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I'm back after a longish lay-off. It's been crazy busy at work and I've had visitors for the weekend. I did manage to squeeze in a Shards of Alara Draft and here it is.
I managed to make it into the 8-4 queue and it didn't even take that long to fire.
Pack One
Pick One:
Some decent cards here. I'm interested in the Spearbreaker Behemoth and the Oblivion Ring. By taking the removal, I leave myself open to Bant, Naya and Esper. I'll have to see what comes around to see what shard I will end up in.
Pick Two:
I think the Esper Charm is good, but with many of the other charms doubling as removal, this one seems a notch below those others. For now, I'll try the 4/4 flier for four mana.
Pick Three:
Not a very strong pack. only two real choices. The Bant Panorama or the Duelist. If I consider that I have made a semi-commitment to Esper with my last pick, then taking a card that requires red will either nullify itself or nullify a previous pick. I think there is still a chance for good fixing in the future so I can try the excellent two drop.
Pick Four:
I like the stats on the Gargoyle while the Sigiled Paladin will be harder to cast reliably. I think I want to commit a bit more to Esper with the Gargoyle.
Pick Five:
The Ever necessary blue bounce spell is definitely in order here. If cycled, I can't imagine losing but multiple uses make it a pretty easy pick out of this pack.
Pick Six:
Another bounce spell I guess. Not a lot here that I want to play anyway.
Pick Seven:
At 2/2 Lifelink for three mana, I like the Windwright Mage's stats. I think I can engineer a spot where I can get it removal fairly easily. I'm hoping for at least one Executioners Capsule by the end of the draft.
Pick Eight:
Now there really is nothing here. I will take the land fetcher in case I need it or just to take it away from someone else.
Pick Nine:
There is a chance that I am in the right colors. This guy coming through late is always appreciated. I also really considered the Esper Panorama, but I also figured I had two more packs to pick up fixing.
Pick Ten:
I seem to be pretty strongly committed to Esper now so I will play two of these guys.
Pick Eleven:
Pick Twelve:
With many of my creatures being artifacts, I might play this guy.
Pick Thirteen:
Sideboard.
Pick Fourteen:
Pick Fifteen:
Pack Two
Pick One:
With the amount of good Esper cards in this pack, I'm bound to still get something back on the loop. Since I didn't open an Executioner's Capsule, I better take some excellent removal.
Pick Two:
A lot of red cards in this pack and it's somewhat disheartening as I didn't take anything red. I didn't see anything red either so someone to my right is definitely picking those cards up. I'll take the charm for now. I think it will have it's uses.
Pick Three:
I could take another 2/2 for three mana here or I could do like I promised myself and take some fixing.
Pick Four:
Now that is what I'm talking about.
Pick Five:
I'm in white and I'm bound to get a quality creature out of the game by the time I can cast this.
Pick Six:
I suppose I could try branching out, but I don't think I should. For now, I'll try the white Time Ebb.
Pick Seven:
I'm not as high on the Obelisks as I was in my first Shards draft. I'm not sure if this guy will end up in my deck, but I'm willing to take it in case I need it.
Pick Eight:
The picks have not been coming as I hoped they would. I'm not even sure if I will play any of the cards that are in this pack, no matter what I picked.
Pick Nine:
More fixing is good.
Pick Ten:
More bounce is also good.
Pick Eleven:
Three? I can trade one off early to give the bonus to the other two.
Pick Twelve:
Pick Thirteen:
Pick Fourteen:
Pick Fifteen:
Pack Three
Pick One:
No bomb rare here for me. I like the Grixis Battlemage but if I'm going to take a three drop, I like the flier better.
Pick Two:
Two of these seems so good.
Pick Three:
Now this guy has to be good right. Almost every one of my creatures is an artifact and playing him on turn four or five has to lead somewhere good.
Pick Four:
More fixing for now out of a relatively weak pack.
Pick Five:
Again, with so many artifact creatures, I have a very good chance of trading an early drop then getting it right back with a 2/3 flier left behind. Plus, I can nullify creature removal.
Pick Six:
Nothing from here is going in my deck. I'll cut the spell that could hurt me.
