Pack 1 pick 1:
The rares are both cards I consider playables. Geth is a monster, obviously, but I feel like his only home is in the Good Cards deck, as he doesn't work well with Infect creatures - of which black has plenty. With the aforementioned deck, I feel like you want to get your removal in place early, with the goal of leaving yourself as open as possible to make use of bombs you open, or are passed, later. I also think that that archetype is difficult to build and would be much more comfortable taking one of the removal spells in this pack. Arrest is a great removal spell in any deck, but I think Galvanic Blast is the better card. Red is the strongest colour in the set I think, and certainly has the deepest removal, and I don't want to pass any of it.
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 2:
Golem Artisan is a card a lot of people rate highly. In this pack he's up against Oxxida Scrapmelter, which is an easy pick for me following the Galvanic Blast. I think that the golem is a bit slow to be honest, as 5 mana is a lot in an early aggressive format, but I think he might rise in my estimation as the format settles down.
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 3:
More good red removal here in Turn To Slag, which is the third funniest card name in this set for me (after Tunnel Ignus and Necropede). Trigon of Corruption is pretty awesome and it's totally playable in a deck with no swamps, especially against Infect decks using Plague Stingers and Thrummingbirds, and Myr-based Metalcraft decks. Hippogriff, Ichorclaw Myr and Rusted Relic are too niche to consider against such strong removal spells. I decided to pass on the Turn to Slag as although it kills pretty much everything you need to kill in the set, it's a hard card to take if you're not already in Red, so I don't think it will send someone into the colour. Also it is only a common, so will be easier to get a copy of than Trigon of Corruption in future packs.
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 4:
The coloured options in this pack are weak for us. We aren't commited to Metalcraft enough to take the Berserkers or the Edgewright, so it comes down to the Myrs. I opted for the off-colour as I'd like to get into White a little if possible, plus it opens up Glint Hawk Idol if I go down a Metalcraft route but can't get into White.
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 5:
Ghalma's Warden, Vulshok Replica, Ferrovore and Invisimancer were my considerations here. I don't want to take a double blue card as my first step into the colour, and I don't think it's very strong in the set as proliferate isn't good enough yet to be anything more than a sideline synergy. I like Ghalma's Warden, but I also like Vulshok Replica and I guess it's important to get your artifacts early. In an ideal Rx Metalcraft deck, Ghalma's Warden doesn't make the cut for me.
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 6:
I feel like the Trigon of Rage, while good, is more of an Infect card. The same can be said for Untamed Might. For me it came down to Culling Dais and Sylvok Replica. I have no problem splashing for Replica if I can pick up a green myr or something, and it's decent removal. Culling Dais is one of the few ways to draw cards, but I'd rather just take some safe removal now as I'm not sure about the Dais. Green is also a fine colour to complement Red in a Metalcraft deck.
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 7:
Shape Anew might actually be fine as a removal spell, I'm not sure, but I think just taking the fatty with Trample in the colour we'd rather be in is better. He's really good with Replicas and Spellbombs too, and could have synergy with Ferrovore, Barrage Ogre or Furnace Celebration, which are all good cards in a RG Metalcraft deck.
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 8:
Carapace Forger is the only real option here.
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 9:
The Myr Galvanizer wheeling is pretty nice, as I wouldn't be thrilled playing anything else in this pack, except maybe Bladed Pinions, but equipment has to be really good and well costed for me to want to play it.
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 10:
Thought I'd take the Green one so I can splash something if need be.
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 11:
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Pack 1 pick 12:
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Pack 1 pick 13:
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Pack 1 pick 14:
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Pack 1 pick 15:
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Pack 2 pick 1:
Lots of strong cards in this pack. Glint Hawk, Glint Hawk Idol, Embersmith, Slice in Twain, Mimic Vat were the choices I was working with (discouting Replica as it is a worse Slice in Twain). From an objective point of view Slice in Twain is the strongest card, with Mimic Vat and Embersmith having more potential. I reckon Mimic Vat is a bit of a bomb, and costed cheaply enough to not cost me dearly if it turned out to be really bad. Slice in Twain would firmly commit me to green, which I am still on the fence about, so I take the Mimic Vat.
