Good game.
Let’s do this thing.
Pack 1, Pick 1
Brightflame; Frenzied Goblin; Undercity Shade; Telling Time; Compulsive Research; Faith’s Fetters; Lurking Informant; Gate Hound; Golgari Brownscale; Scatter the Seeds; Incite Hysteria; Golgari Rotwurm; Wojek Siren; Selesnya Sanctuary; Dogpile
Oh, come on! Brightflame again? One that wasn’t passed to me, even? In five color?!
Do you ever pass Brightflame? I can’t think of a reason, unless the pack’s messed up and there’s also a foil Watery Grave in there. I guess Faith’s Fetters is the next best card, and Rotwurm would also normally be a possibility.
But come on.
My pick: Brightflame
Pack 1, Pick 2
Wojek Apothecary; Recollect; Root-Kin Ally; Siege Wurm; Fiery Conclusion; Dimir Signet; Caregiver; Dryad’s Caress; Perplex; Muddle the Mixture; Nightguard Patrol; Farseek; Viashino Slasher; Guardian of Vitu-Ghazi
The choice here seems to be a big fat Convoke creature or a mana accelerant/fixer. Big fat Convoke creatures are pretty easy to come by, so I’ve got no problem with the alternative, and Farseek simply suits the deck’s needs more than the Signet. Easy.
My pick: Farseek
(A fun game you can play at home is “what would I have taken if I weren’t so gung-ho about drafting some insane archetype?” This pack’s pretty lousy for Boros. I guess it’d be… actually I have no idea. I’m bad with Boros. Slasher?)
Pack 1, Pick 3
Autochthon Wurm; Perilous Forays; Voyager Staff; Golgari Signet; Conclave Equenaut; Surge of Zeal; Lurking Informant; Zephyr Spirit; Ordruun Commando; Sadistic Augermage; Gaze of the Gorgon; Drift of Phantasms; Votary of the Conclave
I love Voyager Staff. Nonetheless, I was understandably disappointed when I saw this pack, as it’s not exactly something I’d normally take third.
The way I see it, there are four considerations for my deck. The Staff, the Signet, the Equenaut, and Drift of Phantasms. I ruled out the Drift first because of how late it can come. I don’t think it should go as late as it does, but I don’t make up the rules (or people’s pick orders.) The highest pick normally, Conclave Equenaut, I rule out next because of its prohibitive mana cost. Shame, really.
(Actually, in retrospect its mana cost isn’t all that prohibitive for the deck. Still, it’s hard for me to justify early double-cost picks that aren’t bombs. I can’t help thinking it may be the right pick, though. It probably would be if we were still playing that Boros game.)
So Signet or Voyager Staff. Most of you would probably go with the Signet, unless Staff’s been catching on lately – I’m sort of out of the loop. I went with the Staff since I tend to see so many Signets and so few Staves.
My pick: Voyager Staff
Pack 1, Pick 4
Mindleech Mass; Pollenbright Wings; Sell-Sword Brute; Brainspoil; Dimir Signet; Leave No Trace; Sundering Vitae; Goblin Fire Fiend; Plains; Gather Courage; Greater Mossdog; Barbarian Riftcutter
I eyed the Mindleech mass for a few nanoseconds longer than I should have, but in the end removal is removal, even if it’s not my favorite spell (not to mention that whole double-Black thing). I suppose Greater Mossdog and Gather Courage are also possibilities, but this isn’t a thrilling pack regardless.
My pick: Brainspoil
(Boros pick: Ha! Brute? I’ve yet to see that card get played.)
Pack 1, Pick 5
Stoneshaker Shaman; Fiery Conclusion; Dimir Signet; Rally the Righteous; Infectious Host; Dizzy Spell; Gather Courage; Sabertooth Alley Cat; Dogpile; Golgari Rot Farm; Convolute
How many Signets am I gonna pass, anyhow? This seems like the perfect opportunity to grab a bounceland, as the quality of the pack is rather low. I don’t hate Gather Courage, mind you, but I have more important things on my mind.
My pick: Golgari Rot Farm
(B: R the R)
Pack 1, Pick 6
Phytohydra; Grayscaled Gharial; Dromad Purebred; Rally the Righteous; Dimir House Guard; Surveilling Sprite; Boros Fury-Shield; Tattered Drake; Boros Garrison; Guardian of Vitu-Ghazi
How late should Rally the Righteous go, anyhow? I know it’s a defining Boros card, but do you take it higher than most creatures?
