My first challenge when writing this article, was to try to work out what the correct plural of Zubera was. Zuberas just didn’t sound right, which opened my mind and led me to consider Zubera and Zuberi. While I was fairly certain that the correct plural is supposed to be Zubera (one Zubera, two Zubera), this could be confusing, as there may be occasions when it is difficult to distinguish between whether I am talking about one Zubera, or multiple Zubera. This week, my fellow countryman Craig Stevenson has decided to sidestep this particular issue and just call them Zebras. In this article, I will try and stick with Zuberi, although you may find a mix of Zuberas, Zubera, Zuberi, and Zebras as my mind wanders. Maybe down the line, someone will resolve this issue once and for all, but until then, at least I will be the first person in the history of StarCityGames.com to have fifteen words in a paragraph beginning with Z.
So what is this article about anyway? Following Nick Eisel great article on drafting the U/G Arcane/Splice deck, I thought I would share with you a draft archetype that I am having moderate success with. Right now, I’m not sure whether this is gilt-edged strategy, or whether it belongs in the “Food for Thought” section, but I’ll let you decide that for yourselves. A couple of weeks ago, I posted a question on the draft forums, asking people’s opinion on whether drafting a deck around Zuberi was viable. Well, I tried it out and had a lot of success with this archetype, and a lot of fun to boot. At the time, the individual Zuberi were not rated very highly by the players I was drafting with, and you could pick them up very late in the pack. Since then, people have begun to value them a little more highly, and you have to take the 1/2s a little bit earlier (especially the better ones). It is still possible to draft this deck though, because you will still be taking them far earlier than anyone else will consider.
[For the record, I’m all for just calling this the Champions “Zu” archetype. – Knut, lazy]
So how does the Deck Work?
Well what you are effectively doing is drafting a combo deck, albeit one with a lot of redundancy. The idea is to play out a lot of Zuberi, and then sacrifice them en masse to Devouring Greed, Devouring Rage or (if you’re really lucky) a Hideous Laughter or Blood Rites, to trigger lots of simultaneous big effects and possibly win the game right there. The advantages of this deck are many:
- It can literally steal wins out of nowhere. Many times I have been beaten down to one or two life, with my opponent still at 20, and then I have untapped and just won.
- You will have a lot of early defense, but also a lot of staying power. Zubera decks have inevitability, meaning the longer the game goes on, the more likely you are to combo out and win.
- Your multicolored mana-base means that you can support a lot of random good stuff that you pick up.
- People are often unsure how to play against this deck, giving you a tactical advantage. It’s fun watching them desperately trying to figure out the consequences of attacking their 4/4 into a herd of Zebras.
- If you start to draft it and the cards are not coming, you can generally audible into something else without too much problem.
Unfortunately, there are also some disadvantages of this deck, and it is only fair to list them.
- As people start to value Zuberi (and the other key cards) more highly, this archetype will become less effective and maybe impossible.
- Your mana-base can be a bit unstable
- You are sometimes vulnerable to fast decks
- You are more prone to strange draws than run of the mill draft decks.
What will the Deck Look Like?
Well there is no clear answer to this question. Different Zebra decks can look very different to each other, depending on how the draft went. Common themes will be the following though:
6-10 Zuberi (possibly more, but I have never managed to draft more than ten)
2-4 Kill Cards (Devouring Rage, Devouring Greed etc.)
2-3 Mana Fixing Cards (Kodama’s Reach, Sakura-Tribe Elder etc.)
7-12 Other cards (removal, creatures, combat tricks, etc.)
17 Land (can fluctuate to 16 or 18, depending on mana-fixing)
Zubera decks are nearly always base Green, because you just have to have mana fixing. After that, you will need to play at least two other colors to get enough Zuberi. Blue and Red are the best choices, because they hold the best Zubera and also Devouring Rage. Black is often a necessary evil in order to access Devouring Greed. White is the least attractive color, but is often necessary to boost Zebra count, and allow you to splash some of White’s great commons, such as Kabuto Moth and Cage of Hands. Basically you will be playing somewhere between three and five colors, with four being the most common.
