ALA-CON-ARB MODO Draft #1

[Amidu]

This draft I'm going to be trying to set myself up in packs one and two to be able to play UBG, and claim all of the Winged Cotals, Nulltread Gargantuans, Lorescale Coatls, Putrid Leeches and Soul Manipulations that nobody else seems to ever touch.

In pack one its important to get fixing, obelisks are bad and tri lands and panoramas are needed. Picking up Strixes, Green men(Elvish Visionary, Court Archers, Rhox Charger, Mosstodon, Cavern Thoctar, Jungle Weaver), good blue cards(Esper Battlemage, Fatestitcher, Jessian Infiltrator, Agony Warp), and black removal(Executioner's Capsule, Bone Splinters, Agony Warp, Fleshbag Marauder, Blister Beetle). Cards like Corpse Connoisseur, Infest, and Necrogenesis are the cards in the this pack that make the deck work much better.

Pack two gives you Parasitic Strix and Sedraxis Alchemist, which are some of the main reasons to be playing this deck. Drag Down, Matca Rioters, and Zombie Outlander are all amazing, and are justified first picks. Brackwater Elemental, Might of Alara, and wretched Banquet are also quite good in this pack. Fixing comes in the form of Basiclandcycling Spells, which you should definately have in your deck.

Pack three is where you get payoff. Esper Stormblade and Grixis Grimblade are both amazing as they trigger both Parasitic Strix and Sedraxis Alchemist, and are obviously good by themselves. Mask of Riddles, Architects of Will, Sewn-Eye Drake, Slave of Bolas and Deny Reality are the cards you will mainly wanting to fill your deck with. Brainbites aren't bad either, and you'll probably want at least one in your board at some point. The real reason to draft this deck though, is to pick up on all of the ridiculously late Winged Cotals, Nulltread Gargantuans, Lorescale Coatls, Putrid Leeches and Soul Manipulations. Picking up borderposts here is also very important, and the landcycling guys are quite good aswell. If you have enough fixing by this point, stealing a Bloodbraid Elf, a Bitumous Blast, or a Behemoth Sledge from a pack is a good thing to do.


------ ALA ------

Pack 1 pick 1:
Akrasan Squire
Bone Splinters
Jungle Weaver
Thorn-Thrash Viashino
Etherium Sculptor
Marble Chalice
Hindering Light
Wild Nacatl
Grixis Panorama
Glaze Fiend
Sprouting Thrinax
--> Esper Battlemage
Thunder-Thrash Elder
Vicious Shadows
Swamp

Pack is low on blue black stuff, so picking the battlemage feels good here, obviously a lot of strong green cards I could be picking, but pingers are always good.

Pack 1 pick 2:
Kederekt Creeper
Savage Hunger
Ridge Rannet
Courier's Capsule
Blightning
Lightning Talons
Angelsong
Undead Leotau
Bant Panorama
Puppet Conjurer (FOIL)
--> Crumbling Necropolis
Grixis Battlemage
Skill Borrower
Plains

Mana fixing is key in this deck, and this is about as good as it gets, bar Seaside Citadel.

Pack 1 pick 3:
--> Elvish Visionary
Dragon Fodder
Skeletal Kathari
Steward of Valeron
Wild Nacatl
Outrider of Jhess
Carrion Thrash
Jund Panorama
Jungle Shrine
Thunder-Thrash Elder
Demon's Herald
Gather Specimens
Mountain

Passing Jungle Shrine and Wild Nacatl after the first Nacatl in the first pack should put the guy next to you in Naya, so in pack 2 he should stay away from your Alchemists, Strixes and Drag Downs. Elvish Visionary is a good card, and makes the Nulltread gargantuans better in pack 3(another reason Alchemists and Strixes are retarded).

Pack 1 pick 4:
Savage Hunger
Ridge Rannet
Bone Splinters
Jungle Weaver
Glaze Fiend
Gift of the Gargantuan
Obelisk of Bant
Bant Charm
--> Fatestitcher
Demon's Herald
Memory Erosion
Swamp

Blue Removal, and mana production, and lots of stuff that doesn't need explaining.

Pack 1 pick 5:
Ridge Rannet
Steelclad Serpent
Excommunicate
--> Cavern Thoctar
Obelisk of Jund
Volcanic Submersion
Rakeclaw Gargantuan
Rockslide Elemental
Dragon's Herald
Ooze Garden
Forest

Cavern Thoctar is the beef that is going to win you games, slightly annoyed there is nothing else here, but he's a good pick.

