Here for the Art Review?
If you stopped by because you were looking for the Avacyn Art Review it's off to the side but it's also at these links
Now back to the issues at hand.
Yesterday I wasn't sure I was going to the last Avacyn Restored draft because I have had absolutely zero success with AR draft. And by zero I literally mean zero. So yesterday changed that by my getting a bye. Now my record is less bad than the Columbia University football team in the late eighties - go me.
I'm pretty sure I screwed up the draft part - I can tell because I forced colors and literally ended up with two playsets of cards I only wanted one or two of.
Preparation - None - I wasn't going to go so I could save money for the Core 2013 sealed FNM on Friday. But then I realized that I was laying in bed reading the comments section on a personal essay published on a liberal feminist website and both torturing myself and losing all faith in humanity because really WTF liberals - way to become every friggin' stereotype of entitled white women with first world problems and lack of compassion or empathy EVAR*. Just so you know, if you have a cause, intolerance and lack of compassion never helps.
(Por-tip You're not furthering the cause of feminism by hating on someone writing about their personal trauma because they didn't use the term you prefer as an animal rights supporter for stray dogs.)
So yeah, suddenly I realized that's why I was playing Magic competitively, to get away from thinking about garbage like this - when I realized what I was doing ( triggering depression) I ran out of the house hoping I'd make the draft in time. No preparation.
Record
1-2
0-2
Bye
Which particularly sucked since I really just wanted to play and there were no side games.
Spells
Thunderbolt
Thunderous Wrath
Creatures
Butcher Ghoul
Somberwald Vigilante
2x Heirs of Stromkirk
2x Scalding Devil
2X Haneweir Lancer
2x Fervent Cathar
2x Searchlight Geist
Blood Artist
Maalfeld Twins
Marrow Bats
Undead Executioner
Zealous Conscripts
Sideboard
Riot Ringleader
Vigilante Justice
Gloomwidow
Stern Mentor
Maalfeld Twins'
Corpse Traders
4 x Battle Hymn
4x Unhallowed Pact
Polluted Dead
Rite of Ruin
2x Essence Harvest
Scroll of Grislebrand
I played a total of five games and won 1 which is a 20% win rate - which is awful. And a 40% performance drop from previous expansion drafts. However, I declaratively won the first game, the second came went to a really awesome Mexican standoff Magic-style where my opponent was down to 1 for 10 turns with a Blood Artist on the floor. He was playing to literally stall the board until he could get an advantage, leading to some really interesting math where he was trying to block my attacks without either of our creatures dying- anyone dying would have won me the game.
He managed to get a Herald of War out, and I kept pulling land instead of a creature or removal. I had no fliers on the field - at the very last moment he managed to get the Herald through for lethal damage. The third game was more interactive but he won the race. We went into overtime
The second game was against a pro-player who had left during the first round to get food and was 20 minutes into the match when he showed up. He plays crazy fast aggro pretty much no matter what. He did as expected.
I was able to play at the speed that he plays but not with the strategy I was playing - even though we were 20 minutes in he beat me 2-0 in 15 so he had plenty of time to eat the dinner he had been delayed by picking up. And he had time to watch his other friends game.
(newb note - aggro is a abbreviation for aggressive strategy using lots of creatures that have and cards that use direct damage - the idea is to not worry about defense or removal but attack, attack and attack - usually it also features some way to get mana on your side faster which is called mana acceleration and cards that can damage a player directly which is called "burn" and also called damage " to the face" in the slang used at the table)
But I got the bye on the third round and probably should have gone home because there is no participation prize for the bottom half in draft but I forgot and really didn't want to go home.
I can't remember usually what I'm picking against but I can remember why so I'm going to start recording it to see if I can dectect patterns of strengths or weaknesses that will allow me to identify areas to improve.
When I opened the first pack I got the Thunderous Wrath so I took that and figured I'd be in red with something and then the next three packs were pretty much only black - I cant remember the order but I do remember the reasons for each card
Thunderous wrath was removal or direct damage, possibly for very little cost even thought the rule in AVR draft is if you have one miracle it will ALWAYS be in your opening hand.
This is how otherwise confident people undermine themselves playing a game.
