These are great additions to the article.
Trade automation - ala MMO auction houses.
Infinite loop tech - I hadn't thought of this, but it's a fantastic idea - I won't play looped combos anymore, because they are too time consuming and not fun.
More shortcuts and customisable would be great too.
I read your description about a gem in your article but the word "gem" never appears anywhere. A tip for good writing would be to have the description embedded in the article where you are mentioning so that someone like me with limited time who just wanted to see the gem can find it quickly.
As above, Exclusion Ritual should've been picked around pick 5 or whenever you got it.
I think Kuldoltha Flamefiend is significantly more powerful than Mortarpod... but only when you're already in red and trying to go for artifacts. You were in red/white, the premier artifact color of the set; there's really no reason to pass Flamefiend here. Now, I love Mortarpod as much as the next guy (I frequently first picked it over Flamefiend in MSS drafts, primarily to keep open), but I don't think it's the pick here.
Speaking of, Goblin Wardriver over Lumengrid Gargoyle around p2p4 doesn't seem very good to me. There are tons of artifact synergies in the block that work well with Gargoyle and artifact creatures you'll be sure to pick up, but Wardriver is usually only good in the heavy Leonin Skyhunter or heavy low-drop deck. I'm not saying the pick was wrong, but it seems highly speculative to me rather than the surefire 4/4 flyer in Gargoyle.
Yes, Pegasus Stampede is amazing. I underrated it here and it crushed me in the next couple of drafts.
As for Erratic Portal... I ignored it, mostly. I always attribute the card to EDH decks and bouncing your own guy with it, so I forgot that it acts on your opponent's creatures as well.
Wall of Nets is fine, but not what I wanted to be doing. Not only am I not controlling at all, there's far too much evasion in this format to rely on just one wall when I could be taking a proactive creature instead. I made a couple of mispicks in the draft, but Visionary over Wall of Nets was not one of them.
The second copy of Reconnaissance seemed like it would give me more of an edge over people than a second copy of something like Standing Troops or a first copy of Skyshroud Falcon.
Thanks for calling me out on my illiteracy, and thanks for the comment.
Is one of the DEEPEST tempest packs I have ever seen. Not counting wasteland (which you obviously windmill slam EVERY TIME), here is the order I would rate all the playable cards (not listing unplayables)
11 SUPER playable cards and a $50 Uncommon? Thats a really ridiculous pack man, nice open :)
Also I agree with the troll above me, some of the cards you passed were pretty amazing - pegasus stampede wins games by itsself. I do like the Soltari Visionary pick over the Wall of Nets however, your plan was obviously aggro, not UW control or something where the wall would fit better...
Just read your comments for the other author and you immediately stopped by to berate me. Thanks for your time. Apologies I spent 2 seconds updating my sound....
I am sooo glad ur back posting videos again and of course grats to the Dallas Mavs it has been a long time coming for them. again good job as usual bro on the videos.
i have to say you had that second round u had metal craft and could have at least taken 2 creatures off the board and turned things back around but i think you got a little passive that round but hey sometimes we make mistakes that put us in a funk and that is all it takes.
_GMac_, I admit I COMPLETELY misread that card - the white one, it was the first very time I had ever SEEN it. I believe I faced it and got owned by it. Strangely enough I will first pick it in the future if I need to :D (learn something new every day)
Eldarock, I appreciate the response man. I have truly missed posting and getting some drafts out there to be dissected by the public.
judging by the time you posted this you have since read more of my posts with MMogg, but I feel compelled to answer these or at least try to clear up some things.
1. I am not angry at those of you with all the cards or people with the money to buy them. I am angry with the fact that WotC doesn't seem to care a whole lot about the format and that alot of people simply don't understand that Classic will not grow as long as there is a huge limit on cards...which leads to higher prices(especially when combined with other factors..limited runs,etc.). Reprinting/releasing is simply the most reasonable fix, printing more cards/bringing back the sets with these cards etc. The only other option would be for WotC to increase prize payout substantially so that someone on the fence would say "it's worth the 700" to build that deck and win X+ packs or to get all these "mystery people" who some people think are just sitting on these cards. I don't see WotC doing that, so the only other option I see is to promo or re-release these cards.
2.I have never accused you personally of not wanting reprints, but if you think there aren't alot of people out there who would get pissed and be angry due to financial aspects, you're a fool. Those are the people those comments are directed to and I can call a few out by name if you need, but I don't feel that is warranted.
