Yes. Obviously we take the green card. Nothing has an upside nearly as high, we have a strong green rare already, and probably should have snapped up the Gnarlid in the last pack. I have been MIA for holidays, or I would have pushed for that. Red isn't any more likely for us than another color. Blue is most likely and Vestige isn't any kind of signal that red is open. Gnarlid is one of if not the best green common, and a sign.
Agreed. Benthic Infiltrator is the best card in the pack. Valakut Predator is the next best option. I'd prefer to take the best card in the pack at this point, and see what starts to dry up in the next few picks.
Stonefury is good. It also costs 5 and requires commitment to red as a main color.
I'd rather try for synergy than write it off from the outset. We should watch what is open, and not pigeonhole ourselves into red or devoid yet. But I still think Nettle Drone is the pick.
Nettle Drone. Removal is removal, but Nettle Drone is great whether you are on offense or defense. It is a lynchpin in a red devoid deck, and strong even if you aren't.
Stasis snare and Touch of the Void are both excellent, but neither is high enough impact that I would take it over Endless One. It fills all spots on the curve, and every deck is better off with this guy.
Blighted Steppe is not as terrible as you seem to think, Puddle Jumper. I would include it not as a lifegain enabler, but as an added potential late game bonus at almost no cost. We have very reasonable mana requirements in this deck, and 1 colorless land out of 18 won't break us. It might not make the deck, but Dutiful Return definitely won't. It's so bad we'll probably see another one in our auto-picks anyway.
Kalastria Nightwatch. This is usually going to be a 4/5 flyer for 5 with as much life gain as we already have. I think this improves our deck the most, even if we have to cut channeler to make room for it.
I vote for Hagra Sharpshooter. It's a 3-drop, an Ally, and we are in desperate need of removal. Being an ally is the least important of these things. Even when -1/-1 isn't good enough to act as removal, it can mess with combat math significantly.
I'd rather try for synergy than write it off from the outset. We should watch what is open, and not pigeonhole ourselves into red or devoid yet. But I still think Nettle Drone is the pick.