KTK: Sealed pool
October 31, 2014 1 Comment
We’re having PTQs in the Seattle area this weekend and next, so I decided to do a practice Sealed deck. Here’s my pool, which I’ve also posted on TappedOut. How would you have built this pool? Post your builds in the comments and I’ll post my build (also in the comments) tonight.
Artifact
Jeskai Banner
Mardu Banner
Witness of the Ages
White
Abzan Battle Priest
2 Ainok Bond-Kin
Dazzling Ramparts
2 Erase
Jeskai Student
Mardu Hateblade
Rush of Battle
Sage-Eye Harrier
Salt Road Patrol
Watcher of the Roost
Blue
2 Crippling Chill
2 Disdainful Stroke
Force Away
Jeskai Windscout
2 Mystic of the Hidden Way
Scion of Glaciers
2 Taigam’s Scheming
Treasure Cruise
Waterwhirl
2 Wetland Sambar
Black
Bitter Revelation
Dead Drop
Debilitating Injury
Disowned Ancestor
Mardu Skullhunter
Molting Snakeskin
2 Rakshasa’s Secret
Rite of the Serpent
Rotting Mastodon
Ruthless Ripper
Shambling Attendants
2 Sidisi’s Pet
Throttle
Red
Act of Treason
Arrow Storm
Barrage of Boulders
Mardu Heart-Piercer
2 Mardu Warshrieker
Monastery Swiftspear
2 Shatter
Swift Kick
Valley Dasher
Green
2 Dragonscale Boon
Feed the Clan
Hooting Mandrills
Kin-Tree Warden
Longshot Squad
2 Savage Punch
Smoke Teller
Sultai Flayer
Tusked Colossodon
Windstorm
Multicolor
Chief of the Scale
Crackling Doom
Death Frenzy
Flying Crane Technique
Jeskai Charm
Mardu Ascendancy
Mardu Charm
Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
Snowhorn Rider
Sorin, Solemn Visitor
Temur Charm
Land
Bloodfell Caves
Flooded Strand
Nomad Outpost
Swiftwater Cliffs
Tranquil Cove
MTGDissected 
I built a W/U/B/r deck from this pool (the red splash is for Flying Crane Technique).
Creatures (12):
– 1cc: Disowned Ancestor, Ruthless Ripper
– 2cc: Mardu Skullhunter, Chief of the Scale, 2 Ainok Bond-Kin
– 3cc: Jeskai Windscout, Watcher of the Roost
– 4cc: Abzan Battle Priest, Salt Road Patrol
– 5cc: 2 Mystic of the Hidden Way
Spells (10):
– 2cc: Debilitating Injury, Force Away
– 3cc: 2 Crippling Chill
– 4cc: Bitter Revelation, Sorin Solemn Visitor
– 5cc: Throttle
– 6cc: Rite of the Serpent, Waterwhirl, Flying Crane Technique
Land (18): Nomad Outpost, Flooded Strand, Tranquil Cove, Swiftwater Cliffs, Bloodfell Caves, 5 Swamp, 4 Islands, 4 Plains
This deck has 7 sources each of white, blue, and black mana. My initial build played the Sage-Eye Harrier instead of the 4th Plains, but I kept finding myself wanting more land so I could play my 4-drops on curve and so I could use outlast while casting additional creatures. My last cuts while building the deck were Dazzling Ramparts, Mardu Hateblade, Sage-Eye Harrier, 2 Disdainful Stroke, and Treasure Cruise.
Unfortunately, I only had the opportunity to play the deck against one opponent who was playing W/B (splashing green for Abzan Charm, which I think was a mistake), and I lost 2-3. At least 1 of those losses was because I kept a hand without many early plays and ended up not drawing much action. One lesson I learned over the course of those games is that you might want to be on the play in this format at least some of the time, even if you’re playing a 3-color deck. If you’re playing Mardu or Abzan, or are playing against either of those decks, you usually want to be on the play since if your opponent gets to trigger raid or gets their outlast creatures going first, you can fall behind pretty quickly. You also usually want to be playing 18 lands so you can play a morph on turn 3, but also to support outlast and so you have enough sources for each of your colors.