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I hit the draft room and sorted by player count to see what was close to firing. Swiss was at 7 players, so I jumped in and started drafting. But Swiss? Swiss is for n00bs.

The notion that Swiss is for beginners is somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophecy. If the payout structures were kept the same but we flipped coins to determine match winners, it would make no difference in the long run whether you played Swiss or 84, you would average 1.5 packs per draft (12 packs distributed to 8 players each draft). 4322 is the real dog in the scenario, where you would average 1.375 packs per draft.

The knock on Swiss and the allure of 84 both surround the dream of "going infinite." How can you chase the dream of never putting money into Magic Online again if you are playing in a format where your best-case scenario is breaking even on packs?

You can't. But here's the big secret: the vast majority of drafters are not good enough to go infinite at 84, either. Once you accept that you can't go infinite, if your goal is to make the best return on packs (and matches played, for that matter), a skilled player in Swiss is going to win more than the 1.5-pack average, while a skilled player in 84 is going to make just around the 1.5 pack average. Combined with reselling singles and playing nix tix when possible, a solid player can reduce the expenditures to a trickle in the Swiss queues.

Packs aren't everything, of course. If your top priority is to play magic at the highest possible level against the highest-quality opponents, there is no substitute for 84. If you are a good player looking to maximize your return and reduce your drafting costs, though, give Swiss another look if you have dismissed it.

The Draft

I went into the draft ready to go with the flow, but looking for reasons to go Naya or Jund out of personal preference, setting me up for a powerful pack three that I'm extremely comfortable drafting. The general power level is so much higher in Alara Reborn that you really have to be thinking ahead to that pack.

The draft capture missed the first pack, which is a bummer. I know there was the classic Branching Bolt/Oblivion Ring pick, and that there was also a Vithian Stinger. The rare was Manaplasm—solid, but not better than the removal in the pack. Oblivion Ring is really close to Branching Bolt with my Jund/Naya mindset, and if those are my shards of choice, Branching Bolt is actually the more flexible pick, fitting into both Jund and Naya.

However, the O-ring deals with, like...everything...and just because I'm looking for Naya/Jund doesn't mean I wouldn't go Esper or Bant if that's what was flowing, and the O-ring is very splashable. Gimme the ring...

Pack 1 pick 1:

My Pick:

Pack 1 pick 2:

My Pick:

If I'd taken the Branching Bolt it's a tougher pick and I probably take the triland. As it is, I love Wild Nacatl in Naya, and it's a fine play in Jund or Bant as well. I wouldn’t blame anyone for taking the Akrasan Squire and staying fully on-color, but I’m a sucker for one-mana 3/3s.

Pack 1 pick 3:

My Pick:

I'm sending Naya signals downstream no matter what, but as always, the signals I'm sending aren't as important as the ones I'm receiving. If the neighbor to my left goes into Naya it will hurt some of my Conflux picks, but then I'm back in the driver's seat in juicy, juicy Alara Reborn. The important signal is that the drafters to my right seem uninterested in Naya. Of course, that's what the player to my left may be thinking...

As long as I'm committing to Naya, I take the amazing triple threat Naya Charm over the Vithian Stinger and Naya Battlemage. What a thick pack for Naya! In the alternate universe where I first-picked the Branching Bolt, I take the stinger here.

Pack 1 pick 4:

My Pick:

Easy fixing pick, especially Wild Nacatl-buffing fixing. Mental note that I have now passed a third pinger. I'd be taking my second pinger in the Blood Cultist on the Jund path.

Pack 1 pick 5:

My Pick:

Fifth-pick Topan Ascetic continues the red-green signals. In the Jund path I’d take the Bone Splinters, especially with one unearth guy already in my pile.

Pack 1 pick 6:

My Pick:

Wow, sixth-pick Magma Spray with five other Naya playables in the pack? I read you loud and clear, neighbors! I have to believe I'll be taking the Jund/Naya leftovers in Conflux, though, as I've been taking and passing good Jund options so far.

Pack 1 pick 7:

My Pick:

I will not be passing pinger #4. "You'd never see that in 84," you say? Probably true, but again, depending on why you play, this is an argument for Swiss, not against it.

