Not Quite Raw Dogging Domain Twice . . . But Close.

Pack 1 pick 1:



















My Pick:




Hmmmm. Artifact Dragon, Grixis Charm or Topan Ascetic? I tried to make an argument to myself about staying open. But bombs are bombs. Hope I get to play it.

Pack 1 pick 2:


















My Pick:

The rare is gone, but I'm hoping that the gargoyle means that Esper is open. The only other consideration was Magma Spray, but not really.

Pack 1 pick 3:

















My Pick:




This was really tough for me. I like the Strix, especially with Sedraxis Alchemist and/or Parasitic Strix. But I do love me 7 life and two cards. In hindsight, I think I made the wrong pick, as the format is so quick now.

Pack 1 pick 4:
















My Pick:




This was a stellar pack. I had a number of cards that I would have been happy with, but in the end, I think tri-color fixing is important. I considered Necrogenesis, as it could help to keep me alive to use the dragon and Kiss, but in the end I went with fixing and consistency.

Pack 1 pick 5:















My Pick:




Yeah. This was a mistake. But I haven't really played with it, and I've read a number of people discussing being tricksy with the powder. Still, I could have gotten this on the wheel. The pick was Esper Charm. Drawing when you have a bomb is good.

Pack 1 pick 6:














My Pick:




Why hello Mr. Courier Capsule! Have you met Mr. Gargoyle. I think you two will hit it off wonderfully. Pip, pip and cheerio!

Pack 1 pick 7:













My Pick:




I'm interest as to what you guys think on this one. I hate silencers and would not have played it. I considered whether I needed to take the silencers to be consistent on cutting, but figured that I probably already messed that up with missing the Esper Charm. So, I took the card that I might actually splash.

Pack 1 pick 8:












My Pick:




I haven't played with call to heel much, but it seems like it's good as removal counter or as an opportunity to re-use a gargoyle. Again, maybe I should have taken the Esper Charm.

Pack 1 pick 9:











My Pick:




Meh. I hope I don't have to play him, but he's a beater in my deck. And before you ask, no I never even considered picking the Sphinx Herald.

Pack 1 pick 10:










My Pick:




Again, I might need a beater. Leotau loses a lot of effectiveness without red for the pump. Still, with rupture spire, etc. still to come, he's the best choice of a bad pack.

Pack 1 pick 11:









My Pick:




I was kind of happy to get this late, thinking that I might want an accelerator if I'm short on playables. I mean, come on, getting to the Sphinx or Kiss one turn earlier might be worth it.

Pack 1 pick 12:








My Pick:






Pack 1 pick 13:







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Pack 1 pick 14:






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Pack 1 pick 15:





My Pick:






Pack 2 pick 1:



















My Pick:




I considered Dark Temper, but I did not think it would be worth it, as, at the time, I didn't really have enough black to turn it on. Also, I think Squire is a great guy.

Pack 2 pick 2:


















My Pick:




I struggled with this one. I've never played with the rare, but it seems random, like a bad version of bribery. I guess it could get better if you play a number of Architects of Will from the Reborn pack. Still, Cormorants is a 3/3 flyer for 4. It seemed too good to pass for a questionable rare.

Pack 2 pick 3:

















My Pick:




I'm a sucker for Gleam. Hi, I fix your mana, I can be a beating if someone attacks into you oblivious to the mana (but hopefully you're winning if that's the case), and I can help push through the last few on an alpha strike. I considered the Cumber Stone, as some people swear by it, but I think I'm already slow enough thanks. I hate seeing the Shambling Remains this late.

Pack 2 pick 4:
















My Pick:




This was a good pack too. I went with the Mechanist, and I'm pretty confident on that. Nonetheless I would have been happy with the Absorb Vis. I hope, but doubt that the Brackwater will come back.

Pack 2 pick 5:















My Pick:




Hello, Man O'War! I think you've changed your hair or something since I last saw you in Mirage. If the Brackwater comes around, I'll take it, but I suspect that at that point I'll be hate drafting the Savage.

Pack 2 pick 6:














My Pick:




I was torn on this one. I really like the Mystics, but I don't think I'm going to play any green at this point. I also am hating passing the Brackwaters. Nonetheless, the Outlander helps me turn on the Alchemist and helps against an early Nactal or a number of the blades. I think this was the right pick. Tell me in the comments if I was wrong.

Pack 2 pick 7:













My Pick:




I seriously considered the profiteer. At this point I have no removal and a repeatable Pacifism seems good. As time winds down, I get caught up on the card draw aspect, and I go with the Darklit Gargoyle, thinking that it with Aven Squire would not be a bad open at all. Again, let me know if I got it wrong.

Pack 2 pick 8:












My Pick:




I got this one wrong. At this point, I have no removal, so maybe I should have taken the Yoke. I'm not a real fan of the Sage, as he's too expensive, even if he is a looter. I took the Lapse thinking that it would help me slow down a rush and make it to Kiss or the Sphinx.

