Seems like time for another draft walkthrough. Here we go!
Pack 1 pick 1:
My Pick:
This is a pretty interesting pick to start the draft off on. I quickly narrow the options down to Necropede, Copper Myr, Shatter, Barrage Ogre and Tumble Magnet. Quicksilver Gargatuan is definitely better than the other seven-drops in this pack, but not by enough that I'd take it over actual quality removal, and I don't want t start off on a double blue card. If I take a red card, the Shatter is the better choice as it again leaves my colour options more open than the double symbol Ogre. Of the artifacts, Copper Myr is a worse two mana guy than Necropede, which in turn is an all round more exciting card than Tumble Magnet. So I think the pick comes down to Necropede versus Shatter. The dividing line for me is that if I take the Shatter it will be excellent in red based metalcraft, but not an overly exciting splash card outside of that. Necropede is a star if we end up in infect, but will also be a shoe-in for main deck inclusion whatever we end up in, as well as leaving us entirely free to move into whichever colours are open later on.
Pack 1 pick 2:
My Pick:
We could quite happily move in on any colour but blue in this pack, with the most exciting options being Grasp of Darkness, Razor Hippogriff and Turn to Slag. Untamed Might is the green pick to head towards infect, or Bellowing Tanglewurm for the 'dinosaur' deck. Trigon of Corruption is as powerful as any of these cards though, and keeps us open for the time being, so it's an easy pick here.
Pack 1 pick 3:
My Pick:
Sadly with this pick we have to stake out at least one colour, as the artifacts in this pack are not as strong as the coloured options for their respective decks. If we want to move in on metalcraft the Turn to Slag is more powerful than Rust Tick. Tel-Jilad Fallen is not as powerful, but it does fit better with our first two picks and we have yet to pass any infect cards so there is a chance we can cut it off to our left.
Pack 1 pick 4:
My Pick:
This is a relatively empty pack with nothing massively interesting for us. I don't like taking Trinket Mage here with no targets and no other blue cards yet, and Auriok Sunchaser is pretty weak to take a gamble on ending up in white on. I choose the Instill Infection as black is the natural pairing for green if we end up in infect, and I'm happy to have swamps in my deck whatever to support the Trigon.
Pack 1 pick 5:
My Pick:
Once again there are no cards for the infect deck, however there is also no clear indicator I should be in another strategy either (I don't think Auriok Edgewright is much of a signal that white is open as there are plenty of cards that would be taken over it). Leaden Myr is the best pick here, with the exception of Tel-Jilad Fallen every one of our cards so far will fit into both an infect deck and B/x metalcraft.
Pack 1 pick 6:
My Pick:
Here it seems that the last two packs were an aberration, as we get an encouragingly late Cystbearer. This pack could have contained a Purefax/Skithiryx plus a Plague Stinger that would have been taken over Cystbearer, meaning that there are hopefully at most two other infect drafters at the table, and maybe only one. We've successfully cut off at least two players to our left, so going all in on the infect deck seems the ideal strategy at this point.
Pack 1 pick 7:
My Pick:
Not too much choice here, someone is getting a late Wall of Tanglecord, but there is nothing else of note in this pack.
Pack 1 pick 8:
My Pick:
Here the pick is between Bleak Coven Vampires and Alpha Tyrranax. We won't end up with enough artifacts to think the vampires will ever trigger, which make the Tyrranax the better value card.
Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick:
There isn't much value here - if I had a Tainted Strike already I'd pick Blistergrub slightly higher, but Tel-Jilad Defiance is a pretty solid 23rd card if we end up needing it.
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick:
Now this is a massive bonus! The Grasp of Darkness was probably taken by another infect drafter, but the fact that Untamed Might made it back round suggests there might only be two of us at the table.
Pack 1 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 12:
My Pick:
Obviously Vector Asp is not ideal, but I have run them when short on infect creatures before. It is still far better than Relic Putrescence for what it's worth.
Pack 1 pick 13:
My Pick:
I could see siding this in again a fast aggro deck, although I've never actually done so before.
Pack 1 pick 14:
My Pick:
As I mentioned above, this is actually pretty good in the mirror if you have Tainted Strikes.
Pack 1 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 1:
My Pick:
Contagion Clasp is basically the perfect card for our deck. I pause before clicking on it only to lament how often I open Venser's Journal in SoM drafts.
Pack 2 pick 2:
My Pick:
Both infect creatures here are solid, and hit much harder than the one power guys. The trade-off here is that where the slightly more fragile rats fit better on the curve, the card advantage of Corpse Cur can just be back breaking in a game. The double casting cost of the rats is not immaterial either, as there's no advantage to having a three drop if you can't play it until turn four anyway.
