Pack 1 pick 1:
My Pick:
Two drafts in a row! That’s lucky I won’t even have to switch this time!
Pack 1 pick 2:
My Pick:
No significant Esper or Five-Color card and anyway I’d rather go aggro playing Elspeth. Also Drumhunter is a pretty good combo with the planeswalker and it’s good either way if I play Naya or WG aggro.
Pack 1 pick 3:
My Pick:
Naya Charm is amazing but Knight is more stable and it’s a combo with Drumhunter.
Pack 1 pick 4:
My Pick:
In a control deck I pick Weaver over Thoctar but not in aggro no matter whether I play Red or not… 7 mana is just too much.
Pack 1 pick 5:
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Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick:
One of the best two commons I can get (with Ring) in my already strong deck. And I get it passed 9th pick!
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick:
It’s rare that I have this feeling after only one pack but I’d be very surprised not to get at least to the finals.
Pack 1 pick 11:
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Pack 1 pick 15:
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Pack 2 pick 1:
My Pick:
I could take Fatesticher and go Bant but:
A) I hate the archetype
B) I don’t like to splash for a creature
C) I don’t want to play a third color unless I have to and if I have to play one it will be Red (for Removals Nacatl and Thoctar)
Pack 2 pick 2:
My Pick:
I was tempted by the 0/4 here but if I have to play a pair of Red cards which is likely to happen a few fixers will help.
Pack 2 pick 3:
My Pick:
In the deck I’m building it should be instant win.
Pack 2 pick 4:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 5:
My Pick:
I should have taken the Battlemage here. With my Citadel I could even possibly have used its Blue ability.
Pack 2 pick 6:
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Pack 2 pick 15:
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Pack 3 pick 1:
My Pick:
Not exactly a dreamy firstpick… but heh I can’t open Elspeth all the time!
Pack 3 pick 2:
My Pick:
The 5/3 could combo with Drumhunter but I want some evasion and more early drops.
Pack 3 pick 3:
My Pick:
As my curve is low it is pretty good in my deck.
Pack 3 pick 4:
My Pick:
One more pump spell and a precious fixer too.
Pack 3 pick 5:
My Pick:
I wasn’t expecting this!
Pack 3 pick 6:
My Pick:
After Squire the other top common of the archetype.
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick:
Nothing for me so I’d rather counterdaft the most annoying spell.
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick:
Playable. Even though I don’t like splashing early guys that one is extremely synergic with the rest of the deck.
Pack 3 pick 9:
My Pick:
Good in the curve and getting me a little closer to my bomb.
Pack 3 pick 10:
My Pick:
Close one here. Behemoth is excellent with Drumhunter but not so good otherwise so I prefer Lapse of Certainty which is simply always good.
Pack 3 pick 11:
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Pack 3 pick 15:
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Seaside Citadel
8 Plains
6 Forest
2 Mountain
2 Akrasan Squire
Wild Nacatl
Aven Squire
2 Knight of the Skyward Eye
Sighted-Caste Sorcerer
Steward of Valeron
Aven Trailblazer
Wild Leotau
Rhox Meditant
Drumhunter
Rhox Bodyguard
Welkin Guide
Cavern Thoctar
Might of Alara
Sigil Blessing
Excommunicate
Lapse of Certainty
Naya Charm
Angelic Benediction
Elspeth Knight-Errant
Gleam of Resitance
ROUND 1: RG (Limited rating: 1602)
In game one my opening hand is close to perfect: Plains Forest Forest Mountain Wild Nacatl Aven Squire Naya Charm. My first two draw are land and I’m pretty happy when he plays a 1/1 on turn 3 when I’m scared to death of Branching Bolt. I then draw another land while he draws… Branching Bolt. Ouch.
I feel less bad when his next play is Mighty Emergence while mine is Drumhunter. Two turn later I draw Knight of the Skyward Eye and the combo wins the game all by itself.
In the second game I mulligan and have pretty poor draws but everything is decided in one turn. Life totals are 14-14 he has Beacon Behemoth and Elvish Visionary plus two cards in hand which must be spells (as he always play lands instantly when he draws them) while I’ve Aven Trailblazer and Cavern Thoctar. My hand is Excommunicate so the game seems close. One topdeck and one bad play later the game will be over. He plays Court Archers clicks on his Behemoth to attack then unclick probably realizing giving vigilance would have been good. I was intending to block anyway but he decides not to attack. He then plays the last card he was holding Viashino Thrash-Elder and devours his two smaller monsters. I draw Drumhunter play it Excommunicate the 7/7 and win the match from the card advantage provided by the 2/2. What would have happened if he hadn’t devoured the 1/3 and if he had given his guy vigilance? We’ll never know.
ROUND 2: Five-Color aggro/control (1830)
In the first game I take a mulligan and concede before I have the chance to play a spell. The second game isn’t much funnier but at least it’s my win as he is stuck on three lands for almost the whole game.
The third game is the first in which we both draw lands and spells but my draw is simply better as I’ve turn 2 Steward turn 3 Drumhunter and turn 4 Knight of the Skyward Eye that I pump. As the situation is pretty comfortable and I don’t want to play all my small guys only to lose to a mass removal spell I focus for five turns only in drawing. I don’t even attack as he doesn’t do a thing and I don’t want to jump into Resounding Silence. A few turns later when I have an overwhelming advantage I eventually attack into Silence. But it is too late for him and my card advantage give me the game and the match.
ROUND 3: Five-Color aggro (1828)
I have no idea what he had in his opening hand but I’d guess not taking a mulligan was a wrong choice. He went Forest Island Mountain Swamp Forest and Cloudeath Drake. For the first time in this draft I drew Elspeth but any draw would have been enough against his.
The second game is a mana flood contest. At some point we both have 10 lands having cast 5 spells. Unfortunately his sixth spell is his second Skeletonize and there is nothing I can do to pass the two zombie tokens.
The third game was decided with a two-card combo: Wild Leotau/Angelic Benediction. My first spell post mulligan was the 5/4 while his was Spruoting Thrinax on his following turn. Even though he was supposed to hold the board the 3/3 would never block.
After three hits and an Excommunicate all he could do was chumpblock the 5/4 every turn with a new guy. On turn eight he played Hellkite Overlord and even though he has played a good creature from turn 4 to turn 8 he has to pass without swinging with his big guy. On the following turn I send all my guys in and win the tournament and my second qualifier point! Weee!
The next online championship is during Grand Prix: Seattle… I hope they’ll have wireless connection on the site!
Until Monday…
Oli