By Jim Marlow
Hey everyone,
I know its been a long while since i put a draft up here so i thought i would throw one up here. From reading through it i can only assume from some good late picks that its a 4-3-2-2, but it was over a month ago so i dont really know.
I have a few more drafts in my folder but im going to be releasing them slowly because my dissertation is giving me 12,000 reasons to not play modo untill April, so hopefully the few iv done over the last 6 weeks i can put a couple a week up untill then to keep you animals happy.
Event #: 851620
Time: 1/7/2010 11:05:55 PM
Players:
MBaughman1983
Doctor24
Schlumi
--> wiggi1
lackhand
clownstyle
Intet819
Maxx2803
------ ZEN ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Pillarfield Ox
River Boa
Grazing Gladehart
Inferno Trap
Carnage Altar
Conqueror's Pledge
Paralyzing Grasp
Forest
Surrakar Marauder
Oran-Rief Recluse
Ruinous Minotaur
--> Hideous End
Kor Cartographer
Plated Geopede
Stonework Puma
Pretty good pack, probably between the hideous end, the geopede and the inferno trap, i would happily defend either.
Pack 1 pick 2:
Nimbus Wings
--> Vampire Hexmage
Spell Pierce
Vampire Lacerator
Territorial Baloth
Island
Mindless Null
Seascape Aerialist
Soaring Seacliff
Tempest Owl
Noble Vestige
Hedron Scrabbler
Gomazoa
Spire Barrage
i really like hexmage, stops about 75% of the creatures in the format attacking
Pack 1 pick 3:
--> Nimana Sell-Sword
Vampire's Bite
Whiplash Trap
Plains
Vastwood Gorger
Magma Rift
Mind Sludge
Scythe Tiger
Kor Outfitter
Baloth Cage Trap
Adventuring Gear
Trapfinder's Trick
Windborne Charge
I dont know whether sludge is the pick here, but i dont know how heavily in black i am going to end up and sell-sword is a bloogy good guy.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Sejiri Refuge
Goblin War Paint
--> Living Tsunami
Kor Cartographer
Ravenous Trap
Caller of Gales
Desecrated Earth
Swamp
Heartstabber Mosquito
Umara Raptor
Caravan Hurda
Narrow Escape
Mosquito is fine but i would pick the raptor or living tsunami over it here because they're better. Dont know whether raptor is the better pick with a couple double black spells here but living tsunami is pretty hot.
Pack 1 pick 5:
Bold Defense
Forest
Shieldmate's Blessing
Mire Blight
Zendikar Farguide
Magma Rift
Shatterskull Giant
Into the Roil
Kor Outfitter (FOIL)
Khalni Heart Expedition
--> Nimana Sell-Sword
Pretty saucy here. Im still pretty happy with the tsunami pick. Sell-sword is also nice and easy to cast so i can move more heavily into either black or blue as the draft dictates, which is pretty nice.
Pack 1 pick 6:
Soaring Seacliff
Mountain
Pillarfield Ox
Gomazoa
Ruinous Minotaur
Runeflare Trap
Akoum Refuge
--> Stonework Puma
Vampire Lacerator
Paralyzing Grasp
Stonework puma is one of my favourite creatures, plus double sell-sword means he's pretty awesome.
Pack 1 pick 7:
--> Welkin Tern
Bold Defense
Forest
Shatterskull Giant
Pyromancer Ascension
Stonework Puma
Spidersilk Net
Merfolk Wayfinder
Into the Roil
wow, lots of pretty good cards here, i think tern still gets the nod here. Still dreaming of having the umara raptor and picking the puma though, filthy allies
Pack 1 pick 8:
Teetering Peaks
Mire Blight
Zendikar Farguide
Shieldmate's Blessing
Cancel
--> Hagra Diabolist
Hagra Crocodile
Plains
seems good
Pack 1 pick 9:
Carnage Altar
Paralyzing Grasp
Forest
Oran-Rief Recluse
Ruinous Minotaur
Kor Cartographer
--> Stonework Puma
Pack 1 pick 10:
Nimbus Wings
Island
--> Seascape Aerialist
Soaring Seacliff
Tempest Owl
Noble Vestige
Pack 1 pick 11:
--> Whiplash Trap
Plains
Vastwood Gorger
Kor Outfitter
Trapfinder's Trick
Pack 1 pick 12:
--> Ravenous Trap
Caller of Gales
Swamp
Narrow Escape
Pack 1 pick 13:
Bold Defense
Forest
--> Mire Blight
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Soaring Seacliff
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Bold Defense
------ ZEN ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Grazing Gladehart (FOIL)
Sadistic Sacrament
Guul Draz Vampire
Crypt Ripper
Kazandu Blademaster
Narrow Escape
Kor Hookmaster
Carnage Altar
Plated Geopede
Nissa's Chosen
Caravan Hurda
Goblin Shortcutter
--> Trusty Machete
Turntimber Grove
Mountain
Machete is my favourite card to open in this format, which is awesome. Annoyingly its a pretty strong pack but i cant expect a lot to table. To be honest knowing this draft someone will find a way to put an umara raptor in the pack instead of the basic land when it comes round.
Pack 2 pick 2:
--> Welkin Tern
Plains
Kor Cartographer
Kor Outfitter
Shoal Serpent
Inferno Trap
Primal Bellow
Spidersilk Net
Harrow
Spell Pierce
Grim Discovery
Demolish
Bog Tatters
World Queller
Yush, 2 Tern!!!
Pack 2 pick 3:
Vastwood Gorger
--> Summoner's Bane
Forest
Mire Blight
Sunspring Expedition
Swamp (FOIL)
Ruinous Minotaur
Slaughter Cry
Electropotence
Zektar Shrine Expedition
Scythe Tiger
Unstable Footing
Explorer's Scope
I dont particularly like this card, especially in the type of deck im drafting which hopes to attack then make a guy every turn. Poor pack really.
Pack 2 pick 4:
Cancel
--> Welkin Tern
Beast Hunt
Bog Tatters
Plains
Spidersilk Net
Slaughter Cry
Kor Outfitter
Electropotence
Carnage Altar
Scythe Tiger
Quest for the Holy Relic
3 Terns!!!!
Pack 2 pick 5:
Nissa's Chosen
Vastwood Gorger
Quest for the Holy Relic
Adventuring Gear
Caller of Gales
Narrow Escape
Goblin War Paint
Plains
--> Nimana Sell-Sword
Baloth Cage Trap
Highland Berserker
Seems pretty good.
Pack 2 pick 6:
Lethargy Trap
Mountain
Tanglesap
Goblin War Paint
--> Guul Draz Vampire
Goblin Bushwhacker
Oran-Rief Recluse
Ior Ruin Expedition
Hellfire Mongrel
Kor Aeronaut
Pack 2 pick 7:
Pillarfield Ox
Turntimber Grove
Lavaball Trap
Seismic Shudder
Swamp
Caravan Hurda
--> Hagra Diabolist
Needlebite Trap
Sky Ruin Drake
Pack 2 pick 8:
Relic Crush
Plains
--> Noble Vestige
Mindless Null
Nimbus Wings
Quest for the Holy Relic
Trapmaker's Snare
Spell Pierce
Pack 2 pick 9:
Sadistic Sacrament
Narrow Escape
--> Kor Hookmaster
Carnage Altar
Caravan Hurda
Turntimber Grove
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 10:
Plains
Kor Outfitter
Shoal Serpent
Spidersilk Net
--> Spell Pierce
Demolish
Pack 2 pick 11:
Forest
Mire Blight
Sunspring Expedition
--> Ruinous Minotaur
Scythe Tiger
Pack 2 pick 12:
--> Beast Hunt
Plains
Scythe Tiger
Quest for the Holy Relic
Pack 2 pick 13:
Quest for the Holy Relic
--> Caller of Gales
Plains
Pack 2 pick 14:
Mountain
--> Tanglesap
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Swamp
------ ZEN ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Cliff Threader
Oran-Rief Recluse
Tuktuk Grunts
Forest
Kor Hookmaster
Piranha Marsh
Hedron Crab
Bladetusk Boar
Shepherd of the Lost
Timbermaw Larva
Paralyzing Grasp
--> Heartstabber Mosquito
Grazing Gladehart
Landbind Ritual
Gigantiform
Maybe i should have taken the paralysing grasp, becauase i dont even know if this guy makes my deck right now. Im short on removal but hopefully im aggresive enough that this doesnt matter. Maybe hating the shepherd is the pick, i dont know.
Pack 3 pick 2:
Soul Stair Expedition
Kazandu Blademaster
Tempest Owl
Whiplash Trap
Mindless Null
Sunspring Expedition
Mold Shambler
Kor Duelist
Khalni Heart Expedition
Kabira Crossroads
Molten Ravager
Living Tsunami
Forest
--> Disfigure
Dont really know about this one. Im pretty short on removal and iv got a boat load of 4 drops but living tsunami is a bit of a house, what do people think?
Pack 3 pick 3:
Cliff Threader
Khalni Heart Expedition
Adventuring Gear
Molten Ravager
Gatekeeper of Malakir
Windrider Eel
Swamp
Shieldmate's Blessing
Shoal Serpent
Soul Stair Expedition
--> Sea Gate Loremaster
Mold Shambler
Ravenous Trap
Sea gate lormaster is pretty bomby, and much easier to cast than gatekeeper. I think without other removal its hard to dictate what creature the opponants sac etc. I still think gatekeeper is good all game but loremaster is still fine.
Pack 3 pick 4:
Sunspring Expedition
Noble Vestige
--> Æther Figment
Island
Demolish
Feast of Blood
Blood Tribute (FOIL)
Akoum Refuge
Tuktuk Grunts
Joraga Bard
Expedition Map
Cancel
Pack 3 pick 5:
Goblin Bushwhacker
Makindi Shieldmate
Spreading Seas
--> Heartstabber Mosquito
Guul Draz Vampire
Kor Sanctifiers
Primal Bellow
Spidersilk Net
Island
Lethargy Trap
Ondu Cleric
Pack 3 pick 6:
Kazandu Refuge
Bold Defense
--> Sky Ruin Drake
Seismic Shudder
Magosi, the Waterveil
Plains
Vines of Vastwood
Merfolk Wayfinder
Pillarfield Ox
Turntimber Grove
Pack 3 pick 7:
Trapmaker's Snare
Khalni Heart Expedition
Plains
--> Magma Rift
Tempest Owl
Soul Stair Expedition
Mire Blight
Sky Ruin Drake
Pillarfield Ox
Pack 3 pick 8:
Expedition Map
--> Welkin Tern
Mountain
Spreading Seas
Narrow Escape
Predatory Urge
Runeflare Trap
Greenweaver Druid
Ding! 4 Terns is some sickness.
Pack 3 pick 9:
--> Oran-Rief Recluse
Forest
Kor Hookmaster
Piranha Marsh
Hedron Crab
Paralyzing Grasp
Landbind Ritual
Pack 3 pick 10:
Tempest Owl
--> Whiplash Trap
Mindless Null
Sunspring Expedition
Kabira Crossroads
Forest
Pack 3 pick 11:
Khalni Heart Expedition
--> Swamp
Shieldmate's Blessing
Shoal Serpent
Ravenous Trap
Pack 3 pick 12:
Sunspring Expedition
Noble Vestige
Island
--> Cancel
Pack 3 pick 13:
--> Spreading Seas
Island
Lethargy Trap
Pack 3 pick 14:
Plains
--> Merfolk Wayfinder
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Mire Blight
I think the draft went pretty well i guess. I got some late gifts in the first pack which was pretty nice, and a load of terns which are pretty good. Removal is light but this is not a huge problem, and the old annoying problem of seeing a blank pack then the next pack has 2 bombs you want. Cant complain, i think my deck is pretty sick.
Decklist.
1 guul draz vampire
1 disfigure
1 trusty machete
1 vampire hexmage
1 aether figment
4 welkin Tern
2 stonework puma
1 hideous end
3 nimana sell sword
1 living tsunami
2 heartstabber mosquito
2 hagra diabolist
1 seascape aerialist
1 sea gate loremaster
18 lands (mostly swamps and islands)
The deck is pretty good, i dont think i lost a game with it. I still think there were definately some different picks to be made, but most of them seem pretty close even if i think i got it wrong in the end so overall im pretty happy. Mostly i need to remember that only in 4-3-2-2's do you get this kind of sickness.
O well, hope you enjoyed it.
See you all soon.
Until then,
Jim
As always, feel free to post comments underneath. If you would like to contribute anything to the blog, email anything you want published to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk (for severe editing!)
Showing posts with label Jim Marlow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jim Marlow. Show all posts
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Pre-release Weekend
By Jim Marlow
Hey everyone,
The worldwake pre-release is in the books and despite a decent pool i managed to once again pull a 0-2 drop....o no wait i was judging. This weekend i managed to get the best of both worlds, by judging my first magic tournament at the Leeds prerelease on saturday, then got the train to York to play on Sunday in their event. I cant remember a prerelease event being as fun as this one, and considering that i dont think much of the set, i think this speaks volumes for the work of the TO's in York and Leeds in putting together a couple of amazing events.
Saturday - Leeds.
Rob had managed to get a really cool room booked for the pre-release, and i really hope we get to go there more often, it was just the right size to offer enough room but not be too big and empty.
Being almost nocturnal, particularly if there is a magic event looming, i hadnt really had enough sleep for this event, but still managed to meet Rob at the required time to get stuff set up for the day. I was a bit nervous to be judging in my first magic tournament, not only because i was unsure whether i knew the rules well enough, but more because i didnt want to make mistakes that affected the players of Leeds, who are all good friends of mine.
Anyway, the whole day went as smooth as i had hoped. I did shit a brick when the first hand went in the air but to my complete surprise i knew the answer. Apparently this was the case for almost every question throughout the day, which felt pretty good. For those people who dont realise how cheaty judges are, they tend to just read the card aloud back to you, at which point you realise how simple the question you are asking is, tah-dah!. It seems judging is about 40% having confidence in yourself that you know the answer, 55% telling the player confidently that this is the answer and about 5% knowing the rules (approx). Anyway, it was pretty awesome to be judging my first event, Rob, Ben and I seemed to keep everyone happy, and i managed to keep the DQ's to an absolute minimum (things got pretty hairy when i started getting tired)
Anyway, a couple of drafts fired that i was lucky enough to watch over, which was really awesome. Triple small set drafts are always hilarious, and worldwake is a pretty weak, so i have no idea if any of the 12 drafters had any idea of what they were doing - or if they did, they managed to hide it very well when drafting. The players seemed pretty content to rare draft and be done with it, and i cant really blame them.
I know the hardcore among you will be amazed that i managed to survive an entire magic tournament without scrubbing....well luckily for me the chance arose late in the day when we mustered 8 players for a ZZW draft in the adjacent room. With my veins now carrying more red bull than blood i mercifully did not miss my cue to scrub and lost to Colin in the first round, although he did have a pretty good deck.
Sunday - York
I got to York a little bit later than expected because apparently of the half dozen trains leaving Leeds for York within a half hour period i managed to hop on one that went via Wakefield and Doncaster - which im pretty sure are quite a way away from York right??. Anyways, got there on time and caught up with some of the people from York, many of whom i had spent some time with at Nationals last year but it was awesome to see them again.
Shame on no other Leeds players going though.
My pool was ok, but i didnt have any particularly deep colours, and my better cards were awkwardly costed. I ended up playing a G/r/b deck splashing for disfigure and tomb hex of a verdant catacombs and pilgrims eye. My deck was powered by a wolfbriar elemental and a terastodon, which were pretty good all day, and leatherback baloth was pretty awesome.
I managed to Win my firsttwo rounds pretty easily, roudn 2 i got troubles with some flyers including the huge sphinx guy. Luckily i managed to fetch, tomb hex and kill it with baloth in combat, and that was about all she wrote.
Round 3 went to 3 games, and a greedy 2 land keep on the draw against the eventual winner was my downfall. I kept swamp mountain and 5 spells including the 2/1 discard guy and burst lightning and tomb hex, but didnt draw lands and he was pretty aggresive. To be honest i dont think i could have won if i had drawn the lands i wanted.
Round 4 i lost to Chris Vincent playing a very similar r/b deck, which apparently is the best colour combination, who knew. My draws were too slow and too bad to get in either game, although i felt better when Chris said he had not lost a game all day.
Round 5 put me back in a far more managable bracket, and this round was pretty straightforward. 3-2 on the day, i think i ended up 4th or 5th for my troubles too, which was nice.
So i didnt do badly at the prerelease, wow, guess i really am a changed man. Well i packed my thigns and felt pretty good that i hadnt scrubbed today.
.....Then i found out there were 7 people in a WWW queue.
So my deck was ok actually, some fool passed me a basalisk collar p1,p2. I had first picked talus paladin on the rare grabs, but felt he was pretty busty if i can grab some join the ranks or any allies. Luckily for me the guy across the table voiced out loud how he was annoyed at the lack of allies because he had decided to draft them before the draft....and i hadnt been getting any, urgh.
So my deck ended up u/w with a tiny black splash which was pretty awkward. I knew i was definately playing white because i got 3 apex hawks pack 1, and then got 3 ionas jugement pack 3. My blue was ok too with some other flyers, but i was short on playables because blue somehow got cut pack 2 ridiculously and after feeding black and green i got 2 wasp lancers, or whatever the snapping drake guy is called.
I ended up scrubbing in 3 games to a guy who made turn 1 arbor elf every game. His deck idea wasnt to bad to be honest, he had a couple of the multikicker bear that he could make big with all his mana. Basically he won games 1 and 3 by casting beastial menace on turns 3 and 4 respectively. I could stall but his deck made a creature a turn, and eventually lots of bad green guys got there.
awkward.
Anyway, lets hope the new draft format proves to bring life to triple Zendikar, which is starting to get a bit stale i think.
See you all soon.
Until then,
Jim
As always, feel free to post comments underneath. If you would like to contribute anything to the blog, email anything you want published to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk (for severe editing!)
The worldwake pre-release is in the books and despite a decent pool i managed to once again pull a 0-2 drop....o no wait i was judging. This weekend i managed to get the best of both worlds, by judging my first magic tournament at the Leeds prerelease on saturday, then got the train to York to play on Sunday in their event. I cant remember a prerelease event being as fun as this one, and considering that i dont think much of the set, i think this speaks volumes for the work of the TO's in York and Leeds in putting together a couple of amazing events.
Saturday - Leeds.
Rob had managed to get a really cool room booked for the pre-release, and i really hope we get to go there more often, it was just the right size to offer enough room but not be too big and empty.
Being almost nocturnal, particularly if there is a magic event looming, i hadnt really had enough sleep for this event, but still managed to meet Rob at the required time to get stuff set up for the day. I was a bit nervous to be judging in my first magic tournament, not only because i was unsure whether i knew the rules well enough, but more because i didnt want to make mistakes that affected the players of Leeds, who are all good friends of mine.
Anyway, the whole day went as smooth as i had hoped. I did shit a brick when the first hand went in the air but to my complete surprise i knew the answer. Apparently this was the case for almost every question throughout the day, which felt pretty good. For those people who dont realise how cheaty judges are, they tend to just read the card aloud back to you, at which point you realise how simple the question you are asking is, tah-dah!. It seems judging is about 40% having confidence in yourself that you know the answer, 55% telling the player confidently that this is the answer and about 5% knowing the rules (approx). Anyway, it was pretty awesome to be judging my first event, Rob, Ben and I seemed to keep everyone happy, and i managed to keep the DQ's to an absolute minimum (things got pretty hairy when i started getting tired)
Anyway, a couple of drafts fired that i was lucky enough to watch over, which was really awesome. Triple small set drafts are always hilarious, and worldwake is a pretty weak, so i have no idea if any of the 12 drafters had any idea of what they were doing - or if they did, they managed to hide it very well when drafting. The players seemed pretty content to rare draft and be done with it, and i cant really blame them.
I know the hardcore among you will be amazed that i managed to survive an entire magic tournament without scrubbing....well luckily for me the chance arose late in the day when we mustered 8 players for a ZZW draft in the adjacent room. With my veins now carrying more red bull than blood i mercifully did not miss my cue to scrub and lost to Colin in the first round, although he did have a pretty good deck.
Sunday - York
I got to York a little bit later than expected because apparently of the half dozen trains leaving Leeds for York within a half hour period i managed to hop on one that went via Wakefield and Doncaster - which im pretty sure are quite a way away from York right??. Anyways, got there on time and caught up with some of the people from York, many of whom i had spent some time with at Nationals last year but it was awesome to see them again.
Shame on no other Leeds players going though.
