[MTG] MSS Draft 1 - Picks and Discussion

[DonRoyale]

So this is my first Besieged Draft. I noticed that my Scars draft from a few months ago was quite popular, so I thought I'd give you another draft to tear apart. Enjoy!

Pack 1 Pick 1:

Creeping Corrosion -
Into the Core
Lead the Stampede
Gruesome Encore
Crush
Caustic Hound
Phyresis
Pistus Strike
Serum Raker
Gust-Skimmer
Tangle Mantis
Flayer Husk
Phyrexian Rager
Razorfield Rhino
Island

So I open the first pack of Besieged. The cards I'm looking at in this pack are the sweet rare I've opened, Into the Core, which is great removal, Lead the Stampede, which is great card advantage, Flayer Husk, which is a great early beater and fantastic in metalcraft decks, and Phyrexian Rager, which is a solid creature. The rare I've opened thankfully doesn't lock me into Infect, but the color really does. There are no (good) Infect cards in this pack, so I'm not locking the guy to my left into Infect. I take the rare, even though it's a completely dead card sometimes. Hoping to pick up Core Prowlers, Perilous Myrs and Necropedes like nobody's business.

Pack 1 Pick 2:

Lead the Stampede
Go For the Throat
Flesh-Eater Imp -
Koth's Courier
Priests of Norn
Turn the Tide
Vivisection
Flayer Husk
Spin Engine
Leonin Skyhunter
Concussive Bolt
Burn the Impure
Mountain
FOIL Quicksilver Geyser

Go For the Throat and Flesh-Eater Imp being in the same pack just isn't funny. I like the removal spell, but really, the Imp is just so powerful, I can't afford not to take it here. I perhaps made a mistake here, but I know how creature-heavy Infect decks tend to be, and I really want to get value out of this card. I'd much rather get cut from black then cut from Infect, and I don't want to play BG non-Infect; that's just asking for trouble.

Pack 1 Pick 3:

Myr Welder
Accorder Paladin
Pistus Strike
Koth's Courier
Morbid Plunder -
Priests of Norn
Turn the Tide
Unnatural Predation
Gnathosaur
Gust-Skimmer
Banishment Decree
Tine Shrike
Island

Then we come to a pack with...nothing exciting. Morbid Plunder is a fine value card, so I take it, but I'm disappointed at the lack of actual cards in this pack.

Pack 1 Pick 4:

Gore Vassal -
Metallic Mastery
Mirran Spy
Frantic Salvage
Turn the Tide
Gust-Skimmer
Crush
Fuel for the Cause
Master's Call
Rally the Forces
Ardent Recruit
Swamp

Now I'm a little worried. This pack lacks cards in either of my colors thus far, so I begin to look at an exit strategy. I'm not taking a red card, seeing as I've passed Into the Core and Burn the Impure already. The blue cards in this pack are...rather weak. I take the card I feel I can get the most value out of; killing Myr or Spin Engine is a pretty powerful play imo.

Pack 1 Pick 5:

Plaguemaw Beast -
Treasure Mage
Oculus
Kuldotha Ringleader
Gnathosaur
Razorfield Rhino
Fuel for the Cause
Serum Raker
Ardent Recruit
Steel Sabotage

Not taking a blue card came to bite me pretty hard, as Treasure Mage and Steel Sabotage are both laughing at me. Regardless, Plaguemaw Beast isn't the worst, so I pick it up.

Pack 1 Pick 6:

Mirran Mettle
Tangle Mantis
Flensermite
Concussive Bolt
Viridian Emissary -
Unnatural Predation
Oculus
Morbid Plunder
Forest
FOIL Ogre Resister

Here, the pick is rather easy; Viridian Emissary will be in my deck if I'm playing green regardless of whether or not I end up playing Infect. It also allows me to play WG Infect and splash the Flesh-Eater Imp, if I so chose to.

Pack 1 Pick 7:

Galvanoth
Mirran Spy
Rot Wolf -
Vivisection
Gust-Skimmer
Fuel for the Cause
Leonin Skyhunter
Tine Shrike
Forest

SLAM, SHIP, DONE. Rot Wolf's easily the best green infect common of the set imo, and in multiples or equipped is just absurd imo.

Pack 1 Pick 8:

Oculus
Rot Wolf -
Spin Engine
Gust-Skimmer
Razorfield Rhino
Ardent Recruit
Banishment Decree
Island

OHHAI. Green is definitely open and I'm happy to be drafting it. Multiple Rot Wolves are very fun.

Pack 1 Pick 9:

Lead the Stampede -
Caustic Hound
Phyresis
Pistus Strike
Serum Raker
Tangle Mantis
Island

And Lead the Stampede wheeled. With enough creatures to make it work, I take it, beginning to focus more on creatures.

Pack 1 Pick 10:

Lead the Stampede -
Koth's Courier
Priests of Norn
Turn the Tide
Vivisection
Mountain

A second is icing on the cake. Hello, card advantage!

Pack 1 Pick 11:

Pistus Strike -
Unnatural Predation
Gnathosaur
Banishment Decree
Island

Perhaps the pump spell was the right call, but I hate Predation, having never gotten value out of it, myself.

