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Drafting With Olivier – Zendikar #9

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Wednesday, November 18th – 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:

1) Plated Geopede
2) Living Tsunami
3) Surrakar Marauder
4) Kalitas Bloodchief of Ghet
I don’t really consider picking any of the Black cards here. One is too expensive to be constantly good while the other is an excellent two drop but there is just a better option in the pack.
Then what’s best? A creature which is generally a 3/3 for two on your turn or a four-mana 4/4 flyer? The level of both cards is pretty close but I’d still rather go for the 1/1 for two reasons.

At first to put it simply I think Red is a lot better than Blue in Zendikar. Then it’s harder than it seems to make the Tsunami work. Played on turn 4 it is powerful but it keeps you from ever casting Whiplash Trap Sky Ruin Drake or simply two spells in the same turn. Also the card is amazing in a very aggressive deck but it is not always easy to have that when you’re Blue. Which card is the best? Probably the Tsunami. Which card will end up in the better deck? Probably the Geopede.

Pack 1 pick 2:
















My Pick:

Now that people are realizing that Green is poor in Zendikar it is becoming more and more interesting to draft it. Indeed powerful cards like Timbermaw Larva and Nissa’s Chosen often wheel and people often pass good rares and uncommons.

Pack 1 pick 3:















My Pick:

1-2) Goblin Ruinblaster/Baloth Cage Trap
Of course a Beast Attack looks a lot better than a simple 2/1 haste guy. However as far as curve is concerned RG usually has what it takes as long as expensive casting costs are concerned. Also I checked this weekend after the first draft of Day 2 of GP: Minneapolis to see how many non basic lands people played. From the 10 decks I’ve checked there were 22 targetable (non-fetch) non-basics which would tend to confirm the card is more often an Avalanche Rider than a small Lightning Elemental.

Pack 1 pick 4:














My Pick:

1) Hellfire Mongrel
2) Predatory Urge
Let’s be honest I’ve no idea why Predatory Urge is worse. I’ve already played it but never drawn it and the few times I’ve faced the card it wasn’t exactly impressive. However the card must be good so I think it would have been my pick if I had taken the Baloth over the Goblin in pack 3. It would have been better than the dog in a midrange deck but I trust the 2/2 more in what should be a rather aggressive build.

Pack 1 pick 5:













My Pick:

1) Zektar Shrine Expedition
2) Vines of Vastwood
Vines of Vastwoood is a pretty good card but it requires heavy Green to be optimal and the Expedition is one of the top commons for a very aggressive deck.

Pack 1 pick 6:












My Pick:

I love the Larva but at this point I still have only one Green card so the pick here is not even questionable as I might simply be Mono Red. If I had 4 Green picks and only one Red one I’d pick the Green guy.

Pack 1 pick 7:











My Pick:

Pack 1 pick 8:










My Pick:

Even against another Green deck I won’t necessarily want to board in the slow Farguide (if I admit I am Green) while I don’t want to face the Blessing. Grasp may be better but it’s not a card I fear so much and I don’t mind reminding people I can pass Blue cards which hasn’t necessarily been obvious since I have passed the Tsunami.

Pack 1 pick 9:









My Pick:

Pack 1 pick 10:








My Pick:

I’m probably not using it but it is still the best card left in the pack.

Pack 1 pick 11:







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Pack 2 pick 1:

















My Pick:

1) Burst Lightning
2) Zektar Shrine Expedition
3) Sphinx of Jwar Isle
If it was for any other Red common except for Geopede I would have picked the rare and be glad to switch to UR. Picking the 5/5 could end up being pretty bad as I passed Tsunami but have received almost no Blue meaning I could be surrounded by Blue mages. Too bad for the rare… I still have an excellent first pick. Oh and no actually I would probably still have picked the Expedition over it. It’s okay to pass a six-mana bomb if you can win the game by turn 6.

Pack 2 pick 2:
















My Pick:

Pack 2 pick 3:















My Pick:

1) Molten Ravager
2) Magma Rift
3) Lavaball Trap
The Trap can be pretty good in a control deck which is the exact opposite of what I am at the moment. Then Molten Ravager is as mediocre in a two-color deck as it’s good in a mono-colored one. Good news I’m planning on an 18 Mountain manabase.

Pack 2 pick 4:














My Pick:

1) Tuktuk Grunts
2) Hellfire Mongrel
I think I made the wrong pick here. I may like the 2/2 better but my curve is so low at the moment that a guy a little more expensive wouldn’t hurt even if it is my first ally.

Pack 2 pick 5:













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Pack 2 pick 6:












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Pack 2 pick 7:











My Pick:

If I’m a little short on playables the Demolish plan could be an option. But I hope it won’t be.

