Locations
Another week and another Cube Draft. I hope all of you have been enjoying your holidays—I know that I have. This week is a good example of what happens when you can’t see the forest for the trees. I ended up with a decent deck, but I should have had a much better one. I let my unnatural love of blue cards distract me from drafting an insane big-mana deck. Read on to find out. As always, a text recap follows the video links.
Draft
Match 1, Game 1
Match 1, Game 2
Match 1, Game 3
Match 2, Game 1
Match 2, Game 2
Pack 1, Pick 1:
My Pick:
I’m not sure what the best pick is here. Mono-green ramp is still a thing, and Exploration seems to be a very good card for the archetype. I’m not committing to it by any means, but honestly, the rest of the options aren’t that exciting.
Pack 1, Pick 2:
My Pick:
How quickly I abandon. Vendilion Clique is really good and is a card I rarely pass. If I really wanted to draft mono-green ramp, I would have taken the Primeval Titan.
Pack 1, Pick 3:
My Pick:
Okay, G/U evasion can work, too. Sooner or later, I’m going to have to figure out where I’m going with this deck. Real pick for mono-green would have been the Wall of Blossoms.
Pack 1, Pick 4:
My Pick:
I just can’t resist the allure of blue cards. Glen Elendra Archmage is a thorn in the side of most of the good Cube decks, especially the combo decks. Mono-green pick: Basalt Monolith
Pack 1, Pick 5:
My Pick:
Okay, it’s not just me here. A fifth-pick Fact or Fiction is a clear signal blue is open. Mono-green pick: Splash for Fact or Fiction.
Pack 1, Pick 6:
My Pick:
I’m just going to take all of the blue cards from this point on and pretend I don’t have any green cards. Mono-green pick: Genesis Wave
Pack 1, Pick 7:
My Pick:
Hero of Bladehold is a very scary threat against most deck. It can easily end the game by itself and is a must-answer card. Of course, if the opponent can answer it, it’s a do-nothing, but I’m still happy to play it. Mono-green pick: Elves of Deep Shadow
Pack 1, Pick 8:
My Pick:
I don’t have anything that combos with the Shapeshifter, and I’m fine with going into black for Shriekmaw. Mono-green pick: Wolfir Silverheart I guess.
Pack 1, Pick 9:
My Pick:
Between the Angel and the Hero, it looks as though I’m going to be W/U, possibly splashing black for the Shriekmaw.
Pack 1, Pick 10:
My Pick:
Mirror Entity and Hero of Bladehold seems like a big game.
Pack 1, Pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 1, Pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 1, Pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 1, Pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 1, Pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 2, Pick 1:
My Pick:
This is quite the pack. I firmly believe that Sol Ring is better than Black Lotus in most decks. The only time I would prefer Lotus is if I were drafting a combo deck.
Pack 2, Pick 2:
My Pick:
I really don’t like Balance all that much. I’m looking to go a bit aggro, hence the Steppe Lynx.
Pack 2, Pick 3:
My Pick:
That was a nice gift.
Pack 2, Pick 4:
My Pick:
Ding!
Pack 2, Pick 5:
My Pick:
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben actually fits this deck quite well, as it does a good job of slowing down the powerful decks. I really need more cheap creatures anyway.
Pack 2, Pick 6:
My Pick:
This is a bit of a miss. Grim Monolith isn’t what I’m looking for. I considered splashing Teetering Peaks, but I ultimately decided against it.
Pack 2, Pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 2, Pick 8:
My Pick:
By this point, I’ve given up trying to splash a third color; otherwise, I would have taken the Shadowmage Infiltrator.
Pack 2, Pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 2, Pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 2, Pick 11:
My Pick:
If I had more than one creature to fetch with the Ranger of Eos, I would have taken it for sure. Because I have a bunch of 4-drops, I kind of need the Simic Signet.
Pack 2, Pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 2, Pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 2, Pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 2, Pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 1:
My Pick:
I actually have no idea how good Ajani, Caller of the Pride is. I can’t really pass up “Draw three cards,” can I?
Pack 3, Pick 2:
My Pick:
Mana Crypt is among the most powerful cards in the Cube, and I now have two ways of casting a 4-drop on turn two.
Pack 3, Pick 3:
My Pick:
There are three cards I desperately need in this pack. I decided that Knight of Glory was the one I needed the most, and I hoped to table Isamaru, Hound of Konda. Tabling Flooded Strand seems ambitious.
Pack 3, Pick 4:
My Pick:
Mana Crypt is pretty darn good, but Cryptic Command is bananas. It’s going to make my mana really sketchy, and I fully admit I’m being greedy here.
Pack 3, Pick 5:
My Pick:
I think this may have been a mispick. It probably should have been the Porcelain Legionnaire.
Pack 3, Pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 8:
My Pick:
If there’s one thing this Draft has taught me, it’s that I should have shoved all-in on mono-green from the start.
Pack 3, Pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 12:
My Pick:
Okay, I know that I said Land Tax is overrated, but it shouldn’t go this late.
Pack 3, Pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 3, Pick 15:
My Pick:
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Here where I ended up:
