Still trying to find a way to capture game states without going crazy. Not really succeeding. But it’s a reason to still be splashing around in Zendikar I suppose.

Draft log

Well this draft felt clear. Stayed open through pack 1 before moving into UR wizards with a vengeance in pack 2. A wheeling Umara Mystic in pack 3 confirmed that I made the Correct Choice.

deck

game plan

Okay, now this is a deck with a plan! Definitely aggro wizards, looking to push through some Squids with a Chilling Trap to back them up. Has some value plays, with the Amulet, Rockslide, and card draw so don’t overcommit to haste.

round 1

About as straightforward (and as sweet) as my deck could hope for. Curve out, get Rockslide Sorcerer out for pinging fun. Potentially casting Chilling Trap to win a combat, draw a card, and ping is just unfair for a single mana.

development

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Pretty easy curve-out against an opponent who double-mulled. Oppo had a removal spell for one squid, but no answer for the Rockslide Sorcerer (which is a fairly respectable 3/3 body) and conceded early.

point of ponder

game 2

I mean, it’s just beautiful.

Development

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This started out more even, as oppo actually developed a board presence. I waiting one turn before trying to land the Thundering Sparkmage, but it still got got by the counterspell that requires TWO mana, not just the Force Spike they showed in game one. Bah. But oppo flooded out, so I used tricks to clear the board and win another easy game.

round 2

A nice hand with a nice curve. Get the Mystic out so the Chilling Trap is active and then bash bash bash.

Development

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I swear sometimes my Print Screen button doesn’t capture. Anyway, my rather nice curve was rather annoyingly neutralized by three removal spells. However, their total lack of board presence allowed me to get oppo down low enough to where the Seafloor Stalker could finish them off. Which was good, because they finished on a scary board state with cards in hand.

game 2

Another nice hand. Do I play the Beyeen Veil as a land? If I didn’t have the UU required for Master of Winds, I wouldn’t and trust my deck to get to 4. With it… I played it safe and led off with the spell-land.

Development

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I trade a squid for the 3/3 white wizard and then start feeling smug with the Rockslide Sorcerer and the Relic Amulet both online. But whoa, that board state got out of control in a hurry with two large fliers and a 3/3. I removed both their fliers with a sweet Roil Eruption + Rockslide + Amulet combo, only for their board state to continue getting scary!

Stared at this one for a bit but eventually used a multiple block + Chilling Trap to get rid of the 7/5, Amulet powered up enough to take care of the unblockable Seafloor Stalker, and then card-advantaged my way to victory. Whew!

round 3

Almost certainly playing a spell-land on turn 1 and turn 3 to guarantee the 4-drops. What a pretty hand.

development

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I curve out pretty nicely while oppo played… Pressure Point. Huh. Faced with an interesting decision with how to use my removal.

Do I take out the Attended Healer or do I go face with my Roil Eruption? I generally hate going face without lethal and I have a healthy dose of respect for Attended Healer, even in this weird Esper pile oppo appears to be play. So I take the safe route and remove the healer just to avoid 1/1s cluttering up the battlefield. I think it was the wrong choice and I coasted on heuristics. Oppo’s deck is NOT a lifegain deck, which turned the healer into an overcosted 2/3. Did I have enough information at the time to make that decision? Probably. I still won mind you. But inelegantly.

game 2

development

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Similar to before just with more squids, until I run into this deck’s mortal nemesis. A big fat dumb creature.

I literally have no answer to a 5/6, except hope to draw my fliers. Which I don’t as I flooded moderately hard, (10 land, 6 spells, 1 spell-land). Thus in game 3 I actually do sideboard in my Lullmage’s Domination (taking out a single Chilling Trap)

game 3

development

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Once again oppo used Pressure point to buy time with an empty board state. Once again, the stupid Prowling Felidar landed, though this time I had an air force to go around. An interesting moment when I drew my Master of Winds. What to discard?

The clear heuristic is to discard your seventh land, right? But the seventh land also allows me to kick my Roil Eruption for 5 damage (enough to kill a Felidar) and my Thundering Sparkmage really isn’t doing much as a 4-mana 2/2 that pings for 1. I thought this over (as you can see by the fuse) and eventually did ditch the land. Oppo’s deck had a ton of tricks (too many imo) and it would feel bad to spend 7 mana only to get canceled out for 1. So I husbanded my resources and eventually ground them down in the air.

3-0