Speaking of which, do I take a solid creature in House Guard or do I take another bounceland. I don’t want to be stuck with three bouncelands again. Tattered Drake is worse than House Guard, right?
My pick: Boros Garrison
(I’m guessing Rally the Righteous again. It’s a good thing I don’t know how to draft Boros.)
Pack 1, Pick 7
Psychic Drain; Stone-Seeder Hierophant; Seismic Spike; Sewerdreg; Sadistic Augermage; Muddle the Mixture; Terrarion; Torpid Moloch; Mortipede
Nothing too nutty in this pack. Psychic Drain is pretty gassy in a particular deck, but what might be right for you might not be right for some. Different Strokes for different folks.
My pick: Terrarion
(Eh, the Boros game sucks. Let’s play Hungry Hungry Hippos!)
Pack 1, Pick 8
Ethereal Usher; Infectious Host; Quickchange; Boros Recruit; Vedalken Dismisser; Boros Fury-Shield; Induce Paranoia; Woodwraith Strangler
Time to experiment. While the number of drafts I’ve participated in is well into the double digits, I’ve yet to try out every card. One of those unplayed is Ethereal Usher, and if it’s anything like the real-life Usher, I expect that any thirteen-year-old female opponents I might have will swoon in its presence. After all, it’s either that or Dismisser, and I’m sure I’ll see a few more of those.
Fury-Shield isn’t bad, but I feel the deck has little room for that type of spell. Maybe I’m wrong. I’m not even sure if it’s the proper Boros pick, as Recruit is one spicy meatball.
My pick: Ethereal Usher
(Spoiler Warning: I did wind up playing the Usher, and the good news is it didn’t turn out half bad. The bad news is it’s solely because it’s a 2/3.)
Pack 1, Pick 9
Compulsive Research; Gate Hound; Golgari Brownscale; Incite Hysteria; Wojek Siren; Selesnya Sanctuary; Dogpile
Brownscale’s not bad, but I have no problem meeting my bounceland quota a bit early.
My pick: Selesnya Sanctuary
Pack 1, Pick 10
Root-Kin Ally; Caregiver; Dryad’s Caress; Perplex; Muddle the Mixture; Viashino Slasher
Time to take one of those fatties, even though it’s not likely to be at full efficiency in here. Hey, that Slasher came back! I know it’s below the curve, but it’s good in Boros, right?
My pick: Root-Kin Ally
Pack 1, Pick 11
Perilous Forays; Surge of Zeal; Zephyr Spirit; Sadistic Augermage; Votary of the Conclave
My pick: Sadistic Augermage
Pack 1, Pick 12
Leave No Trace; Goblin Fire Fiend; Plains; Barbarian Riftcutter
Time to close that creature gap with suboptimal offerings.
My pick: Barbarian Riftcutter
Pack 1, Pick 13
Stoneshaker Shaman; Infectious Host; Dizzy Spell
My pick: Stoneshaker Shaman
Pack 1, Pick 14
Grayscaled Gharial; Dromad Purebred
My pick: Dromad Purebred
Pack 1, Pick 15
Stone-Seeder Hierophant
My pick: Stone-Seeder Hierophant
I’m not quite sure how to rate that first pack. It’s decidedly low in meat, but it makes up for it in bouncelands and other various fixers. You know, I neglected to mention yesterday if I ever cast Brightflame. I didn’t, though I had the ability to do so several times. I held it back a lot in my first games as to not tip my hand, and the times it would have been useful I didn’t draw it. (Actually I believe it was a victim of the dredge-mill at least twice.)
Pack 2, Pick 1
Hammer-Fist Giant; Congregation at Dawn; Netherborn Phalanx; Galvanic Arc; Seeds of Strength; Peel from Reality; Quickchange; Conclave’s Blessing; Island (FOIL); Centaur Safeguard; Incite Hysteria; Induce Paranoia; Boros Garrison; Farseek
Oof. I assume Hammerfist Giant is some sick bomb, but I’ve never seen it in action. I’m also concerned that it doesn’t deal with flyers. Still, I think I should have taken it instead of the near-bomb I went with – after all, at 5/4 it’s got better stats than anything else I’ve drafted so far.
