Pack 1 pick 1:
My Pick:
Not the best card in the pack but the only non-Red choice in the best 5 (or best 6 if you consider Gharial better than Stinger).
Pack 1 pick 2:
My Pick:
The best card in the pack and the other possible picks (Necropolis Soul’s Fire) are Red again.
Pack 1 pick 3:
My Pick:
The second best uncommon in the set (after Tower Gargoyle) is good enough for a splash I think.
Pack 1 pick 4:
My Pick:
Either Panorama for five-color deck or Dregscape Zombie for Grixis. It’s a close pick but I am not a huge fan of the zombie in a deck that can’t make a good use of Unearth.
Pack 1 pick 5:
My Pick:
Mass removal is are crucial in this archetype and I couldn’t hope for a better pick 5.
Pack 1 pick 6:
My Pick:
This is both an early blocker if I draw the right mana (Bant Panorama should help) and a precious life-gainer when drawn in the late game.
Pack 1 pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 8:
My Pick:
There is nothing I’d play in this pack so I take the most annoying card for me as it is not only the best card in the pack but also the one that can keep all their guys protected from Jund Charm.
Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick:
Fixers are the key to make this archetype viable.
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick:
Blocks any non-flying guy and survives Jund Charm.
Pack 1 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 12:
My Pick:
Actually not a rare draft but a counterdraft. There is not much I can do if an opponent plays it on turn 3.
Pack 1 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 14:
My Pick:
A little more than I expect from a 14th pick!
Pack 1 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 1:
My Pick:
Rhox War Monk is not dreamy yet as I’ve a grixis base so I could pick the Spray. But with two copies of the 3/4 I can probably arrange good mana to have one very regularly on turn 3 or 4.
Pack 2 pick 2:
My Pick:
Jungle Shrine is very very very tempting. But can I really take it over Agony Warp or Capsule? I fear not. Of the two removal spells the difference is very small and I rather like the surprise effect of the instant when my opponent will be likely to try double blocks on my 3/4s.
Pack 2 pick 3:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 4:
My Pick:
Here’s the same problem as pick 2. Resounding Silence is an average card in most of the archetypes but it may be the best common in five-color control. I can’t really pass it even though I’d love the Arcane Sanctum.
Pack 2 pick 5:
My Pick:
With that many removal spells if I can fix my mana my deck will be amazing.
Pack 2 pick 6:
My Pick:
I’m probably not playing it as I won’t play many guys (even though the combo with War Monk is sweet) but I don’t want to face it.
Pack 2 pick 7:
My Pick:
I love Cancel in five-color but Corpse Connoisseur is a nightmare for the deck.
Pack 2 pick 8:
My Pick:
Glad I can get a fixer considering all those I’ve passed.
Pack 2 pick 9:
My Pick:
Cycling helps you draw the right mana and if you already have the right mana this is still a fine blocker.
Pack 2 pick 10:
My Pick:
See pick 8.
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:
I have removal and I now have a bomb. Only a few fixers are missing.
Pack 3 pick 2:
My Pick:
I like it when there is a good card for me and nothing for other players at the table. Furthermore it’s the best common I could get at this point.
Pack 3 pick 3:
My Pick:
Another fixer and almost a removal spell as well.
Pack 3 pick 4:
My Pick:
With only three Black permanents I can’t pick Temper which is weaker than the huge and cheap Green guy.
Pack 3 pick 5:
My Pick:
Fallout is tempting but I’m only splashing red. I did pick Coprse Connoisseur which makes the Phoenix the second best card in my deck.
Pack 3 pick 6:
My Pick:
Gleam is good but I only play landcyclers in my main colors.
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick:
A little better than Yoke as it doesn’t do much other than regularly win games on its own.
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick:
An early blocker a kill condition and a life gainer… what else could I ask for?
Pack 3 pick 9:
My Pick:
Helps my fixing as much as the Landcycler and will help me hit my bombs. However this is the wrong pick as a second Blue landcycler would have raised my chances to play Rhox War Monk on turn 3.
Pack 3 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 11:
My Pick:
A pretty good sideboard card versus Green decks.
Pack 3 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 14:
My Pick:
what’s with pick 14s in this draft?
Pack 3 pick 15:
My Pick:
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4 Forest
3 Swamp
3 Mountain
3 Island
1 Plains
1 Bant Panorama
1 Jund Panorama
2 Esper Panorama
1 Matca Rioters
1 Paragorn of the Amesha
2 Rhox War Monk
1 Viscera Dragger
1 Worldheart Phoenix
1 Bloodpyre Elemental
1 Corpse Connoisseur
1 Skyward Eye Prophets
1 Executioner’s Capsule
1 Armillary Sphere
1 Wordly Counsel
1 Celestial Purge
2 Agony Warp
1 Obelisk of Esper
1 Jund Charm
1 Bant Charm
1 Resounding Silence
1 Skeletonize
1 Traumatic Visions
1 Nicol Bolas Planeswalker
I really wanted to play Nacatl Hunt-Pride but I couldn’t find him a slot.
Round 1: Jund (Limited Rating 1805)
That first round is a good example of what my deck can do both the best and the worst scenarios playing out. In game 1 I drew Armillary Sphere and Corpse Connoisseur giving me a turn 6 Phoenix that he cannot deal with.
In the next game however I mulligan and take far too much time to find my five colors to come back. The final game is close as he manages to play Magma Spray on my Phoenix but I still have a little advantage… and then I draw Nicol Bolas. It was the first time I’ve played the card and well it was pretty nice. A Control Magic and a Disenchant on Oblivion Ring later and the game was over.
Round 2: Esper (1747)
Five minutes after the round started we are already playing game 3. He didn’t find his three colors in game 1 while I had a great draw. In the second he had a crazy Vedalken Outlander Master of Aetherium Faerie Machinist draw and I was not even close to stopping on the second one. The third game was a little more interesting.
Just compare our draws:
Me: turn 1 Plains turn 2 Forest turn 3 Swamp Matca Rioters turn 4 Island Rhox War Monk Executioner’s Capsule
Him: turn 1 Plains turn 2 Island Etherium Sculptor turn 3 Swamp Sludge Strider turn 4 Swamp Faerie Machinist revealing Executioner’s Capsule
Fortunately in the insane draw combat I had the great idea to play first. I played my fifth different basic land (with no tutor) on turn 5 and followed with Bant Charm on his Strider. He was already low on life when I added Paragon of the Amesha to the board. As he had just sacrificed his Capsule to destroy my Rioters he had no way left to deal with my latest big guy forcing him to concede.
Round 3: (1630)
My last opponent decided to be very nice with me in the first game and very mean in the second.
At first he made a lot of… how can I say this… suboptimal decisions. An example? I’m at 18 and have a Phoenix (2/2) and Corpse Connoisseur on the board he has three 1/1s and attacks with all his squad. After I decide to block both guys he decides to play Magma Spray on my flyer. Result: one 1/1 for one damage. This chump-attack is not good when I’m so high on life; he could at least play his removal before the blocks and deal me one more damage if he wanted to hurt me that much.
This game could have been difficult but he made it easy for me. In the second one as I said he disappointed me. When we both ran out of creature and him of cards in hand I decided to play my last one: Nicol Bolas. I started attacking his Mountains. When it reached eleven counters he conceded not even giving me the possibility to use the Planeswalker superability!
To be honest I don’t think that deck was worth 3/0 as my mana wasn’t stable enough to work 7 games out of 8 and I only faced two “real” good draws. But the deck was good and I enjoyed playing it a lot. It made me want to write an article on how to draft five-color control…
Until Monday…
Olivier