Comments on: Limited Resources: Flashback Shards Block Draft #1

By: Dank

Dank — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 00:38:35 +0000

Mad props for the Bujold quote. Most underrated author of the last thirty years, imho.

By: JS Bangs

JS Bangs — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 17:17:16 +0000

Dat Progenitus….

I have to say, I don’t think I’ve ever actually rooted against you in one of your videos before, but in this round 2 I just couldn’t help myself. 5-color control for hard-casting the world hydra? Yes. OMG yes.

By: huffyhenry

huffyhenry — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 08:55:23 +0000

The type that needs to be faced, of course.

By: Gorkath

Gorkath — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 00:57:48 +0000

I just want someone to explain to me what type of pain in the face is good?

By: ChieftainWarrior

ChieftainWarrior — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 15:50:23 +0000

Alara is truly a miserable set, strangely though it isn’t because of the Shards so much as the fixing. There’s so much fixing in every color that good players have little incentive to not go 5 color control. The “responsible” players going three colors tend to stall on mana while the 5 color player is going off with every bomb they could touch. This was the first block of mythics and a real watermark for power creep in creatures.

In a match yesterday, this meant that my Jund deck lost to Karrthus taking my dragon (I had played my own bomb in Malfegor) and killing me in two swings. The opposition had done no damage to me at that point and had been by all appearances an Esper deck.

Though Alara looks very promising from a deckbuilding perspective, creatures are just good enough that most games end before any of the cool stuff can go down. Certain mechanics are amazing, such as Cascade, while others are downright parasitic. Devour always feels better than it works out, there’s just enough bounce to really hurt it (and anyone can play bounce if they want to). Usually if you can go suicide BR or derpy Naya, you can get in there before the opponent can really get their mana straight.

Marshall, thank you so much for mixing it up. Alara isn’t the greatest, but it is definitely different, which is always a good thing. Looking forward to Lorwyn/Shadowmoor, as those sets are some of the most fun to draft.

By: ChrisKool

ChrisKool — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 14:53:06 +0000

Am I the only person that read “The good face pain” as a subject and then got very confused upon realization of the following period?

I’ve heard (okay, I was watching LSV and Cheon draft, and they said) that trying to stick to GW or UW (exalted ahoy!) and then splashing or GB-based (hello Putrid Leech) 5c are good strategies- the key is getting mana support in the ALA pack and being able to take advantage of more powerful options in CON and ARB.

ALA Block showcases one of my favorite things in Limited: mana tension. (The need to prioritize picks based on the anticipated mana situation of a deck or taking cards to improve the mana situation over medium-to-high-impact cards.) Glad to see you doing one, Marsh, even if it was a bit uncomfortable!

By: Macray

Macray — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 13:54:05 +0000

This format seems miserable. With the 3-color combinations it seems like lacking playables and/or fixing is highly likely.

Interesting video, though I hope you don’t do it again :^)