw a Welkin Tern for turn two but his turn two play is a Forest and a Scythe Tiger. Good for me if I can get an effective creature to exchange with it. Unfortunately, his next few cards are the kind of cards I will need to solve.
I do a pretty good job of staying alive and trying to get to a winning position, but bringing the Nighthawk back after killing it with the Turntimber Basilisk turns out to be my demise.
Not a very auspicious start against a three color deck, let's hope for better this next game. I start with this:
Looks good to me, I keep. I lay down the beats with the the Survivalist and a turn three Nissas Chosen that was carrying the Machete. I have the battle trick to end this one quickly though even after discarding the Woodcrasher to the Specter.
Let's hope for more of the same from this one. Looks good to start:
Easy keep. Turn two Chosen followed by a turn three chosen and a turn four Windrider that gets in for the first damage after his turn three Giant Scorpion.
I have the cards that are going to get me the win though and turn five, I put the Silhouette on the flier and get in for six damage. When my opponent gets down a Khalni Gem, I get down the Beast token for the Trap cost which allows me to put in an all out attack on the next turn. When he taps out to boost one of his blockers, I see my chance to win the game right then and there.
A good win and he had some mana issues show up in that third game that show why a stable mana base might be more important that card power in such a quick format. I gain three points on the match to 1749. Time for round two with this starter:
This looks like a fine starter to me, easy keep. I play out the Tern and keep the pressure on each turn with my opponent having mana issues. He tries to kill my flier with the Tajuru Archers but I save my guy with the Bellow so that he can get more damage in. His Beastmater Ascension doesn't get a single counter on it before he concedes and I don't have to show my surprise tricks.
Let's hope for another good draw with this hand:
Looks good to me, I keep. I see that I am facing a three color deck with Oran-Rief, the Vastwood I can't help but think that he opened that card in pack three or something as his green creatures are very sub-par. I have another fast start with turn 2 Tern and turn three Gladehart. I equip the Machete on turn four and I am able to get in for good damage that turn as he does not have an effective way to block. Even though he got off the Zektar Shrine Expedition, the Gladehart and my quick start give me a ton of options which seal the game pretty quick.
In the graphic above, he did take out my two ground guys with his three creatures, but that still left me with the flier and the Machete and the Baloth.
The win bumps me a bit more up to 1755. It's the third round now and I'm going for undefeated in this Swiss queue. Looking good with this hand:
This is a hand with a lot of potential, I keep. I Get down the Chosen on turn two and the game looks like it's going to run long. I have to recast my Woodcrasher after he bounces and when he plays a big flier, I drop the Recluse to kill it and get in for some good damage. I swing with my 'crasher and the Chosen to avoid Pitfall Trap shenanigans as that is the only card that can hurt me, and even if he doesn't have it, I don't lose any value by doing it.
I slow it down, saving my Seacliff and Shambler as on his next turn, he attacks with both his guys then uses Day of Judgment to wipe the board. No issues though as I have the nine mana and I can even save the Shambler for something and use my Rite on his guy. That's what I do as he drops an Aether Figment. I dupe it five times with the Rite, only 1/1's though.
It takes a few turns and he has some tricks to extend the game, but inevitably, six basically unblockable power and a Blazing Torch reduce his life to zero.
Hoping for more of the same. Looking good on the draw with this hand:
I keep. Turn two Tern. Turn three, it gets the Silhouette. He's playing blue white and I have no fear except for bounce so I continue to tap out for creatures. It doesn't take long until he is in a situation where he can't defend himself effectively and I end the game.
Green seems to be the only color I can win with and this time with blue, my other blue decks have performed horribly but this one worked as good as I could have hoped for.
Summary
A win feels good, even in the Swiss queue. The final round win brings me up another six points to 1761. Three packs isn't too shabby either. I'll probably do Swiss queues until Worldwake comes out unless it's just not firing. I was definitely more relaxed this draft and even after losing game one in round one, I didn't panic as I could tell that I still had a shot in the next two games.
