Zen Zen Zen 4-3-2-2 draft no 3.

Trotsky1 · Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 1672

Back with another 4-3-2-2 this time i lost in finals.

Event #: 643241
Time: 10/24/2009 7:22:25 PM
Players:
Pier85
Prof_Hydra
Rumpofsteelskin
--> ElementalMox
REDMAGEOFFIRE
Intas
BusaHead
tkahiro

------ ZEN ------

Pack 1 pick 1:
Khalni Gem
Trapfinder's Trick
Expedition Map
Welkin Tern
Vampire's Bite
Turntimber Basilisk
Relic Crush
Kor Cartographer
Zendikar Farguide
Nimbus Wings
Forest
--> Spire Barrage
Conqueror's Pledge
Zektar Shrine Expedition
Sejiri Refuge

The barrage is so mcuh more powerfull than anything else and i like red in this format.

Pack 1 pick 2:
Kor Sanctifiers
Lethargy Trap
Nissa's Chosen
Plains
Narrow Escape
Spidersilk Net
Goblin Bushwhacker
Welkin Tern
Kazandu Refuge
--> Nissa Revane
Tanglesap
Baloth Woodcrasher
Needlebite Trap
Desecrated Earth

Rare draft, worst PW ever printed by someway but its still 3 tix

Pack 1 pick 3:
Goblin War Paint
Makindi Shieldmate
Goblin Bushwhacker
Unstable Footing
Tanglesap
Guul Draz Vampire
Kabira Evangel
Spidersilk Net
Island
Kor Cartographer
Torch Slinger
Spreading Seas
--> Geyser Glider

The geyser is best card here if not the torch slinger which is also red

Pack 1 pick 4:
Steppe Lynx
Cancel
Slaughter Cry
Kor Outfitter
Bog Tatters
Mountain
--> Mark of Mutiny
Torch Slinger
Sadistic Sacrament
Shieldmate's Blessing
Hedron Crab
Beast Hunt

This card is so good in this format I find

Pack 1 pick 5:
Giant Scorpion
Highland Berserker
Vampire Lacerator
Savage Silhouette
Kabira Crossroads
--> Steppe Lynx
Reckless Scholar
Swamp
Oran-Rief Survivalist
Summoner's Bane
Frontier Guide

There are 3 potential picks here the scholar, the lynx and the highlander, the highlander is the weakest and I doubt i will end up mono red and as i had heard good things about rw i went with the lynx.

Pack 1 pick 6:
Swamp
Kabira Crossroads
Ondu Cleric (FOIL)
Vampire's Bite
Demolish
Ravenous Trap
Spell Pierce
--> Highland Berserker
Relic Crush
Kor Outfitter

No way im going to be getting ww in a timely manner though

Pack 1 pick 7:
Tempest Owl
Noble Vestige
Mindless Null
--> Teetering Peaks
Spell Pierce
Kabira Crossroads
Relic Crush (FOIL)
Hedron Scrabbler
Mountain

Pack 1 pick 8:
Paralyzing Grasp
Swamp
--> Molten Ravager
Piranha Marsh
Magma Rift
Landbind Ritual
Mire Blight
Zendikar Farguide

Pack 1 pick 9:
Trapfinder's Trick
Expedition Map
--> Vampire's Bite
Relic Crush
Nimbus Wings
Forest
Sejiri Refuge

Pack 1 pick 10:
Plains
--> Narrow Escape
Spidersilk Net
Tanglesap
Needlebite Trap
Desecrated Earth

Pack 1 pick 11:
Goblin War Paint
--> Unstable Footing
Tanglesap
Spidersilk Net
Island

Pack 1 pick 12:
--> Slaughter Cry
Mountain
Shieldmate's Blessing
Beast Hunt

Pack 1 pick 13:
--> Savage Silhouette
Kabira Crossroads
Swamp

Pack 1 pick 14:
Swamp
--> Ravenous Trap

Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Mindless Null

------ ZEN ------

Pack 2 pick 1:
Gigantiform
Grim Discovery
Cancel
--> Living Tsunami
Surrakar Marauder
Forest
Mindless Null
Demolish
Quest for the Gravelord
Feast of Blood
Kor Hookmaster
Ior Ruin Expedition
Joraga Bard
Spidersilk Net
Noble Vestige

Not much in this pack for me the tsumnaim felt like the best card so i took it

Pack 2 pick 2:
Shieldmate's Blessing
Shoal Serpent
Mountain
Molten Ravager
Grazing Gladehart
Seascape Aerialist
--> Shatterskull Giant
Akoum Refuge
Into the Roil
Beast Hunt
Khalni Heart Expedition
Arrow Volley Trap
Soul Stair Expedition
Beastmaster Ascension

