RTR Draft #5: Part Deux -- Naya Smash

My deck:

Refer here for the draft picks

I have so few early drops, plenty of fours, fives and sixes, but I didn't pass a green two-drop at all and no white ones after I moved into white. Maybe there weren't many in the draft pod?

I feel like I have plenty of burn, with two random fighters, Pit Fight, Ground Assault and Explosive Impact.

My key will be remaining alive while my big boom-booms come online. Luckily, I have two single-mana tricks which can come in handy when casting my second big drop and leaving an inconspicuous forest open.

Match 1 versus Red White Blue fliers:

You bet I burnt the early Skynight Legionnaire

Five turns in, I've got three lands and cast all three of my mana accelerators with have four six-drops in hand. I feel like this could be typical for this top-heavy deck.

I was under no pressure from Villian, partially due to my snap Ground Assault upon his turn three Skynight. He tries to race my team of three-power guys with his Fluxcharger, Raptor, and Sapphire Drake, but I Armed//Dangerous to take the game.

Game two, he leads with turn one Rakdos Cackler, then Muggings my turn two Disciple. I stabilize with Slaughterhorn, Ivy Lane Denizen, then Wolfrider on turns three, four, five. He uses Catch, no Release to steal a hit with my Wolfrider, but if I have any pump he just dies the next turn. (A counterspell doesn't stop bloodrush.) Armed//Dangerous loses to a counter or bounce, but he has none.

Counter or lose, Villian

Match two, against Green-Black:

He decides to race with an unleashed Grim Roustabout on turn two followed up by Dryad Militant and Forced Adaptation on the regenerator on turn three. I have no real answer for the growing skeleton warrior. I trade my turn three crocodile for his one-drop, then make Cobblebrute and agree to the race since I have Armed in my hand and a five power guy in play. At 15, he doesn't leave a blocker back and I get him with Armed, not Dangerous plus Slaughterhorn with Giant Growth in hand.

Game two, our Villian mulligans to five, but I go to six to be sporting and also because I have a six-lander:

I debate keeping this. With my curve situation, a castable three-drop and six mana on turn six could work out.

He leads again with unleashed Roustabout, then Balustrade Spy on turn four, but I curve out with Disciple, Crocodile, Tower Indrik, then Scab-Clan Giant on five. Easy win.

On to the finals, where I play against a deck that has full Esper mana on turn three. He curves with fliers: Daggerdrome Imp, Rakdos Drake, Runner's Bane my first play then Shadow Slices a flier. Ew.

Game two, I get reach Mossdog on turn four, he drops Steeple Roc, then I attack, play Cobblebrute and leave up Burst of Strength for the blowout on turn five. That is just what happens and from there the game is never in question.

The final deciding game is a good one, with Villian having the awkward curve of Imp, Cloudfin Raptor, and Rakdos Drake. On my turn five, the situation is thus:

I could have played Gargoyle and Guildgate, but chose to play a forest to leave Giant Growth up. I'm not sure which is right, but I stick with my choice in hindsight, I expect him to play another creature (ideally 4 toughness or less), evolve the Raptor and attack with two 2/3s. Then I ambush the Raptor and if I draw an untapped land I can kill a random guy. 

What actually happens is Runner's Bane my flier. Letting it resolve does nothing, so I counter it an prevent his attack by Giant Growth in response. Unfortunately he doesn't lose a flier this way. His follow-up is Murmuring Phantasm. I do draw the untapped land and have the option of Armed//Dangerous to kill the Raptor and Imp, but the Drake isn't allowed to block so I forgo that plan. and take the 50/50 gamble that the giant kills a relevant flier, although anything but the wall is still value.  It hits the wall. (sad trombone). 

He follows up with Tithe Drinker and Undercity Informer. I pull a fortunate sideboarded Tower Defense, which combined with Renegade Krasis allows me a non-obvious trick to ambush both of the troublesome fliers. Villian's Informer saccing his doomed fliers mills Mossdog, my one scavenge creature, so I have some options when I draw my second Scab-Clan Giant. With so many unimportant little guys on the board him at 20 and me at 8, I get aggressive. 

I have Armed in hand, so my plan is to load up on counters to grow the flier, let him plink me for 1 a turn with his Imp and then Armed to finish him off when he has no blockers up. The discarded option is a post-combat Giant to kill off at least on creature on the other side.

Not holding back the Gargoyle proves costly.

He Shadow Slices, extorts, hits with his tiny flier, then Shadow Slices again. I think I got too greedy and might have done better by playing giant taking my chances on not hitting the wall with the random fight, evolving the Krasis and attacking on the ground. I would still have Armed//Dangereous and the 3 scavenge counters in the yard.

All in all, this wasn't a terrible draft. My first two opponents were not too sharp, but I had a shot at winning the finals.

It sure looked like green was wide open in pack one, but not much came in pack three.

It should't be a surprise when a tricky blue/black deck beats dumb Gruul smashers.