Draft:
Pack 1:
Gaze of Justice, Coal Stoker, Durkwood Baloth, Coral Trickster, Ivory Giant, Wormwood Dryad, Mystical Teachings, Two-Headed Sliver, Prismatic Lens, Clockspinning, Firewake Sliver, Fury Sliver, Sudden Death, Stronghold Overseer, Avalanche Riders
Pick: Stronghold Overseer
Pack 2:
Benalish Cavalry, Orcish Cannonade, Gemhide Sliver, Mindstab, Clockspinning, Bogardan Rager, Sangrophage, D’Avenant Healer, Haunting Hymn, Paradise Plume, Phthisis, Chronosavant, Jasmine Boreal, Sudden Death
Pick: Sudden Death
Pack 3:
Zealot il-Vec, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Temporal Eddy, Lightning Axe, Jedit’s Dragoons, Sprout, Foriysian Interceptor, Aetherflame Wall, Detainment Spell, Duskrider Peregrine, Skittering Monstrosity, Lim-Dul the Necromancer, Hail Storm
Pick: Lightning Axe
Pack 4:
Snapback, Aether Web, Cloudchaser Kestrel, Drudge Reavers, Greenseeker, Pit Keeper, Divine Congregation, Jhoira’s Timebug, Chameleon Blur, Knight of the Holy Nimbus, Paradox Haze, Witch Hunter
Pick: Snapback
Pack 5:
Deathspore Thallid, Flowstone Channeler, Herd Gnarr, Sidewinder Sliver, Viscid Lemures, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Two-Headed Sliver, Pull from Eternity, Aspect of Mongoose, Scryb Ranger, Pirate Ship
Pick: Pirate Ship
Pack 6:
Goblin Skycutter, Strength in Numbers, Basal Sliver, Sage of Epityr, Ghitu Firebreathing, Wipe Away, Basalt Gargoyle, Plated Pegasus, Dralnu, Lich Lord, Flying Men
Pick: Dralnu, Lich Lord
Pack 7:
Fortify, Viscid Lemures, Ground Rift, Dream Stalker, Wormwood Dryad, Venser’s Sliver, Paradox Haze, Yavimaya Dryad, Opaline Sliver
Pick: Dream Stalker
Pack 8:
Thallid Germinator, Subterranean Shambler, Cyclopean Giant, Screeching Sliver, Psychotic Episode, Cavalry Master, Harmonic Sliver, Avoid Fate
Pick: Subterranean Shambler
Pack 9:
Gaze of Justice, Coral Trickster, Wormwood Dryad, Mystical Teachings, Two-Headed Sliver, Clockspinning, Fury Sliver
Pick: Coral Trickster
Pack 10:
Clockspinning, Bogardan Rager, D’Avenant Healer, Haunting Hymn, Paradise Plume, Jasmine Boreal
Pick: Haunting Hymn
Pack 11:
Temporal Eddy, Sprout, Foriysian Interceptor, Detainment Spell, Skittering Monstrosity
Pick: Skittering Monstrosity
Pack 12:
Aether Web, Divine Congregation, Chameleon Blur, Paradox Haze
Pick: Paradox Haze
Pack 13:
Sidewinder Sliver, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Aspect of Mongoose
Pick: Aspect of Mongoose
Pack 14:
Sage of Epityr, Plated Pegasus
Pick: Sage of Epityr
Pack 15:
Pick: Ground Rift
Pack 16:
Dawn Charm, Shaper Parasite, Cradle to Grave, Giant Dustwasp, Stingscourger, Evolution Charm, Deadly Grub, Rathi Trapper, Healing Leaves, Mana Tithe, Waning Wurm, Sulfur Elemental, Mesa Enchantress, Magus of the Bazaar, Ridged Kusite
Pick: Shaper Parasite
Pack 17:
Veiling Oddity, Ridged Kusite, Saltfield Recluse, Needlepeak Spider, Poultice Sliver, Vitaspore Thallid, Deadly Grub, Aquamorph Entity, Rathi Trapper, Piracy Charm, Skirk Shaman, Shivan Meteor, Sophic Centaur, Kor Dirge
Pick: Rathi Trapper
Pack 18:
Battering Sliver, Whitemane Lion, Mire Boa, Utopia Vow, Evolution Charm, Fury Charm, Skirk Shaman, Mana Tithe, Vampiric Link, Venarian Glimmer, Phantasmagorian, Mycologist, Wild Pair
Pick: Wild Pair
Pack 19:
Battering Sliver, Erratic Mutation, Cradle to Grave, Wistful Thinking, Dash Hopes, Reality Acid, Primal Plasma, Revered Dead, Melancholy, Lavacore Elemental, Reckless Wurm, Temporal Extortion
Pick: Erratic Mutation
Pack 20:
Dreamscape Artist, Ridged Kusite, Firefright Mage, Fury Charm, Revered Dead, Seal of Primordium, Bog Serpent, Pongify, Hedge Troll, Magus of the Coffers, Heroes Remembered
