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Rise of the Eldrazi is Online!

My walk through write-ups have dwindled lately, partly due to time constraints, but also due to interest constraints. I was having a hard time motivating myself to walk through a ZZW with Rise of the Eldrazi already in the paper world, and I was already sharing the general ROE Limited thoughts I had with the world through the Limited Resources podcast. Rise of the Eldrazi hit Magic Online a few days ago, though, and I now I’m raring to write up some ROE draft walk throughs! I really enjoyed ZZZ and ZZW drafting, but honestly, I was pretty done, and I’m quite thrilled that this is a new, large-set standalone environment. I really don’t know how pumped I would be to be drafting and walking through a “ZWR” format right now, had this been a more traditional block.

instead of trying to figure out how a third, small set fits into an established draft format, though, we’re starting from scratch, and in my limited exposure to the set so far, I have absolutely loved it! “Battlecruiser Magic” is awesome, and while there are blowouts in this format like any other, I have seen again and again that being the first one to resolve an Eldrazi does not mean “good game,” and that while the removal is well below par in the set, there are many answers available to the gigantic threats this set can produce. Let’s dive in! All the ROE queues were filling up quickly on “opening day,” so the 84 I jumped into filled up in no time.

 

Deckbuilding

I’m going to try something a little different this time: the “What’s the play, here?” equivalent for deckbuilding. I’ve put what I consider to be no-brainer inclusions into the maindeck, leaving the remaining options in the sideboard for consideration. What final spells and lands are you adding to these 18 cards?

The first thing I do at this point is assess the black splash. If I had a Vendetta and an Induce Despair, I’d splash them along with the (Nirkana Cuththroat), the Last Kiss, and perhaps the Zulaport Enforcer. As it is, the black comes up a little short to be worth splashing, so I cut it from consideration. Next I ask myself whether or not I’m running any additional defenders for the two (Overgrown Battlements). If I had three battlements, I don’t think it would be a question, I’d load up on red walls. With only two battlements, though, it’s close, but I decide to try the deck with the Vent Sentinel and one Battle Rampart to see how that card plays. I also decide on one Prophetic Prism. It’s a fine turn-two play in the format, fixes any unlucky color screw draws, is a great annihilate outlet, and will never be dead since it cantrips for two mana.

The final slot could go to Naturalize, Sporecap Spider, the second Battle Rampart, or the (Lagoc Lizard). I drop the lizard from consideration first because early in the format I’d rather try spells with “good against _____” value over a random Hill Giant to get a better feel for the tools the set has to offer. I decide to run the Sporecap Spider since blue-white flyers could be a tough matchup for me, but the same argument could be made for maindecking Naturalize because Gx auras could be a tough matchup for me, too. Either way, I’ll be reconsidering my options after each game one. Ten Forests and eight Mountains seems right for the deck. I submit, and we’re off!

R1G1

I win the roll and choose to play. My opener:

This is a clear mulligan that certainly illustrates the difference in quality between Overgrown Battlement and Battle Rampart. Imagine the rampart is a battlement instead: the hand goes from easy mulligan to keepable. I toss back this stinker and try six:

This looks much better. A turn three play that will likely draw removal, and four mana towards my favorite non-rare green fatty of all time, Pelakka Wurm. It delivers on feel, flavor, and function, and is absolutely a reason to be playing green in the format. In any other, it would be a rare.

I draw Artisan of Kozilek and a Mountain, and the first spell of the game is my Aura Gnarlid. Villain has a Forest and two Swamps but no spell on turn three, and I draw (Stamper Cub). I swing in with the gnarlid and it meets an Induce Despair revealing Ondu Giant. The giant comes down shortly after, Rampant Growthing up a Forest. I pull Rapacious One and play out my cub. If I can rip a land next turn and connect with Rapacious One before I’m facing much resistance, this could become a blowout. This is where I just don’t care what happens to the cub so long as it eats up a reasonable amount of Villain’s resources, because it increases the chance that my subsequent bigger threats will live.

