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Drafting With Kenji – TPF #3

Richie Hoaen, our resident draft expert for many a month, has decided to hang up his boots… and in his place we’re proud to announce Kenji Tsumura! As before, Kenji will take us through a Time Spiral draft from pick 1 to pick 45, before sharing his draft deck and commenting briefly on the games. Thanks for the great run, Rich, we’ll miss you… and hello Kenji!


Draft:

Pack 1:










Orcish Cannonade, Amrou Scout, Keldon Halberdier, Mana Skimmer, Durkwood Baloth, Fathom Seer, Wormwood Dryad, Two-Headed Sliver, Prismatic Lens, Conflagrate, Paradise Plume, Wipe Away, Kher Keep, Void, Looter il-Kor

Pick: Void

Pack 2:










Nantuko Shaman, Castle Raptors, Gorgon Recluse, Spiketail Drakeling, Scarwood Treefolk, Venser’s Sliver, Clockspinning, Bogardan Rager, Sangrophage, D’Avenant Healer, Truth or Tale, Aspect of Mongoose, Duskrider Peregrine, Spike Feeder

Pick: Duskrider Peregrine

Pack 3:







Coal Stoker, Deathspore Thallid, Tolarian Sentinel, Benalish Cavalry, Orcish Cannonade, Blazing Blade Askari, Shadow Sliver, Ophidian Eye, Watcher Sliver, Quilled Sliver, Fallen Ideal

Pick: Benalish Cavalry

Pack 4:







Chromatic Star, Herd Gnarr, Fortify, Clockspinning, Sidewinder Sliver, Viscid Lemures, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Two-Headed Sliver, Fool’s Demise, Assembly-Worker

Pick: Fortify

Pack 5:







Dark Withering, Viscerid Deepwalker, Ashcoat Bear, Amrou Seekers, Search for Tomorrow, Divine Congregation, Jhoira’s Timebug, Chameleon Blur, Subterranean Shambler, Dread Return, Academy Ruins

Pick: Amrou Seekers

Pack 6:







Think Twice, Errant Doomsayers, Rift Bolt, Aether Web, Foriysian Interceptor, Aetherflame Wall, Detainment Spell, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Ignite Memories, Candles of Leng

Pick: Rift Bolt

Pack 7:







Cancel, Empty the Warrens, Icatian Crier, Cyclopean Giant, Screeching Sliver, Psychotic Episode, Jedit’s Dragoons, Sprout, Pendelhaven Elder

Pick: Empty the Warrens

Pack 8:




Pentarch Ward, Sage of Epityr, Ghitu
Firebreathing, Greenseeker, Pit Keeper, Fungal Reaches, Evangelize, Icatian Javelineers

Pick: Evangelize

Pack 9:




Orcish Cannonade, Mana Skimmer, Wormwood Dryad, Two-Headed Sliver, Paradise Plume, Wipe Away, Kher Keep

Pick: Orcish Cannonade

Pack 10:




Venser’s Sliver, Clockspinning, Sangrophage, D’Avenant Healer, Truth or Tale, Aspect of Mongoose

Pick: D’Avenant Healer

Pack 11:




Blazing Blade Askari, Shadow Sliver, Ophidian Eye, Fallen Ideal, Coalition Victory

Pick: Blazing Blade Askari

Pack 12:

Clockspinning, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Fool’s Demise, Assembly-Worker

Pick: Assembly-Worker

Pack 13:

Divine Congregation, Jhoira’s Timebug, Chameleon Blur

Pick: Divine Congregation

Pack 14:

Foriysian Interceptor, Detainment Spell

Pick: Foriysian Interceptor

Pack 15:

Cyclopean Giant

Pick: Cyclopean Giant

Pack 16:










Reflex Sliver, Whitemane Lion, Midnight Charm, Saltfield Recluse, Dust Corona, Vitaspore Thallid, Dash Hopes, Aquamorph Entity, Sunlance, Prodigal
Pyromancer, Melancholy, Pouncing Wurm, Rebuff the Wicked, Mycologist, Crovax, Ascendant Hero

Pick: Crovax, Ascendant Hero

Pack 17:







Synchronous Sliver, Needlepeak Spider, Dreamscape Artist, Aven Riftwatcher, Shade of Trokair, Uktabi Drake, Ghost Tactician, Primal Plasma, Seal of Primordium, Auramancer’s Guise, Treacherous Urge, Kor Dirge

Pick: Shade of Trokair

Pack 18:










Cradle to Grave, Reflex Sliver, Poultice Sliver, Firefright Mage, Wistful Thinking, Keldon Marauders, Dash Hopes, Healing Leaves, Simian Spirit Guide, Gossamer Phantasm, Sulfur Elemental, Ana Battlemage, Hedge Troll

Pick: Sulfur Elemental

Pack 19:







Spitting Sliver, Veiling Oddity, Synchronous Sliver, Dawn Charm, Vitaspore Thallid, Brain Gorgers, Bog Serpent, Revered Dead, Healing Leaves, Darkheart Sliver, Mesa Enchantress

Pick: Dawn Charm

Pack 20:







Poultice Sliver, Ridged Kusite, Erratic Mutation, Battering Sliver, Evolution Charm, Simian Spirit Guide, Merfolk Thaumaturgist, Healing Leaves, Treacherous Urge

Pick: Poultice Sliver

Pack 21:







Stingscourger, Whitemane Lion, Midnight Charm, Fury Charm, Wistful Thinking, Firefright Mage, Brute Force, Primal Plasma, Venarian Glimmer, Frozen Aether

Pick: Brute Force

Pack 22:







Utopia Vow, Spitting Sliver, Pallid Mycoderm, Uktabi Drake, Deadly Grub, Mana Tithe, Bog Serpent, Phantasmagorian, Deadly Grub

Pick: Pallid Mycoderm

Pack 23:




Cradle to Grave, Dreamscape Artist, Dust Corona, Uktabi Drake, Aquamorph Entity, Mana Tithe, Tidewalker, Keen Sense

Pick: Cradle to Grave

Pack 24:




Reflex Sliver, Midnight Charm, Dust Corona, Dash Hopes, Melancholy, Rebuff the Wicked, Mycologist

Pick: Rebuff the Wicked

Pack 25:




Uktabi Drake, Ghost Tactician, Seal of Primordium, Auramancer’s Guise, Braids, Conjurer Adept, Serra’s Boon

Pick: Serra’s Boon

Pack 26:




Reflex Sliver, Firefright Mage, Wistful Thinking, Keldon Marauders, Dash Hopes

Pick: Keldon Marauders

Pack 27:

Spitting Sliver, Vitaspore Thallid, Brain Gorgers, Bog Serpent

Pick: Spitting Sliver

Pack 28:

Ridged Kusite, Simian Spirit Guide, Healing Leaves

Pick: Simian Spirit Guide

Pack 29:

Wistful Thinking, Firefright Mage

Pick: Firefright Mage

Pack 30:

Deadly Grub

Pick: Deadly Grub

Pack 31:










Rift Elemental, Augur il-Vec, Llanowar Empath, Grave Peril, Marshaling Cry, Lymph Sliver, Homing Sliver, Sporoloth Ancient, Grave Scrabbler, Lumithread Field, Mesmeric Sliver, Street Wraith, Storm Entity

Pick: Marshaling Cry

Pack 32:










Venser’s Diffusion, Judge Unworthy, Kavu Primarch, Oblivion Crown, Emberwilde Augur, Vedalken Aethermage, Virulent Sliver, Frenzy Sliver, Fomori Nomad, Patrician’s Scorn, *, *, Emblem of the Warmind, Linessa, Zephyr Mage

Pick: Judge Unworthy

Pack 33:










Foresee, Emberwilde Augur, Putrid Cyclops, Augur il-Vec, Deepcavern Imp, Flowstone Embrace, Blade of the Sixth Pride, Sarcomite Myr, Aven Mindcensor, Zoetic Cavern, Spin into Myth, Muraganda Petroglyphs, Fleshwrither

Pick: Flowstone Embrace

Pack 34:







Samite Censer-Bearer, Aven Augur, Bogardan Lancer, Grinning Ignus, Mass of Ghouls, Lucent Liminid, Thornweald Archer, Flowstone Embrace, Skizzik Surger, Centaur Omenreader, Mistmeadow Skulk, Shapeshifter’s Marrow

Pick: Lucent Liminid

Pack 35:







Saltskitter, Cutthroat il-Dal, Llanowar Augur, Augur of Skulls, Mass of Ghouls, Vedalken Aethermage, Blade of the Sixth Pride, Sporoloth Ancient, Bound in Silence, Narcomoeba, Fleshwrither

Pick: Bound in Silence

Pack 36:







Grave Peril, Wrap in Vigor, Samite Censer-Bearer, Putrid Cyclops, Frenzy Sliver, Mesmeric Sliver, Patrician’s Scorn, Sarcomite Myr, Dryad Arbor, Yixlid Jailer

Pick: Patrician’s Scorn

Pack 37:







Cutthroat il-Dal, Gift of Granite, Quiet Disrepair, Logic Knot, Nessian Courser, Grave Scrabbler, Henchfiend of Ukor, Ramosian Revivalist, Frenzy Sliver

Pick: Ramosian Revivalist

Pack 38:




Petrified Plating, Bogardan
Lancer, Oblivion Crown, Blind Phantasm, Virulent Sliver, Witch’s Mist, Boldwyr Intimidator, Phosphorescent Feast

Pick: Boldwyr Intimidator

Pack 39:




Rift Elemental, Augur il-Vec, Lymph Sliver, Homing Sliver, Grave Scrabbler, Mesmeric Sliver, Spellwild Ouphe

