My Pick: Sorin Markov.
He is a bomb and money. I take him.
Pack 1 pick 2:
My Pick: Goblin Guide
He is a money card and a decent card. I will take it.
Pack 1 pick 3:
My Pick: Nimana Sell-Sword.
I should have taken the Adventuring Gear. I was angling to go black, but I committed myself too early.
Pack 1 pick 4:
My Pick: Windrider Eel.
Once I decided to go black, I should have stuck with black. There are 2 decent black cards here. The shade can be brutal in a mono black deck. This pack offers plenty of explanation of why I should not have committed to going black so early.
Pack 1 pick 5:
My Pick: Bladetusk Boar
I should have picked up Paralyzing Grasp considering that I was in black and blue. I am just sending horrible signals now. Goblin Guide is not worth going into red and sending bad signals for.
Pack 1 pick 6:
My Pick: Teetering Peaks.
I should have taken Summoner's Bane. It is a solid card and I have received plenty of good blue signals.
Pack 1 pick 7:
My Pick: Welkin Tern.
This is a strong creature at a low cost.
Pack 1 pick 8:
My Pick: Jwar Isle Refuge.
Fixing is nice.
Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick: Summoner's Bane.
The rest (except for Quest for the Gemblades) is crap.
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick: Ior Ruin Expedition.
The other cards are unplayable in my deck. This is a decent card early game in a black blue deck. I hope I don't have to put it in. Unless you are playing green, this card seems kind of mediocre.
Pack 1 pick 11:
My Pick: Shoal Serpent.
Decent card late game.
Pack 1 pick 12:
My Pick: Akoum Refuge
In case I go black red.
Pack 1 pick 13:
My Pick: Spreading Seas.
Decent filler card especially if my opponent is splashing a color or I get some Islandwalkers.
Pack 1 pick 14:
My Pick: Hedron Scrabbler.
Pack 1 pick 15:
My Pick: Forest
Pack 2 pick 1:
My Pick: Paralyzing Grasp.
I need some removal. Nothing else is for my colors.
Pack 2 pick 2:
My Pick: Into the Roil.
It is a solid card and replaces itself. It is very useful mid to late-game. Hedron Crab is not useful unless you get 2. It is an uncommon and I would not risk taking it.
Pack 2 pick 3:
My Pick: Vampire Nighthawk.
Obviously the best uncommon creature in the set.
Pack 2 pick 4:
My Pick: Gatekeeper of Malakir.
The Gatekeeper is one of the best uncommons in the set. He is better than most removal in that it can easily be a 2 for 1.
Pack 2 pick 5:
My Pick: Blood Seeker.
Mediocre card that gets in for some decent damage once in a while.
Pack 2 pick 6:
My Pick: Welkin Tern.
This is an overall better card, but I think that this was the wrong pick. the Shade would have been a better pick for my deck because my deck was in need of solid finishers.
Pack 2 pick 7:
My Pick: Mindless Null.
Worse than a Grey Ogre. Better than a lot of other cards.
Pack 2 pick 8:
My Pick: Surrakar Marauder.
Better than a Grizzly Bear. I have a good amount of Evasion. I am happy about that.
Pack 2 pick 9:
My Pick: Vines of Vastwood.
I hate this card. Evil evil Vines of Vastwood.
Pack 2 pick 10:
My Pick: Mind Sludge.
This can usually remove 2 cards from my opponent's hand. Half the time, those cards are lands anyway. It is not that good in Zendikar's fast format. I think it is terribly overrated.
Pack 2 pick 11:
My Pick: Akoum Refuge.
In case I go black red.
Pack 2 pick 12:
My Pick: Bog Tatters.
Good splash against the many black decks I am sure to see.
Pack 2 pick 13:
My Pick: Steppe Lynx.
What the hell are you doing hear, kitty?
Pack 2 pick 14:
My Pick: Kabira Crossroads
Is no one in white?
Pack 2 pick 15:
My Pick: Noble Visage.
Pack 3 pick 1:
My Pick: Heartstabber Mosquito.
I should have taken the Shade. It is a better finisher. The Mosquito takes way too long to power up. Even late game, the Shade is about equal because it is a huge creature dealing huge damage late game.
Pack 3 pick 2:
My Pick: Sea Gate Loremaster.