Sometimes, very similar Zubera decks can end up playing out very differently. This depends on which Zuberi you use, as well as whether you use Rage or Greed as your finisher. Some decks can have an almost control feel to them. If you have the Blue and Green Zuberi, you can often play Devouring Greed without winning the game immediately, but giving you a fresh hand of cards and a load of chump-blocking, Devouring Greed feeding spirits. On the other hand, decks that use more Red Zuberi and Devouring Rages are often more explosive, chucking a 16/1 Orochi Leafcaller to the dome on turn 7. In these kinds of decks, you are more likely to wait until you can kill your opponent with the alpha strike.
The Cards
I’m not going to go through the entire set, ranking every common card in this archetype – that would simply waste my time and yours. Instead, I will go through the cards that you will rank higher or lower in this deck compared with other decks. Bear in mind that this is quite different to nearly any other draft archetype in that your deck needs to be very balanced. Mana fixing, Zuberi, and kill cards are all needed, but in controlled quantities. Once you have the requisite amount of each, you need to stop drafting them and focus elsewhere. I don’t care if that Kodama’s Reach has fallen to you fifth pick, if you already have enough mana fixing, take that Dripping-Tongue Zubera instead.
Mana Fixing
You need this. Best-case scenario, you will be playing three colors, but it is more likely that you will be playing four or five. Kodama’s Reach is a windmill slam first pick in packs two or three if you are drafting a Zubera deck. Sakura-Tribe Elder is a first pick if there is nothing more better in the pack, and a very high pick otherwise. Orochi Leafcaller is a decent maindeck card. Basically, however highly you normally rank mana fixing, rank it that much higher in this deck. I like to have at least two of the above three cards in my deck, but three would be optimal. Dual lands are also good in this deck. While the fact that they do not untap the following turn is a pain, access to two colors of mana in one land is a big boon to your mana base.
Zuberi
The namesakes of your deck are obviously very important, and you will need a lot of these guys. If you are not getting passed Zuberi in the first pack then bail on the idea quickly, and draft something else. If someone else on the table is also drafting Zuberi, then you have no chance of making this work, and you will both crash out. I tend to like taking splashable removal, splashable creatures, and mana fixing with my first few picks, as these will be useful if you decide to bail on the idea. Look for mid-pack Red, Blue or (possibly) Green Zuberi as a sign that the coast is clear. Here is a quick run-down of each individual one in ascending order of goodness.
Silent-Chant Zubera (White)
While life gain would generally be useful in this deck, Silent-Chant Zubera is normally in the deck for its creature type alone. The problem is, normally when the Zuberi start dying you are either about to win the game, or are so far under the kosh that a bit more life isn’t going to help you much. If you find yourself short of Zuberi, then by all means take these to buff your collection, as they still contribute to the others’ skills. However, if you can do without it, try to avoid going into White at all. Try to take about 10th or 11th pick.
Ashen-Skin Zubera (Black)
Their ability looks good, but unfortunately by the time you get to use it, your opponent’s hand is nearly empty anyway. Sometimes, one of these will win you a game if you manage to fire off a quick Devouring Greed for three on about turn 5, and for this reason I like to pack one or two in the deck. As with its White cousin, it buffs the ability on the rest, and is also the perfect answer to a turn 2 Nezumi Cutthroat. Try to pick about 7th or 8th.
Dripping-Tongue Zubera (Green)
Great for two reasons. Firstly it allows you to sacrifice a load of Zuberi and leave yourself chump blockers for the counter attack. Secondly, the creatures it creates are spirits, which you can use to power up another Devouring the following turn. Not great on their own, but due to your mana base, these will probably be the first guys online. Pick about 4th or 5th, maybe higher in later packs.
