My Pick: Luminarch Ascension.
It is worth a ticket and it is only slightly worse than Disfigure. I feel like picking the Disfigure would have encouraged more people downstream to go White. That would have been a good thing.
Pack 1 pick 2:
My Pick: Disfigure.
This cheap removal deals with almost every creature in Zendikar. I should have picked it first on the first pick.
Pack 1 pick 3:
My Pick: Kazandu Blademaster.
This is a very solid creature, but I should have taken the Umara Raptor. Double white is a big commitment.
Pack 1 pick 4:
My Pick: Umara Raptor.
With so many blue signals, I decide blue is a good color to go into. The Eel and the raptor are close, but having taken so 2 solid white cards, the raptor is a better pick. I would have taken the Eel if I had taken green cards instead.
Pack 1 pick 5:
My Pick: Kor Hookmaster.
This makes me feel like I am in the right colors. This is a very solid card.
Pack 1 pick 6:
My Pick: Bold Defense.
This is a very mediocre card, but everything else is worse. I really don't like Magosi, the Waterwell. It is probably because I don't know how to use it.
Pack 1 pick 7:
My Pick: Kor Outfitter.
This is a decent card. I think Reckless Scholar would have been a better pick, though. WW for a card that is mostly a bear is not very good.
Pack 1 pick 8:
My Pick: Paralyzing Grasp.
I like this removal and I consider it better in Zendikar than in other sets because Zendikar creatures are typically small creatures that rack up the damage through multiple attacks. This is not such a good card when dealing with larger creatures.
Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick: Kabira Crossroads.
This, along with the red and perhaps the blue lands, are the only ones that I enjoy putting into my deck.
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick: Relic Crush.
This is a good card for someone's sideboard. It is good against the Paralyzing Grasps and Luminarch Ascension.
Pack 1 pick 11:
My Pick: Bold Defense.
Vines is a much better card, but I don't feel the need to hate it.
Pack 1 pick 12:
My Pick: Mark of Mutiny.
This is a solid card that can really mess with my combat math. I feel like this is just much better than Goblin War Paint. People seem to forget that you can use this on your own creature.
Pack 1 pick 13:
My Pick: Tanglesap.
This is a surprisingly annoying card to play against. In a fast format like Zendikar, this card is much better than in a slower format.
Pack 1 pick 14:
My Pick: Carnage Altar.
Pack 1 pick 15:
My Pick: Trapfinder's Trick.
Pack 2 pick 1:
My Pick: Kor Hookmaster.
This is just much better than the Cleric in spite of the fact that I have 2 allies already. Ondu Cleric will get you 1 or maybe 2 life. The Hookmaster usually does that and maybe more on his own.
Pack 2 pick 2:
My Pick: Kor Sanctifier.
I like this card. It destroys Machetes, Quests and Pumas.
Pack 2 pick 3:
My Pick: Kazuul Warlord.
I consider splashing red for this card if I draft a lot more allies. This was ultimately a pretty stupid decision. The Ondu Cleric is a solid creature especially with my 2 allies. Giving it up for an off-chance splash, and not an easy one for blue and white is a bit daft.
Pack 2 pick 4:
My Pick: Arrow Volley Trap.
Easy decision. This usually takes out 2 nasty guys.
Pack 2 pick 5:
My Pick: Journey to Nowhere.
5th pick? Really? Thank you.
Pack 2 pick 6:
My Pick: Magma Rift.
This is decent removal. With the mana curve being so low, sacrificing a land is only a real cost 50% of the time.
Pack 2 pick 7:
My Pick: Kor Outfitter.
Another crappy bear.
Pack 2 pick 8:
My Pick: Blazing Torch.
Why are you still here? What were people thinking?
Pack 2 pick 9:
My Pick: Ondu Cleric
Everything else sucks.
Pack 2 pick 10:
My Pick: Grim Discovery
Black has bomby creatures that often love this card.
Pack 2 pick 11:
My Pick: Goblin Runeblaster.
Decent card. One third of the time, the Minotaur is just worse than a regular 2/2 creature.
Pack 2 pick 12:
My Pick: Noble Visage
I should have taken the fixing. This was a really bad pick. This card sucks. The fixing, especially with my dual white creatures, is often very useful.
