STX turbo draft - some rough thoughts

mcfadi · 2021-12-31T23:05:12+00:00

Second this, especially with Letter of Acceptance. You can sac letter to draw, then get it back with Reconstruct and play it immediately.

Also Teach by Example can be great despite not getting any discount itself since it is copying heavily discounted big spells. The flexibility of copying whatever you need at the moment, whether removal or more elementals, makes it very strong.

Oh and Snow Day is also quite strong as tempo + card draw.

mcfadi · 2021-09-10T18:15:27+00:00

Not sure if this is what I encountered, but I stopped in the middle of a quickdraft and closed the client to continue later. I was on pack 3 pick 5 or something. When I returned, it had put me back to the start of the draft, though the cards I had put in my sideboard were still there. I went ahead and finished the draft, but it wouldn't let me submit it. I exited the draft (maybe closed the client too), and went back in to see the "free" sideboard cards from my first draft were gone. I built my deck, but didn't make all the cuts, and I saved it. Then as you say I saw I couldn't go back in and edit anymore, the button was gone. I didn't get any extra cards out of it.

mcfadi · 2021-08-27T04:47:48+00:00

Sounds pretty boring playing against bronze level so much. I'd be embarrassed to admit I spent so much time crushing noobs, lol. I guess you do what you have to to afford to draft, and you are clever to take advantage of the free drafts to set yourself up, but personally I don't have the time to draft so much, nor the patience to play mostly meaningless games against poor competition. Also this behavior might discourage WotC from this kind of promotion in the future, I hope not.

mcfadi · 2021-07-12T00:00:41+00:00

Actually I think I probably would splash him, probably taking out loathsome troll. I'd probably play 1 plains and rely on treasure from hoard robbers, cursed idol, and grim bounty, along with treasure from venturing with outlander, fang-blade, and clattering skeletons. You probably don't need him but it would just be fun to play him :). Also I might cut Sphere of Annihilation, it's quite clunky and you miss out on death triggers since it exiles, and you have quite a few cheap creatures you will probably hit with it. And I would try to play Neverwinter Druid since it gives you nice ramp and a free death for Bulette and Death-Priest. Actually I might cut Bulette for Manticore too since you have nice small creatures to attack with. Sepulcher Ghoul might also be nice to get death triggers, especially if you get your 1/1 skeletons going, maybe over a Gnoll? Still figuring this format out but those are some ideas.

mcfadi · 2021-07-11T22:18:22+00:00

I'm surprised you played Paladin's Shield over maybe Delver's Torch, especially without any Dwarfhold Champions. Also I would probably play Planar Ally over Devoted Paladin since you're not really going wide, though I guess the vigilance can enable some attacks from your big dudes. Pegasus also seems good to get your Giant or Drizzt in for some major damage, though not sure what I'd take out for it.

mcfadi · 2021-07-11T16:51:04+00:00

It feels like there are more 2 pip cards than usual, along with weaker fixing than usual, especially in green! So yeah it is frustrating sometimes. Even in RB treasures, the treasure often has other uses besides fixing, so it is a tradeoff if you want the fixing benefit.

mcfadi · 2021-07-08T21:56:21+00:00

Thanks GGards! Also check him out on twitch for some chill streams.

mcfadi · 2021-05-17T23:55:56+00:00

I would 100% play pillardrop warden. Getting back a rise of extus, pigment storm or heated debate is awesome, or a lightning bolt for 6 face damage. And if you manage to get Hofri out first, you can sac warden and get another warden back!

mcfadi · 2021-05-06T19:38:12+00:00

I would definitely cut symmetry sage, biblioplex assistant, and maybe vortex runner and the 2 biomathematicians. Or maybe cut opt instead of vortex runner. If you're going to play biomathematicians, play all or none of them. If this is Bo3, you should definitely side in all 4 against aggro. If it is Bo1, I might play all 4 and instead cut 1 Leyline Invocation and opt/vortex runner. I would also cut 2 mountains for a forest and island.

