General Riptide Drafting League

Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Q3H2OAfWqoCcSzNx1aCO0pXhNCRdaAzAIZgdm13WVIA/edit#gid=0

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Let's make a drafting league again! This time I'll organize it with more structure to account for time zones and our own dark selfish hearts. I kind of want to play the 360/100 cubes, that's what I'll nominate when I can and I encourage you to nominate your entry too, if you designed one.

The drafting part will be synchronous. I will schedule a time that I think people will show up (and if you DM me your general availability that'll boost the signal for those times), varying the time between drafts to include people from different time zones. The draft should take about one hour. Please join the "Drafting" voice channel on Discord. At xx:05, someone who is there is randomly selected (details below) to be the host and nominate a cube - which I expect to be their own, but doesn't have to be. The cube owner gives a quick primer of the cube, then we draft it on dr4ft.info (or whatever other easily accessible option the cube owner prefers, TappedOut is ok too). I expect the draft to finish by xx:59. Please post the draft log to Discord when the draft ends, and please post the deck there too when you build it.

We will play, on Cockatrice, best-of-three matches. Those available to stay for longer can play the round right away. For those who have to drop out, I will pair you with an opponent and you should DM on Discord to schedule a match within a week. After a week, I will pair round 2, then after another week, I will pair round 3.

* The random selection process is tweaked to reduce variance. Whenever you attend a draft, you immediately get a Credit. Then, among the people who are in the draft, one person is randomly chosen to be the host, weighted by each player's Credit. The host's Credit decreases by the number of players, but cannot go negative.

In the first draft, everyone will have exactly 1 Credit, so it's a uniform random. In the 2nd draft, whoever attended the first but wasn't chosen has 2 Credits while other participants have 1 Credit, making the former twice as likely to be selected. This system is to reward people for attending and to try to be fair to everyone.


Inevitable Questions

What is the minimum number of players for the draft to fire?


4+ players will always fire. The cube host chooses whether to fill with bots, change the format (dr4ft.info allows changing number of packs, size of packs, number of picks, and number of burns per pick), or just run a smaller table.

Under 4 players, the people involved can decide. I'm always in even for a 2-player draft with bots, though, and there's no need to pair more rounds under 4 players.

This is why the host spends credit equal to the number of players. If only 2 people play, it would be a bummer that you lost your 7 credits.

Is there a reward for winning?

If you have suggestions let me know, but this is meant to be super chill and casual.

Is there a penalty for losing?

The last placed player will be fed to The Scorpion God.

What if there is an odd number of people?

There will be no byes, I will add a game so someone has two matches in the week.

Can I play someone else I'm not scheduled to play?

Yes! I just won't count it for pairings and for trophy purposes if we end up having a trophy ladder or something, but I'll record the result as a friendly.

I can game the system by [redacted]

Please don't, and I reserve the right to change the system to prevent that.

Can I draft and not play?

The spirit is to actually get games in.

My schedule and my opponent's has no overlap on that week.

I'm sorry. Try to find someone else to play a friendly.

When is the first draft?

The first draft will be on June 29, 2021, Tuesday, at 10pm (UTC), which is:
3pm (Pacific Time)
5pm (Central Time)
6pm (Eastern Time)
Midnight/0:00 (Central European Time)
8am +1 (June 30, Wed) (Australian Eastern Time)
Other timezones

It won't always be in this time and day. When we're done with this draft, I will schedule another one in a different time and day.

How do you select someone randomly?

I couldn't find a tool to do trusted rolls, so you'll have to trust me. If I roll myself on the first draft I'll have to lie or it will look rigged... If you know of a better system, do suggest one.
 
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I haven't played with cockatrice for years, but I'm on board!

Should I just nominate a cube by posting it here? If so, I'll nominate my main cube. Sorry, but I really want to see all of you playing with my CCC
 
I sadly have to tell you guys I'm out for today. Have to get up at 6 am tomorrow and I just can't afford less sleep currently ... :(
I've got my last exam scheduled for the 7th of july. Afterwards I'm much more flexible and available.
 
How do I sign up?
If you want to play this one in particular, you can draft a deck on wherever and DM either of us on Discord to find a good time.

For the next draft, you just need to show up at the date/time TBD. DM'ing me your availability helps to schedule a good time for you.
 

Zoss's WU Affinity/Equipment











Post-board:
- 1 Force of Will
- 2 Flusterstorm
+2 Ensoul Artifact
+1 Plains
 
  • Heart
Reactions: dbs
I feel like, after getting absolutely stomped by Zoss, that the storm hate was still tuned to the OG "oops i did my storm win on t1" lists.

EDIT: I might just be bad at Magic, though.
 
I feel like, after getting absolutely stomped by Zoss, that the storm hate was still tuned to the OG "oops i did my storm win on t1" lists.

EDIT: I might just be bad at Magic, though.
I may have needed more Smelt type effects and fewer Burst Lightnings in order to keep the artifact-based hate in check. Embereth Shieldbreaker may have been a good option because it is two spells for the price of one card.

I think Tinder Wall allowing for an "oops, I did my storm on my first turn" win for Gruul may have also been beneficial (I'm very upset that I forgot that card existed).

I definitely think you did a reasonable job drafting, it's just this is a weird combo format with weird anti-storm mechanics. I just did not build a normal cube and I think it was hard to see that without a reasonable amount of non-goldfish play testing.
 
The First Draft of the Riptide Drafting League is done, and the winner, with a record of 3-0 / 6-1 in this completely non-rigged competition is... me, playing WB Death and Taxes!

Thank you to @Aston, @LadyMapi for the games, and to @Zoss for hosting the Broken by Technicality cube!

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The Second Draft will be on July 11, 2021, Sunday, at 5pm (UTC).

That time is:
10 am (Pacific Time)
12 pm (Central Time)
1 pm (Eastern Time)
7 pm (Central European Time)
3 am +1 (July 12, Mon) (Australian Eastern Time)
Other timezones

No need to sign up, just show up with a list to put in the draw and have fun!
 
The rest of us went 1-2, for the record.

(I think japahn cheats by being good at Magic. Or, at least, he's really good at reading an unfamiliar format.)
 
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