Sunday 9 January 2011

Drafting Magic: Online

For the first time since I installed the Magic Online client, I participated in a draft online. Well, two actually (M11 followed by Scars of Mirrodin). The first one (M11) I didn't do too well in, but still had fun, and the second (SOM) I managed to win (both were Swiss drafts, i.e. 3 rounds, no knock-out). 

M11
For the M11 draft, I started out with a Pacifism, followed by a Blinding Mage (so heavily into White from the start). I picked up a few Blue cards as well in the first pack. Second pack started off with a Brittle Effigy (good removal in any deck), and I got a White Knight, another Pacifism, and some flyers (both White and Blue). Nothing particularly interesting to report in the third pack, mainly more White and Blue flyers amongst other things. 



The first round, I played against a Black Green deck. After not getting much land and having a pacifism duressed early on, I eventually lost to flyers. I managed to win the second game, unsummoning a Howling Banshee, and eventually Exiling it with the effigy to get enough damage in. The final match I was up against a Liliana and a Primeval Titan, but did manage to hold on for a few turns before being defeated by Liliana's Ultimate ability. 


Into the second round, playing against W/R, we both play a Blinding Mage, but I put an Ice Cage on theirs. After some attacking with some flyers, they got the Ice Cage off, so I exiled the Mage, and win a few turns later. The second game they get an Honour of the Pure, Mystifying Maze, Serra Angel and Prodigal Pyromancer. I exile Serra after a stand off (I had an indestructible flying knight), but in the end loose to something being flung at me, and Pyromancer damage. The final game was fairly close, I was managing to attack with two creatures to lessen the effect of a Mystifying Maze and was close to winning, but their clock ran out so I won anyway. 


In the final round, I Mulligan for the first game (on the draw), and risk keeping one land with a brittle effigy, blinding mage and pacifism. Luckily the first card I draw is another land. Unluckily they play Gaeas Revenge with me having no way to deal with it. I lost the second game too, but haven't got any notes from it so its probably not too interesting. 


SOM
My second draft of the day was a Scars of Mirrodin one. I have only drafted this in real life a few times, but think it is a fun set so went in hoping to be able to explore the set further. I'll put the draft picks at the bottom for any pointers. 


My first pick was a Carnifex Demon, followed by an uninteresting pack that got me a Vector Asp. A third pick Contagion Clasp (to go with the Demon) and fourth Corpse Cur made an infect strategy possible. I then got a Trigon of Rage (thinking it would go well with infect if I got more), and Steady Progress (keeping proliferate in mind to go with both the Demon, and an infect strategy).  I then got an Ichor Rats to allow me to look heavily into getting infect cards now, and a Painsmith (I had a number of artifacts already, and thought it would go well with infect). Also of note from the pack was a Trigon of Infestation. 


I started off the second pack with an Infiltration Lens (to put people off blocking my infect dudes, and net me lots of cards if they do), and got a second pick Wurmcoil Engine, thinking that its got to be good, even if I do go fully infect. I got an Untamed Might and an infect creature, as well as some general filler, but nothing too interesting from the rest of the second pack. 


Starting off the third pack was a Strata Scythe, which seemed powerful with infect (and my mainly mono-black with probable splash deck at this point). I got another Untamed Might and some more creatures (both infect and not). In the end, the deck I put together looked like this:


Confident I had a solid deck together, I submitted it and waited to start the first match. My first match was against a Mono Blue deck, and after getting two poison counters on them, they played what would be an unblockable 5/5 (I had an artifact), my two small infect creatures went through unblocked, and finished the match with a large Untamed Might. The second game I started off with Ichor Rats and Trigon of Rage, and I quickly got them up to 8 poison counters. They got some creatures out (including that 5/5 unblockable) so I played the Carnifex Demon to clear the board (and lessen the power of the unblockable creature). I used the Green Trigons a few times to get a number of infect creatures, and got enough through to win the game and match. 


Red/Green was the deck my second round opponent played. I got an early concession in the first match, thanks to the help of Blight Mamba and Painsmith, keeping the pressure on. 


