Draft:
Pack 1:
Tendrils of Corruption, Lightning Axe, Mogg War Marshal, Temporal Isolation, Think Twice, Screeching Sliver, Momentary Blink, Ancient Grudge, Greenseeker, Foriysian Interceptor, Scryb Ranger, Outrider en-Kor, Pull from Eternity, Candles of Leng, Mystic Enforcer
Pick: Lightning Axe
Pack 2:
Strength in Numbers, Zealot il-Vec, Urborg Syphon-Mage, Snapback, Aether Web, Screeching Sliver, Psychotic Episode, Jedit’s Dragoons, Sprout, Urza’s Factory, Riftwing Cloudskate, Chronatog Totem, Moonlace, Thallid
Pick: Riftwing Cloudskate
Pack 3:
Mogg War Marshal, Terramorphic Expanse, Drudge Reavers, Temporal Isolation, Crookclaw Transmuter, Flickering Spirit, Call to the Netherworld, Drifter il-Dal, Havenwood Wurm, Basal Sliver, Dreadship Reef, Spirit Loop, Ib Halfheart, Goblin Tactician
Pick: Crookclaw Transmuter
Pack 4:
Ashcoat Bear, Amrou Seekers, Search for Tomorrow, Corpulent Corpse, Cancel, Empty the Warrens, Detainment Spell, Psychotic Episode, Sprout, Aetherflame Wall, Tectonic Fiend, Scion of the Ur-Dragon
Pick: Empty the Warrens
Pack 5:
Gaze of Justice, Flamecore Elemental, Gemhide Sliver, Feebleness, Ground Rift, Eternity Snare, Skulking Knight, Sidewinder Sliver, Conflagrate, Paradise Plume, Twisted Abomination
Pick: Conflagrate
Pack 6:
Clockspinning, Bogardan Rager, Sangrophage, D’Avenant Healer, Wormwood Dryad, Barbed Shocker, Chronatog Totem, Thunder Totem, Merieke Ri Berit, Plains
Pick: Chronatog Totem
Pack 7:
Mana Skimmer, Durkwood Baloth, Chromatic Star, Shadow Sliver, Ophidian Eye, Watcher Sliver, Thrill of the Hunt, Barbed Shocker, Stormcloud Djinn
Pick: Stormcloud Djinn
Pack 8:
Eternity Snare, Molder, Children of Korlis, Sangrophage, Pendelhaven Elder, Voidmage Husher, Evil Eye of Orms-by-Gore, Aether Web
Pick: Eternity Snare
Pack 9:
Mogg War Marshal, Screeching Sliver, Ancient Grudge, Greenseeker, Foriysian Interceptor, Scryb Ranger, Pull from Eternity
Pick: Mogg War Marshal
Pack 10:
Aether Web, Screeching Sliver, Sprout, Chronatog Totem, Moonlace, Thallid
Pick: Thallid
Pack 11:
Drudge Reavers, Call to the Netherworld, Havenwood Wurm, Dreadship Reef, Spirit Loop
Pick: Dreadship Reef
Pack 12:
Psychotic Episode, Sprout, Tectonic Fiend, Scion of the Ur-Dragon
Pick: Tectonic Fiend
Pack 13:
Ground Rift, Eternity Snare, Paradise Plume
Pick: Eternity Snare
Pack 14:
Pick: Plains
Pack 15:
Pick: Shadow Sliver
Pack 16:
Icatian Crier, Bonesplitter Sliver, Tendrils of Corruption, Think Twice, Penumbra Spider, Pit Keeper, Sage of Epityr, Divine Congregation, Mindlash Sliver, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Foriysian Totem, Sudden Death, Gustcloak Cavalier, Demonic Collusion, Grinning Totem
Pick: Foriysian Totem
Pack 17:
Looter il-Kor, Gorgon Recluse, Herd Gnarr, Coal Stoker, Plunder, Skulking Knight, Brass Gnat, Dream Stalker, Watcher Sliver, Fungal Reaches, Krosan Grip, Premature Burial, Thelon of Havenwood, Eron the Relentless
Pick: Looter il-Kor
Pack 18:
Ashcoat Bear, Urborg Syphon-Mage, Cloudchaser Kestrel, Thallid Germinator, Basal Sliver, Drifter il-Dal, Subterranean Shambler, Nightshade Assassin, Basalt Gargoyle, Yavimaya Dryad, Unyaro Bees, Sol’kanar the Swamp King, Ib Halfheart, Goblin Tactician