Pick: Dreamscape Artist
Pack 21:
Synchronous Sliver, Citanul Woodreaders, Brain Gorgers, Keldon Marauders, Ghost Tactician, Melancholy, Simian Spirit Guide, Fa’adiyah Seer, Mantle of Leadership, Frozen Aether
Pick: Melancholy
Pack 22:
Reflex Sliver, Pallid Mycoderm, Keldon Marauders, Dust Corona, Vampiric Link, Essence Warden, Simian Spirit Guide, Dismal Failure, Tidewalker
Pick: Dismal Failure
Pack 23:
Veiling Oddity, Midnight Charm, Deadly Grub, Dust Corona, Reality Acid, Gossamer Phantasm, Primal Plasma, Darkheart Sliver
Pick: Primal Plasma
Pack 24:
Dawn Charm, Deadly Grub, Mana Tithe, Waning Wurm, Mesa Enchantress, Magus of the Bazaar, Ridged Kusite
Pick: Magus of the Bazaar
Pack 25:
Ridged Kusite, Needlepeak Spider, Vitaspore Thallid, Deadly Grub, Piracy Charm, Sophic Centaur
Pick: Piracy Charm
Pack 26:
Fury Charm, Vampiric Link, Venarian Glimmer, Phantasmagorian, Mycologist
Pick: Phantasmagorian
Pack 27:
Wistful Thinking, Dash Hopes, Reality Acid, Lavacore Elemental
Pick: Reality Acid
Pack 28:
Ridged Kusite, Firefright Mage, Seal of Primordium
Pick: Ridged Kusite
Pack 29:
Ghost Tactician, Fa’adiyah Seer
Pick: Fa’adiyah Seer
Pack 30:
Pick: Dust Corona
Pack 31:
Llanowar Augur, Augur of Skulls, Sprout Swarm, Samite Censer-Bearer, Aven Augur, Ichor Slick, Grave Scrabbler, Henchfiend of Ukor, Whip-Spine Drake, Lymph Sliver, Homing Sliver, Chronomantic Escape, Delay, Festering March, Scout’s Warning
Pick: Ichor Slick
Pack 32:
Marshaling Cry, Kavu Primarch, Emberwilde Augur, Putrid Cyclops, Death Rattle, Blind Phantasm, Lumithread Field, Grinning Ignus, Edge of Autumn, Yixlid Jailer, Boldwyr Intimidator, Centaur Omenreader, Heartwood Storyteller, Dakmor Salvage
Pick: Death Rattle
Pack 33:
Bogardan Lancer, Knight of Sursi, Grave Peril, Wrap in Vigor, Samite Censer-Bearer, Sporoloth Ancient, Grave Scrabbler, Lumithread Field, Mesmeric Sliver, Flowstone Embrace, Soultether Golem, Haze of Rage, Riftsweeper
Pick: Flowstone Embrace
Pack 34:
Infiltrator il-Kor, Putrid Cyclops, Rift Elemental, Llanowar Empath, Unblinking Bleb, Blade of the Sixth Pride, Sarcomite Myr, Death Rattle, Homing Sliver, Spirit en-Dal, Mystic Speculation, Minions’ Murmurs
Pick: Infiltrator il-Kor
Pack 35:
Quiet Disrepair, Foresee, Rift Elemental, Augur il-Vec, Llanowar Empath, Grave Peril, Mesmeric Sliver, Patrician’s Scorn, Sarcomite Myr, Henchfiend of Ukor, Narcomoeba
Pick: Foresee
Pack 36:
Saltskitter, Infiltrator il-Kor, Cutthroat il-Dal, Frenzy Sliver, Fomori Nomad, Patrician’s Scorn, Logic Knot, Snake Cult Initiation, Skizzik Surger, Grave Peril
Pick: Infiltrator il-Kor
Pack 37:
Augur il-Vec, Petrified Plating, Bogardan Lancer, Venser’s Diffusion, Fomori Nomad, Logic Knot, Vedalken Aethermage, Virulent Sliver, Dryad Arbor
Pick: Fomori Nomad
Pack 38:
Emberwilde Augur, Cutthroat il-Dal, Gift of Granite, Mass of Ghouls, Flowstone Embrace, Frenzy Sliver, Emblem of the Warmind, Gibbering Descent
Pick: Mass of Ghouls
Pack 39:
Llanowar Augur, Augur of Skulls, Samite Censer-Bearer, Homing Sliver, Chronomantic Escape, Delay, Festering March
Pick: Augur of Skulls
Pack 40:
Marshaling Cry, Blind Phantasm, Grinning Ignus, Yixlid Jailer, Heartwood Storyteller, Dakmor Salvage
Pick: Blind Phantasm
Pack 41:
Bogardan Lancer, Wrap in Vigor, Samite Censer-Bearer, Mesmeric Sliver, Soultether Golem
Pick: Mesmeric Sliver
Pack 42:
Rift Elemental, Unblinking Bleb, Sarcomite Myr, Mystic Speculation
Pick: Unblinking Bleb
Pack 43:
Grave Peril, Mesmeric Sliver, Sarcomite Myr
