My Pick: The Nighthawk because he's teh bomb.
Pack 1 pick 2:
My Pick: The Verdant Catacombs because it's worth 5 tickets.
Pack 1 pick 3:
My Pick: I am getting a very strong blue signal in this pack. The Umara Raptor and the Living Tsunami are both great in my opinion. The Living Tsunami works better with Green because it can trigger landfall. The Umara Raptor works better with black in my opinion because black has solid allies, but fewer good landfall creatures that the Living Tsunami can work well with.
Pack 1 pick 4:
My Pick: I pick the AEther Figment because I have been receiving a blue signal and the AEther Figment is just great evasion.
Pack 1 pick 5:
My Pick: I pick the Sell-Sword. The other contender in this pack was the Summoner's Bane. I feel like the Summoner's Bane is a little too slow for me. I also think that the Sell-sword and the Raptor might allow me to go allies.
Pack 1 pick 6:
My Pick: The Blood Seeker is a solid 2 drop in my opinion. He often winds up doing 5 damage or more to my opponent. The other cards are just not very good. Soaring Seacliffs is over-picked in my opinion. It can work if you have lots of fatties that you want to give evasion.
Pack 1 pick 7:
My Pick: These cards all suck. I consider hating the Kazandu Refuge. If I knew I were taking it from someone who wanted it, I would. I take the Vampire's Bite. I might play it very reluctantly.
Pack 1 pick 8:
My Pick: These cards also suck. I take Lethargy Trap deciding that I might put it in against an overly aggro deck.
Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick: I take the Reckless Scholar. He's a solid card and a 3 drop which I needed.
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick: I take the Spreading Seas. It's a mediocre card, but it's good enough because it replaces itself. It can also be used to disrupt other people's splash colors.
Pack 1 pick 11:
My Pick: This is all about hate. I decide that I would rather not see the Cliff Threader. It is probably a better card overall, but at the very least it is faster.
Pack 1 pick 12:
My Pick: I take the Spidersilk Net. This is something I would sideboard in against a deck with a lot of fliers. I hope I do not have to play it Main Deck.
Pack 1 pick 13:
My Pick: Caravan Hurda was probably a better pick. These cards all suck, but Caravan Hurda is slightly better against black aggro weenies.
Pack 1 pick 14:
My Pick: Why not?
Pack 2 pick 1:
My Pick: Tough choice here between the Rite of Replication, the Windrider Eel and the Marsh Casaulties. I don't have removal, though, and no real way to deal with small creatures yet so Marsh Casaulties it is.
Pack 2 pick 2:
My Pick: A less tough choice. Gatekeeper of Malakir is a great card.
Pack 2 pick 3:
My Pick: Umara Raptor with my 2 allies. He's a great card in his own right too. Even if I didn't have the other two allies, I would have taken the Raptor. 2/2 flier for 3 with the potential to be more is fantastic.
Pack 2 pick 4:
My Pick: I like Adventuring Gear. I can trigger it about half the time. I also have all of these evasion guys to put it on.
Pack 2 pick 5:
My Pick: He's decent removal. He is a little slow, but I have pretty much no removal right now. The Tern is a good card too and if I had more removal, I would take the Tern over the Mosquito.
Pack 2 pick 6:
My Pick: This is a good card in its own right. People forget that it can be used to remove Quest cards with tokens. I also want it because it offers some functionality as removal.
Pack 2 pick 7:
My Pick: I am pretty heavy in black right now and this guy can easily become enormous.
Pack 2 pick 8:
My Pick: Whiplash Trap is a great card and seeing it this late makes me feel like I am in the right colors.
Pack 2 pick 9:
My Pick: I should have hated another Slaughter Cry. I picked this because I thought I might play it. I should have realized that I had enough playables without splashing this junk. I should have hated Slaughter Cry, though. My creatures tend to be expensive creatures with cool abilities. A Slaughter Cry is very painful for me. If I were not in blue, I would consider taking the Zektar Shrine Expedition. It's just that with Into the Roil and Whiplash Trap, I can pretty much take care of the token that is generated.
Pack 2 pick 10:
My Pick: It's a good enough finisher. I wanted more creatures too.
Pack 2 pick 11:
My Pick: It's a wall. The other 3 cards are meh. This one might go with someone's allies.
Pack 2 pick 12:
My Pick: If I have a ton of allies, I will play this. If I do not, I will not play it. I do not anticipate playing it.
Pack 2 pick 13:
My Pick: This is a decent sideboard card if my opponent has lots of removal. I am surprised to see it so late. This is especially because my creatures are expensive creatures with cool abilities.
