Drafting With Rich – 999 #3

Rich continues his excellent Draft series. The Canadian maestro turns his back on the cooling Coldsnap, and heads for the balmy waters of sweeter formats. 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!

By Rich Hoaen

September 25, 2006

Draft:

Pack 1:

Llanowar Elves, Remove Soul, Seething Song, Pacifism, Fear, Rootwalla, Sea Monster, Grizzly Bears, Scathe Zombies, Glory Seeker, Baleful Stare, Elvish Bard, Urza’s Tower, Archivist, Island

Pick: Archivist

Pack 2:

Goblin Brigand, Sage Aven, Wood Elves, Looming Shade, Warrior’s Honor, Time Ebb, Reflexes, Aven Flock, Plague Beetle, Rampant Growth, Circle of Protection: Red, Orcish Artillery, Phyrexian Hulk, Swamp

Pick: Orcish Artillery

Pack 3:

Lightning Elemental, Storm Crow, Highway Robber, Infantry Veteran, Rogue Kavu, Dehydration, Goblin Chariot, Honor Guard, Raise Dead, Tanglebloom, Diabolic Tutor, Battle of Wits, Plains

Pick: Dehydration

Pack 4:

Scaled Wurm, Dehydration, Goblin Chariot, Honor Guard, Raise Dead, Lumengrid Warden, Coercion, Foot Soldiers, Goblin Piker, Diabolic Tutor, Enrage, Swamp

Pick: Dehydration

Pack 5:

Lightning Elemental, Storm Crow, Trained Armodon, Highway Robber, Infantry Veteran, Rogue Kavu, Wind Drake, Goblin Sky Raider, Razortooth Rats, Phantom Warrior, Mountain

Pick: Wind Drake

Pack 6:

Giant Growth, Fishliver Oil, Shatter, Contaminated Bond, Sift, Zodiac Monkey, Giant Cockroach, Creeping Mold, Consume Spirit, Mountain

Pick: Sift

Pack 7:

Reclaim, Firebreathing, Bog Imp, Wanderguard Sentry, Order of the Sacred Bell, Spineless Thug, Angelic Blessing, Lava Axe, Forest

Pick: Order of the Sacred Bell

Pack 8:

Treetop Bracers, Serpent Warrior, Sea’s Claim, Anaba Shaman, Sacred Nectar, Elvish Berserker, Ornithopter, Island

Pick: Anaba Shaman

Pack 9:

Seething Song, Fear, Scathe Zombies, Glory Seeker, Baleful Stare, Urza’s Tower, Island

Pick: Urza’s Tower

Pack 10:

Goblin Brigand, Looming Shade, Warrior’s Honor, Reflexes, Plague Beetle, Swamp

Pick: Looming Shade

Pack 11:

Storm Crow, Honor Guard, Raise Dead, Tanglebloom, Plains

Pick: Storm Crow

Pack 12:

Honor Guard, Raise Dead, Coercion, Goblin Piker

Pick: Goblin Piker

Pack 13:

Storm Crow, Rogue Kavu, Goblin Sky Raider

Pick: Rogue Kavu

Pack 14:

Fishliver Oil, Contaminated Bond

Pick: Fishliver Oil

Pack 15:

Pick: Firebreathing

Pack 16:

Goblin Mountaineer, Sleight of Hand, Tree Monkey, Festering Goblin, Crossbow Infantry, Fugitive Wizard, Shock, Holy Day, Gravedigger, Norwood Ranger, Icy Manipulator, Gift of Estates, Demolish, Wildfire, Swamp

Pack 17:

Elvish Berserker, Crafty Pathmage, Hill Giant, Demystify, Horned Turtle, Giant Spider, Mind Rot, Veteran Cavalier, Raging Goblin, Serra’s Blessing, Whip Sergeant, Urza’s Mine, Relentless Assault, Island

Pick: Hill Giant

Pack 18:

Goblin Brigand, Sage Aven, Wood Elves, Looming Shade, Warrior’s Honor, Flowstone Shambler, Aven Windreader, Firebreathing, Bog Imp, Puppeteer, Tanglebloom, Blanchwood Armor, Island

Pick: Puppeteer

Pack 19:

Goblin Mountaineer, Sleight of Hand, Tree Monkey, Festering Goblin, Crossbow Infantry, Aven Windreader, Firebreathing, Bog Imp, Scaled Wurm, Blessed Orator, Puppeteer, Swamp

Pick: Puppeteer

Pack 20:

Norwood Ranger, Wind Drake, Goblin Sky Raider, Aven Cloudchaser, Natural Spring, Elvish Warrior, Unholy Strength, Holy Strength, Spellbook, Soul Feast, Island

Pick: Wind Drake

Pack 21:

Balduvian Barbarians, Mending Hands, Overgrowth, Foul Imp, Sandstone Warrior, Flight, Mending Hands, Hollow Dogs, Tidings, Mountain

Pack 22:

Fishliver Oil, Shatter, Contaminated Bond, Storm Crow, Trained Armodon, Infantry Veteran, Venerable Monk, Fellwar Stone, Mountain

Pick: Fellwar Stone

Pack 23:

Natural Spring, Reflexes, Rampant Growth, Wanderguard Sentry, Order of the Sacred Bell, Angelic Blessing, Telepathy, Mountain