Pack 2 pick 9:











My Pick:




I think the lich this late is okay. He's a good defensive four drop who can be more offensive against a fear-friendly deck.

Pack 2 pick 10:










My Pick:




Hate. I'm not going to play a slasher. There are better two drops in Reborn.

Pack 2 pick 11:









My Pick:




I have no problem taking the cumber stone this late.

Pack 2 pick 12:








My Pick:






Pack 2 pick 13:







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Pack 2 pick 14:






My Pick:




Hmmm. He might not be bad. . . but I doubt I'll play him.

Pack 2 pick 15:





My Pick:






Pack 3 pick 1:



















My Pick:




I totally blew this pick. It should have been the Grixis blade. All I can say is I missed it. Fail.

Pack 3 pick 2:


















My Pick:




I considered Finest Hour . . . which will leave a slightly crappy taste in my mouth later. However, I'm not going for a splash card when the best blade is in the pack.

Pack 3 pick 3:

















My Pick:




Here's where the humiliation comes in. This was just a huge mistake. The hulk is better, the second blade is better. Hell, splashing terminate is better. I just don't have enough experience with the new set. All I can say is I must have been tired.

Pack 3 pick 4:
















My Pick:




Nothing really for me in this pack. I considered semi-hating the Pridemage for a splash. But I've played the Gargantuan before in Esper, and he actually has a good deal of synergy with the comes into play guys, like Sedraxis Alchemist, Gargoyle and Parasitic Strix. I figure two out of three isn't bad.

Pack 3 pick 5:















My Pick:




Wow, late backlash. I got greedy here. Maybe I should have taken the Soul Manipulation.

Pack 3 pick 6:














My Pick:




I'm pretty sure that this was the right pick, as it can be a blow out. I especially needed it given my lack of removal. Against the drake, I'm fairly certain this was right. But I could be wrong. Let me know in the comments. Again, that's the point of me showing you how bad I am.

Pack 3 pick 7:













My Pick:




I'm kind of unsure of this one. I think for me the dream can act as "eat your best early guy" or "beat in the air to keep in the race." I considered the Winged Coatl, but I'm starting to realize that I don't really have the fixing to justify it.

Pack 3 pick 8:












My Pick:




Yeah. This is just bad. I whiffed on the blade again. My hazy justification is that I don't have removal, so I need the counter and hopefully the card advantage.

Pack 3 pick 9:











My Pick:




Again, not a bad guy to play with the gargantuan. But more often, you're going to be cycling this.

Pack 3 pick 10:










My Pick:




Yet again, I should have taken Finest Hour. But I thought I needed a dude. Again, remember this pick for later.

Pack 3 pick 11:









My Pick:




I took this thinking it would be an expensive Voices of the Void. And hoping that it breaks through in Standard so I can sell it to try and salvage this draft.

Pack 3 pick 12:








My Pick:






Pack 3 pick 13:







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Pack 3 pick 14:






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Pack 3 pick 15:





My Pick:




My build was as follows:

Arcane Sanctum

6 Island

5 Plains

5 Swamps

Sphinx Sovereign

Kiss of the Amesha

Sanctum Gargoyle

Courier's Capsule

2 Soul Manipulation

Lapse of Certainty

Zombie Outlander

Faerie Mechanist

Aven Squire

Bant Sureblade

2 Etherium Abomination

Scornful Aether Lich

Sedraxis Alchemist

Call to Heel

Esper Cormorants

Gleam of Resistance

Darklit Gargoyle

Esper Sojourners
Illusory Dreams

Zealous Persecution

Thopter Foundry

Now settle in for a bad beat story. I felt like I had an okay, but not spectacular deck. I had early action, I had some stuff to play around with, but no removal.

In the first game of the first match, I drop an Outlander turn two, Capsule turn three, bust capsule, Darklit gargoyle on four and Sanctum Gargoyle the Capsule on turn Five. My opponent, in this time, drops Dragon Knight on 3, we trade beats, until he raw dogs domain on turn five, in which he drops finest hour. The seven points hurts, but not as much as the first-striking flying dragon knight trampling over my gargoyles for the win.

The second match of the second game is totally different . . . as my opponent land cycles a bounty to get domain on turn five, dropping finest hour and swinging with the knight. I slow him down a bit, calling to heel his lightning reaver, timewalking him for a turn. Nevertheless his Dragon Knight tramples over for the last three, as I'm one mana short for a Kiss that would have allowed me to live long enough to crackback for the win.

I was obviously pretty put out by this turn of events. But at least my opponent was not a total asshat about the win. I asked him what I could have done differently, and he said that there was nothing that he saw that I could have done differently. He admitted that he was lucky in getting domain in five turns twice in a row. He told me that even had I lived, he still had intimidation bolt and terminate in his hand, so my crackback would not have even helped.

But I think I've got to be doing it wrong, as my opponent, with his raw dogging powers, said, and I quote, "I just took every rare I saw and decided to play five color."

Yeah. Apparently I don't get it.