Drafting ::: pack three, pick four

[Spork_Insanity]

Alright folks. The draft is winding down...only a few more picks until I'll wrap up by doing the last bits of Dissension...and then I'll do one final thread, where we can review the picks, offer builds, and discuss what other options we might have had by picking differently. I can even reveal what everyone else at the table was drafting, and we can see if we correctly interptered the signals (or complain about lack thereof), and see if the signals we sent were noticed. Unless no one likes that idea.

So far, the picks have gone thusly:

---P1---
Vedalken Dismisser
Stinkweed Imp
Belltower Sphinx
Compulsive Research
Snapping Drake
Viashino Fangtail
Dimir Aqueduct
Surveilling Sprite
Lurking Informant
Sell-sword Brute
Hunted Horror
Sadistic Augermage
Barbarian Riftcutter
Orduun Commando
Mortipede
---P2---
Douse in Gloom
Izzet Chronarch
Streetbreaker Wurm
Izzet Boilerworks
Repeal
Ogre Savant
Izzet Chronarch
Train of Thought
Train of Thought
Gruul Nodorog
Tin Street Hooligan
Wreak Havoc
Leap of Flame
Fencer’s Magemark
Wild Cantor
---P3---
Cackling Flames
Stormscale Anarch
Rakdos Ickspitter


We just added a third pinger to our pile, which can hardly be a bad thing. We're still sans signets, and we are currently at a karoo count of two.

Here's our fourth pack of Dissension.


...


Oh, and I assume we want to do a Coldsnap draft after this one? Or would we rather stick with Ravnica? Mirage, Mirage, Visions? I want to here what people want to draft on this thing, after all, it only works if people participate, and people won't participate if the format isn't something relevant/enjoyable.

[Merl]

Macabre Waltz is the best card.

We desperately need multiple signets to give our slow powerful deck some speed.

Simic Signet.

I see someone took Cytospawn shambler?

[0157H7]

As has been said repeatedly, our deck would like Signets for acceleration. Macabre Waltz, another alternative, tends to come around a little later, so I usually don't pick it as high as 4th; still, it's a good card, and I can see why some would want to pick it here. I just think that we need the Signet even more.

Edit: Also, I think the next draft should be CCC.

[Kird_Ape]

voted checkbox!

[Trentt]

I took Shambler. This deck is really lacking any sort of finisher, and Shambler and StreetWurm do that job perfectly. With regard to having a CCC draft, thats stupid. CCC is no longer a relevant format, not to mention its extremely easy, and is based around personal preferences, such as colors or "combos".

[Merl]

This deck is really lacking any sort of finisher, and Shambler and StreetWurm do that job perfectly.
Um, so far we have drafted:
Vedalken Dismisser
Belltower Sphinx
Izzet Chronarch
Ogre Savant
Izzet Chronarch

Plus one more if you are going to play Streetbreaker Wurm. How many creatures costing more than 4 mana do you want to play?

And I find both Anarch and massive card advantage to be perfectly good 'finishers'.

[Trentt]

They arent. Anarch is not as good as you guys are claiming. Those cards you listed are not finishers at all. Large creatures is what this deck needs, as we already have decent removal and decent utility creatures. I see no reason not to take Shambler...especially picking bad cards like Waltz or a halfcolor signet.

[Galvatron]

bomshell or mcar waltz the bomshel would be a pick becaus it's a 4?1

[Spork_Insanity]

Hmm, bombshell is an interesting pick. I suppose it's a little better for our deck than Drekavac or Enemy. It's a hill giant that's as easy to cast as possible, four generic mana.

If we were going to pick a creature out of the pack, that's probably the correct one. You could argue for Drekavac, as it's cheaper, and we can easily recur our spells, but we aren't likely to hit our black mana early. I think a pretty good argument for Bombshell could feasibly be made.

I'm not sure that we need it more than Macabre Waltze or either of the Simic fixers, though.

