I think I played about 100 sanctioned Constructed matches before I played my first Limited tournament. My hesitation was the same that all new players have: Limited is completely random, it all depends what you open. I avoided Limited tournaments until my first draft.
It was magical.
I got blown out by the best player at the table. He won the draft. Same thing at the next draft I did.
Two years later, I'm flying to Daytona Beach after going 5-0-1 at the Madison PTQ, only to lose in the last two rounds. I played well, built my deck well, but lost one round to a better player and another to a poor draw. You know, the way Magic is supposed to be. I've committed to the season full throttle, the first time I've ever gone to more than two PTQs during a Limited season. I'm going all out: five PTQs and a Grand Prix.
I crack my deck for the Grand Prix, and find complete garbage. I scrape together a mediocre UB deck that tops the curve with a pair of Inkfathom Divers. Well, more than just tops the curve; they're the best creatures. The rest of the curve is full of Deeptread Merrow, Ringskipper, Moonglove Winnower and Paperfin Rascal, with the only tribal synergy being two Streambed Aquitects. I have some of the guys with three byes take a look at the pool; Adam recommends I go UW for better creatures, but I lose the removal. PV built the deck within two cards of what I had, and then just shook his head.
I go 0-2 drop. I couldn't beat a four-year old with that deck.
I figure that sometimes you just get bad luck, you know? I book a room for the Indy PTQ and brave the highways. A cadre of four of my Chicago guys make it down in the ol' Volvo. After opening this pool, I really began to question just how much luck goes into Sealed.
White - 15 (3)
Neck Snap
Kinsbaile Balloonist
2 Goldmeadow Harrier
2 Dawnfluke
2 Springjack Knight
2 Kithkin Healer
2 Shields of Velis Vel
Entangling Trap
Harpoon Sniper
Sentry Oak
Blue - 12
Guile
Silvergill Adept
Faerie Harbinger
Merrow Harbinger
Sentinels of Glen Elendra
2 Broken Ambitions
2 Mulldrifter
Glimmerdust Nap
Forced Fruition
Aquitect's Will
Black - 13 (3)
Eyeblight's Ending
Weed Strangle
Boggart Harbinger
Warren Pilferers
Makeshift Mannequin
2 Exiled Boggart
2 Nath's Buffoon
Moonglove Winnower
2 Mournwhelk
Lys Alana Scarblade
Red - 13 (2)
Smokebraider
2 Mudbutton Torchrunner
Flamekin Bladewhirl
Blades of Velis Vel
Inner-Flame Acolyte
2 Faultgrinder
Soulbright Flamekin
Hostility
Thundercloud Shaman
2 Needle Drop
Green - 14 (4)
Nath's Elite
Woodland Changeling
Seedguide Ash
Woodland Guidance
Kithkin Daggerdare
2 Oakgnarl Warrior
Briarhorn
2 Rootgrapple
Bog-Strider Ash
Elvish Handservant
Gilt-Leaf Ambush
Guardian of Cloverdell
Gold - 1
Doran, Siege Tower
Artifact - 5
3 Springleaf Drum
Runed Stalactite
Herbal Poultice
Land - 2
Ancient Amphitheatre
Foil Plains
Interesting, huh? I don't know how to even begin. I laid the deck out after I was 3-1 with the build, and everyone had a different take. So I'm curious: post what you would do in the Comments. I'll post my build after I get some responses.
