fbpx

Drafting With Kenji – TSP #4

Draft with Kenji... every day at StarCityGames.com!
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:










Cloudchaser Kestrel, Drudge Reavers, Goblin Skycutter, Cancel, Penumbra Spider, Divine Congregation, Mindlash Sliver, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Jhoira’s
Timebug, Jedit’s Dragoons, Thunder Totem, Cavalry Master, Ignite Memories, Nether Traitor, Swamp Mosquito

Pick: Penumbra Spider

Pack 2:










Aether Web, Assassinate, Amrou Seekers, Temporal Eddy, Sage of Epityr, Divine Congregation, Mindlash Sliver, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Jhoira’s Timebug, Opaline Sliver, Wipe Away, Aspect of Mongoose, Reiterate, Mindless Automaton

Pick: Mindless Automaton

Pack 3:










Thallid Germinator, Zealot il-Vec, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Temporal Eddy, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Flickering Spirit, Call to the Netherworld, Scryb Ranger, Plated Pegasus, Fortune Thief, Dodecapod, Angel’s Grace

Pick: Thallid Germinator

Pack 4:







Orcish Cannonade, Amrou Scout, Mana Skimmer, Watcher Sliver, Blazing Blade Askari, Glass Asp, Traitor’s Clutch, Plunder, Fool’s Demise, Assembly-Worker, Sprite Noble, Dandan

Pick: Amrou Scout

Pack 5:







Deathspore Thallid, Tolarian Sentinel, Benalish Cavalry, Sangrophage, Viashino Bladescout, Mystical Teachings, Thrill of the Hunt, Shadow Sliver, Paradox Haze, Yavimaya Dryad, Jolrael, Empress of Beasts

Pick: Yavimaya Dryad

Pack 6:







Strength in Numbers, Zealot il-Vec, Aether Web, Sprout, Aetherflame Wall, Pit Keeper, Sage of Epityr, Might of Old Krosa, Pendelhaven Elder, Safe Haven

Pick: Strength in Numbers

Pack 7:







Chromatic Star, Herd Gnarr, Fortify, Eternity Snare, Molder, Venser’s Sliver, Children of Korlis, Quilled Sliver, Withered Wretch

Pick: Herd Gnarr

Pack 8:




Gaze of Justice, Ivory Giant, Deathspore
Thallid, Traitor’s Clutch, Glass Asp, Paradox Haze, Calciform Pools, Consecrate Land

Pick: Deathspore Thallid

Pack 9:




Cloudchaser Kestrel, Divine Congregation, Mindlash Sliver, Jhoira’s Timebug, Ignite Memories, Nether Traitor, Swamp Mosquito

Pick: Cloudchaser Kestrel

Pack 10:




Sage of Epityr, Divine Congregation, Jhoira’s Timebug, Opaline Sliver, Aspect of Mongoose, Reiterate

Pick: Reiterate

Pack 11:




Zealot il-Vec, Ancient Grudge, Flickering Spirit, Call to the Netherworld, Plated Pegasus

Pick: Zealot il-Vec

Pack 12:

Glass Asp, Traitor’s Clutch, Plunder, Fool’s Demise

Pick: Fool’s Demise

Pack 13:

Mystical Teachings, Shadow Sliver, Paradox Haze

Pick: Mystical Teachings

Pack 14:

Sprout, Sage of Epityr

Pick: Sprout

Pack 15:

Children of Korlis

Pick: Children of Korlis

Pack 16:










Dawn Charm, Stingscourger, Whitemane Lion, Erratic Mutation, Midnight Charm, Dash Hopes, Reality Acid, Citanul Woodreaders, Rathi Trapper, Piracy Charm, Skirk Shaman, Psychotrope Thallid, Saltblast, Serra Sphinx, Volcano Hellion

Pick: Saltblast

Pack 17:










Synchronous Sliver, Needlepeak Spider, Mire Boa, Dreamscape Artist, Blightspeaker, Ghost Tactician, Evolution Charm, Piracy Charm, Essence Warden, Sunlance, Hunting Wilds, Frenetic Sliver, Dunerider Outlaw, Aquamorph Entity

Pick: Sunlance

Pack 18:










Battering Sliver, Reflex Sliver, Whitemane Lion, Midnight Charm, Deadly Grub, Aquamorph Entity, Firefright Mage, Revered Dead, Prodigal Pyromancer, Vampiric Link, Aether Membrane, Big Game Hunter, Serendib Sorcerer

Pick: Whitemane Lion

Pack 19:







Spitting Sliver, Veiling Oddity, Synchronous Sliver, Brain Gorgers, Keldon Marauders, Ghost Tactician, Wistful Thinking, Skirk Shaman, Mana Tithe, Vampiric Link, Big Game Hunter, Hammerheim Deadeye

Pick: Big Game Hunter

Pack 20:







