Another week, another draft! This week I am featuring an Infinite Crisis draft completed by Paul Van der Werk. Paul is the only person to have competed in every Oceanic $10K, and he has made the trip for a couple of PCs as well. His three Top 8s might endear him to some of you, though others might know him as the crazy dude wearing the Wolverine costume at the most recent $10K Brisbane! Paul has been on a bit of a tear lately in Booster Draft, so it was a good time to cover him, especially considering that my skills in this format seem to be wanting. The draft below proved very difficult for Paul in the first few packs, and I think some of his picks could have been a bit tighter (though admittedly, I think he did better than I would have in the heat of the moment). Later on in the draft, Paul and I seemed to disagree on more picks than not, so feel free to make up your own mind!

Pack 1, Pick 1

Amulet of Nabu, Fate Artifact; The Calculator, Noah Kuttler; Nightshade, Shadow Siren; Heroic Rescue; Annihilation Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army; Catman, Thomas Blake; Allied Against the Dark; Amanda Waller, Black Queen; Valentina Vostok ◊ Negative Woman, Bishop;  Obsidian, Todd James Rice; Dr. Fate, Hector Hall; It’s Not Over Yet; Charles McNider ◊ Dr. Mid-Nite, Golden Age Academic; Bart Allen ◊ The Flash, Impulsive Speedster

This is a pretty awful pack to begin with. For starters, there isn’t really any standout card. First pack, first pick, you want things to be as easy as possible, but as the old folks say, you’ve got to play the cards you’re dealt! There are five or so cards vying for contention here. Nightshade is a strong archetypal character if you are looking to build an aggressive Shadowpact deck. However, going Shadowpact this early—for anything barring Abjuration or Magical Conduit—should be seen as an error. It is definitely the weakest affiliation. Allied Against the Dark seems to be a noncommittal pick that allows you to play it safe. Still, a rudimentary knowledge of the format will tell you that Team-Ups are plentiful in Infinite Crisis, so picking up a Team-Up this early seems overcautious when you could be filling out your deck with cards that win games.

To that end, the three other playable cards I could see from this pack are Annihilation Protocol, Valentina Vostok, and Amanda Waller. The robot is a strong card and can double as your 5-drop and 7-drop in a team that doesn’t have a very good late game. It is probably the best turn 5 play for the team in draft. Valentina Vostok is good as well, putting a lot of pressure on your opponent’s initiatives while also giving you a strong body for your attacks. Finally, if you read last week’s article, you would know I have a soft spot for Amanda Waller. The flexibility she offers early in a draft appeals to me greatly.

Although I am not certain of which card to take here, there is no doubt you need to take one of the Checkmate characters. Sure, you might put someone on your left into Checkmate, but you cannot be passive early in the draft (e.g. picking the Team-Up). A few weeks ago, I would have taken Waller, no questions. Now, I am leaning toward the 5-drop, as not only is it harder to get quality at 5 for Checkmate, but also I think the format suits a more on-curve approach. Paul went with Valentina Vostok, which I think is inferior to both of the above options, but is still a reasonable pick at this stage.

Paul picked: Valentina Vostok ◊ Negative Woman, Bishop

My pick: Annihilation Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army

Pack 1, Pick 2

Cloak of Nabu, Fate Artifact; Magical Conduit, Magic; Magical Lobotomy, Magic; Mr. Freeze, Brutal Blizzard; Batman, Earth 2; Stepping Between Worlds, Magic; Pawn of the Black King; Death from Above; Justice United; Thanagarian Invasion; Scandal, Savage Spawn; Lex Luthor ◊ Mockingbird, Evil Exile; Ishmael Gregor ◊ Sabbac, Malevolent Marvel

Unfortunately, this is more of a first pack. There are several excellent cards here. Magical Conduit, Mr. Freeze, and Thanagarian Invasion are all very good. Still, I think there is a definite pick here, and I believe Paul got it right. The three cards I mentioned above are all roughly of the same value. They can all win games, and they will make any deck that can support them. However, at this stage of the draft, they represent very different things.

Magical Conduit is one of the few reasons to pursue a Shadowpact strategy early in the draft, but it still demands a narrow archetype that relies on cards like Nightmaster, Jim Rook and the Nightshade we passed in the first pack. Getting these cards cheaply can grant you an extremely strong support team for an aggressive deck. The key is that you have to be getting them cheaply. Unfortunately, I don’t think the archetype is powerful enough unless you are sure you can get a lot of easy cards, and a second pick signal that a lot of people don’t respect isn’t quite enough. If this was fifth pick, it would be a different story.

