Hello again! Just when you thought I was actually pulling the stunt my namesake does in the Samuel Becket play from which I took my column title, I’m back on PureMTGO.com with a fresh Mirrodin Besieged draft walkthrough. Let’s jump right in; this was my second MBS-SOM-SOM draft, and I’m holding myself to my declaration on Twitter.
Deckbuilding
This is not a great deck, but the packs weren’t great either.
R1G1 114964596
I win the roll, and with a defensive deck like this I definitely want to draw first. My opener looks like this:
Villain has a Forest, I draw a welcome Mountain, play Island, and pass. Villain has another Forest and a (Carapace Forger), quickly exposing the vulnerability of this hand. I will probably have to get lucky on a turn-four eruption or take six from a (Grizzly Bears) alone before the possibility of stabilizing. I draw a third Mountain, play one, cast (Thrummingbird), and pass.
After the forger hits me for 2 (18 – 20), a third Forest leads to a maindeck (Glissa's Courier). I pull (Iron Myr), which gives me options for next turn besides a desperation (Cerebral Eruption). Thrummingbird hits for 1 (18 - 19), I drop a Mountain, make a myr, and pass. After crushing me for another 4 (14 – 19), Villain continues the curve-out with a Forest and a (Tangle Mantis). I pull (Kuldotrha Flamefiend) and have my first real decision since the mulligan:
Hitting 3 or 4 on the eruption would probably win me the game, but whiffing would leave me way back on my heels. Meanwhile the (Strandwalker) can stop all but the courier from attacking if it lives, setting up a possible (Kuldotha Flamefiend) if I can find a land. The clear choice here is to cast the (Strandwalker). The whole theory of the eruption in this deck is that I can stabilize to the point where I’m not flipping coins for my life by casting it, and Strandwalker in a spot like this is how I get there.
Naturally, in my eagerness to try out the (Cerebral Eruption), though, I go for the one-sided wrath, and am punished for the misplay with a revealed Forest. Better than a spellbomb, I suppose. Mind you, it’s a misplay because of the reasons above, not because it hit a land.
Excellent! My first significant game decision in my first walkthrough article in months, and I punt it! Feels like I never left. I compound the error by failing to attack with the Thrummingbird; I may have overlooked the trample on the mantis, thinking I would chump with bird, but I’m not sure. Regardless, missing that attack is like dropping an easy fly ball.
Well, if I haven’t already lost you with those plays, let’s see where it goes from here. It starts with me taking 7 on an attack with no blocks (7 – 19), but thanksfully Villain can only muster a (Wall of Tanglecord) and a fifth Forest after that. I pull the land I need, and go for the sure removal, casting (Kuldotha Flamefiend), sacrificing the myr to take out the mountainwalker, dealing the extra to the dome (7 – 18).
Villain responds with a second Carapace Forger and no attack, so I appear to have pulled from “behind” to “stable.” I pull an Island, play it, and assess my options for moving from “stable” to “ahead.”
Villain’s attacking has stopped, but I need to find a way to start. That means (Sky-Eel School) now, and (Shatter) next turn. The sky-eel loot produces an easy discard in Mountain, and I pass the turn. A 2/2 (Chrome Steed) comes down for Villain in what feels like a risky play given my known eruption. I find (Accorder's Shield) off the top, and try (Cerebral Eruption) again while those three bears are still little. Cerebral Implosion finds another Forest, sadly. It seems unlikely that Villain will have metalcraft next turn with a Forest on top, but it’s too risky to shatter the wall and attack at this point, so I pass.
Villain surprises me with a (Razorfield Rhino) off the sixth land, though, and attacks in with a souped-up team. Obviously I am (Shatter)ing here, but what, and then how should I block? There are several lines to consider—which is correct?
I like shattering the rhino, putting flamefiend on the mantis, the eel on the steed, and the bird on a forger so I stay at 5, out of (Pierce Strider) and (Mortarpod) range. The Thrummingbird isn’t really going to be a relevant factor on offense, so I should use it to blank a couple of monogreen’s game-winning reach outs. In the game I don’t chump with the bird because of a mono-green mentality, and the idea that I can eventually turn it into a real defender with the shield (3 – 18). That idea has some merit, but should have played it safer with my life total given the existence of colorless, non-rare cards that can take me from 3 to 0 in the format.
I pull an Island and try again for a one-sided wrath, staying perfect with another Forest: still no eruption. Isn’t there a pill for this? Ah well…with the remaining three mana, I suit up the Thrummingbird for defense with the (Accorder's Shield) and stay back on defense, as it’s not worth a point of damage to tap down the (Sky-Eel School).
Villain draws his Forest and casts a sandbagged (Acid Web Spider), destroying the shield and bringing the board back even. I pull my other Accorder's Shield and try for the fourth time to get some value out of the Cerebral Eruption. Villain reveals a second (Wall of Tanglecord) taking out the forgers and delivering a shock to the dome (3 – 16). What? Sixteen-mana, four-turn two-for-ones are still awesome, shut up. Shield number two hits play, and I decide where to put it.