Pack 1 pick 8:

My Pick:

The correct pick would be to cut Goblin Deathraiders, but I like to take the rares floating by in weak packs, even if they are worthless—it's the collector in me. There's also the positive angle that shipping the 3/1 trampler sends a "Jund" signal that is potentially worth more to my Conflux picks than cutting it is worth to my matches.

If I'd gone Jund, I'd have Branching Bolt, 2x Vithian Stinger, Blood Cultist, Magma Spray, Bone Splinters, Savage Lands, and now Goblin Deathraiders. That would be excellent, but I can't complain about my Naya pile, either.

Pack 1 pick 9:

My Pick:

In retrospect, the Rockcaster Platoon or Bant Battlemage had more chance of seeing play in my deck than the Sighted-Caste Sorcerer did, but it's a minor mistake.

Oh, Cloudheath Drake...[Grandpa Simpson Voice] "When I was a boy, we windmill slammed 3/3 flyers for five first pick! Sometimes they had drawbacks! You kids today with your wheeled Cloudheath Drakes have no idea how good you have it!"

Pack 1 pick 10:

My Pick:

I don't want to be playing the Thorn-Thrash Viashino, so I'd rather set up the possibility of splashing a black or blue bomb while denying fixing to my opponents.

Pack 1 pick 11:

My Pick:

A nice gift from that insane Naya pack. I have first-picked Hissing Iguanar in some packs, thrilled to take one 11th.

Pack 1 pick 12:

My Pick:

Pack 1 pick 13:

My Pick:

He could make the cut if I get a run of good 5cc fatties. That's the end of relevant pack-one cards.

Pack 2 pick 1:

My Pick:

Isn't it nice to check the rare of a PxP1 and know immediately it will be your pick it? I glance at the rest of the pack for reference before clicking the Apocalypse Hydra.

Pack 2 pick 2:

My Pick:

The Paleoloth is conditionally solid, but with removal being a pillar of any limited format and fixing being a pillar of Alara drafting, it really isn't close. Maybe if the Paleoloth didn't say "another" creature with 5 power, he would be good enough to trump the Fiery Fall.

Pack 2 pick 3:

My Pick:

I wavered on the Armillary Sphere over the Aven Trailblazer, but figured that between this and the Jund Panorama, I could potentially splash a black or blue bomb. Obviously, the sphere's real power is in 4c and 5c, but it's good in any shard-based deck.

Pack 2 pick 4:

My Pick:

The Vagrant Plowbeasts are a pain to get rid of, but seven mana is too oppressive without evasion—eight if you want to be able to regenerate it when it hits play. Meanwhile, two-powered flyers for three are a limited staple.

Pack 2 pick 5:

My Pick:

I was thinking at this point that domain might still be a possibility, and that 2/2 first strike isn't shabby even without it. Kranioceros might have been the better pick, but I'd hope not to have to run it after picking up some beef in Reborn, the land where Gorger Wurms can wheel. We also have another spurned 3/3 flyer for five that might have been the correct pick. Sorry Grandpa.

Pack 2 pick 6:

My Pick:

I am happier to run Sylvan Bounty than many others. Obviously fixing is its primary role and that's how I treat it, but every once in a while, gaining 8 life at instant speed can throw off racing math and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The Rhox Meditant is a better card, but Sylvan Bounty is more likely to be important to this deck.

Pack 2 pick 7:

My Pick:

I'd love a Molten Frame for the inevitable Esper match, but Gleam of Resistance is excellent.

Pack 2 pick 8:

My Pick:

Rare draft, or board card? Board card.

Pack 2 pick 9:

My Pick:

Unsummon gets no respect. My pick was clear, though.

Pack 2 pick 10:

My Pick:

The blades in Alara Reborn can make a 3/3 for 3 seem downright expensive, but I'll happily add him to my pile 10th pick.

Pack 2 pick 11:

My Pick:

Excellent. It can start in the main or the board depending on deck depth.

Other relevant Conflux picks:

Pack 3 pick 1:

My Pick:

If you really want to succeed in Magic drafting, you have to hone your pack-opening skills. The Behemoth Sledge a pretty sight. Maybe the Captured Sunlight or Jund Sojourners will table...

Pack 3 pick 2:

My Pick:

I have yet to play with Enlisted Wurm despite being Naya and Bant in a few of my triple Reborn drafts. I'm looking forward to my first six-mana cascade...

