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Drafting With Olivier – Zendikar / Zendikar / Worldwake #4

The StarCityGames.com Open Series returns to Atlanta!
Thursday, April 15th – Hall of Famer Olivier Ruel takes us through an 8-4 draft queue on Magic Online. He shares some comprehensive thoughts about both the picks and the games, and talks us through each step of the way! If you’re looking to improve your Limited game, this is the article series for you!

ZZW 2

  Pack 1 pick 1:

















  My Pick:

The best card in this pack also happens to work pretty well with the always wheeling Khalni Heart Expedition.

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  My Pick:

I don’t like having to pick a White card right after a Green one as GW is not exactly an archetype I’d recommend but Journey to Nowhere is far better than any other card here for me to want another pick.

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  My Pick:

It may be very unlikely I run the Giant but there is not really much else to pick here.

  Pack 1 pick 6:












  My Pick:

I think of the deck as Mono Green or Green with a White splash at the moment so the Aeronaut is not an option. Then Timermaw Larva and Primal Bellow are just better cards than Territorial Baloth if I can make the deck 15 or more Forests which is my plan. Then both cards are about as good but I already have two expensive guys and Primal Bellow becomes a bit better with Worldwake because of Graypelt Hunter.

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Green could hardly more open; more Green is probably the way to go.

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  My Pick:

I’ve already two Timbermaw Larva and a Primal Bellow in my deck so I’d really like to keep on Mono Green and Grazing Gladehart would be a great help. But Emeria Angel is one of the very best cards in the format and a card I would pretty much instantly die to. Also having a Journey to Nowhere makes the card even more tempting. I’ll pick it and try and get a Harrow so I can just splash it.

  Pack 2 pick 3:















  My Pick:

Having two of these should make Emeria Angel splashable anyway.

  Pack 2 pick 4:














  My Pick:

I was not quite sure about that one as Kor Hookmaster is clearly better than Oran-Rief Recluse but the Spider is still good. If I plan on doing a 16-2 or 15-3 manabase or something close the Recluse is the best choice. Now if I want to go with something more like a 12-6 mana mix in which the Green cards would be worse but I could make a better use of my best card the Hookmaster is the best.

Even though both are options I regret picking the White guy as only the spider would be good in my deck no matter what.

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  Pack 2 pick 8:



Blessing
” “ZEN”);’>






  My Pick:

I’m unlikely to play it but I just don’t like the Farguide. It’s just too slow even against a Green deck.

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  My Pick:

I didn’t manage to get any Harrows but with two Expeditions I should be able to splash Journey to Nowhere and Emeria Angel. Therefore I should probably stick to a 16 Forest 2 Plains deck.

  Pack 3 pick 1:

















  My Pick:

Probably the best common for my deck.

  Pack 3 pick 2:
















  My Pick:

I can’t say how good Explore is. I’ve heard many good things about it but I was a bit disappointed when I ran it. It should still be good here but Groundswell seem a bit better in a deck which pretty much has only guys.

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  My Pick:

Pretty good with the pump spells.

  Pack 3 pick 5:













  My Pick:

Excellent with two Timbermaw Larva.

  Pack 3 pick 6:












  My Pick:

One Kitesail seems to be enough. I don’t want too many cards which regularly happen to be useless.

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I don’t think the Zendikon or Feral Contest would make it into the deck. On the other hand Permafrost Trap would almost instantly kill me.

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  My Pick:

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1 Grappler Spider
1 Mold Shambler
1 Journey to Nowhere
1 Turntimber Basilisk
2 Khalni Heart Expedition
2 Groundswell
1 Kor Hookmaster
2 Timbermaw Larva
1 Emeria Angel
1 Oracle of Mul Daya
2 Arbor Elf
3 Nissa’s Chosen
1 Graypelt Hunter
1 Terra Stomper
1 Primal Bellow
1 Kitesail
1 Explore

14 Forest
4 Plains

Sideboard
1 Walking Atlas
1 Zendikar Farguide
1 Mold Shambler
1 Needlebite Trap
1 Forest
1 Summoner’s Bane
1 Swamp
1 Brave the Elements
1 Spidersilk Net
1 Plains
1 Permafrost Trap
1 Mysteries of the Deep
1 Shieldmate’s Blessing
4 Forest
1 Scythe Tiger
1 Piranha Marsh
1 Nature’s Claim
1 Spell Contortion
1 Aether Tradewinds
1 Narrow Escape
1 Ondu Cleric
1 Shatterskull Giant
1 Caravan Hurda

In the end I went with a 14/4 manabase as I want to be able to cast my White spells without the help of a fixer and as 14 Green lands should be enough to cast Chosen on turn 2 and to make Timbermaw Larva a winning card.

Quarterfinals vs WB

We both draw mostly lands and he opens with five removal spells (including a pair of Nemesis Traps). However as he is not drawing guys he is forced to play removal on every single one of my guys. When he runs out of fuel I have Timbermaw Larva to win.

In game two he doesn’t do much again and my turn 2 Nissa’s Chosen is still there 5 turns later to participate in the final blow.

Semifinals vs RG

Game 1 is pretty long and I don’t rush the beating as I’m convinced my big guys and my bombs will end up giving me the game when they show up. That’s until he casts Terastodon and destroys me in three turns.

In game 2 I have 13 lands on turn 10 and I am still doing okay as he’s drawing pretty poorly until Terastodon touches the ground and destroys me once again. Even though the card is pretty expensive I’ll be picking it a little higher from now on.

Until next time…

Oli