Following up on the Onyxium faction primer, here's an example of a recent draft I did in the pairing. I'll look at each pick, explaining which cards are good and bad and how they fit into the larger strategy of the deck.

Drafting

Pack 1

I mentioned in my faction primer that Phantasm was one of the only first picks that makes me want to play Onyxium. It's one of the few cards in AN that demands action from your opponent. Even good cards like Ionic Warcharger Graveborn Glutton

My second choice would be between Darkheart Conjurer and Zombie Dreadknight. Conjurer is mostly picked for its You start the game with the following cards added to your deck. Solbind Dysian Infusion

Leyline Golem and Frostwild Tracker are both middle of the road heroics. Not bad, not amazing. Xrath's Will has traditionally been hard to build a deck around in draft. You need both debuff and Zombies to make it work, which puts a lot of restrictions on your picks. It's possible I'm underestimating it, though.



Pick: Onyxium Phantasm

Onyxium Phantasm Onyxium Phantasm

Leyline Golem Leyline Golem

Zombie Dreadknight Zombie Dreadknight

Darkheart Conjurer Darkheart Conjurer

Xrath's Will Xrath's Will

Frostwild Tracker Frostwild Tracker Metamind Adept is the only Alloyin card in the pack so that's what I'm taking. It's not great but sometimes it can help you draw into your leveled cards from a bad hand.



Pick: Metamind Adept

Metamind Adept Metamind Adept

Grimgaunt Spectre Grimgaunt Spectre

Spiritbloom Dryad Spiritbloom Dryad

Stormspear Stormspear

Ether Hounds Ether Hounds The pick is between Nexus Pilot and Battletech Inventor. I see this deck as being more defensive, playing for the late game and Nexus Pilot doesn't fit into that plan very well. Nexus Pilot wants to be in decks that are dictating the pace of play, placing creatures proactively in the lane of their choice. I will more likely be reacting to my opponent's plays early in the game so a creature like Battletech Inventor will be more useful.



Pick: Battletech Inventor

Esperian Scarab Esperian Scarab

Battletech Inventor Battletech Inventor

Scavenger Scorpion Scavenger Scorpion

Nexus Pilot Nexus Pilot I'll take Tundra Watcher as big early game body that can offset potential Tech Explorer Technognome



Pick: Tundra Watcher

Spiritforge Sentinel Spiritforge Sentinel

Cypien Steelgraft Cypien Steelgraft

Tundra Watcher Tundra Watcher The same choice, this time already widdled down to the two relavent cards. I'll take another Battletech Inventor



Pick: Battletech Inventor

Nexus Pilot Nexus Pilot

Battletech Inventor Battletech Inventor





Pack 2

Tech Explorer seems exactly like the card that this deck is built for considering the amount of late game inevitibility it provides. But I'm still not a huge fan of the card. Ionic Warcharger has a solid body at all levels and gives AN the rare ability to operate in multiple lanes as well as push damage late in the game. I will probably still want at least one Tech Explorer in the deck but I'm not going to take it over Warcharger.



Pick: Ionic Warcharger

Tech Explorer Tech Explorer

Corpulent Shambler Corpulent Shambler

Forge Guardian Alpha Forge Guardian Alpha

Tundra Watcher Tundra Watcher

Duskspire Zombie Duskspire Zombie

Ionic Warcharger Ionic Warcharger Skyknight Glider is another flexible card that can help me control the board in the early game while leveling into a great finisher. Scourge Hydra is another solid card and I wouldn't fault anybody for taking it.



Pick: Skyknight Glider

Scourge Hydra Scourge Hydra

Contagion Surge Contagion Surge

Nexus Pilot Nexus Pilot

Oreian Steelskin Oreian Steelskin

Skyknight Glider Skyknight Glider I don't need anymore Battletech Inventors. I'll take Grave Ghast as another big early game body.



Pick: Grave Ghast

Battletech Inventor Battletech Inventor

Scavenger Scorpion Scavenger Scorpion

Flowsteel Carrier Flowsteel Carrier

Grave Ghast Grave Ghast Zombie Infantry and Spark Bot are just average vanilla bodies. Since I am building this as a late game deck, I should have at least some number of big dudes to take things over when I get there. Technognome is mediocre, but at least it serves that purpose.



Pick: Technognome

Technognome Technognome

Zombie Infantry Zombie Infantry

Spark Bot Spark Bot Forge Guardian Alpha is pretty terrible in AN so I took another Tundra Watcher.



Pick: Tundra Watcher

Forge Guardian Alpha Forge Guardian Alpha

Tundra Watcher Tundra Watcher





Pack 3

I think this is the Tech Explorer that I want to take. Not really much else to consider in this pack. Zombie Titan has good stats in the side lane but the same reasoning that makes Nexus Pilot bad in this deck also applies to this card.