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 2:
True Conviction must be a gamewinner, but there's no way I'm taking it here with its manacost. Pretty sure that Viridian Revel is terrible. so I just go for the safe option and take a Myr.
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 3:
Furnace Celebration is a really sweet card which is most at home in a RW metalcraft deck. That being said, I think it's a niche strategy and I would rather pick it up late. Glint Hawk and Saberclaw Golem were my options here and I opted for the Golem for two reasons. The first is obvious - I'm not in White and I am in Red. I also think he's amazing against Infect decks, as First Strike is a hard to find ability in the set and is the only way to block Infect profitably.
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 4:
A late Arrest in my opinion and I am happy to take it. Nothing else in the pack comes close to it for our deck, as we can easily splash for it or just go into White if it is as mysteriously open as this pick suggests.
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 5:
OK, potentially just a ridiculous pack caused the Arrest to get that far around. Going back to the original game plan, I take Asceticism as it looks very powerful and I don't want to play too many Carapace Forgers.
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 6:
Auriok Sunchaser is certainly not what I want to go into white for. Tumble Magnet is a fine card in an aggro deck though, so I am happy to take it.
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 7:
Necrogen Censer is awesome with lots of Glint Hawks and Hippogriff, but it's not good for us. Panic Spellbomb is totally fine though. I really like falter effects and cycling is never bad.
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 8:
Can't say I want to waste coloured slots on guys like the Vulshok. I'd rather have the option of playing two spellbombs than have the Archers as a sideboard option.
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 9:
Well, well, well. This is a very late Glint Hawk in a pck of total trash.
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 10:
The safer pick is obviously the Ferrovore, but it's got horrible synergy with Metalcraft and is probably best in some sort of RU deck (or a Myrmaking based RW deck). I pick the Ghalma's Warden and cross my fingers that somehow White is do-able.
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 11:
This is exactly when I want to pick up Furnace Celebration. I think that it won't last for long though, as more people figure out how powerful and synergistic the card is.
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 12:
There's no way I'm playing a Darksteel Myr in this deck, probably not for this whole format if I can avoid it.
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 13:
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Pack 2 pick 14:
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Pack 2 pick 15:
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Pack 3 pick 1:
Like some sort of sign from above, I open a Myrsmith, a Vulshok Replica and blanks (for us). I take the Myrsmith and hide all my Green cards. Even if I only play Glint Hawk, Myrsmith and Arrest as the coloured cards, they're better than conditional bears.
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 2:
This was an interesting pick as I had never heard of Cerebral Eruption before. Reading it made it sound pretty incredible so I was certain I was going to take it. Had it not been in the pack I think I would have taken the Glider over the Turn to Slag as I want to maximise my artifact count now that I have a Myrsmith.
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 3:
Had I not just decided on White I might have taken the Perilous Myr here. That guy just makes combat horrible for your opponent. After the Myrsmith though, Glint Hawk Idol is the better pick I think.
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 4:
Mini-Myrsmith aka Origin Spellbomb was an easy choice here. Kemba's Skyguard is good but I'd rather keep things in single colour mana costs where possible, and I think the Skyguard demands stronger white and more fliers than we are packing.I think Flameborn Hellion is pretty awful - if I cast a 6drop in Scars it really needs to do more than 5 damage/get chumped.
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 5:
Ogre Geargrabber would be awesome if he had haste. As he does not I consider him to be basically unplayable. On the other hand, Copper Myr turns on our Replica and I'm never unhappy playing more Myr, especially now that Galvanizer is looking like he's making the cut.
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 6:
I was hoping for more twodrops to ensure our aggressive start. Perilous Myr is an excellent addition to a deck that is shaping up rather nicely.
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 7:
I could have taken the Rusted Relic here, but again it's a card that does nothing on its own and I'm not likely to make it to 16 quality artifacts. I don't need more mana myr, but the Spellbomb is a fine addition.
