For the Christmas holidays and for all people (including me) who happen to get bored of ZZZ draft once in a while we’re having something a little different: a Tempest/Stronghold/Exodus draft.
You haven’t seen those cards in 12 years? Or you’ve actually never seen them before? No worries I’ll probably be lost too. Here we go!
Pack 1 pick 1:
My Pick:
The format as I remember it is rather slow and Capsize is one of the best commons in Tempest. Also it is a Buyback spell which can counter many of the other buyback spells by making their target disappear.
I should probably receive Thalakos Seer back for an expensive but rather cool combo.
Pack 1 pick 2:
My Pick:
Master Decoy is probably the best card here and I always have the stock reaction to go for UW in a format I’m not familiar with. However there is still a 2/4 flyer in this pack which I should pick to keep my options open and to avoid passing any bad signals.
Pack 1 pick 3:
My Pick:
Drafting three colors is probably not highly recommended in TSE but such a bomb seems both to be a signal as well as the perfect card to splash as it has an immediate impact on the game. And what an impact!
Pack 1 pick 4:
My Pick:
I like the art. The card is cool. No I must admit those were still not good enough reasons to pick it over Thalakos Mistfolk.
Pack 1 pick 5:
My Pick:
Let’s see… Static Orb… Static Orb… Capsize? Too expensive and can’t think of anything else what is there left? Supposing I’m either URb or UBr I should go for one of the two early drops.
I pick the Rats a little higher as I like its ability to counter any Buyback spell.
Pack 1 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 7:
My Pick:
I haven’t seen much Black and Red yet while Staunch Defenders probably is my second best card so far if I pick it which has got to mean White is open.
The switch seems unavoidable… too bad for Wind Drake. Also back in the day booster packs used to have no less than 15 cards so switching used to be a little easier.
Pack 1 pick 8:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick:
I don’t think I’m willing to run two Thalakos Seers while Advance Scout can be pretty annoying in a defensive deck.
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick:
Shadow Rift is quite a good sideboard trick but as far as the sideboard is concerned I like having a COP better.
Pack 1 pick 11:
My Pick:
Can be good with Capsize.
Pack 1 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 1:
My Pick:
I should save more life than Venerable Monk if I have it in my opening hand. Maybe I should have taken Mana Leak there. The card may not seem brilliant in the late game but it still counters buyback spells making it actually more efficient as it seems.
Pack 2 pick 2:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 3:
My Pick:
Cards like the Knight and the Shark look excellent after drafting ZZZ a lot but they are only decent in a more classic and slower format.
Pack 2 pick 4:
My Pick:
I remember I didn’t like the card back in the day but I can’t remember why as it seems quite good.
Pack 2 pick 5:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 7:
My Pick:
I should have counterdrafted… well anything else. I just remember playing the card back in the day so I picked it. Then I read it and I remembered it was in Constructed that I happened to run it.
Pack 2 pick 8:
My Pick:
This card would be quite a nice reprint for turbo fog.
Pack 2 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 11:
My Pick:
Slow as a kill but still a good blocker and very hard to deal with when it starts swinging.
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’m discovering the other 14 cards in the pack as I’m reviewing this pack. To make it simple all you have to check for is a foil rare in the pack. If there’s none you officially have what is and will remain the best card in your deck.
Pack 3 pick 2:
My Pick:
The first PTQ I won was Tempest Block Constructed and I was running a Mono Blue deck. As I was missing a card right before the tournament started I added a Killer Whale to my deck. Eventually the 3/5 won me one game in my semi final. Come to think of it maybe I would actually have never made it to the PT if my deck had been complete on that day…
Pack 3 pick 3:
My Pick:
It doesn’t seem bad and it’s a rare meaning it’s cool. When deckbuilding I actually pull myself together and remember that no a 6 mana 4/4 which can even be Disenchanted is not good.
Pack 3 pick 4:
My Pick:
Excellent with Portal and Capsize.
Pack 3 pick 5:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 6:
My Pick:
Fade Away can either be a bomb or useful depending on when you have it. As I like my deck a lot already I’d rather make it more consistent using Forbid. Talking of Forbid do you know about the story of Kai Buddde running it in GP: Eindhoven 2005? The card was pretty good in his deck; I mean the synergy with Life from the Loam was awesome. Too bad Stronghold was not in Extended anymore.
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick:
Not a card I want to face!
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 9:
My Pick:
Still not.
Pack 3 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 12:
My Pick:
Hmm… No. Still not.
Pack 3 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 15:
My Pick:
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10 Island
8 Plains
2 Soul Warden
1 Hammerhead Shark
1 Youthful Knight
1 Wall of Tears
1 Thalakos Seer
1 Venerable Monk
1 Bottle Gnomes
1 Dream Prowler
1 Fighting Drake
1 Killer Whale
1 Staunch Defenders
1 Sea Monster
1 Shifting Wall
1 Smite
1 Mana Leak
1 Capsize
1 Gaseous Form
1 Puppet Strings
1 Forbid
1 Legerdemain
1 Erratic Portal
Sideboard
1 Stone Rain
1 Soltari Foot Soldier
1 Contemplation
1 Constant Mists
1 Necrologia
1 Theft of Dreams
1 Rebound
1 Rats of Rath
1 Song of Serenity
1 Contempt
1 Peace of Mind
1 Shield Mate
1 Morgue Thrull
1 Rootwater Mystic
3 Shattering Pulse
1 Circle of Protection: Red
1 Spontaneous Combustion
1 Advance Scout
1 Skyshroud Falcon
1 Lab Rats
1 Workhorse
Going into a TSE draft I expect not to face many good players but my first two opponents were fine. At first I face a GB deck and it takes me about 20 minutes to take the first game thanks only to Erratic Portal which totally holds his board while Dream Prowler is swinging. I lose the second one for not being able to deal with his big guys but I manage to take the third. Once again the Portal is my MVP and supported by Capsize and a dozen lands it keeps him from dealing me any damage until I draw my Whale and attack for the win.
In the second round I’m a bit surprised to face Alexandre Rivire my brother’s roomate as I’m currently at their place and he’s supposed to be on holidays skiing. In the first I manage to counter his Fanning the Flames with Capsize plus buyback and Rolling Thunder with Mana Leak giving me a huge advantage. However my deck is still slow as hell which leaves him some time to recover. At first he tries and plays Anarchist which I have to Forbid without buyback. When he follows up with Gravedigger it scares me a little but he still can’t do much with his fireball buyback because of my Capsize and soon after he concedes. In game 2 his troublesome buyback spell and my COP: Red hold the board and he decks me. In the final game I open with a Staunch Defender quickly followed by Erratic Portal. In game 2 he had Shatter for it but not this time and I make it to the finals.
My last opponent is the slowest. When he takes game 1 he has 12 minutes left on his clock. On turn 3 of game 2 with still no White on the board it seems quite obvious that I’m going to be aiming at the clock in order to beat him. Do I want to waste 25 minutes when I’m almost falling asleep at my keyboard for one pack in a game I would probably lose in real life? Probably not so I just scoop.
Until next week…
Oli