The second game was very close indeed. I had a slow start, not having any creatures to play, but got an Infiltration Lens and Strata Scythe onto the board. They play a Molder Beast with a Darksteel Axe, and two 2/2 Myr, and I go down to 4. I play the Carnifex Demon and remove one counter (using all my mana), leaving a 6/2 beast, and 2 1/1 myr, which they attack with on their next turn. I block the beast with the demon to trade, and take 3 damage in total (one trample). On my next turn, with one life left, I play a Painsmith, make an Insect with the Trigon of Infestation and attach the Scythe to it (as well as the infiltration lens), giving me a 6/6 infect insect. They decline to attack the next turn, luckily for me. I play another Trigon of Infestation and give the insect I have out +2/+0 and deathtouch from the painsmith. I attack with the insect (I have enough mana spare to make another one so can block both their creatures next turn if needed), but they don't block, so I play Untamed Might to deal 11 poison counters in one hit, winning the match. 


The third and final match started, against a W/B deck. I start with a Vector Asp and Painsmith, they play a Auriok Sunchaser and Salvage Scout. I play a Contagion Clasp on the Sunchaser, and they play a Plague Stinger. I play a Fume Spitter to get rid of the Plague Stringer, and a Trigon of Rage. We trade some creatures, and I get out a Contagious Nim, which trades with a Blackcleave Goblin. They play an artifact creature and exile my contagion clasp. I get an infect insect and blight mamba out, followed by another insect. The blight mamba holds the ground for a bit while I get a Corpse Cur and another insect, until it is killed by a Skinrender. I play the Contagious Nim I got back the previous turn. They play a Grafted Exoskeleton, equiping it to the Auriok Sunchaser which had just hit metalcraft. They give me 5 poison counters that I can't block (no fliers), so I make another insect (4 now, I had proliferated once giving me an extra counter on the trigon). I untapped and did some maths (and got Liz to help me double check it; she is a maths teacher) as I was dead next turn to a 5/5/ infect flyer. I attack with four 1/1's with infect, and two 2/2's with infect. They block the 2/2's and a 1/1 with their 3 untapped creatures. I activate my Trigon of Rage for the first time all game on one of my unblocked tokens, and give another +4/+4 from an Untamed Might to deal a full 10 poison counters in one attack (I thought I had to use the Trigon for +3 for 2 mana, as I wouldn't have had enough with Untamed Might X=6, but didn't remember that I had already given them a poison counter previously). 


For the second game of the final round, I got an early Plague Stinger, followed by a Contagious Nim that was killed by a Skinrender. After getting a couple of turns of poison damage in, an unblocked Plague Stinger powered up with an Untamed Might was enough to win me the game, and the match. 


All things considered, I had a fun time drafting online. I drew the Wurmcoil Engine that was in my deck twice, but didn't need to play it either time in the end. Infect as a draft strategy is a pretty powerful one, especially with a selection of power pumping spells (I quite like the Trigon of Rage as you don't have to be in Red to run it), but can be risky if you don't get enough creatures. I think with this in mind, it makes the Trigon of Infestation a moderately high pick if you plan on drafting infect, as it silently ups the creature count (multiple times over a few turns too). 




Draft Picks
In the comments are my draft picks from the SOM draft, let me know if there is anything you would have done differently, or if there was a better card that I missed. 





3 comments:

  1. Draft picks:


    Pack 1 pick 1:
    Plated Seastrider
    Neurok Invisimancer
    Iron Myr
    Leaden Myr
    Tel-Jilad Defiance
    Tel-Jilad Fallen
    --> Carnifex Demon
    Auriok Sunchaser
    Galvanic Blast
    Twisted Image
    Flesh Allergy
    Trinket Mage
    Chrome Steed
    Mountain
    Fume Spitter

    Pack 1 pick 2:
    --> Vector Asp
    Kemba's Skyguard
    Ezuri's Archers
    Assault Strobe
    Lumengrid Drake
    Trigon of Infestation
    Flameborn Hellion
    Auriok Edgewright
    Relic Putrescence
    Horizon Spellbomb
    Panic Spellbomb
    Origin Spellbomb
    Palladium Myr
    Forest

    Pack 1 pick 3:
    Copper Myr
    Shatter
    Lumengrid Drake
    Ichorclaw Myr
    --> Contagion Clasp
    Tel-Jilad Defiance
    Infiltration Lens
    Tel-Jilad Fallen
    Flameborn Hellion
    Plague Stinger
    Neurok Replica
    Origin Spellbomb
    Mountain

    Pack 1 pick 4:
    Halt Order
    Contagious Nim
    --> Corpse Cur
    Blistergrub
    Salvage Scout
    Whitesun's Passage
    Bladed Pinions
    Darksteel Myr
    Accorder's Shield
    Chrome Steed
    Scoria Elemental
    Mountain

