Continuing with the “Drafting with the U.S. National Team” series, today we have National Champion Paul “Seven Bells” Cheon.
Draft:
Pack 1:
Mogg War Marshal, Temporal Isolation, Think Twice, Ashcoat Bear, Urborg Syphon-Mage, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Bewilder, Call to the Netherworld, Cyclopean Giant, Brass Gnat, Phyrexian Totem, Scryb Ranger, Conflagrate, Hivestone, Honorable Passage
Pick: Temporal Isolation
Pack 2:
Drudge Reavers, Temporal Isolation, Crookclaw Transmuter, Empty the Warrens, Strength in Numbers, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Jhoira’s Timebug, Jedit’s Dragoons, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Nightshade Assassin, Basalt Gargoyle, Fool’s Demise, Sarpadian Empires, Vol. VII
Pick: Temporal Isolation
Pack 3:
Nantuko Shaman, Castle Raptors, Gorgon Recluse, Spiketail Drakeling, Scarwood Treefolk, Orcish Cannonade, Molder, Children of Korlis, Viscid Lemures, Ground Rift, Aspect of Mongoose, Fungal Reaches, Mirari
Pick: Castle Raptors
Pack 4:
Scarwood Treefolk, Orcish Cannonade, Amrou Scout, Mana Skimmer, Clockspinning, Sidewinder Sliver, Viscid Lemures, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Two-Headed Sliver, Gustcloak Cavalier, Spell Burst, Faceless Devourer
Pick: Amrou Scout
Pack 5:
Corpulent Corpse, Cancel, Icatian Crier, Bonesplitter Sliver, Havenwood Wurm, Chameleon Blur, Flickering Spirit, Ghitu Firebreathing, Weatherseed Totem, Dread Return, Gemstone Caverns
Pick: Weatherseed Totem
Pack 6:
Trespasser il-Vec, Amrou Scout, Scarwood Treefolk, Slipstream Serpent, Brass Gnat, Dream Stalker, Watcher Sliver, Blazing Blade Askari, Harmonic Sliver, Moorish Cavalry
Pick: Amrou Scout
Pack 7:
Urborg Syphon-Mage, Aether Web, Cloudchaser Kestrel, Drudge Reavers, Pit Keeper, Divine Congregation, Jhoira’s Timebug, Chameleon Blur, Haunting Hymn
Pick: Cloudchaser Kestrel
Pack 8:
Tolarian Sentinel, Benalish Cavalry, Two-Headed Sliver, Clockspinning, Sidewinder Sliver, Viscid Lemures, Fallen Ideal, Ignite Memories
Pick: Benalish Cavalry
Pack 9:
Ashcoat Bear, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Bewilder, Call to the Netherworld, Cyclopean Giant, Brass Gnat, Honorable Passage
Pick: Honorable Passage
Pack 10:
Drudge Reavers, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Jhoira’s Timebug, Jedit’s Dragoons, Ancient Grudge, Fool’s Demise
Pick: Jedit’s Dragoons
Pack 11:
Molder, Children of Korlis, Ground Rift, Aspect of Mongoose, Fungal Reaches
Pick: Children of Korlis
Pack 12:
Clockspinning, Sidewinder Sliver, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Two-Headed Sliver
Pick: Sidewinder Sliver
Pack 13:
Havenwood Wurm, Chameleon Blur, Ghitu Firebreathing
Pick: Chameleon Blur
Pack 14:
Watcher Sliver, Harmonic Sliver
Pick: Watcher Sliver
Pack 15:
Pick: Chameleon Blur
Pack 16:
Errant Doomsayers, Corpulent Corpse, Viscerid Deepwalker, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Search for Tomorrow, Icatian Crier, Flickering Spirit, Call to the Netherworld, Drifter il-Dal, Havenwood Wurm, Careful Consideration, Griffin Guide, Quilled Sliver, Liege of the Pit, Flying Men