Pick Seven:
Two spells that I want here. The flier and the untapper. I thought the artifact creature went better in my deck.
Pick Eight:
Not much here really.
Pick Nine:
I almost took this one the first time around. I'll happily take it now.
Pick Ten:
I think I'll give the Sculler a try. I'll take something, then my opponent will waste a spell on it and I will get it back with a Gargoyle and hopefully take something better.
Pick Eleven:
Pick Twelve:
Pick Thirteen:
Pick Fourteen:
Pick Fifteen:
Final Deck
Four removal and four bounce spells coupled with an army of almost all artifact creatures. I thought I would try the Glaze Fiend as it kind of reminded me of that Ravnica spell Halcyon Glaze.
Matches
If you've been following the series, then you know from my last draft that I managed to raise my rating up to 1736. My opponent for this first round in the 8-4 queue is rated at 1718. Here we go with my first hand:
Seems like an easy keeper. I have all the colors I will need and plenty of removal. I just need creatures and will have to draw them. My opponent gets a fast start with the 2/2 haster for two mana and gets in a couple hits before I play out my first Windwright Mage. We exchange those creatures and I play out my second Mage the next turn. Meanwhile, I have been killing his bigger and more troublesome creatures with my other removal spells while bringing my life total back up with the Lifelink ability on the Mage.
I'm really hoping to be able to cycle these Resounding Waves that I've drawn, but we will have to see. I get down an army of fliers and I do end up being able to cycle one of the Waves and I pull way ahead and into the win column.
Not a bad start. I weathered a fast start into big creaatures just fine. Let's see how game two goes with this opener:
Seems just fine to me. I draw some lands and my early Glaze Fiend gets in for some good damage. I again exchange early creatures for his while he is using his naya Battlemage to tap down my bigger creatures. We fill up the board a little, but I am pulling ahead in card quality.
I have backup for his creatures and decide to take out his Jund Battlemage to prevent him from generating a throw-away blocker every turn. Plus, I have the Filigree Sages to untap my guys if he tries to tap them down. he does pull back into the game with some high quality creatures and well times removal.
I have the Sanctum Gargoyle to get back my Master of Etherium and that pretty much seals the deal as he is really unable to do anything against my board.
One match win away from the prize. I'm not sure how I will handle a finals match in the 8-4 queue as it has been many years since I've played in these queues and actually made it there. (I once joined an 8-4 queue on accident back in the Onslaught days and made it to the finals before I realized I was actually in the 8-4 queue. I happilly split that one)
I got myself up to 1744 with that win and will face another tough opponent rated at 1765. Here's my opening hand for round two:
Seems pretty good to me, I keep. I get down the Duelist on turn two using the Arcane Sanctum. I get in a couple swings with him before he stops me cold with the Topan Ascetic. Fortunately, I have a couple other creatures that can continue the attack.
It doesn't take long for him to stop me though and get back to better than even with a Kiss of the Amesha. From there he really man-handles me with card advantage.
I manage to cycle the Resounding Wave, but I'm still too far behind to be able to use it and I am dead to his many quality creatures.
That seemed like a really good draw for him though, let's hope that was teh pinnacle of his deck. I sideboard in the Shore Snapper for the Glaze Fiend as it seems like it might come in more useful in this match. as he was pretty bleh last game. Here's my opener for game two:
Three land that will get me everything I need plus my sideboard card and other good stuff. I keep. I get down some creatures, but so does my opponent. I am unable to attack effectively and I miss more than a couple land drops.
My hand has been filling up with four drops while I'm stuck on three land. I use the Tidehollow Sculler to take out his three drop Topan Ascetic and I use the Excommunicate to get ahead in the race, but my opponent drops his hand and things are just not looking good for me.
I stay in it for a while though and get to the point where one more attack and I can win it all. My opponent picks this time though to geth through for that last bit of damage and I'm toast.
Obviously, another blue land there and I probably win this game and give myself a chance to win for the finals.
Summary
As I have said before though, can't win 'em all. I felt a bit unlucky in that last game there as I never really drew any of my removal and I managed to have mana problems as well. I really felt that I had a game against this opponent and was a bit unfortunate. My opponent did mention that he pretty much got a god-draw in game one and one card would have made all the difference in game two.
