Anyway, on to the draft. This draft was pretty confusing for me. The packs didn't turn out as I thought they would because the red ended up being pretty weak in pack 3, where it is supposed to be pretty strong, despite a very nice pack 1. Also, despite mono red being the most popular archetype among pros I have very little experience drafting it, so I am not able to easily make decisions between some cards, as will be evident in the later picks.
Pack 1 Pick 1
Puca's Mischief is a good card, especially if you can pick it first and then tailor your deck to abusing it by picking up a lot of creature enchantments to "trade" to your opponent for their creatures. The trick is that creature enchantments like the hybrid auras and Curse of Chains continue to function as normal regardless of their controller, so when you trade your Shield of the Oversoul for your opponent's Ram-Gang you are getting all kinds of card advantage.
Anyway, despite prime positioning for drafting the Mischief deck, I can't pass up a Flame Javelin, which is extremely powerful in a red deck and merely very good in decks without red.
Pick :Flame Javelin
Pack 1 Pick 2
I like Curse of Chains and the u/w Duo, but Power of Fire is one of the best commons in Shadowmoor, thanks to all of the untap creatures. That being said, I think that in a really dedicated mono red aggro deck Giant Baiting is the better card because mono red has better things to do with it's creatures; namely attacking or conspiring Burn Trail and Giant Baiting. Still, it is early in the draft and I don't know if the mono red deck will come together so I take Power.
Pick :Power of Fire
Pack 1 Pick 3
Despite limited knowledge, I do know a few things about what makes the red deck tick, and the r/g Duo is one of them. Because the red aggro deck works by casting a lot of low casting cast red spells this guy will often attack for 3, 4, and sometimes 5 damage. His interaction with Flame Jab is very good and downright sickening if you have a Pyromancer on the table.
As for the other picks here, namely the Steel and the Augur, if I had to choose I would definitely pick the Steel. Augur is, honestly, just not that strong. He is a 2/2 with no evasion and so, in all likelihood, he isn't going to be connecting that often. Obviously if you cast a Steel on him you are in for some good times, but that is true of casting a Steel on just about anything, including that 1/1 flash guy.
Pick :Tattermunge Duo
Pack 1 Pick 4
The packs have been pretty weak outside of u/w cards, but I'm happy to pick up the Raiders.
Pick :Mudbrawler Raiders
Pack 1 Pick 5
I can't tell if this is a late Baiting or not, but I do know that it is one of the stronger cards in the pack, so I'm probably in the right colors.
Pick :Giantbaiting
Pack 1 Pick 6
Spiteflame Witch is definitely worth splashing a few swamps for in a mono red aggro deck and there just isn't much else in the pack.
Pick :Spiteflame Witch
Pack 1 Pick 7
There is nothing in this pack for any color. Still, Traitor's Roar can come in out of the board as a combination Ember Gale/Burn Trail against green fatty decks.
Pick :Traitor's Roar
Pack 1 Pick 8
Maybe I am r/b? I take Gravelgill Duo but am not too excited about it.
Pick :Gravelgill Duo
Pack 1 Pick 9
Ummmm, I'm not sure why all this tabled. Kindler seems like a pretty key creature in red aggro, and if I pick up an Ashenmoor Gouger or Scuzzback Marauders next pack things will get ugly. It also seems pretty obvious that red is underdrafted because I took the Javelin out of this pack and nothing else with red in the top right got picked up.
Pick :Sootstoke Kindler
Pack 1 Pick 10
The packs are pretty weak after this and there isn't anything of note.
Pick :Helm of the Ghastlord
Pack 1 Pick 11
Rattleblaze Scarecrow, Mine Excavation, Spell Syphon, Inescapable Brute, Splitting Headache
Pick :Rattleblaze Scarecrow
Pack 1 Pick 12
Disturbing Plot, Nurturer Initiate, Mistveil Plains, Greater Auramancy
Pick :Greater Auramancy
Pack 1 Pick 13
Nurturer Initiate, Aphotic Wisps, Madblind Mountain
Pick :Aphotic Wisps
Pack 1 Pick 14
Blazethorn Scarecrow, Emberstrike Duo
Pick :Emberstrike Duo
Pack 1 Pick 15
Inescapable Brute
Pick :Inescapable Brute
Pack 2 Pick 1
At this point I still had the idea that I might be r/b, so I picked the Banshee. If there had been something like Gouger or Ram Gang I probably would have picked that, but there wasn't anything in red strong enough to tempt me away from the Banshee.
Pick :Midnight Banshee
Pack 2 Pick 2
I'm pretty sure Burn Trail is more important than Rosheen, but I'm honestly not sure.