Pick: Griffin Guide
Pack 17:
Nantuko Shaman, Coral Trickster, Benalish Cavalry, Feebleness, Looter il-Kor, Spinneret Sliver, Glass Asp, Prismatic Lens, Ground Rift, Eternity Snare, Saltcrusted Steppe, Dementia Sliver, Might of Old Krosa, Stuffy Doll
Pick: Benalish Cavalry
Pack 18:
Amrou Scout, Keldon Halberdier, Mana Skimmer, Durkwood Baloth, Fathom Seer, Dream Stalker, Wormwood Dryad, Venser’s Sliver, Clockspinning, Bogardan Rager, Paradise Plume, Dread Return, Scragnoth
Pick: Amrou Scout
Pack 19:
Gaze of Justice, Flamecore Elemental, Glass Asp, Traitor’s Clutch, Plunder, Eternity Snare, Molder, Aspect of Mongoose, Skittering Monstrosity, Ghostflame Sliver, Stonebrow, Krosan Hero, Thallid
Pick: Gaze of Justice
Pack 20:
Think Twice, Penumbra Spider, Errant Doomsayers, Bewilder, Detainment Spell, Psychotic Episode, Sprout, Aetherflame Wall, Cavalry Master, Vampiric Sliver, Truth or Tale
Pick: Cavalry Master
Pack 21:
Cancel, Penumbra Spider, Pentarch Ward, Cyclopean Giant, Screeching Sliver, Psychotic Episode, Jedit’s Dragoons, Phyrexian Totem, Firewake Sliver, Living End
Pick: Pentarch Ward
Pack 22:
Thallid Germinator, Pentarch Ward, Savage Thallid, Screeching Sliver, Momentary Blink, Ancient Grudge, Dreadship Reef, Truth or Tale, Angel’s Grace
Pick: Momentary Blink
Pack 23:
Gemhide Sliver, Mindstab, Gaze of Justice, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Two-Headed Sliver, Blazing Blade Askari, Shadow Sliver, Yavimaya Dryad
Pick: Gaze of Justice
Pack 24:
Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Icatian Crier, Call to the Netherworld, Drifter il-Dal, Havenwood Wurm, Quilled Sliver, Flying Men
Pick: Icatian Crier
Pack 25:
Spinneret Sliver, Glass Asp, Ground Rift, Eternity Snare, Saltcrusted Steppe, Dementia Sliver
Pick: Spinneret Sliver
Pack 26:
Wormwood Dryad, Venser’s Sliver, Clockspinning, Paradise Plume, Dread Return
Pick: Paradise Plume
Pack 27:
Glass Asp, Traitor’s Clutch, Eternity Snare, Molder
Pick: Molder
Pack 28:
Psychotic Episode, Sprout, Truth or Tale
Pick: Truth or Tale
Pack 29:
Psychotic Episode, Firewake Sliver
Pick: Firewake Sliver
Pack 30:
Pick: Screeching Sliver
Pack 31:
Dark Withering, Goblin Skycutter, Crookclaw Transmuter, Strength in Numbers, Zealot il-Vec, Basal Sliver, Sage of Epityr, Ghitu Firebreathing, Momentary Blink, Greenseeker, Clockwork Hydra, Fledgling Mawcor, Paradox Haze, Hypergenesis, Witch Hunter
Pick: Clockwork Hydra
Pack 32:
Aether Web, Assassinate, Amrou Seekers, Temporal Eddy, Mogg War Marshal, Terramorphic Expanse, Pit Keeper, Sage of Epityr, Divine Congregation, Mindlash Sliver, Outrider en-Kor, Conflagrate, Wheel of Fate, Pandemonium
Pick: Outrider en-Kor
Pack 33:
Coral Trickster, Ivory Giant, Deathspore Thallid, Errant Ephemeron, Ophidian Eye, Watcher Sliver, Plunder, Skulking Knight, Paradise Plume, Paradox Haze, Voidmage Husher, Sprite Noble, Pirate Ship
Pick: Ivory Giant
Pack 34:
Thallid Germinator, Zealot il-Vec, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Temporal Eddy, Tendrils of Corruption, Sprout, Foriysian Interceptor, Aetherflame Wall, Detainment Spell, Dreadship Reef, Pull from Eternity, Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
