Sealed Pool for Detroit PTQ 3/19

scurvy · Joined: 01 Sep 2004 Posts: 119

Okay, so I just got back from a sealed PTQ in Detroit, and I thought I would start a little forum discussion by posting my cardpool in the forums here. There's not enough sealed discussion in these forums! This is a decent cardpool with plenty of removal, but I considered it a challenge to build correctly.

So here's my cardpool. Make what you want of it. I sort my cards into colors and guilds, then into creatures and spells. I personally would go the extra step into sorting them for mana curve, but for your consideration (or maybe because it makes a better puzzle) I'll post it alphabetical.

WHITE
Caregiver
Conclave Equenaut
Conclave Phalanx
Ghost Warden
Harrier Griffin
Votary of the Conclave
Benediction of Moons x2
Faith's Fetters
Festival of the Guildpact
Storm Herd (Crap Rare #1)
Wojek Siren

BLUE
Drift of Phantasms
Tidewater Minion
Torch Drake
Compulsive Research
Convolute
Dizzy Spell
Gigadrowse
Muddle the Mixture
Quickchange

BLACK
Hunted Horror (Crap Rare #2)
Infectious Host
Orzhov Euthanist x2
Sadistic Augermage
Smogsteed Rider
Thoughtpicker Witch
Brainspoil
Cremate
Nightmare Void
Ribbons of Night

RED
Barbarian Riftcutter
Coalhauler Swine
Ordruun Commando
Tin Street Hooligan
Galvanic Arc (foil)
Pyromatics
Rain of Embers
Reroute
Seismic Spike

GREEN
Civic Wayfinder
Elves of Deep Shadow
Elvish Skysweeper
Silhana Starfletcher
Transluminant
Dryad Sophisticate
Skarrgan Pit-Skulk x2
Wildsize
Recollect

BOROS
Boros Recruit
Sunhome Enforcer
Thundersong Trumpeter

DIMIR
Dimir Guildmage
Moroii
Szadek, Lord of Secrets

GOLGARI
Golgari Rotwurm
Shambling Shell
Gaze of the Gorgon
Dark Heart of the Wood

IZZET
Izzet Chronarch x2
Schismotivate
Stitch in Time (Crap Rare #3)

GRUUL
Burning-Tree Bloodscale

ORZHOV
Castigate
Conjurer's Ban
Pillory of the Sleepless

LAND/ARTIFACT
Izzet Signet
Orzhov Signet
Terrarion
Orzhov Basilica
Orzhova, the Church of Dealz
Temple Garden

If you think you know how this pool should be built, post it in this thread!

ant900 · Joined: 11 Oct 2004 Posts: 2476 Location: somewhere

it looks like you got seriously shafted on all the mono colored stuff, but your golds are pretty good, the only problem there is it is spread out between too many colors =/ i suggest either U/B/G or R/W/X

WiCkEdWiZaRd · Joined: 06 Sep 2004 Posts: 69

I was thinking bgw just because to me it seems you have some decent stuff

Merc · Joined: 20 Feb 2005 Posts: 82

First off this pool is very good for a very good player. On a personal basis, I wouldve run 5 color considering the amount of bombs (moroii, guildmage, enforcer + other very playables) in several colors, the access to removal(arc, fetters, pillory, ribbons, brainspoil), and all the color fixers (2 signets, a bounce land, a dual land, starfletcher, elves, wayfinder, and possibly terrion).

Mainard · Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 23

U B R.
Red
Galvanic Arc and pyromatics

Blue
drift of phantasms
torch drake
compulsive research

Black
brainspoil
smogsteed rider
orzhov euthanist--Both

Gold
Moroii
Dimir Guildmage
Gaze of the gorgon
Izzet Chronarch--Both
schismotivate
stitch in time

--Other cards to consider--
tidewater minion
Gigadrowse
ribbons of night*(prolly in main)
szadek, lord of secrets
plus the signet and terrion

Custode · Joined: 08 Dec 2004 Posts: 55

I usually pay Pyromatics only if I'm on heavy red. 2 dmg for 4 is usually not good enough!

You have to play Ribbons of Night for sure, it's great even without blue.