I can get a shield-aided attack in with the flamefiend or the eel this turn thanks to the lingering eruption damage, but only the flamefiend will be able to attack successfully against the upcoming defense with the Strandwalker, so that’s the best place for the shield. Villain takes 4 from a vigilant flamefiend before I ship the turn (3 – 12). Villain plays the known (Wall of Tanglecord), but opts to hold the known Forest. I draw (Blue Sun's Zenith), and anticipate a four-card influx before my next untap.
Villain topdecks a second (Razorfield Rhino), but my fully-equipped flamefiend will still dominate the current board, plus I zenith for 4, drawing two Islands, a (Plated Seastrider) and a (Trigon of Thought) before pulling (Soliton) during my normal draw phase. I play an Island and consider my newfound options.
I’m neither going to get in a good attack this turn nor be faced with one from villain next turn that my current creatures can’t at least chump, so all my options have similar utility—I go with Strandwalker and Plated Seastrider. Villain passes without a play, and I draw (Lumingrid Drake). I should suit up the flamefiend, send him in as a vigilant 6/11 and dare someone to block, but instead I cast the trigon and pass the turn. This is pretty silly; there’s no need to dig for cards when I have a play that allows me to begin attacking right now.
Villain has an (Alpha Tyrranax) to add to his beef, and attacking with my flamefiend is no longer an option, so it’s now time to keep digging. The trigon produces a Mountain before my draw produces an underwhelming (Mirran Spy). I take another pull fro mthe trigon, finding Oculus. I’m now seven cards deeper into my library than Villain, but still no win condition. I even have plays like bouncing my own flamefiend, but four damage does nothing to Villain’s board. I play the Mountain, then run out (Soliton) and Oculus.
After no play from Villain, I untap and draw Island, with the final trigon counter adding a (Scrapdiver Serpent) to my hand, and I happily cast the actual win condition before passing. Villain again has no play, and I rip (Heavy Arbalest). The serpent connects for 5 (3 – 7), and going for the arbalest combo elicits a concession.
Sideboarding
The Thrummingbird hits the showers immediately given the multiple (Wall of Tanglecord)s, and the (Bonds of Quicksilver) seems like a fine replacement given the size of Villain’s threats. (Stoic Rebuttal), which should really have been in from the start, comes in for (Mirran Spy), which doesn’t do much but block early (Carapace Forger)s in the matchup.
R1G2
Villain puts me on the play, and I have to mulligan a one-lander. I hold my breath and check six:
I draw (Plated Seastrider), which is an Island away from being fine for this spot. As it is, I have to pass. Villain has a fourth Forest and an (Accorder's Shield) of his own for the forger. I keep the magnet at three counters, taking the 2 (16 – 20). Another five drop in (Trigon of Thought) doesn’t change anything for me, and I ship the turn again. Villain has no play again, but this time I get a little antsy and tap down the forger. This is an impatient mistake and I regretted it instantly. Why use a precious counter to save 2 damage against monogreen dinos when I’m still at 16 life? 16 is where I stay, though, and I take back the turn.
A (Lumingrid Drake) from my draw is useless, and I’m on the verge of having to discard. I pass with a full grip, and manage to keep my finger off the magnet this attack, taking 2 from the vigilant forger (14 – 20). Villain offers another reprieve, mustering only a (Plague Myr) against my mana screw. I finally find an Island and drop down the (Plated Seastrider), but Villain responds with Forest number 7 and a (Quilled Slagwurm). Where’s that third (Tumble Magnet) counter now?
I untap and draw (Trinket Mage), which is the clear play over (Lumingrid Drake), my other castable spell. At this point, I need to either find my (Bonds of Quicksilver) or build a 9-power creature out of equipment, or I just lose to the (Quilled Slagwurm). Getting to metalcraft and buying a turn with (Lumengrid Drake) is a realistic plan in the meantime, so I fetch (Accorder's Shield) off the (Trinket Mage) and pass. Villain has (Chrome Steed), and I have a world of hurt. I magnet the 8/8 and take the 4 for now (10 – 20). The shield moves to the (Chrome Steed) before I untap for my turn.
I pull my last five drop in (Strandwalker), putting six of my seven most expensive spells in hand. Now I either cast the drake as a chump, or cast and equip the (Accorder's Shield). Which play do you like?
The other shield in the deck makes running out and equipping the shield correct, here. I can then block one of the 4-power guys, take the other one, and tap the 8/8. Then, if I topdeck the other shield, I’ll have the metalcraft to bounce the slagwurm, and the ability to trade my mage and drake for one 4/4 and block the other. That would buy me some time, and would put me on the path to a 9-toughness creature to boot. (Accorder's Shield) and (Bonds of Quicksilver) are slim outs, but outs nonetheless. Villain takes me from slim to none with a (Precursor Golem) following his attack, and the game is over shortly after.
R1G3
I put myself on the draw again and check my seven after Villain keeps:
While monogreen is the most likely deck to have some pump spells, An (Accorder's Shield) followed by a (Palladium Myr) draw my (Burn the Impure)—I am not equipped to deal with turn-four dinosaurs, and the myr will eventually make a nice target for my (Myr Welder). I take 2 from the forger before untapping (18 – 20).
I draw (Lumengrid Drake) and cast (Myr Welder).
I went with some swingy cards in this deck and paid the price, with (Cerebral Eruption) being the most extreme. I don’t usually find myself taking (Cerebral Eruption) high enough. I still think this is the right kind of deck for it; it will frequently be able to gamble on
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