Friday 14 May 2010

Drafting with Team Leeds: Rise of the Eldrazi

By Wagz

Hi all, this weekend I got 7 of my good local friends together for a draft with some boosters I have of the latest set. While I won't provide an in-depth tournament report, I will give you the decklists and the results for you to draw your own conclusions from:

Results:
1) Rob Wagner
2) Rob Catton
3) Andy Devine
4) Chris Vincent
5) Jim Marlow
6) Rick Meeson
7) Mick Edwards
8) Robertas Aluzas

Match Results:

Round 1:
Rob W 2-0 Robbie
Chris 2-1 Mick
Rob C 2-1 Jim
Rick 0-2 Andy

Round 2:
Rob W 2-0 Andy
Chris 1-2 Rob C
Robbie 1-2 Rick
Mick 1-2 Jim

Round 3:
Rob W 2-0 Rob C
Chris 2-1 Rick
Jim 1-2 Andy
Mick 2-0 Robbie

Decklists (not including basic lands):

Rob Wagner:
1 Zulaport Enforcer

2 Goblin Tunneler

2 Kiln Fiend

1 Tuktuk the Explorer

1 Gloomhunter

1 Battle-Rattle Shaman

2 Escaped Null

1 Zof Shade

1 Valakut Fireboar

1 Sarkhan the Mad

1 Devastating Summons

2 Vendetta

1 Virulent Swipe

2 Last Kiss

2 Surreal Memoir

1 World at War

1 Heat Ray


Rob Catton:
1 Overgrown Battlement

1 Mul Daya Channelers

1 Aura Gnarlid

1 Rage Nimbus

1 Sporecap Spider

2 Vent Sentinel

1 Ondu Giant

2 Kozilek's Predator

1 Wildheart Invoker

1 Ulamog's Crusher

1 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre

1 Flame Slash

2 Ancient Stirrings

1 Ogre's Cleaver

1 Warmonger's Chariot

1 Growth Spasm

1 Snake Umbra

1 Bear Umbra

1 Heat Ray

2 Eldrazi Temple


Andy Devine:
1 Enclave Cryptologist

2 Skywatcher Adept

1 Caravan Escort

1 Kor Line-Slinger

1 Ikaral Outrider

1 Knight of Cliffhaven

3 Halimar Wavewatch

1 Hada Spy Patrol

1 Dawnglare Invoker

1 Venerated Teacher

1 Hedron-Field Purists

1 Makindi Griffin

1 Kabira Vindicator

1 Ulamog's Crusher

1 Smite

1 Guard Duty

2 Hyena Umbra

1 Deprive

1 Time of Need

1 Drake Umbra

1 Evolving Wilds


Chris Vincent:
1 Renegade Doppelganger

1 Overgrown Battlement

3 Sea Gate Oracle

1 Phantasmal Abomination

1 Wildheart Invoker

1 Merfolk Seascout

2 Kozilek's Predator

1 Nema Siltlurker

1 Artisan of Kozilek

1 Gelatinous Genesis

1 Might of the Masses

1 Naturalize

1 See Beyond

2 Narcolepsy

1 Regress

1 Awakening Zone

1 Drake Umbra

2 Dreamstone Hedron


Jim Marlow:
3 Zulaport Enforcer

1 Null Champion

1 Bloodrite Invoker

1 Lavafume Invoker

1 Lagac Lizard

1 Zof Shade

3 Battle-Rattle Shaman

1 Valakut Fireboar

2 Emrakul's Hatcher

1 Pestilence Demon

1 Hand of Emrakul

3 Last Kiss

2 Wrap in Flames

1 Heat Ray


Rick Meeson:
1 Joraga Treespeaker

2 Soul's Attendant

2 Stalwart Shield-Bearers

2 Nest Invaders

1 Ikaral Outridre

1 Umbra Mystic

2 Aura Gnarlid

1 Kabira Vindicator

1 Pelakka Wurm

1 Prey's Vengeance

1 Demystify

1 Hyena Umbra

1 Naturalize

2 Eland Umbra

1 Boar Umbra

1 Gravity Well

2 Repel the Darkness


Mick Edwards:
1 Null Champion

1 Runed Servitor

2 Bloodthrone Vampire

1 Gloomhunter

1 Arrogant Bloodlord

4 Cadaver Imp

2 Bloodrite Invoker

1 Soulsurge Elemental

1 Bala Ged Scorpion

1 Virulent Swipe

2 Staggershock

1 Last Kiss

1 Surreal Memoir

2 Consume the Meek

1 Corpsehatch

1 Eldrazi Conscription


Robertas Aluzas:
2 Skywatcher Adept

1 Enclave Cryptologist

2 Champion's Drake

2 Halimar Wavewatch

1 Nirkana Cutthroat

1 Sea Gate Oracle

1 Guard Gomazoa

2 Venerated Teacher