With six land and four cards, Villain again declines to cast a spell before shipping back the turn. Suspicious. I pray to Grog, the goblin who shuffles Magic Online decks, and stare at the spot where my card will soon appear, hoping for a land. Grog gives me Vent Sentinel instead, which is better than another big drop, at least. Are we attacking here?

R1G1 #1

Sure. As I said, I want Villain to spend resources on the cub, so I swing in and wait for the trick. Villain blocks, the cub tramples for 1, and post combat a Last Kiss finishes off the cub (20 – 21). A decent trade—the cub draws out a removal spell while turning the Ondu Giant into a Rampant Growth, removing a lot of toughness that could get in the way of my future Rapacious One. I drop the sentinel and pass. Villain drops a land and passes yet again. A Mountain rises to the top of my deck this time, and the Rapacious One is ready to come down and do some harm.

Except…I click or F4 through the turn! *facepalm* I could tell you this was a “misclick,” but it was a simple failure to devote my full attention to the game at hand. Excited to be in my first online Rise of the Eldrazi draft, I was chatting updates to friend via IM, and attempting to multitask in this way led to a massive mistake, which will be felt particularly strongly if I draw a Forest, which would put a rapacious-into-pelakka-into-artisan progression behind a full turn. I become flustered at this point, signing off the chat while scolding myself, and in doing so I also miss the Vent Sentinel activation after Villain casts Nest Invader and passes! How embarrassing.

I draw that Forest to salt the wounds nicely, but finally collect myself, putting the mistakes behind me and looking for the path to victory despite the sloppy misplay. Instead of attacking with the Rapacious One, I merely cast it instead, and pass. It’s tough to watch this replay knowing the turn sequence I should have had in this game. Villain adds Pawn of Ulamog, and I pull another Mountain. Are we attacking here?

R1G1 #2

It’s unfortunate that Villain can simply double block and trade for Rapacious One while turning his 2/2s into spawn tokens, but it’s still the right play to clear the path for the coming wurm. That’s how it plays out, with the spawn token not blocking, so I do trample over for one and produce a spawn token out of it (20 – 20). This sets me up for a wurm this turn, and an artisan the next. I gain 7 life off the wurm and pass (27 – 20). Just when I think my mistake might not cost me a game, Villain casts an Artisan of Kozilek of his own. The artisan returns the Nest Invader to play, which seems clearly wrong to me with the Ondu Giant in as an option.

I draw a Mountain and respond with my artisan, returning the Rapacious One to play. Villain untaps and attacks with the artisan. What are we annihilating, and how are we blocking?

R1G1 #3

Two Mountains are the clear annihilation choice, and then I like double blocking with the Pelakka Wurm and the Vent Sentinel. It smells like a trap, but given annihilator, I may as well spring it sooner rather than later with a creature that isn’t doing anything for me, and one that will replace itself with a card upon dying. Instead, in one of those spots where I can’t remember or fathom what Past Me was thinking, I apparently chose Vent Sentinel as one of my annihilate sacrifices. What? Why? Terrible! If I know for certain that the artisans will trade, the Rapacious One is not going to connect next turn, and my next draw is going to be an (Ulamog’s Crusher), then sacrificing the wall would be correct. As it is, sacrificing the Vent Sentinel here is just a nuts-and-bolts failure on my part.

I suppose my mentality with that play was that I intended to outrace him because I opt not to block at all, but even then, the correct play is still to sacrifice two Mountains. I take 10, and Villain has no further play, suggesting multiple spells in hand with the lack of a land drop (17 – 20). I draw a Forest. Is racing the plan, here? Swing with all three?