Pick: Tech Explorer

Tech Explorer Tech Explorer

Anatomize Anatomize

Zombie Titan Zombie Titan

Grave Ghast Grave Ghast

Duskspire Zombie Duskspire Zombie

Oreian Peacekeeper Oreian Peacekeeper I really like Barrier Soldier in late game decks. Mobility is still very good right now and Barry's armor keeps them from using their movement to push damage. It also helps you stabalize in rank 2 after falling behind early with Tech Explorers and Technognomes. It's not the greatest at winning trades with mearly average stats but it's an important piece of the AN puzzle.



Pick: Barrier Soldier

Tech Explorer Tech Explorer

Barrier Soldier Barrier Soldier

Grimgaunt Spectre Grimgaunt Spectre

Zombie Infantry Zombie Infantry

Unrelenting Dead Unrelenting Dead Corpulent Shambler is another great card for surviving early aggro, but unlike Tundra Watcher and Grave Ghast, it actually levels into a respectable creature. Underleveled, it can still deal 8 damage to a creature while chump blocking for two turns. Overall, a very versatile creature.



Pick: Corpulent Shambler

Corpulent Shambler Corpulent Shambler

Cypien Steelgraft Cypien Steelgraft

Spirit Torrent Spirit Torrent

Tundra Watcher Tundra Watcher I'm picking Stasis Warden mainly for its vanilla stats. It's possible that I get to Defender an Onyxium Phantasm, squeezing another activation out of it, but that's unlikely to happen. (Despite the text on the card, the ability is still level gated )



Pick: Stasis Warden

Ghastly Renewal Ghastly Renewal

Nexus Pilot Nexus Pilot

Stasis Warden Stasis Warden In a vacuum, Infernal Visage is a better card, but I really don't think I'll be able to use it in this deck. Again, it requires a lot of initiative to set up. Something I'm not going to have. Digitize is not good, but it can result in the occaisional blowout.



Pick: Digitize

Infernal Visage Infernal Visage

Digitize Digitize





Pack 4

I'll take another Barrier Soldier because, of the cards available, it fits best with the plan of the deck.



Pick: Barrier Soldier

Digitize Digitize

Catacomb Spider Catacomb Spider

Cypien Steelgraft Cypien Steelgraft

Cypien Infiltrator Cypien Infiltrator

Barrier Soldier Barrier Soldier

Technognome Technognome Cypien Infiltrator is the best creature in the pack but I'm over half way through the draft and have yet to take any removal. I'm trying to decide between Death Current and Bitterfrost Totem. Stall decks are not the greatest home for Death Current because you don't have that much control over what stays on your opponent's side of the board (compared to something like NT). You will often find yourself in a place where you don't have much choice over what it hits. However, it still gives us some defense against all-in strategies and is a critical tool for fighting the late game mirror match. I'll take it over the more consistent but less powerful Bitterfrost Totem.



Pick: Death Current

Forge Guardian Alpha Forge Guardian Alpha

Cypien Infiltrator Cypien Infiltrator

Bitterfrost Totem Bitterfrost Totem

Grave Ghast Grave Ghast

Death Current Death Current Palladium Wave is a great recovery tool for decks that plan on falling behind early, but it also highlights another reason why Death Current can be awkward in AN. Spells that debuff attack (see also Metatransfer Countermeasure Battletech Inventor increase the accuracy of their Death Currents. Unfortunately, it's just something you have to live with because both types of spells are necessary.



Pick: Palladium Wave

Palladium Wave Palladium Wave

Technognome Technognome

Tundra Watcher Tundra Watcher

Countermeasure Countermeasure Picking Cypien Infiltrator for the good stats at all levels. Probably won't trigger its ability.



Pick: Cypien Infiltrator

Perilous Insight Perilous Insight

Flowsteel Carrier Flowsteel Carrier

Cypien Infiltrator Cypien Infiltrator Would love to see some more Gluttons, especially this late in the packs. It's a great way to win long games where both players are blocking everything and no one can get through.



Pick: Graveborn Glutton

Graveborn Glutton Graveborn Glutton

Spirit Torrent Spirit Torrent





Pack 5

Plunder Imp's ability is not often relavent but it can occasionally get lucky. In one recent game, my opponent stole a Forge Oracle



Pick: Plunder Imp

Leyline Demon Leyline Demon

Battletech Inventor Battletech Inventor

Plunder Imp Plunder Imp

Spark Bot Spark Bot

Zombie Infantry Zombie Infantry

Infernal Visage Infernal Visage Witherfrost Banshee is a fine creature but I want more options for removal. Blood Bindings is solid.



