MTG Salvation

I got some requests to do more draft / deckbuilding walkthroughs from my last draft walkthrough of the Xmage Cube Round Robin Invitational (https://www.reddit.com/r/mtgcube/comments/8hl7zz/my_draft_and_deckbuilding_walkthrough_of_the/). I'm archiving my drafts now and will try to write at least 1 a week to provide insight on how I draft, value certain cards, build decks, read signals, wheeling, etc.

Without further adieu!

P1P1: Tinker https://i.imgur.com/ydiECWu.png?1

Tinker is obviously the most powerful card in this pack. The mana rocks have potential to wheel, but Tolarian Academy is what I’m looking to wheel most.

P1P2 Fact or Fiction https://i.imgur.com/IU8dCpn.png?1

Hangarback Walker isn’t bad, especially since I have Tinker, but Fact or Fiction is very powerful.

P1P3: Balance https://i.imgur.com/nmrHz1b.png?1

Balance works well in Tinker shells since it plays a lot of mana rocks. Monastery Mentor is also good in artifact shells too since they have a very high spell density. I take Balance and wouldn’t mind wheeling Hallowed Fountain / Izzet Signet.

P1P4: Sorcerous Spyglass https://i.imgur.com/1O2Rs1p.png?1

Nothing really exciting here. I might’ve taken Metalworker, but I want as less creatures as possible if I’m going to play Balance.

P1P5: Guardian Idol https://i.imgur.com/vCFuLkV.png

Need them artifacts! Since I’m in white, I can see myself going Jeskai and possibly getting Ajani Vengeant on the wheel maybe?

P1P6: Coldsteel Heart https://i.imgur.com/v83t2kj.png

Revoker would have also been a decent choice, but again I’m on the Balance plan.

P1P7: Gideon Jura https://i.imgur.com/kAC5mlu.png

I’m very surprised Gideon Jura went this late. White normally isn’t my secondary color in Tinker decks, but Gideon is very strong and pairs well with Balance. This pack signals to me that white is very open.

P1P8: Chrome Mox https://i.imgur.com/pjVgVXG.png

Chrome Mox goes extremely well with both Tinker and Balance. Imperial Seal was very tempting though since it also goes very well with Tinker and Balance.

P1P9: Banishing Light https://i.imgur.com/JVquFzQ.png

Banishing Light wheeling is another signal that white is open. I decide to take Banishing Light over Talisman since removal is always good and I can always get artifacts later.

P1P10: Dismember https://i.imgur.com/kDVEQE2.png

Kinda surprised Dismember wheeled.

P1P11: Hallowed Fountain https://i.imgur.com/AI9FeGV.png

Hallowed Fountain wheeled just as I hoped.

The rest of the picks weren’t important.

P2P1: Vampiric Tutor: https://i.imgur.com/oz2UGSF.png

No brainer for me since Balance and Tinker are heavy haymakers. Looking to possibly wheel Oblivion Ring since Banishing Light wheeled last time.


P2P2: Gideon, Ally of Zendikar https://i.imgur.com/nZXUbYV.png

Although white seems to be very open, I cannot risk to pass Gideon, Ally of Zendikar. Hopefully something like Jace Beleren / Scalding Tarn / Everflowing Chalice wheels. Also wouldn’t mind Arcane Denial.

P2P3: Demonic Tutor https://i.imgur.com/a4UDZeh.png

Have I mentioned that this deck has Tinker and Balance? I would’ve second guessed this pick if Bosh was another giant robot since I didn’t have any of those yet, but I can definitely pivot easily if Tinker doesn’t work out.

P2P4: Brainstorm https://i.imgur.com/qQfc2PC.png

Definitely could’ve picked a rock, but again I can always pick those up later. I take Brainstorm for my deck to be as consistent as possible, plus I already have 3 shuffle effects.

P2P5: Terramorphic Expanse https://i.imgur.com/qkGyRU1.png

Color fixer + a shuffle effect for Brainstorm. I could also take Caves of Koilos, but that has a higher chance of wheeling. I’m banking on either Caves of Koilos or Pithing Needle to wheel.

P2P6: Sphinx of the Steel Wind https://i.imgur.com/adYqxqj.png

Giant robot and I so happen to be Esper? Too bad Torrential Gearhulk is also in this pack, my deck has a good amount of instants.

P2P7: Venser, Shaper Savant https://i.imgur.com/CQd294Z.png

This was a tough pack since Venser / Sphinx / Cryptic Command are all strong. I decide to go with Venser since he’s cheap and very versatile.

