SHM draft UB (3-0)

There seems to be a trend, Mono Red and UB are my two favourite colours. I've done well with UW and GW but I find my decks never quite compare with what i draft in UB or Mono Red.

The Draft.

Yes this deck is strong. No I'm not a lucksack who opened the packs. My first picks from each pack were: Godhead of Awe, Thoughtweft Gambit, Leech Bonded.

I started off in UW, however quickly delved into UB when inkfathom infiltrator was passed (its a fantastic card)

The final pack pays incredible dividends for my cutting off blue. 6th pick Wasp Lancer, 7th pick Ghastlord of Fugue and two helm of ghastlords get passed, but I believe are hated out before they can table.

I like parapet watchers, it gums up the ground versus land creature decks (GW, RG etc) and totally screws with combat maths, not only that but it makes hiding open mana for tricks not seem so obvious, especially if you're keeping your 4 aethertow mana open and he has a 6 power creature out.

Why UB is nice.

I believe it has to do with the strong U creatures and spells combined with the evasion of flying and removal (River's Grasp, Blight, Gloomlance, Biting Tether, Curse of Chains, Turn to Mist, Aethertow, Consign to Dream and if desperate, Sinking Feeling). With these you can almost always table some kind of control back to you. And what fantastic control, you can make them discard, you can tap down their critters, you can timewalk them, remove enchants, save your own creatures, the list goes on!

UW and GW decks are difficult to play past turn 10 as they have very low toughness creatures, and lots of competition, people love playing mono white, blue players steal your picks, and green players steal everything. That said, they also have the two most powerful enchants.

Matches (2-0 2-0 2-1)

Match 1 vs. Lepauli 1733 rated Green White enchant fest.

Game 1:
River's Grasp his turn 5 Ghastbark to see his hand, I'm shocked. Shield of Oversoul, Shield of Oversoul, Armored Ascension. I feel like I've literally dodged a bullet. I make him discard his only relevant creature and bash to the face with Wasp Lancer, Wingrattle Scarecrow and my 3/3 Leech Bonder (who is basically 2 lots of removal due to the number of crazy 1 toughness creatures).

Game 2:
He concedes at 13 life (which starts an interesting trend) with the board showing Wasp Lancer, Leech Bonder and Wingrattle Scarecrow. Once again he can't cast anything as the board is removed by Bonder, and flying is impressive in SHM as it is very rare.

He has Wooded Bastion. Must be nice.

Match 2 vs. Penumbra 1571 rated with Green White enchant fest.

My opponent concedes at 16 life on turn 6, im on 14 life . The board is Kinscaer Harpoonist, Wingrattle Scarecrow and Inkfathom infiltrator. I'm holding Ghastlord of Fugue, Wasp Lancer, Prismwake Merrow and Gravelgill duo.

Another classic 'interaction' was a major misplay by my opponent, which I have done before:

Board is Mistmeadow Skulk and 3 lands. He taps 3 and then slowly untaps. Well it could be a bluff, but more likely it's an enchant. Instead he passes the turn and casts Wildslayer Elves turn after.

I'm holding River's Grasp with the mana to play it, but I wait, attacking with my evasion fliers.

He gets one attack in with his Shield of Oversoul protected Wildslayers before I 2 for 1 him with River's Grasp.

In fact my biggest fear is early aggro before i can get all my 3 drops online. This seems unfounded as by the time I get my guys online, my opponents weenies are generally irrelevant.

Match 3 Finals vs. PlusEV 1747 rated UW with TRICKS

Game 1: Win with overwhelming aggro, Ghastlord just cuts off his defense and River's Grasp and Leech Bonder slowly but surely remove his board.

Game 2: It's a close game, and my Leech Bonder is surprised by a Plumeveil... Which utterly annoys me as all my critters are flying.

I die when he is at 4 life. He has a 6/6 Faerie Swarm and a Cemetery Puca copying my Wasp Lancer.

I made a big misplay here, He attacks with Kinscaer harpoonist and 5/5 Faerie swarm, I'm at 7 life and I've got Wasp Lancer as my only blocker. I choose to block faerie swarm to reduce damage, but I end up dead on the board as he still has his Kinscaer which can stop my blockers and now he has a Wasp too using his Cemetry Puca.

Let this be a lesson to myself that life totals only matter when you're at 0.

Game 3:

12 turns.

He has many tricks, including verbal.

When I cast Leech Bonder he mentions his dismay with how much he hates that card on turn 3.

Leech Bonder gets surprised blocked by Plumeveil again.

From then on I refuse to read any of his text.

Godhead of Awe pops out, but he Consigns it to Dream. I actually never cast it again for the rest of the game, as my critters are stronger than his.

I stabilise at 12 life with two fliers out, and I trap his fliers down with curse of chains and torpor dust.

In the end I River's Grasp his Cemetary Puca and take his second Consign to Dream.

Then I Flow of Ideas for 6 cards.

Lesson learned here: Take your time to consider your options and never listen to an opponent trying to be nice. Flow of ideas is a great card, I'm glad it tabled back to me!

A conspired Aethertow later, and I'm the proud owner of my 4th Reaper King Avatar!

It's been a great release season and I've been humbled and been victorious, I sometimes feel it's a little bit swingy with the enchants, but long term, skill will last out as always!

Cheers

AAZipzop2

SHM draft Mono Red Finals (2-1)

Won within 10 turns in nearly every game it played!

The finals went 2-1

I played GWr ramp deck.

Game 1
He pulls out Ghastbark turn 3 with Shield of Oversoul coming in on turn 4 due to some devoted druid shenanigans.

Game 2
I steam roll in him in the second game with multiple conspired burn trails and continuous spamming of intimidator initiate, which you want 1 or 2 of in any mono red aggro deck.

Even with his turn 2 Safehold Elite, turn 3 Shield of Oversoul.

Game 3
6 land hand
5 land hand
2 land hand with a burntrail in it.

The story ends rather quickly. It happens!

I made one major pick mistake thought, I took a corrupt over another mudbrawler cohort.. Those things are nasty with either intimidator or bloodmark mentor!

Most times i did actually sideboard in swamps and some black cards to deal with enchants or to get extra damage through, specifically Niveous Wisps.

Enemy Colours! Sound the Klaxxon! RW Wins! (saved)

SHM Draft, RW, June 30, 2008, result:  won draft

8 Mountain
1 Power of Fire
1 Barkshell Blessing
1 Burn Trail
1 Silkbind Faerie
1 Somnomancer
9 Plains
1 Inquisitor's Snare
1 Pili-Pala
1 Steel of the Godhead
1 Windbrisk Raptor
1 Barrenton Cragtreads
1 Mistmeadow Skulk
1 Wingrattle Scarecrow
2 Watchwing Scarecrow
2 Scuttlemutt
1 Turn to Mist
2 Rustrazor Butcher
1 Thistledown Duo
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Puresight Merrow
1 Last Breath

Sideboard
1 Elvish Hexhunter
1 Consign to Dream
1 Boggart Arsonists
1 Guttural Response
1 Thoughtweft Gambit
1 Helm of the Ghastlord
1 Fate Transfer
1 Ghastly Discovery
1 Plains
1 Barrenton Medic
1 Blowfly Infestation
1 Goldenglow Moth
1 Rune-Cervin Rider
2 Torture
1 Smolder Initiate
1 Bloodmark Mentor
1 Torpor Dust
1 Deepchannel Mentor
1 Safewright Quest
1 Oona's Gatewarden
2 Briarberry Cohort

This was an odd draft.  Knew I was in white, possibly blue...kept options open for red (first pick was redcap, which i thought would be interesting with cards like turn to mist or even barkshell blessing. I got to use the former but not latter).  It's not too flashy, that's for sure.  I was leaning toward WU until 3rd pack, but hedged my bets a bit.  Blue just wasn't coming in impressive amounts.  Still I at least had cohorts hanging out.  Then 3rd pack I managed to snag a power of fire, and decided to take advantage of it, since there are a lot of good targets in the deck available (pila, butcher, skulk, slikbind faerie, puresightmerrow...).  I like the deck, had some neat interactions...snare is just cool with 2 scuttlemutts.  Got me thinking about the possibility of even running high snares with red lace/haste cantrips in opposing colour...But scuttlemutts was a bit classier in that regard...they came in handy all over the place, and allowed for help in powering out the big butted bird...which once sing handedly turned a game around for me against a skilled opponent in the first round...

Some observations:  There was a lot of interesting play I noticed.  I realized a big mistake I made in blocking in a game I eventually won anyway, but it doesn't make the mistake any less notable.  Opponent attacks with a 6/6 deus and a 4/4 first striker...I have 2 of my watchwings hanging out and the duo available.  I had the barkshell, and was focused on taking out the deus, and I suppose too much on protecting the duo.  I double blocked with the 2/4's and used the barkshell, when I clearly should have triple blocked...I would have inevitably ended up not losing a man with the barkshell after damage was assigned.  There were so many times when scuttlemutt on the board changed the dynamic of the game.  This card is IMPORTANT to any deck.  It just opens so many possibilties in this format if you pay attention.  2 mutts saved my butt quite a bit.  Also, on the power of fire...I found it a lot more effective holding it back and waiting for the proper moment to use it...with all the powerful auras in this set I really think timing is critical...a rushed aura be it aura of fire or steel of the godhead just ends up reminding you why auras are traditionally so bad.  What's cool about this set is, these are powerful, powerful auras and when you play it right they are soooo much better.  I was very guilty of slamming a few down early, but I've been making a point to alter this...and it's really helping.  One game in particular during the first match I remember really working on drawing out my opponents removal before placing the power of fire...and it felt good because it worked, and he had it...and it lead to a game win.  

