So far, I have yet to see an AKH draft where U/B isn't completely underdrafted. I don't mind going U/B, as people keep passing me bombs and cyclers. Lifelink seems to be almost mandatory for the archetype, so I'm always happy to get a black cartouche. In the below deck, I was lucky to get the Archfiend passed in the third booster.
As for the Painted Bluffs, I enjoy their interaction with Naga Vitalist. Full greed on the splashes!
2-headed this Sunday, with my usual partner in crime. We built tricksy U/R with 3 (!) Thermo-Alchemists and a somewhat top-heavy G/W/r pile of bombs, which I got to play. We finished at 3-1, losing one round to bad mana on my partner's side. This is what I played:
Deus Ex in stealth mode was awesome. I also enjoy every other season of Path of Exile, Dawn of War II, Xcom and Darkest Dungeon (despite the occasional wish to flip a table because RNG).
Had a great prerelease. Finished at 4-1. Played a sweet RW deck featuring Thalia, Bruna and Assembled Alphas, splashing for Ulvenwald Mysteries for fun and profit (and clues clues clues!). MVP was 'that unfair card' (quote opponent). Got several 3-for-1s with it. Also allowed Thalia to take on that 6-toughness octopus thing and live to tell the tale.
Vine Ambush 1G
Instant (U)
Kicker G
Put a green 3/3 Plant creature token with reach onto the battlefield. At end of turn, sacrifice it unless Vine Ambush was kicked. Nature protects her own.
What makes me sweep about all this, is that now Innistrad is the 'Eldrazi plane', so we are bound to see them the next time we return to it.
Actually, we'll end up pretty much where Lovecraft draws up his stories, except that the elder god hangs out on the moon instead of the sunken city. In the future, I'd love to see some strange traders show up in Nephalia that take the occasional traveller to the moon to sacrifice them to their god (cats from Saturn optional).
So, I'm absolutely satisfied with the result, but the way could have been more awesome.
Grab that Magic Duels and start building. It's free, it can help you with deckbuilding when you're starting out and it's always available.
Play Limited. When you lose, ask your opponent for advice how to improve your deck. With time, you'll be able to better estimate the strengths and weaknesses of your cards, as well as noticing when you should go aggressive and when to hold back.
Best of all: find friends and play, play, play. If your opponents' decks are top tier, ask them if you can proxy some cards, so you can have a go at a top deck too, without having to get the cards right away.
After the first booster, I was solidly in blue, with the 'mill them with Fleeting Memories' plan already taking shape. I could have gone into black after picking up the Tormentor, but then, black dried up and I got some late white goodies like Shepherd and Silverstrike. Ended up splashing both for Mysteries and Visions, as the nonbasics would allow me to run Visions whithout actually needing Mountains, and green could be convenient to get an activation off Ongoing Investigation as well. I ended up siding the Visions out against the RB madness player with Call the Bloodline, but also finished a game with with the enchantment delivering the missing 2 damage.
Won half my games by attacking with flyers (especially when Odric hit the board) and tapping down stuff, half with first generating a stack of clues, then landing Fleeting Memories and turning the clue-pile into a deadly assault on my opponent's library.
MVPs: Ongoing Investigation + Erdwal Illuminator = so many clues!
Went through half of my box, the rest will probably be drafted with 3 friends next week-end. Looks really good so far. Got Mana Crypt, Karakas, Wasteland, Sylvan Library as well as foil Winter Orb (surprisingly valuable!) and Hymn to Tourach.
I also participated in a release draft and picked up a foil Toxic Deluge and a grand total of 7 reanimation spells. Made those white mages happy when I Victimized my Pacifism'd creatures for fun and profit.
Alara UnifiedWUBRG
Legendary Creature - Avatar (R)
Flying
Whenever you play a multicolored card, you get an experience counter.
At the end of your turn, scry X, where X is the number of experience counters you have, then draw a card.
6/6
Dune-Brood Battlemage RG
Creature - Sand Shaman [U]
Kicker XW and/or B
When Dune-Brood Battlemage enters the battlefield, if it was kicked with its XW kicker, put X 1/1 colorless Sand creature tokens onto the battlefield.
When Dune-Brood Battlemage enters the battlefield, if it was kicked with its B kicker, creatures you control gain haste and menace until end of turn.
2/2
As for the Painted Bluffs, I enjoy their interaction with Naga Vitalist. Full greed on the splashes!
1 Tah-Crop Skirmisher
1 Baleful Ammit
2 Hekma Sentinels
1 Gravedigger
1 Naga Oracle
1 Vizier of Many Faces
2 Shimmerscale Drake
1 Archfiend of Ifnir
2 River Serpent
1 Cryptic Serpent
1 Splendid Agony
1 Cartouche of Ambition
2 Wander in Death
1 Rags // Riches
1 Hieroglyphic Illumination
1 Floodwaters
1 Lay Claim
1 Nissa, Steward of Elements
7 Island
5 Swamp
1 Painted Bluffs
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Canyon Slough
Creature - Goblin
Sacrifice three Goblins: Destroy target Fish, Octopus, Kraken, Whale or Serpent.
