Drafting with Big Nass, DII #6

Posted on April 23, 2012

So, last Monday I decided to take a day off from studying for finals to play some Magic Online. In an uncharacteristic move for me, I won every Constructed two-man queue I played, but I lost the first round of every Draft. I had some fairly unusual brews that just didn’t work out, so I guess it’s back to drafting a normal deck.

You guys know the drill: text recap follows the video links. Be sure to check the end for the quick take-aways!

Draft	Draft
Match 1	Game 1	Game 2	Game 3

Pack 1, Pick 1:

My Pick:

There are a number of good cards in this pack, the best ones being Burden of Guilt, Niblis of the Mist, Markov Warlord, and Stromkirk Captain. I found this to be a tough choice, but my personal preference leads me to take the Captain. I’ve had a lot of success with B/R Vampires, so I don’t have a problem committing to it early.

Pack 1, Pick 2:

My Pick:

Not a difficult choice here. I’m hoping I get to table one of those two Undying Evils.

Pack 1, Pick 3:

My Pick:

Had I taken the Burden of Guilt pick one, Niblis of the Urn would be an easy pick here, but I would like to stay on-color. Blood Feud is expensive, but is often a two-for-one.

Pack 1, Pick 4:

My Pick:

Jeez Louise, that’s a late Briarpack Alpha. There’s nothing really that’s worth taking in black or red, and if the green keeps coming, we have a good reason to switch.

Pack 1, Pick 5:

My Pick:

I suppose I could take Lost in the Woods for the lulz, but if I do end up B/R Vampires, I really should . . . you know . . . draft some Vampires.

Pack 1, Pick 6:

My Pick:

Wow, that’s a late Runebinder. This time, there are good black and red cards, so I can’t really justify jumping into blue. I like Forge Devil a little more than Highborn Ghoul in this deck.

Pack 1, Pick 7:

My Pick:

Yeah, it’s on the expensive side, but it’s nice to have some late game. I’m certainly not taking a Faithless Looting over a Vengeful Vampire.

Pack 1, Pick 8:

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Pack 1, Pick 9:

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Pack 1, Pick 10:

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Pack 1, Pick 11:

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Pack 1, Pick 12:

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Pack 1, Pick 15:

My Pick:

That pack really wasn’t that great. I hope packs two and three are better.

Pack 2, Pick 1:

My Pick:

While it is better in a defensive deck, I’m certainly not passing an Air Elemental.

Pack 2, Pick 2:

My Pick:

Morkrut Banshee is actually pretty good in this deck since your opponent will usually be forced to block. I think that we need Crossway Vampire more, though.

Pack 2, Pick 3:

My Pick:

Harvest Pyre isn’t that good in decks that can’t dump a bunch of cards in their own graveyard. On the other hand, Stensia Bloodhall does a great job, at a very minimal cost, of closing out games when your opponent has managed to stabilize.

Pack 2, Pick 4:

My Pick:

We have some powerful creatures such as Manor Gargoyle, Farbog Boneflinger, and Vengeful Vampire that are worth reanimating. I don’t think I’ll want to play this without a couple Plains, so we’ll see if our mana base can support it.

Pack 2, Pick 5:

My Pick:

Tribute to Hunger isn’t amazing, but removal is removal.

Pack 2, Pick 6:

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Pack 3, Pick 1:

My Pick:

There’s a blue deck to our left that going to be pretty happy, but I’m completely satisfied with a Brimstone Volley.

Pack 3, Pick 2:

My Pick:

I still need to find some Vampire Interlopers, but this is a start.

Pack 3, Pick 3:

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Pack 3, Pick 6:

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BWAAAAAA!? Yes, I think I will take a Brimstone Volley sixth pick.

Pack 3, Pick 7:

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Pack 3, Pick 9:

My Pick:

Yes, that’s right, I’m hate-drafting a Wooden Stake. Deal with it.

Pack 3, Pick 10:

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Pack 3, Pick 15:

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Here’s what I submitted:

"B/R Vampires"

The deck didn’t quite have enough 2-drops for my liking, but overall, I was pleased with it. Unfortunately, I lost first round to a R/G Werewolf deck. I won Game 1 after doming him for 6 with two Pitchburn Devils and a Falkenrath Torturer. I kept a two-land hand Game 2 that didn’t pan out, and Game 3 was a long war of attrition in which I ran out of gas.

And so the slump continues.

As an aside, I love playing MoJo Basic on Magic Online. It’s similar to Momir Basic except that you also have Jhoira. Her ability lets you pay 3 mana and discard a card to reveal three random instants and/or sorceries. You choose one of them to play for free. I like it a lot more than MoJoSto, which gets too out of hand.

If you’re a fan or MoJo or you just want to try it out, feel free to message me on Magic Online. I’m always down if I’m not in a match.

Until next time, may you always draw your miracle cards when you need them.

Nassim Ketita

arcticninja on Magic Online

http://www.youtube.com/nketita

TAGS articles, draft, limited, magic online, drafting, analysis, dark ascension, report, innistrad, nassim ketita, recap, draft recap