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Drafting With Olivier – Zendikar #5

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Monday, November 9th – 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:

An obvious pick just as obvious as passing Burst Lightning is sending my left neighbor into Red.

Pack 1 pick 2:
















My Pick:

Journey to Nowhere may be the best card in that pack but I don’t see the WB archetype working at all as both colors rely on cards costing several colored mana and they are not even synergic anyway. Giant Scorpion may not be a dreamy second pick it is still very solid.

Pack 1 pick 3:















My Pick:

The card may just be a filler in a RB aggro deck but it’s still pretty good in a control or midrange deck which my deck may end up being.

Pack 1 pick 4:














My Pick:

Pack 1 pick 5:













My Pick:

One pretty good card a pack still not much of a choice here.

Pack 1 pick 6:












My Pick:

Harrow may be by far the best card here but I don’t draft green unless I open something really good and/or receive clear signals it’s open. The only signal I have here is White is open and I’m not so interested in it. Guul Draaz Vampire is not a card which should shine in a non aggro deck but I doubt I can make Feast of Blood work and I want to make sure no one on my close left gets any Black playables in pack 1.

Pack 1 pick 7:











My Pick:

There are several better cards in that pack (Vines of Vastwood Paralyzing Grasp) but the trap is the one I mind the most.

Pack 1 pick 8:










My Pick:

Excellent against my three Deathtouch guys.

Pack 1 pick 9:









My Pick:

Pack 1 pick 10:








My Pick:

Once again I pass the best card and take the one I mind the most.

Pack 1 pick 11:







My Pick:

Pack 1 pick 12:






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Pack 1 pick 13:





My Pick:

Pack 1 pick 14:




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Pack 1 pick 15:



My Pick:

The first pack is pretty good but a little short on playables. I now count on the signals I’ve been passing through those first 14 picks to compensate with that.

Pack 2 pick 1:

















My Pick:

Maybe the best common in a Mono Black deck.

Pack 2 pick 2:
















My Pick:

Pack 2 pick 3:















My Pick:

Probably the first pick I actually have to think about in the draft. I don’t know how good Mind Sludge is exactly. It seems too slow for the format but in the meantime having it on turn 5 on the play or on the draw versus any slow deck should be GG. It’s now a good opportunity to try it even though Crypt Ripper is probably the best card for me here.

Pack 2 pick 4:














My Pick:

Pack 2 pick 5:













My Pick:

Still not fantastic in the deck even though the Bloodwitch makes it a little better. Also it is not really like I’ve any other option here.

Pack 2 pick 6:












My Pick:

I don’t like the Scope much in an aggro deck I don’t like it at all in a control deck. Then I’d rather counterdraft the Archer even though once again it is not the best card in the pack I’d do this for two reasons. First I’ve passed many allies and second because it is a card I could be tempted to board in against a UW deck in particular considering I may end up being short on playables.

Pack 2 pick 7:











My Pick:

Pack 2 pick 8:










My Pick:

Pack 2 pick 9:









My Pick:

Now with two of them Green is looking like a decent sideboarding option.

Pack 2 pick 10:








My Pick:

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:




My Pick:

After two packs the deck still looks strong but it also still seems short on playables.

Pack 3 pick 1:

















My Pick:

Pack 3 pick 2:
















My Pick:

Being short on playables I started considering a splash at the end of pack 2. And then comes this choice between Sphinx of the Lost Truths and Soul Stair Expedition. One is definitely one of the top rares in the format while the other one is a card I’d be glad to play if not worth a very high pick.
I ended up being greedy and picking the Sphinx based on several reasons. At first I started doubting Mono Black was actually a viable option as I wasn’t sure I’d have enough playables and as I didn’t feel like playing several Guul Draaz Vampires anyway. Then it is not like I’ve opened it; being passed a card of such level means my right neighbor has no interest whatsoever in Blue and should be feeding me until the end. Eventually and even though a double Blue spell would not be an ideal slash the Sphinx would integrate very well such a controlling and slow deck and a 12/6 manabase could keep the deck working.

