Homework: Crimson Vow Ratings

Time to dig into my homework before I get to hear “all the answers” from LR and Lords of Limited. Again, I’m impressed by how hard this is

First, here are my ratings for VOW: Benalish Dad Style. Again, I’m using my somewhat simplified tier system. I find shading the fine distinctions between a B+ and a B aren’t useful and too difficult for me to remember. So I put together a blunter tool that helps me navigate drafts.

  • (A) Game-Changers. These are the bombs, the ones that can catch you up from behind, super powerful/efficient and/or source of repeated advantage. Preferably at least two of these.
  • (B) Reasons. Aka “power”, they have one of the powerful sources mentioned above. They are a reason to play the color and you’re excited to draft them and play them.
  • (B-) Draft-Changers. These are the build-arounds where, if properly supported, they could be very powerful. But you can’t just jam them into any deck like the Reasons
  • (C+) Signals. The best commons. Usually removal or efficient low-cost creatures, since any deck in those colors eagerly drafts those cards. Hence if you see them pick 5-8, it constitutes a signal that the lane might be open.
  • (C-) Variable Playable. These are cards that are playable, but usually fit different archetypes a little better or worse.
  • (D+) Filler. While not embarrassing to play they’re not great. Maybe off-plan, inefficient, or in a weak archetype that you’d prefer to avoid.
  • (F) Avoid. Maybe not stone-unplayable, but if these cards are never sleeved, you’re better off 99/100.
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Format Review: Midnight Hunt

I still don’t fully understand why this set was so brief in time. Apparently it was so big they decided to split it in two pieces?

Trophies

Nine trophies! This tops my personal best of 8 (tied with AFR and Zendikar Rising) so that’s nice. Looks like a pretty fair reflection of the format, with blue and black both showing up 5 times, red 4, white 3 and green 1. Zero splashes and the winning decks were tight, focused decks. Plus, I got to add to my all-time Hall of Fame with The Sifter Horde.

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Personal HoF: Unblinking Owls

Eldraine, what a set! Definitely on my personal favorites, it really had it all for me. Fantastic draft experience with build-around rares & uncommons, intriguing deckbuilding managing Adamant, and really interesting gameplay with Adventure… top it off with great flavor and art and it’s one of my all-timers. I also put together what may not have been my BEST deck ever… it was certainly my favorite. Owls.

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Personal HoF: the Merfolk Machine Gun

Many years ago, 2018 to be precise, I had a newborn and a clumsy online Magic account called MTGO. Or “Modo” for even more esoteric reasons. However, any drugs are good drugs and Chris came over so we could draft as the Benalish Daddies. And we drafted one of the most memorable draft experiences I’ve ever had.

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Personal HoF: The Sifter Horde

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.

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Some thoughts on deckbuilding

I had a really fun draft the other day that was unusual. Usually I find the drafting to be the fun part and the deck construction to be straightforward, but this one was reversed. A very straightforward draft into a UG lane led to some Interesting Choices in deck construction. Let’s go through the steps of taking a pile of cards into a deck

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Coaching Dads

The Nettling Dad had a frustrating experience with what looked like a very solid UB deck. Aka the best color pair in the format. Trying to figure out what went “wrong” (or right) is one of my very favorite parts of Magic. Sometimes there are things outside of your control, e.g., mana screw/flood. Sometimes there are suboptimal plays that there is no one to blame but yourself. And then there’s murky middle ground, like the frustration of your opponent dropping a huge bomb. Feels outside of my control!!! Or did you blow your removal needlessly soon?

Anyway, teasing apart the circle of control vs. concern is just like life where we make nothing but decisions regarding the unknowable future with imperfect information. Way more fun doing this with zombies and dragons than figuring out the right school for our offspring. So let’s get to work!

deck

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Quick Post: 10-11-21

It’s time to delve into a what’s-the-play! I was so in the tank for this that I forgot to get a good screenshot, so here’s the 17lands summary:

interesting moments

Oppo is at 7, I’m at 6. They attack and flashed-back Rise of the Ants to get some blockers down. I’ve been stuck on 6-mana for several turns now, unable to flashback my Beasts or Seize the Storm for additional blockers. But I just drew a beautiful land! What do I do now? Okay, it’s pretty clear that I can’t just defend; they can swing out and two unblocked creatures kill me. By process of elimination: I attack. Work out the lines of play if they single-block or double-block.

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Quick Post: 10-10-21

Let’s briefly discuss the miracle of carpooling. With Lil Chandra and her friend Lil Nissa enrolled in the same Lil Kickers (actually called that) soccer lessons, this allows for the miracle of carpooling. One parent takes two kids. This leaves one couple with an empty house and leaves me with an hour to pound out a guilt-free draft. Or two. In my defense, I’m also running two loads of laundry.

draft

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Quick Post: 10-4-21

I’ve really been enjoying this format. I agree that the prevalence of Organ Hoarder and the Diregraf Horde is a bit much at common, but it’s a great contest between the flashback/disturb of the control decks versus the aggression of the other decks.

draft

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