Draft - KHM Draft #1 Premier

Here's the Draft Log for KHM Draft #1:

Since they don't currently save P1P1, here it is:

As this is the first draft, I wanted to just try the cards and see how they fit together. But I think it's useful for learning to just go over thoughts.

KHM Premier #1

I used Lords of Limited/Limited Level Ups' (Raw Power vs Reasons vs Rewards vs Roleplayer vs Replaceable spreadsheet to help guide my thoughts on cards). I played one sealed event (4-3 with a Blue/White Niko/Doomskar deck). I'll put their "R" category rating next to card introduction.

• P1P1. Waking the Trolls (Roleplayer) seems like a support card - doesn't pull me hard as the critical card to build around/give me direction. Skemfar Shadowsage (Roleplayer). Interestingly Littjara Glade-Warden (Replaceable), I am not sure that rating is right. I think shapeshifter/+1 counters will work in a specific deck, not strong enough. The last uncommon is Aegar (Reason) , it seems in a red deck this will trigger a good amount and get cards (I see you Frost Bite in this pack, but very little chance of that wheeling). Scanning the commons - nothing terribly strong. According to 17lands, Frost Bite (Reward) is the highest taken. I did hear Ben Warne (MisterMetronome) on his twitch stream say he thought Blue-Red was one of the stronger colors and I do like myself some big creature smash. So Aegar it is.
• P1P2. Rare and 3 Uncommons. Some bold choice by person next to me. Mystic Reflection (Replaceable) - a lot of text, trying to understand. Now post draft, it might have been the choice given the Giant theme (to bring out multiple Giants for cheap). I don't think it's Replaceable, given the Foretell and cheap creatures, and also you can screw with the opponent with Instant but it feels very conditional/niche. 17lands ATA (Average taken at) around 3.04. Fall of the Impostor (Reason), but I don't see it that strong and fighting with Aegar colors.  Frost Augur (Reward), pushing towards snow. Not sure I want it so early but this is the time. But Provoke the Trolls (Reward) works well with both Giants and Aegar's ability. I'm leading towards that. Let's look at commons. Highest ATA is the Snow Dual Land and then Elderfang Disciple (Roleplayer). Provoke the Trolls it is.
• P1P3. Pathway flip land - I'd actually rather have a snow land at this time. I guess I should have considered it since it's Blue. Then I have a bunch of nothing great. The uncommon Divine Gambit (Replaceable), just not meaningful. The Cinderheart Giant (Replaceable) isn't great but I do take it as the only red card left in this pack to send a message. 
• P1P4. The two uncommons are interesting. Inga (Roleplayer) which can help find the right cards for land or the right Giant. Valkyrie's Sword (Reward) - very tempting and probably would have given me more leeway. Rum Amok (Roleplayer) useful in this UR deck. No giants. Yeti isn't a giant :D I notice another Snow land as well. So I took Inga in color and to try out, Valkyrie's Sword not aligned with what we have already. 
• P1P5. Again, nothing exciting here. Run Amok seems reasonable here. 
• P1P6. Interesting. Surtland Frostpyre (Roleplayer) is definitely in our color BUT we do want that Squash (Reward). Nothing else really stands out. I do hope that the Frostpyre wheels. Would help us understand if our colors are open.
• P1P7. Okay nothing really screamed it belonged in the deck OR that was powerful and The Hagi Mob feels better in Rakdos (this is where in ZNR, I would have just taken all the Red cards). I take the Alpine Meadow to give me option if I need snow in future cards. Also gives me a chance to splash white. The Hawk (Replaceable) seems to work really in a heavy snow deck which we are not. 
• P1P8. Okay Giant went all the way around, so I think I should have more opportunity in the future packs if I wanted a 2nd. Run Amok is also interesting. Harbinger (Roleplayer) is exactly that, but I don't have a foretell deck. Now I think I might have jumped on the Snow Mountain too quickly, as the Shimmerdrift Vale (Roleplayer) is a bit of mana fixing and Snow. Let's see how snow plays out.
• P1P9. The Wheel. Look a Giant. And interesting Snow Plains wheels. Let's take the Giant. 
• P1P10. Fall of the Impostor did wheel, interesting. very far from our colors. Everything is generic, but I'll take the Littjara Kinseekers (Replaceable) Shapeshifter as a Giant for this deck. Shackles of Treachery (Replaceable) feels more at home in Rakdos (black sacrifices). 
• P1P11. Annul (Replaceable) is not main deckable and we're bo1. Raiders Karve (Replaceable) or Scorn Effigy (Replaceable) seem like the only choices here. I do think it's more likely to have the Vehicle in this deck because maybe I need to ramp to be able to cast Giants. Again, not sure I would have thought this way in ZNR. 
• P1P12. Immersturm Raider (Replaceable), why not, it's in my color. The other cards are white, eh. 
• P1P13. Intruder, sure I'll take this set's Duelist
• P1P14. And look at that, the FrostPyre wheeled. I feel good about our seat for sure.
• P1P15. Sideboard
• P2P1. Toralf, God of Fury (Raw Power). Slam. But let's get a sense of what else is in this pack. Dwarven Hammer (Reason) skews towards Boros dwarves, which we are not. Could be useful but no way it wheels. Koll, the Forgemaster (Reason) - a second Boros card. Last uncommon, Rune of Flight (Roleplayer). Looking over the commons, Sarulf's Packmate (Reason). Battlefield Raptor (Roleplayer) and the Snow Dual Lands are good cards. But Toralf is clearly the winner here. 
