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Drafting With Rich – TPF #26

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:










Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Search for Tomorrow, Icatian Crier, Dark Withering, Goblin Skycutter, Crookclaw Transmuter, Foriysian Interceptor, Basal Sliver, Drifter il-Dal, Subterranean Shambler, Thick-Skinned Goblin, Might Sliver, Primal Forcemage, Wurmcalling, Tribal Flames

Pick: Tribal Flames

Pack 2:










Strength in Numbers, Zealot il-Vec, Urborg Syphon-Mage, Snapback, Aether Web, Mindlash Sliver, Havenwood Wurm, Chameleon Blur, Flickering Spirit, Nightshade Assassin, Spirit Loop, Restore Balance, Swamp Mosquito, Detainment Spell

Pick: Nightshade Assassin

Pack 3:










Pentarch Ward, Zealot il-Vec, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Aetherflame Wall, Pit Keeper, Sage of Epityr, Divine Congregation, Mindlash Sliver, Celestial Crusader, Durkwood Tracker, Wheel of Fate, Funeral Charm, Grapeshot

Pick: Grapeshot

Pack 4:







Trespasser il-Vec, Spinneret Sliver, Fortify, Flamecore Elemental, Mana Skimmer, Prismatic Lens, Ground Rift, Eternity Snare, Skulking Knight, Chronatog Totem, Harmonic Sliver, Mirari

Pick: Trespasser il-Vec

Pack 5:







Trespasser il-Vec, Amrou Scout, Grapeshot, Scarwood Treefolk, Plunder, Eternity Snare, Molder, Venser’s Sliver, Children of Korlis, Return to Dust, Dandan

Pick: Trespasser il-Vec

Pack 6:







Slipstream Serpent, Gaze of Justice, Flamecore Elemental, Sangrophage, Viashino Bladescout, Mystical Teachings, Thrill of the Hunt, Volcanic Awakening, Chronatog Totem, Withered Wretch

Pick: Withered Wretch

Pack 7:







Cancel, Bewilder, Detainment Spell, Psychotic Episode, Sprout, Calciform Pools, Barbed Shocker, Dralnu, Lich Lord, Krosan Grip

Pick: Dralnu, Lich Lord

Pack 8:




Feebleness, Flowstone Channeler, Shadow Sliver, Bogardan Rager, Traitor’s Clutch, D’Avenant Healer, Glass Asp, Evil Eye of Urborg

Pick: Flowstone Channeler

Pack 9:




Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Icatian Crier, Goblin Skycutter, Foriysian Interceptor, Basal Sliver, Drifter il-Dal, Subterranean Shambler

Pick: Goblin Skycutter

Pack 10:




Mindlash Sliver, Chameleon Blur, Spirit Loop, Restore Balance, Swamp Mosquito, Detainment Spell

Pick: Swamp Mosquito

Pack 11:




Pentarch Ward, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Sage of Epityr, Divine Congregation, Mindlash Sliver

Pick: Ironclaw Buzzardiers

Pack 12:

Ground Rift, Eternity Snare, Skulking Knight, Harmonic Sliver

Pick: Skulking Knight

Pack 13:

Molder, Children of Korlis, Return to Dust

Pick: Molder

Pack 14:

Gaze of Justice, Sangrophage

Pick: Sangrophage

Pack 15:

Barbed Shocker

Pick: Barbed Shocker

Pack 16:










Dreamscape Artist, Poultice Sliver, Ridged Kusite, Erratic Mutation, Citanul Woodreaders, Brain Gorgers, Keldon Marauders, Essence Warden, Bog Serpent, Primal Plasma, Circle of Affliction, Jodah’s Avenger, Calciderm, Magus of the Coffers, Radha, Heir to Keld

Pick: Magus of the Coffers

Pack 17:










Veiling Oddity, Ridged Kusite, Saltfield Recluse, Needlepeak Spider, Poultice Sliver, Fury Charm, Wistful Thinking, Fa’adiyah Seer, Primal Plasma, Revered Dead, Dormant Sliver, Mantle of Leadership, Dunerider Outlaw, Fatal Frenzy

Pick: Needlepeak Spider

Pack 18:










Erratic Mutation, Cradle to Grave, Reflex Sliver, Ghost Tactician, Fury Charm, Evolution Charm, Reality Acid, Deadly Grub, Merfolk Thaumaturgist, Skirk Shaman, Sinew Sliver, Frenetic Sliver, Saltblast

Pick: Cradle to Grave

Pack 19:







Dreamscape Artist, Citanul Woodreaders, Firefright Mage, Pallid Mycoderm, Uktabi Drake, Deadly Grub, Melancholy, Vampiric Link, Phantasmagorian, Hammerheim Deadeye, Mycologist, Spellshift

Pick: Melancholy

Pack 20:







Battering Sliver, Reflex Sliver, Ghost Tactician, Wistful Thinking, Dash Hopes, Reality Acid, Citanul Woodreaders, Simian Spirit Guide, Gossamer Phantasm, Ana Battlemage, Darkheart Sliver

Pick: Citanul Woodreaders

Pack 21:







Ridged Kusite, Dawn Charm, Cradle to Grave, Dust Corona, Reality Acid, Blightspeaker, Simian Spirit Guide, Melancholy, Pouncing Wurm, Cautery Sliver

Pick: Blightspeaker

Pack 22:







Dawn Charm, Spitting Sliver, Battering Sliver, Blightspeaker, Fa’adiyah Seer, Bog Serpent, Ana Battlemage, Shrouded Lore, Wild Pair

Pick: Blightspeaker

Pack 23:




Synchronous Sliver, Fury Charm, Vitaspore Thallid, Merfolk Thaumaturgist, Gossamer Phantasm, Skirk Shaman, Serra’s Boon, Muck Drubb

Pick: Muck Drubb

Pack 24:




Dreamscape Artist, Poultice Sliver, Ridged Kusite, Brain Gorgers, Keldon Marauders, Bog Serpent, Circle of Affliction

Pick: Brain Gorgers

Pack 25:




Ridged Kusite, Fury Charm, Wistful Thinking, Fa’adiyah Seer, Revered Dead, Mantle of Leadership

Pick: Ridged Kusite

Pack 26:




Ghost Tactician, Fury Charm, Reality Acid, Deadly Grub, Merfolk Thaumaturgist

Pick: Fury Charm

Pack 27:

Firefright Mage, Deadly Grub, Vampiric Link, Spellshift

Pick: Spellshift

Pack 28:

Wistful Thinking, Dash Hopes, Reality Acid

Pick: Reality Acid

Pack 29:

Ridged Kusite, Dust Corona

Pick: Ridged Kusite

Pack 30:

Bog Serpent

Pick: Bog Serpent

Pack 31:










Kavu Primarch, Oblivion Crown, Emberwilde Augur, Aven Augur, Fatal Attraction, Cutthroat il-Dal, Henchfiend of Ukor, Whip-Spine Drake, Lymph Sliver, Homing Sliver, Sporoloth Ancient, Mistmeadow Skulk, Dryad Arbor, Spin into Myth, Tarox Bladewing

Pick: Tarox Bladewing

Pack 32:










Marshaling Cry, Unblinking Bleb, Lost Hours, Riddle of Lightning, Knight of Sursi, Patrician’s Scorn, Sarcomite Myr, Henchfiend of Ukor, Thornweald Archer, Death Rattle, Spellwild Ouphe, Aven Mindcensor, Zoetic Cavern, Edge of Autumn

Pick: Death Rattle

Pack 33:










Llanowar Empath, Grave Peril, Marshaling Cry, Kavu Primarch, Emberwilde Augur, Blade of the Sixth Pride, Sarcomite Myr, Death Rattle, Homing Sliver, Ramosian Revivalist, Arcanum Wings, Street Wraith, Shapeshifter’s Marrow

Pick: Death Rattle

Pack 34:







Unblinking Bleb, Llanowar Augur, Riddle of Lightning, Venser’s Diffusion, Ghostfire, Fomori Nomad, Patrician’s Scorn, Logic Knot, Grave Scrabbler, Fleshwrither, Skizzik Surger, Muraganda Petroglyphs

Pick: Ghostfire

Pack 35:







Putrid Cyclops, Augur il-Vec, Petrified Plating, Bogardan Lancer, Lymph Sliver, Blind Phantasm, Virulent Sliver, Mass of Ghouls, Bloodshot Trainee, Spellwild Ouphe, Mistmeadow Skulk

Pick: Mass of Ghouls

Pack 36:







Gift of Granite, Quiet Disrepair, Rift Elemental, Augur il-Vec, Grave Scrabbler, Lumithread Field, Mesmeric Sliver, Deepcavern Imp, Yixlid Jailer, Storm Entity

