Pack 1 pick 1:
My Pick:
Die Young is solid removal but the Gearsmith is a lot more powerful. It does set me up for 2 colours very early but I can always ditch it if things don't work out in WB. Hunt the Weak and Prism are also fine cards.
Pack 1 pick 2:
My Pick:
Underhanded Designs (with enough artifacts) and Tidy Conclusions are both great removal spells. The Maurader is better in BG decks where more creatures can get +1/+1 counters. Self-Assembler would most likely find a friend or two before the end of the draft but I'm going with Kambal though. If I can get it down early I can see the life drain being significant in games. Besides, that's two gold cards in the same colour. That has to be a sign that MTGO wants me to play WB right?
Pack 1 pick 3:
My Pick:
There's not a lot here for my deck. The Ninth Bridge Patrol doesn't seem good to me, Maybe Live Fast was the right pick but Consealed Courtyard fixes my mana and it's earlier enough in the format that it's still worth something on the secondary market.
Pack 1 pick 4:
My Pick:
A solid offensive creature. Most of the time it should get the +1/+1 counter rather than make a Servo because Fireforger's Puzzleknot would wreck you.
Pack 1 pick 5:
My Pick:
Live Fast gets better with Die Young (obviously based off the name). Just make sure that you know the Die Young is a Sorcery not an Instant. I learned that the hard way...
Pack 1 pick 6:
My Pick:
I wasn't initially impressed by Scavenger because it puts the card on the top of the library but it's stuck to a big body which can hold off the board while it does a poor impression of a Gearsmith
Pack 1 pick 7:
My Pick:
A very good 2 drop. I saw a ton of them during my last MPDC event awhile back. I'll try to pick up some artifact creatures or vehicles to boost it.
Pack 1 pick 8:
My Pick:
Pretty boring. Hopefully I have better options by the end of the draft.
Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick:
If I can get enough weenies I might play this but it looks like the deck is more mid-late game focused.
Pack 1 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 1:
My Pick:
Of course I raredraft, luckily for me this time it's playable in the deck. Glint-Sleeve Artisan would be the other pick here.
Pack 2 pick 2:
My Pick:
I don't have a lot of ways to generate Energy yet the Tower should be able to get there on its own. The Bruiser may have been a better option if I don't end up packing enough Sorcery and Instant spells.
Pack 2 pick 3:
My Pick:
I would like to get a Self-Assembler early in hopes of being able to nab the second one later but the Freighter is too good to pass up.
Pack 2 pick 4:
My Pick:
Right now there's not a lot I would like to bounce back other than the Gearsmith but it works well with many cards. I like bouncing Prophetic Prisms if I don't get a Cloudblazer or something else awesome.
Pack 2 pick 5:
My Pick:
I think the Pillar-Bug is the right pick here but I didn't know that at the time.
Pack 2 pick 6:
My Pick:
Fragmentize or Mastadon would have been the alternatives but I like having at least 1 vehicle in the deck.
Pack 2 pick 7:
My Pick:
Great combat trick and I'm happy to take it here.
Pack 2 pick 8:
My Pick:
I don't think I need 2 of them but there's nothing else in the pack.
Pack 2 pick 9:
My Pick:
This isn't the right deck for the Skygate but it could be a good sideboard card if there are fliers that I can't outrace.
Pack 2 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pressure point may have been a better pick as there are not bomb artifacts that I would want to get back.
Pack 2 pick 11:
My Pick:
It's nice that it wheeled. Now I'm more confident that I'll be able to grab another one.
Pack 2 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 14:
My Pick:
I'm not that impressed with this card but there were drafts where the 3 power was needed to crew vehicles that I had.
Pack 2 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 1:
My Pick:
I don't think this was the right pick as I'm light on artifact creatures. Perhaps the Visionary was the pick here.
Pack 3 pick 2:
My Pick:
I'm not sure if this was the pick here as Revoke Privileges is good removal as well. However, there are times where my opponent would bounce their creature with Aviary Mechanic of Acrobatic Maneuver so the permanent removal spell may be better. I'm hoping the Self-Assembler gets back to me.
