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

Trotsky1 · Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 1674

Back with another 4-3-2-2 I ended up winning.

Event #: 641328
Time: 10/23/2009 8:23:49 PM
Players:
mth_ca
--> ElementalMox
bakino
Joctan
Hellious
nigelio
nife
nozick

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

Pack 1 pick 1:
--> Sphinx of Jwar Isle
Surrakar Marauder
Pillarfield Ox
Oran-Rief Recluse
Swamp
Ruinous Minotaur
Hideous End
Torch Slinger
Trapmaker's Snare
Grazing Gladehart
Goblin Ruinblaster
Umara Raptor
Stonework Puma
Quest for the Gravelord
Paralyzing Grasp

Always nice to open on a bomb

Pack 1 pick 2:
Swamp
Mold Shambler
Kabira Crossroads
Island (FOIL)
Reckless Scholar
Territorial Baloth
--> Disfigure
Whiplash Trap
Pitfall Trap
Hedron Crab
Mind Sludge
Welkin Tern
Highland Berserker
Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle

I think its between the mind sludge and the disfigure, I opted for the disfigure

Pack 1 pick 3:
Soaring Seacliff
Island
--> Gatekeeper of Malakir
Turntimber Grove
Vampire Lacerator
Geyser Glider
Caravan Hurda
Kraken Hatchling
Seismic Shudder
Kor Hookmaster
Caller of Gales
Oran-Rief Survivalist
Goblin War Paint

Heavy commitment but very good card, kor hookmaster is next best card but with disfigure already Im looking good for black

Pack 1 pick 4:
Swamp
Beast Hunt
Demolish
--> Ior Ruin Expedition
Noble Vestige
Molten Ravager
Grim Discovery
Cancel
Torch Slinger
Murasa Pyromancer
Oran-Rief Recluse
Quest for Ancient Secrets

2 good red cards but the expedition is solid and i want to play my bomb if i can

Pack 1 pick 5:
Sejiri Refuge
Mire Blight
Swamp
Kabira Crossroads
Molten Ravager
--> Soul Stair Expedition
Magma Rift
Khalni Heart Expedition
Summoner's Bane
Highland Berserker
Mold Shambler

Awsome with gate keeper and maybe i can pick up some mosquitos as well

Pack 1 pick 6:
Slaughter Cry
Swamp
Zektar Shrine Expedition
Hedron Scrabbler
Kor Cartographer
Trapmaker's Snare
Mire Blight
Goblin Ruinblaster
Scythe Tiger
--> Tuktuk Grunts

Nothing here so i took the rebel

Pack 1 pick 7:
--> Mark of Mutiny
Spreading Seas
Goblin Shortcutter
Turntimber Grove
Forest
Feast of Blood
Narrow Escape
Spidersilk Net
Seismic Shudder

My colurs are not coming so it looks like i may need to abandon one for red which is flowing nicely

Pack 1 pick 8:
Spell Pierce
Grazing Gladehart
Magma Rift
Vampire's Bite
Swamp
--> Khalni Gem
Trapfinder's Trick
Relic Crush

Non commital pick

Pack 1 pick 9:
Pillarfield Ox
Oran-Rief Recluse
Swamp
Ruinous Minotaur
--> Torch Slinger
Trapmaker's Snare
Goblin Ruinblaster

Very late slinger

Pack 1 pick 10:
Swamp
Mold Shambler
Island (FOIL)
Whiplash Trap
--> Highland Berserker
Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle

This confirms I am defintaly abandoing 1 colour ideally black and moving into red

Pack 1 pick 11:
--> Soaring Seacliff
Island
Turntimber Grove
Caravan Hurda
Seismic Shudder

Pack 1 pick 12:
Beast Hunt
Demolish
--> Molten Ravager
Quest for Ancient Secrets

Wow that is late

Pack 1 pick 13:
Swamp
--> Molten Ravager
Khalni Heart Expedition

dito

Pack 1 pick 14:
Swamp
--> Trapmaker's Snare

Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Spreading Seas

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

Pack 2 pick 1:
Guul Draz Vampire
Cobra Trap
Oran-Rief Recluse
--> Plated Geopede
Devout Lightcaster
Trailblazer's Boots (FOIL)
Surrakar Marauder
Kazandu Refuge
Lethargy Trap
Plains
Makindi Shieldmate
Brave the Elements
Goblin War Paint
Kor Cartographer
Spreading Seas

This gets my vote for best common creature, this and a sac land and you can even attack into a baneslayer, how many other 2 drops can do that

Pack 2 pick 2:
Seascape Aerialist
--> Umara Raptor
Vines of Vastwood
Ruinous Minotaur
Torch Slinger
Goblin Guide
Steppe Lynx
Giant Scorpion
River Boa
Island
Akoum Refuge
Pillarfield Ox
Vampire Lacerator
Paralyzing Grasp

Solid second pick, I find torch slinger a little slow

Pack 2 pick 3:
Soul Stair Expedition
Ravenous Trap
Plains
Khalni Heart Expedition
Jwar Isle Refuge
Giant Scorpion
--> Punishing Fire
Tempest Owl
Adventuring Gear
Molten Ravager
Sunspring Expedition
Mire Blight
Cliff Threader

