Curse

LightningHell · Oct 25, 2006, 07:45 AM // 07:45

Hopefully I posted this in the right place.

On M:tG forums they have threads that simulate a booster pack and various posters would answer by what they would draft. Since now Guild Wars has official drafting rules, I'm going to try simulate it here.

Sever Artery
Deep Freeze
Strip Enchantment
Inferno
Conflagration
Heaven's Delight
Galrath Slash
Ghostly Haste
Gale
Power Drain
Scorpion Wire
Death's Charge
Aegis
Mind Shock {E}
"Charge!" {E}
Glass Arrows {E}

My choice: Gale.

From what I can see in the pack, Gale, Power Drain, Aegis, Mind Shock, and "Charge!" are quality picks. Acceptable picks (for late-draft or other purposes) would contain Sever Artery, Galrath Slash, Glass Arrows, Strip Enchantment, Inferno, and Deep Freeze (although Inferno and Deep Freeze would have to be a late pick, depending on the other cards already picked). All the quality picks are flexible, being able to be slotted on different characters. (Yes, I know a "Charge!" not on a Warrior sounds weird, but hey, a Dom mesmer could use it.)

I can see that I'm not passing any quality Ranger, Necromancer, Ritualist, or Assassin skills, which will increase the chance of quality skills from those professions being passed to me. I can see I'm passing a quality Warrior skill and some reasonable Warrior picks, and ditto for Elementalist, so I can be fairly sure that the player on my left will take a Warrior or Elementalist skill.

Power Drain is the sole Mesmer skill in the pack, and if I can cut off Mesmer from the left, I can garauntee more quality Mesmer skills rolling in later on. However, I decide on Gale because of it's extreme splashability and (talking ingame) skill flexibility.

Thom Bangalter · Oct 25, 2006, 08:00 AM // 08:00

I also would've picked gale, for the same reasons you listed. However, you're passing up so many great elementalist skills by passing mind shock and deep freeze. If this is your very first pick though, gale is the way to go.

Munanko Roha · Oct 25, 2006, 08:01 AM // 08:01

Power Drain to me. It's one of the best e-management in the game if you know how to use it, and it's an interrupt. Great skill!

LightningHell · Oct 25, 2006, 08:07 AM // 08:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thom Bangalter

I also would've picked gale, for the same reasons you listed. However, you're passing up so many great elementalist skills by passing mind shock and deep freeze. If this is your very first pick though, gale is the way to go.

It is the first pick, since a GW booster pack has 16 cards. 8 r3 skills, 5 r2 skills, 3 r1 skills.

I am passing many great Elementalist skills, which was why I was debating between Gale and Power Drain. It is a risky move, since the guild on my left would have very nice skills and be able to cut Elementalist off me. But it isn't a huge problem, since Gale needs only 5 Air magic to work.

Power Drain is the other option; since, as I said, there is only one Mesmer skill in here, you can effectively cut off Mesmer from the player on your left, ensuring at least some level of quality of Mesmer skills when the draft reverses. However, I love Gale so much I couldn't put it down.

Avarre · Oct 25, 2006, 09:57 AM // 09:57

Getting stuck trying to draft a certain thing (and ending up with a half-cookiecut build) can cause problems... so on this pick I wouldn't take very class-specific skills. Gale is very good simply because it can fit into so many other builds effectively, and on a wide range of primary classes that go /e, or on an ele itself.

Permasiel · Oct 25, 2006, 10:25 AM // 10:25

Quote:

Gale, Power Drain, Aegis, Mind Shock, and "Charge!"

I'd agree there. Power Drain is nice emanagement + interrupt, but is conditional since you rely on your enemy casting stuff. Gale is snare/interrupt, but does zero damage and heals nothing. Same with Aegis, it's damage mitigation so relies on your opponent having enough melee damage for it to be efficient.

I'd go with mind shock straight from the start. It's gonna do damage, add a knockdown. It can be used as a gale-like interrupt, and you can actually kill stuff with it. An Eles can have various secondaries without getting crippled, so you don't commit yourself much.

Alleji · Oct 25, 2006, 03:21 PM // 15:21

Gale, hands down. No matter what I draft, it can go on any bar and it's one of the best skills in the game.

Permasiel · Oct 25, 2006, 05:03 PM // 17:03

Gale is easy to splash and everything.

But you guys seem to think of skills in the context of the current builds. Drafted builds will contain way less healing. As a consequence a big damage skill like Mind Shock is clearly a bomb.

Thom Bangalter · Oct 25, 2006, 06:20 PM // 18:20

Honestly, If I got passed that, I would take mind shock since you took gale. Then I would unknowingly cut you off from ele spells, which is great for me and bad for you. And Mind shock is a great skill as well, because it's a conditional gale with huge damage stacked on it.