I end that draft back at 1736 for exactly no change and no prize. I did feel like I had another good draft making this the second good feeling in a row and I am glad to be headed in that direction. I hope to be able to draft some time this week so keep checking back for my next article as I'm not sure when that will be.
Until then,
draftbetter
13 Comments to “MTGO Draft Fifty-Four”
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MMMMMM, for me P2 P1, was a tough choice i really like Rafiq and since you alreay have the Naya panarama could have been a nice choice, also sure you could pick up some more exhalted cards down the line. And the fact that you have got a few fliers in your deck could have done some nasty damage.
But if you wanted to stick to esper why not the second tower gargoyle ??? would love to run 2 of those in a esper deck….
Anyway just my thoughts, thx and gl for your next !
That one was a tough choice actually. I figured I would have a decent flying army by the end of the draft and could use the removal instead. I had five picks already that either had flying or would very likely be flying.
I hear you about the removal, and it really is a tough choice but I think you had a better chance to get more removal down the line (maybe not a agony warp) but still some king of removal, where I don’t think you going to see creature quality that fits your deck like that again so quick.
Personally I am not very fond of esper as I find there creatures a little lacking, and that tower gargoyle is probably one of there best creature, so I think I would have gone with that pick. But I do understand your dilemma.
Sorry to hear about the round 2 loss there, oh well at least you kept your rating even, lots of luck in this game.
I had trouble giving my thumbs up or down to alot of picks since there were so many that I could see going either way with, so Ill just mention the ones where I’d def have gone another way since my comments tend to be super long anyway.
p1p6 seemed like taking the waveskimmer aven wouldnt have been a bad idea since you only really took 1 black card so far and the green seems to be similarly strong so far, though Im also seeing a strong jund signal packs 2,3,4,5 so I might have headed in that direction with a 2nd pick vithian stinger p3 hissing iguanar p4 carrion thrash p5 cavern thoctar. If i had gone that route (which with my tendencies I tend to think i would have) I’d have grabbed a pick six algea gharial (can be such a game defining creature, best of that cycle Im thinking more and more)p1p7 jungle weaver finishing off with a naya charm, a cylian elf and a gift of the gargantuan
A predator dragon would have been nice to open pack 3 with this direction, looks like it would have worked out well enough, though your deck seems like it was decent as well.
Tough luck on the loss. It really could have gone either way. I can’t argue with your picks too much overall but man would I have liked to have been either one of the players next to you who got passed second pick Rafiq and Predetor Dragon!!! Yowza!
I’ve lost my last 5 8-4s first round and have demoted myself to 4/3/2/2s so take my advice with a grain of salt. Of course realize that almost all of those losses were atributable to colored mana problems which are probably half my fault in not drafting enough fixing and half just plain ole bad luck… or my fault for drafting something other than naya or jund
p1p2 – I hate esper so I would have picked up stinger here.. but I imagine this is the correct call for esper
p1p6 – even going esper so far I’d have taen the aven here.. it is just pretty darn good.
p2p1 – I cannot resist Raffiq here. imagine dropping him when you have a windwright mage out 12 point life swing. devastating. at this point I woud have been esper/bant and been prioritizing fixing.
p2p3 I would have then jumped on the bant charm.
p2p7 – I’d take the obelisk as I’ve come to like them more and more as 3 color ficxing is sooo important in draft.
p3p4 – I’d then take rhox war monk…
then p3 6, 7 and 8 would all be obelisks and i’d be playing 4 colors
But then again I think that my addiction to 4 color drafts has been my downfall… of course since I switched to 4/3/2/2 I’ve been drafting obelisks much more aggressively and have won 2/3 drafts so who knows
Because of P2 you want to be in esper. but you don’t know if you will be UWb or UBw. And also ending up in Bant is possible.
So with P3 i would would have taken the panorama and kept my options open.
P1P6: i want to mention Guardians of Akrasa, which are quite good in a “flyer” deck. But with one Sanctuary Gargoyle already in your pile, Call to heel is propably right.
