Draft, Sealed, and Noodles

I have a poodle. Her name is Poppy. Poppy enjoys licking her own feces.

You may ask yourself what this has to do with Magic? In fact, it has nothing to do with Magic other than it is an insight into the life of this writer, and I am very troubled by her behavior.

As long as we are on the topic of feces, I’d like to take this opportunity to talk about Magic the Gathering Online. A brilliant invention conceived by the minds of Wizards of the Coast. As addicting as a freshly opened bag of potato chips, Magic Online – commonly referred to as MTGO or MODO – will take you on a tornado of emotions.

It starts with Amazement. It’s amazing that the paper game we all love can be inter-twined with our computer screens.

Then comes Frustration. We pour our wallets and earnings into this computer screen to attain our greatness that was achieved in real life Magic. We are left with "digital product," which amounts to nothing more than the abovementioned feces Poppy loves to lick.

After that comes Enjoyment. We are pleased with the success that we are having at this. We have the hang of the computer game, and now know all the little pointless tricks like Ctrl+Q then pressing any given computer key (my favorite is F).

Immediately after comes Rage. He was in topdeck position and drew his only out, which happened to be a Hunted Dragon when you were at six life.

Denial follows soon after, with the hit of reality that none of us are really good at this game. Exceptions would be AnanGo666, Biggest oots, rhoaen, JLNicholson, and Billy Moreno*.

After this comes Enjoyment again. You topdecked the Hunted Dragon and won a game you had no hope of winning. In fact, you forgot that you were even playing Hunted Dragon, which adds to the extreme excitement watching your opponent’s avatar grimace in pain as it widdles down to zero.

Then comes Rage again, and the wheels keeps turning and turning forever until the end of time…

This is what MTGO is for me. Except I never have the Enjoyment phase. I’m stuck in Rage and Denial, and I can’t Alt+F4 it.

The one redeeming feature about MTGO is the Clan aspect. I’m in a good clan – Savage Beatdown – with a lot of good players who I feel are infinitely better than me. It’s not their 1900 ratings that impose on me, but the fact that the gap between our ratings grows and grows. I’m currently sitting at a gloomy 1738, and my confidence is lower than the Titanic. (A Titanic joke? I mean, really… I’m pretty low.)

As we make the transition to Part 2, the Draft Walkthrough, I’d like to say that Magic Online is probably the greatest invention ever made. I don’t mean to put down MTGO: in fact, it’s these emotion swings that provide a little something extra to the game.

I’ve been doing draft walkthroughs long before Blargware was invented, back when I had to keep Notepad open and jot down every card in the pack before selecting… quite tedious, believe me.

I’d like to start out by saying that I usually always go some form of Blue-based deck. This includes UGR, UWR, UBW, and UGWr. Those are my four favorite archetypes, the ones with which I’ve had the most experience and success. That said, this draft was a rarity for me, almost like a diamond in the rough. Everybody nowadays seems to do draft walkthroughs that are Blue-based; that’s no fun, and I’d say quite counter-productive, as everyone has caught onto that Blue is insane. It is heavily over-drafted. So here’s an example of a non-Blue based draft.

Pack 1:
Convolute; Dimir Aqueduct; Goblin Spelunkers; Forest; Fists of Ironwood; Centaur Safeguard; Sewerdreg; Smash; Rally the Righteous; Last Gasp; Viashino Fangtail; Wojek Apothecary; Golgari Germination; Vigor Mortis; Woodwraith Corrupter.

Pick: Last Gasp

This pick is pretty straightforward. The only other card in the pack near Last Gasp’s level is Fangtail, and committing to a double-colored spell first pick rather than taking a very strong splashable removal spell isn’t good. The Corrupter is a strong card… however, its awkward mana cost is what sets it behind the Last Gasp and Fangtail.

Pack 2:
Farseek; Woodwraith Strangler; Induce Paranoia; Tidewater Minion; Sadistic Augermage; Dromad Purebred; Grayscaled Gharial; Necromantic Thirst; Transluminant; Selesnya Signet; Snapping Drake; Leashling; Carven Caryatid; Concerted Effort.

Pick: Snapping Drake

Another easy pick. This pack is on the weak side. It has a few strong playables, but nothing as good as Snapps.