Pick: Basalt Gargoyle
Pack 19:
Coral Trickster, Ivory Giant, Deathspore Thallid, Flowstone Channeler, Viashino Bladescout, Mystical Teachings, Thrill of the Hunt, Shadow Sliver, Dread Return, Conflagrate, Knight of the Holy Nimbus, Swarmyard
Pick: Conflagrate
Pack 20:
Empty the Warrens, Strength in Numbers, Errant Doomsayers, Corpulent Corpse, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Sage of Epityr, Ghitu Firebreathing, Momentary Blink, Greenseeker, Phyrexian Totem, Fungal Reaches
Pick: Empty the Warrens
Pack 21:
Keldon Halberdier, Ivory Giant, Grapeshot, Mindstab, Slipstream Serpent, Mystical Teachings, Two-Headed Sliver, Clockspinning, Durkwood Tracker, Truth or Tale
Pick: Keldon Halberdier
Pack 22:
Drudge Reavers, Cancel, Foriysian Interceptor, Aetherflame Wall, Detainment Spell, Bewilder, Weatherseed Totem, Evil Eye of Urborg, War Barge
Pick: Aetherflame Wall
Pack 23:
Chromatic Star, Tolarian Sentinel, Flowstone Channeler, Viashino Bladescout, Molder, Children of Korlis, Viscid Lemures, Volcanic Awakening
Pick: Chromatic Star
Pack 24:
Icatian Crier, Pit Keeper, Sage of Epityr, Divine Congregation, Mindlash Sliver, Demonic Collusion, Grinning Totem
Pick: Grinning Totem
Pack 25:
Plunder, Skulking Knight, Brass Gnat, Fungal Reaches, Krosan Grip, Eron the Relentless
Pick: Eron the Relentless
Pack 26:
Urborg Syphon-Mage, Thallid Germinator, Basal Sliver, Drifter il-Dal, Subterranean Shambler
Pick: Subterranean Shambler
Pack 27:
Deathspore Thallid, Viashino Bladescout, Mystical Teachings, Shadow Sliver
Pick: Viashino Bladescout
Pack 28:
Ghitu Firebreathing, Greenseeker, Fungal Reaches
Pick: Fungal Reaches
Pack 29:
Durkwood Tracker, Truth or Tale
Pick: Truth or Tale
Pack 30:
Pick: Bewilder
Pack 31:
Crookclaw Transmuter, Strength in Numbers, Zealot il-Vec, Urborg Syphon-Mage, Snapback, Chameleon Blur, Flickering Spirit, Ghitu Firebreathing, Bewilder, Detainment Spell, Weatherseed Totem, Careful Consideration, Harmonic Sliver, Liege of the Pit, Voidmage Prodigy
Pick: Careful Consideration
Pack 32:
Errant Doomsayers, Rift Bolt, Aether Web, Assassinate, Amrou Seekers, Temporal Eddy, Jhoira’s Timebug, Jedit’s Dragoons, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Phyrexian Totem, Telekinetic Sliver, Dementia Sliver, Fire Whip
Pick: Rift Bolt
Pack 33:
Pentarch Ward, Assassinate, Thallid Germinator, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Temporal Eddy, Call to the Netherworld, Cyclopean Giant, Brass Gnat, Savage Thallid, Cavalry Master, Harmonic Sliver, Nether Traitor, Kobold Taskmaster
Pick: Temporal Eddy
Pack 34:
Pentarch Ward, Bonesplitter Sliver, Viscerid Deepwalker, Havenwood Wurm, Chameleon Blur, Flickering Spirit, Ghitu Firebreathing, Bewilder, Careful Consideration, Gustcloak Cavalier, Sarpadian Empires, Vol. VII, Auratog
Pick: Viscerid Deepwalker
Pack 35:
Trespasser il-Vec, Scarwood Treefolk, Slipstream Serpent, Bogardan Rager, Traitor’s Clutch, D’Avenant Healer, Glass Asp, Prismatic Lens, Truth or Tale, Aspect of Mongoose, Gaea’s Liege
