by Taylor Putnam

Taylor Putnam returns with another edition of Putnam Drafts!  Let us know what you think about this series so far.

Hello and welcome back to another exciting instalment of profundity. Ok, well maybe not but at least you get a draft walkthrough. Jeez! Enjoy the little things for once.

On that note, this draft is commencing during a particularly enjoyable moment in my life. The roommates have left me for the evening and, seeing as how they are both girls, I finally get to watch something other than the dress buying, cake decorating and midget appreciation network more commonly known as TLC. To celebrate my freedom from the tyranny of wedding related smut, True Lies is blasting in the background. Someone just died and I couldn’t be happier.

Has the author-reader relationship been established yet? Must we continue this dance where I say something vaguely revealing about myself before the draft starts in the interest of feigning some sort of connection? Can’t we both simply agree on the utility of this interaction and move on to the good stuff? It’s not like you’re that high maintenance. Trust me; my pillow talk is no better.*

  Pack 1 pick 1:
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This is quite the pack. My choice is really between Ichor Rats and Chrome Steed. Both are fine cards but I would rather keep my options open as much as possible early on. Ichor Rats serves as the only card with reach for poison which places it at a premium. It’s basically a burn spell. However, there is no guarantee that someone on my left isn’t going to move into poison and make the rats a wasted pick.

On a side note, I have heard people say time and again that they want to pick one color in SOM draft and let the second reveal itself later on. While I don’t think there is anything technically wrong with that line of thought, I do believe it can be abused. If everyone is hesitant to jump on their second color early into the draft, there is an advantage for the first mover. Solidifying two colors early lets you grab the best cards with the usual risk of getting cut off significantly reduced. Drafting poison appears to me to be a much riskier gambit early in a draft.

Taking Chrome Steed doesn’t push us into a color, nor does it even force us into metalcraft. I would be pretty upset playing Steed as one of only a handful of artifacts but worse has happened. That issue aside, it’s the pick.   

My Pick:

  Pack 1 pick 2:

I don’t think this pick is remotely close. If Embersmith hits play in the early turns of a game, it can blank any number of hands/cards. Should red not remain open (maybe they took Hoard-Smelter Dragon first pick), I can still splash him.

My Pick:

  Pack 1 pick 3:

The choices here are tough. With Steed and Embersmith in my pile Origin Spellbomb is probably the best card here for my deck. If I take a white card though, considering that I passed Revoke Existence last pack and would be passing Kemba’s Skyguard this pack I don’t like where that could lead. Generally, I don’t concern myself with signals too much but there are other cards in the pack I can consider. I have been surprised by how often Necrotic Ooze picks up a relevant ability in the mid game. Also, a 4/3 at 4cc is very reasonable. The format doesn’t have many 3 power creatures and even fewer creatures with an ass bigger than 4. Ooze will usually be the biggest body around or at least trade with whatever else is on the board.

My Pick:

  Pack 1 pick 4:

I get the sense that my love of Moriok Replica is much greater than others. Aside from Trigon of Thought and Culling Dais, there aren’t any cards that dig you deeper into your deck. Cantrips are awesome but they don’t repopulate your hand as immediately. Not sold that we are black and Replica can be played without a swamp so it gets the nod over Bleak Coven Vampires.

My Pick:

  Pack 1 pick 5:

Well if it isn’t my arch nemesis Trinket Mage. Glad you could make an appearance. I could easily take Iron Myr, Tumble Magnet or Chrome Steed and be happy. It’s early enough in the draft that I can assume there will be other Myrs. In the choice between the other two I would rather Tumble Magnet because it offers an effect that is relatively hard to come by. Plus, our deck still does not guarantee that Steed will always be pumped.

My Pick:

  Pack 1 pick 6:

In the choice between Nihil Spellbomb and Myrsmith I am going to take the more powerful card. Black hasn’t offered my anything exciting yet, so I don’t feel committed to it.