Because knowing is half the battle.
Pack 3 pick 3:
My Pick: Nimana Sell-Sword.
Good for blocking 2/2s.
Pack 3 pick 4:
My Pick: Merfolk Seastalkers.
I love this guy. He wins games. The Vampire Lacerator is solidly mediocre. I usually treat him like a nuclear weapon. The longer I hold onto it, the longer it hurts me. In the end, I just want to crash him into another creature as soon as possible.
Pack 3 pick 5:
My Pick: Gomozoa.
Good blocker. I should have maindecked him, but I was developing my own incoherent strategy so I did not. I was hoping that with all of my evasion creatures, I would be a fast aggro deck. I was not.
Pack 3 pick 6:
My Pick: Stonework Puma.
Solid creature.
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick: Surrakar Marauder.
Evasion is good.
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick: Guul Draz Vampire.
I really appreciate these guys.
Pack 3 pick 9:
My Pick: Seismic Shudder.
This card cleans my board like Lysol.
Pack 3 pick 10:
My Pick: Hagra Diabolist.
I pick this up by mistake. I should have hate drafted a card. I was not going to play the Diabolist. It is too expensive.
Pack 3 pick 11:
My Pick: Grim Discovery.
I have creatures worth saving. Stupidly, I did not maindeck this either.
Pack 3 pick 12:
My Pick: Whiplash Trap.
I love this when it is in my deck and hate it when it is in my opponent's deck.
Pack 3 pick 13:
My Pick: Mindless Null.
Another shitty Grey Ogre.
Pack 3 pick 14:
My Pick: Turntimber Grove
Pack 3 pick 15:
My Pick: Forest.
MATCH 1 GAME 1
I draw 2 Islands, a Guul Draz Vampire, a Surrakar Marauder, a Stonework Puma, a Mindless Null and a Sorin Markov. A Swamp would make this extremely playable, but I mulligan it anyway. I think that this mulligan was a mistake. I think that this deck is very marginal. I compare this hand to other opening hands. That is the wrong way to go. I should compare this hand to other opening hands from the same deck. It is simple and obvious, but it was definitely a mistake I made in this situation. Next, I draw a Jwar Isle Refuge, a Gatekeeper of Malakir, a Summoner's Bane, Blood Seeker, a Sea Gate Loremaster and a Nimana Sell-Sword. This is even worse and this was a good one to mulligan. Finally, I draw 2 Islands, an Into the Roil, a Mindless Null and a Bog Tatters. This is just simply worse in every way compared to my first hand.
1. He plays an Island and Hedron Crab.
1. I draw an Island and I play an Island.
2. He plays an Island, making my library go to 31 cards through the Crab. (Blood Seeker, Summoner's Bane and Island are added to my graveyard.) He plays an Explorer's Scope, equips his Crab and attacks with it. He does not reveal a land.
2. I draw a Guul Draz Vampire and play an Island.
3. He plays another Hedron Crab. Can I concede now? In response, I play Into the Roil targetting one of his crabs. He immediately replays it, making my move both useless and stupid. I think that I was just frustrated here. He plays a Swamp, causing me to lose 6 cards. (2 Welkin Terns, 3 Swamps and a Nimana Sell-Sword are added to my graveyard.) My library is at 24 cards. He plays Adventuring Gear.
3. I draw Sorin Markov and I play an Island. I concede from the game just so that he doesn't see more cards from my library. He only needed 4 more lands to kill me. I had no removal. It was a sad concession and I blame it on my stupid mulliganing decisions.
I decide to go first. I draw 2 Islands, 2 Swamps, a Guul Draz Vampire, a Windrider Eel and a Nimana Sell-Sword. I feel much better about this hand and I keep it.
1. I play a Swamp and play a Guul Draz Vampire.
1. He plays an Island and a Hedron Crab. Shit. It begins!
2. I play a Swamp and attack with the Guul Draz Vampire. He doesn't block. 19 life.
2. He plays an Island and 3 cards are added to my graveyard. (Gatekeeper of Malakir, Island, Swamp.) He plays an Explorer's Scope and equips it on his Crab. He swings with the Crab, puts an Island into play and another 3 cards are added to my graveyard. (Sorin Markov, Surrakar Marauder and a Swamp). 26 cards in the library.