Pack 2 pick 13:
My Pick: Sunspring Expedition.
Scythe Tiger blows.
Pack 2 pick 14:
My Pick: Grayspelt Refuge.
Pack 2 pick 15:
My Pick: Relic Crush.
Pack 3 pick 1:
My Pick: Journey to Nowhere.
Good. I needed more removal.
Pack 3 pick 2:
My Pick: Windborne Charge.
Gomozoa might have been a better pick. They're both great cards. I don't think I had enough creatures to take full advantage of Windborne Charge, though.
Pack 3 pick 3:
My Pick: Pitfall Trap.
I think that this was a mistake. I think that Seastalkers are substantially better. Seastalkers just wins games.
Pack 3 pick 4:
My Pick: Umara Raptor.
I am happy to get another one of these.
Pack 3 pick 5:
My Pick: Roil Elemental.
I am usually happy with these guys as first picks.
Pack 3 pick 6:
My Pick: AEther Figment.
I love this guy. He can't be blocked and with 3 toughness, he can avoid the removal in a good amount of this set.
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick: Ior Ruin Expedition.
This is a decent card early on, a mediocre card mid-game and a dead card late game. I am not happy playing these.
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick: Cancel.
I actually like Cancel better than Ior Ruin Expedition. In any other format, it would be the other way around, but Cancel can usually deal with some nasty 4 power creature.
Pack 3 pick 9:
My Pick: Ior Ruin Expedition.
This late in the pack, I was happy to grab this.
Pack 3 pick 10:
My Pick: Slaughter Cry
This is like Giant Growth's more expensive cousin. It's not a great card, but usually means removal.
Pack 3 pick 11:
My Pick: Narrow Escape.
I like this card when it is combined with allies and Journeys. I don't have enough ground creatures to take advantage of Caller of Gales.
Pack 3 pick 12:
My Pick: Hedron Scrabbler.
This is a surprisingly decent card. It is especially good for dealing with those pesky Surrakar Marauders.
Pack 3 pick 13:
My Pick: Whiplash Trap.
I am happy to grab this so late. It is a really solid card esp. in my slow deck.
Pack 3 pick 14:
My Pick: Tanglesap.
Pack 3 pick 15:
My Pick: Trapfinder's Trick.
MATCH 1 GAME 1
I choose to play first. I draw two Islands, a Plains, a Kabira Crossroads, a Luminarch Ascension, a Windborne Charge and a Paralyzing Grasp.
1. I play the Kabira Crossroads.
1. He plays an Island.
2. I draw a Plains. I play an Island. I play Luminarch Ascension. He plays Spell Pierce. I die on the inside. I was basically relying on that card to be my playable and for him to Spell Pierce it is really, really bad.
2. He plays a Swamp and a Caller of Gales.
3. I draw a Kor Sanctifier. I feel better about things. I play an Island and the Kor Sanctifier.
3. He plays an Island and a Giant Scorpion.
4. I draw a Journey to Nowhere. I play the Journey to Nowhere on his Giant Scorpion and swing for 2. This was a very bad play. I should not have wasted my Journey on a creature that would barely deal me any damage.
4. He plays a Spidersilk Net and equips it to his Caller of Gales.
5. I draw a Plains. I swing with my Kor Sanctifier. He blocks. I pass the turn.
5. He passes the turn.
6. I draw an Ior Ruin Expedition. I play the Ior Ruin Expedition and a Plains. I pass the turn.
6. He plays a Welkin Tern.
7. I draw an Ondu Cleric. I play the Ondu Cleric and a Plains.
7. He plays an Island and swings with the Welkin Tern.
8. I draw another Plains. I play the Plains. and sacrifice the Ior Ruin Expedition. I draw an Island a Plains. I play Windborne Charge on my two creatures. I have no idea why I did this. This was really stupid too. I could have saved the Windborne Charge for when my creatures would deal more damage or at least for when it would matter more. He trades his Caller of Gales for my Ondu Cleric. He goes to 14 against my 21.