R1G1 #4

Again, it sure feels like tricks up sleeve here, but most of the tricks that concern me are going to be similarly impactful if I stay back to block. I send in the troops into what turns out to be a slaughter. Might of the Masses with annihilate on the stack turns the Nest Invader into a 6/6. One land and one spawn hit the bin, the other spawn blocks the artisan before Virulent Swipe turns it deadly. I hit for 7, but my board position falls to pieces (17 –13). Virulent Swipe rebounds onto Artisan of Kozilek, which charges in for 12, eating a couple of lands on the way (5 – 13). I draw my second Rapacious One and at least have a double-block option now, which is enough to keep the artisan at bay for a turn. Unfortunately, Villain adds a Wildheart Invoker and an Overgrown Battlement, and the Snake Umbra I draw can’t prevent an invoker-fueled alpha strike the following turn.

R1G1 #5

What a way to open my online Rise of the Eldrazi drafting career: a total punt! Even assuming Villain had some of these tricks up the sleeve when I biffed that turn, I think this game is mine if I don’t distraction-skip that critical turn. Nothing to do, though, but get up, brush myself off, and try for two straight wins to salvage the match. I side out the Sporecap Spider and put in the second Battle Rampart. It’s a high-variance play with only two (Overgrown Battlements), but I went for it.

R1G2

I pull seven on the play:

With just one more land of any kind, this could be an explosive start and an easy keep. I draw a Mountain and a Prophetic Prism on the way to a turn-two Overgrown Battlement and a turn-three Vent Sentinel. Villain recognizes the emergency, here, and keeps me off of 6 mana on turn four with an Induce Despair on the battlements, revealing Skeletal Wurm. I draw a land, cast the prism, and draw into another land. Villain’s Overgrown Battlement makes me wistful for the one in my graveyard, but I at least remember to ping with the sentinel before taking the turn back (20 – 19).

I have frustratingly little to do now that my wall is gone, but Pelakka Wurm off the top at least gives me fun things to do when I build up my mana. Villain casts Kozilek's Predator, and I ping with Vent Sentinel before untapping (20 –18). I draw Overgrown Battlement #2, and I can cast it or the Rapacious One here after playing the Mountain.

R1G2 #1

 

 

 

If I can be sure the Rapacious One will connect for at least one point of damage next turn, that’s definitely the play. It maximizes my current mana, makes a decent threat, and puts me at wurm mana next turn regardless of whether or not I draw a land. The Overgrown Battlement play hardly maximizes mana, but it guarantees the wurm next turn without requiring successful combat. I like risking the Rapacious One here. I may pull the land anyway, and I do have the Snake Umbra option for the Rapacious One if I don’t.

Speaking of Snake Umbras, that’s what Villain has for the Kozilek's Predator, which as a 4/4, I have to let through (16 – 18). I’ll have a blocker for it soon enough, though, and hopefully some payback on card drawing. I pull a Forest, and now I have an interesting option. The safe play is to attack and cast the wurm no matter what, but the riskier play is to umbra up the Rapacious One, get at least three points of trample damage in, draw a card, and still cast the wurm off the resulting tokens. How greedy are you going to be here, and what are the factors?

R1G2 #2

I like finding times to be appropriately greedy, but this one carries a lot of risk. Villain has five cards, and with another Induce Despair or a Vendetta, attempting to umbra the Rapacious One could lead to a blowout. On the other hand, if Villain has the Might of the Masses shown in game one, I’m sending the Rapacious One into death at the hands of a 4/8, whereas with the Umbra, the drone would survive a 4/8 blocker. It’s a close call given the probability of the pump spell, but sitting here now I think I just attack and cast the wurm no matter what. If it’s the Might of the Masses, I lose the Rapacious One, but then I have a Pelakka Wurm with one fewer trick to face and a Snake Umbra at the ready. In the actual game, though, I go for the riskier play, partly because it’s my first online Rise of the Eldrazi game and I have some fancy-play syndrome, and partly because it feels poetic to respond to Villain’s Snake Umbra with one of my own. Regardless of my motivation here, there is no removal in response, and I charge in with my 6/5 trampler.