3. I draw a Swamp and I play an Island. I attack him for another 1. He goes to 18.
3. He plays a Swamp and adds 3 cards to my graveyard. (Whiplash Trap, Into the Roil and an Island). He swings with his Hedron Crab and doesn't play a land. I stay at 22 cards in the library. He plays a Windrider Eel.
4. I draw another Nimana Sell-Sword. I play one of the Sell-Swords. I could have and perhaps should have swung with the Guul Draz Vampire. The benefit of 1 damage wasn't worth the risk in my opinion.
4. He puts an Adventuring Gear into play. He equips his Windrider Eel with it. He also equips the Eel with the Explorer's Scope. +4/+4 when a land comes into play with 2 opportunities for lands to come into play. Excllent! Earlier that week, in another draft, I had a 16/16 Eel swing through the air on Turn 5. Luckily, he does not put a land into play during his first main phase. Unfortunately, when the Eel swung, it found a land through the Explorer's Scope bringing me down to 14 life and adding another 3 cards to my graveyard. (Stonework Puma, Merfolk Seastalkers and Welkin Tern). I am at 17 cards in the library. He plays a Vampire Lacerator.
5. I draw a Jwar Isle Refuge. I play another Nimana Sell-Sword. I attack with the 4/4 Sell-Sword. I play the Jwar Isle Refuge. This brings me to 15.
5. He doesn't play a land during his first main phase. He swings with the Eel and finds a land through the Eel. (Summoner's Bane, Island and Mindless Null are added to the graveyard.) I go to 14 cards in the library and 9 life. He puts a Living Tsunami into play. I am ready to concede right about now.
6. I draw a Bog Tatters and play a Sea Gate Loremaster. I could have played an Eel, but that would have been a very temporary solution. I decided to take a risk and go for some cards. I swing with the 5/5 and 4/4 Sell-Swords. He blocks with the Living Tsunami, thankfully and surprisingly and he goes to 13. If he had not blocked, he could have swung back for 10 damage. I was at 9 life. Blocking was a mistake. I was happy that he made that mistake. Sometimes, the only play that you can make for the win is one that assumes your opponent will make a mistake.
6. He doesn't put a land into play and he swings with the Eel. I take 2 damage and go to 7. He puts a Giant Scorpion and a Vampire Lacerator into play.
7. I draw a Swamp and tap my Loremaster for 2 cards. I draw an Island and a Welkin Tern. I play the Island, the Tern and the Windrider Eel. It looks like I might just be able to pull through this.
7. He attacks with his Windrider Eel. No lands! Excellent. I trade my Tern for the Eel and high five myself. Well, it's more like a clap at that point. Unfortunately, after his Eel goes down, he summons a Sky Ruin Drake. Ugh. I have 10 cards in my library and 7 life. He has 23 cards in his library and 13 life.
8. I draw a land and play Bog Tatters. If I can hit him every turn with the Tatters, I can kill him in 4 turns. I am so screwed. I should have used the Loremaster's ability. I have a pretty poor memory of what is in my deck. I should have looked up the cards in my deck from the save file and considered what was left in there. I would have realized that I actually had a very good chance of grabbing removal.
8. He puts Explorer's Scope and Adventuring Gear on his Sky Ruin Drake. He finds a land through the Scope and puts it into play. I go down to 6 cards in my library. (Heartstabber Mosquito, Vampire Nighthawk and a Swamp are added into my graveyard.) I don't block his flier thinking that I should save it for hitting him back or for future blocks. He plays Vampire's Bite on his Drake for the win. On the bright side, even if I had blocked, he would have wound up at 20 life.
MATCH 1 0-2
MATCH 2 GAME 1
I draw 3 islands, a Welkin Tern, a Sorin Markov, a Mindless Null and a Heartstabber Mosquito. I keep this despite only having 1 play. I hate this deck.
1. I play an Island.
1. He plays a Forest.
2. I draw Summoner's Bane. If I can draw another land, particularly a Swamp, this could be great.
2. He plays a Swamp and takes out my Tern.
3. I draw and play a Jwar Isle Refuge. Almost as good as a Swamp.
3. He plays a Forest and a Grazing Gladehart.
4. I draw Merfolk Seastalkers, play an Island and pass the turn. I rely on the fact that he is Green/Black and has 5 cards in his hand and had no early plays. I hope he casts a nice creature for me to counter.