My Pick:

  Pack 1 pick 7:

With both Embersmith and Myrsmith in my pile I want some cheap artifacts. Liquidmetal Coating doesn’t seem necessary at this point and Strider Hareness is a filler card. I don’t dislike the equipment per say but the Spellbomb fits my deck better.

My Pick:

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  Pack 1 pick 9:

Somehow I might get a pick out of the pack I opened. Culling Dais and Myrsmith is always a good time.

My Pick:

  Pack 1 pick 10:

Clone Shell has nothing interesting to grab me yet. I guess I also am not completely convinced white is open so taking the black spellbomb is hedging my bets.

My Pick:

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  Pack 2 pick 1:

Arc trail is the best card. Arrest is a fine card but there is no guarantee I am white at this moment. Granted, taking the Arrest would solidify my colors but it is not better than the red card. It’s unfortunate that Chimeric Mass is also in the pack but it is a distant third because, ultimately it is just another dude.

My Pick:

  Pack 2 pick 2:

Decision time. Are Nihil Spellbombs, Ooze, Moriok Replica and Instil Infection better than Myrsmith and Kemba’s Skyguard? I also still have Chrome Steed and Culling Dais to consider. The white cards look way more exciting and fit well with my other cards.

My Pick:

  Pack 2 pick 3:

Having decided on white the choice is between the two mana myrs. I think it’s more likely to splash green card like Sylvok Replica than a blue card.

My Pick:

  Pack 2 pick 4:

Nothing in my deck can carry a Barbed Battlegear. Shatter is removal.

My Pick:

  Pack 2 pick 5:

Aside from the fact that Skyguard is the better card, there will always be more chances to nab Blade-tribe Berserkers. Myr Galvanizer works with Myrsmith but I would rather have evasion and gum up the ground than try and be a beatdown deck.

My Pick:

  Pack 2 pick 6:

I may not have many artifacts but I do have a Tumble Magnet.

My Pick:

  Pack 2 pick 7:

I did consider the Horizon Spellbomb. I have the miser’s Copper Myr already and the mana on this deck could get ugly. Realistically, red right now is a splash for 2 removal spells so the spellbomb seemed unnecessary.

My Pick:

  Pack 2 pick 8:

One day my deck will need a Razorfield Thresher but it is not today.

My Pick:

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  Pack 2 pick 11:

I need artifacts and while Auriok Replica is not the best one in the set, he gets the job done. If I really want more Blade-tribe Berserkers they will be available.

My Pick:

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Obviously.   My Pick:

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  Pack 3 pick 1:

This felt like a really close pick but looking back it shouldn’t have been. From the beginning Rusted Relic and Revoke Existence can be eliminated. The Relic is sketchy because my deck doesn’t have many artifacts. With a Shatter already Revoke doesn’t appear that necessary to my deck’s game plan. Had it been an Arrest, and therefore capable of dealing with my opponents flyers, it wouldn’t have been as easy a pick.

The real decision is between Glint Hawk Idol and Darksteel Axe. The Idol is cool and all but with multiple flyers already it would just be one more dude. Darksteel Axe provides the deck with a cheap artitfact and lets all my flyers trade up if my opponent is blue. It also speeds up my clock.

My Pick:

  Pack 3 pick 2:

Between a removal spell and an equipment I’m going to choose the removal. Accorder’s Shield would be nice to have but it doesn’t allow my creatures to hit harder. I would rather be able to answer my opponent’s threats.

My Pick:

  Pack 3 pick 3:

This pick may have been a mistake. Vulshock Replica is a decent body with a decent ability. Plus, it’s an artifact. My thought process was that the spellbomb would let me punch through with flyers. On the off chance the draft went downhill, the spellbomb would be decent with the Kuldotha Rebirth I already picked up and the one in this pack that would surely table.

My Pick:

  Pack 3 pick 4:

I’m growing to respect Saberclaw Golem. At first I thought it was too expensive to be good but, as with the thought process on Necrotic Ooze, the format’s creatures revolve around 4 toughness. First Strike is surprisingly difficult for players to get around.