Pick: Deepcavern Imp

Pack 37:







Petrified Plating, Quiet Disrepair, Saltskitter, Logic Knot, Lucent Liminid, Vedalken Aethermage, Virulent Sliver, Phosphorescent Feast, Narcomoeba

Pick: Narcomoeba

Pack 38:




Gift of Granite, Augur of Skulls, Lost Hours, Blind Phantasm, Grinning Ignus, Deepcavern Imp, Witch’s Mist, Boldwyr Intimidator

Pick: Deepcavern Imp

Pack 39:




Oblivion Crown, Emberwilde Augur, Cutthroat il-Dal, Henchfiend of Ukor, Lymph Sliver, Homing Sliver, Dryad Arbor

Pick: Henchfiend of Ukor

Pack 40:




Marshaling Cry, Lost Hours, Patrician’s Scorn, Sarcomite Myr, Spellwild Ouphe, Aven Mindcensor

Pick: Aven Mindcensor

Pack 41:




Grave Peril, Blade of the Sixth Pride, Ramosian Revivalist, Arcanum Wings, Street Wraith

Pick: Street Wraith

Pack 42:

Llanowar Augur, Patrician’s Scorn, Logic Knot, Grave Scrabbler

Pick: Grave Scrabbler

Pack 43:

Putrid Cyclops, Bogardan Lancer, Virulent Sliver

Pick: Putrid Cyclops

Pack 44:

Gift of Granite, Augur il-Vec

Pick: Augur il-Vec

Pack 45:

*

Pick: *

Final Decklist:

Maindeck:

1 Tribal Flames [FOIL]
1 Withered Wretch
2 Blightspeaker
1 Cradle to Grave
1 Goblin Skycutter
1 Grapeshot [FOIL]
2 Deepcavern Imp
1 Flowstone Channeler
1 Ghostfire
1 Melancholy
2 Trespasser il-Vec
1 Brain Gorgers
1 Grave Scrabbler
1 Henchfiend of Ukor
1 Nightshade Assassin
1 Magus of the Coffers
1 Muck Drubb
1 Tarox Bladewing
2 Death Rattle
8 Mountain
9 Swamp

Sideboard:

1 Augur il-Vec
1 Aven Mindcensor
1 Barbed Shocker
1 Bog Serpent
1 Citanul Woodreaders
1 Dralnu, Lich Lord
1 Fury Charm
1 Ironclaw Buzzardiers
1 Mass of Ghouls
1 Molder
1 Narcomoeba
1 Needlepeak Spider
1 Putrid Cyclops
1 Quiet Disrepair
1 Reality Acid
2 Ridged Kusite
1 Sangrophage
1 Skulking Knight
1 Spellshift
1 Street Wraith
1 Swamp Mosquito


I took Tribal Flames with my first pick because I figured I’d get a Red card back, and I didn’t want to take a Green card since there were so many choices in the pack. After that, Nightshade Assassin was an easy pick, and I never had a reason to stray from Red/Black. I picked discard outlets a little higher than usual, in preparation for Grave Scrabblers. This was one of the worst Planar Chaos packs I’ve ever experienced. There was just nothing for me. I got a few bad creatures, and a couple of mediocre removal spells. Pack 3 saved me, giving me some good removal spells, and good creatures, as well as a pair of rebels to go with the Blightspeakers.


I’m not sure if I should have played Tarox in the end, because he just messed with the manabase too much. I figured the deck wasn’t powerful enough without him, but I’m not sure if that’s true since it was pretty fast with some good removal to back it up.


Round 1 I played against another Black/Red deck. His was much more controlling, with cards like Aether Membrane and Phantasmagorian. Game 1 I had a pretty quick draw, but he was able to hold me off with Aether Membrane. I got through it with my Blightspeakers and Trespasser Il-Vec. I was forced to discard everything to the Trespasser, and at the end he had a couple of draws at a removal spell to win the game. Game 2 I had another quick draw, and he just couldn’t keep up. I conveniently drew 3 Mountains and two Swamps for Tarox to finish him.


Round 2 my opponent had some pretty bad draws. So bad in fact that I couldn’t figure out if Red or Blue was his splash, because game 1 he only played three lands, and game 2 he played nothing but land.


I split the finals.


Until tomorrow,


Rich

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