Thanks for the comments. So yeah, the mana base is... super greedy lol. I don't know if I'm justified in feeling this way but I tend to play pretty greedy mana bases in just about every format, and typically don't have too many problems (Dragon's Maze draft was like a dream to me haha). I don't think there was a game that I straight up lost due to my mana, but there were definitely times when a card or two was stranded in my hand. In a couple of games blood moon actually turned on my red count to get Pia and Kiran and Kiki out, but I know it's not ideal to count on that happening haha. I was already comfortable playing a 4 color mana base (kiki pod was a greedy deck too) and simply added an overgrown tomb. It's definitely not ideal, and sakura tribe elder seems like a good way around that.
So on to the list itself, I should start by clarifying that I made some choices influenced by fun more than competitiveness. Siege Rhino is awesome but honestly isn't really worth a slot - another angel would probably just be better. The curve is definitely high, and I'll try and cut that down too moving forward. I also was making due with the cards I have - I would love to run 3 voices but only have 2 so I rolled with it. I'm thinking about fitting hierarchs in here too, but it doesn't feel the same as pod where you wanted turn 2 pod as often as possible. I might try out domri again so there's always a strong turn 2 play. As for the curve causing headaches, I'm not sure if it was a big issue or not. In reality we need specific hate against the fast decks, and against the grindier decks more high cost cards will be more impactful. So maybe it's ok? I'd have to play more to know for sure on that. Again, I thought I'd get rolled by twin, but I didn't, and maybe forcing them to use counters and removal on stuff like voice and finks let the higher curve cards take over the game. On finks vs courser, I did originally have a courser and a finks, but changed it to 3 finks figuring they would be more impactful with 3 angels.
I'd probably keep Glen Elendra if I keep blue, because it's really a headache against the decks we can't get creature hate for. She usually makes them use two cards to get rid of her, which is always a good thing. She's very hard to get into play with an extra blue up, though, so that's a serious issue. Another option is mystic snake - on Sunday my friend played a Kiki Chord deck running it and said he got steamrolled by resto'd snakes, and given my penchant for fun over perfect lists I'm probably going to try it out :).
I ran 3 negate because I used run it in kikipod, and usually liked to see it. It was also one of my only ways to prevent blood moon from coming out (I didn't want to rely on finding enchantment removal while under a blood moon). Also, my logic with the sideboard was to have everything be a chord or Bring target, with the exception of the negates. I'll probably keep them, because they're good against twin and Scapeshift. Basically, negate is my crutch for everything that uses the stack that our narrower creatures can't hit. As for melira, I probably could have a better target there, and I was expecting more infect than what actually showed up. I personally don't like one-ofs in the board that I can't search up, but yeah EE and ghostly prison are good against a wide enough portion of the meta to be worth running.
Ultimately take what I say with a grain of salt, as while I have played modern for a few years with kiki pod I've been out of the loop for the last year and basically cobbled this list up and didn't practice it enough. I do think if the list were tightened up and the sideboard figured out it could be very strong, but it feels like there is a struggle with BtL. It allows an insane amount of flexibility, but it's hard to get it out in time. I'm not sure to handle that, and similarly it competes for resources with Chord - chord wants wall of roots while BtL wants caryatids (my one of was to test it out - it was actually pretty good).
If I get many chances to play more in the coming months I'll try to be involved on here as I don't have any intentions of abandoning the deck. I am still very much in a toss up of what to do aside from the core of dorks, walls, chord and the combo. Is domri better? BtL? Neither? They all have their merits. Bring to Light is fun - I'll give it that much haha.
I went to GP Pitt and played BTL Kiki-Chord, going 5-2-2 (officially 4-4-1 because I scooped to some folks grinding out points). I felt pretty good about this, as I don't get to play much modern any more. I used to play Kiki-Pod, so naturally I picked this deck up. I was pumped to try Bring to Light out, so I jammed it. Anyways, here is my deck list and and quick write up:
I didn't take great notes so I'll do my best to remember what happened, but here's a little tournament report:
Round 1 - Jeanie with R/G Aggro Moon 2-1 (1-0)
Game 1 - I play a couple of lands into a voice, end of my turn she bolts it, I get two voice tokens. Turn 3 she drops a maindeck blood moon, and of course I'm locked out unless I draw some basics. Some Hellriders later I'm dead. So yeah, maindeck blood moon is great against me lol.
