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I'm back after a longish lay-off. It's been crazy busy at work but I did manage to squeeze in a Shards of Alara Draft and here it is.
I managed to make it into the 8-4 queue and it didn't even take that long to fire.
Pack One
Pick One:
Some decent cards here. I'm interested in the Spearbreaker Behemoth and the Oblivion Ring. By taking the removal, I leave myself open to Bant, Naya and Esper. I'll have to see what comes around to see what shard I will end up in.
Oblivion Ring
Pick Two:
I think the Esper Charm is good, but with many of the other charms doubling as removal, this one seems a notch below those others. For now, I'll try the 4/4 flier for four mana.
Tower Gargoyle
Pick Three:
Not a very strong pack. only two good choices with what's in my pile up to this point. The Bant Panorama or the Duelist. If I consider that I have made a semi-commitment to Esper with my last pick, then taking a card that requires red will either nullify itself or nullify a previous pick. I think there is still a chance for good fixing in the future so I can try the excellent two drop.
Deft Duelist
Pick Four:
I like the stats on the Gargoyle while the Sigiled Paladin will be harder to cast reliably. I think I want to commit a bit more to Esper with the Gargoyle.
Sanctum Gargoyle
Pick Five:
The ever necessary blue bounce spell is definitely in order here. If cycled, I can't imagine losing but multiple uses make it a pretty easy pick out of this pack.
Resounding Wave
Pick Six:
Another bounce spell I guess. Not a lot here that I want to play anyway as I didn't feel like branching into a fourth color at this point.
Call to Heel
Pick Seven:
At 2/2 Lifelinke for three mana, I like the Windwright Mage's stats. I think I can engineer a spot where I can get it evasive fairly easily. I'm hoping for at least one Executioners Capsule by the end of the draft.
Windwright Mage
Pick Eight:
Now there really is nothing here. I will take the land fetcher in case I need it or just to take it away from someone else.
Naya Panorama
Pick Nine:
There is a chance that I am in the right colors. This guy coming through late is always appreciated. I also really considered the Esper Panorama, but I also figured I had two more packs to pick up fixing.
Cloudheath Drake
Pick Ten:
I seem to be pretty strongly committed to Esper now so I will play two of these guys.
Windwright Mage
Pick Eleven:
Steelclad Serpent
Pick Twelve:
With many of my creatures being artifacts, I might play this guy.
Glaze Fiend
Pick Thirteen:
Sideboard.
Shore Snapper
Pick Fourteen:
Shadowfeed
Pick Fifteen:
Forest
Pack Two
Pick One:
With the amount of good Esper cards in this pack, I'm bound to still get something back on the loop. Since I didn't open an Executioner's Capsule, I better take some excellent removal.
Agony Warp
Pick Two:
A lot of red cards in this pack and it's somewhat disheartening as I didn't take anything red. I didn't see anything red either so someone to my right is definitely picking those cards up. I'll take the charm for now. I think it will have it's uses.
Esper Charm
Pick Three:
I could take another 2/2 for three mana here or I could do like I promised myself and take some fixing.
Grixis Panorama
Pick Four:
Now that is what I'm talking about.
Arcane Sanctum
Pick Five:
I'm in white and I'm bound to get a quality creature of my opponent's out of the game by the time I can cast this.
Resounding Silence
Pick Six:
I suppose I could try branching out, but I don't think I should. For now, I'll try the white Time Ebb.
Excommunicate
Pick Seven:
I'm not as high on the Obelisks as I was in my first Shards draft. I'm not sure if this guy will end up in my deck, but I'm willing to take it in case I need it.
Dawnray Archer
Pick Eight:
The picks have not been coming as I hoped they would. I'm not even sure if I will play any of the cards that are in this pack, no matter what I picked.
Cancel
Pick Nine:
More fixing is good.
Grixis Panorama
Pick Ten:
More bounce is also good.
Resounding Wave
Pick Eleven:
Three? I can trade one off early to give the bonus to the other two.
Windwright Mage
Pick Twelve:
Cancel
Pick Thirteen:
Jhessian Lookout
Pick Fourteen:
Lush Growth
Pick Fifteen:
Mountain
Pack Three
Pick One:
No bomb rare here for me. I like the Grixis Battlemage but if I'm going to take a three drop, I like the flier better.
Kathari Screecher
Pick Two:
Two of these seems so good.
Agony Warp
Pick Three:
Now this guy has to be good right. Almost every one of my creatures is an artifact and playing him on turn four or five has to lead somewhere good.
Mater of the Etherium
Pick Four:
More fixing for now out of a relatively weak pack.
Bant Panorama
Pick Five:
Again, with so many artifact creatures, I have a very good chance of trading an early drop then getting it right back with a 2/3 flier left behind. Plus, I can nullify creature removal.