Pack 3:
Terraformer; Consult the Necrosages; Barbarian Riftcutter; Vedalken Entrancer; Thundersong Trumpeter; Boros Recruit; Smash; Golgari Brownscale; Elves of Deep Shadow; Conclave Equenaut; Grifter’s Blade; Ivy Dancer; Loxodon Gatekeeper.

Pick: Loxodon Gatekeeper

I’m a big fan of Gatekeeper. It becomes very hard to lose if you’re on the play and you play him turn 4 and it sticks. It’s even harder if you play him turn 3 via a signet. He sets your opponents back two turns: one for the land drop, and then another when the creature comes into play tapped. A clear bomb.

Pack 4:
Coalhauler Swine; Civic Wayfinder; Wojek Siren; Muddle the Mixture; Stinkweed Imp; Golgari Brownscale; Gate Hound; Lurking Informant; Selesnya Evangel; Stoneshaker Shaman; Root-Kin Ally; Recollect.

Pick: Stinkweed Imp

There are a lot of paths I can choose from at this point. I can go UWB, BWGu, UGWB. Rather than having four different colored spells I opted for Stinkweed Imp and avoided the four-color decks that would follow if I chose a Green card. However, Wayfinder is by far the best card in the pack. It could be a very strong signal to move into Green. I like Stinks for this pick, though I’m probably wrong.

Pack 5:
Greater Mossdog; Torpid Moloch; Guardian of Vitu-Ghazi; Scatter the Seeds; War-Torch Goblin; Boros Fury-Shield; Perplex; Dryad’s Caress; Caregiver; Fiery Conclusion; Golgari Thug.

Pick: Fiery Conclusion

The Blue has dried up completely, as expected at an 8-4 table. There are two good Green cards in this pack, along with a better Red card. I took the Fiery Conclusion because I would link to both Guildpact and Dissension with the RWB path, rather than the GWB path if I take a Green card. I also just shipped a fifth pick Civic Wayfinder, which is awful for signals, and I’m pretty stubborn so I take Fiery Conclusion

Pack 6:
Tattered Drake; Mortipede; Surveilling Sprite; Drake Familiar; Thoughtpicker Witch; Goblin Fire Fiend; Siege Wurm; Boros Signet; Flight of Fancy; Drooling Groodion.

Pick: Boros Signet

Keeping in mind with the BWR deck I take the Signet. Another good Green card comes by, along with a Flight of Fancy. I haven’t passed any BW cards this pack, so I should be able to get good Orzhov cards from Guildpact.

Pack 7:
Dogpile; Selesnya Sanctuary; Wojek Siren; Sabertooth Alley Cat; Sundering Vitae; Leave No Trace; Zephyr Spirit; Sell-Sword Brute; Lore Broker.

Pick: Selesnya Sanctuary

This was between the Sell-Sword Brute and Selesnya Sanctuary. Sanctuary will always see play whereas the Brute might end up in the sideboard if I don’t end up in Red.

Pack 8:
Courier Hawk; Stasis Cell; Gather Courage; Conclave’s Blessing; Quickchange; Sewerdreg; Mnemonic Nexus; Carrion Howler.

Pick: Courier Hawk

Yeah, a White card to accompany my bomb!

Pack 9:
Convolute; Forest; Sewerdreg; Smash; Rally the Righteous; Wojek Apothecary; Golgari Germination.

Pick: Rally the Righteous

Pack 10:
Woodwraith Strangler; Sadistic Augermage; Grayscaled Gharial; Necromantic Thirst; Leashling; Concerted Effort.

Pick: Concerted Effort

Pack 11:
Barbarian Riftcutter; Smash; Golgari Brownscale; Grifter’s Blade; Ivy Dancer.

Pick: Grifter’s Blade

Pack 12:
Wojek Siren; Golgari Brownscale; Gate Hound; Stoneshaker Shaman.

Pick: Golgari Brownscale

Pack 13:
Torpid Moloch; Dryad’s Caress; Caregiver.

Pick: Caregiver

Pack 14:
Drake Familiar; Thoughtpicker Witch.

Pick: Thoughtpicker Witch

Pack 15:
Zephyr Spirit.

Pick: Zephyr Spirit

Pack 16:
Cremate; Skarrgan Pit-Skulk; Benediction of Moons; Izzet Chronarch; Tin Street Hooligan; Crystal Seer; Castigate; Orzhov Signet; Torch Drake; Shrieking Grotesque; Necromancer’s Magemark; Vertigo Spawn; Daggerclaw Imp; Ghor-Clan Bloodscale; Ulasht, the Hate Seed.