Game 2 - I fetch basics, and am able to land some threats, and I think I got this one via the beat down plan.
Game 3 - I keep a hand with two windswept Heaths, so I know I can fetch my Forest and Plains, however she has played utopia sprawl in previous games so I am terrified that I'll get locked out on her turn 2. I get lucky here, and blood moon drops on her turn 3 so I get both a plains and forest out. I think in this one I ramp out some creatures and then combo her out.
Round 2 - Randall with Merfolk 0-2 (1-1)
Both of these games played out pretty much the same, with reejery untapping lands to completely flood the board by turn 4. I lost pretty handily here, and wasn't surprised as I wasn't really prepared for this matchup and I always struggled against it when I played Kiki Pod.
Round 3 - Nick on BUG Walker Control 2-0 (2-1)
Game 1 - I successfully Kiki-Jiki'd a Rhino, so this one was over pretty quick.
Game 2 - He lands Ashiok, and proceeds to exile Obstinate Baloth on the first activation. I start setting up for the combo because I have a feeling if I don't I'm going to lose to my own cards. He plays the Baloth, then takes my spellskite, then plays it thinking he can disrupt the combo with it. Obviously, that doesn't work, so I combo him out.
Round 4 - Brad on Abzan Company 1-2 (2-2)
Man this was a weird matchup.
Game 1 - He mulligans to 5, then plays a turn 1 seer, turn 2 melira, turn 3 finks, infite life. I keep playing, but end up being unable to break up his combo so I can use mine.
Game 2 - Turn 2 wall of roots + bird, turn three pass, he cracks a fetch, in response I chord for mindcensor, he misses on the fetch. On his turn, he tries fetching again only to miss - he then scooped knowing he would be unlikely to come back from that.
Game 3 - Another long one with me attempting to break the combo. Again I was unable to really disrupt it.
I wasn't very prepared for this matchup and definitely could've played it a lot better than I did.
Round 5 - Justin on U/R Twin 2-0 (3-2)
Both of these games were pretty grindy, and I was afraid of both the combo and blood moon, but was somehow able to get there. I don't really remember what happened but I was surprised to win - I figured Twin would be a rough matchup for me.
Round 6 - Eric on Naya Burn 1-1-1 (3-2-1)
Game 1 - this was a long grindy game, but eventually I got the combo out forcing him to use burn on my creatures. I eventually build up a lethal attack with a Kiki'd voice of resurgence. After our matches he points out that he was playing to his only out in deflecting palm for one of the voice tokens, which makes sense as I figured the game was basically over once he diverted removal to my creatures.
Game 2 - another long grindy one. We spent many turns in a delicate scavenging ooze grim lavamancer dance that eventually he was able to overcome.
Game 3 - we hit time right as we start, and I feel confident that my hand won't lose the game, but know I can't win in 3 turns. A few turns later and it's a draw. Judge was right there waiting for the slip, and I had no idea how to discuss who should concede, and I'm not sure he did either so it ended as a draw knocking us both out of contention for day two. Any tips on handling something like this in the future?
Round 7 - Dan on Grixis Twin 1-1-1 (3-3-1 but really 3-2-2)
These games are fuzzy, but I know they were super grindy. We go to time and no one wins, he's still in for points so I concede the match (I don't play enough to really care about the points).
Round 8 - Alex on Lantern Control 2-0 (4-3-1 but really 4-2-2)
Game 1 - he mulls to 5, and inquisitions seeing the natural combo in hand, and concedes right there. After the match I point out that he should've played it out and he agrees, as I didn't have the lands to play them. It's likely I would've won anyways, but he does agree that he was being hasty. I don't blame him one bit - It was probably 7pm at this point lol.
