Some drafts, you open a pack of trash and feel, from the very start, “this draft is not going my way”.
Others, you get lucky…
Spoiler:
The top three are obviusly Titanic Ultimatum, Resounding Thunder and Resounding Silence. It’s hard to rank these three cards, but the number four pick is Rakeclaw Gargantuan, which shares Naya with the ultimatum. I pick the silence, signaling red and green are availble.
My pick:
Pick 2
Spoiler:
Fortune smiles my way – no cards signals “Go Esper” better than a 2nd pick Tower Gargoyle. Notice the Algae that I pass, keeping the green signal flowing.
My pick:
Pick 3
Spoiler:
A rather weak pack, but the citadel is a prime mana fixer even if I’m in Esper and not Bant.
My pick:
Pick 4
Spoiler:
Clear signals keep flowing from the two neighbours feeding me.
My pick:
Pick 5
Spoiler:
Sanctum is stronger than Metallurgen IMO, even without any capsules.
My pick:
Pick 6
Spoiler:
I like this deck. Esper Battlemage can kick some of Alara Reborn’s multicolored 2/1 before they grow to be 3/2.
My pick:
Pick 7
Spoiler:
Arming for a mirror match.
My pick:
Pick 8
Spoiler:
Not sure Puppet Conjurer is good here, so far I don’t have anything that uses this guy.
My pick:
Pick 9
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My pick:
Pick 10
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My pick:
Pick 11
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My pick:
Pick 12
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My pick:
Pick 13
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My pick:
Pick 14
Pack 2
Pick 1
Spoiler:
The bomb is way better than all my in-color cards. Often enough, I can muster a single red mana by the time I get to 7 mana. If I do, this guy just wins (fun fact – in the one game he was about to enter, my opponent busted him with Brainbite the turn before I got to 7 mana).
My pick:
Pick 2
Spoiler:
Sedraxis is playable but not a 2nd pick, and I notice I have only one mana fixer I take the Rupture Spire. It also makes red mana
My pick:
Pick 3
Spoiler:
What’s with this pack? Is my luck stating to run out?
I take the first striker just for a 2/2 body to hold off some damage.
My pick:
Pick 4
Spoiler:
Alright, patience is rewarded.
My pick:
Pick 5
Spoiler:
Manaforce Mace is good in any deck, better in Esper where it can power off pack 3 Arsenal Threshers.
My pick:
Pick 6
Spoiler:
If one mace is good, two are better, no? I ponder the Faerie, but I like the mace better.
My pick:
Pick 7
Spoiler:
Everything else is trash, but a 2/3 flier for 3 mana is sweet.
My pick:
Pick 8
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My pick:
Pick 9
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Fantasizing about activating this guy (or cycling the silence) with the green mana from Rupture Spire or Seaside Citadel. Even in real life (and without much chance for green mana), this dude is solid.
My pick:
Pick 10
Spoiler:
I don’t think I’ll play this guy. Esper just has too many fliers as it is.
My pick:
Pick 11
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My pick:
Pick 12
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My pick:
Pick 13
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My pick:
Pick 14
Pack 3
Pick 1
Spoiler:
Still not 100% sure it’s the right call, but the Mask is much more castable than the 6-CC enchantment. It can get an occaisional ground pounder to punch through, but of course the reason it’s here is the card advantage. My opponent ended up splashing white in his Grixis deck just to play this card, and never actually having the mana to cast it.
My pick:
Pick 2
Spoiler:
A nice trick, at worst he can kill a 3/2 and live.
My pick:
Pick 3
Spoiler:
It might be time to start plucking these Arsenal Threshers. I have a huge artifact count…
My pick:
Pick 4
Spoiler:
Architects of Will will buy enough time or seal a close game. I usually use it on my opponent.
My pick:
Pick 5
Spoiler:
A ground pounder that always punches through for a solid 4 damage, and cycles for a measly colored mana. Excellent card in this deck.
My pick:
Pick 6
Spoiler:
Pick 6 wall of denial This is by far the best wall I’ve seen, leaving the excellent Wall of Reverence from Conflux behind with its shroud, 8 toughness and lower casting cost. How does the ancient Wall of Stone look now?