3. No apologies(sarcastic or not) needed. I had the forethought years ago, I have been playing Magic since 1995 and online since 2002 not long after it released. I have a pretty substantial collection with many staple cards, just not enough to justify spending the excess on a 600 playset of FoW, but none of this is my point. What do you tell someone new to the game who just downloaded it and started last week, last month, last year?? Is it their fault they didnt have the "forethought" to know that FoW was going to cost them a month's rent? Or should they just save up for a year so they can maybe buy that Classic deck for next year's events? All the while the Classic DE don't fire, two man queue's are non-existent and don't even look in PE for anything... how many of these type of players are out there..I'm willing to be dozens if not hundreds. You don't think that if WotC offered FoW as a rewards card for say level 4 that more people won't buy tix from the store to get it and then use those tix to get other staples?? Seriously?? I, along with many others appreciate your advocacy on Classic, but truth is a matter of perception and what side of the fence you are on ..have or have not..and there are sooo many more have not's. I have yet to see anyone arguing against me post any other ideas to Increase Classic traffic..which was basically the question you asked weeks ago that started this whole rift. If increases in card pool is not the answer..offer up something else(aside from prize increase, which I have covered as well).
You are undervaluing pegasus stampede, and overvaluing green as a color in this format, but the one truly egregious pick here was p3p1. Erratic Portal is a stone cold bomb. It may not be obvious at first glance, but trust me, it is ludicrous. You actually got to see the two biggest bomb rares in Exodus picks 1 & 2, but obviously you couldn't take Equilibrium. Trust me though, Erratic Portal is absurd. I would take it over Slaughter.
It is true that Reconnaissance looks unplayable, but is actually a card, due to the ability to remove creatures from combat & untap them AFTER damage resolves, but it still isn't a card I an excited to have in my deck. The deck you ended up with is reasonable, but looks like it would just fold to a turn 2 dauthi guy, mostly due to the undesirable color combo you ended up in.
I stopped watching at "This Card [Exclusion Ritual/Desert Twister, when you're already heavy white] is a horrible limited card."
Even if you were white/black the pick there is almost certainly the 6 mana vindicate. The fact that it randomly meddling mages a duplicate of a card is just icing. (And yes, I've had a card named by Exclusion Ritual stuck in my hand in limited before.)
I lost interest in the digital game and switched back to playing with paper cards and
I enjoy Magic more than I ever did online. Each version has its own advantages/disadvantages,
sure, but that weekly trek to the game store has turned into a highlight of my week.
People are a lot nicer to deal with in person. I don't miss the ragequits and vile rants from
online at all. One aspect of paper magic that the online game can never equal is the thrill of
cracking packs. I had forgotten how sweet it is to win a bunch of packs and crack 'em open to
get to the goodies!
I wonder if prophetic Prism was a better play than Oracle? If you drew into a Missionary then you would be on 6 life with a blocker in play and he needs 2 burn cards. If you didn't you were no worse off. Looking forward to part 2.
JM
"Again, nice article. I am hoping WotC can get a good client for once. I would love to see an iPad app too, but one can only dream."
I'm astonished that WotC doesn't at least have an in house App for the ipad. 4th edition D&D would seem to be built for an ipad application
These are great additions to the article.
Trade automation - ala MMO auction houses.
Infinite loop tech - I hadn't thought of this, but it's a fantastic idea - I won't play looped combos anymore, because they are too time consuming and not fun.
More shortcuts and customisable would be great too.
Constructive criticism is good. Your idea of 'truth' shows of personal insecurities behind the veil of anonymity.
If you cant take criticism then dont post to public websites.
For a good portion of the draft you had the mtgo minimized making it very hard for anyone without a huge monitor to see what you are doing.
You also had mtgo sound effects going on in the background.
Both make it extremely hard to watch this. Not trolling, telling you the truth.
If you are going to post videos, do them right.
I read your description about a gem in your article but the word "gem" never appears anywhere. A tip for good writing would be to have the description embedded in the article where you are mentioning so that someone like me with limited time who just wanted to see the gem can find it quickly.
As above, Exclusion Ritual should've been picked around pick 5 or whenever you got it.