It doesn't matter - it shouldn't matter - but playing against certain people where you're pretty much an afterthought ( which isn't the way the games went, they just went fast because he plays faster) and being insecure about your picks means that it doesn't matter that I played well over the weekend and that I had a first place finish against two other high level players for Core 2013 sealed, in my head that "didn't matter because 2013 is easier" which is kind of not true and seriously stupid. Even if it is easier the people I was playing against were more experienced winning players than I was so they should be using the cards that much better. I think the worst thing that happened to me was ending up with the 4 Unhallowed Pacts - it made me feel like I had missed something really important but I passed no bombs in either color so I'm not sure what I expected me to do when I decided I was going to force colors and pursue and evasion/consequence if you interact with my creatures strategy.
I also made my second trade ever, I traded my Zealous Conscripts and thunderous wrath for a Vexing Devil - now I'm one short of a playset.
And I've been working on data analysis for the whole review so that will be coming up soon Stats for Vorthos!
SuperQuick Draft Notes
Yesterday I wasn't sure I was going to the last Avacyn Restored draft because I have had absolutely zero success with AR draft. And by zero I literally mean zero. So yesterday changed that by my getting a bye. Now my record is less bad than the Columbia University football team in the late eighties - go me.
I'm pretty sure I screwed up the draft part - I can tell because I forced colors and literally ended up with two playsets of cards I only wanted one or two of.
Preparation - None - I wasn't going to go so I could save money for the Core 2013 sealed FNM on Friday. But then I realized that I was laying in bed reading the comments section on a personal essay published on a liberal feminist website and both torturing myself and losing all faith in humanity because really WTF liberals - way to become every friggin' stereotype of entitled white women with first world problems and lack of compassion or empathy EVAR*. Just so you know, if you have a cause, intolerance and lack of compassion never helps.
(Por-tip You're not furthering the cause of feminism by hating on someone writing about their personal trauma because they didn't use the term you prefer as an animal rights supporter for stray dogs.)
So yeah, suddenly I realized that's why I was playing Magic competitively, to get away from thinking about garbage like this - when I realized what I was doing ( triggering depression) I ran out of the house hoping I'd make the draft in time. No preparation.
Record
1-2
0-2
Bye
Which particularly sucked since I really just wanted to play and there were no side games.
Deck
Spells
Thunderbolt
Demolish
Ghoulrflesh
Guise of Fire
Triumph of Cruelty
Predator's GambitThunderous Wrath
Creatures
Butcher Ghoul
Somberwald Vigilante
2x Heirs of Stromkirk
2x Scalding Devil
2X Haneweir Lancer
2x Fervent Cathar
2x Searchlight Geist
Blood Artist
Maalfeld Twins
Marrow Bats
Undead Executioner
Zealous Conscripts
Sideboard
Riot Ringleader
Vigilante Justice
Gloomwidow
Stern Mentor
Maalfeld Twins'
Corpse Traders
4 x Battle Hymn
4x Unhallowed Pact
Polluted Dead
Rite of Ruin
2x Essence Harvest
Scroll of Grislebrand
I played a total of five games and won 1 which is a 20% win rate - which is awful. And a 40% performance drop from previous expansion drafts. However, I declaratively won the first game, the second came went to a really awesome Mexican standoff Magic-style where my opponent was down to 1 for 10 turns with a Blood Artist on the floor. He was playing to literally stall the board until he could get an advantage, leading to some really interesting math where he was trying to block my attacks without either of our creatures dying- anyone dying would have won me the game.
He managed to get a Herald of War out, and I kept pulling land instead of a creature or removal. I had no fliers on the field - at the very last moment he managed to get the Herald through for lethal damage. The third game was more interactive but he won the race. We went into overtime
The second game was against a pro-player who had left during the first round to get food and was 20 minutes into the match when he showed up. He plays crazy fast aggro pretty much no matter what. He did as expected.
I was able to play at the speed that he plays but not with the strategy I was playing - even though we were 20 minutes in he beat me 2-0 in 15 so he had plenty of time to eat the dinner he had been delayed by picking up. And he had time to watch his other friends game.
