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Drafting With Olivier – ME3 #5

SCG 10K Philadelphia... the first major event featuring Zendikar!
Thursday, October 8th – 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!

Pack 1 pick 1:

















My Pick:

In nearly a year I’ve been covering drafts for StarCityGames.com I have not raredrafted very often. You’ll understand that I make an exception here.

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My Pick:

I’ve never tried this card but it was just amazing both times I’ve faced it. Also I’m 100% sure I can run it when I can’t say the same about Brilliant Plan.

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My Pick:

The Night Raiders are pretty good too but the 0/1 is just better and Scrubland[/author]“][author name="Scrubland"]Scrubland[/author] is not really a good enough reason to push me into going Black.

Pack 1 pick 4:














My Pick:

I promised to myself I’d draft Kobolds if I was passed this rare early in the draft. Apparently I lied. The pinger is pretty good combined with my previous pick.

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My Pick:

Close pick with Lesser Werewolf but I’ll get guys anyway while I may not get many chances to draft removal.

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My Pick:

Stupid pick. I wanted to go with the pinger combo but I’m unlikely to be Red. Pretty much any other card in the pack would have been better.

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I’ve played the Shackle in most of my drafts and I was always disappointed by it.

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My Pick:

I didn’t even know about this card’s existence but it surely looks strong! Maybe not as much in a control deck as it would be in an aggro deck but I don’t see any other option here anyway.

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My Pick:

I already have sevral legends but it’s great with Barl’s Cage.

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My Pick:

Wei Infantry is good too but Force Spike is much cooler.

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My Pick:

Could be good with Longbowman Reveka Tor Wauki and Arena of the Ancients.

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My Pick:

Third pack and third excellent rare one of the very best in the format.

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My Pick:

Wrong pick here I should have taken the Werewolf as it survives both Famine and Hellfire.

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My Pick:

Fellwar Stone’s a better card but I rather like having a guy that can survive my “Wrath.”

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9 Island
8 Swamp

3 Wu Warship
1 Wei Strike Force
2 Wu Longbowman
1 Lu Xun Scholar General
1 Reveka Wizard Savant
1 Labyrinth Minotaur
1 The Wretched
1 Wei Elite Companions
1 Ramirez DePietro
1 Sun Quan Lord of Wu

2 Force Spike
1 Fellwar Stone
3 Demonic Torment
1 Barl’s Cage
1 Knowledge Vault
1 Famine
1 Hellfire

Sideboard
1 Benthic Explorers
1 Crimson Kobolds
1 Plains
1 Wall of Light
1 Tor Wauki
1 Blood Lust
1 Kobolds of Kher Keep
1 Arena of the Ancients
2 Infuse
1 Mountain
1 Spirit Shackle
1 Sivitri Scarzam
1 Shu General
1 Mountain
1 Ghosts of the Damned
1 Scrubland[/author]“][author name="Scrubland"]Scrubland[/author]
1 Plains
1 Three Visits
1 Fire Sprites
1 Sol Grail
1 D’Avenant Archer

In my first round my opponent is playing RB with a mix of Minotaurs and bad expensive legends (Axelrod Gunnarson Barktooth Warbeard).

However even if he doesn’t play much impressive stuff in the match he does have what may be the best rare in the format: Karakas. He draws it in the early game three times. In the first it totally destroys me as I can’t play either my removal or my top guys. In the second I barely win thanks to a misplay and a very bad draw from him.

In the third I think I’ll be able to handle it as I play lots of guys to stall the board. Until he plays Burning of Jinye and leaves me with only three lands. As the only spells I had left in hand were a couple of legends I was never be able to do a thing from then on.

Until Friday…

Oli