Pack 2 pick 8:










My Pick:

Wrong pick here. Unless I receive a Valakut in the last pack it’s better to take the Blessing.

Pack 2 pick 9:









My Pick:

Yeeeee!!! In a Mono Red deck I think this card is the fourth best common (Burst Lightning Plated Geopede Bladetusk Boar) a little better than a Torch Slinger.

Pack 2 pick 10:








My Pick:

THE card to hate draft when you’re Mono Red.

Pack 2 pick 11:







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Pack 2 pick 12:






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Pack 2 pick 13:





My Pick:

Could be interesting with double Molten Ravager.

Pack 2 pick 14:




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Pack 2 pick 15:



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Pack 3 pick 1:

















My Pick:

1) Mark of Mutiny
2) Tuktuk Grunts
Have you noticed which creature is being stolen on Mark of Mutiny art? Just a clue… it’s probably the only illegal target in the format!

Concerning this pick Mark of Mutiny is amazing in a multiple Shrine deck and even if the Grunts would be good I don’t think this pick is close.

Pack 3 pick 2:
















My Pick:

1) Spire Barrage

2) Punishing Fire

3) Zektar Shrine Expedition

I’m not the hugest fan of spire Barrage but it’s just a Fireball in my deck. Too bad for the amazing Punishing Fire and for my third Expedition.

Pack 3 pick 3:















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Pack 3 pick 4:














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Pack 3 pick 5:













My Pick:

Not a great 5th pick but still a card which fits the deck’s strategy pretty well.

Pack 3 pick 6:












My Pick:

First guy in pack three it was about time!

Pack 3 pick 7:











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Pack 3 pick 14:




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Pack 3 pick 15:



My Pick:

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18 Mountain

1 Soaring Seacliff

1 Goblin Bushwhacker

1 Plated Geopede

1 Goblin Shortcutter

2 Goblin Ruinblaster

2 Hellfire Mongrel

2 Molten Ravager

1 Torch Slinger

1 Unstable Footing

1 Quest for Pure Flame

1 Burst Lightning

1 Goblin War Paint

2 Zektar Shrine Expedition

1 Punishing Fire

1 Mark of Mutiny

1 Slaughter Cry

2 Spire Barrage

Even though I’m short both in guys (I only got one in pack three!) and in playables I still like my deck a lot. The synergy is really good and half the cards can easily do five damage or more on their own. Even Quest of Pure Flame is okay with double Spire Barrage double Zektar Shrine Expedition Unstable Footing etc.

My Round 1 is pretty fast. I draw more than half my lands (no big deal as by running 19 I’m expecting it to happen) but it allows Molten Ravager to deal 9 damage and Spire Barrage 6 to take the win with the other guys dealing the remainig 5 over the course of the game. And that’s a good summary of what I like about my deck. I don’t need many spells. I don’t even need to draw the best ones if their draws are not spectacular. I feel like I’m running 10 Lava Axes.

In game 2 he opens with Grazing Gladehart for which I have no removal but I still win on turn 6 as he refused to trade his precious 2/2 for a Goblin Shortcutter and then Expedition smashed (along with his Territorial Baloth that I borrowed for a turn) on turn 5. I was able to finish him with Unstable Footing right after.

Round 2 is different as my Mono White opponent plays first and puts much pressure on me from the start. I still draw fine but while my deck is as good as crushing my opponent when I control the tempo it’s bad at defending. In game 2 turn 2 Plated Geopede and a decent draw ensures we will move to game 3. In the third game a kicked Goblin Ruinblaster helps me take control of the pace as he destroys Kabira Crossroads when my opponent had missed his fourth land drop. Two turns later still screwed on two lands he plays Nimbus Wings on his Hookmaster to try and defend but I’ve Mark of Mutiny for a giant final swing.

In my final match I’m facing… Mono Green! I take game 1 only because I play first as Torch Slinger is able to destroy a turn 4 Timbermaw Larva for what ends up being the key play of the game as he had two Vines of Vastwood in reserve. His pump spells are less efficient on defense and Soaring Seacliff sends Molten Ravager in for the win. In the second game his draw is the exact nightmare for any Red deck… Turn 2 Nissa’s Chosen turn 3 Nissa’s Chosen turn 4 Grazing Glazehart Forest Vines to protect his guy from Punishing Fire. Let’s not waste time there and move on to game 3.

The final game is grotesque. We both mulligan to 5 and are stuck on two lands. However I open with my two Shrines and at some point when I end up drawing lands I already have him down to 16 so I send in my two 7/1s and finish him with a kicked Burst Lightning. I definitely got lucky here as his deck was pretty good and the match-up was not in my favor but it’s interesting to see that I could go Mono Red without the color being excessively open simply because I wasn’t fighting for the same cards as everyone else.

Until Friday…

Oli