Pack 1 pick 6:
Cylian Elf
Yoked Plowbeast
Dregscape Zombie
Obelisk of Esper
Dispeller's Capsule
Godtoucher
Cathartic Adept
--> Jund Battlemage
Exuberant Firestoker
Forest

The two drops were possible, but at this point I have a crumbling Necropolis and this guy is really good.

Pack 1 pick 7:
--> Bone Splinters
Savage Hunger
Cathartic Adept
Lightning Talons
Onyx Goblet
Godtoucher
Filigree Sages
Exuberant Firestoker
Plains

Removal, have 1 visionary/blister beetle, and an unearth guy, trying to get around the drawback.

Pack 1 pick 8:
Gustrider Exuberant
Resounding Wave
Blightning
--> Naturalize
Obelisk of Grixis
Soul's Grace
Sphinx's Herald
Island

Happy to see a naturalize, deals with esper bombs, O-Rings, and is a 2 mana stone rain sometimes.

Pack 1 pick 9:
--> Thorn-Thrash Viashino
Marble Chalice
Hindering Light
Glaze Fiend
Thunder-Thrash Elder
Vicious Shadows
Swamp

-


Pack 1 pick 10:
--> Kederekt Creeper
Savage Hunger
Lightning Talons
Angelsong
Undead Leotau
Plains

Could possibly play this with the Jund.BM If I get enough fixing.

Pack 1 pick 11:
--> Skeletal Kathari
Outrider of Jhess
Carrion Thrash
Demon's Herald
Mountain

This guy is like Cloudheath Drake that sometimes never dies, and makes it hard for them to make multiple attackers or blockers.

Pack 1 pick 12:
Savage Hunger
Demon's Herald
--> Memory Erosion
Swamp

-

Pack 1 pick 13:
--> Obelisk of Jund
Dragon's Herald
Forest

-

Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Godtoucher
Forest

-

Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Cathartic Adept

-

------ CON ------

Pack 2 pick 1:
Dark Temper
Parasitic Strix
Matca Rioters
Bone Saw
--> Drag Down
Exploding Borders
Maniacal Rage
Nacatl Outlander
Nacatl Savage
Valiant Guard
Gluttonous Slime
Fusion Elemental
Spore Burst
Meglonoth
Plains

Removal, Best card in the pack, Tabling Strix/Rioter would make me happy, but im not banking on it.

Pack 2 pick 2:
--> Zombie Outlander
Matca Rioters
Darklit Gargoyle
Fiery Fall
Wretched Banquet
Esper Cormorants
Constricting Tendrils
Tukatongue Thallid
Asha's Favor
Fusion Elemental (FOIL)
Paragon of the Amesha
Volcanic Fallout
Aerie Mystics
Mountain

To activate the Alchemists, Strixes and Blades, and on top of that he beats green guys hard.

Pack 2 pick 3:
--> Parasitic Strix
Kaleidostone
Ember Weaver
Toxic Iguanar
Vectis Agents
Molten Frame
Rhox Bodyguard
Scattershot Archer
Infectious Horror
Reliquary Tower
Jhessian Balmgiver
Dreadwing
Island

Good with u/b borderpost and Nulltread Gargantuan, has a 4 point life swing on a 2/2 flier for 3, what's not to like.

Pack 2 pick 4:
Toxic Iguanar
Goblin Outlander (FOIL)
Mana Cylix
Wandering Goblins
--> Might of Alara
Valiant Guard
Salvage Slasher
Goblin Outlander
Corrupted Roots
Fusion Elemental
Scornful Æther-Lich
Plains

Good pump spell, nothing else in the pack.

Pack 2 pick 5:
Faerie Mechanist
Valeron Outlander
Aven Squire
Pestilent Kathari
Worldly Counsel
Might of Alara
Salvage Slasher
--> Brackwater Elemental
Reliquary Tower
Fleshformer
Forest

This guy is like a removal spell that deals them 4, and sometimes just deals them 8. Mechanist will be better depending on how many artifacts you get pack one, its generally underwhelming.

Pack 2 pick 6:
Canyon Minotaur
Unsummon
Vedalken Outlander
Grixis Illusionist
Yoke of the Damned
--> Vectis Agents
Quenchable Fire
Sludge Strider
Fleshformer
Forest

Hes a guy that can evade and beat for 4, and trades with most other men, not great, not bad.

