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Drafting With Rich – TTP #4

That’s right folks… he’s back! After a brief hiatus in which our favorite grumpy Canadian travelled the world slinging spells in exotic locations, Rich returns to take us through a draft each day – from pick one to pick forty-five – before giving us a quick rundown of his thoughts and games played. For more detailed analysis, come visit the forums!


Draft:

Pack 1:










Search for Tomorrow, Icatian Crier, Dark Withering, Crookclaw Transmuter, Flickering Spirit, Call to the Netherworld, Drifter il-Dal, Havenwood Wurm, Basal Sliver, Phantom Wurm, Outrider en-Kor, Aspect of Mongoose, Wurmcalling, Claws of Gix, Scryb Ranger

Pick: Dark Withering

Pack 2:










Strength in Numbers, Zealot il-Vec, Urborg Syphon-Mage, Snapback, Aether Web, Sage of Epityr, Ghitu Firebreathing, Momentary Blink, Greenseeker, Telekinetic Sliver, Thick-Skinned Goblin, Paradise Plume, Academy Ruins, Verdeloth the Ancient

Pick: Urborg Syphon-Mage

Pack 3:










Tendrils of Corruption, Mogg War Marshal, Temporal Isolation, Think Twice, Sprout, Foriysian Interceptor, Aetherflame Wall, Detainment Spell, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Celestial Crusader, Yavimaya Dryad, Scion of the Ur-Dragon, Enduring Renewal

Pick: Tendrils of Corruption

Pack 4:







Cloudchaser Kestrel, Drudge Reavers, Goblin Skycutter, Cancel, Pit Keeper, Divine Congregation, Jhoira’s Timebug, Chameleon Blur, Subterranean Shambler, Assembly-Worker, Demonic Collusion, Merfolk Assassin

Pick: Pit Keeper

Pack 5:







Cancel, Pentarch Ward, Assassinate, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Bewilder, Call to the Netherworld, Cyclopean Giant, Faceless Devourer, Volcanic Awakening, Fungus Sliver, Resurrection

Pick: Assassinate

Pack 6:







Empty the Warrens, Errant Doomsayers, Corpulent Corpse, Viscerid Deepwalker, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Jhoira’s Timebug, Jedit’s Dragoons, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Nether Traitor

Pick: Corpulent Corpse

Pack 7:







Zealot il-Vec, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Brass Gnat, Screeching Sliver, Ancient Grudge, Calciform Pools, Opaline Sliver, Assembly-Worker, Nether Traitor

Pick: Nether Traitor

Pack 8:




Pentarch Ward, Cyclopean Giant, Screeching Sliver, Psychotic Episode, Jedit’s Dragoons, Fallen Ideal, Norin the Wary, War Barge

Pick: Jedit’s Dragoons

Pack 9:




Icatian Crier, Flickering Spirit, Call to the Netherworld, Drifter il-Dal, Basal Sliver, Aspect of Mongoose, Claws of Gix

Pick: Flickering Spirit

Pack 10:




Zealot il-Vec, Sage of Epityr, Ghitu Firebreathing, Telekinetic Sliver, Paradise Plume, Academy Ruins

Pick: Zealot il-Vec

Pack 11:




Sprout, Foriysian Interceptor, Aetherflame Wall, Detainment Spell, Scion of the Ur-Dragon

Pick: Scion of the Ur-Dragon

Pack 12:

Divine Congregation, Jhoira’s Timebug, Chameleon Blur, Merfolk Assassin

Pick: Merfolk Assassin

Pack 13:

Pentarch Ward, Call to the Netherworld, Volcanic Awakening

Pick: Pentarch Ward

Pack 14:

Jhoira’s Timebug, Ancient Grudge

Pick: Jhoira’s Timebug

Pack 15:

Brass Gnat

Pick: Brass Gnat

Pack 16:










Keldon Halberdier, Ivory Giant, Grapeshot, Slipstream Serpent, Nantuko Shaman, Ophidian Eye, Molder, Children of Korlis, Viscid Lemures, Spirit Loop, Truth or Tale, Undying Rage, Stonewood Invocation, Krosan Cloudscraper, Mountain

Pick: Stonewood Invocation

Pack 17:










Gemhide Sliver, Mindstab, Gaze of Justice, Durkwood Baloth, Shadow Sliver, Ophidian Eye, Watcher Sliver, Thrill of the Hunt, Plunder, Plated Pegasus, Haunting Hymn, Might Sliver, Thelonite Hermit, Undertaker

