Berto’s Beats | Mirrodin Besieged Draft Report #1

I’ve never been a huge fan of MTGO, but recently my housemate bought me in to one of the MBS Release Events and I went 4-0.  From there I decided to give MODO a run again and see how far I get.  I finished the night 11-1 and by the end of a few days my collection held over thirty packs and sixty tickets.  This set has been treating me well.  Now I finally have online product and it’s time to share some drafts!

Pack 1 pick 1:

My Pick:

This pack is pretty saucy. I’m passing Corrupter and Blightwidow which means 1) I’m shipping a strong infect/green signal and probably can’t draft it. And 2) I should receive good cards outside of Infect back.

Pack 1 pick 2:

My Pick:

Another Blightwidow and Plague Myr strengthens the signal. Into the Core is a fantastic 2-for-1 and I don’t mind grabbing another color since the Infect signal is so strong.

Pack 1 pick 3:

My Pick:

The blue cards are pretty cool but I don’t want to dabble in 3 colors yet. The Juggernaut is a good finisher in any deck.

Pack 1 pick 4:

My Pick:

Melira’s Keepers are probably the best card here but I’m not going Green after passing multiple Blightwidows and a Corrupter. Spin Engine is a fragile but good evasive threat.

Pack 1 pick 5:

My Pick:

5th pick Rager in Card-Advantage-Control? Yes plz.  More Infect passed.

Pack 1 pick 6:

My Pick:

I looked at Slasher to maybe combo with Metallic Mastery or other sac engines but I’ve seen none. Treasure Mage will be good for digging up the Juggernaut. I’ve only seen a single Infect card since pack2 so I may be surrounded. Woot.

Pack 1 pick 7:

My Pick:

I could have hatedrafted the pump but Myr Sire is good if I end up needing to stem the ground.  I took it over Plunder because I’m not positive I’ll be playing enough creatures for it to be good.  A school of thought is that less creatures means better ones and maybe it’d be a better value but I think my spells in three color should win.  I’d rather plug the ground.

Pack 1 pick 8:

My Pick:

Another evasive dude. When drafting 3-colors it’s important to have easy-to-cast creatures.

Pack 1 pick 9:

My Pick:

Way too late. Good with Phyrexian Rager and other cards I’d hope to get (Skinrender, Scrapmelter).

Pack 1 pick 10:

My Pick:

Hatedraft. Control loses to mill too easily.  Bladed Sentinel probably should have been the pick.

Pack 1 pick 11:

My Pick:

… this card is good.

Pack 1 pick 12:

My Pick:

Keepers should NOT go this late. Very strong card.  Hexplate ensures my Treasure Mage will have value.

Pack 1 pick 13:

My Pick:

Pack 1 pick 14:

My Pick:

Same for Slasher as with Keepers. Should not be getting booted.

Pack 1 pick 15:

My Pick:

Pack 2 pick 1:

My Pick:

2-for-1 machine makes all my little dorks trade for big dudes.  Passing Putrefax is scary but at least I get to play around it.  Knowledge is power.  It’s important to keep track of game-changing cards like this one.  It helps you build a deck that can beat all your opponents and play around the best cards in the format.

Pack 2 pick 2:

My Pick:

Card advantage and 3-drop.  Halt Order fits a similar description but colorless costs win.

Pack 2 pick 3:

My Pick:

The Myrsmith and Scrapmelter here prove my theory that 2 players on my left would go Infect.  This will pair well with Quicksilver Geyser.

Pack 2 pick 4:

My Pick:

Glider is another easy creature to cast and it becomes evasive later. Love it.  The Grindclock is scary but at least I have two answers now.

Pack 2 pick 5:

My Pick:

Another target for Treasure Mage, better at stalling the game while my removal kicks in.  Honestly I should have grabbed Neurok Replica.  More and more my deck looks strong against every archetype but Infect and Sentinel is a loser in that matchup.

Pack 2 pick 6:

My Pick:

Wow. Ok so triple colored with double-casts in each. I’m headed towards a 7-5-5 manabase. Let’s hope for some Myr. (Most decks won’t support this much color deviance, but since I picked up colorless dorks and a plethora of removal, I can assume I’ll reach lategame. I’m just as happy playing Core/Zenith/Sphinx on turn 8.  There’s three good blue cards here so it may end up being my preferred color.

Pack 2 pick 7:

My Pick:

Solid body.

Pack 2 pick 8:

My Pick:

Hatedraft and a few cents.

Pack 2 pick 9:

My Pick:

IMPORTANT: Since I’m control I may only have one big threat ever attacking. Cards like this can reset the game for my opponent after I stabilize.