To People who simply need more draft walkthroughs(written in German): i want to suggest my blog, where i but some up from time to time.
zyklopf.wordpress.com
@draftbetter: I’ve set a link back to your site, too.
Hey man, just thought I’d let you know that I terribly appreciate what you’re doing. I find it insightful to view these reports as well as to sharp, concise reasoning. Further, its cool not to have to read through the random injoking that I’ve found typical of other writing.
Thoughts though:
- Totally should have taken the Gargoyle over the removal. At that time you had a good base of removal, and with two gargoyles, removal’s value becomes set. In your colors, there are plenty of removal spells, but not as many great creatures.
- One more land, I’m getting the opinion that this set is incredibly land intensive, and with specific colors, you should really consider more land. Possibly consider the Sac lands as .5 a land in your calculations, as they do thin out your deck. Which can be good or bad. Also, since your deck was so color intense, you need to guarantee a solid draw.
Just my thoughts. Thanks again for doing this.
To start out, I’d like to tell you that pack one was definitely spot-on. Your downfall was really pack 2.
p2p1 is either Rafiq, if you want to get greedy, or a second Tower Gargoyle, which seems like the correct pick to me.
p2p3 Panoramas are not early picks in decks with less than four colors, especially not on-color ones. I’d much rather have a Screecher or Widright Mage. (If you were greedy with Rafiq, take Bant Charm)
p2p9 I would have taken Hindering light over the Panorama. Hindering light is especially vital in Esper, where all your guys are small and you’re almost always getting 2-for-1′d with Branching Bolt.
p3p1 I’d likely go with bone splinters. It’s especially good with unearth, but fine in any removal-light deck.
p3p2 Is close with Warp, Sculler, and Titan all being high picks. The Warp may be correct in your deck, but Salvage Titan is such a beating in Esper, I’d hate to pass it.
p3p4 Blister Beetle. Not only a perfect guy to sacrifice for bone splinters, he also takes out so many annoying dorks, (Akrasan Squire, Druid of the Anima, Tidehollow Strix, etc)
and can be played post-combat for fantastic results.
And I don’t care if you’re running 23 artifacts, Glaze fiend isn’t good. Okay, then it might be, but it isn’t in your deck.
P1P4 – Gargoyle is the correct chocie. Paladin is awesome in a white deck but is hard to play in this format sometimes.
P1P6 – I pass on call to heel. In my experience it has come around again. I like Waveskimmer Aven, Yoked plow beast, and Guardians of Akrasa. Guardians is good for slowing down the tempo a bit and helping out Esper with it smaller creatures. Exalted is a nice bonus. Plow beast because it cycles and is a decent fattie to play later and Aven because it is 2/4 flyer. I found that it really isn’t that hard to splash in this set because of the land fetching cards. Throw in two forests and get either a bant or naya panarama and you have your splash. The panarama you use has to grab two of your colors at minimum otherwise it is a waste.
Pick – Aven
P1P8 – There is your splash mana fixer. Naya Panarama (Although Bant would of been better)
P1P9 – Drake is the correct pick. Everyone says mana-fixing is mandatory but I disagree. I won a draft with 6 base color, 4, 4 complement color and 2 color splash and a panarama. Most of the decks I have won with didn’t have more then two panaramas and a obelisk (card 41). Mana-fixing is great…when there isn’t a better pick.
P1P12 – Glaze Fiend can be a tricksy card. In an Esper deck he usually flys over and hits as a 2/3 or chumps as a 0/1. There is an artifact card with flash though. Etherium Astrolabe. Flash it for 2U and trade Fiend for an attacker or help him fly over for the last two points of damage. Bonus: He can trade with the opponent and then you sac him to draw a card =). That being said…I still wouldn’t maindeck him lol.
P2P1 – Wow good open…tough picks. Honestly, I would of taken Rafiq because he is such a bomb. If I had taken Waveskimmer and Nayan panarama earlier then the choice would of been easier. If I had taken Guardian earlier then I think I would have gone with the Tower Gargoyle.
Agony warp is a great card that screams 2 for 1 but removal is plentiful in Alara. Take the Mythic Rare or the 4/4 flyer.