Pack 2 pick 3:
My Pick:
And another four drop. Fume Spitter and Throne of Geth are also options here, but I think just getting up to a critical mass of infect creatures is the most important thing at this point in the draft.
Pack 2 pick 4:
My Pick:
Infiltration Lens is a card that I'd be happy to pick up, but never over an actual infect creature unless I already had 13 of them. Painsmith is also desirable, but getting as many two cost infect creatures as possible is my main consideration here.
Pack 2 pick 5:
My Pick:
Yet another Tel-Jilad Fallen, I think this pick probably should have been the Fume Spitter as I now have seven 4-drops.
Pack 2 pick 6:
My Pick:
I'm not certain this pick was correct, as the Sylvok Replica does fill the rather empty three spot on the curve. Ultimately I think both cards are about the same power level in the deck, so I'm not unhappy with taking the Mamba.
Pack 2 pick 7:
My Pick:
Having passed the Replica, the very next pack contains an excellent answer to equipment anyway. I'm surprised to see the spider this late, a 3/5 with reach blocks pretty much every creature in this format. We're already so heavy on casting costs that there is no way Grafted Exoskeleton fits into the deck.
Pack 2 pick 8:
My Pick:
Wow, even more amazing to see this spider. The defensive stats are preferable to the Molder Beast's, especially when we haven't seen any Tainted Strikes yet.
Pack 2 pick 9:
My Pick:
Nothing for us, nothing worth hate-drafting. The spellbomb could make the deck if we end up short on playables.
Pack 2 pick 10:
My Pick:
This pick seems a bit random, either Withstand Death or Scrapdiver Serpent would have been better choices.
Pack 2 pick 11:
My Pick:
Lifesmith could make it into the main deck if we're confident there's only one other infect drafter at the table. We have enough artifacts that it should gain six or more life.
Pack 2 pick 12:
My Pick:
This was a foil Swamp, normally I'd pick the Plains from this pack.
Pack 2 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 1:
My Pick:
Plague Stinger is an easy pick from this pack. It's likely the Blackcleave Goblin will come back from this pack, but it is unlikely to make the main deck even if it does return at this point.
Pack 3 pick 2:
My Pick:
And having said that, the very next pick presents literally nothing except another Goblin. There's an argument to be made for Iron Myr with our glut of four cost creatures, but we already have one Leaden Myr for the deck. There's nothing else that's very worrying to face in this pack, so by taking the Goblin we guarantee that the other Infect drafter gets nothing from it.
Pack 3 pick 3:
My Pick:
This time I do take the Sylvok Replica, although I debated taking Ezuri with all the Tel-Jilad Fallen I had drafted. The decision came down to a lack of removal, the Replica will give the deck far more consistency at the cost of some potential late game nonsense.
Pack 3 pick 4:
My Pick:
Ever get the feeling you're sitting in the right seat? We can hope to wheel Contagious Nim, which will be very welcome at three mana.
Pack 3 pick 5:
My Pick:
From feast to famine. In my experience this can happen quite regularly when chasing this strategy, if only one infect creature is opened in a pack it can easily look like it is being over drafted. In this case there is a choice between a Trigon of Mending that will hopefully not make the deck, or Golem Artisan. I really like the Artisan as a great mana sink, although they frequently go far later than they should. By picking it here, we deny a metalcraft deck to our left an uncommon bomb. There's also the outside possibility of the Golem making our deck as both an excellent blocker and something to bluff Tainted Strike with.
Pack 3 pick 6:
My Pick:
Half rare-grab, half hedge against someone with a proliferate deck thinking they can send their win condition round the table...
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick:
I know we're crowded at the four spot, but Tangle Angler instantly leaps above all our other fours as one of the best possible infect creatures.
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick:
We're expecting the Contagious Nim to return still, but this gives a bit of insurance that we'll have a third creature at three mana.
Pack 3 pick 9:
My Pick:
An auto-pick, even though there is no chance of this second Goblin seeing play. Sometimes you just have grab anything that says infect on it. Actually, make that all the time!
Pack 3 pick 10:
My Pick:
We already have one, but the other cards are essentially blanks, and I wouldn't like to have this played against me.
Pack 3 pick 11:
My Pick:
This is definitely a punt, with all the two drops we already have and a massive hole at three I should have picked Ezuri.
Pack 3 pick 12:
My Pick:
Thankfully the Nim made it round.