Pick :Burn Trail
Pack 2 Pick 3
This was an easy pick.
Pick :Puncture Bolt
Pack 2 Pick 4
I know the Cohort is important, but I'm guessing that Duo is even better, for all the reason I enumerated earlier. The missing card was a Howl.
Pick :Tattermunge Duo
Pack 2 Pick 5
My curve seems pretty high for the standard red deck, but how do you argue with Kulrath pick 5?
Pick :Kulrath Knight
Pack 2 Pick 6
I don't know. Scar is probably a good card in red aggro because it can clear blockers and whatnot, but Cragganwick is a 5/4 for 4! After playing in the draft, I think I made the right call, and I won at least 1 game by giving this guy haste with the Kindler.
Pick :Cragganwick Cremator
Pack 2 Pick 7
I don't have very many three drops and Arsonists will have to do.
Pick :Boggart Arsonists
Pack 2 Pick 8
Probably one of the best reasons to play red aggro is that most of the cards you really want, like Initiate and Cohort, are neglected by everyone else because they are really terrible in most decks.
Pick :Intimidator Initiate
Pack 2 Pick 9
Still not too happy, but I'll probably end up playing him.
Pick :Boggart Arsonists
Pack 2 Pick 10
This was probably the hardest decision of the draft. At this point I don't have many two drops, although I know I can probably get some mimics in Eventide. I don't know how important 1 drops are in the aggro deck, so I have no idea how to rate the Scrapper, although I know he combos well with my Power of Fire. Finally, there is Scar, which will help shore up my to this point poor removal, consisting of Javelin, Bolt and Initiate. I was really stumped and ended up just picking removal because you can never go wrong with removal.
Pick :Scar
Pack 2 Pick 11
Smash is pretty good out of the side.
Pick :Smash to Smithereens
Pack 2 Pick 12
Much like Ember Gale, although this might make it main deck.
Pick :Ember Gale
Pack 2 Pick 13
Blistering Dieflyn, Bloodshed Fever, Umbral Mantle
Pick :Blistering Dieflyn
Pack 2 Pick 14
Smolder Initiate, Strip Bare
Pick :Smolder Initiate
Pack 2 Pick 15
Bloodshed Fever
Pick :Bloodshed Fever
Pack 3 Pick 1
Not a difficult pick at all. I was hoping for a Puncture Blast in pack 1, but Bandit is pretty good as well, helping to put through the last points of damage against players who think they have stabilized the board.
Pick :Noggle Bandit
Pack 3 Pick 2
Jab is definitely a key card in this deck type. It often functions as a 2 damage burn spell by comboing with Pyromancer or Duo, and also helps activate Initiate every turn, which generally ends up pushing through a lot of damage.
Pick :Flame Jab
Pack 3 Pick 3
I tend to think that Heartlash Cinder is pretty bad, and the Mimic has the potential to be very good depending on the rest of Eventide. I was pretty shocked by how strong the green cards are in this pack.
Pick :Riverfall Mimic
Pack 3 Pick 4
At this point I was very disappointed in the quality of red cards. Based on pack 1 I should not be picking up Clouts pick 4.
Pick :Clout of the Dominus
Pack 3 Pick 5
Finally, a Pyromancer. Pyromancer is another one of those cards that is bad in every deck except mono red aggro. The green is also still very strong.
Pick :Cinder Pyromancer
Pack 3 Pick 6
Nothing. I really don't understand how the red is being cut while the Shorecrasher Mimic is making it around.
Pick :Helix Pinnacle
Pack 3 Pick 7
Assailant is OK but that Elder is SO late.
Pick :Duergar Assailant
Pack 3 Pick 8
I hope I don't have to play this guy, but I'm pretty sure I will.
Pick :Heartlash Cinder
Pack 3 Pick 9
this was probably the second strongest red card in the pack I opened and took Bandit out of, so I think the packs might just been really weak for red.
Pick :Noggle Bridgebreaker
Pack 3 Pick 10
Pick :Clout of the Dominus
Pack 3 Pick 11
Wow that is a late Conception.
Pick :Savage Conception
Pack 3 Pick 12
Pick :Slippery Bogle
Pack 3 Pick 13
This Hedge-Mage, while usually pretty weak, is actually really good for me because he can activate Mimic and squeeze through 2 extra damage.
Pick :Noggle Hedge-Mage
Pack 3 Pick 14
Odious Trow, Antler Skulkin
Pick :Antler Skulkin
Pack 3 Pick 15
Pick :Merrow Bonegnawer
Overall the draft was pretty disappointing. I was hoping for a much stronger pack 3, but the deck turned out decently.
I ended up winning the tournament, although I have to admit my opponents had some pretty bad draws.
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