Draft:
Pack 1:
Inner-Flame Acolyte, Peppersmoke, Paperfin Rascal, Nath’s Elite, Moonglove Extract, Boggart Sprite-Chaser, Oaken Brawler, Cenn’s Heir,
Ringskipper, Black Poplar Shaman, Shimmering Grotto, Benthicore, Ghostly Changeling, Goldmeadow Stalwart, Mosswort Bridge
Pick: Ghostly Changeling
Pack 2:
Thieving Sprite, Gilt-Leaf Ambush, Hillcomber Giant, Streambed Aquitects, Stinkdrinker Daredevil, Nightshade Stinger, Blades of Velis Vel, Elvish Handservant, Dawnfluke, Broken Ambitions, Jagged-Scar Archers, Giant Harbinger, Nettlevine Blight, Heal the Scars
Pick: Nettlevine Blight
Pack 3:
Lys Alana Huntmaster, Runed Stalactite, Inner-Flame Acolyte, Neck Snap, Pestermite, Leaf Gilder, Nightshade Stinger, Faultgrinder, Faerie Trickery, Warren-Scourge Elf, Lairwatch Giant, Changeling Berserker, Hearthcage Giant
Pick: Lys Alana Huntmaster
Pack 4:
Warren Pilferers, Lowland Oaf, Fistful of Force, Quill-Slinger Boggart, Surge of Thoughtweft, Elvish Branchbender, Wellgabber Apothecary, Aquitect’s Will, Mournwhelk, Zephyr Net, Guardian of Cloverdell, Drowner of Secrets
Pick: Warren Pilferers
Pack 5:
Soulbright Flamekin, Glimmerdust Nap, Cloudcrown Oak, Wanderer’s Twig, Hornet Harasser, Axegrinder Giant, Aquitect’s Will, Kinsbaile Skirmisher, Spring Cleaning, Blind-Spot Giant, Turtleshell Changeling
Pick: Hornet Harasser
Pack 6:
Soulbright Flamekin, Kithkin Daggerdare, Surge of Thoughtweft, Woodland Changeling, Needle Drop, Springjack Knight, Heal the Scars, Inkfathom Divers, Nectar Faerie, Treefolk Harbinger
Pick: Woodland Changeling
Pack 7:
Oakgnarl Warrior, Hornet Harasser, Fistful of Force, Heal the Scars, Shields of Velis Vel, Fire-Belly Changeling, Elvish Branchbender, Battle Mastery, Hoarder’s Greed
Pick: Hornet Harasser
Pack 8:
Oaken Brawler, Hurly-Burly, Wispmare, Cenn’s Heir, Boggart Forager, Facevaulter, Pollen Lullaby, Lys Alana Scarblade
Pick: Facevaulter
Pack 9:
Inner-Flame Acolyte, Paperfin Rascal, Oaken Brawler, Cenn’s Heir, Ringskipper, Black Poplar Shaman, Shimmering Grotto
Pick: Black Poplar Shaman
Pack 10:
Hillcomber Giant, Nightshade Stinger, Blades of Velis Vel, Elvish Handservant, Dawnfluke, Heal the Scars
Pick: Elvish Handservant
Pack 11:
Runed Stalactite, Inner-Flame Acolyte, Faultgrinder, Warren-Scourge Elf, Lairwatch Giant
Pick: Runed Stalactite
Pack 12:
Quill-Slinger Boggart, Wellgabber Apothecary, Aquitect’s Will, Zephyr Net
Pick: Quill-Slinger Boggart
Pack 13:
Aquitect’s Will, Kinsbaile Skirmisher, Spring Cleaning
Pick: Kinsbaile Skirmisher
Pack 14:
Springjack Knight, Heal the Scars
Pick: Springjack Knight
Pack 15:
Pick: Battle Mastery
Pack 16:
Cloudcrown Oak, Tarfire, Wanderer’s Twig, Silvergill Douser, Avian Changeling, Bog-Strider Ash, Eyeblight’s Ending, Scarred Vinebreeder,
Gilt-Leaf Seer, Protective Bubble, Ingot Chewer, Faerie Tauntings, Kithkin Mourncaller, Makeshift Mannequin, Cloudthresher
Pick: Eyeblight’s Ending
Pack 17:
Battlewand Oak, Hurly-Burly, Plover Knights, Paperfin Rascal, Dreamspoiler Witches, Runed Stalactite, Nath’s Elite, Nath’s Buffoon, Faultgrinder, Goldmeadow Dodger, Benthicore, Cloudgoat Ranger, Forge[/author]-Tender”]Burrenton [author name="Forge"]Forge[/author]-Tender, Entangling Trap