Pack 2 pick 14:
My Pick: Not a land. Someone might want this.
Pack 2 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 1:
My Pick: Turntimber Ranger is great. Not splashable for 2 green. I take the Eel which is great and in my colors.
Pack 3 pick 2:
My Pick: I pick the Raptor because it is fast. I consider taking the Hexmage, but it is double black and I don't like needing to commit to double black. I also consider the Merfolk Seastalkers, but it is very slow and my late game should be great as is.
Pack 3 pick 3:
My Pick: The Vampire is a solid creature and nothing else is in my colors.
Pack 3 pick 4:
My Pick: White is going to be happy with all of these cards. I take the Grasp because it is decent removal.
Pack 3 pick 5:
My Pick: I take another Grasp and feel good about my removal now. I briefly consider taking the Puma, but I don't think I have enough allies to justify taking it over removal when I don't have much removal.
Pack 3 pick 6:
My Pick: I am definitely more black than blue. My swamps will be happy to feed my hungry, hungry shade.
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick: I am reluctant to take this card, but I felt like it could be pretty decent late game. If we make it to turn 15, it is an "I win" condition. It's not wrong to take this card, but I take this card and then I play it which was dumb. My deck will almost never make it to turn 15. Turn 3 or 4, it is decent, but I'll almost always rather have a creature than this card.
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick: This is a solid card. Maybe the Owl is a better pick than this. This card didn't wind up being played. It was almost definitely better to play than the Sadistic Sacrament.
Pack 3 pick 9:
My Pick: I hate draft your removal, Mr. Red.
Pack 3 pick 10:
My Pick: I hate draft your Ravager because I already have enough playables.
Pack 3 pick 11:
My Pick: I hate draft you again, Mr. Red. Mwahahahah.
Pack 3 pick 12:
My Pick: OK, Mr. White. It is your turn. Take that!
Pack 3 pick 13:
My Pick: With all of my specific black mana symbols, this will come in handy.
Pack 3 pick 14:
My Pick: Not a land and in the right deck, very deadly.
Pack 3 pick 15:
My Pick:
MATCH 1 GAME 1
I win the roll and decide to go first. I open with 2XIslands, a Crypt Ripper, Umara Raptor, Reckless Scholar, Into the Roil and Whiplash Trap. I decide not to mulligan thinking that I should be able to draw a land in time.
1. I play an Island and pass.
1. He plays a Swamp and a Guul Draz Vampire.
2. I draw a Heartstabber Mosquito. I play an Island. I pass.
2. He attacks with the Vampire. He plays a Mountain and Surrakar Marauder.
3. I draw a Vampire Nighthawk. I pass the turn without doing anything.
3. He plays a Mountain and attacks with the Vampire and Surrakar. I am down to 16. He plays a Ruinous Minotaur. I bounce it with Into the Roil.
4. I draw an Island and I play an Umara Raptor.
4. He plays a Mountain and swings with the Surrakar. I am down to 14. He plays Ruinous Minotaur and another Guul Draz Vampire. This is looking really terrible for me. I realize at this point that it was really stupid not to mulligan. Most of my cards are black. I have mostly blue lands in play. Zendikar is a fast format. I should have been prepared to be stomped into the ground.
5. I play a Swamp and a Reckless Scholar. I pass the turn.
5. He plays a Mountain giving Surrakar Intimidate. He attacks with the Minotaur, and Surrakar . I block the Minotaur with my Reckless Scholar. He plays a Shatterskull Giant. He has 1 Mountain untapped.
6. I draw a Paralyzing Grasp. I play Paralyzing Grasp on Surrakar, thinking that that is the only way to stall the Vampires from getting Intimidate for a little while.
6. He attacks with the Giant. I chump the Giant. He plays Highland Berserker.
7. I draw a Guul Draz Vampire. I am sad that I did not draw a Swamp for the Vampire Nighthawk or a land for the Whiplash Trap. I feel like my loss is pretty much guaranteed at this point.
7. He attacks with the Highland Berserker and the Giant. I trade my Vampire for the Berserker. I take 4 damage to bring me to 8. His 2 Guul Draz Vampires gain Intimidate.
8. I draw Blood Seeker and play it.
8. He attacks with everything. I chump his Giant. I am down to 2 life.
9. I scoop. I think that his deck's speed + my decision not to mulligan ultimately spelled doom. I think that a fast black aggro deck will take my deck out 9 times out of 10. I think that I should have drafted differently.
I didn't sideboard anything.