Thanagarian Invasion is one of the very best generic plot twists. However, as with Allied Against the Dark last pick, you shouldn’t be playing it safe early on. In the first five or so picks of the draft, you should be imposing yourself, taking the best cards out of each pack and trying to work out what is going on around you. You cannot do this later on. Many players will grab their fist pick and run with it; you might not be able to read what they are taking until the fourth or fifth pick. You need to be aware of commonly held ideas of what the best cards are, and act on that.

Paul picked: Mr. Freeze, Brutal Blizzard

My pick: Mr. Freeze, Brutal Blizzard

Pack 1, Pick 3

Hourman III ◊ Hourman, Time Machine; The Calculator, Crime Broker; Count Vertigo, Werner Vertigo; Dr. Occult, Richard Occult; A Moment of Crisis; Retrieval Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army; Jacob Lee, Knight Witchfire, Rebecca Carstairs; Thanagar; Charles McNider ◊ Dr. Mid-Nite, Golden Age Academic; Jaime Reyes ◊ Blue Beetle, High-Tech Hero; Target Acquired

This is quite a thorny pack for Paul. There are several mid-level archetypal cards here. Dr. Occult is a must-have for any on-curve Shadowpact (Abjuration) deck. A Moment of Crisis is the key common for the strong Katar Hol ◊ Hawkman, Eternal Hero power-up plan. Blue Beetle is big for any deck that has already picked up a Dr. Fate’s Tower. Target Acquired is akin to Retribution (from The X-Men) in the right deck. Even the 7-drop Calculator occupies a definite niche in the environment.

The problem is, none of these is really a third pick. Instead we are given two options really: Thanagar and Hourman. Following on from above, Hourman is the right pick, as it is just the stronger card. Although we already have Mr. Freeze, Hourman is also one of the best 5-drops in the set. This puts us in an awkward position, but we don’t have much choice. Picking Thanagar here would almost certainly force us to give up JSA, and as there was no clear-cut Villains signal in the pack, we have to make do with what we were passed.

Paul picked: Hourman III ◊ Hourman, Time Machine

My pick:  Hourman III ◊ Hourman, Time Machine

Pack 1, Pick 4

Ishmael Gregor ◊ Sabbac, Malevolent Marvel; Rose Psychic, Ghost Detective; The Phantom Stranger, Fallen Angel; Nightshade, Eve Eden; Dr. Psycho, Twisted Telepath; True Name, Magic; Surveillance Pawn, Army; Mr. Mxyzptlk, Troublesome Trickster; Lex Luthor ◊ Mockingbird, Evil Exile; Traitor to the Cause; Collecting Souls, Magic

When I saw Paul make his pick from this pack, I thought that it must be wrong. Looking over the options now—without the frantic scribbling that clouded my judgment the first time around—I am not so sure of myself. Simply put, this is a terrible fourth pack. There really just isn’t anything going on here, for anyone. You could make a case for there being several decent Shadowpact picks, but none of them are good fourth picks even when you have the archetypal cards already in your pile. There is no way Paul can make a move into Shadowpact even in desperation here, as the affiliation really only supports two drafters, and someone downstream will latch onto that Dr. Occult.

Paul’s options are Surveillance Pawn and Ishmael Gregor. Surveillance Pawn is good, but this seems like a bit of a high pick for it. Although Paul saw some decent Checkmate cards go by in the last pack, he would have to be clinging to his first pick tightly to take the Pawn here. Ishmael is pound-for-pound one of the worst 2-drops in the set, but it is still serviceable—and a 2-drop—which says a lot. This is an ugly pick in many ways, but the right one. We haven’t had much to go on with Villains United at this stage, but our only other real signal—JSA for the Hourman—hasn’t done anything for us in this pack either. There are weaker packs and stronger packs, and often it is a more valuable skill to find the strongest card in a weak pack than to know how to windmill slam the obvious first pick.