Solid red hopefully i will wheel the ravager

Pack 2 pick 3:
Goblin Shortcutter
--> Spire Barrage
Forest
Oracle of Mul Daya (FOIL)
Turntimber Grove
Desecrated Earth
Cobra Trap
Caller of Gales
Graypelt Refuge
Surrakar Marauder
Harrow
Ior Ruin Expedition
Narrow Escape

Another barrage is great news

Pack 2 pick 4:
Pillarfield Ox
Tuktuk Grunts
Ior Ruin Expedition
Hellfire Mongrel
Tuktuk Grunts (FOIL)
Oran-Rief Survivalist
Explorer's Scope
Island
--> Burst Lightning
Sky Ruin Drake
Pitfall Trap
Crypt Ripper

More awsomeness for my deck

Pack 2 pick 5:
Caravan Hurda
Trailblazer's Boots
Ondu Cleric
Vampire Hexmage
Oran-Rief Recluse
Island
Guul Draz Vampire
Spreading Seas
Seismic Shudder
--> Nissa's Chosen
Quest for Pure Flame

Nothing really here for me, so i took the spreed bump

Pack 2 pick 6:
--> Goblin Shortcutter
Cliff Threader
Swamp (FOIL)
Quest for Ancient Secrets
Plains
Mold Shambler
Hagra Crocodile
Tanglesap
Hagra Diabolist
Lethargy Trap

Solid early drop

Pack 2 pick 7:
Goblin War Paint
Nissa's Chosen
Primal Bellow
--> Tuktuk Grunts
Blood Seeker
Island
Caller of Gales
Oran-Rief Recluse
Heartstabber Mosquito

Solid guy

Pack 2 pick 8:
Mountain
Cancel
Tempest Owl
Forest (FOIL)
--> Sunspring Expedition
Quest for the Holy Relic
Joraga Bard
Noble Vestige

Pack 2 pick 9:
Grim Discovery
Forest
Mindless Null
Demolish
--> Feast of Blood
Joraga Bard
Noble Vestige

Pack 2 pick 10:
Shieldmate's Blessing
Shoal Serpent
Mountain
--> Grazing Gladehart
Akoum Refuge
Beast Hunt

Pack 2 pick 11:
Forest
Turntimber Grove
Desecrated Earth
Caller of Gales
--> Graypelt Refuge

Pack 2 pick 12:
Tuktuk Grunts
--> Hellfire Mongrel
Explorer's Scope
Island

Late playable

Pack 2 pick 13:
Island
Spreading Seas
--> Quest for Pure Flame

Pack 2 pick 14:
Plains
--> Tanglesap

Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Island

------ ZEN ------

Pack 3 pick 1:
--> Shatterskull Giant
Runeflare Trap
Oracle of Mul Daya
Island
Steppe Lynx
Journey to Nowhere
Windrider Eel
Paralyzing Grasp
Vines of Vastwood
Akoum Refuge
Vampire Lacerator
Tuktuk Grunts
Giant Scorpion
Tajuru Archer
Harrow

It seems like I may well be mono red so i took the giant

Pack 3 pick 2:
Magma Rift
Relic Crush
Gomazoa
--> Sea Gate Loremaster
Ruinous Minotaur
Into the Roil
Trapfinder's Trick
Feast of Blood
Swamp
Bold Defense
Scythe Tiger
Nimbus Wings
Explorer's Scope
Vampire's Bite

Wow this clearly means i will be splashing blue super powerful card

Pack 3 pick 3:
Turntimber Grove
Caravan Hurda
Vines of Vastwood
Trapmaker's Snare
Kraken Hatchling
Vampire Nighthawk
Grazing Gladehart
Nimana Sell-Sword
Bold Defense
Forest
--> Shatterskull Giant
Into the Roil
Makindi Shieldmate

More fatties my curve it a bit top heavy atm

Pack 3 pick 4:
Mountain
Mind Sludge
Bold Defense
Guul Draz Vampire
Vastwood Gorger
Explorer's Scope
--> Reckless Scholar
Mark of Mutiny
Ruinous Minotaur
Spreading Seas
Seismic Shudder
Nissa's Chosen

Another good blue card

Pack 3 pick 5:
Welkin Tern
--> Plated Geopede
Joraga Bard
Mire Blight
Sunspring Expedition
Graypelt Refuge
Scythe Tiger
Arrow Volley Trap
Zektar Shrine Expedition
Slaughter Cry
Forest

Hurrah i so needed one of these

Pack 3 pick 6:
Kor Sanctifiers
--> Spire Barrage
Swamp
Vines of Vastwood
Ruinous Minotaur
Murasa Pyromancer
Soaring Seacliff
Greenweaver Druid
Bold Defense (FOIL)
Pillarfield Ox

3rd barrage makes my deck sick

Pack 3 pick 7:
Scythe Tiger
Quest for the Holy Relic
Hedron Scrabbler
--> Zektar Shrine Expedition
Soul Stair Expedition (FOIL)
Noble Vestige
Tempest Owl
Swamp
Mire Blight

