Sunday, October 20, 2013

Theros Draft Walkthough #1

Heading into my first MODO draft, I've only done one real life draft, at our LGS and with twelve men in one draft pod.

  Pack 1 pick 1:

Bow of Nylea is one choice, but it is probably the weakest of the gods' weapons and I'd prefer to be in blue and have a Drake Umbra. Minotaur tribal could be another way to go. The Warcaller really ties that deck together. Note there are no black cards at all.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 2:

This pack is much stronger than the first one. I like both the bounce spell and the Emmisary, and Wingsteed Rider is one of the best blue-white heroic cards. I stay in one color and take Shellie the giant Ophidian. Again, there is no black worth mentioning.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 3:

In this weaker pack, I could move toward red with the Crackling Triton or take in my opinion the strongest card in the pack in the black bestow creature.

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  Pack 1 pick 4:

Oohhh! Grey Merchant pick four? Yes, please. If this is coming late from the right, I should look for more permanents with black mana symbols and ways to reuse the comes into play ability.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 5:

That is a really late Rider, which also gets my attention. With three bestow creatures already, perhaps heroic is another route I might take if it is coming around late. Theros is very deep with playables and I'm not passing anything amazing in blue or black, so I don't mind using this pick to go in a different direction.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 6:

There is not too much here. I had great success in sealed with Psychic Intrusion. The artifact flier does not rate, since it dies to all the disenchant effects players are main-decking.

 My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 7:

I've no good targets yet, but Mnemonic Wall can recur some juicy spells.

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  Pack 1 pick 8:

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  Pack 1 pick 9:

Not the best Mnemonic Wall target, but not terrible.

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  Pack 1 pick 10:

Evidently I still think the blue-white heroic deck may happen.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 11:

Shimmering Grotto can enable a splash or off-color activation without too much cost to the deck.

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  Pack 1 pick 12:

God's Willing is very good in heroic strategies.

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  Pack 1 pick 13:

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  Pack 1 pick 14:

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  Pack 1 pick 15:

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  Pack 2 pick 1:

Pack two features no blue and no heroic better than the black bestow rare.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 2:

Lots here for me, but did you know the rare removal spell can be sold for 7+ tickets? Neither did the Villain to my left.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 3:

I love Emissaries. With all my bestow, Fortune Hunter would not be bad either, but I'm back to defaulting to black mana symbols.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 4:

The Singer is supposedly excellent in a controlling blue-black strategy.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 5:

I will pass my second Lash of the Whip to take the big gorgon.

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  Pack 2 pick 6:

Curve considerations inspire me to take the three-drop over the four which has some synergy with my Nightstalker. The white train has left the station, but there goes a late spirit Elmer.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 7:

Annul vs Triton Tactics? Not sure which is better. With no heroic to speak of, I take Annul.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 8:

I pass a second black Emissary to try and combo with the Gray Merchant.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 9:

These gods are so willing.

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  Pack 2 pick 10:

Pharika's Cure is a fine cheap removal spell, but the Phalanx counts for devotion and even attacks eventually. Reminds me a little of School of Piranha. The time has passed for that late heroic Hoplite.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 11:

Wanderer is more defensive than Hippocamp and I don;t have too many counterspells or bounce where I want to keep mana open. Probably a sideboard card either way.

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  Pack 2 pick 12:

I have so many enchantment creatures.

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  Pack 2 pick 13:

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  Pack 2 pick 14:

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  Pack 2 pick 15:

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  Pack 3 pick 1:

Second Shellie over Bident and Sip.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 2:

Griptide kind of meets my removal needs.

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  Pack 3 pick 3:

Gross.

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  Pack 3 pick 4:

Why no Sip? Not sure. Perhaps because of curve and control elements.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 5:

I have plenty of things to do with lots of mana, so the Chimera is passed in favor of card selection and draw.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 6:

Stag can block then go get more land, I need both.

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  Pack 3 pick 7:

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  Pack 3 pick 8:

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  Pack 3 pick 9:

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  Pack 3 pick 10:

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  Pack 3 pick 11:

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  Pack 3 pick 12:

How lucky.

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  Pack 3 pick 13:

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  Pack 3 pick 14:

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  Pack 3 pick 15:

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The deck I submitted:



  • The two Returned Phalanxes allowed me to cut some of the less exciting early drops. 
  • We are low on removal (welcome to Theros) but high on bestow creatures. 
  • I went with 17 land plus an Amulet. That should have just been 18 lands, with our two scry 2 effects and our need for lots of mana.
  • Mnemonic Wall and Gray Merchant both like Rescue from the Underworld.
I like this deck. It suits my control style.

I went 0-3 in a Swiss draft. Hrmm. Good thing I got passed that expensive Murder.

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