Obvious pick

Pack 2 pick 4:
Highland Berserker
Windborne Charge
Quest for the Gemblades
Nissa's Chosen
Mountain
Sadistic Sacrament
Adventuring Gear
Merfolk Wayfinder
Ondu Cleric
Piranha Marsh
--> Sky Ruin Drake
Goblin War Paint

Once again pretty stright forward

Pack 2 pick 5:
Beast Hunt
Savage Silhouette
Scythe Tiger
Vampire's Bite
Trapfinder's Trick
Kabira Crossroads
Swamp
--> Reckless Scholar
Hedron Crab
Kor Outfitter
Mind Sludge

draft starting to shape out nicely

Pack 2 pick 6:
Mountain
Cancel
Trailblazer's Boots
Bog Tatters
Slaughter Cry
Kor Outfitter
Cosi's Trickster
Scythe Tiger
--> Oran-Rief Survivalist
Khalni Heart Expedition (FOIL)

Just hating on the rebel

Pack 2 pick 7:
Kor Outfitter
--> Spell Pierce
Sejiri Refuge
Bog Tatters
Mountain
Demolish
Vampire's Bite
Relic Crush
Spidersilk Net

It is almost impossible for a 1 mana counterspell to be bad

Pack 2 pick 8:
Greenweaver Druid
--> Shatterskull Giant
Plains
Savage Silhouette
Goblin Shortcutter
Tajuru Archer
Seismic Shudder
Spreading Seas

Pack 2 pick 9:
Cobra Trap
Trailblazer's Boots (FOIL)
Kazandu Refuge
Lethargy Trap
Plains
--> Brave the Elements
Spreading Seas

Pack 2 pick 10:
Vines of Vastwood
Ruinous Minotaur
--> Goblin Guide
Island
Akoum Refuge
Pillarfield Ox

rare draft late 2 tix

Pack 2 pick 11:
Ravenous Trap
Plains
--> Jwar Isle Refuge
Sunspring Expedition
Mire Blight

Pack 2 pick 12:
--> Nissa's Chosen
Mountain
Merfolk Wayfinder
Piranha Marsh

Pack 2 pick 13:
--> Beast Hunt
Trapfinder's Trick
Swamp

Pack 2 pick 14:
Mountain
--> Cancel

Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Mountain

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

Pack 3 pick 1:
Noble Vestige
Hellfire Mongrel
Mindless Null
Forest
Territorial Baloth
Blazing Torch
Celestial Mantle
Kor Sanctifiers
--> Spire Barrage
Nimbus Wings
Hedron Scrabbler
Kor Aeronaut
Spell Pierce
Expedition Map
Tempest Owl

Nice just what i wanted

Pack 3 pick 2:
Savage Silhouette
Plains
Adventuring Gear
Narrow Escape
Jwar Isle Refuge
--> Burst Lightning
Punishing Fire
Windrider Eel
Desecrated Earth
Bladetusk Boar (FOIL)
Giant Scorpion
Cliff Threader
Turntimber Grove
Ravenous Trap

Very happy with this

Pack 3 pick 3:
Needlebite Trap
Grazing Gladehart
Mire Blight
Sunspring Expedition
Joraga Bard
Grim Discovery
Slaughter Cry
Cliff Threader
Frontier Guide
Swamp
Piranha Marsh
--> Sky Ruin Drake
Shoal Serpent

Fine taking these early as well

Pack 3 pick 4:
Oran-Rief Recluse
Mind Sludge
Goblin Shortcutter
Plains
Spreading Seas
Arrow Volley Trap
--> Æther Figment
Seismic Shudder
Nissa's Chosen
Caravan Hurda
Tuktuk Grunts
Pyromancer Ascension

More evasive beats

Pack 3 pick 5:
Scythe Tiger
--> Zektar Shrine Expedition
Island
Slaughter Cry
Mire Blight
Sunspring Expedition
Seascape Aerialist
Spidersilk Net
Greenweaver Druid
Joraga Bard
Oran-Rief Survivalist

Solid

Pack 3 pick 6:
Vampire's Bite
Savage Silhouette
Scythe Tiger
Trapfinder's Trick
Trailblazer's Boots
Forest
Magma Rift
Elemental Appeal
Relic Crush
--> Shatterskull Giant

I have a fair portion of removal and a fairly high curve so, the giant gets the nod

Pack 3 pick 7:
Bold Defense
Trapfinder's Trick
Soul Stair Expedition
Ruinous Minotaur
--> Electropotence
Graypelt Refuge
Island
Shieldmate's Blessing
Shoal Serpent

I think its actually to slow for the format but clearly powerfull

Pack 3 pick 8:
Blood Seeker
Goblin Bushwhacker
Quest for the Holy Relic
Forest
Adventuring Gear
--> Highland Berserker
Hedron Scrabbler
Oran-Rief, the Vastwood