My pick: Galvanic Arc (but likely a mistake)
Pack 2, Pick 2
Bottled Cloister; Remand; Divebomber Griffin; Veteran Armorer; Selesnya Signet; Thoughtpicker Witch; Mountain (FOIL); Caregiver; Thundersong Trumpeter; Vedalken Entrancer; Benevolent Ancestor; Consult the Necrosages; Terraformer; Wojek Siren
Another rare I’ve yet to see in action. The promise of drawing an extra card per turn is enticing, but I’m worried about not having any cards in hand during my opponent’s turns and also the potential of losing my entire hand. This deck rarely has an empty hand.
So what are the other options? Don’t think this is the time to grab a Signet. Veteran Armorer is always nice, but it doesn’t always mesh with this deck’s low creature counts. I keep neglecting Trumpeter, so I might as well continue to do so. Benevolent Ancestor is all right, but it’s normally a lower pick than Trumpeter or Armorer, so it doesn’t seem ideal in these circumstances.
My pick: Divebomber Griffin
Yeah, I regretted it pretty much as soon as I did it. I mean, it’s not a bad card or anything, but I’m pretty sure any of the above cards would have wound up working better.
Pack 2, Pick 3
Spawnbroker; Flame-Kin Zealot; Psychic Drain; Sandsower; Galvanic Arc; Seeds of Strength; Surge of Zeal; Shred Memory; Drake Familiar; Vedalken Entrancer; Screeching Griffin; Tattered Drake; Boros Garrison
Yesterday I played Spawnbroker, and while it performed adequately, I never really felt I was getting a big advantage by playing it. Also, if your opponent happens to be under a Privileged Position, you tend to want to pay slightly less for a vanilla 1/1.
Yeah, Zealot is nuts, and you Boros freaks are likely wetting your pants at my possibilities had I drafted that deck. Freaks.
My pick: Galvanic Arc
Pack 2, Pick 4
Flickerform; Nullmage Shepherd; Reroute; Blockbuster; Fiery Conclusion; Peel from Reality; Smash; Sewerdreg; Lurking Informant; War-Torch Goblin; Torpid Moloch; Roofstalker Wight
The Johnny in me liked the concept of Flickerform and the versatility it offers, but the guy-who’d-rather-win-the-draft in me decided that he’d rather have a card that does things. Things that help you win. He’s weird like that.
Why he took this moment to chime in I have no idea.
My pick: Nullmage Shepherd
Pack 2, Pick 5
Ghosts of the Innocent; Rolling Spoil; Selesnya Signet; Transluminant; Dromad Purebred; Dryad’s Caress; Rain of Embers; Tidewater Minion; Courier Hawk; Dimir Aqueduct; Coalhauler Swine
“Dude.”
“Yeah, Jack?”
“Remember that guy who used to write strategy articles in the form of a dialogue? It looked a lot like this, actually.”
“No, not really.”
“Whatever happened to that guy? I miss him.”
“Look, I’m busy drafting, Jack. Can this wait?”
“I especially liked how he made the one guy say the other guy’s name every so often so you wouldn’t lose track of who was talking.”
“Look what you made me do. I just picked a middling sideboard card fifth! Over some much better choices.”
“Sorry, dude.”
“It’s okay, Jack. People will understand.”
“Probably not, dude.”
My pick: Rolling Spoil
Pack 2, Pick 6
Breath of Fury; Stoneshaker Shaman; Selesnya Signet; Necromantic Thirst; Grayscaled Gharial; Dromad Purebred; Ordruun Commando; Bramble Elemental; Clinging Darkness; Stasis Cell
Last time I checked, 4/4 creatures for five mana with a relevant ability were slightly above the curve. I suppose Clinging Darkness isn’t too shabby, either.
My pick: Bramble Elemental
Pack 2, Pick 7
Pollenbright Wings; Dimir Signet; Seismic Spike; Thoughtpicker Witch; Gather Courage; Sabertooth Alley Cat; Goblin Spelunkers; Dimir Aqueduct; Convolute
How many bouncelands do I have already? How many will I have after I pass yet another Gather Courage for this one? The answer may surprise you.
My pick: Dimir Aqueduct
Pack 2, Pick 8
Golgari Germination; Sell-Sword Brute; Flight of Fancy; Perplex; Goblin Fire-Fiend; Necromantic Thirst; War-Torch Goblin; Goblin Spelunkers
Tee hee. There certainly are some funny words in this pack. Spelunkers. Germination. Fancy. Umm, necromantic?
What? Of course fancy is a funny word. Take any non-funny noun. Now modify it with fancy. Fancy pants. Fancy man. Fancy dancing. Fancy ketchup. Comedy gold!
