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Hello, everyone, and welcome to my second installment of Drafting with DeTora. It’s hard to believe that I’ve done about fifty Avacyn Restored Drafts already in preparation for Grand Prix: Vancouver this weekend. I’ve learned some interesting things about this Draft format, and I would like to share them with you. Here’s the Draft:
Pack 1, Pick 1:
Gryff Vanguard, Goldnight Redeemer, Searchlight Geist, Scrapskin Drake, Timberland Guide, Demolish, Angelic Armaments, Pathbreaker Wurm, Angel of Jubilation, Seraph Sanctuary, Scroll of Griselbrand, Vanguard's Shield, Dangerous Wager, Mountain, Falkenrath Exterminator
I like flashy rares as much as anyone else, but this pick was pretty hard. Angel of Jubilation is a huge commitment to white. A 
spell that you want to play on turn four will require you to play at least ten Plains in your deck. The only other card that I would consider here is the Gryff Vanguard. Not only is it a very strong card, but it’s also blue, a color that I prefer to be in. After much deliberation, I decided to pick the rare with the thought that I could abandon the Angel if I didn’t see any more white.
My Pick:
Pack 1, Pick 2:
Thatcher Revolt, Elgaud Shieldmate, Thunderbolt, Goldnight Commander, Conjurer's Closet, Alchemist's Apprentice, Homicidal Seclusion, Angel's Mercy, Outwit, Gang of Devils, Voice of the Provinces (FOIL), Dangerous Wager, Island, Moonlight Geist
My options here were Goldnight Commander, Voice of the Provinces, and Homicidal Seclusion. Goldnight Commander is one of the better white uncommons in Avacyn Restored, and it‘s better than Voice of the Provinces, so I immediately ruled out the Voice. Homicidal Seclusion. Arguably the best card in the pack, it does not work at all with Angel of Jubilation. I wasn’t ready to rule out my first pick yet, so I stayed on-color and picked the Commander.
My Pick:
Pack 1, Pick 3:
Driver of the Dead, Ghoulflesh, Stonewright, Abundant Growth, Geist Snatch, Leap of Faith, Somberwald Vigilante, Galvanic Alchemist, Plains, Essence Harvest, Burn at the Stake, Devout Chaplain, Narstad Scrapper
Driver of the Dead and Ghoulflesh are both solid picks, but I didn’t feel the need to move into black yet. Stonewright and Burn at the Stake are both very good, and they’re easily the two best cards here. Both of these red cards are a huge red commitment, and they are therefore not very good with the Angel of Jubilation. I again decided to stay on-color and pick the mediocre white creature.
My Pick:
Pack 1, Pick 4:
Mental Agony, Spectral Prison, Builder's Blessing, Defang, Havengul Skaab, Uncanny Speed, Crypt Creeper, Marrow Bats, Slayers' Stronghold, Plains, Snare the Skies, Lair Delve
None of these cards were great, and the Slayers' Stronghold was on color, and it doesn’t require too much of a second color to be playable. I could easily be R/W with a focus more on white. Angel of Jubilation is great in that color combination due to red’s aggressive creatures.
My Pick:
Pack 1, Pick 5:
Sheltering Word, Zealous Strike, Natural End, Defang, Cathedral Sanctifier, Killing Wave, Heirs of Stromkirk, Flowering Lumberknot, Island, Ghostly Touch, Bower Passage
I wasn’t too excited about taking Heirs of Stromkirk. It’s
, and my 4-drops were looking to be a little clogged up. Zealous Strike is a great combat trick, so I was happy to add that to my deck.
My Pick:
Pack 1, Pick 6:
Driver of the Dead, Unhallowed Pact (FOIL), Geist Snatch, Somberwald Vigilante, Timberland Guide, Second Guess, Farbog Explorer, Galvanic Alchemist, Forest, Essence Harvest
Both Somberwald Vigilante and Farbog Explorer are subpar, but I ended up going with the Farbog Explorer. At this point, my plan was to be nearly mono-white, so I didn’t want a turn-one red creature for my deck.
