MRD Tournament - Game commentary/Discussion

[juzamjedi]

I am indifferent on the score keeping. I plan to just post my results for each match along with the match commentary I normally do. These tournaments have always been about having fun building an awesome deck / reading awesome stories about the matchups for my decks.

I am simply doing my best to be patient while I wait on Aww's next draft pick. Very excited about 2 of my next 3 picks and Aww probably isn't even interested in them.

[grinnin]

OK so since this is my first tournament I feel a bit lost...

Am I correct in assuming the performance of a deck is going to be based on essentially how well the AI plays with it? Or is it more how each player does with playing it?

Considering the AI is hopelessly bad with the win condition I'm thinking about, but I'm quite good with it, I thought I'd ask before my turn comes around again

[Shantak]

So far the system has been to give more points for AI wins, since it's not particularly hard to design a deck that a human can use to beat AI, but it's a lot harder to design a deck which allows AI to regularly beat human players. I think a human player might get easily infinite turns with the deck jatill is drafting, but I doubt AI can even get any advantage out of Time Vault. Since AI victories are rarer, they have been valued more.

[aww1979]

I pick Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre, Yawgmoth's Will, and Damnation

[grinnin]

Shantak: thanks a lot. So basically the system evaluates both conditions, weighing the AI wins more?

[juzamjedi]

Grinnin, you definitely want a deck that the AI can pilot for at least a few wins. This was also why Jatill made a comment a few pages back that the theme of his draft was cards that the AI is bad at using

OK, now for my next picks:
1. Aether Vial -> can't believe I forgot about this, really good for this style of deck
2. Loxodon Warhammer -> a lot of my creatures are puny and will need the help
3. Scroll Thief

[grinnin]

Man am I glad I brought this up now then. I'm deciding between dark depths and beat down and so far the AI likes using the hexmage on random swamps a *little* to much for my comfort...

[Nicdanger]

Lessee . .

Karakas
Llanawar Elves
Fyndhorn Elves

[Cognis]

Damn you aww, I was about to take Damnation >:( I realised nobody picked so far but I guess you noticed that as well.

[aww1979]

Wow, scroll thief is a merfolk? I never realized that before. And funny enough, I didn't think Cognis would want damnation, but I did think grinnin might want it, and I knew I'd need it with this style of deck.

[monopoman]

Wrath of God
Scalding Tarn
Flametongue Kavu

[Cognis]

Teramorphic Expanse
Terminate
Elves of Deep Shadow
Badlands
Taiga
Quirion Dryad

I know I should wait for grinnin for my next 3 picks but I won't be near my computer for over half a day and I don't want to keep you waiting and I don't think he'd take any of the cards I picked.

[jatill]

<jatill> sheds a tear for Wrath of God

[grinnin]

Here's where it gets weird:

I pick:

Sphere of Resistance
Thorn of Amethyst
Trinisphere
Bazaar of Baghdad
Sign in Blood
Gatekeeper of Malakir

[aww1979]

Whew! I was worried grinnin would take a bunch of cards I wanted Sign in Blood was the only one I was even thinking of taking, and I wouldn't have grabbed it for several rounds, if at all, anyway.

Cognis picked his in advance, and so Monopoman is up.