I've been kinda burned out lately on making videos, but I did manage to grab a couple so I figured I should share them...
SSS 14 - Draft
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Only the draft for this one. I lost in the second round, but every game was decided by mulls and screw (on both sides) so I didn't bother to process them.
I sold myself too hard on G/W and passed up some great red cards like Jaws of Stone, and Puncture Bolt. I also passed up one Armored Ascension to have another fall in my lap. Its been a while since I did this draft, but looking back on it I should of gone with the red (Witch and Ascension not withstanding).
Not particularly proud of this draft, as I made some major errors, but the deck turned out reasonably well regardless.
SSS 15 - Draft
(Note: I'm still mispronouncing Torpor Dust, just out of habit now. Gravelgill is one that just about everyone screws up too. I bet most people don't even notice the "l" in there.)
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From the looks of things, you might suspect that this table was substandard players, but it was an above average crowd (ratings wise) even for a 8-4. It's not often that you see a 5th pick Prison Term and a tabled Mistmeadow Witch.
I could of made the switch to white to accommodate these cards, but there wasn't too much else flowing and the heavy commitment to U/B hybrids meant that the mana would have to bend quite a bit to make them fit. Conversely if stick with U/B, the mana become practically a non-issue, not to mention that Beseech the Queen gives me twice the access to the Liege. The two Gloomlances helped compensate for the difference. I could of splashed for the Mistmeadow, but I was making some deep cuts already, and didn't see the need to make room for the 2 or so Plains needed to make that worth while.
So on with the games.
I will warn you now... I was literally half asleep when I was playing the games of this draft. I can't say I'm disappointed by the results, but the road to get there was rather embarrassing. Particularly in Round 2 I was fading in and out and made quite a few major tactical and procedural errors. But I've put up every draft I've recorded, so why hide my shame now?
Round 1
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This was a mid 1800 player, so I can only think he was experimenting with this archetype. I can see the logic, but the 1/1 brigade just doesn't have the muscle to pull this off... particularly in G/W.
Round 2
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Yeah, so I started nodding off a bit here...
Game 1 - I like wining the game with a River's Grasp in hand.
Game 2 - Yeah, I messed this one up bad, but without a way to deal with the Windbrisk Raptor, I was a goner anyways.
Game 3 - Really bad play on both of our parts as he either forgets that his Witch untaps his Chained Cohort, or he chooses not to use it pre-combat for fear of losing a 1/1. I just completely forgot until he does it next turn... but its too late to get the job done as his Last Breath on my Liege takes me out of fatal range.
Round 3
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Game 1 - Biting Tethers picks a great time to make its first appearance of the draft as I steal his Liege and knock his men back down to size when he was about to kill me.
Game 2 - He gets a quick start, but reigns it in as our Liege's stare each other down from across the red zone. I pass priority before making the correct blocks on his final turn, but it doesn't matter as he doesn't have a trick and my Witch activates for 27 damage in one glorious alpha strike.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
SSS 12 & 13 - Pros and Joes
So I did about 5 drafts on my own, and for the most part I totally stunk up the place (yes... more so than usual thanks). A combination of trying new archetypes (U/B mill is pretty bad BTW), playing under the influence of muscle relaxers (hey I was sore from moving furniture all weekend!), and not being used to playing without you guys looking over my shoulder caused me to lose quite a few points and packs over these drafts.
Ah well, lets get back on track shall we?
OK, in SSS 12 I noticed a couple of pro names in the draft including Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa so I should be in for an interesting draft to say the least.
SSS 12 - Draft
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Pack 1 Pick 2 was a tough decision. I could see arguments either way on Oversoul or Prison Term, mainly over the commitment that Oversoul takes. I figure that Term was good but just removal, where as Oversoul should win most games on its own.
I think the rest of the draft went more or less to script as I drafted a fairly solid G/W deck featuring several combat dominating creatures and a good array of tricks to help them along the way.
I'm relieved when I see my first round opponent is not a recognizable name.
SSS 12 - Round 1
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Good games overall. I made some mistakes in game 1, but since he had no pressure on me they were no big deal. A couple of top decked Seedcradles forces through the Oversoul vs Warcrawler and the game is in the bag.
Game 2 sees a ton of pressure come my way, and I end up on the losing end of a race even though I get 3rd turn Oversoul with a Tower Above on it to take out Warcrawler. I make a major mistake in attacking with the Sentry into his Lurebound as he doesn't have to block that turn to live. I also screw up by playing the Mudbrawler over the Ghastbark as it takes out Druid as a chump blocker next turn.
The correct play here is to just attack with the Oversoul and just see what he does. This gives us more options if we draw into an out on the following turn.