My pool was ok, but i didnt have any particularly deep colours, and my better cards were awkwardly costed. I ended up playing a G/r/b deck splashing for disfigure and tomb hex of a verdant catacombs and pilgrims eye. My deck was powered by a wolfbriar elemental and a terastodon, which were pretty good all day, and leatherback baloth was pretty awesome.
I managed to Win my firsttwo rounds pretty easily, roudn 2 i got troubles with some flyers including the huge sphinx guy. Luckily i managed to fetch, tomb hex and kill it with baloth in combat, and that was about all she wrote.
Round 3 went to 3 games, and a greedy 2 land keep on the draw against the eventual winner was my downfall. I kept swamp mountain and 5 spells including the 2/1 discard guy and burst lightning and tomb hex, but didnt draw lands and he was pretty aggresive. To be honest i dont think i could have won if i had drawn the lands i wanted.
Round 4 i lost to Chris Vincent playing a very similar r/b deck, which apparently is the best colour combination, who knew. My draws were too slow and too bad to get in either game, although i felt better when Chris said he had not lost a game all day.
Round 5 put me back in a far more managable bracket, and this round was pretty straightforward. 3-2 on the day, i think i ended up 4th or 5th for my troubles too, which was nice.
So i didnt do badly at the prerelease, wow, guess i really am a changed man. Well i packed my thigns and felt pretty good that i hadnt scrubbed today.
.....Then i found out there were 7 people in a WWW queue.
So my deck was ok actually, some fool passed me a basalisk collar p1,p2. I had first picked talus paladin on the rare grabs, but felt he was pretty busty if i can grab some join the ranks or any allies. Luckily for me the guy across the table voiced out loud how he was annoyed at the lack of allies because he had decided to draft them before the draft....and i hadnt been getting any, urgh.
So my deck ended up u/w with a tiny black splash which was pretty awkward. I knew i was definately playing white because i got 3 apex hawks pack 1, and then got 3 ionas jugement pack 3. My blue was ok too with some other flyers, but i was short on playables because blue somehow got cut pack 2 ridiculously and after feeding black and green i got 2 wasp lancers, or whatever the snapping drake guy is called.
I ended up scrubbing in 3 games to a guy who made turn 1 arbor elf every game. His deck idea wasnt to bad to be honest, he had a couple of the multikicker bear that he could make big with all his mana. Basically he won games 1 and 3 by casting beastial menace on turns 3 and 4 respectively. I could stall but his deck made a creature a turn, and eventually lots of bad green guys got there.
awkward.
Anyway, lets hope the new draft format proves to bring life to triple Zendikar, which is starting to get a bit stale i think.
See you all soon.
Until then,
Jim
As always, feel free to post comments underneath. If you would like to contribute anything to the blog, email anything you want published to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk (for severe editing!)
Saturday, 30 January 2010
Pre-release anticipation
By Jim Marlow
Hey everyone,
I really hope that very few of you are faced with the cool hard fate that is not being able to participate in a pre-release this morning, because they really are something to look forward to. The great thing about pre-releases is that its ridiculously relaxed, and everyone, from pro-tour participants to totally new gamers are there for the same reason, with the same motivation.
Luckily for me, however, i get to judge the aforementioned experiance, and fingers crossed will be able to play in York on Sunday, for d....d...double excitement, squelch!!?!. Anyway, for those keen chaps who like me have definately woken up because they literally couldnt bear the excitement any longer, i have had a good gander at the spoilers and made a couple of lists of cards i will be looking to get my filthy mits on at some point over the weekend, and others i will be glad to see the back of.....only for the price to rocket, no doubt!
Me Likey
1 - Jace, the mind sculpter
lots of people, mostly correctly, assume the price of a magic card is relative to its quality as a card. The plainswalkers and then mythic rares really messed this system up, and this is awesome. Jace has already been valued at the top end price of mythic rares, but no-one really seems to know whether this relates to him being any good or huge hype paid for by an orange symbol. Personally, i think he is really awesome. Obviously he doesnt fall directly into any of the tier 1 decks right now, but i really hope there is a deck that can abuse him, because he has 3 very useful and powerful abilities, and if the ultimate goes off who the hell knows what will happen, im fairly sure few will find out.
2 - explore
I love this card, it lets me do lots of things that i want to do when playing magic, and it lets me do them for 2 mana and a card. Sign me up for 4 please.
3 - Halimar Depths
This is 100% my favourite card in worldwake, and probably my favourite land ever. Ridiculous.
4 - Terastodon
Please can i cast this once in my life. Terastodon is massive and blows up 3 lands, all for a healthy 8 mana...thats like turn 3 right? imagine how much people would hate me if i resolved this guy against them, and that sir, is why i play the game.
5 - Scrib Nibblers
To be honest, im not all that excited about anything else, obviously the man lands are cool but this guy has a hilarious name, and thats all i ask of a good card really.
I have no idea why i forgot this guy, but obviously abyssal persecutor is the absolute nonsence as well, have fun losing to this guy for the next 12 months. Also, kor firewalker, standard playable if stupid WW shows its hideously ugly face again, but really is it worth talking about, its a bear.
Me no Likey
1 - mysteries of the deep
This card does not excite me. I know i havent played standard in a while but what is this? I dont think you can count on this being 3 cards, and so its just not there is it? This card should go in a toilet/bin/skip (circle as appropriate)
2 - Amulet of vigor
I dont even know why i mention this card, to be honest the cards i dont like could probably be summed up by 'the rest of worldwake', but having just watched this weeks magic show it had to get a mention. Im used to Even Irwin going nuts over every card in a set and saying how it will be the best card ever yeah with some lolcat backgroud, but this time, he went too far! If i ever find myself playing extended, then play a karoo land with 3 amulets of vigor on the pitch - there will be only 1 trigger im afraid - that of the gun pointed directly at the side of my temple.
3 - treasure hunt
I actually like this card, its clearly pretty good. I just dont like how wet certain people have been getting over it. Its clearly 1.75 times better than i give a shit about, but it didnt take a moron to see that this was a good card right? I just hope someone finds a way to combo with this card or draw their entire deck or something. I want to get excited about the possibilities of this card, not at the captain obvious comments about it being a spell that draws cards.
4 - Spell contortion
When you were spoiled, you were playable, shame on you.
5 - khalni garden
this card does not get me excited. Again, its clearly pretty good, but some people are going mad for this, and im just not really.
O well, i really need to be getting ready now or Rob will be angry at me being late. I hope everyone has a nice pre-release if you are going to one, maybe i will see you tomorrow in York. Apologies for this coffee fueled rant, but so many pros have done similar articles saying more acurately and for better reasons why cards are good or bad, that i just thought i would be hugely opinionated and generally a bit of a cock, i hope this came through, if not let me know.
See you all soon.
Until then,
Jim
As always, feel free to post comments underneath. If you would like to contribute anything to the blog, email anything you want published to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk (for severe editing!)
I really hope that very few of you are faced with the cool hard fate that is not being able to participate in a pre-release this morning, because they really are something to look forward to. The great thing about pre-releases is that its ridiculously relaxed, and everyone, from pro-tour participants to totally new gamers are there for the same reason, with the same motivation.
Luckily for me, however, i get to judge the aforementioned experiance, and fingers crossed will be able to play in York on Sunday, for d....d...double excitement, squelch!!?!. Anyway, for those keen chaps who like me have definately woken up because they literally couldnt bear the excitement any longer, i have had a good gander at the spoilers and made a couple of lists of cards i will be looking to get my filthy mits on at some point over the weekend, and others i will be glad to see the back of.....only for the price to rocket, no doubt!
Me Likey
1 - Jace, the mind sculpter
lots of people, mostly correctly, assume the price of a magic card is relative to its quality as a card. The plainswalkers and then mythic rares really messed this system up, and this is awesome. Jace has already been valued at the top end price of mythic rares, but no-one really seems to know whether this relates to him being any good or huge hype paid for by an orange symbol. Personally, i think he is really awesome. Obviously he doesnt fall directly into any of the tier 1 decks right now, but i really hope there is a deck that can abuse him, because he has 3 very useful and powerful abilities, and if the ultimate goes off who the hell knows what will happen, im fairly sure few will find out.
2 - explore
I love this card, it lets me do lots of things that i want to do when playing magic, and it lets me do them for 2 mana and a card. Sign me up for 4 please.
3 - Halimar Depths
This is 100% my favourite card in worldwake, and probably my favourite land ever. Ridiculous.
4 - Terastodon
Please can i cast this once in my life. Terastodon is massive and blows up 3 lands, all for a healthy 8 mana...thats like turn 3 right? imagine how much people would hate me if i resolved this guy against them, and that sir, is why i play the game.
5 - Scrib Nibblers
To be honest, im not all that excited about anything else, obviously the man lands are cool but this guy has a hilarious name, and thats all i ask of a good card really.
I have no idea why i forgot this guy, but obviously abyssal persecutor is the absolute nonsence as well, have fun losing to this guy for the next 12 months. Also, kor firewalker, standard playable if stupid WW shows its hideously ugly face again, but really is it worth talking about, its a bear.
Me no Likey
1 - mysteries of the deep
This card does not excite me. I know i havent played standard in a while but what is this? I dont think you can count on this being 3 cards, and so its just not there is it? This card should go in a toilet/bin/skip (circle as appropriate)
2 - Amulet of vigor
I dont even know why i mention this card, to be honest the cards i dont like could probably be summed up by 'the rest of worldwake', but having just watched this weeks magic show it had to get a mention. Im used to Even Irwin going nuts over every card in a set and saying how it will be the best card ever yeah with some lolcat backgroud, but this time, he went too far! If i ever find myself playing extended, then play a karoo land with 3 amulets of vigor on the pitch - there will be only 1 trigger im afraid - that of the gun pointed directly at the side of my temple.
3 - treasure hunt
I actually like this card, its clearly pretty good. I just dont like how wet certain people have been getting over it. Its clearly 1.75 times better than i give a shit about, but it didnt take a moron to see that this was a good card right? I just hope someone finds a way to combo with this card or draw their entire deck or something. I want to get excited about the possibilities of this card, not at the captain obvious comments about it being a spell that draws cards.
4 - Spell contortion
When you were spoiled, you were playable, shame on you.
5 - khalni garden
this card does not get me excited. Again, its clearly pretty good, but some people are going mad for this, and im just not really.
O well, i really need to be getting ready now or Rob will be angry at me being late. I hope everyone has a nice pre-release if you are going to one, maybe i will see you tomorrow in York. Apologies for this coffee fueled rant, but so many pros have done similar articles saying more acurately and for better reasons why cards are good or bad, that i just thought i would be hugely opinionated and generally a bit of a cock, i hope this came through, if not let me know.
See you all soon.
Until then,
Jim
As always, feel free to post comments underneath. If you would like to contribute anything to the blog, email anything you want published to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk (for severe editing!)
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Scapeshift in Extended
By Jim Marlow
Hey everyone,
So Worldwake is pretty much known to the masses, i havent really had time to take in all the cards, as there have been a load spoiled recently, but after a few reads i will compile a list of my favourite ones, and those that i think are not that hot, for constructed or otherwise.
For now i thought i would let everyone know just where i am up to in Extended right now, before it gets overshadowed by the child-like excitement of a prerelease.
Scapeshift was the deck i took to the Nottingham PTQ, where the power of zero hours sleep allowed me the grace of a 1-3 record - (1-3 because i forgot to drop after round 3, so conceeded my 4th round to Kenny so i could cube). After the little of the PTQ i played in i had very few, but some thoughts on the performance of the deck and some changes i wanted to make before i next played it.
The Bad News -
If you the article(s) i did going into the PTQ i thought about taking out the oracle, because i had been finding him a bit underwhelming. He is actually not the easiest chap to cast on turn 2, and although he can lead to some busted games, i am actually not that hot for him. He is best in the mirror where its a race to go off, but then again, he can still be underwhelming here. Against zoo there are far better bodies, and against control decks you dont need the body. I think the majority of lists still playing him are playing him because he was being played before.
I wasnt convinced by the electrolyze either - i know exactly why it is in there, and i understand that its massively risky being cold to certain hate. Everyone seems to be mixing it up with magma jet, into the roil, echoing truth, repeal and infi variants of combinations of them all to basically hose teeg and meddling mage. To be honest, I will almost certainly be cutting my magma jet/electrolyze slot for something else, because i think the implications of using them are quite slim and even then there are other outs that i either have in my deck or can/will have brought in for these matchups.
Repeal was also a pretty bad call - i think i got a bit too focussed on t1 repeal a chrome mox or something, or being able to bounce chalice (which doesnt really hurt me anyway). Basically, echoing truth does everything repeal does except draw a card, most of the time for cheaper - and it also hoses dredge, which is randomly awesome.
Ancient grudge was pretty bad in the sideboard - i dont really know if i should be finding room to bring this in against thopter foundry, and still i dont really know how the match should work ( i think generally badly for me). I think that scapeshift should be pressuring tezz to assemble the combo or disrupt enough to stop yours, but there is very little room for you to do both. I think i may have come up with an idea to solve this but im not sure.
I think i should have also played the second breeding pool. I was worried about blood moon effects and only played 1, but on 2 separate occasions across 3 rounds found myself searching out basic forest and sat with cryptic command in hand doing nothing, sigh.
The Good News -
Gigadrowse was definately the truth - it provides a one shot window to go off, and is very good against any of the blue decks, although weakest against faeries - which is probably true of the deck in general.
Not playing ponder made me realise how awesome it was. Being tired made me assert how bad ponder was in the deck fairly strongly, but in both my lossesw there were at least 1-2 turn windows where scapeshift in hand or drawn was a won match. Ponder is the extra bit of manipulation the deck needs to be reliable, and you can control your draws more with the shuffle effects of the ramp spells, it was certainly missed in Nottingham.
Vendilion Clique may the droid i am looking for. Coiling oracle proved to be anywhere from meh to ok, but a friend offered me clique instead, which i needed little convincing to throw in other the snake. The ability to apply pressure is pretty crucial, and he is better in the mirror match than coiling oracle, the matchup where he was best.
The List
Please dont take this as the 75 i will play for the remainder by any means, but consider this the working list.
4 x vendilion clique
4 x wood elves
4 x sakura tribe eldar
4 x scapeshift
4 x peer through depths
3 x ponder
4 x search for tomorrow
4 x remand
3 x cryptic command
2 x echoing truth
1 x gigadrowse
4 x steam vents
4 x stomping ground
2 x breeding pool
2 x valakut the molten pinnacle
2 x mountain
2 x flooded grove
3 x forest
4 x island
S/B
4 x Firespout
3 x ravenous trap
2 x relic of progenitus
2 x gigadrowse
Sorry for the 11 card sideboard, trying to keep some of the other cards secret in case it turns out to be good tech, although this probably wont turn out to be the case.
Hopefully this will be good for a ticket to San Juan, but more importantly hopefully I will be good enough for a ticket to San Juan.
Until then,
See you all soon,
Jim
As always, feel free to post comments underneath. If you would like to contribute anything to the blog, email anything you want published to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk (for severe editing!)
So Worldwake is pretty much known to the masses, i havent really had time to take in all the cards, as there have been a load spoiled recently, but after a few reads i will compile a list of my favourite ones, and those that i think are not that hot, for constructed or otherwise.
For now i thought i would let everyone know just where i am up to in Extended right now, before it gets overshadowed by the child-like excitement of a prerelease.
Scapeshift was the deck i took to the Nottingham PTQ, where the power of zero hours sleep allowed me the grace of a 1-3 record - (1-3 because i forgot to drop after round 3, so conceeded my 4th round to Kenny so i could cube). After the little of the PTQ i played in i had very few, but some thoughts on the performance of the deck and some changes i wanted to make before i next played it.
The Bad News -
If you the article(s) i did going into the PTQ i thought about taking out the oracle, because i had been finding him a bit underwhelming. He is actually not the easiest chap to cast on turn 2, and although he can lead to some busted games, i am actually not that hot for him. He is best in the mirror where its a race to go off, but then again, he can still be underwhelming here. Against zoo there are far better bodies, and against control decks you dont need the body. I think the majority of lists still playing him are playing him because he was being played before.
I wasnt convinced by the electrolyze either - i know exactly why it is in there, and i understand that its massively risky being cold to certain hate. Everyone seems to be mixing it up with magma jet, into the roil, echoing truth, repeal and infi variants of combinations of them all to basically hose teeg and meddling mage. To be honest, I will almost certainly be cutting my magma jet/electrolyze slot for something else, because i think the implications of using them are quite slim and even then there are other outs that i either have in my deck or can/will have brought in for these matchups.
Repeal was also a pretty bad call - i think i got a bit too focussed on t1 repeal a chrome mox or something, or being able to bounce chalice (which doesnt really hurt me anyway). Basically, echoing truth does everything repeal does except draw a card, most of the time for cheaper - and it also hoses dredge, which is randomly awesome.
Ancient grudge was pretty bad in the sideboard - i dont really know if i should be finding room to bring this in against thopter foundry, and still i dont really know how the match should work ( i think generally badly for me). I think that scapeshift should be pressuring tezz to assemble the combo or disrupt enough to stop yours, but there is very little room for you to do both. I think i may have come up with an idea to solve this but im not sure.
I think i should have also played the second breeding pool. I was worried about blood moon effects and only played 1, but on 2 separate occasions across 3 rounds found myself searching out basic forest and sat with cryptic command in hand doing nothing, sigh.
The Good News -
Gigadrowse was definately the truth - it provides a one shot window to go off, and is very good against any of the blue decks, although weakest against faeries - which is probably true of the deck in general.
Not playing ponder made me realise how awesome it was. Being tired made me assert how bad ponder was in the deck fairly strongly, but in both my lossesw there were at least 1-2 turn windows where scapeshift in hand or drawn was a won match. Ponder is the extra bit of manipulation the deck needs to be reliable, and you can control your draws more with the shuffle effects of the ramp spells, it was certainly missed in Nottingham.
Vendilion Clique may the droid i am looking for. Coiling oracle proved to be anywhere from meh to ok, but a friend offered me clique instead, which i needed little convincing to throw in other the snake. The ability to apply pressure is pretty crucial, and he is better in the mirror match than coiling oracle, the matchup where he was best.
The List
Please dont take this as the 75 i will play for the remainder by any means, but consider this the working list.
4 x vendilion clique
4 x wood elves
4 x sakura tribe eldar
4 x scapeshift
4 x peer through depths
3 x ponder
4 x search for tomorrow
4 x remand
3 x cryptic command
2 x echoing truth
1 x gigadrowse
4 x steam vents
4 x stomping ground
2 x breeding pool
2 x valakut the molten pinnacle
2 x mountain
2 x flooded grove
3 x forest
4 x island
S/B
4 x Firespout
3 x ravenous trap
2 x relic of progenitus
2 x gigadrowse
Sorry for the 11 card sideboard, trying to keep some of the other cards secret in case it turns out to be good tech, although this probably wont turn out to be the case.
Hopefully this will be good for a ticket to San Juan, but more importantly hopefully I will be good enough for a ticket to San Juan.
Until then,
See you all soon,
Jim
As always, feel free to post comments underneath. If you would like to contribute anything to the blog, email anything you want published to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk (for severe editing!)
Monday, 25 January 2010
January Update
By Jim Marlow
Hey everyone,
If anyone has been locked in a cupboard, Team Leeds has once again proved that it can supply some of the best magic in England, this time in the form of Rob Wagner winning a PTQ for San Juan. Obviously congratulations to Rob on this amazing indiviual achievement, who no doubt credits his victory to the depth and volume of his preperation for tournament magic.
It seems that magic is getting far more exciting again, not only is Extended a pretty hot topic, but obviously Worldwake is coming out shortly, and there seem to be a few gems that look to shake up standard and hopefully the format will become somewhat playable. As if any more excitement was necessary, its time again to qualify (or not) for GB Nationals, which for me is very exciting, because this means i get to tour round the country doing the thing i love with some awesome friends, hopefully i will see everyone along the way!
I think the thing i am most excited about is the possibility of shaking up standard. There is a lot of talk about new blue based control decks with jace, treasure hunt and halimar depths giving blue the boost it desperately needed.
Obviously there is still some of worldwake to be spoiled, and it still remains to see whether the potential decks that worldwake threatens to offer - probably some incarnation of white weenie/allies beatdown along with this blue based 5cc or whatever, will shake the format up or not.
At the moment i think i would like to play a version of Conley Woods' Worlds deck, using lotus cobra along with fetchlands and harrow and a bucketload of land destruction and some boom-booms.
Over the next few days and weeks i will hopefully have another draft to go up, a closer look at some of my favourite cards from worldwake, and some that i dont like so much, and i will be posting the extended deck i will hopefully following Rob to San Juan with. Keep an eye out for all these and possibly more.