The Might of the Masses is there, however, and Villain decides to spend it to prevent the Rapacious One from connecting. A smart choice, as now even after casting the Overgrown Battlement as a consolation prize, I once again cannot block the predator, which hits for 4 and draws another card (12 – 18). Pawn of Ulamog joins the battlefield after combat, and is immediately enchanted with Spider Umbra. My Vent Sentinel deals 2 damage before I take back the turn (12 – 16).

My draw makes things interesting: Artisan of Kozilek. I attack first, and Villain blocks with the pawn and the battlement. How am I ordering blockers, and then what am I casting post combat? The artisan for a weak Zombify effect, or the wurm in the hopes for a stronger Zombify next turn?

R1G2 #3

Basically, barring combat tricks, I can either take out the Overgrown Battlement or the Spider Umbra. It doesn’t feel like an incredibly consequential decision, but since Villain is close to artisan mana, it probably makes sense to take out the umbra over the battlement so there are no targets for an opposing artisan. I accept the default stacking, though, which has the battlement first. In response, Villain taps the battlement and sacrifices a spawn token to hit the Rapacious One with a Last Kiss. The battlement goes to the bin, the pawn makes a replacement token, and the Rapacious One loses the umbra (12 – 18).

Now we come back to the bigger decision in the turn: Pelakka Wurm or Artisan of Kozilek? My instinctive reaction is to drop an Eldrazi ASAP, and if Villain were a land away from 9 mana, that would have to be correct. I don’t want to lose this game because Villain makes an Artisan of Kozilek one turn earlier than I do. Given that Villain likely has three spells in hand having missed the last couple land drops, I actually like leading with the wurm here. If there’s a Virulent Swipe or some other removal lurking, drawing it out with a Pelakka Wurm attack and then putting the wurm immediately back on the battlefield with Artisan of Kozilek would be a backbreaking play. If there’s no removal lurking, then wurm into artisan should just win me the game anyway. I cast the wurm, gain 7, and pass (19 – 18).

Villain has a near-perfect response in Jaddi Lifestrider, tapping both spawn tokens and the pawn to gain 6 life (19 – 24). My Pelakka Wurm bounces off the lifestrider, so Villain has dealt with my 7/7 without putting it in the graveyard for both the extra card and the artisan reanimation. I deal another 2 with Vent Sentinel before untapping for my turn (19 – 22). I draw Emrakul's Hatcher. What’s the plan here?

R1G2 #4

If I attack with the Rapacious One, I expect it to trade for the Snake Umbra, after which I can reanimate the Rapacious One with the artisan. That’s exactly what happened, and I get a spawn token and a point of damage off the trample, too (19-21).

Villain hits sixth land drop, but isn’t at artisan mana yet. Instead, Zof Shade joins the opposition before I take back the turn. I draw a Forest, swing with everything, and let Villain sort it out. He sacrifices the Spider Umbra and swamp, then blocks like this:

R1G2 #5

The shade pumps up to 4/4, which with the others is enough to kill my artisan, and Villain nets a couple of spawn on the exchange, putting him at artisan mana next turn. The wurm deals 7 (19 – 14). I cast my hatcher and pass.

Sure enough, Villain has Artisan of Kozilek, putting Kozilek's Predator back onto the battlefield. That’s somewhat problematic, but I can block and kill the artisan just like Villain did mine, so it’s not currently a threat to end the game or anything. I ping with vents (19 – 12) before untapping, drawing a Forest, playing it, and passing since I can’t attack into artisan. Villain plays a land and casts Skeletal Wurm, but opts not to sac a token for it, leaving it without regeneration mana for a turn. As expected, Villain declines to attack, and I sting with the sentinel again before untapping (19 – 10).

I pull a welcome sight in Heat Ray, play my Forest, and decide which threat will eat the heat and when, since it’s an instant. What’s your call?

