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Drafting With Rich – TTP #15

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 TTP Draft on Magic Online. From pick 1 to pick 45, Rich shares them all, and his final deck and draft performance are analysed in the article, the forums, and beyond. Come join in the fun!


Draft:

Pack 1:










Penumbra Spider, Pentarch Ward, Assassinate, Thallid Germinator, Zealot il-Vec, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Jedit’s Dragoons, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Flickering Spirit, Undying Rage, Phantom Wurm, Durkwood Tracker, Curse of the Cabal, Evil Eye of Orms-by-Gore

Pick: Penumbra Spider

Pack 2:










Empty the Warrens, Icatian Crier, Bonesplitter Sliver, Tendrils of Corruption, Think Twice, Foriysian Interceptor, Aetherflame Wall, Detainment Spell, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Bewilder, Might Sliver, Primal Forcemage, Flagstones of Trokair, Ovinomancer

Pick: Might Sliver

Pack 3:










Snapback, Pentarch Ward, Bonesplitter Sliver, Dark Withering, Jhoira’s Timebug, Chameleon Blur, Subterranean Shambler, Cyclopean Giant, Nightshade Assassin, Molten Slagheap, Dralnu, Lich Lord, Twisted Abomination, Voidmage Husher

Pick: Bonesplitter Sliver

Pack 4:







Viscerid Deepwalker, Ashcoat Bear, Amrou Seekers, Corpulent Corpse, Cancel, Screeching Sliver, Psychotic Episode, Jedit’s Dragoons, Sprout, Calciform Pools, Spell Burst, Wheel of Fate

Pick: Viscerid Deepwalker

Pack 5:







Think Twice, Ashcoat Bear, Thallid Germinator, Ghitu Firebreathing, Momentary Blink, Greenseeker, Pit Keeper, Volcanic Awakening, Restore Balance, Gaea’s Liege, Basal Sliver

Pick: Thallid Germinator

Pack 6:







Mogg War Marshal, Think Twice, Sage of Epityr, Ghitu Firebreathing, Momentary Blink, Greenseeker, Pit Keeper, Paradox Haze, Magus of the Candelabra, Merfolk Assassin

Pick: Think Twice

Pack 7:







Assassinate, Temporal Eddy, Tendrils of Corruption, Call to the Netherworld, Drifter il-Dal, Havenwood Wurm, Basal Sliver, Ghostflame Sliver, Mishra, Artificer Prodigy

Pick: Temporal Eddy

Pack 8:




Temporal Eddy, Call to the Netherworld, Drifter il-Dal, Havenwood Wurm, Sage of Epityr, Calciform Pools, Fool’s Demise, Dreadship Reef

Pick: Havenwood Wurm

Pack 9:




Zealot il-Vec, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Flickering Spirit, Curse of the Cabal, Evil Eye of Orms-by-Gore

Pick: Savage Thallid

Pack 10:




Think Twice, Foriysian Interceptor, Aetherflame Wall, Detainment Spell, Bewilder, Ovinomancer

Pick: Think Twice

Pack 11:




Jhoira’s Timebug, Chameleon Blur, Subterranean Shambler, Cyclopean Giant, Voidmage Husher

Pick: Subterranean Shambler

Pack 12:

Screeching Sliver, Psychotic Episode, Calciform Pools, Spell Burst

Pick: Calciform Pools

Pack 13:

Ghitu Firebreathing, Volcanic Awakening, Gaea’s Liege

Pick: Gaea’s Liege

Pack 14:

Paradox Haze, Merfolk Assassin

Pick: Merfolk Assassin

Pack 15:

Basal Sliver

Pick: Basal Sliver

Pack 16:










Fortify, Flamecore Elemental, Mana Skimmer, Nantuko Shaman, Coral Trickster, Watcher Sliver, Blazing Blade Askari, Glass Asp, Traitor’s Clutch, Ignite Memories, Saltcrusted Steppe, Outrider en-Kor, Word of Seizing, Fire Whip, Flickering Spirit

Pick: Nantuko Shaman

Pack 17:










Herd Gnarr, Fortify, Coal Stoker, Deathspore Thallid, Sidewinder Sliver, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Viashino Bladescout, Ophidian Eye, Molder, Gustcloak Cavalier, Spell Burst, Thunder Totem, Swarmyard, Scragnoth

Pick: Herd Gnarr

Pack 18:










Orcish Cannonade, Amrou Scout, Keldon Halberdier, Mana Skimmer, Durkwood Baloth, Plunder, Eternity Snare, Molder, Venser’s Sliver, Fallen Ideal, Ignite Memories, Phyrexian Totem, Ancestral Vision

Pick: Durkwood Baloth

Pack 19:







Benalish Cavalry, Spinneret Sliver, Keldon Halberdier, Plunder, Eternity Snare, Molder, Venser’s Sliver, Children of Korlis, Harmonic Sliver, Skittering Monstrosity, Thick-Skinned Goblin, Eron the Relentless

Pick: Spinneret Sliver

Pack 20:







Ivory Giant, Grapeshot, Mindstab, Slipstream Serpent, Sangrophage, Viashino Bladescout, Mystical Teachings, Durkwood Tracker, Plated Pegasus, Thelon of Havenwood, Evil Eye of Orms-by-Gore

Pick: Thelon of Havenwood

Pack 21:







Chromatic Star, Flowstone Channeler, Plunder, Skulking Knight, Brass Gnat, Dream Stalker, Dementia Sliver, Chronatog Totem, Sprite Noble, Grinning Totem

Pick: Chromatic Star

Pack 22:







Keldon Halberdier, Mana Skimmer, Ground Rift, Eternity Snare, Skulking Knight, Dementia Sliver, Paradise Plume, Celestial Crusader, Opal Guardian

Pick: Keldon Halberdier

Pack 23:




Gorgon Recluse, Shadow Sliver, Bogardan Rager, Traitor’s Clutch, D’Avenant Healer, Glass Asp, Fallen Ideal, Darkness

Pick: Bogardan Rager

Pack 24:




Flamecore Elemental, Coral Trickster, Glass Asp, Traitor’s Clutch, Ignite Memories, Saltcrusted Steppe, Flickering Spirit

Pick: Coral Trickster

Pack 25:




Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Viashino Bladescout, Ophidian Eye, Gustcloak Cavalier, Spell Burst, Swarmyard

Pick: Swarmyard

Pack 26:




Plunder, Molder, Venser’s Sliver, Fallen Ideal, Ignite Memories

Pick: Venser’s Sliver

Pack 27:

Plunder, Eternity Snare, Molder, Children of Korlis

Pick: Molder

Pack 28:

Sangrophage, Plated Pegasus, Evil Eye of Orms-by-Gore

Pick: Evil Eye of Orms-by-Gore

Pack 29:

Plunder, Brass Gnat

Pick: Plunder

Pack 30:

Skulking Knight

Pick: Skulking Knight

Pack 31:










Saltfield Recluse, Veiling Oddity, Midnight Charm, Uktabi Drake, Ghost Tactician, Firefright Mage, Wistful Thinking, Keldon Marauders, Prodigal Pyromancer, Simian Spirit Guide, Merfolk Thaumaturgist, Darkheart Sliver, Rough / Tumble, Porphyry Nodes, Spellshift

Pick: Rough / Tumble

Pack 32:










Dawn Charm, Spitting Sliver, Aquamorph Entity, Firefright Mage, Blightspeaker, Ghost Tactician, Fury Charm, Essence Warden, Mana Tithe, Bog Serpent, Circle of Affliction, Lavacore Elemental, Magus of the Bazaar, Erratic Mutation

Pick: Essence Warden

Pack 33:










Shaper Parasite, Utopia Vow, Spitting Sliver, Aven Riftwatcher, Stingscourger, Dash Hopes, Aquamorph Entity, Shade of Trokair, Merfolk Thaumaturgist, Mana Tithe, Jodah’s Avenger, Ana Battlemage, Frozen Aether

Pick: Stingscourger

Pack 34:







Needlepeak Spider, Poultice Sliver, Dead / Gone, Dreamscape Artist, Pallid Mycoderm, Uktabi Drake, Deadly Grub, Seal of Primordium, Healing Leaves, Simian Spirit Guide, Circle of Affliction, Wild Pair

Pick: Dead / Gone

Pack 35:







Shaper Parasite, Battering Sliver, Whitemane Lion, Utopia Vow, Dash Hopes, Vitaspore Thallid, Healing Leaves, Sunlance, Psychotrope Thallid, Rebuff the Wicked, Kor Dirge

Pick: Utopia Vow

Pack 36:







Veiling Oddity, Ridged Kusite, Brain Gorgers, Wistful Thinking, Firefright Mage, Melancholy, Piracy Charm, Primal Plasma, Auramancer’s Guise, Dunerider Outlaw

Pick: Primal Plasma

Pack 37:







Ridged Kusite, Dawn Charm, Dust Corona, Reality Acid, Blightspeaker, Gossamer Phantasm, Bog Serpent, Revered Dead, Necrotic Sliver

Pick: Necrotic Sliver

Pack 38:




Synchronous Sliver, Fury Charm, Vitaspore Thallid, Deadly Grub, Healing Leaves, Primal Plasma, Timebender, Ovinize

Pick: Fury Charm

Pack 39:




Midnight Charm, Ghost Tactician, Firefright Mage, Wistful Thinking, Simian Spirit Guide, Merfolk Thaumaturgist, Spellshift

Pick: Merfolk Thaumaturgist

Pack 40:




Spitting Sliver, Firefright Mage, Ghost Tactician, Bog Serpent, Circle of Affliction, Magus of the Bazaar

Pick: Magus of the Bazaar

Pack 41:




Spitting Sliver, Dash Hopes, Aquamorph Entity, Merfolk Thaumaturgist, Frozen Aether

Pick: Aquamorph Entity

Pack 42:

Deadly Grub, Seal of Primordium, Healing Leaves, Circle of Affliction

Pick: Seal of Primordium

Pack 43:

Dash Hopes, Healing Leaves, Kor Dirge

Pick: Kor Dirge

Pack 44:

Ridged Kusite, Brain Gorgers

Pick: Brain Gorgers

Pack 45:

Ridged Kusite

Pick: Ridged Kusite

Final Decklist:

Maindeck:

1 Chromatic Star
1 Dead // Gone
1 Essence Warden
1 Fury Charm
1 Rough // Tumble
1 Spinneret Sliver
1 Stingscourger
1 Thelon of Havenwood
1 Utopia Vow
1 Coral Trickster
1 Nantuko Shaman
1 Thallid Germinator
1 Bonesplitter Sliver
1 Herd Gnarr
1 Penumbra Spider
1 Subterranean Shambler
1 Keldon Halberdier
1 Might Sliver
1 Savage Thallid
1 Venser’s Sliver
1 Bogardan Rager
1 Durkwood Baloth
1 Havenwood Wurm
9 Forest
7 Mountain
1 Swarmyard

Sideboard:

1 Aquamorph Entity
1 Basal Sliver
1 Brain Gorgers
1 Calciform Pools
1 Evil Eye of Orms-by-Gore [FOIL]
1 Gaea’s Liege
1 Kor Dirge
1 Magus of the Bazaar
1 Merfolk Assassin
1 Merfolk Thaumaturgist
1 Molder
1 Necrotic Sliver
1 Plunder
1 Primal Plasma
1 Ridged Kusite
1 Seal of Primordium
1 Skulking Knight
1 Temporal Eddy
2 Think Twice
1 Viscerid Deepwalker


Well, I guess I should have got into Black at some point this draft. I figured that once I had the Might Sliver I should stay with the sliver plan and take Bonesplitter Sliver, instead of one of the Black cards in the pack that was three deep. Once I had passed that pack I figured it was too late to go Black and I’d try to stick it out with Green and maybe Blue or Red. That plan didn’t quite work out however, and my deck ended up being one of the worst I’ve ever drafted in this format.


Round 1 I played against a very mediocre Green/White/Red Sliver deck. The first game turned into a stalemate, and I eventually decked him. Game 2 was very similar and he decided to alpha strike at some point since he was going to time out if we just kept passing back and forth. When he alpha struck I had Bogardan Rager to pump my Keldon Halberdier and kill his Might Sliver with First Strike so that the rest of his slivers got wrecked on that attack.


Round 2 I played against Jon Finkel. Game 1 we both had kinda slow draws, and his team got destroyed when he played Crovax on turn 6 and I had Bogardan Rager to pump my guys during combat. Game 2 he played a bunch of one-toughness creatures, but it was too late when I drew a Mountain for Subterranean Shambler on turn 7. Game 3 I had a quick draw and just ran him over by playing creatures on the first four turns, then a removal spell and a pump spell when he finally had a blocker on turn 5.


I was very fortunate to get away with a split in the finals with this deck.


Until Monday,


Rich

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