Until then,
See you all soon,
Jim
As always, feel free to post comments underneath. If you would like to contribute anything to the blog, email anything you want published to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk (for severe editing!)
If anyone has been locked in a cupboard, Team Leeds has once again proved that it can supply some of the best magic in England, this time in the form of Rob Wagner winning a PTQ for San Juan. Obviously congratulations to Rob on this amazing indiviual achievement, who no doubt credits his victory to the depth and volume of his preperation for tournament magic.
It seems that magic is getting far more exciting again, not only is Extended a pretty hot topic, but obviously Worldwake is coming out shortly, and there seem to be a few gems that look to shake up standard and hopefully the format will become somewhat playable. As if any more excitement was necessary, its time again to qualify (or not) for GB Nationals, which for me is very exciting, because this means i get to tour round the country doing the thing i love with some awesome friends, hopefully i will see everyone along the way!
I think the thing i am most excited about is the possibility of shaking up standard. There is a lot of talk about new blue based control decks with jace, treasure hunt and halimar depths giving blue the boost it desperately needed.
Obviously there is still some of worldwake to be spoiled, and it still remains to see whether the potential decks that worldwake threatens to offer - probably some incarnation of white weenie/allies beatdown along with this blue based 5cc or whatever, will shake the format up or not.
At the moment i think i would like to play a version of Conley Woods' Worlds deck, using lotus cobra along with fetchlands and harrow and a bucketload of land destruction and some boom-booms.
Over the next few days and weeks i will hopefully have another draft to go up, a closer look at some of my favourite cards from worldwake, and some that i dont like so much, and i will be posting the extended deck i will hopefully following Rob to San Juan with. Keep an eye out for all these and possibly more.
Until then,
See you all soon,
Jim
As always, feel free to post comments underneath. If you would like to contribute anything to the blog, email anything you want published to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk (for severe editing!)
Sunday, 10 January 2010
Drafting with Jim #15
By Jim Marlow
Hey everyone,
Against all odds i won a couple of drafts recently, meaning i could draft a few times as a bit of downtime after revision, and i will be posting all of them up here over the next few days and weeks.
This draft i did on wednesday night, after magic, accompanied by Andy and Martin, and various delicious foods.
Also of note, i was lucky enough to draft with Darren Grafham of both Cambridge and generally a bloody good guy fame, how nice.
Event #: 848474
Time: 1/6/2010 10:09:19 PM
Players:
djseb
syska
SOLTYS
darrengrafham
--> wiggi1
timcampbell
rapdjdragon
just_add_water
------ ZEN ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Desecrated Earth
Seascape Aerialist
Paralyzing Grasp
Plains
Turntimber Grove
Disfigure
Mind Sludge
--> Burst Lightning
Eternity Vessel
Kraken Hatchling
Island (FOIL)
Timbermaw Larva
Seismic Shudder
Bladetusk Boar
Khalni Gem
Burst lightning is quite a lot better than anything else in the pack, which is nice
Pack 1 pick 2:
Explorer's Scope
Tempest Owl
--> Trusty Machete
Kazandu Blademaster
Zektar Shrine Expedition
Noble Vestige
Sky Ruin Drake
Plains
Pillarfield Ox
Hedron Scrabbler
Quest for the Gemblades
Disfigure
Grappling Hook
Scythe Tiger
Machete is the nuts, i hate passing blademaster because i love w/r and im pretty sure i have won games single handedly with this guy.
Pack 1 pick 3:
Cliff Threader
Savage Silhouette
Surrakar Marauder
Giant Scorpion
Greenweaver Druid
Oran-Rief Recluse
--> Torch Slinger
Reckless Scholar
Carnage Altar
Plains
Umara Raptor
Geyser Glider
Blood Tribute
This was a really good pack, and was the source of the first of many lovers tiffs between the 3 bears huddled round my computer (mostly ending in me just making the incorrect pick). Its pretty tough, but i though staying on colour here was best, and i prefer torch slinger to geyser glider, especially if we end up going into a second/different colour.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Goblin Bushwhacker
Spreading Seas
Ondu Cleric
Hedron Scrabbler
Tajuru Archer
--> Nissa's Chosen
Quest for Pure Flame
Emeria, the Sky Ruin
Oran-Rief Survivalist
Goblin Ruinblaster
Forest
Steppe Lynx
Im still not sure this is the pick over survivalist, but apparently getting on the pro tour means something.
Pack 1 pick 5:
Tempest Owl
Cancel
Whiplash Trap
--> Teetering Peaks
Swamp
Mindless Null
Sunspring Expedition
Runeflare Trap
Feast of Blood
Joraga Bard
Noble Vestige
Pack 1 pick 6:
--> Grazing Gladehart
Bog Tatters
Slaughter Cry
Kor Outfitter
Shieldmate's Blessing
Needlebite Trap
Beast Hunt
Summoner's Bane
Cancel
Swamp
Dabbling with green looks to be possibly the correct choice, i absolutely love gladeheart.
Pack 1 pick 7:
Soaring Seacliff
Seascape Aerialist
Caravan Hurda
Seismic Shudder
Plains
--> Greenweaver Druid
Spreading Seas
Kraken Hatchling
Turntimber Grove
this guy is pretty good, lots of blue stuff going round, someone may have some blue based ally deck to worry about.
Pack 1 pick 8:
Nimbus Wings
Sejiri Refuge
Swamp
--> Vastwood Gorger
Zendikar Farguide
Khalni Heart Expedition
Trapfinder's Trick
Teetering Peaks
fat.
Pack 1 pick 9:
Desecrated Earth
Seascape Aerialist
Paralyzing Grasp
Plains
Turntimber Grove
Island (FOIL)
--> Seismic Shudder
I think i preferred hating the aerialist, but shudder is a pretty key sideboard card so our combined decision was that. pretty sure island is the irl pick right?
Pack 1 pick 10:
Tempest Owl
Noble Vestige
Plains
Hedron Scrabbler
--> Grappling Hook
Scythe Tiger
this can be annoying so take it out, scrabbles is a house, but we can pick some up later if needed
Pack 1 pick 11:
Savage Silhouette
--> Greenweaver Druid
Carnage Altar
Plains
Blood Tribute
Pack 1 pick 12:
Spreading Seas
--> Hedron Scrabbler
Quest for Pure Flame
Forest
DING!
Pack 1 pick 13:
Swamp
Sunspring Expedition
--> Noble Vestige
Pack 1 pick 14:
Shieldmate's Blessing
--> Beast Hunt
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Turntimber Grove
------ ZEN ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Highland Berserker
Windborne Charge
Soul Stair Expedition
Quest for the Holy Relic
--> Oracle of Mul Daya
Joraga Bard
Turntimber Basilisk
Kabira Crossroads
Molten Ravager
Mold Shambler
Disfigure
Tempest Owl
Island
Mindless Null
Sunspring Expedition
There seems to be lots of mixed opinion about this guy, i like him a lot.
Pack 2 pick 2:
Grazing Gladehart
Gomazoa
Mountain
Vampire Hexmage
Bold Defense
Shatterskull Giant
Tanglesap
--> Kazuul Warlord
Vines of Vastwood
Lethargy Trap
Jwar Isle Refuge
Goblin War Paint
Into the Roil
Blood Seeker
This guy is pretty big, if we can get any allies he will get pretty saucy. Gladeheart would have been nice esp with oracle, but can you pass this guy?
Pack 2 pick 3:
--> Timbermaw Larva
Mark of Mutiny
Zektar Shrine Expedition
Quest for Ancient Secrets
Bladetusk Boar
Piranha Marsh
Scythe Tiger
Forest
Archive Trap
Slaughter Cry
Hedron Scrabbler
Mire Blight
Tempest Owl
Clearly commiting to heavy green, all our red cards are splashable,
Pack 2 pick 4:
Beastmaster Ascension
Stonework Puma
--> Baloth Woodcrasher
Tuktuk Grunts
Island
Paralyzing Grasp
Oran-Rief Survivalist
Frontier Guide
Vines of Vastwood
Ruinous Minotaur
Trapmaker's Snare
Pillarfield Ox
annoyingly this guy is pretty saucy, becuase it means passing a survivalist, again.
Pack 2 pick 5:
Highland Berserker
Slaughter Cry
Mire Blight
Sunspring Expedition
Inferno Trap
Swamp
Shoal Serpent
--> Baloth Woodcrasher
Kor Duelist
Grim Discovery
Joraga Bard
not really sure why we didnt take the inferno trap. I think we were at the time thinking we could splash only for the burst lightning, and 2 woodcrashers plus oracle, and double greenweaver druid makes for a nice deck.
Pack 2 pick 6:
Mire Blight
Zendikar Farguide
Merfolk Wayfinder
Cancel
--> Magma Rift
Trapmaker's Snare
Spire Barrage
Swamp
Khalni Heart Expedition
Kazandu Refuge
Pack 2 pick 7:
--> Kazandu Refuge
Lethargy Trap
Savage Silhouette
Goblin Bushwhacker
Forest
Primal Bellow
Shatterskull Giant
Tanglesap
Cosi's Trickster
Pack 2 pick 8:
Akoum Refuge
Caller of Gales
Teetering Peaks
Mountain
--> Nissa's Chosen
Quest for the Gemblades
Narrow Escape
Kabira Crossroads
Pack 2 pick 9:
Quest for the Holy Relic
Joraga Bard
--> Turntimber Basilisk
Tempest Owl
Island
Mindless Null
Sunspring Expedition
Pack 2 pick 10:
Mountain
Bold Defense
Tanglesap
Lethargy Trap
--> Goblin War Paint
Blood Seeker
Pack 2 pick 11:
Quest for Ancient Secrets
Scythe Tiger
--> Forest
Mire Blight
Tempest Owl
Pack 2 pick 12:
Island
--> Ruinous Minotaur
Trapmaker's Snare
Pillarfield Ox
Pack 2 pick 13:
Mire Blight
Sunspring Expedition
--> Swamp
Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Mire Blight
Trapmaker's Snare
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Tanglesap
------ ZEN ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Bog Tatters
Demolish
Mountain
Heartstabber Mosquito
Soaring Seacliff
Vampire's Bite
Oran-Rief Recluse
Spell Pierce
Sadistic Sacrament (FOIL)
Pitfall Trap
--> Terra Stomper
Merfolk Wayfinder
Kor Outfitter
Graypelt Refuge
Relic Crush
stomp!
Pack 3 pick 2:
Khalni Heart Expedition
Mountain
Ior Ruin Expedition
Molten Ravager
Kor Hookmaster
Territorial Baloth
--> Blazing Torch
Conqueror's Pledge
Mire Blight
Zendikar Farguide
Heartstabber Mosquito (FOIL)
Arrow Volley Trap
Soul Stair Expedition
Landbind Ritual
Blazing torch is pretty good, green tends to lack removal, and we are not sure how much of our red removal, if any we will be playing, so a decent pick i think.
Pack 3 pick 3:
Magosi, the Waterveil
Molten Ravager
Cancel
Heartstabber Mosquito
--> Blazing Torch
Swamp
Demolish
Spidersilk Net
Noble Vestige
Relic Crush (FOIL)
Beast Hunt
Hedron Crab
Kor Sanctifiers
dubs.
Pack 3 pick 4:
Blood Seeker
Tanglesap
Needlebite Trap
Luminarch Ascension
Mountain
Teetering Peaks
Savage Silhouette
Hagra Crocodile
Caller of Gales
Mark of Mutiny
Whiplash Trap
--> Goblin Shortcutter
not a great pack for us, could have hated the luminarch or considered splashing white, but its not that busted in draft, so hopefully it wont come back to haunt us.
Pack 3 pick 5:
Kor Skyfisher
Plains
Bold Defense
Piranha Marsh
Living Tsunami
Into the Roil
Kor Hookmaster
Territorial Baloth
--> Timbermaw Larva
Jwar Isle Refuge
Welkin Tern
Pack 3 pick 6:
Forest
Cliff Threader
Narrow Escape
--> Mold Shambler
Windrider Eel
Cobra Trap
Quest for Pure Flame
Magosi, the Waterveil
Hagra Crocodile
Goblin Shortcutter
Pack 3 pick 7:
Sejiri Refuge
--> Steppe Lynx
Hagra Diabolist
Caravan Hurda
Ior Ruin Expedition
Kraken Hatchling
Turntimber Grove
Swamp
Desecrated Earth
Pack 3 pick 8:
Mindless Null
Swamp
Spell Pierce
--> Baloth Cage Trap
Nimbus Wings
Relic Crush
Archmage Ascension
Vampire's Bite
this is nice, people seem to walk into it all the time, despite there being so few tricks to think about, which is pretty awesome.
Pack 3 pick 9:
Mountain
Soaring Seacliff
Vampire's Bite
Spell Pierce
Merfolk Wayfinder
Graypelt Refuge
--> Relic Crush
Pack 3 pick 10:
Mountain
Ior Ruin Expedition
Territorial Baloth
Mire Blight
--> Zendikar Farguide
Landbind Ritual
Pack 3 pick 11:
Magosi, the Waterveil
Swamp
--> Demolish
Noble Vestige
Beast Hunt
Pack 3 pick 12:
Needlebite Trap
--> Mountain
Hagra Crocodile
Caller of Gales
Pack 3 pick 13:
Bold Defense
Piranha Marsh
--> Jwar Isle Refuge
Pack 3 pick 14:
Forest
--> Cobra Trap
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Turntimber Grove
This was the deck we made
1 x burst lightning
1 x trusty machete
2 x blazing torch
1 x torch slinger
1 x goblin shortcutter
1 x magma rift
1 x kazuul warlord
2 x nissa's chosen
1 x grazing gladeheart
2 x greenweaver druid
2 x baloth woodcrasher
2 x timbermaw larva
1 x baloth cage trap
1 x mold shambler
1 x oracle of mul daya
1 x turntimber basalisk
1 x terra stomper
1 x kazandu refuge
5 x mountain
12 x forest
So we ended up winning the draft with this deck - the deck was ok, there was plenty of fat, and ways to get to the fat really quickly, which made for some blowouts. We ended up playing more red that we imagined due to a pretty dry pack 3, but this was fine. Kazuul warlord was fine as a 4/4 for 5, although looking back double survivalist would have been nice. There were some pretty contentious picks in the draft, but i think there weren't any glaring errors on reading it back quickly.
Hopefully see you all this wednesday.
The deck im hoping to play at the nottingham PTQ will be going up here in a couple days, along with some more drafts and some other fun.
Until then,
See you all soon,
Jim
As always, feel free to post comments underneath. If you would like to contribute anything to the blog, email anything you want published to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk (for severe editing!)
Against all odds i won a couple of drafts recently, meaning i could draft a few times as a bit of downtime after revision, and i will be posting all of them up here over the next few days and weeks.
This draft i did on wednesday night, after magic, accompanied by Andy and Martin, and various delicious foods.
Also of note, i was lucky enough to draft with Darren Grafham of both Cambridge and generally a bloody good guy fame, how nice.
Event #: 848474
Time: 1/6/2010 10:09:19 PM
Players:
djseb
syska
SOLTYS
darrengrafham
--> wiggi1
timcampbell
rapdjdragon
just_add_water
------ ZEN ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Desecrated Earth
Seascape Aerialist
Paralyzing Grasp
Plains
Turntimber Grove
Disfigure
Mind Sludge
--> Burst Lightning
Eternity Vessel
Kraken Hatchling
Island (FOIL)
Timbermaw Larva
Seismic Shudder
Bladetusk Boar
Khalni Gem
Burst lightning is quite a lot better than anything else in the pack, which is nice
Pack 1 pick 2:
Explorer's Scope
Tempest Owl
--> Trusty Machete
Kazandu Blademaster
Zektar Shrine Expedition
Noble Vestige
Sky Ruin Drake
Plains
Pillarfield Ox
Hedron Scrabbler
Quest for the Gemblades
Disfigure
Grappling Hook
Scythe Tiger
Machete is the nuts, i hate passing blademaster because i love w/r and im pretty sure i have won games single handedly with this guy.
Pack 1 pick 3:
Cliff Threader
Savage Silhouette
Surrakar Marauder
Giant Scorpion
Greenweaver Druid
Oran-Rief Recluse
--> Torch Slinger
Reckless Scholar
Carnage Altar
Plains
Umara Raptor
Geyser Glider
Blood Tribute
This was a really good pack, and was the source of the first of many lovers tiffs between the 3 bears huddled round my computer (mostly ending in me just making the incorrect pick). Its pretty tough, but i though staying on colour here was best, and i prefer torch slinger to geyser glider, especially if we end up going into a second/different colour.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Goblin Bushwhacker
Spreading Seas
Ondu Cleric
Hedron Scrabbler
Tajuru Archer
--> Nissa's Chosen
Quest for Pure Flame
Emeria, the Sky Ruin
Oran-Rief Survivalist
Goblin Ruinblaster
Forest
Steppe Lynx
Im still not sure this is the pick over survivalist, but apparently getting on the pro tour means something.
Pack 1 pick 5:
Tempest Owl
Cancel
Whiplash Trap
--> Teetering Peaks
Swamp
Mindless Null
Sunspring Expedition
Runeflare Trap
Feast of Blood
Joraga Bard
Noble Vestige
Pack 1 pick 6:
--> Grazing Gladehart
Bog Tatters
Slaughter Cry
Kor Outfitter
Shieldmate's Blessing
Needlebite Trap
Beast Hunt
Summoner's Bane
Cancel
Swamp
Dabbling with green looks to be possibly the correct choice, i absolutely love gladeheart.
Pack 1 pick 7:
Soaring Seacliff
Seascape Aerialist
Caravan Hurda
Seismic Shudder
Plains
--> Greenweaver Druid
Spreading Seas
Kraken Hatchling
Turntimber Grove
this guy is pretty good, lots of blue stuff going round, someone may have some blue based ally deck to worry about.
Pack 1 pick 8:
Nimbus Wings
Sejiri Refuge
Swamp
--> Vastwood Gorger
Zendikar Farguide
Khalni Heart Expedition
Trapfinder's Trick
Teetering Peaks
fat.
Pack 1 pick 9:
Desecrated Earth
Seascape Aerialist
Paralyzing Grasp
Plains
Turntimber Grove
Island (FOIL)
--> Seismic Shudder
I think i preferred hating the aerialist, but shudder is a pretty key sideboard card so our combined decision was that. pretty sure island is the irl pick right?
Pack 1 pick 10:
Tempest Owl
Noble Vestige
Plains
Hedron Scrabbler
--> Grappling Hook
Scythe Tiger
this can be annoying so take it out, scrabbles is a house, but we can pick some up later if needed
Pack 1 pick 11:
Savage Silhouette
--> Greenweaver Druid
Carnage Altar
Plains
Blood Tribute
Pack 1 pick 12:
Spreading Seas
--> Hedron Scrabbler
Quest for Pure Flame
Forest
DING!
Pack 1 pick 13:
Swamp
Sunspring Expedition
--> Noble Vestige
Pack 1 pick 14:
Shieldmate's Blessing
--> Beast Hunt
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Turntimber Grove
------ ZEN ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Highland Berserker
Windborne Charge
Soul Stair Expedition
Quest for the Holy Relic
--> Oracle of Mul Daya
Joraga Bard
Turntimber Basilisk
Kabira Crossroads
Molten Ravager
Mold Shambler
Disfigure
Tempest Owl
Island
Mindless Null
Sunspring Expedition
There seems to be lots of mixed opinion about this guy, i like him a lot.
Pack 2 pick 2:
Grazing Gladehart
Gomazoa
Mountain
Vampire Hexmage
Bold Defense
Shatterskull Giant
Tanglesap
--> Kazuul Warlord
Vines of Vastwood
Lethargy Trap
Jwar Isle Refuge
Goblin War Paint
Into the Roil
Blood Seeker
This guy is pretty big, if we can get any allies he will get pretty saucy. Gladeheart would have been nice esp with oracle, but can you pass this guy?
Pack 2 pick 3:
--> Timbermaw Larva
Mark of Mutiny
Zektar Shrine Expedition
Quest for Ancient Secrets
Bladetusk Boar
Piranha Marsh
Scythe Tiger
Forest
Archive Trap
Slaughter Cry
Hedron Scrabbler
Mire Blight
Tempest Owl
Clearly commiting to heavy green, all our red cards are splashable,
Pack 2 pick 4:
Beastmaster Ascension
Stonework Puma
--> Baloth Woodcrasher
Tuktuk Grunts
Island
Paralyzing Grasp
Oran-Rief Survivalist
Frontier Guide
Vines of Vastwood
Ruinous Minotaur
Trapmaker's Snare
Pillarfield Ox
annoyingly this guy is pretty saucy, becuase it means passing a survivalist, again.
