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Drafting With Rich – TPF #35

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:










Coral Trickster, Ivory Giant, Deathspore Thallid, Errant Ephemeron, Flowstone Channeler, Two-Headed Sliver, Blazing Blade Askari, Shadow Sliver, Ophidian Eye, Watcher Sliver, Barbed Shocker, Stormcloud Djinn, Griffin Guide, Plague Sliver, Desert

Pick: Errant Ephemeron

Pack 2:










Strength in Numbers, Zealot il-Vec, Urborg Syphon-Mage, Snapback, Aether Web, Sprout, Aetherflame Wall, Pit Keeper, Sage of Epityr, Divine Congregation, Sudden Death, Molten Slagheap, Demonic Collusion, Twisted Abomination

Pick: Sudden Death

Pack 3:










Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Icatian Crier, Dark Withering, Goblin Skycutter, Crookclaw Transmuter, Ghitu Firebreathing, Detainment Spell, Psychotic Episode, Basalt Gargoyle, Ignite Memories, Academy Ruins, Gaea’s Liege, Saltcrusted Steppe

Pick: Dark Withering

Pack 4:







Empty the Warrens, Strength in Numbers, Errant Doomsayers, Corpulent Corpse, Viscerid Deepwalker, Subterranean Shambler, Mindlash Sliver, Havenwood Wurm, Chameleon Blur, Flickering Spirit, Calciform Pools, Opaline Sliver

Pick: Viscerid Deepwalker

Pack 5:







Chromatic Star, Looter il-Kor, Gorgon Recluse, Herd Gnarr, Viashino Bladescout, Mystical Teachings, Thrill of the Hunt, Gustcloak Cavalier, Spell Burst, Wipe Away, Desert

Pick: Looter il-Kor

Pack 6:







Orcish Cannonade, Mindstab, Gaze of Justice, Ground Rift, Eternity Snare, Skulking Knight, Sidewinder Sliver, Pendelhaven Elder, Tectonic Fiend, Careful Consideration

Pick: Careful Consideration

Pack 7:







Fortify, Coal Stoker, Benalish Cavalry, Bogardan Rager, Traitor’s Clutch, D’Avenant Healer, Glass Asp, Skittering Monstrosity, Spirit Loop

Pick: Skittering Monstrosity

Pack 8:




Crookclaw Transmuter, Snapback, Ancient Grudge, Flickering Spirit, Call to the Netherworld, Drifter il-Dal, Sarpadian Empires, Vol. VII, Forest

Pick: Crookclaw Transmuter

Pack 9:




Ivory Giant, Deathspore Thallid, Flowstone Channeler, Shadow Sliver, Ophidian Eye, Watcher Sliver, Desert

Pick: Deathspore Thallid

Pack 10:




Sprout, Aetherflame Wall, Pit Keeper, Sage of Epityr, Divine Congregation, Molten Slagheap

Pick: Pit Keeper

Pack 11:




Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Ghitu Firebreathing, Detainment Spell, Ignite Memories, Academy Ruins

Pick: Academy Ruins

Pack 12:

Mindlash Sliver, Chameleon Blur, Flickering Spirit, Opaline Sliver

Pick: Mindlash Sliver

Pack 13:

Gustcloak Cavalier, Spell Burst, Wipe Away

Pick: Wipe Away

Pack 14:

Gaze of Justice, Skulking Knight

Pick: Skulking Knight

Pack 15:

D’Avenant Healer

Pick: D’Avenant Healer

Pack 16:










Synchronous Sliver, Needlepeak Spider, Mire Boa, Dreamscape Artist, Pallid Mycoderm, Uktabi Drake, Deadly Grub, Dust Corona, Healing Leaves, Revered Dead, Rathi Trapper, Timebender, Muck Drubb, Harmonize, Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Pick: Rathi Trapper

Pack 17:










Spitting Sliver, Veiling Oddity, Synchronous Sliver, Giant Dustwasp, Shade of Trokair, Fury Charm, Vitaspore Thallid, Deadly Grub, Mana Tithe, Prodigal Pyromancer, Simian Spirit Guide, Necrotic Sliver, Venarian Glimmer, Body Double

Pick: Veiling Oddity

Pack 18:










Aven Riftwatcher, Cradle to Grave, Reflex Sliver, Poultice Sliver, Reality Acid, Evolution Charm, Fa’adiyah Seer, Merfolk Thaumaturgist, Sunlance, Lavacore Elemental, Kavu Predator, Blood Knight, Serra’s Boon

Pick: Cradle to Grave

Pack 19:







Dawn Charm, Stingscourger, Whitemane Lion, Erratic Mutation, Midnight Charm, Aquamorph Entity, Firefright Mage, Merfolk Thaumaturgist, Healing Leaves, Sunlance, Sophic Centaur, Frozen Aether

Pick: Erratic Mutation

Pack 20:







Needlepeak Spider, Utopia Vow, Spitting Sliver, Ghost Tactician, Fury Charm, Reality Acid, Melancholy, Piracy Charm, Timecrafting, Malach of the Dawn, Intet, the Dreamer

Pick: Piracy Charm

Pack 21:







Saltfield Recluse, Veiling Oddity, Midnight Charm, Deadly Grub, Brain Gorgers, Seal of Primordium, Healing Leaves, Pongify, Rebuff the Wicked, Retether

Pick: Pongify

Pack 22:







Utopia Vow, Ridged Kusite, Saltfield Recluse, Needlepeak Spider, Reality Acid, Citanul Woodreaders, Revered Dead, Healing Leaves, Timecrafting

Pick: Citanul Woodreaders

Pack 23:




Battering Sliver, Ghost Tactician, Wistful Thinking, Dash Hopes, Simian Spirit Guide, Gossamer Phantasm, Bog Serpent, Necrotic Sliver

Pick: Bog Serpent

Pack 24:




Synchronous Sliver, Uktabi Drake, Deadly Grub, Dust Corona, Healing Leaves, Revered Dead, Timebender

Pick: Timebender

Pack 25:




Synchronous Sliver, Shade of Trokair, Vitaspore Thallid, Mana Tithe, Simian Spirit Guide, Venarian Glimmer

Pick: Shade of Trokair

Pack 26:




Reflex Sliver, Poultice Sliver, Reality Acid, Fa’adiyah Seer, Lavacore Elemental

Pick: Poultice Sliver

Pack 27:

Firefright Mage, Merfolk Thaumaturgist, Healing Leaves, Sophic Centaur

Pick: Merfolk Thaumaturgist

Pack 28:

Ghost Tactician, Reality Acid, Timecrafting

Pick: Reality Acid

Pack 29:

Healing Leaves, Retether

Pick: Retether

Pack 30:

Reality Acid

Pick: Reality Acid

Pack 31:










Wrap in Vigor, Samite Censer-Bearer, Infiltrator il-Kor, Putrid Cyclops, Rift Elemental, Grinning Ignus, Whip-Spine Drake, Mass of Ghouls, Lucent Liminid, Thornweald Archer, Delay, Skirk Ridge Exhumer, Sparkspitter, Shapeshifter’s Marrow, Tarmogoyf

Pick: Tarmogoyf

Pack 32:










Emberwilde Augur, Putrid Cyclops, Augur il-Vec, Ichor Slick, Lymph Sliver, Homing Sliver, Grave Scrabbler, Lumithread Field, Mesmeric Sliver, Pooling Venom, Keldon Megaliths, Sparkspitter, Daybreak Coronet, Arcanum Wings

Pick: Ichor Slick

Pack 33:










Fatal Attraction, Petrified Plating, Leaden Fists, Gathan Raiders, Quiet Disrepair, Deepcavern Imp, Fomori Nomad, Logic Knot, Lucent Liminid, Vedalken Aethermage, Shivan Sand-Mage, Cyclical Evolution, Sliversmith

Pick: Gathan Raiders

Pack 34:







Marshaling Cry, Unblinking Bleb, Lost Hours, Wrap in Vigor, Frenzy Sliver, Mesmeric Sliver, Patrician’s Scorn, Sarcomite Myr, Henchfiend of Ukor, Sword of the Meek, Even the Odds, Bridge from Below

Pick: Bridge from Below

Pack 35:







Knight of Sursi, Leaden Fists, Gift of Granite, Augur of Skulls, Lost Hours, Blind Phantasm, Lumithread Field, Grinning Ignus, Edge of Autumn, Mystic Speculation, New Benalia

Pick: Augur of Skulls

Pack 36:







Samite Censer-Bearer, Bogardan Lancer, Knight of Sursi, Mass of Ghouls, Vedalken Aethermage, Blade of the Sixth Pride, Arc Blade, Ravaging Riftwurm, Lost Auramancers, Haze of Rage

Pick: Mass of Ghouls

Pack 37:







Cutthroat il-Dal, Llanowar Augur, Homing Sliver, Edge of Autumn, Lymph Sliver, Blind Phantasm, Virulent Sliver, Reality Strobe, Tolaria West

Pick: Blind Phantasm

Pack 38:




Bogardan Lancer, Venser’s Diffusion, Oblivion Crown, Saltskitter, Sarcomite Myr, New Benalia, Even the Odds, Muraganda Petroglyphs

Pick: Sarcomite Myr

Pack 39:




Wrap in Vigor, Samite Censer-Bearer, Putrid Cyclops, Rift Elemental, Grinning Ignus, Delay, Shapeshifter’s Marrow

Pick: Delay

Pack 40:




Putrid Cyclops, Augur il-Vec, Lymph Sliver, Mesmeric Sliver, Daybreak Coronet, Arcanum Wings

Pick: Daybreak Coronet

Pack 41:




Petrified Plating, Quiet Disrepair, Logic Knot, Vedalken Aethermage, Sliversmith

Pick: Logic Knot

Pack 42:

Unblinking Bleb, Mesmeric Sliver, Patrician’s Scorn, Even the Odds

Pick: Unblinking Bleb

Pack 43:

Gift of Granite, Blind Phantasm, Mystic Speculation

Pick: Blind Phantasm

Pack 44:

Samite Censer-Bearer, Vedalken Aethermage

Pick: Vedalken Aethermage

Pack 45:

*

Pick: *

Final Decklist:

Maindeck:

1 Piracy Charm
1 Augur of Skulls
1 Cradle to Grave
1 Deathspore Thallid
1 Looter il-Kor
1 Pit Keeper
1 Rathi Trapper
2 Blind Phantasm
1 Erratic Mutation
1 Ichor Slick
1 Sarcomite Myr
1 Sudden Death
1 Wipe Away
1 Careful Consideration
1 Crookclaw Transmuter
1 Unblinking Bleb
1 Veiling Oddity
1 Gathan Raiders
1 Mass of Ghouls
1 Viscerid Deepwalker
1 Dark Withering
1 Errant Ephemeron
9 Island
8 Swamp

Sideboard:

1 Academy Ruins
1 Bog Serpent
1 Bridge from Below
1 Citanul Woodreaders
1 D’Avenant Healer
1 Daybreak Coronet
1 Delay
1 Logic Knot
1 Merfolk Thaumaturgist
1 Mindlash Sliver
1 Pongify
1 Poultice Sliver
2 Reality Acid
1 Retether
1 Shade of Trokair
1 Skittering Monstrosity
1 Skulking Knight
1 Tarmogoyf [FOIL]
1 Timebender
1 Vedalken Aethermage
1 Virulent Sliver


This draft was pretty weird. Pack 1 was amazing, and it looked like my deck was going to be great because I had so many good Blue and Black cards. Sixth pick Careful Consideration just doesn’t happen very often. But then somehow packs 2 and 3 were just terrible for me. I got almost nothing from Planar Chaos, when I figured I’d get at least decent Blue. All I really wanted was some Primal Plasmas and Aquamorph Entitys to hold the ground while my powerful Time Spiral cards did most of the work. I couldn’t pass the foil Tarmogoyf since it’s about twenty tickets. I ended up having to play some mediocre creatures like Unblinking Bleb, Blind Phantasm, and Deathspore Thallid, which was pretty surprising considering how good Time Spiral was.


Round 1 I played against a good Black/Red deck that somehow got Plague Sliver fifth in the draft. I really don’t understand that since nothing in the pack other than Ephemeron and Griffin Guide even come close to the power of Plague Sliver. Game 1 he had a quick draw and I was behind the whole game. When he had Strangling Soot for my Rathi Trapper that was holding off his Plague Sliver, it was game over. Game 2 I got ahead early once again, but this time he had Sedge Sliver to hold me off, and then start attacking once he Strangling Soot and Enslaved all of my creatures.


Not much I could have done this draft. I was definitely in the right colors, and simply lost to a much better deck.


Until Monday,


Rich

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