Pack 1 pick 1:
That's an extremely difficult casting cost to hit, but obviously it's worth it. All the more important for this deck to have the third color be just a splash...something to keep in mind coming up.
Pack 1 pick 2:
That's a tough pick. Both are top-shelf removal, but I take the Branching Bolt. You have a triple-red bomb, so sticking to red's neighbor colors keeps multiple shards open, while O Ring is a Naya only for you. GR seems like a better path then RW, especially having passed that Bull Cerodon in the last pack.
No matter what, good stuff in your colors is heading downstream.
It's hard to fault a second-pick O Ring in any format containing O Ring, but I think Bolt is the right pick here.
Pack 1 pick 3:
Ironically, if you had taken the half-green Branching Bolt last pick, Blood Cultist would be the clear pick here. Since you took O Ring, I'm OK with the Archers as it keeps your first three picks in one shard. That being said, exalted is best in multiples, which means Bant, which means not triple-red dragons.
Given that, Blood Cultist is probably the pick even having taken O Ring.
These are the things I can figure out in two minutes, but frequently not in one, which is why I can assess my own drafts like this.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Grixis Charm is the most powerful card, but you don't feel near Grixis at this point. Agony Warp out for the same reason. Can you take a Panorama here? Blister Beetle is good but is also off Naya which is where you are trying to be. I guess I take the panorama because nothing off Naya is powerful enough to draw me to it, but the Blister Beetle is close.
Yeah, OK. I really don't know what to make of Panoramas at this point. So slow, but fixing so important. They are going around later it seems, so I'm coming around on the Beetle pick, here.
Pack 1 pick 5:
OK, Deathraiders are the sign to go Jund. Thrash is OK, but 3/1 trample for 2 is the pick. P1P2 and P3 were big picks for this draft. Branching Bolt into Blood Cultist into these last picks would be an amazing start. That's really just luck of the packs though, you could just as likely have been passed perfect Naya cards, you just don't know so early.
Pack 1 pick 6:
I'm tempted to cut the Screecher, but Naturalize is a good option for Jund, even if green is emerging as the splash color here.
Pack 1 pick 7:
Scoop another Deathraiders and marvel as you let a Citadel go 8th. There is a sweet Bant deck brewing close by.
Took the Citadel, huh? Dreaming of splashing for an O Ring when you know damn well you should be XYz, or even Xyz given the dragon--and you are still considering WXyz? Let your neighbor know Bant is wide open and take the aggro pick, here.
Pack 1 pick 8:
Rannet or Ogre? About the same. I guess I take the Ogre. There are a lot of pingers in the set and you've passed a Cultist, but Ogre is one of those cards that either trades for a creature, trades for removal, or does serious damage. It's rarely "serious damage,
but the other two results are OK. It's only facing first strike and pingers that it's just worthless and should be sided out.
Pack 1 pick 9:
Take the Thoctar and note that Grixis is even more wide open than Bant as the Creeper goes by.
Pack 1 pick 10:
Now that's a solid place to take an on-shard Panorama, very nice.
Pack 1 pick 11:
Pack 1 pick 12:
Pack 1 pick 13:
Late for that card. Not great, but better than pick 13...
Pack 2 pick 1:
Infest was SUCH a windmill slam in its last printing, and "2 to everything" effects have always been great in limited, but conventional wisdom says Infest isn't as good in this set, because decks that can pay BB generally kill their own army with Infest.
Still, it's freakin' mass removal! I would take Infest and keep an eye out for other solid devour, because devour into Infest seems pretty darn good.
Pack 2 pick 2:
Bloodpyre Elemental, or try out the rare? 7 mana...does it win you the game to cast it? Not quite. Certainly a huge threat that will end the game if not answered quickly...and if you have a bunch of 1/1 tokens around, it even buffs them (There's a nice Puppet Conjurer combo, BTW).
Maybe I'm undervaluing that rare, but I play it safe with the Bloodpyre. I think I fear trying rares sometimes, though. That's why I passed the Sigil in two drafts...wans't sure and took something safe and known instead.
Pack 2 pick 3:
Pack 2 pick 4:
Sweet, sweet Thrinax.
Pack 2 pick 5:
Dragger, Fodder or Marauder? I think I take the Marauder...but it's more at odds with devour than the other two. Still, Marauder is pretty good. Another Dragger is tempting...it plays well with both Devour and Infest.
Pack 2 pick 6:
I take the Corpse dude here, but probably not a huge deal either way.
Pack 2 pick 7:
Big or small? I wish I could see casting costs right now. I know we have a couple of big guys at least, so I think I go small and take Beetle.
Pack 2 pick 8:
Pack 2 pick 9:
I prefer the 5cc evasive 3/2 here to the non-evasive six drop. It does survive Infest, though, so maybe that's a better play than a second Kathari.
Pack 2 pick 10:
Pack 2 pick 11:
Pack 2 pick 12:
Pack 2 pick 13:
Pack 2 pick 14:
Pack 2 pick 15:
Pack 3 pick 1:
That equip is nice with the stinger it's next to, but an easy Thunder for your deck.
Pack 3 pick 2:
Savage lands! I saw that first and was hoping there would be nothing else tempting so you could take it in good conscience. Bone Splinters fails to qualify.
Pack 3 pick 3:
Capsule over Fleshbag, but I want them both.
Pack 3 pick 4:
I went with Carrion Thrash here, but maybe Panorma is correct. With Savage Lands and one Jund Panormama already in my pile, I think I go for another solid payable like Thrash, but consistency is good.
Pack 3 pick 5:
I'm comming around on Friestoker...legitimate acceleration to 5+, and if you are accelerating into 5+, he will probably do 4-6 damage if he sticks around. Still, I think I'd rather have Thrash + Naya Panorama over Firestoker + Jund Panorama.
Pack 3 pick 6:
Wow, the one Grixis drafter is going to do well in this draft if they are any good. Gift is solid card drawing, but I'm still tempted by a two-color tap land. I think I take the land, but I don't hate the Gift either.
Pack 3 pick 7:
Dragon Fodder over the Naturalize, and I wish a Fleshbag Marauder had made it into the pile at some point.
Pack 3 pick 8:
I would cut the Screecher or Ogre from the ONE Grixis drafter...Esper Charm not all that great.
Pack 3 pick 9:
Pack 3 pick 10:
Pack 3 pick 11:
I guess the Jund Panorama was the right pick because the Thrash from the pack before it made it around.
Pack 3 pick 12:
Pack 3 pick 13:
Pack 3 pick 14:
Pack 3 pick 15:
All in all a solid draft for you. Having Branching Bolt and Blood Cultist in the pile would make it pretty sick, but it's competitive as is.
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