Hello everyone!
Hour of Devastation is now available and I know people want to learn how to draft this format, especially with all the Grand Prix and Pro Tour Kyoto coming up. So, I will making a series of draft articles about it.
Pack 1
Pick 1
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Let’s start with the rare, 《Ramunap Excavator》 is 2/3 for 3 that is average not great. It can be good in a ramp deck with cycling lands and other desert with a sacrifice effect but never great.
《River Hoopoe》 is really strong, 1/3 fly for 2 who can give you card advantage and gain life is just amazing.The only problem is the mana cost, picking a gold card as a first pick is always a little risky, you can do it when the card is a powerhouse or if nothing else in the pack is palatable.
I can see 2 strong commons in the pack, Unquenchable Thirst and 《Oketra's Avenger》. I like both of these cards but I am taking 《Oketra's Avenger》. It is the only white card in the pack and I expect the player on my left to go for the 《River Hoopoe》 which is the best card in the pack.
Pick 2
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《Overwhelming Splendor》 is a very strong card which can reduce the deck of your opponent to just a 40 cards decks full of lands and 《Memnite》‘s. But it is still 8 mana and It is mostly only good in a ramp deck, I already passed green cards to my left and I prefer to focus on an aggressive white deck. We can see the 2 – same commons as the first pack, no reason to pick anything else and I go for the second 《Oketra's Avenger》.
Pick 3
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This pack is full of good white cards, that is a good signal from the players on my right. I am not going to draft a zombie deck with my 《Oketra's Avenger》 so we can forget this 《Mummy Paramount》.
It is between 《Dauntless Aven》 and 《Vizier of the True》. The bird is really synergic with Exert abilities, white is full of exert creatures and I already have two. So, I went for 《Dauntless Aven》.
Pick 4
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A white rare here, but to be honest in limited 《Djeru, With Eyes Open》 looks like a poor common because you have a very low chance of getting a planeswalker. So, I can either go for a second color but I’m not enthusiastic with any of the possibilities here.
《Shefet Dunes》 is useful with creature cards which get bonuses when you have one desert. Also, the ability could be useful in the late game when it is difficult to attack against good blockers. I will play it for sure and this is not the case of the other cards.
Pick 5
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《Solitary Camel》 is one of this 3/2 for 3 that is not great but he gets lifelink if you control a desert. I just got one and lifelink is the best ability to stave off races. Your opponent really wants to kill it and will not hesitate to block it so that makes your combat tricks even better.
Pick 6
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No white cards in this pack, no choice so I choose a second color. I am playing an aggressive deck and 《Rhonas's Stalwart》 is clearly the best card in this pack for the kind of deck I am drafting now.
Pick 7
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《Solitary Camel》 and 《Steadfast Sentinel》. I think Steadfast is a control card, you want to trade it and bring it back. The 2/3 body is not strong enough for a 4 cc creature in an aggressive deck. It doesn’t help your previous creatures and the tempo you lost as playing it decreases the impact of any potential value you can get with. I will just pick a second Solitary Camel and take care about having some deserts in the deck.
Pick 8
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Nothing in the pack, I will just pick up a 《Desert of the Fervent》. If I am playing red as second colour I will play it for sure.
Pick 9
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The choice is not easy here. I know I am playing white but I’m not fixing of the second colour yet. 《Chandra's Defeat》 is a strong sideboard card but I am not sure to play red and also not sure to play against red decks. I will just pick 《Ifnir Deadlands》 which is a desert but also kind of a removal spell.
Pick 10 to 15
Pack 2
Pick 1
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It is pack 2 and I’m opening a white mythic card. 《Crested Sunmare》 is great if you can gain life and if possible, the turn it is coming into play. Lucky me, I already got 2 《Solitary Camel》 and deserts. It doesn’t help me to choose my second colour but It fixes the first one pretty well. Many white good commons are present in the pack, I can hope for a good pick 9.
