I felt really lucky going the draft. I won the first round because my opponent timed out while making the winning blow, and I managed to win round two by a landslide even though my computed decided to blue-screen partway through.
I think I'm starting to get a hang of the format - this is the 5th draft in a row that I've been able to make it to the finals. However, I still have a lot to learn as I've only won one of them due to misplays or keeping bad hands.
Entry
2 Tix, 1 BNG Booster, 2 THS BoostersRares
Eidolon of Countless Battles, Polis CrusherPrizes/Sold
1 BNG Booster, 1 THS BoosterDraft
Picks
Final Pool
First pick was painful - I didn't want to pass either the Eidolon of Countless Battles or the Akroan Skyguard. The third pick Ornitharch was a little suspicious though...if I wasn't in white, I am now. Akroan Phalanx was actually a mistake - I been having issues with my mouse where it double-clicks on a single press.. By the end of pack one I was more or less WG, although I wasn't super confident that was where I wanted to be.
First pick in pack two was tough as well - I didn't want to pass the sphinx, but I don't think it would have been beneficial for me to switch colors at this time. I started getting confused near the end of the pack as I saw a Thassa's ordeal - I never see them go that late.
The Traveler's Amulets I took were to prepare me for splash in either red or blue if I needed to. Pack 3 got interesting as I started to look for more red cards to splash.
Decklist
The strategy was to just start with one creature, and just keep bestowing it to make it larger over time. If they somehow manage to clear up my voltron, I can then drop my Ornitharch or Polis Crusher to finish up, or use Portent of Betrayal to take their best thing and win with that. I felt that the bestows would make my deck a tad on the slow side, so I felt that splashing would be safe.
My deck would be very susceptible to enchantment removal, but I was hoping that my opponents wouldn't have more than 1-2 in their decks to handle all my bestows.
Games
Round 1
First round was against a mid-range RG deck.Game 1 - 328286940
I open with Traveler's Amulet into Observant Alseid bestowed with Eidolon of Countless Battles while my opponent an Ill-Tempered Cyclops. Opponent attacks but I let it through. They play Raised by Wolves on their cyclops. I bestow my Alseid with a Hopeful Eidolon then a Nylea's Emissary the next turn. They triple block my creature and play Mortal's Resolve and Titan's Strength on their Cyclops, and I kill the two wolves. They kill my Eidolon of Countless Battles with a Bolt of Keranos.I bestow my remaining Eidolon with my second Observant Alseid and swing with both. they block it with the cyclops and I use Aspect of Hydra to kill it. They play Arbor Colossus followed up with a Pheres-Band Tromper.
I swing with both creatures and they block my Hopeful Eidolon with the Colossus, and the Emissary with the Tromper. I kill the Tromper with a Mortal's Ardor, and I use Battlewise Valor to deal 5 damage to the colossus. After, I kill the Colossus with a Time to Feed and my Alseid, and win the game.
Game 2 - 328289770
Swap because I assumed I'm playing a mid-range deck and needed a bigger removal piece.+ Excoriate
- Last Breath
I mulligan a 5 land hand.
I open with a Traveler's Amulet and my opponent a Minotaur Skullcleaver. I play an Observant Alseid which they kill with a Magma Jet. I replace it with an Akroan Phalanx which is killed with a Lightning Strike. They play Courser of Kruphix.
I play Nylea's Disciple which I bestow with my second Observant Alseid. However, they instantly kill it with a Destructive Revelry. they play Staunch-Hearted Warrior. I play Cavalry Pegasus and Leonin Snarecaster. My opponent plays Arbor Colossus. I play a Sedge Scorpion. They monstrous the Colossus to kill my Pegasus, and I proceed to lose the game.
Realistically, it would have been ridiculously difficult to win that game, given how much removal my opponent had available right at the start.
Game 3 - 328292064
I open with a Sedge Scorpion into Nyxborn Wolf while my opponent a Kragma Butcher which dies to a Battlewise Valor. They replace it with an Ill-Tempered Cyclops and I play Ornitharch which gets tribute. I swing with all and they play Mortal's Resolve on their cyclops to kill the Scorpion. I replace it with Pheres-Band Tromper. They play Minotaur Skullcleaver. They leave one mana up which I suspect is a Coordinated Assault (I had passed 2 during the draft) and kill my Archon with a Magma Jet and Lightning Strike.I trade my two creatures with theirs and play Akroan Phalanx which they kill with a Bolt of Keranos. They play Staunch-Hearted Warrior, then enchants it with a Raised by Wolves. I play an Observant Alseid which is killed by a Destructive Revelry. I play Cavalry Pegasus, they play Fanatic of Xenagos which I tribute to avoid haste. I block the Warrior with my Pegasus. I play Nessian Courser. My opponent swings for the win and I block the Warrior with my courser.
Lucky for me, they timeout just as they were doing so and I win the match.