Pack 2 pick 10:

My Pick:

This card will probably start in the sideboard in favor of Steel Sabotage.  I want to keep costs down and ever-present on my mind is colored mana concerns.

Pack 2 pick 11:

My Pick:

I actually like Venser’s Journal and I would have picked it except I’m short on good cards versus Infect.

Pack 2 pick 12:

My Pick:

Pack 2 pick 13:

My Pick:

Too late.

Pack 2 pick 14:

My Pick:

Pack 2 pick 15:

My Pick:

Pack 3 pick 1:

My Pick:

I’m tempted by another Trigon, but as of yet I have n0 Myr, meaning another slow piece of removal is less sexy than a straight up Blast.  The Hippogryph is going to be annoying.  Hopefully I can Core his best artifact targets.

Pack 3 pick 2:

My Pick:

Presents!

Pack 3 pick 3:

My Pick:

I thought really hard about this. I wasn’t keen on relying on a second double-costed spell (would’ve taken Replica) but I don’t have much removal so it’ll have to do.

Pack 3 pick 4:

My Pick:

More and more I require easy-to-cast guys. I have a good number now and Glider should reliably fly (and help Sphinx).  I ignored Moriok Replica since I already have one and between Sphinx, Skimmer, and Engine my deck can pop out some fast wins.

Pack 3 pick 5:

My Pick:

My weakness will be cheap flyers and late game Untamed Might. Time to take this Stinger out of this draft!  Lumengrid Drake would have been nice.  I may have still been overcompensating for the Darksteel Sentinel pick.

Pack 3 pick 6:

My Pick:

A card I can’t deal with (and most people can’t). This card shouldn’t go 6th.

Pack 3 pick 7:

My Pick:

Still a strong pack but Myr serve multiple purposes. Gimme.

Pack 3 pick 8:

My Pick:

Gimme more! Is it wrong that I secretly hoped I could get a third so to quote Britney Spears?

Pack 3 pick 9:

My Pick:

Pack 3 pick 10:

My Pick:

This guy got a surpriisng boost from Mirrodin Besieged but I don’t think people have caught on yet.  He not only kills Living Weapons, but wears them proudly into battle.  Also with Rusted Slashers and Piston Sledges around, you can turn this ability into removal.

Pack 3 pick 11:

My Pick:

Pack 3 pick 12:

My Pick:

Pack 3 pick 13:

My Pick:

Pack 3 pick 14:

My Pick:

Pack 3 pick 15:

My Pick:

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So we go three colors. Too risky? I disagree. By taking multiple colorless-casted creatures in the draft I’m able to wait for appropriate spells. Six black sources is easily enough for Rager and Replica. I don’t want to cast Black Sun’s Zenith early so this number is fine. If I get stuck with Zenith it’s only one dead card. Blue is a little bit weaker since I rely on six sources to cast Argent Sphinx. Then again, using the same logic it’s only one card to strand. Red is obviously money.  Seven sources is just one shy of where I’d want to be to cast Turn to Slag, Into the Core, and the Dragon reliably. I think it’s worth bleeding a little bit though to open the power of those other colors.

Round 1 vs Nurmall

Game 1 – He starts with Iron Myr into double Glint Hawk Idol by turn 3. The Idol is particularly annoying since my Zenith won’t touch it. I Treasure Mage up the Hexplate Golem because I plan on siding it out, and want him to be thinking of it next game. I cast Zenith for X=1 and set the clock in my favor but he drops Razor Hippogryph and I promptly get my head beat in.

Game 2 – He ramps with Myr again, this time into Barrage Ogre, Kuldotha Ringleader, and Hero of Oxid Ridge. Geyser lets my Sphinx come in and then I drop my Juggernaut who eats his Ringleader (he blinked first.) Darksteel Sentinel eats his hero and we’re off to Game 3.

Game 3 – Into the Core buys me all my time and eventually I litter the board with dorks. Several 2-for-1s later he scoops.

Round 2 vs samout

Game 1 – I mull as he starts with 2 Blightwidows and Tangle Angler and forces through damage by recurring with Corpse Cur (fitting). Black Zenith isn’t enough as he keeps dropping good Infect creatures.

Game 2 – I mull again, getting Gliders and Argent out early. I Geyser his widows and he never catches up.

Game 3 – He accelerates Myr into Flesh-eater Imp, then Blightwidow and Corpse Cur. My turn 4 Slag and turn 5 Hoard-Smelter cannot deal with UNTAMED MIGHT. He hit me for two poison damage on turns 4 and 5. On turn 6 had the one bonus creature.