@actiontech - That'd make the happiest drafter in all of history if Vents came back around to us. Seriously. I wish I could see the observer group's reaction every time we get passed a pack.

Judging by the cards are being passed to us, our next pack may have these playables waiting for us:

Runner's Bane (removal)
Weapon Surge (synergy)
Simic Cluestone (fixing)
Murmuring Phantasm (blocks all day)
Fluxcharger (seems to fit perfectly with our Cyclopi plan)

If we're passed the Fluxcharger in the next pack, I think we have to grab it because it's an uncommon and we won't likely see any more. Whereas all of the other cards are commons and the probability is higher that we'll see them again.

If Fluxcharger is gone more than likely Steam Vents will be gone from the pack after that. It'll be a good indication, although at this point it seems like we're the only ones in izzet

We are clearly the only ones running Izzet on this side of the table. EVERYONE else has to be fighting for Junk cards and floundering. This pleases me.

Good, good. Let the flounder flow through you.

I think the three Orzhov Guildgate will have gotten people hooked.

It does seem like junk is the most active. Now I don't feel so bad if we have Advent of the Wurm sitting in our sideboard if the fixing doesn't come our way.

I'm perfectly comfortable benching the wurm. It was the right pick at the time, but it seems our build has gone another way. It's not too late for the little guy, but there's no need to force him in as of now.

Yeah if anything it was a premature hate pick. We can claim that was the plan all along. hehe.

Weapon Surge ETA 30 mintues! Sorry to those who thought this was the new pack. Soon, my brothers. Soon.

Pack is up.

I like Simic Cluestone the most here. It's near the end of the pack, we won't get better fixing unless that Izzet Cluestone comes around in 2 more picks, and we've been putting it off forever. Runner's Bane is enticing but I'm going to go with the cluestone.

I agree with cluestone pick. Fixing green is more imortant atm. than fixing white and Runner's Bane is mediocre removal at best. It's just too easy to get rid of.In the next pack I doubt that steam vents is coming back but there's a slight chance for boros cluestone which would be more important anyway and in the next pack there is that chance for izzet cluestone anyway. Also if we get protect and serve or hidden strings back it wouldn't be the worst. Especially since there were two protect and serves in that pack with izzet cluestone there's a chance we'll get one of them.

Simic Cluestone

Pros: Fixing is always a good thing. It can also help our consistency if we're light on either Blue or Green playables. Also, it can be an expensive cantrip if needed.

Cons: This still doesn't help us hit our splash color, white. It's on the same spot on the curve as most all of our other spells. It takes up one of our 23 playable slots, unlike a guildgate.

Runner's Bane

Pros: It's at a nice spot on the curve, and can clear the way for our cyclops strategy. It helps us lock into a primarily blue mana base, and signals that blue is still closed so we keep getting good blue pack 2. It's also just plain removal, which is nice, particularly since it handles most of the format's flyers.

Cons: It's not an Instant/Sorcery, a Giant Growth effect could make it fall off (but there aren't many of those in the set)...

Honestly, I'm trying to come up with more cons, but there aren't many. Originally, I was going to say I wasn't sure which to take, but I think accidentally convinced myself that Bane is the way to go. We still have 2 more packs left and plenty of time to get fixing.

I mean, fixing's always good, but we're quite stacked on 3CMC spells, and we don't really have much of a reason to ramp to something large at this point.

The thing I like about the cluestone is the draw we get mid-to-late games, which we could easily do with this strategy. If we run out instants/sorceries, we're sitting on some defenders. I'd want something that could finish off the game by getting through more of our deck as opposed to prolonging the game. Yes we get to see more of our deck by stalling, but the opponent gets the same thing.

The fixing is actually third on my list for the remaining cards in this pack.

My first choice is Runner's Bane . It's on-color removal that can deal with almost every flyer in the set. We're weak in the air, so that's a huge plus. It also only costs 2 mana, which keeps our mana open for other cards.

Remember that if we can keep our deck to 2 colors (which should be hard in this format, but we're in a unique spot here), then we won't need any fixing at all. If we don't have to "waste" picks on fixing, we'll be better off in the long run.

My second choice is actually Maze Rusher . A 6/3 for 6 doesn't seem very important, but the fact that it has Haste actually makes it very playable. Limited is all about combat math, and it's really hard to account for 6 extra damage. It also has the added bonus of giving 90% of our current creature picks haste, in case that becomes relevant. It's also on-color.

I'll change Simic Cluestone to my second choice. I see the value of fixing Green here.

I think it's naive to prioritize fixing white, though. The way I see it we're a solid Izzet deck with a splash of green. We shouldn't be trying to run any cards with GG in their mana costs, even if that card IS Advent of the Wurm . The fact that it also costs W makes it almost completely unfeasible for our deck.

We should take a decent removal spell over a mediocre mana rock. If it was Simic Guildgate , then we'd have something to talk about.

There are only 19 creatures in our format that have power greater than 3. There are 56 creatures with power less than or equal to 3. That's a lot of targets that Runner's Bane can hit.

My 2nd choice is Maze Rusher , because having big creatures with haste in limited is the sauce.

I'm in total agreement with landgrafb's comment about Advent as well. Right now, we can't afford to play double green spells unless we see some really good fixing, and even then maybe not.

Vote: +1 Runner's Bane

I think you guys may be misinterpreting Runner's Bane . While you can only enchant (i.e. target) something with power 3 or less if something later makes the power greater than 3 it won't change anything. The text doesn't say anything about it falling off if the power goes up later. The way I read it this is a permanent effect as long as it resolves onto a legal target. Am I wrong?

+1 Runner's Bane either way though because it cripples an enemy flier and like dcarpntr said 56 is a LOT of targets. And having opened 2 boxes of DGM I can promise you we will see more. Way too many more.

It does fall off because of the wording, "enchant creature with power 3 or less." Once a creature is buffed above 3 power, even until end of turn, the enchantment sees that creature as having more than 3 power, and thus falls off because it cannot enchant a creature with power greater than 3.

I believe that's the correct explanation. I'm sure there is a specific rule in the magic rulebook that states specifically what's going on there, but I'm too lazy to look it up right now.

Regardless it's still the best pick in this pack and I'd even take Maze Rusher over the cluestone.

+1 Runner's Bane

I'm pretty sure it does fall off if the power goes above 3, if I recall my MTGO games correctly. However it is effective removal.

I also like the Maze Rusher as the second pick. I'm not really considering splashing white, but am still considering splashing green. Pure Izzet would be kinda fun, though.

Looks like Runner's Bane it is. I'm just trying to avoid a mad scramble at the end of pack 3 where everyone is trying to get their fixing and we miss out, but you guys convinced me. Removal is removal and we need it in spades in this format.