Match one was a skilled opponent, but I don't remember too much but I believe it was UB with a splash of red for burn and POF. (POF on Merror Grimeblotter is a troubling prospect, one game came to an end that way.) It was close and very enjoyable match, he played quite well and I think I did pretty good myself.

Match two was against a red/green aggro with the deus.  Steel of the godhead and fliers really featured highly in the success.

Match three was against GW and featured a highlight of placing shield of the oversoul ON HIS Oversoul of the dusk.  Mighty, mighty indestructable flying protection from everything man.  Unfortunately for him, i was just out racing him and gaining life.  

Thistledown duo is a really, really good card.  Its up there in my top 5 commons. 

Silkbound Faerie, Power of Fire, Thistledown duo...?

U/W/g

I just drafted this deck and i'm playing it right now. The draft consists of 4 players over 1800 and only 1 person under 1700, i've never seen so many good players in a 4-3-2-2 before. I want to know what you guys think of the build, especially the green splash. I did it to add some aggression, the curve is very low and I wanted some heavy hitters to keep the tempo fast, plus green gives me great artifact/enchant removal and I snagged one destroy target flying critter card for the sb.

I will edit or reply to my own post with a report as to how it performed. Match 1 I owned 1840 blue white deck with multiples of the untap to tap target critter faerie, went 2-0 on him ^_^

0-1 sss Draft

Well, this deck is pretty bad. It was influenced by that article rating power of fire as the top common. I only had one copy and still ran it because of the untap critters I had. Splashed a couple of forests and a couple of islands for witch abilities, which i'm a huge fan of. But the deck was slow and I got mana screwed (not color screwed, but i didn't draw lands) and then horribly flooded game two, plus my opponent was competent and had an impressive build.

I did end up winning the draft immediately following this horrible loss. I had a really powerful build, mostly black with 2 ashenmoor gourgers, 2 of the 2/1 unblockable for 2 u/b mana, and sygg, amongst other powerful cards. i didn't take a printscreen of that one but there wasn't much skill involved in piloting the deck to a win, i just happened to get a twisted amount of bombs.

I'm really enjoying shadowmoor drafts, this is my new favorite set ^_^

SHM draft BW (0-1)

A little weird, but high on powerful bombs in the face of mirroweave, sheperd and corrupt. I wanted to try out enemy colours as I felt the bombs I had could easily support it.

I win the first game easily with all the mana I need to power out my creatures, blight and shepered, I lose the second to colour screw (7 plains, 1 swamp with blight in hand and a draw of a sheperd 1 turn too late), I lose the third to mana screw with only 3 lands out by turn 8.

The mana base could probably be tweaked to help those early stallers get out (2 safeholds and 2 ballynocks are pretty good stallers imo), but I feel the deck was really quite strong and was very dissapointed to lose first round to a deck that I felt was just not that good (he ended 0-2 in the second round)

Cheers,

AAZipzop1

SHM draft UW (3-0)

The only thing I would change would be to take an island out for a plains. Too often I would be sitting on 2 plains and be holding Wilt-leaf Liege.

Spectral procession + Wilt-leaf Liege wins games. Wicker warcrawler is a 6/6 on turn 5, nothing to laugh at in a deck with mostly weenies.

Initially I was in mostly U with some W, but on opening the Liege in pack 3, I was well placed to aggressively draft some W and WG creatures.

This deck only dropped one game to a Puca's mischief, man i hate that card.

Cheers

AAZipzop2

SHM draft UB (3-0)

This deck won most of it's games and won the draft.

River's Grasp is a complete blowout if you are playing UB. It's basically tempo stopper, removal, thoughtseize and bounce all in one go.

It's 1st pickable material

Cards of note:

Sygg: Either they blow their burn trail on him (in which you just traded a two drop) or from turn 3 or 4 onwards you get to draw 2 cards a turn.

Wingrattle Scarecrow: 2/2 flying persist for 3 colourless, is fantastic, don't let it table, because it won't.

I'm not sure fear is that useful as evasion in this format due to the huge number of artifact creatures and hybrids.

Cheers

AAZipzop1

SHM Sealed end result: 3-2 (9pts)

9 Mountain
1 Mudbrawler Raiders
1 Valleymaker
1 Curse of Chains
1 Puncture Bolt
1 Jaws of Stone
1 Sootwalkers
1 Scuzzback Marauders
2 Inquisitor's Snare
1 Illuminated Folio
1 Grief Tyrant
1 Kulrath Knight
1 Flame Javelin
1 Somnomancer
1 Knollspine Invocation
1 Scuzzback Scrapper
2 Burn Trail
1 Safehold Duo
1 Oracle of Nectars
1 Smash to Smithereens
1 Thistledown Duo
1 Old Ghastbark
8 Plains

Sideboard

1 Viridescent Wisps
1 Manaforge Cinder
1 Rite of Consumption
1 Drove of Elves
1 Put Away
1 Medicine Runner
1 Kinscaer Harpoonist
1 Oona's Gatewarden
1 Repel Intruders
1 Thornwatch Scarecrow
1 Wingrattle Scarecrow
1 Whimwader
1 Rattleblaze Scarecrow
1 Poison the Well
1 Giantbaiting
1 Revelsong Horn
1 Scrapbasket
1 Apothecary Initiate
1 Devoted Druid
1 Lurebound Scarecrow
1 Barrenton Medic
1 Cinderhaze Wretch
1 Memory Sluice
1 Blowfly Infestation
1 Sickle Ripper
1 Plumeveil
1 Loch Korrigan
1 Runes of the Deus
1 Fists of the Demigod
1 Hungry Spriggan
1 Æthertow
1 Traitor's Roar
1 Safehold Sentry
1 Faerie Macabre
1 Ashenmoor Cohort
1 Ashenmoor Cohort
1 Pili-Pala
1 Raking Canopy
1 Cinderbones
1 Manamorphose
1 Faerie Swarm
1 Raven's Run Dragoon
1 Cerulean Wisps
1 Ghastly Discovery
1 Corrosive Mentor
1 Pale Wayfarer
1 Leechridden Swamp
1 Godhead of Awe
1 Mystic Gate
1 Flourishing Defenses
1 Parapet Watchers
1 Barkshell Blessing

Match 1:   During deck construction PGqsilver approaches me about joining the clan, I say sure.  Wouldn't you know it...my first match is him.  He trounces me.  I mean, it was embarassing.  I misplayed...for some reason i sided in mystic gate...even though it was strictly worse than a plains for me...something that became all to apparent the next game.  But it was all good, I was introduced to PGqsilver and his powerhouse of a deck, piloted far better than mine was out of the gates.  Gave me a quick wake up call.  He went on to do very well, but that is another story...(hint, cough, post, cough)

Match 2:  I don't remember.  Isn't that terrible?  Now that I think of it, this was a RB deck with two demigods of revenge.  Yeah, I'm just lucky I didn't see them both in the same game.  I didn't think I'd even bother posting this one as of yet...such was the beatings that PGq dished out.  But the deck was beginning to perform...I didn't feel quite so bad with it.

Match 3:  Back and forth, the 2nd game he gets me down to 1, I stabilize back to 60 and knollspine out with 0 cards left in my deck.  The order of nectars really begins to shine.

Match 4:  I may have gotten match 3 and 4 mixed up.  I don't know.  Did I mention I'm awful tired?

Match 5:  GWr deck.  Beautiful mana base supported by 2 of the fetch elves.  His deck is solid and aggressive.  Features 2 of the seedwitches...all I remember last game was persist elf, killed it.  next turn 2/1, next turn persist elf again, i knollspine in this time.  Next turn i have 4 lands and 3 2 cc spells in hand.  I only really want to pitch 1 but will do 2 if he barkshell blessings...he does, so i pitch a second one in response, whereupon he barshell blessings...again.  Good god man.  Then he lays a seedwitch.  I untap, kill it.  He throws down seedwhich 2...and rolls in.  Man it was good times.  I felt like I was playing against constructed game 2.  I'm so tired that probably didn't even make much sense.  Why do I always do this to myself with sealed?

9 points end result, casual SHM Premier event.

Feel free to comment on my build.  I found it quite difficult.  I'm not sure what I'd do different...I must say that against all odds that little 1/1 in there ended up coming in quite handy a lot of times...I put him in instead of the 2/2 for the additional body to enable burn trails.  The Folio was amazing, and saved my butt several times.

I ended up siding out snares in both the matchups I lost in...so there was probably something a little suboptimal about 2 slots being devoted to them maindeck, as good as they were in the other matchups.  I suppose replacing one maindeck with the 2/2 would have improved my overall performance, the early game especially, where I was weak.  This deck needs to survive the early game then take advantage of the late game bombs.  I should have built it with this in mine, rather than just slumping it together without a defined plan.  With that in mind...this build seems a better maindeck choice...but it's a toss up really.  This is usually what I ended up with when I sided the snares out.   I don't know what do you think I should have done maindeck?  As to godhead of awe...I just couldn't justify squeezing it in there with my other late game bombs.  Too much bombastic late game cards...My needs were in the early game...so i left it out.  The plume veil would have been lovely, but I balked at the mana.  Too hard to get early in the game when I needed it.  I may add a picture tomorrow, but like I said...sleep needed...badly.

