I admit, I enjoy success. This is why I tend to write walkthroughs that are about drafts in which I succeed, and keep those unlucky drafts tucked away in my ‘replays’ directory. Today’s draft is of the second type.
Before you continue on to the draft itself, I’d like to ask you to take a look at an experiment I’m launching – it’s a Q&A site about Magic called Draw3Cards. It’s built around the technology behind the successfully Q&A site for programmers, StackOverflow. I believe this site would benefit the Magic community, but I need help starting it up (as you might see, I asked most of the questions so far).
So, if you can spare 10 minutes, please go in and ask or answer a few questions. You won’t be able to vote right away, because of the built-in reputation system (to keep the bad bots away). Don’t worry though, the reputation required to vote is a measly 15, and I’m sure you’ll get there in no time.
Well, on with the draft then!
Pack 1
Pick 1
Spoiler:
Wow, what a pack! I would be happy with the rare or any of the uncommons here. I pick Inferno Trap because it's not commiting and Rite is only a bomb if you get to 9 mana. Let's see what I'll be passed next pick...
My pick:
Pick 2
Spoiler:
Since I passed good green, I avoid the Basilisk. I wonder if I spend too much thought on signaling and less on card quality. I pick Burst Lightning which is a fine card, but I'm not sure it's 2nd-pick grade.
My pick:
Pick 3
Spoiler:
A huge mistake here, I take Lavaball Trap, which is problematic and situational. I think Paralyzing Grasp would have been a better choice here.
My pick:
Pick 4
Spoiler:
I'm rather happy with Torch Slinger in this pack. Hmm, shall I go mono-red?
My pick:
Pick 5
Spoiler:
I believe this is a mispick too. The giant is less fragile, and I'm not drafting an aggro deck but rather a control deck.
My pick:
Pick 6
Spoiler:
I can't resist Valakut, as it fits my mono-red control deck. Yes, more often than not it will just be a mountain that comes into play tapped. Still, if it's playable, then it's in a deck like I'm drafting right now.
My pick:
Pick 7
Spoiler:
Nothing I like here, Quest might be playable, but most likely not.
My pick:
Pick 8
Spoiler:
Another mistake, I think both Molten Ravager and the Baloth are better. The reason I did pick the fetchland is to allow me to maintain an almost pure monodeck, with one planes, for a quality white splash.
My pick:
Pick 9
Spoiler:
My pick:
Pick 10
Spoiler:
No, that's not the "quality splash" I'm waiting for.
My pick:
Pick 11
Spoiler:
My pick:
Pick 12
Spoiler:
My pick:
Pick 13
Spoiler:
My pick:
Pick 14
Pack 2
Pick 1
Spoiler:
Much less quality in this pack, though the Geopede's first strike might work nicely with instant burn.
My pick:
Pick 2
Spoiler:
I'm desparately in need of good creatures, and Geyser Glider is as good as they get in red.
My pick:
Pick 3
Spoiler:
Burn, burn, and more burn.
My pick:
Pick 4
Spoiler:
My pick:
Pick 5
Spoiler:
The two players in front of me are not playing red, as I didn't pass them any.
My pick:
Pick 6
Spoiler:
My pick:
Pick 7
Spoiler:
The bushwhacker is a total misfit in my deck, but I'm desparate for creatures at this stage. The equipment would sit on the ground useless in my deck.
My pick:
Pick 8
Spoiler:
Nothing even remotely possible in my colors.
My pick:
Pick 9
Spoiler:
My pick:
Pick 10
Spoiler:
My pick:
Pick 11
Spoiler:
Enter any comments here
My pick:
Pick 12
Spoiler:
I knew I'd get a ravager eventually (but two would have worked out better than one).
My pick:
Pick 13
Spoiler:
My pick:
Pick 14
Pack 3
Pick 1
Spoiler:
It's great even in a two color deck, but it shines in mono-red.
My pick:
Pick 2
Spoiler:
Meat is good.
My pick:
Pick 3
Spoiler:
Have to have some way to attack, after my burn clears the board.
My pick:
Pick 4
Spoiler:
Another Arid Mesa! No, another Spire Barrage.
My pick:
Pick 5
Spoiler:
Ah-ha! This is the splash I was waiting for. There are some creatures red just can't take care of, and the trap is perfect for those.
My pick:
Pick 6
Spoiler:
Another of these burn-card-advantage package.
My pick:
Pick 7
Spoiler:
I'm thinking about using Zektar defensively here. Nothing wrong with keeping it, and spewing out a 7/1 elemental to block at instant speed.