Pack 2 pick 5:
Highland Berserker
Slaughter Cry
Mire Blight
Sunspring Expedition
Inferno Trap
Swamp
Shoal Serpent
--> Baloth Woodcrasher
Kor Duelist
Grim Discovery
Joraga Bard
not really sure why we didnt take the inferno trap. I think we were at the time thinking we could splash only for the burst lightning, and 2 woodcrashers plus oracle, and double greenweaver druid makes for a nice deck.
Pack 2 pick 6:
Mire Blight
Zendikar Farguide
Merfolk Wayfinder
Cancel
--> Magma Rift
Trapmaker's Snare
Spire Barrage
Swamp
Khalni Heart Expedition
Kazandu Refuge
Pack 2 pick 7:
--> Kazandu Refuge
Lethargy Trap
Savage Silhouette
Goblin Bushwhacker
Forest
Primal Bellow
Shatterskull Giant
Tanglesap
Cosi's Trickster
Pack 2 pick 8:
Akoum Refuge
Caller of Gales
Teetering Peaks
Mountain
--> Nissa's Chosen
Quest for the Gemblades
Narrow Escape
Kabira Crossroads
Pack 2 pick 9:
Quest for the Holy Relic
Joraga Bard
--> Turntimber Basilisk
Tempest Owl
Island
Mindless Null
Sunspring Expedition
Pack 2 pick 10:
Mountain
Bold Defense
Tanglesap
Lethargy Trap
--> Goblin War Paint
Blood Seeker
Pack 2 pick 11:
Quest for Ancient Secrets
Scythe Tiger
--> Forest
Mire Blight
Tempest Owl
Pack 2 pick 12:
Island
--> Ruinous Minotaur
Trapmaker's Snare
Pillarfield Ox
Pack 2 pick 13:
Mire Blight
Sunspring Expedition
--> Swamp
Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Mire Blight
Trapmaker's Snare
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Tanglesap
------ ZEN ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Bog Tatters
Demolish
Mountain
Heartstabber Mosquito
Soaring Seacliff
Vampire's Bite
Oran-Rief Recluse
Spell Pierce
Sadistic Sacrament (FOIL)
Pitfall Trap
--> Terra Stomper
Merfolk Wayfinder
Kor Outfitter
Graypelt Refuge
Relic Crush
stomp!
Pack 3 pick 2:
Khalni Heart Expedition
Mountain
Ior Ruin Expedition
Molten Ravager
Kor Hookmaster
Territorial Baloth
--> Blazing Torch
Conqueror's Pledge
Mire Blight
Zendikar Farguide
Heartstabber Mosquito (FOIL)
Arrow Volley Trap
Soul Stair Expedition
Landbind Ritual
Blazing torch is pretty good, green tends to lack removal, and we are not sure how much of our red removal, if any we will be playing, so a decent pick i think.
Pack 3 pick 3:
Magosi, the Waterveil
Molten Ravager
Cancel
Heartstabber Mosquito
--> Blazing Torch
Swamp
Demolish
Spidersilk Net
Noble Vestige
Relic Crush (FOIL)
Beast Hunt
Hedron Crab
Kor Sanctifiers
dubs.
Pack 3 pick 4:
Blood Seeker
Tanglesap
Needlebite Trap
Luminarch Ascension
Mountain
Teetering Peaks
Savage Silhouette
Hagra Crocodile
Caller of Gales
Mark of Mutiny
Whiplash Trap
--> Goblin Shortcutter
not a great pack for us, could have hated the luminarch or considered splashing white, but its not that busted in draft, so hopefully it wont come back to haunt us.
Pack 3 pick 5:
Kor Skyfisher
Plains
Bold Defense
Piranha Marsh
Living Tsunami
Into the Roil
Kor Hookmaster
Territorial Baloth
--> Timbermaw Larva
Jwar Isle Refuge
Welkin Tern
Pack 3 pick 6:
Forest
Cliff Threader
Narrow Escape
--> Mold Shambler
Windrider Eel
Cobra Trap
Quest for Pure Flame
Magosi, the Waterveil
Hagra Crocodile
Goblin Shortcutter
Pack 3 pick 7:
Sejiri Refuge
--> Steppe Lynx
Hagra Diabolist
Caravan Hurda
Ior Ruin Expedition
Kraken Hatchling
Turntimber Grove
Swamp
Desecrated Earth
Pack 3 pick 8:
Mindless Null
Swamp
Spell Pierce
--> Baloth Cage Trap
Nimbus Wings
Relic Crush
Archmage Ascension
Vampire's Bite
this is nice, people seem to walk into it all the time, despite there being so few tricks to think about, which is pretty awesome.
Pack 3 pick 9:
Mountain
Soaring Seacliff
Vampire's Bite
Spell Pierce
Merfolk Wayfinder
Graypelt Refuge
--> Relic Crush
Pack 3 pick 10:
Mountain
Ior Ruin Expedition
Territorial Baloth
Mire Blight
--> Zendikar Farguide
Landbind Ritual
Pack 3 pick 11:
Magosi, the Waterveil
Swamp
--> Demolish
Noble Vestige
Beast Hunt
Pack 3 pick 12:
Needlebite Trap
--> Mountain
Hagra Crocodile
Caller of Gales
Pack 3 pick 13:
Bold Defense
Piranha Marsh
--> Jwar Isle Refuge
Pack 3 pick 14:
Forest
--> Cobra Trap
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Turntimber Grove
This was the deck we made
1 x burst lightning
1 x trusty machete
2 x blazing torch
1 x torch slinger
1 x goblin shortcutter
1 x magma rift
1 x kazuul warlord
2 x nissa's chosen
1 x grazing gladeheart
2 x greenweaver druid
2 x baloth woodcrasher
2 x timbermaw larva
1 x baloth cage trap
1 x mold shambler
1 x oracle of mul daya
1 x turntimber basalisk
1 x terra stomper
1 x kazandu refuge
5 x mountain
12 x forest
So we ended up winning the draft with this deck - the deck was ok, there was plenty of fat, and ways to get to the fat really quickly, which made for some blowouts. We ended up playing more red that we imagined due to a pretty dry pack 3, but this was fine. Kazuul warlord was fine as a 4/4 for 5, although looking back double survivalist would have been nice. There were some pretty contentious picks in the draft, but i think there weren't any glaring errors on reading it back quickly.
Hopefully see you all this wednesday.
The deck im hoping to play at the nottingham PTQ will be going up here in a couple days, along with some more drafts and some other fun.
Until then,
See you all soon,
Jim
As always, feel free to post comments underneath. If you would like to contribute anything to the blog, email anything you want published to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk (for severe editing!)
Thursday, 7 January 2010
The Trading Card Game
By Jim Marlow
Hey everyone,
I hope the festive period has been awesome for all, and that the snow has not caused too much disruption. Turns out when you leave school, snow is not what it once was (although i have still used it as an excuse not to go to uni!)
Before we get started, i just wanted to let everyone know that i am pricing up my entire collection to sell. I am basically pricing at the buy prices of the major uk traders. I will then offer everything at these cheaper than Ebay prices to all the guys in Leeds, and whatever is left i will sell off to a UK trader. I will have the lot on here in a couple days, and wil have my folders priced up and with me over the next couple of wednesdays as well.
Anyways, so i havent had much to write about over the last couple weeks, being pretty busy over christmas and all that. Now that im back in Leeds...i still dont really have much to say. The season is at a pretty quiet point, with no tournaments too close to the horizon, although mercifully it is getting to the point where extended will be the hot topic for a couple months.
With this in mind i decided to write an article about trading, because i few recent experiances made me realise both how fundamental trading is to a person's experiance playing magic the gathering, and also how much of a moral issue it is (at least for me), and after all, magic is a trading card game i guess.
So what's the big issue with trading?
Trading magic cards is pretty simple on the surface, you swap folders, point at a card then go away happy right?
i have until pretty recently felt pretty awkwark about trading because the above scenario almost never happens. What actually happens is there is scuffling over the supposed value of certain cards, when both players are using different sources for the secondary market (a completely fluid and dynamic entity) for there values etc etc...it all gets very boring and then you both walk away from a deal.
The result of my finding trading awkward is that basically i let people get good trades with me because i would get cards i want out of it. Im not saying i got absolutely ripped off, but i would get something for my standard deck and they would get something more valuable. Ill still happily give good trades to people i know and like, because i respect them enough to return the favour, but the sad thing is that im sure others will have felt the same; and its sad that less experianced players may be put off trading, particularly when it can be one of the most fun and sociable things about the game.
not really sure where this is going, looks like this had just turned into some sort of rant about how much i hate 90% of magic players, so i guess thats where we'll leave it.
Anyway, the main point of this article is people getting ripped off in trades.
From personal experiance, i know that there are certain people that will trade their misty rainforest for my shivan dragon (p.s. there's no fucking way i would trade my 11p shivan dragon for a misty rainforest), and obviously you walk away feeling pretty damn good. However, this is pretty bad right, i mean is it really worth the misty rainforest to do this to someone?
I think there a lot of factors which come into apparently simple world of trading which guide my consistantly faulty moral compass as to how hard i can push a trade
this is my normal trading process, which i think is the best way to ensure i get decent trades and the person im leaving with goes away happy, without a massive hassle and borrowing the TO's computer to check how much X and Y are on starcitygames or something (this has happened to me)
Maybe i just wanted to write this to make myself out as a robin hood type character, the allure of pantaloons is once again my downfall.
Anyway, next time you are trading your one with nothing for a Garruk, in a vain attempt to make coverage, consider the above.
See you all soon,
Jim
As always, feel free to post comments underneath. If you would like to contribute anything to the blog, email anything you want published to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk (for severe editing!)
I hope the festive period has been awesome for all, and that the snow has not caused too much disruption. Turns out when you leave school, snow is not what it once was (although i have still used it as an excuse not to go to uni!)
Before we get started, i just wanted to let everyone know that i am pricing up my entire collection to sell. I am basically pricing at the buy prices of the major uk traders. I will then offer everything at these cheaper than Ebay prices to all the guys in Leeds, and whatever is left i will sell off to a UK trader. I will have the lot on here in a couple days, and wil have my folders priced up and with me over the next couple of wednesdays as well.
Anyways, so i havent had much to write about over the last couple weeks, being pretty busy over christmas and all that. Now that im back in Leeds...i still dont really have much to say. The season is at a pretty quiet point, with no tournaments too close to the horizon, although mercifully it is getting to the point where extended will be the hot topic for a couple months.
With this in mind i decided to write an article about trading, because i few recent experiances made me realise both how fundamental trading is to a person's experiance playing magic the gathering, and also how much of a moral issue it is (at least for me), and after all, magic is a trading card game i guess.
So what's the big issue with trading?
Trading magic cards is pretty simple on the surface, you swap folders, point at a card then go away happy right?
i have until pretty recently felt pretty awkwark about trading because the above scenario almost never happens. What actually happens is there is scuffling over the supposed value of certain cards, when both players are using different sources for the secondary market (a completely fluid and dynamic entity) for there values etc etc...it all gets very boring and then you both walk away from a deal.
The result of my finding trading awkward is that basically i let people get good trades with me because i would get cards i want out of it. Im not saying i got absolutely ripped off, but i would get something for my standard deck and they would get something more valuable. Ill still happily give good trades to people i know and like, because i respect them enough to return the favour, but the sad thing is that im sure others will have felt the same; and its sad that less experianced players may be put off trading, particularly when it can be one of the most fun and sociable things about the game.
not really sure where this is going, looks like this had just turned into some sort of rant about how much i hate 90% of magic players, so i guess thats where we'll leave it.
Anyway, the main point of this article is people getting ripped off in trades.
From personal experiance, i know that there are certain people that will trade their misty rainforest for my shivan dragon (p.s. there's no fucking way i would trade my 11p shivan dragon for a misty rainforest), and obviously you walk away feeling pretty damn good. However, this is pretty bad right, i mean is it really worth the misty rainforest to do this to someone?
I think there a lot of factors which come into apparently simple world of trading which guide my consistantly faulty moral compass as to how hard i can push a trade
this is my normal trading process, which i think is the best way to ensure i get decent trades and the person im leaving with goes away happy, without a massive hassle and borrowing the TO's computer to check how much X and Y are on starcitygames or something (this has happened to me)
- look experiance of a player
The experiance of a player is for me the biggest factor in rinsing someone. If im trading with johnny 10 years old, then im not going to rip him off, but a seasoned veteran should know the score, and i will happily go for a busted trade - the main problem here is that the best trades come from the less experianced player.
- let them know the value of the cards
This is a pretty grey area, because iv already said that card value is fairly subjective. By this i mainly mean that when im about to get a trade that i think is ridiculous i say that i think the stuff i want is worth more than the stuff they want.
- Ask them to take more
this is normally the follow up for the above point. When the guy your trading with adds a devout lightcaster to the shivan dragon he wants, you sigh and say thats ok
- Ask them if they are happy
I find this is the best way to avoid bullying, not that i would intentionally do it in any form. I think, especially when dealing with younger or less experianced players, asking them if they are ok with a trade adds the final nail to the moral coffin, and ill happily walk away with the misty rainforest at this point
- At a later date, give away a good trade
as iv already said, for a long time i gave away good trades just because trading is pretty awkward, and still now i will trade away stuff of mine which i know to be more valuable. Why? well most of the time im happy to get cards i want to play with, which is far more important than nonsence dragon being worth 50p more. Also, it may make me feel better about a criminal trade i may have done before.
Im not really sure if any of this article is of any use to anyone, but its something for me to write and you to read i guess. I think the point is that there are ways to get hugely profitable deals without either being a bully or a massive twat; and more importantly both parties can leave happy and informed. The horrible temptation with trading is of course that the less informed someone is then the better trade you can get, so i think it's a massive moral issue. I think the way people trade magic cards is a massive indication of people's character, and i find it really interesting watching people trade.
O well hope you enjoyed this, and im really interested in hearing other people's views on trading, paeticularly if they differ from mine. Im fully aware that there are people that are of the view that the players have a responsibility to know the value of their cards etc and this means that you can rip people at will, but i dont know.Maybe i just wanted to write this to make myself out as a robin hood type character, the allure of pantaloons is once again my downfall.
Anyway, next time you are trading your one with nothing for a Garruk, in a vain attempt to make coverage, consider the above.
See you all soon,
Jim
As always, feel free to post comments underneath. If you would like to contribute anything to the blog, email anything you want published to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk (for severe editing!)
Sunday, 27 December 2009
Merry Christmas
By Jim Marlow
Hey everyone,
Sorry for the belated nature of this message, but hopefully you will understand that this a fairly busy time of year for many of us, and unfortunately this year i have had to spend the week at my girlfriends house because of family coming down, meaning my access to internet has been poor.
I cant begin to thank Rob and Seb for chipping in to keep the blog afloat, im planning to get an interesting article on trading up in the next couple days, but i wouldn't expect normal service to resume until early january when i get back to Leeds.
I hope everyone had a merry christmas, see you all soon.
Until then,
Jim
As always, feel free to post comments underneath. If you would like to contribute anything to the blog, email anything you want published to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk (for severe editing!)
Sorry for the belated nature of this message, but hopefully you will understand that this a fairly busy time of year for many of us, and unfortunately this year i have had to spend the week at my girlfriends house because of family coming down, meaning my access to internet has been poor.
I cant begin to thank Rob and Seb for chipping in to keep the blog afloat, im planning to get an interesting article on trading up in the next couple days, but i wouldn't expect normal service to resume until early january when i get back to Leeds.
I hope everyone had a merry christmas, see you all soon.
Until then,
Jim
As always, feel free to post comments underneath. If you would like to contribute anything to the blog, email anything you want published to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk (for severe editing!)
Friday, 4 December 2009
Zendikar RotizzZZZerie Draft
By Jim Marlow
Hey everyone,
So last night round my house we managed to club together a full set of zendikar and do a 6 man rotisserie of the whole set. This is something i had been interested in doing for some time, and zendikar seemed like a good set to draft to, with the high number of massive bombs available. It turned out that the draft was just as fun and as interesting as i thought it would be, the only problem being that with every pick being really hard, it does take a loooooong time to draft the set (i think we clocked like 2 and a half hours).
Either way, 6 pretty good decks got made....which im now thinking i should have put on here before taking them apart to return peoples cards, ah well.
Anyway, on to the draft, im pretty sure i can remember the first few picks everyone made - i hope my memory serves me correctly because im not 100% on these, but ill check with people and can change them if i got it wrong.
Andy D - Ob, Nixilis the fallen
Me - Sorin Markov
Martin - Hellkite Charger
Robertas - Luminarch Ascension
Colin - Sphinx of Jwar Isle
Mick - Rampaging Baloths
Mick - Lotus Cobra
Colin - Sphinx of Lost Truths
Robertas - Journey to Nowhere
Martin - Obsidian Fireheart
Me - Vampire Nighthawk
Andy - Marsh Casualties
Andy - Emeria Angel
Me - Malakir Bloodwitch
Im afraid this is really the limit of my memory as far as the draft goes, because each pick in this format is such an event. There were'nt too many suprises, and i know you probably think that one or many of these picks may be wrong, but let me tell you its a lot more difficult when you have a 7 foot table covered in magic cards, especially if you hope to get the drafting donein under 3 hours, for a relatively small set!
The decks that came from this draft were all a bit nutty, proper my bomb verses your bomb action.
Anyway, i would strongly recommend any group with the cards (and more importantly the time) to try this, its a lot of fun and totally different from anything else iv done.
Thats all for now, i think i might have been coerced into going to sheffield to play in a 2hg tournament with Mick on Sunday, so there will probably be some action from that going up here, if not im sure i will think of something to ramble about to keep you guys happy.
Until then,
Jim
.As always, feel free to comment on the article below. If you would like to contribute to the blog via and article, pictures, or absolutely anything, please contact me at ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk
So last night round my house we managed to club together a full set of zendikar and do a 6 man rotisserie of the whole set. This is something i had been interested in doing for some time, and zendikar seemed like a good set to draft to, with the high number of massive bombs available. It turned out that the draft was just as fun and as interesting as i thought it would be, the only problem being that with every pick being really hard, it does take a loooooong time to draft the set (i think we clocked like 2 and a half hours).
Either way, 6 pretty good decks got made....which im now thinking i should have put on here before taking them apart to return peoples cards, ah well.
Anyway, on to the draft, im pretty sure i can remember the first few picks everyone made - i hope my memory serves me correctly because im not 100% on these, but ill check with people and can change them if i got it wrong.
Andy D - Ob, Nixilis the fallen
Me - Sorin Markov
Martin - Hellkite Charger
Robertas - Luminarch Ascension
Colin - Sphinx of Jwar Isle
Mick - Rampaging Baloths
Mick - Lotus Cobra
Colin - Sphinx of Lost Truths
Robertas - Journey to Nowhere
Martin - Obsidian Fireheart
Me - Vampire Nighthawk
Andy - Marsh Casualties
Andy - Emeria Angel
Me - Malakir Bloodwitch
Im afraid this is really the limit of my memory as far as the draft goes, because each pick in this format is such an event. There were'nt too many suprises, and i know you probably think that one or many of these picks may be wrong, but let me tell you its a lot more difficult when you have a 7 foot table covered in magic cards, especially if you hope to get the drafting donein under 3 hours, for a relatively small set!
The decks that came from this draft were all a bit nutty, proper my bomb verses your bomb action.
Anyway, i would strongly recommend any group with the cards (and more importantly the time) to try this, its a lot of fun and totally different from anything else iv done.
Thats all for now, i think i might have been coerced into going to sheffield to play in a 2hg tournament with Mick on Sunday, so there will probably be some action from that going up here, if not im sure i will think of something to ramble about to keep you guys happy.
Until then,
Jim
.As always, feel free to comment on the article below. If you would like to contribute to the blog via and article, pictures, or absolutely anything, please contact me at ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
The top picks in Zendikar limited
By Jim Marlow
Hey everyone,
Worlds has been and gone, sealed ptq season is coming to a close.....which means soon i can write about extended. Luckily for you guys, i will try and fill in the next few days and weeks filling in with other crap before the extended ptq reports flood in, with stories of me going 0-2 with some blue monster i had a laugh playing.
So basically i feel like im ok at drafting zendikar. I manage to draft some pretty sick decks in most of the drafts i do (thank god for swiss queues), but to be honest my results have really not been living up to my expectation of the decks i build.
Im pretty sure its not only me that comes away from a draft, build my deck and thinks to myself....'yeah probably 2-1', or 'sickness, definately 3-0'. I find i can normally guess with some accuracy how good my deck is and hopefully exceed my expectations. To be honest, im not that annoyed if i go 1-2 with a deck i feel like should probably 0-3'd (i mean obviously drafting a pile is a problem, but im more happy to have carved some points out of nothing)
However, zendikar seems to have thrown of my 6th sense for working out how good my deck is, to the point where '3-0' decks are going 1-2 and vice versa. Clearly, this is to do with my massively swingy play ability, whereby my ability to play alcahol is almost directly related to the amount of alcohol in my body. Nevertheless, other people have also voiced similar complaints, especially with decks online....which are somewhat different because you only have to lose 1 match to be knocked out obviously (see, another reasons why swiss is best....)