Pack 3 pick 3:

My Pick:

This was tough! I had all the tools to splash for the Bituminous Blast, and I came into Reborn ready to take one, but the Retaliator Griffin intrigued me and I wanted to give him a try. A 2/2 for 4 mana is way below the curve, but it's an absolute lightning rod for any opponent that would like to attack without giving me a dragon in the process. And how annoying is he for a removal-free opponent? "Come on, let's race!" Finally, even though I can splash, I have an excellent, consistent Naya deck shaping up and I don't need to mess that up with a fourth color.

Replace the griffin with a crap rare and I splash the Bituminous Blast without a second thought.

Pack 3 pick 4:

My Pick:

Jund Sojourners would go well with my pinger, but I went with a solid two drop instead. Good Esper heading downstream in the Glassdust Hulk and Ethercaste Knight.

Pack 3 pick 5:

My Pick:

I wanted that post, but my fixing is pretty solid and removal is removal.

Pack 3 pick 6:

My Pick:

In triple-Reborn I'm all about the Jund Hackblade here, but this deck needs the Rhox Brute more than it does an unreliably-hasty blade.

Pack 3 pick 7:

My Pick:

I went down to the last few seconds on this pick. Both Qasali Pridemage and Vithian Renegades serve similar functions, but each has important pros and cons. Pridemage can be played without a target on board, is never stuck in hand because you control the only artifact, and can hit enchantments. On the flipside, he doesn't stick around after the dust settles like the renegades. T3 renegades hitting an opposing borderpost is a crippling play. A tough call, but I take the Qasali Pridemage.

I wave at the Vedalken Heretic I seem to see in every draft.

Pack 3 pick 8:

My Pick:

This Trace of Abundance is the cherry on top of my fixing, and probably means I won't have to play the Sylvan Bounty.

Pack 3 pick 9:

My Pick:

Captured Sunlight is difficult to evaluate. Enlisted Wurm, Bituminous Blast and Bloodbraid Elf are obviously great because their worst-case scenarios all produce a reasonable effect on the board for the cost. Captured Sunlight’s worst-case scenario is the type of effect you coax your n00b friends out of playing in their decks. Is four life plus one of my cheaper spells better than the Leonin Armorguard? It’s going to depend on the cheaper spells, but the presence of Apocalypse Hydra in the deck is a knock against the sunlight. On the other hand, Hill Giants with non-evasive, one-shot abilities are not great in a format with 3/2s for two, so I think it’s close.

Pack 3 pick 10:

My Pick:

My desire to test Captured Sunlight led me to pick it again, but I definitely prefer the Naya Sojourners in retrospect, particularly with one Captured Sunlight already.

The next four picks:

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My Final Deck

In-Editor

I’m not loving the Captured Sunlights given the hydra, but overall I think the deck looks quite solid. My big concern is the nutty Jund deck I was passing, despite sharing two of its colors.

The M10 Experiment

Much has been said now about the upcoming change to combat damage. While I will miss pulling damage-on tricks, I believe the motivation for the change—changing counterintuitive rules to reflect player expectation—is good game design. If a rule in your game seems wrong to virtually every new player that encounters it, there is a problem with your rule, not with your new players.

Those predicting a massive strategic loss to combat are blowing things out of proportion. Having to choose between combat damage and sacrifice effects creates a choice that wasn’t there before, and more choices mean more chances for the superior player to outplay the inferior player. This is particularly true online, where damage-on timing is driven home pretty quickly, and understanding it is not an advantage over very many players. Having a better grasp of when to deal damage and when to take out an artifact with Qasali Pridemage, on the other hand, is a genuine advantage.

Another big outcry is over how nerfed pump becomes under M10 rules, and I’m telling you now: the reports of the death of pump are being greatly exaggerated. The only scenario in which pump, bounce, and sacrifice effects will be weaker than they are currently is when you are trading creatures in combat against an opponent with untapped mana, or a sacrifice creature is blocking a creature with trample.

Reading forum comments, you’d think these scenarios happen every combat step, when in my experience, they don’t happen all that much. When it does come up, the impact is definitely rougher on bounce spells, but even in my first article where I ran two Unsummon and played them often, it never came up. It’s certainly a factor that weakens this category of cards, but not to the massive extent many players are claiming. Besides, having to reassess power levels given new circumstances will again favor superior players.