8. He plays Into the Roil kicked on his Welkin Tern.
9. I draw an Island. I swing with my Kor Sanctifier. He goes to 12.
9. He plays a Swamp and a Sky Ruin Drake. He still has 4 cards in hand. He has 1 untapped Swamp.
10. I draw a Plains. I swing with the Kor Sanctifier. He plays Vampire's Bite on his Drake. This was another obvious mistake. He was definitely representing a trick and I just jumped right into it. I think that my brain just went to shit after losing the Luminarch Ascension.
10. He plays a Bog Tatters. He plays a Soaring Seacliff targetting his Tatters. He swings with the Drake bringing me to 19.
11. I draw an Ior Ruin Expedition. I play the Ior Ruin Expedition and a Plains.
11. He plays his Welkin Tern and a kicked AEther Figment.
12. I draw and play an Island.
12. I go to 2 from his army of evasion creatures. Sky Ruin Drake, Bog Tatters, Welkin Tern and a 3/3 AEther Figment. Yikes!
13. I draw an Island and scoop.
MATCH 1 GAME 2
I chosoe to play first. I draw an Island, 2 Ior Ruin Expeditions, an Umara Raptor, a Pitfall Trap, a Journey to Nowhere and a Kazandu Blademaster. I mulligan this. I draw 2 Islands, a Plains, an Umara Raptor, an Ior Ruin Expedition and a Roil Elemental.
1. I play a Plains.
1. He plays an Island and Hedron Crab.
2. I draw Ondu Cleric. I play an Island and Ior Ruin Expedition.
2. He plays an Island and Kazandu Blademaster, a Plains and an Island go to the graveyard.
3. I draw a Plains. Ior Ruin Expedition is at 1 counter. I play the Plains and the Umara Raptor.
3. He plays an Island and Kabira Crossroads, Journey to Nowhere and a Plains go to the graveyard. He plays Gomozoa.
4. I draw an Island. I play the Island. Ior Ruin Expedition goes to 2 counters. I only need 1 more land in hand to play Roil Elemental. I play Ondu Cleric, making my Raptor a 3/3 creature and bringing me to 22. I misclick and do not swing. He stays at 20. I kick myself.
4. He plays another Island and Kor Hookmaster, and 2 Plains go to the graveyard. He plays Umara Raptor.
5. I draw a Plains. I put a counter on Ior Ruin Expedition and sacrifice it, drawing Bold Defense and Paralyzing Grasp. I swing with the Ondu Cleric. He blocks with his Raptor. I play Bold Defense.
5. He passes the turn.
6. I draw a Plains. I play a Plains and pass the turn. I was reluctant to play the Roil Elemental for fear that it would be removed. This was dumb. If he was going to remove it, he could remove it whenever I play it. Also, if I had played it, I would have been able to swing with it and the Raptor after capturing his Gomazoa next turn.
6. I draw a Plains. I play Roil Elemental and a Plains, taking his Gomozoa. I swing with the Raptor bringing him to 17.
7. He plays a Swamp, causing me to lose Whiplash Trap, a Plains and an Island. He plays a Sky Ruin Drake.
7. I draw a Kor Outfitter. I play a Plains and I take his Sky Ruin Drake. I swing with the Roil Elemental and the Raptor bringing him to 11.
8. He plays Giant Scorpion.
8. I draw a Plains. I play a Plains, taking his Scorpion. Then I swing with the 3/3 Raptor, the Roil Elemental, the Sky Ruin Drake and the Kor Outfitter, bringing him to 1. If I had played the Roil Elemental earlier, he would be dead now.
9. He draws and concedes.
MATCH 1 GAME 3
He decides to go first. I draw a Plains, an Island, a Blazing Torch, a Pitfall Trap, a Paralyzing Grasp, a Kazandu Blademaster and an Arrowy Volley Competition.
1. He plays a Swamp and a Guul Draz Vampire.
1. I play a Plains and a Blazing Torch.
2. He plays a Swamp and swings. I go to 19.
2. I draw an Island. I play a Plains and a Kazandu Blademaster.
3. He plays an Island, Disfigures my Blademaster and swings with the Vampire. I go to 18.
3. I draw Bold Defense. I play an Island and Paralyzing Grasp his Vampire. It is only a 1/1 creature, but going to 10 against his deck seemed very bad. Also, I had 2 other pieces of removal.
