Pack 1 pick 1:
My Pick:
Can also see arguments for Savage Smash and Azorius Skyguard, but I currently am on a "lighting people on fire" kick.
Pack 1 pick 2:
My Pick:
This pack is struggling real hard to clear the "Take a Guildgate" bar.
Pack 1 pick 3:
My Pick:
After passing two Gateway Plazas, I'm much less interested in going into some monster Gate deck because someone will likely be competing for stray multicolored cards. That implies that if I'm Gruul, I'm fairly solid two color, at which point I think Silhana Wayfinder is the best pick.
Of the blue cards, I prefer Skitter Eel to Windstorm Drake because Drake's five cost overlaps with Chillbringer and Azorius Knight-Arbiter. Oddly, good fours are at a premium in this format.
I'm not actually sure if Silhana Wayfinder is worse than Skitter Eel, but I opted for the higher impact, better color pair (UW > GR) card with my earlier picks.
Pack 1 pick 4:
My Pick:
Again this pick looks like land versus spell, and the same logic applies where I don't want to take Gates because I think the more ambitious decks are cut off unless Gateway Plaza wheels. Having taken Skitter Eel I took Essence Capture, if I took Wayfinder last pick I would take Bolrac-Clan Crusher.
Pack 1 pick 5:
My Pick:
This time the rest of the pack is too medium, so on color Gate it is. Incubation // Incongruity is just a really last resort kill spell.
Pack 1 pick 6:
My Pick:
Cards in consideration are Simic Guildgate, Senate Courier, and Syndicate Messenger. With two good fours already I'm taking Senate Courier over Syndicate Messenger. I probably should have considered the Guildgate a bit more, but there aren't many good green splashes outside of the uncommon Sharktocrab. I also don't have any of the Bant nonsense payoffs like Dovin's Acuity, and I'm biased against many color because I'm unlikely to get a ton of good multicolor cards after passing good fixing.
Pack 1 pick 7:
My Pick:
Doom Blade! Not really, but it's a clear best card. There's also a light green signal, at which point I realize I haven't seen or taken many white cards and am open to switch.
I also didn't realize this at the time, but passing High Alert and Azorius Skyguard is a light reason to avoid Azorius as pack two is going to be dry.
Pack 1 pick 8:
My Pick:
Also still the best card.
Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick:
Vizkopa Vampire and Sagittar's Volley are also debateable, but I'm only committed to blue at this point.
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick:
Earlier light green signal makes me want to possibly audible to Simic, which only costs the Spirit of the Spires. Thought Collapse is good but replaceable, and I already have Essence Capture.
Pack 1 pick 11:
My Pick:
Humungulous is whatever, Territorial Boar might be a two drop I need if I go Simic from here.
Pack 1 pick 12:
My Pick:
Scuttlegator is a really effective card versus Gruul. Persistent Petitioners is a really medium idiot even when you want it.
Pack 1 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 1:
My Pick:
I'm not committed to abandoning Azorius, just open to it. Summary Judgment is just the best card here by enough I can't justify the fallback of Arrester's Admonition.
Pack 2 pick 2:
My Pick:
See last pick.
Pack 2 pick 3:
My Pick:
Nothing here comes remotely close, so it's time to dip into Simic. Pitiless Pontiff is better, but I'm barely even in white for a card that is best in heavy Orzhov.
Pack 2 pick 4:
My Pick:
If I'm Simic this lets me splash my two removal. If I'm Azorius I lose my 3rd four drop for good mana, so not a real loss.
Pack 2 pick 5:
My Pick:
There's the payoff. Solidly Simic-based Bant now.
Pack 2 pick 6:
My Pick:
Three drop over four drop for curve concerns. No fixing to Consume off of.
Pack 2 pick 7:
My Pick:
Third Azorius source locks up easily playing Frilled Mystic with our Summary Judgment and Lawmage's Binding, where as our other options are the third copy of an exploitable removal spell or yet another four drop.
Pack 2 pick 8:
My Pick:
We certainly aren't tempo Simic, which makes us big mana Simic where this card is fine.
Pack 2 pick 9:
My Pick:
Another three when we already have a Scuttlegator as a big doof.
Pack 2 pick 10:
My Pick:
Flawless mana, we can now even just go full Bant if we want.
Pack 2 pick 11:
My Pick:
Red fixing with an Open the Gates is two sources, which opens us up to mise rares or Gates Ablaze next pack. So much for "measured two color drafting".
Pack 2 pick 12:
My Pick:
A ticket is a ticket.
Pack 2 pick 13:
My Pick:
I have nowhere near enough Adapt or whatever for Wilderness Reclamation.
Pack 2 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 1:
My Pick:
Five tickets is five tickets. The "real Pro Tour" pick is Faerie Duelist slightly ahead of Simic Guildgate.
Pack 3 pick 2:
My Pick:
We are actual miles from Rakdos, the Showstopper, making the choice Sage's Row Savant or a Gate. I have two Slimebinds and Sauroform Hybrid at two mana, so Savant isn't required. Of the Gates this one both fixes for Frilled Mystic and keeps the Gruul splash dream alive.
Pack 3 pick 3:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 4:
My Pick:
Senate Courier has diminishing returns without High Alert, Applied Biomancy is just more interaction.
Pack 3 pick 5:
My Pick:
A solid two drop pickup. I don't have nearly enough creatures to Screaming Shield.
Pack 3 pick 6:
My Pick:
I have to actually win the game somehow, and I have so many Azorius sources my mana just works.
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick:
Gotta kill them somehow. Faerie Duelist is a better card, but I have four two drops and literally one high drop to win with, and I don't even have Clear the Mind loops. Screaming Shield is another kill condition but I have to think Sphinx of the Guildpact is better.
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick:
Gotta win somehow. Also gotta cut-pass the hell out of the person who took High Alert.
Pack 3 pick 9:
My Pick:
Don't need the third Steeple Creeper, so this comes down to Thought Collapse and Simic Guildgate, since this is my last chance at a counter and I have a bunch of Gates already I'm in for the actual interaction.
Pack 3 pick 10:
My Pick:
Free Gate!
Pack 3 pick 11:
My Pick:
Might sideboard this against other aura-removal heavy decks.
Pack 3 pick 12:
My Pick:
Don't need the third Prying Eyes, might want a random blocker versus all in Rakdos.
Pack 3 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 15:
My Pick:
Overall I think I ended up with a fine deck for my seat. The cards I saw were relatively low power, and at least this deck has some good cards, a lot of good exploits for bad opposing curves, and some things to do in an end game. I haven't played the rounds, and I don't expect a 3-0, but I wouldn't be surprised to 2-1 here.
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