Pick: Dreamspoiler Witches
Pack 18:
Woodland Changeling, Kithkin Greatheart, Footbottom Feast, Lowland Oaf, Lignify, Wellgabber Apothecary, Gilt-Leaf Seer, Boggart Birth Rite, Zephyr Net, Bog Hoodlums, Boggart Shenanigans, Ego Erasure, Tar Pitcher
Pick: Tar Pitcher
Pack 19:
Quill-Slinger Boggart, Bog-Strider Ash, Herbal Poultice, Kithkin Greatheart, Oakgnarl Warrior, Kinsbaile Skirmisher, Lace with Moonglove, Scarred Vinebreeder, Springjack Knight, Captivating Glance, Pollen Lullaby, Mad Auntie
Pick: Mad Auntie
Pack 20:
Boggart Sprite-Chaser, Thieving Sprite, Kinsbaile Balloonist, Boggart Loggers, Fertile Ground, Spiderwig Boggart, Boggart Forager, Ringskipper, Hunt Down, Thorntooth Witch, Quill-Slinger Boggart
Pick: Boggart Loggers
Pack 21:
Stonybrook Angler, Gilt-Leaf Ambush, Hillcomber Giant, Streambed Aquitects, Hunt Down, Giant’s Ire, Dawnfluke, Spellstutter Sprite, Silvergill Adept, Merrow Harbinger
Pick: Gilt-Leaf Ambush
Pack 22:
Stonybrook Angler, Fertile Ground, Moonglove Winnower, Plover Knights, Giant’s Ire, Lairwatch Giant, Spellstutter Sprite, Spiderwig Boggart, Woodland Changeling
Pick: Fertile Ground
Pack 23:
Kithkin Healer, Footbottom Feast, Lignify,
Boggart Birth Rite, Ingot Chewer, Soaring Hope, Captivating Glance, Battle Mastery
Pick: Footbottom Feast
Pack 24:
Bog-Strider Ash, Scarred Vinebreeder, Gilt-Leaf Seer, Protective Bubble, Ingot Chewer, Faerie Tauntings, Kithkin Mourncaller
Pick: Bog-Strider Ash
Pack 25:
Battlewand Oak, Paperfin Rascal, Nath’s Buffoon, Goldmeadow Dodger, Forge[/author]-Tender”]Burrenton [author name="Forge"]Forge[/author]-Tender, Entangling Trap
Pick: Battlewand Oak
Pack 26:
Wellgabber Apothecary, Boggart Birth Rite, Zephyr Net, Bog Hoodlums, Boggart Shenanigans
Pick: Boggart Birth Rite
Pack 27:
Herbal Poultice, Kinsbaile Skirmisher, Scarred Vinebreeder, Captivating Glance
Pick: Captivating Glance
Pack 28:
Spiderwig Boggart, Boggart Forager, Hunt Down
Pick: Spiderwig Boggart
Pack 29:
Pick: Hunt Down
Pack 30:
Pick: Lairwatch Giant
Pack 31:
Mudbutton Torchrunner, Springleaf Drum, Oakgnarl Warrior, Goldmeadow Harrier, Glimmerdust Nap, Warren Pilferers, Amoeboid Changeling, Spring Cleaning,
Exiled Boggart, Shields of Velis Vel, Mournwhelk, Ego Erasure, Crib Swap, Drowner of Secrets, Brion Stoutarm
Pick: Warren Pilferers
Pack 32:
Weed Strangle, Kithkin Healer, Deeptread Merrow, Lash Out, Kithkin Daggerdare, Herbal Poultice, Avian Changeling, Judge of Currents, Needle Drop, Soaring Hope, Hoarder’s Greed, Lammastide Weave, Harpoon Sniper, Oaken Brawler
Pick: Weed Strangle
Pack 33:
Pestermite, Hurly-Burly, Peppersmoke, Lys Alana Huntmaster, Consuming Bonfire, Wispmare, Stonybrook Angler, Caterwauling Boggart, Goldmeadow Dodger, Faerie Trickery, Thundercloud Shaman, Benthicore, Elvish Harbinger
Pick: Elvish Harbinger
Pack 34:
Quill-Slinger Boggart, Tarfire, Herbal Poultice, Kithkin Greatheart, Lace with Moonglove, Blind-Spot Giant, Exiled Boggart, Ponder, Woodland Guidance, Flamekin Bladewhirl, Seedguide Ash, Battlewand Oak
Pick: Seedguide Ash
Pack 35:
Hillcomber Giant, Stinkdrinker Daredevil, Dreamspoiler Witches, Battlewand Oak, Triclopean Sight, Nath’s Buffoon, Caterwauling Boggart, Tideshaper Mystic, Elvish Handservant, Fodder Launch, Rebellion of the Flamekin
Pick: Fodder Launch
Pack 36:
Gilt-Leaf Ambush, Moonglove Winnower, Kinsbaile Balloonist, Wings of Velis Vel, Flamekin Brawler, Facevaulter, Warren-Scourge Elf, Blades of Velis Vel, Vivid Crag, Eyes of the Wisent
Pick: Gilt-Leaf Ambush
Pack 37:
Whirlpool Whelm, Adder-Staff Boggart, Wispmare, Boggart Loggers, Flamekin Brawler, Tideshaper Mystic, Triclopean Sight, Faerie Harbinger, Twinning Glass
Pick: Boggart Loggers
Pack 38:
Hornet Harasser, Deeptread
Merrow, Ponder, Bog Hoodlums, Protective Bubble, Fire-Belly Changeling, Faerie Tauntings, Inner-Flame Igniter
Pick: Hornet Harasser
Pack 39:
Springleaf Drum, Oakgnarl Warrior, Glimmerdust Nap, Spring Cleaning, Exiled Boggart, Shields of Velis Vel, Ego Erasure
Pick: Springleaf Drum
Pack 40:
Herbal Poultice, Judge of Currents, Needle Drop, Soaring Hope, Lammastide Weave, Oaken Brawler
Pick: Lammastide Weave
Pack 41:
Wispmare, Stonybrook Angler, Caterwauling Boggart, Goldmeadow Dodger, Benthicore
Pick: Benthicore
Pack 42:
Herbal Poultice, Lace with Moonglove, Exiled Boggart, Woodland Guidance
Pick: Lace with Moonglove
Pack 43:
Battlewand Oak, Triclopean Sight, Rebellion of the Flamekin
Pick: Battlewand Oak
Pack 44:
Flamekin Brawler, Warren-Scourge Elf
Pick: Warren-Scourge Elf
Pack 45:
Pick: Wispmare
Final Decklist:
Maindeck:
1 Boggart Loggers
1 Dreamspoiler Witches
1 Eyeblight’s Ending
1 Facevaulter
1 Fodder Launch
1 Footbottom Feast
1 Ghostly Changeling
3 Hornet Harasser
1 Mad Auntie
1 Nettlevine Blight
2 Warren Pilferers
1 Weed Strangle
1 Tar Pitcher
1
Fertile Ground
1 Elvish Harbinger
2 Gilt-Leaf Ambush
1 Seedguide Ash
1 Woodland Changeling
1 Runed Stalactite
7 Forest
1 Mountain
9 Swamp
Sideboard:
1 Battle Mastery
2 Battlewand Oak
1 Benthicore
1 Black Poplar Shaman
1 Bog-Strider Ash
1 Boggart Birth Rite
1 Boggart Loggers
1 Captivating Glance
1 Elvish Handservant
1 Hunt Down
1 Kinsbaile Skirmisher
1 Lace with Moonglove
1 Lairwatch Giant
1 Lammastide Weave
1 Lys Alana Huntmaster
1 Quill-Slinger Boggart
1 Spiderwig Boggart
1 Springjack Knight
1 Springleaf Drum
1 Warren-Scourge Elf
1 Wispmare
Pick 1: Ghostly Changeling is just better than anything else in there,
unless you want to stay open on colors and pick Moonglove Extract. However,
this is Lorwyn, and Ghostly Changelling is like being open on Tribes and a
good card by himself.
Pick 2: A much harder choice. None of the cards is exciting. I was going to
pick Gilt-Leaf Ambush, as it’s a fine card and that would give us a starting
point for an Elves deck. I decided to pick Nettlevine Blight, to stay only in
Black for now. I also wanted to try the card a little more… so far it has
been okay in Sealed Deck and in 3×3 Team Drafts, but I’ve never had it in a real
draft.
Pick 3: Lys Alana Huntmaster or Pestermite? I’ve been confronted
with this situation many times in 8-4 online drafts, and my answer has
always been Huntmaster. Even though I like Pestermite more, every time I pick
one early I end up not being Blue, and the Huntmaster has been doing really
well for me.
