Draft at WMG 05 March 09

Sigh...

Lost the draft...in more ways than one. I had almost finished typing this up for the first time and I suddenly lost everything. Not sure which I am more upset about.

Here are my picks ...again....

Pack 1

Tower Gargoyle
Sanctum Gargoyle
Agony Warp
Bone Splinters
Esper Charm
Hissing Iguanar
Welkin Guide
Angelic Benediction
Deathgreeter
Welkin Guide
Cathartic Adept
Angel's Herald
Relic of Progenitus
Banewasp Affliction
Forest

Pack 2

Tower Gargoyle
Oblivion Ring
Viscera Dragger
Skeletal Kathari
Kiss of the Amesha
Obelisk of Esper
Tar Fiend
Steelclad Serpent
Yoked Plowbeast
Rip-Clan Crasher
Demon's Herald
Sunseed Nurturer
Dreg Reaver
Demon's Herald
Mountain

Pack 3

Yoke of the Damned
Drag Down
Parasitic Strix
Parasitic Strix
Brackwater Elemental
Parasitic Strix
Faerie Mechanist
Unsummon
Vectis Agents
Pestilent Kathari
Yoke of the Damned
Aven Trailblazer
Kranioceros
Scornful Aether-Lich
Plains

So it seemed like a reasonable Esper Draft, nothing too nutty but some solid guys with tricks. I passed by some Naya and Jund goodies but stayed the course. I still have not been able to get myself to draft the 5 Colour Special. I wanted to get a Panorama but was happy to get an Obelisk in the second pack, since I passed some in the first pack for removal.

Here is how I built the deck...

5 Island
6 Plains
6 Swamp
1 Obelisk of Esper
1 Oblivino Ring
1 Sanctum Gargoyle
1 Sunseed Nurturer
1 Welkin Guide
1 Yoked Plowbeast
1 Bone Splinters
1 Skeletal Kathari
1 Tar Fiend
1 Viscera Dragger
1 Agony Warp
1 Kiss of the Amesha
2 Tower Gargoyle
1 Aven Trailblazer
1 Brackwater Elemental
1 Faerie Mechanist
2 Parasitic Strix
1 Unsummon
1 Drag Down
1 Pestilent Kathari
1 Vectis Agents

I wanted to play at least one of the Yokes. I think that they are a good card, but I felt that I needed the instant speed on my side. I ended up playing only 2 of the Parasitic Strix, I think that I should have played the 3rd one over the Trailblazer since I wasn't playing Domain.


Round 1

Josh

Game 1

I race him with my flyer and he doesn't get greedy with either of his pump knights(Skyward or Dragonsouled) playing around the Agony Warp that I had in hand. I get a Tower Gargoyle to stick with the Warp mana up and that is game.

Game 2

I mull the 2 lander and keep a better 6. He gets early beats and drops me to 8 before I am able to stabilize with a Tower Gargoyle. The Kiss seals it up for me and he scoops.

Round 2

Dave Barker

Game 1

He has a bunch of Naya Beef but I am able to keep up with him at 11-12 for me. Then he drops a Spearbreaker and casts Soul's Majesty. I can draw an out with the ORing but the 2 of the 5 cards that he draws are Woolly Thoctars, which he plays and I pick up my cards.

I will have to yell at Bates who was on the other side of him, I didn't pass him any Thoctars.

Game 2

He goes turn 1 Nacatl, 2 Mountain, 3 Thoctar. He has me on the back foot and I just can't get anything together. He has the Magma Spray for my double block and a Volcanic Submersion for my Tower Gargoyle.

Round 3

DANEFIRE!!!!!

Game 1

I keep a hand missing Islands, but have an ORing and some 5 drops. I don't see an Island or a 5th land and he Hammers me.

Game 2

We both mull to 6 this game but he drew 2 from Esper Charm, 2 From Capsule, and 2 From Kiss. I got off a Kiss as well and was able to let the Tower Gargoyle go to work. I drop the second Tower Gargoyle before the Strix for the win just in case he has a bounce/removal spell for the first Gargoyle.

Game 3

We go back and forth on this game before I can get a Tower Gargoyle to stick. At the end he sees an opportunity to go for the win, so he Unearths his Kathari and swings for the fences. After blocks he tries to Sigil Blessing, but I have th agony Warp to couter the spell . We talk a bit and I think that he should have held back with it since I had gone on the offensive with the 4/4 flyer and he knew that I had Warp, Unsummon and Drag Down in the deck that I had not played that game. Still, it could have been his last chance for the win...maybe I am just too much of a reactionary/defensive player.

Anyway, I was a bit disappointed with the Faerie Mechanist(only hitting once in 6 tries) but I probably should have played more artifacts for him. Cards that I think that I should have tried to find room for were the Esper Charm and the Scornful Aether-Lich. I would have sided in the charm to deal with some enchantments, but with the tri-colour and my lack of fixing it just didn't seem as worth it like the Gargoyle's were.I would have traded in the Lich for the Agents against a Bant deck, but the Agents unblockability seemed better than the Fear.

Well I guess that I have to keep at it, but I will have to skip a week.

As Always,
DHThomas