I think Kuldoltha Flamefiend is significantly more powerful than Mortarpod... but only when you're already in red and trying to go for artifacts. You were in red/white, the premier artifact color of the set; there's really no reason to pass Flamefiend here. Now, I love Mortarpod as much as the next guy (I frequently first picked it over Flamefiend in MSS drafts, primarily to keep open), but I don't think it's the pick here.
Speaking of, Goblin Wardriver over Lumengrid Gargoyle around p2p4 doesn't seem very good to me. There are tons of artifact synergies in the block that work well with Gargoyle and artifact creatures you'll be sure to pick up, but Wardriver is usually only good in the heavy Leonin Skyhunter or heavy low-drop deck. I'm not saying the pick was wrong, but it seems highly speculative to me rather than the surefire 4/4 flyer in Gargoyle.
The dual commentary would be welcome. :)
Yes, Pegasus Stampede is amazing. I underrated it here and it crushed me in the next couple of drafts.
As for Erratic Portal... I ignored it, mostly. I always attribute the card to EDH decks and bouncing your own guy with it, so I forgot that it acts on your opponent's creatures as well.
Wall of Nets is fine, but not what I wanted to be doing. Not only am I not controlling at all, there's far too much evasion in this format to rely on just one wall when I could be taking a proactive creature instead. I made a couple of mispicks in the draft, but Visionary over Wall of Nets was not one of them.
The second copy of Reconnaissance seemed like it would give me more of an edge over people than a second copy of something like Standing Troops or a first copy of Skyshroud Falcon.
Thanks for calling me out on my illiteracy, and thanks for the comment.
I actually submitted this article a few weeks ago, so that explains both the timing and lack of video (I didn't have a working microphone!)
Is one of the DEEPEST tempest packs I have ever seen. Not counting wasteland (which you obviously windmill slam EVERY TIME), here is the order I would rate all the playable cards (not listing unplayables)
-Dark Banishing
-Soltari Crusader
-Dismiss
-Counterspell
-Enfeeblement
-Canyon Drake
-Mogg Fanatic
-Manakin
-Time Ebb
-Rootbreaker Wurm
-Spike Drone
11 SUPER playable cards and a $50 Uncommon? Thats a really ridiculous pack man, nice open :)
Also I agree with the troll above me, some of the cards you passed were pretty amazing - pegasus stampede wins games by itsself. I do like the Soltari Visionary pick over the Wall of Nets however, your plan was obviously aggro, not UW control or something where the wall would fit better...
Good Read. Zach
I wish this had come out a few weeks ago when TSE drafts were happening and I wish it had videos!
Are the perfect example in how to troll articles.
Just read your comments for the other author and you immediately stopped by to berate me. Thanks for your time. Apologies I spent 2 seconds updating my sound....
Turn off mtgo sound effects before doing a video.
Maximize mtgo immediately so people can actually see what is happening.
This is a good example of how not to record and post a draft properly.
I came down here only to see that ptjvs had me beat.
Erratic portal is completely nuts, and you took an angelic blessing over it...
You made a lot of mediocre picks...but CMON!
Wall of nets is also amazing. Completely stops them from attacking until they kill a 7 toughness wall.
You completely ignored Pegasus stampede...twice .
You need to start reading all the cards, not just glancing at them. This is a pretty poor example of how to draft tse.
Why would you play 2 copies of reconnaissance?
I am sooo glad ur back posting videos again and of course grats to the Dallas Mavs it has been a long time coming for them. again good job as usual bro on the videos.
i have to say you had that second round u had metal craft and could have at least taken 2 creatures off the board and turned things back around but i think you got a little passive that round but hey sometimes we make mistakes that put us in a funk and that is all it takes.
_GMac_, I admit I COMPLETELY misread that card - the white one, it was the first very time I had ever SEEN it. I believe I faced it and got owned by it. Strangely enough I will first pick it in the future if I need to :D (learn something new every day)
Eldarock, I appreciate the response man. I have truly missed posting and getting some drafts out there to be dissected by the public.
Best,
Zach
judging by the time you posted this you have since read more of my posts with MMogg, but I feel compelled to answer these or at least try to clear up some things.
