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:
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:
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:
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!