My First Shot at RTR Team Sealed

I got together with my teammate this week to practice for the upcoming Team Sealed GP. The pool we opened is color sorted below. We jammed our decks agianst another teams practice pool about half a dozen times for each matchup. It was a great introduction to the format. The first thing I discovered is how important it is to build your three decks carefully. Each deck needs to be able to win, so building one insane deck is just out of the question. After getting a pretty good idea of what the best 3 combinations would be, we decided to just start jamming decks to see what we could improve. Going into this, I expected to have 2 aggro and 1 4-color-Green control deck. But we just didn't have the fixing, but we still ended up fitting the 2-aggro, 1-control pattern I expected.

White
Rootborn Defenses 2
Azorious Arrester
Knightly Valor
Avenging Arrow 3
Keening Apparition
Concordia Pegasus 2
Palisade Giant
Trostanis Judgement 3
Swift Justice 3
Eyes in the Skies
Fencing Ace

Blue
Inaction Injunction 4
Tower Drake 2
Mizzium Skin
Crosstown Courier 3
Isperias Skywatch
Cancel 2
Dispel 2
Runewing
Stealer of Secrets

Black
Cremate
Grave Betrayal
Catacomb Slug 3
Destroy the Evidence 2
Zanikev Locust
Tavern Swindler
Perilous Shadow 2
Assasin's Strike
Daggerdrome imp
Terrus Wurm
Launch party 4
Ogre jailbreakers
Grim Roustabout
Thrill-kill Assassin
Dead reveler.2
Deviant Glee

Red
Bellows Lizard 3
Batterhorn 2
Cobblebrute 2
Racecourse Fury
Survey the Wreckage
Tenement Crasher
Annihilating Fire
Traiterous Instinct
Dynacharge
Electrickery
Bloodfray Giant
Gore-house Chainwalker 2

Green
Slime Molding
Towering Indrik
Seek the Horizon 2
Centaur's Herald 2
Gatecreeper Vine
Golgari Decoy
Korozda Monitor
Giant Growth 2
Brushstrider
Gobbling Ooze
Axebane stag 2
Urban Burgeoning
Oakstreet Inkeeper
Archweaver
Stonefare Crocodile 2
Horncallers Chant 3
Drudge Beetle2

Multi-Color W/U
Lyev Skyknight
Archon of the Triumvirate
Search Warrant
Fall of the Gavel
Detention Sphere

Hybrid W/U
Judge's Familiar
Vassal Soul

Multi-Color U/R
Teleportal
Goblin Electromancer 2
Essence Backlash 2
Thoughtflare
Izzet Charm
Mercurial Chemister
Chemisters trick

Hybrid U/R
Frostburn Weird 2

Multi-Color G/W
Coursers Accord 2
Centaur Healer
Risen Sanctuary
Call of the Conclave
Common Bond
Hero's Reunion
Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage

Hybrid G/W
Sundering Growth 4

Multi-Color R/B
Skull Rend 2
Rakdos Ringleader
Auger Spree 3
Spawn of Rix Maadi
Rakdos ragemutt
Dreadbore
Rix maadi guildmage

Hybrid R/B
Rakdos Shred-freak

Multi-Color G/B
Abrupt Decay
Grisly Salvage 2
Dreg Mangler
Treasure Find
Sluiceway scorpion

Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Corpsejack Menace

Hybrid G/B
Slitherhead
Deathrite Shaman


Lands/Artifacts
Azorious Guildgate 3
Civic saber
Izzet Guildgate 2
Hallowed Fountain
Rakdos Guildgate
Blood Crypt
Codex Shreder

Tablet of the guilds 2


I'm interested to see how other people would build this pool, it might be a good exercise to do with your teammates, you could print this list, or make proxies, or however works best for your group. If you're going to do so, I would stop reading now, so our build doesn't influence your choices. Keep in mind, there are tons of ways to build this but over all, you want 3 decks that can win. I'm lucky enough to have a teammate who is better than me, but even so, we built this with only two players, and it's pretty overwhelming.