Paul picked: Ishmael Gregor ◊ Sabbac, Malevolent Marvel

My pick: Ishmael Gregor ◊ Sabbac, Malevolent Marvel

Pack 1, Pick 5

Burning Gaze; Ted Grant ◊ Wildcat, Golden Age Pugilist; The Penguin, Arms Merchant; Zatanna, Showstopper; Bizarro, ME AM BIZARRO #1; Justice United; Target Acquired; Amulet of Nabu, Fate Artifact; Surveillance Pawn, Army; Harry Stein, King in Check

Given the difficulty of the last few packs, Paul had a relatively easy pick here. I am not a huge fan of Burning Gaze, and definitely not in this pack, where there are stronger cards. The second Target Acquired is a bit of a worry to have to let go, but the choice is between Bizarro and Ted Grant. A lot of people have no time for Bizarro, but I am not one of them. Two of the four Villains United 4-drops are rare, so I have made time for him, and he hasn’t been that bad for me. Still, Ted Grant has been better. Ted can be a liability when the opponent has a 5 DEF 3-drop, but even then, there are situations where he can be exhausted. When attacking, he is a powerhouse and can easily get you swinging up the curve and all over the place.

Paul picked: Ted Grant ◊ Wildcat, Golden Age Pugilist

My pick: Ted Grant ◊ Wildcat, Golden Age Pugilist

Pack 1, Pick 6

Chay-Ara, Hawkgirl ◊ Eternal Companion; Count Vertigo, Werner Vertigo; Blue Devil, Dan Cassidy; Arthur Kendrick, Knight; Zatanna, Magical Manipulator; Valentina Vostok ◊ Negative Woman, Bishop; Nightmaster, Demon Slayer; A Moment of Crisis; Mourn for the Lost

Paul just isn’t catching any breaks here. The Shadowpact continues to flow, but none of it really seems strong enough to latch onto. Another Moment of Crisis has come through, but there are also a few Checkmate characters still hanging around. Considering Paul had first-picked Valentina Vostok, I assumed that’s the direction he would take here, but perhaps he was getting squeamish about teams, as he opted for the 1-drop JSA character. I am certain this is the wrong call. I realize that taking Vostok here seems to leave us with a clumsy pile of cards, but we really haven’t been given much from the packs, so we have to make do. There is really no reason to take a 1-drop JSA character here, as it isn’t what our deck really wants, and we cannot be absolutely sure we have a JSA signal yet.

Paul picked: Chay-Ara ◊ Hawkgirl, Eternal Companion

My pick: Valentina Vostok ◊ Negative Woman, Bishop

Pack 1, Pick 7

Ishmael Gregor ◊ Sabbac, Malevolent Marvel; Target Acquired; Sasha Bordeaux, Autonomous Prototype; Madame Xanadu, Cartomancer; Dr. Fate, Lord of Order; A Moment of Crisis; Coercion, Team-Up; Magical Lobotomy, Magic

It’s a shame Paul didn’t grab the Vostok, because a seventh pick Target Acquired could be very good indeed. It could still be a decent pick, but by now Paul has passed so much Checkmate that it seems a little bit too dangerous. Otherwise, the pack is pretty decent. Paul can take another Ishmael if he wants, but I think Magical Lobotomy is the pick here. Coercion is slightly interesting, but Paul needs more for his deck at this stage than a Team-Up. Paul decided that he needed another character instead of a plot twist. I would have held out for something better.

Paul picked: Ishmael Gregor ◊ Sabbac, Malevolent Marvel

My pick: Magical Lobotomy, Magic

Pack 1, Pick 8

Advance Warning; Burning Gaze; Sasha Bordeaux; Autonomous Prototype; Count Vertigo, Werner Vertigo; Target Acquired; Knightmare Scenario; Connie Webb, Knight

Well, now we can be absolutely sure we have the JSA signal with Advance Warning coming through this late. This is a great card and an easy pick. We can probably even be sure that we could be Checkmate with two good plot twists still in the pack. We will have to find out how much damage we did by seeing what comes through in the next pack, as it is a bit too late to push anyone out of the team now. 

Paul picked: Advance Warning     

My pick: Advance Warning          

Pack 1, Pick 9

Heroic Rescue; Catman, Thomas Blake; Allied Against the Dark; Obsidian, Todd James Rice; It’s Not Over Yet; Bart Allen ◊ The Flash, Impulsive Speedster

Nice. Another easy pick, as Paul will definitely need Team-Ups. This one doesn’t cost him anything, as there are no other good cards in the pack for him.

