Let's Try This Again!

I admit that my first title for this blog - 'Dad Magic' - was completely uninspired, a throwaway name that I was quick to decide upon so that I could do what I really wanted to do: write a bash script to parse my decklist notations into HTML.

I've since had time to reflect, and my new title is both far more inspired and fully approved by my daughter.  "That's exactly what I want to do when I play Magic!" she said.  "Smashy face you for twenty!"

Magic Origins Draft #4: Wow, What a Mean Teacher

The Draft and the Decks

My first pick was Liliana, Heretical Healer.  My second was Wild Instincts.  And after that... well, no color really seemed open, so I vacillated between picking up some White, or maybe some Blue...

That's how I ended up playing Black-Green-White.  It's true that I could have made a two color deck - but that deck seemed a little light on oomph.  I'll take higher power and higher variance any day of the week.

CREATURES (16)   Citadel Castellan Eyeblight Assassin Fetid Imp Leaf Gilder Liliana, Heretical Healer Llanowar Empath Malakir Cullblade Nantuko Husk Orchard Spirit Pharika's Disciple Shambling Ghoul Somberwald Alpha Stalwart Aven Topan Freeblade Valeron Wardens Yeva's Forcemage

INSTANTS (3)   Reclaim Unholy Hunger x2   SORCERIES (4)   Macabre Waltz Reave Soul Wild Instincts x2   LANDS (17)   Caves of Koilos Forest x7 Plains x2 Swamp x6

SIDEBOARD   Aerial Volley Auramancer Bonded Construct Bone to Ash Brawler's Plate Cleric of the Forward Order Dark Dabbling x2 Heavy Infantry Maritime Guard Necromantic Summons x2 Nivix Barrier Prickleboar Reclaim Unholy Hunger Watercourser Zendikar's Roil

Round 1

My opponent played a Blue-White deck full of flyers, especially Scrapskin Drakes.  But they were no match for the Liliana I played both games, especially when she started repeatedly punching them with Wild Instincts that I could Reclaim, and lifelink to boot. 

Result: W (2-0)


Round 2

Oh dear god Sphinx's Tutelage.  My opponent played a mono-Blue deck full of counters and draw; in his first game he had his Sphinx's Tutelage out on turn 5, and in his second he had it out on turn 3.  Both games played the same after that: he countered my threats or stalled them out with creatures like Guardians of Meletis, and all the while he drew card after card with Artificer's Epiphany and other effects, and murdered my deck as a side effect.  I knew I should have drafted a Caustic Caterpillar!

Result: L (0-2)


Summary

Well, okay, lesson learned: Sphinx's Tutelage is a nightmare.  I've seen a thread on a Magic message board bemoaning the lack of control decks in Magic Origins draft.  That simply isn't true; the control deck of this format just plays differently than control decks from past formats.

Magic Origins Draft #3: Don't Underestimate the Little Guys

There's a bar near where I live that hosts casual Magic drafts every Tuesday.  I'm not a drinker though, so I've always avoided the place.  But, ah, the lure of drafting a new set was too strong to resist...

The Draft and the Decks

I rejected the rare in my first pack - Talent of the Telepath - and instead chose a card that's been very good to me in Limited: Seismic Elemental.  After that I flirted with the idea of picking White as my secondary color... but the siren song of playing with Big Stompy Creatures was too hard to resist.  A mid-pack Zendikar Incarnate solidified my choice: Red-Green.

CREATURES (17)   Akroan Sergeant Boggart Brute x2 Chief of the Foundry Embermaw Hellion Gaea's Revenge Ghirapur Gearcrafter Guardian Automaton Hitchclaw Recluse Llanowar Empath Pharika's Disciple Prickleboar x2 Rhox Maulers Seismic Elemental Undercity Troll Zendikar Incarnate

ARTIFACTS (1)   Meteorite   INSTANTS (4)   Fiery Conclusion Fiery Impulse Titan's Strength x2   SORCERIES (1)   Joraga Invocation   LANDS (17)   Forest x8 Mountain x9

SIDEBOARD   Bellows Lizard Bounding Krasis Caustic Caterpillar Chandra's Fury Cobblebrute Deep-Sea Terror Demolish Goblin Piledriver Might of the Masses Prickleboar Sigil of Valor Smash to Smithereens Subterranean Scout Throwing Knife Thunderclap Wyvern Topan Freeblade Undead Servant Vastwood Gorger Watercourser

My biggest worry?  My deck felt a little top-heavy, and I idly hoped I wouldn't have to face a blazing fast Red-White or Green-White deck.


