Welcome to another Pimp My Draft!
It’s finally operational. I encountered some technical problems setting the thing up, but I found out some ways to fix everything. A shared window on Netmeeting or a Webcam aiming at the screen both work fine (more about this later).
My backpack arrived home safely from JFK (yeah, I know, no one cares!), but our decks from the GP weren’t inside. Or I thought they were… That wouldn’t have been a big deal if I hadn’t told you I would give you the list. Please, tell me no one cares about 2HG anymore…
Anyway, let’s get back to some draft action. Today I’ve been drafting with Rapcat, a somewhat solid Limited amateur player. For the first live remote action, let’s see what happened:
Draft:
Pack 1:
Spiketail Drakeling, Flamecore Elemental, Mana Skimmer, Nantuko Shaman, Coral Trickster, Shadow Sliver, Ophidian Eye, Watcher Sliver, Thrill of the Hunt, Plunder, Krosan Grip, Brine Elemental, Undying Rage, Chronosavant, Shadow Guildmage
Pick: Brine Elemental
Rapcat: “I tend to draft Blue a lot. Blue is also often underdrafted in 8-4 drafts and you can end up with pretty decent decks. In TTT, 75% of my drafts were R/U, but with the introduction of Planar Chaos,it happens a lot less. Nevertheless, in this first pack, I am basically going to draft Blue since there’s a good pick in that color. The choice come down to Brine Elemental or Spiketail Drakeling. While I think the Drakeling is a really good card, Brine Elemental can end games on its own, and it doesn’t exactly lock us into heavy Blue like the Drakeling does (you only need the UU late game, and you can always play it as a generic 2/2 before that), so for the first pick first pack, my choice goes to Brine.”
Raph: The best cards in the pack are Blue, in the shape of Brine Elemental and Spiketail Drakeling, followed by Shadow Guildmage (that’s a very personal statement). So the real question is which of the two Blue cards is better. Both of them require Blue to be efficient, but one needs two of them early in the game. The commitment to Blue is almost as important, as I’m not sure you’ll run Brine Elemental if you don’t run at least 8 Islands. Brine Elemental is a great card no doubt about it, but it seems to me that the ability of the Drakeling — a 2/2 evasion creature, and a real pain to play around – is often more relevant as it’s online as soon as on turn 3.
Pack 2:
Fathom Seer, Flamecore Elemental, Gemhide Sliver, Feebleness, Castle Raptors, Mystical Teachings, Two-Headed Sliver, Prismatic Lens, Clockspinning, *, Fury Sliver, Aspect of Mongoose, Careful Consideration, Assault / Battery
Pick: Fathom Seer
Rapcat: “Second pick, we’re sticking to Blue, since we’re being passed the goods. The choice is now between Fathom Seer and Careful Consideration, the Seer being more versatile, it’s gonna be our pick.”
Raph: I agree on the pick and on the explanation.
Pack 3:
Mana Skimmer, Durkwood Baloth, Fathom Seer, Chromatic Star, Looter il-Kor, Viashino Bladescout, Mystical Teachings, Thrill of the Hunt, Shadow Sliver, Bogardan Rager, Evil Eye of Urborg, *, Sprite Noble
Pick: Fathom Seer
Rapcat: “Third pick, another classic choice, seer or looter, the seer happening to be a little better, but not by much, and since we decided to go the seer way, and maybe building synergy around the illusion, we go for the 1/3 drawer”.
Raph: I agree with the pick, but I would add that there are a few situations where I would pick Looter over Seer:
When I already have two Fathom Seers
When I have bunch of Madness cards (at least three of four)
Otherwise, I would always go for the Seer. The Looter is way too fragile these days, and I like drawing two cards better than looting.
Pack 4:
Gorgon Recluse, Spiketail Drakeling, Scarwood Treefolk, Amrou Scout, Molder, Venser’s Sliver, Children of Korlis, Sangrophage, Locket of Yesterdays, Voidmage Prodigy
Rapcat: Voidmage Prodigy
Raph: Spiketail Hatchling
Spiketail Hatchling is the best card in the pack. The other potential picks are Voidmage Prodigy, Gorgon Recluse, and Amrou Scout. With already three solid Blue picks, the Drakeling is also really safe as you don’t want to go for a double-Black card (that isn’t better than the Drakeling), or go for the Scout and hope for rebels later in the draft.
Merfork Thaumaturgist sure is a Wizard, but it doesn’t make Kai better than Drakeling.