As for the experiment: while I’m not suggesting I represent a statistically-relevant sample, from now until M10 rules take effect online, I will note in my walkthroughs every instance where combat would be affected by M10 rules. I encourage everyone to look out for the M10 Effect, particularly those concerned about the falling sky. Personally, I’m hoping M10 panic causes Colossal Might to start tabling…

R1G1

My opponent wins the roll and keeps, and while I'm assessing the seven below for the draw, he responds to my "gl" greeting with, "hi u2, I'll need it with my draft."

I'm not thrilled about this hand given the flood potential, but I was leaning keep anyway when his comment pushed me over the edge. If my card quality is higher, I should be able to withstand drawing some unwanted land, and at least I can crack the panorama on T2 to thin it by one.

"Some unwanted land" turned out to be quite the understatement. I ripped three straight basics, and the first spell of the game was his T4 Angelic Benediction.

I draw Topan Ascetic, and can either play him out or take my chances with the Captured Sunlight. What's the play on this board? Here are the cards I can hit with the sunlight:

Given the possible pulls, the obvious choice is to play out Topan Ascetic. The first three columns represent results I'm happy with, the fourth column represents non-blanks I don't want to flip, and the fifth column contains straight-up blanks (I count returning the panorama with Naya Charm as a blank). That makes eight good flips and seven bad-to-awful flips. I should really only be casting Captured Sunlight when Villain has a 2-toughness creature, leaving only one total blank to pull in the Apocalypse Hydra.

I didn't look at my deck during the game, though, I just roughed it. My quick thinking at the time was that Topan Ascetic was weak without buddies, Captured Sunlight would maximize my mana, and that most of my flips were good (technically true). I sunlight, and while it doesn't blank, it comes close with Trace of Abundance.

Ouch. One of those things I don't always do but should is open the draft deck I'm playing in the deck editor for easy reference in spots like this. I guessed that my odds of getting a desirable card off of Captured Sunlight were solid, but looking would have quickly convinced me otherwise.

I recommend saving out your limited decks during deckbuilding under your own filing system, but failing that, all submitted limited decks are saved out with a date-and-time naming convention to:

C:\Documents and Settings\[YOUR.PC.USERNAME]\Application Data\Wizards of the Coast\Magic Online\3.0\Decks\TournamentDecks

It's a good habit to save out and load up any limited deck before your first game, but it's all the more important when you are packing mechanics like cascade.

It ended up not mattering. He summoned a Waveskimmer Aven, I used the Oblivion Ring on it, and he followed with Behemoth Sledge. The only spells I drew for the rest of the game were a Rhox Meditant and a Fiery Fall that was too little too late.

R1G2

Time to win two straight. My opening seven on the play:

I might consider keeping this on the draw with the two pulls at a land, but you have to send this back on the play. Six?

Easy keep.

We both fix mana on turn two, my panorama to his Rupture Spire, and I draw Enlisted Wurm and play Matca Rioters having hit Nayatron. He casts a T3 Tidehollow Strix and passes. I draw a Plains, and face the Captured Sunlight decision again. Sunlight, or Hissing Iguanar? I have the same possible pulls, except Oblivion Ring and Topan Ascetic are now possible, and Hissing Iguanar is not:

It's a much closer call this time since removal won't be a blank, but I opted for the sure thing in the iguanar. I swung in with the Matca Rioters, happy to get the pesky strix out of the sky or hit for 3, whatever Villain wants. He declines to block.

He drops a Knotvine Paladin and hits me for 2, and I pull land number six, guaranteeing a T6 Enlisted Wurm. Now is the time to roll the dice on Captured Sunlight, and it turns up...Trace of Abundance. This is where a cascade spell attached to a body or removal feels vastly superior.

I swing in with the rioters and the iguanar, he declines to trade for his Knotvine Paladin, drops to 11 and I pass. He leaves the Tidehollow Strix behind and hits for 3 with the paladin. He taps out for a Sphinx Summoner, and I wince and wait while he searches.

He finds:

Sometimes, there is a defining moment in a draft game where you know you have only two choices: win the match, or quit Magic. This was one such moment. The pressure went up dramatically, with my license to continue playing the game I love now on the line.