With Worldwake coming soon, I'll probably stop publishing triple Zendikar drafts when the new set comes out. I'll happily publish any ZZW or WWW drafts but expect some delay if I get a ton of submissions. As for now, I have enough drafts for this week and it won't take much to cover every day until the 22nd when Worldwake comes out.
draftbetter
5 Comments to “MTGO Draft 129”
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Hi DB,
Congrats on the victorious games. Nice deck!
I have to admitt I wasn’t to sure first booster. Such a strange signals. Must have been some lousy crappy boosters and some amazing boosters.
P1p1, I agree on your pick. I don’t agree with you about the P1P9 where you are wondering whu the baloth came back. Don’t forget all the cards are mediocre and not worth picking the color for. But when you are on a color those picks are all ok. There is 1 green drafter and you want some baloth but when you have some the vines of vastwood can be better. All colors got some ok cards like the black ally hillgiant, the bounce spell the 4,3 for red etc. So I wasn’t surprised when baloth came back.
P1P2 nice card
P1P3 nice card, gomazoa would have kept you in 2 colors, but you can wait and see what color is open…
P1P4 I would have picked the splashable fire. A bomby card in white and a bomby card in blue. Why a double green baloth? But you can’t play them all… and it’s the forth color in 4 picks
P1P5 tells you no one is heavy green you picked the baloth so ok green it is.
I have to give it to you taking the red fire P1P4 would have made nissa’s chosen pick P1P5 a lousy one. So that would have been the red goblin. And I would have enden in blue red wich was not that fast in the first booster. Just 2 2/1 creatures and the 4 damage spell in the first booster
In short I would have ended just like you in the color that I took first pick and forth pick. Afterwards your deck is possible stronger than the one I would have drafted with lots of 2/1 guys and a few 4/3 guys and bounce because there was a shortage on removal spells.
I guess this is the first time that I agree by not drafting a deck ans stay on color but to start drafting the best cards and see later on what color your deck is going to be.
P2P2 was a difficult one because maybe there is a change to go mono green. Because green is wide open it can be real good with lots of larva’s and some of the best 2 drops.
I woudl have gone for one of the green guys over the welkin tern like you. If I have to play green because it’s open than I like to go for it all the way and start drafting the green cards that are worth playing green for.
Agree with your deck I wanted to find a spot for the bounce card and can only replace the other removal the torch or the paralyzing grasp because The chances are you will kick harder and you don’t want to hold a creature back for the torch. The paralyzing grasp is just good when he has got an attacker that taps. In a race you don’t mind the attacker and want to get rid of his blockers and side board it in if you can’t win the race (like the nighthawk).
The first guy you played against played the 3/2 suicide shroud guys. Whenever I see some one play it I know I will win the game. Pitty he wasted such powerfull cards on building a 3 color deck. His black cards were great.
the second guy plays blue too, but for what? Two times a 3 color deck? Guess that there were multiple 3 color drafters which make the high picks in all the colors going away faster and that makes people switch colors thinking their color drying up.
The guy that made the finals had the only deck I agree with playing. All cards made sence. Big guys to stop the ground and flyers and unblockable for the win. Always nice to win the finals using his creature!
Nice deck! Maybe you will make the 1800′s again in ZZW!
p2p2 should be p2P4
wait, a swiss que that doesnt make much sense in the first 7 picks? well at least you bring it all together in a conhesive package, so again, you are the best.
agree, i cant wait for WW to mix it up a bit. too bad all the zzz rares are going to tank with 66% more cracking
That was a great job of reading the green signal… you ended up getting good, fast blue cards as well. Plus a machete. Everything came together for you!
When is WW supposed to become available for drafting online? And are we going to be able to do SEALED submissions when the release events are running?
[...] might try to force a green blue deck with fliers and fatties. I’ve seen this strategy work on Draft Better and figured it would be worth a shot as Allies can fall short unless you draw some bombs and every [...]