So you're playing in a PTQ this season, and you made top 8 on the back of a busted sealed pool with plenty of removal and every bomb imaginable. You're pumped, thinking you should have a good shot of winning a free trip to Paris and the PT invite.
Wait, now you have to draft? Hmm, guess all those bombs aren't going to help you anymore. I guess you have to learn how to compete with fair cards.
Without further making fun of Kai, I present you with 8 reasons why you should be as aggresive as possible in that top 8 (note that these are just as true at your typical FNM draft, so don't stop reading just because you aren't a PTQ grinder).
1. What if your opponent started the game at 10?
Poison as an archtype is much stronger than a lot of people think. The creatures like Plague Stinger may seem weak, but consider it similar to Stormfront Pegasus. Cystbearer is another extremely underrated card, being extremely difficult to effectively block or deal with. Blackcleave Goblin is like a Lightning Elemental that even when blocked gives a permanent -2/-2. Blight Mamba can be difficult to block as well as it slowly eats your opponents team. Lastly, Tel-Jihad Fallen can be near unbeatable if your opponent is heavy metalcraft.
Equipment and pump effects also do double duty in the poison deck. Untamed Might will end the game if an infect guy goes unblocked, and Trigon of Rage is similarly insane. Even cards like Skinrender can be on the team thanks to Tainted Strike.
2. Plenty of equipment to go around
Boosting the power of your creatures shouldn't be a problem in this format. Strider Harness and Sylvok Lifestaff both exist at common, with Darksteel Axe, Barbed Battlegear, and Grafted Exoskeleton all being uncommon. Bladed Pinions and Infiltration Lens are also insane in the right deck, giving a form of evasion.
3. Nice 2 mana 1/1's
The slower decks in the format are faced with a dilemma regarding the mana myr. While you certainly want to draft and play them to increase the speed of your deck, if you don't draw them at the right time, you're left with pathethic looking 1/1's. While it may seem like the slower decks develop more of an early board presence and have a better mana curve than in other formats, in reality these myr and cards like the smith cycle aren't really going to be engaging in combat too often.
4. Few combat tricks
While it may seem that the lack of combat tricks in the format would hurt the aggresive decks, the opposite tends to be true. First, the beatdown gets can more often all-out attack without fearing a trick, since that trick doesn't exist. Second, since the tricks are so rare, many people will choose to not play around them. As opposed to M11 where almost every green deck would have a giant growth, the control player can't be sure whether he needs to block to avoid dying to Untamed Might.
5. Evasive creature are better in the aggresive decks
Glint Hawk Idol is often free to activate as an attacker, but blocking with it requires you to leave a white mana up. Necrogen Scudder, like Howling Banshee, is better when you aren't trying to protect your own life total. Neurok Invisimancer is pretty good at forcing through damage, but terrible at blocking.
6. Blocking is difficult
With the exception of Dispense Justice and Bonds of Quicksilver, all the the creature removal spells are quite capable of removing blockers. Tumble Magnet, Disperse, Panic Spellbomb, and similar effects are all very powerful when you plan on killing your opponent within the next 1-2 turns. Fulgent Distraction, Tel-Jihad Defiance, Vedalken Certarch, Bellowing Tanglewurm, Rust Tick, Tangle Angler, and most removal spells can push a blocker out of the way to force your guys through. In addition, certain cards like perilous myr or necropede are tough to block due to the potential to 2 for 1 when they die.
7. Card advantage is tough to come by
A Gatherer search for "draw a card" shows 20 cards in scars that get you another card. However, after removing those that simply have weak effects like the spellbombs or Twisted Image, those that also have you discard cards, and those that are 100% unplayable, the list is pretty short. Only Moriok Replica and Instill Infection are common, with Trigon of Thought, Slice in Twain, Darkslick Drake, and Halt Order being the standout uncommons.
The better forms of card advantage exist in the form of 2 for 1's involving creatures. Skinrender and Oxidda Scrapmelter are considerations for best non-rares in their colors. Arc Trail is also a complete blowout anytime it kills 2 guys.
8. Reaching these kids
Attacking isn't the only way to finish your opponent off. Galvanic Blast finishes a lot of games simply by going to the dome for 4. Ichor Rats can do the same in the poison deck. Necrogen Censor is also a 2 mana spell that deals 4 to the dome, going from unplayable to quite strong if your deck is aggresive enough. Creatures like the Invisimancer, Embersmith, or Barrage Ogre can also force through the last few points. Exsanguinate is also an extremely underrrated card, being almost as good at ending the game as fireball.
Now, I'm not suggesting you start passing cards like Contagion Engine, but unless you are fortunate enough to open some insane cards, I definitely believe that being as fast as possible gives you the best shot of going 3-0 and winning that invite.
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