The LiquidLegends Lounge - Page 1544

Blue:
- 2x Select for Inspection
- 2x Aether Theorist, Aether Meltdown
- Vedalken Blademaster, Aether Tradewinds
- Weldfast Wingsmith, Malfunction

Green:
- 2x Attune with Aether, Take Down, Ornamental Courage
- Longtusk Cub, Kujar Seedsculptor, Durable Handicraft
- 2x Thriving Rhino, Highspire Artisan
- Riparian Tiger
- 2x Cowl Prowler

Others:
- 2x Whirler Virtuoso
- Decoction Module
- Weldfast Monitor, Whirlermaker, Renegade Freighter, Dynavolt Tower
- 2x Dukhara Peafowl
- 2x Self-Assembler
- 2x Spirebluff Canal

Here's what I built:
+ Show Spoiler +

7 people
G ended up slightly overdrafted and R probably underdrafted, thanksfully the Green pool tonight was aburd.

I opened Dynavolt Tower and decided to try it since it's P1P1 and I can build around it... and I receive Whirler Virtuoso for my 2nd pick.
At that point I think I'll want to be G anyway because UR sucks and G gives energy and the fixing to splash Virtuoso, but the pack also has Nature's Way, Rhino, and another good G creature so I know a neighbour will try to go green because of Nature's Way.
I let go of an Era of Innovation despite how amazingly it fits with my first picks because I expect such a situational card in an unpopular colour (I think all my U drafts were thursdays, most regular seem to avoid it, maybe unconsciously). It won't wheel.
Starting pick 5 or 6 I start cutting G as hard as I can and pray my neighbours will get the memo and switch out (they won't).

Then pack 2 I consolidate myself with a bunch of decent stuff, including a 2nd Self-Assembler, 2nd Whirler Virtuoso, the Whirlermaker to grind harder, the Decoction Module (that's only then that I realise Era didn't wheel... I'm tired), Attune... I also pick Freighter because although I don't see myself as that aggressive, I don't want to play against it and there's not much competition with it in my colours.
Pack 3 will have an early pack with Cub, Architect of the Untamed, Arborback Stomper, another G card... really? I sigh because pack 2 told me I wouldn't wheel any of these. Went with Cub 'cause it's dumb and wins a game better than turn 6 6/6. Then I get another rhino, ornamental courage, durable handicraft... and the beatdown route seems more likely than grinding with flying tokens.

Going from me and to the left, players are:
- UGr energy virtuoso
- GW
- some mix of UGW (G because of early packs, U because of Aethersquall Ancient early pack 2, W to salvage I guess... all 3 wrong. He finished last.)
- BG counters, with Oviya, Chief of the Foundry, Durable Handicraft... welp
- UR energy, guy started late in EMN and isn't a fan of KLD because of how punishing it is
- BW artifacts
- BR aggro (he picked Syndicate Trafficker P1P1 to send us in Green, his neighbour passed Scrapheap Scrounger to him, had multiple Welding Sparks, Cultivator's Caravan, Daredevil... yeah.)

We actually opened 4x Virtuoso and 4x Self-Assemblers between us 7. Not bad uh... too bad the 3rd Virtuoso never reached me and the Era didn't wheel, I'd prob have built differently then.

Match 1: bye
I use it to finish my build because the last few cuts are hard for me, and goldfish a bit to evaluate my deck... first sign that my luck tonight is terrible: less than half my hands can actually do stuff on turn 3, I keep getting Attune w/o forests or 2 lands and none to find (even with a Theorist scry on upkeep), and even less can do stuff on turn 4... my curve's low and I have 2 Attune to make up for only 16 lands, geez.
I also realise that I'm the only removal-less deck at the table tonight, which gets very scary because without snowballing an energy creature or combo-ing with virtuoso I don't do much.

Match 2, vs BW artifacts
They drew the previous round so my breakers will be terrible anyway.
I also know he's got stuff like Cataclysmic Gearhulk which... my engine isn't really equipped to deal with.

Game 1 he out-tempos me with removal (including Fairgrounds Warden on a Rhino) so I decide to slow down since there's no way I can kill him before he wrecks my board with Gearhulk if I overextend, despite having a decent hand (Theorist, Virtuoso, etc.). I rebuild slowly, we both have 2x Self-Assemblers and play a bit on that, while he waits for his 2nd plains which takes to come down.
Once it's there (and a bit sad that I had to burn Malfunction and Meltdown earlier, to blank Daredevil and a Rush of Vitality respectively), I offload Rhino, Cub, a Virtuoso and another Theorist, keep scrying, and after a big of back and forth turn my energy into 4 tokens because he's got no air defense and I know he'll abue tricks to beat me ont he ground.
A scry reveals Durable Handicraft, I don't have the mana to play+sac it ths turn so I can't finish him, but I hold back enough thopters for a 2-turn clock while surviving an alpha strike. The precaution pays off when he doesn't attack with everything, letting me not block with the thopter so if he has a flyer to play post-combat I still have lethal.

Game 2 is me mulliganing, and getting no gas despite scrying a bunch. I try to use Decoction Module to block+bounce (he's got a Daredevil and a Broker so either are bad for me to trade with) but he himself draws a mix of lands and gas so he develops his board and I don't.
I switch out a forest for a mountain after noticing that I only put the fastlands as R sources and Attune can't fetch them. Brainfart, tired. And while my opponent shuffles my deck he notices a damaged sleeve. But considering the corner of the card is damaged too and it was fine before the match, it's prob him being too rough and destroying an old fragile sleeve.

Game 3 is more of the same, this time I get Seedsculptor -> Freighter -> Rhino but it's not enough because he goes Broker -> Daredevil again, and then B puzzleknot + Foundry Screecher, and I'm mana screwed at 3.
I didn't play much tonight...

Match 3 vs UR energy
At this point, I'm out of contention for the Spirebluff Canals anyway, since my r2 opponent is 1st if he wins, and if he loses the r1 opponent of the other finalist, who crushes his opponent with Oviya+Handicraft+Chief of the Foundry draws and thus goes 2-1, will be 2nd.
My opponent is still somewhat fresh (basically 2-3 months of infrequent drafts, top) and is on the worst colour pair while I play Cub turn 2 twice. The silver lining is that I'm on the draw both games... but Weldfast Wingsmith hits in the air frequently when you manage to get to Self-Assembler, then pour energy into your Virtuoso once you've ran out and Cub won't go big enough to punch through anyway.
Plus he drew a bunch of lands at the end of game 1 and got screwed at 3 mana game 2. I had mana issues myself both games and need Theorist to help me get my 3rd land on game 2.

I end up 2-1 and because my r2 opponent lost, he's now 4th while I'm 2nd.
Since Cataclysmic Gearhulk isn't worth anything and I've already got one, I pick Dovin Baan... which I own twice, but meh. I doubt he'll ever be a 3-of in Standard but maybe I'll manage to trade him.

Sadly his plus is weak in EDH and he doesn't have much loyalty to sustain a minus usage, I'd probably have slotted him somewhere otherwise.