My pick:
Pick 8
Spoiler:
My pick:
Pick 9
Spoiler:
I don't want my opponents to have it, and it could be useful in the mirror - pretty good odds that my opponent (across from me) is playing red.
My pick:
A total of 12 playable removals (counting pitfall trap and the goblins, but not Lavaball Trap because … well … I never got to 8 mana and played the damn thing). This is not including all mountains past the 5th that come into play when Valakut is around. I was quite happy with the deck … until it saw the light of battle, that is.
I went 0-3 against my opponent. A couple of games were really bad mana, but my opponent’s Sea Gate Loremaster, Sorin Markov, Blood Tributes, Baloths and Halo Hunter sealed the deal. He also had a Scuta mob which came into play with plenty of lands to pump him next turn, only to be shot down by a random burn spell on my turn.
What would you have done differently? A different first pick here could lead to an entirely different deck. What is your first pick here?
Marsh casualties would have been the better 1st pick (but your pick worked better in the end). Pick 3 was difficult. I probably would have gone with skyfisher, or perhaps ruinblaster or paralysing grasp. Pick 4 summoner’s bane. More summoner’s banes follow, together with whiplash traps and some blue flyers and blockers. Of course, my picks would have affected what others were drafting, but I would have gone R/U. Lot’s of fantastic U coming late – it was very open – and together with red it should have made a great deck.
Paralysing Grasp is better than Skyfisher IMO, for many creatures it is almost a Terminate. Ruinblaster doesn’t seem too lucrative, but that depends on the deck you’re trying to build.
Pick 4 – Don’t you think Torch Slinger is at least as good as Summoner’s Bane, and _in color_?
But yeah, UR can be wonderful, the colors complement each other nicely.
I think you definatly drafted control. I think the minatours are good in this deck because you don’t have many blockers for early game.
I do aggree that marsh casualties would have been a better first pick.
I also think sky fisher would have been the way to go, as about 3 packs with insane white kept coming through, so by passing them you made the player to your left the insane white player. also sky fisher is amazing in red/white, with teetering peeks, torch slingers, bushwackers and allies. definatly better than paraltzing grasp that doesn’t stop ally abilities, and is destroyed by mold shambler.
you took quest for the pure flame above teetering peaks, was it becouse you alredy decided on control? I think peaks is amazing for aggro and pretty good for any deck.
Also you passed a few highland berseker who would have been a good blocker and is one of the best aggresive allies (2 drop!).
oh well, my decisions could be diffrent because iv’e gone googoo for aggro. how did the deck do?
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Anon:
Marsh casualties would have been the better 1st pick (but your pick worked better in the end). Pick 3 was difficult. I probably would have gone with skyfisher, or perhaps ruinblaster or paralysing grasp. Pick 4 summoner’s bane. More summoner’s banes follow, together with whiplash traps and some blue flyers and blockers. Of course, my picks would have affected what others were drafting, but I would have gone R/U. Lot’s of fantastic U coming late – it was very open – and together with red it should have made a great deck.
2/11/09, 19:54ripper234:
Paralysing Grasp is better than Skyfisher IMO, for many creatures it is almost a Terminate. Ruinblaster doesn’t seem too lucrative, but that depends on the deck you’re trying to build.
Pick 4 – Don’t you think Torch Slinger is at least as good as Summoner’s Bane, and _in color_?
But yeah, UR can be wonderful, the colors complement each other nicely.
2/11/09, 20:53rif-raf:
I think you definatly drafted control. I think the minatours are good in this deck because you don’t have many blockers for early game.
I do aggree that marsh casualties would have been a better first pick.
I also think sky fisher would have been the way to go, as about 3 packs with insane white kept coming through, so by passing them you made the player to your left the insane white player. also sky fisher is amazing in red/white, with teetering peeks, torch slingers, bushwackers and allies. definatly better than paraltzing grasp that doesn’t stop ally abilities, and is destroyed by mold shambler.
you took quest for the pure flame above teetering peaks, was it becouse you alredy decided on control? I think peaks is amazing for aggro and pretty good for any deck.
Also you passed a few highland berseker who would have been a good blocker and is one of the best aggresive allies (2 drop!).
oh well, my decisions could be diffrent because iv’e gone googoo for aggro. how did the deck do?
4/11/09, 10:50ripper234:
I usually aim for control, it’s a perversion I guess. I wrote after the picks how well the deck played out … not too well (0-3!)
6/11/09, 4:00