Pack 2 pick 7:
Toxic Iguanar
Bone Saw
Vedalken Outlander
Worldly Counsel
Quenchable Fire
Rotting Rats
Asha's Favor
--> Sludge Strider
Mountain

Nothing here, this guy can wreck you. Still no basiclandcyclers.

Pack 2 pick 8:
Bone Saw
Exploding Borders
Maniacal Rage
Nacatl Outlander
--> Nacatl Savage
Valiant Guard
Jhessian Balmgiver
Mountain

He's a 2 drop.

Pack 2 pick 9:
Bone Saw
Maniacal Rage
Nacatl Outlander
Nacatl Savage
Valiant Guard
--> Gluttonous Slime
Plains

I don't like playing this guy unless you get lots of Visionarys/Beetles.

Pack 2 pick 10:
Darklit Gargoyle
--> Constricting Tendrils
Tukatongue Thallid
Asha's Favor
Fusion Elemental (FOIL)
Mountain

Combat Trick that can cycle, cascade means you don't want to play this most of the time.

Pack 2 pick 11:
Toxic Iguanar
Scattershot Archer
--> Infectious Horror
Reliquary Tower
Island

Might be low on guys, can never be safe enough when trying to set yourself up for the last pack.

Pack 2 pick 12:
Mana Cylix
--> Wandering Goblins
Salvage Slasher
Plains

-

Pack 2 pick 13:
Salvage Slasher
--> Reliquary Tower
Forest

-

Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Quenchable Fire
Forest

-

Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Mountain

-

------ ARB ------

Pack 3 pick 1:
Crystallization
Mistvein Borderpost
Monstrous Carabid
Talon Trooper
Sangrite Backlash
Winged Coatl
Sigil of the Nayan Gods
Kathari Bomber
Vectis Dominator
Brainbite
Demonspine Whip
Sigil Captain
Tainted Sigil
--> Enigma Sphinx
Plains

He's a bomb, I can splash him with borderposts, and he costs 7 mana, so you will usually have the white source by then, with very little white sources in your deck.

Pack 3 pick 2:
Sangrite Backlash
Gorger Wurm
Leonin Armorguard
--> Architects of Will
Arsenal Thresher
Demonic Dread
Offering to Asha
Firewild Borderpost
Naya Hushblade
Messenger Falcons
Giant Ambush Beetle
Sanity Gnawers
Soulquake
Forest

A hill giant that cycles, and tops. Really good, and activate the other cards in the deck.

Pack 3 pick 3:
Sewn-Eye Drake
--> Putrid Leech
Colossal Might
Pale Recluse
Naya Sojourners
Demonic Dread
Magefire Wings
Sigil of the Nayan Gods
Arsenal Thresher
Shield of the Righteous
Nulltread Gargantuan
Lich Lord of Unx
Swamp

Better than Nulltread Gargantuan, which you can probably leave there to table, as no one likes the u/g cards.

Pack 3 pick 4:
Nulltread Gargantuan
Sovereigns of Lost Alara
Island
Brainbite
Grixis Sojourners
Valley Rannet
Anathemancer
Jund Hackblade
Monstrous Carabid
Stormcaller's Boon
Rhox Brute
--> Sewn-Eye Drake

Hes a really good dude, same logic on the Nulltread.

Pack 3 pick 5:
Architects of Will
Terminate
Cerodon Yearling
--> Deny Reality
Vedalken Ghoul
Grixis Sojourners
Ethercaste Knight
Shield of the Righteous
Drastic Revelation
Sanity Gnawers
Forest

Deny Reality is such a tempo advantage it is ridiculous.

Pack 3 pick 6:
Jund Hackblade
Stormcaller's Boon
Rhox Brute
--> Wildfield Borderpost
Grixis Sojourners
Valley Rannet
Sanctum Plowbeast
Intimidation Bolt
Unbender Tine
Forest

Nothing much there, the Borderpost will help me splash the Enigma Sphinx, and possibly turn on some blades. Sanctum Plowbeast is fine, but Borderposts are almost always better.

Pack 3 pick 7:
Architects of Will
--> Fieldmist Borderpost
Etherium Abomination
Arsenal Thresher
Demonic Dread
Offering to Asha
Marrow Chomper
Sigil Captain
Swamp

Getting worried about splashing the Sphinx because of the lack of mana fixing, and decide i need this more than the Architects.

Pack 3 pick 8:
Sewn-Eye Drake
--> Putrid Leech
Demonic Dread
Magefire Wings
Sigil of the Nayan Gods
Arsenal Thresher
Unbender Tine
Forest

More Putrid Leech, 4/4's for 2.