9 Mountain
1 Mudbrawler Raiders
1 Valleymaker
1 Curse of Chains
1 Puncture Bolt
1 Jaws of Stone
1 Sootwalkers
1 Scuzzback Marauders
1 Illuminated Folio
1 Grief Tyrant
1 Kulrath Knight
1 Flame Javelin
1 Somnomancer
1 Knollspine Invocation
1 Scuzzback Scrapper
2 Burn Trail
1 Safehold Duo
1 Oracle of Nectars
1 Smash to Smithereens
1 Thistledown Duo
1 Old Ghastbark
8 Plains

1 Barkshell Blessing

1 Safehold Sentry

Sideboard

1 Viridescent Wisps
1 Manaforge Cinder
1 Rite of Consumption
1 Drove of Elves
1 Put Away
1 Medicine Runner
1 Kinscaer Harpoonist
1 Oona's Gatewarden
1 Repel Intruders
1 Thornwatch Scarecrow
1 Wingrattle Scarecrow
1 Whimwader
1 Rattleblaze Scarecrow
1 Poison the Well
1 Giantbaiting
1 Revelsong Horn
1 Scrapbasket
1 Apothecary Initiate
1 Devoted Druid
1 Lurebound Scarecrow
1 Barrenton Medic
1 Cinderhaze Wretch
1 Memory Sluice
1 Blowfly Infestation
1 Sickle Ripper
1 Plumeveil
1 Loch Korrigan
1 Runes of the Deus
1 Fists of the Demigod
1 Hungry Spriggan
1 Æthertow
1 Traitor's Roar
1 Faerie Macabre
1 Ashenmoor Cohort
1 Ashenmoor Cohort
1 Pili-Pala
1 Raking Canopy
1 Cinderbones
1 Manamorphose
1 Faerie Swarm
1 Raven's Run Dragoon
1 Cerulean Wisps
1 Ghastly Discovery
1 Corrosive Mentor
1 Pale Wayfarer
1 Leechridden Swamp
1 Godhead of Awe
1 Mystic Gate
1 Flourishing Defenses
1 Parapet Watchers

2 Inquisitor's Snare

SHM Monoblack, sideways (saved)

SHM Draft, June 23, 2008, Monoblack, saved, result:  win.

This wasn't an easy draft.  I was granted no monoblack bombs from the outset in pack 1, was passed no great joys.  I was having difficulty with my place in the world...

1 Sootstoke Kindler
1 Beseech the Queen
2 Merrow Grimeblotter
1 Gravelgill Axeshark
1 Helm of the Ghastlord
1 Loch Korrigan
1 Corrupt
17 Swamp
1 Faerie Macabre
1 Cultbrand Cinder
2 Wingrattle Scarecrow
2 Smolder Initiate
1 Wasp Lancer
1 Incremental Blight
1 Scar
2 Aphotic Wisps
1 Gravelgill Duo
1 Sickle Ripper
1 Ashenmoor Gouger
1 Crowd of Cinders

Sideboard
1 Tattermunge Duo
1 Slinking Giant
1 Disturbing Plot
1 Plumeveil
1 Helm of the Ghastlord
1 Twilight Shepherd
1 Goldenglow Moth
1 Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers
1 Kithkin Shielddare
1 Mine Excavation
2 Ashenmoor Cohort
1 Watchwing Scarecrow
1 Scarscale Ritual
1 Æthertow
1 Mudbrawler Cohort
1 Crimson Wisps
1 Niveous Wisps
1 Oona's Gatewarden
1 Put Away
1 Spell Syphon
1 Last Breath

...I passed a third turn corrupt...and when i got passed another one and a bit of other black, I began at least toying with the idea of getting into black..figuring if that first one came back around the time was quite ripe for it.  I ended up with a really late crowd of cinders first pack and maybe a faerie macabre...but I was still hedging my bets a bit.  The second corrupt never tabled.  First pick 2nd pack I actually went with the twilight shepherd...thinking, hey...who knows...my black isn't solid by any means yet.  White was not beyond possibility especially if I could back this bomb up with some other good support.  But then the solid black three drops started coming, and I grabbed them and began to commit.  The blight came to me first pick third pack...and it was a good thing too.  As monoblack goes this was not exactly a shiny example of love.  I also managed to get a beseech the queen third pack, which makes that corrupt/blight so much better.  Dig for the corrupt or blight to win.  I won't go too much into the play by play this time, but I will make some comments, as it was an interesting series of games, and the path to victory was often times quite interesting...

2 Aphotic Wisps!  You know, this thing saved my butt in a game winning way several times in the course of the 3 matches.  One was a beautiful kill on a really scary shield of the oversouled creature, one was getting my loch through for a surprise 9 damage kill in a very tight game.  With 2 wisps I was able to just get in there several times when I otherwise wouldn't...and still keep myself drawing cards looking for my kill switches.

I sided out 1 grimeblotter pretty much every game for the gatewarden...just ended up being better in so many ways.  Shoulda maindecked her.

Didn't use the helm once.  Just didn't happen.  Was really only in my hand once the entire 3 matches.

Intiates are so good in monoblack.  Getting them out turn 1 is just nasty.  If your opponent is in black, they are even better...Which is good, because it helps make up a bit from the lack of fear factor...

I'm really looking forward to the review game feature being re-instated.  There were a lot of plays that would be interesting to go over.  There were a couple of games that really could have gone either way.

Anyway, I thought it was a pretty good result from a monoblack deck I just sort of stumbled into without being wacked in the head right away with some crazy black cards.

First Time I got to the Finals in 8-player constructed.

Today is the first day I got to the finals in an 8 player constructed tournament!! ^^

Alas, I didn't win the final game but it was a great experience.

In the final game the deck that I was going against had Kavu Predator, Mogg Fanatic, Tarmogoyf, with a lot of burn spells. I was using a red/black Demigod deck and lost both games by a difference of a single turn.

First match: 2-0

Second match: 2-1

Third match: 0-2

The saddest part for the last match is that there were some problems with the Magic Online server and I couldn't sideboard for the second game (for the final match that is). But being my first time getting to the finals I still felt great! ^^;

Everyone have a great weekend (at least of what's left of it).

Mono Red Aggro SSS Draft (3-0)

Speed Kills. Red Deck Wins (both games in 6 turns!)

4 packs and my shiny new Reaper King avatar would attest to that. So would two finals I lost to mono red aggro. It's been a long week, I lost nearly 50 points to crappy sealed deck opens (I won't whine, but opening 4 out of 5 rares as rare enchantments is not my idea of fun, Greater Auramancy, Runed Halo and Thought Reflection aren't going to win many games.)

I won both my finals games in 6 turns, I lost one to a painter's servant and long game beatdown. I ended up sideboarding into black to get my rite of consumption for anything he prison termed.

Game 2:
Mulligan to 5. Pili-pala, Power of Fire, Runes of the Deus, 2 Mountains.

Turn 2. Pili-pala
Turn 3. Power of fire on Pili-pala
Turn 4. Boggart Ram-gang (which he sticks prison term on.... your mistake is my win?)
Turn 5. drop more land and burn to his face while burning an Augury Adept out of the way.
Turn 6. Power of fire to his face, and Rite of Consumption my Ram-Gang to his face. I win on more than 20 life. Go red go. I'm holding Jaws of Stone as he dies too.

Game 3.

Mulligan to 6. Holding 2 mountains, Sootstoke Kindler, Gouger, Burn Trail and Ram-Gang.

Turn 2. Sootstoke kindler. Bash.
Turn 3. Hasted Ashenmoor Gouger. Bash. His Augury adept draws a swamp, err. great gain your 0 life.
Turn 4. Boggart Ram-Gang. Bash.
Turn 5. Boggart Ram-Gang #2. Bash. He's on 1 health. He has a 7/7 flier out with his painter's servant.
Turn 6. I don't even bash. I just Burn Trail to his face.

CrazyPants.Dek Loses

Every single opponent I faced had fancy pants enchants, fancy pants combos and fancy pants triple colour decks. Sure they beat me in the one game they assembled their crazy fancy pants tricks... In fact here is a list of crazy things that I had to beat:

1. Swans of Bryn Argoll
2. Swans of Brynn Argoll with double Steel of Godhead. 8/6 unblockable double lifelink. 24 life swing per turn.
4. Painter's Servant, Faerie Swarm, Spell Syphon (ever have to pay 4 more mana to cast a spell on turn 3? Or see a 7/7 flying critter on turn 6, in limited?)
5. Leechbonder, Cinderbones, Oona's Gatewarden, Mistmeadow Skulk and Kulrath Knight. None great by themselves, but together they equal = You can't attack. Or block. Who runs a deck wth all 5 of these cards ANYWAY?

Learnings (Nathan was right):

1. Focus on the good cards. I argued with my friend that Steel of Godhead and Shield of the Oversoul are first pickable. I actually got pretty annoyed. I realise I was wrong. I passed a whole bunch of them. I even passed Barkshell Blessings this time. You're right Nathan, I suck.

2. The first pack doesn't matter. I was in Red. and White. Yeh... Enemy Colours suck. But I had quality picks. I think playability over colour is important.

3. Pick for your sideboard. For me, I really high picked Gloomwidow's feast and Gleeful sabotage as I was light on removal and enchantment destruction is just necessary. I also picked up a rite of consumption and a spiteflame witch as ways of ending stalemates, as aggro decks can really suffer once you get into these situations.

I actually lost a number of first games, but instead of moaning, I would splash black or green. Green if they were flier, enchant heavy (i.e. vs. double lifelink swans) or black if they were stalled or had wither based decks.