So this lead me to question how much i really know and understand about the format, and soon after this i was questioning myself about what the 10 stone cold nut bomb cards there are in Zendikar to open pick 1, pack 1. For most sets i can probably reel off the top 5 cards to open p1,p1....i can probably name most of the top 5's from the last couple blocks worth off hand, and as soon as i hesitated (past #1 foil fetchlands obv), i knew i had an interesting discussion on my hand.
So i had a thought and here are my top 10 pack 1, pick 1's from Zendikar draft, please comment back with any thoughts you have on how wrong i am, im actually interested in this....rather than not really reading what you scrubs have to say.
I was going to have all 10 as black cards as a laugh...but probs should take this seriously..its serious business after all.
1) Tog Batters
2-249) Anything else
on a more serious note....
1) Sorin Markov
2) Ob-nixilis, the fallen
3) Rampaging Baloths
4) Sphinx of Jwar Isle
5) Day of Judgement
6) Hellkite Charger
7) Malakir Bloodwitch
8) Eldrazi Monument
9) Sphinx of lost truths
10) Kazuul Warlord
I was toying with the idea of putting vampire nighthawk over the warlord, because i absolutely hate ally based decks but also because i just much prefer vampire nighthawk to kazuul warlord as a p1,p1. However, im pretty sure there are loads of other cards that are close here, possibly deserving of a slot in the top 10....
rite of replication, Oracle of Mul Daya, Eternity Vessell and Luminarch Ascension (among others) all seem pretty close to these 10.
I would love to see how other people rate their top 10 slams in zen draft, because maybe this will help patch up some largely lacking draft results.
So if you're coming along tomorrow for the draft, pass me the ob, nixilis after i slam the sorin please....because i will still go 0-3 with the deck anyways.
See you all soon,
Until then,
Jim.
As always, feel free to comment on the article below. If you would like to contribute to the blog via and article, pictures, or absolutely anything, please contact me at ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk
Worlds has been and gone, sealed ptq season is coming to a close.....which means soon i can write about extended. Luckily for you guys, i will try and fill in the next few days and weeks filling in with other crap before the extended ptq reports flood in, with stories of me going 0-2 with some blue monster i had a laugh playing.
So basically i feel like im ok at drafting zendikar. I manage to draft some pretty sick decks in most of the drafts i do (thank god for swiss queues), but to be honest my results have really not been living up to my expectation of the decks i build.
Im pretty sure its not only me that comes away from a draft, build my deck and thinks to myself....'yeah probably 2-1', or 'sickness, definately 3-0'. I find i can normally guess with some accuracy how good my deck is and hopefully exceed my expectations. To be honest, im not that annoyed if i go 1-2 with a deck i feel like should probably 0-3'd (i mean obviously drafting a pile is a problem, but im more happy to have carved some points out of nothing)
However, zendikar seems to have thrown of my 6th sense for working out how good my deck is, to the point where '3-0' decks are going 1-2 and vice versa. Clearly, this is to do with my massively swingy play ability, whereby my ability to play alcahol is almost directly related to the amount of alcohol in my body. Nevertheless, other people have also voiced similar complaints, especially with decks online....which are somewhat different because you only have to lose 1 match to be knocked out obviously (see, another reasons why swiss is best....)
So this lead me to question how much i really know and understand about the format, and soon after this i was questioning myself about what the 10 stone cold nut bomb cards there are in Zendikar to open pick 1, pack 1. For most sets i can probably reel off the top 5 cards to open p1,p1....i can probably name most of the top 5's from the last couple blocks worth off hand, and as soon as i hesitated (past #1 foil fetchlands obv), i knew i had an interesting discussion on my hand.
So i had a thought and here are my top 10 pack 1, pick 1's from Zendikar draft, please comment back with any thoughts you have on how wrong i am, im actually interested in this....rather than not really reading what you scrubs have to say.
I was going to have all 10 as black cards as a laugh...but probs should take this seriously..its serious business after all.
1) Tog Batters
2-249) Anything else
on a more serious note....
1) Sorin Markov
2) Ob-nixilis, the fallen
3) Rampaging Baloths
4) Sphinx of Jwar Isle
5) Day of Judgement
6) Hellkite Charger
7) Malakir Bloodwitch
8) Eldrazi Monument
9) Sphinx of lost truths
10) Kazuul Warlord
I was toying with the idea of putting vampire nighthawk over the warlord, because i absolutely hate ally based decks but also because i just much prefer vampire nighthawk to kazuul warlord as a p1,p1. However, im pretty sure there are loads of other cards that are close here, possibly deserving of a slot in the top 10....
rite of replication, Oracle of Mul Daya, Eternity Vessell and Luminarch Ascension (among others) all seem pretty close to these 10.
I would love to see how other people rate their top 10 slams in zen draft, because maybe this will help patch up some largely lacking draft results.
So if you're coming along tomorrow for the draft, pass me the ob, nixilis after i slam the sorin please....because i will still go 0-3 with the deck anyways.
See you all soon,
Until then,
Jim.
As always, feel free to comment on the article below. If you would like to contribute to the blog via and article, pictures, or absolutely anything, please contact me at ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk
Monday, 30 November 2009
Going Rogue part 2 - a little help with deckbuilding from worlds
By Jim Marlow (and Ben Heath)
Hey everyone,
So my last article has hopefully thrown down a gauntlet to you maelstrom pulse whores, and/or bloodbraid lovers, to learn that you can actually gain an advantage over your opponant by having a weaker deck....
I heard from this weeks fnm that a player went 0-3 with jund, although someone else went 4-0.
Heathy ninja edit: The winning deck at worlds was jund hate, such is the dominance of jund in the field at the moment. Jund was also used a lot in the PTQs, seen as a solid deck. Interestingly only 1 Jund deck made the PTQ top 8.
So clearly jund is a swingy deck, with both good and bad performances possible. However, despite over 35% (i think) of the worlds fields playing jund, and a good few of them up at the higher tables, there were some really awesome and clearly powerful rogue decks that managed to equal the results posted by broodmate and co.
Here is a look at some of the crazy decks that went 5-1 or better during the standard portion of worlds.
Petr Brodzek
Main Deck 60 cards
4 Arid Mesa
7 Mountain
4 Naya Panorama
1 Plains
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Terramorphic Expanse
4 Goblin Guide
4 Hell's Thunder
4 Hellspark Elemental
4 Plated Geopede
4 Ajani Vengeant
4 Burst Lightning
4 Earthquake
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Zektar Shrine Expedition
Sideboard
2 Chandra Ablaze
4 Goblin Ruinblaster
4 Path to Exile
3 Quenchable Fire
2 Volcanic Fallout
Im surely not the only one to read this decklist and wonder how this guys standard deck got mixed in with his draft deck . Panorama's in standard: BONKERS!
Ninja edit 2: 1 is ok, it's decent manafixing, and can be seen as another fetch land, albeit a very bad one. Since he already has 8 fetches, I'm not entirely sure he needs any more.
This deck is clearly full of unusual choices, but results speak for themselves, and in a format full of aggro decks, this attempts to outrace them all. Ruinblaster is fast becoming my favourite card in standard....but what the hell does quenchable fire do?
Benjamin Rozmon
2009 World Championships,
Main Deck
4 Arid Mesa
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Island
2 Mountain
4 Plains
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Sejiri Refuge
2 Sphinx of Jwar Isle
3 Wall of Denial
3 Ajani Vengeant
2 Day of Judgment
3 Double Negative
3 Earthquake
4 Flashfreeze
3 Jace Beleren
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Mind Spring
3 Oblivion Ring
2 Path to Exile
sideboard
1 Ajani Vengeant
4 Baneslayer Angel
1 Day of Judgment
3 Essence Scatter
2 Felidar Sovereign
4 Spreading Seas
It seems like loads of pro's tried and failed to brew the succesful control deck that blue mages were hoping for (myself included). Again this deck is not the control deck i expected to emerge as the strongest, sans baneslayer and with maindeck double negative and earthquake. Spreading seas in the board is more proof that mana denial seems to be the strategy of choice against the b/r/g menace (doesn't quite have the same ring to it)
Yet another ninja edit:
Blue mages were left bitterly disappointed after blue failed to make a name for itself at worlds. From what I saw it looks as though control players need to pick a shard. Go bant for spreading seas deck or grixis for crul pyromancer combo. Don't go esper, it's simply too weak at the moment.
Conley Woods
2009 World Championships,
Main Deck
4 Forest
1 Misty Rainforest
4 Mountain
4 Savage Lands
3 Scalding Tarn
3 Swamp
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Acidic Slime
4 Goblin Ruinblaster
4 Lotus Cobra
4 Mold Shambler
2 Ob Nixilis, the Fallen
4 Rampaging Baloths
4 Harrow
4 Khalni Heart Expedition
3 Terminate
4 Violent Ultimatum
sideboard
3 Caldera Hellion
4 Cruel Ultimatum
2 Island
4 Jund Charm
1 Swamp
1 Terminate
This deck was always going to get talked about. This deck is absolute insanity, and i think probably the only bit of fun in a completely boring and uninteractive format. If im going to be uninteractive i want to be casting violent ultimatum turn 3, not aimlessly flipping the top cards of my deck over in search for a blightning like an ape!
I hope these three decks have whet your appetites for the standard constructed event in Leeds next week, and hopfully some decks like these and/or some of your own designs show up to cause havoc among the format. I know that some people enjoy playing well tuned decks, that will always do well and are the best....but i hope there's still some people that would prefer to have a massive laugh doing crazy things with their own brews. If the satisfaction of playing your own deck, or something you've tweaked yourself isn't enough, then surely beating all the netdeckers with khalni heart expedition or zektar shrine expedition is.
I look forward to seeing everyone's monstrosities next wednesday (or tuesday?), hopefully i wont create a monster by writing this because i will stil metagame against jund....and probably face 15 spreading seas decks or something.
Final ninja edit:
It would be okay if all the jund decks had something different about them, like the last deck. But they don't. No, one of Siege -Gangs, Master of Wild Hunts and other stupid creatures doesn't count. I will be posting a deck that, although didn't go 5-1 or better, I whole-heartedly believe to be the best control deck there is at the moment. For those of you who are interested, yes I did play jund in Rome. I'm now sick to the back teeth of seeing jund decks, so I'm glad I got that out the way now! But looking back, I would have played this decklist, all to be revealed!
See you all next week,
Jim .....and Ben.
As always, feel free to comment on the article below. If you would like to contribute to the blog via and article, pictures, or absolutely anything, please contact me at ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk
So my last article has hopefully thrown down a gauntlet to you maelstrom pulse whores, and/or bloodbraid lovers, to learn that you can actually gain an advantage over your opponant by having a weaker deck....
I heard from this weeks fnm that a player went 0-3 with jund, although someone else went 4-0.
Heathy ninja edit: The winning deck at worlds was jund hate, such is the dominance of jund in the field at the moment. Jund was also used a lot in the PTQs, seen as a solid deck. Interestingly only 1 Jund deck made the PTQ top 8.
So clearly jund is a swingy deck, with both good and bad performances possible. However, despite over 35% (i think) of the worlds fields playing jund, and a good few of them up at the higher tables, there were some really awesome and clearly powerful rogue decks that managed to equal the results posted by broodmate and co.
Here is a look at some of the crazy decks that went 5-1 or better during the standard portion of worlds.
Petr Brodzek
Main Deck 60 cards
4 Arid Mesa
7 Mountain
4 Naya Panorama
1 Plains
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Terramorphic Expanse
4 Goblin Guide
4 Hell's Thunder
4 Hellspark Elemental
4 Plated Geopede
4 Ajani Vengeant
4 Burst Lightning
4 Earthquake
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Zektar Shrine Expedition
Sideboard
2 Chandra Ablaze
4 Goblin Ruinblaster
4 Path to Exile
3 Quenchable Fire
2 Volcanic Fallout
Im surely not the only one to read this decklist and wonder how this guys standard deck got mixed in with his draft deck . Panorama's in standard: BONKERS!
Ninja edit 2: 1 is ok, it's decent manafixing, and can be seen as another fetch land, albeit a very bad one. Since he already has 8 fetches, I'm not entirely sure he needs any more.
This deck is clearly full of unusual choices, but results speak for themselves, and in a format full of aggro decks, this attempts to outrace them all. Ruinblaster is fast becoming my favourite card in standard....but what the hell does quenchable fire do?
Benjamin Rozmon
2009 World Championships,
Main Deck
4 Arid Mesa
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Island
2 Mountain
4 Plains
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Sejiri Refuge
2 Sphinx of Jwar Isle
3 Wall of Denial
3 Ajani Vengeant
2 Day of Judgment
3 Double Negative
3 Earthquake
4 Flashfreeze
3 Jace Beleren
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Mind Spring
3 Oblivion Ring
2 Path to Exile
sideboard
1 Ajani Vengeant
4 Baneslayer Angel
1 Day of Judgment
3 Essence Scatter
2 Felidar Sovereign
4 Spreading Seas
It seems like loads of pro's tried and failed to brew the succesful control deck that blue mages were hoping for (myself included). Again this deck is not the control deck i expected to emerge as the strongest, sans baneslayer and with maindeck double negative and earthquake. Spreading seas in the board is more proof that mana denial seems to be the strategy of choice against the b/r/g menace (doesn't quite have the same ring to it)
Yet another ninja edit:
Blue mages were left bitterly disappointed after blue failed to make a name for itself at worlds. From what I saw it looks as though control players need to pick a shard. Go bant for spreading seas deck or grixis for crul pyromancer combo. Don't go esper, it's simply too weak at the moment.
Conley Woods
2009 World Championships,
Main Deck
4 Forest
1 Misty Rainforest
4 Mountain
4 Savage Lands
3 Scalding Tarn
3 Swamp
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Acidic Slime
4 Goblin Ruinblaster
4 Lotus Cobra
4 Mold Shambler
2 Ob Nixilis, the Fallen
4 Rampaging Baloths
4 Harrow
4 Khalni Heart Expedition
3 Terminate
4 Violent Ultimatum
sideboard
3 Caldera Hellion
4 Cruel Ultimatum
2 Island
4 Jund Charm
1 Swamp
1 Terminate
This deck was always going to get talked about. This deck is absolute insanity, and i think probably the only bit of fun in a completely boring and uninteractive format. If im going to be uninteractive i want to be casting violent ultimatum turn 3, not aimlessly flipping the top cards of my deck over in search for a blightning like an ape!
I hope these three decks have whet your appetites for the standard constructed event in Leeds next week, and hopfully some decks like these and/or some of your own designs show up to cause havoc among the format. I know that some people enjoy playing well tuned decks, that will always do well and are the best....but i hope there's still some people that would prefer to have a massive laugh doing crazy things with their own brews. If the satisfaction of playing your own deck, or something you've tweaked yourself isn't enough, then surely beating all the netdeckers with khalni heart expedition or zektar shrine expedition is.
I look forward to seeing everyone's monstrosities next wednesday (or tuesday?), hopefully i wont create a monster by writing this because i will stil metagame against jund....and probably face 15 spreading seas decks or something.
Final ninja edit:
It would be okay if all the jund decks had something different about them, like the last deck. But they don't. No, one of Siege -Gangs, Master of Wild Hunts and other stupid creatures doesn't count. I will be posting a deck that, although didn't go 5-1 or better, I whole-heartedly believe to be the best control deck there is at the moment. For those of you who are interested, yes I did play jund in Rome. I'm now sick to the back teeth of seeing jund decks, so I'm glad I got that out the way now! But looking back, I would have played this decklist, all to be revealed!
See you all next week,
Jim .....and Ben.
As always, feel free to comment on the article below. If you would like to contribute to the blog via and article, pictures, or absolutely anything, please contact me at ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk
Saturday, 28 November 2009
Team Leeds Update, and going Rogue at worlds
By Jim Marlow
Hey everyone,
The sealed deck ptq season has almost passed, with only a few left...and i dont know if there is any chance of many people attending the remaining ptq's, although im looking into London, and whispers of a potentially messy Dundee trip were seen wandering round TJ's on various occasions.
The good news is, however, that if any further proof was needed that in the last 12 months Leeds has become a stomping ground of players itching to get on the tour, Andy Edwards managed to do just that this season, which is great news for both Andy and Team Leeds, im sure Andy will do really well in San Diego.
Extended season follows shortly after christmas, this time with blue envelopes bound all the way to San Juan. I have for some time considered extended to be the best constructed format (with lejacy a close second), so im pretty excited to get a delicious brew ready for January. The one thing i have decided about my deck already, however, is that it isn't going to be a netdeck, or probably even an established archetype.
I have constructed magic really tedious for a couple of reasons lately, especially in standard. Firstly, the type of decks around at the moment deliver horrible mirror matches. Mirror matches will always be horrible to some extent, but so many decks put me off simply by the fact that i may have to play against it as well (thanks, cascade!).
Going rogue is something that i have been pretty keen on for a while now, i think as long as the deck is still up there in terms of power level, then i am happy to sacrifice a little bit of efficiency for the extra percentage that going rogue gets you. Conley woods has, in the last year or so, made a name for himself based on solid performances with original decks. I think his performance shows that there shouldn't be too much pressure on picking rock, paper or scissors....because somewhere out there might be a slightly less powerful deck that noone really knows how to play against.
Why is the rogue factor important? I think having an original deck is a major advantage. In most high level constructed events, you will probably know around 70 of an opponants 75 after their first land drop. If you have a rogue deck however, the opponant will, for example, not know how to play their deck based on what you have. This problem only gets trickiet with sideboarding, when, without knowing whats in your deck, an opponant has little chance of knowing what to put in against you, and even if they do, not anticipating a rogue deck may mean they simply dont have anything in theirc sideboard to deal with your deck.
I know going rogue isn't for everyone, and i know that my deckbuilding skills wont allow me to break formats with rogue decks everytime, or at all. However, iv pretty much decided that from now on, all my constructed decks will be out of the ordinary. Im, personally, more than happy to play a slightly less powerful deck on the basis that the rogue factor will get me there, and if it doesn't, im pretty happy to be playing something different and more fun to play; because it's always more satisfying to be playing a deck you've made or inovated.
So the point of this article is to get Team Leeds to put their deckbuilding hats on again. We do get some crazy decks at WNM, but with a lot of the team looking to push PTQ's and higher level tournaments, most guys are choosing to stick with decks hot from Pro Tour or 5K top 8's.
Thats about all for this today sadly, im on my girlfriends laptop and the battery is running out. Tomorrow i will go through some of the best rogue standard decks from worlds, and hopefully that will get the creative juices flowing and we will see some crazy decks turn up next wednesday at standard WNM
.....or ill spend a long night taking 3 damage and discarding two cards.
Untill then,
Jim.
As always, feel free to comment on the article below. If you would like to contribute to the blog via and article, pictures, or absolutely anything, please contact me at ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk
The sealed deck ptq season has almost passed, with only a few left...and i dont know if there is any chance of many people attending the remaining ptq's, although im looking into London, and whispers of a potentially messy Dundee trip were seen wandering round TJ's on various occasions.
The good news is, however, that if any further proof was needed that in the last 12 months Leeds has become a stomping ground of players itching to get on the tour, Andy Edwards managed to do just that this season, which is great news for both Andy and Team Leeds, im sure Andy will do really well in San Diego.
Extended season follows shortly after christmas, this time with blue envelopes bound all the way to San Juan. I have for some time considered extended to be the best constructed format (with lejacy a close second), so im pretty excited to get a delicious brew ready for January. The one thing i have decided about my deck already, however, is that it isn't going to be a netdeck, or probably even an established archetype.
I have constructed magic really tedious for a couple of reasons lately, especially in standard. Firstly, the type of decks around at the moment deliver horrible mirror matches. Mirror matches will always be horrible to some extent, but so many decks put me off simply by the fact that i may have to play against it as well (thanks, cascade!).
Going rogue is something that i have been pretty keen on for a while now, i think as long as the deck is still up there in terms of power level, then i am happy to sacrifice a little bit of efficiency for the extra percentage that going rogue gets you. Conley woods has, in the last year or so, made a name for himself based on solid performances with original decks. I think his performance shows that there shouldn't be too much pressure on picking rock, paper or scissors....because somewhere out there might be a slightly less powerful deck that noone really knows how to play against.
