Draft Report - Feb 12, 2011

- Jão (BR Midrange) 4-0, 8-1
- Zaca (G Aggro) 3-1, 7-3
- Thomas (UR) 1-3, 4-7
- Naka (UB Milling/Proliferate) 1-3, 3-6
- Érico (WR Aggro) 1-3, 2-7


BR Midrange
Jão

10 Swamp
7 Mountain
Keldon Megaliths

Goblin Bushwacker
Cabal Interrogator
Nezumi Graverobber
Fallen Askari
Fire Imp
Royal Assassin
Nyxathid
Blazing Specter
Necrotic Ooze
Precursor Golem
Ob Nixilis, the Fallen
Sengir Nosferatu
Duplicant

Brittle Effigy
Genju of the Spires
Raven's Crime
Animate Dead
Rend Flesh
Blightning
Phyrexian Processor
Bituminous Blast
Profane Command

A midrange deck that uses disruption to control the early game then casts 4 and 5 cost spells that unbalance the game. Ob Nixilis, the Fallen, Precursor Golem, Bituminous Blast and Profane Command played well that role, while Blightning, Raven's Crime and Cabal Interrogator both fueled Nyxathid and made the opponent's life miserable. Despite the aggressive Genju of the Spires, Goblin Bushwackes and Fallen Askari, this deck does not play beatdown well, as too many spells are expensive. The early pressure acts as a way to push the opponent into a defensive posture and as bait to force him to spend some answers of the smaller threats.


G Aggro
Zaca

15 Forest
Pendelhaven
Khalni Garden

Signal Pest
Memnite
Basking Rootwalla
Jungle Lion
Twinblade Slasher
Joraga Treespeaker
Birds of Paradise
River Boa
Vinelasher Kudzu
Ohran Viper
Terastodon

Manriki-Gusari
Explorer's Scope
Infiltration Lens
Vines of Vastwood
Genju of the Cedars
Explore
Evolution Charm
Kodama's Reach
Snakeform
Might of Oaks
Desert Twister
Strength of the Tajuru

An aggressive deck that deploys creatures at an explosive rate at the beginning of the game and uses a suite of equipment and combat tricks to make them matter. Infiltration Lens, especially, excelled at refuelling the deck, while Vines of Vastwood, Snakeform, Might of Oaks and Strength of the Tajuru made sure the deck won any combat steps. The creature suite is typical of a Stompy except for Terastodon, which acted as finisher and could come online early thanks to all the accelerators.



UB Milling Proliferate
Naka

8 Swamp
8 Island
Crumbling Necropolis

Brass Man
Enclave Cryptologist
Thrummingbird
Seagate Oracle
Dusk Urchins
Ambassador Laquatus
Core Prowler
Nekrataal
Shriekmaw
Djinn of Wishes

Shriekhorn
Mana Vault
Brainstorm
Millstone
Jace's Erasure
Rhystic Study
Recoil
Screams from Within
Serrated Arrows
Barter in Blood
Control Magic
Chimeric Mass
Decree of Pain

A deck that's much more fun than efficient. The milling suite is composed of Ambassador Laquatus, Shriekhorn, Millstone and Jace's Erasure. It may seem little, and it is - I would have killed for an Archive Trap or Traumatize. In several games I died with the opponent at less than 10 cards remaining in the library, so one of those spells would've been sweet.

Besides milling the opponent, half of the deck is dedicated to control. I found Barter in Blood and Screams from Within a little awkward to play, but there were situations in which they were invaluable. Decree of Pain is expensive but when I resolved one, I usually won. Recoil was just bad, as I never hit an opponent with an empty hand, and the discard did not matter that much. Control Magic is just awesome.



The best feature in the deck, though, was the proliferatable cards that Thrummingbird and Core Prowler helped fuel. Core Prowler itself was a source of -1/-1 counters, while Enclave Cryptologist, Dusk Urchins, Djinn of Wishes, Shriekhorn and Chimeric Mass were all helped by the proliferate. The best combo was Thrummingbird with Serrated Arrows. The arrows dumped -1/-1 counters that could be proliferated, and at the same time was refueled with arrow counters.