fbpx

Drafting With Rich – Time Spiral #5

After a short hiatus, Rich Hoaen returns to continue his daily article series! Each day, the grumpy Canadian draft master takes us through a Magic Online draft, from pick 1 to pick 45, and shares his insight into the cards, the deck, and the games themselves. For more detailed analysis, Rich answers your questions in the forums!


Draft:

Pack 1:










Crookclaw Transmuter, Strength in Numbers, Zealot il-Vec, Urborg Syphon-Mage, Snapback, Brass Gnat, Savage Thallid, Screeching Sliver, Momentary Blink, Ancient Grudge, Cavalry Master, Scryb Ranger, Haunting Hymn, Trickbind, Funeral Charm

Pick: Cavalry Master

Pack 2:










Amrou Seekers, Temporal Eddy, Mogg War Marshal, Terramorphic Expanse, Drudge Reavers, Call to the Netherworld, Cyclopean Giant, Brass Gnat, Savage Thallid, Faceless Devourer, Basalt Gargoyle, Haunting Hymn, Reiterate, *

Pick: Amrou Seekers

Pack 3:










Slipstream Serpent, Gaze of Justice, Strangling Soot, Fathom Seer, Flamecore Elemental, Watcher Sliver, Blazing Blade Askari, Glass Asp, Traitor’s Clutch, Plunder, Plated Pegasus, Molten Slagheap, Premature Burial

Pick: Strangling Soot

Pack 4:







Gemhide Sliver, Mindstab, Gaze of Justice, Coal Stoker, Sidewinder Sliver, Viscid Lemures, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Two-Headed Sliver, Chronatog Totem, Durkwood Tracker, Sudden Shock, Opal Guardian

Pick: Opal Guardian

Pack 5:







Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Temporal Eddy, Mogg War Marshal, Ghitu Firebreathing, Bewilder, Detainment Spell, Psychotic Episode, Weatherseed Totem, Careful Consideration, Evil Eye of Urborg, Deep-Sea Kraken

Pick: Careful Consideration

Pack 6:







Ashcoat Bear, Amrou Seekers, Search for Tomorrow, Corpulent Corpse, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Flickering Spirit, Call to the Netherworld, Drifter il-Dal, Harmonic Sliver

Pick: Amrou Seekers

Pack 7:







Keldon Halberdier, Mana Skimmer, Chromatic Star, Thrill of the Hunt, Shadow Sliver, Bogardan Rager, Traitor’s Clutch, Fury Sliver, Harmonic Sliver

Pick: Chromatic Star

Pack 8:




Orcish Cannonade, Viscid Lemures, Ground Rift, Dream Stalker, Wormwood Dryad, Venser’s Sliver, Firewake Sliver, Spined Sliver

Pick: Dream Stalker

Pack 9:




Strength in Numbers, Brass Gnat, Savage Thallid, Screeching Sliver, Ancient Grudge, Haunting Hymn, Trickbind

Pick: Haunting Hymn

Pack 10:




Mogg War Marshal, Drudge Reavers, Call to the Netherworld, Brass Gnat, Savage Thallid, Reiterate

Pick: Drudge Reavers

Pack 11:




Gaze of Justice, Glass Asp, Traitor’s Clutch, Plunder, Plated Pegasus

Pick: Plated Pegasus

Pack 12:

Gaze of Justice, Sidewinder Sliver, Viscid Lemures, Two-Headed Sliver

Pick: Viscid Lemures

Pack 13:

Ghitu Firebreathing, Detainment Spell, Psychotic Episode

Pick: Psychotic Episode

Pack 14:

Ancient Grudge, Drifter il-Dal

Pick: Drifter il-Dal

Pack 15:

Traitor’s Clutch

Pick: Traitor’s Clutch

Pack 16:










Fathom Seer, Chromatic Star, Looter il-Kor, Gorgon Recluse, Herd Gnarr, Fortify, Clockspinning, Bogardan Rager, Sangrophage, Tectonic Fiend, Return to Dust, Might of Old Krosa, Sengir Nosferatu, Orgg, Traitor’s Clutch

Pick: Sengir Nosferatu

Pack 17:










