I played in an ME3 draft this past week and went in thinking I might cover it for this column. I drafted an extremely good blue-white horsemanship deck with fat "flyers," three (Remove Soul)s, good ground cloggers, solid card drawing, and a couple white removal spells. I mowed over my round-one opponent, then lost the most agonizing match of my life in round two when I faced an opponent with two (Nether Void)s, which he landed by turn five in all three games. It wasn't even a huge advantage for him, per se, it was just...annoying. Then, after mowing down my opponent in R3G1 (eliciting a “how did you lose a match?” comment), I proceeded to mulligan to 5 and 6 in games two and three, never seeing more than three lands in either.
I can’t submit you all to the torture of that play-by-play, and unless there is some strong support for it in the comments, I won’t be doing any ME3 draft walkthroughs. Once the fun of trying to open a dual land passed, all I could think was, “Why am I not just drafting M10 if I’m going to draft a core-style set?” To that end, let’s start with a fresh M10 draft instead.
Pack 1 pick 1: 
My Pick: 
Last week I said that there are only a handful of cards I take over (Mind Control) when in blue (or P1P1), all of them rare. I lied, some are mythic. (Master of the Wild Hunt) is insanely good. I have friends who object to the flavor, though: how is he sicking wolves on, say, an (Air Elemental) exactly? The answer decided is that he must throw them. I’ll admit that “target creature without flying” would make more sense flavor-wise, but the text probably didn’t fit, and since he’s in my pile, I don’t want him weaker!
Pack 1 pick 2: 
My Pick: 
(Awakener Druid) or (Giant Spider) would keep me on color, but I think (Capricious Efreet) is a bomb. It has the potential to backfire, but the odds are so far in your favor; not just the 66% chance, but the fact that it’s a 66% chance of destroying one of Villain's top two non-land permanents versus a 33% chance of destroying your worst non-land permanent. Then throw in shenanigans like targeting a regenerator on your side, and (Capricious Efreet) will win games with just a little bit of luck on your side.
Pack 1 pick 3: 
My Pick:
Too early for a (Fiery Hellhound), so I take the splashable bomb-recovery device.
Pack 1 pick 4: 
My Pick: 
I really want that (Borderland Ranger), but (Acidic Slime) is too useful to pass. Note that none of my picks so far are under four mana. Must watch my curve!
Pack 1 pick 5: 
My Pick: 
I find (Mist Leopard) to be so underwhelming that I’d rather counterdraft the (Capricious Efreet) killer.
Pack 1 pick 6: 
My Pick:
With its lack of depth and the splashability of its best common and uncommon ((Lightning Bolt) and (Fireball)), red is the…well…red-headed stepchild of M10 drafting. Louis Scott Vargas said he basically doesn’t pick red cards in M10, and he’s not the only one with that philosophy. The result, though, is that sometimes you can be the only heavy red drafter at the table, and it can reap benefits. I’m hoping this pick is a signal that I’m in position to be the red reaper in this draft.
Pack 1 pick 7: 
My Pick: 
I pass on the five-mana Wall of Wood for the slow pinger. Hopefully I draft some (Goblin Artillery) or (Prodigal Pyromancer)s before I’m done.
Pack 1 pick 8: 
My Pick:
OK, that’s a pretty great signal. Keep it coming, please!
Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick:
Tough call. the 4/4 who never plays defense, or the green guy that plays terrible defense? I decide I like choices, but one notable benefit of “must attack” cards: opponents are more likely to fall for gang-block traps and pump tricks because you have no choice but to attack. Villain might not double-block a (Stampeding Rhino) with two 3/3s for fear of (Giant Growth), but they will probably block (Berserkers of Blood Ridge) in the same spot.
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick:
(Viashino Spearhunter)s are so easy to come by and so marginally playable that I opt for the counterdraft again.
Pack 1 pick 11:
My Pick:
A solid card for heavy red. It trades with just about anything on the ground with some red mana up, and if you can clear the way with removal, it can hit hard.