Game 3 has another Oversoul met with another Warcrawler. I haven't gone through thoroughly this one yet, but I'm sure I misplayed quite a bit... but I don't think with his final creature rush I had much of a chance to win anyways.
OK, so not exactly the performance I was hoping for, but hey... lets get back into action. It was getting late so I just jump on to the next 4-3-2-2 that was firing.
SSS 13 - Draft
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This one just came together beautifully. Having 4 solid pieces of removal from pack one alone gives me a good feeling. Obviously the talent level in this draft was a major step down from SSS 12, but the deck I drafted was so much fun I was excited to play 3 full rounds with it.
I could of gone mono-red to take full advantage of the Jaws, but I would weaken my creature base significantly to do so.
Round 1
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Game 1 features Spawnwrithe getting out of hand (with the help of a perfectly timed Giantbaiting). This guy is so dangerous that with just a little help he can blow a game wide open.
Game 2 was... well it was a major slog. We both drew a ton of land, and his defensive cards kept me from making much headway until he made a mistake and gave me his Puca's Mischief. That allowed me to grab his Trip Noose (for my Chained Spriggan no less) and the rest was history.
SSS 13 - Round 2
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Two quick ones as Giantbaiting and Spawnwrithe do their things.
SSS 13 - Round 3
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Game 1 I misplay when I use a Puncture Bolt to finish off a 6/6 Plumeveil (thanks to 4th turn Liege) that has already claimed two creatures. Had I held on it it and used it to take out the Liege (with help from a Power of Fire) I might of been able to win this game.
Game 2 I play around the Liege this time and keep up enough of an offense to finish him with a Jaws for 3.
Game 3 I skirt around combat tricks long enough use Ember Gale to knock him down from 17 to 7, then clean up with Jaws of Stone.
Ah well, lets get back on track shall we?
OK, in SSS 12 I noticed a couple of pro names in the draft including Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa so I should be in for an interesting draft to say the least.
SSS 12 - Draft
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Pack 1 Pick 2 was a tough decision. I could see arguments either way on Oversoul or Prison Term, mainly over the commitment that Oversoul takes. I figure that Term was good but just removal, where as Oversoul should win most games on its own.
I think the rest of the draft went more or less to script as I drafted a fairly solid G/W deck featuring several combat dominating creatures and a good array of tricks to help them along the way.
I'm relieved when I see my first round opponent is not a recognizable name.
SSS 12 - Round 1
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Good games overall. I made some mistakes in game 1, but since he had no pressure on me they were no big deal. A couple of top decked Seedcradles forces through the Oversoul vs Warcrawler and the game is in the bag.
Game 2 sees a ton of pressure come my way, and I end up on the losing end of a race even though I get 3rd turn Oversoul with a Tower Above on it to take out Warcrawler. I make a major mistake in attacking with the Sentry into his Lurebound as he doesn't have to block that turn to live. I also screw up by playing the Mudbrawler over the Ghastbark as it takes out Druid as a chump blocker next turn.
The correct play here is to just attack with the Oversoul and just see what he does. This gives us more options if we draw into an out on the following turn.
Game 3 has another Oversoul met with another Warcrawler. I haven't gone through thoroughly this one yet, but I'm sure I misplayed quite a bit... but I don't think with his final creature rush I had much of a chance to win anyways.
OK, so not exactly the performance I was hoping for, but hey... lets get back into action. It was getting late so I just jump on to the next 4-3-2-2 that was firing.
SSS 13 - Draft
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This one just came together beautifully. Having 4 solid pieces of removal from pack one alone gives me a good feeling. Obviously the talent level in this draft was a major step down from SSS 12, but the deck I drafted was so much fun I was excited to play 3 full rounds with it.
I could of gone mono-red to take full advantage of the Jaws, but I would weaken my creature base significantly to do so.
Round 1
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Game 1 features Spawnwrithe getting out of hand (with the help of a perfectly timed Giantbaiting). This guy is so dangerous that with just a little help he can blow a game wide open.
Game 2 was... well it was a major slog. We both drew a ton of land, and his defensive cards kept me from making much headway until he made a mistake and gave me his Puca's Mischief. That allowed me to grab his Trip Noose (for my Chained Spriggan no less) and the rest was history.
SSS 13 - Round 2
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Two quick ones as Giantbaiting and Spawnwrithe do their things.
SSS 13 - Round 3
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Game 1 I misplay when I use a Puncture Bolt to finish off a 6/6 Plumeveil (thanks to 4th turn Liege) that has already claimed two creatures. Had I held on it it and used it to take out the Liege (with help from a Power of Fire) I might of been able to win this game.
Game 2 I play around the Liege this time and keep up enough of an offense to finish him with a Jaws for 3.
Game 3 I skirt around combat tricks long enough use Ember Gale to knock him down from 17 to 7, then clean up with Jaws of Stone.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
SSS 08-11 - I think I blew out my brain...