Paul picked: Allied Against the Dark

My pick: Allied Against the Dark

Pack 1, Pick 10

Batman, Earth 2; Stepping Between Worlds, Magic; Pawn of the Black King; Scandal, Savage Spawn; Lex Luthor ◊ Mockingbird, Evil Exile

It seems as though after some thin early packs, Paul’s patience is being rewarded with an exceptionally solid tenth pick.

Paul picked: Batman, Earth 2

My pick: Batman, Earth 2

Pack 1, Pick 11

A Moment of Crisis; Retrieval Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army; Jacob Lee, Knight; Target Acquired

Is it too late to go Checkmate? It seemed so, but there are still two good eleventh pick Checkmate cards here, so maybe we need to revise our position. Still, we could take the Moment and try to pick up a Katar Hol later on. Given that we are definitely JSA, and that is one of the most powerful JSA derivatives, that may have been the plan. Paul decided to keep his options open, taking the Retrieval Protocol, which is correct if you want to put your foot in the door. There is no point trying to be flexible with narrow plot twists; characters are the key. Still, with playable Villains cards, I would have probably taken my chances with the Moment, as that type of deck is a more likely 3-0 deck. It’s not like we have given our opponents any reason to be Villains United behind us.

Paul picked: Retrieval Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot

My pick: A Moment of Crisis

Pack 1, Pick 12

Mr. Mxyzptlk, Troublesome Trickster; True Name, Magic; Traitor to the Cause 

Not much here. Paul took the rare, even though we draft the rares at the end. Maybe he saw it as a threat, but I see Traitor as more dangerous.

Paul picked: Mr Mxyzptlk, Troublesome Trickster

My pick: Traitor to the Cause 

Pack 1, Pick 13

Target Acquired; Harry Stein, King in Check

Some easy cuts here.

Paul picked: Target Acquired

My pick: Target Acquired

Pack 1, Pick 14

Mourn for the Lost

This card is actually okay. There are not only several Gotham Knights characters, but also several 1-cost plot twists worth protecting yourself against, like Defend Yourself! and Deflection. You could do worse than to play this card.

Pack 2, Pick 1

T-Spheres; Nightmaster, Jim Rook; Maxwell Lord, Black King; The Calculator, Crime Broker; Scandal, Savage Spawn; Talia, Daughter of Madness; Thanagarian Invasion; Neutralization Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army; Rook Control; Deadshot, Dead Aim; Collecting Souls, Magic; Multiverse Power Battery; No Mercy; Batman Earth 2

As I was writing down the contents of this pack, I circled T-Spheres, simply assuming Paul would take it with hardly a look at the rest of the pack. For some reason, he took Thanagarian Invasion. Paul said later that he simply thought the plot twist was better. On this point I cannot agree, though there has been a lot of discussion at vsparadise.com as to whether T-Spheres is really that good. I believe it is, and I will gladly take it first pick, first pack. Perhaps you need to play it for yourself to make up your own mind.

Paul picked: Thanagarian Invasion

My pick: T-Spheres

Pack 2, Pick 2

Wonder Woman, Earth 2; Mystical Binding, Magic; Alexander Luthor, Diabolical Double; The Conclave; Epic Battle; Return of Donna Troy; Jacob Lee, Knight; Jaime Reyes ◊ Blue Beetle, High-Tech Hero; Magical Lobotomy, Magic; Rann; Death from Above; Cheetah, Feral Feline; Prince Khufu ◊ Hawkman, Eternal Warrior

This is better. There are several JSA characters here, which should have pleased Paul. Better yet, with no late-game to speak of, he picks up one of the premier common 6-drops in Alex Luthor.

Paul picked: Alexander Luthor, Diabolical Double

My pick: Alexander Luthor, Diabolical Double

Pack 2, Pick 3

Elimination Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army; Huntress, Earth 2; True Name, Magic; Transmutation, Magic; Parademon, Apokoliptian Ally; Charles McNider ◊ Dr. Mid-Nite, Golden Age Academic; Leslie Thompkins’s Clinic; Brothers in Arms; Coercion, Team-Up; Cloak of Nabu, Fate Artifact; Huntress, Reluctant Queen; Tricked-Out Sports Car

Rounding off a solid start to pack two, Paul gets another pretty easy pick. The 3-drop Huntress has some very underrated text, launching all sorts of combos with cards like Brainiac, Lois Lane, Earth 2, and Wonder Woman, Earth 2, to name a few. The whole Earth 2 mini-theme really takes off if you can maintain her on the board. Brothers in Arms could almost be a pick for Paul here, but it is just a little bit weaker overall than the Huntress (and only really relevant here because Paul has so few plot twists).