4. Don't table power of fire. Thanks guys. Also, you never let someone 4th pick Jaws of Stone, not unless your first 3 cards were Foil Reflecting Pool, Reflecting Pool, Firespout. That I can understand, maybe.

5. Power of fire goes on anything, either you beat him to the face for 1, or beat his toughness 1 creatures to death, or he blows his removal on it. Double bonus points if you get it on your Pili-Pala.

6. Kill Leechbonder on sight.

Tough Picks.

Okay. I want to go through some of my really tough picks. I've bolded what I took.

1. Pack 1 Pick 7. Last Breath vs. Bloodmark Mentor vs. Gloom Widow's Feast. I take the Bloodmark, as its a definite in for any red deck, the others may table.

2. Pack 2 Pick 1. Witherscale Wurm vs. Kitchen Finks. I take the finks, GG is not something I'm willing to deal with at this stage. Not sure if this was a mistake. I figure finks is useable if I go white splashing red, or I go RG but in no way am I even remotely in mono green.

3. Pack 2 Pick 6. Wicker Warcrawler vs. Cultbrand Cinder. I take the cinder here because of it's removal capability and it turns on my two Tattermunge Duos... but Wicker Warcrawler is surely a scary turn 5 card. Mistake? Possibly, I also realise I will probably have lots of artifact destruction in RG and can deal with it (which turns out to be true).

4. Pack 3 Pick 1. Sunken Ruins vs. Ashenmoor Gouger. At this stage I only had 1 Gouger and Ram-Gang. So it would have made a lot of sense in mono red to take the gouger. but look I'm not arguing with 6 tix okay?

5. Pack 3 Pick 2. Silkbind Faeries vs. Murderous Redcap. Just kidding.

6. Pack 3 pick 3. Runes of Deus vs. Gnarled Effigy vs. Farhaven Elf. The elf helps me fix colour, helps me ramp. The Gnarled Effigy slowly but surely gets me out of stalemates (and has killed me before). Runes of Deus I can throw on just about anything in my deck. I haven't seen one passed yet, so assume someone else is hating or taking them. I take the Runes and start thinking about going mono red.

7. Pack 3 Pick 4. I'm pretty much mono red splashing for black or green for removal (which I'm low on). Deep Slumber Titan (I have two power of fires) vs. Crabapple Cohort vs. Torture. I like torture, its slow, but effective, and its a 3 mana way of getting rid of witches. I go for the fatty.

8. Pack 3 Pick 6. Illuminated Folio vs. Mudbrawler Cohort vs. Farhaven Elf vs. Shield of Oversoul. Mudbrawler bashes for 2 from turn 3. Farhaven is just sick. I take the folio, the reason being that in a stalled situation I can start drawing into answers. its 5 to cast, but only 1 to activate.

Out of all the colours, red is the colour where you probably don't mind showing your hand to the opponent... it's not exactly a subtle colour. Also with speed based aggro, you run out of cards in your hand really quickly.

9. Pack 3. Pick 9. Boggart Arsonists vs. Flourishing Defenses vs. Gloomwidow's Feast. Gloomwidow's feast is just sick. Pretty much every flier you throw this at will give you a 1/2 reaching spider. I already had one, and wanted to be mono red. So many scarecrows, so little time. Arsonist kills a warcrawler along the way.

By drafting what my neighbours weren't and reading the right signals, picking quality over weird combo bombs, I finally won my first SHM draft after a week of being smashed.

Just in case you were wondering:

Round 1. vs. UW
Round 2. vs. UWb
round 3. vs. UBw

Hrmm.

SHM Sealed GWr (saved) 4-1

GWr Sealed (Result: 4-1)

1 Spectral Procession
2 Mountain
1 Scuzzback Marauders
1 Curse of Chains
8 Plains
7 Forest
1 Mass Calcify
1 Wilt-Leaf Liege
1 Last Breath
1 Wildslayer Elves
1 Mossbridge Troll
1 Gnarled Effigy
1 Mistmeadow Skulk
2 Turn to Mist
1 Knollspine Dragon
1 Woeleecher
1 Raking Canopy
1 Gloomwidow
1 Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers
1 Umbral Mantle
1 Firespout
1 Morselhoarder
1 Farhaven Elf
1 Tattermunge Duo
1 Rune-Cervin Rider

Sideboard
1 Memory Sluice
1 Mine Excavation
1 Medicine Runner
1 Kinscaer Harpoonist
1 Bloodshed Fever
1 Puncture Bolt
1 Spell Syphon
1 Traitor's Roar
1 Elvish Hexhunter
1 Mudbrawler Cohort
2 Blazethorn Scarecrow
1 Rattleblaze Scarecrow
1 Gloomlance
1 Giantbaiting
1 Wicker Warcrawler
1 Scrapbasket
1 Briarberry Cohort
1 Rustrazor Butcher
1 Juvenile Gloomwidow
1 Lurebound Scarecrow
1 Scarscale Ritual
1 Last Breath
1 Kulrath Knight
1 Aphotic Wisps
1 Blight Sickle
1 Sickle Ripper
1 Chainbreaker
1 Elsewhere Flask
1 Crabapple Cohort
2 Somnomancer
1 Faerie Swarm
1 Cultbrand Cinder
1 Kithkin Rabble
1 Pili-Pala
1 Torpor Dust
1 Flow of Ideas
1 Cinderbones
1 Smolder Initiate
1 Manamorphose
1 Safewright Quest
1 Faerie Macabre
1 Ghastly Discovery
1 Smash to Smithereens
1 Fracturing Gust
1 Emberstrike Duo
1 Wanderbrine Rootcutters
1 Drowner Initiate
1 Din of the Fireherd
2 Horde of Boggarts

Any ideas for alternate builds?

So yesterday I was in a draft, and I chumped out match 1. But something odd happened game 3. When it went to sideboard, no cards showed up. So I couldn't board. I shrugged and took a screenshot. I was actually going to make a small switch. Turned out to be a really good screenshot, because after I lost I sent in a bug report, and Wizards came through with the 15 dollar coupon. So I decided to buy a tournament pack and have another go at sealed. The result is below. (lesson to learn: screen shot the second something odd happens, just in case)

Match 1: Played a BU base with quite a lot of solid fliers. Also featured the lovely swans. MVP was definitely Firespout, which often went 3 to 1...sometimes 3 to 1 with a built in Ancestral recall. Other helpful cards in this matchup were the mistmeadow skulk, who kept getting in there for damage when no one else could. The Raking Canopy was beautiful, albeit kinda frightening with swans out. Any milling action he was undergoing was not making up for the offense I was laying in though, and it also helped me find curse of chains or Gnarled Effigy to help eleviate the problem somewhat. I sided out mantle and tattermurge duo for juvenile gloomshadow and a second last breath to deal better with his flying rush threat. I won both games.

Match 2: I'm consistently siding in the 2nd last breath over the umbral mantle. Probably will continue to that for the rest of the matches. I lost this in 2. One game I had a double mulligan, but both games he was strong from the start, and just had a faster deck than I did.

Match 3: I don't really remember. I was kind of afk for a while after it...though I know it went fairly quickly. Not too much to report other than I continued to side out umbral mantle. I won it in 2. I think I won one of the games with the dragon. I remember Firespout continued to spell victory, working it out so I got as much from it as possible each time I used it. No calcification projects as of yet.

Match 4: Opponent playing a GW based with quite a bit of sprinkling of colours, featuring a lot of scarecrows and the reaper king. 1st game I curved out a bit, but he recovered nicely after being knocked down a ways. I had my troll out, and began rarring into the red zone with it, taking out creature after creature. I had the Marauder/Woeleecher thing going on by the end of it...the woeleecher allowing me to weather a grim poppet with no real trouble before the marauder came out. On the kill turn he was nice enough to let me swing with tricked out troll and I took him down to -31 with a really big Marauder and troll supported by the liege. Game 2 I started strong and he never really got going. Liege/Marauder beats supported by spot removal and I must say I do love the 2 blinks. They are great against broken auras and it feels so nice to have one to protect your vital pieces with. In a pinch they remove what ails you from the situation for a round. Very versatile and useful spell. Nice to be able to have one consistently each game.

Match 5: UB featuring Oona Queen of the Faely Broken and Incremental Blight. He gives me quite a hurting, but luckily I get Calcification online a turn after the Queen. Game 2 he plays incremental blight, and saves himself from a gloomwidow and 3 1/1 flyers getting their liege on next turn. Instead I have to content myself with one flyer. But I keep throwing out threats and he doesn't seem to have the same answers. I win in 2.

So there you go, I managed another 4-1, good for 11 packs. The deck was certainly very helpful in this regard. 2 mass removals sure do go a long way. More credit goes to the spout than anything, but calcification is certainly is swingy when it happens. But it's useful to note that spout wouldn't have been nearly as helpful without the red splash. I laboured over the build for quite a while. The only thing I think I would change is swapping out the equipment for the second last breath. It's funny sometimes when building you get too caught up in what you'd like to have that you don't make the card for card value judgment that you end up sometimes making at the sideboarding stage. The duo was in and out of sideboard, but the evasion was important enough to maindeck, and he just usually got replaced by the juvenile when forests weren't in season across the redzone. Particularly if fliers were abundant on the other side of the board.

I've saved this sealed deck if you'd ever like to do some playtesting to work on sealed playskills and such, I'm always up for it if I'm not directly involved in something else. If I am, I'll be happy to as soon as I'm finished. Msg me when you see me on. I find it very useful in improving my play, plus it saves me from spending money.

I'm pretty tired, so no fancy pictures today. Sleep beckons.

