Was fun to watch... I was still very confused that they didn't play Tainted Strike though. It could have won them half of those games much more quickly.
I'm gonna go with the Tick. Better for the curve, we're gonna be sacrificing artifacts, and we're not exactly loaded with artifact creatures. In a vacuum, Artisan is better, but not in this scenario p3p1.
Yeah, this was an MVP the draft I had it. Often had:
T4 Ezuri's Brigade
T5 Precursor Golem
gg
Didn't have much to abuse its ability, but had 3 Glint Hawks, which has a bit of an interaction, though not the strongest. Tel Jilad Defiance for an instant-cast 2-mana harmonize plus pro artifacts was fun, too.
It sounds like your idea for deckbuilding was correct. However, I do question the mana base. 5 swamps seems a little light with things like Grasp.
Also, I'm skeptical of Koth being right... but I've never been lucky enough to have one in limited. Just seems too tricky to cast as a small splash. Would rather just play the removal and have a more consistent mana base... you don't need to play many Mountains or Plains, as those removal spells are quite effective late-game as well as early.
Your problem is that the following cards should not typically be in a deck:
Creatures:
3Plated Seastrider (this should be something you hate to play as a 23rd card, let alone 3x)
3Screeching Silclaw (really bad unless you have some amazing equipment) Instants/Sorceries
2Stoic Rebuttal (2 counters, without metalcraft, in a fast format... seems bad. infect wrecks your deck as is. 1 would have probably been ok) Artifacts
1Memnite (bad unless going for metalcraft)
2Accorder's Shield (1 is ok, 2 is bad, especially with no relevant metalcraft)
1Echo Circlet
This means you have approximately 11 playables out of 23 cards in your deck. Which is really, really bad. Iffy cards aside, the only "good cards" in your deck - cards which should ALWAYS be in a deck if available - are:
Seems pretty awful in non-infect. Temporary pump on a creature to win/survive combat becomes a lot less meaningful when its got a decent chance of getting -1/-1 counters and dying anyway at EOT.
Would help if we knew how many players you have. Three rounds is going to be rather hard if you have 59 players.
And yes, someone will need to get a bye with 3 rounds... no matter what. If you have 5 players, you can do 4 rounds (everyone plays everyone) without byes. But then tiebreakers often become coin flips.
Bleh. Gotta take the Myr. As suggested above, Geargrabber is not very good. Necropede would also be good if we were in infect, but as we aren't... Myrcat Manaor.
FWIW on Volition Reins... I'm not really sure what it is (and I don't mean to insinuate about your play level), but the folks I know who are rated in the 1600/1700s seem to think the mana cost and such is an issue. The 1800s are split. The 1900/2000 friends I have think it's ridiculously amazing.
White:
- I'd probably move Kemba's Skyguard down, it's not that good.
- Auriok Edgewright is also a really bad uncommon... The number of -1/-1 counters really wreck the efficacy of double strike.
- I felt Abuna Acolyte was really a questionable 23rd card too.
Blue:
- Riddlesmith is probably a first pick in a bad pack. Having no activation cost makes it great. Looter cards are generally first pickable. Otherwise, agree.
Red:
- Generally agree here, though I really dislike Ferrovore. Might just be me.
Green:
- Sylvok Replica is first pickable in a bad pack.
- Cystbearer is probably good but I can't call that a top pick compared to the others.
- Untamed Might is more of a good pick to me, it only works well for infect.
- Carpace Forger I would also only consider good.
- Tanglewurm I would move up to top picks... intimidate is still good if you have the right removal, especially on green (intimidating poison is fun too).
- Blight mamba MIGHT be worth moving up to Top as well...
4 Liquimetal Coating
7 Molder Beast
Godly!
T4 Ezuri's Brigade
T5 Precursor Golem
gg
Didn't have much to abuse its ability, but had 3 Glint Hawks, which has a bit of an interaction, though not the strongest. Tel Jilad Defiance for an instant-cast 2-mana harmonize plus pro artifacts was fun, too.
