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Drafting With Olivier – M10 #14

SCG 10K Philadelphia... the first major event featuring Zendikar!
Monday, September 28th – Hall of Famer Olivier Ruel takes us through an 8-4 draft queue on Magic Online. He shares some comprehensive thoughts about both the picks and the games, and talks us through each step of the way! If you’re looking to improve your Limited game, this is the article series for you!

By

Pack 1 pick 1:

















My Pick:

1) Tendrils of Corruption
2) Merfolk Looter
I’m tired of always losing with decks that have triple Looter. I probably overrate the card. I’ll just pick the removal here.

Pack 1 pick 2:
















My Pick:

1) Kalonian Behemoth
2) Prodigal Pyromancer
I wanted to go almost mono Black after my first pick so I could go for the Blinding Mage but I think WB is the worst archetype in the format. The Pyromancer would be a logical option but it would only be if the Behemoth wasn’t there. Those first two picks don’t go so well together but I think Kalonian Behemoth actually is a lot better than anything else in that pack and that there is enough of a gap for that pick to be clear.

Pack 1 pick 3:















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Pack 1 pick 4:














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Pack 1 pick 5:













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Pack 1 pick 6:












My Pick:

So far I still don’t have a second good Green card so I’m considering myself mono Black. Therefore the only two true options are Dread Warlock and Vampire Aristocrat. The latter is not fantastic in mono Black and I’d rather take a second Warlock.

Pack 1 pick 7:











My Pick:

1) Drudge Skeletons
2) Entangling Vines
3) Wall of Bone
Drudge Skeletons is strictly better than Wall of Bone as it blocks the same guys but is a two-drop which is very precious to mono Black. Entangling Vines would be good if I was Green but it’s still far from sure I’ll be.

Pack 1 pick 8:










My Pick:

1) Looming Shade
2) Stampeding Rhino
The moment when I should actually make a decision. Green is open; that’s the only thing the 4/4 still being here can mean. However even if mono Black doesn’t miss three-drops I think the 1/1 is better in B than the Rhino in GB.

Pack 1 pick 9:









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Pack 1 pick 10:








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Pack 1 pick 11:







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Pack 1 pick 12:






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Pack 1 pick 13:





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Pack 1 pick 14:




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Pack 1 pick 15:



My Pick:

Pack 2 pick 1:

















My Pick:

Pack 2 pick 2:
















My Pick:

I’ll call that a signal and switch to GB. My mana will be worse? Definitely but for an Ant Queen and a Kalonian Behemoth it is definitely a fair price to pay.

Pack 2 pick 3:















My Pick:

Pack 2 pick 4:














My Pick:

1) Acidic Slime
2) Llanowar Elves
3) Bog Wraith
I now know I’ll probably have a 11-7 or a 10-8 manabase in which case I’d rather just pick the strongest card here which is the 2/2.

Pack 2 pick 5:













My Pick:

1) Child of Night
2) Elvish Visionary
I’ve a Giant Growth I should end up playing and I just like the card more in general. The pick only is close because the 1/1 allows me to dig for my rares.

Pack 2 pick 6:












My Pick:

1) Child of Night

2) Llanowar Elves

Pack 2 pick 7:











My Pick:

Pack 2 pick 8:










My Pick:

I’m not playing Ghoul as I already have many good three-drops. Mold Adder is a card I won’t play main either but it is an excellent sideboard card and one I definitely don’t want to face!

Pack 2 pick 9:









My Pick:

Pack 2 pick 10:








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Pack 2 pick 11:







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Pack 2 pick 12:






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Pack 2 pick 13:





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Pack 2 pick 14:




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Pack 2 pick 15:



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Pack 3 pick 1:

















My Pick:

1) Howling Banshee
2) Borderland Ranger
Banshee is a little better and better curved but I still almost picked the Ranger here as it gives me my precious second green.

Pack 3 pick 2:
















My Pick:

Getting my bombs back.

Pack 3 pick 3:















My Pick:

I have so many playables that I won’t be playing two Giant Growth so I’d rather counterdraft the annoying knight.

Pack 3 pick 4:














My Pick:

1) Rod of Ruin
2) Entangling Vines
I’ve several one toughness guys and I like the card as a finisher. Vines could be missing though as my deck’s weakness definitely is removal but RoR can deal with most guys in the most annoying match up I could face: UW.

Pack 3 pick 5:













My Pick:

Now that I’m two colors the Shade is not nearly as good as I thought it would be when I took my first one.

Pack 3 pick 6:












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Pack 3 pick 7:











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Pack 3 pick 8:










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Pack 3 pick 9:









My Pick:

Pretty nice with double Child of Night.

Pack 3 pick 10:








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Pack 3 pick 11:







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Pack 3 pick 15:



My Pick:

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10 Swamp
8 Forest
1 Ant Queen
2 Child of Night
1 Black Knight
1 Elvish Visionary
1 Dread Warlock
1 Vampire Aristocrat
2 Kelinore Bat
1 Royal Assassin
1 Centaur Courser
1 Bog Wraith
1 Cudgel Troll
1 Howling Banshee
1 Acidic Slime
1 Kalonian Behemoth
1 Giant Growth
1 Mind Rot
1 Oakenform
1 Tendrils of Corruption
1 Rod of Ruin
1 Rise from the Grave

Sideboard
1 Mold Adder
1 Naturalize
1 White Knight
1 Jump
1 Flashfreeze
1 Mountain
3 Bountiful Harvest
1 Regenerate
1 Warpath Ghoul
1 Ornithopter
1 Panic Attack
1 Unholy Strength
1 Sparkmage Apprentice
1 Dread Warlock
1 Vampire Aristocrat
1 Looming Shade
1 Drudge Skeletons
1 Swamp
1 Soul Bleed
1 Relentless Rats
1 Kindled Fury

For the opening game of the draft my opponent only plays 4 spells: Sage Owl Coral Merfolk Coral Merfolk and… Coral Merfolk. Not exactly enough to impress on Black Night Cudgel Troll and Acidic Slime on his only Forest.

His draws is much better in game 3 but he ends up two points from killing me. Sad when you realize his pinger (he’s UGr) failed to ping me twice and ended up killing itself.

Semi-finals start and I’ve a great opening with Child of Night and Kelinore Bats. When he eventually stops my team he’s only on 6 life and I play Rod of Ruin. Six turns later we move on to game 2.

In the second game I control the board with Cudgel Troll and then play Ant Queen. He doesn’t have a removal spell and passes out a few turns later from a 13-guy attack.

In the finals I face WB. I think I’m losing my first game in this event when while the game is in my advantage (nothing relevant on the board but Kalonian Behemoth on next turn) he draws Serra Angel. Stuck on five lands he adds Blinding Mage so topdecking a flyer won’t be enough to chumpblock. I still draw Ant Queen and start racing but I’ll be one life short and him one turn early. I’m on four life and am only hoping for one single card: Tendrils of Corruption. I draw it play it and win the game on the following turn. Game 2 is a lot easier as Cudgel Troll stops his team while Kelinore Bat attacks for 10. I then add a Banshee and quickly finish the last game of my event.

Until Wednesday!

Oli