My pick: Flight of Fancy
Pack 2, Pick 9
Congregation at Dawn; Peel from Reality; Quickchange; Conclave’s Blessing; Island; Incite Hysteria; Boros Garrison
I like Congregation at Dawn. It doesn’t seem to fit the scheme of what makes a good card, as it’s not technically card advantage and it doesn’t affect the board. Wait. Why do I love Congregation at Dawn again?
My pick: Boros Garrison
Pack 2, Pick 10
Remand; Thoughtpicker Witch; Mountain (FOIL); Caregiver; Terraformer; Wojek Siren
Even though I despise Terraformer, I’d probably take it if I had this pack to do over. Not for its mana-fixing capabilities, which would be nice if I didn’t already need relatively fixed mana to play it, but for the fact that it’s a Grey Ogre.
My pick: Remand
Pack 2, Pick 11
Surge of Zeal; Shred Memory; Drake Familiar; Tattered Drake; Boros Garrison
Yesterday I struggled to even draft three bouncelands, and today I could get six without even trying. I don’t think the deck needs six. However, I do think it needs ways to abuse its Arcs and other fancy enchantments.
My pick: Drake Familiar
Pack 2, Pick 12
Reroute; Peel from Reality; Smash; Torpid Moloch
My pick: Peel from Reality
Pack 2, Pick 13
Dromad Purebred; Dryad’s Caress; Rain of Embers
My pick: Rain of Embers
Pack 2, Pick 14
Necromantic Thirst; Greyscaled Gharial
My pick: Necromantic Thirst
Pack 2, Pick 15
Seismic Spike
I don’t particularly like my performance in the second pack, but I did wind up with a bunch of solid cards. The deck’s really coming together. At least I don’t have to worry about taking more bouncelands.
Pack 3, Pick 1
Overgrown Tomb; Wojek Apothecary; Recollect; Root-Kin Ally; Boros Signet; Siege Wurm; Dimir Infiltrator; Conclave’s Blessing; Elvish Skysweeper; Dimir House Guard; Vedalken Dismisser; Boros Fury-Shield; Terraformer; Votary of the Conclave; Civic Wayfinder
Let’s pretend Overgrown Tomb wasn’t in the pack. Actually, instead let’s pretend it’s not worth umpteen tickets. In that case, my pick would be Civic Wayfinder, but who am I kidding.
My pick: Overgrown Tomb
It’s even playable!
Pack 3, Pick 2
Perilous Forays; Voyager Staff; Dimir Guildmage; Boros Signet; Disembowel; Golgari Signet; Dryad’s Caress; Perplex; Necromantic Thirst; Bramble Elemental; Sabertooth Alley Cat; Selesnya Sanctuary; Dogpile; Mortipede
“Dude?”
“Don’t even think about it, Jack.”
Dimir Guildmage is gold. (Or it would be if it didn’t have the Hybrid border.) Disembowel is crucial removal. Bramble Elemental is just another fatty. Voyager Staff is Janeway, Chakotay, Paris, Torres, Seven of Nine, Kim, The Doctor, Neelix, and Kes, but nobody likes her.
My pick: Bramble Elemental, but I think Dimir Guildmage woulda been better
Pack 3, Pick 3
Dream Leash; Frenzied Goblin; Undercity Shade; Telling Time; Last Gasp; Compulsive Research; Shred Memory; Grayscaled Gharial; Dimir Infiltrator; Ordruun Commando; Strands of Undeath; Drift of Phantasms; Woodwraith Strangler
If there’s one aspect of my game that needs improvement (heh, one), it’s that I tend to drastically overvalue rare cards. Last Gasp is perfect for the deck, and I’m pretty sure it’s the best card in the pack, but sometimes I cannot resist the allure of a pretty rare that can potentially break the game.
It’s not like I haven’t played Dream Leash either. I have, and it’s never really bowled me over. It’s no Confiscate, that’s for sure. Still, even though I don’t think it’s the right choice here, I don’t think this pick is as bad as some of my others.
My pick: Dream Leash
Pack 3, Pick 4
Watchwolf; Rolling Spoil; Transluminant; Last Gasp; Rally the Righteous; Smash; Sewerdreg; Surveilling Sprite; Benevolent Ancestor; Barbarian Riftcutter; Consult the Necrosages; Terraformer
Watch wolf enter pile. Watch wolf leave pile. Watch wolf bite my hand off.