    Pack 1 pick 5:
    Vector Asp
    Ezuri's Archers
    Kuldotha Rebirth
    Vault Skyward
    --> Trigon of Rage
    Alpha Tyrranax
    Darksteel Myr
    Moriok Replica
    Panic Spellbomb
    Soul Parry
    Plains

    Pack 1 pick 6:
    Copper Myr
    Bloodshot Trainee (FOIL)
    Vulshok Heartstoker
    --> Steady Progress
    Loxodon Wayfarer
    Glimmerpost
    Horizon Spellbomb
    Chrome Steed
    Stoic Rebuttal
    Island

    Pack 1 pick 7:
    Assault Strobe
    --> Ichor Rats
    Blackcleave Goblin
    Vulshok Heartstoker
    Alpha Tyrranax
    Echo Circlet
    Flight Spellbomb
    Soul Parry
    Island

    Pack 1 pick 8:
    Ghalma's Warden
    --> Painsmith
    Ferrovore
    Vulshok Heartstoker
    Auriok Sunchaser
    Vedalken Certarch
    Clone Shell
    Forest

    Pack 1 pick 9:
    Plated Seastrider
    --> Leaden Myr
    Tel-Jilad Defiance
    Tel-Jilad Fallen
    Auriok Sunchaser
    Twisted Image
    Mountain

    Pack 1 pick 10:
    Ezuri's Archers
    Assault Strobe
    --> Trigon of Infestation
    Flameborn Hellion
    Relic Putrescence
    Forest

    Pack 1 pick 11:
    --> Tel-Jilad Defiance
    Tel-Jilad Fallen
    Flameborn Hellion
    Neurok Replica
    Mountain

    Pack 1 pick 12:
    --> Blistergrub
    Whitesun's Passage
    Scoria Elemental
    Mountain

    Pack 1 pick 13:
    Kuldotha Rebirth
    --> Vault Skyward
    Plains

    Pack 1 pick 14:
    --> Glimmerpost
    Island

    Pack 1 pick 15:
    --> Island

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pack 2 pick 1:
    Wing Puncture
    Halt Order
    Goblin Gaveleer
    Necrogen Scudder
    --> Infiltration Lens
    Strider Harness
    Grand Architect
    Vedalken Certarch
    Bleak Coven Vampires
    Snapsail Glider
    Molder Beast
    Relic Putrescence
    Flight Spellbomb
    Stoic Rebuttal
    Plains

    Pack 2 pick 2:
    Glimmerpoint Stag
    Untamed Might
    Carrion Call
    Bonds of Quicksilver
    Bladed Pinions
    --> Wurmcoil Engine
    Lifesmith
    Sunspear Shikari
    Prototype Portal (FOIL)
    Vulshok Replica
    Razorfield Thresher
    Scoria Elemental
    Saberclaw Golem
    Island

    Pack 2 pick 3:
    --> Blight Mamba
    Blade-Tribe Berserkers
    Necrogen Censer
    Bloodshot Trainee
    Blackcleave Goblin
    Golem Foundry
    Silver Myr
    Silver Myr (FOIL)
    Golem Artisan
    Loxodon Wayfarer
    Sylvok Replica
    Myrsmith
    Swamp

    Pack 2 pick 4:
    Sky-Eel School
    --> Blight Mamba
    Blade-Tribe Berserkers
    Oxidda Daredevil
    Instill Infection
    Abuna Acolyte
    Silver Myr
    Blistergrub
    Withstand Death
    Razorverge Thicket
    Liquimetal Coating
    Island

    Pack 2 pick 5:
    Necrogen Censer
    Dross Hopper
    Goblin Gaveleer
    Soliton
    Vulshok Replica
    Neurok Replica (FOIL)
    --> Acid Web Spider
    Disperse
    Liquimetal Coating
    Plains
    Fulgent Distraction

    Pack 2 pick 6:
    Blunt the Assault
    Bleak Coven Vampires
    Moriok Replica
    --> Relic Putrescence
    Flight Spellbomb
    Exsanguinate
    Stoic Rebuttal
    Plains
    Fulgent Distraction
    Scrapdiver Serpent

    Pack 2 pick 7:
    --> Contagious Nim
    Seize the Initiative
    Viridian Revel
    Turn Aside
    Wall of Tanglecord
    Withstand Death
    Moriok Replica
    Tainted Strike
    Mountain

