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Drafting With Olivier – Zendikar #34


Grand Prix: Oakland!
Wednesday, February 10th – 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:

I like Baloth Woodcrasher a lot but Plated Gepoede is excellent itself while being a lot cheaper.

Pack 1 pick 2:
















My Pick:

That one’s a close pick. I like Surrakar Marrauder a little better than Kor Sanctifiers but WR a little more than RB. However I also feel like White is overdrafted online at the moment so I go for the 2/1 but both picks are definitely okay.

Pack 1 pick 3:















My Pick:

The card is likely to finish in the sideboard but if I end up being Mono Red it will be my MVP and if I’m RB the best card in this pack is either Magma Rift or a sideboard Bog Tatters which doesn’t really sound better.

Pack 1 pick 4:














My Pick:

Pack 1 pick 5:













My Pick:

I like Vampire Hexmage almost as much as Torch Slinger but I’ve plenty of two-drops so I won’t need it.

Pack 1 pick 6:












My Pick:

Pack 1 pick 7:











My Pick:

This pick is just bad I have no idea what went through my mind for picking it over Tuktuk Grunts. Even Slaughter Cry is probably better.

Pack 1 pick 8:










My Pick:

Pack 1 pick 9:









My Pick:

Pack 1 pick 10:








My Pick:

Two cards I want to coutnerdraft very much. However Kraken Hatchling is “only” a pain while Seismic shudder is like an instant speed Plague Wind versus me.

Pack 1 pick 11:







My Pick:

Pack 1 pick 12:






My Pick:

Pack 1 pick 13:





My Pick:

Let’s forget about that Bala Ged Thief horrible pick. A second late Teetering Peaks contributes to making my deck quite good after pack 1.

Pack 1 pick 14:




My Pick:

Pack 1 pick 15:



My Pick:

Pack 2 pick 1:

















My Pick:

I won’t pick Zektar Shrine Expedition when I’m so aggro and already have so many early drops.

Pack 2 pick 2:
















My Pick:

Pack 2 pick 3:















My Pick:

My curve is so low at the moment that I almost picked Geyser Glider here. Nevertheless I want to strengthen the explosive aspect of my deck and Shortcutter will help for that. Also Shortcutter is a rather good drop on turn 4 or 5. I still can’t say if that choice was good… I guess the Glider was pretty close.

Pack 2 pick 4:














My Pick:

Pack 2 pick 5:













My Pick:

Bushwacker would surprisingly be about as good but I don’t mind at all facing the 1/1 while the 1/3 stops almost all of my deck.

Pack 2 pick 6:












My Pick:

Pack 2 pick 7:











My Pick:

Close pick with the Minotaur. As I have Bala Ged Thief and Highland Berserkers I could end up playing Hagra Diabolist and making it good. On the other hand the Minotaur will always be decent filler.

Pack 2 pick 8:










My Pick:

Pack 2 pick 9:









My Pick:

I’m not playing it but I don’t want to pass a card which can block my Marauders.

Pack 2 pick 10:








My Pick:

Stop!

Pack 2 pick 11:







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Pack 2 pick 12:






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Pack 2 pick 13:





My Pick:

Pack 2 pick 14:




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Pack 2 pick 15:



My Pick:

Pack 3 pick 1:

















My Pick:

Probably the best removal for such a deck. Clearing the path and dealing damage is the ideal combination.

Pack 3 pick 2:
















My Pick:

Pack 3 pick 3:















My Pick:

I’d love to have a Vampire’s Bite for this deck but not as much as to pick it over a Torch Slinger. I’d pick it over anything else here.

Pack 3 pick 4:














My Pick:

Pack 3 pick 5:













My Pick:

The more things progress the more this card kills me. At least with three already in my sideboard I shouldn’t be facing it.

Pack 3 pick 6:












My Pick:

I’m planning on running a few more Swamps than Mountains so Molten Ravager shouldn’t be very good.

Pack 3 pick 7:











My Pick:

I may play all those Allies after all.