Round 1

My opponent played a Black-Red deck that was heavy on the removal.  But it didn't seem to have early creatures, and so although he picked off my initial onslaught both games, I was able to play threat after threat after threat until he had no defenses left.

Result: W (2-0)


Round 2

My opponent played my greatest fear: a Green-White deck full of two- and three-drops.  In the first game he jumped out to an early lead, and although I stabilized late, a surprise Gideon's Phalanx wiped my board and that was that.

The second game was even worse.  By turn 4 he had two renowned Consul's Lieutenants, while I was stuck on three mana and playing down Boggart Brutes in a wasteful attempt to fend them off.  Needless to say I lost quickly.

Result: L (0-2)


Summary

There's a price for being a top-heavy deck!  I guess that's a lesson learned: be prepared for a quick rush, or be prepared to get knocked out.

My Daughter's Proxies; or, The Cutest Goyf in the World

I think I've mentioned that whenever I buy a box of Magic cards, my daughter and I simulate a Sealed format by opening six packs at a time, building Limited decks, and playing each other.  It's great fun, and educational to boot.

But when my Modern Masters 2015 box arrived, I fell prey to my American capitalistic sensibilities: I insisted that any 'money' cards could not be used.  "That's not fun!" my daughter said, and you know what, she's entirely right.  So we arrived at a compromise that lit up her little eyes: she would draw proxies for the money cards.  Here are a few; see if you can guess what cards they represent before reading the explanation.

This is a Vendilion Clique (or, as my daughter used to say, "the Vendilion Snap"; it took me a while to understand her confusion).  I have no idea why the sun in the picture is wearing glasses.

This is a proxy for a foil Vraska the Unseen that we opened in a Return to Ravnica box.  My daughter thought it would be hilarious to give her a big smile.  You know, she's kinda right.

And these are her pride and joy: a rather cheerful pair of Tarmogoyfs.  One is a boy and one is a girl (note the ribbon on the girl Tarmogoyf).

Magic Origins Draft #2: The Power of the First Pick

The Draft and the Decks

I was a little disappointed after my first draft, having opened no rare worth playing.  Fortunately fate smiled upon me for my second draft: my first pack had Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh.  After I took that card, the person to my right passed me a Skysnare Spider, and just like that my colors were determined: Red-Green.  And although I didn't pick anything especially earth-shattering for the rest of the draft, I was quite happy with the cards I did pick.

CREATURES (17)   Acolyte of the Inferno x2 Boggart Brute Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh Elvish Visionary Ghirapur Gearcrafter Hitchclaw Recluse x2 Leaf Gilder Llanowar Empath Prickleboar Rhox Maulers x2 Seismic Elemental x2 Skyraker Giant Skysnare Spider

INSTANTS (3)   Fiery Impulse Ravaging Blaze Titan's Strength   SORCERIES (3)   Act of Treason Lightning Javelin x2   LANDS (17)   Forest x7 Mountain x10

SIDEBOARD   Aerial Volley Akroan Jailer Auramancer Brawler's Plate Caustic Caterpillar Cobblebrute Dark Dabbling Disperse Enshrouding Mist Infernal Scarring Macabre Waltz Shambling Ghoul Smash to Smithereens Sphinx's Tutelage Stratus Walk Topan Freeblade Tormented Thoughts Unholy Hunger Vastwood Gorger

I'm not entirely sure what led my daughter into the Black-Green deck that she drafted, but it certainly looked reasonable to me.

CREATURES (15)   Conclave Naturalists Deadbridge Shaman Elvish Visionary Eyeblight Assassin Fetid Imp Kothophed, Soul Hoarder Nantuko Husk x2 Pharika's Disciple Revenant Shambling Ghoul x3 Valeron Wardens Yeva's Forcemage

ENCHANTMENTS (2)   Mantle of Webs Weight of the Underworld   ARTIFACTS (1)   Brawler's Plate   INSTANTS (3)   Might of the Masses Unholy Hunger x2   SORCERIES (2)   Gather the Pack Reave Soul   LANDS (17)   Rogue's Passage Forest x7 Swamp x9

SIDEBOARD   Aerial Volley Alhammarret's Archive Anointer of Champions Cobblebrute Dark Dabbling Deep-Sea Terror Dreadwaters Healing Hands Macabre Waltz Mantle of Webs x2 Nissa's Pilgrimage Reclaim Smash to Smithereens Timberpack Wolf Undead Servant Weight of the Underworld

Round 1

My opponent played a Black-White deck with early renown threats backed up by loads of 5-cost Black removal spells.  Game 1 I used my own burn to deal with his early creatures, and then simply played threat after threat after threat to soak up his kill spells.  Eventually he ran out of removal.