4. I draw an Umara Raptor. I play an Island and the Umara Raptor. I equip the Raptor with a Blazing Torch. I could have left a white mana open for the trap-cost of the Pitfall Trap. I think that this play was better.
4. I draw a Plains. My Raptor throws a Blazing Torch at the Windrider Eel. The flavor of this card makes no sense. How can a torch can deal 2 toughness of damage? That is like throwing a torch at a bear and expecting it to die. It has to be some huge torch. I could have just swung the Raptor counting on him not to block, but the 4 damage I could be facing against his fast deck was too threatening.
5. He plays a Swamp and Bog Tatters.
5. I draw a Plains. I am ready to Pitfall Trap his Tatters. I swing with my Raptor. He goes to 18.
6. He swings with the Tatters and it is hit with the Pitfall Trap. He plays an Island and a Shoal Serpent.
6. I draw a Luminarch Ascension. I swing with the Raptor. I do not play the Ascension as that would not leave me enough mana to play Arrow Volley Trap. The extra counter was not worth the potential 5 damage to me. I think that this was the right play.
7. He plays a Blood Seeker, a Hedron Crab and equips a Spidersilk Net on his Serpent. He has no cards in hand.
7. I draw a Kor Hookmaster. I play the Hookmaster tapping down his Shoal Serpent. I take one damage from his Blood Seeker. I swing with the Raptor. He goes to 14 against my 17. I play the Luminarch Ascension.
8. He swings with both his Hedron Crab and his Bloodseeker. I block his Bloodseeker. he plays Vampire's Bite on his creature kicked. He goes up to 18. The Seeker and Hookmaster trade. The Ascension goes to 1 counter.
8. I draw an Ior Ruin Expedition. I play it and swing with the Raptor. I was counting on him to not draw a land for his Shoal Serpent or at least not draw enough lands that it would threaten me at 17 life. I could have held the Raptor back to chump his Serpent, but I think that this was the right play.
9. He plays a Welkin tern. The Ascension goes to 2 counters.
9. I draw an AEther Figment. I play the AEther Figment kicked and I expect that he will attack with the Tern and I will trade my Raptor with it. He plays a Soaring Seacliff giving his Serpent the ability to attack and flying. he swings with the bird and the Serpent. I decide to take it so that I can use Bold Defense next turn.
10. I draw a Roil Elemental. This makes me happy. I do not swing so that I can block. I could have swung with the AEther Figment, but the risk of going to 5 life from the Serpent was too great and I just wanted to play conservatively with the Ascension being on the board and going to 3 counters.
10. I draw an Umara Raptor. I play the Umara Raptor making my other Raptor a 3/3. I declare the beginning of my attack step. He taps down my AEther Figment. I forgot that his Merfolk Seastalkers had Islandwalk. If I had remembered, I would not have played the Raptor, preferring instead to just save the mana for the Arrow Volley Trap and allowing my Luminarch Ascension to reach 4 counters a turn earlier.
11. He plays a Swamp, giving his Serpent the ability to attack. I chump his Serpent with the 2/2 Raptor.
11. I draw a Kabira Crossroads. I play Kabira Crossroads. With 3 counters on Luminarch Ascension, I almost don't even care if I can play the 3UUU Roil Elemental. I keep enough land untapped for the Arrow Volley this time.
12. He plays Giant Scorpion and attacks with the Merfolk. I trap it. The Luminarch Ascension goes to 4 counters.
12. I draw Journey to Nowhere. This is now just icing on the cake. I play Journey to Nowhere targetting his Serpent. The Spidersilk Net falls off. I attack with my Raptor and Figment bringing him to 7. Playing Journey to Nowhere was a mistake. A 4/4 token is about just as good as playing a Journey. However, a 4/4 token does not actually take a card.
13. He plays Into the Roil and forces me to pick up the Luminarch Ascension. I put 2 Angel tokens into play. He equips his Giant Scorpion with the Spidersilk Net.
13. I draw a Plains. I swing with the 2 angels, the 3/3 Raptor and the 3/3 AEther Figment. It is lethal and I win.
MATCH 1 2-1
I withdraw from the tournament because I had to go to Antitrust class. I probably could have won another match with this deck. It made me sad to see it go, but I think that class is more important than the $5.