Round 2
This round was against a controlling UB deck.Game 1 - 328295042
Opponent opens with Vortex Elemental into Nyxborn Triton, and I a Sedge Scorpion into Nessian Courser into Nylea's Disciple. The Triton and and Scorpion trade. They play Aerie Worshippers which I kill with a Battlewise Valor. They play Divination. Their Vortex sends my Courser back into my deck. They Lash of the Whip my Disciple. I play Nylea's Emissary. They play Black Oak of Odunous and Fleshmad Steed. I bestow emissary with Eidolon of Countless Battles.Then my computed decided this was a good time to blue screen of death. After frantically trying to restart it, I managed to get back in the game.
My opponent lets my Emissary through and I bring them down to 4 life. They play a Keepsake Gorgon and attack me with their Fleshmad. I play Noble Quarry and attack with the Emissary to trade with the Gorgon (I would rather not let it monstrous and get a free kill), and bestow my remaining Eidolon with a Leafcrown Dryad. They kill my Unicorn with a Pharika's Cure and play Deepwater Hypnotist enchanted with Stratus Walk. I kill the Odunous with a Mortal's Ardor. They play an Erebos's Emissary. I play Nessian Courser and kill their Fleshmad with my Eidolon. I bestow my Eidolon with an Observant Alseid and swing with all, but they Griptide my Eidolon. They play Mnemonic Wall to get Griptide back. I bestow the Alseid with Eidolon of Countless Battles and swing with all. They block all but the Dryad, which I play Aspect of Hydra on to win the game.
Game 2 - 328299888
I saw lots of low attack strength, high defensive creatures - don't think stealing one is going to help me win.+ Last Breath
- Portent of Betrayal
I open with a Traveler's Amulet into Leonin Snarecaster while my opponent an Erebos's Emissary. I bestow Leafcrown Dryad on my Leonin and they kill it with their Emissary by discarding a creature. They play aerie Aerie Worshippers. I bestow my Dryad with Eidolon of Countless Battles and play Traveler's Amulet. They play Sphinx's Disciple. My Dryad is then bestowed with an Observant Alseid. They make a token and Griptide my Dryad and attack with the Disciple and Worshipper. I double block it to keep the tokens under control and they kill the Alseid. I play Ornitharch which does not get tribute. They Lash of the Whip my Eidolon. I bestow my Archon with Observant Alseid, swing, and it's chump blocked with their token.
My opponent swings with both their creatures and I block the Emissary with my token, and their Disciple with my Archon, which they Lash of the Whip to kill. I bestow the Alseid with a Leafcrown Dryad and swing to bring them down to 3 life. They play Divination and attack with the Disciple which I block with my Alseid. I bestow Nylea's Emissary on my token and swing for the win.
I had to play fast this game - finished with only 3:47 left on the clock because of the BSOD earlier.
Round 3
Final round was against a very aggressive WU swarm/tempo deck.Game 1 - 328302644
I open with a Sedge Scorpion and my opponent a Soldier of the Pantheon. They play a Leonin Snarecaster and a Traveling Philosopher, and I play Observant Alseid. The Soldier and Scorpion trade, and they replace it with a Triton Fortune Hunter. I play Cavalry Pegasus which trades with the Leonin. They play Lagonna-Band Elder. I play Akroan Phalanx which they Griptide. The Alseid and Band-Elder trade. Unable to block all their creatures I lose the gameKept a questionable hand - I had four 4 drops in hand.
Game 2 - 328304444
Saw lots of small creatures, so sided in some early game removal.+ Last Breath
- Akroan Phalanx
I open with Traveler's Amulet into Polis Crusher while my opponent a Leonin Snarecaster into Cavalry Pegasus. My cyclops trades with the Leonin and a Dauntless Onslaught. I play Ornitharch which they tribute. I kill the Pegasus with a Time to Feed. They play a second Leonin Snarecaster. I bestow a Hopeful Eidolon on my Ornitharch and win.
Game 3 - 328305344
Keep a 5 land with courser and Ornitharch.Opponent opens with Soldier of the Pantheon into Triton Fortune Hunter while I a Nessian Courser which they Retraction Helix. I replay courser which blocks the Soldier. They play Dauntless Onslaught on the Triton and the Solder to trade with the Courser. I play Ornitharch which gets tribute. They tap it with a Leonin Snarecaster and play a Elite Skirmisher. My creatures get tapped with a Sudden Storm and I lose.
Semi-mana flooded with 8 mana on turn 6. However, that was partly my fault due to keeping a 5 land hand.
Lessons Learned
- Keeping a 5 land hand against a very aggressive deck is very risky play.
- There is so much to do with mana in this format, I find that there aren't many needs for more than 1-3 cards at 5cmc or higher. Rather than risk drawing expensive spells in the beginning stages of the game, I could just use the mana for bestow, monstrous activation, or other abilities that could just as easily help me win. I think this has also been helping me avoid mana issues on a whole as there's a better chance for me to make plays in the first set of turns.
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