Why is the rogue factor important? I think having an original deck is a major advantage. In most high level constructed events, you will probably know around 70 of an opponants 75 after their first land drop. If you have a rogue deck however, the opponant will, for example, not know how to play their deck based on what you have. This problem only gets trickiet with sideboarding, when, without knowing whats in your deck, an opponant has little chance of knowing what to put in against you, and even if they do, not anticipating a rogue deck may mean they simply dont have anything in theirc sideboard to deal with your deck.
I know going rogue isn't for everyone, and i know that my deckbuilding skills wont allow me to break formats with rogue decks everytime, or at all. However, iv pretty much decided that from now on, all my constructed decks will be out of the ordinary. Im, personally, more than happy to play a slightly less powerful deck on the basis that the rogue factor will get me there, and if it doesn't, im pretty happy to be playing something different and more fun to play; because it's always more satisfying to be playing a deck you've made or inovated.
So the point of this article is to get Team Leeds to put their deckbuilding hats on again. We do get some crazy decks at WNM, but with a lot of the team looking to push PTQ's and higher level tournaments, most guys are choosing to stick with decks hot from Pro Tour or 5K top 8's.
Thats about all for this today sadly, im on my girlfriends laptop and the battery is running out. Tomorrow i will go through some of the best rogue standard decks from worlds, and hopefully that will get the creative juices flowing and we will see some crazy decks turn up next wednesday at standard WNM
.....or ill spend a long night taking 3 damage and discarding two cards.
Untill then,
Jim.
As always, feel free to comment on the article below. If you would like to contribute to the blog via and article, pictures, or absolutely anything, please contact me at ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
Drafting with Jim #14
By Jim Marlow
Hey everyone,
I know these articles were pretty popular when i did a few around alara block, so im trying to do as many as my (extremely) limited online budget will allow, although luckily i have been opening and selling fetchlands (something like 8 out of 7 drafts now), to fund the recent run of draft articles. Sorry that i didn't do too many in the last month or so but being poor, not opening baneslayers or duals....and triple M10 as the format were all causes for me to largely abandon modo untill Zendikar.
Anyway, this last couple of drafts i have done seem to have been a big improvement. I feel like i have a pretty good grasp of how the format works now, and how the state of the format affects my pick order.
So here is the first of a couple drafts i have to go up, when Andy came over to join me for a little sess. I know everyone is bored of me saying, but if this draft doesn't point out how i manage to lose with the best deck at the table, im not sure what will.
Event #: 677539
Time: 11/9/2009 2:26:20 PM
Players:
MrNinja
hairy_monster
Pheonix_Firebringer
--> wiggi1
Hugoh
svampubben
dancefly
JunkoZ
------ ZEN ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
--> Kor Skyfisher
Oran-Rief Recluse
Mold Shambler
Merfolk Seastalkers
Hagra Crocodile
Kor Hookmaster
Tuktuk Grunts
Trailblazer's Boots
Beastmaster Ascension
Teetering Peaks
Heartstabber Mosquito
Swamp
Stonework Puma
Quest for the Gravelord
Whiplash Trap
Its skyfisher or the 2 black cards here, and i like skyfisher bet and would rather ship the black.
Pack 1 pick 2:
Joraga Bard
--> Kor Skyfisher
Bladetusk Boar
Quest for the Gravelord
Whiplash Trap
Piranha Marsh
Slaughter Cry
Electropotence
Scythe Tiger
Mire Blight
Sunspring Expedition
Vastwood Gorger
Quest for the Gemblades
Mountain
Nice!
Pack 1 pick 3:
Into the Roil
Surrakar Marauder
Unstable Footing
Frontier Guide (FOIL)
Expedition Map
Island
Hideous End
Grazing Gladehart
Stonework Puma
--> Shepherd of the Lost
Pillarfield Ox
Umara Raptor
Kor Sanctifiers
I dont want too many 5 mana spells in the deck i hope to draft, and i would be happy with either the raptor or sanctifiers, but shepherd is so much better i cant pass it.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Kabira Crossroads
Hagra Diabolist
Nimbus Wings
--> Zektar Shrine Expedition
Landbind Ritual
Primal Bellow
Trapfinder's Trick
Mold Shambler
Hagra Crocodile
Zendikar Farguide
Swamp
Soul Stair Expedition
Most aggresive card in the pack, considering i am feeding black
Pack 1 pick 5:
Forest
Heartstabber Mosquito
--> Goblin Shortcutter
Kor Cartographer
Tanglesap
Desecrated Earth
Seascape Aerialist
Makindi Shieldmate
Caller of Gales
Mark of Mutiny
Blood Seeker
Pack 1 pick 6:
Soul Stair Expedition
Territorial Baloth
Sunspring Expedition
Mire Blight
Kor Cartographer
Jwar Isle Refuge
Tempest Owl
--> Windborne Charge
Baloth Cage Trap
Forest
Pack 1 pick 7:
Kabira Crossroads
--> Kor Skyfisher
Sejiri Refuge
Island
Mold Shambler
Spidersilk Net
Heartstabber Mosquito
Highland Berserker
Needlebite Trap
Zing Zing Zing!
(i forgot to mention this was a 4-3-2-2 - we were in a little bit of a hurry and the 8-4 had 0 people in the queue to the 4-3-2-2 having 6!)
Pack 1 pick 8:
Hedron Scrabbler
Paralyzing Grasp
Forest
Giant Scorpion
--> Goblin Bushwhacker
Hagra Diabolist
Ondu Cleric
Seascape Aerialist
Pack 1 pick 9:
Hagra Crocodile
Trailblazer's Boots
Beastmaster Ascension
--> Teetering Peaks
Heartstabber Mosquito
Swamp
Stonework Puma
not bad with trips fisher
Pack 1 pick 10:
Piranha Marsh
Scythe Tiger
Mire Blight
Sunspring Expedition
--> Quest for the Gemblades
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 11:
--> Surrakar Marauder
Unstable Footing
Expedition Map
Island
Pillarfield Ox
Pack 1 pick 12:
--> Kabira Crossroads
Landbind Ritual
Trapfinder's Trick
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 13:
Forest
Desecrated Earth
--> Caller of Gales
Pack 1 pick 14:
Mire Blight
--> Forest
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Island
------ ZEN ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Goblin War Paint
Spire Barrage
Ior Ruin Expedition
Kraken Hatchling
Hellfire Mongrel
Desecrated Earth
Island
Seismic Shudder
Surrakar Marauder
Spidersilk Net
Caravan Hurda
Turntimber Grove
Kor Aeronaut
--> Verdant Catacombs
Needlebite Trap
Pretty good pack to get a money rare in, nothing too bomby. Probs would have taken aeronaut if not.
Pack 2 pick 2:
Beast Hunt (FOIL)
Mind Sludge
Paralyzing Grasp
Piranha Marsh
Sky Ruin Drake
--> Bladetusk Boar
Spidersilk Net
Harrow
Welkin Tern
Grazing Gladehart
Island
Bloodghast
Kor Cartographer
Murasa Pyromancer
Pack 2 pick 3:
Harrow
--> Shatterskull Giant
Grazing Gladehart
Into the Roil
Graypelt Refuge
Bold Defense
Swamp
Kor Duelist
Nimana Sell-Sword
Tuktuk Grunts
Ior Ruin Expedition
Devout Lightcaster
Tajuru Archer
Pack 2 pick 4:
Frontier Guide
Gomazoa
Goblin War Paint
Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
Plains
Blood Seeker
Ior Ruin Expedition
Guul Draz Vampire
Lethargy Trap
--> Kor Hookmaster
Territorial Baloth
Tanglesap
Pack 2 pick 5:
Spreading Seas
Trapmaker's Snare
--> Adventuring Gear
Savage Silhouette
Goblin Bushwhacker
Reckless Scholar
Lethargy Trap
Ondu Cleric
Forest
Brave the Elements
Cliff Threader
Pack 2 pick 6:
Runeflare Trap
Ruinous Minotaur
--> Torch Slinger
Vastwood Gorger
Island
Reckless Scholar
Territorial Baloth
Blood Tribute
Teetering Peaks
Soaring Seacliff
Pack 2 pick 7:
Kor Duelist
Goblin War Paint
Goblin Shortcutter
Plains
Narrow Escape
--> Kor Hookmaster
Nissa's Chosen
Goblin Shortcutter (FOIL)
Sadistic Sacrament
Pack 2 pick 8:
Pillarfield Ox
--> Turntimber Basilisk
Forest
Timbermaw Larva
Narrow Escape
Kraken Hatchling
Desecrated Earth
Caller of Gales
Im not a big fan of narrow escape, but apparently everyone else is. I prefer to take a card that makes my flyers block it.
Pack 2 pick 9:
Goblin War Paint
Ior Ruin Expedition
Desecrated Earth
Island
--> Seismic Shudder
Caravan Hurda
Turntimber Grove
Pack 2 pick 10:
Beast Hunt (FOIL)
--> Mind Sludge
Paralyzing Grasp
Piranha Marsh
Spidersilk Net
Island
Pack 2 pick 11:
--> Graypelt Refuge
Swamp
Kor Duelist
Ior Ruin Expedition
Tajuru Archer
Pack 2 pick 12:
--> Frontier Guide
Plains
Ior Ruin Expedition
Tanglesap
Pack 2 pick 13:
--> Spreading Seas
Trapmaker's Snare
Forest
Pack 2 pick 14:
Island
--> Soaring Seacliff
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Kor Duelist
------ ZEN ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Makindi Shieldmate
Caller of Gales
Blood Seeker
--> Marsh Flats
Vines of Vastwood
Ruinous Minotaur
Quest for Pure Flame
Plains
Giant Scorpion
Stonework Puma
Tanglesap
Paralyzing Grasp
Pillarfield Ox
Gomazoa
Quest for the Gemblades
See pack 2
Pack 3 pick 2:
Molten Ravager
Mountain
Arrow Volley Trap
Mind Sludge
Mire Blight
Zendikar Farguide
Khalni Heart Expedition
Archmage Ascension
Tuktuk Grunts
Soul Stair Expedition
Quest for the Holy Relic
Kor Sanctifiers
Crypt Ripper
--> Magma Rift
Pack 3 pick 3:
Kazandu Refuge
Highland Berserker
Cosi's Trickster
Forest (FOIL)
Kabira Crossroads
Giant Scorpion
--> Disfigure
Savage Silhouette
Reckless Scholar
Desecrated Earth
Cobra Trap
Plains
Narrow Escape
Yuk!
Pack 3 pick 4:
Goblin Shortcutter
Turntimber Grove
Spreading Seas
Ior Ruin Expedition
Caravan Hurda
Nissa's Chosen
Emeria, the Sky Ruin
Plains
Guul Draz Vampire
Graypelt Refuge
Carnage Altar
--> Steppe Lynx
Pack 3 pick 5:
Landbind Ritual
Grim Discovery
Cancel
Savage Silhouette
Noble Vestige
Shatterskull Giant
Mindless Null
--> Journey to Nowhere
Joraga Bard
Mountain
Demolish
Yay!
Pack 3 pick 6:
--> Pitfall Trap
Kor Outfitter
Ravenous Trap
Spidersilk Net
Joraga Bard
Kor Hookmaster
Quest for Pure Flame (FOIL)
Grim Discovery
Swamp
Surrakar Marauder
This is why i never take removal packs 1 and 2...
Pack 3 pick 7:
--> Steppe Lynx
Grim Discovery
Akoum Refuge
Demolish
Spell Pierce
Goblin Ruinblaster
Forest
Bog Tatters
Kor Outfitter
Pack 3 pick 8:
Quest for Ancient Secrets
Bog Tatters
--> Slaughter Cry
Kor Outfitter
Shieldmate's Blessing
Beast Hunt
Bold Defense
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 9:
Caller of Gales
Ruinous Minotaur
Quest for Pure Flame
Plains
Tanglesap
Pillarfield Ox
--> Quest for the Gemblades
Pack 3 pick 10:
Mountain
Mire Blight
Zendikar Farguide
Archmage Ascension
--> Soul Stair Expedition
Quest for the Holy Relic
Pack 3 pick 11:
--> Forest (FOIL)
Kabira Crossroads
Desecrated Earth
Plains
Narrow Escape
Pack 3 pick 12:
Turntimber Grove
--> Caravan Hurda
Plains
Carnage Altar
Pack 3 pick 13:
Noble Vestige
--> Mindless Null
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 14:
Ravenous Trap
--> Swamp
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Forest
im pretty sure the deck i made was absolutely nonsense, i didn't really percieve a way to lose with it.
Round 1 - 5 colour allies.
Game 1 he made irrelevant allies to my mull to 5, then made an eldrazi monument, nice.
Game 2 - he made 5 different refuge lands, played a guy which i killed, then passed with 7 lands in play, 5 cards in hand and i killed him
Game 3 - He played some allies, i got him to 2, then he made ondu cleric then more allies to go to 20 life again, awkward. Then he found kazuul warlord with his sea-gate loremaster.....awkward.
So i lose with a deck which barring pedo's, is just the absolute nuts, ah well.
Untill then,
Jim
As always, feel free to comment on this article, or anything related or unrelated to magic whatsoever. If you would like to contribute to the TLM blog, please email any pictures, ideas or articles to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk
I know these articles were pretty popular when i did a few around alara block, so im trying to do as many as my (extremely) limited online budget will allow, although luckily i have been opening and selling fetchlands (something like 8 out of 7 drafts now), to fund the recent run of draft articles. Sorry that i didn't do too many in the last month or so but being poor, not opening baneslayers or duals....and triple M10 as the format were all causes for me to largely abandon modo untill Zendikar.
Anyway, this last couple of drafts i have done seem to have been a big improvement. I feel like i have a pretty good grasp of how the format works now, and how the state of the format affects my pick order.
So here is the first of a couple drafts i have to go up, when Andy came over to join me for a little sess. I know everyone is bored of me saying, but if this draft doesn't point out how i manage to lose with the best deck at the table, im not sure what will.
Event #: 677539
Time: 11/9/2009 2:26:20 PM
Players:
MrNinja
hairy_monster
Pheonix_Firebringer
--> wiggi1
Hugoh
svampubben
dancefly
JunkoZ
------ ZEN ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
--> Kor Skyfisher
Oran-Rief Recluse
Mold Shambler
Merfolk Seastalkers
Hagra Crocodile
Kor Hookmaster
Tuktuk Grunts
Trailblazer's Boots
Beastmaster Ascension
Teetering Peaks
Heartstabber Mosquito
Swamp
Stonework Puma
Quest for the Gravelord
Whiplash Trap
Its skyfisher or the 2 black cards here, and i like skyfisher bet and would rather ship the black.
Pack 1 pick 2:
Joraga Bard
--> Kor Skyfisher
Bladetusk Boar
Quest for the Gravelord
Whiplash Trap
Piranha Marsh
Slaughter Cry
Electropotence
Scythe Tiger
Mire Blight
Sunspring Expedition
Vastwood Gorger
Quest for the Gemblades
Mountain
Nice!
Pack 1 pick 3:
Into the Roil
Surrakar Marauder
Unstable Footing
Frontier Guide (FOIL)
Expedition Map
Island
Hideous End
Grazing Gladehart
Stonework Puma
--> Shepherd of the Lost
Pillarfield Ox
Umara Raptor
Kor Sanctifiers
I dont want too many 5 mana spells in the deck i hope to draft, and i would be happy with either the raptor or sanctifiers, but shepherd is so much better i cant pass it.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Kabira Crossroads
Hagra Diabolist
Nimbus Wings
--> Zektar Shrine Expedition
Landbind Ritual
Primal Bellow
Trapfinder's Trick
Mold Shambler
Hagra Crocodile
Zendikar Farguide
Swamp
Soul Stair Expedition
Most aggresive card in the pack, considering i am feeding black
Pack 1 pick 5:
Forest
Heartstabber Mosquito
--> Goblin Shortcutter
Kor Cartographer
Tanglesap
Desecrated Earth
Seascape Aerialist
Makindi Shieldmate
Caller of Gales
Mark of Mutiny
Blood Seeker
Pack 1 pick 6:
Soul Stair Expedition
Territorial Baloth
Sunspring Expedition
Mire Blight
Kor Cartographer
Jwar Isle Refuge
Tempest Owl
--> Windborne Charge
Baloth Cage Trap
Forest
Pack 1 pick 7:
Kabira Crossroads
--> Kor Skyfisher
Sejiri Refuge
Island
Mold Shambler
Spidersilk Net
Heartstabber Mosquito
Highland Berserker
Needlebite Trap
Zing Zing Zing!
(i forgot to mention this was a 4-3-2-2 - we were in a little bit of a hurry and the 8-4 had 0 people in the queue to the 4-3-2-2 having 6!)
Pack 1 pick 8:
Hedron Scrabbler
Paralyzing Grasp
Forest
Giant Scorpion
--> Goblin Bushwhacker
Hagra Diabolist
Ondu Cleric
Seascape Aerialist
Pack 1 pick 9:
Hagra Crocodile
Trailblazer's Boots
Beastmaster Ascension
--> Teetering Peaks
Heartstabber Mosquito
Swamp
Stonework Puma
not bad with trips fisher
Pack 1 pick 10:
Piranha Marsh
Scythe Tiger
Mire Blight
Sunspring Expedition
--> Quest for the Gemblades
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 11:
--> Surrakar Marauder
Unstable Footing
Expedition Map
Island
Pillarfield Ox
Pack 1 pick 12:
--> Kabira Crossroads
Landbind Ritual
Trapfinder's Trick
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 13:
Forest
Desecrated Earth
--> Caller of Gales
Pack 1 pick 14:
Mire Blight
--> Forest
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Island
------ ZEN ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Goblin War Paint
Spire Barrage
Ior Ruin Expedition
Kraken Hatchling
Hellfire Mongrel
Desecrated Earth
Island
Seismic Shudder
Surrakar Marauder
Spidersilk Net
Caravan Hurda
Turntimber Grove
Kor Aeronaut
--> Verdant Catacombs
Needlebite Trap
Pretty good pack to get a money rare in, nothing too bomby. Probs would have taken aeronaut if not.
Pack 2 pick 2:
Beast Hunt (FOIL)
Mind Sludge
Paralyzing Grasp
Piranha Marsh
Sky Ruin Drake
--> Bladetusk Boar
Spidersilk Net
Harrow
Welkin Tern
Grazing Gladehart
Island
Bloodghast
Kor Cartographer
Murasa Pyromancer
Pack 2 pick 3:
Harrow
--> Shatterskull Giant
Grazing Gladehart
Into the Roil
Graypelt Refuge
Bold Defense
Swamp
Kor Duelist
Nimana Sell-Sword
Tuktuk Grunts
Ior Ruin Expedition
Devout Lightcaster
Tajuru Archer
Pack 2 pick 4:
Frontier Guide
Gomazoa
Goblin War Paint
Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
Plains
Blood Seeker
Ior Ruin Expedition
Guul Draz Vampire
Lethargy Trap
--> Kor Hookmaster
Territorial Baloth
Tanglesap
Pack 2 pick 5:
Spreading Seas
Trapmaker's Snare
--> Adventuring Gear
Savage Silhouette
Goblin Bushwhacker
Reckless Scholar
Lethargy Trap
Ondu Cleric
Forest
Brave the Elements
Cliff Threader
Pack 2 pick 6:
Runeflare Trap
Ruinous Minotaur
--> Torch Slinger
Vastwood Gorger
Island
Reckless Scholar
Territorial Baloth
Blood Tribute
Teetering Peaks
Soaring Seacliff
Pack 2 pick 7:
Kor Duelist
Goblin War Paint
Goblin Shortcutter
Plains
Narrow Escape
--> Kor Hookmaster
Nissa's Chosen
Goblin Shortcutter (FOIL)
Sadistic Sacrament
Pack 2 pick 8:
Pillarfield Ox
--> Turntimber Basilisk
Forest
Timbermaw Larva
Narrow Escape
Kraken Hatchling
Desecrated Earth
Caller of Gales
Im not a big fan of narrow escape, but apparently everyone else is. I prefer to take a card that makes my flyers block it.