Ember-Fist Zubera (Red)
Now we’re talking. These guys are great as they can regularly take out your opponent’s best creature when you sacrifice three or more Zuberi. They are also effectively a 2/2 when blocking, and can allow you to combo-out much earlier than normal by sending its ability to the dome. They can effectively halt a ground attack if your opponent has an x/1 creature they want to keep alive. These guys are versatile, powerful, and a complete menace in multiples. Don’t be afraid to take one in the first couple of picks in any pack other than the first.
Floating-Dream Zubera (Blue)
If you manage to sack three or more Zuberi in a turn and one of them is this one, then you should win the game. This guy gets you back all the card advantage you lost through the sacrifice, giving you basically “free” abilities on all the other Zuberi. For example, let’s say you play a Devouring Greed on turn 6 or 7 with this, a Green, and a White Zubera in play. Your opponent loses eight life, you gain fourteen life and you draw three cards and put three spirits into play. I doubt he can recover from this kind of beating, and this isn’t even using optimal Zuberi. Imagine if the White Zubera in the example was Red! Floating-Dream makes it far more viable to play Devourings that don’t immediately win the game. Unfortunately, these are playable in any Blue deck, so take them as soon as you see them.
Devouring Greed/Devouring Rage
These are the spells which make the deck work, and unfortunately will probably be its downfall. Ken Krouner and Nick Eisel have both pointed out that these spells are hugely underrated, which is true, as right now they are currently going around very late in drafts. If Nick and Ken are right and these really are top pick commons, then this will probably cripple the deck, as it will be very difficult to get more than one. Rage is probably the better of the two, as it generally allows you to win on the spot. Greed can be better in more controlling decks though, where you can use it to buy time if you are not ready for the win. Take them as late as you think you can get away with, but obviously your deck really needs them to win, so if you get one or two early, you can be more selective later.
Removal
Obviously removal is nice, but you often have to make do without much of it. Unsplashable removal can be very taxing on your mana-base, and splashable removal will normally be snapped up quickly. Pull Under is good in this deck, as you should have a Black mana by the time you get to six mana, and it isn’t usually taken in the first couple of picks. If there is nothing more relevant to your deck, a good removal spell is still a fine card, just make sure you are not taking it above more important cards “just because you know it’s good”.
Random Creatures
Zuberi on their own are not very threatening, so you will want to pad them out with other creatures. Creatures that are not colored mana intensive that can give you other routes to victory, or stop you from losing, such as Moss Kami, Soratami Mirror-Guard and Kitsune Blademaster, will certainly be an asset to your deck. Also on-color bombs are obviously a boon, and cards that let you get in a few points of early damage to make the Devouring Rage assisted win that much easier are good too. Look out for spirits especially, as they have good synergy with the rest of your deck. If your mana base can support it, Teller of Tales can be absolutely godly.
Combat Tricks
Zuberi are your combat tricks. Take these a lot lower than you normally would, and avoid main-decking them where possible, except for the best ones. You tend to lack good targets as most of your creatures are Zuberi, and you want them to die (at the right moment of course).
Honden
Deserve a special mention, because they are soooooo good in this deck. They are all splashable, so your deck should support any that you see. The Red and Blue Honden are naturally good anyway, the Green one has fantastic synergy with your deck, while the White one makes it difficult for you to lose while you are setting up your combo kill. The Black Honden is the poor relation, but even this can be good when played early enough. Of course you don’t need me to tell you that if you get more than one out, it can get quite ridiculous.