Yep, four new videos to digest, and these might be it for a while. I've gorged myself on drafts and I think I might actually work on my old house.
For those of you not interested in my comments or the games, I've compressed drafts 08-11 into one video at 4x speed. If you are interested in watching the full length videos, including the games, then check out the links below.
In a nutshell:
SSS 08 - 8-4 Lost 2nd round.
SSS 09 - 4-3-2-2 Lost 2nd round. (1st round opponent didn't show)
SSS 10 - 4-3-2-2 Lost 2nd round. (Two of the most annoying rounds I've ever played)
SSS 11 - 8-4 Won Draft.
Basically broke even on packs, I'll take it.
SSS 08-11 - Drafts Only
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SSS 08
SSS 08 - Draft
SSS 08 - Round 1
SSS 08 - Round 2
SSS 09
SSS 09 - Draft
SSS 09 - Round 2
SSS 10
SSS 10 - Draft
SSS 10 - Round 1
SSS 10 - Round 2
SSS 11
SSS 11 - Draft
SSS 11 - Round 1
SSS 11 - Round 2
SSS 11 - Round 3
I think I'm going to lay low for a little bit and see what bubbles up on Modosharks updated new site. If all goes well I might slink back into the shadows and let everyone check out the new drafters while I just draft on my own. Thanks to everyone who has posted so far, and I'll see you all again soon enough.
For those of you not interested in my comments or the games, I've compressed drafts 08-11 into one video at 4x speed. If you are interested in watching the full length videos, including the games, then check out the links below.
In a nutshell:
SSS 08 - 8-4 Lost 2nd round.
SSS 09 - 4-3-2-2 Lost 2nd round. (1st round opponent didn't show)
SSS 10 - 4-3-2-2 Lost 2nd round. (Two of the most annoying rounds I've ever played)
SSS 11 - 8-4 Won Draft.
Basically broke even on packs, I'll take it.
SSS 08-11 - Drafts Only
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SSS 08
SSS 08 - Draft
SSS 08 - Round 1
SSS 08 - Round 2
SSS 09
SSS 09 - Draft
SSS 09 - Round 2
SSS 10
SSS 10 - Draft
SSS 10 - Round 1
SSS 10 - Round 2
SSS 11
SSS 11 - Draft
SSS 11 - Round 1
SSS 11 - Round 2
SSS 11 - Round 3
I think I'm going to lay low for a little bit and see what bubbles up on Modosharks updated new site. If all goes well I might slink back into the shadows and let everyone check out the new drafters while I just draft on my own. Thanks to everyone who has posted so far, and I'll see you all again soon enough.
Monday, July 7, 2008
SSS 07 - Who passes this?!? Oh I do apparently.
Some people are still having trouble with the videos, so I'll go over this quickly here.
1) The videos below are terrible quality. Sorry about that, but the streaming versions are garbage and I haven't found a decent video host for the streaming versions yet. They are blocky, but they are only for a quick and dirty viewing or if you just want the audio.
2) The download link below each video is what you want if you want to be able to really see the text, pictures, and all that. Its an AVI with the video in the DivX format. DivX is the compression codec that tells the computer how to decode the video information. Its a fairly common codec and most people have it installed on their computers. If you download the file and aren't seeing an image, chances are you need this installed on your computer. Chances are also good you don't pirate movies or watch porn either.
You can find the codec on the DivX site here or you can use an alternative open source version called XviD from here. Both should work.
I have to do this to keep the file size down. For example SSS 06 - Draft would be 24 Gigs uncompressed, but is only 32 Megs compressed. DivX does the best job of getting a small file size without losing quality.
Draft
Some weird stuff going on in this draft... particularly by me. Tunnel vision is one thing, but I was just blind on some of these picks.
Click Here to download this file in all of its full screen glory!
The Valleymaker pass was terrible, but I think the Dragon pass was justified - both times. I think I might of been happier with the Tattermunge Duo over the second Tower Above. Other than that I don't have any major problems with how I drafted this one.
Round 1
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Spout 'n' screw. Even though I didn't need to in these games, I like how adjustable the Spout was with all the white mana available.
Round 2
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I like how the deck withstood the Blight in game 2 and used practically every drop of mana in game 3.
Split in the finals...
1) The videos below are terrible quality. Sorry about that, but the streaming versions are garbage and I haven't found a decent video host for the streaming versions yet. They are blocky, but they are only for a quick and dirty viewing or if you just want the audio.
2) The download link below each video is what you want if you want to be able to really see the text, pictures, and all that. Its an AVI with the video in the DivX format. DivX is the compression codec that tells the computer how to decode the video information. Its a fairly common codec and most people have it installed on their computers. If you download the file and aren't seeing an image, chances are you need this installed on your computer. Chances are also good you don't pirate movies or watch porn either.