My Pick:
Pack 1, Pick 7:
Stonewright, Builder's Blessing, Holy Justiciar, Rotcrown Ghoul, Forest, Polluted Dead, Angelic Wall, Midvast Protector, Malicious Intent
As I’ve said before, Stonewright, while the best card in the pack, was not the best card for the deck I was drafting. I was again given the choice between two mediocre white creatures. Although Holy Justiciar is very slow, it can sometimes steal games by locking down your opponent’s best creature.
My Pick:
Pack 1, Pick 8:
Cloudshift, Grounded, Vigilante Justice, Natural End, Fervent Cathar, Fleeting Distraction, Moorland Inquisitor, Mountain
This was another tough pick. I really like Cloudshift as a combat trick, but my deck desperately needed 2-drop creatures, so I ended up taking the Moorland Inquisitor.
My Pick:
Pack 1, Pick 9:
Demolish, Pathbreaker Wurm, Seraph Sanctuary, Scroll of Griselbrand, Vanguard's Shield, Dangerous Wager, Mountain
My Pick:
Pack 1, Pick 10:
Alchemist's Apprentice, Angel's Mercy, Outwit, Voice of the Provinces (FOIL), Dangerous Wager, Island
My Pick:
Voice of the Provinces (FOIL)
Pack 1, Pick 11:
Geist Snatch, Leap of Faith, Galvanic Alchemist, Plains, Narstad Scrapper
My Pick:
Pack 1, Pick 12:
Builder's Blessing, Havengul Skaab, Plains, Snare the Skies
My Pick:
Pack 1, Pick 13:
Sheltering Word, Island, Ghostly Touch
My Pick:
Pack 1, Pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 1, Pick 15:
My Pick:
At the end of pack one, my deck was right on track. I had a good curve of creatures and a combat trick. I was still not set on a second color, so I was able to switch depending on what I opened.
Pack 2, Pick 1:
Spectral Prison, Unhallowed Pact, Pillar of Flame, Geist Snatch, Spectral Gateguards, Joint Assault, Terrifying Presence, Fettergeist, Call to Serve, Mass Appeal, Peel from Reality, Bruna, Light of Alabaster, Swamp, Aggravate, Grave Exchange
This was the exact reason I draft incredibly open strategies. I opened a bomb in my main color, and I could easily switch into blue as a secondary color. I took the Bruna, and my plan now was to draft W/U flyers.
My Pick:
Pack 2, Pick 2:
Mental Agony, Ghostform, Dreadwaters, Zealous Strike, Stern Mentor, Seraph of Dawn, Mad Prophet, Peel from Reality, Voice of the Provinces, Island, Amass the Components, Snare the Skies, Aggravate, Archwing Dragon
I cut white hard from pack one, so it was no surprise to me when I was passed the best white common, Seraph of Dawn. It was even possible that one of the other white or blue cards in the pack would wheel.
My Pick:
Pack 2, Pick 3:
Bone Splinters, Ghostform, Joint Assault, Fettergeist, Defang, Scroll of Avacyn, Cursebreak, Evernight Shade, Voice of the Provinces, Necrobite, Raging Poltergeist, Island, Lightning Mauler
Fettergeist is one of my favorite creatures in this set. There wasn’t much here in the way of white cards, so this was an easy pick for me.
My Pick:
Pack 2, Pick 4:
Gallows at Willow Hill, Spectral Prison, Unhallowed Pact, Gryff Vanguard, Banners Raised, Joint Assault, Call to Serve, Crypt Creeper, Flowering Lumberknot, Moorland Inquisitor, Plains, Ghostly Touch
Gallows at Willow Hill is only good in the right deck, and that deck is probably W/U because those colors have the most Humans. My deck was a little light on Humans, and I’d rather have a good creature, so I ruled it out. My next options were Gryff Vanguard and Moorland Inquisitor. While I really needed another 2-drop, the Gryff Vanguard is way better, and if I could pick up a Cloudshift or two, I could get some extra value out of it.