P2P8: Fractured Identity https://i.imgur.com/rd3GDu3.png

Fractured Identity is a good card.

P2P9: Memory Lapse https://i.imgur.com/paGm2BK.png

Looking back I probably would have taken the Diabolic Edict, but whatever. Not sure if either will make the maindeck.

P2P10: Jace Beleren https://i.imgur.com/UriOnDc.png

Griselbrand wheeling signals to me that there might not be a reanimator / cheaty face player.

P2P11: Bosho, Iron Golem https://i.imgur.com/ylO36XN.png

I’m not really in red, but I still need Tinker targets just in case.

P2P12: Battlefield Forge https://i.imgur.com/DavENL9.png

Just in case I end up playing Bosh.

P2P13: Caves of Koilos https://i.imgur.com/jFuqrq1.png

Wheeled as I predicted.

P2P14: Condescend https://i.imgur.com/3vaAI7m.png

Scry 2 is always nice.

P2P15: Oath of Druids https://i.imgur.com/wlLt2ge.png

Another signal that nobody is playing cheaty face.

P3P1: Windswept Heath https://i.imgur.com/SKovMc0.png

Normally red is my secondary color in a Tinker deck and Chandra, Flamecaller would be a snap pick. Being Esper, this pack wasn’t too useful. I decide to take Windswept Heath since it’s a mana fixer, finds my one dual land I already have, and is a shuffle effect for Brainstorm. Maybe Journey to Nowhere or Aether Hub will wheel?

P3P2: Bribery https://i.imgur.com/IGPtNVU.png

Bribery is a good card. I really wouldn’t mind Triskelion or a blue cantrip wheeling.


P3P3: Inkwell Leviathan https://i.imgur.com/Shm4cJm.png

A lot of good options here, but I really needed a giant robot that wasn’t Bosh. I wouldn’t mind Prismatic Lens / Scroll Rack / Watery Grave wheeling.


P3P4: Myr Battlesphere https://i.imgur.com/2gyKNwK.png

More giant robots! Also, there really wasn’t much in this pack I can use besides Thoughtseize / Deep Analysis.

P3P5: Mox Diamond https://i.imgur.com/JSSnKIa.png

Mana acceleration / fixing that goes really well with Tinker / Balance, I’m in.

P3P6: Gideon of the Trials https://i.imgur.com/qGq79Km.png

This deck could actually really fuel Dig Through Time very easily, but I already had double tutor to find what I need. Plus I can’t NOT play Gideon of the Trials when I alreaddy have Jura + Ally of Zendikar. Gideon Tribal, let’s go!

P3P7: Grim Monolith https://i.imgur.com/JQPXBGO.png

I’m really surprised Grim Monolith went this late. I was torn with this pack because Sundering Titan is arguably the best Tinker target, but I already have 3 good tinker targets so I go witht he Monolith.
P3P8: Supreme Will https://i.imgur.com/vSYLoWx.png

Filler card. I’d always be happy to see Earthquake, but I’m not in red. Ravages of War signals to me that nobody is playing white aggro.

P3P9: Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger https://i.imgur.com/GcjCaWi.png

This pack signals to me that green is pretty open.

P3P10: Lightning Strike https://i.imgur.com/BbnTvSb.png

I swear, everything is open.

P3P11: Scroll Rack https://i.imgur.com/uKnilzQ.png

Toxic Deluge is the best card in the pack, but I wanted one more artifact. I decide to go with Scroll Rack since I have a lot of ways to shuffle the chaff I don’t need, especially Tinker targets stranded in my hand.

The rest of the picks were nothing important.

Final Product: Esper (UBW) Gideon Tribal Balance Tinker Shenanigans https://i.imgur.com/0X0vQ5o.png

The maindeck was pretty self-explainatory. I decide to go with Sphinx / Battlesphere as my 2 robots of choice since they’re more versatile than Inkwell (which I can always board in if needed). I potentially could have abandoned black and substituted the tutors for Condescend / Supreme Will or something, but I think I made the right call. Although I didn’t have a ton of mana fixing, artifact decks tend to not be very mana intensive anyways since there’s a lot of colorless spells.

Unfortunately Xmage crashed when the draft started so I actually didn’t get to play this deck : / This was definitely a 3-0 contender since it had 3 very solid game plans:

All in Tinker with many ways to find it

Gideon Tribal beatdown with Balance to clear the board

Bribery / Fractured Identity are good cards