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 8:
Barrage Ogre gives the deck a little bit of reach and combos incredibly with Furnace Celebration should I decide to play it. If I had one or two more Glint Hawks I'd take the Censer.
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 9:
Nothing worth hating so I'll take the Soul Parry for the board. It can blow out infect decks with all their pump effects (or opposing Ferrovores!).
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Pack 3 pick 10:
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Pack 3 pick 11:
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Pack 3 pick 12:
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Pack 3 pick 13:
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Pack 3 pick 14:
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Pack 3 pick 15:
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Overall I was pretty happy with the way the deck turned out. I decided that the Ferrovore and Furnace Celebration would not be making the cut, as I wanted to play Glint Hawk, Myrsmith, Arrest, Ghalma's Warden, Galvanic Blast, Oxidda Scrapmelter, Cerebral Eruption and Barrage Ogre as my coloured spells, and couldn't cut any of them for Celebration as I wanted to max out on creatures. For the same reason I decided to play the Sylvok Replica over the second Panic spellbomb in the main deck. I thought that the spellbomb would be sub-par against some decks because of its niche ability, and the Replica didn't seem hard to splash.
The deck ended up looking like this:
Galvanic Blast
Oxidda Scrapmelter
Cerebral Eruption
Barrage Ogre
Glint Hawk
Myrsmith
Arrest
Ghalma's Warden
2 Origin Spellbomb
Panic Spellbomb
Gold Myr
Copper Myr
Iron Myr
Glint Hawk Idol
Perilous Myr
Sylvok Replica
Vulshok Replica
Myr Galvanizer
Tumble Magnet
Mimic Vat
Saberclaw Golem
8 Mountain
7 Plains
2 Forest
Round 1 Game 1 I kept an opener of Mountain, Forest, Origin Spellbomb, Copper Myr, Oxidda Scrapmelter, Cerebral Eruption and Barrage Ogre. Although this opening was not the most aggressive, it gave me access to a lot of power and enabled most of my draws, excepting white cards. My opponent Wanubi played a Culling Dais,and a Ferrovore while I built up some artifacts , inclding a Mimic Vat that I drew. Once I drew into a plains and made Ghalna's Champion, he had 2 Ferrovores and a Thrummingbird to go with his Dais. I whittled down his life with the Champion as he hung back, unsure of what to do. When he made an Etched Champion I went for it with Eruption but whiffed, revealing an Island. This still didn't buy him enough time to find metalcraft for his Champion, and his team died to Eruption revelaing Chrome Steed next turn, while he died the very same turn to his own Mimic Vat-ed Etched Champion.
I kept the Replica and Forests in for Game 2 as I guessed he had powerful counter-based artifacts since he was running Thrummingbird, but as it was I just rolled over him as he had a slow start and I had Spellbomb into Glint Hawk into Myrsmith, and I still had all these artifacts when he scooped.
Round 2 was against an Infect deck. Game 1 he faltered on 4 lands and with a Plague Stinger, Infiltration Lens and Trigon of Rage in play. Although I had a Glint Hawk Idol I could activate, I declared no blocks when he equipped and attacked, and he pumped into my Galvanic Blast, buying my Myrsmith-led team of 1/1s the time to get him low enough that he couldn't recover with an assault of his own. I made sure to play around Putrefax though, as I was on 5 poison counters.
I boarded out the Replica and forests this game, and brought in Furnace Celebration as another answer for his Tel-Jilad Fallen. He must have been tilted as he scooped while still on 12 life after I removed his first 3 threats.
I hadn't managed to see my finals opponent's deck, although I knew it was fast from the first round where he was 1-0 down after what seemed like a year and managed to win 2-1 in under 6 minutes. As it was he asked me to split and since I wanted to get the report started (OK, maybe I was just hungry) I agreed. First draft, first "3-0". Let's hope this keeps up! Maybe I'll even make the jump to 8-4 this season...
Thanks for reading! Please feel free to give feedback in the comments!
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