Pack 3 pick 3:
My Pick:
I like to have at least 1 in each deck that can support it as Tidy Conclusions deals with the bigger creatures that may show up in the late game.
Pack 3 pick 4:
My Pick:
I think Live Fast will work well with the Tower. Otherwise I may have picked the Mastodon.
Pack 3 pick 5:
My Pick:
I prefer this to Built to Smash as that only works on attacking creatures where as Built to Last can get my creatures out of burn range outside of combat. I know built to Smash is red and irrelevant in this context but just wanted to put in my two cents.
Pack 3 pick 6:
My Pick:
Screecher can start bringing the beats earlier especially with a cheap artifact on the board.
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick:
Hawk can help put my bigger creatures in the air and it can peck away at life totals early in the game.
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick:
Last fresh pack of the draft and a find the second Self-Assembler!
Pack 3 pick 9:
My Pick:
I always grab the Tutor thinking that I'll run it but I always end up cutting it because there's nothing worth tutoring for.
Pack 3 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 11:
My Pick:
I think the Companion may be good in aggressive decks and even if you don't have an additional attacker, the hyena can still Crew some Vehicles,
Pack 3 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 15:
My Pick:
Here's what I end up with.
Main:
1 Restoration Gearsmith
1 Kambal, Consul of Allocation
1 Maulfist Squad
1 Subtle Strike
2 Dukhara Scavenger
1 Dhund Operative
1 Prakhata Club Security
2 Self-Assembler
1 Chief of the Foundry
1 Sky Skiff
1 Scrapheap Scrounger
1 Live Fast
1 Concealed Courtyard
1 Aviary Mechanic
1 Renegade Freighter
1 Pressure Point
1 Die Young
11 Swamp
1 Essence Extraction
1 Tidy Conclusion
5 Plains
1 Built to Last
1 Foundry Screecher
1 Eddytrail Hawk
Sideboard:
2 Acrobatic Maneuver
1 Consulate Surveillance
2 Herald of the Fair
1 Tasseled Dromedary
1 Wily Bandar
1 Fireforger's Puzzleknot
1 Plains
1 Swamp
1 Trusty Companion
1 Inspired Charge
1 Diabolic Tutor
1 Commencement of Festivities
1 Fortuitous Find
1 Consulate Skygate
1 Dynavolt Tower
1 Prakhata Club Security
1 Workshop Assistant
1 Refurbish
1 Revolutionary Rebuff
Match 1 I'm paired against WG and we both start off with Sky Skiffs. Foundry Screecher for me and Herald of the Fair & Thriving Ibex for my opponent soon join the board. He is reluctant to trade the Skiff for my Screecher so my bat gets through but he's more than keeping pace on the ground. I cast a Self-Assembler to slow him down a bit. Oviya and and a Ovalchase Dragster shows up on his side of the table and I trade my vehicle for his. He's at 6 while I'm at 12 and I deal with the Oviya with Tidy Conclusions before it gets out of hand. He creates a 3/3 token before it dies and I cast a legendary creature of my own in the form of Kambal in hopes restricting the cards he's able to play due to his low life total. He bites the bullet and plays Revoke Privileges on the Screecher, falling to 4 life. In my opinion he should have just traded the Skiff in stead of taking more damage but he goes on the offensive with his vehicle instead. I grab my own Skiff back with a restoration Gearsmith and send it in. I try to eat his Skiff with Built to Last but Impeccable Timing ruins that plan but he takes another 2 damage in the process thanks to Kambal. I grab the Skiff again, this time with a Dukhara Scavenger and the board is full of creatures on both sides but nothing seems to be able to get through. I cast Eddytrail Hawk and that breaks the stalemate as I send Self-Assemblers to the sky.