I untap and draw Cerodon Yearling. Obviously the Enlisted Wurm is coming out to play, but before or after combat?

The argument for “before” is that I may get removal for one of his flyers. However, we would love nothing more than to trade for either or both of his flyers with a 5/5-plus-something coming into play. I want to offer him trades before unleashing the wurm. Happily, he accepts Hissing Iguanar for Tidehollow Strix, taking a point in the process. I cast my first Enlisted Wurm moments later.

I hit removal, but I wouldn't change my play even knowing Magma Spray was coming. He draws, attacks, and passes without playing a land, obviously up to something, but it’s a trap I’m going to have to spring. I draw into my other Captured Sunlight and this time there’s no reason not to do it before combat. In a hasty move, he responds to my sunlight by casting Winged Coatl for no gain. He is punished for the play when I flip Sangrite Backlash, use it on the coatl, and swing for the win.

R1G3

Villain mulligans to five, and I have these seven on the draw:

Lovely. Between his mull to five and this grip, I feel like this is not going to be my last Magic match. I cast a T2 Armillary Sphere and crack it on T3 over using the panorama to ensure T4 Nayatron for the Retaliator Griffin. Unfortunately, I have to ditch the Molten Frame as a result.

His first non-borderpost play is a T4 Behemoth Sledge. It’s a concern, but with two instant-speed removal spells, I’m hoping to burn in response to equipping for some big tempo swings.

He casts a T5 Sphinx Summoner fetching Tidehollow Strix, which all seems manageable, particularly when I draw a Magma Spray. I can Naya Charm his sphinx and attack, sit back and Naya Charm in response to equipping, or play Vithian Stinger, letting him either hit with a sledge-wielding sphinx or cast and equip the strix before my pinger is on line. What’s the play?

I think he would have already killed the Retaliator Griffin if he could, and since the Fiery Fall can still kill a Sphinx Summoner equipped with the dill hammer, I should give him a chance to make me a 7/7 before I shoot the sphinx out of the sky. I would go with the Vithian Stinger play on a do-over, but I elect to sit back on the Naya Charm in the actual game. He tries to equip, I shoot it down, and he plays out the Tidehollow Strix.

I draw a Forest, play it out, and check my options. I can play the Enlisted Wurm, play the Vithian Stinger with Magma Spray mana up, or sit back on Fiery Fall.

What I want him to do is equip the Tidehollow Strix and attack me, making a 6/6 Retaliator Griffin. If I play the wurm I might hit removal when I actually don’t want the strix dead yet. I’d rather play the Vithian Stinger and pressure him to equip his strix. If he attacks, he’ll probably sit back on defense the following turn to trade his strix for my griffin, and that’s when I can take it out. He obliges.

His play allows me to untap, drop a Plains, and play Enlisted Wurm while leaving a Mountain up to spray and ping his strix at the end of his next turn. I could do it now, but I don’t want to give him a window to play and equip Winged Coatl. This cascade goes much better.

He casts no spell, keeps the strix back on D, and I take it out as planned. He concedes when I draw and cast Behemoth Sledge, and thankfully I don’t have to quit Magic.

R2G1

I win the roll and assess for the play.

Looks good, plenty to do while I wait for white. I face my first decision on T3: play Vithian Stinger or Topan Ascetic?

In many circumstances, I would lead with the ascetic, here. However, I passed two Vithian Stingers and a Blood Cultist in this draft, and if he was the recipient of those gifts, I want to play the first pinger. I have other removal in hand, but I’d rather not have to use it on an opposing pinger just to make way for my own.

He shows Esper with a T3 Island and an Ethercaste Knight. I pull a Plains and can go with the ascetic, leaving Magma Spray mana up, or just tap out for the Retaliator Griffin. What’s the play?

This is very close. I even started to cast the griffin, then decided against it and brought down the ascetic instead. I’d like to give him another turn to use removal on a lesser creature, and the Magma Spray/Vithian Stinger combo is a nice, flexible play to have at my disposal for his upcoming turn.

He swings into me with the knight and four mana up. What’s my combat plan?

