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Drafting With Nick – Shards of Alara #11

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Monday, November 10th – Nick continues his Drafting With series, bringing us a triple Shards of Alara draft from the 8-4 queue on Magic Online. Along with Rich, he shares his pick process and draft thoughts with each one, and supplies more detailed analysis in the forums.

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P1P2 – Here’s hoping I don’t lose to Cruel Ultimatum again because we all know the temptation to take it and go right into five-color was there for me.
P1P4 – I guess I’m drafting all of the cards from my underrated article?
P1P7 – Close pick here since I could see taking either Red card just as much as I like taking another Crasher.
P1P8 – I obviously want to be GR base now and while Welkin Guide is the best card Cylian Elf fits my deck better.

P2P1 – The nuts with Goblin Assault? I believe so.
P2P4 – I’ve had my fun and I’m not making this mistake again.
P2P9 – I was totally stunned at tabling Ambusher though I wasn’t sure if it was making it or not since I wanted a low Plains count.

P3P1 – Wow this was a tough pick. I honestly wavered back and forth numerous times before settling on pinger and hoping to table a Green card. If I did take a Green card though I’d take the Charger to power up my two-drops.

1 Jungle Weaver
1 Bull Cerodon
1 Magma Spray
3 Rip-Clan Crasher
1 Quietus Spike
1 Goblin Assault
1 Thorn-Thrash Viashino
3 Cylian Elf
1 Topan Ascetic
1 Hell’s Thunder
1 Wild Nacatl
1 Vithian Stinger
1 Lightning Talons
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Woolly Thoctar
1 Exuberant Firestoker
1 Gift of the Gargantuan
1 Naturalize
1 Rhox Charger
7 Forest
8 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Seaside Citadel

Sideboard
1 Rakeclaw Gargantuan
1 Plains
1 Marble Chalice
1 Mountain
1 Qasali Ambusher
1 Sigil Blessing
1 Thunder-Thrash Elder
1 Undead Leotau
1 Lush Growth
1 Deft Duelist
1 Cathartic Adept
1 Onyx Goblet
1 Dispeller’s Capsule
1 Kiss of the Amesha
1 Coma Veil
1 Metallurgeon
1 Grixis Panorama
1 Island
1 Goblin Deathraiders
1 Gift of the Gargantuan
1 Guardians of Akrasa
1 Plains

I decided to skimp and only play one Plains due to having three Rip-Clan Crashers.

Round 1 I played a very strong player piloting UWb. Game 1 he played two Deft Duelists and stopped my early guys. I got Lightning Talons on Rhox Charger and got a hit in since he was stuck at three mana and had to search up his Black to cast Agony Warp. Eventually I got Jungle Weaver down but he made a 7/7 Tower Gargoyle thanks to Welkin Guide and Exalted and swarmed me soon thereafter. Game 2 I mulled to five on the play and kept a hand with 4 lands and Thorn-Thrash Viashino. I drew three more lands off the top while he started with double Deft Duelist again and put the nail in the coffin with a turn 5 Tower Gargoyle.

I think I’m going to stop drafting Naya unless I open a bomb since I never seem to win with it and my decks always look plenty good enough to get to the finals.

See you tomorrow.

Nick