Sanctum Gargoyle
Pick Six:
Nothing from here is going in my deck. I'll cut the spell that could hurt me.
Naturalize
Pick Seven:
Two spells that I want here. The flier and the untapper. I thought the artifact creature went better in my deck.
Filigree Sages
Pick Eight:
Not much here really.
Cancel
Pick Nine:
I almost took this one the first time around. I'll happily take it now.
Grixis Battlemage
Pick Ten:
I think I'll give the Sculler a try. I'll take something, then my opponent will waste a spell on it and I will get it back with a Gargoyle and hopefully take something better.
Tidehollow Sculler
Pick Eleven:
Relic of Progenitus
Pick Twelve:
Vectis Silencers
Pick Thirteen:
Sphinx's Herald
Pick Fourteen:
Cathartic Adept
Pick Fifteen:
Island
Final Deck
Four removal and four bounce spells coupled with an army of almost all artifact creatures. I thought I would try the Glaze Fiend as it kind of reminded me of that Ravnica spell Halcyon Glaze.
Matches
If you've been following the series, then you know from my last draft that I managed to raise my rating up to 1736. My opponent for this first round in the 8-4 queue is rated at 1718. Here we go with my first hand:
Seems like an easy keeper. I have all the colors I will need and plenty of removal. I just need creatures and will have to draw them. My opponent gets a fast start with the 2/2 haster for two mana and gets in a couple hits before I play out my first Windwright Mage. We exchange those creatures and I play out my second Mage the next turn. Meanwhile, I have been killing his bigger and more troublesome creatures with my other removal spells while bringing my life total back up with the Lifelink ability on the Mage.
I'm really hoping to be able to cycle these Resounding Waves that I've drawn, but we will have to see. I get down an army of fliers and I do end up being able to cycle one of the Waves and I pull way ahead and into the win column.
Not a bad start. I weathered a fast start into big creaatures just fine. Let's see how game two goes with this opener:
Seems just fine to me. I draw some lands and my early Glaze Fiend gets in for some good damage. I again exchange early creatures for his while he is using his naya Battlemage to tap down my bigger creatures. We fill up the board a little, but I am pulling ahead in card quality.
I have backup for his creatures and decide to take out his Jund Battlemage to prevent him from generating a throw-away blocker every turn. Plus, I have the Filigree Sages to untap my guys if he tries to tap them down. he does pull back into the game with some high quality creatures and well timed removal.
I have the Sanctum Gargoyle to get back my Master of Etherium and that pretty much seals the deal as he is really unable to do anything against my board.
One match win away from the prize. I'm not sure how I will handle a finals match in the 8-4 queue as it has been many years since I've played in these queues and actually made it there. (I once joined an 8-4 queue on accident back in the Onslaught days and made it to the finals before I realized I was actually in the 8-4 queue. I happilly split that one)
I got myself up to 1744 with that win and will face another tough opponent rated at 1765. Here's my opening hand for round two:
Seems pretty good to me, I keep. I get down the Duelist on turn two using the Arcane Sanctum. I get in a couple swings with him before he stops me cold with the Topan Ascetic. Fortunately, I have a couple other creatures that can continue the attack.
It doesn't take long for him to stop me though and get back to better than even with a Kiss of the Amesha. From there he really man-handles me with card advantage.
I manage to cycle the Resounding Wave, but I'm still too far behind to be able to use it and I am dead to his many quality creatures.
That seemed like a really good draw for him though, let's hope that was the pinnacle of his deck. I sideboard in the Shore Snapper for the Glaze Fiend as it seems like it might come in more useful in this match. as he was pretty bleh last game. Here's my opener for game two:
Three land that will get me everything I need plus my sideboard card and other good stuff. I keep. I get down some creatures, but so does my opponent. I am unable to attack effectively and I miss more than a couple land drops.
My hand has been filling up with four drops while I'm stuck on three land. I use the Tidehollow Sculler to take out his three drop Topan Ascetic and I use the Excommunicate to get ahead in the race, but my opponent drops his hand and things are just not looking good for me.
I stay in it for a while though and get to the point where one more attack and I can win it all. My opponent picks this time though to get through for that last bit of damage and I'm toast.
Obviously, another blue land there and I probably win this game and give myself a chance to win into the finals.
Summary
As I have said before though, can't win 'em all. I felt a bit unlucky in that last game there as I didn't draw a single piece of removal and I managed to have mana problems as well. I really felt that I had a game against this opponent and came up short. My opponent did mention that he pretty much got a god-draw in game one and one card would have made all the difference in game two.
I end that draft back at 1736 for exactly no change in rating and, since it was an 8-4 queue, no prize. I did feel like I had another good draft making this the second good feeling in a row and I am glad to be headed in that direction.
See you next week,
draftbetter
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