Dawn Charm, Spitting Sliver, Battering Sliver, Firefright Mage, Pallid Mycoderm, Uktabi Drake, Deadly Grub, Piracy Charm, Circle of Affliction, Lavacore Elemental, Magus of the Tabernacle

Pick: Pallid Mycoderm

Pack 21:







Aven Riftwatcher, Cradle to Grave, Reflex Sliver, Poultice Sliver, Reality Acid, Deadly Grub, Citanul Woodreaders, Gossamer Phantasm, Primal Plasma, Mycologist

Pick: Citanul Woodreaders

Pack 22:







Erratic Mutation, Cradle to Grave, Reflex Sliver, Dreamscape Artist, Dust Corona, Reality Acid, Seal of Primordium, Melancholy, Serra’s Boon

Pick: Erratic Mutation

Pack 23:




Ridged Kusite, Fury Charm, Vitaspore
Thallid, Gossamer Phantasm, Fa’adiyah Seer, Darkheart Sliver, Blood Knight, Detritivore

Pick: Darkheart Sliver

Pack 24:




Dawn Charm, Stingscourger, Dash Hopes, Reality Acid, Piracy Charm, Skirk Shaman, Psychotrope Thallid

Pick: Psychotrope Thallid

Pack 25:




Synchronous Sliver, Needlepeak Spider, Ghost Tactician, Hunting Wilds, Frenetic Sliver, Aquamorph Entity

Pick: Hunting Wilds

Pack 26:




Reflex Sliver, Deadly Grub, Firefright Mage, Revered Dead, Vampiric Link

Pick: Revered Dead

Pack 27:

Keldon Marauders, Ghost Tactician, Wistful Thinking, Vampiric Link

Pick: Ghost Tactician

Pack 28:

Firefright Mage, Deadly Grub, Circle of Affliction

Pick: Firefright Mage

Pack 29:

Reflex Sliver, Deadly Grub

Pick: Reflex Sliver

Pack 30:

Dust Corona

Pick: Dust Corona

Pack 31:










Fatal Attraction, Petrified Plating, Judge Unworthy, Leaden Fists, Gathan Raiders, Sarcomite Myr, Henchfiend of Ukor, Thornweald Archer, Death
Rattle, Blind Phantasm, Lumithread Field, Sword of the Meek, Spirit en-Dal, Cryptic Annelid, Intervention Pact

Pick: Judge Unworthy

Pack 32:










Samite Censer-Bearer, Aven Augur, Bogardan Lancer, Knight of Sursi, Blade of the Sixth Pride, Sarcomite Myr, Death Rattle, Homing Sliver, Edge of Autumn, Lymph Sliver, Chronomantic Escape, Delay, Festering March, Magus of the Moon

Pick: Knight of Sursi

Pack 33:










Samite Censer-Bearer, Aven Augur, Bogardan Lancer, Knight of Sursi, Grave Peril, Whip-Spine Drake, Mass of Ghouls, Lucent Liminid, Thornweald Archer, Phosphorescent Feast, Bound in Silence, Narcomoeba, Grinning Ignus

Pick: Bound in Silence

Pack 34:







Quiet Disrepair, Saltskitter, Unblinking Bleb, Llanowar Augur, Venser’s Diffusion, Grinning Ignus, Edge of Autumn, Fomori Nomad, Logic Knot, Pooling Venom, Keldon Megaliths, Sparkspitter

Pick: Edge of Autumn

Pack 35:







Grave Peril, Wrap in Vigor, Samite Censer-Bearer, Putrid Cyclops, Blind Phantasm, Virulent Sliver, Mass of Ghouls, Vedalken Aethermage, Soultether Golem, Haze of Rage, Barren Glory

Pick: Wrap in Vigor

Pack 36:







Wrap in Vigor, Leaden Fists, Gift of Granite, Lost Hours, Frenzy Sliver, Mesmeric Sliver, Patrician’s Scorn, Tolaria West, Char-Rumbler, Llanowar Mentor

Pick: Llanowar Mentor

Pack 37:







Marshaling Cry, Unblinking Bleb, Lost Hours, Blade of the Sixth Pride, Grinning Ignus, Spirit en-Dal, Mystic Speculation, Minions’ Murmurs, Jhoira of the Ghitu

Pick: Blade of the Sixth Pride

Pack 38:




Cutthroat il-Dal,
Llanowar Augur, Mass of Ghouls, Vedalken Aethermage, Blade of the Sixth Pride, Witch’s Mist, Boldwyr Intimidator, Llanowar Empath

Pick: Blade of the Sixth Pride

Pack 39:




Petrified Plating, Sarcomite Myr, Blind Phantasm, Lumithread Field, Spirit en-Dal, Cryptic Annelid, Intervention Pact

Pick: Spirit en-Dal

Pack 40:




Samite Censer-Bearer, Bogardan Lancer, Sarcomite Myr, Lymph Sliver, Chronomantic Escape, Delay

