Grillo Vs Kirblinx: Non-Red Penny Pincher Grid Draft

[Kirblinx]

Can the master beat the student? Time to find out!
Pack 1

Spoiler

Row 1:
1 Raise the Alarm
1 Elephant Guide
1 Reclaim

Row 2:
1 Briarhorn
1 Glassdust Hulk
1 Shrine of Loyal Legions

Row 3:
1 Mulldrifter
1 Master Splicer
1 Simic Growth Chamber

Column 1:
1 Raise the Alarm
1 Briarhorn
1 Mulldrifter

Column 2:
1 Elephant Guide
1 Glassdust Hulk
1 Master Splicer

Column 3:
1 Reclaim
1 Shrine of Loyal Legions
1 Simic Growth Chamber

Pack 2

Spoiler

Row 1:
1 Remember the Fallen
1 Swarm of Bloodflies
1 Rancor

Row 2:
1 Thundering Tanadon
1 Ravenous Rats
1 Thrashing Wumpus

Row 3:
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Riftwing Cloudskate
1 Stormscape Familiar

Column 1:
1 Remember the Fallen
1 Thundering Tanadon
1 Evolving Wilds

Column 2:
1 Swarm of Bloodflies
1 Ravenous Rats
1 Riftwing Cloudskate

Column 3:
1 Rancor
1 Thrashing Wumpus
1 Stormscape Familiar

Pack 3

Spoiler

Row 1:
1 Eternal Dragon
1 Gruul Turf
1 Prophetic Prism

Row 2:
1 Lyev Skyknight
1 Dread Statuary
1 Tuskguard Captain

Row 3:
1 Artificer's Epiphany
1 Unearth
1 Juggernaut

Column 1:
1 Eternal Dragon
1 Lyev Skyknight
1 Artificer's Epiphany

Column 2:
1 Gruul Turf
1 Dread Statuary
1 Unearth

Column 3:
1 Prophetic Prism
1 Tuskguard Captain
1 Juggernaut

Pack 4

Spoiler

Row 1:
1 Shelter
1 Wing Splicer
1 Golgari Rot Farm

Row 2:
1 Kor Sanctifiers
1 Moment of Heroism
1 Aether Spellbomb

Row 3:
1 Miscalculation
1 Kessig Cagebreakers
1 Ghastly Demise

Column 1:
1 Shelter
1 Kor Sanctifiers
1 Miscalculation

Column 2:
1 Wing Splicer
1 Moment of Heroism
1 Kessig Cagebreakers

Column 3:
1 Golgari Rot Farm
1 Aether Spellbomb
1 Ghastly Demise

Pack 5

Spoiler

Row 1:
1 Entomber Exarch
1 Shambling Shell
1 Temple of Plenty

Row 2:
1 Temple of Malady
1 Terrarion
1 Voyaging Satyr

Row 3:
1 Krosan Tusker
1 Nettle Sentinel
1 Exhume

Column 1:
1 Entomber Exarch
1 Temple of Malady
1 Krosan Tusker

Column 2:
1 Shambling Shell
1 Terrarion
1 Nettle Sentinel

Column 3:
1 Temple of Plenty
1 Voyaging Satyr
1 Exhume

Pack 6

Spoiler

Row 1:
1 Triclopean Sight
1 Golgari Rot Farm
1 Echoing Decay

Row 2:
1 Cloudfin Raptor
1 Ghost Council of Orzhova
1 Counterspell

Row 3:
1 Mindshrieker
1 Pelakka Wurm
1 Needle Specter

Column 1:
1 Triclopean Sight
1 Cloudfin Raptor
1 Mindshrieker

Column 2:
1 Golgari Rot Farm
1 Ghost Council of Orzhova
1 Pelakka Wurm

Column 3:
1 Echoing Decay
1 Counterspell
1 Needle Specter

Pack 7

Spoiler

Row 1:
1 Trinket Mage
1 Gurmag Angler
1 Reaping the Graves

Row 2:
1 Abzan Falconer
1 Spike Feeder
1 Unburial Rites

Row 3:
1 Mycosynth Wellspring
1 Mana Leak
1 Pestermite

Column 1:
1 Trinket Mage
1 Abzan Falconer
1 Mycosynth Wellspring

Column 2:
1 Gurmag Angler
1 Spike Feeder
1 Mana Leak

Column 3:
1 Reaping the Graves
1 Unburial Rites
1 Pestermite

Pack 8

Spoiler

Row 1:
1 Jeskai Sage
1 Auriok Salvagers
1 Snap

Row 2:
1 Abundant Growth
1 Quirion Dryad
1 Hooting Mandrills

Row 3:
1 Augur of Skulls
1 Somber Hoverguard
1 Tragic Slip

Column 1:
1 Jeskai Sage
1 Abundant Growth
1 Augur of Skulls

Column 2:
1 Auriok Salvagers
1 Quirion Dryad
1 Somber Hoverguard