You can find the codec on the DivX site here or you can use an alternative open source version called XviD from here. Both should work.
I have to do this to keep the file size down. For example SSS 06 - Draft would be 24 Gigs uncompressed, but is only 32 Megs compressed. DivX does the best job of getting a small file size without losing quality.
Draft
Some weird stuff going on in this draft... particularly by me. Tunnel vision is one thing, but I was just blind on some of these picks.
Click Here to download this file in all of its full screen glory!
The Valleymaker pass was terrible, but I think the Dragon pass was justified - both times. I think I might of been happier with the Tattermunge Duo over the second Tower Above. Other than that I don't have any major problems with how I drafted this one.
Round 1
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Spout 'n' screw. Even though I didn't need to in these games, I like how adjustable the Spout was with all the white mana available.
Round 2
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I like how the deck withstood the Blight in game 2 and used practically every drop of mana in game 3.
Split in the finals...
SSS 06 - It begins
OK, so I have the week off (woot) and I'm doing what any red-blooded nerd would do with a ton of free time and no one looking over his shoulder...
Some people are still having trouble with the videos, so I'll go over this quickly here.
1) The videos below are terrible quality. Sorry about that, but the streaming versions are garbage and I haven't found a decent video host for the streaming versions yet. They are blocky, but they are only for a quick and dirty viewing or if you just want the audio.
2) The download link below each video is what you want if you want to be able to really see the text, pictures, and all that. Its an AVI with the video in the DivX format. DivX is the compression codec that tells the computer how to decode the video information. Its a fairly common codec and most people have it installed on their computers. If you download the file and aren't seeing an image, chances are you need this installed on your computer. Chances are also good you don't pirate movies or watch porn either.
You can find the codec on the DivX site here or you can use an alternative open source version called XviD from here. Both should work.
I have to do this to keep the file size down. For example SSS 06 - Draft would be 24 Gigs uncompressed, but is only 32 Megs compressed. DivX does the best job of getting a small file size without losing quality.
Allright, enough jibber-jabber... lets get down to business.
Draft
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Going to be a brief as I want to get back to drafting, but I think this draft went well. The last minute switch to Green payed off as the last pack was bereft of options for U/W. The hybridy nature of the deck made the mana ratios a bit more interesting than usual, but I think I ended up with the right amounts.
Round 1
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Not much to say here, an army of 1/1s can get the job done if you use them right. My opponent did not.
Round 2
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Sorry about the long dead spots, I can't pause because it screws up my sound. I finally got to play the Folio and confirmed my suspicions... its terrible. Seedcradle Witch on the other hand is awesome and wins me both these games.
I split in the finals against the guy I suspect has the 2x Redcaps and Jaws of Stone, but he tells me later he only got the Jaws.
Some people are still having trouble with the videos, so I'll go over this quickly here.
1) The videos below are terrible quality. Sorry about that, but the streaming versions are garbage and I haven't found a decent video host for the streaming versions yet. They are blocky, but they are only for a quick and dirty viewing or if you just want the audio.
2) The download link below each video is what you want if you want to be able to really see the text, pictures, and all that. Its an AVI with the video in the DivX format. DivX is the compression codec that tells the computer how to decode the video information. Its a fairly common codec and most people have it installed on their computers. If you download the file and aren't seeing an image, chances are you need this installed on your computer. Chances are also good you don't pirate movies or watch porn either.
You can find the codec on the DivX site here or you can use an alternative open source version called XviD from here. Both should work.
I have to do this to keep the file size down. For example SSS 06 - Draft would be 24 Gigs uncompressed, but is only 32 Megs compressed. DivX does the best job of getting a small file size without losing quality.
Allright, enough jibber-jabber... lets get down to business.
Draft
Click Here to download this file in all of its full screen glory!
Going to be a brief as I want to get back to drafting, but I think this draft went well. The last minute switch to Green payed off as the last pack was bereft of options for U/W. The hybridy nature of the deck made the mana ratios a bit more interesting than usual, but I think I ended up with the right amounts.
Round 1
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Not much to say here, an army of 1/1s can get the job done if you use them right. My opponent did not.
Round 2
Click Here to download this file in all of its full screen glory!
Sorry about the long dead spots, I can't pause because it screws up my sound. I finally got to play the Folio and confirmed my suspicions... its terrible. Seedcradle Witch on the other hand is awesome and wins me both these games.
I split in the finals against the guy I suspect has the 2x Redcaps and Jaws of Stone, but he tells me later he only got the Jaws.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
SSS 05 - Trevor Hoffman!
First off I want to give big props to Yap for donating a draft set to the cause. He is a hero and may a thousand blessings befall him and his household.