Pick: Blood Bindings

Witherfrost Banshee Witherfrost Banshee

Scavenger Scorpion Scavenger Scorpion

Organ Harvester Organ Harvester

Spark Bot Spark Bot

Blood Bindings Blood Bindings Steelskin Spelunker has average stats and can occasionally turn a trade in the center space. Might be able to power up a Skyknight Glider if I'm lucky.



Pick: Steelskin Spelunker

Stasis Warden Stasis Warden

Steelskin Spelunker Steelskin Spelunker

Nexus Pilot Nexus Pilot

Anatomize Anatomize Pretty much the only creature that Demonweb Watcher stops in Ashurian Mystic



Pick: Technognome

Technognome Technognome

Demonweb Watcher Demonweb Watcher

Anatomize Anatomize

Flowsteel Carrier doesn't do much but Alpha doesn't do anything.



Pick: Flowsteel Carrier

Flowsteel Carrier Flowsteel Carrier

Forge Guardian Alpha Forge Guardian Alpha





Pack 6

Pretty bad choices for a fresh pack. I'll take another Metamind Adept.



Pick: Metamind Adept

Countermeasure Countermeasure

Flowsteel Carrier Flowsteel Carrier

Vault Blockade Vault Blockade

Cavern Slime Cavern Slime

Zombie Infantry Zombie Infantry

Metamind Adept Metamind Adept Vault Intruder is another creature where the text rarely matters. Sometimes it can help you decide how to best play a pump spell but not in this sort of deck. Doesn't matter, though. The stats are great and I could use more high attack creatures.



Pick: Vault Intruder

Forge Guardian Alpha Forge Guardian Alpha

Battletech Inventor Battletech Inventor

Vault Intruder Vault Intruder

Aetherguard Aetherguard

Brood Horror Brood Horror Another Corpulent Shambler is a good addition.



Pick: Corpulent Shambler

Corpulent Shambler Corpulent Shambler

Ghastly Renewal Ghastly Renewal

Grimgaunt Spectre Grimgaunt Spectre

Oreian Peacekeeper Oreian Peacekeeper Not excited about any of these cards. Normally I would take an average creature over an average spell but I have plenty of bodies in the deck. Combat tricks, even mediocre ones, can sometimes be just what you need to turn the board in your favor.



Pick: Cypien Steelgraft

Demonweb Watcher Demonweb Watcher

Cypien Augmentation Cypien Augmentation

Cypien Steelgraft Cypien Steelgraft And one more Spelunker to round out the deck.



Pick: Steelskin Spelunker

Steelskin Spelunker Steelskin Spelunker

Necrotic Wurm Necrotic Wurm

Game Summaries

Game 1: This game was quite literally the mirror. Unfortunately, my opponent got his plan going before I did, stealing my Onyxium Phantasm with a Plunder Imp on turn 2, then playing their own Phantasm on turn 3. From that point, I was behind the whole game.

Game 2: My opponent was playing an NU deck that seemed to be relying a little too heavily on Death Current. For example, in rank 2 one of their Currents traded with a level 2 Technognome. It's not terrible but a 9/9 is something that can easily lose a trade to another level 2 creature, leaving my opponent with some board position. Instead, the Death Current just got the clear, allowing me to play my next turn without worrying about opposing creatures. They had two of them fully leveled going into rank 3, but I was able to win enough trades and keep enough bodies on the field so when the level 3 finally hit, it wasn't that painful. Level 3 Warcharger eventually secured the win.

Game 3: I was playing another leveling deck, this time the AT version. Despite leveling several extra cards in rank 1, my opponent just didn't see them in rank 2. I got a lead on board and was able to carry the pressure into the late game, consistently getting in damage with my lane advantage. Onyxium Phantasm on level took away any hope of them mounting a comeback.

Game 4: This time the draw advantage went the other way. The game was pretty even until the start of rank 3. I was playing second and didn't see my level 3 creatures until later in the player level. My opponent saw them earlier and was able to put me under a lot of pressure. I didn't have enough of a life total to draw out of the slump and lost.

A 2-2 finish is not great but it feels about right for this deck. I had a strong first pick heroic but really struggled in the games where it didn't show up. The rest of the deck had very little initiative. I was basically playing defense and hoping to draw better quality cards than my opponent on the next turn, which is how I lost two of the games. The deck could've benefited from some more quality spells like Bitterfrost Totem and Metatransfer and fewer generic filler creatures. It's also possible that I'm undervaluing Nexus Pilots. They could've provided some nice early pressure against the slow late game decks, but I'm still leary of its drawbacks.