Column 3:
1 Snap
1 Hooting Mandrills
1 Tragic Slip

Pack 9

Spoiler

Row 1:
1 Myr Retriever
1 Emancipation Angel
1 Izzet Boilerworks

Row 2:
1 Acidic Slime
1 Necrogenesis
1 Ichor Wellspring

Row 3:
1 Nameless Inversion
1 Brutalizer Exarch
1 Zulaport Cutthroat

Column 1:
1 Myr Retriever
1 Acidic Slime
1 Nameless Inversion

Column 2:
1 Emancipation Angel
1 Necrogenesis
1 Brutalizer Exarch

Column 3:
1 Izzet Boilerworks
1 Ichor Wellspring
1 Zulaport Cutthroat

Pack 10

Spoiler

Row 1:
1 Kor Skyfisher
1 Maul Splicer
1 Krosan Restorer

Row 2:
1 Into the Roil
1 Boros Garrison
1 Bone Shredder

Row 3:
1 Skaab Goliath
1 Gush
1 Selesnya Sanctuary

Column 1:
1 Kor Skyfisher
1 Into the Roil
1 Skaab Goliath

Column 2:
1 Maul Splicer
1 Boros Garrison
1 Gush

Column 3:
1 Krosan Restorer
1 Bone Shredder
1 Selesnya Sanctuary

Pack 11

Spoiler

Row 1:
1 Darkblast
1 Nantuko Husk
1 Rude Awakening

Row 2:
1 Sylvok Lifestaff
1 Quirion Ranger
1 Ghostly Flicker

Row 3:
1 Leonin Squire
1 Darksteel Juggernaut
1 Dimir Aqueduct

Column 1:
1 Darkblast
1 Sylvok Lifestaff
1 Leonin Squire

Column 2:
1 Nantuko Husk
1 Quirion Ranger
1 Darksteel Juggernaut

Column 3:
1 Rude Awakening
1 Ghostly Flicker
1 Dimir Aqueduct

Pack 12

Spoiler

Row 1:
1 Peregrine Drake
1 Okiba-Gang Shinobi
1 Chittering Rats

Row 2:
1 Murderous Cut
1 Mnemonic Wall
1 Draining Whelk

Row 3:
1 Somnophore
1 Rewind
1 Condescend

Column 1:
1 Peregrine Drake
1 Murderous Cut
1 Somnophore

Column 2:
1 Okiba-Gang Shinobi
1 Mnemonic Wall
1 Rewind

Column 3:
1 Chittering Rats
1 Draining Whelk
1 Condescend

Pack 13

Spoiler

Row 1:
1 Codex Shredder
1 Artisan of Kozilek
1 Master Splicer

Row 2:
1 Ainok Bond-Kin
1 Civic Wayfinder
1 Tortured Existence

Row 3:
1 Insidious Dreams
1 Temple of Mystery
1 Stenchskipper

Column 1:
1 Codex Shredder
1 Ainok Bond-Kin
1 Insidious Dreams

Column 2:
1 Artisan of Kozilek
1 Civic Wayfinder
1 Temple of Mystery

Column 3:
1 Master Splicer
1 Tortured Existence
1 Stenchskipper

Pack 14

Spoiler

Row 1:
1 Ninja of the Deep Hours
1 Deep Analysis
1 Phalanx Leader

Row 2:
1 Teysa, Orzhov Scion
1 Jeskai Elder
1 Horizon Chimera

Row 3:
1 Sylvan Ranger
1 Saproling Burst
1 Temple of Deceit

Column 1:
1 Ninja of the Deep Hours
1 Teysa, Orzhov Scion
1 Sylvan Ranger

Column 2:
1 Deep Analysis
1 Jeskai Elder
1 Saproling Burst

Column 3:
1 Phalanx Leader
1 Horizon Chimera
1 Temple of Deceit

Pack 15

Spoiler

Row 1:
1 Slaughter
1 Undying Evil
1 Vines of Vastwood

Row 2:
1 Sultai Scavenger
1 Temple of Silence
1 Ambush Viper

Row 3:
1 Tranquil Cove
1 Makeshift Mauler
1 Rakdos Carnarium

Column 1:
1 Slaughter
1 Sultai Scavenger
1 Tranquil Cove

Column 2:
1 Undying Evil
1 Temple of Silence
1 Makeshift Mauler

Column 3:
1 Vines of Vastwood
1 Ambush Viper
1 Rakdos Carnarium

Pack 16

Spoiler

Row 1:
1 Repeal
1 Compulsive Research
1 Jhessian Thief

Row 2:
1 Sejiri Steppe
1 Warren Weirding
1 Goldnight Commander

Row 3:
1 Perilous Research
1 Triad of Fates
1 Young Wolf

Column 1:
1 Repeal
1 Sejiri Steppe
1 Perilous Research

Column 2:
1 Compulsive Research
1 Warren Weirding
1 Triad of Fates

Column 3:
1 Jhessian Thief
1 Goldnight Commander
1 Young Wolf

 

