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Drafting With Rich – TPF #21

Draft With Rich Hoaen every day... at StarCityGames.com!
You all know the drill by now… Rich Hoaen, Canada’s finest and grumpiest draft export, takes us by the hand and drags us through the rollercoaster ride of an 8-4 TPF Draft on Magic Online. From pick 1 to pick 45, Rich shares them all, and his final deck and draft performance are analyzed in the article, the forums, and beyond. Come join in the fun!


Draft:

Pack 1:










Think Twice, Ashcoat Bear, Urborg Syphon-Mage, Cloudchaser Kestrel, Thallid Germinator, Terramorphic Expanse, Jedit’s Dragoons, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Griffin Guide, Premature Burial, Spell Burst, Trickbind, Void, Serra Avenger

Pick: Void

Pack 2:










Durkwood Baloth, Fathom Seer, Chromatic Star, Looter il-Kor, Gorgon Recluse, Molder, Children of Korlis, Viscid Lemures, Ground Rift, Dream Stalker, Yavimaya Dryad, Firewake Sliver, Clockwork Hydra, Whispers of the Muse

Pick: Clockwork Hydra

Pack 3:










Mindstab, Slipstream Serpent, Nantuko Shaman, Gorgon Recluse, Glass Asp, Prismatic Lens, Ground Rift, Eternity Snare, Skulking Knight, Brine Elemental, Assembly-Worker, Lord of Atlantis, Ground Rift

Pick: Prismatic Lens

Pack 4:







Snapback, Pentarch Ward, Bonesplitter Sliver, Flickering Spirit, Call to the Netherworld, Drifter il-Dal, Havenwood Wurm, Basal Sliver, Phantom Wurm, Locket of Yesterdays, Evangelize, Mystic Snake

Pick: Phantom Wurm

Pack 5:







Penumbra Spider, Pentarch Ward, Assassinate, Thallid Germinator, Zealot il-Vec, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Psychotic Episode, Sprout, Aetherflame Wall, Krosan Grip, Hypergenesis

Pick: Penumbra Spider

Pack 6:







Scarwood Treefolk, Amrou Scout, Sidewinder Sliver, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Viashino Bladescout, Ophidian Eye, Barbed Shocker, Return to Dust, Careful Consideration, Screeching Sliver

Pick: Careful Consideration

Pack 7:







Temporal Eddy, Mogg War Marshal, Pit Keeper, Sage of Epityr, Divine Congregation, Mindlash Sliver, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Haunting Hymn, Spike Feeder

Pick: Spike Feeder

Pack 8:




Herd Gnarr, Fortify, Deathspore Thallid, Tolarian Sentinel, Wormwood Dryad, Venser’s Sliver, Clockspinning, Return to Dust

Pick: Herd Gnarr

Pack 9:




Think Twice, Ashcoat Bear, Thallid Germinator, Jedit’s Dragoons, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Spell Burst

Pick: Thallid Germinator

Pack 10:




Molder, Children of Korlis, Viscid Lemures, Ground Rift, Yavimaya Dryad, Firewake Sliver

Pick: Yavimaya Dryad

Pack 11:




Glass Asp, Ground Rift, Eternity Snare, Skulking Knight, Ground Rift

Pick: Glass Asp

Pack 12:

Pentarch Ward, Havenwood Wurm, Basal Sliver, Locket of Yesterdays

Pick: Havenwood Wurm

Pack 13:

Psychotic Episode, Sprout, Krosan Grip

Pick: Krosan Grip

Pack 14:

Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Ophidian Eye

Pick: Mwonvuli Acid-Moss

Pack 15:

Haunting Hymn

Pick: Haunting Hymn

Pack 16:










Giant Dustwasp, Stingscourger, Synchronous Sliver, Dawn Charm, Deadly Grub, Aquamorph Entity, Firefright Mage, Mana Tithe, Vampiric Link, Rathi Trapper, Lavacore Elemental, Dismal Failure, Reckless Wurm, Timbermare, Deadly Grub

Pick: Giant Dustwasp

Pack 17:










Midnight Charm, Shaper Parasite, Whitemane Lion, Mire Boa, Fury Charm, Wistful Thinking, Fa’adiyah Seer, Brute Force, Revered Dead, Sophic Centaur, Riftmarked Knight, Dunerider Outlaw, Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, Ovinize

Pick: Mire Boa

Pack 18:










Spitting Sliver, Battering Sliver, Aven Riftwatcher, Blightspeaker, Ghost Tactician, Fury Charm, Evolution Charm, Piracy Charm, Skirk Shaman, Revered Dead, Tidewalker, Phantasmagorian, Mycologist