(newb note - aggro is a abbreviation for aggressive strategy using lots of creatures that have and cards that use direct damage - the idea is to not worry about defense or removal but attack, attack and attack - usually it also features some way to get mana on your side faster which is called mana acceleration and cards that can damage a player directly which is called "burn" and also called damage " to the face" in the slang used at the table)
But I got the bye on the third round and probably should have gone home because there is no participation prize for the bottom half in draft but I forgot and really didn't want to go home.
New Feature to record - Why'd I pick it?
I can't remember usually what I'm picking against but I can remember why so I'm going to start recording it to see if I can dectect patterns of strengths or weaknesses that will allow me to identify areas to improve.
When I opened the first pack I got the Thunderous Wrath so I took that and figured I'd be in red with something and then the next three packs were pretty much only black - I cant remember the order but I do remember the reasons for each card
Thunderous wrath was removal or direct damage, possibly for very little cost even thought the rule in AVR draft is if you have one miracle it will ALWAYS be in your opening hand.
Thunderbolt - removal especially for fliers
Demolish - I figured I would sideboard it and then I remembered how often I actually use the sideboard - it worked well against angels tomb so I'm glad I maindecked it
Ghoulflesh - cheap removal
Guise of Fire - removal or drawback buff
Triumph of Cruelty - hopeful card advantage
Predator's Gambit - buff that hopefully fed Triumph and conditionally give evasion
Thunderous Wrath - Miracle maybe castable removal for big things like angels
Butcher Ghoul - undying, soulbound target for Hanewier
Somberwald Vigilante - removal if blocked
2x Heirs of Stromkirk - evasion - abililty to grow -soulbound target for Hanewier
2x Scalding Devil - direct burn to player - early creature - mid game threat especially if opponent overused removal - soulbound target for Hanewier
2X Haneweir Lancer Everybody is first strikey
2x Fervent Cathar - Hastey soulbound target for Hanewier
2x Searchlight Geist activated deathtouch for big fliers soulbound target for Hanewier
Blood Artist direct damage- disincentive to kill my creatures
Maalfeld Twins - big threat - replaces itself at death
Marrow Bats - early threat big - damage against fliers - soulbound target for Hanewier
Undead Executioner - undying, removal if killed soulbound target for Hanewier
Zealous Conscripts because reasons - plus awesome when souldbond to Haneweir
Sideboard
Riot Ringleader - needs humans - wasn't running enough
Vigilante Justic - needs humans - wasn't running enough
Gloomwidow - green ( no black or red that pick
Stern Mentor - blue ( no black or red that pick
Maalfeld Twins' - running 1 two seemed not worth the mana curve
Corpse Traders - probably didn't run this because I was too chicken to deal with trying to process it during the draft it's got an activation cost, needs to sac a creature I could have run it in combo with the Zealous
4 x Battle Hymn I picked one and got stuck with 3 more I don't even . . .
4x Unhallowed Pact I picked one and got stuck with 3 more I don't even . . . this one was worse because I figured I could use one if I managed to pick up another fattie but passed on a different card that I needed for my collection to get it - there were then four other packs where that was the only black card and I didn't want to mess up the signals.
Polluted Dead - worried about mana curve - no playing this might have been a mistake
Rite of Ruin - powerful but definitely cut for mana curve
2x Essence Harvest - probably avoided because of the x cost but also because I was worried about not really having large creatures with enough power to make it worth while - I didn't realize until playing how versatile predators gambit could be.
Scroll of Grislebrand - wasn't running demons
This is how otherwise confident people undermine themselves playing a game.
It doesn't matter - it shouldn't matter - but playing against certain people where you're pretty much an afterthought ( which isn't the way the games went, they just went fast because he plays faster) and being insecure about your picks means that it doesn't matter that I played well over the weekend and that I had a first place finish against two other high level players for Core 2013 sealed, in my head that "didn't matter because 2013 is easier" which is kind of not true and seriously stupid. Even if it is easier the people I was playing against were more experienced winning players than I was so they should be using the cards that much better. I think the worst thing that happened to me was ending up with the 4 Unhallowed Pacts - it made me feel like I had missed something really important but I passed no bombs in either color so I'm not sure what I expected me to do when I decided I was going to force colors and pursue and evasion/consequence if you interact with my creatures strategy.
I also made my second trade ever, I traded my Zealous Conscripts and thunderous wrath for a Vexing Devil - now I'm one short of a playset.
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