This was a much better effort then the last article you did. The deck doesn't look too bad tempo loss to Cloudpost, but time walks in Moments Peace to counter balance. I like the video's you actually took the time to show what the deck does. I don't know if it can be good for competitive play (lets see if it's played in the next PE's), but regardless this was a well done article.
i really enjoyed the way you explained your strategy and your game tips.
Juste a question : what about to put a Firespout SB ? It is a bit expansive (that being said no more than a jund charm) and can be fetched with wish. That seems to be good to deal with merf/elf/zoo ...
I actually saw those videos on youtube before reading the article here. All ready then I liked them. A pleasure to read the article and a delight to see the videos of commentaries. You should do the latter a lot more, because it really added to the experience and gave a good view of the Pauper format.
I agree that Swiss is great if you actually want to play 3 rounds (and have the time) and know you are slightly superior to the crowd. However I have had a few swiss drafts where it was clear sharks were in the waters. I don't understand why anyone would slum if they are that good but it happens I guess.
"The Rhox Meditant is a better card, but Sylvan Bounty is more likely to be important to this deck." this struck me as an odd statement. Particularly since you ended up not playing the Bounty and running another Meditant that you picked later.
My feeling about (Trace of Abundance) is that it is a continuation of wild growth which I have always associated with junk even when the format allows for that kind of strategy. A personal prejudice I know but it seems borne out by the Cascading into it twice. On the other hand I don't think either Cascade hurt you much. The few swiss I have played not to mention the ARB Prerelease (where I top 8ed but scrubbed out in the quarterfinals) Trace has seemed a weak card and I have been glad to see my opponent play it. Just curious what the rational is. Clearly it did not hurt your games here.
The other card that has seemed less than good in my own experiences with it is the Yearling. 2/2 haste for 2 in most formats is probably a solid creature being a bear+ but with Blades abounding it seems weak. I can see that it fit your curve but I wouldn't have played with it, preferring maybe the sigil I would have picked instead of the Trace.
I want to say that I enjoyed your article and the fact that you put screenies up to show us the board position (ala Chess Diagrams). Reminded me of my first Chess book in fact. "Bobby Fisher Teaches Chess" which is a great intro for a young player. (I got mine at age 8.) Let me feel that I was actually participating as a spectator. Thanks for illustrating it for us.
...Griffin or Bit Blast? I think Griffin's excellent, obviously, and you kind of needed the guy, but I'm pretty sure that blast is the right pick there every single time. I like most of your picks (and agree with a few of the comments about missed picks -- Platoon over Sighted-Caste Sorcerer would've had a good shot at making your deck, for instance), but I'm pretty sure Blast is 100% over Griffin. One Swamp gives you 4 good black sorces (Panorama, two landcyclers) without even trying, and that's before you pick up the Trace a bit later in the draft. The only other ones I might've done differently are P2P4, where I like Slavedriver marginally more than Trailblazer and think you can expect to splash him, and P3P4 where I like Sojourners over Yearling -- the latter gets outclassed fast (and isn't as hot in a deck where the one color you consistently want early is G), whereas a cycler that can pick off the occasional random Strix/Stinger/Squire and even catch Blades every now and then is going to be early or late. Congrats on the win, though, and thanks for another great play-by-play!
If you believe you're a 2-1 favorite over the field in either a 4322 or Swiss, then your raw EV on 4322s is higher: your EV on the Swiss is (obviously?) just two packs, but your EV on the 4322 works like this: you have a 2/9 chance of winning exactly two packs (a 2/3 chance of winning the first round * the 1/3 chance of losing the second round), a 4/27 chance of winning exactly 3 packs (2/3 * 2/3 * 1/3) and an 8/27 chance of winning 4 packs (2/3 * 2/3 * 2/3), for an EV of 2*(2/9) + 3*(4/27)+4*(8/27) = (12/27)+(12/27)+(32/27) = 56/27 = 2 2/27 packs. More relevantly, though, your Swiss winnings force you to sit through 3 full rounds (of 4 games each), whereas you have a greater than 50% chance of playing no more than 2 rounds in a 4322, and even when you do play all three rounds the last two will often go substantially faster than they do in Swiss, so your expected 'packs/hr' rate is even higher than this.
Very well written and detailed report of a strong deck in the post necro classic environment. I really enjoyed the article. Keep up the good work and I look forward to reading more.
Best wishes
Eternal_Hammer
"Really? I thought the card milled until it found four lands, I didn't realize it read, "If the board is stabilized, you win target game.""
all I'm saying, I suppose, is that there are better ways to phrase your comments. it's just not witty at all. it's just the know-it-all type of arrogance that's plain irritating. like Sheldon Cooper.
