fbpx

Drafting With Rich – TPF #33

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:










Goblin Skycutter, Crookclaw Transmuter, Strength in Numbers, Zealot il-Vec, Flickering Spirit, Ghitu Firebreathing, Bewilder, Detainment Spell, Psychotic Episode, Knight of the Holy Nimbus, Tromp the Domains, Tectonic Fiend, Academy Ruins, Funeral Charm, Tromp the Domains

Pick: Tromp the Domains

Pack 2:










Coral Trickster, Ivory Giant, Deathspore Thallid, Errant Ephemeron, Flowstone Channeler, Herd Gnarr, Wormwood Dryad, Venser’s Sliver, Bogardan Rager, Fool’s Demise, Harmonic Sliver, Riftwing Cloudskate, Psionic Blast, Island

Pick: Errant Ephemeron

Pack 3:










Deathspore Thallid, Tolarian Sentinel, Benalish Cavalry, Orcish Cannonade, Sidewinder Sliver, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Viashino Bladescout, Ophidian Eye, Stormcloud Djinn, Dementia Sliver, Scryb Ranger, Kher Keep, Spined Sliver

Pick: Scryb Ranger

Pack 4:







Gorgon Recluse, Herd Gnarr, Fortify, Glass Asp, Prismatic Lens, Ground Rift, Eternity Snare, Skulking Knight, Return to Dust, Evil Eye of Urborg, Sindbad, Fortune Thief

Pick: Prismatic Lens

Pack 5:







Cancel, Pentarch Ward, Thallid Germinator, Divine Congregation, Mindlash Sliver, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Jhoira’s Timebug, Jedit’s Dragoons, Chronatog Totem, Ib Halfheart, Goblin Tactician, Darkness

Pick: Thallid Germinator

Pack 6:







Zealot il-Vec, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Temporal Eddy, Mogg War Marshal, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Flickering Spirit, Call to the Netherworld, Saltcrusted Steppe, Fungus Sliver

Pick: Temporal Eddy

Pack 7:







Gaze of Justice, Molder, Children of Korlis, Viscid Lemures, Ground Rift, Durkwood Tracker, Ignite Memories, Wipe Away, Orgg

Pick: Wipe Away

Pack 8:




Aether Web, Cloudchaser Kestrel, Drudge Reavers, Sprout, Sage of Epityr, Fungal Reaches, Candles of Leng, Arena

Pick: Candles of Leng

Pack 9:




Zealot il-Vec, Flickering Spirit, Ghitu Firebreathing, Bewilder, Detainment Spell, Tectonic Fiend, Academy Ruins

Pick: Flickering Spirit

Pack 10:




Herd Gnarr, Wormwood Dryad, Venser’s Sliver, Fool’s Demise, Harmonic Sliver, Island

Pick: Herd Gnarr

Pack 11:




Sidewinder Sliver, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Viashino Bladescout, Ophidian Eye, Dementia Sliver

Pick: Mwonvuli Acid-Moss

Pack 12:

Glass Asp, Ground Rift, Eternity Snare, Return to Dust

Pick: Eternity Snare

Pack 13:

Pentarch Ward, Divine Congregation, Jhoira’s Timebug

Pick: Jhoira’s Timebug

Pack 14:

Ancient Grudge, Call to the Netherworld

Pick: Ancient Grudge

Pack 15:

Children of Korlis

Pick: Children of Korlis

Pack 16:










Dreamscape Artist, Poultice Sliver, Dead / Gone, Ridged Kusite, Shade of Trokair, Uktabi Drake, Ghost Tactician, Firefright Mage, Bog Serpent, Revered Dead, Healing Leaves, Waning Wurm, Shivan Meteor, Reckless Wurm, Life and Limb

Pick: Dreamscape Artist

Pack 17:










Spitting Sliver, Mire Boa, Battering Sliver, Aven Riftwatcher, Erratic Mutation, Fury Charm, Vitaspore Thallid, Deadly Grub, Fa’adiyah Seer, Revered Dead, Stormfront Riders, Frenetic Sliver, Shrouded Lore, Vorosh, the Hunter

Pick: Vorosh, the Hunter

Pack 18:










Aven Riftwatcher, Erratic Mutation, Cradle to Grave, Reflex Sliver, Vitaspore Thallid, Dash Hopes, Aquamorph Entity, Healing Leaves, Simian Spirit Guide, Gossamer Phantasm, Mantle of Leadership, Keen Sense, Boom / Bust

Pick: Erratic Mutation

Pack 19:







Reflex Sliver, Dreamscape Artist, Poultice Sliver, Aquamorph Entity, Firefright Mage, Blightspeaker, Ghost Tactician, Merfolk Thaumaturgist, Melancholy, Auramancer’s Guise, Waning Wurm, Imp’s Mischief

Pick: Dreamscape Artist

Pack 20:







Reflex Sliver, Whitemane Lion, Midnight Charm, Wistful Thinking, Keldon Marauders, Dash Hopes, Primal Plasma, Essence Warden, Serra’s Boon, Roiling Horror, Aquamorph Entity

Pick: Primal Plasma

Pack 21:







Ridged Kusite, Reflex Sliver, Evolution Charm, Reality Acid, Seal of Primordium, Vampiric Link, Timecrafting, Calciderm, Fungal Behemoth, Malach of the Dawn

Pick: Evolution Charm

Pack 22:







Synchronous Sliver, Vitaspore Thallid, Brain Gorgers, Mana Tithe, Bog Serpent, Timebender, Muck Drubb, Mesa Enchantress, Magus of the Tabernacle

Pick: Magus of the Tabernacle

Pack 23:




Synchronous Sliver, Deadly Grub, Brain Gorgers, Keldon Marauders, Seal of Primordium, Dormant Sliver, Mantle of Leadership, Heroes Remembered

Pick: Dormant Sliver

Pack 24:




Ridged Kusite, Ghost Tactician, Firefright Mage, Bog Serpent, Revered Dead, Healing Leaves, Life and Limb

Pick: Healing Leaves

Pack 25:




Spitting Sliver, Aven Riftwatcher, Vitaspore Thallid, Deadly Grub, Fa’adiyah Seer, Revered Dead

Pick: Aven Riftwatcher

Pack 26:




Vitaspore Thallid, Dash Hopes, Healing Leaves, Mantle of Leadership, Keen Sense

Pick: Vitaspore Thallid

Pack 27:

Firefright Mage, Ghost Tactician, Auramancer’s Guise, Waning Wurm

Pick: Auramancer’s Guise

Pack 28:

Reflex Sliver, Wistful Thinking, Dash Hopes

Pick: Wistful Thinking

Pack 29:

Reality Acid, Seal of Primordium

Pick: Reality Acid

Pack 30:

Vitaspore Thallid

Pick: Vitaspore Thallid

Pack 31:










Cutthroat il-Dal, Gathan Raiders, Llanowar Augur, Augur of Skulls, Sprout Swarm, Death Rattle, Blind Phantasm, Lumithread Field, Grinning Ignus, Edge of Autumn, Deepcavern Imp, Sword of the Meek, Spirit en-Dal, Cryptic Annelid, Bridge from Below

Pick: Sprout Swarm

Pack 32:










Wrap in Vigor, Samite Censer-Bearer, Infiltrator il-Kor, Putrid Cyclops, Rift Elemental, Fomori Nomad, Patrician’s Scorn, Logic Knot, Nessian Courser, Riftsweeper, New Benalia, Even the Odds, Bitter Ordeal, Gift of Granite

Pick: Infiltrator il-Kor

Pack 33:










Augur il-Vec, Llanowar Empath, Grave Peril, Marshaling Cry, Kavu Primarch, Mass of Ghouls, Vedalken Aethermage, Blade of the Sixth Pride, Sporoloth Ancient, Grinning Ignus, Soultether Golem, Haze of Rage, Riftsweeper

Pick: Kavu Primarch

Pack 34:







Samite Censer-Bearer, Aven Augur, Bogardan Lancer, Knight of Sursi, Grave Peril, Fomori Nomad, Logic Knot, Lucent Liminid, Vedalken Aethermage, Virulent Sliver, Pooling Venom, Keldon Megaliths

Pick: Aven Augur

Pack 35:







Bogardan Lancer, Oblivion Crown, Saltskitter, Mesmeric Sliver, Patrician’s Scorn, Sarcomite Myr, Thornweald Archer, Tolaria West, Char-Rumbler, Llanowar Mentor, Muraganda Petroglyphs

Pick: Thornweald Archer

Pack 36:







Llanowar Empath, Marshaling Cry, Unblinking Bleb, Lost Hours, Wrap in Vigor, Henchfiend of Ukor, Lymph Sliver, Homing Sliver, Pooling Venom, Tolaria West

Pick: Llanowar Empath

Pack 37:







Putrid Cyclops, Augur il-Vec, Petrified Plating, Mass of Ghouls, Thornweald Archer, Frenzy Sliver, Spirit en-Dal, Mystic Speculation, Minions’ Murmurs

Pick: Thornweald Archer

Pack 38:




Gift of Granite, Augur of Skulls, Lost Hours, Lumithread Field, Mesmeric Sliver, Ravaging Riftwurm, Lost Auramancers, Imperial Mask

Pick: Ravaging Riftwurm

Pack 39:




Cutthroat il-Dal, Llanowar Augur, Augur of Skulls, Blind Phantasm, Grinning Ignus, Sword of the Meek, Spirit en-Dal

Pick: Blind Phantasm

Pack 40:




Wrap in Vigor, Samite Censer-Bearer, Putrid Cyclops, Patrician’s Scorn, New Benalia, Gift of Granite

Pick: Wrap in Vigor

Pack 41:




Augur il-Vec, Grave Peril, Vedalken Aethermage, Soultether Golem, Haze of Rage

Pick: Vedalken Aethermage

Pack 42:

Samite Censer-Bearer, Vedalken Aethermage, Virulent Sliver, Pooling Venom

Pick: Vedalken Aethermage

Pack 43:

Oblivion Crown, Mesmeric Sliver, Patrician’s Scorn

Pick: Mesmeric Sliver

Pack 44:

Lost Hours, Pooling Venom

Pick: Pooling Venom

Pack 45:

*

Pick: *

Final Decklist:

Maindeck:

1 Magus of the Tabernacle
1 Aven Augur
1 Blind Phantasm
2 Dreamscape Artist
1 Errant Ephemeron
1 Erratic Mutation
1 Infiltrator il-Kor
1 Primal Plasma
1 Temporal Eddy
1 Evolution Charm
1 Herd Gnarr
1 Kavu Primarch
1 Llanowar Empath
1 Ravaging Riftwurm
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Sprout Swarm
1 Thallid Germinator
2 Thornweald Archer
1 Tromp the Domains [FOIL]
1 Prismatic Lens
1 Vorosh, the Hunter
1 Swamp
7 Forest
8 Island
1 Plains

Sideboard:

1 Ancient Grudge
1 Auramancer’s Guise
1 Aven Riftwatcher
1 Candles of Leng
1 Children of Korlis
1 Dormant Sliver
1 Eternity Snare
1 Flickering Spirit
1 Frenzy Sliver
1 Healing Leaves
1 Jhoira’s Timebug
1 Mesmeric Sliver
1 Mwonvuli Acid-Moss
1 Pooling Venom
1 Reality Acid
2 Vedalken Aethermage
2 Vitaspore Thallid
1 Wipe Away
1 Wistful Thinking
1 Wrap in Vigor


This draft was a little awkward because I passed a lot of cards in the colors I drafted with my first two picks. I figured that the guy behind me was almost certainly the same colors as me. So I was absolutely shocked when he passed me Vorosh. Pack 3 was pretty good to me. It gave me enough playables to fill out my deck, when I was worried that I’d end up short. It also gave me a couple Thornweald Archers which helped stop flyers, which I figured would be a big problem for my deck since I didn’t have removal, and I wasn’t fast enough to race them. I decided to play Magus of the Tabernacle because I wanted a fourth color for the Tromp, and Quentin told me that the Magus is actually good in decks which are mostly dudes, because your opponent has to keep guys in play so that you don’t run him over, and that means he can’t cast his spells. It’s obviously not very synergistic with Tromp or Sprout Swarm, but I wanted to give it a try.


Round 1 I played against a mediocre Blue/Red deck. We got into a ground stall, but I had Dreamscape Artist to empty my deck of lands, and I quickly drew into Sprout Swarm and Tromp the Domains which was good enough to kill him. Game 2 we stalled again, and this time I found Vorosh to kill him in a couple attacks.


Round 2 I played against a good Blue/White deck. Game ‘ I got stuck on five Forests and Prismatic Lens, which meant I could cast some of my spells, but not all of them, and only one per turn. Just as I drew an Island which let me Temporal Eddy his Errant Ephemeron, and made it look like I was going to stabilise, he had Snapback for my blocker and Fortify to kill me. Game 2 his draw was much slower, and I got Scryb Ranger and Dreamscape Artist going, while he had no pressure on me, which meant I removed all but one of the lands from my deck over two turns (six Artist activations). After a couple draws with no lands left I drew into Tromp the Domains, which was enough to kill him. Game 3 I drew Dreamscape Artist and Scryb Ranger again, but this time he actually put some pressure on me, so I didn’t have time to go crazy. Instead I was busy playing Vorosh every turn since he kept bouncing it. He never found a permanent solution for the dragon, and since it played offense and defense with the help of Scryb Ranger he eventually succumbed.


I split the finals because I didn’t think this deck was very good, but it played very well.


Until tomorrow,


Rich

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