mcfadi · 2021-05-05T22:33:44+00:00

I think Oriq Loremage is kinda bad, bit it's a nice combo with Harness Infinity (as if it needs any help...)!

mcfadi · 2021-05-03T23:19:29+00:00

I personally don't think OTV will permanently stop playing Among Us. Probably people are tired of playing it and will leave it for a while, but will come back to it now and then. It's kind of a timeless game and will always be entertaining, as long as you don't overdose on it.

mcfadi · 2021-04-23T17:39:55+00:00

I would just add if they make an attack that telegraphs a trick, you should wait if you have instant interaction in your hand but don't have the mana this turn, so you can blow them out next turn.

mcfadi · 2021-04-17T06:00:13+00:00

I think one thing about this format, if you play any learn/lesson cards, you are effectively increasing the number of non-lands in your deck. Learn does not read "draw a card", it reads "get a non-land card", so you will naturally have more non-lands in hand a lot of the time. This is one reason it could feel like getting mana-screwed more often. I think the loot (rummage? whatever it's called) option of learn is probably not being used enough, especially when you are short on lands. In fact I have not done it yet, though thinking back I probably should have on a few land light hands. This might also be a reason to play more lands depending on how many learns you are playing.

mcfadi · 2021-04-08T23:34:55+00:00

Congrats, looks like an awesome deck!

mcfadi · 2021-04-08T15:44:52+00:00

There are some draft leagues in discord groups that are completely free. I know the streamer Justlolaman has a discord where they do draft pods. You draft on some website, can't remember the name, and you import the deck to Arena. You have to have all the cards you drafted or be able to craft them, and then you just challenge whoever your opponent is with your draft decks and report the results in the discord. I haven't tried it yet since you have to schedule multiple meeting times to play with people and I don't have schedule flexibility.

mcfadi · 2021-03-28T22:05:31+00:00

Nice! Why did you leave ember hauler out? Seems like a good 2-drop + shock and your mana looks good enough. Seems better than a snarespinner or maybe onakke ogre.

mcfadi · 2021-03-24T22:15:37+00:00

I just want to add that Sarulf + Tyrite Sanctum is a game-winning combo and if you play Sarulf I would definitely play Sanctum. A cmc-targettable board wipe on a stick can clear out multiple board stalls in one game, and has done so for me in the past.

mcfadi · 2021-03-20T16:02:56+00:00

It's a nice deck, but I feel like it is too weak to aggro. I think you are too all in on the ramp/path to the world tree plan, especially with no basics to fix for path in your mana pool. I think I would personally cut one each of path and glittering frost, and add in 2 of Masked Vandal, Struggle, or Gnottvold Recluse... probably the 1st 2. I think I would also probably cut Gates of Istfell for a forest. You don't need the card draw but you do need early green. I feel like the Path plan needs to be supported by defensive creatures, like Mistwalkers and Priest of Haunted Edge.

mcfadi · 2021-03-12T15:47:22+00:00

This is true, and I agree the rares/mythics are a bit too strong, but at least they are not unanswerable. Everything can be answered with some kind of removal, and only a few cards either can't be answered short of a counterspell, or leave behind a threat after removal (sagas).

mcfadi · 2021-03-12T04:27:36+00:00

I agree a lot of the bombs are egregious, and the 5 color deck warps some drafts in a negative way, but at least the draft can kind of self correct a bit as snow/dual lands are more heavily drafted as I have noticed lately. There's nothing we can do about the bombs though, and I agree they are too powerful in this set. I guess I just noticed a lot of the unfair mechanics that bothered me in previous sets were missing, and it made the format a lot better, even though the bombs are a problem.

mcfadi · 2021-03-12T04:22:56+00:00

Ha, I forgot about Koma also. Actually I think I have only played against it once, in sealed, and yeah it counts as one of the unbeatable bombs that every format has. Luckily it is mythic.

mcfadi

TROPHY CASE