My pick: Last Gasp
Pack 3, Pick 5
Congregation at Dawn; Glass Golem; Netherborn Phalanx; Peel from Reality; Leave No Trace; Stone-Seeder Hierophant; Rain of Embers; Fists of Ironwood; Guardian of Vitu-Ghazi; Torpid Moloch; Roofstalker Wight
First impressions of cards – well, the ones that come from playing them at least once – stick in one’s mind for a long time. Yesterday I refused to take a solid late Turnkey, mainly because in the Ravnica Beta, the card did not work for some time, so I have developed a bit of a mental block that causes me to practically ignore its presence in the pack.
The first time I played Roofstalker Wight, it sat alongside two other X/1s in my hand while my opponent had Viashino Fangtail out. The first time I played Congregation at Dawn it won me the game.
Eventually, after a bunch of drafts, these first impressions can be overcome and I can see cards at the power they actually are, but it’s a slow process. Hey, I’m working on it.
My pick: Congregation at Dawn
Pack 3, Pick 6
Vindictive Mob; Twisted Justice; Elves of Deep Shadow; Gate Hound; Golgari Brownscale; Surge of Zeal; Sadistic Augermage; Woodwraith Strangler; Farseek; Goblin Spelunkers
Case in point: the first time I played Vindictive Mob, I sacrificed a Saproling and it won me the game. The first time I played Twisted Justice, it took out a Fangtail and I drew three.
Enough subsequent bad experiences with those two cards transpired, however, and I can safely say that neither is all that good. (Twisted Justice is still all right, I suppose, but it doesn’t compare to the Elves or Farseek.)
Having five bouncelands in my pile skews this pack in favor of the Elves, but I wouldn’t fault anyone for taking the Farseek.
My pick: Elves of Deep Shadow
Pack 3, Pick 7
Empty the Catacombs; Smash; Goblin Recruit; Zephyr Spirit; Clinging Darkness; Vedalken Dismisser; Viashino Slasher; Guardian of Vitu-Ghazi; Stasis Cell
Clinging Darkness keeps getting worse in my estimation. It never deals with the threats you want it to deal with.
My pick: Vedalken Dismisser
Except it is removal, and it’s better than the Darkness. Let me take that pick back. Undo! Undo! It’s not letting me undo! Oh, why won’t it let me undo?
Pack 3, Pick 8
Cloudstone Curio; Remand; Selesnya Signet; Dizzy Spell; Caregiver; Sundering Vitae; Wojek Siren; Coalhauler Swine
It may seem like an odd thing to say, but I think my deck has enough mana fixing. I guess it could always use a bit more acceleration, but I’d rather go with the quality sideboard card here.
My pick: Sundering Vitae
Curio is as bad as I think it is, right?
Pack 3, Pick 9
Recollect; Dimir Infiltrator; Conclave’s Blessing; Elvish Skysweeper; Vedalken Dismisser; Boros Fury-Shield; Votary of the Conclave
Is Elvish Skysweeper not the best utility 1/1 creature ever? It’s probably not, no, but it probably shouldn’t table, either. This was the pack I took that Overgrown Tomb, and while Civic Wayfinder understandably didn’t come back around, I dare say I’m lucky that the Skysweeper did.
My pick: Elvish Skysweeper
Pack 3, Pick 10
Perilous Forays; Voyager Staff; Dryad’s Caress; Perplex; Necromantic Thirst; Sabertooth Alley Cat
Does nobody understand how versatile the Staff is? It’s an artifact, first and foremost. It costs one mana. It makes cards that have the words “comes into play” on them better. Its common-law wife is the phrase “damage on the stack.” I can’t tell you how many blockers I’ve removed with it to deal the fatal Alpha Strike. You might have thought I was crazy when I took it third earlier in the draft, but I think it’s equally crazy to see it tenth.
My pick: Voyager Staff
I suppose one can include folks like Seska and Icheb, but they were never in the opening credits, so they don’t count.
Pack 3, Pick 11
Shred Memory; Grayscaled Gharial; Dimir Infiltrator; Drift of Phantasms; Woodwraith Strangler
I thought getting Drift of Phantasms this late yesterday was a fluke.
My pick: Drift of Phantasms
Pack 3, Pick 12
Rolling Spoil; Smash; Sewerdreg; Surveilling Sprite
“Thanks again, Jack. Really.”