My Pick:
Pack 2, Pick 5:
Bladed Bracers, Wingcrafter, Midnight Duelist, Guise of Fire, Banners Raised (FOIL), Demolish, Diregraf Escort, Blood Artist, Bloodflow Connoisseur, Mountain, Eaten by Spiders
I could have (and probably should have) taken Wingcrafter here. Since my deck was mostly flyers anyway, I figured that I didn’t need it. Right before this Draft, I had just lost in the finals of another Draft to triple Blood Artist and Bloodflow Connoisseur. Every time my opponent sacrificed a creature, I lost 3 life. Needless to say, I was quite bitter, and I didn’t want that to happen again. I took the Blood Artist.
Generally, I don’t hate cards in Magic Online eight-man drafts. You are only going to play against three out of the other seven people, so your chances of playing against that card are pretty low. The only exception I make is if there is really nothing else in the pack for you or if the card is worth a lot of tickets. In this situation, I probably shouldn’t have hated the card. I was missing out on a Wingcrafter, and while not amazing, it is still very good.
My Pick:
Pack 2, Pick 6:
Crippling Chill, Cursebreak, Exquisite Blood, Cathedral Sanctifier, Fleeting Distraction, Rush of Blood, Moorland Inquisitor (FOIL), Plains, Lair Delve, Appetite for Brains
Back on track, my choices in this pack were Crippling Chill and Moorland Inquisitor. I really liked Crippling Chill, but I still needed early creatures, so the Moorland Inquisitor was an easy pick here.
My Pick:
Moorland Inquisitor (FOIL)
Pack 2, Pick 7:
Spectral Prison, Corpse Traders, Sheltering Word, Zealous Strike, Crippling Chill, Terrifying Presence, Scroll of Avacyn, Raging Poltergeist, Swamp
As I’ve said earlier, Zealous Strike is a great pump spell, and I was happy to have a second one.
My Pick:
Pack 2, Pick 8:
Renegade Demon, Wingcrafter, Searchlight Geist, Fleeting Distraction, Mountain, Polluted Dead, Midvast Protector, Malicious Intent
There’s the Wingcrafter that I wanted. I could have also taken the Midvast Protector, but I didn’t need another 4-drop. I would have considered picking one up later if I drafted a Cloudshift—that’s an interaction that could save a creature from removal.
My Pick:
Pack 2, Pick 9:
Spectral Prison, Unhallowed Pact, Geist Snatch, Terrifying Presence, Call to Serve, Mass Appeal, Swamp
W/U is the color for Humans, so Mass Appeal was something that I could play. The other on-color cards were Spectral Prison and Geist Snatch. Spectral Prison is very vulnerable to the many spells in the format, such as any pump spell, Fleeting Distraction, Cloudshift, and even Guise of Fire. It’s very risky to play, although it can be good in the right matchups. Geist Snatch is very slow and easy to play around, and I didn’t need another 4-drop.
My Pick:
Pack 2, Pick 10:
Mental Agony, Ghostform, Dreadwaters, Zealous Strike, Island, Aggravate
I probably wouldn’t play three Zealous Strikes, but it was the best card in the pack.
My Pick:
Pack 2, Pick 11:
Ghostform, Scroll of Avacyn, Cursebreak, Raging Poltergeist, Island
My Pick:
Pack 2, Pick 12:
Unhallowed Pact, Banners Raised, Plains, Ghostly Touch
My Pick:
Pack 2, Pick 13:
Midnight Duelist, Demolish, Mountain
My Pick:
Pack 2, Pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 2, Pick 15:
My Pick:
I was really happy with my deck after pack two. I had a lot of good flyers and combat tricks, but I was very light on removal. In this pack, I was looking to pick up some Peel from Reality, Mist Ravens, or other bounce effects.
