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By: coolbartbr, Ben Razon
Dec 05 2007 10:41am
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Well I decided to draft myself this time with the credit I got from the last article.  It didn't go so well since I lost first round, although it was a pretty close match, and had I played better I probably could have won round one. When writing this article I had an interesting conundrum. I didn't make any really bad picks, but had I read the signals better I would have ended up with a completely different deck. This would probably have lead to other people ending up in different tribes, and would have left me with better cards. So instead of taking the revised picks as strictly better, I guess consider them as a different option, since I don't really have any proof that the new one would have turned out better, but I do know that my original deck wasn't good enough.

Draft:

Pack 1:

 

Sentinels of Glen Elendra, Stinkdrinker Daredevil, Dreamspoiler Witches, Battlewand Oak, Oaken Brawler, Pestermite, Black Poplar Shaman, Elvish Eulogist, Wings of Velis Vel, Caterwauling Boggart, Goldmeadow Dodger, Incremental Growth, Squeaking Pie Sneak, Giant Harbringer, (The Rare is missing)

Original Pick: Pestermite

Revised Pick: I agree with this pick, Incremental Growth is pretty good, but I don't like green in Lorwyn at all, and pestermite lets me play either merfolk or faeries, two of the best archetypes. Plus, Pestermite is the best common faerie.

Pack 2:


Bog-Strider Ash, Eyeblight's Ending, Mudbutton Torchrunner, Springleaf Drum, Oakgnarl Warrior, Goldmeadow Harrier, Glimmerdust Nap, Soaring Hope, Elvish Branchbender, Wellgabber Apothecary, Aquitect's Will, Woodland Guidance, Giant Harbinger, Merrow Reejerey

Original Pick: Merrow Reejerey

Revised Pick: Here is where it gets interesting. Reejerey is nice, but only in a merfolk deck. On the other hand Eyeblight's Ending is some really amazing removal,and doesn't commit us to anything. Basically this pick determines the draft more or less. Eyeblight's Ending is probably better in a vacuum, but merfolk are the best tribe. With the rare missing you can't know that our neighbor isn't drafting merfolk though. So in the end although I really want to take the Reejery, taking the Eyeblight's Ending is the pick.

 Pack 3:

     
   
   

 

Adder-Staff Boggart, Wispmare, Consuming Bonfire, Boggart Loggers, Runed Stalactite, Triclopean Sight, Nath's Buffoon, Caterwauling Boggart, Tideshaper Mystic, Thorntooth Witch, Glarewielder, Veteran of the Depths, Swamp

Original Pick: Veteran of the Depths

Revised Pick: Veteran of the Depths is actually not all that great, and now without the Reejerey I think I would have taken Boggart Loggers. It seems rather unimpressive, but it can take out all the nasty changelings even if you aren't playing against treefolk. I don't like Consuming Bonfire because its a five mana removal spell with double red and it can't even hit players.

Pack 4:

Lignify, Weed Strangle, Kithkin Healer, Deeptread Merrow, Kithkin Daggerdare, Fire-Belly Changeling, Skeletal Changeling, Aquitect's Will, Kinsbaile Skirmisher, Spring Cleaning, Glen Elendra Pranksters, Entangling Trap

 

Original Pick: Deeptread Merrow

Revised Pick: This was just a bad pick all around. Assuming I was going for merfolk the Pranksters still would have been better. As it is though, Weed Strangle goes well with the black cards I have.

Pack 5:

 

Moonglove Winnower, Kinsbaile Balloonist, Inner-Flame Acolyte, Spiderwig Boggart, Flamekin Brawler, Tideshaper Mystic, Rootgrapple, Triclopean Sight, Hunter of Eyeblights, Wanderwine Prophets, Familiar's Ruse

Original Pick: Wanderwine Prophets

Revised Pick: Yet another bad pick by me. Wanderwine Prophets is a fairly bad card, so even in merfolk Kinsbaile Balloonist would have been a better pick. In the new draft Hunter of Eyeblghts is easily the best pick since worst case scenario you give them a +1+1 counter to make them burn a removal spell, but best case scenario you killed a creature and got a decent body. Sounds like a good deal to me.