Pack 2 pick 9:
Goblin War Paint
Ior Ruin Expedition
Desecrated Earth
Island
--> Seismic Shudder
Caravan Hurda
Turntimber Grove
Pack 2 pick 10:
Beast Hunt (FOIL)
--> Mind Sludge
Paralyzing Grasp
Piranha Marsh
Spidersilk Net
Island
Pack 2 pick 11:
--> Graypelt Refuge
Swamp
Kor Duelist
Ior Ruin Expedition
Tajuru Archer
Pack 2 pick 12:
--> Frontier Guide
Plains
Ior Ruin Expedition
Tanglesap
Pack 2 pick 13:
--> Spreading Seas
Trapmaker's Snare
Forest
Pack 2 pick 14:
Island
--> Soaring Seacliff
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Kor Duelist
------ ZEN ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Makindi Shieldmate
Caller of Gales
Blood Seeker
--> Marsh Flats
Vines of Vastwood
Ruinous Minotaur
Quest for Pure Flame
Plains
Giant Scorpion
Stonework Puma
Tanglesap
Paralyzing Grasp
Pillarfield Ox
Gomazoa
Quest for the Gemblades
See pack 2
Pack 3 pick 2:
Molten Ravager
Mountain
Arrow Volley Trap
Mind Sludge
Mire Blight
Zendikar Farguide
Khalni Heart Expedition
Archmage Ascension
Tuktuk Grunts
Soul Stair Expedition
Quest for the Holy Relic
Kor Sanctifiers
Crypt Ripper
--> Magma Rift
Pack 3 pick 3:
Kazandu Refuge
Highland Berserker
Cosi's Trickster
Forest (FOIL)
Kabira Crossroads
Giant Scorpion
--> Disfigure
Savage Silhouette
Reckless Scholar
Desecrated Earth
Cobra Trap
Plains
Narrow Escape
Yuk!
Pack 3 pick 4:
Goblin Shortcutter
Turntimber Grove
Spreading Seas
Ior Ruin Expedition
Caravan Hurda
Nissa's Chosen
Emeria, the Sky Ruin
Plains
Guul Draz Vampire
Graypelt Refuge
Carnage Altar
--> Steppe Lynx
Pack 3 pick 5:
Landbind Ritual
Grim Discovery
Cancel
Savage Silhouette
Noble Vestige
Shatterskull Giant
Mindless Null
--> Journey to Nowhere
Joraga Bard
Mountain
Demolish
Yay!
Pack 3 pick 6:
--> Pitfall Trap
Kor Outfitter
Ravenous Trap
Spidersilk Net
Joraga Bard
Kor Hookmaster
Quest for Pure Flame (FOIL)
Grim Discovery
Swamp
Surrakar Marauder
This is why i never take removal packs 1 and 2...
Pack 3 pick 7:
--> Steppe Lynx
Grim Discovery
Akoum Refuge
Demolish
Spell Pierce
Goblin Ruinblaster
Forest
Bog Tatters
Kor Outfitter
Pack 3 pick 8:
Quest for Ancient Secrets
Bog Tatters
--> Slaughter Cry
Kor Outfitter
Shieldmate's Blessing
Beast Hunt
Bold Defense
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 9:
Caller of Gales
Ruinous Minotaur
Quest for Pure Flame
Plains
Tanglesap
Pillarfield Ox
--> Quest for the Gemblades
Pack 3 pick 10:
Mountain
Mire Blight
Zendikar Farguide
Archmage Ascension
--> Soul Stair Expedition
Quest for the Holy Relic
Pack 3 pick 11:
--> Forest (FOIL)
Kabira Crossroads
Desecrated Earth
Plains
Narrow Escape
Pack 3 pick 12:
Turntimber Grove
--> Caravan Hurda
Plains
Carnage Altar
Pack 3 pick 13:
Noble Vestige
--> Mindless Null
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 14:
Ravenous Trap
--> Swamp
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Forest
im pretty sure the deck i made was absolutely nonsense, i didn't really percieve a way to lose with it.
Round 1 - 5 colour allies.
Game 1 he made irrelevant allies to my mull to 5, then made an eldrazi monument, nice.
Game 2 - he made 5 different refuge lands, played a guy which i killed, then passed with 7 lands in play, 5 cards in hand and i killed him
Game 3 - He played some allies, i got him to 2, then he made ondu cleric then more allies to go to 20 life again, awkward. Then he found kazuul warlord with his sea-gate loremaster.....awkward.
So i lose with a deck which barring pedo's, is just the absolute nuts, ah well.
Untill then,
Jim
As always, feel free to comment on this article, or anything related or unrelated to magic whatsoever. If you would like to contribute to the TLM blog, please email any pictures, ideas or articles to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk
Monday, 9 November 2009
Drafting with Jim #13
By Jim Marlow
Hey everyone,
Obviously when im not scrubbing in real life PTQ's, i find some time for a good relaxing scrub on modo. As i said last time, i said i have drafted a couple of times where i felt like i had the best deck at the table then managed to get blown out round 1 or 2.....well here is one of my drafts from a few weeks back and so far the only online zendikar draft i have made prizes in (out of 4), even though my deck isn't really the hotness.
(btw i had hoped to force b/r)
Players:
thatsme
MaraK72
Lamppost
emeng
pinktanktops
HOTFELLASareMyKryptonite
--> wiggi1
Metapod
------ ZEN ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Merfolk Wayfinder
Kraken Hatchling
Heartstabber Mosquito
Oran-Rief Survivalist
Desecrated Earth
Swamp
Lethargy Trap
Tanglesap
Kor Sanctifiers
Feast of Blood
Goblin Bushwhacker
Akoum Refuge
Sky Ruin Drake (FOIL)
Makindi Shieldmate
--> Marsh Flats
nice, especially in a pack where another 1st pick doesn't immediately jump out (burst lightning, pedo, hideous)
Pack 1 pick 2:
Soaring Seacliff
Expedition Map
Blood Seeker
Spreading Seas
Nissa's Chosen
Ondu Cleric
Narrow Escape
Brave the Elements
Baloth Cage Trap
Cosi's Trickster
Steppe Lynx
Swamp
--> Crypt Ripper
Goblin Shortcutter
ouch, maybe the blood seeker was better, but i didn't really use to rate him very highly due to 1 power
Pack 1 pick 3:
Trailblazer's Boots
Trapfinder's Trick
Scythe Tiger
Nimbus Wings
Vines of Vastwood
Magma Rift
Sky Ruin Drake
Forest
Pillarfield Ox
Relic Crush
--> Burst Lightning
Punishing Fire
Vampire's Bite
nice
Pack 1 pick 4:
Æther Figment
--> Shatterskull Giant
Plains
Hagra Crocodile
Makindi Shieldmate
Carnage Altar
Giant Scorpion
Savage Silhouette
Goblin Bushwhacker
Spreading Seas
Windrider Eel
Ondu Cleric
Pack 1 pick 5:
Grim Discovery
Plains
Relic Crush
Bog Tatters
Kor Cartographer
--> Torch Slinger
Kor Outfitter
Demolish
Spell Pierce
Quest for Ancient Secrets
Territorial Baloth
you cant imagine how much i want batters to wheel!
Pack 1 pick 6:
Goblin War Paint
Timbermaw Larva
Desecrated Earth
Goblin Ruinblaster
Bold Defense
Frontier Guide
Unstable Footing
--> Ruinous Minotaur
Caller of Gales
Island
Pack 1 pick 7:
Spell Pierce
Piranha Marsh
Grim Discovery
--> Bog Tatters
Quest for Pure Flame
Swamp
Grazing Gladehart
Sunspring Expedition
Kor Outfitter
Pack 1 pick 8:
Grappling Hook
Noble Vestige
Soul Stair Expedition
Runeflare Trap
--> Teetering Peaks
Tempest Owl
Sunspring Expedition
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 9:
Merfolk Wayfinder
Desecrated Earth
Swamp
Lethargy Trap
Tanglesap
Goblin Bushwhacker
--> Akoum Refuge
probs should have been the bushwacker here, so far i havent had too many little red or black men though, and i didn't really know how good he was.
Pack 1 pick 10:
Expedition Map
Spreading Seas
Narrow Escape
Brave the Elements
Cosi's Trickster
--> Swamp
why did i take swamp?
Pack 1 pick 11:
Trailblazer's Boots
Scythe Tiger
Forest
Relic Crush
--> Vampire's Bite
Pack 1 pick 12:
Plains
Carnage Altar
--> Savage Silhouette
Spreading Seas
Pack 1 pick 13:
--> Relic Crush
Demolish
Quest for Ancient Secrets
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Unstable Footing
Island
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Quest for Pure Flame
------ ZEN ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Timbermaw Larva
Seismic Shudder
Jwar Isle Refuge
Cliff Threader
Hedron Scrabbler
Khalni Gem
Pitfall Trap
Spreading Seas
Ondu Cleric
Explorer's Scope
Island
Disfigure
--> Eldrazi Monument
Bladetusk Boar
Paralyzing Grasp
Pack 2 pick 2:
Stonework Puma
Quest for the Gravelord
Pillarfield Ox
Swamp
Ruinous Minotaur
--> Hideous End
Murasa Pyromancer
Narrow Escape
Into the Roil
Caller of Gales
Frontier Guide
Goblin War Paint
Grazing Gladehart
Nissa's Chosen
good.
Pack 2 pick 3:
Mountain
Desecrated Earth
Gomazoa (FOIL)
Jwar Isle Refuge
Kabira Crossroads
River Boa
Teetering Peaks
Goblin War Paint
Khalni Gem
Reckless Scholar
--> Hagra Crocodile
Caller of Gales
Vastwood Gorger
Pack 2 pick 4:
Sadistic Sacrament
Baloth Woodcrasher
Goblin Bushwhacker
Lethargy Trap
Guul Draz Vampire
Expedition Map
Welkin Tern
Blood Seeker
Kazandu Refuge
--> Spire Barrage
Swamp
Tanglesap
Pack 2 pick 5:
--> Giant Scorpion
Tempest Owl
Kazandu Refuge
Molten Ravager
Khalni Heart Expedition
Sunspring Expedition
Mire Blight
Lullmage Mentor
Plains
Bog Tatters (FOIL)
Paralyzing Grasp
Pack 2 pick 6:
Timbermaw Larva
Lethargy Trap
--> Bladetusk Boar
Piranha Marsh
Plains
Vastwood Gorger
Goblin Bushwhacker
Quest for Ancient Secrets
Tanglesap
Makindi Shieldmate
this is a nice pick.
Pack 2 pick 7:
Spidersilk Net
Mold Shambler
Kor Cartographer
Emeria, the Sky Ruin
Kabira Crossroads
Savage Silhouette
--> Akoum Refuge
Reckless Scholar
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 8:
Turntimber Grove
Seismic Shudder
Archmage Ascension
--> Giant Scorpion
Hagra Diabolist
Desecrated Earth
Plains
Kraken Hatchling
i like the scorpion, looks like my deck is slightly slower than i hoped though, at least these should help. probably should have taken the soul stair expedition earlier (i think i took teetering peaks over it)
Pack 2 pick 9:
Seismic Shudder
Jwar Isle Refuge
--> Cliff Threader
Spreading Seas
Ondu Cleric
Explorer's Scope
Island
seismic shudder here? probs
Pack 2 pick 10:
Swamp
Narrow Escape
Caller of Gales
Frontier Guide
Goblin War Paint
--> Nissa's Chosen
Pack 2 pick 11:
Mountain
Desecrated Earth
Jwar Isle Refuge
--> Goblin War Paint
Caller of Gales
Pack 2 pick 12:
Sadistic Sacrament
--> Lethargy Trap
Swamp
Tanglesap
Pack 2 pick 13:
Sunspring Expedition
--> Mire Blight
Plains
Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Lethargy Trap
Plains
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Swamp
------ ZEN ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Into the Roil
Mark of Mutiny
Bloodghast (FOIL)
Expedition Map
Vastwood Gorger
Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
Umara Raptor
Kor Sanctifiers
Jwar Isle Refuge
Bold Defense
Swamp
Ruinous Minotaur
--> Hideous End
Surrakar Marauder
Gatekeeper of Malakir
nice pack, didnt really know what to take, although im kindly pointed out towards the bloodghas and eldrazi monument combo.....ah.
Pack 3 pick 2:
Spell Pierce
Zektar Shrine Expedition
Plains
Mindless Null
Soaring Seacliff
Tempest Owl
--> Heartstabber Mosquito
Turntimber Basilisk
Harrow
Noble Vestige
Kor Sanctifiers
Landbind Ritual
Hedron Scrabbler
Electropotence
Pack 3 pick 3:
Nissa's Chosen
Quest for Pure Flame
Magosi, the Waterveil
Spire Barrage
Narrow Escape
Spidersilk Net
Caravan Hurda
--> Guul Draz Vampire
Goblin Shortcutter
Turntimber Grove
Quest for the Gemblades
Soaring Seacliff (FOIL)
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 4:
Geyser Glider
Quest for Pure Flame
Beast Hunt
Goblin Guide
--> Plated Geopede
Electropotence (FOIL)
Molten Ravager
Grim Discovery
Greenweaver Druid
Soul Stair Expedition
Kor Hookmaster
Plains
Pack 3 pick 5:
Mountain
--> Crypt Ripper
Eternity Vessel
Mold Shambler
Tuktuk Grunts
Ior Ruin Expedition
Kabira Crossroads
Steppe Lynx
Mark of Mutiny
Runeflare Trap
Teetering Peaks
Pack 3 pick 6:
Magma Rift
Shieldmate's Blessing
Zendikar Farguide
Brave the Elements
Bog Tatters
--> Torch Slinger
Trapmaker's Snare
Slaughter Cry
Oran-Rief Recluse
Island
Pack 3 pick 7:
Noble Vestige
Mire Blight
Hedron Scrabbler
Windborne Charge
Forest
Tempest Owl
Kor Duelist (FOIL)
Scythe Tiger
--> Zektar Shrine Expedition
Pack 3 pick 8:
Caravan Hurda
Island
Seascape Aerialist
Highland Berserker
Turntimber Grove
Windborne Charge
--> Giant Scorpion
Seismic Shudder
Pack 3 pick 9:
Mark of Mutiny
Expedition Map
Vastwood Gorger
Jwar Isle Refuge
Bold Defense
Swamp
--> Ruinous Minotaur
Pack 3 pick 10:
--> Zektar Shrine Expedition
Plains
Soaring Seacliff
Noble Vestige
Landbind Ritual
Hedron Scrabbler
Pack 3 pick 11:
Quest for Pure Flame
Spidersilk Net
--> Caravan Hurda
Turntimber Grove
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 12:
Quest for Pure Flame
Beast Hunt
--> Molten Ravager
Plains
Pack 3 pick 13:
Mountain
--> Tuktuk Grunts
Runeflare Trap
Pack 3 pick 14:
--> Shieldmate's Blessing
Island
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Forest
Basically i lose the final after being denied the split.....someone had been watching the replays i guess.
Quite a few mispicks here, far more than i thought i had made, which is a bit annoying looking back at it, but it was one of my earlier drafts and i was still of the opinion big green was ok, luckily other people in the draft were too.
See you soon, hopefully i will have done a draft when im not awful before then, buti wouldn't count on it.
Untill then,
Jim
As always, feel free to comment on this article, or anything related or unrelated to magic whatsoever. If you would like to contribute to the TLM blog, please email any pictures, ideas or articles to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk
Obviously when im not scrubbing in real life PTQ's, i find some time for a good relaxing scrub on modo. As i said last time, i said i have drafted a couple of times where i felt like i had the best deck at the table then managed to get blown out round 1 or 2.....well here is one of my drafts from a few weeks back and so far the only online zendikar draft i have made prizes in (out of 4), even though my deck isn't really the hotness.
(btw i had hoped to force b/r)
Players:
thatsme
MaraK72
Lamppost
emeng
pinktanktops
HOTFELLASareMyKryptonite
--> wiggi1
Metapod
------ ZEN ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Merfolk Wayfinder
Kraken Hatchling
Heartstabber Mosquito
Oran-Rief Survivalist
Desecrated Earth
Swamp
Lethargy Trap
Tanglesap
Kor Sanctifiers
Feast of Blood
Goblin Bushwhacker
Akoum Refuge
Sky Ruin Drake (FOIL)
Makindi Shieldmate
--> Marsh Flats
nice, especially in a pack where another 1st pick doesn't immediately jump out (burst lightning, pedo, hideous)
Pack 1 pick 2:
Soaring Seacliff
Expedition Map
Blood Seeker
Spreading Seas
Nissa's Chosen
Ondu Cleric
Narrow Escape
Brave the Elements
Baloth Cage Trap
Cosi's Trickster
Steppe Lynx
Swamp
--> Crypt Ripper
Goblin Shortcutter
ouch, maybe the blood seeker was better, but i didn't really use to rate him very highly due to 1 power
Pack 1 pick 3:
Trailblazer's Boots
Trapfinder's Trick
Scythe Tiger
Nimbus Wings
Vines of Vastwood
Magma Rift
Sky Ruin Drake
Forest
Pillarfield Ox
Relic Crush
--> Burst Lightning
Punishing Fire
Vampire's Bite
nice
Pack 1 pick 4:
Æther Figment
--> Shatterskull Giant
Plains
Hagra Crocodile
Makindi Shieldmate
Carnage Altar
Giant Scorpion
Savage Silhouette
Goblin Bushwhacker
Spreading Seas
Windrider Eel
Ondu Cleric
Pack 1 pick 5:
Grim Discovery
Plains
Relic Crush
Bog Tatters
Kor Cartographer
--> Torch Slinger
Kor Outfitter
Demolish
Spell Pierce
Quest for Ancient Secrets
Territorial Baloth
you cant imagine how much i want batters to wheel!
Pack 1 pick 6:
Goblin War Paint
Timbermaw Larva
Desecrated Earth
Goblin Ruinblaster
Bold Defense
Frontier Guide
Unstable Footing
--> Ruinous Minotaur
Caller of Gales
Island
Pack 1 pick 7:
Spell Pierce
Piranha Marsh
Grim Discovery
--> Bog Tatters
Quest for Pure Flame
Swamp
Grazing Gladehart
Sunspring Expedition
Kor Outfitter
Pack 1 pick 8:
Grappling Hook
Noble Vestige
Soul Stair Expedition
Runeflare Trap
--> Teetering Peaks
Tempest Owl
Sunspring Expedition
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 9:
Merfolk Wayfinder
Desecrated Earth
Swamp
Lethargy Trap
Tanglesap
Goblin Bushwhacker
--> Akoum Refuge
probs should have been the bushwacker here, so far i havent had too many little red or black men though, and i didn't really know how good he was.
Pack 1 pick 10:
Expedition Map
Spreading Seas
Narrow Escape
Brave the Elements
Cosi's Trickster
--> Swamp
why did i take swamp?
Pack 1 pick 11:
Trailblazer's Boots
Scythe Tiger
Forest
Relic Crush
--> Vampire's Bite
Pack 1 pick 12:
Plains
Carnage Altar
--> Savage Silhouette
Spreading Seas
Pack 1 pick 13:
--> Relic Crush
Demolish
Quest for Ancient Secrets
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Unstable Footing
Island
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Quest for Pure Flame
------ ZEN ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Timbermaw Larva
Seismic Shudder
Jwar Isle Refuge
Cliff Threader
Hedron Scrabbler
Khalni Gem
Pitfall Trap
Spreading Seas
Ondu Cleric
Explorer's Scope
Island
Disfigure
--> Eldrazi Monument
Bladetusk Boar
Paralyzing Grasp
Pack 2 pick 2:
Stonework Puma
Quest for the Gravelord
Pillarfield Ox
Swamp
Ruinous Minotaur
--> Hideous End
Murasa Pyromancer
Narrow Escape
Into the Roil
Caller of Gales
Frontier Guide
Goblin War Paint
Grazing Gladehart
Nissa's Chosen
good.
Pack 2 pick 3:
Mountain
Desecrated Earth
Gomazoa (FOIL)
Jwar Isle Refuge
Kabira Crossroads
River Boa
Teetering Peaks
Goblin War Paint
Khalni Gem
Reckless Scholar
--> Hagra Crocodile
Caller of Gales
Vastwood Gorger
Pack 2 pick 4:
Sadistic Sacrament
Baloth Woodcrasher
Goblin Bushwhacker
Lethargy Trap
Guul Draz Vampire
Expedition Map
Welkin Tern
Blood Seeker
Kazandu Refuge
--> Spire Barrage
Swamp
Tanglesap
Pack 2 pick 5:
--> Giant Scorpion
Tempest Owl
Kazandu Refuge
Molten Ravager
Khalni Heart Expedition
Sunspring Expedition
Mire Blight
Lullmage Mentor
Plains
Bog Tatters (FOIL)
Paralyzing Grasp
Pack 2 pick 6:
Timbermaw Larva
Lethargy Trap
--> Bladetusk Boar
Piranha Marsh
Plains
Vastwood Gorger
Goblin Bushwhacker
Quest for Ancient Secrets
Tanglesap
Makindi Shieldmate
this is a nice pick.