Pack 3 pick 3:















My Pick:

No Black card here so the choice is between the Drake and Gomozoa. For a matter of curve I’d rather go with the 2/5 even though both cards would have about the same value in my deck.

Pack 3 pick 4:














My Pick:

I can play some Blue cards but it’d be best if they were not all UU. Also even if the Trap is excellent it doesn’t shine that much in a control deck so I’d rather take the ally even though it’s not so spectacular in this deck.

Pack 3 pick 5:













My Pick:

Pack 3 pick 6:












My Pick:

About as good as Gomozoa but as long I’m not sure I’m Blue I’d rather go with the Black card.

Pack 3 pick 7:











My Pick:

Vampire’s Bite is a better card in a more aggro deck but it wouldn’t do so much here.

Pack 3 pick 8:










My Pick:

Pack 3 pick 9:









My Pick:

Spreading Seas is a much better card that it seems and I definitely consider running it. This reminds me of a story I forgot to mention in my GP: Kitakyushu report on how Naoki Shimizu won a match he could have lost to that very card. He opened with Mountain then Plains and his opponent played the Enchantment on the Red land. This choice was wrong.

Almost all players play it intuitively on the land of which they have the most copies. With a Mountain Mountain Plains hand on the play 90% of players will open with Mountain. Therefore Shimizu’s opponent should have targeted the White land. In the end Shimizu finished the game with only one Plains on the board and still won the match.

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:





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Pack 3 pick 14:




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Pack 3 pick 15:



My Pick:

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This is when I have to make a decision between UB and just Mono Black. The first option has one great card but is a little unstable. The second option is short in playables and it has several fillers but it makes the best of Mind Sludge and the Rippers. Even though it is worse as far the average card level is concerned I still go with the Mono Black option probably meaning I shouldn’t have picked the Sphinx. Well at least I guess I won’t end up facing it.

19 Swamp
3 Guul Draz Vampire
1 Vampire Hexmage
1 Gatekeeper of Malakir
2 Giant Scorpion
2 Mindless Null
1 Vampire Nighthawk
2 Crypt Ripper
1 Heartstabber Mosquito
1 Bala Ged Thief
1 Malakir Bloodwitch
1 Bog Tatters
1 Soul Stair Expedition
1 Disfigure
1 Mind Sludge
1 Marsh Casualties
1 Grim Discovery

Sideboard
1 Island
2 Plains
1 Landbind Ritual
1 Island
2 Swamp
2 Tajuru Archer
1 Savage Silhouette
2 Savage Silhouette
1 Vines of Vastwood
1 Sphinx of Lost Truths
1 Spreading Seas
1 Spreading Seas
2 Narrow Escape
1 Ior Ruin Expedition
2 Island
1 Island
1 Cobra Trap
1 Windborne Charge
1 Trapfinder’s Trick
1 Sky Ruin Drake
3 Island
1 Mountain

In the first match my BG opponent plays Bloodchief Ascension on turn 1. It makes me glad as I think the card is a mulligan against any decent draw (and mine is pretty good); but two Blood Seekers and a Nighthhawk later I’m not laughing any longer and we move to game 2.

I get a bit scared when I manage to miss my third land drop but it comes on the following turn and my Hexmage/Nighthawk/Gatekeeper/Disfigure draw can’t really be stopped.

In game 3 I stop all his team with Hexmage and Giant Scorption and finish him pretty fast in 13 mintues with Bog Tatters and Bloodwitch. Why in 13 minutes when the game should have lasted 3? I’m sure you’ll figure.

My semi is not much trouble as Mono Red’s best friends – Nighthawk and Marsh Casualties – show up both games for a pretty fast win.

My final opponent offers a split. He doesn’t even mind conceding but I don’t take splits in drafts I’m covering so I decline. On turn 3 of game 1 he concedes the match. I guess he had something better to do. Too bad as if he had actually told me he had to leave I would probably have taken that split.

Until Wednesday…

Oli