The Hobbits are having trouble leaving the Shire. While I wait for my FLGS to get play booster boxes, I got two friends together and we did a wacky Clue draft. (Although I generally want four people total to run a draft, I've found that three works quite well with Ravnica: Clue, so we did that. We decided on 30 life, because there were only three of us and we would each have six Clue cards in our hand.
I just finished watching Avatar this weekend, which I had started because the set came out last year. Naturally, I was excited to include an Avatar pack! Here's what we opened:
Yet again I failed to open a companion, but I did get something fun to focus on nonetheless. I took Luminous Broodmoth and actively avoided flying creatures for the rest of the draft. I opened Intruder Alarm in pack two and hoped I could find more creatures with tap abilities and mana dorks, but I came up mostly empty. Perhaps the most important was pack three, however, where I got super lucky and picked up four fixing lands! Here were all my picks:
With those cards, I built a deck with a very low curve!
I felt like I had a lot of useful combo pieces as well as efficient enough creatures that I could get in early and try to solve Guildmage Boddy's murder. We sorted out the Clue cards, put one of each into the solution sleeve, then shuffled up and dealt the rest.
Oh no! Six rooms! I knew nothing about the suspects or weapons! I won the die roll to go first, mulliganed my first hand and kept a risky two-lander. (Thankfully I drew lands the first two turns.) My two opponents, P2 and P3, were both running Grixis. No wonder I'd been able to get my hands on those three white dual lands!
The first round of turns passed with just lands, and only P3 had a play in turn two with a Hexing Squelcher.
On turn three I played a face down Museum Nightwatch. P3 cast Charging Strifeknight and hit both of us. They guessed Scarlett, Rope, and Conservatory and I had to show them the Conservatory. At least I got a treasure!
On turn four I cast Kyoshi Warriors, then attacked and hit P3 with my Mysterious Creature. I needed to learn something (anything) about the suspects and weapons, so I made a guess with a room I already had: Green, Wrench, and Hall. P3 passed. P2 cast Waterbending Lesson. P3 cast Lamplight Phoenix and attacked P2 who had no blockers. P3 guessed Green, Pipe, and Ballroom and P2 showed a card. (Obviously not Ballroom, because, y'know, I had that along with all the other rooms.)
For turn five I hit both of my opponents and risked asking about a room I didn't have: White, Knife, and Kitchen. P2 passed and P3 showed me the Kitchen. P2 played the very intimidating Azula, Cunning Usurper and targeted P3 with the ability. P3 didn't let her stay in power, though, and cast Extract a Confession. Azula was the only creature P2 had, so she died while I just sacrificed my 1/1 ally. P3 then dropped Lightshell Duo and hit me with the Phoenix since I didn't have any fliers on the board. They guessed Plum, Rope, and Dining Room and I showed them the Dining Room.
On turn six, I cast Social Snub and copied it. It didn't work out as well as I'd hoped, though, because P3 was able to sacrifice a creature before the Phoenix and then the Phoenix, and then collect evidence to get the Phoenix back. I had enough remaining creatures to attack both my opponents, though. I played the same game I had been playing and guessed Plum, Wrench, and Library. They both passed.
"Wait, what?" I said out loud before I could stop myself. I had the Library in my hand, but I had suddenly guessed the murderer and murder weapon! More importantly, though, because of my idiotic outburst, my opponents knew I hadn't been suspecting that answer. I still didn't have enough information to make an accusation because I didn't know the room, so I ended my turn without making an accusation. This meant, though, that my opponents knew I had at least one of those three cards I'd called out. P2 was still in a bit of catch up, but they played Potioner's Trove and a disguised creature. P3's Phoenix was still something I couldn't block. They hit me and guessed the same cards I had guessed. I showed them my library and feared they also knew the correct suspect and weapon.
I needed to throw them off the scent, so on turn seven I hit both opponents again and named Scarlett, Candlestick, and the Billiard Room. P2 showed me Scarlett. I cast Gnarlbark Elm and Joined Researchers and the latter became prepared at the end of the turn. On their turn, P2 cast Sneering Shadewriter and then hit P3 with their disguised creature. They guessed White, Knife, and Ballroom, and P3 showed them one of the first two cards. P3 played Yuyan Archers and then hit me. They guessed Mustard, Rope, and the Lounge. I passed.
Both of my opponents had now made guesses that seemed to ignore Plum and Wrench. I couldn't zero in on those already again, though. I attacked both players on turn eight. P2 cast Tweeze on my Kyoshi Warriors, but I cast Quandrix Charm to make them too big. P2 decided not to do the trade and took the hit, so I got in on both of them. I guessed Peacock, Pipe, and Study, trying to narrow down the rooms that I didn't have. I was disappointed (probably visibly so) when P2 showed me Senator Peacock. I cast the Joined Researchers' Secret Rendezvous and Sokka, Lateral Strategist. P2 still had enough cards that the researchers were immediately reprepared. P2 just collected evidence 6 on their turn to guess Mustard, Candlestick, and Secret Passage. P3 showed them a card. P3 hit me with that dang Phoenix and guessed Mustard, Wrench, and Secret Passage, which I passed to. Then they dropped Skyskipper Duo.
It was down to two rooms: Study and Secret Passage. On turn nine I figured it was time to go all in on Secret Passage, especially since both of my opponents had guessed it last turn. I attacked both of my opponents, including with Sokka so I could draw. P2 flipped their creature into Riftburst Hellion and blocked. P3 also blocked. I don't know why I thought I would be able to get through, but I really did. Thankfully both of my creatures were blocked. If one of them had gotten through, I would have been stuck with that for my guess this turn. Instead, I collected evidence 6 and made the guess: Plum, Wrench, and Secret Passage. Pass and pass! I accused the same thing, checked the envelope, and won.
There are some things to unpack:
- I obviously got amazingly lucky! All my cards were in one group and I randomly guessed the other two on my third try. I very nearly messed up that advantage, but I managed to come back around and figure it out.
- We ended the game with everyone at around 15 life. I think that 30 life is a bit too much for drafting with three people.
- It was really weird to not play any flyers. I didn't like being completely open to flying attacks.
- I cast Secret Rendezvous on my last turn because I really wanted to draw into one of my cool combolicious cards. The neatest part of my deck that came into play was the Joined Researchers. (Which was admittedly still pretty cool!)
The only thing I have left to say is that I love Clue limited, especially wacky drafting. It is a fantastic format that I hope everyone gets to experience. Happy Magicking!
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