Paul picked: Huntress, Earth 2

My pick: Huntress, Earth 2

Pack 2, Pick 4

Forbidden Loyalties; Cloak of Nabu, Fate Artifact; Nightshade, Eve Eden; Heroic Rescue; Annihilation Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army; Catman, Thomas Blake; Shazam, The Sorcerer; Charles McNider ◊ Dr. Mid-Nite, Golden Age Academic; Leslie Thompkins’s Clinic; Brothers in Arms; Count Vertigo; Werner Vertigo

After a tumultuous first pack, it has all been smooth sailing for Paul in this second pack. There is another Brothers in Arms, but also an excellent pick in Forbidden Loyalties, one of the only Team-Ups you want to fight for. Fortunately for Paul, there is nothing else of its caliber here to vex him.

Paul picked: Forbidden Loyalties

My pick: Forbidden Loyalties

Pack 2, Pick 5

Hourman III ◊ Hourman, Time Machine; Heroic Rescue; Cloak of Nabu, Fate Artifact; Valentina Vostok ◊ Negative Woman, Bishop; Carter Hall, Eternal Champion; Check and Mate!; Alexander Luthor, Duplicitous Doppelganger; Allied Against the Dark; Huntress, Reluctant Queen; Tricked-Out Sports Car

Let the good times roll! Carter Hall is not really in the league of Hourman—especially without support from the ally characters of JSA—so with two Team-Ups already, Paul gets to round out his 5-slot with another tier one 5-drop. This can be a little awkward later in the draft, as Paul has effectively shut down that slot . . . but really, with picks of this quality, he can’t be complaining.

Paul picked: Hourman III ◊ Hourman, Time Machine

My pick: Hourman III ◊ Hourman, Time Machine

Pack 2, Pick 6

Coercion, Team-Up; Cheetah, Feral Feline; Talia, Daughter of Madness; It’s Not Over Yet; Ragdoll, Resilient Rogue; Blue Devil, Big Blue; The Penguin, Arms Merchant; Amanda Waller, Black Queen; Burning Gaze

It seems that if you want to draft JSA/Villains United curve, then you are going to find a lot of playable cards in each pack once the draft settles around you. There is a lot of filler in this pack for a lot of different decks, but Paul gets his hands on one of the best cards left in Talia.

Paul picked: Talia, Daughter of Madness

My pick: Talia, Daughter of Madness

Pack 2, Pick 7

Ted Grant ◊ Wildcat, Golden Age Pugilist; Knightmare Scenario; Black Thorn, Elizabeth Thorne; Annihilation Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army; Huntress, Reluctant Queen; Nightmaster, Jim Rook; Nightmaster, Demon Slayer; Tricked-Out Sports Car

Funnily enough, the Checkmate wave seems to have come back around. This is a bit distressing in that it probably means that there is a big Checkmate deck out there. Paul had very limited chances at getting in on the action, though, so he can’t be too upset. It is certainly too late now regardless. Fortunately, there is another Ted Grant for him, which is a big plus, as drawing both effectively takes away Grant’s weaknesses.

Paul picked: Ted Grant ◊ Wildcat, Golden Age Pugilist

My pick: Ted Grant ◊ Wildcat, Golden Age Pugilist

Pack 2, Pick 8

Graziella Reza, Knight; Obsidian, Todd James Rice; Arthur Kendrick, Knight; It’s Not Over Yet; Pariah, Herald of Doom; Sand, Sanderson Hawkins; Brainiac, Earth 2

Sand does seem to be the pick here with only one Huntress (negating Brainiac a bit when there are other options in the pack). I have only seen great Sands and terrible Sands, but the 4-slot is a little lacking for Paul, so he can’t be upset.

Paul picked: Sand, Sanderson Hawkins

My pick: Sand, Sanderson Hawkins

Pack 2, Pick 9

Nightmaster, Jim Rook; Maxwell Lord, Black King; Scandal, Savage Spawn; Neutralization Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army; Rook Control; Deadshot, Dead Aim

I like Deadshot a lot, but Paul seems to be happy with his 2-drop situation; he has four. A little worried about his late-game, he went with Scandal.

