This article is part of an ongoing series at my site, draftbetter. Check it out for more drafts and other MTGO articles.
It’s been a week since my last Shadowmoor w/ Eventide draft. The last time I put a week in between drafts, I won the whole thing, what’s in store today?
Same place as the last several drafts, SHM-SHM-EVE, 4-3-2-2 queue and we’re off.
Pack One
Pick One:
A fairly weak pack that leaves only three cards as possible choices. The Safehold Elite, the Cavaliers and the the Mistmeadow Skulk. I like the two g/w creatures more than the Skulk so he’s out. Both of the remaining choices are identical in color but I think the three drop has more power. I can go either g/w or just white or just green with the choice. I guess taking the Elite lets me stay open to more color combinations, but I think the size justifies picking the bigger guy
Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers
Pick Two:
Another fairly weak pick for me. There is clearly one best card in here though.
Scuzzback Marauders
Pick Three:
This one offers up more choices. So far, I have a lot of paths open to me and this pick might close down some of those paths, almost no matter what I pick. I thought I might go for mono green.
Devoted Druid
Pick Four:
Ouch, well, maybe I won’t end up mono green after all. I don’t think this pick was that hard.
Rune-Cervin Rider
Pick Five:
At pick five, this seems really late. I have to take the removal over the battle trick and the excellent Scarecrow.
Prison Term
Pick Six:
Not much here. What is left seems pretty straightforward.
Drove of Elves
Pick Seven:
Again with the weakness with one clear pick for me.
Rune-Cervin Rider
Pick Eight:
A decent two drop for what is shaping up to be a g/w deck thus far.
Somnomancer
Pick Nine:
With the Devoted Druid, I don’t mind my curve being slightly heavier than normal. I will probably have a bunch of four drops for this one.
Mudbrawler Raiders
Pick Ten:
I probably won’t be playing the Wisps, but it’s the only solid color left and I’m not afraid of anything else in the pack.
Viridescent Wisps
Pick Eleven:
Nothing now, I’ll cut the only real playable left.
Spell Syphon
Pick Twelve:
Prismwake Merrow
Pick Thirteen:
Spell Syphon
Pick Fourteen:
Prismwake Merrow
Pick Fifteen:
Inescapable Brute
Pack Two
Pick One:
I was kind of hoping for a Shield of the Oversoul, but I think the Witch has a greater effect on the game.
Seedcradle Witch
Pick Two:
I didn’t take a single good red or black card from the entire first pack, yet I’m getting back spells I would never pass if I was in those colors, specifically the Murderous Redcap and the Puncture Bolt. I can’t take them now though. I’ll try a card that has been at the root of may game swings against me in this series.
Mirrorweave
Pick Three:
Not being that strongly dedicated to green, I think it’s better to take the three drop, who know maybe one of the Howls will come back around.
Hungry Spriggan
Pick Four:
Looks like another four drop to me.
Raven’s Run Dragoon
Pick Five:
Foil Graven Cairns, again. I think I need the battle trick/removal.
Inquisitor’s Snare
Pick Six:
Really? This late? I have never seen this card in the pack at this stage and I am happy to add it.
Trip Noose
Pick Seven:
This pack offers three decent choices for me. I took my time with this one wavering between the Ghastbark and the Turn to Mist. In the end, I have been ending up with way too few creatures and since I was already pretty heavily invested in four drops, the five drop seemed good.
Old Ghastbark
Pick Eight:
Wow, good cards, I love the Spriggan way too much to pass it here.
Hungry Spriggan
Pick Nine:
My pack back and nothing left really. I’ll take the aura in hopes of getting an untapper.
Presence of Gond
Pick Ten:
Umbral Mantle
Pick Eleven:
More conditional removal for the sideboard.
Gloomwidow’s Feast
Pick Twelve:
Easy pick here.
Elsewhere Flask
Pick Thirteen:
Cutting.
Merrow Grimeblotter
Pick Fourteen:
Strip Bare
Pick Fifteen:
Bloodshed Fever
Pack Three
Pick One:
I’m actually not to happy to have to choose between the Snakeform and the Liege. I love the Snakeform, but the Liege has the potential to be amazing, I’ll give it a try.
Battlefire Liege
Pick Two:
Another Liege? I can’t support this one. Of what is left in the pack, I like the Mine-Captain as I don’t know how easy it will be to cast the Fire at Will in a timely fashion. I know I took the Liege last pick, but I’ve got two extra turns to draw land and might have a bigger affect on the game.
Duergar Mine-Captain
Pick Three:
This is what I was hoping to see lots of in this pack.
Recumbent Bliss
Pick Four:
There is literally nothing in this pack for me at all. I’ll cut a potentially devastating card against me.
Flame Jab
Pick Five:
That’s better.