I think 4-3-2-2 is still more optimal on the aspect of reducing costs, since a win nets you 2 packs outright. you need 2 wins in swiss just to get 2 packs, and 2 wins in 4322, well, gets you 3 packs.
I really enjoy your articles and your comments but I'm gonna have to respectfully disagree on Mind Funeral and Architects in Draft. I've just had too many personal encounters with these cards to consider them anything but 3rd tier or higher. Having just 1 Mind Funeral can be an alternate win-con if you hold on to it until the right time. Honestly, it's not that I go running for it if I see it, but if it's there and I'm already dedicated to running a deck that uses card advantage, I'll grab it b/c even though its gonna be a dead card for most of the game, it can break an opponent in two in the late game.
On another note, if I've already been handed one Mind funeral, and another comes my way, it just made the other one twice as valuable. It's just something to remember if you guys do decide to try it.
You read 'agitation' where I intend 'animated confidence,' and if my tone annoys or wit fails, well, nobody has a gun to your head.
Which is kind of the point: it's a card game, there's no need to discuss it at all, much less get agitated about it. We're here because, presumably, we like discussing it. One of the primary reasons to write a list or ranking article on any topic is to generate spirited debate.
"Some people love the card, some don't."
This isn't a comparison two works of art, it's a comparison of resources in a strategy game. While there are some blurry lines where deck contents, personal preference, and Vorthos appeal can be a deciding factor, there are also many right answers. I'm seeking them.
This was a much better effort then the last article you did. The deck doesn't look too bad tempo loss to Cloudpost, but time walks in Moments Peace to counter balance. I like the video's you actually took the time to show what the deck does. I don't know if it can be good for competitive play (lets see if it's played in the next PE's), but regardless this was a well done article.
Lightning bolt + Ball lightning + all other stuff already available = a very aggro & fast standard format !
I expect BR decks to be very very solid soon : blightning, anathemancer, terminate ... wow ... will wasteland be released in m10 ? :)
Gah!
The problem with the internet is that you're never up to date, no matter how hard you try! :)
WOO for The Bolt!
i like your presentation and the "what's the play" aspect. and as noted, the M10 rule changes on combat came up once in 3 games...fairly impressive.
Great article - really well written. More please :)
i really enjoyed the way you explained your strategy and your game tips.
Juste a question : what about to put a Firespout SB ? It is a bit expansive (that being said no more than a jund charm) and can be fetched with wish. That seems to be good to deal with merf/elf/zoo ...
gg man & gl for the next PE :)
R2G1, unless I'm missing something, you only have 1 win on board with naya charm unless you draw another mountain.
And Don't knock Vectis Dominator until you've played with it, as it is quite good at racing. Underrated, IMO.
Another advantage of swiss is that you always get to play 3 matches, even when you or your shuffler sucks.
Great draft report and congrats on the win!
I especially like the "whats the play?" sections of your articles
I actually saw those videos on youtube before reading the article here. All ready then I liked them. A pleasure to read the article and a delight to see the videos of commentaries. You should do the latter a lot more, because it really added to the experience and gave a good view of the Pauper format.
http://www.wizards.com/magic/tcg/article.aspx?x=mtg/tcg/magic2010/spoiler
And I give myself the award for least observant reader as Bubba had the link posted above. lol.
I agree that Swiss is great if you actually want to play 3 rounds (and have the time) and know you are slightly superior to the crowd. However I have had a few swiss drafts where it was clear sharks were in the waters. I don't understand why anyone would slum if they are that good but it happens I guess.
"The Rhox Meditant is a better card, but Sylvan Bounty is more likely to be important to this deck." this struck me as an odd statement. Particularly since you ended up not playing the Bounty and running another Meditant that you picked later.
My feeling about (Trace of Abundance) is that it is a continuation of wild growth which I have always associated with junk even when the format allows for that kind of strategy. A personal prejudice I know but it seems borne out by the Cascading into it twice. On the other hand I don't think either Cascade hurt you much. The few swiss I have played not to mention the ARB Prerelease (where I top 8ed but scrubbed out in the quarterfinals) Trace has seemed a weak card and I have been glad to see my opponent play it. Just curious what the rational is. Clearly it did not hurt your games here.
The other card that has seemed less than good in my own experiences with it is the Yearling. 2/2 haste for 2 in most formats is probably a solid creature being a bear+ but with Blades abounding it seems weak. I can see that it fit your curve but I wouldn't have played with it, preferring maybe the sigil I would have picked instead of the Trace.