• P2P2. Basalt Ravager (Reason). Red, Giant, and works well with our shapeshifters/Giants. Clearly the card. And let's hope to wheel the FrostPyre again. Don't think I need a 2nd Inga. Obviously Ravager is the clear card. Nothing that excited elsewhere.
• P2P3. Bloodline Pretender (Replaceable). I think this works really well in a Giants deck. At a minimum it counts as a Giant and it grows if Giant or Changelings land. I'm looking at the Rune of Speed (Roleplayer) and the Tormentor''s Helm (Roleplayer) as cards I hope to wheel. 
• P2P4. Sigh. Nothing exciting. The Frenzied Raider (Reason) would have been my pick in early ZNR drafts last time. I have learned that it might be more "powerful" but only in the right deck. The Goldvein Pick (Replaceable) might have been interesting here as treasures may help me cast Giants earlier. But I choose my second Kinseekers (again changeling). Packmate/Icehide Troll for other people. 
• P2P5. Bind the Monster (Roleplayer). Need some removal as I don't have any direct damage - where's my Demon Bolt! I heard on a podcast that Run Ashore (Replaceable) is actually really powerful but I clearly need the removal. I just noticed there's no red as well as lots of blue - something I did NOT notice while drafting.
• P2P6. Okay here's more red and one blue. I'll take my 2nd Provoke the Trolls happily. Again, Giants have higher toughness so it's an interesting 2 way combat trick that makes sense in this deck. Oh I just noticed the White Rare, Search for Glory (Replaceable). I totally tuned out the card when I was drafting since it was white.
• P2P7. Gladly take a 2nd Squash given nothing really else. 
• P2P8. Wow, 2nd Kaya's Onslaught. White was WIDE open, and an Doomskar Oracle as well. Fine I'll take the Run Ashore. Also Boros looks open too. 
• P2P9. Let's look at the wheel. I'll take the Helm over the Giant. All the Boros cards gone of course. 
• P2P10. Okay, I'll take my second Inga, though looking at it now, maybe should have taken the Snow Island, though I don't have any snow things at the moment. 
• P2P11. Rune of Speed wheels. Happy to take that given that there's really nothing else in the pack for us.
• P2P12. Okay, I'll take the Pick I thought about. 
• P2P13. And the Run Ashore. The things I thought about taking a bit are wheeling. That's nice.
• P2P14-15. Likely sideboard
• P3P1. Ooh. Maskwood Nexus (Reason). Make everything Giant! Also create more Shapeshifters. Though it's hard to skip on the Demon Bolt (Raw Power). I do wonder given that I already have a bunch of Shapeshifters whether this was the right call. Given that it's the first draft, probably best to try the rare that fits your deck. But man, Demon Bolt is #2. There's also a Poison the Cup (Raw Power)! Some really good cards here. 
• P3P2. Yuck. Graven Lore (Reward) I don't have enough snow but we can use Pack 3 to go get some, it looks open from what's been passed. Colossal Plow (Replaceable) is white. Kardur (Reason) - not in our color. Nothing else really for our deck, so let's just rare draft at a minimum. 
• P3P3. Icebind Pillar (Reason). Okay, now we should definitely get into snow. Saw it coming (Reward) is interesting. Lots of interesting cards to wheel: Helm, Snow-Covered Island. Pillar is basically an icy manipulator, so let's take it. And the rare, Skemfar Avenger (Reason) is just too far for us and really wants a supported Rakdos or Golgari deck but curious how many rares I could have gotten.
• P3P4. Dual Strike (Roleplayer). I didn't have that many direct damage cards 4 CMC or less. Two Provoke the Trolls and I guess Run Amok. But given the need for snow lands, bumped up. Craven Hulk (Roleplayer) should have been in consideration (maybe wheels). Helm could wheel but I already have one. Hadn't seen this before but I assume Giants are good targets to be blocked or take a lot of damage. 
• P3P5. Not sure what I was thinking here besides needing more creatures/Giants. Bind the Monster otherwise would have been a good pick up.
• P3P6. Wow look at all the Red/Blue Cards. Nothing jumps out besides possibly Run Amok. But I'll take the Snow land.
• P3P7. Augury Raven (Reward) - fliers and can be cast over two turns. Especially while waiting for Giants to come out. Fearless Pup (Replaceable) feels out of place in this deck unless I'm just trying to throw a cheap creature out there. Nothing else speaks up to me.
• P3P8. Frostpyre over the Giant. I think in hindsight I probably should have taken the Giant. I played a game where the fact it comes out tapped limits options, since it needs to much mana. 
• P3P9. Okay, let's look at the wheel. Okay. Gladly take the Snow Island.
• P3P10. Nothing I really want, so I'll take the uncommon.
• P3P11. Gladly take another Snow Island.
• P3P12. Helm wheels. 
• P3P13. I do wonder on this now later. I took Mists of Littjara (Roleplayer) over Open the Omenpaths (Replaceable) but Open actually fits our Giants deck better to get us 4 mana to bring out creatures. It's a slight mana fixing/one more mana too. 
• P3P14. Creature over 3rd Run Ashore
• P3P15. Sideboard

The interesting thing for me is seeing how much more intentional I am about picks and why. Understanding the synergies. Obviously room for growth and getting better. But this makes me happy. And originally I am dying to just go play but this analysis makes me feel much more comfortable with the cards and my thought process.