Pack 3 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 15:
My Pick:
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The major learning point from this draft is that I value Blight Mamba too highly, and consistently pick it over better cards for my deck! The P1P1 gamble on Necropede really paid off. I'm pretty sure that there was only one other infect drafter at the table, probably caused by a few of the pack ones to my right not containing any infect cards. It does seem like a lot of people either go all in on infect from pick one, or else ignore it entirely, which can reward anyone who is willing to read the signals and then jump in around pick four or five.
In building the deck the major problem to overcome was the hole in the mana curve at three. If either Blight Mamba pick had been reversed the deck would look a lot more solid. The final two slots in the deck are from the following cards:
I feel like the main way I'm going to lose is if someone stabilises the ground and attacks with fliers, or has enough small fast creatures that they can race on the ground. The spiders offers the best defense to these strategies, and also give me two more outs to Bladed Pinions or possible bomb equipments.
The final decklist I submit is:
- 2 Plague Stinger
- 2 Blight Mamba
- 1 Leaden Myr
- 1 Necropede
- 1 Ichorclaw Myr
- 1 Sylvok Replica
- 1 Contagious Nim
- 1 Cystbearer
- 1 Corpse Cur
- 1 Tangle Angler
- 3 Tel-Jilad Fallen
- 2 Acid Web Spider
- 1 Untamed Might
- 1 Nihil Spellbomb
- 1 Contagion Clasp
- 1 Instill Infection
- 1 Trigon of Corruption
- 1 Carrion Call
- 10 Forest
- 7 Swamp
Round 1 - Brynhold (R/W Metalcraft)
Game 1
The first game is missing from my MTGO logs, so I don't have a detailed account of it. I got a fast start with multiple two drops, and quickly getting him to 8 poison before Embersmith showed up to clear out my creatures. Acid Web Spider held off most of his attackers until Contagion Clasp showed up to off the 'Smith and proliferate the last couple of counters.
Game 2
In game 2 I keep:
My thinking is that the three creatures are all excellent against his artifact based deck, so I can afford to play slightly less aggressively than game one. The Spellbomb will help to find more lands, and with 15 left in the deck plus 8 two drops that are all castable I should be drawing well enough. He threatens to derail this plan entirely when his first play is Embersmith, followed by a Revoke Existence for the Necropede I draw.
By now I have drawn Blight Mamba and a second Forest (obv) so I play it with regeneration mana open, but he has Arc Trail followed by a Panic Spellbomb to kill it and attacks me to 12. I make Sylvok Replica to hold off his attackers, but the following Fallen and Leaden Myr are both killed when he has Myr Reservoir plus Iron Myr, and then Darksteel Sentinel. By now I have plenty of land and can play Tangle Angler leaving my two guys holding off his whole team. Instill Infection finally deals with the Embersmith, and I can safely play Plague Stinger even though it is nullified by the Abuna Acolyte that is sat across the board.
His next play is a Tempered Steel that threatens to overrun me, but I helpfully draw the third Tel-Jilad Fallen to make sure that he doesn't have a good attack. The following turn I can attack with Plague Stinger, Tel-Jilad Fallen and Tangle Angler, with the Angler luring the only creature that can block the Fallen (Abuna Acolyte). Untamed Might for 7 means that even with the Acolyte activation I get through 10 poison counters. Brynhold was poisoned!!!
Round 2 - Tramer W/B Metalcraft)
Game 1
I have an opening hand of:
This is an easy keep, with an aggressive start that should put me in control of the game. Tramer has his own Myr followed up with a stream of metalcraft creatures and a Mimic Vat. Unfortunately for him, a Tangle Angler lured all his blockers and allowed my double Plague Stinger, double Tel-Jilad Fallen to inflict 8 counters. Tramer was poisoned!!!
Game 2
For the second game I draw:
This hand isn't as exciting as last game, but there's no real reason not to keep it with a two and three drop. The spider measures up well to the Snapsail Glider and Auriok Sunchaser I saw in the last game. The game goes long, Tramer is able to contain my early creatures with multiple Auriok Replicas while attacking with Glint Hawk Idol, Snapsail Glider and Auriok Sunchaser. When the Spider comes down, he has a Glimmerpoint Stag to blink it and attack for 7. He then has Mimic Vat and suicides a Sunchaser to force more damage through and put it on the Vat. With double Auriok Replica in play there is no way the Untamed Might in my hand can help, and when the top of my deck fails to provide the second Spider I concede.