R1G2 #6

It seems odd not to use Heat Ray to take down an Eldrazi when the opportunity presents itself, but killing that wurm in this one-turn window I have for it is the play, here. The Eldrazi is more intimidating, yes, but a regenerating 7/6 is by far the bigger problem right now, and I’m quite lucky to have both drawn the Heat Ray and to have Villain make the mistake of not casting the wurm with regeneration available. I take out the wurm with the ray and pass. After a draw-go and another sentinels activation, it’s my turn again (19 – 8). I draw Forest and hold it for the bluff, passing the turn back. Villain draws and this time opts to attack with the artisan. This could be desperation, or it could be a relevant topdeck. What permanents do you sacrifice here, and how do you block?

R1G2 #7

I sacrifice a Forest and the Prophetic Prism to annihilate. The block is trickier…I could simply chump with a token, or double block and try to take it out. I decide to go ahead and double block since the Pelakka Wurm can’t attack through the Jaddi Lifestrider anyway. I put the wurm and the hatcher on the Eldrazi and brace myself for a trick. The “trick” it turns out, is pretty sick: Villain has Momentous Fall before damage! I don’t lose any of my men, but Villain draws ten cards off the artisan and gains nine life (19 – 17)! Yow, but that card is good! Can Vent Sentinel go the distance? I’m not exactly expecting to attack for damage any more this game. With the fresh crop of cards, Villain has a land, a Nest Invader, and a Null Champion after combat, and I vent a little before getting the turn back (19 – 15).

Did I say I wouldn’t be attacking for damage anymore this game? Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre off the top says otherwise! I cast the mythic Eldrazi, destroying the Lifestrider on the way in, which allows the Pelakka Wurm to attack profitably this turn. I cast Ulamog using a couple of tokens to leave Vent Sentinel mana up. The wurm crashes in, taking a double block from the predator and invader, with two points trampling over (19 – 13). I pass it back.

Villain is not done yet, casting a second (Artisan of Kosilek), returning the first to play! OK, then, let’s race! Ulamog and a Vent Sentinel vs. a couple of artisans! I vent again before untapping (19 – 11). I pull my other Emrakul's Hatcher, and swing with Ulamog. Villain sacrifices four lands, then chumps with a token. I make some chumps of my own off the hatcher, and pass it back. Villain cracks back with double artisan. What are your sacs and blocks?

R1G2 #8

I was willing to trade with the Pelakka Wurm when it couldn’t attack profitably, but with the lifestrider out of the way, I could potentially save the wurm for offense. However, if I can take out one of the artisans now, I will have a tough time losing this game with annihilator 2 vs. annihilator 4 going on. I sac a couple of lands and a couple of spawn tokens, chump one artisan, and put the wurm and a hatcher on the other. One artisan goes down, and the wurm draws me a Forest. Villain has an Ondu Giant fetching a Swamp before passing, and I vent again (19 – 9).

I pull another Forest, and attack in with Ulamog only, which is a mistake. I should also attack with the Rapacious One to apply extra pressure and hopefully create more chumps. Honestly, at this point I had 9:00 on my clock and a third game to win, and was in a mentality of “Ulamog and Vent Sentinel until I win,” with very little time to stop and think to save clock. Villain loses another four lands, and chumps again. I pass holding the Forest. Villain swings back with artisan, and I vent in response before sacrificing two Forests and chumping with a spawn (19 – 7). Villain has no further plays, and I draw another land. I remember to attack with Rapacious One this time, and Ulamog cuts Villain’s permanent count in half. Ondu Giant blocks the Rapacious One and Virulent Swipe takes it out while a spawn chumps Ulamog, but I hit for a point of trample and ship back the turn with Villain at four cards in library and two permanents (19 – 6).

Villain has another land and one last attack, but it’s for naught, and by my next attack, I’m the only player with permanents in play, and after it, with a life total above zero.

A Strong Board Position

I have to say again, this format is great. I just beat a guy who resolved two Artisan of Kozileks, one of them to return the other, a Skeletal Wurm, and a (Momentus Fall) on a 10/9. Battlecruiser Magic! I love it when it’s Spikey to be Timmy!

