Pack 1 pick 1:
My Pick:
The triple land opens more options but Akrasan Squire is a little better.
Pack 1 pick 2:
My Pick:
One of the most underrated card in the format. In an Exalted deck when your opponent is often forced to try and kill your guys one by one or it least to block it is excellent.
Pack 1 pick 3:
My Pick:
I won’t have many one drops and it is just better than Gharial anyway.
Pack 1 pick 4:
My Pick:
Slightly better than the sorcerer who makes a little too much of a good target for Blister Beetle and the pingers.
Pack 1 pick 5:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 6:
My Pick:
Bant Battlemage is not that bad nor is Gift of the Gargantua but I am aiming at picking cards that do something immediately in the game. Of course a 0/4 is not an amazing beater but Exalted is what I’m after.
Pack 1 pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 8:
My Pick:
The Aven is very nice but it is still a little worse than Benediction. Also for now if I was to splash I’d rather go Red because of the Nacatl and the need for removal spells.
Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 11:
My Pick:
Which one of the two cards (which I have very little chance playing) do I pick? The one I want to face the least.
Pack 1 pick 12:
My Pick:
The 5/5 just won’t fit this deck while Savage Hunger could be interesting if I end up with a lot of Exalted cards.
Pack 1 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 1:
My Pick:
This should be a fine splash and it’s not like I have much of an option here anyway.
Pack 2 pick 2:
My Pick:
The closest pick from the whole draft. In an explosive deck Rhox Charger is one of the best cards you can wish to get passed. But Oblivion Ring is a great removal. I give my brother a phone call…
“Antoine I’m WG aggro with 1 Branching Bolt no fixers. What do you pick Ring or Charger?”
“Both are pretty good… I’m not sure I’d say Ring but Charger seems a fine pick too.”
“Do you think it is stupid to pick the Charger?”
“Not at all it’s pretty close anyway.”
“My thoughts exactly just wanted to make sure. Thanks”
Pack 2 pick 3:
My Pick:
Druid of the Anima in an Gharial/Charger deck seems to be a better fixer than Naya Panorama. Excommunicate is excellent and I’ll usually pick it in this pack but I want to make my mana a little better.
Pack 2 pick 4:
My Pick:
Seaside Citadel is probably not necessary. I mean it woud help but I should be able to draw the right mana naturally for now. Elvish Visionary is good too but I feel concerned by my low Exalted count.
Pack 2 pick 5:
My Pick:
The more Exalted guys you have the better it gets. He’s so-so for now.
Pack 2 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 8:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 10:
My Pick:
One Savage Hunger is more than enough therefore I simply pick the best card in the booster.
Pack 2 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 1:
My Pick:
Only a little better than Aven Squire but the pick is a little more obvious than it should be: the card’s worth a few tix and it kills me instantly.
Pack 3 pick 2:
My Pick:
The best common for this archetype in Conflux.
Pack 3 pick 3:
My Pick:
Not exactly worth a third pick but I can only go with what I’m passed.
Pack 3 pick 4:
My Pick:
Slaughtermaster was the other option as the Double Strike/Exalted combo is very strong. But it is Red and I don’t splash for a two-mana one-toughness creature.
Pack 3 pick 5:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 6:
My Pick:
I have many Green guys. I am probably not running two main but it is a pretty good sideboard option and versus Red decks.
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick:
I am probably going to play this one Mountain and Branching Bolt.
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick:
A trick over a trick. The always good/combo with Gharial option makes it into the deck over the very often +2/+2 only pump spell.
Pack 3 pick 9:
My Pick:
Outlander is good too but I have lots of low drops and it helps to get passed another Exalted dude.
Pack 3 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 11:
My Pick:
Probably making the cut here.
Pack 3 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 15:
My Pick:
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9 Plains
7 Forest
Mountain
Akrasan Squire
Wild Nacatl
Aven Squire
Druid of the Anima
Knight of the Skyward Eye
Knight of the White Orchard
Sighted-Caste Sorcerer
Steward of Valeron
Valeron Outlander
Gluttonous Slime
Guardians of Akrasa
Algae Gharial
Drumhunter
Rhox Charger
Rhox Meditant
2 Rhox Bodyguard
Branching Bolt
2 Lapse of Certainty
Angelic Benediction
Gleam of Resistance
Martial Coup
I almost played Bant Battlemage or Gift of the Gargantua and Forest over Branching Bolt and Mountain to make the deck more reliable but I think it should be just fine the way it is. Agaisnt a deck that doesn’t have flyers I probably take the Red out. The deck is strong if not great and should be worth 2/1. Yes I know that’s what I’m saying about almost all of my drafts lately and I haven’t won a lot. This is gonna change today!
ROUND 1: Esper (Limited ratings are now invisible on Magic Online but from his deck and play I’d guess between 1650 and 1700)
In game one I have a passable draw and end up winning with an Algae he never deals with. The second game is a little more difficult despite my draw being better. Turn 1 Squire turn 2 Druid of the Anima turn 3 Knight of the White Orchid. My draws are better than his but he still manages to survive for a while as he has Windwright Mage and two Exalted guys as well. At some point I just swing with five guys and play Gleam of Resistance obliterating his defense. On the next turn he concedes.
ROUND 2: Five-COlor Aggro (1650?)
I thought for a while before I kept a hand with three Plains Akrasan Squire Rhox Meditant Valeron Outlander Algae Gharial. I considered that even if I was to play my second spell on turn 4 Akrasan Squire would have done good work by then. Well I passed from turn 2 to 4 while he played Magma Spray on my 1/1 on turn 1. When I started actually playing spells the game was nearly over due to his Forest/Swamp/Mountain/Island/Plains turn 3 Kederekt Creeper turn 4 Vedalken Outlander turn 5 Sphinx Summoner searching for nothing. Not exactly spectacular I know but still more than enough for my draw.
The second game was a lot closer as my four-card hand allowed me to play and he made an awful play giving me a chance for come back. On turn 10 or so I have a 3/3 Gharial and Akrasan Squire one land in hand while he has Sprouting Thrinax Fire-Field Ogre and Fatesticher. He then decides to attack with his two big dudes. Fair enough Gharial blocks Thrinax Squire the 4/2. Thanks to first strike damage my crocodile not only survives combat but become a 5/5. From then I drew five lands straight but the game was still close as he was playing one bad gold card every two turns. I mean no offense but who plays with almost no fixers (I saw Rupture Spire and a triple land in two games one of which was 18 turns long) Windwright Mage Kederekt Creeper Fire-Field Ogre Vedalken Outlander and Sprouting Thrinax in the same deck? In theory that just can’t work. But here for he happened to have such a bad deck it can only mean two things: he is pretty bad himself or he opened rares and considered himself committed. A few turns later if I draw Martial Coup I’ll be able to play it for 9. Unfortunately before that happens he starts tapping lots of mana and the rare is? Cruel Ultimatum. That doesn’t help of course but I have another three turns to draw Martial Coup.
Three in twenty… if he has no counter or a bomb in back up it’s decent odds to win the game considering the way that game went.
First draw: Valeron Outlander second draw: Forest and third draw… Forest. The game is over.
Things didn’t change today… but next time ladies and gentlemen I will definitely present you a deck that actually draw lands and win matches!
Until Wednesday…
Oli