Return to Ravnica Bloc - Draft #6

  Pack 1 pick 1:

I waver between the insect, the Maaka, and the rare, with the Druid thrown in for good measure, but Vorel is slow and he and the Druid both pick a guild, so I grab the versatile green Bear++. I've heard very good things.

The ninth-best card in this pack by my reckoning is Wolf Rider, Snare Squad, or Skeleton. Let's see what comes back to us.

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  Pack 1 pick 2:

Hmm.. there are two strong Boros cards, but one is very strong, so I take it. Mossdog is good but not great, but still mono-green, rather than reaching for a third color already.

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  Pack 1 pick 3:

Similar to pick one, I want the fuse card in my deck, but I now have nightmares about not enough two-drops, so let's take another insect, passing two very good Gruul cards.

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  Pack 1 pick 4:

That's a late Arrest, with not much else for me, so I'll speculate here.

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  Pack 1 pick 5:

This is either another unspectacular low-drop or army in a can for seven. Tithe Drinker is still here and this is the first pack with no gate in it.

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  Pack 1 pick 6:

Eww. This pack is blank for green except a cluestone. Perhaps this is the draft where I end up predominantly green and some other color, splashing two off colors? If so, Izzet gate could do work, since I already have good red, white, and blue splashes.

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  Pack 1 pick 7:

I like this guy. It feels like he should cost six.

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  Pack 1 pick 8:

This draft, I am taking the on-color two drops. My other choice is a second Wolf Rider, so I take the hound and look for Green-White, perhaps splashing Blue or Red or maybe even both.

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  Pack 1 pick 9:

Passing another Wolf Rider, but I like the aggressive tapper in a deck with three bears already. Wolf Rider and Snare Squad wheeling means good things for my plan. Izzet Cluestone was taken ahead of the cards that are still here.

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  Pack 1 pick 10:

This is the first draft I've done where the gates are going late. This one enables my Arrest. I think about the white keepers, but I will take gates first, then keepers from now on.

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  Pack 1 pick 11:

Unfortunately, Orzhov gate doesn't further my plan. Izzet cluestone is a concession to my five- and seven-mana cards, plus my potential double splash. In hindsight, the gate may have been better to allow a black splash if Orzhov ends up flowing in pack two.

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My stack after pack 1:

I seem set in Selesnya, splashing red or blue or both. The gates are better set up to go blue, but the stones are red. I think Selesnya Cluestone may be the least likely to make my final 40.


  Pack 2 pick 1:

My deck can't support another splashed Arrest (as much as I want it) and the rare is less than a ticket, so two-drop it is for me. I don't think the Viper does enough to pick here. Denizen or Viper coming on the wheel would be nice.

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  Pack 2 pick 2:

Pit Fight is the better option in hindsight, but this guy runs people over so I take him.  Unfortunately I have either forgotten that red is just a splash and might not even happen or that Pit Fight counts as mono-green.

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  Pack 2 pick 3:

Holy Mantle is just the thing a deck full of two-drops needs. Threaten would be fine and I already have two Gruul stones, so a third, while an upgrade is not that much better.

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  Pack 2 pick 4:

Oh my! That is a late Spectacle, but double black is right out for me and I'm not hating a removal card while there are unexciting playables in my color.

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  Pack 2 pick 5:

Orzhov is certainly open. I get a reasonable flier.

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  Pack 2 pick 6:

Guildgate to enable a splash beats bad splash cards easily.

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  Pack 2 pick 7:

The closest I get to a playable here is Riot Gear, but that is not what this deck is about, so now I'll cut the powerful syndicate card.

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  Pack 2 pick 8:

I could probably use some Knight tokens, but I am woefully short on tricks, so it boils down to the cheap Burst or the splashed power of Martial Glory. I want the Glory so badly, but I have often found Burst to be a one-mana removal spell.

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  Pack 2 pick 9:

Yay, she came back around! Snap up another aggressive tapper. From here out, I will weight white creatures higher than equal power green ones.

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  Pack 2 pick 10:

Off-color two-drops could trump my plan.

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  Pack 2 pick 11:

But some defense against an Azorious air squad could come handy.

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  Pack 2 pick 12:

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  Pack 3 pick 1:

That's some Rakdos. I think I'll have another consistent bear with upside, please. This deck is so light on removal so far that Arrow might have been correct. Maybe Pegasus or the pump spell will wheel.

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  Pack 3 pick 2:

Annihilating Fire is no-splash burn but Justicar and Valor are both nice in a deck full of bears. Valor is better methinks. I wouldn't mind wheeling the double-detainer but this pack doesn't look deep enough for that.

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  Pack 3 pick 3:

Giant Growth and the Griffin both catch my eye, but I'm thinking about possible Eyes in the Skies or Rootborn Defenses coming and take the token-maker. My chances for a power splash are dwindling.

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  Pack 3 pick 4:

Some nice green is here, but do you remember how good Valor was in RTR drafts? It will help my bears bust through the plentiful 2/4s of this format.

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  Pack 3 pick 5:

This may have been better as Crocodile even with no activation mana. I should not be interested in a 2/5 with sometimes vigilance.

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  Pack 3 pick 6:

Two spicy tricks here. I take stock of my tokens and find one Centaur, two Knights, and one army in a can. That's not enough to sway me to Defenses.

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  Pack 3 pick 7:

I actually have enough enchantments that Ethereal Armor could get nasty, but you know what today's theme is.

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  Pack 3 pick 8:

Mediocre eight or efficient one-mana trick? Not even a question.

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  Pack 3 pick 9:

Rare draft. Instant 0.20 tix!

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  Pack 3 pick 10:

Not running two Swift Juctice. Or one Rogue's Passage. Passage is like a colorless splash.

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  Pack 3 pick 12:

Probably not, but maybe in the right matchup?

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The deck:

I like this plan

Step 1) Play a couple two-drops
Step 2) Push through with aggro tappers
Step 3) Go over the top with auras

Match 1:
I play against an unfocused 4/5-color deck with plenty of gates but no creatures either game. Villain plays Gruul War Chant both games.

A dangerous plan, but the only one available at the time

Not a keep, despite the obvious appeal.

 Match 2:
Villian has a Jund deck, but stalls on 3 mana game one and complains about his luck in the chat.

My plan: even if he can remove the beetle with a spell, I should be able to scavenge to the Disciple to get through.

This game two hand is spicy

In game two, he four-for-twos himself, trading Splatter Thug, Korozda Monitor, Drudge Beetle, and Pit Fight (plus he dealt two damage) for my Kraul Warrior with Knightly Valor plus the Knight token. That's not a recipe for success, especially when I use my backup Valor on my remaining creature.

Match 3:
Game one, Villian offers a turn three trade of his Kraul Warrior for my Disciple of the Old Ways (with no red mana sources). I accept and the resulting board is below.

With my hand of three-drop, double two-drop, I think the trade was right.

He doesn't draw a third land, making it not matter.

Game two, is more competitive, but not by much. My opening hand:

On the draw, this is the kind of keep I can get behind. I have a turn two play, then assuming I get any land, I can make Cluestone into Herald.

Immediately rewarded with on-time gate, turning this hand into a monster

Helix you

The longest game of the day goes 8 turns and ends with me barely passing up the two-for-one in response to his pump in favor of burning his dome while he's tapped out and at one.

This draft was sweet. 3-0 matches and 6-0 games, bringing in a full draft set to do it all again later.