Game 2 - He focuses on the combo and I manage to beat him down. I believe he thoughtseized my Kiki and then extracted it, and when he searched my library he noticed my one white border card - Shatterstorm. A turn or two later I Bring it to Light and light up his board.
Round 9 - Joe on TarmoTwin 2-0 (4-4-1 but really 5-2-2)
Again I forget the details of these grindy twin matchups, but I do remember a sweet moment - he goes for the combo, I negate twin, he cryptics, I negate again. Felt great, and it got there. Before the match he asks if I care about the points and mention I'll concede, and do so afterward.
All in all I felt pretty good about this list. I didn't really get to test out the power of BtL, often siding it out against the twin decks for fear of blood moon. I was also sure that I would lose to twin, but actually managed not to lose to it which was kinda shocking (I think I had a little luck on my side).
Moving forward, I'm not quite sure how I'll adjust the list. BtL didn't do a whole lot, but then again I didn't play against many decks that I needed it for. With all the twin around packing blood moon in the board it's probably best not to run it and instead focus on a more streamllined Naya or Naya splash blue list.
Vendilion Clique dies to Bolt, Knight of the Reliquary often dies to Bolt, Mirran Crusader dies to Bolt do I have to go on? Dying to bolt means little to nothing if the card is powerful enough.
The three cards spoiled today each have a very high power level and brewing potential
Hardened Scales is a great card at 1cmc in decks that use evolve or other counter related shennanigans, probably an EDH staple
Empty the Pits is amazingly good as an instant, there should be many ways to abuse this to fill the graveyard quickly and untap with a zombie army.
Savage Knuckleblade one of the best power creeps seen. If you get to untap with him he is insane. If you don't well you might have gotten 4 dmg in already.
I don't know that these are great examples. V Clique has a very powerful ability on ETB and can close out games if you can take a card that will kill it. KOTR doesn't usually come down as a 2/2 or 3/3, does she? And Mirran Crusader doesn't see a whole lot of play, at least in my experience.
I think dying to bolt will make Mantis Rider's playability in modern tough.
Hey guys, I played in the event and managed to squeak into 29th place with Kiki-pod (they paid out to 32). Overall the event felt diverse, but I played a lot of BGx and affinity. I played against the following:
Affinity - W
Melira Pod - D
Junk Midrange - W
Melira Pod - W
Affinity - L
BG Rock - W
Scapeshift - L
Junk Midrange - W
5-2-1
Also, that 3rd place list is actually Melira Pod [EDIT: Angel Pod] and not 4c pod (I don't see any red or blue). I had a blast, though I definitely got some free wins from people who didn't quite understand what my deck was capable of doing.
Hey, haven't exactly had a lot of experience with this deck (lots of goldfishing, not a lot of playing), but Squee, Goblin Nabob seems like a decent side board option against the BGx decks. Reusable podding and discard protection seems good for the long game. Has anyone tested him? He also pairs well with fauna shaman, not that that is likely to happen much.
Cab, if you've you've got overgrown tombs then put those in and then swap out the ichorclaw myrs for plague stingers. Flying is very good against most decks (it's one reason why inkmoth is so good). Adding black also lets you play inquisition or thoughtseize in the sideboard.
I don't get these mental gymnastics that several people in the thread seem to make where drafts are apparently free cards in their mind. I don't draft, and I have been able to put money aside that I would otherwise spend on drafting to buy the singles that I wanted for Modern and, once upon a time, Legacy. Drafting for the cards does not mean that you didn't spend money on them.
To clarify, I treat drafting like a movie, I spend money on the 3-4 hour experience and not the cards. Limited is my favorite format, so the capability to build standard decks (usually noy tier 1) is a secondary goal. The primary goal is to do well in limited. Again, this is how I treat magic from a budgetary standpoint. My priorities are currently limited, modern, legacy, and standard, in that order, in regards to purchasing singles. As a result of drafting a lot, I am capable of building decent standard decks (currently on R/g aggro).
To be fair, legacy is not easy to get into if you really want into the format. I chose modern because a set of fetches and shocks was significantly cheaper than a set of duals and forces and wastelands.