Other Cards
Be on the look out for anything that says “when a spirit comes into play,” because you are going to have a lot of spirits. Kami of the Hunt is a great card in this deck, as is the aforementioned Teller of Tales. Obviously anything that allows you to sacrifice creatures, or kills them in multiples is going to be excellent. Hideous Laughter and Blood Rites are both ridiculous in this deck. Soulshift is good for getting back your lost Zuberi, but it can be a little slow. To be honest, by looking at the cards, you can normally instantly spot the synergies with your deck. Other than that, cards which help you survive are good. Kabuto Moth is a great card for this deck if you are running White, because it can completely screw up combat, and prevent your opponent from attacking for a few key turns. [And don’t forget Long-Forgotten Gohei, which is ridiculous here. – Knut]
A Draft Walkthrough
To illustrate how to draft a deck like this, and how your deck might look, I have put together this draft walkthrough. Note that while I didn’t cherry pick this draft, I did have to discard the first two attempts, as I ended up switching out of Zuberi, in the first because I opened a White bomb after a mediocre first pack, and in the second because the Zuberi were just not flowing. Since I started experimenting with Zuberi, I have managed to draft the deck about 50% of the times I have tried, and in the other 50% I have managed to get a decent deck after switching out.
I will be using the, now standard method of listing the picks, i.e. listing the pack contents, then doing the analysis and stating my pick. Note that because I am forcing an archetype, this is not going to be like a regular draft walkthrough. I will regularly be shipping along good cards in favor of seemingly inferior ones. Try to stay with me; after all, this is still an experiment.
Pack 1, Pick 1
Sokenzan Bruiser
Council of the Soratami
Kami of the Hunt
Scuttling Death
Blessed Breath
Hearth Kami
Battle-Mad Ronin
Peer through Depths
Dripping Tongue Zubera
Cage of Hands
Yamabushi’s FlameOtherworldly Journey
Kumano’s Pupils
Petals of Insight
Vassal’s Duty
Not a whole lot in this pack. I’m certainly not going to take a Dripping-Tongue Zubera at this stage, especially as there is a fair chance it will come back to me. The only two relevant cards in this pack are really Cage of Hands, Yamabushi’s Flame and possibly Otherworldly Journey. While Cage of Hands is the best of the three, I don’t like to get involved in White too early when trying to draft Zuberi. Yamabushi’s Flame is a perfectly good card that nobody should be ashamed of taking first, so I take that.
Pack 1, Pick 2
Orochi Sustainer
Villainous Ogre
Hundred-Talon Kami
Uncontrollable Anger
Thoughtbind
Burr Grafter
Quiet Purity
Ember-Fist Zubera
Lifted by Clouds
Kodama’s Might
Bushi Tenderfoot
Kami of Lunacy
Kami of Old Stone
Through the Breach
Once again, a fairly unexciting pack. Kodama’s Might is almost certainly the best card in the pack, but I will take the opportunity to take one of the best Zuberi here. Although this may have turned out to be a less than optimal pick if I ended up not drafting a Zubera deck, the fact I picked Yamabushi’s Flame first, means that there is a good chance I will be playing Red anyway, and Ember-Fist Zubera is playable in any Red deck.
Pack 1, Pick 3
(insert 13 cards here)
Sorry, I screwed up a bit here and, for one reason or another, didn’t manage to record the cards in the pack. I picked a Floating-Dream Zubera and passed a Sakura-Tribe Elder (I think).
Pack 1, Pick 4
Waking Nightmare
Harsh Deceiver
Unearthly Blizzard
River Kaijin
Commune with Nature
Devouring Greed
Peer through Depths
Jukai Messenger
Deathcurse Ogre
Moss Kami
Sensei’s Divining Top
Lure
An interesting pack, containing Moss Kami and Devouring Greed as the two relevant cards for me. If I knew that the table would be under-drafting Devouring cards, then I would probably take the Kami here, but I took the Devouring Greed, satisfied that another of the building blocks of the deck was in place.
Pack 1, Pick 5
Hearth Kami
Orochi Sustainer
Kami of the Painted Road
Soul of Magma
Battle-Mad Ronin
Peer through Depths
Dripping-Tongue Zubera
Earthshaker
Graceful Adept
Hana Kami
Myojin of Seeing Winds
Another pack, another good Zubera, and I am very happy with the way the deck is shaping up. I now have one each of the three best Zubera after only five picks. There is nothing else worth considering in this pack, although Soul of Magma is playable in a Zubera deck.