 

Pack 6:

Kithkin Greatheart, Oakgnarl Warrior, Deeptread Merrow, Goldmeadow Harrier, Heal the Scars, Skeletal Changeling, Shields of Velis Vel, Fire-Belly Changeling, Veteran of the Depths, Hunter of EyeblightsPick: Goldmeadow Harrier

Original Pick: Goldmeadow Harrier

Revised Pick: This was actually the correct pick if you take the other original picks into account, but Hunter of Eyeblights is better, again.

Pack 7:

 

 

Quill-Slinger Boggart, Bog-Strider Ash, Shields of Velis Vel, Mournwhelk, Needle Drop, Springjack Knight, Heal the Scars, Sylvan Echoes, Fallowsage

 

Original Pick: Fallowsage  

Revised Pick: Again not neccessarily a bad pick, but I really should be in Black, so Mournwhelk it is.

 

 

Pack 8:

 
 
 

Hurly-Burly, Paperfin Rascal, Runed Stalactite, Goldmeadow Dodger, Flamekin Brawler, Facevaulter, Sylvan Echoes, Needle Drop

Original Pick: Paperfin Rascal

Revised Pick: Well Paperfin Rascal is a nice merfolk, but since in thie revised draft I'm not in merfolk I would take the stalactite to keep my options open, since other than black we aren't committed to anything yet, and nothing in this pack is good enough to make me commit to a new color.

 

Pack 9:

Stinkdrinker Daredevil, Oaken Brawler, Black Poplar Shaman, Elvish Eulogist, Caterwauling Boggart, Goldmeadow Dodger, Twinning Glass

Original Pick: Stinkdrinker Daredevil

Revised Pick: Stinkdrinker Daredevil feels like a wasted pick here since in the original deck oaken brawler probably had a chance to get played. In the revised deck though I would have taken cauterwauling bogart as it seems to be the best card in yet another weak pack.

 

Pack 10:

Oakgnarl Warrior, Soaring Hope, Elvish Branchbender, Wellgabber Apothecary, Aquitect's Will, Woodland Guidance

Original Pick: Aquitects Will

Revised Pick: This is a fairly weak pack, but seems to say that green might be open with 3 semiplayable green cards verse almost nothing else (although Aquitect's Will isn't too bad in a merfolk deck). I would take the Woodland Guidance as it seems to be the best card that isn't restrictive.

 

Pack 11:

Adder-Staff Boggart, Wispmare, Triclopean Sight, Nath's Buffoon, Swamp

Original Pick: Wispmare

Revised Pick: Adder-Staff Boggart is the best card here, so I would have been happy to scoop him up this late. In the original merfolk deck Wispmare wasn't neccessarily a bad choice though, although usually you have too many enchantments to even sidboard him in.

 

Pack 12:

Kithkin Healer, Aquitect's Will, Spring Cleaning, Entangling Trap

Original Pick: Aquitect's Will

Revised Pick: Spring Cleaning

 

Pack 13:

Flamekin Brawler, Rootgrapple, Triclopean Sight

Original Pick: Rootgrapple

Revised Pick: Rootgrapple. I like Rootgrapple, and at this point it seems like the draft is leaning towards Black Green, so it has a decent chance of being played.

 

Pack 14:

Heal the Scars, Shields of Velis Vel

Pick: Shields of Velis Vel

 

Pack 15:

Heal the Scars

Pick: Heal the Scars

 

So at this point Black is pretty much guaranteed, with either green or red the likely second color. We have much better removal with the revised picks, but no real archetype.

 

Pack 16:

Hurly-Burly, Lys Alana Huntmaster, Consuming Bonfire, Wispmare, Stonybrook Angler, Thieving Sprite, Faerie Trickery, Nightshade Stinger, Blades of Velis Vel, Elvish Handservant, Inner-Flame Igniter, Changeling Titan, Nectar Faerie, (Missing red rare, but I remember it was jank), Foil Plains.

Original Pick: Stonybrook Angler

Revised Pick: Since I think green is more open than red, I'm going with Changeling Titan over Inner-Flame Igniter here. I also considered Lys Alana Huntmaster, but I don't think we can commit ourselves to having enough elves.