Lets get to it!
The Draft
Click Here to download this file in all of its full screen glory! Seriously, if you want to read the cards and really enjoy this draft you should click here to download this. It's only like 30 megs, it takes just as long to stream it. You're not going to do it are you? Sigh...
Pick 1 - As much as I've dogged black in this set, and stated how you don't want to draft heavy black... well what else am I going to do here. Midnight Banshee is so amazing particularly because no one plays this color, and if they do its only for spells most of the time. This time though I'm going to be much more aware of what I'm getting so I can bail on black if need be.
Pick 2 - Leech Bonder is a perfect compliment to my the Banshee. Looking good.
Pick 3 - This one is a little tough. I haven't played with or a against the Whiteclay, but it seems pretty nice... just not worth the color commitment here. I like the Effigy a lot though, so I have no problems picking it this high in a pack with no other real options.
Pick 4 - Beseech for your bomb seemed to of worked in the last draft, and now I can play if for 3 if I want too.
Pick 5 - Not really happy with this pick... or maybe I should of picked this but hit blue heavier than I did. I think with two ways to get Banshee that I need to start ganking black creatures, both to play them and to keep them out of my opponent's hands. Sootwalkers should the be selection.
Pick 6 - I think I may like the Lurebound a little too much. The amount of color shifting shenanigans in this set make the downside too much of a liability. I make the right pick eventually though.
Pack One - So far not bad. The colors seem to be flowing reasonable well but some mid to late picks (like the three blue cards and Cultbrand Cinder from pack one) didn't table.
Pick 16 - Hmm, is Dire Undercurrents good? It has to be better than the Crowd. Maybe. Just seems like by the time you cast it you are already out of gas and are hoping for it to make your top decks that much better. In doubt I took the creature because, well... I seem to be short creatures more often than not in this format.
Pick 19 - With all the blue getting snatched up, how how how is this still in the pack?
Pick 20 - Bah, lollygaging got me a goof grabed green Initiate.
Pick 24 - Never again will I pick the Helm up, its terrible in most situations. The problem? No extra combat abilities like the other auras in the cycle. Just not worth it. That Axeshark would of been sweet.
End of Pack 2 - Picked up some removal and some dudes to fill out the ranks a bit. Not bad at all.
Pick 31 - Not that Banshee needs much help, but followed up with a the Knight - come on that's niceness all over.
Pick 32 - Weak pick in a weak pack, but I'm going to need dudes that can beat down.
Pick 33 - The math worked out, and I end up playing it... but my opinion is falling of the swarm cycle in general.
Pick 39 - Should of been the other Scarecrow - I'm benching the Lurebound unless I'm mono and aggro.
Final Deck - Well... I'm ok with the final build, but could of built it better.
On to the madness!
Round 1
Click Here to download this file in all of its full screen glory! No, for real... see how blocky that shit is? Don't put up with that garbage!
Game 1 - Wow, that Giantbaiting almost did me in... almost. To use the River's Grasp as a Coercion you just have to hit OK when it asks for the first target... not cancel. Banshee rides in to save the day.
Game 2 - Go Go Banshee! This thing is like Trevor Hoffman.
Round 2
Click Here to download this file in all of its full screen glory! I'm too tired to make up some funny crap here... you're on your own buddy.
Game 1 - Wow, Woeleacher is completely messing up my gameplan here. I screw the pooch in playing out the Lurebound with a Skuttlemutt on his side. Not getting my 3rd Swamp to play Trevor didn't help things either.
Game 2 - Opponent gets land flooded and bitches about it and tells me my deck blows. He then goes into a corner and sulks or something. QQ TT and all those other text forms a big ol' weeping tears buddy. We can't all have the skill to play Plumeveil on our turns like you do.
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Game 3 - I'll admit it, I just gave up on the math on this one. That damn Woeleacher was making my head hurt. Not that I had too much time to think things through as my clock was winding down. Looking back I think I played it OK. I think my opponent was forgetting that Artifact creatures could block fear guys... and what Flash means apparently. And how to do math. And how to read Repel Intruders. Or look at the clock.
Round 3
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Game 1 - Ouch. Lets not let him do that again...
Game 2 - I get a little aggressive with the Leechbonder, but he misblocks around with it so I'm in good shape this whole game with Bonder and Effigy keeping the board clear and River's Grasp cleaning the Jaws out of his hand.
Game 3 - Trevor Time! Oh and River's Grasp is a-maz-ing.
Well, I think its safe to say that Midnight Banshee was the MVP, although I have to give it up for River's Grasp as a major player this draft. Getting tempo and stripping out bombs is so much better than just removing a creature.
Thanks again for watching, and I have this week off from work (my first vacation in a year!) so I should be drafting most every day...