Paul picked: Scandal, Savage Spawn

My pick: Scandal, Savage Spawn

Pack 2, Pick 10

Jacob Lee, Knight; Jaime Reyes ◊ Blue Beetle, High-Tech Hero; Magical Lobotomy, Magic; Prince Khufu ◊ Hawkman, Eternal Warrior; Mystical Binding, Magic 

This is as good as it gets for a tenth pick: a high quality 2-drop or a strong generic plot twist? Not bad. Paul thought his plot twist situation needed help and went with Lobotomy. Given that he has so many 2-drops already—even though they aren’t as good as Hawkman—this is reasonable.

Paul picked: Magical Lobotomy, Magic

My pick: Magical Lobotomy, Magic

Pack 2, Pick 11

Elimination Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army; Leslie Thompkins’s Clinic; Tricked-Out Sports Car; True Name, Magic

This is another gift. Although off-team, the robot will plug a few holes for the time being. Tricked-Out Sports Car is great, but it doesn’t really fit into Paul’s deck.

Paul picked: Elimination Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army

My pick: Elimination Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army

Pack 2, Pick 12

Annihilation Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army; Leslie Thompkins’s Clinic; Heroic Rescue

This is ridiculous. Although Paul has four good 5-drops now, this one doubles as a 7-drop, of which Paul doesn’t have any yet. Something went wrong for this to be twelfth pick.

Paul picked: Annihilation Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army

My pick: Annihilation Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army

Pack 2, Pick 13

Cloak of Nabu, Fate Artifact; Check and Mate

Some more cuts.

Paul picked: Cloak of Nabu, Fate Artifact

My pick: Cloak of Nabu, Fate Artifact

Pack 2, Pick 14

It’s Not Over Yet

Pack 3, Pick 1

Amulet of Nabu, Fate Artifact; Fiddler, Isaac Bowin; Jacob Lee, Knight; Arthur Kendrick, Knight; Join Us or Die; Relentless Pursuit; Grand Gesture; Death from Above; Power Girl, Earth 2; Cheshire, Jade; Ibis, Prince Amentep; Sinestro, Villain Reborn; Harbinger, Multiverse Messenger; Animal Man, Buddy Baker

Here is another pack where I thought there was a clear-cut pick. Looking at Paul’s situation, where he doesn’t have much of a late-game, I would definitely have gone with Power Girl. Power Girl is a good 6-drop on your sixth-turn initiative, a great 6-drop on your seventh-turn initiative, and an emergency 7-drop on your seventh turn initiative. Given the stage of the draft, and the need for this sort of card, I’m surprised Paul went with Death from Above, which is sort of the poor man’s Thanagarian Invasion. He must really love those resource point sinkers! I don’t think the pick comes down to more than this.

Paul picked: Death from Above

My pick: Power Girl, Earth 2

Pack 3, Pick 2

Wesley Dodds ◊ The Sandman, Golden Age Gunman; Chay-Ara ◊ Hawkgirl, Eternal Companion; Nightmaster, Jim Rook; Checkmate Armory; Dr. Fate, Hector Hall Laser Watch; Bizarro, ME AM BIZARRO #1; Lex Luthor ◊ Mockingbird, Evil Exile; Leslie Thompkins’s Clinic; Fate Has Spoken; Sinestro, Villain Reborn; Mystical Binding, Magic; Cheshire, Jade

After getting along so famously in pack two, Paul and I differ again with this pick. I knew beforehand that Paul had a thing for Wesley Dodds, but I didn’t realize how bad! Considering he already has four 2-drops and passed up a late Hawkman, I’m surprised he went with this guy—though he did admit later that he angles for about five 2-drops when possible. Personally, I thought the choice was between Laser Watch, Bizarro, and Sinestro, but it seems as though we were at odds over matters of style. I thought Paul’s 4-drop situation needed a bit of help; he thought it was fine. Regardless, I think I would have ended up taking Laser Watch, but to each his own.