Pack 5:
Mindstab, Slipstream Serpent, Blazing Blade Askari, Glass Asp, Traitor’s Clutch, Plunder, Eternity Snare, Spell Burst, Yavimaya Dryad, *, Sengir Autocrat
Rapcat: Slipstream Serpent
Raph: Mindstab
Slipstream Serpent is arguably the best Blue card in the pack. It’s very likely that your left neighbor is Blue. After you passed Careful Consideration and Looter il-Kor, don’t expect to see much Blue in the second pack. Slipstream Serpent isn’t a card you will be sure to play, especially with four three-mana creatures in your pile already.
Then again, it’s Mindstab versus Yavimaya Dryad. I like Minstab better, because it has only one colored mana in the cost. That GG might be tough to have if you’re running very heavy Blue — with two Fathom Seers, it’s likely to happen. And I believe B/U is better than G/U.
Pack 6:
Gorgon Recluse, Herd Gnarr, Fortify, Deathspore Thallid, Tolarian Sentinel, Traitor’s Clutch, D’Avenant Healer, Glass Asp
Rapcat: Gorgon Recluse
Raph: Gorgon Recluse
Tolarian Sentinel would be a fine pick, but the Gorgon is a better choice here. You don’t have a second color yet, and you may be able to go Black. You have seen decent Black so far, but nothing that would put any of your direct left neighbors on Black. If he is in the same situation as you, meaning that he’s into Blue and looking for a second color, the Gorgon will put him on Black too. And that’s definetely going to be his pick along with Looter and Consideration. You have passed a Gorgon already, but he probably took the Voidmage Prodigy over it.
Pack 7:
Feebleness, Skulking Knight, Brass Gnat, Dream Stalker, Watcher Sliver, Haunting Hymn, Barbed Shocker, Might of Old Krosa, Consecrate Land
Rapcat: Dream Stalker
Raph: Dream Stalker
Feebleness lost a bit of its use in U/B, as both Charms in Planar Chaos kill one-toughness creatures too. Haunting Hymn is another option here, but I usually prefer to play Mindstab over it. I would play two Mindstabs in a deck, but not one of each. But you’re still not set on Black, so you can also choose to take Watcher Sliver. With two Fathom Seer, Brine Elemental, and bearing in mind the fact that you could pick Reality Acids in the last pack if you get Tolarian Sentinels, I prefer to take the Dream Stalker here.
Passing the Watcher Sliver… you can only hope that your neighbor understands that White is open.
Pack 8:
Tolarian Sentinel, Fortify, Viscid Lemures, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Two-Headed Sliver, Blazing Blade Askari, Haunting Hymn, Stormcloud Djinn
Rapcat: Tolarian Sentinel
Raph: Tolarian Sentiel
For the exact same reason as the previous pick. I’ve been liking Reality Acid more and more lately. With one Sentinel, one Stalker, and card drawing spells (Fathom Seer), I’ll be happy to draft one or two quite high in the last pack.
Pack 9:
Flamecore Elemental, Shadow Sliver, Ophidian Eye, Watcher Sliver, Thrill of the Hunt, Plunder, Krosan Grip
Rapcat: Thrill of the Hunt
Raph: Thrill of the Hunt
Please left neighbor, go for the Slivers!
Pack 10:
Feebleness, Mystical Teachings, Two-Headed Sliver, Clockspinning, Sidewinder Sliver, Aspect of Mongoose
Rapcat: Feebleness
Raph: Feebleness
Mystical Teachings is the card you draft, thinking it’s going to be nice in your deck, but it often ends up in your sideboard. Without much removal drafted (none), you should start here with Feebleness.
Pack 11:
Viashino Bladescout, Mystical Teachings, Shadow Sliver, Evil Eye of Urborg, Fungal Reaches
Rapcat: Evil Eye of Urborg
Raph: Evil eye of Urborg
As mentionned above, it’s likely that the Teachings end up in the sideboard. The Evil Eye might make it to the main deck.
Pack 12:
Scarwood Treefolk, Children of Korlis, Sangrophage, Locket of Yesterdays
Pick: Scarwood Treefolk
Pack 13:
Glass Asp, Traitor’s Clutch, Plunder
Pick: Traitor’s Clutch
Pack 14:
Pick: Traitor’s Clutch
Pack 15:
Pick: Brass Gnat
So, what do we have after pack 1:
- We’ve been signaled from our right that Blue is open.
- We believe our left neighbour is Blue…
- … and White or Black (not sure what his second color is).
- We’re lacking removal, but we have a solid creature base.
