Sometimes… it just all comes together. That perfect mix of good luck, finding a lane, and hilariously unlikely cards being opened in a draft pod. I’ve had a couple of these, a Merfolk Machine gun in Ixalan, triple Arcanist Owl in Eldraine…[announcer voice] and yesterday was another such day for the Benalish Dad.
Seven! There were seven Shipwreck Sifters that were not only opened in pod (a common averages three per 24 packs, depending on the set breakdown) but also passed to me. This is also somewhat remarkable that neither blue nor white were particularly open in my seat. But the Sifter sure was! Can we cut to a close-up?
Many cards get better in multiples, but not many get exponentially better in multiples. But hoo boy, this was one such example. The draft itself was a little murky, spending most of pack one feeling out various colors. But I get open an Ominous Roost in pack two, get passed my second Sifter and we are buckling up and locked in. Four Sifters come to me in pack three, which is obviously ridiculous.
some highlights
This was a pretty average hand (I eventually sided out the Commando for the Witch was was right). Let’s see, turn two Sifter, pitching Lunarch. Then Archivist (I think I drew into another spirit) to pitch to make Sifter a 3/4. Roost &c &c. It was a delight.
The board states got pretty fun too. Well, fun for me.
Oppo had a really good deck! Two Sunset Revelry that worked great with their tempo game. They just didn’t have, you know, an infinite supply of sifters.
Oppo already had to mull and I curved perfectly into double Sifter (with an Archivist that might get lucky). I honestly don’t blame them for a turn three concede.
This deck did go 7-2, though it started on a 6-0 killing spree. The first loss came to the bane of the format, Diregraf Horde followed up by double Morbid Opportunist. That combined with an uncharacteristic start without Sifters spelled the end for me. The other loss is on me, where oppo got off to a fast start in a good GW deck. I had stabilized and turned the corner, but left myself open to dying to a trick and an unblockable Sungold Sentinel. I would have been heartbroken to navigate this to 6-3.
Benalish Dad 
trophy time baby!
re dying to a trick: I hear you but it is tough to be down the nooks and crannies on all the rare interactions and like didn’t they stop doing protection? tl-dr – don’t beat yourself up
re 6-0 to 6-3: that is rough anytime you go 0-3, so i’m glad you avoided it. but i would also say if you did remember the wisdom of Ben Start “but hey, it’s arena Bo1, this could go 1-3 or 7-0”. tl-dr – stick to the nuts and bolts spike and earn those stansky bucks
re diamond: you playing more bo1 all of the sudden? i thought you were a bo3 lifer?
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The quality of opponents in Bo3 is… significantly worse. Sometimes it feels like I’m mugging kindergarteners for their lunch money. I do miss the additional data (tweaking decks for game 2, harder mull decisions, etc.)
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