Paul picked: Wesley Dodds ◊ The Sandman, Golden Age Gunman

My pick: Laser Watch

Pack 3, Pick 3

Zazzala ◊ Queen Bee, Mistress of the Hive; No Hope; Sasha Bordeaux, Autonomous Prototype; Stepping Between Worlds, Magic; Prince Khufu ◊ Hawkman, Eternal Warrior; Katar Hol ◊ Hawkman, Eternal Hero; Sand, Sanderson Hawkins; Alexander Luthor, Duplicitous Doppelganger; The Calculator, Noah Kuttler; I Still Hate Magic!; Superman, Earth 2; Black Thorn, Elizabeth Thorne

One of the reasons why I enjoy writing these articles is that not only do I feel as though other people are learning a few things, but also I feel as though I am definitely learning a few things a long the way. I tend to have a pretty rigid style of drafting. I can be pretty strict with character counts and the type of plot twists I play. The last couple of picks have been definite departures from my style, but I am not sure they are wrong.

Here Paul trumps me again, it would seem. I would not have had any doubt in my mind that I Still Hate Magic! was the right pick here (and the big payoff for Paul being so careful with his curve early in the draft). Paul thought differently, deciding his late game really needed that Superman, though I would have soldiered on with Lex and Scandal. Funnily enough, that elusive Hawkman 4-drop finally turns up at our greatest moment of turmoil!

Paul picked: Superman, Earth 2

My pick: I Still Hate Magic!

Pack 3, Pick 4

Deathstroke the Terminator, Ultimate Assassin; Mystical Binding, Magic; Cheetah, Feral Feline; A Moment of Crisis; Help Wanted, Team-Up; Jaime Reyes ◊ Blue Beetle, High-Tech Hero; Wonder Woman, Earth 2; Arthur Kendrick, Knight; Return of Donna Troy; Epic Battle; Dr. Polaris, Force of Nature

Again, Paul and I disagree. This column has shown that I have small regard for Wonder Woman, and given that we already have four 5-drops, I am even less interested in her. I don’t care how many Earth 2 characters we have! Clearly Paul thought differently. I would have taken Deathstroke here. Sure, he is a bit risky given that we don’t have too many Villains United characters, but he is an absolute powerhouse, and I’m sure we can get two or three more Villains characters to help us out. Given we still have some minor late-game concerns, I would definitely have taken him.

Paul picked: Wonder Woman, Earth 2

My pick: Deathstroke the Terminator, Ultimate Assassin

Pack 3, Pick 5

Lois Lane, Earth 2; Grand Gesture; Cheshire, Jade; Cheetah, Feral Feline; Sasha Bordeaux, Autonomous Prototype; Chay-Ara ◊ Hawkgirl, Eternal Companion; Sand, Sanderson Hawkins; Jakeem Williams, JJ Thunder; Knightmare Scenario; Knight’s Gambit

This is a nice touch from Paul, and I have to admit, I didn’t really respect his choice as a pick until he made it! I was looking at the Sand, thinking of sucking up another random 4-drop, and I considered branching out into Grand Gesture for some added gas—but Lois Lane is definitely the pick. Amazing if we have Huntress out, Lois is good enough to break curve rules and add her to the deck now that we have a Superman. Nice play!

Paul picked: Lois Lane, Earth 2

My pick (learning from the master): Lois Lane, Earth 2

Pack 3, Pick 6

It’s Not Over Yet; Superman, Earth 2; Deflection; Catman, Thomas Blake; Sasha Bordeaux, Autonomous Prototype; Hunter Zolomon ◊ Professor Zoom, Sinister Speedster; Helm of Nabu, Fate Artifact; Divination, Magic; The Penguin, Arms Merchant

Hunter Zolomon and another Superman? Paul took Deflection here pretty quickly, which I think was the right call. He is still too light on non-character cards, and his late-game is no longer terrible. As Paul explained later, this format is probably more about the effectiveness of your defense than your attacks. Deflection is some of the best in the business right there.

Paul picked: Deflection

My pick: Deflection

Pack 3, Pick 7

Thanagarian Invasion; Deathstroke the Terminator, Lethal Weapon; Neutralization Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army; Aspiring Pawn, Army; Scandal, Savage Spawn; The Calculator, Crime Broker; The Oblivion Bar; Alexander Luthor, Duplicitous Doppelganger

Paul was never going to go any other way, and thankfully, we agree on this one 100%.