I'd prolly have a look at the manafixers I have and then make a deck with them. The pool looks quite decent if you build the deck correctly...
But I'm actually too tired to make a list Razz

GrandPuba · Joined: 09 Jun 2005 Posts: 8

The pool seems easy to me:
Compulsive Research
Drift of Phantasms
Orzhov Euthanist x2
Smogsteed Rider
Brainspoil
Nightmare Void
Ribbons of Night
Elves of Deep Shadow
Dryad Sophisticate
Wildsize
Recollect
Dimir Guildmage
Moroii
Szadek, Lord of Secrets
Golgari Rotwurm
Shambling Shell
Gaze of the Gorgon

Televator · Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Posts: 15

I agree with the 5 color build with a focus in G/B/u. Mine might look something like this:

Fetters
Thoughtpicker
Brainspoil
Nightmare Void
Ribbons of Night
Galvanic Arc
Civic Wayfinder
Elves of Deep Shadow
Silhana Starfletcher
Transluminant
Dryad Sophisticate
Wildsize
Recollect
Dimir Guildmage
Moroii
Golgari Rotwurm
Shambling Shell
Izzet Chronarch x2
Castigate
Pillory of the Sleepless
Izzet Signet
Orzhov Signet
Terrarion
Orzhov Basilica
Temple Garden
4 Swamp
2 Mountain
3 Island
5 Forest

Televator · Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Posts: 15

on second thought I might take out a couple spells and add a couple more creatures, that build looks a little creature light

Wurly · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 37

Harrier Griffin
Faith's Fetters
Dimir Guildmage
Moroii
Thoughtpicker Witch
Orzhov Euthanist x2
Smogsteed Rider
Nightmare Void
Brainspoil
Ribbons of Night
Civic Wayfinder
Elves of Deep Shadow
Elvish Skysweeper
Silhana Starfletcher
Transluminant
Dryad Sophisticate
Skarrgan Pit-Skulk x2
Wildsize
Golgari Rotwurm
Shambling Shell
Gaze of the Gorgon
Pillory of the Sleepless
Orzhov Signet
Terrarion
Orzhov Basilica
Orzhova, the Church of Deal
Temple Garden
Island
Forest x7
Swamp x3

The focus of the deck is aggro.
-Euthanist, Gaze, Wildsize are all cards that thrive on creatures getting blocked which your opponent will have to do most of the time.
-Pit Skulks have great synergy with Wildsize and Shambling Shell
-Pretty good 6-4-7-5-3-1 curve with low land count offset by signet, bounce land, green guys, etc

A few card choices:
-Nightmare void: Great in later rounds where people are bound to have bombs, can sometimes single handedly win games especially if you have a few guys swinging on the board
-Thoughtpicker Witch, Harrier Griffing over Compulsive Research+Ghost Warden, Conclave Phalanx, Conclave Equanaut, Cremate: The two included cards were the last cards included which might be suspect. Compulsive Research+Ghost Warden: mana concerns, Conclave Phalanx: doesn't go with focus of deck, Conclave Equanaut: double white with no white guys, Cremate: will be boarded in depending on opposing deck

raging_hobo · Joined: 11 Dec 2004 Posts: 80

1 Izzet Signet
1 Orzhov Basilica
4 Forest
1 Plains
4 Island
1 Temple Garden
5 Swamp
1 Gaze of the Gorgon
1 Golgari Rotwurm
1 Recollect
1 Wildsize
1 Dryad Sophisticate
1 Silhana Starfletcher
1 Elvish Skysweeper
1 Elves of Deep Shadow
1 Civic Wayfinder
1 Szadek, Lord of Secrets
1 Moroii
1 Dimir Guildmage
1 Ribbons of Night
1 Brainspoil
1 Orzhov Euthanist
1 Gigadrowse
1 Compulsive Research
1 Torch Drake
1 Tidewater Minion
1 Orzhov Signet
1 Harrier Griffin
1 Faith's Fetters
1 Pillory of the Sleepless

Maximum power at the cost of some consistency. Izzet signet not only accels you a little bit it also allows for some pump of the torch drake on occassion. Never know when that might win you the game. Everything else though should be self explanatory. Good cards all around. The deck gets a fair amount weaker if you try for 3 colors. Not a whole lot to explain here. elvish skysweeper is the weakest card pretty much and it can still win you random games by taking out those pesky fliers. Hell it can even be used to get rid of szadek if they try to fury shield his big flying butt.

scurvy · Joined: 01 Sep 2004 Posts: 119

That's a lot of different lists! Most of you figured out that BG has the only creature base worth playing, and this pool has an aggro base in the Euthanists and cheap green guys with splashable card draw and removal in the other colors.