Game 2 was far less stressful for me, as my opponent got stuck on four lands.  My threats stayed on board, and Chandra, Roaring Flame finished the job.

In the meantime my daughter won her first match in straightforward fashion.

Result:

• Me: W (2-0)
• My Daughter: W (2-0)

Round 2

My opponent had first picked Pia and Kiran Nalaar and second picked Thopter Spy Network... and then the Blue-Red artifact support he had hoped for simply dried up.  He still had loads of artifacts in his deck, and they caused all sorts of trouble.

I jumped out to an early lead in game 1 before my opponent was finally able to stabilize behind Guardians of Meletis and Thopter Spy Network.  Soon after that our boards were full of creatures... but his could fly over mine.  Thankfully a top-decked Seismic Elemental saved me.

However, in game 2 my opponent had a powerful start, with lots of Fiery Impulses to negate my early creatures.  I had to play from behind for the rest of the game, and his Ravaging Blaze finished me off.

The exact reverse happened in game 3.  I put my opponent on the back foot with removal that cleared the way for my cheap creatures to punch on through (my sideboarded Caustic Caterpillar and Smash to Smithereens were a great help).  And this time I was the one to finish the game by casting a Ravaging Blaze.

My daughter pushed her opponent to three games this round, but his aggressive deck was simply too quick for her when she was on the draw.

Result:

• Me: W (2-1)
• My Daughter: L (1-2)

Round 3

At the start of round 3 there were three undefeated players in our 9-man pod.  Winning would mean I would get a share of first, and losing likely meant that I would fall all the way to third.  I explained this situation to my daughter when I learned I had gotten paired down against her... and she smiled wide and said, "I hope I kick your butt then!"  Oh.  And although I was a bit surprised at her reaction, I couldn't help but be inwardly delighted at her competitive spirit.

That spirit wasn't enough for game 1 however, as I aggressively mowed my way through her life total with the aid of removal spells.  Game 2 was far more even, with her mass of creatures providing a wall against mine.  And when she started using Rogue's Passage to push through her renown creatures while drawing cards with Valeron Wardens, I thought I was done for... a possibility that became a near certainty after she cast a Nantuko Husk, which she could have used for lethal damage at the cost of sacrificing most of her board.

And this is where my daughter's youthful instincts failed her, as her distaste for sacrificing her own creatures for a one-shot effect led her to completely overlook her winning play.  Instead we played creature on top of creature upon a stalled board... until I drew a Seismic Elemental and swung in for the win.

After the game was over I explained how she could have won, and I could almost see the light bulb burst into life inside her head.  Another lesson learned!

Result:

• Me: W (2-0)
• My Daughter: L (0-2)

Summary

Interestingly, Chandra barely made a dent in any of the games I played.  And after the draft I came to the following realization: Magic Origins is a far less bomb-y format than any of the Tarkir draft formats, with few cards that feel like they provide an insurmountable threat.  This means that the margin of victory is dependent upon small synergies and incremental plays.  And players need to not only be prepared for the early rush; they need to have a late-game plan to deal with clogged board states.

Magic Origins Draft #1: You're Going to Put *What* in Your Deck?

My daughter was so eager to draft Magic Origins that she practically ran the half-mile to the game store.  Truth be told I may have been nearly as excited - but alas, when you're a parent, sometimes you just have to restrain yourself.

The Draft and the Decks

Thirty-one people showed up, which worked out to three pods of 8 and one pod of 7.  My daughter and I ended up in separate pods, and the draft began.

Much of my initial excitement waned during the draft; after M15, there is nothing quite so disheartening as opening two painlands as your rare (the third rare was even less memorable).  My first pick was an Unholy Hunger, my next an Undercity Troll.  Then two Ghirapur Gearcrafters were passed to me, and I decided to go in on Red.

Here's the deck I ended up with:

CREATURES (15)   Boggart Brute Elvish Visionary Firefiend Elemental Ghirapur Gearcrafter x2 Hitchclaw Recluse Pharika's Disciple Prickleboar x2 Seismic Elemental Separatist Voidmage Skyraker Giant Undercity Troll Vastwood Gorger Volcanic Rambler

ARTIFACTS (1)   Throwing Knife   INSTANTS (6)   Disperse Fiery Impulse Might of the Masses Ravaging Blaze x2 Send to Sleep   SORCERIES (1)   Lightning Javelin   LANDS (17)   Evolving Wilds Forest x6 Island x2 Mountain x8

SIDEBOARD   Anointer of Champions Deep-Sea Terror Eyeblight Assassin Hydrolash Macabre Waltz Maritime Guard Nivix Barrier x2 Possessed Skaab Rabid Bloodsucker Scrapskin Drake Swamp Swift Reckoning Thunderclap Wyvern Totem-Guide Hartebeest Unholy Hunger Veteran's Sidearm Volcanic Rambler

"You went three colors again?" my daughter exclaimed disapprovingly when she came by to check out my build.