Game 3
My opener for game three is far more encouraging:
His start is less explosive, and I am able to control the tempo and force him to trade for my creatures keeping his board clear. Cystbearer trades with Perilous Myr and Tel-Jilad Fallen with an Edgewright while the Blight Mamba gets through for some counters. The second Fallen comes into play when he has only Copper Myr and an Origin Spellbomb, and when he chooses not to block Blight Mamba the next turn Untamed Might is lethal. Tramer was poisoned!!!
Round 3 - TheBusiness9 (R/W/u/g Good Stuff)
Game 1
The first game of the finals, and my starting hand is another easy keep:
My opening Plague Stinger is killed by a Galvanic Blast, before my opponent plays a second turn Embersmith, disrupting my plans somewhat. A third turn Trinket Mage for Accorder's Shield makes the situation even worse. I hold off playing out my creatures, waiting to draw removal for the Embersmith, and take hits down to 10 life as he plays a Glint Hawk off the Shield. I draw a Tangle Angler and he passes his turn after just attacking with the Glint Hawk, leaving the Shield unequipped. I attack with Tangle Angler on autopilot, realising as soon as I pass priority that he obviously has Dispense Justice. I lose the Tangle Angler and concede the following turn having failed to draw a second Forest or a creature with more than one toughness.
Game 2
After a disappointing misplay I'm on the play again, and get the following:
He once again gets an astounding draw, with Glint hawk off Accorder's Shield on turn two, and then Embersmith replaying the shield and pinging me on turn three. My Necropede is held at bay, but jumps in front of the Embersmith to put two counters on it when he attacks me. A Tumble Magnet threatens to disrupt me even more, but I've been drawing Forests, so my Blight Mamba and Tel-Jilad Fallen look like they can make a game of this. A Saberclaw Golem allows him to kill the Fallen, before a Rust Tick looks to off my Plague Stinger, although I opt to save it with Untamed Might. Finally he runs out of artifacts to play and I draw Acid Web Spider to destroy Accorder's Shield, also killing the now -1 toughness Embersmith and giving me a blocker for his Hawk and Golem.
Having stabilised at a somewhat comfortable 8 life, I am able to play out the second Tel-Jilad Fallen to hold off Saberclaw Golem. I attack with Blight Mamba to see what he'll do, and rather than block with the Golem and give it first strike he chooses to put his newly cast Wall of Tanglecord in front of it. I use this information to keep up what should be a fruitless strategy if he knew how Saberclaw Golem worked, and a second Blight Mamba arrived which he began blocking with Rust Tick. It becomes clear he's not really thinking about the game when Rust Tick is on 1 toughness and he chooses to block with Golem instead and still doesn't activate it.
Meanwhile he's been playing all his lands and is clearly waiting for some bomb to show up, as he's made no move to try and break through at all. The mystery is cleared up when Hoard-Smelter Dragon makes an appearance. I use Sylvok Replica to take out Tumble Magnet at the end of his turn, preventing him from tapping my blockers for the Dragon and denying him any targets for its ability. The first attack from the Dragon I block with Plague Stinger, then I use Corpse Cur to bring it back and block again to make the Dragon a 3/3 which cannot now attack into my Acid Web Spider. When I play Trigon of Corruption he concedes.
Game 3
On the draw for the final game, I have this hand:
With ten Forests in the deck I'm happy to play this, with both Plague Stinger and Leaden Myr to play out. If the Forest is in the top three cards this hand is really good. In fact the Forest is on top, what's not so good is that he has Accorder's Shield into Glint Hawk on turn one this time. He has no two drop and on turn three just equips the Hawk with the Shield, but this is enough to hold my Plague Stinger off. I've drawn a second Forest and play Myr over Cystbearer to get a turn four Acid Web Spider. He has the answer to my play once again as he responds with a Tumble Magnet and locks my Myr down with a Rust Tick. Kemba's Skyguard adds more aerial pressure and I launch a counterattack with Blight Mamba and Cystbearer, pumping the Cystbearer with Untamed Might to put him to 8 poison counters.
I made a tactical error here, his next play was a Clone Shell and, fearing the Dragon, I chose not to attack and only played out a Contagious Nim. He was on 1:32 on the clock, so I figured that going for the long game would favour me, plus my attacks did not look great as he tapped Blight Mamba with Tumble Magnet. I could also have played out Ichorclaw Myr though, instead of leaving up regeneration mana for the Mamba, and guaranteeing at least one good attack next turn. He punished me by dropping his sixth land and then Hoard-Smelter Dragon, then bounced and replayed the Tumble Magnet with another Glint Hawk to tap both my blockers and swing for lethal.
See you next time.
Steve