My list for the PTQ was base BG splashing blue and white, but it played out very much like the aggro build posted by TK421gogo. The mana base was rock-solid and probably would have supported the red splash as well, but I'm not sure it would have improved the deck a whole lot to do so.

Let me post the list before I talk about any changes. For the record, this deck as I built it went 5-1-1, with an bad intentional draw leading to a 10th-place finish on bad breakers, so I was more or less satisfied with the build like this.

Szadek, Lord of Secrets
Harrier Griffin
Golgari Rotwurm
Moroii
Orzhov Euthanist x2
Drift of Phantasms
Shambling Shell
Silhana Starfletcher
Civic Wayfinder
Dryad Sophisticate
Transluminant
Dimir Guildmage
Elvish Skysweeper
Elves of Deep Shadow
Brainspoil
Ribbons of Night
Faith's Fetters
Gaze of the Gorgon
Wildsize
Pillory of the Sleepless
Compulsive Research
Orzhov Signet
Terrarion
Temple Garden
Orzhov Basilica
6 Forest
4 Swamp
4 Island

I'm not usually a fan of the Euthanists, but they were warm bodies at the right spot in the curve so they got run. They turned out fantastic, by the way, working in concert with Gaze and Wildsize to punish opponents for ever blocking; this deck had some of the best Euthanists I've run.

Most games, curving bears into removal or tricks put them up against the wall, and card drawing led to finishers. This is why Szadek was completely awful in this deck; he costs seven mana and didn't finish off the weakened opponent unless Rotwurm was also in play. I sided Orzhova in for him every round, which proved acceptable.

I saw (and still see) no reason not to splash for both blue and white with all the power rewards in this pool, but IMO splashing for red is pushing it. The manafixing makes it POSSIBLE to cast those spells, but only by tightening the manabase so far that it snaps under a single LD or Tin Street.

This was the best pool I'd gotten in awhile, including the always delicious Dimir uncommon run AND the worthwhile Orzhov splash, and I honestly think it would have taken me to the top 8 if I'd played out that last match. I wish there were more sealed PTQs this season!

Anyway, thanks to all the people who posted builds, and good luck with your Sealed pools!

Lackeos · Joined: 10 Oct 2004 Posts: 236

lol Mainard, who says "Def run Orzhov Euthanists, maybe run Ribbons of Night and Tidewater Minion"? Ribbons of Night is one of the top uncommons in Ravnica, Euthanist isn't always maindeckable.

anyways, def G/U/B. It's just way too ridic.

5-color is such a poor idea if you're a good player that wants to beat a lot of opponents. You will lose games to screw too often. I would rather cast 1 fewer bombs every other game than draw mana screw and lose every other game.

Haro · Joined: 01 Sep 2004 Posts: 240

I thought the deck was easily UBG with the possiblity of splashing a 4th color for 1 or 2 cards, most likely white cause of the amount of signets, karoo lands and the temple garden.

Smogsteed Rider
Compulsive Research
Torch Drake
Orzhov Euthanist x2
Thoughtpicker Witch
Brainspoil
Ribbons of Night
Civic Wayfinder
Elves of Deep Shadow
Elvish Skysweeper
Silhana Starfletcher
Transluminant
Dryad Sophisticate
Wildsize
Recollect
Dimir Guildmage
Moroii
Szadek, Lord of Secrets
Golgari Rotwurm
Shambling Shell
Gaze of the Gorgon
Izzet Signet

Curve is
1 - 3
2 - 4
3 - 8
4 - 4
5 - 3
Szadek

The curve is nice and low and you have 2 game winning bombs in smogsteed rider and szadek.