Pick: Lymph Sliver

Pack 41:




Samite Censer-Bearer, Bogardan Lancer, Grave Peril, Phosphorescent Feast, Narcomoeba

Pick: Grave Peril

Pack 42:

Quiet Disrepair, Saltskitter, Llanowar Augur, Pooling Venom

Pick: Saltskitter

Pack 43:

Samite Censer-Bearer, Putrid Cyclops, Soultether Golem

Pick: Putrid Cyclops

Pack 44:

Gift of Granite, Lost Hours

Pick: Gift of Granite

Final Decklist:

Maindeck:

1 Knight of Sursi
1 Saltskitter
1 Amrou Scout
2 Blade of the Sixth Pride
1 Whitemane Lion
1 Cloudchaser Kestrel
1 Spirit en-Dal
1 Thallid Germinator
1 Yavimaya Dryad
1 Zealot il-Vec
1 Mindless Automaton
1 Herd Gnarr
1 Pallid Mycoderm
1 Penumbra Spider
1 Citanul Woodreaders
8 Forest
9 Plains
1 Sunlance
1 Edge of Autumn
1 Judge Unworthy
1 Strength in Numbers
1 Bound in Silence
1 Hunting Wilds
1 Saltblast

Sideboard:

1 Big Game Hunter
1 Children of Korlis
1 Darkheart Sliver
1 Deathspore Thallid
1 Dust Corona
1 Erratic Mutation
1 Firefright Mage
1 Fool’s Demise
1 Ghost Tactician
1 Gift of Granite
1 Grave Peril
1 Lymph Sliver
1 Mystic Speculation
1 Mystical Teachings
1 Psychotrope Thallid
1 Putrid Cyclops
1 Reflex Sliver
1 Reiterate
1 Llanowar Mentor
1 Revered Dead
1 Sprout
1 Wrap in Vigor


My first pick was unexciting. I took the Penumbra Spider over Cavalry Master, as there were four White cards in this pack (I include the Thunder Totem here). Of course, I did go into White… I like Amrou Scout too much. Pack 5 was difficult for me. At that point, I had one White card, two Green cards, and one artifact. If I were to go Green/White, then either Thrill of the Hunt or Benalish Cavalry was the correct choice. However, if I chose not to go White, I’d want to take one of the Green cards. Pack 8 was also tricky, for the same reason. If I hadn’t hit the Cloudchaser Kestrel pick 9, I would’ve quit White.

Round 1: U/B
Game 1: I started well, with Blade of the Sixth Pride on turn 2. However, my opponent played an Epochrasite. I dropped a Mindless Automiton, but it was killed next turn. All, I had in hand was another Blade of the Sixth Pride, a Strength in Numbers, and a Bound in Silence. Luckily, my opponent was color-screwed, sat on 4 Islands. I Bound in Silenced the Epochrasite, attacked, and made my second Blade. At the end of my turn, my opponent cast a Leaden Fists on my tapped Blade. On his turn, he drew a Swamp and made a Urborg Syphon-Mage. Over the next few turns, I added a Spirit il-Dal and a Whitemane Lion, while my opponent made a Rathi Trapper and a Blisghtspeaker. Thankfully, I was able to swing with my team and use both Strength in Numbers and Judge Unworthy to take the game.

Game 2: I had another good start, with turn 2 Blade of the Sixth Pride and a turn 3 Amrou Scout. My third creature, a Saltskitter, met with a Logic Knot… and on his turn, my opponent cast Festering March! My deck is so weak against March, and I was also color-screwed. I can’t beat that.

Game 3: This game saw me start very well indeed. Turn 1 suspended Knight of Sursi, turns 2 and 3 Blades of the Sixth Pride, turn 4 attack with all and bounce my blocked Blade with Whitemane Lion with damage on the stack. The next turn saw my opponent block my other Blade of the Sixth Pride, which made me realise he didn’t have the Festering March… so I made by bounced Blade and my Amrou Scout. Next turn I searched up Bound in Silence, and the game was over.

Round 2: G/R
Game 1: I started with Blade, Scout, and Herd Gnarr. My opponent killed the Scout with an Orcish Cannonade. My remaining creatures had reduced him to ten life when he played Volcanic Hellion and paid four life (he had six mana at this stage). This gave me my chance. I dropped two more guys and held the Stength in Numbers in my hand. When my opponent payed the echo for his Hellion, I was able to swing for the win with all my guys and Strength in Numbers.

Game 2: This was such a long game. I even managed to recurse my Citanul Woodreaders with my Whitemane Lion, and I picked up some good cards from both castings. My bound in Silence neutered his Sporoloth Ancient (backed with Thelon of Havenwood!). However, once I had eight creatures on my side of the table, Strength in Numbers smashed him again.

I split the final.

Until tomorrow.

Kenji

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