More damage to the face

Pack 3 pick 8:
Demolish
Grim Discovery
Pillarfield Ox
Beast Hunt
--> Ruinous Minotaur
Swamp
Shieldmate's Blessing
Shoal Serpent

Its a much needed 3 drop

Pack 3 pick 9:
Runeflare Trap
Island
Steppe Lynx
Vines of Vastwood
Akoum Refuge
Vampire Lacerator
--> Tuktuk Grunts

3/3 haste is actually pretty good

Pack 3 pick 10:
Relic Crush
Trapfinder's Trick
Swamp
--> Scythe Tiger
Nimbus Wings
Vampire's Bite

Pack 3 pick 11:
Caravan Hurda
Trapmaker's Snare
--> Kraken Hatchling
Bold Defense
Forest

Pack 3 pick 12:
Mountain
Bold Defense
Spreading Seas
--> Seismic Shudder

Pack 3 pick 13:
Mire Blight
--> Sunspring Expedition
Slaughter Cry

Pack 3 pick 14:
Swamp
--> Ruinous Minotaur

Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Mire Blight

The deck

1 burst lightning
1 unstable footing
1 zektar shrine expedition
1 highland beserker
1 plated geopede
1 mark of mutiny
1 hellfire mongrel
1 molten ravager
1 reckless scholar
2 runious minotaur
3 shatterskull giant
3 spire barrage
1 geyer gilder
1 seagate loremaster
2 tuktuk grunts
5 islands
13 mountains

feedback appreciated

svenihilator · Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 19

Was this a joke? Were you trying to make fun of someone while doing this draft? Your pack one picks seriously made me laugh out loud. spire barrage over conquerors pledge!? pick two, sure. Pick three, sure, though the evangel is definately worth mentioning. That card can be pretty nuts, making all your creatures unblockable every turn. Pick four lynx. Lynx still being in that pack means white is pretty friggen open. Pick five lynx. Pick six either of the allies to go with your evangel. pick 7, sure. Pick 8, ugh? Magma rift? What universe is that not playable in? You have no removal so far. Even if you had taken the barrage, you have no playable removal so far. Pick 9??????? Expedition map!? Even Nimbus wings is playable in a pinch. Pick 10, you're not going to play the escape, so take the net, which you might play. And lastly, pick 13... What the ****. In your draft, because you were in white and passed a shit-ton of good white cards, you just gave the guy beside you a playable 14th pick. I can't comment on the rest of the draft because you've already sent signals so you wouldn't recieve the cards you needed.

Trotsky1 · Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 1672

I'll ask you again to not post anything on my threads, I do not listen to a word you say. You clearly have some personal grudge against me, I probably crushed you in some draft or something, whatever it is get over it.

There is a 300 point rating gap between you and me and you get on average 7 points for a game, yet clearly you know all.

Even if you had a point I would not listen cause your posts are never nothing but negative pathetic put downs.

nada3030 · Joined: 12 Sep 2006 Posts: 4

15th pick marsh casualties is hilarious.

BlackPen · Joined: 01 Sep 2004 Posts: 20

I feel like you kind of forced yourself away from green because you don't like it. Nissa is pretty good even with just one of her chosen. You get a 2/3 that basically cant die, and 2 life each turn. If you are lucky to get more chosen then she's actually pretty nuts.I think the spire over pledge was smart first pick. both picks require color commitment to be good, but 5 1/1s dont do much when you are walling out late and removal in anyform is really valuable in this format. I've never picked up mark of mutiny beforee but i think i would have taken the torch slinger or lynx. i also think the oracle is a bomb and i've anyone lose with it in play unless it gets answered immediatly and should have been pick 2 in pack 2 even if you just spashed for it. other than not playing green i think you drafted pretty well, I've found that red is almost always open.

gypsy · Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 1271

pledge > spire barrage any day of the week.

svenihilator · Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 19

No, I have no grudge against you. I've never met you. We've never played. ML is VERY well known for testing MTGO decks, which is usually all I ever do here. Either that or play in some random cube sealeds or fun limited events for kicks. I don't come here to play competetively. If you want to test the merits of your claims I'd be happy to play you online. Same nickname.

Anyways, down to business. Your picks suck, period. Your card evaluations are way off the mark. First picking a bad card over a bomb rare when that bad card was from the shallowest color to play in zendikar, is not good. Whatever universe you come from where that makes me a bad player and you a good one is somewhere I hope to never end up.