MATCH 1 GAME 2
I decide to play first. I draw an Island, a Swamp, a Hagra Crocodile, a Heartstabber Mosquito, a Windrider Eel, a Marsh Casaulties and a Paralyzing Grasp. I mulligan seeing that I can't play anything and that he has a fast black aggro deck. I draw a Swamp, an Island, a Soaring Seacliff, a Guul Draz Vampire, a Crypt Ripper and a Windrider Eel.
1. I play a Swamp and the Guul Draz Vampire.
1. He plays a Swamp and the Vampire Lacerator.
2. I draw an Island. play Soaring Seacliff, targetting my Guul Draz Vampire. I swing for 1. He goes to 19.
2. He takes 1 from his Lacerator. He plays a Mountain. He hits me for 2. I am down to 18.
3. I draw an Island. I play an Island. I swing with my Vampire.
3. He loses a life from the Lacerator. He plays a Swamp and a Hellfire Mongrel.
4. I draw an Island. I play an Island and Windrider Eel.
4. He loses a life from the Lacerator. We are both at 16. He plays a Swamp and casts Magma Rift sacrificing a Swamp targetting Windrider Eel. He then attacks with Hellfire Mongrel and Vampire Lacerator. I don't block.
5. I draw a Swamp. I play Crypt Ripper. I attack with Crypt Ripper and Guul Draz Vampire. I have 2 cards in hand. I prepare to lose 2 life from the Hellfire Mongrel.
5. He plays Teetering Peaks on his Hellfire Mongrel and attacks with the Lacerator and Hellfire Mongrel, hitting me for 6 and bringing me to 12. He Magma Rifts my Crypt Ripper, sacrificing a Swamp.
6. I take 2 damage from the Hellfire Mongrel bringing me to 4. I draw an AEther Figment. For some reason, I don't play it because playing it would bring me down to 2 cards with the Hellfire Mongrel killing me. I am just hoping for Marsh Casaulties at this point.
6. He attacks with his Lacerator and Mongrel. I chump. He plays a Swamp. He plays Vampire Nighthawk to add insult to injury.
7. I draw a card. It is a Swamp. I scoop.
MATCH 1 0-2
MATCH 2 GAME 1
I choose to play first. I draw an Island, a Sadistic Sacrament, a Guul Draz Vampire, an AEther Figment, a Nimana Sell-Sword, an Umara Raptor and a Crypt Ripper. There is no way that I can play this. It is not even close. I mulligan. My next hand, I draw two Swamps, an Island, a Reckless Scholar, a Nimana Sell-Sword, an Adventuring Gear.
1. I play the Swamp, Adventuring Gear.
1. He plays a Plains.
2. I draw an AEther Figment. I play an Island, AEther Figment unkicked. I normally hate playing these guys unkicked, but the Adventuring Gear makes me more than happy to play this unkicked.
2. He plays a Swamp and passes. When I am playing against a black/white deck, I am pretty surprised when I do not see a 2 drop. It makes me think that he kept the hand because it is filled with removals or fatties or both.
3. I draw an Umara Raptor. I hit him with my Figment for 1. I consider slapping the Adventuring Gear on the AEther Figment, but decide that it is better to play the Umara Raptor. I can slap the Adventuring Gear on either evasion creature next turn if I draw a land and still play a Reckless Scholar.
3. He plays a Kor Hookmaster tapping down my Umara Raptor.
4. I draw an Island. Sweet! I slap the Adventuring Gear onto the AEther Figment, play an Island and hit him for 3. This brings him down to 16. I then play the Reckless Scholar.
4. He plays a Plains, casts Khalni Gem, returns two Plains to his hand, taps the Gem for black mana and Disfigures my AEther Figment. I feel a little sad that I only hit him for a few points of damage, but am OK with it given my board position. I have Umara Raptor and Reckless Scholar. He has Hookmaster. He attacks me with his Hookmaster since I am tapped out.
5. I draw a Swamp. I put the Adventuring Gear on my Umara Raptor, play the Swamp and the Nimana Sell-Sword, giving my Raptor another +1/+1 counter and +2/+2 until end of turn. I swing in with the 5/5 Raptor and the 2/1 Scholar, bringing him down to 9.