UW (1st round KO) - Next time let the good deck win?

I was actually knocked out 2-0.

I thought it was a well constructed aggressive number of control and win components.

In hindsight, I probably should not have MB'ed Advice of the Fae and perhaps used zealous guardian as a surprise thistledown duo or steel of godhead trigger.

I was beaten in the long game by a player who was also U, and had taken the flow of ideas I had passed (I expect this normally to table)

Well at least i opened a reflecting pool for my troubles. Sometimes you just can't win em all.

WG beatdown silly-style

1 Rhys the Redeemed
1 Curse of Chains
1 Raven's Run Dragoon
1 Steel of the Godhead
1 Twilight Shepherd
1 Resplendent Mentor
1 Æthertow
1 Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers
1 Mass Calcify
1 Kithkin Rabble
1 Silkbind Faerie
10 Plains
1 Thoughtweft Gambit
1 Mistmeadow Skulk
6 Forest
1 Old Ghastbark
1 Mystic Gate
2 Barkshell Blessing
1 Barrenton Cragtreads
1 Gleeful Sabotage
2 Thistledown Duo
1 Scuttlemutt
1 Shield of the Oversoul
1 Repel Intruders
1 Safehold Sentry
Sideboard
1 Viridescent Wisps
1 Mine Excavation
1 Moonring Island
1 River's Grasp
1 Put Away
1 Gravelgill Axeshark
1 Smolder Initiate
1 Briarberry Cohort
1 Gravelgill Duo
1 Elsewhere Flask
1 Merrow Wavebreakers
1 Morselhoarder
1 Cerulean Wisps
1 Advice from the Fae
1 Reknit
1 Wheel of Sun and Moon
1 Wasp Lancer
1 Blistering Dieflyn
1 Fists of the Demigod
1 Memory Sluice

It all started with 1st pick Rhys pack 1 and mass calcify pack 2 1st pick and Twilight Shepard 1st on pack 3. Got lucky to be passed the Mystic Gate 2nd pick pack 1. Almost Monowhite but enough green to make it worth it. "god" enchants were game winners as well as aethertow lethal attacks in 2 games. Only had to use Calcify once but had it on a few occasions. Surprisingly, Resplendant Mentor was a game saver against a t5 oversoul and 3 turns later (and a few other critters including "all green get trampler") came the deus, useless with my 6 white critters including the pack, ghastbark, and Shepard and 2 duos. Life got me back and fliers came to hold off the rune-cervien (as he was at 7 and couldn't attack). Finishing move was the gambit even though i just needed the blue spell for the 2 duos. End result a draft winner.

SHM Draft, UB (this time...with feeling!) (saved)

SHM UB (this time...with feeling!) This deck is saved and currently in my stable of draft test decks. If you'd like to play sometime with one of your old draft decks, msg me and let me know. Sometimes it really helps when we make observations on each other's play. (Great idea AAZipZop2!)

1 Gloomlance
1 River's Grasp
1 Merrow Grimeblotter
8 Island
1 Sygg, River Cutthroat
1 Smolder Initiate
1 Corrosive Mentor
1 Glamer Spinners
1 Biting Tether
1 Wingrattle Scarecrow
2 Helm of the Ghastlord
1 Inkfathom Infiltrator
1 Leechridden Swamp
1 Watchwing Scarecrow
1 Grief Tyrant
8 Swamp
1 Faerie Swarm
2 Gravelgill Duo
1 Kulrath Knight
1 Wasp Lancer
1 Fate Transfer
1 Æthertow
1 Somnomancer
1 Inkfathom Witch

Rarity Breakdown: 1 rare, 12 uncommons, 11 commons + 16 basic land
Number of land: 17

Sideboard
1 Gravelgill Axeshark
1 Cinderhaze Wretch
1 Rattleblaze Scarecrow
1 Faerie Macabre
1 Wanderbrine Rootcutters
1 Merrow Wavebreakers
1 Lockjaw Snapper
1 Prismwake Merrow
1 Torture
1 Fate Transfer
1 Sickle Ripper
1 Torpor Dust
1 Beseech the Queen
1 Cinderbones

I had a hard time on the build. I deleted most of the "chaff" from the sideboard so you could decide if you would have chosen the same build with what I had. It was hard leaving some of the cards out. I tried to get the curve a good as I could.

Shadowmoor draft, UB January 16, 2008 (result: eliminated in second round)

Match 1, UW, a nice deck: The first game was really close. The leechridden swamp ended up making the difference in a big way. I literally had exactly enough to kill him when I did, and if I hadn't he would have totally taken the game the next turn. A neat series of plays in the second game. He throws down a leech bonder, which really throws my hand's game plan (witch and wingrattle scarecrow are down, infiltrator and somnomancer are coming). I have a River's Grasp and use it after he takes out the infiltrator. I reveal an amazing hand. He's got a poppet, gnarled effigy, and a number of other good creatures and the land to get the poppet out on schedule. I decide on the leech bonder, trying to get as much damage is as fast as possible before the poppet hits. What was interesting was the turn before he went online for 7 mana. I had five mana open but passed the turn with several cards in hand. I knew he knew at the poppet, so I figured I'd represent a counterspell. I actually had my glamer spinner in hand, he attacked me, one of the creatures was 3/2 and could have been eliminated by the spinner, but i let it through, again trying to represent a counterspell. He declined to cast poppet instead throwing down the effigy. I eot'ed the faerie and swang with everything. This lead to me being able to race him (took 2 turns I believe)...if he had thrown the poppet down that turn, I'd have never had gotten him down to zero in time.

Match 2, Silversurfer82 1824 playing mono-red: The first game was over quicker than I can even believe. He's almost impossibly aggressive and quick. Intimidator intiate, Boggart ram, Ashmoor Liege, Craggenwick Cremator. I side out grief tyrant and fate transfer opting to give myself a better early game by adding a torpor dust and sickle ripper. Second game he leads with intimidator intiate, I with a somnomancer, then he power of fire's his man. Harsh. I throw down my wingrattle scarecrow, the only butt bigger than 1 I have. But he doesn't follow up with a big 3 or 4 drop. Phew. I get in 2 swings, miss a land drop, and lay down a wasp lancer. He then makes up for the deficit by t5ing a Deus of Kicking my Butt. All the while he's lapsing in and out for extended periods of time...undoubtably writing up his own account of this match, or yelling at his roomates, or playing poker online. Either way, with this deck he doesn't seemed worried about the clock...or me for that matter. I swing and lay a land, he swings and I torpor dust his deus to a more moderate level of butt kicking. It still hurts, but not as much as the Cultbrand cinder that he follows up with. It does my lancer in with the help of his good buddy the initiate with power of Tim. His clock is at 8:30, mine at 23:15 by this point. I imagine he may be engaging in some kind of unclean act while talking dirty about how he's wiping up some poor schlub online simultaneously. Or playing online poker. I swing feebly and lay down two sacrificial 1/1's that are at least making my man fly and persist. He boggart ram gangs then proceeds to tap two of his behemoths for a conspired burn trail crispifying my two remaining men, just in case I get frisky. He mosies over with a mere 3/6 deus. I throw down a token dude for lack of something better to do, missing another land drop and next turn he goes nuclear. Torrent of Souls followed I imagine by bone crushing laughter. I can't even chump block thanks to the intiate. I make him wait a minute or two while I type up my disgrace. I'm at -7, and loving it.

The Gun (living the dream) 2nd round SHM Draft

That first image is turn 5. Turn 5.

That's what you get with a turn 2 Pili-Pala, turn 3 Presence of Gond.

I don't generally play giant baiting in my deck, however in this one, tapping two creatures is not a problem. I actually won that match with a conspired giant bait with his creatures tapped out.

I lost round 2 to some unfortunate mulligans (mulliganed twice first game and second game) and a very aggressive opponent who ended up winning the draft.

Overall I'm very happy with this build, I was lucky to already be in RG when i noticed the Gun cards floating around.

Next time round I'll share a more conventional finals round draft deck, that didn't win by being an overpowered deck, but by actually making the right decisions during play.

Cheers,

AAZipzop2

SHM Draft, UB (win)

(I can save this deck if someone can trade me a cemetary puca.)

1 Curse of Chains
1 River's Grasp
1 Wingrattle Scarecrow
8 Island
1 Gravelgill Axeshark
1 Æthertow
9 Swamp
1 Glamer Spinners
1 Briarberry Cohort
1 Silkbind Faerie
1 Blowfly Infestation
1 Watchwing Scarecrow
1 Steel of the Godhead
1 Incremental Blight
1 Merrow Wavebreakers
1 Loch Korrigan
1 Corrupt
1 Helm of the Ghastlord
1 Wasp Lancer
2 Thistledown Duo
1 Cemetery Puca
1 Torture
1 Sickle Ripper
1 Faerie Swarm

Sideboard
1 Helm of the Ghastlord
1 Elvish Hexhunter
1 Whimwader
1 Consign to Dream
1 Strip Bare
1 Niveous Wisps
1 Kinscaer Harpoonist
1 Illuminated Folio
1 Flow of Ideas
1 Rite of Consumption
1 Disturbing Plot
1 Swamp
1 Poison the Well
1 Cerulean Wisps
1 Memory Plunder
1 Gleeful Sabotage
1 Helm of the Ghastlord
1 Fate Transfer
1 Deepchannel Mentor
1 Aphotic Wisps
2 Ashenmoor Cohort
1 Beseech the Queen

SHM Draft, June 15, 2008, UB. Result: Won draft.