[Kirblinx]

Student is victorious! (2-1)

I'll write up a detailed match summary later (unless Grillo does it).

All I need to say is that I cast approximately 12 million Palakka Wurms in round 3. How can anyone beat that?

 

[Grillo_Parlante]

That was great. Here was my deck

I went 1-2, in three pretty close games. I had a BUG control/ramp deck, while kirblinx had a GBW deck focused on value reanimation.

Game 1 he managed to not drew a combination of haymakers and reanimation that I couldn't deal with, and was able to control the game with slaughter after getting ahead with a big rude awakening hit.

Game 2 was insane. I knew I was in trouble when I cast an entomber exarch and saw the following:





He also had a tortured existence in play, and was recycling a krosan tusker for a draw engine.

Despite it all, I was able to grind through a ton of threat recursion (pelakka wurm is a card) with a mixture of slaughter recursion and counters, while building up my board. I found myself in a commanding position that I thought there was no way I could lose, and than:

And yes, he hadn't played a land for the turn, and the land in hand was a swamp :eek: My board was wiped, and than a stormed reaping the graves assured my fate.

Game 3 I think my hand matched up poorly against his, and found myself falling behind, while trying to keep his wurm under control with bounce (and he actually had the mana to hard cast it). I eventually managed to reach a point where I think I could have pulled ahead, having blown up his tortured existence with slime, and ran out an artisan of kozilek to get slime back, but misplayed when I ran an artisan of kozilek into a briarhorned pelakka wurm (I knew he had the briarhorn).

Was a great deal of fun though. It was a great matchup for the decks, as each of them were very card advantage focused, but approached it from different angles. It also was a lot of fun to see artisan of kozilek face off against pelakka wurm in a fight to the death.

 

[Kirblinx]

Grilo's write up of the games is pretty awesome. I'll add a bit more to them.

In game one I mulligan into a hand with land and not a lot else. I drop a Sylvan Ranger, then block his Jeskai Elder so I can exhume it next turn (for value). Then it ends up being a fight over my Bone Shredder. Which first gets countered, so I Unburial it to kill the elder. Then chump an Acidic Slime to flashback Unbural to kill it. Some stack shenanigans happen, Grillo Snaps his Slime, I Murderous Cut it and he decides to Nameless Inversion my Bone Shredder and we are both left with an empty field. Then Grillo decides to be Rude with a Peregrine Drake and hits me for 10. After that it's a bit of back and forth (Bone Shredder makes another appearance to kill the drake) but Grillo drops a Gurmag Angler and Slaughter locks me out. I do get to play my Pelakka Wurm and go back up to 10. But a Mulldrifter, 3 Saproling Burst 3/3 tokens and the Angler take me down.

Game 2 Grillo has already gone through in decent detail. The only thing I would like to add is that in this game I found out that Quirion Dryad + Undying Evil is in fact a non-bo.