I can take out the knight in response to the exalted trigger, or block with Topan Ascetic and buff him up, but saving two damage just isn’t worth tripping the telegraphed trick. Most players in my position are just going to take the two, here, so don’t miss out on opportunities to bluff through a couple points against solid opponents when you are in the Villain's position without a trick. He Agony Warps the Topan Ascetic in response to my end-of-turn ping, and I pat myself on the back for leading with the ascetic.

I draw Naya Charm, and now Retaliator Griffin is the clear play. If he has more removal, I’ll tip my cap and dig for additional threats. Indeed, he has Crystallization for the griffin and swings with the knight. I ping him before untapping, draw a Plains, and plan my turn. What’s optimal, here?

I have no shortage of removal, what I need is a threat. Fortunately, I have removal removal, and play the Oblivion Ring, targeting the Crystallization. This frees up my now-4/4 griffin to do some damage. If I had drawn any kind of threat, I would have let the griffin sit on board for some additional growth until I could de-crystallize for a game-winning attack. I could take out the Ethercaste Knight as well, but why? He’s not going to attack with anything until the griffin is dead.

He drops a couple of flyers to set up a gang block after I play out Matca Rioters. I ping him down to 8, and plan the next turn. Assuming you aren't going to draw anything relevant, what's your play for the upcoming turn?

The win is actually on the table regardless of my draw: untap, tap his team with Naya Charm, ping him, and swing for the final 7. There are also more complicated wins by killing the flyers and using Sangrite Backlash on the griffin. If you didn’t see one of the multiple checkmates in this spot, you have room for improvement in your board awareness, and need to consider all the uses of your spells.

R2G2

I swapped out one or both Captured Sunlights to accommodate Molten Frame and Nacatl Savage from the board. I keep a fine starter and there is some light back and forth early, but he can’t find black mana and succumbs to my superior forces by turn 7 in a game not worth the play-by-play.

R3G2

I can’t find R3G1 anywhere in my replays, and don’t remember much about it except that Villain has a very solid Esper deck, it was extremely close, and my Behemoth Sledge trumped his skillful use of Ethersworn Shieldmage. I’ve sided in Molten Frame and Nacatl Savage again for game two.

My seven on the draw after Villain mulls to six:

Nayatron and the dill hammer alone make this a clear keeper, the rest is gravy.

Villain plays Island and Plains while I draw Hissing Iguanar and a Forest, accelerating with a T2 Trace of Abundance. He hits Espertron on T3, but passes suspiciously. I draw a Magma Spray and can play the Behemoth Sledge or Hissing Iguanar. What's the play?

On the one hand, we want to get our attack on. On the other hand, his most likely holding is something that deals with the iguanar but not the hammer. However, playing Mjolnir here is only super awesome if it specifically leaves him with three unspent mana that he would have otherwise used on the Hissing Iguanar. Those chances aren't high enough to warrant getting cute. I play the iguanar leaving Magma Spray mana up, and he passes without a response.

These are the spots where Magma Spray has the potential to shine, despite not triggering the iguanar. There are so many one- and two-power creatures he could play where Magma Spray creates a tempo blowout at the end of his turn. Unfortunately, his play is Unstable Frontier into Esper Cormorants, and Magma Spray stays in the holster. I draw another Forest, take out his cormorants with the Sangrite Backlash, swing for three and bring the hammer down.

He plays an Island and passes, I draw into a Molten Frame, and despite the trick hanging out of his sleeve, my course is fairly straightforward:

Equip the Behemoth Sledge leaving the Mountain and the traced Forest up, and swing away. With no other plays, I’m springing the trap regardless of what he's up to. Turns out it’s Drag Down, which wasn’t preventable.

We play lands back and forth for a turn and a half, and then he makes a Vectis Agents leaving UW up. I make the obvious Molten Frame play and he nails me with Hindering Light.

Have you ever locked your keys in your car? You know, when you realize as you are slamming the door shut what you’ve done, but not in time to stop yourself? Your autopilot has failed you completely, and you are left staring wistfully at the keys in the front seat. My next play was a lot like that.

I respond to the Hindering Light by wasting a Magma Spray that my autopilot had decided would kill it, and I’m left staring wistfully at the Magma Spray in the graveyard. Compounding the mistake, I take a point of mana burn because of incorrect land tapping for the Molten Frame. I would not have bet that mana burn would be my first example of M10 rules affecting the result of a play, but there you go.