Flying is good. Incremental Blight is good. Not too much to add. The games went well. I was glad I added the scarecrow and ditched the memory plunder at the last minute. Its a solid creature, and I needed a 14th. Pick 1 was the blight which i chose over the 4/4 unblockable ghostlord avatar dude.

SHM draft, Mono Black "electron" (win)

I can save this if someone can trade me a Glen-Elendra-Leige.

1 Kulrath Knight
1 Corrosive Mentor
1 Beseech the Queen
1 Merrow Grimeblotter
1 Glen Elendra Liege
1 Fate Transfer
1 Loch Korrigan
1 Grief Tyrant
1 Corrupt
17 Swamp
2 Blowfly Infestation
3 Faerie Macabre
1 Torture
1 Cultbrand Cinder
1 Scuttlemutt
1 Smolder Initiate
1 Incremental Blight
1 Gravelgill Duo
1 Murderous Redcap
2 Oona's Gatewarden

Sideboard
1 Howl of the Night Pack
2 Power of Fire
1 Manaforge Cinder
1 Sootwalkers
1 Kinscaer Harpoonist
1 Flourishing Defenses
1 Wanderbrine Rootcutters
1 Manamorphose
1 Order of Whiteclay
1 Blight Sickle
1 Memory Sluice
1 Blazethorn Scarecrow
1 Gloomwidow
1 Rattleblaze Scarecrow
1 Strip Bare
1 Tyrannize
1 Scrapbasket
1 Turn to Mist
1 Emberstrike Duo
1 Crimson Wisps
1 Dream Salvage

(17 lands)
SHM draft, June 15, 2008, Monoblack, result: Draft won

First match, 16something, WU: First game he had an early beatdown, i was holding back a little waiting for the 3 for 1 on incremental blight. Stabilized a bit, held things off somewhat, began to get low on life...corrupted for 10 to the dome after some intial hits from a couple of early drops. The rest was easy. Second game was very one-sided.

Second match: 1730 playing GR. First game the deck was working really well, got to use blowfly infestation together with fate transfer kulrath knight. I won fairly easily. Second game he had some unfortunate mana issues and conceded fast.

Third match: RB deck, first game went fairly typical, infestion+blight did their work. Second game was close. I ran out of gas quickly and my opponent kept poking away. I managed an torture, then put out a grief tyrant with 7 life. An incremental blight putting a counter on my own tyrant., left him with the 2/1 that can't have counters put upon it. He swung (5) I swing for 3, then he swung again (3) ...this time with a giant-baited 4/4 for the kill...fate transfer...8/8 tyrant time. I swing for 8. He swings over again for 2 and throws down a blocker. I top deck a beseech the queen, snag a corrupt and end it. Woot.

That was kind of fun, but it was an odd draft pod. The guy I played in the finals had to have been the only other guy in black. The first pack I was passed had the knight, an infestation...i wish i remembered what else was in that pack...but it tabled. I was in black by that point, but not settled on a second colour (most picks were black), I figured when it tabled the stage was set for monoblack. It seems to have worked out!

SHM draft, UW (win)

SHM Draft, June 15, 2008 UW Result: Won draft.

1 Helm of the Ghastlord
1 Curse of Chains
1 Merrow Grimeblotter
1 Steel of the Godhead
2 Æthertow
1 Mistmeadow Witch
1 Puresight Merrow
1 Wingrattle Scarecrow
1 Silkbind Faerie
1 Kinscaer Harpoonist
9 Island
1 Godhead of Awe
8 Plains
1 Merrow Wavebreakers
1 Barkshell Blessing
1 Barrenton Cragtreads
2 Last Breath
1 Gravelgill Duo
1 Prismwake Merrow
1 Thistledown Duo
1 Scuttlemutt
1 Medicine Runner
1 Repel Intruders

Sideboard
1 Mine Excavation
1 Sootwalkers
1 Turn to Mist
1 Parapet Watchers
1 Crimson Wisps
1 Toil to Renown
1 Thornwatch Scarecrow
1 Intimidator Initiate
1 Blowfly Infestation
1 Ember Gale
1 Rustrazor Butcher
1 Drowner Initiate
1 Barkshell Blessing
1 Gleeful Sabotage
1 Prison Term
1 Scarscale Ritual
1 Inquisitor's Snare
1 Gloomwidow's Feast
1 Tattermunge Duo
1 Torpor Dust
1 Oona's Gatewarden
1 Spell Syphon

From the start, that was an error corrected in sideboard...somehow i didn't include prison term. I sided out barksheel blessing (in a heartbeat). Aside from that emabrassing mistake it went quite well. 2 out of 3 opponents seemed quite experienced, and it was a fun series of games.

Observations: Aethertow is so good. The aura's are just lovely. Get them down with an aethertow or two in hand...and you just keep them from doing anything about it. But aside from that last breath is really quite good too.



Also, didn't use godhead even once. The one time I drew it...I was beating down just fine without it, just held it in reserve.

My Second Event

First match: The opponent was using a Blue/White deck and had Swans for both games that I couldn't kill and when the opponent enchanted it with a Godhead it was gg. However I did get the opponent down to less than 5 life in both games.

Results: 0-2

Second Match: The opponent disconnected and never connected. :P

Results: 2-0

Third Match: I was mana-screwed both games.

Results: 0-2

Forth Match: The opponent didn't respond for 10 minutes and was eliminated. T_T;;

Results: 2-0

Fifth Match: Finished my 5th match, sadly it was a really close game. My opponent was at 2 life and I was at 10 but a perfectly timed Firespout destroyed me. It was a lot of fun though.

Result: 0-2

Also thanks goto Hatter for giving me great deck building advice.

The final deck I used with Hatter's advice was like this:

My first Magic Online Event Experience

This is the basic deck that I used for my first experience and every time I finished a game I would trade in a the 2 Tattermunge Witches for the Sootstoke Kindler(this is a really great card and won a game for me) and the Manamorphose. Also Wort the Raidmother was not as good as Thornwatch Scarecrow(Wither is really a good ability to fend off opponents creatures), Cinderbones though it has Wither is actually a defensive card and didn't help me win battles so I took it out for Torpor Dust(this helped me win a game). The Crabapple Cohort was at for the first 4 matches until I thought it would help and help it did. It's a solid critter that can save you in a hard place. I also played the Morselhoarder but I usually had trouble getting 6 lands out(it would be at 5 for an extended amount of time) but it is a solid card which provides more mana.

As for the MVP I would have to say it's the Boggart Ram-Gang with Runes Of Deus on it. Double Strike with Trample!

For my first Event I did 2-3 and got 2 booster packs so it was a nice experience. ^^

SHM Sealed 1-3, with rebuild. comments?

7 Mountain
1 Blistering Dieflyn
1 Furystoke Giant
1 Puncture Bolt
1 Jaws of Stone
2 Swamp
1 Mercy Killing
8 Forest
1 Wicker Warcrawler
1 Flourishing Defenses
1 Wildslayer Elves
1 Wildslayer Elves
1 Blowfly Infestation
2 Gloomlance
1 Inescapable Brute
1 Juvenile Gloomwidow
2 Raking Canopy
2 Morselhoarder
1 Tattermunge Duo
1 Power of Fire
1 Rosheen Meanderer
1 Loamdragger Giant
1 Foxfire Oak

Sideboard
1 Toil to Renown
1 Helm of the Ghastlord
1 River Kelpie
1 Wingrattle Scarecrow
1 Ember Gale
1 Put Away
1 Curse of Chains
1 Turn to Mist
1 Scrapbasket
1 Dream Salvage
1 Thornwatch Scarecrow
1 Elvish Hexhunter
1 Whimwader
1 Rattleblaze Scarecrow
1 Crowd of Cinders
1 River's Grasp
1 Gravelgill Axeshark
1 Resplendent Mentor
1 Armored Ascension
1 Prismwake Merrow
1 Shield of the Oversoul
1 Viridescent Wisps
1 Blight Sickle
1 Sickle Ripper
1 Chainbreaker
1 Loch Korrigan
1 Runes of the Deus
1 Juvenile Gloomwidow
1 Augury Adept
1 Prison Term
1 Somnomancer
1 Woeleecher
1 Puresight Merrow
1 Faerie Macabre
1 Niveous Wisps
1 Torpor Dust
1 Splitting Headache
1 Smolder Initiate
1 Safewright Quest
1 Raven's Run Dragoon
1 Boggart Arsonists
1 Ghastly Discovery
1 Merrow Wavebreakers
1 Smash to Smithereens
1 Tatterkite
1 Dire Undercurrents
1 Silkbind Faerie
1 Leechridden Swamp
1 Thistledown Duo
1 Steel of the Godhead
1 Drowner Initiate
1 Loamdragger Giant


Just putting this out intially. I made a bad call on mana. On sideboard after first round I decided to up the swamp count and cut a mountain dependent burn spell to increase my creature count. So I'm thinking on nixing 2 mtns for 2 swamps, then siding out


Match 1: My opponent 1770+ gets a bum break game 1, didn't submit in time. He lost. Game 2, he's paired his deck down quite sweetly and gets the jump on me all I have out is a wildslayer elf, runs me down to 2 and throws down a withered wretch. I respond by mercy killing his blue/black 2/2 hopped up on helm of the ghostlord, then laying flourishing defenses on my turn....wow. That worked...reallly well. I had so many elves it was sick...he was trying to kill the banshee after a turn and I wouldn't let him. I've been beat up by that banshee before quite a few times, it was great to serve some payback. I'm looking forward to hooking up with blowfly infestation in future matches. Talk about scary.