Pack 3, Pick 1:
Borderland Ranger, Bone Splinters, Alchemist's Apprentice, Spectral Gateguards, Wandering Wolf, Scroll of Avacyn, Vessel of Endless Rest, Rain of Thorns, Death Wind, Island, Amass the Components, Essence Harvest, Descendants' Path, Moonlight Geist, Haunted Guardian
This pack was exactly what I was NOT looking for. There were no powerful creatures or bounce, so I had to settle for a draw spell.
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 2:
Renegade Demon, Driver of the Dead, Scalding Devil, Tormentor's Trident, Dreadwaters, Grounded, Alchemist's Apprentice, Angel's Mercy, Ghostly Flicker, Nearheath Pilgrim, Gang of Devils, Righteous Blow, Vanguard's Shield, Forest
Righteous Blow is the removal spell I was looking for, but I couldn’t take that over Nearheath Pilgrim. Lifelink is very good in racing situations, and with my lack of removal, I would probably be in those situations a lot.
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 3:
Borderland Ranger, Scalding Devil, Dreadwaters, Wandering Wolf, Favorable Winds, Righteous Blow, Forest, Eaten by Spiders, Amass the Components, Essence Harvest, Wild Defiance, Midvast Protector, Grave Exchange
I was happy to see another Righteous Blow, and I took it over the draw spell and the 4-drop creature.
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 4:
Borderland Ranger, Cloudshift, Grounded, Somberwald Vigilante, Nightshade Peddler, Hanweir Lancer, Galvanic Alchemist, Forest, Polluted Dead, Moonlight Geist, Narstad Scrapper, Haunted Guardian
I like playing Cloudshift in this format. Usually, it saves your guy from removal, but sometimes, you can Cloudshift a Gryff Vanguard or Mist Raven or any other creature with an enters-the-battlefield ability. Cloudshift can also repair soulbond creatures, so you could suddenly have a surprise first striker or a bigger guy.
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 5:
Renegade Demon, Wingcrafter, Maalfeld Twins, Somberwald Vigilante, Scroll of Avacyn, Righteous Blow, Galvanic Alchemist, Plains, Moonlight Geist, Narstad Scrapper, Vorstclaw
I probably should have taken a second Righteous Blow, but I wanted a second Wingcrafter. The reason for this was that I saw a Favorable Winds going around, so if that could table, the Wingcrafters could be very good.
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 6:
Gryff Vanguard, Ghostform, Latch Seeker, Vigilante Justice, Havengul Skaab, Pathbreaker Wurm, Cursebreak, Dangerous Wager, Forest, Triumph of Cruelty
I’m always happy to pick up a Gryff Vanguard. Drawing cards is awesome! Latch Seeker is also very good, but I didn’t feel the need to make my mana worse by playing a 
spell.
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 7:
Midnight Duelist, Fervent Cathar, Lightning Prowess, Havengul Skaab, Voice of the Provinces, Wildwood Geist, Mountain, Battle Hymn, Tyrant of Discord
Here is an example of when it’s okay to hate in eight-man Drafts. I wasn’t going to be playing any of these cards. I didn’t need another Voice of the Provinces because it would be my third 6-drop, and that is way too many. Lightning Prowess is a card that I can’t deal with due to my lack of removal and bounce, so I’d rather just prevent my opponent from playing it.
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 8:
Thraben Valiant, Ghoulflesh, Guise of Fire, Banners Raised, Rotcrown Ghoul, Vessel of Endless Rest, Banishing Stroke, Swamp
I was excited to see my first real removal spell in this Draft! This card was a complete gift, and I snatched up as soon as I saw it.
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 9:
Alchemist's Apprentice, Spectral Gateguards, Scroll of Avacyn, Rain of Thorns, Island, Descendants' Path, Haunted Guardian
My reasoning for taking Spectral Gateguards over Alchemist's Apprentice was simply because of the color. I was probably going to play only six or seven Islands in this deck, so I didn’t want to have too many early blue cards.