G/W Populate

Rootborn Defenses 2
Azorious Arrester

Keening Apparition
Trostanis Judgement 3
Eyes in the Skies

Coursers Accord 2
Centaur Healer
Risen Sanctuary
Call of the Conclave
Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage

Slime Molding
Towering Indrik
Seek the Horizon 2
Centaur's Herald 2
Gatecreeper Vine
Golgari Decoy

Drudge Beetle2
Korozda Monitor

Transguild Promenade
9 Forest
7 Plains

R/B Aggro

Skull Rend
Rakdos Ringleader
Auger Spree 3
Spawn of Rix Maadi
Rakdos ragemutt
Dreadbore
Rix maadi guildmage
Rakdos Shred-freak


Bloodfray Giant
Gore-house Chainwalker 2

Zanikev Locust
Tavern Swindler
Assasin's Strike
Daggerdrome imp
Launch party 2
Grim Roustabout
Thrill-kill Assassin
Dead Reveler 2
Deviant Glee

Rakdos Guildgate
Blood Crypt
8 Mountain
7 Swamp


U/R/w Control
Frostburn Weird 2

Goblin Electromancer 2
Essence Backlash
Thoughtflare
Izzet Charm
Mercurial Chemister

Annihilating Fire
Electrickery

Inaction Injunction 4
Tower Drake 2
Mizzium Skin
Archon of the Triumvirate
Detention Sphere
Lyev Skynight

Runewing
Stealer of Secrets
Isperia's Skywatch


Azorious Guildgate 3
Izzet Guildgate 2
Hallowed Fountain
5 Islands
6 Mountain


What I Learned


We jammed these decks against another team's pool, and we found a bit of a Rock-Paper-Scissors. The other team had a similar base for their 3 decks. They had G/W/b aggro, R/B Aggro, and U/B Control.

The U/B Control decks stomped on the G/W decks and lost to the Rakdos Aggro. Given enough time, which the G/W decks will allow, the Izzet decks get to swing the game with large bombs and use countermagic and removal to stay ahead, but against rakdos it would take a good early draw to hold off the Rakdos beats including both blockers and removal.  G/W Beat Rakdos Aggro pretty handily, 3/3 centaur tokens are a good trump to 2/2's and 3/2's and unleash preventing the ability to block once a mass of tokens appears usually ended the game. Our Rakdos deck fared a bit better against their G/W deck than theirs did against ours, mainly because our Rakdos deck had more 2-drops and they had less Centaur token producers. Their Izzet deck was insane featuring Niv Mizzet, Jace and Hypersonic dragon, but our Rakdos deck was still a slight favorite there, but our other two decks lost to it most of the time. Besides their Izzet deck, we were able to get a slight edge over their other decks, but overall it seems the matchups drive the outcome fairly significantly.

I hope these are helpful, and I'd love to see what others think about how we built this pool.
Thanks for reading!

AVR Draft #9 U/w Control (0-1, mtgo 84)

  Pack 1 pick 1:

  My Pick:

The only other card under consideration here is Druid's Familiar. it may even be better, but the spirit away is so huge if your deck can get to 7 mana. also i liked the prospects of tablign a crippling chill over a terrifying presence. chill fits the plan of a spirit away deck, and from the get go i can focus on a blue control deck.
  Pack 1 pick 2:

  My Pick:

i swear to god this was a goof grab. probably should have taken prowess, but i didnt even see the pack just sorta flinched and clicked, so didn't know what i had passed either :(
  Pack 1 pick 3:

  My Pick:

the bat is the strongest card here, but smuggler is pretty good, and if i get some sweet ETB effects which the blue grindy decks tend to have, i'll be happy to have this guy. i'm also open to a second color still.
  Pack 1 pick 4:

  My Pick:

and, there's my second color. easy choice. frailty is good, but especially if i'm trying to survive until i can cast spirit away, the angel is going to do more work.
  Pack 1 pick 5:

  My Pick:

i'm not a big fan of the devils, and it looks like i'll have plenty of top end available to me. maybe ill end up in red after all (jeez if only i had taken that prowess... this is the first time i've looked back at it knowing what was in that pack 2)
  Pack 1 pick 6:

  My Pick:

this card has been amazing for me, but not so much in a control deck, regardless i wanted to cut blue, because if i see this late i consider it a signal. to be honest, sometimes i confuse it with ghostform, both by picture and first glance at the name.
  Pack 1 pick 7:

  My Pick:

not sure if i'd rather have th etwo drop here or the blow, but if i am indeed in u/w removal will be limited.
  Pack 1 pick 8:

  My Pick:

Slow tapper is slow, but if my deck turns out the way i want it he's a good fit.
  Pack 1 pick 9:

  My Pick:

never excited about this, but again, in a deck just trying to survive to the late game it's fine.
  Pack 1 pick 10:

  My Pick:

i suppose there's a possibility i play red instead of white, we'll see...
  Pack 1 pick 11:

  My Pick:

down to do some blocking!
  Pack 1 pick 12:

  My Pick:

sure, deck may turn not turn out to be mill, but its not like these other cards are making the cut either.
  Pack 1 pick 13:

  My Pick:

not a big fan of this guy.
  Pack 1 pick 14:

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 15:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 1:

  My Pick:

i used the maximum amount of time on this pick. I even had the Herald of War preselected with a right click for almost the entire time. at the last moment i selected the lookout. In retrospect, id rather have had the herald in this deck. The lookout isn't htat great in a controlling deck, as it doesn't block well, adn you often dont have enough aggression to get him (or his soulmate) for a card. meh.
  Pack 2 pick 2:

  My Pick:

what a pack. hate to pass the latchseeker, but esepecially since i just got blown out by this guy last draft, i'm snapping him up.
  Pack 2 pick 3:

  My Pick:

surprisingly enough, i haven't had a chance to play with this card much, but it appears awesome, and i've been blown out by it before, so lets rock it. i could use some removal anyway.
  Pack 2 pick 4:

  My Pick:

early defense, yup.
  Pack 2 pick 5:

  My Pick:

hm okay, well now we have a mill backup plan at the least. especially with the horned turtle.
  Pack 2 pick 6:

  My Pick:

not exciting but fits the plan.
  Pack 2 pick 7:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 8:

  My Pick:

seeing as i already goofgrabbed one ghoul, i likely wont play a second one, and i'd rather just D the prowess. I still haven't really taken a ton of white cards, so the few red cards i have are underconsideration as well.
  Pack 2 pick 9:

  My Pick:

NEED MOAR BLOCKERS
  Pack 2 pick 10:

  My Pick:

yup, after pick 9 we get no playables for our deck, fucking hate this format...
  Pack 2 pick 11:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 12:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 13:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 14:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 15:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 1:

  My Pick:

no choice.
  Pack 3 pick 2:

  My Pick:

i considered the 2drop, but a 2nd one of these is a decently reliable plan, and i also have 2 horned turtles.
  Pack 3 pick 3:

  My Pick:

empty pack for me, fits the plan, etc.
  Pack 3 pick 4:

  My Pick:

love this guy. welcomed addition.
  Pack 3 pick 5:

  My Pick:

wasnt sure if i should take the blow here instead. as i said earlier, not much experience with vanishment. now, having played it, i think its certainly better.
  Pack 3 pick 6:

  My Pick:

I considered dreadwaters here, but didn't feel it was neccessary, if i set up defenses, stern mentor can win the game on his own. adding a bunch of mill sorceries isn't neccesary, but can work if you dont have enough other action.
  Pack 3 pick 7:

  My Pick:

block block block block block
  Pack 3 pick 8:

  My Pick:

oh wow, an empty pack!
  Pack 3 pick 9:

  My Pick:

Horned turtle can not block thou. You have been cacked.
  Pack 3 pick 10:

  My Pick:

meh, no chance i'm playing a 2nd one of these, but whatever.
  Pack 3 pick 11:

  My Pick:

hm which of these 4 unplayables should i take...
  Pack 3 pick 12:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 13:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 14:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 15:

  My Pick:




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Here's the deck i built

Game one I kept: Plains, Plains, Island, Fettergeist, Peel from Reality, Crippling Chill and Inquisitor.

I started off on the play with the inquisitor and the fettergeist getting some early beats. i didn't have much other action for a while. he got down a nettle swine and 3/5 Reach Soulbound guy. after using the crippling chill, i whittled him down to 5 before he walled up with fat green dudes. i drew into a stern mentor and started milling him while I was on teh defense. I milled him down to 10 cards before he cast terminus. I untapped and played dead eye navigator and he conceded.

I boarded out the smuggler for the 2/5 Spectral Gateguards

Game 2 on the draw, I opened on this 7: Island x2, Plainsx3 Spectral Prison, and Tandem Lookout. I shipped it.
6: Island, Peel, Inquisitor, Spirit Away, Tandem lookout, plains.

This game ended pretty quickly. i never drew a 3rd land before i died.

Game 3 on the play, I opened on this 7: 2/4 lifelink flier, plains, plains, defang, fettergeist, tapper, spirit away
Shipped. with no island and a majority of my deck blue, i wasn't willing to keep it, especially since i didn't even have neough plains to cast any of my creatures.

my 6 card hand had no lands, and wasnt really worth writing down.

kept the 5 card hand of: Island, Island, tapper, vanishment, and righteous blow.
never drew a land. died.

Again, i think this deck was fairly solid, pretty dissapointing....