Match 2: No real craziness to be had. My opponent played well, walked me into a few chump moves...I have to get better at thinking long game. Although, I had a pretty brutal overall showing. I'm thinking the deck may have a shot if I keep to it and play a bit better. Example of a chump move I walked into: I have a bunch a big guys out, he has his Gnarled Effigy out and his one problem is my morsel hoarder who can unload onto the foxfire oak if necessary. Instead of double blocking his 2/2 with 2 of my wounded giants, killing one of them, i block with hoarder...and walk into a firespout i knew he had. He takes out my entire team. Which was terrible because i drew the artifact removal i had sided in next turn. The extra blocker would have at least helped quite a bit. Although, he was well prepared and in his endgame mode...he threw down the redgreen aura on a 3/3 mudbrawler raiders which got dicey quick. So he'd been planning this for a while (see...long game thinking...) while I was trying desperately to topdeck a
defenses, blowfly, or even a furystroke...which would have been less than great i guess becasuse of the firespout, but still.

Match 3: I come to grips with this deck just not having the fundamentals. I should have watched my creature base better...The 2 enchantment hate for flyers would have been better in the side. The glooms i think should have been taken out to solve the mana issues. I think that card has merit, but this deck needed creatures more than it needed that. Its a shame, it had wack potential, but i think my build and a few plays, but this time mostly my build cost me from doing better. I dropped after losing this match, but let me see what I'd have done differently....

7 Mountain
1 Blistering Dieflyn
1 Furystoke Giant
1 Puncture Bolt
1 Jaws of Stone
2 Swamp
1 Mercy Killing
8 Forest
1 Wicker Warcrawler
1 Flourishing Defenses
1 Wildslayer Elves
1 Wildslayer Elves
1 Blowfly Infestation
1 Inescapable Brute
2 Juvenile Gloomwidow (+1)
2 Morselhoarder
1 Tattermunge Duo
1 Power of Fire
1 Rosheen Meanderer
1 Loamdragger Giant
1 Foxfire Oak
1 Smash to Smithereens
1 Thornwatch Scarecrow
1 Raven's Run Dragoon

Sideboard
2 Raking Canopy
2 Gloomlance
1 Toil to Renown
1 Helm of the Ghastlord
1 River Kelpie
1 Wingrattle Scarecrow
1 Ember Gale
1 Put Away
1 Curse of Chains
1 Turn to Mist
1 Scrapbasket
1 Dream Salvage
1 Elvish Hexhunter
1 Whimwader
1 Rattleblaze Scarecrow
1 Crowd of Cinders
1 River's Grasp
1 Gravelgill Axeshark
1 Resplendent Mentor
1 Armored Ascension
1 Prismwake Merrow
1 Shield of the Oversoul
1 Viridescent Wisps
1 Blight Sickle
1 Sickle Ripper
1 Chainbreaker
1 Loch Korrigan
1 Runes of the Deus
1 Augury Adept
1 Prison Term
1 Somnomancer
1 Woeleecher
1 Puresight Merrow
1 Faerie Macabre
1 Niveous Wisps
1 Torpor Dust
1 Splitting Headache
1 Smolder Initiate
1 Safewright Quest
1 Raven's Run Dragoon
1 Boggart Arsonists
1 Ghastly Discovery
1 Merrow Wavebreakers
1 Smash to Smithereens
1 Tatterkite
1 Dire Undercurrents
1 Silkbind Faerie
1 Leechridden Swamp
1 Thistledown Duo
1 Steel of the Godhead
1 Drowner Initiate
1 Loamdragger Giant


Interested in comments.

Mono Blue SSS Draft #1 (Finals)

13 years.

That's how many years since I've touched Magic cards.

I even spent some time learning the new 6th ed rules. Yeah, I'm old.

I'm still getting crushed online. Apparently drafts aren't really for casual players, and you really shouldn't be reading the cards while drafting. So after trying to draft LLM without knowing the cards, I had my proverbial handed to me on a platter.

I quit LLM pain lessons and started drafting Shadowmoor at my local card shop.

Now let me share with you my first SSS draft online. I made the finals (!).

Like everyone, I think U/W is the most powerful archetype. I'm partial to steel of godheads and counter spells.

My preferred style is to draft the best cards in any colour, with preference to good blue cards, then I'll start cooperating with whatever my right guy is handing me, generally trying to force a mono colour, and hope my friend on the left decides to be friendly.

This particular draft was full of sharks, mostly 1800+ and 1900+ players. I actually preferred this, I noticed much stronger signals, and less hate drafting. I received one of my steel of godheads as late as 7th pick.

I won't go through every pick but here are my high ranked picks:

Inkfathom Infiltrator (this fellow is a turn 2 clock and won many games by his lonesome)
Steel of Godhead (Even on a lowly Silkbind's 1 power, this is a 6 life swing, every turn)
Consign to dream
Curse of Chains
Somnomancer (if you don't take them, they will not table. ever. and a steel of godhead somnomancer is no laughing matter)
Scuttlemutt (turns off enchants, mana ramps, this card is amazing)

Some commentary on spell syphon:

If you're in blue, this is your bomb.

Spell syphon is ridiculously strong, it's much easier to hide than 4 mana open for aethertow, and in this aggro format your opponents will tend to tap down often to throw their bombs out. Spell syphon for 1 is still a bomb if your opponent doesnt have 1 mana spare and when you are mono blue it's not as situational as with other decks.

Rounds 1 and 2 were vs. RB Aggro.

My first round was against a 1950+ rated player (D_STERN)

I won 2-1. With massive mana screw in my last game. I had 3 islands (from my starting hand) out for over 10 turns.

So how does a blue deck win with massive mana screw?

Turn 2 Briarberry Cohort, turn 3 Wasp Lancer, turn 4 Steel of Godhead.
He was on 2 life, when he tapped out to cast his Ashenmoor Liege (game winner if it resolved), I showed him a spell syphon, he considered for 2 seconds, and conceded.

You have no idea what it's like for a casual noob to stare down a 1950+ player and win.

The finals went 2-1, mana screw first game, stomped him down with a Steel of Godhead Somnomancer (8 life swing for 5 turns) for which he had no answers for, and then lost the final game to a pretty sick incremental blight. Damn that card.

And yes... I uncommon drafted the Kitchen Finks for 4 tix. :P

Cheers all,

AAZipzop2.

PS I have a zip file set of pics from my draft and picks, if you are interested shoot me an email at nornicle@gmail.com and I'll send you the file.

Current sealed, also will edit later =)

Thoughts on picks?

SHM Sealed 2-3.

1 Seedcradle Witch
1 Plains
1 Thornwatch Scarecrow
1 Ashenmoor Liege
3 Swamp
8 Forest
1 Scuzzback Marauders
1 Incremental Blight
2 Devoted Druid
1 Wildslayer Elves
1 Gnarled Effigy
1 Manamorphose
1 Pili-Pala
1 Scar
1 Burn Trail
1 Sapseep Forest
1 Safewright Quest
1 Deus of Calamity
1 Raven's Run Dragoon
1 Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers
1 Gleeful Sabotage
1 Umbral Mantle
1 Heartmender
1 Silkbind Faerie
4 Mountain
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Tattermunge Duo
1 Oversoul of Dusk

Sideboard
1 Helm of the Ghastlord
1 Ember Gale
1 Runes of the Deus
1 Medicine Runner
1 Kinscaer Harpoonist
1 Oona's Gatewarden
1 Elvish Hexhunter
1 Whimwader
1 Whimwader
1 Rattleblaze Scarecrow
1 Crowd of Cinders
1 Gravelgill Axeshark
1 Advice from the Fae
1 Fists of the Demigod
1 Apothecary Initiate
1 Rustrazor Butcher
1 Repel Intruders
2 Cinderhaze Wretch
1 Memory Sluice
1 Aphotic Wisps
1 Loch Korrigan
1 Corrupt
1 Mistmeadow Skulk
2 Fossil Find
1 Turn to Mist
1 Woeleecher
1 Niveous Wisps
1 Ashenmoor Cohort
1 Giantbaiting
1 Toil to Renown
1 Disturbing Plot
1 Dire Undercurrents
1 Wild Swing
2 Boggart Arsonists
1 Ghastly Discovery
1 Goldenglow Moth
1 Bloodshed Fever
1 Tatterkite
1 Zealous Guardian
1 Gravelgill Duo
1 Thistledown Duo
1 Wanderbrine Rootcutters
1 Steel of the Godhead
1 Drowner Initiate
1 Rune-Cervin Rider
1 Loamdragger Giant
1 Barrenton Cragtreads

Result: 2-3. Thoughts: scar wasn't as helpful as I thought. The manabase actually worked quite well. Gleeful Sabotage would be a lot better as an instant maindeck. As it stands though, I think you still need some kind of answer maindeck to the crazy enchantment/artifact situation in sealed. Untappers are extremely good, particularly when they fly. I think the mantle should always get played in sealed. Seedcradle witch is such a beating. I'm not playing as long term as I should in sealed. I think I'm thinking too much like a draft, and I'm using resources for tempo when I should be using them for a winning strategy. Little cards like the 2/1 wither blocker help a lot of decks ruin tempo, while they develop a bit. A bit of air defense is fairly crucial too.

I really think the odd mana base in the end paid off. I won a lot of games on the backs of some of my splashed cards. The Seedcradle won me like a ton of games. It's amazing. I think with tighter, longer-term thinking play I could have done at least a bit better, so I'm going to work on that and let you know what I figure out.

