Post by RoaringPossum on Feb 20, 2006 20:07:55 GMT -5
Here is my Guildpact advice, including my pick orders for Guildpact commons, after participating in the beta program for 4 weeks, and ending with about a 1640 rating, so I win more than I lose, but I'm not all that either. In each guild, I broke it down into three groups, with the good stuff that gets you excited to be going after that guild, followed by the core cards that will make up the rest of your deck, and lastly the ones that you hope you don’t have too many of in your deck. There aren’t too many awful commons, most any common is decent enough to run in a deck, except for Benediction of Moons. The really bad cards are more at Rare and Uncommon.
In GGG draft, people tended to stick to one guild, so if you can pick up on an under drafted guild, you should do well. I occasionally saw a RUG deck, that is the most likely 3 color combination.
For sealed, the most likely colors you will see are GWB and GWR since those cover 3 guilds so you can use the best cards from all three. You can count on Forestwalk being useful. The signets are even more important, speeding up your ability to cast bigger spells, and also helping cover 3 color (or more) mana bases. I saw a number of 4 and even 5 color sealed decks, and with enough dual lands and signets, I think you can make a case for some pools going with 4 colors. There are enough good enchantments that you will want enchantment removal, most notably Pillory of the Sleepless, which I saw win games almost on its own. Don’t undervalue the Rusalka, the Black, Red, and Blue ones are all good, if nothing else to get your creatures out from under a Pillory.
Let me know if you want any more details, and feel free to debate my pick order in this thread.
Orzhov
Pillory of the Sleepless
Douse in Gloom
Ostiary Thrull
Blind Hunter
Shrieking Grotesque
Mourning Thrull – gives a nice start to the mana curve, pecking away at the life total
Absolver Thrull
Ghost Warden
Orzhov Signet
Orzhov Basilica
Guardian’s Magemark – best of the Magemarks, was beaten in one draft by someone who ran a bunch of Magemarks
Restless Bones – other seem to have this lower, better in Sealed than in draft since Izzet will fly over him and Gruul will trample over him, but still useful for stalling the ground
Poinsonbelly Ogre – extra fun with Hunted creatures in Sealed
Skyrider Trainee
Castigate
Orzhov Euthanist
Cry of Contrition
Lionheart Maverick
Withstand – didn’t really try it, but it replaces itself so its not a bad card to run if you have some good fragile creatures
Necromancer’s Magemark
Cremate – can be a decent sideboard card vs Izzet, better in sealed against Dredge
Benediction of Moons – never ever ever
Izzet
Pyromatics – have to draft this high, Gruul will want it to, although I didn’t see Gruul decks taking it as high as I thought they should
Steamcore Weird
Wee Dragonauts
Izzet Chronarch
Torch Drake
Ogre Savant – always bounces something useful, either an opponent’s blocker, something that’s enchanted, or your creatures with comes into play effects
Repeal
Train of Thought – were coming around late in drafts, but I loved them for pumping Wee Dragonauts and keeping the hand full
Leap of Flame
Izzet Signet
Izzet Boilerworks
Petrahydrox – works well if you have effects that can target it so it won’t die, can be a complete bust if you opponent has the ability to target it at will
Wild Cantor
Runeboggle
Crystal Seer – works well when you have enough mana to bring it back to your hand to save it in combat, but that takes too much mana to usually be worth it
Infiltrator’s Magemark – can usually get through with flying instead
Gigadrowse
Fencer’s Magemark
Gruul
Pyromatics
Streetbreaker Wurm
Wildsize – great combat trick, replaces itself, helps trigger Bloodthrist
Scab-Clan Mauler
Ghor-Clan Savage
Silhana Starfletcher – you need an answer to fliers
Gruul Scrapper
Tin Street Hooligan
Silhana Ledgewalker – good Bloodthirst enabler
Burning-Tree Bloodscale
Gruul Signet
Wild Cantor
Bloodscale Prowler
Gruul Nodorog
Gruul Turf
Fencer’s Magemark
Beastmaster’s Magemark
Skarrgan Pit-Skulk
In GGG draft, people tended to stick to one guild, so if you can pick up on an under drafted guild, you should do well. I occasionally saw a RUG deck, that is the most likely 3 color combination.
For sealed, the most likely colors you will see are GWB and GWR since those cover 3 guilds so you can use the best cards from all three. You can count on Forestwalk being useful. The signets are even more important, speeding up your ability to cast bigger spells, and also helping cover 3 color (or more) mana bases. I saw a number of 4 and even 5 color sealed decks, and with enough dual lands and signets, I think you can make a case for some pools going with 4 colors. There are enough good enchantments that you will want enchantment removal, most notably Pillory of the Sleepless, which I saw win games almost on its own. Don’t undervalue the Rusalka, the Black, Red, and Blue ones are all good, if nothing else to get your creatures out from under a Pillory.
Let me know if you want any more details, and feel free to debate my pick order in this thread.
Orzhov
Pillory of the Sleepless
Douse in Gloom
Ostiary Thrull
Blind Hunter
Shrieking Grotesque
Mourning Thrull – gives a nice start to the mana curve, pecking away at the life total
Absolver Thrull
Ghost Warden
Orzhov Signet
Orzhov Basilica
Guardian’s Magemark – best of the Magemarks, was beaten in one draft by someone who ran a bunch of Magemarks
Restless Bones – other seem to have this lower, better in Sealed than in draft since Izzet will fly over him and Gruul will trample over him, but still useful for stalling the ground
Poinsonbelly Ogre – extra fun with Hunted creatures in Sealed
Skyrider Trainee
Castigate
Orzhov Euthanist
Cry of Contrition
Lionheart Maverick
Withstand – didn’t really try it, but it replaces itself so its not a bad card to run if you have some good fragile creatures
Necromancer’s Magemark
Cremate – can be a decent sideboard card vs Izzet, better in sealed against Dredge
Benediction of Moons – never ever ever
Izzet
Pyromatics – have to draft this high, Gruul will want it to, although I didn’t see Gruul decks taking it as high as I thought they should
Steamcore Weird
Wee Dragonauts
Izzet Chronarch
Torch Drake
Ogre Savant – always bounces something useful, either an opponent’s blocker, something that’s enchanted, or your creatures with comes into play effects
Repeal
Train of Thought – were coming around late in drafts, but I loved them for pumping Wee Dragonauts and keeping the hand full
Leap of Flame
Izzet Signet
Izzet Boilerworks
Petrahydrox – works well if you have effects that can target it so it won’t die, can be a complete bust if you opponent has the ability to target it at will
Wild Cantor
Runeboggle
Crystal Seer – works well when you have enough mana to bring it back to your hand to save it in combat, but that takes too much mana to usually be worth it
Infiltrator’s Magemark – can usually get through with flying instead
Gigadrowse
Fencer’s Magemark
Gruul
Pyromatics
Streetbreaker Wurm
Wildsize – great combat trick, replaces itself, helps trigger Bloodthrist
Scab-Clan Mauler
Ghor-Clan Savage
Silhana Starfletcher – you need an answer to fliers
Gruul Scrapper
Tin Street Hooligan
Silhana Ledgewalker – good Bloodthirst enabler
Burning-Tree Bloodscale
Gruul Signet
Wild Cantor
Bloodscale Prowler
Gruul Nodorog
Gruul Turf
Fencer’s Magemark
Beastmaster’s Magemark
Skarrgan Pit-Skulk