Pick: Evolution Charm

Pack 19:







Utopia Vow, Veiling Oddity, Ridged Kusite, Firefright Mage, Pallid Mycoderm, Uktabi Drake, Deadly Grub, Prodigal Pyromancer, Vampiric Link, Piracy Charm, Waning Wurm, Malach of the Dawn

Pick: Prodigal Pyromancer

Pack 20:







Aven Riftwatcher, Stingscourger, Saltfield Recluse, Veiling Oddity, Vitaspore Thallid, Dash Hopes, Aquamorph Entity, Shade of Trokair, Melancholy, Pouncing Wurm, Braids, Conjurer Adept

Pick: Stingscourger

Pack 21:







Ridged Kusite, Dawn Charm, Evolution Charm, Fury Charm, Vitaspore Thallid, Primal Plasma, Skirk Shaman, Cautery Sliver, Ovinize, Spellshift

Pick: Evolution Charm

Pack 22:







Midnight Charm, Needlepeak Spider, Spitting Sliver, Pallid Mycoderm, Brain Gorgers, Dust Corona, Merfolk Thaumaturgist, Healing Leaves, Keen Sense

Pick: Midnight Charm

Pack 23:




Needlepeak Spider, Poultice Sliver, Dust Corona, Reality Acid, Essence Warden, Gossamer Phantasm, Deadwood Treefolk, Groundbreaker

Pick: Deadwood Treefolk

Pack 24:




Synchronous Sliver, Dawn Charm, Deadly Grub, Firefright Mage, Mana Tithe, Vampiric Link, Deadly Grub

Pick: Deadly Grub

Pack 25:




Midnight Charm, Fury Charm, Wistful Thinking, Fa’adiyah Seer, Sophic Centaur, Ovinize

Pick: Ovinize

Pack 26:




Spitting Sliver, Battering Sliver, Fury Charm, Revered Dead, Tidewalker

Pick: Battering Sliver

Pack 27:

Ridged Kusite, Firefright Mage, Vampiric Link, Piracy Charm

Pick: Piracy Charm

Pack 28:

Veiling Oddity, Vitaspore Thallid, Melancholy

Pick: Melancholy

Pack 29:

Ridged Kusite, Cautery Sliver

Pick: Cautery Sliver

Pack 30:

Dust Corona

Pick: Dust Corona

Pack 31:










Oblivion Crown, Saltskitter, Infiltrator il-Kor, Cutthroat il-Dal, Gathan Raiders, Ghostfire, Fomori Nomad, Patrician’s Scorn, Logic Knot, Nessian Courser, Chronomantic Escape, Cloudseeder, Skirk Ridge Exhumer, Magus of the Abyss, Spin into Myth

Pick: Ghostfire

Pack 32:










Leaden Fists, Quiet Disrepair, Saltskitter, Unblinking Bleb, Llanowar Augur, Lucent Liminid, Thornweald Archer, Flowstone Embrace, Frenzy Sliver, Mesmeric Sliver, Arc Blade, Llanowar Mentor, Sliversmith, Darksteel Garrison

Pick: Arc Blade

Pack 33:










Petrified Plating, Bogardan Lancer, Sprout Swarm, Fomori Nomad, Logic Knot, Vedalken Aethermage, Virulent Sliver, Frenzy Sliver, Shivan Sand-Mage, Cyclical Evolution, Sliversmith, Akroma’s Memorial, Grave Scrabbler

Pick: Sprout Swarm

Pack 34:







Putrid Cyclops, Rift Elemental, Llanowar Empath, Marshaling Cry, Nessian Courser, Sarcomite Myr, Homing Sliver, Edge of Autumn, Keldon Megaliths, Ravaging Riftwurm, Spellweaver Volute, Virulent Sliver

Pick: Nessian Courser

Pack 35:







Knight of Sursi, Grave Peril, Wrap in Vigor, Samite Censer-Bearer, Grave Scrabbler, Lumithread Field, Mesmeric Sliver, Deepcavern Imp, Dakmor Salvage, Dust of Moments, Reality Strobe

Pick: Knight of Sursi

Pack 36:







Samite Censer-Bearer, Aven Augur, Grave Scrabbler, Henchfiend of Ukor, Homing Sliver, Sporoloth Ancient, Llanowar Reborn, Utopia Mycon, Haze of Rage, Lucent Liminid

Pick: Sporoloth Ancient

Pack 37:







Lost Hours, Wrap in Vigor, Leaden Fists, Gift of Granite, Lymph Sliver, Blind Phantasm, Virulent Sliver, Shivan Sand-Mage, Lost Auramancers

Pick: Shivan Sand-Mage

Pack 38:




Lost Hours, Fatal Attraction, Petrified Plating, Vedalken Aethermage, Blade of the Sixth Pride, Grinning Ignus, Mass of Ghouls, Dakmor Salvage

Pick: Fatal Attraction

Pack 39:




Oblivion Crown, Saltskitter, Fomori Nomad, Patrician’s Scorn, Logic Knot, Chronomantic Escape, Skirk Ridge Exhumer

Pick: Fomori Nomad

Pack 40:




Quiet Disrepair, Saltskitter, Unblinking Bleb, Llanowar Augur, Frenzy Sliver, Mesmeric Sliver

Pick: Quiet Disrepair

Pack 41:




Petrified Plating, Vedalken Aethermage, Virulent Sliver, Frenzy Sliver, Cyclical Evolution

Pick: Cyclical Evolution

Pack 42:

Rift Elemental, Marshaling Cry, Ravaging Riftwurm, Virulent Sliver

Pick: Virulent Sliver

Pack 43:

Wrap in Vigor, Samite Censer-Bearer, Dakmor Salvage

Pick: Dakmor Salvage

Pack 44:

Samite Censer-Bearer, Utopia Mycon

Pick: Utopia Mycon

Pack 45:

*

Pick: *

Final Decklist:Maindeck:

2 Evolution Charm
1 Mire Boa
1 Prismatic Lens
1 Sprout Swarm
1 Stingscourger
1 Spike Feeder
1 Fatal Attraction
1 Ghostfire
1 Nessian Courser
1 Prodigal Pyromancer
1 Thallid Germinator
1 Yavimaya Dryad
1 Herd Gnarr
1 Penumbra Spider
1 Void
1 Arc Blade
1 Clockwork Hydra
1 Fomori Nomad
1 Giant Dustwasp
1 Sporoloth Ancient
1 Deadwood Treefolk
1 Phantom Wurm
10 Forest
6 Mountain
1 Swamp

Sideboard:

1 Battering Sliver
1 Careful Consideration
1 Cautery Sliver
1 Cyclical Evolution
1 Dakmor Salvage
1 Deadly Grub [FOIL]
1 Dust Corona
1 Glass Asp
1 Haunting Hymn
1 Havenwood Wurm
1 Knight of Sursi
1 Krosan Grip
1 Melancholy
1 Midnight Charm
1 Mwonvuli Acid-Moss
1 Ovinize [FOIL]
1 Piracy Charm
1 Quiet Disrepair
1 Shivan Sand-Mage
1 Utopia Mycon
1 Virulent Sliver
1 Virulent Sliver [FOIL]


I took Void first because while it represents more of a color commitment, it does mean that the two people behind me should be in White, and not fighting me for Black and Red cards. Also, Void is a very good and easy splash in a Green/Red deck so I don’t mind first picking it. It quickly became clear that I should be in Green with the fourth pick Phantom Wurm and fifth pick Penumbra Spider. Maybe I should have taken Deathspore Thallid over Herd Gnarr, but I’d be better of if I didn’t pass any more Green cards if possible. I found a second color in pack 2 with the Pyromancer and Stingscourger, and got some good creatures and removal in pack 3. I’m not sure about the Sprout Swarm/Akroma’s Memorial pick. It felt like I wanted the more consistent Swarm, but I don’t have enough experience with the Memorial to tell.

Round 1 I played against a mediocre White/Blue deck. He Mana Tithed my Penumbra Spider, but didn’t make any more relevant plays, since all his creatures were busy chump blocking. Game 2 he held me off with Poultice Sliver and Sliversmith, so I made a ton of guys with Sprout Swarm and eventually attacked for twenty.

Round 2 I played against a very good Blue/White deck. His draw was insane in game 1, with a great curve that killed me on turn 6 when his Veiling Oddity came in. I may have won this game if I’d drawn a second Forest for Spike Feeder, or a fifth land for Arc Blade, but I didn’t. Game 2 I had Penumbra Spider to hold off his many flyers while Thallid Germinator and Sprout Swarm made blocking very difficult for him. Game 3 he double mulliganed, and my hand was pretty good, but I still should have lost. He didn’t play a Cloudchaster Kestrel that would have destroyed his own Temporal Isolation, when playing it would have meant he killed me before I was able to deal with all his flyers.

I split the finals with a friend.

Until tomorrow,

Rich

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