Pick: Zealot il-Vec
Pack 35:
Feebleness, Chromatic Star, Tolarian Sentinel, Trespasser il-Vec, Venser’s Sliver, Children of Korlis, Sangrophage, Viashino Bladescout, Assembly-Worker, Plated Pegasus, Mistform Ultimus
Pick: Mistform Ultimus
Pack 36:
Ivory Giant, Mindstab, Slipstream Serpent, Sidewinder Sliver, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Viashino Bladescout, Ophidian Eye, Spirit Loop, Thunder Totem, Assault / Battery
Pick: Ivory Giant
Pack 37:
Viscerid Deepwalker, Ashcoat Bear, Foriysian Interceptor, Basal Sliver, Drifter il-Dal, Subterranean Shambler, Mindlash Sliver, Urza’s Factory, Gaea’s Liege
Pick: Subterranean Shambler
Pack 38:
Chromatic Star, Herd Gnarr, Fortify, Sangrophage, D’Avenant Healer, Wormwood Dryad, Mystical Teachings, Assembly-Worker
Pick: Fortify
Pack 39:
Zealot il-Vec, Basal Sliver, Sage of Epityr, Ghitu Firebreathing, Momentary Blink, Greenseeker, Paradox Haze
Pick: Momentary Blink
Pack 40:
Aether Web, Temporal Eddy, Terramorphic Expanse, Sage of Epityr, Divine Congregation, Mindlash Sliver
Pick: Temporal Eddy
Pack 41:
Coral Trickster, Ophidian Eye, Plunder, Paradox Haze, Voidmage Husher
Pick: Coral Trickster
Pack 42:
Sprout, Foriysian Interceptor, Detainment Spell, Pull from Eternity
Pick: Foriysian Interceptor
Pack 43:
Children of Korlis, Sangrophage, Assembly-Worker
Pick: Children of Korlis
Pack 44:
Sidewinder Sliver, Ophidian Eye
Pick: Ophidian Eye
Pack 45:
Pick: Foriysian Interceptor
Draft recording done by Blargware‘s MTGO DraftCap. Support Blargware!
5 Island
12 Plains
3 Amrou Scout
2 Benalish Cavalry
1 Castle Raptors
1 Cavalry Master
1 Clockwork Hydra
1 Cloudchaser Kestrel
1 Coral Trickster
1 Fortify
1 Gaze of Justice
1 Griffin Guide
1 Icatian Crier
2 Ivory Giant
1 Jedit’s Dragoons
2 Momentary Blink
1 Outrider en-Kor
2 Temporal Isolation
1 Zealot il-Vec
Sideboard
1 Honorable Passage
1 Mistform Ultimus
2 Chameleon Blur
2 Children of Korlis
1 Firewake Sliver
2 Foriysian Interceptor
1 Gaze of Justice
1 Molder
1 Ophidian Eye
1 Paradise Plume
1 Pentarch Ward
1 Screeching Sliver
1 Sidewinder Sliver
1 Spinneret Sliver
1 Subterranean Shambler
1 Temporal Eddy
1 Truth or Tale
1 Watcher Sliver
1 Weatherseed Totem
Another straightforward draft. The Nationals team has had a little more luck with that than I have in recent attempts. The Weatherseed Totem pick was fine, since it was too early to know that “Neon” Cheon would be basically mono-White. (I probably would have nabbed the Bonesplitter and tried to go Red/White, since I’m a doofus.)
Benalish Cavalry vs. Stuffy Doll is pretty close for some decks, but Paul was making a rather aggressive deck, and since he just picked up Griffin Guide, another two-drop was quite welcome in his stack. Neon lost his first game to a turn 1 suspended Halberdier, turn 2 suspended Cloudskate, and other nonsense; but he had no difficulty winning the rest of his games.
Tune in tomorrow to see if Luis Scott-Vargas can make it three for three. Luis is ordinarily the best drafter of the bunch, but he’s been in a slump lately, so it should be interesting…