Spinneret Sliver, Keldon Halberdier, Ivory Giant, Grapeshot, Mindstab, Ground Rift, Eternity Snare, Skulking Knight, Sidewinder Sliver, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Brine Elemental, Assembly-Worker, Careful Consideration, Pandemonium

Pick: Mindstab

Pack 18:










Coral Trickster, Ivory Giant, Deathspore Thallid, Blazing Blade Askari, Shadow Sliver, Ophidian Eye, Watcher Sliver, Thrill of the Hunt, Saltcrusted Steppe, Fool’s Demise, Sulfurous Blast, Ancestral Vision, Squire

Pick: Sulfurous Blast

Pack 19:







Empty the Warrens, Strength in Numbers, Errant Doomsayers, Screeching Sliver, Momentary Blink, Ancient Grudge, Greenseeker, Foriysian Interceptor, Ghostflame Sliver, Firewake Sliver, Mishra, Artificer Prodigy, *

Pick: Ghostflame Sliver

Pack 20:







Think Twice, Ashcoat Bear, Cloudchaser Kestrel, Thallid Germinator, Sprout, Pit Keeper, Sage of Epityr, Divine Congregation, Cavalry Master, Vampiric Sliver, Dementia Sliver

Pick: Vampiric Sliver

Pack 21:







Aether Web, Drudge Reavers, Cancel, Greenseeker, Foriysian Interceptor, Basal Sliver, Drifter il-Dal, Wipe Away, Spell Burst, Mountain

Pick: Basal Sliver

Pack 22:







Cancel, Bonesplitter Sliver, Think Twice, Havenwood Wurm, Basal Sliver, Ghitu Firebreathing, Durkwood Tracker, Magus of the Candelabra, Feldon’s Cane

Pick: Bonesplitter Sliver

Pack 23:




Mindstab, Traitor’s Clutch, Plunder, Eternity Snare, Molder, Yavimaya Dryad, Plated Pegasus, Phantom Wurm

Pick: Mindstab

Pack 24:




Chromatic Star, Fortify, Clockspinning, Bogardan Rager, Sangrophage, Return to Dust, Traitor’s Clutch

Pick: Chromatic Star

Pack 25:




Ground Rift, Eternity Snare, Skulking Knight, Sidewinder Sliver, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Assembly-Worker

Pick: Skulking Knight

Pack 26:




Shadow Sliver, Ophidian Eye, Saltcrusted Steppe, Fool’s Demise, Squire

Pick: Squire

Pack 27:

Screeching Sliver, Ancient Grudge, Foriysian Interceptor, *

Pick: *

Pack 28:

Sprout, Divine Congregation, Dementia Sliver

Pick: Dementia Sliver

Pack 29:

Foriysian Interceptor, Drifter il-Dal

Pick: Drifter il-Dal

Pack 30:

Ghitu Firebreathing

Pick: Ghitu Firebreathing

Pack 31:










Castle Raptors, Gorgon Recluse, Spiketail Drakeling, Scarwood Treefolk, Orcish Cannonade, Venser’s Sliver, Children of Korlis, Sangrophage, Viashino Bladescout, Mystical Teachings, Paradise Plume, Paradox Haze, Dreadship Reef, Spectral Force, Merieke Ri Berit

Pick: Orcish Cannonade

Pack 32:










Penumbra Spider, Errant Doomsayers, Rift Bolt, Aether Web, Assassinate, Foriysian Interceptor, Aetherflame Wall, Detainment Spell, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Bewilder, Tromp the Domains, Urza’s Factory, Paradox Haze, Merfolk Assassin

Pick: Rift Bolt

Pack 33:










Terramorphic Expanse, Snapback, Rift Bolt, Pentarch Ward, Bonesplitter Sliver, Dark Withering, Mindlash Sliver, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Jhoira’s Timebug, Jedit’s Dragoons, Outrider en-Kor, Ignite Memories, Stupor

Pick: Rift Bolt

Pack 34:







Slipstream Serpent, Nantuko Shaman, Scarwood Treefolk, Viashino Bladescout, Ophidian Eye, Molder, Children of Korlis, Barbed Shocker, Return to Dust, Sulfurous Blast, Sindbad, Cancel