My pick: Rolling Spoil
Pack 3, Pick 13
Stone-Seeder Hierophant; Rain of Embers; Torpid Moloch
My pick: Rain of Embers
At this point, these cards seem less like sideboard options and more like counterdrafts. I’ve got a ton of X/1s and the potential to generate a bunch of tokens.
Pack 3, Pick 14
Gate Hound, Surge of Zeal
My pick: Gate Hound
Pack 3, Pick 15
Zephyr Spirit
The Deck
1cc
Terrarion
2 Voyager Staff
Elves of Deep Shadow
Elvish Skysweeper
2cc
Farseek
Last Gasp
Remand
Drake Familiar
3cc
Congregation at Dawn
2 Galvanic Arc
Drift of Phantasms
Sadistic Augermage
4cc
Flight of Fancy
Nullmage Shepherd
5cc
Brainspoil
Dream Leash
Barbarian Riftcutter
2 Bramble Elemental
Divebomber Griffin
6cc
Ethereal Usher
Root-Kin Ally
Vedalken Dismisser
Xcc
Brightflame
Land
4 Forest
2 Island
Mountain
Plains
Overgrown Tomb
Selesnya Sanctuary
Golgari Rot Farm
2 Boros Garrison
Dimir Aqueduct
Sideboard–type cards
Peel from Reality
2 Rain of Embers
Stoneshaker Shaman?
2 Rolling Spoil
Sundering Vitae
Can you believe there were only thirteen cards in the sideboard?
I’m not sure if the fact that the deck had so few potential builds is a good thing or a bad thing. Really the only area I could mess around with is the mana, though I was thrilled that I didn’t have to run a regular Swamp. My creature count’s dismal as always, and I wasn’t too happy about the Augermage and the Usher either. Fortunately I have Congregation at Dawn, and Bramble Elemental could potentially make a boatload of tokens.
The Games
Same deal as before. Replay here. Instructions here.
[Unnecessary blank space here.]
Round 1
vs 1529
I forgot to give my opponents’ Limited ratings yesterday. Hopefully doing so will relieve me of the burden of describing this match in great detail.
My deck performed exceptionally. I played Brightflame. My opponent was playing Boros. Technically. He had a lot of 1/1s. He had little else. Sorry, man.
Round 2
vs 1753
This round was quite a bit more interesting, and my opponent was chatty and jovial. I like that, though it makes me feel a bit guilty when I win. Maybe that’s part of the plan.
He was playing a White/Red/Green build that was rather aggressive. He also had a few token generators, tappers, and can’t-attack-or-block-ers.
Yet the games wouldn’t have been nerve-wracking if not for his trump card, Flame Fusillade. I had begun to stabilize in game 1 when he played it with seven other untapped permanents and with me at seven life. I Last Gasped his Armorer in response, but I felt incredibly stupid for holding onto Brightflame when I could have played it three turns ago. Getting back up to eleven life after Fusillade dropped me to one might have contributed slightly to my victory.
In game two he eschewed the tokens in favor of aggression, and I dropped within Fusillade range quickly. Then he played Fusillade.
Game three was a battle of attrition, if you define attrition as playing defensive spells before wiping out his entire team with Brightflame. Good games, but his deck definitely had the potential to waste me had his draws been smoother.
Round 3
vs 1666
Anticlimaxes are the norm, I suppose. At first I thought he was playing mono-Black, but a few Islands showed up in the late game. His fear-and-flying creatures put some dents in me, but as he didn’t play his first creature until turn 4, I had plenty of time to mount a comeback.
Game two was a bit more interesting; or at least it would have been was he not mana screwed early. He recovered shortly, but by that time my lands were online and I began to do some very sick, very twisted things. I’m most proud of when I played Brightflame on my own Drift of Phantasms to get around his House Guard, but my later Drake Familiar shenanigans rank right up there.
Yes, I won again. I hit a few mana hiccups, mostly on the flood side but occasionally I had troubles with my double-Green spells and I kept forgetting to fetch Overgrown Tomb when I needed Black mana. I played Brightflame no fewer than five times, and I can say it’s all it’s cracked up to be.
I hope I’ve demonstrated that Bounceland.dec is as well this week. I suppose if it catches on it’ll be much harder to draft, but it probably won’t. Still, it’s something to look out for. I’ll definitely continue to draft it.
So the next time someone plays Brightflame, Brainspoil, and Dream Leash against you in the same game, don’t be so quick to call him a n00b. You just might find yourself playing the same thing in a few months.