Hatter

R/B bombs=New Avatar

Click on the blank picture or go to http://www.screencast.com/users/squest/folders/Jing/media/2c6eb490-a93b-477e-9655-4f12a0aca7fe to view the picture of my deck

9 Mountain
1 Burn Trail
1 Corrosive Mentor
1 Sootstoke Kindler
1 Sootwalkers
1 Gravelgill Axeshark
1 Flame Javelin
8 Swamp
2 Blowfly Infestation
1 Torture
2 Elsewhere Flask
1 Wingrattle Scarecrow
1 Fists of the Demigod
1 Scarscale Ritual
1 Cultbrand Cinder
1 Blistering Dieflyn
1 Ashenmoor Liege
1 Midnight Banshee
1 Incremental Blight
2 Rustrazor Butcher
1 Jaws of Stone
1 Emberstrike Duo

Sideboard
2 Manaforge Cinder
2 Loch Korrigan
1 Helm of the Ghastlord
1 Inescapable Brute
2 Cerulean Wisps
1 Cinderhaze Wretch
1 Splitting Headache
1 Smolder Initiate
1 Curse of Chains
1 Ashenmoor Cohort
1 Mudbrawler Raiders
1 Rattleblaze Scarecrow
1 Runes of the Deus
1 Fists of the Demigod
1 Cinderbones
1 Gravelgill Duo
1 Æthertow
1 Emberstrike Duo

1 Crimson Wisps

This potent R/B deck won me my first Shadowmoor draft. A note to anyone who has played mostly 10th Edition and is planning on trying Shadowmoor, the power level is MUCH higher. This deck focused mainly on the ineraction between the bombtastic incremental blight and midnight banshee, and the -1/-1 power of double blowfly infestation. Blowfly infestation is powerful but tricky, remember if your opponent has no creatures on the field the infestation can force you to hurt yourself. Also, elsewhere flasks are amazing, if you can pick up even one jaws of stone of corrupt they are worth it and flow of ideas and howl of the night pack go great with it as well. A final note, I frequently used crimson wisps as a sideboarded card against deck running the hybrid enchantments. They are very powerful but a single wisps can change the enchanted creature's color mid combat enabling a 2-0 trade. Anyway between the agression of boartusk liege and the massive amount of removal and bombs in this deck I was able to easily win the tournament despite a few play mistakes. Yay for a Reaper King Avatar!

A botched Shadowmoor Sealed (my first SHM sealed)

Catharsis.

I'll post my cardpool, followed by what I played. I'll leave it up to you to post a reply with your build.

Pool:

1 Medicine Runner
1 Prismatic Omen
1 Puncture Bolt
1 Thornwatch Scarecrow
2 Mercy Killing
1 Sootwalkers
1 Devoted Druid
1 Wildslayer Elves
1 Chainbreaker
1 Elsewhere Flask
1 Corrupt
1 Crabapple Cohort
1 Demigod of Revenge
1 Boggart Arsonists
1 Firespout
1 Morselhoarder
1 Intimidator Initiate
2 Tattermunge Duo
1 Tattermunge Witch
1 Foxfire Oak
1 Rage Reflection
1 Spectral Procession
1 Viridescent Wisps
1 Thornwatch Scarecrow
1 Blistering Dieflyn
1 Drove of Elves
1 Put Away
1 Sickle Ripper
2 Bloodshed Fever
1 Roughshod Mentor
1 Madblind Mountain
1 Rattleblaze Scarecrow
1 Gloomlance
2 Gravelgill Axeshark
1 Briarberry Cohort
1 Armored Ascension
1 Grief Tyrant
1 Cinderhaze Wretch
1 Last Breath
1 Blowfly Infestation
1 Niveous Wisps
1 Blight Sickle
1 Inescapable Brute
2 Mine Excavation
1 Runes of the Deus
2 Spell Syphon
1 Hungry Spriggan
1 Æthertow
1 Somnomancer
1 Sootstoke Kindler
1 Tattermunge Maniac
1 Ashenmoor Cohort
1 Giantbaiting
1 Torpor Dust
1 Sygg, River Cutthroat
2 Rite of Consumption
1 Raven's Run Dragoon
1 Tatterkite
2 Zealous Guardian
1 Beseech the Queen
1 Horde of Boggarts
1 Ghastlord of Fugue
1 Steel of the Godhead
1 Kinscaer Harpoonist
1 Loamdragger Giant
1 Barrenton Cragtreads

My decklist:

8 Mountain
1 Medicine Runner
1 Prismatic Omen
1 Puncture Bolt
1 Thornwatch Scarecrow
2 Mercy Killing
9 Forest
1 Sootwalkers
1 Devoted Druid
1 Wildslayer Elves
1 Chainbreaker
1 Elsewhere Flask
1 Corrupt
1 Crabapple Cohort
1 Demigod of Revenge
1 Boggart Arsonists
1 Firespout
1 Morselhoarder
1 Intimidator Initiate
2 Tattermunge Duo
1 Tattermunge Witch
1 Foxfire Oak
1 Rage Reflection

Shadowmoor sealed 4-1

Maindeck

1 Mistmeadow Witch
8 Island
9 Plains
2 Biting Tether
1 Scarscale Ritual
1 Gnarled Effigy
1 Mistmeadow Skulk
1 Order of Whiteclay
2 Turn to Mist
2 Woeleecher
2 Scuttlemutt
1 Rhys the Redeemed
1 Ballynock Cohort
1 Raven's Run Dragoon
1 Safehold Duo
2 Consign to Dream
1 Silkbind Faerie
1 Grim Poppet
2 Rune-Cervin Rider

Sideboard (basic lands committed to save room)

1 Savor the Moment
1 Put Away
2 Medicine Runner
2 Oona's Gatewarden
1 Dream Salvage
1 Jaws of Stone
1 Guttural Response
1 Elvish Hexhunter
1 Blazethorn Scarecrow
1 Crimson Wisps
1 Presence of Gond
1 Revelsong Horn
1 Scrapbasket
1 Prismwake Merrow
1 Cursecatcher
1 Memory Sluice
1 Viridescent Wisps
1 Aphotic Wisps
1 Blight Sickle
1 Giantbaiting
1 Chainbreaker
2 Runes of the Deus
2 Crabapple Cohort
2 Fists of the Demigod
2 Torture
2 Traitor's Roar
1 Pili-Pala
1 Strip Bare
1 Splitting Headache
1 Cinderbones
1 Boggart Ram-Gang
1 Manamorphose
1 Inkfathom Infiltrator
1 Wild Swing
1 Safehold Duo
1 Smash to Smithereens
2 Gravelgill Duo
1 Leechridden Swamp
1 Hollowsage
1 Wheel of Sun and Moon
1 Bloodshed Fever
1 Parapet Watchers
1 Tattermunge Witch
1 Foxfire Oak

Sorry I haven't been posting. Report card time, particularly at the end of the year is pretty busy. It's good to be playing Shadowmoor though. I played 2 drafts last night and learned quite a bit from them and reading doodle's posts. I look forward to some more drafting this weekend, and will make a point to post. I also did one sealed before this...I really did horrible. I built wrong, which was the worst part. I may go and post the list, as a purging exercise. Sometimes its good to post a sealed pool, see how others would have done it, and I'd like to post a revised deck plan as well. But... on to this deck.

As I'm typing this I've just finished the first 3 matches, all ended in wins. It looks like this one is going well so far. The synergies in this deck are just fun to play. By the way, and this may be obvious or it may not be, but scuttlebutt is like soooo good in sealed. The mana accel and fixing opportunities aside (not too mention the grey ogre butt)...That last ability is a house. There are SO many ways to use it...it's scary. Sometimes it functions as straight up removal. It's a combat trick, it's a way to deal with those enchantments that thump so hard, it just messes with things a lot. I really loved having 2 of them in the deck. Order of Whiteclay and Silkbind Faerie make beautiful music together (even if you have to steal your opponent's faerie sometimes). I don't have to say anything about the bombs really, Rhys and Poppet... Except to say Poppet is abused so many hardcore ways by this deck its just sickening.

Playing currently...round 4

Okay round 4 was just a shame. I ended up making two very significant errors that cost me both games. His deck had the lovely Midnight Banshee, backed up by an agreesive mostly black curve, with some excellent spell support. Both games I attempted to deal with the banshee by removing it from game end of turn on my turn to avoid his upkeep. I probably did this 20 times in 2 games. First game I lost, because I needed to finally let it go off, as he had a blister dieflyn in play (lots of mountains and swamps) and he was going to kill me with it. For some odd reason I stole the Banshee...which of course meant it didn't go off during his upkeep. Thus sealing my fate. The second game, I no longer had the removal option, but just as he dealt with it, I finally had my poppet out...with a few counters on his creatures already, including the banshee (scuttlemutt is so cool). However...I didn't shoot the counters before the banshee effect occurred....and the poppet died instead of getting another lovely bit of ammunition. Don't play sealed tired...particularly when it set to casual as it takes FOREVER. Oh, fatigue. I had no idea casual went that long or I would have just waited for the next competitive to spawn. Anyway, his deck was quite solid, and despite my errors he could have easily beaten me. Play errors are just such a hard way to go down. But I'll own up to it...My play just wasn't as tight as it could have been these games.

Round 5 went real quick. My opponent was playing white blue as well and didn't have removal that was prepared to deal with my deck's "in and out" strategy. We played 2 quick games.

So I went 4-1, and won 10 packs. Not bad....I was so close to 20 though.... :)

Hatter