Remaining Picks:
Not bad for the dregs! People don’t like drafting red in M10…
Pack 2 pick 1: 
My Pick:
Some decks just lose to (Goblin Artillery).
Pack 2 pick 2: 
My Pick:
Too bad I have to pass the (Seismic Strike) for the (Lightning Bolt), but if last pack is any indication, that strike might actually wheel.
Pack 2 pick 3: 
My Pick:
A little earlier than I’d like to be taking a (Sparkmage Apprentice), but I like it more than another Wall of Wood.
Pack 2 pick 4: 
My Pick:
Sure! One of my favorite commons in the set.
Pack 2 pick 5: 
My Pick:
Great to be seeing a (Lightning Bolt) at pick five, it means nobody close is even splashing red.
Pack 2 pick 6: 
My Pick:
Sweepers are great, and in particular this wrecks many (mana=u)(mana=w) flyers.
Pack 2 pick 7: 
My Pick:
I’m heavily red, so we’ll see if (Rampant Growth) is good enough for the final deck.
Pack 2 pick 8: 
My Pick:
Cheap beef that survives (Pyroclasm) over the expensive beef that survives (Pyroclasm) and is very hard to block, especially with an active (Rod of Ruin) or (Goblin Artillery). Close one.
Pack 2 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 10:
My Pick:
Um, what?
Pack 2 pick 11:
My Pick: 
A mostly irrelevant misclick; I don’t think I play either on-color spell anyway.
Pack 2 pick 12:
My Pick:
Could fill a hole in the low curve. Late (Bog Wraith)!
Final Picks:
Fantastic, I will probably play the minotaur.
Pack 3 pick 1: 
My Pick:
More bolts are good! This card is why you play red.
Pack 3 pick 2: 
My Pick: 
With no red or green for my deck, it comes down to counterdrafting the rare or the (Harm's Way). (Honor of the Pure) makes many of my spells, most notably (Pyroclasm), much weaker. (Harm’s Way) will only make one of my spells much weaker.
Pack 3 pick 3: 
My Pick:
I don’t think I’ll be splashing black at this point, but maybe. I have the ranger and the (Rampant Growth), but I want to maximize my (Seismic Strike)s.
Pack 3 pick 4:
My Pick:
I’m not green enough for the (Howl of the Night Pack) so I go with more cheap beef.
Pack 3 pick 5: 
My Pick:
Tough call. Of course I’m happy to play a fourth (Lightning Bolt), but the (Prodigal Pyromancer) feels like more what the deck needs at this point. He plays so well with the (Rod of Ruin), the (Goblin Artillery), and the three bolts already in my pile.
Pack 3 pick 6: 
My Pick:
White’s looking surprisingly underdrafted. More vanilla beef for me.
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick:
I’m really free to splash black now, I just don’t know if I need to, I have plenty of removal. I actually don’t like this pick, either. Not really needed without the black splash, and the (Ignite Disorder) would be great against many decks. I don’t even remember deciding not to pick the disorder, here; I think I saw it as a (Burning Inquiry).
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick:
My burn is shaping up quite nicely, there aren’t many creatures I won’t be able to kill after I’ve developed my board a bit.
Pack 3 pick 9:
My Pick:
Unlikely to see play with green as my secondary color.
Pack 3 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 12:
My Pick:
Rising in my estimations. It functions like a green (Negate) sometimes, or just a simple “Nope, we’re not trading” other times. Certainly happy to get it 12th, we’ll see if it makes the cut.
Pack 3 pick 13:
My Pick: 
I go with the big guy, but figure I probably wouldn’t have played either.
This draft converter created by Benjamin Peebles-Mundy.
Visit the draft converter today!
The Deck
In Editor
Some tough calls at the bottom end of the deck, and I decide not to splash the (Doom Blade) and/or (Gravedigger), but I’m quite happy with the deck I’m submitting: it had bombs, removal, and beef. Seems good!
No comments:
Post a Comment