Also, I'm skeptical of Koth being right... but I've never been lucky enough to have one in limited. Just seems too tricky to cast as a small splash. Would rather just play the removal and have a more consistent mana base... you don't need to play many Mountains or Plains, as those removal spells are quite effective late-game as well as early.
Your problem is that the following cards should not typically be in a deck:
Creatures:
3Plated Seastrider (this should be something you hate to play as a 23rd card, let alone 3x)
3Screeching Silclaw (really bad unless you have some amazing equipment)
Instants/Sorceries
2Stoic Rebuttal (2 counters, without metalcraft, in a fast format... seems bad. infect wrecks your deck as is. 1 would have probably been ok)
Artifacts
1Memnite (bad unless going for metalcraft)
2Accorder's Shield (1 is ok, 2 is bad, especially with no relevant metalcraft)
1Echo Circlet
This means you have approximately 11 playables out of 23 cards in your deck. Which is really, really bad. Iffy cards aside, the only "good cards" in your deck - cards which should ALWAYS be in a deck if available - are:
1Darkslick Drake
1Grand Architect
1Sky-Eel School
1Sunblast Angel
1Origin Spellbomb
1Chimeric Mass
6/23
Leaving off Bladed Pinions as it works quite poorly with your deck, which already has a lot of fliers and no metalcraft.
If you have any questions on why certain choices are bad, please feel free to ask and we can try to help. Drafting takes a lot of practice.
And yes, someone will need to get a bye with 3 rounds... no matter what. If you have 5 players, you can do 4 rounds (everyone plays everyone) without byes. But then tiebreakers often become coin flips.
FWIW on Volition Reins... I'm not really sure what it is (and I don't mean to insinuate about your play level), but the folks I know who are rated in the 1600/1700s seem to think the mana cost and such is an issue. The 1800s are split. The 1900/2000 friends I have think it's ridiculously amazing.
White:
- I'd probably move Kemba's Skyguard down, it's not that good.
- Auriok Edgewright is also a really bad uncommon... The number of -1/-1 counters really wreck the efficacy of double strike.
- I felt Abuna Acolyte was really a questionable 23rd card too.
Blue:
- Riddlesmith is probably a first pick in a bad pack. Having no activation cost makes it great. Looter cards are generally first pickable. Otherwise, agree.
Black:
- Necrogen Scudder is not a first pick. Maybe, similarly, in a bad pick. I'd move to to top picks though.
- I'd also move Plague Stinger down, maybe rats down, Flesh Allergy up, Fume Spitter off entirely.
Red:
- Generally agree here, though I really dislike Ferrovore. Might just be me.
Green:
- Sylvok Replica is first pickable in a bad pack.
- Cystbearer is probably good but I can't call that a top pick compared to the others.
- Untamed Might is more of a good pick to me, it only works well for infect.
- Carpace Forger I would also only consider good.
- Tanglewurm I would move up to top picks... intimidate is still good if you have the right removal, especially on green (intimidating poison is fun too).
- Blight mamba MIGHT be worth moving up to Top as well...
Artifacts:
- I would hate first picking Golem Artisan. Top pick though, sure.
- Corpse cur I'd move all the way down to good picks.
- I would also hate to first pick a palladium myr.
- Chrome steed is more of a good pick than top.
- Throne of Geth too maybe.
- Ichorclaw myr is pretty ineffective.
- Sylvok Lifestaff is questionable.
- Barbed Battlegear is probably a top pick.
- Not having Trigon of Corruption as at least a top pick is criminal.
Not to mention you may never play Adept if you get cut out of blue. Sword you will always play. Colorless first picks are awesome.
I think it'd be a lot more entertaining (and you know, balanced) if it read:
1 U/U/
Target creature's owner shuffles it into his or her library, then draws a card.
Draw a card.