Pack 3, Pick 6

Chosen by Heliod
Decorated Griffin
Karametra's Acolyte
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Opaline Unicorn
Stymied Hopes
Two-Headed Cerberus
Wavecrash Triton
Wingsteed Rider
Plains

Another fixer vs ramp choice? This is killing me. I'm starting to think about making room to include blue again.

Opaline Unicorn vs Karametra's Acolyte

We need to decide as a group right now: Are we R/G/U or R/G?

I see 6 blue spells that I like. If we go 3-color, we just need the fixing and we're done. It would give us a variety of tricks in Hubris , Triton Shorestalker , Thassa's Ire , Vortex Elemental , Stratus Walk , and Stormchaser Chimera . But running that blue will cut into Xenagos and Blinding Flare .

If we go 2-color, it strengthens our bomb and our alpha strike finisher. But it means not running 6 good blue spells and depending on picking up yet a couple more good R/G cards, which we may very well be able to do.

I think I've just talked myself into +1 Opaline Unicorn

Idk, with our pumps and bestows and ways to get damage through, I kinda like the doublestrike creature. Also helps turn the God into a creature.

+1 Two-headed cerberus

Yeah, I was actually thinking we need more threats, was debating between Minotaur Skullcleaver and Two-Headed Cerberus . I'm actually in favour of the Skullcleaver as it does more on its own. Could be swung either way

+1 Minotaur Skullcleaver

I think I liked the hedonist last pick because it did two things: solidify going 2-color, and finishing our mana fixers. And a two drop creature filler with upsides really isn't that bad. I really like the skullcleaver too - it does something right away, and we have enough tools to make it dangerous later on instead of chumping it.

Actually when I think about it, if we assume our ideal play, we can imagine a T3 skullcleaver then T4 fearsome temper then T5 God +4/+4 on combat does 16 damage during those turns, whereas a T3 two-headed would do 18 damage by T5. However, if we substitute T4 with a Nyxborn bestow, I am counting 13 damage from skullcleaver and only 12 damage from two-headed. On average they are similar, so you might as well pick the one that is faster and more aggressive. I don't really care if the God is a creature or not, and that rare minotaur pumper could possibly cycle anyways.

-1 two-headed cerberus

+1 minotaur skullcleaver

Well, actually two-headed is .5 damage better on average in those situations, so they are not similar. But getting immediate use of skullcleaver and almost guaranteeing 4 damage on T3 is worth more than .5 damage

I think Cerberus is the better pick here. I highly doubt our games will finish. We have a midrange deck which in my opinion makes double strike stronger than haste. We have big beaters already. The 4 damage pales in comparison the a monstrous asp or nemesis. Pumping Cerberus also gives us more damage and another threat

+1 cerberus

I think we should cut green from the pack and take Karametra's Acolyte . If we have a couple other green creatures on the field with it, paying for monstrous isn't so expensive anymore.

+1 Karametra's Acolyte

Idk, I really don't like picking a creature just so that we can pump it. We only have 3 pump spells, excluding Bestow (Lightning Diadem , Mortal's Resolve and Fearsome Temper ), of which I only like the Temper. Picking the Cerberus just so we can have a chance of pairing it with the Temper is kind of poor, I'd much rather put the Temper on Pheres-Band Thunderhoof instead.

We have three creatures with expensive Monstrosity abilities, two expensive enchantments we'd like to play, and a colorless mana sink (sort of) in Fearsome Temper .

With all those uses for mana, I am a huge fan of Gilded Lotus, aka Karametra's Acolyte . Cerberi and Skullcleavers are nice cards and all, but look at our late game: Xenagos, Asp, Leucrocota, Noble Quarry. Creatures that block extremely well and ramp, sometimes absurdly, fit right into our game plan. Of note: I am also operating under the assumption that we are RG. We could splash as many as 3 cards if we see Nylea's Presence or something, but we should have enough playables in 2-color.

+1 Karametra's Acolyte

I think we really really really need to take care of our mana situation here. Ramping and fixing would both be useful. We're good on threats. We've got to make this thing function. We shouldn't be thinking of anything else on this pick.

If no one else goes for the unicorn, I will change my vote to Karametra's Acolyte .

I do think we need to fill out our 4-drop, I did not consider our curve. The unicorn is alright cause we get to ramp 1 turn earlier than the acolyte.

The problem with the acolyte is that if we play it on turn 4, we only have the Voyaging Satyr and the Satyr Hedonist as possible devotion contributions - and they give us ramp anyways so we wouldn't need the acolyte.

The unicorn doesn't help with devotion to our God colors, but it can chump a creature with intimidate. I still think 2 rampers is enough - we should often get a big creature on T3 or T4 with the voyaging or hedonist.

I think as a team we need to set aside this pack for a second and ask ourselves "What do we want our deck to do?" And then pick the card that does that best.

I would personally vote for the Acolyte, even tho I don't think she'll be that very in our deck, She can fits and provide some ramp. She also has a very decent ass to help against aggro.

+1 Karametra's Acolyte

This guy is a good drafter and builds a Gruul deck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ8yQ9kTDko

Notes: His #1 priority is basically to either be aggressive or be able to defend aggro. He likes Hedonist because it combos with Nemesis. It also can chump vs aggro. He thinks it's a good card - but this was BNG prerelease and he also didn't realize retraction helix was good (he was able to correct this belief as his rounds 1 & 2 opponents played it).

Things his deck can do:

1) Defend vs aggro. Acolyte helps us with this the most since it can defend anything with 3 power or less, 2nd place goes to doublestrike guy - it can be tricky attacking into a doublestrike guy. Unfortuenately I don't think we have any lifegain.

2) Defend vs flyers. He has a reach bestow and a shredding winds. Two destructive revelries can destroy things like Nimbus Naiad. We may have to play Stormchaser Chimera, or we just have to win a race, or have one creature that can get through and is bigger than their flyer. We need as much mana as possible, something with monstrosity, and maybe a fearsome temper or blinding flare. Acolyte helps the most here.

3) He has 8 removal spells, and 3-4 more in his sideboard. We our severely lacking removal. Again, we need big pressure to make up for that, and evasive possibilities. We can make up for this by having mana to spend to use all our abilities. I believe Acolyte once again wins in this department.

I change my vote again and I think Rousseau has the best opinion here.

-1 Minotaur Skullcleaver

+1 Karametra's Acolyte

I heard in another draft video too that the player who spends the most mana during the game is more often than not the winner.

No love for the unicorn, so

-1 Opaline Unicorn

+1 Karametra's Acolyte

And with this, I think we have probably closed the door on blue. And that may be just as well.

Also, Voyaging Satyr is missing from our decklist.