Pick: Prismatic Lens
Pack 36:
Castle Raptors, Scarwood Treefolk, Orcish Cannonade, Sidewinder Sliver, Viscid Lemures, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Two-Headed Sliver, Blazing Blade Askari, Locket of Yesterdays, Evil Eye of Urborg
Pick: Orcish Cannonade
Pack 37:
Spinneret Sliver, Fortify, Flamecore Elemental, Nantuko Shaman, Ground Rift, Venser’s Sliver, Spirit Loop, Might of Old Krosa, Swamp
Pick: Flamecore Elemental
Pack 38:
Tolarian Sentinel, Blazing Blade Askari, Glass Asp, Traitor’s Clutch, Plunder, Smallpox, Fool’s Demise, Phantom Wurm
Pick: Blazing Blade Askari
Pack 39:
Strength in Numbers, Chameleon Blur, Flickering Spirit, Ghitu Firebreathing, Bewilder, Detainment Spell, Harmonic Sliver
Pick: Strength in Numbers
Pack 40:
Aether Web, Temporal Eddy, Jhoira’s Timebug, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Dementia Sliver
Pick: Temporal Eddy
Pack 41:
Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Call to the Netherworld, Cyclopean Giant, Brass Gnat, Harmonic Sliver
Pick: Ironclaw Buzzardiers
Pack 42:
Havenwood Wurm, Chameleon Blur, Ghitu Firebreathing, Auratog
Pick: Auratog
Pack 43:
Glass Asp, Truth or Tale, Aspect of Mongoose
Pick: Truth or Tale
Pack 44:
Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Locket of Yesterdays
Pick: Locket of Yesterdays
Pack 45:
Pick: Swamp
Final Decklist:
Maindeck:
1 Careful Consideration
1 Crookclaw Transmuter
1 Looter il-Kor
1 Riftwing Cloudskate
1 Stormcloud Djinn
1 Temporal Eddy
1 Viscerid Deepwalker
1 Eron the Relentless
1 Basalt Gargoyle
1 Blazing Blade Askari
2 Conflagrate
2 Empty the Warrens
1 Keldon Halberdier
1 Lightning Axe
1 Mogg War Marshal
1 Orcish Cannonade
1 Rift Bolt
1 Aetherflame Wall
1 Chromatic Star
1 Foriysian Totem
1 Prismatic Lens
8 Island
8 Mountain
1 Fungal Reaches
Sideboard:
1 Auratog
1 Bewilder
1 Chronatog Totem
1 Dreadship Reef
2 Eternity Snare
1 Flamecore Elemental
1 Grinning Totem
1 Ironclaw Buzzardiers
1 Locket of Yesterdays
1 Plains [FOIL]
1 Shadow Sliver
1 Strength in Numbers
1 Subterranean Shambler
1 Swamp [FOIL]
1 Tectonic Fiend
1 Temporal Eddy
1 Thallid [FOIL]
2 Truth or Tale
1 Viashino Bladescout
This was a frustrating day. The two decks I drafted (yesterday’s Drafting With Rich) were excellent, and I played three very close matches in which I think I played very well, but lost round 2 twice. I have to give my opponents their credit. They all played very well as far as I could tell.
I was a little scared at some points that I would end up short on playables because it seemed like I was in the wrong colors, but my deck ended up excellent thanks to the two Empty the Warrens. I thought I’d be a little short on things to storm with, but in all the games I had enough to make them very powerful. I wasn’t sure about playing the storage lands because I had a lot of double-Red and double-Blue spells, as well as one-drops in each color, but I really wanted them for the Conflagrates. I asked a couple of pros what they thought, and I got told to play two and zero. I compromised and played one.
