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Drafting With Olivier – M10 #15

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Monday, October 5th – 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!

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Pack 1 pick 1:

















My Pick:

Pack 1 pick 2:
















My Pick:

1) Air Elemental
2) Gravedigger
3) Lightwielder Paladin
4) Giant Spider
Air Elemental and Lightwielder Paladin are about as good. However Blue is pretty good with Black when White is not. If I was to pick the first striker here I would try and give up on White or Black pretty soon. The Elemental is safer and better. Gravedigger would be quite a decent pick as it’s the card I have the best chance to end up running but it is just far weaker than the flyer.

Pack 1 pick 3:















My Pick:

1) Gravedigger
2) Consume Spirit
3) Cudgel Troll
My first two picks would tell me to draft a UB aggro archetype. In this cards like Illusionary Servant could be very useful and even though Black is likely to be the main color I know I won’t be able to take the best of Consume Spirit‘s potential. Cudgel Troll being here has got to be a sign but I still have a pretty good card with Gravedigger so I choose to gow with my second Black card and not go for a third color.

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My Pick:

Seismic Strike is much too good to be still here but it’s a card I can’t possibly use while Drudge Skeletons could hold the board when my flyers are attacking.

Pack 1 pick 9:









My Pick:

I already have a Duress and anyway I like Negate just a little bit more.

Pack 1 pick 10:








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My Pick:

Pack 2 pick 1:

















My Pick:

If I was on a control option I’d go with Assassinate but Sleep is excellent in a very aggro deck. I now need to get a few more guys to actually make this deck aggro.

Pack 2 pick 2:
















My Pick:

1) Child of Night
2) Essence Scatter
3) Rod of Ruin

Pack 2 pick 3:















My Pick:

The same pick as earlier is easier when I’ve the possibility to go with a double Gravedigger combo.

Pack 2 pick 4:














My Pick:

Once again I go for the second best card on purpose. As surprising as it may be I’m unable to get three drops so far despite being UB. Now that I’m passed the best one (of the commons at least) in this archetype I must take it for the deck’s global synergy.

Pack 2 pick 5:













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My Pick:

Disentomb would be decent with double Gravedigger but it’s unlikely to make the cut when Entangling Vines would actually be quite annoying.

Pack 2 pick 13:





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Pack 3 pick 1:

















My Pick:

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My Pick:

The counter/raredraft was tempting but I feel more like winning matches than tix at the moment.

Pack 3 pick 3:















My Pick:

Close with the Bat as the 2/1 may be worse I am still a little short on three-drops. As I’m confident the next picks will allow me to fill that gap I go with the 3/3.

Pack 3 pick 4:














My Pick:

1) Dread Warlock
2) Snapping Drake
3) Child of Night
4) Essence Scatter
This time I go with the weaker but more curvy guy. Another Child of Night would have been an option if I had more removal.

Pack 3 pick 5:













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Pack 3 pick 7:











My Pick:

Very close pick here again. Weakness is better than Vampire Aristocrat in general but I’m still afraid I won’t be able to play a guy on turn 3 so I go with the vampire. Not sure at all this was the right pick.

Pack 3 pick 8:










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My Pick:

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9 Swamp
8 Island
2 Zephyr Sprite
2 Child of Night
1 Black Knight
1 Dread Warlock
1 Wind Drake
2 Illusionary Servant
1 Wind Drake
2 Vampire Aristocrat
1 Bog Wraith
2 Gravedigger
1 Howling Banshee
1 Air Elemental
1 Zombie Goliath

1 Unsummon
3 Ice Cage
1 Doom Blade
1 Sleep
1 Tendrils of Corruption

Sideboard
1 Inferno Elemental
1 Mind Rot
1 Entangling Vines
1 Spellbook
1 Jackal Familiar
1 Jump
1 Forest
1 Mountain
1 Divination
1 Unholy Strength
1 Excommunicate
1 Serpent of the Endless Sea
1 Cancel
1 Zephyr Sprite
1 Duress
1 Wall of Bone
1 Elvish Visionary
1 Drudge Skeletons
1 Plains
1 Negate
1 Stone Giant

In my quarterfinals I’m facing a UW deck. I open with Child of Night and he answers with Undead Slayer. Game 1? Hopefully I have Doom Blade. On turn 5 he plays… a second Slayer! I’ve Ice Cage he can’t deal with and neither can he deal with my Howling Banshee which takes game 1. In game 2 I mulligan I can’t find a Blue mana and he has turn 3 Undead Slayer. In game 3 I’ve a pretty interesting hand which is able to resist Blinding Mage as I’ve Island Island Swamp Zephyr Sprite Child of Night 2 Illusionary Servant Ice Cage. He opens with Soul Warden I draw a second Servant and he follows up with Blinding Mage Blinding Mage #2 and Undead Slayer. Not a single thing about that draw I can do.

Until Monday…

Oli