Pick: Daggerclaw Imp

I could hope for more Gruul/Izzet cards this pack and take the Ulasht, which is insane with all the graft cards next pack, or I could keep my options open and take the less powerful Daggerclaw Imp.

Pack 17:
Douse in Gloom; Izzet Signet; Ghor-Clan Savage; Streetbreaker Wurm; Infiltrator’s Magemark; Cry of Contrition; Tin Street Hooligan; Lionheart Maverick; Leap of Flame; Train of Thought; Frazzle; Goblin Flectomancer; Plagued Rusalka; Leyline of Singularity.

Pick: Douse in Gloom

More good Green cards. I clearly messed up pack 1 by not taking the Wayfinder. Should I try and salvage all the Green goodies and hope for even more powerful Green cards to come? Should I dump my BWr strategy for a more powerful four-color deck? I stayed with the consistent deck and took Douse in Gloom.

Pack 18:
Gruul Turf; Pillory of the Sleepless; Absolver Thrull; Silhana Ledgewalker; Restless Bones; Petrahydrox; Skyrider Trainee; Runeboggle; Mourning Thrull; Schismotivate; ??? ; ??? ; Ink-Treader Nephilim.

Pick: Pillory of the Sleepless

I am rewarded with my last pick by getting a 3rd pick Pillory. There is a Gruul Turf and Starfletcher in the pack, so the green route would still be a good choice. The DraftCap software has skipped a couple of picks here, but they had little impact on my final choice.

Pack 19:
Shrieking Grotesque; Castigate; Necromancer’s Magemark; Gruul Signet; Ghor-Clan Savage; Izzet Chronarch; Skyrider Trainee; Gigadrowse; Wild Cantor; ??? ; ??? ; Rabble-Rouser.

Pick: Shrieking Grotesque

Jeez, another good Green card. Really must be underdrafted at this table. I settle for a Shrieking Grotesque, as it’s too late to turn back. Again, there was a blip in the DraftCap software this pack… still, no harm done.

Pack 20:
Gruul Nodorog; Fencer’s Magemark; Poisonbelly Ogre; Leap of Flame; Benediction of Moons; Withstand; Orzhov Basilica; Blind Hunter; Sinstriker’s Will; Conjurer’s Ban; Glint-Eye Nephilim.

Pick: Blind Hunter

Cool.

Pack 21:
Silhana Ledgewalker; Mourning Thrull; Train of Thought; Restless Bones; Fencer’s Magemark; Wee Dragonauts; Bloodscale Prowler; Ghost Warden; Izzet Signet.

Pick: Mourning Thrull

I like Mourning Thrull more than Ghost Warden. There are a lot of premier White fliers in the next pack. My options are still open to BWr or BWu, and Mourning Thrull starts the flying beats early in both decks.

Pack 22:
Gruul Nodorog; Petrahydrox; Guardian’s Magemark; Gigadrowse; Burning-Tree Bloodscale; Ghost Warden; Orzhov Euthanist; Crash Landing; Wreak Havoc.

Pick: Orzhov Euthanist

He combos nicely with my Thoughtpicker Witch. Nothing really to contest him in this pack.

Pack 23:
Orzhov Basilica; Skarrgan Pit-Skulk; Lionheart Maverick; Burning-Tree Bloodscale; Crystal Seer; Cry of Contrition; Beastmaster’s Magemark; Schismotivate.

Pick: Orzhov Basilica

Pack 24:
Cremate; Skarrgan Pit-Skulk; Benediction of Moons; Crystal Seer; Castigate; Necromancer’s Magemark; Ghor-Clan Bloodscale.

Pick: Castigate

Pack 25:
Infiltrator’s Magemark; Cry of Contrition; Lionheart Maverick; Leap of Flame; Frazzle; Goblin Flectomancer.

Pick: Infiltrator’s Magemark

Keeping my options open just in case I do end up BWU.

Pack 26:
Silhana Ledgewalker; Restless Bones; Petrahydrox; Skyrider Trainee; Runeboggle.

Pick: Petrahydrox

Fits into both BWU and BWR.

Pack 27:
Necromancer’s Magemark; Skyrider Trainee; Cremate; Caustic Rain.