2/1
"Here fishy fishy!"
I saw the picture in the school magazine and knew I HAD to get this game.
1 Sigardian Priest
1 Lambholt Pacifist
1 Ulvenwald Captive
1 Wild-Field Scarecrow
2 Ironclad Slayer
1 Backwoods Survivalists
1 Solitary Hunter
1 Ulrich of the Krallenhorde
1 Thalia's Lancers
1 Watcher in the Web
2 Ulvenwald Observer
1 Bruna, the Fading Light
1 Emrakul, the Promised End
1 Fork in the Road
1 Blessed Alliance
1 Bound by Moonsilver
1 Choking Restraints
1 Ulvenwald Mysteries
1 Nahiri, the Harbinger
2 Mountain
8 Forest
7 Plains
Achievement unlocked: Summon Emrakul with Nahiri in Limited.
Instant (U)
Kicker G
Put a green 3/3 Plant creature token with reach onto the battlefield. At end of turn, sacrifice it unless Vine Ambush was kicked.
Nature protects her own.
Actually, we'll end up pretty much where Lovecraft draws up his stories, except that the elder god hangs out on the moon instead of the sunken city. In the future, I'd love to see some strange traders show up in Nephalia that take the occasional traveller to the moon to sacrifice them to their god (cats from Saturn optional).
So, I'm absolutely satisfied with the result, but the way could have been more awesome.
I misread it as Elder Deep Friend. Considering it can hug 4 creatures at once, not too far off ...
Play Limited. When you lose, ask your opponent for advice how to improve your deck. With time, you'll be able to better estimate the strengths and weaknesses of your cards, as well as noticing when you should go aggressive and when to hold back.
Best of all: find friends and play, play, play. If your opponents' decks are top tier, ask them if you can proxy some cards, so you can have a go at a top deck too, without having to get the cards right away.
2 Erdwal Illuminator
2 Stitched Mangler
1 Spectral Shepherd
1 Bygone Bishop
1 Odric, Lunarch Marshal
1 Silent Observer
1 Inquisitor's Ox
2 Drownyard Explorers
1 Lamplighter of Selhoff
1 Expose Evil
1 Just the Wind
1 Ongoing Investigation
1 Fevered Visions
1 Ulvenwald Mysteries
2 Fleeting Memories
1 Silverstrike
1 Gone Missing
1 Stone Quarry
2 Forest
7 Island
6 Plains
P1P1: Erdwal Illuminator
P2P1: Elusive Tormentor
P3P1: Ongoing Investigation
After the first booster, I was solidly in blue, with the 'mill them with Fleeting Memories' plan already taking shape. I could have gone into black after picking up the Tormentor, but then, black dried up and I got some late white goodies like Shepherd and Silverstrike. Ended up splashing both for Mysteries and Visions, as the nonbasics would allow me to run Visions whithout actually needing Mountains, and green could be convenient to get an activation off Ongoing Investigation as well. I ended up siding the Visions out against the RB madness player with Call the Bloodline, but also finished a game with with the enchantment delivering the missing 2 damage.
Won half my games by attacking with flyers (especially when Odric hit the board) and tapping down stuff, half with first generating a stack of clues, then landing Fleeting Memories and turning the clue-pile into a deadly assault on my opponent's library.
MVPs: Ongoing Investigation + Erdwal Illuminator = so many clues!
Manarocks? Try Shattering Spree, Meltdown or Kataki, War's Wage.
Creatures? Toxic Deluge or Slice and Dice are great for taking out tiny critters.
Ramp spells? Stranglehold, Aven Mindcensor or Leonin Arbiter to stop them searching up more lands.
Also, Price of Progress can lead to people dying out of nowhere. Nice nonbasics you got there!
I also participated in a release draft and picked up a foil Toxic Deluge and a grand total of 7 reanimation spells. Made those white mages happy when I Victimized my Pacifism'd creatures for fun and profit.
Legendary Creature - Avatar (R)
Flying
Whenever you play a multicolored card, you get an experience counter.
At the end of your turn, scry X, where X is the number of experience counters you have, then draw a card.
6/6
Creature - Sand Shaman [U]
Kicker XW and/or B
When Dune-Brood Battlemage enters the battlefield, if it was kicked with its XW kicker, put X 1/1 colorless Sand creature tokens onto the battlefield.
When Dune-Brood Battlemage enters the battlefield, if it was kicked with its B kicker, creatures you control gain haste and menace until end of turn.
2/2