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Drafting With Rich – 999 #1

Rich continues his excellent Draft series… but today, there’s something different! The Canadian maestro turns his back on the cooling Coldsnap, and heads for the balmy waters of Ninth Edition! From now until the online release of Time Spiral, Rich will draft a number of formats, from RGD to 999 to CBS to CCC… whatever takes his fancy at the time. He’ll supply each pick, from pick one to pick forty-five, and pen a brief commentary on hs deck and performace. For more detailed comments, visit the forums!


Draft:

Pack 1:










Anaba Shaman, Sacred Nectar, Dark Banishing, Elvish Berserker, Crafty Pathmage, Elvish Warrior, Unholy Strength, Holy Strength, Goblin Brigand, Sage Aven, Rod of Ruin, Pyroclasm, Withering Gaze, Savannah Lions, Forest

Pick: Anaba Shaman

Pack 2:










Shock, Holy Day, Gravedigger, Norwood Ranger, Wind Drake, Goblin Sky Raider, Tree Monkey, Festering Goblin, Crossbow Infantry, Lightning Elemental, Creeping Mold, Consume Spirit, Sanctum Guardian, Swamp

Pick: Shock

Pack 3:










Boomerang, Overgrowth, Foul Imp, Skyhunter Prowler, Sandstone Warrior, Mending Hands, Hollow Dogs, Reclaim, Contaminated Bond, Firebreathing, Thought Courier, Ivory Mask, Plains

Pick: Thought Courier

Pack 4:







Horned Turtle, Giant Spider, Mind Rot, Veteran Cavalier, Raging Goblin, Sift, Demystify, Giant Growth, Fishliver Oil, Zealous Inquisitor, Verduran Enchantress, Plains

Pick: Sift

Pack 5:







Horned Turtle, Mind Rot, Veteran Cavalier, Raging Goblin, Sift, Fear, Rootwalla, Flight, Ley Druid, Wurm’s Tooth, Plains

Pick: Sift

Pack 6:







Balduvian Barbarians, Boomerang, Skyhunter Prowler, Razortooth Rats, Natural Spring, Reflexes, Withering Gaze, Web, Cowardice, Plains

Pick: Balduvian Barbarians

Pack 7:







Demystify, Fishliver Oil, Shatter, Sleight of Hand, Tree Monkey, Crossbow Infantry, Zombify, Circle of Protection: Black, Swamp

Pick: Sleight of Hand

Pack 8:




Goblin Sky Raider, Natural Spring, Time Ebb, Unholy Strength, Holy Strength, Goblin Brigand, Baleful Stare, Island

Pick: Time Ebb

Pack 9:




Sacred Nectar, Elvish Berserker, Crafty Pathmage, Unholy Strength, Sage Aven, Withering Gaze, Forest

Pick: Sage Aven

Pack 10:




Holy Day, Norwood Ranger, Tree Monkey, Festering Goblin, Crossbow Infantry, Swamp

Pick: Festering Goblin

Pack 11:




Boomerang, Mending Hands, Reclaim, Firebreathing, Plains

Pick: Boomerang

Pack 12:

Raging Goblin, Demystify, Fishliver Oil, Plains

Pick: Raging Goblin

Pack 13:

Fear, Ley Druid, Plains

Pick: Ley Druid

Pack 14:

Swamp

Pick: Swamp

Pack 15:










Lumengrid Warden, Craw Wurm, Coercion, Foot Soldiers, Goblin Piker, Pegasus Charger, Contaminated Bond, Llanowar Elves, Remove Soul, Seething Song, Gift of Estates, Demolish, Phantom Warrior, Clone, Island

Pick: Clone

Pack 16:










Holy Day, Gravedigger, Norwood Ranger, Wind Drake, Goblin Sky Raider, Aven Cloudchaser, Mana Leak, Naturalize, Ravenous Rats, Suntail Hawk, Spirit Link, Rod of Ruin, Jade Statue, Plains

Pick: Wind Drake

Pack 17:










Lumengrid Warden, Craw Wurm, Coercion, Foot Soldiers, Goblin Piker, Sacred Nectar, Elvish Berserker, Crafty Pathmage, Hill Giant, Ogre Taskmaster, Tanglebloom, Evacuation, Swamp

Pick: Hill Giant

Pack 18:







Goblin Chariot, Honor Guard, Raise Dead, Fugitive Wizard, Treetop Bracers, Venerable Monk, Goblin Mountaineer, Sleight of Hand, Urza’s Mine, Levitation, Tidal Kraken, Island

Pick: Sleight of Hand

Pack 19:







Sacred Nectar, Elvish Berserker, Crafty Pathmage, Treetop Bracers, Serpent Warrior, Venerable Monk, Goblin Mountaineer, Demolish, Phantom Warrior, Ley Druid, Plains

Pick: Phantom Warrior

Pack 20:







Seething Song, Fear, Rootwalla, Flight, Naturalize, Suntail Hawk, Balduvian Barbarians, Anaconda, Yawgmoth Demon, Mountain

Pick: Balduvian Barbarians

Pack 21:







Sea Monster, Grizzly Bears, Scathe Zombies, Stone Rain, Aven Fisher, Holy Day, Norwood Ranger, Megrim, Forest

Pick: Aven Fisher

Pack 22:




Sea Monster, Grizzly Bears, Scathe Zombies, Stone Rain, Aven Flock, Plague Beetle, Sea’s Claim, Forest