I explained to her that the Blue was more of a splash, meant for the late game when I needed to temporarily remove a particularly problematic threat or blocker.  I also noted that if  I had seen better threats in Red or Green, I would have taken those instead and happily remained in two colors.  But I am of the philosophy that staying two colors for the sake of staying two colors is not the best idea, often leading to slogs of a game where an opponent plays a bomb and you just stare at it with a sinking feeling in your stomach, knowing that there's no way you can deal with it.

My daughter seemed unconvinced by my explanation.

I started looking over her deck.  And then, in my finest hour as a father, I persuaded her that putting The Great Aurora in her deck was not the best idea.  If she didn't care about winning, I wouldn't have mentioned it.  But although my daughter is very gracious when she loses, I know her heart, and I know that she lives for a chance at victory.

Here's the deck that she ended up using:

CREATURES (15)   Cobblebrute Conclave Naturalists Embermaw Hellion Goblin Glory Chaser Leaf Gilder x2 Pharika's Disciple x2 Rhox Maulers Seismic Elemental Timberpack Wolf x3 Vastwood Gorger x2

ARTIFACTS (1)   Sigil of Valor   INSTANTS (4)   Chandra's Fury Might of the Masses x2 Titan's Strength   SORCERIES (3)   Dragon Fodder Gather the Pack Wild Instincts   LANDS (17)   Foundry of the Consuls Forest x9 Mountain x7

SIDEBOARD   Akroan Jailer Call of the Full Moon Chandra's Fury Cobblebrute x2 Evolving Wilds Heavy Infantry Infectious Bloodlust Jayemdae Tome Kytheon's Tactics Maritime Guard Negate Prism Ring Send to Sleep Smash to Smithereens The Great Aurora Totem-Guide Hartebeest Undead Servant

Round 1

My opponent played a Red-White aggro deck.  He combined efficient creatures with devastating combat spells that could turn fearsome attacks into lethal damage.  In game 1, he brought me low with a Titan's Strength on Iroas's Champion, followed by Pia and Kiran Nalaar throwing a thopter in my face to finish me off.  Game 2 went better with me, as I was able to stabilize early and eventually wear him down.  Sadly for me, game 3 was much like the first.

In the meantime my daughter defeated her opponent, a young boy without much Magic experience.

Result:

• Me: L (1-2)
• My Daughter: W (2-0)

Round 2

In round 2 my opponent's deck - Green-Black - was nowhere near as fast as my round 1 opponent's.  In both games I was able to establish an early board presence, and then use my removal and combat tricks to swing in for huge chunks of damage at a time.

My daughter did not fare so well this round.

Result:

• Me: W (2-0)
• My Daughter: L (0-2)

Round 3

Round 3 played out similarly to round 2 for both my daughter and me.  This time my opponent played Green-White.  He also played a lot of early weak threats that pinged me early but could do nothing in the mid-game.  Once I got my beefier creatures in front of his, there wasn't much he could do.

Result:

• Me: W (2-0)
• My Daughter: L (0-2)

Summary

Although I was a bit saddened that I didn't get a chance to draft a beefy rare, I felt that my deck still performed well.  It was competitive in my one loss, and excelled in my wins.  Playing three colors was never an issue, and I never drew a blue spell I was unable to play.

Adventure in Alara: Why You Shouldn't Talk Too Much When Building a Sealed Deck

I didn't start playing paper Magic (as opposed to drafting on Magic Online) until my daughter was old enough to play with me, but making the switch was not difficult.  The act of opening packs and slamming down bomb cards is far more exciting in real life than it is in the virtual one.

But one thing I do regret is 'losing' all the random cards that I had drafted (badly) before my daughter was even born.  So what I do is this: I trawl eBay for relatively cheap deals for older booster boxes.  And when I manage to obtain one, my daughter and I rip the box open and build sealed decks.

My most recent acquisition was a Shards of Alara Premium Foil Booster Box.  These boxes contain twelve packs of 15 cards with the normal rarity split.  However the cards can be from any of the three Alara block sets, and every card is foil.

The box came, my daughter and I each took six packs, and here are the decks that we built.

