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August 15, 2005

2 Blazes and a Flame Wave (A really long, mostly Magic-based, rant)

HOLY FUCKING BURN, BATMAN!
Yeah, okay, I'm a bastard. My draft deck was pretty heavy into the burn. But seriously, when you get passed two Blazes and a Flame Wave, you play them. I mean, you do.
I don't do alot of burn in my constructed. I never have. Just a little for removal, and that's it, you know? Sometimes, yes, I'll finish someone with it (I have a deck... fuck, can't remember what deck... in any case, I end up finishing with splicing a Glacial Ray onto a Glacial Ray to the head, then a Glacial Ray all the fucking time), but mostly it's just there to deal with meddlesome creatures. Clear the board and all that. Wot wot?
But draft is a whole different deal.
Drafts are generally fairly slow. Not as slow as sealed deck, that's probably the slowest format, en general. But they're fairly slow, because although you can keep in mind a good curve and whatnot, you're not always playing with the best cards, you know? And in a slow format, X spells are just that much more powerful. In a draft, you are probably going to end up with a shitload of mana near the end, during those last crucial plays, you know? Blaze says "Wow, that's alot of mana! Finish the game now with me! I'm your friend!" So I'm like "Okay, Blaze! Jump on in my main deck, and bring your friend that is exactly like you in every way!" and then the second copy of Blaze says "Yay, I get to come! But hey, maybe you'll need to sweep your opponent's board." And I go "Yeah, that could happen... I wonder what I should do..." and the second Blaze says "Well, I have this friend here... he requires alot of red mana, but he can clear the board AND deal some damage to your opponent! He's called Flame Wave" and then I go "Well, hot diggity damn! Hop on in Flame Wave!"
So you see, it's not my fault for playing so much burn today. But hey, at least I wasn't running like 4 Lava Axes too...? Maybe? Eh, fine, hate me. Here's the real reason, besides letting myself be a little competative at these things, which I will admit I do more than I'd like to admit (I'm always scared of becoming a Johnny/Spike).
If I don't play to the best of my ability, I'm insulting you.
This is something I really do believe. I understand that I read articles on how to draft and skim over thoughts on draft orders and what not. I pay more attention to what the pros do than you because I really, really, really love this game, and I really don't know any other way to give it more commitment and love (besides becoming a Judge... which is really the route I wanna go). I know I have a slight advantage (SLIGHT!) when it comes to those things. But when I'm drafting with you all, and you pass me that Blaze second pick, I know it sucks to lose to Blaze. I know. I play online. I get killed by even more annoying things than that all the time. I know how frustrating the burn kill is. But I know that, from a making the best deck I can perspective, taking that Blaze is the right thing to do. I can't ignore that. If I ignore that, it's like me saying "Oh, you poor babies, not knowing how to play the game... let me help you so you don't feel so bad..." which is totally not what I want to do (although I know I do those sorts of things accidentally all the time... and feel really bad about them later... sorry, people... it's a weird automatic response in me to be condesending about certian things... I do it to my mom especially all the time, and it really hurts her feelings and makes me feel like shit... I hope I make it up to her when I do it... I hope she knows I don't really mean it) because fuck, I love yah all, and you're all great a Magic, you just aren't necessarily as obsessed. So I take the fucking Blaze and I end up with a burn deck.
So, I think what I'm trying to say here is I'm sorry burn is so effective in draft. The end.
Other thing I wanted to explain my reasoning on that I don't think I really got explained. Essner and Eric were singing the praises of Seething Song, and I said I'd never run it in draft. They thought I was crazy. Here's why.
Seething Song is a great card. In Constructed, it can power out the one card that basically cements your win turns earlier, your Dragonstorm or your Slogger or whatnot, and it can smooth your mana for your thirty red mana needing card of doom, and that is why it is so nice to play with. But in draft, it's not so hot. For two reasons.
Reasons I think Seething Song is not good in draft
1) 2 for 1. Yes, this is something pro people talk about all the time, but it doesn't make it less true. Seething Song is trading two cards for one thing. Card advantage is huge is a slower format. In a quick, fast format, that extra sacrifice for a vastly superior creature is okay, because before it comes back to haunt you your opponent should be dead. Draft formats are not very fast, in general. You are losing two cards for one, and that is bad. Yes, sometimes you will win, but you can say that about anything. But if your opponent has an answer for your bomb or whatnot that you're powering out with Seething Song, then you are twice as fucked as you are before, and that's something you should try to minimize. Also, you are going to run out of cards in your hand way before your opponent, and later on could be praying to the gods of the topdeck while your opponent happily has 2 or 3 cards left in his or her hand.
2) Seething Song will very likely be a dead card. Very, very often I am going to wish I did not have Seething Song in my hand. I'm not going to have my big bomb to power out, or maybe I already got it out and it's late game and I have more mana than I know what to do with. If I replace Seething Song with a creature, almost any creature, it can be useful to me in those times. If I replace it with a creature that fits into my curve in the gap between when I'd cast Seething Song and when I'd get out my bomb, so I can survive longer and maybe win without my bomb, then that's even better.
End Reasons I think Seething Song is not good in draft
In any case, I mean, you people know the game, play how you will, that's just my reasoning. And seriously, in the right constructed deck, Seething Song is fucking amazing, so don't think I'm dissing it. It's just a constructed card, not a limited card.
Annnnnnnd, I'm done blogging for now. Thanks for reading this fucking huge rant. I love you all.

Posted by poetfox at August 15, 2005 01:29 AM

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