FNM draft results

Headed over to Titan Cards last night for the first Aether Revolt draft, a lot of people showed. Two sets of 8, and two sets of 10. It was a bit awkward, but it worked. Two other guys I knew showed up, James and Tweaks. We were all in different pods, so lies and insults could result in endless fashion. Sadly, no one pulled value in the three packs.

Quick summary of the way it went for me:

• Almost went mono red, splashed white for control and some flying help
• Freejam was a big stick, let me tell you. In draft he HAD to be dealt with. Single-highhandedly won me a game when I was at 1 life. (thanks pump!)
• I misread two cards, one I took, one I did not.
• Pia's Revolution wasn't what I thought it was
• Aetherflux Reservoir was better than the distracting 50 life thing
• I had lots of control, 3 Spark, 1 Welding sparks, 3 disabling cards from white. In one memorable turn, I wiped the opponent's board with three spells. (2 servos, 2/1 and a 2/2) Muahahahaha
• 2-0 game we split to each get 5 packs. All three games were very close
• My five packs were 3 Aether Revolt, 2 Eldrich Moon. Worth mentioning:
• Collective Brutality
• Mechanized Production
• Elder Deep-Fiend
• Spire of Industry
• FNM cards: Quicksmith Rebel and Noose Constrictor. 

Good stuff... no impressions yet from the draft, but it isn't bad. Lots of creature matters. Kind of sad fabricate did not continue. 

Personalized counterspell, sorta

As you can see, the header to this blog has a new image at the top. Its not the "best" image it could be. It was done somewhat quickly, and not exactly what I wanted it to be. However, it is done.

Back in December I started seeing altered art cards. Mostly lands, some higher end stuff, getting alternative art done by those who created the original image. I thought to myself, "how freaking cool would it be to get Mark Poole to do something?!"

I've seen versions of Ancestral Recall on an island, Yoda, a stormtrooper, dragons, etc. I didn't have any beta basics laying about for such alterations. Buying them is a tad foolish in my book, but I could pick up a NM set of unlimited for under $10.

Then I thought- why not use the white boarders given by unlimited to span the three cards? Why not make it a three panel Counterspell, and see if Mark Poole goes for it.

Well folks, it goes beyond my expectations. I even wrote to Mark Poole thanking him endlessly about his alteration. I am seriously considering putting them up in a frame for display purposes. Seriously. *swoon*

Aether Revolt pre-release summary

revolting... seriously revolting.

I opened a nice promo of Paradox Engine, also pulled an Aetherworks Marvel.

That ends any highlights of the event.


I had zero bombs, very little ramp/mana curve. No one color stood out to use. LOTS of middling artifacts. Very little Improvise matters to take advantage of all those artifacts. Plenty of artifacts that didn't help much. Basically a perfect "crap pre-release" storm. Roll that voilation of cracking good cards, my deck would just throw endless lands at me. I put in 17 lands, even had a 42 card deck. Still, I would out pace the other player, every, single, game, on lands. Not what you want to see.

The end results were such that I went 0-2 and drop. I lost to a dude who was practically new to Magic. The other guy I played got a Masterpiece and a Exquisite Archangel. In terms of sealed amazing, he had it. I was the unfortunate schmo who played him. I adjusted my deck some, played him for grins and rolled him.


Anywho- the set is interesting... and I think in a limited format is is pretty good. However, I doubt I will be buying much sealed product of it.

Aether Revolt pre-release this weekend!

I've learned to put pre-release weekends on the calendar. Its only a few hours for minimal investment of money. The time is heck a lot of fun. I rather like the sealed constructed format. Drafting takes too much time and effort to get it right, in terms of practice and strategy.

Please reference my previous post about pre-releases here.

Those points all stand. Remember, this is a non-competitive event. Most you can win are some packs. However, we are some points to think about if you plan to slay the field and go 4-0 with packs in hand as you walk out. Here are the important points to follow if you try for that 4-0:

1. get lucky with the pack opening- on color, nice mana curve, etc
2. know the mechanic- each new set has some new things thrown at you. Know them if nothing else
3. put together a good deck, referencing #1, but needs to be stated
4. draw well, many times a buddy of mine has a great deck, goes 3-0, plays his last round, and gets SLAUGHTERED by mana hosing. 
5. play well, as with #3, it shouldn't have to be said but it has to be. 