Till then!
Lets get to it!
The Draft
Click Here to download this file in all of its full screen glory! Seriously, if you want to read the cards and really enjoy this draft you should click here to download this. It's only like 30 megs, it takes just as long to stream it. You're not going to do it are you? Sigh...
Pick 1 - As much as I've dogged black in this set, and stated how you don't want to draft heavy black... well what else am I going to do here. Midnight Banshee is so amazing particularly because no one plays this color, and if they do its only for spells most of the time. This time though I'm going to be much more aware of what I'm getting so I can bail on black if need be.
Pick 2 - Leech Bonder is a perfect compliment to my the Banshee. Looking good.
Pick 3 - This one is a little tough. I haven't played with or a against the Whiteclay, but it seems pretty nice... just not worth the color commitment here. I like the Effigy a lot though, so I have no problems picking it this high in a pack with no other real options.
Pick 4 - Beseech for your bomb seemed to of worked in the last draft, and now I can play if for 3 if I want too.
Pick 5 - Not really happy with this pick... or maybe I should of picked this but hit blue heavier than I did. I think with two ways to get Banshee that I need to start ganking black creatures, both to play them and to keep them out of my opponent's hands. Sootwalkers should the be selection.
Pick 6 - I think I may like the Lurebound a little too much. The amount of color shifting shenanigans in this set make the downside too much of a liability. I make the right pick eventually though.
Pack One - So far not bad. The colors seem to be flowing reasonable well but some mid to late picks (like the three blue cards and Cultbrand Cinder from pack one) didn't table.
Pick 16 - Hmm, is Dire Undercurrents good? It has to be better than the Crowd. Maybe. Just seems like by the time you cast it you are already out of gas and are hoping for it to make your top decks that much better. In doubt I took the creature because, well... I seem to be short creatures more often than not in this format.
Pick 19 - With all the blue getting snatched up, how how how is this still in the pack?
Pick 20 - Bah, lollygaging got me a goof grabed green Initiate.
Pick 24 - Never again will I pick the Helm up, its terrible in most situations. The problem? No extra combat abilities like the other auras in the cycle. Just not worth it. That Axeshark would of been sweet.
End of Pack 2 - Picked up some removal and some dudes to fill out the ranks a bit. Not bad at all.
Pick 31 - Not that Banshee needs much help, but followed up with a the Knight - come on that's niceness all over.
Pick 32 - Weak pick in a weak pack, but I'm going to need dudes that can beat down.
Pick 33 - The math worked out, and I end up playing it... but my opinion is falling of the swarm cycle in general.
Pick 39 - Should of been the other Scarecrow - I'm benching the Lurebound unless I'm mono and aggro.
Final Deck - Well... I'm ok with the final build, but could of built it better.
On to the madness!
Round 1
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Game 1 - Wow, that Giantbaiting almost did me in... almost. To use the River's Grasp as a Coercion you just have to hit OK when it asks for the first target... not cancel. Banshee rides in to save the day.
Game 2 - Go Go Banshee! This thing is like Trevor Hoffman.
Round 2
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Game 1 - Wow, Woeleacher is completely messing up my gameplan here. I screw the pooch in playing out the Lurebound with a Skuttlemutt on his side. Not getting my 3rd Swamp to play Trevor didn't help things either.
Game 2 - Opponent gets land flooded and bitches about it and tells me my deck blows. He then goes into a corner and sulks or something. QQ TT and all those other text forms a big ol' weeping tears buddy. We can't all have the skill to play Plumeveil on our turns like you do.
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Game 3 - I'll admit it, I just gave up on the math on this one. That damn Woeleacher was making my head hurt. Not that I had too much time to think things through as my clock was winding down. Looking back I think I played it OK. I think my opponent was forgetting that Artifact creatures could block fear guys... and what Flash means apparently. And how to do math. And how to read Repel Intruders. Or look at the clock.
Round 3
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Game 1 - Ouch. Lets not let him do that again...
Game 2 - I get a little aggressive with the Leechbonder, but he misblocks around with it so I'm in good shape this whole game with Bonder and Effigy keeping the board clear and River's Grasp cleaning the Jaws out of his hand.
Game 3 - Trevor Time! Oh and River's Grasp is a-maz-ing.
Well, I think its safe to say that Midnight Banshee was the MVP, although I have to give it up for River's Grasp as a major player this draft. Getting tempo and stripping out bombs is so much better than just removing a creature.
Thanks again for watching, and I have this week off from work (my first vacation in a year!) so I should be drafting most every day...
Till then!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
SSS 04 - Jaws of Defeat
OK, so lets just get into it here...
Draft
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P1P1 & P2 - Woot! Just about as easy as you can get for a one two punch!