Wickerbough Elder
Pick Six:
I have always like this guy and he compares pretty favorably to the Rootwalla from 10th.
Twinblade Slasher
Pick Seven:
With possible interactions with the Mine Captain and the Mirrorweave, I think the Springjack Shepherd might be good.
Springjack Shepherd
Pick Eight:
Not much already, I hope I have enough playable as there probably won’t be any more coming.
Tilling Treefolk
Pick Nine:
Marshdrinker Giant
Pick Ten:
Maybe this guy can be my finisher?
Duskdale Wurm
Pick Eleven:
Wilderness Hypnotist
Pick Twelve:
Grazing Kelpie
Pick Thirteen:
Kithkin Zealot
Pick Fourteen:
Talara’s Bane
Pick Fifteen:
Slippery Boggle
Final Deck
From one extreme to the other, I don’t have enough spells, in my opinion. I will just have to out creature them. My curve averages as quite a bit over three topping hard on the four slot.
Matches
I’m starting the matches at 1667 and my first round opponent is rated at 1702. Here is my opening hand:
Not very good, but I will have the Rune-Cervin on turn three and plenty of mana to pump it. He will need a solution or die quickly, I keep. He plays a turn one Raven’s Crime and I happily ditch a land and drop the Druid on turn two. I have drawn a couple different spells including the Hungry Spriggan and a Raven’s Run Dragoon which looks to be unblockable against my opponent. I topdeck the Somnomancer and tap down his guy swinging with a 4/4 Drove of Elves, the Dragoon and the Hungry Spriggan. He has a response though and kills the Dragoon with a Cantankerous Thirst and the Spriggan with a Scar before his ability resolves. This puts my Drove down to a 2/2, but he is almost in topdeck mode and I’m feeling pretty good. since I have yet to play my likely finisher.
I draw some more land, enough to keep ditching them to the retraced Raven’s Crime each time he casts it. I swing a few times with the Rune-Cervin Rider and he doesn’t topdeck a solution.
That was kind of close, let’s see about game two where I start like this:
Any land and I’m really golden while still have a play for turn three. I do draw the land and he uses a couple of turns and a couple of cards to get rid of my Wickerbough Elder as I had tapped out on turn five to cast the Marauders. No big, he can’t really get through my Ghastbark and we seem to be in a stalemate.
I have options though. The Mirrorweave might help me win while the Snare is quite good against him. He plays another land and Corrupts my ghastbark while I’m trying to build my creature base and save my removal for his better guys.
We go back and forth a bit and his Raven’s Crime takes out my Mirrorweave. He makes an attack and we exchange almost everything while leaving me with a 4/1 Scuzzback, my unblockable Dragoon, my Drove of Elves with a couple of counters on it and Mudbrawler Raiders. It’s this turn that I use the freshly drawn Recumbent Bliss on his blocker and bring him super low while he exchanges his guy for my trampler. He draws and it isn’t a solution.
On to round two and my new increased rating of 1676. My luck might be over now though as I have magically been paired against the highest rated player I have ever seen in the 4-3-2-2 queue at 1902. What’s he doing here again? This level of play can’t even really help him get better and he is risking losing an armload of points to anyone else who might beat him, so I will try to be that guy. Here’s my opener:
This one seems fine. One plains and at least one land and I’m doing fine. The three four drops and a five drop will hopefully work out for me.
My opponent drops a turn two fang Skulkin and a turn three Tattermunge Duo before I can get down my first creature. I get in some damage and actually hit the guy for a few life with the Liege’s ability to get him low, but it’s not enough as I end up having to chump and waste my spells just to stay alive. Add in the fact that he can forestwalk me out with the Duo and this one’s over pretty fast.
I almost had him, I just need a little more luck. Here’s my starter for game two:
Way too slow, I have to hope to draw something and I don’t have the benefit of the draw on turn one, here’s my next hand:
This won’t work either, it’s bad enough to be playing someone rated over 1900 in the kiddie pool, and then to mull to five on the play feels wrong. Here’s my five:
I was probably keeping it no matter what. I miss my third land drop and on turn four I get a Forest and play out my Devoted Druid. It doesn’t last long:
Fortunately, I draw more land and I am able to make my plays, but I am out of cards way sooner than he is and I can’t hold out.
Another sucky ending to what I thought was a pretty decent draft. Hopefully I’m due for a win soon.
Summary
I did win the two packs as prize and I did pick up a few ratings points as when you lose to someone over 1900, you don’t lose a lot of points and I ended up at 1672 for a small gain there. I felt decently about the draft and my play until that last game.
Until the next one,
draftbetter
1 Comments
Glad to have you back on the site and to have the site back on-line. Hopefully we get you back on track with some more wins.