Pick: Lymph Sliver

Pack 40:




Oblivion Crown, Virulent Sliver, Frenzy Sliver, Patrician’s Scorn, Arcanum Wings, Emblem of the Warmind

Pick: Emblem of the Warmind

Pack 41:




Putrid Cyclops, Augur il-Vec, Sarcomite Myr, Aven Mindcensor, Fleshwrither

Pick: Aven Mindcensor

Pack 42:

Samite Censer-Bearer, Bogardan Lancer, Mass of Ghouls, Skizzik Surger

Pick: Skizzik Surger

Pack 43:

Saltskitter, Cutthroat il-Dal, Llanowar Augur

Pick: Saltskitter

Pack 44:

Samite Censer-Bearer, Frenzy Sliver

Pick: Samite Censer-Bearer

Pack 45:

Quiet Disrepair

Pick: Quiet Disrepair

Final Decklist:

Maindeck:

1 Shade of Trokair
1 Benalish Cavalry
1 Duskrider Peregrine
1 Amrou Seekers
1 Aven Mindcensor
1 Blazing Blade Askari
1 D’Avenant Healer
1 Poultice Sliver
1 Sulfur Elemental
1 Empty the
Warrens
1 Lucent Liminid
1 Lymph Sliver
1 Crovax, Ascendant Hero
1 Boldwyr Intimidator
10 Plains
8 Mountain
1 Brute Force
1 Flowstone Embrace
1 Judge Unworthy
1 Marshaling Cry
1 Bound in Silence
1 Orcish Cannonade
1 Rift Bolt
1 Evangelize

Sideboard:

1 Assembly-Worker
1 Cradle to Grave
1 Cyclopean Giant
1 Dawn Charm
1 Deadly Grub
1 Divine Congregation
1 Emblem of the Warmind
1 Firefright Mage
1 Foriysian Interceptor
1 Fortify
1 Keldon Marauders
1 Pallid Mycoderm
1 Patrician’s Scorn
1 Quiet Disrepair
1 Ramosian Revivalist
1 Rebuff the Wicked
1 Saltskitter
1 Samite Censer-Bearer
1 Serra’s Boon [FOIL]
1 Simian Spirit Guide
1 Skizzik Surger
1 Spitting Sliver
1 Void


For my second pick, I took the Duskrider Peregrine over the Castle Raptors. This is because my mana curves have always been terrible, ever since PT: San Diego, and I think that the Peregrine is simply stronger.


If I’m honest, this deck looks awful. Thankfully, my Round 1 opponent’s deck wasn’t much better.


Round 1 – U/W/R

Game 1: My opening hand was Benalish Cavalry, Orcish Cannonade, Bound in Silence, 2 Mountains, and 2 Plains. I drew five more lands over the first five turns, then Empty the Warrens and Judge Unworthy. My opponent suspended a Deep-Sea Kracken early, but as I did little but draw lands, the unblockable monster didn’t appear until late in the game. I played a Judge Unworthy on his Synchronous Sliver, and hit an Evangelize! As I had a lot of land out, I could cast the Evangelize with buyback turn after turn. I won soon after.


Sideboarding:
In – Serra’s Boon
Out – Marshaling Cry


Game2: This game saw me power out to a very good start. On turn 2 I suspended the Duskrider; on turn 3 I made Amrou Seekers. Turn 4 saw me cast D’Avenant Healer, and when the Duskrider came into play on turn 5 I had the Empty the Warrens for four tokens. Those creatures, backed with Brute Force, won me the game in short order.


Round 2 – B/W/r (splashing for Oros)

Game 1: I had another good start. I suspended Duskrider, cast Blazing Blade Askari, and used an Orcish Cannonade to kill his Mana Skimmer. I had an Empty the Warrens for four on turn 5… but none of this was good enough to win immediately. We both made some guys, which mostly couldn’t attack thanks to Magus of the Moat. My only flyer was Aven Mindcensor… but my opponent made Oros!

I played Crovax, and blocked the dragon with my Mindcensor. Brute Force meant my Mindcensor was large enough to kill the Dragon once I’d returned Crovax to my hand. Crovax came down again the turn after, effectively switching off his Pallid Mycoderm. Eventually I drew Evangelize and could buy it back every turn. The game was over.


Sideboarding:
In – Rebuff the Wicked
Out – Marshaling Cry


Game 2: My opponent started strongly with three Plains, Blade of the Sixth Pride, Saltfield Recluse, and Candles of Leng. Sadly, he didn’t make a fourth land. My team was Poultice Sliver, Sulfur Elemental, and Shade of Trokair. Still on three lands, my opponent tried a Sunlance on the Sulfur Elemental. He conceeded when I pumped it with Brute Force in response,


This deck was so bad. I need more practice.


Until tomorrow,

Kenji

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