P1P3 - Unlike Black, red has a lot of good reasons to draft mono. Cohorts are a bit early here, but its a pretty weak pack anyways outside of the Tower Above... which I can safely eliminate from consideration because of the cost/color requirements (and because I already passed one).
P1P4 - Another pack lacking in even one decent red pick, so I take the best available card that will be good (even as a 4/4) if I splash green.
P1P5 - I won't be making the same mistake I made in SSS 01. If I wanted to continue the G/R route I would consider the Wildslayer, but either way Runes is the best pick here I think.
P1P9 - Blah - Sapseed is a bad pick as Smash is quite a viable selection at this point and might have made my main deck (soooo many Scarecrows). The land is nice, but I'm not even likely to be playing enough green perms even if I do make the splash.
End of Pack 1 - Great first couple of picks then red dries up quickly. If I want to keep on this mono-red route I need some love in the second pack because I'm not likely to see in in pack 3.
P2P1 - Power of Fire is a good card even without the gun, but I'd sure like to see something a bit better here.
P2P2 - The Warcrawler is probably not the pick to make, its expensive and not worth this high a selection. I'm thinking that either Arsonists to stay on color, or better still the Silkbind to hate/speculate is the way to go - particularly since I drafted the PoF and might be able to switch into some form of R/(W/U) gun if things go right.
P2P3 - Wow, a lot of W/U love in this pack. I hate/speculate the Chains which would of send me in the R/(W/U) direction had I picked the Silkbind last pack.
End of Pack 2 - The rest of the pack see me trying my damnest to stick with the plan as best as possible. Even if I had gone the U or W route I wouldn't of picked up much to back it up with. Not looking good.
P3P1 - Wort is expensive, but the idea of conspiring a Jaws of Stone (or even the Javelin) is just too awesome to pass up... well that and the lack of other choices in red.
P3P2 - Butcher is a good cheap creature that can help me hold the fort down, but the Runesable Raiders gets the nod. The Torrent of Souls is just not what the deck needs right now.
P3P3 - Holy... Well maybe the lack of red pack one was just a fluke of poor opening. I'm not straying from the mono-path now.
P3P5 - Hmm... Pay 6 mana to tutor up Jaws or Javelin if you got the Jaws already? Its worth it I think.
P3P8 - Should of passed the Gloomlance up, it will only tempt me to deviate from the core of my deck. Could of used either the Inimidator or the Arsonist.
End of the Draft - All in all I'm happy with the deck even though we had to make some terrible picks throughout the draft. 18 lands in a mono deck with 2 Wisps? Well its not like I'm going to be going "Awe shucks, Another mountain?!?" when I'm holding Jaws of Stone right? Besides, my deck's flash point is 4 mana, and I need to get there asap.
The plan is to live until I Jaws... and then live until I Jaws again.
Round 1
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Game 1 - I draw both Jaws, and cast it three times total thanks to Wort. 16 to the dome is a major ouchie!
Game 2 - On turn three I have a choice to Power of Fire a Prison Termed Initiate to force my opponent into a somewhat tough choice when he has the option to move it to the Raider. I didn't have anything else to do with the mana this turn, and if it means he keeps the Term on my 1/1 who can still turn off blockers then I can live with that. Particularly if I can follow up the next turn with a Runes on the Raider.
When I conspire Jaws this game, I learn that you can't change how the damage is divided up for the copy or how many targets you want. You are stuck with the number of targets and the amount of damage you deal from the first Jaws. You can however still change the targets. For example I end up doing 4 to the Elf and 3 Cohort with the first Jaws, then 4 to the Cohort and 3 to his dome with the conspired one. Fortunately, I still kill off both his creatures, but in a different situation it could have been disastrous. A good lesson to remember if you happen to have the situation come up. Just be sure to remember the order and amount of damage assigned to each target from the first Jaws.
Strategically I make a mistake this turn as well. If I want to do 4 and 4 to his creatures, I should of just used the Javelin and then had the Jaws to back it up. The best play though is to use the Jaws and account for a possible (however unlikely) Barkshell Blessing, doing two packages of 6/1 and 6/1 with my opponent taking only 2 damage but securing myself against a possible loss should he have it.
Round 2
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Game 1 - Mull to 5 is bad, but if he plays anything but Swans I might have a chance in this game.
Swans puts a real damper in my wait till I cast Jaws and then win at my own convenience plan... forcing me to switch gears and bring in the black spells to deal with it. Good idea or does it weaken the core of the deck too much?
Game 2 - A bad keep on the opening hand, but still make a good game of it... until I punt it by attacking with the Slinking Giant rather than holding back and Lancing that damned Silkbind when I finally get to 5 mana.
Draft
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P1P1 & P2 - Woot! Just about as easy as you can get for a one two punch!