Pack 3 pick 8:










My Pick:

Pack 3 pick 9:









My Pick:

Even with several allies Murasa Pyromancer is not a card I’m willing to play. The problem with the allies and the reason why I shouldn’t have picked Bala Ged Thief and therefore not Hagra Diabolist nor Kazuul Warlord neither is that there will be a conflict inside my deck between the aggro early dudes and the allies which will hurt my deck’s synergy.

Pack 3 pick 10:








My Pick:

Pack 3 pick 11:







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Pack 3 pick 12:






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Pack 3 pick 13:





My Pick:

Pack 3 pick 14:




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Pack 3 pick 15:



My Pick:

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10 Swamp
6 Mountain
3 Teetering Peaks

1 Vampire Lacerator
1 Guul Draz Vampire
1 Plated Geopede
1 Goblin Shortcutter
1 Highland Berserker
3 Surrakar Marauder
1 Gatekeeper of Malakir
1 Ruinous Minotaur
1 Giant Scorpion
2 Torch Slinger
1 Hellfire Mongrel
1 Bala Ged Thief
1 Hagra Crocodile
1 Hagra Diabolist
1 Kazuul Warlord

1 Soul Stair Expedition
1 Hideous End
2 Inferno Trap

Sideboard
3 Seismic Shudder
1 Desecrated Earth
1 Vampire’s Bite
2 Bog Tatters
1 Spire Barrage
1 Quest for Pure Flame
1 Island
1 Swamp
1 Mountain
1 Unstable Footing
2 Piranha Marsh
1 Mindless Null
1 Archmage Ascension
1 Caravan Hurda
2 Hedron Scrabbler

I like my deck a lot and I definitely think I can go 3-0 with it but it would have been a little better if I hadn’t make that Bala Ged Thief mistake.

In first round I face a Mono Red deck. In the first game I race with a couple of Marauders he can’t handle despite showing a good resistance including the scary Obsidian Fireheart.

I put him under pressure in the early stages of game 2 and he needs to play one spell a turn to try and contain my beating. When I play Hellfire Mongrel he still doesn’t have a choice but to keep on playing one spell a turn. Eventually after the dog dealt him eight he’s only on three and I’ve tremendous advantage. Until he plays his eighth land and casts Lavaball Trap for my two Swamps and my 4 guys and his Bushwacker. I’m then up 7-3 in life and luckily I’m better at topdecking than he is and I take the game four turns later.

My second round goes quite smoothly as facing a UW deck I start (again) with a pair of Surrakar Marauder in the first game. Even though his draw is rather decent he will not find an answer to either of them and won’t be able to pull up the race as I won’t miss a single land drop including a pair of Teetering Peaks. In the second game we’re having a close race while I can’t find my third Black to kick Gatekeeper of Malakir. I reach the point when I instantly win if I draw a Swamp or a removal spell and die if I draw a Mountain or a Black guy. I draw Ruinous Minotaur and play both guys. Now I have just enough guys to keep him from attacking if he draws a land as well as to kill him on my next attack. If he draws any spell I’ll be almost dead. He draws and passes. I draw a land and swing with everyone as the only thing he can have for the win is now a White trap or Shieldmate’s Blessing (as he would have played a bounce spell for the win on last turn). He concedes and I advance to round 3.

Round 3… in which I won’t exist. I did cut the Seismic Shudders but there’s not much I can do about a first-picked Marsh Casualties. Even though he mulligans to 5 in the first game his sorcery takes down my first three guys and the momentum of the game I’ll never get back. In game 2 I’m going with an aggro start once again but as he’s Mono Black he doesn’t have any trouble dealing with my Marauders. He stops my beating when he’s still on 13 then casts Mind Sludge for my last two cards. Not that he really needed it but there is now officially no way I come back in that game. Unless I topdeck the best mid-game card in my deck and concede. Maybe would have it been smart sideboarding out Hideous End!

Until next time…

Oli