Pick 2
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Only one white card in the pack and it is my 3rd 《Oketra's Avenger》. It will be unlikely to get the 《Shefet Dunes》 back pick 10 but not impossible.
Pick 3
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Ok this is a key moment in the draft, for the first time I have no white cards and great spells in other colours. 《Open Fire》 and 《Ambuscade》 are 2 removal spells with the same powerlevel. Now I have 1 great card in green and a desert and a 《Kindled Fury》 in red. With 3 《Oketra's Avenger》 I think 《Ambuscade》 is really strong and I will pick it.
Pick 4
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Oh, sorry not 3 but 4 《Oketra's Avenger》‘s. A second 《Open Fire》 in a row is coming from left, hard to pass it but the only thing I’m sure now is I am playing a white weenie deck.
Pick 5
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Easy pick, I need deserts in my deck and a white one is the best. 《Desert of the True》 is coming tap into play but I don’t have one drops so a small quantity of them will not be an issue.
Pick 6
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Ok let’s go for the 3rd 《Solitary Camel》. I am looking for removal and combat tricks to help them attack.
Pick 7
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Pick 7 《Abrade》 is just incredible, at this point nothing else is good for me in the pack.
Pick 8
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I am between GW and RW, I will not pick another black desert, I will just take another red card in case I will play a boros deck. 《Manticore Eternal》 is a decent high curve spell for an aggressive deck.
Pick 9
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Yes pick 9 and 《Dauntless Aven》 is coming back. My four 《Oketra's Avenger》 will not hesitate to exert. 《Resolute Survivors》 is also a good 3 drop but I am still not sure about my second color.
Pick 10 to 15
Pack 3
Pick 1
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If I am playing Boros 《Honored Crop-Captain》 is just amazing for my deck. But it is clearly not a safe pick and 《Unwavering Initiate》 is. I took the risk to pick the Boros card because it is more powerful in my deck but both picks are fine. Also, I had a feeling that red was not really drafted at the table.
Pick 2
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I don’t have zombies in my deck and this 《Binding Mummy》 don’t do anything more for me than a grizzly bear. I will continue to bet on the boros deck and pick this 《Cartouche of Zeal》 which is just what I am looking to help my Camels attack.
Pick 3
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With 4 3/1 creatures playable on turn 2 《Bloodlust Inciter》 is clearly a good card in my deck, at least the first one.
Pick 4
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《Djeru's Resolve》 does a good job aiding 《Solitary Camel》 but not that much for 《Oketra's Avenger》 who can already defend himself. 《Deem Worthy》 however is a powerful piece of removal.
Pick 5
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Wow, 《Trial of Zeal》 pick 5 after 《Deem Worthy》 pick 4, it looks like I choose the best second color I could. I already have a Red Cartouche to work with. This is amazing to get both in only one pack.
Pick 6
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And now 《Ahn-Crop Crasher》 pick 6. I just got 3 red uncommon in a row, each one is a strong first pick. My deck is really quite powerful at this point.
Pick 7
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Unfortunatly, not enough instant and sorcery in my deck for a 4th great red uncommon with 《Warfire Javelineer》. Instead I’m picking 《Djeru's Resolve》.
Pick 8
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An excellent card for the deck especially in an aggressive deck. 《Manticore of the Gauntlet》 is a decent body who can also help you to deal those last few points of damage.
Pick 9
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A second 《Manticore of the Gauntlet》 as top curve finisher. A second 《Manticore of the Gauntlet》 as top curve finisher.
Pick 10 to 15
Final Decklist
Round | Opp | Result |
Round 1 | Bant | 0-2 |
Round 2 | UG | 2-1 |
Round 3 | Jund Ramp | 2-0 |
4 deserts are the correct number. I want to play only 16 lands so I assume three 5 mana creatures is enough. I like to play 8 non-creatures cards who help my creatures get through in the boros deck.
It is generally because creatures are weak and have trouble against big blockers. If my opponent is playing lots of removal I would cut one for an additional creature.
Thank you for reading,
Jeremy DEZANI
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