P2P3 – Bant Charm. P3 is too early for mana fixing IMO. Of course if I had taken Rafiq (see above) then it is a no-brainer. Artifact removal, creature removal, and counter instant. That is 3 kinds of awesome.
P2P4 – 2 mana fixers on P3 and 4 weakened your deck I think. Courier’s capsule combo’s just as well with Sanctum Garg as Executioner’s capsule. Draw 2, Cast Garg, draw 2 more.
P2P7 – I think at this point I take the Obelisk for mana fixing. The dawnray archer is decent though. It exalts and pings for 1 on a blocker/attacker. I have maindecked and used it before. Another good pick is the Coma veil. There isn’t a whole lot of enchantment hate which makes it decent removal.
P2P8 – Meh on the cancel. At this point I hate draft the court archers. Surprised to see the Thunder-thrash elder this late. That card is good. It can be a huge attacker turn 4. Sac a guy to him and it is 4/4. Two and he is 7/7. Very hard to deal with. With the decent amount of token generators he is a nice pick this late for a Naya or Grixis.
P2P9 – More manafixing is nice but you might consider hindering light. Like one of the other commentars said…it is good at preventing 2 for 1′s. Honestly though, I would of picked the land.
P2P10 – Nice late grab.
P3P1 – Waveskimmer if you took Rafiq and the bant stuff earlier. Bonesplinter if not. The bird should come back.
P3P4 – Rhox war monk. This plays nice in our deck if we drafted Rafiq and the other bant cards. At this point I would consider playing UW base and having an equal amount of black/green mana.
I think you drafted a solid deck but missed the oppurtunity to get an awesome deck. The bant additions would have really filled out the deck. I also think that you valued mana fixing a little to highly which caused you to miss some good picks.
Still, you made it to the second round and basically lost because of a manascrew so that is something. Especially in the 8-4 queue.
On a side note: My rating is now 1729. About 3 months ago when I started playing MTGO again after a 5 year break (last set I drafted was Legions) and my rating had gone down from 1630 to 1492 in a series of S-S-S and S-S-E draft beatings. I found your site and really started playing better. Not just because I know knew that a silkbind fairy was a first pick over most non-bomb rares but also because of the play insights you talked about and others from the comments section. Everything has improved from my general play, to bluffing/baiting, generating card advantage, and even when to mulligan or not. So from 1492 to 1729 your site really has helped me “DraftBetter.”
MTGO: Loboso360
Interesting draft. The limited writer at magicgathering.com advises to take uncommon tri-lands in the top 3 picks. Basically, I would take them over anything except bombs.
Also, LSV, the recent Pro Tour winner, said exalted is one of the best archetypes in one of his videos over at blackborder.com/cgi-bin/bbvid/index.cgi
In the first US PTQ Kyoto, the winner won with a Bant exalted deck sporting 20 creatures.
With this in mind, this is how I would’ve drafted.
P1P1: Oblivion Ring
One of the best common removal.
P1P2: Jungle Shrine
Tri-land with one of my colors and there is no bomb in the pack.
P1P3: Deft Duelist
Necrogenesis is the best card but it’s out of your colors. Hissing Iguanar is not bad but I’ve passed a lot of good red (Soul’s Fire, Vithian Stinger, and Bloodpyre Elemental). I don’t want to fight for red so I take a card that’s insane in exalted.
P1P4: Sigiled Paladin
Outrider of Jhess is a worse exalted creature. Flyers like Sanctum Gargoyle are good, but I don’t value them as highly because there’s a lot of removal in this format and Branching Bolt is common. Plus, in an exalted deck, I think you take the exalted creature because you need a critical mass of exalted creatures for the deck to be awesome.
P1P5: Angelic Benediction
Excellent in exalted.
P1P6: Waveskimmer Aven
Best exalted creature in the pack.
P1P7: Jungle Weaver
Clarion Ultimatum is too slow for a fast exalted deck. At least Jungle Weaver cycles and blocks flyers.