5. He plays a Plains and taps everything for a Geyser Glider.
6. I draw a Guul Draz Vampire. I would normally be happy to play this creature with Intimidate, but I want to end this quickly since he has 4 cards in his hand and I have none. I activate Reckless Scholar picking up a Swamp. I discard the Vampire. I move the Adventuring Gear onto my Sell-Sword, play the Swamp making it a 5/5 until end of turn. Taking out the Glider with my Sell-Sword seems like a good deal. I swing with both the temporarily 5/5 Sell-Sword and the 3/3 Umara Raptor. He blocks the Sell-Sword with his Hookmaster. I knock him down to 6 life. I think that this turn was probably a mistake. I should have kept and played the Vampire. As is, I basically lost the Vampire to gain an extra Swamp and to take out his Hookmaster. The Vampire has Intimidate and 2 3 power evasion creatures would bring me closer to victory than him having one less 2/2. This is particularly true because I was at 18 life.
6. He plays a Plains and then a Kor Sanctifier to take out my Adventuring Gear.
7. I draw Paralyzing Grasp. I activate Reckless Scholar. I draw Blood Seeker. I toss Paralyzing Grasp. I swing with the Raptor and play the Blood Seeker.
7. He scoops.
No sideboards.
MATCH 2 GAME 2
He chooses to play. He mulligans to 6. I draw a Swamp, an Umara Raptor, a Nimana Sell-Sword, a Windrider Eel, a Hagra Crocodile, a Marsh Casualties and a Guul Draz Vampire. This is an easy mulligan even on the draw. I mulligan to 6. He keeps his second hand. I draw 2 Swamps, a Soaring Seacliff, a Windrider Eel, a Crypt Ripper and a Sadistic Sacrament. This isn't bad.
1. He plays a Swamp and an Expedition Map. I might be underdrafting that card, I think. It seems to do a good job of thinning your deck, but I feel like it is too slow in Zendikar.
1. I play a Swamp and pass. I probably should have played the Soaring Seacliff. I don't know why I did not.
2. He plays an Akoum Refuge, gains 1 life, and passes.
2. I draw an Umara Raptor. I play a Soaring Seacliff and pass.
3. He plays a Plains and passes.
3. I draw a Whiplash Trap. I play a Swamp and the Umara Raptor. I pass. He Disfigures it at the end of my turn.
4. He plays a Plains and a Hagra Crocodile.
4. I play a Swamp and a Gatekeeper of Malakir. He sacrifices his Hagra Crocodile.
5. He plays a Spidersilk Net and a Plains. He has 1 card in hand.
5. I draw a Guul Draz Vampire and play a Crypt Ripper. I swing with the Ripper and the Gatekeeper. He goes to 17 life.
6. He plays a Kor Hookmaster, tapping down my Ripper. He equips the Sipdersilk Net making his Hookmaster a 2/4 with Reach. He passes.
6. I draw a Blood Seeker. I swing with the Gatekeeper. I play the Blood Seeker and Vampire. I think I probably should have played the Windrider Eel instead. It would be more likely to do more damage even if his Hookmaster had the Spidersilk Net.
7. He plays Adventuring Gear and equips it to his Hookmaster. He passes.
7. I draw an Island. I swing with the Crypt Ripper and pump it twice. He blocks with the Hookmaster and plays Slaughter Cry on it. He takes down my Crypt Ripper. I keep the land in my hand for the Eel and pass.
8. He uses Expedition Map to search for a Teetering Peaks. He plays a Plate Geopede and moves Adventuring Gear onto his Plated Geopede.
8. I Whiplash Trap both of his creatures and swing in for 4 bringing him down to 12. I reason that if he plays 2 creatures, he will probably give my Guul Draz Vampire Intimidate and +2/+1. He could have also played burn, but I feel like the risk wasn't worth worrying about.
9. He plays the Plated Geopede and the Hookmaster back on the table. He taps down my Gatekeeper, not realizing that the Vampire would become a 3/2 Intimidate creature. He is dealt 2 damage by my Blood Seeker for the 2 creatures he played. My Vampire becomes a 3/2 Intimidate creature.
10. I draw Crypt Ripper. I play Crypt Ripper and attack with the Vampire and Crypt Ripper with 1 Swamp untapped. He does not block. I pump my Crypt Ripper.
10. He puts Spidersilk Net onto his Hookmaster. He puts Adventuring Gear onto his Plated Geopede and plays Teetering Peaks, making his 1/1 a temporary 7/5. I chump with my Blood Seeker.
11. I draw a Hagra Crocodile. He concedes.
MATCH 2 GAME 2: 2-0
MATCH 3 GAME 1
I choose to play first. I draw a Verdant Catacombs, a Soaring Seacliff, a Swamp, a Blood Seeker, a Vampire Nighthawk, an Umara Raptor and Adventuring Gear. I feel really good about this hand and keep it happily.