 

Pack 17:

*, *, Goatnapper,

Sentinels of Glen Elendra, Smokebraider, Gilt-Leaf Ambush, Moonglove Winnower, Kinsbaile Balloonist, Inner-Flame Acolyte, Warren-Scourge Elf, Blades of Velis Vel, Cenn's Heir, *, *, Goatnapper, Ceaseless Searblades, Burrenton Forge-Tender

 

Original Pick: Sentinels of Glen Elendra

Revised Pick: With two cards missing making an accurate revised pick is difficult, but I think that Kinsbaile Ballonist is better than the sentinels in the original deck, and in this new one Gilt Leaf Ambush would be the correct pick. Getting two surprise blockers could pobably end up killing a decent attacking creature even without the deathtouch part. On the other hand, the winnower isn't a very cost effective creature.

 

Pack 18:

*,*,

Herbal Poultice, Avian Changeling, Lowland Oaf, Fistful of Force, Aethersnipe, Quill-Slinger Boggart, Blind-Spot Giant, Wellgabber Apothecary, Gilt-Leaf Seer, Boggart Birth Rite, *, *, Auntie's Hovel

Original Pick: Avian Changeling

Revised Pick: I really need to get better at not scrolling over a card for too long, but out of this cards Fistful of Force would have been my pick. Well actually I would have raredrafted Auntie's Hovel, but thats not the point...

 

Pack 19

Woodland Changeling, Springleaf Drum, Kithkin Healer, Footbottom Feast, Lignify, Boggart Birth Rite, Ingot Chewer, Soaring Hope, Shimmering Grotto, Summon the School, Vivid Grove, Glarewielder

Original Pick: Summon the School

Revised Pick: This pick drove me crazy when writing the article at first. How is it that I managed to get a fourth pick Summon the School, and yet not a single Silvergill Douser? Does this mean that merfolk were the correct choice and I just got unlucky that I didn't get passed enough goods? Eventually I came to the realization that one, a single card does not really count as a clear signal. With that out of the way in the revised deck I would take Footbottom Feast because its a house in the late game, and while Woodland Changeling and Lignify are pretty good cards, they just don't do enough.

 

Pack 20:

,tmb= Wren's Run Vanquisher,tmb= (Imaculate Magistrate)

Glimmerdust Nap, Cloudcrown Oak, Wanderer's Twig, Elvish Branchbender, Kinsbaile Skirmisher, Lace with Moonglove, Scarred Vinebreeder, Flamekin Harbinger, Ego Erasure, Wren's Run Vanquisher, Imaculate Magistrate

Original Pick: Glimmerdust Nap

Revised Pick: Not neccesarily a bad pick, but this pack does show that I was in the wrong colors. Glimmerdust Nap is not very good while Wren's Run Vanquisher and the magistrate are both amazing. I would probably go with the magistrate since we don't have enough elves to guarantee being able to play vanquisher turn two. Plus, the magistrate is better if we did have a bunch more elves anyway.

 

Pack 21:

Warren Pilferers, Soulbright Flamekin, Kithkin Daggerdare, Surge of Thoughtweft, Mournwhelk, Zephyr Net, Scarred Vinebreeder, Gilt-Leaf Seer, Protective Bubble, Hunter of Eyeblights

Original Pick: Surge of Thoughtweft

Revised Pick: The lack of a playable card this early is a pretty clear sign that I wasn't in the right colors. As it is we have three solid choices in Hunter of Eyeblights, Mournwhelk, and Warren Pilferers. I prefer the Hunter for the same reasons I took two earlier.

 

Pack 22:

,Horde of Notions

Paperfin Rascal, Nath's Elite, Boggart Sprite-Chaser, Oaken Brawler, Smokebraider, Nightshade Stinger, Warren-Scourge Elf, Familiar's Ruse, Horde of Notions

Original Pick: Paperfin Rascal

Revised Pick: Yay instead of getting a relatively weak Paperfin Rascal (although still definitely playable) we get a Naths Elite. The lure ability is actually incredibly useful from my experience, and a lot of times the opponent has to either be able to remove it in one turn or die from an alpha strike the next.

 

Pack 23:

Boggart Sprite-Chaser, Elvish Handservant, Broken Ambitions, Cenn's Heir, Boggart Forager, Facevaulter, Fallowsage, Forced Fruition

Original Pick: Forced Fruition

Revised Pick: I've actually heard that the fruition is a bomb, but during my games it was actually rather useless. I guess if you draw it in a stall it would be great but its really narrow. The handservant would be the new pick. We might not have many giants, but it does help our curve.  Plus, most decks will have a couple changelings so it could end up being a 3/3.

