Draft:
Pack 1:
Dark Withering, Viscerid Deepwalker, Ashcoat Bear, Amrou Seekers, Search for Tomorrow, Basal Sliver, Sage of Epityr, Ghitu Firebreathing, Momentary Blink, Greenseeker, Cavalry Master, Fledgling Mawcor, Return to Dust, Moonlace, Void
Pick: Void
Pack 2:
Zealot il-Vec, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Temporal Eddy, Tendrils of Corruption, Mogg War Marshal, Pit Keeper, Sage of Epityr, Divine Congregation, Duskrider Peregrine, Urza’s Factory, Molten Slagheap, Curse of the Cabal, Cockatrice, Screeching Sliver
Pick: Tendrils of Corruption
Pack 3:
Think Twice, Ashcoat Bear, Urborg Syphon-Mage, Cloudchaser Kestrel, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Jhoira’s Timebug, Jedit’s Dragoons, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Wipe Away, Fallen Ideal, Wheel of Fate, Wildfire Emissary
Pick: Wildfire Emissary
Pack 4:
Fortify, Flamecore Elemental, Mana Skimmer, Ophidian Eye, Molder, Children of Korlis, Viscid Lemures, Ground Rift, Skittering Monstrosity, Spirit Loop, Dreadship Reef, Dauthi Slayer
Pick: Dauthi Slayer
Pack 5:
Nantuko Shaman, Coral Trickster, Benalish Cavalry, Feebleness, Dream Stalker, Venser’s Sliver, Clockspinning, Pendelhaven Elder, Tectonic Fiend, Premature Burial, Zhalfirin Commander
Pick: Premature Burial
Pack 6:
Terramorphic Expanse, Snapback, Pentarch Ward, Flickering Spirit, Call to the Netherworld, Drifter il-Dal, Havenwood Wurm, Might of Old Krosa, Krosan Grip, Fungus Sliver
Pick: Terramorphic Expanse
Pack 7:
Gorgon Recluse, Scarwood Treefolk, Orcish Cannonade, Two-Headed Sliver, Prismatic Lens, Clockspinning, Sidewinder Sliver, Smallpox, Icatian Javelineers
Pick: Prismatic Lens
Pack 8:
Mindstab, Slipstream Serpent, Bogardan Rager, Sangrophage, D’Avenant Healer, Wormwood Dryad, Pull from Eternity, Lord of Atlantis
Pick: Mindstab
Pack 9:
Ashcoat Bear, Basal Sliver, Sage of Epityr, Ghitu Firebreathing, Cavalry Master, Return to Dust, Moonlace
Pick: Cavalry Master
Pack 10:
Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Sage of Epityr, Divine Congregation, Molten Slagheap, Curse of the Cabal, Screeching Sliver
Pick: Molten Slagheap
Pack 11:
Jhoira’s Timebug, Jedit’s Dragoons, Ancient Grudge, Fallen Ideal, Wheel of Fate
Pick: Jedit’s Dragoons
Pack 12:
Children of Korlis, Viscid Lemures, Ground Rift, Spirit Loop
Pick: Viscid Lemures
Pack 13:
Venser’s Sliver, Clockspinning, Tectonic Fiend
Pick: Tectonic Fiend
Pack 14:
Pick: Pentarch Ward
Pack 15:
Pick: Clockspinning
Pack 16:
Dreamscape Artist, Dead / Gone, Ridged Kusite, Erratic Mutation, Wistful Thinking, Keldon Marauders, Dash Hopes, Skirk Shaman, Essence Warden, Merfolk Thaumaturgist, Cautery Sliver, Mantle of Leadership, Pyrohemia, Teneb, the Harvester, Simian Spirit Guide
Pick: Pyrohemia
Pack 17:
Dead / Gone, Reflex Sliver, Poultice Sliver, Spitting Sliver, Veiling Oddity, Evolution Charm, Shade of Trokair, Fury Charm, Seal of Primordium, Vampiric Link, Muck Drubb, Lavacore Elemental, Harmonize, Fungal Behemoth
Pick: Dead / Gone
Pack 18:
Synchronous Sliver, Giant Dustwasp, Dawn Charm, Vitaspore Thallid, Deadly Grub, Firefright Mage, Gossamer Phantasm, Prodigal Pyromancer, Seal of Primordium, Kavu Predator, Necrotic Sliver, Mesa Enchantress, Reality Acid
Pick: Prodigal Pyromancer
Pack 19:
Utopia Vow, Spitting Sliver, Reality Acid, Deadly Grub, Citanul Woodreaders, Brain Gorgers, Keldon Marauders, Piracy Charm, Seal of Primordium, Sophic Centaur, Hedge Troll, Oros, the Avenger
Pick: Oros, the Avenger
Pack 20:
Erratic Mutation, Midnight Charm, Needlepeak Spider, Ghost Tactician, Fury Charm, Evolution Charm, Mana Tithe, Brute Force, Venarian Glimmer, Dunerider Outlaw, Braids, Conjurer Adept
Pick: Brute Force
Pack 21:
Battering Sliver, Reflex Sliver, Whitemane Lion, Vitaspore Thallid, Brain Gorgers, Fury Charm, Wistful Thinking, Vampiric Link, Brute Force, Waning Wurm
Pick: Brute Force
Pack 22:
Midnight Charm, Synchronous Sliver, Needlepeak Spider, Mire Boa, Firefright Mage, Fa’adiyah Seer, Revered Dead, Kavu Predator, Temporal Extortion
Pick: Mire Boa
Pack 23:
Cradle to Grave, Uktabi Drake, Deadly Grub, Dust Corona, Reality Acid, Merfolk Thaumaturgist, Brute Force, Timebender
Pick: Cradle to Grave
Pack 24:
Wistful Thinking, Keldon Marauders, Dash Hopes, Essence Warden, Merfolk Thaumaturgist, Mantle of Leadership, Simian Spirit Guide
Pick: Simian Spirit Guide
Pack 25:
Reflex Sliver, Spitting Sliver, Fury Charm, Seal of Primordium, Vampiric Link, Lavacore Elemental
Pick: Spitting Sliver
Pack 26:
Synchronous Sliver, Deadly Grub, Firefright Mage, Seal of Primordium, Kavu Predator
Pick: Kavu Predator
Pack 27:
Reality Acid, Deadly Grub, Keldon Marauders, Sophic Centaur
Pick: Deadly Grub
Pack 28:
Ghost Tactician, Fury Charm, Braids, Conjurer Adept
Pick: Braids, Conjurer Adept
Pack 29:
Pick: Waning Wurm
Pack 30:
Pick: Firefright Mage
Pack 31:
Gathan Raiders, Llanowar Augur, Augur of Skulls, Sprout Swarm, Samite Censer-Bearer, Aven Augur, Vedalken Aethermage, Virulent Sliver, Frenzy Sliver, Ghostfire, Fomori Nomad, Even the Odds, Reality Strobe, Pooling Venom, Sliver Legion
Pick: Gathan Raiders
Pack 32:
Leaden Fists, Gift of Granite, Augur of Skulls, Lost Hours, Fatal Attraction, Petrified Plating, Death Rattle, Homing Sliver, Edge of Autumn, Lymph Sliver, Even the Odds, Mystic Speculation, Stronghold Rats, Gibbering Descent
Pick: Death Rattle
Pack 33:
Grave Peril, Kavu Primarch, Foresee, Emberwilde Augur, Thornweald Archer, Flowstone Embrace, Frenzy Sliver, Mesmeric Sliver, Patrician’s Scorn, Sarcomite Myr, Llanowar Mentor, Spirit en-Dal, Magus of the Abyss
Pick: Magus of the Abyss
Pack 34:
Samite Censer-Bearer, Putrid Cyclops, Rift Elemental, Llanowar Empath, Lymph Sliver, Homing Sliver, Grave Scrabbler, Lumithread Field, Lost Auramancers, Delay, Skirk Ridge Exhumer, Barren Glory
Pick: Skirk Ridge Exhumer
Pack 35:
Unblinking Bleb, Lost Hours, Wrap in Vigor, Knight of Sursi, Mesmeric Sliver, Flowstone Embrace, Nessian Courser, Blade of the Sixth Pride, Sarcomite Myr, Sparkspitter, Sword of the Meek
Pick: Flowstone Embrace
Pack 36:
Oblivion Crown, Saltskitter, Cutthroat il-Dal, Grinning Ignus, Deepcavern Imp, Logic Knot, Lucent Liminid, Sparkspitter, Riftsweeper, Force of Savagery
Pick: Deepcavern Imp
Pack 37:
Putrid Cyclops, Augur il-Vec, Petrified Plating, Bogardan Lancer, Venser’s Diffusion, Henchfiend of Ukor, Thornweald Archer, Blind Phantasm, Pooling Venom
Pick: Henchfiend of Ukor
Pack 38:
Bogardan Lancer, Wrap in Vigor, Patrician’s Scorn, Henchfiend of Ukor, Tolaria West, Ravaging Riftwurm, Veilstone Amulet, Chronomantic Escape
Pick: Henchfiend of Ukor
Pack 39:
Llanowar Augur, Samite Censer-Bearer, Vedalken Aethermage, Virulent Sliver, Frenzy Sliver, Even the Odds, Pooling Venom
Pick: Even the Odds
Pack 40:
Gift of Granite, Augur of Skulls, Lost Hours, Petrified Plating, Lymph Sliver, Mystic Speculation
Pick: Augur of Skulls
Pack 41:
Emberwilde Augur, Frenzy Sliver, Mesmeric Sliver, Patrician’s Scorn, Sarcomite Myr
Pick: Emberwilde Augur
Pack 42:
Samite Censer-Bearer, Lymph Sliver, Lost Auramancers, Barren Glory
Pick: Lymph Sliver
Pack 43:
Lost Hours, Mesmeric Sliver, Sparkspitter
Pick: Sparkspitter
Pack 44:
Pick: Saltskitter
Pack 45:
Pick: Pooling Venom
Final Decklist:
Maindeck:
1 Dauthi Slayer
1 Augur of Skulls
1 Cradle to Grave
1 Death Rattle
1 Magus of the Abyss
1 Mindstab
1 Premature Burial
1 Skirk Ridge Exhumer
1 Tendrils of Corruption
1 Wildfire Emissary
1 Brute Force
1 Flowstone Embrace
1 Gathan Raiders
2 Henchfiend of Ukor
1 Prodigal Pyromancer
1 Pyrohemia
1 Sparkspitter
1 Tectonic Fiend
1 Prismatic Lens
1 Void
1 Dead // Gone
1 Oros, the Avenger
8 Mountain
1 Plains
7 Swamp
1 Terramorphic Expanse
Sideboard:
1 Braids, Conjurer Adept
1 Brute Force
1 Cavalry Master
1 Clockspinning
1 Deadly Grub
1 Deepcavern Imp
1 Emberwilde Augur
1 Even the Odds
1 Firefright Mage
1 Jedit’s Dragoons
1 Kavu Predator
1 Lymph Sliver
1 Mire Boa
1 Molten Slagheap
1 Pentarch Ward
1 Pooling Venom
1 Saltskitter
1 Simian Spirit Guide [FOIL]
1 Spitting Sliver
1 Swamp
1 Viscid Lemures
1 Waning Wurm
I generally don’t like to commit to two colors with my first pick, but Void is a special case because it is so easily splashed in the Green/Red decks that I like so much. Fortunately I didn’t have to splash it this time, as the Black and Red were both coming. Pack 2 started off well with Pyrohemia, and then I got exactly the card I was looking for in Oros, since I’d randomly picked up two mana fixers in the first pack. I generally don’t like the Planar Chaos dragons all that much. In fact I’ve even had Oros in the sideboard of a Black/Red deck before, because I had no fixing and I felt my deck was too good to mess with the mana. Going into pack 3, my deck was looking pretty good, but I was lacking creatures. Fortunatley two late Henchfiends of Ukor helped to solve that problem. Henchfiend is becoming the reason to play Black/Red in my eyes. He’s just so good. He messes with the mana curve a lot, but he’s definitely worth the sacrifice. I like to play a Fury Charm when I have two of them, to absolutely wreck someone when they block with a 2/2 in the late game.
Round 1 I played against a solid Green/Blue deck. I won the first game with Pyrohemia. The second game was looking good until he Took Possession of my Magus of the Abyss, while I had a Skirk Ridge Exhumer to fuel it. I was still looking good, with a bunch of guys to his single 3/3 flyer, and both of us at eight, but he had Stonewood Invocation to hit for exactly lethal. Game 3 I drew four spells, one of which was Prismatic Lens, and nine land. Good thing one of those spells was Oros, and he couldn’t find the Take Possession.
Round 2 I played against a quick Red/Blue deck. In the first game he suspended Infiltrator il-Kor turn 2, and played Gossamer Phantasm turn 3. I simply played Pyrohemia turn 4 and the game wasn’t close. Game 2 I got stuck on lands for a while, but I was able to hold him off until I could play Oros. He got to Riddle of Lightning me while I was on four, but he missed, and Oros killed him next turn.
My opponent didn’t want to split the finals so we battled. In the first game we got into a bit of a creature stall, so I Voided him for two, to kill three of his men. It also happened to hit a Molten Disaster that he’d been setting up. A couple of turns later I drew Pyrohemia, and that was that. Next game I played Pyrohemia early…
Despite winning nearly every game this draft thanks to the card, I really wish Pyrohemia didn’t exist. It’s far too powerful, and turns games of Magic into jokes.
Until Monday,
Rich
Draft recording done by Blargware‘s MTGO DraftCap. Support Blargware!