1 Merfolk Skyscout

1 Crab Umbra

1 Emerge Unscathed

1 Distortion Strike

1 Ogre's Cleaver

1 See Beyond

1 Puncturing Light

1 Eel Umbra

1 Narcolepsy

1 Survival Cache

1 Reality Spasm

Saturday 8 May 2010

Prerelease Report - Rise of the Eldrazi Online Prerelease

By Wagz

Hi all! We're going to try something a little different this week - for the first time on the Team Leeds Blog we have videos. You'll have to excuse the quality as this is an experiment using screen capture software. Firstly, here is my pool:



and the deck I made from it:

8 Island
2 Mountain
7 Forest
1 Forked Bolt
1 Skywatcher Adept
1 See Beyond
1 Deprive
1 Narcolepsy
1 Bramblesnap
1 Halimar Wavewatch
1 Nest Invader
1 Growth Spasm
1 Snake Umbra
1 Aura Gnarlid
1 Guard Gomazoa
1 Sea Gate Oracle
1 Sporecap Spider
1 Kozilek's Predator
1 Merfolk Skyscout
1 Ondu Giant
2 Drake Umbra
1 Broodwarden
1 Frostwind Invoker
1 Stomper Cub
1 Heat Ray

The deck seems okay, a bit of removal, bit of card advantage, couple of bombs (Drake Umbra). Basically I wanted to play cards which I would be happy to draw at any time and would give me options against a lot of decks. Here's how I fared:
(n.b. videos are of replays due to wishing to save on file size and also I don't have a microphone FML - enjoy!)



or external links:

Match 1 Game 1
Match 1 Game 2
Match 1 Game 3

Match 2 Game 1
Match 2 Game 2
Match 2 Game 3

Match 3 Game 1 - Modo did not give me the replay for this one, presumably because (on the play) I went turn 3 Growth Spasm, turn 4 Kozilek's Predator, turn 5 Drake Umbra, turn 6 Snake Umbra and Heat Ray his Nirkana Revenant which got a scoop. 1 Massive guy is obviously good enough.
Match 3 Game 2
Match 3 Game 3

Match 4 Game 1
Match 4 Game 2
Match 4 Game 3

I made a few punts in the last match and one on match 2 game 2 turn 3 which worked out okay but overall I think I played pretty tightly and had a good deck. Bramblesnap is an obvious winner but basically it seems like if you keep up the aggression and get every point of damage in it should be okay. Who needs massive Eldrazi anyway? Any comments are welcome below, thanks for watching :D

p.s. no spoilers about match results, but comments on plays are extremely welcome.

Tuesday 4 May 2010

Player of the Year Race Update 04/05/10

By Wagz

Hi all, it's been a long while since the last one but the blog is on a slow period so it seems like a perfect time for a player of the year race update!

35 points - Andy Devine
33 points - Andy Edwards
31 points - Mick Edwards
28 points - Rob Catton and John Ingham
23 points - Andy Bodle
22 points - Steve Tyson and Chris Vincent
21 points - Rob Wagner
19 points - Mark Hammond

Hotting up towards the top of the tables but Andy Edwards has gone away for at least a month, Andy Devine says he probably doesn't want to draft Rise, Mick leaves Uni for the summer and I'm in the middle of a period of not playing to protect my rating (1 more month of abstinence). With that kind of overhaul is there room for someone to sneak in the Leed (sic)? Rob Catton has been making good moves in recent months and Steve Tyson had a good month getting some Bloodbraid Elves.

The race finishes with Nationals, so still plenty of time to get in. Not quite sure what to do with the results - top 8 draft perhaps? We'll see nearer the time.