Pack 1, Pick 6
Lantern Kami
Unearthly Blizzard
Commune with Nature
Kami of the Waning Moon
Devoted Retainer
Rag Dealer
Ethereal Haze
Akki Rockspeaker
Blood Rites
Imi Statue
Jeeeeeeesus, what is Blood Rites still doing in this pack? A full five people have passed on this near-bomb! I snap it up greedily as it is the absolute nut high combined with Zuberi. I briefly note that there is nothing much else in the pack anyway. There are probably people right now thinking that I am betraying my own doctrine by printing a draft walkthrough where everything just happens to go right. However, stick with me, because it doesn’t stay that way.
Pack 1, Pick 7
Burr Grafter
Scuttling Death
Hisoka’s Defiance
Uncontrollable Anger
Matsu-Tribe Decoy
Silent-Chant Zubera
Sideswipe
Sachi – Daughter of Seshiro
Iname, Death Aspect
Hmmm, not great. I debate between taking the Uncontrollable Anger and the Silent-Chant Zubera. I am hoping not to have to play White, but take the Zubera as an insurance policy. I’m not sure if the Anger would make my deck anyway, as I dislike creature enchantments in Zubera decks.
Pack 1, Pick 8
Yamabushi’s Storm
Sift through Sands
Kashi-Tribe Warriors
Peer Through Depths
Jukai Messenger
Deathcurse Ogre
Tranquil Garden
Hall of the Bandit Lord
Nothing much in this pack to speak of. I like the Kashi-Tribe Warriors for my deck though, because they are Green (the one color of mana you generally always have available), and they can hold the ground while you assemble your combo.
Pack 1, Dregs
I picked up the Dripping-Tongue Zubera I passed in pack one on the way back, which I was very pleased about. I also picked up a second Kashi-Tribe Warriors and the Soul of Magma also wheeled. Nothing else to speak of.
The deck is looking very good after pack one. Four good Zuberi and one Devouring Greed contribute towards my engine, plus I have the beautiful Blood Rites. My biggest need at the moment is mana-fixing, of which I have none, and I would also like to see another Devouring ASAP to put my mind at rest.
Pack 2, Pick 1
Vine Kami
Waking Nightmare
Devoted Retainer
Devouring Rage
Callous Deceiver
Orochi Ranger
Pious Kitsune
Unnatural Speed
Kami of Twisted Reflection
Teller of Tales
Kodama’s Reach
Honden of Cleansing Fire
Sosuke, Son of Seshiro
Cloudcrest Lake
Kodama of the South Tree
Hmmm, a vital piece of mana fixing versus not one, but two bomby Green legends. This is a tricky pick, but I realise my time is running out to get mana fixing of this quality, so I take the Kodama’s Reach. Obviously in pack one I would have taken Mr South Tree, but it’s too late to think about going back on the Zubera plan now. I note there is also a Devouring Rage in the pack, which might possibly wheel if the stars align right.
Pack 2, Pick 2
Eye of Nowhere
Orochi Ranger
Devouring Greed
Call to Glory
Devouring Rage
River Kaijin
Joyous Respite
Midnight Covenant
Terashi’s Cry
Ronin Houndmaster
Mystic Restraints
Sire of the Storm
Nagao, Bound by Honor
Aura of Dominion
Another pack containing a multitude of good cards. Sire of the Storm is too Blue for a deck that currently only has one Blue card it wants to play, as is Mystic Restraints. I decide to make the safe pick of a second Devouring, and find I have a choice of either. As I am already playing one Greed, I pick another, so I don’t have double casting costs in Red and Black. With hindsight, I should have picked the Rage, as Blood Rites is severely weakened if you have only one Red mana available. I put this error down to rushing to record the cards in the pack instead of actually, you know, thinking about the pick.