Pick: Sulfurous Blast

Pack 35:







Flowstone Channeler, Herd Gnarr, Trespasser il-Vec, Scarwood Treefolk, Plunder, Skulking Knight, Brass Gnat, Dream Stalker, Skittering Monstrosity, Volcanic Awakening, Kher Keep

Pick: Trespasser il-Vec

Pack 36:







Tolarian Sentinel, Orcish Cannonade, Wormwood Dryad, Mystical Teachings, Two-Headed Sliver, Prismatic Lens, Clockspinning, Fungal Reaches, Stormcloud Djinn, Thunder Totem

Pick: Orcish Cannonade

Pack 37:







Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Search for Tomorrow, Icatian Crier, Dark Withering, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Bewilder, Call to the Netherworld, Cyclopean Giant, Krosan Grip

Pick: Dark Withering

Pack 38:




Pentarch Ward, Havenwood Wurm, Chameleon Blur, Flickering Spirit, Urza’s Factory, Locket of Yesterdays, Academy Ruins, Darkness

Pick: Urza’s Factory

Pack 39:




Scarwood Treefolk, Sangrophage, Viashino Bladescout, Mystical Teachings, Paradise Plume, Paradox Haze, Dreadship Reef

Pick: Viashino Bladescout

Pack 40:




Aether Web, Aetherflame Wall, Detainment Spell, Bewilder, Paradox Haze, Merfolk Assassin

Pick: Aetherflame Wall

Pack 41:




Pentarch Ward, Bonesplitter Sliver, Jhoira’s Timebug, Jedit’s Dragoons, Ignite Memories

Pick: Bonesplitter Sliver

Pack 42:

Molder, Children of Korlis, Barbed Shocker, Return to Dust

Pick: Barbed Shocker

Pack 43:

Plunder, Brass Gnat, Volcanic Awakening

Pick: Volcanic Awakening

Pack 44:

Two-Headed Sliver, Clockspinning

Pick: Two-Headed Sliver

Pack 45:

Call to the Netherworld

Pick: Call to the Netherworld

Final Decklist:

Maindeck:

1 Basal Sliver
1 Dark Withering
1 Drudge Reavers
2 Mindstab
1 Sengir Nosferatu
1 Skulking Knight
1 Strangling Soot
1 Trespasser il-Vec
1 Vampiric Sliver
2 Bonesplitter Sliver
2 Orcish Cannonade
2 Rift Bolt
2 Sulfurous Blast
1 Two-Headed Sliver
1 Viashino Bladescout
2 Chromatic Star
1 Ghostflame Sliver
8 Mountain
8 Swamp
1 Urza’s Factory

Sideboard:

1 Aetherflame Wall
2 Amrou Seekers
1 Barbed Shocker
1 Call to the Netherworld
1 Careful Consideration
1 Cavalry Master
1 Dementia Sliver
1 Dream Stalker
2 Drifter il-Dal
1 Ghitu Firebreathing
1 Haunting Hymn
1 Kobold Taskmaster
1 Opal Guardian
1 Plated Pegasus
1 Psychotic Episode
1 Squire
1 Traitor’s Clutch
1 Viscid Lemures
1 Volcanic Awakening


This draft was interesting because it took me so long to figure out my colors. At the end of pack 1 I was pretty sure I’d be playing White, but was uncertain about my other color, all the while thinking I should be in Black/Red. I then opened Sengir Nosferatu which locked me into Black. Then the third pick Sulfurous Blast was too good to pass up. Not only is it the best non-rare/Timeshifted card in the set, it’s also a very strong signal that Red is open on both sides. Now that I’d solidifed my colors I simply took the best Black or Red card available and ended up with a surprisingly strong deck considering how late I switched colors.


I won an easy first round by blowing him out with Sulfurous Blast repeatedly. In the second round I played former Player of the Year, and my teammate for Grand Prix: Amsterdam, Kenji Tsumura. I won a very close game 1 by getting an early lead in the damage race and then burning him out with two Rift Bolts and a Sulfurous Blast which put me to one life. In the second and third games however Kenji’s two Spectral Forces decided to show up, and I couldn’t find my Dark Withering to deal with either of them.


Until tomorrow,


Rich

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