I won a very close match in the first round against a Green/Blue deck. I had a really good curve in the first game, but got completely shut down by Penumbra Spider. I was pretty flooded the entire game, which eventually turned out well because of the Conflagrates. He was able to get me to one, but then I drew Empty the Warrens which made six guys to hold him off. We stared at each other for a few turns, while I had Conflagrate in the ‘yard. The turns before I could alpha-strike burn him out he drew Clockwork Hydra, which meant I would die if I attack, and would die to it next turn when he attacked. Oh well. I had a curve of Looter, Askari, Transmuter, Cloudskate for game 2, but he had quite a fast draw of his own, and played Verdant Embrace the turn after I played Cloudskate, and had Thrill of the Hunt to save his guy when I Lighning Axed it. I used that opportunity to make six guys with Empty the Warrens, and win next turn with an alpha-strike and Rift Bolt. Game 3 I kept a one-lander on the draw, which was a bit risky, but it contained all my best cards, including Riftwing Cloudskate and Prismatic Lens. I drew a land turn 1, which let me suspend the skate turn 2, but missed my land drop turn 3 and just played Lens. Turn 4 I drew a land and suspended Rift Bolt, which let me make six guys with Empty on turn 5. He played Clockwork Hydra, but I Lightning Axed it, and he couldn’t handle the goblin tokens.
Game 1 of round 2 was especially frustrating. He had a curve of Amrou Scout, Griffin Guide, suspend Ith and Errant Doomsayers, Opal Guardian, while I was without Blue mana and had to use Rift Bolt and Orcish Cannonade to deal with the Griffin Guide and only take eleven in the process. I eventually drew an island but still couldn’t play creatures because of the Guardian. I just sat there building up mana with my storage land, waiting to go off with Empty the Warrens, or draw some cards with Careful Consideration when I finally draw a second Blue. He kept up some pressure with Jedit’s Dragoons and Ith. Eventually I drew an island and decided to go for it. I Lightning Axed Ith, but he had Momentary Blink. I Eddyed Ith, and he flashbacked the Blink which let me make ten goblins. He tapped a goblin, and attacked with Ith and the Dragoons. I put eight goblins on the Dragoons, and one on Ith, forcing him to tap Ith to save the Dragoons. Which put him into range of double alpha-strike and double Conflagrate. Sadly he drew Ivory Giant to tap the chump blockers I left back and hit me for exactly enough the turn before I was going to win. Game 2 was similarly ridiculous. I made eight goblins on turn 5 by Conflagrating for zero, and he of course playes Teferi’s Moat. Seems fair. Fortunately I drew Stormcloud Djinn, and I was able to remove his blockers while attacking him for five and seven with the Djinn before finishing him with Conflagrate. Game 3 I had a pretty clunky draw which included both Conflagrates. I decided not to burn a Conflagrate to make two extra goblins on turn 5 for two reasons. First, he could have the Moat to make the play terrible, and second, I had lots of mana to make the Conflagrates good. He quickly set up some defenses with double Dream Stalker and D’avenant Healer, while attacking me in the with Flickering Spirit and Zealot il-Vec. Slowly I was able to Conflagrate away his threats, losing my Goblins and going down to eight in the process. Eventually I dealt with the Dream Stalkers by playing Eron and sending him in with just one Red up. He double blocked and I Axed a Dream Stalker. I was forced to trade Eron and one of the Conflagrates in my graveyard for his Flickering Spirit, which had me dead in a couple of turns. He drew Jedit’s Dragoons, but I was able to hold it off with Mogg War Marshall and Forisyian Totem while I attacked with Stormcloud Djinn. Eventually I had to make a decision. I could try to kill him now with Conflagrate, and lose if he has Momentary Blink for the Dragoons, or I can wait, each turn bringing him closer to a potential Blink or Griffin Guide, either of which would win him the game. I decided to go for it, and he had the Blink.
Until tomorrow,
Rich
Draft recording done by Blargware‘s MTGO DraftCap. Support Blargware!