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The value of cooperation
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Author:  Zlehtnoba [ Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:26 am ]
Post subject:  The value of cooperation
Sunday was draft night on MtGO. It really brought home to me that it doesn't really matter what you open; it's much more important not to quarrel over colors with your neighbours.

Pack one was pretty disappointing, giving me a Bolt of Keranos. Pick two was much better, an Akroan Conscriptor. I tried for white, but it didn't come, so I picked up a few blue cards to complement the red. Pack two started well, with a Purphoros's Emissary and Nimbus Naiad. Pick three presented the choice between Dragon Mantle and Voyage's End. I took the End, and was rewarded by a pick four Sea God's Revenge and pick 6 Vaporkin. Pick 8 was Flamespeaker Adept, pick 10 a Horizon Scholar, and the Mantle wheeled. Pack three started with Triton Tactics and Fanatic of Mogis. Then came the choice between Lightning Strike and Labyrinth Champion; not really hard, I was just sad to see the Champion get away. But the red kept flowing, and even the Champion wheeled. And five minutes later, I was trying to decide what to cut from the deck. Here is what I built, together with the hard cuts:

1 x Arena Athlete
1 x Deepwater Hypnotist
1 x Vaporkin
1 x Crackling Triton
2 x Flamespeaker Adept
1 x Minotaur Skullcleaver
1 x Nimbus Naiad
1 x Spearpoint Oread
1 x Cyclops of One-Eyed Pass
1 x Fanatic of Mogis
1 x Labyrinth Champion
1 x Purphoros's Emissary
1 x Akroan Conscriptor

1 x Dragon Mantle
1 x Spark Jolt
1 x Triton Tactics
1 x Lightning Strike
1 x Stratus Walk
1 x Voyage's End
1 x Fearsome Temper
1 x Bolt of Keranos
1 x Rage of Purphoros

10 x Mountain
7 x Island

Playable Sideboard

1 x Retraction Helix
1 x Portent of Betrayal
1 x Sea God's Revenge
1 x Horizon Scholar
1 x Destructive Revelry


There is something unsettling about seeing Sea God's Revenge in the sideboard; even Portent of Betrayal looks like an auto-include in a deck with two Flamespeaker Adepts. But I needed some triggers for my heroes, and the bounce/removal, and there simply wasn't place in the deck.

Round one was against GW. We each lost a game to the shuffler; I boarded Retraction Helix over Bolt of Keranos, since his creatures were mostly too big for the Bolt. In game three, I got down an early Vaporkin, and Fearsome Temper allowed it to go all the way, past a Nessian Asp.

Round two against UWG. The only thing I really remember is him casting a turn two Nullify in a three-color deck. A few tricky combat steps involving the Adept and Voyage's End gave me the two-for-ones needed to win the match.

Round three against another GW deck. In game one, he played a turn-one Favored Hoplite. On turn seven, I was at 8, he was at 22, with a 4/5 tapped Hoplite and a Lagonna-band Elder on board; I had a Cyclops of One-Eyed Pass, a Deepwater Hypnotist, and the Arena Athlete, with Mantle in hand. I drew the Tactics, and decided to go for it. Put the Mantle on the Atlete, swung with everything past the suddenly blocking-impaired Elder, and dropped him to 10. When he counterattacked next turn, I untapped the Cyclops and the Hypnotist to kill his team. He had the tricks to keep them alive, but they remained frozen for long enough for my Athlete to steal the win. Game two was simpler, with my removal killing his heroes, leaving him with an empty board and not enough time to recover - I had both Adepts on the board.

I never played the Conscriptor or the Emissary; the Champion and Athlete were very good. Crackling Triton was a disappointment (you can probably tell this was my first UR deck); and so was the Bolt of Keranos. Sorcery-speed and three mana really hurt it. I ended up boarding Retraction Helix over it a lot.

So, would you play the Revenge? The Portent? The Helix?
Author:  rstnme [ Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The value of cooperation
I would play revenge over rage in a heartbeat. Otherwise good stuff.
Author:  Niche [ Wed Mar 12, 2014 11:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The value of cooperation
Revenge so good.
Author:  Zenbitz [ Wed Mar 12, 2014 12:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The value of cooperation
Agreed with revenge > rage. Retraction over spark jolt maybe but flamespeakers, plural.

The one card I don't like is Labyrinth Champion. He reminds me of staunch-hearted warrior. If my heroes are going to have bad bodies I want them to at least be cheap so I can use them on turn 2. But I don't think you can cut the 14th creature for a spell.

Portent is one of those cards I always put in sideboard and always board in when I get voltron'd to death.
Author:  Zlehtnoba [ Wed Mar 12, 2014 1:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The value of cooperation
rstnme wrote:
I would play revenge over rage in a heartbeat. Otherwise good stuff.


:blush: So obvious. Sometimes I just get stuck in a rut.
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