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Drafting With Olivier – ME3 #1

Draft with Olivier Ruel... at StarCityGames.com!
Friday, September 18th – 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!

I don’t know much about the format as it’s only my second draft in ME3. I don’t know much about the archetypes yet not even about the cards so feel free to give me some advice in the feedback!

  Pack 1 pick 1:



Ambush
” “ME3”);’>













  My Pick:

One of the very top rares in the format.

  Pack 1 pick 2:










Ambush
” “ME3”);’>





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  Pack 1 pick 3:















  My Pick:

Vaevictis is kind of tempting as I think three-color builds are okay in this format and an 8 mana 7/7 flyer is quite good. However gathering 2GGBBRRR is more complex than finding 8 lands it will often be like having 9 or 10. Immolation seems like a much safer pick to me.
/p>

  Pack 1 pick 4:














  My Pick:

5 mana 3/3 “flyer” must be good!

  Pack 1 pick 5:













  My Pick:

I want to get some artifact guys to work with The Abyss.

  Pack 1 pick 6:












  My Pick:

From what I’ve seen the format seems quite slow and big guys have a true impact on the game.

  Pack 1 pick 7:











  My Pick:

Quite a good sideboard card!

  Pack 1 pick 8:










  My Pick:

Almost counter-drafted the Priestess but I’d rather go for a playable.

  Pack 1 pick 9:









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  Pack 2 pick 1:








Ambush
” “ME3”);’>








  My Pick:

I don’t know how good Banshee is exactly. It may be a little better than the Ambush but the Volcanic Hammer seems more reliable.

  Pack 2 pick 2:
















  My Pick:

The Ancestor is interesting too but as I only got one Minotaur in the first pack the Stike force looks better to me.

  Pack 2 pick 3:















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  My Pick:

Quite an amazing card if I can manage to splash.

  Pack 2 pick 5:













  My Pick:

As I’m mostly Black a 8-5-5 or 8-6-4 manabase + Fellwar and Astrolabe seem quite possible. In this case Ramirez wuld be pretty good as it stops most of the guys who don’t have Horsemanship in the format.

  Pack 2 pick 6:












  My Pick:

Not exacty a Pacifism but my goal is to buy time until I draw The Abyss which should be a game breaker all the time.

  Pack 2 pick 7:











  My Pick:

This should help supporting Umezawa splash.

  Pack 2 pick 8:










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  Pack 3 pick 1:

















  My Pick:

Chain Lightning is safer maybe better but much less cool: I’ve got to give Gwen a try!

  Pack 3 pick 2:
















  My Pick:

I almost counter-drafted Zhang Fei here but the Ants may be a very good card in particular in a deck I’m building to be as controlling as possible.

  Pack 3 pick 3:















  My Pick:

Another combo with Abyss.

  Pack 3 pick 4:














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  My Pick:

I almost took the Plan but my brother Antoine who was watching the draft insisted I take the Storm. As it goes on to win me my first two rounds I can only say thanks Antoine!

  Pack 3 pick 6:












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  My Pick:

I’m probably not playing two so I guess I should have hate drafted Ivory Guardians.

  Pack 3 pick 9:









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  My Pick:

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9 Swamp
6 Mountain
2 Island
1 Hammerheim

1 Wei Infantry
1 Wei Strike Force
1 Tetsuo Umezawa
1 Gwendlyn Di Corci
1 Carrion Ants
1 Banshee
2 Coal Golem
1 Boris Devilboon
1 Wei Elite Companions
1 Ramirez De Pietro
1 Barktooth Warbeard

1 Immolation
2 Fire Ambush
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Spirit Shackle
1 Sol Grail
2 Demonic Torment
1 Astrolabe
1 The Abyss
1 Cinder Storm

Sideboard
1 Crimson Kobolds
1 Ramirez DePietro
1 Spirit Shackle
1 Plains
2 Elves of Deep Shadow
1 Swamp
1 Bone Flute
1 Sol Grail
1 Wall of Light
1 Kobolds of Kher Keep
1 Vaevictis Asmadi
1 Kobold Taskmaster
1 Active Volcano
1 Willow Priestess
1 Tobias Andrion
1 Jedit Ojanen
1 Anaba Ancestor
1 Ghosts of the Damned
1 Riven Turnbull
1 Island
1 Rohgahh of Kher Keep

In the first round I’m facing a WG ramp deck which searches for lands more than he plays guys giving me little trouble. In the second I resolve Abyss but he draws 4 guys in a row for the win. In the third I have a fast draw and when he plays a big guy to stop my team I topdeck Cinder Storm while he’s on… 7.

The second match is quite interesting too. After trading the first two games with my GB opponent (including a turn 4 The Abyss turn 5 Golem turn 6 Golem draw) we start what will be a very special game.

I’m on the draw which is what I choose with my slow control deck anyway and can’t find more than one land in my first two hands. The 5 card hand has 2 lands but the spells aren’t very good and I decide to gamble and go to 4 hoping to draw The Abyss as it can win on its own. I open a three lander… and draw my enchantment on turn 2. The game lasts forever until he plays Desert Twister on my enchantment the turn after I drew my first Golem. We then start trading blows. I did hit first but his guys are more efficient as he has Lu Meng and Sun Ce (bouncing Umezawa). I eventually barely win the race as I play Fire Ambush to put him down to 6 go down to 3 on his next attack and eventually play Cinder Storm for the… Force Spike? I pay with my Sol Grail! So where was I? Oh yeah for the win!

The third round is more difficult as I win one game with Abyss but lose the other two to a very aggro RB deck that doesn’t play any bad cards but that wins just before I can take control of the game.

Until Monday…

Oli