On the other hand, I did just build a legacy deck, and it was cheap. With MM, the cost of LEDless Dredge has dropped significantly, down to only $150 (things like imps and narcomoebas I got from drafting MM, but everything else I had to pretty much buy). That number also includes Iona, Elesh Norn, and some firestorms, to help give an idea as to how cheap the main deck actually is.
To be fair though, I think the biggest reason people stick with Standard is accessibility. Trading standard cards for standard cards is so much easier than even finding the modern/legacy cards you need. I also assume constructed players tend to draft meaning they get access to cards in a standard pool at what I consider no cost (aka the $15 to draft is a sunk cost and the cards I get from it are extra value). For my budget I kind of treat it that way, meaning the expense of my standard deck is significantly offset by the money I spent on drafting. For me, if I wanted to build standard decks it would be easy to do so without actually buying cards, as I could probably trade for what I need. If I want to get modern or legacy cards, however, I'm pretty much stuck buying them, and for a lot of people that isn't an option.
Personally, I've chosen to go with modern as my main format, as I expect it to develop into a diverse and exciting format like Legacy without the absurd prices. I live on the east coast and wanted to at least have a legacy deck for SCG Opens and such, so we'll see how that goes, but for budget reasons I don't see myself ever actually getting into the format.
I'm not trying to sound like a negative nancy but I also want people to know what they are buying.
Definitely good advice, but I still can't just overlook the fact that there will be 24 foils in each of these boxes... Even if you only break even on non-foils (which is what it looks like the numbers are at around 250 a box), the foils will almost assuredly put you ahead. It looks like a lot of these cards see significant modern, legacy, EDH, and casual play. Not to mention the fact that the last modern season saw a surge in prices and all signs point to the next one doing the same.
One thing I've noticed with these price calculations is people seem to leave out foils. Since you open 24 foils how does this impact the EV? I am not familiar with how foil rarity is determined, but one per pack seems likely to yield a couple of foils worth a few bucks.
All you need is a plane ticket to japan, a bit ol training as a thief, and no morality and you can complete you dragon collection!
(I know what its like, shichifukujin dragon is something I will never get. I collect dragons and I"m missing beta shivan, Niv mizzet rav foil and extended art foil, a couple of invasion dragons, and that is pretty much it. I got the zodiac and I got the rest, and I have a few foil foreign ones to. But I'll never have a complete dragon collection.)
Haha, your collection blows mine out of the water. I've deluded myself into believing that having a few printings of each dragon is sufficient for a complete "collection," so zodiac is my reach target. I just can't see myself shelling out 400 bucks for an alpha Shivan, as awesome as it'd be.
As for other boring dragons, I think Elder Land Wurm is pretty awful.
Thanks for the comments. So yeah, the mana base is... super greedy lol. I don't know if I'm justified in feeling this way but I tend to play pretty greedy mana bases in just about every format, and typically don't have too many problems (Dragon's Maze draft was like a dream to me haha). I don't think there was a game that I straight up lost due to my mana, but there were definitely times when a card or two was stranded in my hand. In a couple of games blood moon actually turned on my red count to get Pia and Kiran and Kiki out, but I know it's not ideal to count on that happening haha. I was already comfortable playing a 4 color mana base (kiki pod was a greedy deck too) and simply added an overgrown tomb. It's definitely not ideal, and sakura tribe elder seems like a good way around that.
So on to the list itself, I should start by clarifying that I made some choices influenced by fun more than competitiveness. Siege Rhino is awesome but honestly isn't really worth a slot - another angel would probably just be better. The curve is definitely high, and I'll try and cut that down too moving forward. I also was making due with the cards I have - I would love to run 3 voices but only have 2 so I rolled with it. I'm thinking about fitting hierarchs in here too, but it doesn't feel the same as pod where you wanted turn 2 pod as often as possible. I might try out domri again so there's always a strong turn 2 play. As for the curve causing headaches, I'm not sure if it was a big issue or not. In reality we need specific hate against the fast decks, and against the grindier decks more high cost cards will be more impactful. So maybe it's ok? I'd have to play more to know for sure on that. Again, I thought I'd get rolled by twin, but I didn't, and maybe forcing them to use counters and removal on stuff like voice and finks let the higher curve cards take over the game. On finks vs courser, I did originally have a courser and a finks, but changed it to 3 finks figuring they would be more impactful with 3 angels.