1. I play a Soaring Seacliff and pass.
1. He plays a Forest and passes.
2. I draw an Island. I play the Swamp and a Blood Seeker. I think that I will equip the Adventuring Gear on this Blood Seeker next turn unless I draw a Swamp to play the Nighthawk. I am saving the Verdant Catacombs so that I can gain 6 life off of the Nighthawk.
2. He plays a Forest and passes.
3. I draw an Island. I put Adventuring Gear onto my Blood Seeker and play and Island making it a 3/3. I wonder if I should have played the Umara Raptor instead of the Adventuring Gear. I think that that probably would have been a better move against Green. Against another color, I might be worried about removal. Against green, I should worry about ground blockers stalling my Blood Seeker. I swing with the 3/3 bringing him down to 16.
3. He plays an Island and a Welkin Tern. Even in this case, it would have been fine to play the Umara Raptor because I could just move the Adventuring Gear onto my Umara Raptor to swing in the air and on the ground for the same damage. Playing the Umara Raptor was almost definitely better than playing the Adventuring Gear.
4. I draw a Swamp. I am happy that my Nighthawk can come down soon. I play a Swamp. I swing with the Blood Seeker for 3, bringing him to 13. I play the Vampire Nighthawk and move the Adventuring Gear onto the Nighthawk, making him a potential 6/7 flying, deathtouch, lifelink creatures.
4. He hits me with his Welkin Tern. I am down to 18. He plays Harrow sacrificing an Island. He puts 2 Forests into play. So he is representing that he does not have Into the Roil. He might have something that feeds off of Forests. He plays Oran-Rief Survivalist which he drew recently since he didn't have a Turn 2 play. He takes 1 damagef rom the Blood Seeker. He goes to 12.
5. I draw AEther Figment. I play Verdant Catacombs. I swing with the Nighthawk, sacrificing the Verdant Catacombs for a Swamp. He goes to 6 and I go to 23. I play AEther Figment kicked. I am tapped out.
5. He concedes.
No sideboarded cards.
MATCH 3 GAME 2
He chooses to play first. I draw 2 Swamps, 1 Jwar Isle Refuge, 1 Gatekeeper of Malakir, 1 Umara Raptor, 1 Sadistic Sacrament, and 1 Whiplash Trap. I really like this hand. This pretty solid for my deck.
1. He plays a Forest and passes.
1. I draw a Crypt Ripper. I play the Jwar Isle Refuge and pass.
2. He plays an Island and passes.
2. I draw an AEther Figment. I play a Swamp and then the Figment.
3. He plays a Forest and passes.
3. I pick up another Umara Raptor. Excellent! I attack with the AEther Figment. I play the Swamp and an Umara Raptor.
4. He plays an Island and Merfolk Seastalker. I am excited about forcing him to sacrifice it.
4. I draw an Island. I play an Island and the Gatekeeper of Malakir kicked. I force him to sacrifice his Seastalker. I attack with the AEther Figment and the Umara Raptor. He goes to 16.
5. He plays a Soaring Seacliffs. He taps down his Islands for a Welkin Tern. This is representing a Vines of Vastwood.
5. I stupidly ignore what he was representing. Instead, I decide to cast a Umara Raptor. I should hvae played a land to bounce his Tern and my Gatekeeper when he tried to Vines of Vastwood it. I put a +1/+1 counter on my Umara Raptor. He takes down my Umara Raptor with a Vines of Vastwood and his Welkin Tern. I play a Swamp.
6. He attacks with his Welkin Tern bringing me to 19. He plays a Sphinx of Lost Truths. He discards 2 Islands and a Quest for the Gemblades.
6. I draw a Swamp. I play a Crypt Ripper. I swing with the AEther Figment. I should have swung with the Crypt Ripper as well. Chances are good that he would not have risked his Sphinx of Lost Truth on it. I could have just pumped it twice if he did. It would take away the chance to use the Whiplash Trap's trap cost, but it's very unlikely to play that card for its trap cost anyway.
7. He attacks with his Welkin Tern and I block with my Umara Raptor. We trade. He plays a kicked AEther Figment.
7. I draw Paralyzing Grasp. The Fates are good to me despite me being a lousy player. I swing with the AEther Figment and the Crypt Ripper. He doesn't block. I pump the Crypt Ripper for 3. Then I cast Paralyzing Grasp on his Sphinx of Lost Truths.
8. He swings with his AEther Figment. He plays a Welkin Tern and an Oran-Rief Recluse. Drats. If I kept a mana open, I could have played the Whiplash Trap for its Trap cost. It doesn't really matter, though.
8. I bounce his Oran-Rief Recluse and his AEther Figment. He concedes.
MATCH 3 2-0
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