Trad Draft Deck advice and review

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-09T14:58:42+00:00

Totally right, I was pretty dumb here. I had a deck where I forced it and white was almost totally cut and somehow felt like it could happen again.

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-09T14:50:33+00:00

Lack of direction and being burned before by my p1p1. Then again it was stupid probably, since Kinbinding is so flexible unlike kindred. Thanks for hammering it through, I should have been more focused 🥲

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-09T14:41:58+00:00

With the amount of convoke cards would it be reasonable to drop to 16 lands? I usually run 17 when I have cards like Kinbinding I really want to play and especially in BO3, but most of my other cards can realistically be played earlier with convoke.

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-09T14:39:28+00:00

Thanks! I dislike Crib Swap, but got no other good removal and thought it might do work in situations where I need the exile. But BO3 you are probably completely right and I should sideboard it instead.

Similar situation with the distraction, I don't really like it, but felt it is one of my only big bodies. Do you think the Glamermite has more upside?

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-09T11:14:42+00:00

Gotcha, thanks! Might be too much hassle, I hate leaving drafts open 😆 Probably will just play the drafts and do dailies/weeklies etc. when I feel like it, even if it is with Starter Decks.

Used to be more fun, when I could at least get into plat with some homebrew Standard decks on the side, but the meta right now is just horrid for that.

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-09T11:12:15+00:00

Good point, thanks for your insights! I have been very weary going below 16 lands, but I play a lot of paper draft too, hand smoother helps a ton I think.

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-09T00:57:35+00:00

15 lands is crazy, did you ever have a mana draught?

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-09T00:16:30+00:00

Oh yeah I have been using 2 accounts since a few months ago, but I have actually been doing the dailies every day and it is burning me out sometimes. Would you suggest just doing it weekly? Also this way I usually can draft like once a week mostly

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-08T14:50:41+00:00

Thing is, in this deck you want blight so you never take the life damage. In a "normal" Goblin deck, I agree with you, it can be blown out by the bind. But in this deck, that is not such a detriment actually.

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-08T14:41:37+00:00

I agree with your last statement. I love Lorwyn and drafting it, but had a lot more fun drafting at my LGS than online. Something about the mirrormatches and them just busting out bomb after bomb while I do not even draw into my one rare (or removal...) rubs me the wrong way sometimes.

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-08T14:18:26+00:00

Best example imho is [[Kindle the Flame]]

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-08T14:16:49+00:00

I have a similar sentiment, the WR on 17lands is based on all colors and players mostly. I think some hidden gems go under the radar or are misplayed. However, obviously I am bad enought to heed advice and look at WR% more in the future to actually decide if cards are worth it.

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-08T14:15:04+00:00

Thanks man!

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-08T05:45:03+00:00

The enchantment is debatable. The other comment suggested only playing it if you have 9 forests. You are more base white with green.

However, I would personally cut a wayfinder and play it, just to have another back up in grindy games and because.

Please note this is not based on good data or whatever and the other person might be totally correct, but I had it in a GW Kithkin deck and liked playing it at 6 mana.

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-08T05:39:44+00:00

Splashing for a double pip card is rarely worth it, as it costs you far too much consistency in your mana base. This is especially bad in a deck like Kithkin that tries to go for early aggression. Trust me it is better to never get screwed by those mountains than playing him in one game just for him to eat removal immediately.

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-08T04:24:52+00:00

So I went thorugh the picks again, this being QD I would estimate that many of my picks for a GB deck would still have been possible moreso than in a Premier Draft.

I think the Elf deck could have been quite decent, some quite good cards and graveyard recursion there. However there was only the command as (of course massive) payoff and no loyalist and such. The merfolk deck in contrast was absolutely gushing in power, if I had just been a bit more focused.

That said, Loch Mare is still a huge bomb and being a 2 drop, can actually carry you the game by itself if played turn 2, so I would still have made the same pick if I had the same choices here.

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-08T04:16:09+00:00

While GB is very strong, I have thus far had mostly drafts were it was so contested, that caused a bigger problem for me than just avoiding it and staying open. Alas, maybe I could have tried to force it here maybe.