My Pick:

  Pack 3 pick 5:

Sticking with the game plan.   My Pick:

  Pack 3 pick 6:

I passed on the Sunspear Shikari earlier because I didn’t have any equipment other than the axe at the time. It would have been nice to have now.

My Pick:

  Pack 3 pick 7:

This was a mistake. I should have taken the Horizon Spellbomb. I thought there was an outside chance I would need to board in colored spells for all the Tel-jilad Fallen I’d seen.

My Pick:

  Pack 3 pick 8:

Now this is a gift. Kuldotha Forgemaster is awesome. With multiple spellbombs and Myrsmith I can reasonably turn a profit with his Tinker ability. He’s also enormous with 5 toughness and near impossible to get around.

My Pick:

  Pack 3 pick 9:

I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised that the Revoke Existence came back. Looking at my opening pack there were plenty of decent cards. Assuming the other white drafter at the table was paired with green they would have taken the Sylvok Replica. Other color combinations offered similar justifications I’m guessing.

My Pick:

  Pack 3 pick 10:

Maybe I’ll get to live the dream. Will Culling Dais and Forgemaster the Furnace Celebration has some enticing possibilities.

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The Deck:
1 Glint Hawk
1 Chrome Steed
3 Panic Spellbomb
1 Darksteel Axe
2 Kemba's Skyguard
1 Furnace Celebration
1 Auriok Replica
1 Arc Trail
1 Copper Myr
1 Accorder's Shield
1 Embersmith
1 Tumble Magnet
1 Kuldotha Forgemaster
2 Blade-Tribe Berserkers
1 Saberclaw Golem
1 Shatter
1 Myrsmith
1 Culling Dais
2 Revoke Existence
8 Plains
8 Mountain

Sideboard
1 Vault Skyward
1 Forest
3 Kuldotha Rebirth
1 Plains
1 Goblin Gaveleer
1 Tainted Strike
1 Salvage Scout
1 Plains
2 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Moriok Replica
1 Necrotic Ooze
1 Trigon of Mending
2 Scoria Elemental
1 Soul Parry
1 Darksteel Sentinel
1 Alpha Tyrranax

Darksteel Sentinels seemed too slow for my deck. I wasn’t entirely comfortable with my decks ability to easily hit 6 mana. I was a bit light on artifacts but was hoping that Myrsmith would smooth that issue out. Furnace Celebration had too many good enablers for me not to play it. Overall I was happy with the deck.

Round 1

I mulliganed into a hand of 2 mountains, Myrsmith, Arc Trail, Tumble Magnet and Blade-tribe Berserkers. My opponent revealed himself to be poison but kept a mediocre hand. After getting full value from Arc Trail we played draw go until turn 9 when I drew my fourth land, a fourth mountain. I played a few kicked Blade-tribe Berserkers to start the damage race in earnest. After drawing a plains I very quickly pulled ahead with Myrsmith and Culling Dais eventually drawing 4 cards and winning with flyers.

Game 2 was over quickly after I landed a Forgemaster, spellbombs and Furnace Celebration.

Round 2

I mulliganed and kept a hand of lands, Glint Hawk, Embersmith and Culling Dais. I pealed Myrsmith off the top and pulled ahead. After drawing a few cards of my Dais, he died to flyers carrying Darksteel Axe.

The second game wasn’t terribly exciting. My deck coughed up a few creatures and I chained Panic Spellbombs together forcing him to make terrible blocks and eventually winning with a swarm of dorks.

Round 3

First game I mulliganed a 1 land hand into lands, Shatter and both my Revoke Existences. I wasn’t too worried because I was on the draw. My opponent turned out to be a heavy artifact RUw deck so I was able to stall until my flyers arrived. A kicked Blade-tribe Berserkers and a spellbomb provided an unexpected lethal attack.

Game 2 I opened with Furnace Celebration but had few enablers. After cycling a spellbomb and sacrificing my Auriok Replica I played my Saberclaw Golem to stall the ground. Turns later I draw Culling Dais to deal the final 4 damage.

Next week: same time, same place.

Taylor Putnam
TPuttz on Twitter

 * BOOM! Semi-colon makes an appearance.