Pick 4 is the one that sets the course of the entire draft. I could follow
the Huntmaster with Elvish Branchbender, and try to go for Elves, or I could
pick the Warren Pilferers, a better card on its own, and follow a route into
Black, ready to dismiss Huntmaster if needed… and from here I focused more on
Black, which turned out to give me a medium-strength Goblin theme.
Had I second-picked Gilt-Leaf Ambush, my next picks would’ve been:
Huntmaster, Elvish Branchbender, Wanderer’s Twig, Woodland Changeling,
Elvish Branchbender, Lys Alana Scarblade. Instead I went PIlferers, 2x
Hornet Harasser, and Facevaulter.
Pick 32: Weed Strangle over Lash Out. Despite being a weaker card, it’s still
removal, and I wanted to splash the fewest possible Red cards. I was going
to splash for Tar Pitcher, which is quite good in the Goblins deck, but I ended
not picking Lash Out because I like stable manabases. Picking Lash
Out here is acceptable, and perhaps even better.
Pick 34; I followed the same logic as above, but I immediatly regretted as soon as I
clicked the button. Tarfire is worse than Lash Out, but Seedguide Ash was
just a good creature in my deck with no removal. If I thought for two more
seconds, I would’ve ended with Tarfire here.
Round 1 I played against a Red/White aggro deck with Kithkins and
Elementals. Game 1 I accelerated into a turn 4 Nettlevine Blight, when
he had Kithkin Healer and Balloonist in play. I made turn 2 Fertile Ground,
turn 3 Elvish Harbinger. He foiled my plan by playing Changeling Berserker,
getting rid of the Nettlevine Blight and beating me to death with it. I did
manage to kill it in combat, but then had no way to stop the Balloonist.
Game 2 he started with Flamekin Bladewhirl revealing Consuming Bonfire,
and Kithkin Healer. I played Facevaulter and Hornet Harasser, to stop any
offense he might have. He played Plover Knights, and I killed it with Eyeblight’s
Ending. My hand was full of gas, and I did not need to make a move. I only did it when
he played Glarewielder and attacked for 7. I sacrificed Harasser to
Facevaulter, killing the Healer, and took 5 down to 15. Then I played Warren
Pilferers, getting it back. He killed it with Consuming Bonfire, but
Footbottom Feast meant I had much more gas than him, and eventually he
scooped still at a very high life total.
Game 3 was strange. I played turn 2 Fertile Ground, turn 3
Dreamspoiler Witches, and turn 4 Facevaulter, leaving mana open to play
Gilt-Leaf Ambush. His first play, despite having Mountain, Plains, and Island
in play, was Oblivion Ring on my Fertile Ground turn 5, keeping me at three
mana only. His next one was evoke Mulldrifter on turn 6, because he only had
four lands. I just kept attacking with my small guys. On his turn 7, he
killed the Faerie with Consuming Bonfire, and on turn 8 he played a
creature. I attacked with everything and it was game. Awkward, that he only
played four spells, starting on turn 5, and the first three couldn’t block.
Round 2 I played against a Red/Black Giants deck, splashing White (I assume
for the Brion Stoutarm I saw in pack 3). Game 1 was very long, and it
was the first time Footbottom Feast was a winning card for me, getting me
back four good creatures – Warren Pilferers, Mad Auntie, Ghostly Changeling,
and Hornet Harasser. I had an active Tar Pitcher in play, and it was already
past the midgame, most of our resources were exhausted, so he scooped
shortly after the Feast.
Game 2 was even longer. It took over twenty turns, and I won with less than four
minutes on the clock. I kept (on the draw) two Swamps, Footbottom Feast,
Hornet Harasser, Mad Auntie, Warren Pilferers, and Gilt-Leaf Ambush. I had to
survive his draw, which included turn 3 Ghostly Changeling, turn 4
Stinkdrinker Daredevil, back to back Axegrinder Giants, and even a
Hearthcage Giant at some point, with only Swamps and a Mountain as my lands.
I managed with double Hornet Harasser, Pilferers, and Tarfire. I played
without Forests until turn 15, holding four Green cards, and at one life.
When I drew the Forest, I was just praying he wouldn’t drew Tarfire, as he
had already used the other burn spells I had seen in game 1. It felt just
like topdecking a Colfenor’s Plan in a late game topdeck war. I got a new
hand to play, but could only play one spell a turn, as I only had a single Forest.
I won from there.
I split the finals.
See you next week!
Tiago
Draft recording done by Blargware‘s MTGO DraftCap. Support Blargware!