This week, we tackle another 4-Pack sealed event featuring no other than Return to Ravnica! This set has allowed for a very diverse take on the format with practically any type of deck configuration to be quite successful. More so for the type of deck that would normally fall short in a 6-Pack sealed format, a.k.a the Mill deck! Last week, we were witness to its power in full fury. But like a good friend of mine says, “Why live in the past? The is a vast future ahead of us…” Let us see what this new week brings us!
Deck Building and Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
I have to admit, this has been one of my favorite decks in this format. Looking back, the major round where I had great deal of issues with my plays would have to be the third and final round. I made some notes as to the plays that would have been more successful in my opinion, given the events from the opposing front would have unfolded in the same manner. The notes go as follow:
-Round 3, Game 1
- Viashino Racketeer, I should have pitched Utvara Hellkite. I didn’t even remotely have the lands to cast the dragon. In a sense, it was letting the cat out of the bag but at that point, it didn’t matter. Holding him in hand was not going to win us the game. Launch Party would have provided an out to a future problem.
- I should have casted Electrickery on Lotleth Troll when he played it. There are plenty of arguments against this line of play and I can respect them. My train of thought here is that it allows you pull out of his hand certain cards which the opponent might have planned to use to curve out or as part of his future lines of play. Instead of getting hit by an additional 2-4 damage later on, now is just an additional 1 damage. Thus buying us plays in order to pull the game through. Also, one less guy or two we have to kill.
- Going on the offense with the Viashino Racketeer, was a grave mistake. Keeping the rogue as a blocker, for the pesky troll, would have yield very positive outcomes. Let say we block and our opponent regens the troll, we combat with Launch Party on the troll sacrificing the rogue… SO LONG, TROLL!!! Other outcome would involve out opponent having to pitch 2 of his guys in order for the troll to live. Those are 2 guys we will not have to deal with.
- Now, worst play of this game. Attempting to Electrickery my opponent’s troll while he clearly left a Forest open. Not Quite sure what was going through my mind at this point. The mana could have been use more efficiently by launching away the racketeer party at Rakdos, Lord of Riots.
-Round 3, Game 2
- First thing is first, I shouldn’t have kept my opening hand. Too many arguments why not to keep it. I had already seen the power of my opponent’s deck. Besides that, a faster start could have sealed the deal with ease due to his slow start.
- Let us fast forward to turn 6. Our opponent attacks with a Rix Maadi Guildmage and a Perilous Shadow. I absolutely butcher the blocks. The right play, in my opinion, should have been to assign a goblin token to block each creature. This course of action would have yielded different lines of plays with unique consequent reactions. Some are as follow:
- Opponent pumps the shadow but doesn’t activate the -1/-1 ability of the guildmage on its own blocker. In this case, we would let damage resolve. Post combat, cast Electrickery on the Guildmage and make the shadow pay the Ultimate Price!
- Opponent pumps shadow and uses the guildmage’s ability to -1/-1 its blocker. We would respond buy casting Ultimate Price on Perilous Shadow. Here we would hope our opponent misses the -1/-1 activation on the shadow’s blocker. If so, we have two goblin blockers. If not, we still got one blocker to buy us some time.
Given we would have been able to keep the one blocker; it would have served as perfect fodder to launch an attack on the Tenement Crasher while still blocking the Guildmage. There is even a good chance he would not have attacked with the Guildmage given that Crasher would have tapped him out, thus leaving the Guildmage vulnerable to our Trickeries! I strongly believe that these alternate lines of play would have allowed us to find an answer to deal with the Guildmage. At worst, would have allowed us to cast Utvara Hellkite and fight back!
I had a great time this week and definitely look forward to next week’s article. This has greatly benefited my gameplay and hope it is at least serving a purpose to you!
Till next time, I bid farewell…
Follow Us!