Pack 16:
Viscerid Deepwalker, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Search for Tomorrow, Icatian Crier, Dark Withering, Goblin Skycutter, Mindlash Sliver, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Jhoira’s Timebug, Jedit’s Dragoons, Cavalry Master, Vampiric Sliver, Firewake Sliver, Deep-Sea Kraken, Bad Moon
Rapcat: Viscerid Deepwalker
Raph: Dark Withering
Rapcat: “First pick second pack, i’d still be undecided about what I would have picked. Raph made the choice of Dark Withering. We have one madness outlet so far (and one that we’ll probably end up playing if we can draft some Reality Acid later), and this seems to me like a dangerous pick, if we end up with too few madness outlets. Why Deepwalker over Kraken then? Walker is a better tempo creature, and an important one in Blue decks that tend to fall behind in the early game due to its lack of powerful early drops.”
Raph: You only have Tolarian Sentinel as a madness outlet, but you’ll probably get hold of a Dreamscape Artist in Planar Chaos. So far, you have drafted no “hard” removal. Even without madness enablers, I think I’d still pick Dark Withering over Viscerid Deepwalker. Hard casting it for six isn’t all that bad. Blue/Black without removal can’t win, but it can win without tempo creatures. It’s surely best to have both, but here you have the choice, and I would go for the Black instant. You can sure hope for better ones to come, especially as you believe Blue is open in the last pack (to get Shaper Parasites and Erratic Mutation)… but none will say: “kill ANY big (non-Black) creature.”
Pack 17:
Viscerid Deepwalker, Ashcoat Bear, Amrou Seekers, Search for Tomorrow, Corpulent Corpse, Brass Gnat, Savage Thallid, Screeching Sliver, Momentary Blink, Ancient Grudge, Sudden Death, Paradox Haze, Scion of the Ur-Dragon, Mystic Snake
Rapcat: Sudden Death
Raph: Sudden Death
Both suspend creatures, Viscerid Deepwalker and Corpulent Corpse are appealing, but you need removal spells, and Sudden Death might be one of the best.
Pack 18:
Aether Web, Cloudchaser Kestrel, Drudge Reavers, Goblin Skycutter, Havenwood Wurm, Basal Sliver, Sage of Epityr, Ghitu Firebreathing, Basalt Gargoyle, Stormcloud Djinn, Evangelize, Conspiracy, Cancel
Rapcat: Stormcloud Djinn
Raph: Stormcloud Djinn
Nothing really exciting in that pack. The Djinn could be passable in the board against U/W flyers.
Pack 19:
Crookclaw Transmuter, Strength in Numbers, Zealot il-Vec, Snapback, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Flickering Spirit, Call to the Netherworld, Drifter il-Dal, Outrider en-Kor, Return to Dust, Tormod’s Crypt
Rapcat: Crookclaw Transmuter
Raph: Snapback
It’s an arguable pick, but I believe Snapback is better. Free spells when you have Fathom Seers is key in U/B. The bird would be a fine pick too, as a “good creature” in your deck. I’m convinced at this point of the draft that you won’t be lacking good creatures.
Pack 20:
Cancel, Icatian Crier, Bonesplitter Sliver, Think Twice, Greenseeker, Foriysian Interceptor, Basal Sliver, Drifter il-Dal, Quilled Sliver, Living End, Coalition Victory
Rapcat: Think Twice
Raph: Think Twice
Think Twice or Cancel… I’m not a big fan of Cancel. Think Twice fills the two-mana slot. It’s also a better card. Three good reasons in favor of Think Twice.
Pack 21:
Errant Doomsayers, Aether Web, Subterranean Shambler, Mindlash Sliver, Havenwood Wurm, Chameleon Blur, Flickering Spirit, Wipe Away, Volcanic Awakening, Norin the Wary
Rapcat: Wipe Away
Raph: Wipe Away
I’ve never liked Wipe Away too much. The two Blue in the cost makes it hard to play, and it only has a limited use. Bouncing is a fine ability, but not for that much of a sacrifice in mana consistency. However, it might be really good here, as it gives you another good reason to pick Reality Acid later in the draft.
Pack 22:
Amrou Seekers, Mogg War Marshal, Drudge Reavers, Ghitu Firebreathing, Bewilder, Detainment Spell, Psychotic Episode, Urza’s Factory, Assembly-Worker
Rapcat: Psychotic Episode
Raph: Bewilder
I’ve been asked a couple of times how much I liked Bewilder. It’s potentialy a very good card, one that I would play pretty much everytime if I get a Merfolk Thaumaturgist. You’re lacking Trespasser il-Vec to take really advantage of the Psychotic Episode.
Pack 23:
Errant Doomsayers, Sprout, Aetherflame Wall, Pit Keeper, Sage of Epityr, Return to Dust, Restore Balance, Angel’s Grace
Rapcat: Pit Keeper
Raph: Pit Keeper
No real choice here for us.