4. He plays a Forest and swings at me for 2. He is at 22 and I am at 19.
5. I draw and play a Swamp and pass. He will be at 5 mana soon. I can take more damage. I wait around some more for a nice creature to counter. I don't feel horrible about waiting because I am fairly close to Sorin Markov.
5. He plays a Forest and goes up to 24. He hits me with the Gladehart bringing me down to 17. I am developing antler scars left and right.
6. I draw a Swamp, play it and Sorin Markov. I use his first ability on the Gladehart.
6. He plays a Territorial Baloth and passes the turn.
7. I draw a Swamp. I play the Swamp and play a kicked Heartstabber Mosquito targetting his Baloth. He concedes.
MATCH 2 GAME 2
He chooses to play first. I draw 3 Swamps, a Blood Seeker, a Gateekeeper of Malakir and a Windrider Eel.
1. He plays a Forest.
1. I draw an Island. I play a Swamp.
2. He plays a Forest and Oran-Rief Survivalist.
2. I draw a Wild Tern. I play a Swamp and a Blood Seeker.
3. He plays a Swamp and hits me for 2. I go to 18.
3. I hit him for 1 with the Blood Seeker. I tap my lands to kick in Gateekeeper of Malakir, forcing him to sacrifice his Oran-Rief Survivalist. He plays Harrow, sacrificing a Forest and putting into play a Forest and a Swamp. He then Disfigures my Gatekeeper. This was probably a mistake on his part. The Gatekeeper is a bear at this point. He could have saved the Disfigure for something deadlier.
4. He plays a Hagra Crocodile and takes 1 damage from the Blood Seeker. He is at 18.
4. I play an Island, swing with the Blood Seeker and play a Windrider Eel. He is at 17.
5. He plays a Swamp, giving his Hagra Crocodile +2/+2. He swings. I take 5 and go to 13.
5. I draw a Heartstabber Mosquito. I play an Island and swing for 4. I consider playing the Tern, but decide that the Summoner's Bane would be more effective since he was now at 5 and 6 open mana.
6. He plays a Forest and swings with the 5/3 and 1/3. I chump the 5/3 with my Blood Seeker. He taps his lands for a Vastwood Gorger. I counter it and put an Illusion token in play.
6. I very happily draw an Island. I have a Swamp in my hand so that will allow me to cast Heartstabber Mosquito kicked next turn. I play the Island and swing for 4 in the air. He goes to 8. I play the Welkin Tern.
7. He attacks with the Giant Scorpion and the Hagra Crocodile as a 3/1. I trade my Illusion token for the Crocodile. He plays a Territorial Baloth.
7. I draw an Island. I play the Swamp. I swing in the air with my 4/4 and 2/1 fliers. I kick the Mosquito into play targetting his Baloth. He plays Vines of Vastwood on his Baloth and my kicker fizzles.
8. He realizes that he cannot win, plays a Swamp thereby emptying his hand and concedes.
MATCH 2 2-0
MATCH 3 GAME 1
He decides to play first. I draw a Swamp, an Island, a Wildrider Eel, a Welkin Tern, a Guul Draz Vampire, a Merfolk Seastalkers and a Nimana Sell-Sword. I keep it.
1. He plays a Plains and passes.
1. I draw a Surrakar Marauder. I am happy. I plan a Swamp and a Guul Draz Vampire.
2. He plays a Mountain and an Ondu Cleric going to 21.
2. I draw a Nimana Sell-Sword. I attack with my Guul Draz Vampire. He trades his Cleric to it. I play an Island and a Welkin Tern. I hope I make my land drops.
3. He plays a Plains and a Kor Hookmaster tapping down my Welkin Tern.
3. I draw a Swamp. I play the Swamp and the Surrakar Marauder.
4. He attacks with the Kor Hookmaster. I trade my Surrakar Marauder for his Hookmaster. He plays a Goblin Bushwhacker.
4. I draw a Blood Seeker. I swing with the Welkin Tern. I play the Blood Seeker.
5. He passes the turn.
5. I draw a Heartstabber Mosquito. I attack with the Tern. He is at 17 life against my 20.
6. He passes the turn.
6. I draw a Swamp. This is exactly what I've been needing. I play the Swamp. I bring him to 15 with the Tern. I play the Windrider Eel. I did not play the Nimana Sell-Sword because he had been keeping 3 mana open for some time. This could give his creature +3/+0 and first strike through Slaughter Cry or it could take out my creature through a Pitfall Trap which would take out the Sell-Sword.