Pick: Sea Monster

Pack 23:




Lumengrid Warden, Coercion, Goblin Piker, Contaminated Bond, Remove Soul, Seething Song, Gift of Estates

Pick: Remove Soul

Pack 24:




Holy Day, Norwood Ranger, Goblin Sky Raider, Naturalize, Suntail Hawk, Plains

Pick: Naturalize

Pack 25:




Lumengrid Warden, Sacred Nectar, Elvish Berserker, Crafty Pathmage, Swamp

Pick: Lumengrid Warden

Pack 26:

Honor Guard, Fugitive Wizard, Goblin Mountaineer, Island

Pick: Goblin Mountaineer

Pack 27:

Sacred Nectar, Elvish Berserker, Plains

Pick: Plains

Pack 28:

Flight, Mountain

Pick: Mountain

Pack 29:

Norwood Ranger

Pick: Norwood Ranger

Pack 30:










Storm Crow, Bog Imp, Highway Robber, Infantry Veteran, Rogue Kavu, Honor Guard, Raise Dead, Kavu Climber, Fugitive Wizard, Shock, Viashino Sandstalker, Exhaustion, River Bear, Hypnotic Specter, Mountain

Pick: Hypnotic Specter

Pack 31:










Shatter, Pegasus Charger, Contaminated Bond, Llanowar Elves, Remove Soul, Zodiac Monkey, Samite Healer, Panic Attack, Flight, Enrage, Confiscate, Spellbook, Storage Matrix, Plains

Pick: Confiscate

Pack 32:










Storm Crow, Trained Armodon, Infantry Veteran, Rogue Kavu, Aven Cloudchaser, Razortooth Rats, Natural Spring, Time Ebb, Reflexes, Bottle Gnomes, Sudden Impact, Tidings, Mountain

Pick: Tidings

Pack 33:







Hill Giant, Demystify, Enfeeblement, Giant Growth, Fishliver Oil, Shatter, Looming Shade, Warrior’s Honor, Flowstone Shambler, Web, Drudge Skeletons, Plains

Pick: Hill Giant

Pack 34:







Mending Hands, Hollow Dogs, Reclaim, Zodiac Monkey, Giant Cockroach, Panic Attack, Mana Leak, Circle of Protection: Black, Flashfires, Treasure Trove, Forest

Pick: Mana Leak

Pack 35:







Wanderguard Sentry, Spineless Thug, Angelic Blessing, Counsel of the Soratami, Bog Imp, Dehydration, Stream of Life, Serra’s Blessing, Mana Clash, Mountain

Pick: Dehydration

Pack 36:







Reflexes, Plague Beetle, Rampant Growth, Sea’s Claim, Looming Shade, Warrior’s Honor, Urza’s Tower, Blessed Orator, Mountain

Pick: Urza’s Tower

Pack 37:




Wanderguard Sentry, Spineless Thug, Angelic Blessing, Lava Axe, Plague Beetle, Rampant Growth, Sea’s Claim, Swamp

Pick: Lava Axe

Pack 38:




Storm Crow, Bog Imp, Honor Guard, Raise Dead, Fugitive Wizard, Viashino Sandstalker, Mountain

Pick: Viashino Sandstalker

Pack 39:




Shatter, Contaminated Bond, Zodiac Monkey, Flight, Spellbook, Plains

Pick: Shatter

Pack 40:




Storm Crow, Reflexes, Bottle Gnomes, Sudden Impact, Mountain

Pick: Bottle Gnomes

Pack 41:

Demystify, Fishliver Oil, Web, Plains

Pick: Plains

Pack 42:

Reclaim, Panic Attack, Forest

Pick: Panic Attack

Pack 43:

Mountain

Pick: Mountain

Final Decklist:

Maindeck:

1 Clone
1 Aven Fisher
1 Boomerang
1 Confiscate
1 Dehydration
1 Mana Leak
1 Phantom Warrior
1 Remove Soul
1 Sage Aven
1 Sea Monster
2 Sift
2 Sleight of Hand
1 Thought Courier
1 Tidings
1 Time Ebb
1 Wind Drake
1 Anaba Shaman
2 Hill Giant
1 Shock
11 Island
7 Mountain

Sideboard:

2 Balduvian Barbarians
1 Bottle Gnomes
1 Festering Goblin
1 Goblin Mountaineer
1 Hypnotic Specter
1 Lava Axe
1 Ley Druid
1 Lumengrid Warden
1 Mountain
1 Mountain [FOIL]
1 Naturalize
1 Norwood Ranger
1 Panic Attack
1 Plains
1 Plains [FOIL]
1 Raging Goblin
1 Shatter
1 Swamp
1 Urza’s Tower
1 Viashino Sandstalker
1 Wanderguard Sentry
1 Web


Looking at the poll, it seems most people are interested in RGD, but there is enough interest in other formats that I can have some fun and try them out. I’ve started with a 999 draft because that queue was closest to full.


It’s been a long time since I played 999, so I think I made a mistake with the first pick, and should have taken Pyroclasm. My only excuse is that I asked some other pros, and the only one that responded – Jelger Wiegersma – decided to trick me. After that, I was able to remember my rule about this format – always play Blue. I won all three rounds fairly easily, since I had enough solid guys to stabilise the board, and then lots of card draw to take over the game from there.


Until tomorrow,


Rich

Draft recording done by Blargware‘s MTGO DraftCap. Support Blargware!