Pack 24:
Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Icatian Crier, Goblin Skycutter, Mindlash Sliver, Jhoira’s Timebug, Jedit’s Dragoons, Firewake Sliver
Rapcat: Jedit’s Dragoons
Raph: Jhoira’s Timebug
… That I’d probably play if I get three Reality Acids. Jedit’s Dragoons is probably the best card, but you’re not playing the deck that it’s really annoying against. Mindlash Sliver might be an option too, as a madness enabler, but you probably want to keep your one-mana slot free in case you get Erratic Mutations.
Pack 25:
Ashcoat Bear, Brass Gnat, Screeching Sliver, Ancient Grudge, Paradox Haze, Scion of the Ur-Dragon
Rapcat: Screeching Sliver
Raph: Ashcoar Bear
Nothing you’ll play anyway.
Pack 26:
Drudge Reavers, Havenwood Wurm, Sage of Epityr, Ghitu Firebreathing, Conspiracy
Rapcat: Drudge Reavers
Raph: Drudge Reavers
You may want to board in Drudge Reavers against fatties. Havenwood Wurm may have been the right pick here, as you don’t really have many ways to kill it.
Pack 27:
Zealot il-Vec, Ancient Grudge, Drifter il-Dal, Return to Dust
Rapcat: Drifter Il-Dal
Raph: Zealot il-Vec
You don’t have Kai, and even if you did you wouldn’t play the Drifter.
Pack 28:
Foriysian Interceptor, Basal Sliver, Drifter il-Dal
Rapcat: Basal Sliver
Raph: Basal Sliver
Pack 29:
Mindlash Sliver, Volcanic Awakening
Rapcat: Mindlash Sliver
Raph: Mindlash Sliver
Well, we didn’t need to worry… we have one in the end.
Pack 30:
Pick: Ghitu Firebreathing
As expected, the pack wasn’t as solid as the first one, but we managed to pick two fine removal spells. The way we read the signals from pack 1, we should be getting the goods in pack 3.
Pack 31:
Giant Dustwasp, Dead / Gone, Dreamscape Artist, Ridged Kusite, Dawn Charm, Aquamorph Entity, Evolution Charm, Pallid Mycoderm, Prodigal Pyromancer, Vampiric Link, Piracy Charm, Venarian Glimmer, Phantasmagorian, Harmonize, Retether
Rapcat: Dreamscape Artist
Raph: Dreamscape Artist
It’s heartbreaking, but it’s the right pick here. There are many better cards than the Artist, but none for us. We can’t possibly splash a third color, as our manabase wouldn’t survive it. The Artist will make it to our deck for sure, to power up the instant speed Gorgon, or to cast a Dark Withering. I love its synergy with Fathom Seer too, as it “counters” the drawback of the illusion. So, heartbreaking, but still fine.
Pack 32:
Battering Sliver, Reflex Sliver, Whitemane Lion, Midnight Charm, Saltfield Recluse, Deadly Grub, Dust Corona, Reality Acid, Healing Leaves, Mana Tithe, Melancholy, Dismal Failure, Tidewalker, Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Rapcat: Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Raph: Reality Acid
I mentioned already how much I wanted to have at least one in the deck. Urborg would have been okay if I had a Tendrils of Corruption, but Dismal Failure would have been my choice in case there hadn’t been the Acid. I’ve read a few arguments about Dismal Failure, and I have to say that I disagree with everyone who says it’s a bad card, or just “a more expensive Cancel.” In this deck for example, you’re not going to keep your mana up on turn 3, or anytime you could play spells during your turn. So Cancel will be a mid-game or late-game card. The one extra mana is therefore irrelevant. The discard part may not be relevant in the late game, as your opponent may play around it and keep a land in hand, but it’s often decisive in the mid-game, when you’re both trying to settle an advantage on the board, usually between turns 6 and 8. At that point of the game, most of the cards in your opponent’s hand are useful. You would not be sure to play your Cancel on the first spell, which could have been used as a bait, but you know that playing the Dismal Failure will get you a good two-for-one.
Pack 33:
Dead / Gone, Ridged Kusite, Wistful Thinking, Citanul Woodreaders, Firefright Mage, Pallid Mycoderm, Uktabi Drake, Seal of Primordium, Bog Serpent, Rathi Trapper, Cautery Sliver, Lavacore Elemental, Heroes Remembered
Rapcat: Rathi Trapper
Raph: Rathi Trapper
Rathi Trapper is the only card for you here. You still don’t want to splash for another color. But even then, Rathi Trapper is almost as good as Dead / Gone.