 

Pack 24:

Wispmare, Nightshade Stinger, Blades of Velis Vel, Elvish Handservant, Nectar Faerie, Heat Shimmer, Plains

Original Pick: Wispmare

Revised Pick: This pick gives us an interesting pick between the handservant and Nightshade Stinger. The handservant helps our tribal synergy, but the stinger will probably get in for more damage in the long run. So far we only have one card that cares about elves, so I feel that taking the better card in a vacuum is the better choice. Now if we had a few more changelings taking the handservant would have been better.

 

Pack 25:

Moonglove Winnower, Warren-Scourge Elf, Blades of Velis Vel, Ringskipper, Ceaseless Searblades, Burrenton Forge-Tender

Original Pick: Blades of Velis Vel

Revised Pick: Yet another wasted pick in the original draft that could have been a useful Moongolve Winnower. We have suprisingly few four drops which makes this guy quite a bit more playable.

 

Pack 26:

Herbal Poultice, Quill-Slinger Boggart, Gilt-Leaf Seer, Boggart Birth Rite, Lammastide Weave

Original Pick: Boggart Birth Right

Revised Pick: Gilt-Leaf Seer helps our curve and is an elf.

 

Pack 27:

Woodland Changeling, Kithkin Healer, Boggart Birth Rite, Soaring Hope

Original Pick: Woodland Changeling

Revised Pick: Yay we can play the changeling this time.

 

Pack 28:

Elvish Branchbender, Lace with Moonglove, Ego Erasure

Pick: I like the Branchbender more than Lace with Moongolve, because it seems like those treefolk will actually end up being a formidable size. Also, giving something deathtouch hardly counts as removal.

 

Pack 29:

Gilt-Leaf Seer, Protective Bubble

Pick: Gilt-Leaf Seer

 

Pack 30:

Oaken Brawler

Pick: Oaken Brawler

 

Pack 31:

,Vivid Marsh

Gilt-Leaf Ambush, Hillcomber Giant, Streambed Aquitects, Stinkdrinker Daredevil, Nameless Inversion, Battlewand Oak, Dawnfluke, Broken Ambitions, Nath's Buffoon, Faultgrinder, Rootgrapple, Vivid Marsh, Sentry Oak, Scattering Stroke, Shelldock Isle

Original Pick: Streambed Aquitects

Revised Pick: Nameless Inversion is the consensus best common in the format, and it definitely has a home in our deck.

 

Pack 32:

,tmb= Elvish Harbinger,

Hornet Harasser, Axegrinder Giant, Woodland Changeling, Mulldrifter, Footbottom Feast, Lowland Oaf, Springjack Knight, Ponder, Bog Hoodlums, Protective Bubble, Prowess of the Fair, Elvish Harbinger, Squeaking Pie Sneak, Glimmerdust NapFoil

Original Pick: Mulldrifter

Revised Pick: Mulldrifter is a solid pick for the original deck, but thats expected out of a second pick, Elvish Harbringer is also very nice for the new deck allowing us to fetch any clutch elf spells we need and even fixes our mana.

Pack 33:

*,tmb= Treefolk Harbinger,

Oblivion Ring, Quill-Slinger Boggart, Bog-Strider Ash, Tarfire, Herbal Poultice, Judge of Currents, Lace with Moonglove, Blind-Spot Giant, Exiled Boggart, *, Treefolk Harbinger, Boggart Shenanigans, Sentry Oak

Original Pick: Oblivion Ring

Revised Pick: For the original deck solid removal like o-ring is a great pick, but for the new deck splashing white probably isn't the best choice. I think that taking the Treefolk Harbinger is the better pick since it can get removal, a nice creature, or even a forest all for the of one green mana. There really isn't a good reason to splash for Oblivion Ring since Treefolk Harbinger can get us removal and doesn't hurt our mana base.

 

Pack 34:

,*,

Mudbutton Torchrunner, Springleaf Drum, Footbottom Feast, Axegrinder Giant, Lignify, Ingot Chewer, Amoeboid Changeling, Spring Cleaning, Exiled Boggart, Hearthcage Giant, *, Amoeboid Changeling Foil

Original Pick: Springleaf Drum

Revised Pick: This is a tough choice between Footbottom Feast and Lignify. I think there is a good chance that Footbottom Feast is a better card in the new deck because although Lignify is removal it does leave a rather annoying wall behind, but it turns out that the feast ends up tableing and I have no clue how that would work so we'll take Lignify even though Footbottom Feast is probably the better card.