I'd probably keep Glen Elendra if I keep blue, because it's really a headache against the decks we can't get creature hate for. She usually makes them use two cards to get rid of her, which is always a good thing. She's very hard to get into play with an extra blue up, though, so that's a serious issue. Another option is mystic snake - on Sunday my friend played a Kiki Chord deck running it and said he got steamrolled by resto'd snakes, and given my penchant for fun over perfect lists I'm probably going to try it out :).
I ran 3 negate because I used run it in kikipod, and usually liked to see it. It was also one of my only ways to prevent blood moon from coming out (I didn't want to rely on finding enchantment removal while under a blood moon). Also, my logic with the sideboard was to have everything be a chord or Bring target, with the exception of the negates. I'll probably keep them, because they're good against twin and Scapeshift. Basically, negate is my crutch for everything that uses the stack that our narrower creatures can't hit. As for melira, I probably could have a better target there, and I was expecting more infect than what actually showed up. I personally don't like one-ofs in the board that I can't search up, but yeah EE and ghostly prison are good against a wide enough portion of the meta to be worth running.
Ultimately take what I say with a grain of salt, as while I have played modern for a few years with kiki pod I've been out of the loop for the last year and basically cobbled this list up and didn't practice it enough. I do think if the list were tightened up and the sideboard figured out it could be very strong, but it feels like there is a struggle with BtL. It allows an insane amount of flexibility, but it's hard to get it out in time. I'm not sure to handle that, and similarly it competes for resources with Chord - chord wants wall of roots while BtL wants caryatids (my one of was to test it out - it was actually pretty good).
If I get many chances to play more in the coming months I'll try to be involved on here as I don't have any intentions of abandoning the deck. I am still very much in a toss up of what to do aside from the core of dorks, walls, chord and the combo. Is domri better? BtL? Neither? They all have their merits. Bring to Light is fun - I'll give it that much haha.
I went to GP Pitt and played BTL Kiki-Chord, going 5-2-2 (officially 4-4-1 because I scooped to some folks grinding out points). I felt pretty good about this, as I don't get to play much modern any more. I used to play Kiki-Pod, so naturally I picked this deck up. I was pumped to try Bring to Light out, so I jammed it. Anyways, here is my deck list and and quick write up:
2 Voice of Resurgence
3 Wall of Roots
2 Scavenging Ooze
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Sylvan Caryatid
1 Spellskite
1 Sin Collector
2 Eternal Witness
3 Kitchen Finks
3 Restoration Angel
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
1 Glen-Elendra Archmage
1 Siege Rhino
2 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
4 Path to Exile
3 Chord of Calling
2 Bring to Light
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Misty Rainforest
1 Fire-lit Thicket
1 Gavony Township
2 Stomping Grounds
1 Temple Garden
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Steam Vents
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Breeding Pool
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Island
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Bring to Light
1 Crumble to Dust
1 Melira, Sylvok Outcast
1 Sigarda, Host of Herons
1 Aven Mindcensor
1 Obstinate Baloth
1 Shatterstorm
1 Eidolon of Rhetoric
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Kataki, War's Wage
1 Slaughter Games
1 Fiery Justice
3 Negate
I didn't take great notes so I'll do my best to remember what happened, but here's a little tournament report:
Round 1 - Jeanie with R/G Aggro Moon 2-1 (1-0)
Game 1 - I play a couple of lands into a voice, end of my turn she bolts it, I get two voice tokens. Turn 3 she drops a maindeck blood moon, and of course I'm locked out unless I draw some basics. Some Hellriders later I'm dead. So yeah, maindeck blood moon is great against me lol.