I went to a constructed event and got TOTALLY hosed with #1. I had one bomb entirely- a Nissa, Vital Force. I got crushed, the other folks just had more threats, more efficient threats, and more often. It was just one you sucked up, played through, and hoped to draw EXTREMELY lucky. (it did not happen)

For the Eldritch Moon prelease, I had a guy on the ropes with fliers, he played his big bomb of Ishkanah, which would have swung the game for him, but I countered it. It crushed him, he was ready to scoop at that point. Seriously. (so reference #5)

So those are the keys if you want to win some packs. Be sure to have fun, talk with the folks there... find out what they got as their promo... who knows, you might play against them again.

Fatal Push- new Aether Revolt card

As pointed out by gaming fellow James- Fatal Push will become a Legacy/Modern must have. Need to get rid of a 4 converted mana cost thing? Crack a fetch land, 1 black, and BAM! Gone. Jace, gone. Chandra, gone.
Whoops, screwed up... only creatures are target-able. Still, plenty to get rid of with that power.

Almost all really good stuff is 4 and below... Delver decks would be hosed completely by this one card.

Can't wait to see what the Revolt mechanic brings for Blue.

Vintage exprience

I threw my hat in to the ring for a monthly event at a local card store for vintage deck play. Proxies allowed. I think one person actually had a tournament legal vintage deck, but he is as close to a professional magic player as there is in the store.

I settled on playing a version of U/W Monestary control. (Deck list at end of entry.)

Only seven people registered, $15 entry. Not horrible. I thought I might lose in spectacular fashion, but it was worth the try. I play tested some on Cockatrice. I learned a few things play testing and doing research. These are a limited result set, but my impressions on Vintage:

• My deck loved Vintage tilt... horrible or spectacular. No in-between. 
• Games could be relatively short, or dragged out. Very few were tweener games. 
• I hate dredge in Vintage, just hate it. (why yes, I am salty)
• I went with a splash of black instead of red because of cabal therapy.
• Mystic Remora was there to either game time, or allow me to draw up. 

In the little gathering, I went 2-1. Literally went down to the last game in match 3, and I had VERY little chance of winning that one. 

First match was versus Humans. He had very little typical power. The one card that I think won it for him: Kambal, Consul of Allocation. Completely screwed my removal. Lost 2-1.

Second game was vs. Storm. My sideboard completely owned him. The last game I had plenty of countermagic and I felt like a cat playing with a toy. I let him play out a series of spells to see where he was going. I could have stopped him at any point, but I knew everything was counterable. 

Third game was vs Dredge. Yes, I am still salty over that. First game, I was thinking about sideboard before I even got to my second turn. It was over before I got anything going. Second game was first turn Rest in Peace, he had no answer. Game over. Third game was down to his last two cards in deck. Funny enough, if I had KEPT my Ancestral Recall, I could have won... but I had played it hopefully looking for a second graveyard hate card which I could not find. 

In the end, my saltiness at dredge will likely keep me from playing Vintage again. Game one is usually game over before it starts with them. Honestly, a dredge player can win with a mulligan down to 1 or 2. Not a high percentage, but as long as they have Bazaar of Baghdad, they can do it. That single card allow dredge to hum at UNBELIEVABLE speed. 

// Vintage- monastery

// 60 Maindeck
// 7 Artifact
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Pearl
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Jet
2 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sol Ring

// 7 Creature
3 Monastery Mentor
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Baleful Strix

// 2 Enchantment
2 Mystic Remora

// 14 Instant
2 Gush
4 Force of Will
1 Brainstorm
1 Ancestral Recall
3 Swords to Plowshares
3 Mental Misstep

// 18 Land
2 Wasteland
3 Tundra
1 Strip Mine
1 Scalding Tarn
2 Island
4 Flooded Strand
3 Underground Sea
1 Plains
1 Scrubland

// 12 Sorcery
1 Treasure Cruise
1 Time Walk
1 Preordain
1 Ponder
3 Gitaxian Probe
1 Fragmentize
3 Cabal Therapy
1 Demonic Tutor


// 15 Sideboard
// 4 Artifact
SB: 2 Grafdigger's Cage
SB: 2 Null Rod

// 3 Creature
SB: 1 Kataki, War's Wage
SB: 2 Containment Priest

// 2 Enchantment
SB: 2 Rest in Peace

// 3 Instant
SB: 1 Disenchant
SB: 1 Swords to Plowshares
SB: 1 Mindbreak Trap

// 3 Sorcery
SB: 1 Supreme Verdict
SB: 2 Fragmentize