My Deck (Esper)

CREATURES (14)   Cloudheath Drake Esper Cormorants Esper Sojourners Ethercaste Knight Etherium Sculptor Guardians of Akrasa Illusory Demon Magister Sphinx Parasitic Strix Vectis Agents Vectis Dominator x2 Vedalken Outlander Wall of Denial   ENCHANTMENTS (1)   Oblivion Ring   ARTIFACTS (3)   Etherium Astrolabe Obelisk of Esper Thopter Foundry   INSTANTS (3)   Hindering Light View from Above Zealous Persecution   SORCERIES (2)   Bone Splinters Excommunicate   LANDS (17)   Island x7 Plains x6 Swamp x4

SIDEBOARD   Angelsong Gleam of Resistance Knight of the White Orchid Lapse of Certainty Marble Chalice Mark of Asylum Yoked Plowbeast --- Cancel Cathartic Adept Jhessian Lookout Skill Borrower Spell Snip Traumatic Visions Vectis Silencers Worldly Counsel --- Onyx Goblet Pestilent Kathari Resounding Scream --- Bloodpyre Elemental Dark Temper Ignite Disorder Molten Frame Soul's Fire Thunder Thrash Elder Toxic Iguanar Viashino Skelton Viashino Slaughtermaster Wandering Goblins

Behemoth's Herald Cylian Elf Gift of the Gargantuan Keepr of Progenitus Might of Alara Naya Battlemage Sacellum Archers x2 Scattershot Archer x2 Shard Convergence Wild Nacatl --- Anathemancer x2 Branching Bolt Breath of Malfegor Captured Sunlight Deadshot Minotaur Gorger Wurm Identity Crisis Monstrous Carabid Pale Recluse Sangrite Backlash Sewn-Eye Drake Singe-Mind Ogre Sprouting Thrinax Steward of Valeron Valley Rannet Violent Outburst Winged Coatl --- Bone Saw Obelisk of Grixis --- Jungle Shrine

My Daughter's Deck (Naya)

CREATURES (15)   Beacon Behemoth Bloodthorn Taunter Cerodon Yearling Druid of the Anima Elvish Visionary Ember Weaver Enlisted Wurm Gutstrider Exuberant Jungle Weaver Nacatl Savage Naya Sojourners Rakeclaw Gargantuan Rhox Brute Ridge Rannet Scourge Devil   ENCHANTMENTS (2)   Sigil of the Nayan Gods Trace of Abundance   ARTIFACTS (1)   Dispeller's Capsule   INSTANTS (5)   Colossal Might Ignite Disorder Magma Spray Molten Frame Path to Exile   LANDS (17)   Bant Panorama Jungle Shrine Naya Panorama Savage Lands Forest x9 Mountain x4

SIDEBOARD   Angeleic Benediction Asha's Favor Resounding Silence Rhox Meditant --- Grixis Illusionist Outrider of Jhess Steelclad Serpent Tortoise Formation Traumatic Visions Unsummon --- Absorb Vis Banewasp Affliction Dregscape Zombie Executioner's Capsule Fleshformer Immortal Coil Infectious Horror Scepter of Fugue Sedraxis Alchemist Shadowfeed Undead Leotau Wretched Banquet --- Dragonsoul Knight Hell's Thunder Resounding Thunder Thunder-Thrash Elder --- Godtoucher

Aven Mimeomanger Bant Sojourners Bituminous Blast x2 Blightning Clarion Ultimatum Esper Charm Esper Cormorants Esper Stormblade Ethersworn Shieldmage Firewild Borerpost Goblin Deathraiders Grixis Charm Grizzled Leotau Igneous Pouncer Jhessian Balmgiver Kederekt Creeper Knotvine Paladin Mistvein Borderpost Shambling Remains x2 Sigiled Behemoth Stormcaller's Boon Tidehollow Strix Veinfire Borderpost Wall of Denial Waveskimmer Aven Windwright Mage Zombie Outlander --- Bonesaw

The Matchup

We decided to play a best-of-three.

A quick Rakeclaw Gargantuan decimated me in game 1.  Conversely, in game 2 I quickly flew to victory over my daughter's defenders.

Game 3 was where all the excitement was - a long, drawn out game with lots of swings and turns of fate.  What ultimately decided it?  To answer that question, let me transcribe a conversation my daughter and I had while building our decks:

Her: "Hey Daddy, what kind of deck are you building?"
Me: "I dunno.  Maybe Esper?
Her: "Esper? What's that?"
Me: "Black-Blue-White.  Artifacts.  Wait, why do you want to know?"
Her: "OH, NO REASON."

And so I was eventually blown out by Dispeller's Capsule, Molten Frame, and Ignite Disorder.