In Game 2 we both start off slow as my first play is a Freighter and he is stuck on 2 Plains as I get to 4 mana and cast a Maulfist Squad. It looks like easy pickings but Impeccable Timing destroys my Freighter and he's not quite out of it just yet. He's still stuck on 2 lands though and I play Kambal to join the Maulfist Squad. He finds a third land but at this point he can't catch up as the Squad, Kambal and a Club Security already did too much damage to recover from.
For Match 2 I'm up against WU and he starts off with a Responder kills my Screecher with Hunt the Weak. My Scrapheap Scrounger keeps getting in though as he doesn't want to lose the Responder to a trick - which I have with Built to Last in hand. I'm not making any progress though as that lifelink from the Responder allows him to comfortably soak up damage with his life total. A Wild Wanderer from him grabs a Mountain which is used to Welding Spark my Sky Skiff. I cast Built to Last in response and try to kill the Responder but it gets replaced with another one. I'm at 9 life at this point and still don't have an answer for the flier. To make matters worse, he casts Verdurous Gearhulk and I go into chump mode. Tidy Conclusions takes care of the huge Responder as he holds back his 6/5 Wanderer for some reason. I drop to 4 life and play a Self-Assembler with the intent of trading with the Gearhulk. However, he plays an Eddytrail Hawk so I lock down the bird with Pressure Point to buy a turn. I had a chance to trade my Deathtouch Dhund Operative for the Gearhulkthe turn before and now I'm wishing I took that opportunity. The Hawk and Gearhulk fly over and I cast Subtle Strike to shrink the Gearhulk and pump my Skiff which eats the Hawk. This leaves me with a lone point of life to his 17. There's a lot of work to do. The Skiff starts getting at his life while the ground is too crowded for him to get in that last point of damage. I play my Scavenger to grab the Screecher to strengthen my air force and he plays a Riparian Tiger so i have to be careful and make sure that I have enough blockers to sock up Trample damage. I have him down to a 1 turn clock and expected him to alpha strike but he only send in the Wanderer and Tiger so I double block both in case he has removal and I get Trampled to death. He scoops them up after combat. That was pretty exciting!
Both of us start off fast for Game 2 as he plays a Hawk and Ghirapur Guide and I start with a Scrapheap Scrounger and Renegade Freighter. He has no turn 4 play though while I have a Maulfist Squad and I'm ahead in the race. He plays a Harrier on turn 5 and leaves me at 14. I swing back with just the Freighter but he doesn't want to double block so he drops to 7 life. He plays his Gearhulk and spreads the counters out among all 4 creatures. I send in my team of Freighter, Maulfist, Scrounger, & Operative and Built to Last helps me reach lethal before the game drags out.
In the Final Match I'm playing the mirror as my opponent's deck is has double Kambal and Restoration Gearsmith. He starts off with a Embraal Bruiser, Foundry Inspector and Glint-Sleeve Artisan while I only have a Aviary Mechanic and Kambal. We both cast Self-Assembler although he's stuck on 4 lands thanks to the Inspector. We reach a stalemate pretty quickly but my Screecher starts to get through. It doesn't last long though as a Propeller Pioneer joins his team. He sends in his team and his creatures were all slightly larger than mine and I die with my opponent still sitting at a comfortable 11 life.
My opponent starts off Game 2 with another Bruiser and Kambal while I have a hawk and Club Security. Panhamonicon comes down for his side and things look like they're going to get exciting. Bad for me but exciting nonetheless. His Metalspinner Puzzleknot and Glint-Sleeve Artisan just don't seem fair and he tops it off by coming in for 5. I play Tidy Conclusions on Kamal to get it out of the way and he does the same with the Club Security. I make a mistake here and think that Die Young is an Instant! The mistake costs me the game but to be honest it was unlikely that I would have survived the next turn as he added a Propeller Pioneer and a second Mauler precombat.
It was fun playing against a deck that was pretty much the same as mine. One of the things that can happen in league drafts! His deck was built a lot better than mine though so there's still a lot to learn about Kaladesh drafting. Let's see if I can get a better result in the next one.
- thePaperboy
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