Pack 35:

Surge of Thoughtweft, Wanderer's Twig, Avian Changeling, Zephyr Net, Bog Hoodlums, Judge of Currents, Inkfathom Divers, Needle Drop, Merrow Commerce, Veteran of the Depths, Cloudgoat Ranger

Original Pick: Cloudgoat Ranger

Revised Pick: All of these cards are really weak for the new deck, which I think is because of the signals we sent led to someone right upstream of us jumping into green black, but we can take Wander's Twig since everything else has no hope in making the deck.

 

Pack 36:

Kinsbaile Balloonist, Whirlpool Whelm, Boggart Loggers, Adder-Staff Boggart, Hillcomber Giant, Hunt Down, Giant's Ire, Dawnfluke, Spellstutter Sprite, Flamekin Spitfire

Original Pick: Whirlpool Whelm

Revised Pick: In the oridinal deck Kinsbaile Balloonist would probably have been better anyway, but in the new deck Boggart Loggers is solid.

 

Pack 37:

Plover Knights, Paperfin Rascal, Nath's Elite, Elvish Eulogist, Giant's Ire, Lairwatch Giant, Spellstutter Sprite, Ghostly Changeling, Merrow Commerce

Original Pick: Merrow Commerce

Revised Pick: Merrow Commerce is a win more card, so I should have taken Plover Knights anyway instead of trying to get cute with merfolk tricks that I didn't have anyway. In the new deck the choice is basically between Nath's Elite and the changeling. Since, our five spot is very full already and we are very black heavy I would take the changeling.

Pack 38:

Moonglove Winnower, Plover Knights, Lairwatch Giant, Spiderwig Boggart, Boggart Forager, Ringskipper, Hunt Down, Woodland Guidance

Original Pick: Plover Knights

Revised Pick: This is a tough choice between Moonglove Winnower, Woodland Guidance, and Spiderwig Boggart. I think the first card we can cut is the guidance since you'll only win the clash thirty something percent of the time. I think taking the winnower because we are still lacking in four drops makes sense here.

Pack 39:


Hillcomber Giant, Battlewand Oak, Dawnfluke, Nath's Buffoon, Faultgrinder, Rootgrapple, Sentry Oak

Original Pick: Hillcomber Giant

Revised Pick: Although we only have six playable treefolks so far, I can't imagine needing more than one Rootgrapple so we might as well take battlewand oak.

 

Pack 40:


Lowland Oaf, Bog Hoodlums, Protective Bubble, Prowess of the Fair, Squeaking Pie Sneak, Glimmerdust Nap

Original Pick: Glimmerdust Nap

Revised Pick: Prowess of the Fair seems like it'll find a nice spot in our deck.

 

Pack 41:

Herbal Poultice, Lace with Moonglove, Exiled Boggart, Boggart Shenanigans, Sentry Oak

Original Pick: Boggart Shenanigans

Revised Pick: Lace with Moonglove

 

Pack 42:

Footbottom Feast, Ingot Chewer, Spring Cleaning, Exiled Boggart

Original Pick: Footbottom Feast

Revised Pick: Footbottom feast

 

Pack 43:

Zephyr Net, Bog Hoodlums, Needle Drop

Original Pick: Zephyr Net

Revised Pick: Needle Drop

 

Pack 44:

Hunt Down, Dawnfluke

Original Pick: Dawnfluke

Revised Pick: Hunt Down

 

Pack 45:

Paperfin Rascal

 

The original decklist was:

9 Island
7 Plains
1 Aquitect's Will
1 Avian Changeling
1 Cloudgoat Ranger
1 Deeptread Merrow
1 Fallowsage
2 Glimmerdust Nap
1 Goldmeadow Harrier
1 Merrow Reejerey
1 Mulldrifter
1 Oblivion Ring
3 Paperfin Rascal
1 Pestermite
1 Plover Knights
1 Sentinels of Glen Elendra
1 Springleaf Drum
1 Stonybrook Angler
1 Streambed Aquitects
1 Summon the School
1 Veteran of the Depths
1 Wanderwine Prophets
1 Whirlpool Whelm