Pick: Cremate

I hardly ever play the Black Magemark, and Cremate is very strong against Eidolons and Chronarchs.

Pack 28:
Poisonbelly Ogre; Benediction of Moons; Conjurer’s Ban.

Pick: Poisonbelly Ogre

Pack 29:
Fencer’s Magemark; Orzhova, the Church of Deals.

Pick: Fencer’s Magemark

Pack 30:
Guardian’s Magemark.

Pick: Guardian’s Magemark

Pack 31:
Enigma Eidolon; Gobhobbler Rats; Valor Made Real; Nettling Curse; Kill-Suit Cultist; Street Savvy; Assault Zeppelid; Carom; Rakdos Signet; Rakdos Ickspitter; Ogre Gatecrasher; Kindle the Carnage; Plaxcaster Frogling; Stoic Ephemera; Voidslime.

Pick: Rakdos Ickspitter

Time to choose a third color, and Ickspitter is a prime candidate to do so. Voidslime is also notable, as I could sell it for five tickets.

Pack 32:
Freewind Equenaut; Azorius Chancery; Psychotic Fury; Seal of Doom; Coiling Oracle; Whiptail Moloch; Thrive; Haazda Exonerator; Overrule; Gobhobbler Rats; Pain Magnification.

Pick: Seal of Doom

I’m pretty much in cruise control from this point out. Its time to take the best card in each pack for me, no more worrying about colors and all that other junk.

Pack 33:
Utopia Sprawl; Freewind Equenaut; Azorius Signet; Seal of Doom; Sandstorm Eidolon; Minister of Impediments; Kill-Suit Cultist; Azorius First-Wing; Simic Initiate; Vision Skeins; Riot Spikes; Brain Pry; Might of the Nephilim.

Pick: Minister of Impediments

Pack 34:
Writ of Passage; Vesper Ghoul; Coiling Oracle; Taste for Mayhem; Aurora Eidolon; Rakdos Carnarium; Simic Ragworm; Entropic Eidolon; Spell Snare; Hellhole Rats; Slithering Shade; Anthem of Rakdos.

Pick: Entropic Eidolon

I am short on good creatures at this point. My manabase should be fine, as I’m only going to splash Red for three or four cards, and I don’t really need the Carnarium.

Pack 35:
Rakdos Ickspitter; Ogre Gatecrasher; Demon’s Jester; Ocular Halo; Aquastrand Spider; Overrule; Utvara Scalper; Soulsworn Jury.

Pick: Rakdos Ickspitter

Yus!

Pack 36:
Steeling Stance, Macabre Waltz, Steeling Stance, Enemy of the Guildpact, Utvara Scalper, Thrive, Shielding Plax, Vesper Ghoul, Ignorant Bliss, Ghost Quarter.

Pick: Macabre Waltz

Pack 37:
Delirium Skeins; Sporeback Troll; Valor Made Real; Enigma Eidolon; Shielding Plax; Whiptail Moloch; Macabre Waltz; Flaring Flame-Kin; Vigean Intuition.

Pick: Flaring Flame-Kin

He probably won’t be played, since Red is a splash color. It makes me regret the Cremate over Necromancer’s Magemark pick, though.

Pack 38:
Writ of Passage; Plumes of Peace; Sporeback Troll; Haazda Exonerator; Delirium Skeins; Slaughterhouse Bouncer; Skyscribing; Bronze Bombshell.

Pick: Slaughterhouse Bouncer

Just filler, and he can be situationally insane.

Pack 39:
Enigma Eidolon; Gobhobbler Rats; Valor Made Real; Nettling Curse; Kill-Suit Cultist; Street Savvy; Carom.

Pick: Carom

Pack 40:
Psychotic Fury; Whiptail Moloch; Haazda Exonerator; Overrule; Pain Magnification; Proper Burial.

Pick: Proper Burial

1/3 of a ticket.

Pack 41:
Sandstorm Eidolon; Kill-Suit Cultist; Simic Initiate; Vision Skeins; Brain Pry.

Pick: Brain Pry

Pack 42:
Writ of Passage; Spell Snare; Slithering Shade; Anthem of Rakdos.

Pick: Spell Snare

I autoclicked the Spell Snare when I saw it. I didn’t even know there was a rare in the pack until now… heh.

Pack 43:
Overrule; Utvara Scalper; Psychic Possession.