1. I am not angry at those of you with all the cards or people with the money to buy them. I am angry with the fact that WotC doesn't seem to care a whole lot about the format and that alot of people simply don't understand that Classic will not grow as long as there is a huge limit on cards...which leads to higher prices(especially when combined with other factors..limited runs,etc.). Reprinting/releasing is simply the most reasonable fix, printing more cards/bringing back the sets with these cards etc. The only other option would be for WotC to increase prize payout substantially so that someone on the fence would say "it's worth the 700" to build that deck and win X+ packs or to get all these "mystery people" who some people think are just sitting on these cards. I don't see WotC doing that, so the only other option I see is to promo or re-release these cards.
2.I have never accused you personally of not wanting reprints, but if you think there aren't alot of people out there who would get pissed and be angry due to financial aspects, you're a fool. Those are the people those comments are directed to and I can call a few out by name if you need, but I don't feel that is warranted.
3. No apologies(sarcastic or not) needed. I had the forethought years ago, I have been playing Magic since 1995 and online since 2002 not long after it released. I have a pretty substantial collection with many staple cards, just not enough to justify spending the excess on a 600 playset of FoW, but none of this is my point. What do you tell someone new to the game who just downloaded it and started last week, last month, last year?? Is it their fault they didnt have the "forethought" to know that FoW was going to cost them a month's rent? Or should they just save up for a year so they can maybe buy that Classic deck for next year's events? All the while the Classic DE don't fire, two man queue's are non-existent and don't even look in PE for anything... how many of these type of players are out there..I'm willing to be dozens if not hundreds. You don't think that if WotC offered FoW as a rewards card for say level 4 that more people won't buy tix from the store to get it and then use those tix to get other staples?? Seriously?? I, along with many others appreciate your advocacy on Classic, but truth is a matter of perception and what side of the fence you are on ..have or have not..and there are sooo many more have not's. I have yet to see anyone arguing against me post any other ideas to Increase Classic traffic..which was basically the question you asked weeks ago that started this whole rift. If increases in card pool is not the answer..offer up something else(aside from prize increase, which I have covered as well).
4. I'll chalk this one up to maturity or mood.
I run on a laptop with touchpad and wifi almost daily...must be something specific with your hardware
You are undervaluing pegasus stampede, and overvaluing green as a color in this format, but the one truly egregious pick here was p3p1. Erratic Portal is a stone cold bomb. It may not be obvious at first glance, but trust me, it is ludicrous. You actually got to see the two biggest bomb rares in Exodus picks 1 & 2, but obviously you couldn't take Equilibrium. Trust me though, Erratic Portal is absurd. I would take it over Slaughter.
It is true that Reconnaissance looks unplayable, but is actually a card, due to the ability to remove creatures from combat & untap them AFTER damage resolves, but it still isn't a card I an excited to have in my deck. The deck you ended up with is reasonable, but looks like it would just fold to a turn 2 dauthi guy, mostly due to the undesirable color combo you ended up in.
jvs
I stopped watching at "This Card [Exclusion Ritual/Desert Twister, when you're already heavy white] is a horrible limited card."
Even if you were white/black the pick there is almost certainly the 6 mana vindicate. The fact that it randomly meddling mages a duplicate of a card is just icing. (And yes, I've had a card named by Exclusion Ritual stuck in my hand in limited before.)
I lost interest in the digital game and switched back to playing with paper cards and
I enjoy Magic more than I ever did online. Each version has its own advantages/disadvantages,
sure, but that weekly trek to the game store has turned into a highlight of my week.
People are a lot nicer to deal with in person. I don't miss the ragequits and vile rants from
online at all. One aspect of paper magic that the online game can never equal is the thrill of
cracking packs. I had forgotten how sweet it is to win a bunch of packs and crack 'em open to
get to the goodies!
Great as always. I have a feeling v4 will be another big letdown.
However, "shadow mode" is limited to admins (WoTC employees).
I wonder if prophetic Prism was a better play than Oracle? If you drew into a Missionary then you would be on 6 life with a blocker in play and he needs 2 burn cards. If you didn't you were no worse off. Looking forward to part 2.
JM
"Again, nice article. I am hoping WotC can get a good client for once. I would love to see an iPad app too, but one can only dream."
I'm astonished that WotC doesn't at least have an in house App for the ipad. 4th edition D&D would seem to be built for an ipad application
>I'd like to see a client that supports play with a laptop, with a touchpad, on wifi.
I've been playing with this exact setup for quite some time. :O
What am I missing?
Part an parcel of the whole chat/communication system - it's something I really hope to see.