Pack 1 Pick 12:

Turn the Tide
Fuel For the Cause -
Rally the Forces
Swamp

Pack 1 Pick 13:

Oculus -
Fuel For the Cause
Island

Pack 1 Pick 14:

Unnatural Predation -
Forest

Pack 1 Pick 15:

Forest -

Pack 1 was very up and down for me. The supreme lack of black means that someone to my right is definitely in black, and passing Go For the Throat means that someone to my left is probably black as well. The good news is that there's a possibility that I can pick up black Infect cards in pack 2, seeing as the guy to my left is very likely not to be in Infect.

Pack 2 Pick 1:

Prototype Portal
Thrummingbird
Trigon of Thought
Darksteel Axe -
Panic Spellbomb
Vector Asp
Loxodon Wayfarer
Gold Myr
Scrapdiver Serpent
Relic Putrescence
Golem Foundry
Moriok Reaver
Stoic Rebuttal
Flight Spellbomb
Plains

A poop rare, but it is Scars of Mirrodin. If I were in blue, I'd slam the Bird and not even think about it, but Axe is a solid card in my deck, and is easily the pick.

Pack 2 Pick 2:

Carrion Call -
Throne of Geth
Oxidda Scrapmelter
Goblin Gavaleer
Galvanic Blast
Iron Myr
Echo Circlet
Neurok Invisimancer
Carapace Forger
Flameborn Hellion
Golem Foundry
Moriok Reaver
Forest
FOIL Nihil Spellbomb

So I have the choice between a powerful combat trick or a card that dies to my first pick. Not really that hard. I'd liked to have had a Cystbearer over Carrion Call, seeing as Call doesn't play well with Lead the Stampede, but regardless.

Pack 2 Pick 3:

Painful Quandry
Myr Galvanizer
Ogre Geargrabber
Viridian Revel
Ghalma's Warden
Steady Progress
Kemba's Skyguard
Plague Stinger -
Copper Myr
Golem Foundry
Withstand Death
Forest
FOIL Loxodon Wayfarer

BAZINGA. You can pick up an Axe quite nicely. Painful Quandry will not wheel, but that's honestly fine. It's very awkward in my deck, anyway.

Pack 2 Pick 4:

Trigon of Thought
Vigil for the Lost
Rust Tick
Saberclaw Golem
Alpha Tyrannax
Blunt the Assault
Tel-Jilad Fallen -
Bonds of Quicksilver
Untamed Might
Carapace Forger
Soul Parry
Plains

I could have taken the Untamed Might, with two evasive Infect creatures, but I need more creatures than spells to get value out of my Lead the Stampedes, so Fallen is the pick.

Pack 2 Pick 5:

Carrion Call -
Exsanguinate
Ghalma's Warden
Scrapdiver Serpent
Instill Infection
Strider Harness
Scoria Elemental
Wall of Tanglecord
Neurok Replica
Island

I wasn't picking Wall of Tanglecord here, and Carrion Call IS good. It's just not a Cystbearer.

Pack 2 Pick 6:

Ogre Geargrabber
Blade-Tribe Bersekers
Wing Puncture
Steady Progress
Vedalken Certarch
Sunspear Shikari
Kuldotha Rebirth
Nihil Spellbomb
Moriok Replica -
Plains

I have to take a creature here, so Moriok Replica will do.

Pack 2 Pick 7:

Vedalken Certarch
Nihil Spellbomb
Vulshok Replica
Fume Spitter -
Ezuri's Archers
Vulshok Heartstoker
Psychic Miasma
Withstand Death
Forest

Ohhai value guy.

Pack 2 Pick 8:

Twisted Image
Plated Seastrider
Turn Aside
Seize the Initiative
Sunspear Shikari
Scrapdiver Serpent
Instill Infection -
Forest

Again, not exciting to pick up a non-creature playable, especially since this card has gotten so much worse with MBS in the format, but whatever, I'll go with it.

Pack 2 Pick 9:

Vector Asp -
Loxodon Wayfarer
Scrapdiver Serpent
Relic Putrescence
Golem Foundry
Stoic Rebuttal
Plains

...Maybe I'll pick up a Necrotic Ooze pack 3? Eh, I doubt it.

Pack 2 Pick 10:

Goblin Gavaleer
Echo Circlet
Neurok Invisimancer
Golem Foundry
Forest
FOIL Nihil Spellbomb -

I'm not hating an Invisimancer, though I wouldn't fault anyone who did.

Pack 2 Pick 11:

Viridian Revel -
Golem Foundry
Withstand Death
Forest
FOIL Loxodon Wayfarer

Pack 2 Pick 12:

Vigil For the Lost
Alpha Tyrannax -
Blunt the Assault
Plains

Pack 2 Pick 13:

Scrapdiver Serpent -
Scoria Elemental
Island

Pack 2 Pick 14:

Wing Puncture -
Plains

Pack 2 Pick 15:

Forest -

Pack 2 was equally mediocre, and I'm a little worried. I have no bombs, and few two-drops. I have to start getting more on-curve creatures, if I can't open Skittles or Hand of the Praetors here.