Pick: Psychic Possession

Pack 44:
Utvara Scalper; Ignorant Bliss.

Pick: Ignorant Bliss

Pack 45:
Valor Made Real.

Pick: Valor Made Real

Final Decklist

(Draft recording done by MTGO DraftCap, from Blargware.)

I was very happy with the final product. I got hooked up in pack 3 with a lot of good Rakdos cards. The creatures are a bit sketchy, but the removal more than makes up for it. The deciding pick of the draft was pack 4, when I took Stinkweed Imp over Civic Wayfinder. In hindsight, I’m still not sure if this was a mispick. The deck would have ended up with higher quality creatures than it currently has. However, it wouldn’t have any of the removal. It’s up in the air… did it turn out in my favor?

I lost in the first round, naturally. However I did pull off a cool little play in game 1, with Slaughterhouse Bouncer. I attacked, put damage on the stack, then cast Douse in Gloom and Fiery Conclusion, giving me a four-for-three, killing a Soulsworn Jury, Grand Arbiter Augustin IV, Skyrider Trainee, and Azorius Guildmage. Next game it drags out as normal, and Hunted Dragon makes his timely appearance. Game 3 I mulliganed to four, and he plays Hunted Dragon on turn 4.

Whoa… I have a shot to win this game!
Oh, never mind… he also has Savage Twister for two.

Enter the Rage and Denial phase.

…

I find Sealed articles very helpful. They’re free practice, and should be appreciated more. You don’t have to pay for a Sealed deck to be able to build one. On the other hand, they are usually very boring to read and challenging for a writer to make it interesting. Not only is it hard to get a feel for the entire pool of cards, but you can’t even lay them out to see how the curve develops, how to reduce mana problems etc.

That said, here is a Sealed cardpool. Do whatever you want with it. Just don’t skip the bonus section after this. It contains some of the most brilliant writing I’ve read in awhile.

When I first open a new Sealed deck, after sorting, I always look to what lands and Signets I have. I lay those out in front of me, keeping them in mind as I view my other colors. I don’t know how many other people do this, but I find it helpful. The Signets and lands you have can (and should) direct you to what colors you will be.

This Sealed deck is much different from your average one. As you probably noticed, all of the good cards are primarily in Blue and Green. It is quite easy to build a two-color deck with what is here. However, my final build used the Gruul Signet and two Karoo lands to splash both Red and Black for some more power cards. It was a fairly easy Sealed to build, surprisingly. Nearly every cardpool I’ve ever tackled has taken me twenty minutes of sorting and stacking up the different alterations of the deck. This one is powerful and simple.

The manabase is very strong. That, along with Moldervine Cloak, is what I like the most about this deck. I also really like the very small third- and fourth-color splash. In my experience, most splashes happen because the deck needs more power, and thus the manabase becomes clunky and hard to manage. In this deck, however, the splash is not there for power, but merely because it is an easy option.

The last cards that I cut from this deck were Strands of Undeath, Thrive, and Consult the Necrosages. You could make it a point to put any of those in as replacement for some of the weaker cards, like Fists of Ironwood, Coiling Oracle, or Tidewater Minion. The deck definitely has options, but I think it’s a matter of preference as to the cards you play. For instance, if you are one of the better players at a PTQ, I would opt for consistency over power. However, at the same time, if you are at a Grand Prix and have three byes, it might be worth it to play the more powerful spells to have a better chance against the players who got three natural wins.

Bonus Section

Power versus Consistency

I don’t really know what qualifies this to be a “bonus section,” but I like the title so we’ll go with that.

This is a topic that has plagued Magic players since the beginning of time. Which is better: power or consistency?

A very good Texas player, Haibing Hu, wrote this…

I think the answer to your question boils down to your view of the competition. If you think you are better than the average player in the given tournament, then you should value consistency. You want games to be decided on your play skill rather than that random mana screw or color screw. Kai consistently played 18 lands in Limited Pro Tours when 17 was the norm. I imagine this is because he made close to zero mistakes per match and his opponents made anywhere between one to five mistakes. That extra land improved the consistency of his decks, decreased the luck factor, and allowed his play skills to shine. This is the same reason a lot of good players prefer control rather than beatdown. They get more chances to make good plays. Games usually last longer with control, so your good plays and your opponent’s mistakes determines the outcome rather than simple luck.