Paul picked: Thanagarian Invasion

My pick: Thanagarian Invasion

Pack 3, Pick 8

The Phantom Stranger, Fallen Angel; Charles McNider ◊ Dr. Mid-Nite, Golden Age Academic; Amadeus Arkham, Architect of Insanity; Dr. Psycho, Twisted Telepath; Harry Stein, King in Check; Grand Gesture; Relentless Pursuit

Again, I would have thought a bit longer about Grand Gesture, but it seems as though Paul’s deck might not be able to support it at times. Given the massive amount of concealed in this format, Relentless Pursuit is amazing. Just don’t forget it gives effectively +2 ATK to any team attack!

Paul picked: Relentless Pursuit

My pick: Relentless Pursuit

Pack 3, Pick 9

Fiddler, Isaac Bowin; Jacob Lee, Knight; Join Us or Die; Grand Gesture; Sinestro, Villain Reborn; Animal Man, Buddy Baker;

A lot of people like Animal Man, but I am just not one of them. I think he is fine and all, but being JLI just seems too random to me. Paul seems to think similarly and went with Sinestro. This is a tighter call than I’m probably giving credit for here, though I think it’s correct.

Paul picked: Sinestro, Villain Reborn

My pick: Sinestro, Villain Reborn

Pack 3, Pick 10

Lex Luthor ◊ Mockingbird, Evil Exile; Leslie Thompkins’s Clinic; Fate Has Spoken; Sinestro, Villain Reborn; Chay-Ara ◊ Hawkgirl, Eternal Companion

I would have swooped on the second Sinestro here, but Paul liked Chay-Ara. This probably comes down to preferences with 1-drops. I like to go all-out or have none at all; Paul said he likes to have two or three 1-drops whenever possible.

Paul picked: Chay-Ara ◊ Hawkgirl, Eternal Companion

My pick: Sinestro, Villain Reborn

Pack 3, Pick 11

Sasha Bordeaux, Autonomous Prototype; Sand, Sanderson Hawkins; Alexander Luthor, Duplicitous Doppelganger; Black Thorn, Elizabeth Thorne

Since he had no 7-drops, Sasha got the nod from Paul. I can’t stand the card (and would have addressed the 7-drop situation earlier). I would have taken Sand, or if I had the Sinestros, I would have cut the Checkmate 2-drop.

Paul picked: Sasha Bordeaux, Autonomous Prototype

My pick: Sand, Sanderson Hawkins

Pack 3, Pick 12

Cheetah, Feral Feline; A Moment of Crisis; Help Wanted, Team-Up

A pretty easy pick given that the Moment for Katar Hol has gone.

Paul picked: Cheetah, Feral Feline

My pick: Cheetah, Feral Feline

Pack 3, Pick 13

Sasha Bordeaux, Autonomous Prototype; Knight’s Gambit

Paul picks up another Sasha, whom even I would cut here.

Paul picked: Sasha Bordeaux, Autonomous Prototype

My pick: Sasha Bordeaux, Autonomous Prototype

Pack 3, Pick 14

Sasha Bordeaux, Autonomous Prototype

This was the deck Paul ended up with:

Lois Lane, Earth 2

Cheetah, Feral Feline

Chay-Ara ◊ Hawkgirl, Eternal Companion

2 Ishmael Gregor ◊ Sabbac, Malevolent Marvel

Talia, Daughter of Madness

Wesley Dodds ◊ The Sandman, Golden Age Gunman

Retrieval Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army

Huntress, Earth 2

2 Ted Grant ◊ Wildcat, Golden Age Pugilist

Elimination Protocol ◊ OMAC Robot, Army

Valentina Vostok ◊ Negative Woman, Bishop

Sand, Sanderson Hawkins

Batman, Earth 2

2 Hourman III ◊ Hourman, Time Machine

Wonder Woman, Earth 2

Superman, Earth 2

Alexander Luthor, Diabolical Double

Sasha Bordeaux, Autonomous Prototype

2 Thanagarian Invasion

Forbidden Loyalties

Allied Against the Dark

Death from Above

Relentless Pursuit

Deflection

Advance Warning

Magical Lobotomy, Magic

The above is an intriguing set-up. Paul didn’t really end up with much Villains United at all (where I thought his draft was going). He eschewed a more standard curve to go with a flexible early game, saying that he didn’t really like playing more than one 7-drop, and that he thought three 4-drops were fine. Because of this, he is able to spend more time deploying smaller characters, though he was quick to insist that he never ran less than twenty characters. I was unable to watch the games Paul played, but I know he ended up with a 2-1 result, losing the middle game.