Pick: Sarcomite Myr
Pack 44:
*, *
Pick: *
Pack 45:
*
Pick: *
Final Decklist:
Maindeck:
1 Piracy Charm
1 Augur of Skulls
1 Coral Trickster
1 Dreamscape Artist
1 Dream Stalker
1 Rathi Trapper
1 Snapback
1 Blind Phantasm
1 Erratic Mutation
1 Ichor Slick
1 Shaper Parasite
1 Sudden Death [FOIL]
1 Dismal Failure
1 Foresee
1 Primal Plasma
1 Pirate Ship
1 Dralnu, Lich Lord
2 Infiltrator il-Kor
1 Death Rattle
1 Haunting Hymn
1 Stronghold Overseer
9 Island
9 Swamp
Sideboard:
1 Aspect of Mongoose
1 Dust Corona
1 Fa’adiyah Seer
1 Flowstone Embrace
1 Fomori Nomad
1 Ground Rift
1 Lightning Axe
1 Magus of the Bazaar
1 Mass of Ghouls
1 Melancholy
1 Mesmeric Sliver
1 Paradox Haze
1 Patrician’s Scorn
1 Phantasmagorian
1 Reality Acid
1 Ridged Kusite
1 Sage of Epityr
1 Sarcomite Myr
1 Skittering Monstrosity
1 Subterranean Shambler
1 Unblinking Bleb
1 Virulent Sliver
1 Wild Pair
Stronghold Overseer is really good, but I wasn’t too happy at the beginning of this draft because I had to pass Sudden Death and Phthisis, which meant that the person behind me would most likely be in Black despite any attempts I might make to cut off the color. Third pick Lightning Axe is usually an indication that Red is open, but apparently not in this case. Fortunately I moved into Blue just in time to get one of my favorite cards, that I very rarely get to play: Dralnu. When he’s good, he’s an absolute bomb, but it’s so rare that I actually get to play him. In fact I think I’ve had him in my decks fewer than five times total. I took the Dreamscape Artist over Magus of the Coffers because I knew my mana was going to be ugly, especially if I have to splash the Red, and the Magus is fairly replaceable, with the existence of Mass of Ghouls. I got rescued again in the third pack with very late Infiltrator Il-Kors, which gave my deck the offense it desperately needed.
Round 1 I played against a good White/Green deck. He got an early Imperiosaur which I took ten from before trading Coral Trickster and Blind Phantasm with it [erm… how? – Craig, confused]. We were both a bit flooded after that, but I had Dreamscape Artist going so I drew spells every turn, and eventually got Dralnu going, which beat the card advantage provided by his Deadwood Treefolk. Game 2 I mulliganed into a pretty bad hand. I think I made a mistake in using the only removal spell I drew on his Thornweald Archer on turn 3, hoping that I could race his draw with my Infiltrator Il-Kor. He had Witch Hunter which I then couldn’t kill, and it left me in no position to race, even though his hand wasn’t very fast. Before I could do much he got to the point where he was casting a six drop and using Witch Hunter to return a creature every turn, at that point the game was over. Game 3 I had Infiltrator on turn 2, and Shaper Parasite on turn 3. I killed his first three creatures, and since he had no removal for the Infiltrator he died very quickly.
Round 2 I played against a Blue/White/Red deck, in which I couldn’t figure out which colour was the splash. In the first game we both got a bit flooded, but he had Bonded Fetch going. Before too long I drew Stronghold Overseer, and he had no answer so it killed him in two turns. Next game he got flooded early, but then got two Fetches into play, and used them both every turn, discarding mediocre creatures while he died to my Infiltrator. Eventually he played Numot, but he died to the Infiltrator before it became relevant.
I split the finals again.
Until tomorrow,
Rich
Draft recording done by Blargware‘s MTGO DraftCap. Support Blargware!