Pick: Order of the Sacred Bell

Pack 24:

Goblin Mountaineer, Tree Monkey, Fugitive Wizard, Holy Day, Norwood Ranger, Gift of Estates, Swamp

Pick: Gift of Estates

Pack 25:

Elvish Berserker, Crafty Pathmage, Horned Turtle, Whip Sergeant, Urza’s Mine, Island

Pick: Horned Turtle

Pack 26:

Sage Aven, Firebreathing, Bog Imp, Tanglebloom, Island

Pick: Sage Aven

Pack 27:

Goblin Mountaineer, Tree Monkey, Firebreathing, Swamp

Pick: Firebreathing

Pack 28:

Norwood Ranger, Spellbook, Island

Pick: Spellbook

Pack 29:

Flight, Mountain

Pick: Flight

Pack 30:

Pack 31:

Scaled Wurm, Dehydration, Goblin Chariot, Honor Guard, Raise Dead, Kavu Climber, Counsel of the Soratami, Treetop Bracers, Serpent Warrior, Venerable Monk, Withering Gaze, Web, Drudge Skeletons, Weathered Wayfarer, Plains

Pick: Counsel of the Soratami

Pack 32:

Rootwalla, Flight, Volcanic Hammer, Mending Hands, Hollow Dogs, Aven Windreader, Counsel of the Soratami, Treetop Bracers, Serpent Warrior, Venerable Monk, Elvish Bard, Urza’s Tower, Cruel Edict, Island

Pick: Volcanic Hammer

Pack 33:

Flowstone Shambler, Lumengrid Warden, Craw Wurm, Coercion, Foot Soldiers, Goblin Piker, Sea’s Claim, Anaba Shaman, Sacred Nectar, Thought Courier, Stream of Life, Bog Wraith, Swamp

Pick: Thought Courier

Pack 34:

Stone Rain, Aven Fisher, Elvish Warrior, Unholy Strength, Holy Strength, Flight, Mending Hands, Hollow Dogs, Reclaim, Blessed Orator, Ogre Taskmaster, Plains

Pick: Aven Fisher

Pack 35:

Panic Attack, Mana Leak, Naturalize, Ravenous Rats, Suntail Hawk, Remove Soul, Seething Song, Fear, Sanctum Guardian, Sudden Impact, Swamp

Pick: Remove Soul

Pack 36:

Goblin Mountaineer, Sleight of Hand, Tree Monkey, Festering Goblin, Crossbow Infantry, Crafty Pathmage, Demystify, Exhaustion, Megrim, Forest

Pick: Sleight of Hand

Pack 37:

Fugitive Wizard, Holy Day, Sea Monster, Grizzly Bears, Scathe Zombies, Glory Seeker, Stone Rain, Enrage, Mountain

Pick: Sea Monster

Pack 38:

Norwood Ranger, Wind Drake, Goblin Sky Raider, Razortooth Rats, Overgrowth, Foul Imp, Sandstone Warrior, Mountain

Pick: Wind Drake

Pack 39:

Scaled Wurm, Goblin Chariot, Honor Guard, Serpent Warrior, Withering Gaze, Web, Plains

Pick: Withering Gaze

Pack 40:

Flight, Mending Hands, Treetop Bracers, Serpent Warrior, Urza’s Tower, Island

Pick: Urza’s Tower

Pack 41:

Flowstone Shambler, Goblin Piker, Sea’s Claim, Sacred Nectar, Swamp

Pick: Flowstone Shambler

Pack 42:

Holy Strength, Flight, Mending Hands, Plains

Pick: Mending Hands

Pack 43:

Panic Attack, Seething Song, Fear

Pick: Seething Song

Pack 44:

Goblin Mountaineer, Crafty Pathmage

Pick: Goblin Mountaineer

Pack 45:

Fugitive Wizard

Pick: Fugitive Wizard

Final Decklist:

Maindeck:

1 Archivist
1 Aven Fisher
1 Counsel of the Soratami
1 Dehydration
1 Horned Turtle
2 Puppeteer
1 Remove Soul
1 Sea Monster
1 Sift
1 Sleight of Hand
1 Thought Courier
1 Tidings
3 Wind Drake
1 Anaba Shaman
1 Hill Giant
1 Orcish Artillery
1 Rogue Kavu
1 Volcanic Hammer
1 Wildfire
11 Island
7 Mountain

Sideboard:

1 Dehydration
1 Fellwar Stone
2 Firebreathing
1 Fishliver Oil
1 Flight
1 Flowstone Shambler
1 Fugitive Wizard
1 Gift of Estates
1 Goblin Mountaineer
1 Goblin Piker
1 Looming Shade
1 Mending Hands
1 Mountain
2 Order of the Sacred Bell
1 Sage Aven
1 Seething Song
1 Spellbook
1 Storm Crow
2 Urza’s Tower
1 Withering Gaze

This draft went very well. I opened two excellent rares, and got passed a number of great cards that combo very well with those rares. Puppeteer and Archivist for example, or turn 5 Tidings turn 6 Wildfire. I won the draft fairly easily, with the exception of round 2 in which I had two very close games, which really shouldn’t have been close. They involved a miraculous series of topdecks by my opponent and poor draws on my part, post Wildfire, when I had spells and lands in my hand, and my opponent had few lands and no hand.

Until tomorrow,

Rich

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