Game 2 - I fetch basics, and am able to land some threats, and I think I got this one via the beat down plan.
Game 3 - I keep a hand with two windswept Heaths, so I know I can fetch my Forest and Plains, however she has played utopia sprawl in previous games so I am terrified that I'll get locked out on her turn 2. I get lucky here, and blood moon drops on her turn 3 so I get both a plains and forest out. I think in this one I ramp out some creatures and then combo her out.
Round 2 - Randall with Merfolk 0-2 (1-1)
Both of these games played out pretty much the same, with reejery untapping lands to completely flood the board by turn 4. I lost pretty handily here, and wasn't surprised as I wasn't really prepared for this matchup and I always struggled against it when I played Kiki Pod.
Round 3 - Nick on BUG Walker Control 2-0 (2-1)
Game 1 - I successfully Kiki-Jiki'd a Rhino, so this one was over pretty quick.
Game 2 - He lands Ashiok, and proceeds to exile Obstinate Baloth on the first activation. I start setting up for the combo because I have a feeling if I don't I'm going to lose to my own cards. He plays the Baloth, then takes my spellskite, then plays it thinking he can disrupt the combo with it. Obviously, that doesn't work, so I combo him out.
Round 4 - Brad on Abzan Company 1-2 (2-2)
Man this was a weird matchup.
Game 1 - He mulligans to 5, then plays a turn 1 seer, turn 2 melira, turn 3 finks, infite life. I keep playing, but end up being unable to break up his combo so I can use mine.
Game 2 - Turn 2 wall of roots + bird, turn three pass, he cracks a fetch, in response I chord for mindcensor, he misses on the fetch. On his turn, he tries fetching again only to miss - he then scooped knowing he would be unlikely to come back from that.
Game 3 - Another long one with me attempting to break the combo. Again I was unable to really disrupt it.
I wasn't very prepared for this matchup and definitely could've played it a lot better than I did.
Round 5 - Justin on U/R Twin 2-0 (3-2)
Both of these games were pretty grindy, and I was afraid of both the combo and blood moon, but was somehow able to get there. I don't really remember what happened but I was surprised to win - I figured Twin would be a rough matchup for me.
Round 6 - Eric on Naya Burn 1-1-1 (3-2-1)
Game 1 - this was a long grindy game, but eventually I got the combo out forcing him to use burn on my creatures. I eventually build up a lethal attack with a Kiki'd voice of resurgence. After our matches he points out that he was playing to his only out in deflecting palm for one of the voice tokens, which makes sense as I figured the game was basically over once he diverted removal to my creatures.
Game 2 - another long grindy one. We spent many turns in a delicate scavenging ooze grim lavamancer dance that eventually he was able to overcome.
Game 3 - we hit time right as we start, and I feel confident that my hand won't lose the game, but know I can't win in 3 turns. A few turns later and it's a draw. Judge was right there waiting for the slip, and I had no idea how to discuss who should concede, and I'm not sure he did either so it ended as a draw knocking us both out of contention for day two. Any tips on handling something like this in the future?
Round 7 - Dan on Grixis Twin 1-1-1 (3-3-1 but really 3-2-2)
These games are fuzzy, but I know they were super grindy. We go to time and no one wins, he's still in for points so I concede the match (I don't play enough to really care about the points).
Round 8 - Alex on Lantern Control 2-0 (4-3-1 but really 4-2-2)
Game 1 - he mulls to 5, and inquisitions seeing the natural combo in hand, and concedes right there. After the match I point out that he should've played it out and he agrees, as I didn't have the lands to play them. It's likely I would've won anyways, but he does agree that he was being hasty. I don't blame him one bit - It was probably 7pm at this point lol.
Game 2 - He focuses on the combo and I manage to beat him down. I believe he thoughtseized my Kiki and then extracted it, and when he searched my library he noticed my one white border card - Shatterstorm. A turn or two later I Bring it to Light and light up his board.