Back to subject of power versus consistency. If your draft pod had Kai, Finkel, and company in it, I would try to draft the best card every pack and hope my mana works out for a few rounds. If you look around the room and know that most people are better than you, you have to hope to get lucky by playing with all your powerful spells.

Your goal for the tournament matters too. Most people aim for the Top 8 at PTQs. In an average seven-round PTQ, a 5-1-1 record will make the Top 8. You do not need a perfect record. Go 7-0 or 5-1-1, and you are in the Top 8. Your 7-0 record is thrown out as soon as the Top 8 drafts starts.

Consistency should be your goal in PTQs, assuming you are in the above-average talent range. However, as soon as the draft starts, your goal should change to winning the draft, earning an invite. If the Top 8 draft includes players just as good, or even better, than you, it is probably time to switch strategies. Draft that powerful deck with the shaky manabase.

The choice between power versus consistency can also change and even intertwine during the middle of a round. Let’s say it’s game 3 in round 7. Winner makes Top 8. You just lost game 2 and your opponent is a solid player with deck better than yours. This might be the perfect time to switch to a more powerful version of you deck. To balance out the loss of consistency, choose to draw first. This is the game you need to get lucky or your opponent needs to get screwed.

I guess my point is that your goal constantly changes. There are times when consistency is the right choice, and there are times power is the way to go. There are even times, like in the last example, where you need a combination of the two. Magic is a constantly evolving game, and the best players need to adapt with the game and make decisions based on what is best at the moment.

I thought the readers might want to see that quote in preparation for the current PTQ season. It’s simply brilliant. Writings like these are what inspire me as a Magic player. It makes me think more about what exactly I’m doing at any given time, in both Constructed and Limited events. Often, playing Magic becomes quite routine and mechanic. Thinking about situations like this is what pulls average players to good players, and should always be on your mind when approaching a match.

The microwave timer went off with a resounding buzz. It was finished cooking. I put my kitty-embroidered mittens on and lifted the boiling pot of noodles off the stove. Then, walked to the sink and grabbed my trusty old ladle, draining nearly all of the hot liquid. As the steam rose and filled my nostrils with warm air, my taste buds tingled with anticipation. I tore open the beef flavored seasoning packets and applied it across the mound of noodles. I gently stirred in the beef flavored goodness and grabbed a cold bottle of Dasani’s finest. I went to the living room, to my father’s mammoth brown leather chair, and reclined back. For my viewing pleasure, I turned to Adult Swim. I was in luck: Robot Chicken was on. Various skits of grotesque clay figures being bashed flashed before my eyes as I gulped down the delicious Ramen. A recurring skit of old people having heart attacks reminded me that I had signed up for a draft before I began the preparation of my noodles.

I dashed back to the computer. The monitor was on idle. I shook the mouse vigorously to re-animate the dead black screen. Alas, I was too late. The Dissension booster was coming to a close, as I looked upon the various comments about Fro_Sanchez not being here and how upset the players are about the molasses slow pace the draft was going. I clicked the view button and looked upon an insipid collection of unplayables. The highlights? A trio of Gruul Nodorogs and a pair of Cytospawn Shamblers. I clicked the resign button after viewing, and returned to my still warm bowl of ramen. But there was a new occupant to the brown leather chair. My dog Poppy had hopped up and was licking the beefy pasta.

Enraged, I took the beast outside and kicked her to the moon. I returned to my tainted bowl of barely eaten pasta, faced with a difficult decision: whether to ignore the fact that Poppy had been licking my lunch, or throw away what was left of the noodles and make another batch. A difficult task that would require at least another six minutes before I would be eating again. I went for door number three, and decided to finish watching Robot Chicken before I made my decision. Generally a bad idea, as it would most likely end in me consuming the tarnished meal.

Then it happened.

The noodles started chanting my name.

"Kyle, you know you want us… Kyle, you know you need us… Indulge… Indulge!"

I picked up the fork, hesitant at first. I stirred the noodles around briefly, before indulging in the beefy goodness….

Thanks for reading.

Kyle

Top 5 Picks

1. "Marching Bands of Manhattan" by Death Cab For Cutie
2. "Cross Bone Style" by Cat Power
3. "Run" by Snow Patrol
4. "Ghost of Corporate Future" by Regina Spektor
5. "Lua" byBright Eyes

*Can I really write without mentioning him? Nice Constructed rating!