Sideboard
1 Aquitect's Will
1 Blades of Velis Vel
1 Boggart Birth Rite
1 Boggart Shenanigans
1 Dawnfluke
1 Ego Erasure
1 Footbottom Feast
1 Forced Fruition
1 Heal the Scars
1 Hillcomber Giant
1 Merrow Commerce
1 Oaken Brawler
1 Protective Bubble
1 Rootgrapple
1 Shields of Velis Vel
1 Stinkdrinker Daredevil
1 Surge of Thoughtweft
2 Wispmare
1 Woodland Changeling
1 Zephyr Net

Its not really all that bad, but its definitely lacking two drops and some control elements that make the merfolk deck tick. Silvergill dousers would have probably helped with both of these things. Also, the deck seemed to be missing drowner of secrets and harpoon sniper, which are two amazing cards for any merfolk drafter. The deck actually didn't perform too poorly even though it lost in the first round. I'll try to give a little game summary this time.

I played against CDog a 1737 limited player. Game one I mulled a two plains all blue spells hand into a four land two expensive spell hand. I seem to remember that I was behind tempo the whole game, and was incredibly land flooded. I probably had a chance to win the game, but instead of blocking his flamekin spitfire with my sentinels of glen elendra I decided to block his 2/2 figuring that if he spent four mana trading with my sentinels I'd be able to stabalize.I greatly underestimated the spitfires ability, and was reminded when I topdecked pestermite the next turn. I have a feeling it didn't matter because he ended up tarfiring a 2/2 a couple turns later, but I'm not sure.

Game two was a different story in which I drew a hand with a great curve and both summon the school and cloudgoat ranger. I won pretty easily even though he managed to mournwhelk my summon the school before I got four merfolk.

The third game was pretty close. I seem to remember I had a pretty slow start because of my failure to draw a third land, but I managed to stabilize on four life after casting two Glimmerdust Naps and an Oblivion Ring. With him on six life facing my mountain walking 3/3 he topdecked Flamekin Spitfire, which allowed him to sac a glimmerdust napped Mudbutton Torchrunner during my end of turn phase and then ping me for the win on his upkeep a full turn before I would have killed him.

Now that we are done with the old deck lets move on to the new one! First things first, here's how I built the deck:

7 Forest
9 Swamp
2 Boggart Loggers
1 Changeling Titan
1 Elvish Handservant
1 Elvish Harbinger
1 Eyeblight's Ending
1 Fistful of Force
2 Footbottom Feast
1 Ghostly Changeling
3 Hunter of Eyeblights
1 Immaculate Magistrate
1 Lignify
1 Moonglove Winnower
1 Mournwhelk
1 Nameless Inversion
1 Nath's Elite
1 Nightshade Stinger
1 Runed Stalactite
1 Treefolk Harbinger
1 Wanderer's Twig
1 Woodland Changeling

Sideboard
1 Adder-Staff Boggart
1 Battlewand Oak
1 Caterwauling Boggart
1 Elvish Branchbender
1 Gilt-Leaf Ambush
2 Gilt-Leaf Seer
1 Heal the Scars
1 Hunt Down
1 Lace with Moonglove
1 Moonglove Winnower
1 Needle Drop
1 Oaken Brawler
1 Paperfin Rascal
1 Pestermite
1 Prowess of the Fair
1 Rootgrapple
1 Shields of Velis Vel
1 Spring Cleaning
1 Weed Strangle
1 Woodland Guidance

I like how this deck has some good one and two drops and plenty of removal. I couldn't really test the new deck because I don't have the cards but even with the signaling problem I think it would probably have done better. Also, with three cards that can get us more mana I felt that this deck could go down to sixteen lands which is also nice.

I learned a lot in this draft, but mainly that picking the right colors is incredibly hard, but worthwhile. I also learned not to jump to quickly into believing that you are in the right place. For instance, just because I got passed a Merrow Reejery and Summon the School didn't mean that I was drafting the right kind of deck, it just meant that whoever was passing to me had an even better option in the pack. This brings me to the actual lesson, try not to look into signals to early in the pack. I think that waiting for your fourth thru seventh picks to really figure out if you are in the right colors is a good target because by then the card quality should go down enough that only the colors you should be in will actually have real good cards. In this draft I went from getting deeptread merrow, wanderwine prophets, goldmeadow harrier,and followsage to two hunter of eyeblights, mournwhelk, and a weedstrangle. Not only were these cards better, they also didn't tie me down to a color. Although you could argue that the earlier you figure out your colors the better cards you'll get, I think that waiting until the end of the first pack and the start of the second pack to decide on your second color is a better target if possible. Of course you might always open a bomby multicolored card, but remember you can always splash it or even not play it since your deck is not defined by its one flashy bomb but by the content of its character, er, by its redundancy.