Pack 34:
Battering Sliver, Firefright Mage, Wistful Thinking, Keldon Marauders, Dash Hopes, Shade of Trokair, Mana Tithe, Vampiric Link, Rathi Trapper, Waning Wurm, Frozen Aether, Magus of the Library
Rapcat: Rathi Trapper
Raph: Rathi Trapper
Once again, another quite empty pack for you, except for the Trapper.
Pack 35:
Synchronous Sliver, Utopia Vow, Dawn Charm, Spitting Sliver, Shade of Trokair, Uktabi Drake, Ghost Tactician, Rathi Trapper, Primal Plasma, Riftmarked Knight, Pongify
Rapcat: Pongify
Raph: Rathi Trapper
Pongify is a cheap trick, and as you don’t have an Erratic Mutation yet, you would run it for sure. The reasons why I picked the Trapper here were that:
The power level of both cards are pretty similar, even though they are hard to compare.
It’s a rebel. Two would have been enough to opt for a Blightspeaker if you saw one, but three make the searcher a huge late pick for you.
Pack 36:
Cradle to Grave, Reflex Sliver, Dreamscape Artist, Poultice Sliver, Vitaspore Thallid, Brain Gorgers, Fury Charm, Piracy Charm, Revered Dead, Mantle of Leadership
Rapcat: Cradle to Grave
Raph: Cradle to Grave
You don’t really have that many removal spells so far, but this one will do its job fine. I was unsure how good that card was before, but in a deck packing a few other removal spells it’s just as good as any other creature kill. With Snapback and Wipe Away, you also have a “Plan B“ to get rid of a creature. As you won’t run a third color, nor have that many madness spells, you don’t need a second Dreamscape Artist.
Pack 37:
Synchronous Sliver, Needlepeak Spider, Blightspeaker, Fury Charm, Vitaspore Thallid, Simian Spirit Guide, Fa’adiyah Seer, Phantasmagorian, Hunting Wilds
Rapcat: Blightspeaker
Raph: Blightspeaker
See pick 35!
Pack 38:
Cradle to Grave, Brain Gorgers, Dust Corona, Dash Hopes, Aquamorph Entity, Gossamer Phantasm, Sophic Centaur, Piracy Charm
Rapcat: Gossamer Phantasm
Raph: Cradle to Grave
You have enough creatures, and you’ll be fine with an extra removal spell.
Pack 39:
Ridged Kusite, Dawn Charm, Aquamorph Entity, Vampiric Link, Piracy Charm, Venarian Glimmer, Phantasmagorian
Rapcat: Aquamorph Entity
Raph: Piracy Charm
Same statement as above, although I like Cradle to Grave better than Piracy Charm. If you’re a big fan of the Entity, it’s a fine pick here too.
Pack 40:
Midnight Charm, Deadly Grub, Dust Corona, Healing Leaves, Melancholy, Tidewalker
Rapcat: Midnight Charm
Raph: Midnight Charm
With three tappers, you will need your Black mana for other business, so it’s definitely Midnight Charm over Melancholy.
Pack 41:
Wistful Thinking, Firefright Mage, Pallid Mycoderm, Bog Serpent, Lavacore Elemental
Pick: Bog Serpent
Pack 42:
Firefright Mage, Wistful Thinking, Dash Hopes, Waning Wurm
Pick: Wistful Thinking
Pack 43:
Dawn Charm, Spitting Sliver, Ghost Tactician
Pick: Dawn Charm
Pack 44:
Revered Dead, Mantle of Leadership
Pick: Revered Dead
Pack 45:
Pick: Synchronous Sliver
Decklist:
Midnight Charm
Mindstab
2 Cradle to Grave
Snapback
Think Twice
Feebleness
Blightspeaker
Dream Stalker
Dreamscape Artist
3 Rathi Trapper
2 Fathom Seer
Brine Elemental
Sudden Death
Wipe Away
Reality Acid
Spiketail Drakeling
Tolarian Sentinel
Gorgon Recluse
Dark Withering
9 Swamp
8 Island
The draft went pretty well, as we managed to draft a solid Blue/Black deck without lacking anything the archetype demands: Card Draw, Removal, Bounce.
Three ways including a Tolarian Sentinel to bounce Reality Acid is enough to make it a potential devastating card in your deck.
This is the kind of deck you can expect to go 3-0 with. Sadly, we lost in the semis due to a quite a few sloppy plays on our side, but that’s not what we’ll remember…
I’ve posted how you can take part in the experience. The system will sure improve with time, and I’ll probably find a better way to have it work.
Until then, check here, and let yourself be known if you want to be the next one drafting!
Raph
Draft recording done by Blargware‘s MTGO DraftCap. Support Blargware!