EMA · Joined: 15 Feb 2007 Posts: 53

I think the power level of coqueror's pledge does not justify the heavy color committment and I would not 1st pick it here as well. I would have picked welkin tern p1 p1, but I understand u have red cards a little bit higher as u like B/R-monored archetype, still I don't think spire barrage is 1st pick material if u aren't planning on forcing the color.
Another pick I don't like is reckless scholar over ruinous minotaur, I think u have the minotaur a little bit low; moreover I think the merfolk is nothing more than a filler in the format.
Just some thoughts, hope I helped

Trotsky1 · Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 1672

Conqurs pledge is clearly not as good as either spectral procession of cloudgoat ranger, I think it is overrated by comparrison. It did still deserve a mention, if not only to say I did consider it but came to this conclusion.

I do really dislike green in this format, with all the creatures being so aggresive green lost its main appeal to me the best creatues. I have yet to draft it. I am not a big fan of white either so this is also part of my logic, I like black red and blue it seems.

dv8r · Joined: 15 Oct 2005 Posts: 215

whilst I don't have time atm to do a full commentary (and there were 2-3 picks I didn't like at all in this draft), I will say that your p1p1 is almost certainly correct, unless you want to take the tern and remain flexible. No good player would advocate taking the pledge p1p1 in that situation. Ignore the obvious troll.

Jag4 · Joined: 17 May 2008 Posts: 33

The pledge would have been a highly dubious 1st pick in this format, it's a colour heavy card committing you to running it as main colour while Tern or Barrage allow flexibility.

I like the Grunts as well, Trotsky, and 3/3 haste (even for 5 mana) is a good creature in this format. Red IS the best colour in Zendicar, no question.

Jag

Trotsky1 · Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 1672

If you do get the time, I would be very interested in what picks they were Dv8r this was only my 5th or so draft thanks Jag and I agree I can not stop going red.

IDav · Joined: 24 Oct 2006 Posts: 18

p1p1 i'd take welkin tern. I wouldn't want to commit to mono red so quickly so I wouldn't take spire barrage this early. It tends to crop up later. Players take burst lightning or punishing fire because they can splash for them or play them without heavy commitment to red. They don't do this with spire barrage so you'll see it later on.

p1p2 welkin tern.

p1p3 geyser glider.

p1p4 torch slinger. mark of mutiny is okay but too conditional. slinger is solid and has plenty of targets. I'm tempted by the steppe lynx as I could go W/U. But maybe passing the conquerors pledge is a good signal so I am content to stay out of white.

p1p5 highland berserker. summoners bane and reckless scholar maybe. berserker is an adequate two drop with potential to utilise the ally mechanic.

p1p6 highland berserker.

p1p7 teetering peaks. i've got a couple of flyers so potential for the extra 2 damage to get through. useful to have one of these in case i can combo with living tsumani. tempest owl is playable but peaks has more potential at this stage of the draft.

p1p8. magma rift. solid removal mid to late game.

From here its solid blue red all the way.

p2p6 I feel you should take the seismic shudder. its useful against steppe lynx/plated geopede, suraker marauder etc.

p3p1 should surely be the windrider eel over the 4/3 giant.

I don't like the rare draft you made p1p2. It skews the draft, the information we're looking at in later picks has been changed by that pick. You've passed good playables and taken a poor limited card.

Overall I think you've ended up with a very top heavy deck which could of far more streamlined and agressive.

Spyx · Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 1031

what about journey to nowhere pack 3 pick 1? or is not that good with the 2/3 enchantment killer in the format?

Trotsky1 · Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 1672

You have to rare draft 4-3-2-2's its the only way to make money, 3 tix card with nothing else exciting in the pack easy rare draft.

Though spire barrage does some times come late there is no way its wheeling from this pack so i took it, its also a card that gets better in multiples.

Pack 3 pick 1 I already have 2 barrages so if i can I want to stay mono red, the only card I really have in another colour that I want to play is the tsunami which happens to be double blue so the way pack 2 shaped out Im almost certainly not going to be playing it.

If i can stay in a single colour the deck becomes alot more consistant and the barrages alot more powerfull, so although the eel and the journey, which def does suffer from the shambler and the kor being at common level are both better cards than the giant. The giant makes my deck both more consistant ie mono coloured and powers up the barrages.

As it happened I got passed a blue bomb pick2 but I had no way of knowing that was going to happen and did end up splashing blue, if I had of known this was going to happen I would have prob took the eel.

The curve is actually not that bad its not a perfect curve but It has 4 things it can do at turn 2 5 at turn 3 and 3 at turn 4 and a heavy 7 5 drops but nothing above that.
I could ideally do with a few less 5 drops and few more early plays and an extra turn 4 play but if you look at the quality of the cards in the 5 drop slot its easy to see how the deck has ended up this way, 5 of them are legitmate first picks. The majorty of game I should have a play on turn 3 which is fine.

This is not perfect but its also not clunky. I am running 18 lands.

Also the tuktuk grunts have haste which can often in effect gain you a turn and the deck can easily win races it is behind in with 3 spire barages and unstable footing.