As always please chime in on the forums with any suggestions you have, especially if you like the new format (I had to copy and paste each picture by hand, but I think it was worth it) or if you have any advice on the draft or deck building.

10 Comments

Picks by DarthWingnut at Thu, 12/06/2007 - 14:46
DarthWingnut's picture

I disagreed with the best faerie common as well, Dreamspoilers are it.  As for Goblins, you say Adder Staff Boggart is better than Nath's Buffon?  Originally when I looked at the set I agreed with you, but these days the Buffon is actually a decent card.  Protection from Elves is a HOT ability, think, it makes him immune to Eyeblight's Ending and to Nameless Inversion, he can block any of an opponents elves sure, but far more importantly, he can block any changelings, or critters equipped with a Stalactite. 

 The biggest lesson for drafting though (yes even bigger than learning signals) is to be flexible.  I know that a lot of the people we watch drafting tend to have colour or archtype preferences, but they will also tell you that pretty much any time in the first pack you should be willing to abandon your original plan if you get signalled somewhere else.  I'm not sure, from the first pack alone (as I won't look beyond one pack and the first pick of pack two and three if you are revising picks) if I would go RBw, or GBr.  It's true that Faeries and Merfolk have the potential to be the most dominating archtypes in the triple lorwyn draft, but that is a double edged sword, everyone knows they are powerful and blue is naturally powerful, so people try to fight for it, so they each get lesser decks, and you can get a free pass on a slightly weaker archtype but a far better deck.

by Klutzen (Unregistered) 12.40.253.155 (not verified) at Thu, 12/06/2007 - 11:33
Klutzen (Unregistered) 12.40.253.155's picture

If you are already in Faeries, or prepared to force them no matter what, then you take Dreamspoiler over Pestermite.  However, P1P1 the better choice is Pestermite, becase it is still fantastic in Faeries, but will be more serviceable in non-Faerie decks than Dreamspoiler.

That being said, without looking ahead I actually had Giant Harbinger for P1P1, and Stinkdrinker actually wheeled P1P9.  Beyond that (actually beyond P1P8) you can't compare, and from the looks of it I don't think enough of the key Giants appeared later in the draft to make it great, but that's the path I would have tried.

by Anonymous (Unregistered) 210.55.201.197 (not verified) at Wed, 12/05/2007 - 22:12
Anonymous (Unregistered) 210.55.201.197's picture

Pack 1: Disagree. Dreamspoiler Witches is the best common faerie.  Pestermite is good, but doesn't come close.
Pack 2: I think this comes down to your tribal preferences.  I would take Eyeblight's Ending, but I don't see Merrow Reejerey as being wrong either.  I'll draft from here on out as a Merfolk drafter, not a faerie drafter.
Pack 3: You picked Veteran of the Depths, but then secondguess yourself.  I think that it is the right pick in a merfolk deck.
Pack 4: Just like pick 3, I agree with your pick, Deeptread Merrow.  Not your secondguess.
Pack 5: Tideshaper Mystic over Wanderwine Prophets.  Yeah, prophets are bad.

I think you are being too hard on the picks you made.  It's so much more important to be cutting an archetype (particularly one of the GOOD ones) than it is to be maximising card quality from each pack.  Deck synergy is more important IMHO.

Pack 18: Aethersnipe is the most powerful card in the pack, but Avian Changeling is right for Merfolk.  I don't understand.  Your evaluations with hindsight seem so much worse than your evaluations at the time of the draft.
Pack 21: Warren Pilferers over Surge of Thoughtweft

Pack 37: Plover Knights over Merrow Commerce
 
And like others have said, you can't really secondguess how a draft like this would have turned out differently if you'd gone down a different path after the first pack.

by urzishra14 at Wed, 12/05/2007 - 17:58
urzishra14's picture

while i love draft articles.. no way am i highlighting every pick.. so i quit reading at the end of the first line. and i'm not going to go scroll all the way over.. it should have been justified in article editing a little better (I know mine arent be best but this was hard to read)..