I want to say that I enjoyed your article and the fact that you put screenies up to show us the board position (ala Chess Diagrams). Reminded me of my first Chess book in fact. "Bobby Fisher Teaches Chess" which is a great intro for a young player. (I got mine at age 8.) Let me feel that I was actually participating as a spectator. Thanks for illustrating it for us.
Lightning Bolt is [O]fficially in... at common.
...Griffin or Bit Blast? I think Griffin's excellent, obviously, and you kind of needed the guy, but I'm pretty sure that blast is the right pick there every single time. I like most of your picks (and agree with a few of the comments about missed picks -- Platoon over Sighted-Caste Sorcerer would've had a good shot at making your deck, for instance), but I'm pretty sure Blast is 100% over Griffin. One Swamp gives you 4 good black sorces (Panorama, two landcyclers) without even trying, and that's before you pick up the Trace a bit later in the draft. The only other ones I might've done differently are P2P4, where I like Slavedriver marginally more than Trailblazer and think you can expect to splash him, and P3P4 where I like Sojourners over Yearling -- the latter gets outclassed fast (and isn't as hot in a deck where the one color you consistently want early is G), whereas a cycler that can pick off the occasional random Strix/Stinger/Squire and even catch Blades every now and then is going to be early or late. Congrats on the win, though, and thanks for another great play-by-play!
If you believe you're a 2-1 favorite over the field in either a 4322 or Swiss, then your raw EV on 4322s is higher: your EV on the Swiss is (obviously?) just two packs, but your EV on the 4322 works like this: you have a 2/9 chance of winning exactly two packs (a 2/3 chance of winning the first round * the 1/3 chance of losing the second round), a 4/27 chance of winning exactly 3 packs (2/3 * 2/3 * 1/3) and an 8/27 chance of winning 4 packs (2/3 * 2/3 * 2/3), for an EV of 2*(2/9) + 3*(4/27)+4*(8/27) = (12/27)+(12/27)+(32/27) = 56/27 = 2 2/27 packs. More relevantly, though, your Swiss winnings force you to sit through 3 full rounds (of 4 games each), whereas you have a greater than 50% chance of playing no more than 2 rounds in a 4322, and even when you do play all three rounds the last two will often go substantially faster than they do in Swiss, so your expected 'packs/hr' rate is even higher than this.
Very well written and detailed report of a strong deck in the post necro classic environment. I really enjoyed the article. Keep up the good work and I look forward to reading more.
Best wishes
Eternal_Hammer
"Really? I thought the card milled until it found four lands, I didn't realize it read, "If the board is stabilized, you win target game.""
all I'm saying, I suppose, is that there are better ways to phrase your comments. it's just not witty at all. it's just the know-it-all type of arrogance that's plain irritating. like Sheldon Cooper.
I think 4-3-2-2 is still more optimal on the aspect of reducing costs, since a win nets you 2 packs outright. you need 2 wins in swiss just to get 2 packs, and 2 wins in 4322, well, gets you 3 packs.
Wow.. Great Article! I just knew that Hydra would be a bomb, and a Hydra equipped with Sledge should be considered a hate crime.
Just one question.. What are your final thoughts on Captured Sunlight?
But he is a character on the Big Bang Theory.
I really enjoy your articles and your comments but I'm gonna have to respectfully disagree on Mind Funeral and Architects in Draft. I've just had too many personal encounters with these cards to consider them anything but 3rd tier or higher. Having just 1 Mind Funeral can be an alternate win-con if you hold on to it until the right time. Honestly, it's not that I go running for it if I see it, but if it's there and I'm already dedicated to running a deck that uses card advantage, I'll grab it b/c even though its gonna be a dead card for most of the game, it can break an opponent in two in the late game.
On another note, if I've already been handed one Mind funeral, and another comes my way, it just made the other one twice as valuable. It's just something to remember if you guys do decide to try it.
I don't know who that is, but I've almost certainly been called worse.
You read 'agitation' where I intend 'animated confidence,' and if my tone annoys or wit fails, well, nobody has a gun to your head.
Which is kind of the point: it's a card game, there's no need to discuss it at all, much less get agitated about it. We're here because, presumably, we like discussing it. One of the primary reasons to write a list or ranking article on any topic is to generate spirited debate.
"Some people love the card, some don't."
This isn't a comparison two works of art, it's a comparison of resources in a strategy game. While there are some blurry lines where deck contents, personal preference, and Vorthos appeal can be a deciding factor, there are also many right answers. I'm seeking them.
I've got a Nephilim Kscope article floating around on my 'flesh this out at some point' pile. Rest assured they haven't been forgotten.
Don't challenge me: I once made a tribal prismatic singleton Kamigawa block deck and won a player-run event with it. :D