Pick: Thelonite Hermit

Pack 18:










Mana Skimmer, Coral Trickster, Feebleness, Looter il-Kor, Skulking Knight, Sidewinder Sliver, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Viashino Bladescout, Krosan Grip, Brine Elemental, Ghostflame Sliver, Ixidron, Dauthi Slayer

Pick: Dauthi Slayer

Pack 19:







Gorgon Recluse, Scarwood Treefolk, Ground Rift, Dream Stalker, Wormwood Dryad, Venser’s Sliver, Clockspinning, Fungal Reaches, Conflagrate, Calciform Pools, Sudden Spoiling, Browbeat

Pick: Sudden Spoiling

Pack 20:







Keldon Halberdier, Mana Skimmer, Chromatic Star, Bogardan Rager, Sangrophage, D’Avenant Healer, Wormwood Dryad, Dread Return, Fool’s Demise, Saffi Eriksdotter, Faceless Butcher

Pick: Faceless Butcher

Pack 21:







Coral Trickster, Feebleness, Looter il-Kor, Eternity Snare, Skulking Knight, Sidewinder Sliver, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Viashino Bladescout, Dementia Sliver, Dread Return

Pick: Feebleness

Pack 22:







Gorgon Recluse, Mystical Teachings, Two-Headed Sliver, Clockspinning, Sidewinder Sliver, Pendelhaven Elder, Quilled Sliver, Nightshade Assassin, Soul Collector

Pick: Nightshade Assassin

Pack 23:




Deathspore Thallid, Viscid Lemures, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Two-Headed Sliver, Blazing Blade Askari, Ignite Memories, Paradox Haze, Merieke Ri Berit

Pick: Deathspore Thallid

Pack 24:




Ophidian Eye, Molder, Children of Korlis, Viscid Lemures, Spirit Loop, Truth or Tale, Mountain

Pick: Viscid Lemures

Pack 25:




Gaze of Justice, Shadow Sliver, Ophidian Eye, Plunder, Plated Pegasus, Haunting Hymn

Pick: Haunting Hymn

Pack 26:




Skulking Knight, Sidewinder Sliver, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Viashino Bladescout, Krosan Grip

Pick: Skulking Knight

Pack 27:

Ground Rift, Wormwood Dryad, Venser’s Sliver, Clockspinning

Pick: Wormwood Dryad

Pack 28:

Sangrophage, Dread Return, Fool’s Demise

Pick: Dread Return

Pack 29:

Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Dementia Sliver

Pick: Mwonvuli Acid-Moss

Pack 30:

Clockspinning

Pick: Clockspinning

Pack 31:










Spitting Sliver, Mire Boa, Battering Sliver, Aven Riftwatcher, Erratic Mutation, Citanul Woodreaders, Pallid Mycoderm, Keldon Marauders, Simian Spirit Guide, Fa’adiyah Seer, Primal Plasma, Timecrafting, Hunting Wilds, Pyrohemia, Life and Limb

Pick: Mire Boa

Pack 32:










Stingscourger, Synchronous Sliver, Utopia Vow, Ghost Tactician, Wistful Thinking, Dash Hopes, Reality Acid, Healing Leaves, Mana Tithe, Melancholy, Necrotic Sliver, Big Game Hunter, Malach of the Dawn, Erratic Mutation

Pick: Big Game Hunter

Pack 33:










Cradle to Grave, Reflex Sliver, Poultice Sliver, Dust Corona, Uktabi Drake, Blightspeaker, Aquamorph Entity, Revered Dead, Melancholy, Vampiric Link, Timebender, Dormant Sliver, Radha, Heir to Keld

Pick: Blightspeaker

Pack 34:







Ridged Kusite, Battering Sliver, Reflex Sliver, Pallid Mycoderm, Brain Gorgers, Essence Warden, Simian Spirit Guide, Sunlance, Stormfront Riders, Tidewalker, Kor Dirge, Detritivore

Pick: Kor Dirge

Pack 35:







Needlepeak Spider, Aven Riftwatcher, Cradle to Grave, Shade of Trokair, Uktabi Drake, Ghost Tactician, Skirk Shaman, Fa’adiyah Seer, Pouncing Wurm, Rebuff the Wicked, Temporal Extortion

Pick: Pouncing Wurm

Pack 36:







Whitemane Lion, Midnight Charm, Saltfield Recluse, Synchronous Sliver, Dust Corona, Vitaspore Thallid, Dash Hopes, Melancholy, Gossamer Phantasm, Treacherous Urge

Pick: Treacherous Urge

Pack 37:







Ridged Kusite, Dawn Charm, Brain Gorgers, Keldon Marauders, Seal of Primordium, Bog Serpent, Rathi Trapper, Rebuff the Wicked, Roiling Horror

Pick: Rathi Trapper

Pack 38:




Reflex Sliver, Spitting Sliver, Firefright Mage, Keldon Marauders, Dash Hopes, Bog Serpent, Merfolk Thaumaturgist, Mesa Enchantress

Pick: Bog Serpent

Pack 39:




Spitting Sliver, Battering Sliver, Aven Riftwatcher, Keldon Marauders, Simian Spirit Guide, Fa’adiyah Seer, Timecrafting

Pick: Aven Riftwatcher

Pack 40:




Ghost Tactician, Wistful Thinking, Dash Hopes, Reality Acid, Mana Tithe, Melancholy

Pick: Melancholy

Pack 41:




Reflex Sliver, Dust Corona, Revered Dead, Melancholy, Vampiric Link

Pick: Melancholy

Pack 42:

Ridged Kusite, Reflex Sliver, Pallid Mycoderm, Brain Gorgers

Pick: Ridged Kusite

Pack 43:

Aven Riftwatcher, Ghost Tactician, Fa’adiyah Seer

Pick: Aven Riftwatcher

Pack 44:

Vitaspore Thallid, Dash Hopes

Pick: Dash Hopes

Pack 45:

Ridged Kusite

Pick: Ridged Kusite

Final Decklist:

Maindeck:

1 Dauthi Slayer
1 Faceless Butcher
1 Assassinate
1 Big Game Hunter
1 Blightspeaker
1 Corpulent Corpse
1 Dark Withering
1 Deathspore Thallid
1 Feebleness
1 Haunting Hymn
1 Kor Dirge
1 Melancholy
1 Nightshade Assassin
1 Pit Keeper
1 Rathi Trapper
1 Sudden Spoiling
1 Tendrils of Corruption
1 Treacherous Urge
1 Urborg Syphon-Mage
1 Mire Boa
1 Pouncing Wurm
1 Stonewood Invocation
1 Thelonite Hermit
6 Forest
11 Swamp

Sideboard:

2 Aven Riftwatcher
1 Bog Serpent
1 Brass Gnat
1 Clockspinning
1 Dash Hopes
1 Dread Return
1 Flickering Spirit
1 Jedit’s Dragoons
1 Jhoira’s Timebug
1 Melancholy
1 Merfolk Assassin
1 Mwonvuli Acid-Moss
1 Nether Traitor
1 Pentarch Ward
2 Ridged Kusite
1 Scion of the Ur-Dragon
1 Skulking Knight
1 Viscid Lemures
1 Wormwood Dryad
1 Zealot il-Vec


I didn’t want to take a Green card first since what were arguably the best four cards in the pack were all Green, meaning the people behind me would almost certainly also be drafting Green if I did. I took Dark Withering because I thought Black was underdrafted in the last few drafts I did. Boy was I right on that one. I got rewarded with some very powerful late picks, but never really got a second color. I raredrafted a Stonewood Invocation because there was nothing in the pack, and then took the Thelonite Hermit because there was again nothing for me. This kind of put me into Green, although I still only ended up with two more Green cards in my deck.


I won a close round 1 against a good Blue/White deck. In the first game I missed with a Treacherous Urge, and he played a Voidstone Gargoyle that I was completely incapable of dealing with thanks to a rather poor draw on my part. The gargoyle did 15 damage to me which was enough to end the game. Game 2 the card advantage provided by Blightspeaker proved insurmountable. First I got a Rathi Trapper to stop his Celestial crusader, then Big Game Hunter to kill his Voidstone Gargoyle. Game 3 he got a bit flooded, and the Skulking Knight I boarded in (because I didn’t think he had any good answers) went to town. I played it on turn 3, and it survived the entire game, attacking every turn.


Unfortunately my opponent didn’t show up for round 2, and I split the finals because I had to tcob.


Until tomorrow,


Rich

Draft recording done by Blargware‘s MTGO DraftCap. Support Blargware!