7. He plays a Shatterskull Giant and passes.
7. I draw an Island. I do not play the Island. I attack with the Tern and the Windrider Eel. I think it was dumb to not play the Island. If I get a land later, then I am still limited to 1 land per turn. If I don't get a land later, there is still the risk that he will kill the Eel before I get that damage in.
8. He attacks with the Shatterskull Giant. I take the damage and go to 16.
8. I draw a Swamp. I play an Island and the Nimana Sell-Sword. I swing with my 2/1 Tern and the 4/4 Eel. I do not swing with the Sell-Sword. This was stupid. I should have swung with the Sell-Sword to take down his Geyser Glider. He has 5 cards in hand. He is playing Red, White. He was tapped out on mana. That was a very bad play.
9. He plays a Mountain to give his Geyser flying. He plays Spire Barrage to take down my Windrider Eel. Had I played the Island the turn earlier, I would have gotten in 2 more damage bringing him to 1.
9. I draw a Sorin Markov. I play the Swamp. I attack with the Tern alone. I don't know why i did this. I should have attacked with the team. I then play Sorin Markov for the win.
MATCH 3 GAME 2
He decides to play first. I draw 3 Swamps, an Island, a Jwar Isle Refuge, a Welkin Tern and Mind Sludge. I keep it.
1. He plays a Mountain and Goblin Bushwhacker.
1. I draw a Guul Draz Vampire. I play a Swamp and Guul Draz.
2. He plays a Plains and passes.
2. I draw a Windrider Eel. I play an island and a Welkin Tern. At the end of my turn, he plays Punishing Fire on it. Drats. I can't play the Jwar Isle Refuge unless he is tapped out.
3. He plays a Plains.
3. I draw a Mindless Null. I play a Swamp and the Mindless Null.
4. He plays a Plains and a Pillarfield Ox.
4. I draw an Island. I play a Swamp and a Windrider Eel.
5. He passes the turn.
5. I draw an Into the Roil. I play an Island and Mind Sludge. He discards Tuktuk Grunts, Ondu Cleric and Spire Barrage. This seems good for me. I attack with my 4/4 Eel, bringing him to 16.
6. He taps his only Mountain and 2 Plains for a Trusty Machete that he puts on his Ox. he swings with this Ox. I am happy that he tapped his only red mana since this means he cannot use Punishing Fire from his graveyard.
6. I draw a Merfolk Seastalker. This game looks almost won. I play the Jwar Isle Refuge gaining life happily and safely. I attack with the Windrider Eel bringing him to 12. I do not attack with the Mindless Null. This was stupid. The Null is not a great blocker and I could have brought him to 10 or caused him to lose his Bushwhacker. If he did go to 10, my Guul Draz Vampire with intimidate would have been activated. I play the Merfolk Seastalkers. I have 1 land untapped, but 6 lands total.
7. He hits me with his 4/5 Machete-wielding Pillarfield Ox. I take 4 damage and go to 13.
7. I draw and play an Island. I could be bashing him for lethal damage this turn if I had simply attacked with the Mindless Null. Instead, I swing with a 4/4 Eel. I did not want to overcommit on the attack so I held my troops back. I think that this was fine since at this point, I did not have lethal damage on the board regardless.
8. He draws his card and concedes.
MATCH 3 2-0
Matt Lashof here:
ReplyDeletePack 3 pick 8: I think you should at least strongly consider quest for the gravelord there. That card is really good.
also, pack 3 pick 10: Why do you disregard the sky ruin drake? He blocks everything (except for bladestusk boar and surrakar), and lives to tell the tale, also survives kicked burst lightning, almost always spire barrage, etc. He's exactly what I want in a 5 drop, stops opponent's attacks cold and lives through most removal.
Thats all for now, maybe more after i read the games.
Pack 3 Pick 8, I agree. I think it was just a little too slow.
ReplyDeletePack 3 Pick 10. At that point, I knew I was going black.