P1P3 - Unlike Black, red has a lot of good reasons to draft mono. Cohorts are a bit early here, but its a pretty weak pack anyways outside of the Tower Above... which I can safely eliminate from consideration because of the cost/color requirements (and because I already passed one).
P1P4 - Another pack lacking in even one decent red pick, so I take the best available card that will be good (even as a 4/4) if I splash green.
P1P5 - I won't be making the same mistake I made in SSS 01. If I wanted to continue the G/R route I would consider the Wildslayer, but either way Runes is the best pick here I think.
P1P9 - Blah - Sapseed is a bad pick as Smash is quite a viable selection at this point and might have made my main deck (soooo many Scarecrows). The land is nice, but I'm not even likely to be playing enough green perms even if I do make the splash.
End of Pack 1 - Great first couple of picks then red dries up quickly. If I want to keep on this mono-red route I need some love in the second pack because I'm not likely to see in in pack 3.
P2P1 - Power of Fire is a good card even without the gun, but I'd sure like to see something a bit better here.
P2P2 - The Warcrawler is probably not the pick to make, its expensive and not worth this high a selection. I'm thinking that either Arsonists to stay on color, or better still the Silkbind to hate/speculate is the way to go - particularly since I drafted the PoF and might be able to switch into some form of R/(W/U) gun if things go right.
P2P3 - Wow, a lot of W/U love in this pack. I hate/speculate the Chains which would of send me in the R/(W/U) direction had I picked the Silkbind last pack.
End of Pack 2 - The rest of the pack see me trying my damnest to stick with the plan as best as possible. Even if I had gone the U or W route I wouldn't of picked up much to back it up with. Not looking good.
P3P1 - Wort is expensive, but the idea of conspiring a Jaws of Stone (or even the Javelin) is just too awesome to pass up... well that and the lack of other choices in red.
P3P2 - Butcher is a good cheap creature that can help me hold the fort down, but the Runesable Raiders gets the nod. The Torrent of Souls is just not what the deck needs right now.
P3P3 - Holy... Well maybe the lack of red pack one was just a fluke of poor opening. I'm not straying from the mono-path now.
P3P5 - Hmm... Pay 6 mana to tutor up Jaws or Javelin if you got the Jaws already? Its worth it I think.
P3P8 - Should of passed the Gloomlance up, it will only tempt me to deviate from the core of my deck. Could of used either the Inimidator or the Arsonist.
End of the Draft - All in all I'm happy with the deck even though we had to make some terrible picks throughout the draft. 18 lands in a mono deck with 2 Wisps? Well its not like I'm going to be going "Awe shucks, Another mountain?!?" when I'm holding Jaws of Stone right? Besides, my deck's flash point is 4 mana, and I need to get there asap.
The plan is to live until I Jaws... and then live until I Jaws again.
Round 1
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Game 1 - I draw both Jaws, and cast it three times total thanks to Wort. 16 to the dome is a major ouchie!
Game 2 - On turn three I have a choice to Power of Fire a Prison Termed Initiate to force my opponent into a somewhat tough choice when he has the option to move it to the Raider. I didn't have anything else to do with the mana this turn, and if it means he keeps the Term on my 1/1 who can still turn off blockers then I can live with that. Particularly if I can follow up the next turn with a Runes on the Raider.
When I conspire Jaws this game, I learn that you can't change how the damage is divided up for the copy or how many targets you want. You are stuck with the number of targets and the amount of damage you deal from the first Jaws. You can however still change the targets. For example I end up doing 4 to the Elf and 3 Cohort with the first Jaws, then 4 to the Cohort and 3 to his dome with the conspired one. Fortunately, I still kill off both his creatures, but in a different situation it could have been disastrous. A good lesson to remember if you happen to have the situation come up. Just be sure to remember the order and amount of damage assigned to each target from the first Jaws.
Strategically I make a mistake this turn as well. If I want to do 4 and 4 to his creatures, I should of just used the Javelin and then had the Jaws to back it up. The best play though is to use the Jaws and account for a possible (however unlikely) Barkshell Blessing, doing two packages of 6/1 and 6/1 with my opponent taking only 2 damage but securing myself against a possible loss should he have it.
Round 2
Download this video in its full screen glory from Filefront!
Game 1 - Mull to 5 is bad, but if he plays anything but Swans I might have a chance in this game.
Swans puts a real damper in my wait till I cast Jaws and then win at my own convenience plan... forcing me to switch gears and bring in the black spells to deal with it. Good idea or does it weaken the core of the deck too much?
Game 2 - A bad keep on the opening hand, but still make a good game of it... until I punt it by attacking with the Slinking Giant rather than holding back and Lancing that damned Silkbind when I finally get to 5 mana.
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