Game 3 I put pressure on early with my Thundering Tanodon which first got countered, so I recast it again next turn using Tortured Existence. Grillo then drops his Angler, so I swing in offering the trade only to show the Briarhorn, which had not shown up any game previous. From that point on Grillo was on the defensive and the Pelakka Wurm had arrived. It came into play not once (Bounced by Riftwing Cloudskate), not twice (Replayed, Counterspelled, Exhumed in same turn, Cloudskated back to hand), not three times (With Briarhorn help traded with Artisan of Kozilek) but four times (Brought back with Unburial Rites). So it wasn't as close to 12 million as I thought

Time was again an issue. By the end of the second game our clock were at 4 and 6 minutes. So we decided to make a new match for the 3rd game. We both ended that game with only 12 minutes each left on the clock.I'd hate to see how that goes in an actual 8-man draft. Timeouts must happen all the time.

Echo the sentiments from Grillo, decks were well matched and games were really interesting.

Some interesting points about the drafting process:

• Since I stole Jason's code that tried to seed shocklands into the draft, I decided to convert that to seed the temples. Was this a good idea? I believe so. They help smooth games out a lot. In game 3 against Ferret I played the same Temple of Silence 3 times and dug deep to what I needed.
• I also decided that one of each bounce land (there are two of each) shouldn't have a colour identity to be allowed in every draft. That is why you can see a couple of off colour bouncelands. They are what the cube was built around so cutting so many of them when removing a colour seemed bad.
• Stenchskipper is definitely a BR card. I need to fix that.
• This draft was really blue heavy. Neither of us really cared about white either, I don't know if there was enough in the draft. Not much that can be done about that. Just natural variance. Pack 12 almost gave me a hemorrhage trying to figure out what to hate from Grillo.
• Also, I gave up with that last pack. Just hate drafted that whole blue row.
• I shouldn't have let Grillo go first. First pack Mulldrifter makes me sad.
• The actual draft went well. We used MTGO chat to say what column/row we were picking then just copying and pasting it into a list. I chose to post mine in http://www.mtggoldfish.com/tools/deck_pricer#online as it let me see a bit more of mycurve and colours while I was drafting. Probably not the best thing to suggest to people though as then they can see what cards are worth and might be more encouraged not to return the cards
• Cloudshift was awesome. I threw my list in a pastebin link for Grillo to copy across. Worked without a hitch.
• I didn't take enough notice as to what cards Grillo did/didn't take. I saw he took 36 cards, but what they were is unknown to me. It was hard trying to get things back when I have duplicates of the cards in my cube and don't easily add to a wishlist. I need to figure out a better way to get the cards back. Was easy with Ferret as he only had 6 cards from his list, so I just wrote them down and didn't take them when he traded back.

 

[Grillo_Parlante]

The only thing that I would add, is that after seeing that hand in game two, and knowing he was going to tortured existence pitch the pelakka wurm for krosan tusker and than reanimate the wurm; he drew for his turn it was an exhume!

It was like game one, pelakka felt bad for showing up late to the party, and than decided to make up for it in spades games two and three

The chess clock was my fault. I was playing a bit slow game 2, after I saw that hand, as I felt I could beat it, but the lines to do so were pretty convoluted. We can always change the match timer though in the future.

Was that thrashing wumpus off the top? Because that was a beating.

Edit: the reason for the pack 12 almost hemorrhage, was because I had grabbed a ghostly flicker in one of the earlier packs, and pack 12 had the other two parts of the combo.

 

[Kirblinx]

Was that thrashing wumpus off the top? Because that was a beating.

Nah, it wasn't a topdeck. I decided to leave it until I could wipe the saproling tokens in one foul swoop.
I knew it was a risk but seemed like the best play

Spoiler

Oh god, oh god, how do I get myself out of this mess? :eek:

Yes, it was a topdeck

 

[Aoret]

Glad the site helped you guys out! Definitely PM me if it ever does give you trouble. Would really love to see games from this cube streamed, but I'm glad for the coverage either way

 

[Kirblinx]

Glad the site helped you guys out! Definitely PM me if it ever does give you trouble. Would really love to see games from this cube streamed, but I'm glad for the coverage either way

I'll stream or record one day. I just don't have the setup to do it at the moment (I have to sit on the floor to use my computer). I like the old walkthrough style that we have been giving. Gives tailor-made information with some sweet jokes thrown in. Recordings take too long to digest some times and I think these suit the grid draft format well.

Cloudshift works perfectly everytime we have used it. The only card I thought would cause trouble is Rough/Tumble, but it worked in our other draft so it is sweet. Thanks for making an awesome tool!