[Galvatron]

well to me you need son decent cretures prefrebly with good stats and a form of evasion and som good spot removal

[Mister_J]

Our deck is shaping up to go late, so Waltz fits perfectly. Also it can be mad advatage when combined with Chronarchs. I see why people are in favor of the signet though, it is close.

As regards Shambler. Yes it is a finsher. Yes, a 7cc spell with 1 green mana is easy to splash. No, we don't need to go green this late in the draft. Yes Cackling Flames +2 Chroarchs does = finisher.

[Haemoglobin]

Simic Signet. We desperately need some acceleration. It also might help if we do eventually decide to splash Streetbreaker Wurm.

[LordOfWei]

Ideally, green would make an excellent splash. Realistically, our deck can't afford to run green. It's not just that we don'r have enough green playables right now to justify a splash, it's that our mana base is shaky as it is with three colors, and there's absolutely no way we can manage to get enough fixers to justify any sort of splash at this point.

Also, in reguards to our mana curve, it's all the more reason to take the Signet here. Signet is similar to a colorless Rampant Growth, which not only gives us a turn two play, but also accelerates us into the more expensive cards in our deck. Signets are crucial to the type of deck that we're drafting right now, and a half-color one is still pretty dang good for us. The Ickspitter was a good pick last pack because it helps us fill in our three-drop spot, which is severely lacking, and Signet helps us fill our two-drop as well as our three-drop, as we can cast 4cc spells on turn three with the help of a Signet.

We do need finishers, but there are a few in our colors that we can still hope to grab in the next few picks.

[HanaKami]

I'd prefer to take the Simic Growth Chamber over the Simic Signet. Bouncelands make our deck better by allowing us to run fewer mana-generating cards.

[Rba]

Yes but look at how little two drops the draft has. Surv Sprite, Two ToT's, The deck needs 2 drops and it's perfect that the signet falls right into our laps. This is what the deck needs is signets. Also this will allow us to play the Streetbreaker Wurm too without taking too much of a hit.

Edit: Pertaining to another draft. Coldsnap isnt a viable format really, it really isnt great. What we should do is do an Oddysey block draft ;)

[Spork_Insanity]

Edit: Pertaining to another draft. Coldsnap isnt a viable format really, it really isnt great. What we should do is do an Oddysey block draft ;)

Oh man...I cut my teeth on Odysee block drafts, and I was pretty horrible at it back then. I'm not sure too many people will jump onto this bandwagon, but if it's what most everyone wants, I'll certainly oblige.

First pick Mongrel, For the Win!

[Galvatron]

Oh man...I cut my teeth on Odysee block drafts, and I was pretty horrible at it back then. I'm not sure too many people will jump onto this bandwagon, but if it's what most everyone wants, I'll certainly oblige.

First pick Mongrel, For the Win!
or reae dareft the finkletrator lol

[Rba]

Nah man it's all about the Mine Layer

[HanaKami]

"The deck needs 2 drops..."

You say it like it's self-evident. RGD draft is a sloooow format. Random 2drops don't win games, especially since we aren't going the bloodgraft route.

"...and it's perfect that the signet falls right into our laps."

How can it be perfect if we aren't going to use both colors for sure? Besides, a bounceland just fell into our laps! How cool is that?

"Also this will allow us to play the Streetbreaker Wurm too without taking too much of a hit."

Um, the Growth Chamber also produces green mana, if that's what you want.

BTW: I'd like to stick with the RDG draft walkthroughs until Timespiral comes out.

[Haemoglobin]

Simic Growth Chamber doesn't accelerate our mana which is what we need at the moment.

NB. I think we should stick to RGD drafts and maybe Coldsnap as let's face it, we're going to have to draft it. Plus I actually quite like Coldsnap drafting :)

[Galvatron]

Nah man it's all about the Mine Layer
lol finke give you near unblockable card advantage LOL

[Spork_Insanity]

Alright folks, this one is long overdue for an update. I had a pretty awful series of days, and it distracted me from the forums.

At any rate, the Signet wins here, and I'll get another one up shortly. Thanks for enduring the extended wait.