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 10:
Scalding Devil, Dreadwaters, Grounded, Angel's Mercy, Vanguard's Shield, Forest
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 11:
Dreadwaters, Favorable Winds, Forest, Midvast Protector, Grave Exchange
The Favorable Winds did come back, and it’s very good in this deck. Most of my creatures fly, and the Wingcrafters create two flyers with just one card.
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 12:
Grounded, Galvanic Alchemist, Forest, Polluted Dead
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 13:
Scroll of Avacyn, Plains, Narstad Scrapper
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 15:
My Pick:
Here’s the deck I built:
"W/U Jubilation Bruna"
- Creatures (15)
- 1 Angel of Jubilation
- 1 Farbog Explorer
- 1 Fettergeist
- 1 Galvanic Alchemist
- 1 Goldnight Commander
- 1 Nearheath Pilgrim
- 1 Seraph of Dawn
- 1 Voice of the Provinces
- 2 Gryff Vanguard
- 2 Moorland Inquisitor
- 2 Wingcrafter
- 1 Bruna, Light of Alabaster
- Spells (8)
- 1 Banishing Stroke
- 1 Cloudshift
- 1 Righteous Blow
- 2 Zealous Strike
- 1 Amass the Components
- 1 Mass Appeal
- 1 Favorable Winds
I had a couple of interesting choices when building my deck. First, I chose not to play the Holy Justiciar and the Devout Chaplain. While tapping creatures is a very powerful ability, Holy Justiciar requires 3 mana to do so, which is a lot. His 1 toughness makes him very vulnerable to removal, and my other 4-drops were much better, so I decided to cut him. I could side him in against big green decks with little removal.
I also added Galvanic Alchemist to my deck so I could have access to some early defense before my big flyers came out. His untapping ability could also be very good, especially when paired with something that both attacks and blocks well, such as Seraph of Dawn.
As for spells, I didn’t want to play three Zealous Strike, and I felt that two was plenty. I also played Cloudshift, Banishing Stroke, and Righteous Blow for combat tricks. It’s good to have a variety of instants in your Limited decks so your opponent has to play around a lot of different things.
I chose to play both of the draw spells, Mass Appeal and Amass the Components. I was very removal-light, and I was more likely to win by overwhelming my opponent with creatures. Playing these draw spells allowed me to do that.
In Round 2, I played against a G/U deck. At first, I was in a very good position to win—until he played a Deadeye Navigator and paired it with Mist Raven. My W/U deck had absolutely no way to beat this combination other than drawing my one-of Banishing Stroke. Every time my opponent tapped 2 mana, he blinked out his Mist Raven and returned a creature to my hand. He repeated this process until I had nothing left on the board. This also happened in Game 2, and just like that, I was out of the tournament.
After doing an excessive number of Drafts in this format, I came to the following conclusions:
First, this format is extremely high variance. No matter how good you think your deck is, it’s very likely that you will lose to a bomb rare or sick combo. It’s extremely difficult to deal with most of the good creatures in this format. There is just not enough instant-speed removal, and Death Wind is just not enough.
The colors in Avacyn Restored Limited are very unbalanced. Here is a breakdown of my findings regarding the color wheel:
Black is very tough to draft. It, like red, can be very weak, and if people fight over it, you aren’t going to build a good deck. There are some cards that just win games, such as Homicidal Seclusion. If you are able to draft that card, build a deck around it, and pick up enough removal, you have a shot.
Blue is by far the best color in the format, followed by green. Those colors are full of good creatures and tempo cards. The soulbond cards are amazing. Making a series of plays that consists of a creature on turn two followed by a Trusted Forcemage on turn three, followed by a combat trick of some sort, will give you such an advantage in the game that your opponent won’t be able to recover.
I hope that Wizards did a better job with the next set, Magic 2013. Drafting Avacyn Restored has become very unfun and frustrating. This weekend is Grand Prix: Vancouver, and after that, I’m happy to never draft Avacyn Restored ever again.
Thanks for reading.
Melissa DeTora
@AllWeDoIsWinMTG on Twitter