Pack 2, Pick 3
Hundred Talon Kami
Brutal Deceiver
Reach through Mists
Kami of the Hunt
Gibbering Kami
Crushing Pain
Rag Dealer
Pious Kitsune
Desperate Ritual
Mothrider Samurai
Hinder
Cleanfall
Takeno, Samurai General
Kami of the Hunt immediately sticks out here. Were I playing White, I would consider Mothrider Samurai as solid flyer defense but no such debate here. Brutal Deceiver is also well playable in this deck. [Wow have the White cards been thick for you. – Knut, observing]
Pack 2, Pick 4
Distress
Kitsune Diviner
Sokenzan Bruiser
Council of the Soratami
Kami of the Hunt
Scuttling Death
Kami of Twisted Reflection
Orochi Leafcaller
Ragged Veins
Feral Deceiver
Orbweaver Kumo
Oni Possession
I have the option of another Kami of the Hunt, or even a Feral Deceiver here. However, in a deck it is important to get down a good defence, I take the Orbweaver Kumo. It has a big butt, it can block flyers, and in a Zubera deck it effectively has Forestwalk at will. This isn’t exactly a clear-cut pick though, and goes more to personal preference.
Pack 2, Pick 5
Kami of the Painted Road
Akki Avalanchers
Hisoka’s Defiance
Distress
Kami of Twisted Reflection
Orochi Leafcaller
Ragged Veins
Order of the Sacred Bell
Honor-Worn Shaku
Kashi-Tribe Reaver
Guardian of Solitude
A choice between Order of the Sacred Bell and Kashi-Tribe Reaver. While the Order is good, the Reaver is better in this deck because it has good applications on offense and defense. Unlike the Order, it can indefinitely hold off a Kitsune Blademaster, or even two.
Pack 2, Pick 6
Akki Avalanchers
Thoughtbind
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Indomitable Will
Crushing Pain
Wandering Ones
Wear Away
Kami of Fire’s Roar
Lantern-Lit Graveyard
Minamo, School at Waters Edge
Sakura-Tribe Elder is a fantastic mise at this stage and I take it without a second thought. However, I am wondering where all the Zubera are in these packs. I haven’t seen a single one yet, not even a bad one.
Pack 2, Pick 7
River Kaijin
Venerable Kumo
Yamabushi’s Storm
Sift through Sands
Joyous Respite
Midnight Covenant
Terashi’s Cry
Student of Elements
Hair-Strung Koto
An awful pack, with nothing for me at all. I take the Venerable Kumo but doubt I’ll play it.
Pack 2, Pick 8
Orochi Ranger
Call to Glory
Lava Spike
Kashi-Tribe Warriors
Pious Kitsune
Unnatural Speed
Kami of Twisted Reflection
Gale Force
Again, nothing much here. The Orochi Ranger and the Gale Force are both playable. I take the Orochi Ranger, because I don’t like holding additional dead cards in my hand in this deck, when you may already be holding an unusable (at the current time) Greed or Rage. The Ranger is a good little beater, and can do significant damage if left unchecked. Also has an ability that is occasionally useful.
Pack 2, Dregs
I am pleasantly surprised when the Devoted Rages I passed in packs 1 and 2 both wheel to me. Now I have a choice to make about whether to use them instead of the Greeds, but I like choices like this. I also pick up a Sokenzan Bruiser, which could come in against the right deck, and a Lantern-Lit Graveyard, which will definitely be making my deck.
The problem now is that I got no Zuberi at all in that pack – never even saw one. I’ll need to pick up a couple more at least in the next pack to make the combo viable. I think this is just an unlucky set of packs as I got plenty in the first pack. Hopefully it will turn out okay, I will just have to draft Zuberi very high indeed in this pack. Other than that the deck is looking okay, although any additional mana fixing or Rages that drop into my lap I’ll be more than happy to take.
Pack 3, Pick 1
Harsh Deceiver
Stone Rain
Sift through Sands
Vine Kami
Cruel Deceiver
Lantern Kami
Soulless Revival
Vigilance
Desperate Ritual
Rend Spirit
Kitsune Riftwalker
Dampen Thought
Orochi Eggwatcher
Reito Lantern
Timestop
Another really average pack cracked. I take the Rend Spirit as the only good card in the pack (although an argument could be made for Harsh Deceiver, given my mana-base).