    Pack 2 pick 8:
    Plated Seastrider
    Melt Terrain
    Ghalma's Warden
    Moriok Reaver
    Loxodon Wayfarer
    --> Echo Circlet
    Stoic Rebuttal
    Plains

    Pack 2 pick 9:
    Wing Puncture
    Goblin Gaveleer
    Vedalken Certarch
    --> Relic Putrescence
    Flight Spellbomb
    Stoic Rebuttal
    Plains

    Pack 2 pick 10:
    --> Untamed Might
    Carrion Call
    Lifesmith
    Razorfield Thresher
    Scoria Elemental
    Island

    Pack 2 pick 11:
    Necrogen Censer
    Silver Myr
    --> Silver Myr (FOIL)
    Loxodon Wayfarer
    Swamp

    Pack 2 pick 12:
    Oxidda Daredevil
    Silver Myr
    --> Withstand Death
    Island

    Pack 2 pick 13:
    --> Disperse
    Plains
    Fulgent Distraction

    Pack 2 pick 14:
    --> Plains
    Fulgent Distraction

    Pack 2 pick 15:
    --> Mountain

    ReplyDelete
  3. Pack 3 pick 1:
    Revoke Existence
    Contagious Nim
    Darkslick Drake
    Trigon of Infestation
    Throne of Geth
    Salvage Scout
    Strider Harness
    --> Strata Scythe
    Tainted Strike
    Screeching Silcaw
    Razorfield Thresher
    Tumble Magnet
    Golden Urn
    Swamp
    Scrapdiver Serpent

    Pack 3 pick 2:
    Sky-Eel School
    --> Untamed Might
    Leaden Myr
    Seize the Initiative
    Viridian Revel
    Turn Aside
    Carrion Call
    Tel-Jilad Fallen
    Psychic Miasma
    Rust Tick
    Acid Web Spider (FOIL)
    Saberclaw Golem
    Swamp
    Fume Spitter

    Pack 3 pick 3:
    Neurok Invisimancer
    Bloodshot Trainee
    Corpse Cur
    Wall of Tanglecord
    --> Tangle Angler
    Salvage Scout
    Whitesun's Passage
    Neurok Replica
    Trinket Mage
    Accorder's Shield
    Molder Beast
    Scoria Elemental
    Swamp

    Pack 3 pick 4:
    Kuldotha Rebirth
    Copperhorn Scout
    Instill Infection
    Blunt the Assault
    --> Slice in Twain
    Volition Reins
    Grafted Exoskeleton
    Auriok Replica
    Panic Spellbomb
    Disperse
    Island
    Fulgent Distraction

    Pack 3 pick 5:
    --> Memnite
    Ezuri's Archers
    Melt Terrain
    Dross Hopper
    Moriok Reaver
    Steady Progress
    Flameborn Hellion
    Volition Reins
    Echo Circlet
    Nihil Spellbomb
    Plains

    Pack 3 pick 6:
    --> Vector Asp
    Wing Puncture
    Assault Strobe
    Corrupted Harvester
    Soliton
    Auriok Sunchaser
    Auriok Replica
    Relic Putrescence
    Horizon Spellbomb
    Forest

    Pack 3 pick 7:
    Blight Mamba
    Blade-Tribe Berserkers
    Psychic Miasma
    --> Plague Stinger
    Withstand Death
    Auriok Replica
    Razorfield Thresher
    Swamp
    Ogre Geargrabber

    Pack 3 pick 8:
    Iron Myr
    --> Instill Infection
    Bonds of Quicksilver
    Alpha Tyrranax
    Cystbearer
    Strider Harness
    Myrsmith
    Forest

    Pack 3 pick 9:
    --> Trigon of Infestation
    Tainted Strike
    Screeching Silcaw
    Razorfield Thresher
    Golden Urn
    Swamp
    Scrapdiver Serpent

    Pack 3 pick 10:
    Seize the Initiative
    Viridian Revel
    Turn Aside
    Psychic Miasma
    Swamp
    --> Fume Spitter

    Pack 3 pick 11:
    Whitesun's Passage
    Neurok Replica
    --> Trinket Mage
    Scoria Elemental
    Swamp

    Pack 3 pick 12:
    --> Instill Infection
    Blunt the Assault
    Island
    Fulgent Distraction

    Pack 3 pick 13:
    Melt Terrain
    --> Moriok Reaver
    Plains

    Pack 3 pick 14:
    --> Assault Strobe
    Forest

    Pack 3 pick 15:
    --> Swamp

    ReplyDelete