Round 9 - Joe on TarmoTwin 2-0 (4-4-1 but really 5-2-2)
Again I forget the details of these grindy twin matchups, but I do remember a sweet moment - he goes for the combo, I negate twin, he cryptics, I negate again. Felt great, and it got there. Before the match he asks if I care about the points and mention I'll concede, and do so afterward.
All in all I felt pretty good about this list. I didn't really get to test out the power of BtL, often siding it out against the twin decks for fear of blood moon. I was also sure that I would lose to twin, but actually managed not to lose to it which was kinda shocking (I think I had a little luck on my side).
Moving forward, I'm not quite sure how I'll adjust the list. BtL didn't do a whole lot, but then again I didn't play against many decks that I needed it for. With all the twin around packing blood moon in the board it's probably best not to run it and instead focus on a more streamllined Naya or Naya splash blue list.
I don't know that these are great examples. V Clique has a very powerful ability on ETB and can close out games if you can take a card that will kill it. KOTR doesn't usually come down as a 2/2 or 3/3, does she? And Mirran Crusader doesn't see a whole lot of play, at least in my experience.
I think dying to bolt will make Mantis Rider's playability in modern tough.
Ah, sorry, didn't see that, edited my post.
Affinity - W
Melira Pod - D
Junk Midrange - W
Melira Pod - W
Affinity - L
BG Rock - W
Scapeshift - L
Junk Midrange - W
5-2-1
Also, that 3rd place list is actually Melira Pod [EDIT: Angel Pod] and not 4c pod (I don't see any red or blue). I had a blast, though I definitely got some free wins from people who didn't quite understand what my deck was capable of doing.
Does he seem useful or just cute?
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To clarify, I treat drafting like a movie, I spend money on the 3-4 hour experience and not the cards. Limited is my favorite format, so the capability to build standard decks (usually noy tier 1) is a secondary goal. The primary goal is to do well in limited. Again, this is how I treat magic from a budgetary standpoint. My priorities are currently limited, modern, legacy, and standard, in that order, in regards to purchasing singles. As a result of drafting a lot, I am capable of building decent standard decks (currently on R/g aggro).
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On the other hand, I did just build a legacy deck, and it was cheap. With MM, the cost of LEDless Dredge has dropped significantly, down to only $150 (things like imps and narcomoebas I got from drafting MM, but everything else I had to pretty much buy). That number also includes Iona, Elesh Norn, and some firestorms, to help give an idea as to how cheap the main deck actually is.
To be fair though, I think the biggest reason people stick with Standard is accessibility. Trading standard cards for standard cards is so much easier than even finding the modern/legacy cards you need. I also assume constructed players tend to draft meaning they get access to cards in a standard pool at what I consider no cost (aka the $15 to draft is a sunk cost and the cards I get from it are extra value). For my budget I kind of treat it that way, meaning the expense of my standard deck is significantly offset by the money I spent on drafting. For me, if I wanted to build standard decks it would be easy to do so without actually buying cards, as I could probably trade for what I need. If I want to get modern or legacy cards, however, I'm pretty much stuck buying them, and for a lot of people that isn't an option.
Personally, I've chosen to go with modern as my main format, as I expect it to develop into a diverse and exciting format like Legacy without the absurd prices. I live on the east coast and wanted to at least have a legacy deck for SCG Opens and such, so we'll see how that goes, but for budget reasons I don't see myself ever actually getting into the format.
Definitely good advice, but I still can't just overlook the fact that there will be 24 foils in each of these boxes... Even if you only break even on non-foils (which is what it looks like the numbers are at around 250 a box), the foils will almost assuredly put you ahead. It looks like a lot of these cards see significant modern, legacy, EDH, and casual play. Not to mention the fact that the last modern season saw a surge in prices and all signs point to the next one doing the same.
Haha, your collection blows mine out of the water. I've deluded myself into believing that having a few printings of each dragon is sufficient for a complete "collection," so zodiac is my reach target. I just can't see myself shelling out 400 bucks for an alpha Shivan, as awesome as it'd be.
As for other boring dragons, I think Elder Land Wurm is pretty awful.
I like to pretend Shichifukujin Dragon doesn't exist because I'll never own it.