Pack 3, Pick 2
Humble Budoka
Wicked Akuba
Blessed Breath
Sokenzan Bruiser
Hisoka’s Guard
Serpent Skin
Vigilance
Akki Rockspeaker
Psychic Puppetry
Consuming Vortex
Moss Kami
Candles Glow
Akki Underminer
Hisoka, Menamo Sensei
Still no sign of the elusive Zubera, but at least there is a good card for my deck here in Moss Kami.
Pack 3, Pick 3
Eye of Nowhere
Venerable Kumo
Gibbering Kami
Kami of the Painted Road
Akki Avalanchers
Hisoka’s Defiance
Matsu-Tribe Decoy
Ashen-Skin Zubera
Quiet Purity
Konda’s Hatamoto
Dance of Shadows
Hankyu
Heartbeat of Spring
Dance of Shadows is tempting as an alternate win condition, but my mana base really can’t support that. I don’t like taking Ashen-Skin Zubera with my 3rd pick, but I need more Zuberi and I can’t really be picky right now. It’s not like there is anything else in the pack that is all that appealing.
Pack 3, Pick 4
Callous Deceiver
Commune with Nature
Kami of the Waning Moon
Devoted Retainer
Yamabushi’s Storm
Eye of Nowhere
Matsu-Tribe Decoy
Ashen-Skin Zubera
Quiet Purity
Kami of Fire’s Roar
Struggle for Sanity
Strength of Cedars
Another little Black Zubera falls into my lap, and my Zubera count is starting to look healthy again. Nothing in this pack to really warrant taking over it.
Pack 3, Pick 5
Lava Spike
Eye of Nowhere
Orochi Ranger
Devouring Greed
Call to Glory
Soulless Revival
Vigilance
Desperate Ritual
Eerie Procession
Painwracker Oni
Ben-Ben Akki Hermit
Here’s a more interesting pack. I could take a third Devouring Greed here, but I have decided to take the Rage route now and make Red my second color. This also discounts Painwracker Oni, which I think I like more than most. However, Ben-Ben gets the nod here, being able to shut down offenses if left unchecked. I should be able to run enough Mountains to make him a significant threat.
Pack 3, Pick 6
Stone Rain
Vine Kami
Waking Nightmare
Devoted Retainer
Devouring Rage
Psychic Puppetry
Blessed Breath
Kami of Ancient Law
Hanabi Blast
Nezumi Bone-Reader
Don’t get me wrong, I really like Hanabi Blast. Unfortunately in this deck, it has the potential to ruin your game plan by knocking your win condition out of your hand. Why it is still in the pack 6th pick is another issue, but it’s still going to be in the pack 7th pick because I’m going to pass on it and take a third Devouring Rage, which gives me more redundancy on my win condition.
Pack 3, Pick 7
Unearthly Blizzard
Commune with Nature
Devouring Greed
Stone Rain
Swamp
Joyous Respite
Initiate of Blood
Ore Gorger
Night of Souls’ Betrayal
Yet another Devouring Greed? Where are they all coming from? Nothing terribly exciting here, although Initiate of Blood and Commune with Nature would probably both make my deck. I choose Commune in the end, as it allows you to dig for an extra Zubera and gives you information about the order of your deck. Either would be fine though.
Pack 3, Pick 8
Nezumi Ronin
Hearth Kami
Field of Reality
Jukai Messenger
Midnight Covenant
Dripping-Tongue Zubera
Squelch
Strange Inversion
That’s a stroke of luck! A late DTZ is a very welcome addition to my deck.
Pack 3, Dregs
Got a Serpent Skin on the bounce but not a lot else. Picked up that Devouring Greed in 13th. People are really underrating these at the moment.
[This Article is Continued in Part II.]