Magic Origins Draft #5: And I Shall Never See the Like Again

The second FNM after the release of Magic Origins was just as crowded as the first, except eight people felt ready to play in the Standard event.  That left 25 people for the draft, split into two pods of 8 and one pod of 9.  I was placed in the 9-man pod.

The Draft and the Decks

My first pack contained Kothophed, Soul Hoarder and Sentinel of the Eternal Watch.  In the past I would have taken Kothophed without a second thought, gloating over its power and - more important - its beautiful rarity.  But now...

I think Kothophed probably is a slightly stronger card than the Sentinel... but in Magic Origins, White is a stronger color than Black.  So I made my choice and took the Sentinel.

It should be mentioned now that there were a bunch of newer people at this FNM, mostly players who had stopped playing a few years ago and come back to try out Origins.  And card evaluations in the draft pod may have been a bit off as a result.

And that's how I managed to grab a second Sentinel of the Eternal Watch as a fifth pick in pack 1.  My fourth pick in pack 2 was Kytheon's Irregulars.  The last card in one of the packs was Suppression Bonds.

This is the White-Red deck I ended up playing.

CREATURES (15)   Acolyte of the Inferno Akroan Sergeant Blessed Spirits Boggart Brute x2 Cleric of the Forward Order Ghirapur Gearcrafter Iroas's Champion Kytheon's Irregulars Patron of the Valiant Sentinel of the Eternal Watch x2 Stalwart Aven Thopter Engineer War Oracle

ENCHANTMENTS (3)   Knightly Valor Suppression Bonds x2   INSTANTS (2)   Celestial Flare Fiery Impulse   SORCERIES (3)   Exquisite Firecraft Swift Reckoning Tragic Arrogance   LANDS (17)   Plains x10 Mountain x7

SIDEBOARD   Akroan Sergeant Alchemist's Vial Blessed Spirits Citadel Castellan Enlightened Ascetic Evolutionary Leap Ghriapur Aether Grid Grasp of the Hieromancer Healing Hands Heavy Infantry Knightly Valor Kytheon's Tactics Pharika's Disciple x2 Reave Soul Ringwarden Owl Separatist Voidmage Volcanic Rambler War Horn

Round 1

My first round opponent was one of the aforementioned returning players.  He had a Blue-White deck that was simply no match for mine in terms of speed or power.

Result: W (2-0)


Round 2

My opponent this round was playing Black-Green Elves, and although I won both games, they were both extremely close.  His early Elvish Visionarys and Dwynen's Elites provided problematic board states, especially since my deck was light on two-drops.  Touch of Moonglove pushed through lots of damage, and his two Eyeblight Massacres were adept at clearing away most of my creatures.  I was simply fortunate enough to stabilize both games before it was too late, and to be able to win before he drew his possible salvation: a Joraga Invocation.

Result: W (2-0)


Round 3

My opponent was another returning player, which is the only reason why I managed to win.  He played a Black-Green deck with lots of early two-drops - once again, problematic - and Touch of Moonglove - once again, quite painful.  In game 1 I managed to stabilize before it was too late.  In game 2 I wasn't in time - that is, I shouldn't have been in time.  If he had remembered that his Alchemist's Vial could neutralize my blocker, he would have won.

Result: W (2-0)


Summary

My deck was quite powerful, and yet my near-losses in the last two rounds reminded me: Magic Origins is not a slow format.  In this draft, I should have prioritized additional Clerics of the Forward Order over the mass of strong three-drops that I ended up with.

I'll remember that for next time: fail to plan for a quick deck and even the strongest deck may pay the (ultimate) price!