Solid 2 drop

Pack 3 pick 9:
Noble Vestige
Mindless Null
Forest
Hedron Scrabbler
--> Spell Pierce
Expedition Map
Tempest Owl

Pack 3 pick 10:
Plains
--> Narrow Escape
Jwar Isle Refuge
Desecrated Earth
Turntimber Grove
Ravenous Trap

Pack 3 pick 11:
Mire Blight
Sunspring Expedition
Grim Discovery
--> Slaughter Cry
Swamp

Pack 3 pick 12:
Plains
Spreading Seas
--> Seismic Shudder
Caravan Hurda

Pack 3 pick 13:
Island
Mire Blight
--> Sunspring Expedition

Pack 3 pick 14:
--> Trapfinder's Trick
Forest

Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Island

The deck

1 burst lightning
1 spell pierce
1 punishing fire
1 ion ruin expedition
1 zetikar shrine expedition
2 highland beserker
1 plated geopede
1 mark of mutiny
2 molten ravager
1 reckless scholar
1 torch slinger
1 umara raptor
2 shatterskull giant
1 spire barrage
2 sky ruin drake
1 tuktuk grunts
1 aether figment
1 sphinx of jwar isle
7 islands
11 mountains

The sphinx, pede and mark of mutiny were all stars.

Feedback appreciated.

dwarfas · Joined: 26 Jul 2009 Posts: 55

the second pick was rather strange.

Valukut pretty much says. I am not doing red. so you could've made the transition to red alot sooner.

At the same time there was a 2/1 flyer in the same pack. Why the black pick?

The first two picks are important. Your first pick you choose the bomb card and commit to blue. The second pick you see what is there and what is not.

your opponent sent you a pretty big tell. I am not going red so you go red and pass to me the other colors i need on the second pack.

~

When people send me tells like that I just jump all over it.

At the same time the person to your left... if you toss him 2-3-4 red cards come around pack 4.... you might get him to go red. so come around 2nd time... that's not good.

The four four flyer was some fat beats in pick 3 too.
~
pick 3 not bad. card advantage or removal with cancel. tough call. I like cancel.

I would also be sweating my mana curve though and look to fix it later.
~

i mean why did you swap to red? if you already went so far UB.

He sent you so many tells early on. you already crossed a threshold idk.

dwarfas · Joined: 26 Jul 2009 Posts: 55

when i draft i sometimes send tells like that.

Trotsky1 · Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 1674

I would not call valkit a big clue, its not a bomb unless your mono red and still even then its not amazing, Ive played vs it a few times in sealed and not once has anyone every managed to activate it.

For me disfigure is the best card in that pack and as your first few picks are not that important, the most important picks for me come 4-7, these are the picks that make or break your draft most of the time. If you can play your first few picks great but if you have to abandon one as I did no big deal. Welkin tern is just a step down from disfigure in terms of power.

Pick 3 the gilder and gatekeeper are on par for me, but i already have a disfigure.

pick 4 This looking at it now was prob a mistake, I was lucky that blue was open having seen nothing picks 2 and 3, I should have probably took the torch slinger here.

Thankfully I moved into red at just about the right time, if I had moved into it earlier I would have been passing better cards, which are more of a signal than the ones I was passing.

dwarfas · Joined: 26 Jul 2009 Posts: 55

I could've made the transition into mono red.

you were getting alot of red.

dwarfas · Joined: 26 Jul 2009 Posts: 55

but seriously you made malakar your second pick... that requires heavy black.

Valakar in sealed sucks. but in draft. I'd take it. With all the red coming my way. I would've been balled hard on it.

I've done mono colors in tons of drafts. If everyone is avoiding a color you have to take what comes.

Red for draft is pretty weak IMO for Zen/Zen/Zen. Most people think that so most people will avoid red.

However if you got nothing but red coming your way it's pretty good.

Plus a mono color deck is really consistent. consistency alone wins games often. ever play draft and not draw an island to play the blue spells?
~
oh and you can pass on valakar and hope it comes around. but i'd transition to red immediately.

Passing valakar is ok. Blue has alot of flying beatdown and i can see that.

At least take the 4/4 flyer man.

dwarfas · Joined: 26 Jul 2009 Posts: 55

I don't like counter drafting in picks 1-4 unless there's absolute garbage for me to choose from.

~

I like playing draft live. You can sometimes read people and just know what to expect. I usually finish 1-2 in draft.

Everyone pretty much picks the best card out of every pack and goes from there. It's packs 2-4 that require judgment calls.

I usually rare draft picks 1-3 and see what happens. then adjust from there.

But for higher stakes I might not do that.

BlackPen · Joined: 01 Sep 2004 Posts: 21

how do you save your draft picks? i keep losing my drafts and want to see what i'm doing wrong. also i agree that valakut is not too useful. I've seen it played but never activated.

dwarfas · Joined: 26 Jul 2009 Posts: 55

valikut is only good if you mono red.

but in draft red is a weak color for zen so people avoid it.

but if everyone avoids it red becomes strong since you get the few picks red has to offer x2x3x4 of.

Trotsky1 · Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 1674