My pick:
Pick 7
Spoiler:
Soul Manipulation is somewhat better than Brainbite, both are on the “playable but I’d rather not” level.
My pick:
Pick 8
Spoiler:
8 mana is too much for a 4/4 flier with a one time lifegain. Deny Reality, usually not a great card, actually fits perfectly into this deck with many 4-CC and 3-CC permanents. Stalling until i draw my super wall, gear or the Tyrant is the strategy here.
My pick:
Pick 9
Spoiler:
I’m always glad to pick up another Thresher.
My pick:
Pick 10
Spoiler:
I have many spells I’d like to play in this deck, and sacrificing my 3-drop is not the best option. Still, I’m not sure about this one. What do you think?
My pick:
Pick 11
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My pick:
Pick 12
Spoiler:
Whatever, it’s not like I’m going to play it.
My pick:
Pick 13
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My pick:
Pick 14
I’d like to say the great deck I drafted had anything to do with my skills, but in this case it’s mostly luck. Getting a great 1st pick like Silence and discovering the two players feeding you want you to be in white is a great feeling. I went about 4-1 against a casual opponent, with the one game I lost I was at 3 lands and drawn half my deck with Mask of Riddles! Some games are just impossible.
The decklist:
Creatures
Tower Gargoyle
Sanctum Gargoyle
Esper Battlemage
Blood Tyrant
Paragon of the Amesha
Master Transmuter
Aven Trailblazer
Darklit Gargoyle
Aerie Mystics
Ethersworn Shieldmage
2 X Arsenal Thresher
Architects of Will
Glassdust Hulk
Wall of Denial
Esper Stormblade
Etherium Abomination
Spells
Resounding Silence
Agony Warp
2 X Manaforce Mace
Mask of Riddles
Deny Reality
Lands
Seaside Citadel
Rupture Spire
4 X Swamp
5 X Island
5 X Plains
Mountain
Think I shouldn’t have spliced red for the Tyrant? Don’t understand why I didn’t take Necromancer’s Covenant?
pick 5 shards:i’d have take metallurgeon since a second was olmost impossible to pick but i do not fisagree, pick 7: dispeller capsule is a situational card, usefull only in mirror but the rino is a good bomb alwais pick 2 conflux:i do not like much rupture spire. . it slows you too much and do not gives benefit as domanin, for fixing i’d hope in Armillary Sphere and take instead jhessian balmgiver that can meke you win a game pick 4 i’d have pick cormorants but i think your decison was more wise pick 5 i prefer nacatl since it is a strong creature, and mace takes 2 turns to turn effective since u must equip it and you have only 3 colors pick 9 i prefear homunculus that can borrow you time and is an artifact pick 3 reborn:esper stormblade pick 4:arsenal trasher is much more powerfull in this deck i think pick 8: i do not like noone of the 2 picks but angel is at least an artifact pick 10:thopter foundry. with that many artifacts it is a card that doubles yuor creatures for 1 mana. . .soo helpfull. On this pick i am shure In the deck i had not played Blood Tyrant and Paragon of the Amesha(not artifact)
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sparv:
pick 5 shards:i’d have take metallurgeon since a second was olmost impossible to pick but i do not fisagree,
19/5/09, 5:03pick 7: dispeller capsule is a situational card, usefull only in mirror but the rino is a good bomb alwais
pick 2 conflux:i do not like much rupture spire. . it slows you too much and do not gives benefit as domanin, for fixing i’d hope in Armillary Sphere and take instead jhessian balmgiver that can meke you win a game
pick 4 i’d have pick cormorants but i think your decison was more wise
pick 5 i prefer nacatl since it is a strong creature, and mace takes 2 turns to turn effective since u must equip it and you have only 3 colors
pick 9 i prefear homunculus that can borrow you time and is an artifact
pick 3 reborn:esper stormblade
pick 4:arsenal trasher is much more powerfull in this deck i think
pick 8: i do not like noone of the 2 picks but angel is at least an artifact
pick 10:thopter foundry. with that many artifacts it is a card that doubles yuor creatures for 1 mana. . .soo helpfull. On this pick i am shure
In the deck i had not played Blood Tyrant and Paragon of the Amesha(not artifact)