Pack 2 pick 7:
Spidersilk Net
Mold Shambler
Kor Cartographer
Emeria, the Sky Ruin
Kabira Crossroads
Savage Silhouette
--> Akoum Refuge
Reckless Scholar
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 8:
Turntimber Grove
Seismic Shudder
Archmage Ascension
--> Giant Scorpion
Hagra Diabolist
Desecrated Earth
Plains
Kraken Hatchling
i like the scorpion, looks like my deck is slightly slower than i hoped though, at least these should help. probably should have taken the soul stair expedition earlier (i think i took teetering peaks over it)
Pack 2 pick 9:
Seismic Shudder
Jwar Isle Refuge
--> Cliff Threader
Spreading Seas
Ondu Cleric
Explorer's Scope
Island
seismic shudder here? probs
Pack 2 pick 10:
Swamp
Narrow Escape
Caller of Gales
Frontier Guide
Goblin War Paint
--> Nissa's Chosen
Pack 2 pick 11:
Mountain
Desecrated Earth
Jwar Isle Refuge
--> Goblin War Paint
Caller of Gales
Pack 2 pick 12:
Sadistic Sacrament
--> Lethargy Trap
Swamp
Tanglesap
Pack 2 pick 13:
Sunspring Expedition
--> Mire Blight
Plains
Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Lethargy Trap
Plains
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Swamp
------ ZEN ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Into the Roil
Mark of Mutiny
Bloodghast (FOIL)
Expedition Map
Vastwood Gorger
Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
Umara Raptor
Kor Sanctifiers
Jwar Isle Refuge
Bold Defense
Swamp
Ruinous Minotaur
--> Hideous End
Surrakar Marauder
Gatekeeper of Malakir
nice pack, didnt really know what to take, although im kindly pointed out towards the bloodghas and eldrazi monument combo.....ah.
Pack 3 pick 2:
Spell Pierce
Zektar Shrine Expedition
Plains
Mindless Null
Soaring Seacliff
Tempest Owl
--> Heartstabber Mosquito
Turntimber Basilisk
Harrow
Noble Vestige
Kor Sanctifiers
Landbind Ritual
Hedron Scrabbler
Electropotence
Pack 3 pick 3:
Nissa's Chosen
Quest for Pure Flame
Magosi, the Waterveil
Spire Barrage
Narrow Escape
Spidersilk Net
Caravan Hurda
--> Guul Draz Vampire
Goblin Shortcutter
Turntimber Grove
Quest for the Gemblades
Soaring Seacliff (FOIL)
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 4:
Geyser Glider
Quest for Pure Flame
Beast Hunt
Goblin Guide
--> Plated Geopede
Electropotence (FOIL)
Molten Ravager
Grim Discovery
Greenweaver Druid
Soul Stair Expedition
Kor Hookmaster
Plains
Pack 3 pick 5:
Mountain
--> Crypt Ripper
Eternity Vessel
Mold Shambler
Tuktuk Grunts
Ior Ruin Expedition
Kabira Crossroads
Steppe Lynx
Mark of Mutiny
Runeflare Trap
Teetering Peaks
Pack 3 pick 6:
Magma Rift
Shieldmate's Blessing
Zendikar Farguide
Brave the Elements
Bog Tatters
--> Torch Slinger
Trapmaker's Snare
Slaughter Cry
Oran-Rief Recluse
Island
Pack 3 pick 7:
Noble Vestige
Mire Blight
Hedron Scrabbler
Windborne Charge
Forest
Tempest Owl
Kor Duelist (FOIL)
Scythe Tiger
--> Zektar Shrine Expedition
Pack 3 pick 8:
Caravan Hurda
Island
Seascape Aerialist
Highland Berserker
Turntimber Grove
Windborne Charge
--> Giant Scorpion
Seismic Shudder
Pack 3 pick 9:
Mark of Mutiny
Expedition Map
Vastwood Gorger
Jwar Isle Refuge
Bold Defense
Swamp
--> Ruinous Minotaur
Pack 3 pick 10:
--> Zektar Shrine Expedition
Plains
Soaring Seacliff
Noble Vestige
Landbind Ritual
Hedron Scrabbler
Pack 3 pick 11:
Quest for Pure Flame
Spidersilk Net
--> Caravan Hurda
Turntimber Grove
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 12:
Quest for Pure Flame
Beast Hunt
--> Molten Ravager
Plains
Pack 3 pick 13:
Mountain
--> Tuktuk Grunts
Runeflare Trap
Pack 3 pick 14:
--> Shieldmate's Blessing
Island
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Forest
Basically i lose the final after being denied the split.....someone had been watching the replays i guess.
Quite a few mispicks here, far more than i thought i had made, which is a bit annoying looking back at it, but it was one of my earlier drafts and i was still of the opinion big green was ok, luckily other people in the draft were too.
See you soon, hopefully i will have done a draft when im not awful before then, buti wouldn't count on it.
Untill then,
Jim
As always, feel free to comment on this article, or anything related or unrelated to magic whatsoever. If you would like to contribute to the TLM blog, please email any pictures, ideas or articles to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk
Sunday, 8 November 2009
AE says GG to CB - PTQ Cambridge 7th November
By Jim Marlow
Hey everyone,
Firstly, i hope everyone in Leeds and elsewhere is ok. Leeds WNM is proving as popular as ever, nearly 3 pods turned out this week for draft, despite missing a couple of people that might be expected. I think it is a massive testament to the work of, primarily Rob Wagner, who had to fill the void left by Rik, always a very popular and efficient Tournament Organiser, yet Rob has more than risen to the challenge, and the increase in attendance is fantastic for the Team Leeds and the wider magic community.
The PTQ season is in full swing now with Gravesend, Cambridge yesterday and next week Birmingham, ands zendikar is proving to be a highly popular format, from pros to players of relative inexperiance.
Err.....i don't really know where to start this PTQ report, if at all to be honest. Since getting back from the PTQ i have been struggling to think of any funnier experiances than those i had over the last two days with Martin and Beard, and yet i think the simple fact is that this weekend has been an absolute cracker; hilarious, dusgusting and succesful.
Before i do get started however, i want to firstly both thank and congratulate the staff of Inner Sanctum Collectables for a highly succesful first PTQ, im sure the success of this one means it will be a mainstay of English PTQ's in years to come. Also, it's good to see the hard work of shopkeepers/TO's paid off by being rewarded events like this, especially when they rise to the occasion and make it a day to remember.
On friday Martin and Andy picked me up to head down to my house for a night spent before the PTQ on Saturday. After a short discussion we decided that despite an agreement to take Mick down as well, he would probably win, and thought that by leaving him here it would be a far more level playing field for everyone else going to Cambridge. So the three of us made our way down to Bury St Edmunds, leaving at 2 to avoid the friday rush our traffic, sadly meaning we had to go down as a threesome. (why can't i write this without thinking a nasty, cheers you two)
Leaving early also meant arriving early, and we got back to my place about 5ish. After frequenting the local gaming shop to find they didn't have boosters, we went to our second form of sanctuary, the pub....for dinner.
Sadly, dinner turned in to the three of us getting quite severly drunk on a short tour of some of the fine pubs in town, oops.
Saturday morning was difficult, with all 3 of us basically spending the early part of the day 'holding in', with mixed levels of success.
I had been given a good pool, i felt (even if the judge decided there wasn't an issue when it did not have 4 vampire nighthawks in it). The deck i made was u/w, with dubs skyfisher, dubs umara raptor, welkin tern, sky ruin drake, world queller and celestial mantle, which after a "days" play and conversations with others still leaves me unsure of it's power level. Either way, annoyingly my only removal was 1 pitfall trap, with an into the roil and whiplash trap to support, but i wasn't sure i could deal with either huge men if i wasn't fast enough, or lots of quick small men if i was too slow....so hopefully i could get decent draws with some of my many flyers.
After going out of the tournament i saw i probably misbuilt by not putting 2 makindi shieldmates in my deck. I thought long and hard about their inclusion but i didn't think their benefit to the raptor was great enough to put them in over other guys. However, i think now i should have decided my deck was going to hopefully stall the ground long enough to push through with flyers, never mind, i was pissed.
Round 1 - Lee Wood
Mulligan to 5 both games....
I think i conceeded the second game when i was on 40 life, after my celestial mantle'd guy got in. Sadly, both my celestial mantle and luminarch ascencion got kor sanctified, sigh.
Round 2 - Craig Jones
Luckily, my mulligans are met with some from my opponant, which makes this match at least a little fairer, especially as i draw some flyers, which it turns out my opponant cant really deal with. His deck has a decent amount of removal but dubs skyfisher gets there.
Game 3 i finally keep a 7 card hand and again find some flyers to get some damage in. skyfisher and adventuring gear gets me a good way into Craig's life total, and despite finding a blocker or two, my flyers push through.
I take a lot of confidence from this match, because i was pretty happy with my pool and deck, at least to some extent, so i was sure i could go at least 4 or 5 rounds in, if not sneak in with some luck.
Round 3 - can't remember
My opponant is playing naya colours, which is ok but im a bit threatened by the possibility of green because my deck has very little which can deal with fat men.
Game 1 i go to 5 and despite decent draws i cant fight a territorial baloth and vastwood gorger.
Game 2, my opponant goes to 5, which is nice.....but my deck doesn't serve me quite the aggressive start i need (i.e the god draw), and i find that i still cant beat territorial baloth and vastwood gorger, especially when pitfall trap meets vines of vastwood.
1-2 droop.
So, not quite the droid i was looking for here. I was pretty annoyed becaus in the space of 3 rounds i felt like i had played more non-games than actual games. I felt dissapointed because the deck could, and probably should have done better, but ultimately thats the way the cookie crumbles some times.
Luckily, Andy Edwards was having a much better time with his deck, which didn't seem like it was a great deal better than mine. But after a loss early on decided he had also made a drunken misbuild and decided and 18 card transformational sideboard was the best way to get there. Rumour has it that a certain tog batters from the board proved itself to be crucial in countless victories in the tournament, what a guy.
....and it was.
Serving him the 4 straight wins in a row that he needed to get into top 8 with a 5-1-1 record.
Annoyingly, i was not able to watch the top 8 draft because i had joined a team draft against some guys from London which sadly we lost to some very close matches, meaning they got picks 1-3 of the rares when we rochester drafted them
This wasn't the worst outcome in the world however, seeing as the 18 boosters we used served up these gems.
2 x Sorin Markhov
2 x Day of Judgement
1 x Lotus Cobra
1 x Marsh Flats
so everyone got a nice card, i ended up with a day of judgement, and paying £6.50 for that and a giggle getting it wasn't the worst in the world.
Anyway, i come back to see Andy's deck, which is very small, aggressive b/r men, with a very good removal suite and a couple of tricks. It seems ok, not the best in the world because clearly other people are in red, but if his little guys can do enough his burn can get him home.
The long and short of it is that Andy Edwards won the draft, and the PTQ, getting some help along the way: firstly by certain matches going his way in the top 8, meaning Andy dodged 2 very nasty looking decks which could have been trouble, but secondly by drawing his 4th and 5 land in a sad end to a good day when he won the final in an epic mana screw on both sides of the table. Luckily, Andy's cheap deck meant he could play a few spells, and finding land meant he could then unleash a shatterskull giant to his opponants empty board thanks to a swamp drawn for gatekeeper of malakir. No 4th land for his opponant meant the slaughter cry in hand was for exactsies, even without the hideous end or spire barrage in hand, squelch.
Another crazy story from the PTQ was in Andy's semi final, after Andy had gome 1-0 up. Andy ships an ok, but not amazing 7...then gets back a terrible 6, then 5, then 4?!?. He scoops up his 4 dejected and stares back at double vampire lacerator, verdant catacombs, mountain....seems good. Turn 1; lacerator. Turn 2; draw mountain, in, lacerator. Turn 3; draw goblin bushwacker, kick and in for 8!!!!
Congratulations to Andy Edwards for winning the PTQ, there are few magic players who deserve this kind of success more than Andy, and its nice to see good guys going to the pro tour to represent England at a game where being good has a strong correlation with being a cock.
wow, what a crazy couple of days. Another member of Team Leeds on the tour, another Edwards, at least someone can keep Potter company on his travels.
Highlights
1. Andy tripping over the ramp in the game room.
2. Bum dribble
3. Nick not finding the droids he was looking for
4. Tog batters getting there for Andy, alllllllll the way to the top 8
5. An 11p Shivan Dragon
6. Chiqito's
Lowlights
1. Leaving Potter behind
2. Me being a scrub AND not getting a fetchland
3. Whatever happened in the queue to register for the PTQ
4. Not thinking of putting 4 vampire nighthawks in a condom up my arse
I wish all PTQ's were like this, except i wouldn't mind a bit of success and Andy scrubbing next time tbh. But aside from the PTQ, the experiance was crazy, i went home with a sore head, a bunch of hilarious memories, and a mouth that badly needs washing out with soap....bring on Birmingham next week.
Untill then,
Jim
As always, feel free to comment on this article, or anything related or unrelated to magic whatsoever. If you would like to contribute to the TLM blog, please email any pictures, ideas or articles to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk
Firstly, i hope everyone in Leeds and elsewhere is ok. Leeds WNM is proving as popular as ever, nearly 3 pods turned out this week for draft, despite missing a couple of people that might be expected. I think it is a massive testament to the work of, primarily Rob Wagner, who had to fill the void left by Rik, always a very popular and efficient Tournament Organiser, yet Rob has more than risen to the challenge, and the increase in attendance is fantastic for the Team Leeds and the wider magic community.
The PTQ season is in full swing now with Gravesend, Cambridge yesterday and next week Birmingham, ands zendikar is proving to be a highly popular format, from pros to players of relative inexperiance.
Err.....i don't really know where to start this PTQ report, if at all to be honest. Since getting back from the PTQ i have been struggling to think of any funnier experiances than those i had over the last two days with Martin and Beard, and yet i think the simple fact is that this weekend has been an absolute cracker; hilarious, dusgusting and succesful.
Before i do get started however, i want to firstly both thank and congratulate the staff of Inner Sanctum Collectables for a highly succesful first PTQ, im sure the success of this one means it will be a mainstay of English PTQ's in years to come. Also, it's good to see the hard work of shopkeepers/TO's paid off by being rewarded events like this, especially when they rise to the occasion and make it a day to remember.
On friday Martin and Andy picked me up to head down to my house for a night spent before the PTQ on Saturday. After a short discussion we decided that despite an agreement to take Mick down as well, he would probably win, and thought that by leaving him here it would be a far more level playing field for everyone else going to Cambridge. So the three of us made our way down to Bury St Edmunds, leaving at 2 to avoid the friday rush our traffic, sadly meaning we had to go down as a threesome. (why can't i write this without thinking a nasty, cheers you two)
Leaving early also meant arriving early, and we got back to my place about 5ish. After frequenting the local gaming shop to find they didn't have boosters, we went to our second form of sanctuary, the pub....for dinner.
Sadly, dinner turned in to the three of us getting quite severly drunk on a short tour of some of the fine pubs in town, oops.
Saturday morning was difficult, with all 3 of us basically spending the early part of the day 'holding in', with mixed levels of success.
I had been given a good pool, i felt (even if the judge decided there wasn't an issue when it did not have 4 vampire nighthawks in it). The deck i made was u/w, with dubs skyfisher, dubs umara raptor, welkin tern, sky ruin drake, world queller and celestial mantle, which after a "days" play and conversations with others still leaves me unsure of it's power level. Either way, annoyingly my only removal was 1 pitfall trap, with an into the roil and whiplash trap to support, but i wasn't sure i could deal with either huge men if i wasn't fast enough, or lots of quick small men if i was too slow....so hopefully i could get decent draws with some of my many flyers.
After going out of the tournament i saw i probably misbuilt by not putting 2 makindi shieldmates in my deck. I thought long and hard about their inclusion but i didn't think their benefit to the raptor was great enough to put them in over other guys. However, i think now i should have decided my deck was going to hopefully stall the ground long enough to push through with flyers, never mind, i was pissed.
Round 1 - Lee Wood
Mulligan to 5 both games....
I think i conceeded the second game when i was on 40 life, after my celestial mantle'd guy got in. Sadly, both my celestial mantle and luminarch ascencion got kor sanctified, sigh.
Round 2 - Craig Jones
Luckily, my mulligans are met with some from my opponant, which makes this match at least a little fairer, especially as i draw some flyers, which it turns out my opponant cant really deal with. His deck has a decent amount of removal but dubs skyfisher gets there.
Game 3 i finally keep a 7 card hand and again find some flyers to get some damage in. skyfisher and adventuring gear gets me a good way into Craig's life total, and despite finding a blocker or two, my flyers push through.
I take a lot of confidence from this match, because i was pretty happy with my pool and deck, at least to some extent, so i was sure i could go at least 4 or 5 rounds in, if not sneak in with some luck.
Round 3 - can't remember
My opponant is playing naya colours, which is ok but im a bit threatened by the possibility of green because my deck has very little which can deal with fat men.
Game 1 i go to 5 and despite decent draws i cant fight a territorial baloth and vastwood gorger.
Game 2, my opponant goes to 5, which is nice.....but my deck doesn't serve me quite the aggressive start i need (i.e the god draw), and i find that i still cant beat territorial baloth and vastwood gorger, especially when pitfall trap meets vines of vastwood.
1-2 droop.
So, not quite the droid i was looking for here. I was pretty annoyed becaus in the space of 3 rounds i felt like i had played more non-games than actual games. I felt dissapointed because the deck could, and probably should have done better, but ultimately thats the way the cookie crumbles some times.
Luckily, Andy Edwards was having a much better time with his deck, which didn't seem like it was a great deal better than mine. But after a loss early on decided he had also made a drunken misbuild and decided and 18 card transformational sideboard was the best way to get there. Rumour has it that a certain tog batters from the board proved itself to be crucial in countless victories in the tournament, what a guy.
....and it was.
Serving him the 4 straight wins in a row that he needed to get into top 8 with a 5-1-1 record.
Annoyingly, i was not able to watch the top 8 draft because i had joined a team draft against some guys from London which sadly we lost to some very close matches, meaning they got picks 1-3 of the rares when we rochester drafted them
This wasn't the worst outcome in the world however, seeing as the 18 boosters we used served up these gems.
2 x Sorin Markhov
2 x Day of Judgement
1 x Lotus Cobra
1 x Marsh Flats
so everyone got a nice card, i ended up with a day of judgement, and paying £6.50 for that and a giggle getting it wasn't the worst in the world.
Anyway, i come back to see Andy's deck, which is very small, aggressive b/r men, with a very good removal suite and a couple of tricks. It seems ok, not the best in the world because clearly other people are in red, but if his little guys can do enough his burn can get him home.
The long and short of it is that Andy Edwards won the draft, and the PTQ, getting some help along the way: firstly by certain matches going his way in the top 8, meaning Andy dodged 2 very nasty looking decks which could have been trouble, but secondly by drawing his 4th and 5 land in a sad end to a good day when he won the final in an epic mana screw on both sides of the table. Luckily, Andy's cheap deck meant he could play a few spells, and finding land meant he could then unleash a shatterskull giant to his opponants empty board thanks to a swamp drawn for gatekeeper of malakir. No 4th land for his opponant meant the slaughter cry in hand was for exactsies, even without the hideous end or spire barrage in hand, squelch.
Another crazy story from the PTQ was in Andy's semi final, after Andy had gome 1-0 up. Andy ships an ok, but not amazing 7...then gets back a terrible 6, then 5, then 4?!?. He scoops up his 4 dejected and stares back at double vampire lacerator, verdant catacombs, mountain....seems good. Turn 1; lacerator. Turn 2; draw mountain, in, lacerator. Turn 3; draw goblin bushwacker, kick and in for 8!!!!
Congratulations to Andy Edwards for winning the PTQ, there are few magic players who deserve this kind of success more than Andy, and its nice to see good guys going to the pro tour to represent England at a game where being good has a strong correlation with being a cock.
wow, what a crazy couple of days. Another member of Team Leeds on the tour, another Edwards, at least someone can keep Potter company on his travels.
Highlights
1. Andy tripping over the ramp in the game room.
2. Bum dribble
3. Nick not finding the droids he was looking for
4. Tog batters getting there for Andy, alllllllll the way to the top 8
5. An 11p Shivan Dragon
6. Chiqito's
Lowlights
1. Leaving Potter behind
2. Me being a scrub AND not getting a fetchland
3. Whatever happened in the queue to register for the PTQ
4. Not thinking of putting 4 vampire nighthawks in a condom up my arse
I wish all PTQ's were like this, except i wouldn't mind a bit of success and Andy scrubbing next time tbh. But aside from the PTQ, the experiance was crazy, i went home with a sore head, a bunch of hilarious memories, and a mouth that badly needs washing out with soap....bring on Birmingham next week.
Untill then,
Jim
As always, feel free to comment on this article, or anything related or unrelated to magic whatsoever. If you would like to contribute to the TLM blog, please email any pictures, ideas or articles to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk
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