Suffice it to say, this is a spot where neither I nor the Magma Spray shine.

Buck up, carry on, still have a Behemoth Sledge. These mistakes happen to us mortals, it's just that most of us mortals don't then post screen shots of them on the internet. The main thing is not to tilt over it—that will simply lead to more mistakes.

I draw into Oblivion Ring and send away the Vectis Agents before it starts taking four-point chunks out of my life total. He answers right back with an Esper Sojourners, but with a clock twice as long as the Vectis Agents', I'm not hugely concerned, almost any creature will do.

I rip Qasali Pridemage, who definitely fits the description. He suits up with Mjolnir and waits his turn.

Villain plays Esper Stormblade and passes with two cards in hand. I draw a land and swing in with Gleam of Resistance mana, which actually won't even save my pridemage in the face of an Ethersworn Shieldmage. I have to take the risk, though, as my worst case scenario is trading my Qasali Pridemage for his Esper Stormblade, which is not a terrible result.

He does have the Ethersworn Shieldmage and I'm forced to trade without even gaining life.

This was almost my first case where M10 combat rules would have altered the result of a play, but not quite. He swings me down to 15 and passes, and I pull another body to wield the sledge in Matca Rioters. In his first main he cycles an Esper Sojourners tapping my Matca Rioters, which seems like odd timing for the effect until he completes the play with Controlled Instincts.

“Nice play!” (Incidentally, that is the least-used autophrase online). I untap and pull a Rhox Meditant. What's the plan, here?

The straightforward play is Rhox Meditant, then either equip it or play whatever I pull off the draw. The other play is to pass quickly, let him attack into me, and Gleam of Resistance to bring up a 6/7 blocker with lifelink. I decide taking out one of his creatures, gaining six life, and then gaining another five with my follow-up attack is the move that really puts the game away for me, but maybe it's a little fancy-play syndrome. It probably doesn't matter as long as I have the sledge equipped to a creature that can attack.

He correctly plays his Sludge Strider precombat, and I gleam into the blocker as planned. Fancy plays feel great when they work.

I untap, draw a land, play the Rhox Meditant and draw into Apocalypse Hydra for the first time all draft. I could leave the rioters up to block, but I opt for the aggressive play and swing for 5 points of lifelink damage that go unblocked. I move the sledge to the meditant, drooling in anticipation of my next turn.

In his next main, he taps all but three mana to make another Vectis Agents, but declines to pay for the Sludge Strider's trigger. He either has a three-mana, instant-speed play, or he is giving up a two-point life swing for the bluff—highly unlikely. My draw produces a Plains, and I have to decide whether or not his telegraphed instant affects my play, here. Does it?

The correct line starts with an attacking Rhox Meditant, which I failed to do. He's not going to pass on a two-point life swing when racing a Behemoth Sledge for a bluff, so he must have a three-mana play in hand. The possibilities are: Drag Down, Esper Charm, Lapse of Certainty, Resounding Wave, Soul Manipulation, Spell Snip, and Ethersworn Shieldmage.

The soul-crushing possibility here is Soul Manipulation, which is why attacking with the meditant is correct. If he has Ethersworn Shieldmage or Drag Down, he will use them during combat, and it will clear the way for resolving a monstrous Apocalypse Hydra. If I swing in with the meditant and he doesn't have a response, I can reassess what I may need to play around to resolve the hydra.

In the actual game, I didn't think this all the way through, I was just excited to play out the Apocalypse Hydra and I hadn’t fully processed his decision to decline the Sludge Strider activation. Luckily, he was not on Soul Manipulation and I resolve the biggest creature I've ever had in limited Magic.

Yowza! He untaps, draws, and passes, and I attack next turn prepared for an Ethersworn Shieldmage. He obliges, but not only are 11 power and 11 toughness worth of undamageable creatures not enough to take out the hydra, he takes 7 points of lifelinked trample damage in the process. Seems good.

He fails to draw an answer, and thanks to some nigh-broken equipment, I survive voluntarily discarding Magma Spray to 3-0 the draft.

The win makes me 2-0 in ACR drafts after being brutalized by AAA and AAC for so long. It was “only a Swiss queue,” but I remain convinced that Swiss is the optimal format for solid players looking to maximize their return and reduce drafting costs.