R2G3

Villain keeps on the play, and I check my seven for the draw:

Nothing spectacular, but an easy keep. The first play of the game ought to have been a turn-two Nest Invader after drawing Flame Slash and Ulamog, but in my clock haste, I played out the Prophetic Prism instead, drawing a Forest off of it. Villain plays a turn-three Cadaver Imp, an odd play with no creatures in the yard, and it suggests potential shenanigans. I pull another Mountain and plan the turn.

R1G3 #1

The real question is whether or not to Flame Slash the imp, and I can’t bring myself to use one of my deck’s two removal spells on it at this point. It doesn’t matter too much whether or not I cast the Battle Rampart or the Nest Invader, since the rampart can give the invader haste next turn (although note that I’ve given up two points of damage here by playing out the prism on turn two). I opt for the Nest Invader, but I think rampart is marginally the better play because of mana maximization, although it’s possible I’ll draw into something I want to use the spawn token to cast next turn.

Villain’s master plan is Snake Umbra on the Cadaver Imp, which hits me for two and draws a card (18 – 20). I draw (Emrakul's Haatcher), play a land, and plot the turn. What’s your play here?

R1G3 #1

I want to save that spawn token to drop Ulamog ASAP, as there is nothing besides Induce Despair revealing a 10+ drop that green-black can do about the indestructible Eldrazi. Sadly, I have to use up one of my two removal spells on the Snake Umbra, as if I’m going to lose to anything as I ramp towards Ulamog, it will be to insurmountable card advantage from the Snake Umbra. That leaves me the mana left over to cast the Battle Rampart, and a swing in with the invader for a couple (18 – 18). Villain has Kozilek's Predator to get some ramp on of his own, and the imp hits for another point before I take the turn back (17 – 18).

Growth Spasm off the top is a nice draw, as between the land I play and all the spawn token potential, I can now reach Ulamog mana on turn seven without drawing another mana source. It starts with a hasty Emrakul's Hatcher this turn, which I’m happy to offer up in trade for the predator. The fewer opposing permanents the better, once Ulamog hits. Villain accepts the trade, and I ship back the turn. Villain has no land drop and no spells despite five cards in hand, and doesn’t attack with the imp, either. This telegraphs Virulent Swipe or Might of the Masses, neither of which concern me. I draw Overgrown Battlement for the embarrassment of mana, casting Growth Spasm and the battlement, and I pass the turn.

Villain again has no land drop, but this time opts to cast Wildheart Invoker. Unless that was this turn’s draw, it suggests Might of the Masses, since that would explain why Villain would have held back the invoker last turn. I draw Gigantomancer. An interesting option, but it doesn’t compare to dropping Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre and giving him haste. I destroy the Wildheart Invoker on the way in, use the rampart on Ulamog, and send the Eldrazi into the red zone. Attacking with Ulamog on turn seven in draft? Seems good!

While this format offers up some great back-and-forth battle cruiser games, as it did in game two of this match, sometimes it just offers up a total slaughter at the hands of early annihilate, an ability that strips away the very tools a player needs for a chance to recover from an attacking Eldrazi. Frankly, there’s just not much a black green deck can do about Ulamog, but I would note that this sequence against blue white, for example, would be crippling but not necessarily game over. The blue-white player could absorb the blow once, untap, and cast Narcolepsy, Oust, or Guard Duty on Ulamog. In this case, though, Villain has no way out of this, and concedes.

I punted game one horribly, so coming back to win games two and three makes this draft feel like a bit of a freeroll, now. With the word count pushing 7,500, though, the rest of this draft will have to wait. I promise to keep working on it this week, and may have the conclusion up by Friday, so keep an eye out! If you use an RSS reader, click the link below and you’ll get a notification when any new Magic content from me hits the web.

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you soon for the thrilling conclusion!

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