P1P8: Naya Panorama
Weak pack so I take the land in two of my colors
P1P9: Cylian Elf
Having a lot of two drops is important in an exalted deck
P1P10: Outrider of Jhess
P1P11: Steelclad Serpent
P1P12: Outrider of Jhess
P1P13: Shore Snapper
Hate draft.
P1P14: Island
I want someone to play Shadowfeed
P1P15: Forest
P2P1: Rafiq of the Many
Today is my lucky day. If the rare was not in my colors, I’d take Wild Nacatl. One mana for a 2/2 is perfect in a fast beatdown deck.
P2P2: Court Archers
More exalted creatures.
P2P3: Bant Charm
Excellent removal that can also save my creatures from instant removal like Jund Charm.
P2P4: Arcane Sanctum
Tri-land in two of my colors.
P2P5: Naya Battlemage
Tough pick over Resounding Roar but an exalted deck wants a lot of creatures. If you have a lot of creatures, that means you can attack with more with non-exalted guys. This keeps your exalted creatures from dying to Resounding Silence and deathtouch creatures.
Plus, Naya Battlemage can function as removal with her tap ability.
P2P6: Sigil Blessing
Excommunicate is also good in exalted but Sigil Blessing seems more consistent.
P2P7: Dawnray Archer
P2P8: Court Archers
P2P9: Hindering Light
It’s inconsisent but it can be sideboarded in against removal heavy decks.
P2P10: Resounding Wave
I like to have a Naturalize in my sideboard, but I think I can get one in a later pack. Jhessian Lookout is playable, but I try not to play her because she dies to pingers and she doesn’t have exalted.
P2P11: Windwright Mage
Hate draft.
P2P12: Soul’s Might
Hate draft.
P2P13: Jhessian Lookout
P2P14: Lush Growth
P2P15: Mountain
P3P1: Waveskimmer Aven
P3P2: Guardians of Akrasa
P3P3: Akrasan Squire
P3P4: Rhox War Monk
I’d really like to take the Bant Panorama but Rhox War Monk is too strong. Also, I think I can get another fixer in a later pack. If not, I can just play 18 land to have a 7-7-7 mana base.
P3P5: Esper Panorama
There’s my fixer. Now I can play with just 17 land.
P3P6: Elvish Visionary
Believe it or not, this card is good in an exalted deck. You get free card and it oftentimes trades with one of their big guys since you have a lot of exalted creatures. So, it’s a sort of 2-for-1.
P3P7: Excommunicate
P3P8: Sighted-Caste Sorcerer
P3P9: Grixis Battlemage
Hate draft.
P3P10: Tidehollow Sculler
Hate draft.
P3P11: Behemoth’s Herald
Hate draft.
P3P12: Vectis Silencers
P3P13: Sphinx’s Herald
P3P14: Mountain
P3P15: Island
Final Deck
Spells (4)
Sigil Blessing
Oblivion Ring
Bant Charm
Angelic Benediction
Creatures (18)
1cc
Akrasan Squire
2cc
Deft Duelist
Sigiled Paladin
Sighted-Caste Sorcerer
Cylian Elf
Elvish Visionary
3cc
Naya Battlemage
Dawnray Archer
Guardians of Akrasa
2 Court Archers
Rhox War Monk
4cc
2 Outrider of Jhess
Rafiq of the Many
5cc
2 Waveskimmer Aven
7cc
Jungle Weaver
Lands (18)
Jungle Shrine
Arcane Sanctum
Naya Panorama
Esper Panorama
4 Plains
5 Forest
5 Island
Relevant Sideboard Cards
Hindering Light (for removal heavy decks)
Resounding Wave (for devour decks)
Excommunicate (for devour decks)
I decided to go with 18 land to have an 8-7-7 manabase. With 8 sources of white mana, I’ll be able to play Sigiled Paladin sooner. And I have two Panoramas that will help me from getting mana flooded.
With 12 exalted creatures and a really cheap curve, this deck will hit hard and fast.
hey thanks for the great website and nice graphical drafts. i played mtgo years back but decided to return on alara and did 3 alara drafts and numerous sealed release so far. I still sucks at mtg (was at 1400s) but your site helps me to improve. i Just won yesterday the alara draft after beating 1700s and 1800 dudes..
Thanks!
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