 

by LeagueGeek at Wed, 12/05/2007 - 14:38
LeagueGeek's picture

I'm not sure it's possible to effectively predict the "other deck" beyond the first pack, as the picks you make or don't make influence what you will see in the rest of the draft. I also really didn't like the spoiler masking, though I understand why it was there.

Pack one, pick one gives you a tremendous chance to cut green and draft a bomb.  Incremental Growth is a colossal beating and arguably the best card in the pack.  Sometimes "not liking green" is not really a good enough reason.

(Even without the Growth, I think Pestermite vs. Dreamspoiler Witches is not that close either.  Pestermite is a good guy but Dreamspoiler Witches can wreck combat math, kill pesky X/1 creatures, and if all else fails, hit for two through the air.)

Just to say, you can't let color preference dominate your draft.  If you don't like green in Lorwyn, then don't play elves in block constructed.  If you open Incremental Growth, you take it. 

don't overanalyze the draft by Anonymous (Unregistered) 12.47.110.206 (not verified) at Wed, 12/05/2007 - 15:19
Anonymous (Unregistered) 12.47.110.206's picture

OK P1 I. Growth is a beatign as stated already, but for flexability for me it came down to Pestermite vs. Witches.  Could go either way, with slight edge to witches(though I feel like black is being overdrafted these days)

P2: Eyeblight over Reejery(again not committing)

P3: Vetern(over Glarewielder if first 2 picks are Black)

P4: Weedstrangle is correct

P5: Baloonist over Wanderwine

P6: Harrier

P7: Fallowsage(this is very late for this quality of card and a signal to move into merfolk)

P8: Stlagtite from a weak pack

-From here on out I looked at the packs as if drafting U/W/b? merfolk

P9: Oaken Brawler(I like big butts)

 P10: Wellgabber

P11: Wispmare(SB)

P12: K. Healer (SB)

P13: Rootgrapple

P14: Shields

P15: Heal

P16: Angler out of a weak pack

P17: Sentinals is correct

P18: Aethersnipe

P19: Summon the School-ding!

P20: Magistrate for possible splash, yes it is that good even by itself

P21: Pilferers

P22: Paperfin

P23: Fallowsage(again late)

P24: Heatshimmer (rare draft-nothing here will make the deck)

P25: Forgetender(SB)

P26: Quillslinger

P27: K. Healer

P28: Ego Erasure(SB-very good in certain situations-like Thundercloud CIP)

P29: Bubble

P30: Brawler

P31: Inversion(removal over utility)

P32: Mulldrifter(almost always correct)

P33: O. Ring

P34: Springleaf Drum(so good with Fallowsage and Vetern)

P35: Cloudgoat Ranger(bomby goodness)

P36: Whirlpool Whelm

P37: Plover knights

P38: Plover Knights

P39: Hillcomber(SB)

P40: G. Nap(SB)

P41: Sentry Oak

P42: Footbottom Feast

P43: Needle drop

P44: Dawnfluke

P45: Paperfin(thx!)

 

It is a shame that none of the Judge of Currents tabled as they would have been a VERY nice addition.  withe the above you can build.....

Creatures(16)

Harrier

Angeler

Pestermite, x2 Paperfin

x2 Fallowsage, Vetern of the Depths, Sentinals, Balloonist

CloudGoat Ranger, Mulldrifter, Pilferers, x2 Plover Knights

Aethersnipe

Spells(7)

Springleaf Drum, Runed Stlagtite

Nameless Inversion, Whirlpool Whelm

Eyeblights Ending, O. Ring

Summon the School

Land(17)

x2 Swamp

x7 Plains

x8 Islands

 

Not great, but try to stall the ground and win with your fliers, and the deck should be solid. Deck is even better if you have Rejeery as P2. 

 

regards,

 

Andy

by Anonymous (Unregistered) 189.146.184.99 (not verified) at Wed, 12/05/2007 - 13:07
Anonymous (Unregistered) 189.146.184.99's picture

why no use of draft cap?

by Anonymous (Unregistered) 69.209.120.144 (not verified) at Wed, 12/05/2007 - 12:28
Anonymous (Unregistered) 69.209.120.144's picture

I dont get it.

Whats with all the black

Why are the lines way off to the right?

spoiler by mtgotraders at Wed, 12/05/2007 - 12:56
mtgotraders's picture

Highlight the black with your mouse to reveal the text.

majortotosite by dungdung at Mon, 01/17/2022 - 03:26
dungdung's picture

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