Pack 3 Pick 1:

Spikeshot Elder
Grafted Exoskeleton
Darksteel Sentinel
Necropede -
Fume Spitter
Vector Asp
Relic Putrescence
Instill Infection
Cystbearer
Dross Hopper
Sylvok Lifestaff
Vulshok Replica
Ezuri's Archers
Stoic Rebuttal
Island

Grafted Exoskeleton is a card I love (mostly in EDH), and there is a Cystbearer here, but Necropede's in the pack, and green has been open all draft, so I'm going in on the two-drop.

Pack 3 Pick 2:

Twisted Image
Carrion Call
Clone Shell
Razorfield Thresher
Origin Spellbomb
Screeching Silclaw
Copperhorn Scout
Plague Stinger -
Lumengrid Drake
Untamed Might
Assault Strobe
Snapsail Glider
Forest
FOIL Vulshok Heartstoker

I'm not taking a third Carrion Call when I now need two-drop Infect creatures. Besides, it's evasive and wields an Axe well.

Pack 3 Pick 3:

Ichor Rats
Tangle Angler -
Chrome Steed
Vedalken Certarch
Sky-Eel School
Kuldotha Rebirth
Soliton
Shatter
Loxodon Wayfarer
Snapsail Glider
Soul Parry
Plains
FOIL Horizon Spellbomb

With few playable black cards, I'm not taking a double-black creature. Tangle Angler is extremely powerful, and is a perfect fit for the deck.

Pack 3 Pick 4:

Myr Galvanizer
Instill Infection
Neurok Replica
Glint Hawk Idol
Soul Parry
Moriok Reaver
Leaden Myr -
Fume Spitter
Oxidda Daredevil
Whitesun's Passage
Razorfield Thresher
Plains

With many 4-drops in the deck, I go for the Myr over the Fume Spitter here. I need to curve out, because I'm lacking removal spells.

Pack 3 Pick 5:

Trigon of Thought
Razorfield Thresher
Moriok Replica
Stoic Rebuttal
Copperhorn Scout
Flight Spellbomb
Vault Skyward
Blight Mamba -
Tainted Strike
Moriok Reaver
Swamp

Between this and the Tainted Strike, I wanted a card that can fend off ground bombs in the non-Infect matchup.

Pack 3 Pick 6:

Culling Dais
Acid Web Spider -
Auriok Sunchaser
Sky-Eel School
Vault Skyward
Loxodon Wayfarer
Tel-Jilad Defiance
Scrapdiver Serpent
Instill Infection
Swamp

This makes me wish I'd picked up the Tainted Strike, but a 3/5 with reach can fight Argent Sphinx or Indomitable Archangel pretty well.

Pack 3 Pick 7:

Wall of Tanglecord -
Stoic Rebuttal
Relic Putrescence
Flight Spellbomb
Scrapdiver Serpent
Neurok Replica
Soul Parry
Blade-Tribe Berserkers
Swamp

Nothing here, so I take a creature that's good against me.

Pack 3 Pick 8:

Vigil For the Lost
Tel-Jilad Defiance -
Disperse
Assault Strobe
Golden Urn
Blade-Tribe Berserkers
Psychic Miasma
Mountain

It cycles, therefore it is.

Pack 3 Pick 9:

Vector Asp
Relic Putrescence
Cystbearer -
Dross Hopper
Ezuri's Archers
Stoic Rebuttal
Island

And...Cystbearer...wheels...Of course, this just tells me that there isn't a soul picking up green Infect cards, but STILL. Jeez.

Pack 3 Pick 10:

Twisted Image
Copperhorn Scout
Untamed Might -
Assault Strobe
Forest
FOIL Vulshok Heartstoker

JEEZ.

Pack 3 Pick 11:

Kuldotha Rebirth
Soliton
Loxodon Wayfarer -
Soul Parry
Plains

Pack 3 Pick 12:

Moriok Reaver -
Whitesun's Passage
Razorfield Thresher
Plains

Pack 3 Pick 13:

Razorfield Thresher
Copperhorn Scout -
Swamp

Pack 3 Pick 14:

Tel-Jilad Defiance -
Swamp

Pack 3 Pick 15:

Swamp -

So I look at the post-draft picks, and it turns out the guy to my left and the guy two seats to my right were both in black. Regardless, my black creatures are extremely strong, and my green is absurdly solid. My deck ended up being:

2 Plague Stinger
1 Flesh-Eater Imp
1 Fume Spitter
1 Acid Web Spider
1 Viridian Emissary
1 Blight Mamba
1 Cystbearer
1 Plaguemaw Beast
2 Rot Wolf
1 Tangle Angler
1 Tel-Jilad Fallen
1 Leaden Myr
1 Necropede

1 Morbid Plunder
2 Carrion Call
1 Creeping Corrosion
2 Lead the Stampede
1 Untamed Might
1 Darksteel Axe

6 Swamp
11 Forest

It's a decent enough pool, I suppose. I'm concerned about my lack of removal, but thankfully this isn't a draft where I actually have to play. I'd just stone-cold die to anything with more than 2 toughness that flew LOL.

Let me know what you think! =)