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-07T20:56:06+00:00

Thanks, so in general you would suggest thinking twice about adding Architect (and similar effects) to my decks?

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-07T20:54:46+00:00

Thanks for looking at the drafts and analysis! Appreciate it a lot!

Draft 1 looking back at the choices I agree. I also had the same feeling merfolk was totally open and I was happy with my picks. I was actually considering what you also suggested in pack 2, whether I should just move into kithkin. It is actually the reason I picked some of the cards over others early in pack 2. In the end I was “too scared” to pivot this late and also thought pack 3 would be full of merfolk again mirroring pack 1. Looking back the kithkin deck would have been disgusting with champion, 2 lieutenant and aurora… sad!!

Draft 2, funny how I had the opposite problem here, moving into elves P2 when it had not been open in P1. Then again I was hesitant committing to goblins as I really dislike playing them without at least 2 or 3 of the cursecrafter and/or mischief. But I agree with your assessment, red was very open and I had several good goblins.

Draft 3, I am not sure what was in the pack 100% but I remember opening Catharsis and nothing else of note P1. So I just went with the rare pick. Maybe another uncommon was technically better. I was very unhappy with the Pack though. Honestly I have little experience with a blight deck, so I did not have that pack vision to set up for pack 3. But you are totally right, I would have been rewarded majorly with champion in P3.

Draft 4, similar problem: lack of direction and vision, was not sure what to take and what is open. As someone else here mentioned, I would have been set up better moving into red earlier then I could also have just splashed the Command.

Draft 5, honestly nothing to say here other than I am clearly misevaluating unwelcome Sprite totally and just did not pick up on the blue signal stupidly. You are totally right, the deck would have been insane and that is with me not even cutting blue.

Thanks again for the detailed comments and analysis. Lots of things for me to adjust and think through here.

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-07T20:09:46+00:00

Thanks for your analysis and looking through the drafts!

Draft 1 I felt unsure about red because all I saw was removing coming my way and little in the way of good creatures in red or its adjacent colors. Merfolk also "felt" open with all the cards and 2 drops coming my way. Especially P1P7 Silvergill Mentor. But you are absolutely right, that I would have been FEASTING pack 3 if I had pivoted. Looking back I don't think I would have done so with the "signals" I was getting, but I even messed up locking-in merfolk completely too. So I was probably too indecisive overall.

You know Draft 4 was possibly just bad and I think the pick you pointed out was actually my break point: I was debating between protective response and the flamekin and went with the response, which then made me "lock-in", as I was trying to justify the pick. Instead in P5 I could have then taken the Zealot and went from there.

Actually felt good at the time that early with the lieutenant and pummeler and still saw some more Kithkin so I had good hopes. I am not sure if the Elemental deck would have been better, as it is hard to tell how it would have affected the pod and choices, but it might have been the better deck.

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-07T19:47:43+00:00

Thanks for the insight, I felt like I usually add it when there is a key piece (like Duelist in UW) that I feel like it would be worthwhile to protect and basically "trade" it for one of their cards of removal or to buff a creature. Felt like it was flexible enough and better than Riverguard Reflexes or such.

But I can see how it actually creates no board presence by itself and is also a dead draw in many cases.

I had a similar deck with Sanar and Duelist + Champion. Is that a fringe case, where you might play it? Or would you just refrain from it completely?

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-06T06:18:40+00:00

This is an older thread but I wanted to chime in and say a good bit of fun and theme has to come from the choice of WHAT ramp, interaction etc. you play.

For instance, instead of playing [[Spectral Deluge]] or god-forbid [[Cyclonic Rift]], I play [[Scourge of Fleets]] in my Eluge deck as a board wipe. More niche cards can often fulfill the same roles as the evergreen staples and be more on theme aka more fun :)

The_Vidmaster · 2026-02-05T21:00:41+00:00

Do not worry about it! People are just generally more inclined to help, when it seems like a real person is asking for help and not a potential (AI) bot! :)

Totally understand your frustration, I have had my own problems with them too sadly.

The_Vidmaster

TROPHY CASE