Clamatius · Oct 25, 2006, 07:21 PM // 19:21

You missed saying whether this was a booster draft or a Rochester draft. If you don't know the difference, in Rochester everyone can see the booster as people pick. In booster only you see your pick.

In Rochester I'd take Gale. Great skill, splashable. You're passing some fantastic ele stuff but at least the guy on your left can see you're making somewhat of an ele commitment.

In booster draft I'd take Power Drain. Again, a great, splashable skill but now you totally cut off Mesmer so your signalling is less ambiguous.

skillsbas8 · Oct 25, 2006, 11:30 PM // 23:30

Either gale or charge

LightningHell · Oct 26, 2006, 02:59 AM // 02:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clamatius

You missed saying whether this was a booster draft or a Rochester draft. If you don't know the difference, in Rochester everyone can see the booster as people pick. In booster only you see your pick.

In Rochester I'd take Gale. Great skill, splashable. You're passing some fantastic ele stuff but at least the guy on your left can see you're making somewhat of an ele commitment.

In booster draft I'd take Power Drain. Again, a great, splashable skill but now you totally cut off Mesmer so your signalling is less ambiguous.

I think all of us who post here play Magic, so I'd say we know the difference...this is Booster.

I really would hit myself if I passed Gale, though. I reasoned, from the absolutely fabulous Elly skills, I predicted that the player on the left would be taking Elementalist up. Therefore, I stayed put with Gale, which is more splashable than Mind Shock.

Will write more later.

(I think I already wrote that sometime before...)

I think I'll let this pack stay for a day more, then I'll add the next pack.

Lews · Oct 26, 2006, 05:29 AM // 05:29

Mind shock.

Can you say spike?

Ensign · Oct 26, 2006, 05:41 AM // 05:41

You take Gale or PDrain. Elites are really oversaturated in drafts, you're going to get a lot more than you know what to do with. Good normal skills, though, are at a premium. Any slot you can get a lot of milage out of is at the top of the list.

Peace,
-CxE

LightningHell · Oct 27, 2006, 04:37 AM // 04:37

Also, I forgot to mention, it varies for the number of players you're drafting for. If you're playing a 4-man group draft game, a 8-guild group draft game, or a single-person draft game, the strategies are different. Although 4- and 8- are quite similar.

LightningHell · Oct 27, 2006, 07:21 AM // 07:21

The pick of the last pack, according to the majority, is Gale.

Next pack. I'll do another full pack. Treat it as though it were the start of a draft.

Clumsiness
Divine Healing
Symbiotic Bond
Banish
Meteor Shower
Conjure Phantasm
Deadly Riposte
Dark Aura
Contemplation of Purity
Vile Miasma
Mark of Subversion
Generous was Tsungrai
Bestial Pounce
Lingering Curse
Gladiator's Defense
Hundred Blades

And a question. Do you want to simulate a full draft (8v8 format, 4v4, or 1v1), or do you want me to continue giving individual packs?

Argh, I forgot to state my pick.

Not many goodies here. I look at the pack, and see Clumsiness, Conjure Phantasm, Bestial Pounce, and Lingering Curse as somewhat usable, but nothing really stands out. I would take either Bestial Pounce or Lingering Curse, as these two would allow me to cut off those respective classes to the player to my left, if I consistently do so. (Bestial Pounce isn't even really that good - it just gives me an excuse to bring a pet along.)

Clamatius · Oct 27, 2006, 05:49 PM // 17:49

Not a great pack to open (you're always hoping for a gamebreaker when you open).

I'd be really tempted by Conjure since IMHO it's the strongest skill in the pack. Extra damage isn't ever really a bad choice. But Pounce is probably what I'd take even though it isn't as good a skill (a) because it's a playable beastmastery skill and (b) it cuts off ranger. In Sealed Deck, beastmastery skills are much better than they are in constructed because the extra pet damage is significant. I'm not sure quite how beastmastery compares in draft - probably depends on the draft size, I'd guess.

There's no way I'd take Lingering - elite, expensive enchantment hate isn't a #1 pick.

The Real Roy Keane · Oct 27, 2006, 07:54 PM // 19:54

I have no idea what any of you are talking about.

Clamatius · Oct 27, 2006, 08:18 PM // 20:18

If you read the drafting section of the GW tournament rules maybe it'd make more sense to you.

Thom · Oct 27, 2006, 08:51 PM // 20:51

Bestial Pounce opens up the pet, which has been stated. Conjure Phantasm and Clumsiness follow up since that booster is largely uneventful. A pet will out damage Conjure, so the first pick is no question.

Is there one skill which would trump all others in your mind? If Blessed Light came up, I would take it regardless of other options because it will give you one strong monk. Ether Prodigy opens up many more skills, so it could also be argued. Any other takes on the best draft skill?