Pack 3 pick 9:
Monstrous Carabid
--> Winged Coatl
Sigil of the Nayan Gods
Kathari Bomber
Vectis Dominator
Tainted Sigil
Plains

A removal spell late because it is u/g.

Pack 3 pick 10:
Gorger Wurm
Demonic Dread
Offering to Asha
Sanity Gnawers
--> Soulquake
Forest

A bad card, but its worth 0.1 tix .

Pack 3 pick 11:
Demonic Dread
Magefire Wings
Shield of the Righteous
--> Nulltread Gargantuan
Swamp

Tabled.

Pack 3 pick 12:
--> Nulltread Gargantuan
Island
Grixis Sojourners
Stormcaller's Boon

Tabled.

Pack 3 pick 13:
--> Vedalken Ghoul
Drastic Revelation
Forest

-

Pack 3 pick 14:
--> Unbender Tine
Forest

-

Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Swamp



1 Elvish Visionary
1 Nacatl Savage
1 Zombie Outlander
2 Putrid Leech

1 Esper Battlemage
1 Parasitic Strix
2 Nulltread Gargantuan
1 Winged Coatl
1 Brackwater Elemental

1 Architects of Will
1 Fatestitcher
1 Sewn-Eye Drake

1 Skeletal Kathari
1 Vectis Agents

1 Cavern Thoctar

1 Enigma Sphinx

1 Bone Splinters
1 Might of Alara
1 Naturalize
1 Drag Down
1 Deny Reality

1 Crumbling Necropolis
1 Wildfield Borderpost
1 Fieldmist Borderpost
5 Island
5 Swamp
5 Forest

Didn't get any Panoramas/Basiclandcyclers/good borderposts, so it turned out to be a bit too dodgy on the mana. Lost in the first round to a really agressive grixis deck and 2 lots of colour screw, but that is partially due to the lack of colour fixing. Its also annoying that I didnt get any alchemists or soul manipulations, and there couldve been more blue green cards.

[Thomas David Baker]

Really interesting draft. Do you draft this color combination a lot, or was it an experiment?

I love how Nulltread goes from unplayable to amazing with enough Visionary/Strix/Alchemist support.

[Amidu]

Yeah, I noticed all of the good synergys between the cards in these colours, most of it was just theory, but ive drafted it about 4 times.

Nulltread is also good with brackwater elemental and blister beetle.

[Ben Titmarsh]

I like this idea, The random 4 drop will-o-the-wisp cascade guy would probably be a decent fit with the gargantuans too.... Kathari Remnant.

[Amidu]

also, nulltread works aswell as bonesplinters with unearth men, and etherium abomination is usually a solid guy you can pick up in the last pack if you are low on men. More reasons that corpse connoiseur is retarded :)

[Daniel Royde]

Very interesting.
Might well try this out today.
What I don't like = you're very 3 coloured. Even though you have good 2 drops isn't casting them reliably a bit too hard?

I'm finding it hard to feel happy with any deck that isn't XYz with a very little z at the moment. Surely you want to try to skew it away from one colour?
In a way I'm annoyed by the PT coverage since lots of ppl didn't realise how good UW aggro is, but now it's harder to get an unfair deck that way.

I'll admit I've never played with garganuan, so it's hard for me to give a useful opinion BUT: with visionary- sure, it has echo 2, is it good enough with other men?
Do you make it on T3 after visoinary? It feels like you open yourself up to marginal removal spells a bit too much (excommunicate etc)

You say "ppl aren't drafting soul manipulation enough"- I totally agree, but recently have started to like offering to asha- dropping guys on t1,2,3 then countering their next plays is very nice. The card feels important in UW where you're often racing your smaller flyers against their larger ground men- this make winning the race a lot easier.

Skeletal kathari? Don't you find him too slow? he can't really block when you make him on turn 5.

I hate vectis agents: always feels clunky.

That's all I've got for now.

[Daniel Royde]

I don't see how you can say he's good anymore. If you're in BR, then sure you can still have a leotau, but generally you have to work really hard to make him do exciting things in your deck. I think you have to take/ run sub par cards to make him work, and that it's not worth it.

Amidu said:

also, nulltread works aswell as bonesplinters with unearth men, and etherium abomination is usually a solid guy you can pick up in the last pack if you are low on men. More reasons that corpse connoiseur is retarded :)