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Drafting With Tim – Time Spiral #10

Tim Aten continues his role as a substitute for the grumpy Canadian in the Drafting With Rich series. As usual, he covers each of his picks in a triple Time Spiral draft, from pick one to pick forty-five, and supplies a brief commentary on the draft at the foot of the article. For more enlightened evaluation, visit the forums. Enjoy Tim while you can… Rich returns tomorrow!


Draft:

Pack 1:










Terramorphic Expanse, Snapback, Rift Bolt, Pentarch Ward, Bonesplitter Sliver, Divine Congregation, Mindlash Sliver, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Jhoira’s Timebug, Jedit’s Dragoons, Might of Old Krosa, Weatherseed Totem, Locket of Yesterdays, Lotus Bloom, Dauthi Slayer

Pick: Rift Bolt

Pack 2:










Aether Web, Assassinate, Amrou Seekers, Temporal Eddy, Mogg War Marshal, Terramorphic Expanse, Jedit’s Dragoons, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Flickering Spirit, Tromp the Domains, Urza’s Factory, Krosan Grip, Demonic Collusion

Pick: Tromp the Domains

Pack 3:










Trespasser il-Vec, Spinneret Sliver, Fortify, Flamecore Elemental, Mana Skimmer, Prismatic Lens, Clockspinning, Sidewinder Sliver, Viscid Lemures, Fury Sliver, Aspect of Mongoose, Vampiric Sliver, Wildfire Emissary

Pick: Wildfire Emissary

Pack 4:







Viscerid Deepwalker, Search for Tomorrow, Icatian Crier, Aetherflame Wall, Detainment Spell, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Bewilder, Call to the Netherworld, Phantom Wurm, Foriysian Totem, Firewake Sliver, Liege of the Pit

Pick: Foriysian Totem

Pack 5:







Herd Gnarr, Grapeshot, Scarwood Treefolk, Molder, Children of Korlis, Ground Rift, Dream Stalker, Plated Pegasus, Truth or Tale, Wipe Away, Gaea’s Blessing

Pick: Grapeshot

Pack 6:







Think Twice, Penumbra Spider, Aether Web, Momentary Blink, Greenseeker, Pit Keeper, Divine Congregation, Sulfurous Blast, Volcanic Awakening, Psionic Sliver

Pick: Sulfurous Blast

Pack 7:







Chromatic Star, Tolarian Sentinel, Flowstone Channeler, Prismatic Lens, Ground Rift, Eternity Snare, Skulking Knight, Pendelhaven Elder, Tectonic Fiend

Pick: Flowstone Channeler

Pack 8:




Nantuko Shaman, Scarwood Treefolk, Brass Gnat, Watcher Sliver, Blazing Blade Askari, Glass Asp, Haunting Hymn, Barbed Shocker

Pick: Nantuko Shaman

Pack 9:




Bonesplitter Sliver, Divine Congregation, Mindlash Sliver, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Jhoira’s Timebug, Jedit’s Dragoons, Locket of Yesterdays

Pick: Bonesplitter Sliver

Pack 10:




Aether Web, Mogg War Marshal, Jedit’s Dragoons, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Urza’s Factory

Pick: Mogg War Marshal

Pack 11:




Flamecore Elemental, Clockspinning, Sidewinder Sliver, Viscid Lemures, Aspect of Mongoose

Pick: Flamecore Elemental

Pack 12:

Aetherflame Wall, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Call to the Netherworld, Firewake Sliver

Pick: Thallid Shell-Dweller

Pack 13:

Molder, Children of Korlis, Ground Rift

Pick: Molder

Pack 14:

Aether Web, Volcanic Awakening

Pick: Aether Web

Pack 15:

Ground Rift

Pick: Ground Rift

Pack 16:










Slipstream Serpent, Gaze of Justice, Strangling Soot, Fathom Seer, Flamecore Elemental, Gemhide Sliver, Wormwood Dryad, Venser’s Sliver, Clockspinning, Bogardan Rager, Saltcrusted Steppe, Primal Forcemage, Riftwing Cloudskate, Swarmyard, Resurrection

Pick: Strangling Soot

Pack 17:










Amrou Seekers, Temporal Eddy, Mogg War Marshal, Terramorphic Expanse, Drudge Reavers, Jhoira’s Timebug, Chameleon Blur, Subterranean Shambler, Cyclopean Giant, Screeching Sliver, Celestial Crusader, Assembly-Worker, Wheel of Fate, Whispers of the Muse

Pick: Terramorphic Expanse

Pack 18:










Orcish Cannonade, Amrou Scout, Keldon Halberdier, Mana Skimmer, Durkwood Baloth, Fathom Seer, Traitor’s Clutch, Plunder, Eternity Snare, Molder, Spell Burst, Yavimaya Dryad, Squire

Pick: Durkwood Baloth

Pack 19:







Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Temporal Eddy, Mogg War Marshal, Flickering Spirit, Ghitu Firebreathing, Bewilder, Detainment Spell, Psychotic Episode, Sulfurous Blast, Duskrider Peregrine, Assembly-Worker, *

Pick: Sulfurous Blast

Pack 20:







Search for Tomorrow, Cancel, Empty the Warrens, Icatian Crier, Bonesplitter Sliver, Psychotic Episode, Sprout, Aetherflame Wall, Outrider en-Kor, Molten Slagheap, Sarpadian Empires, Vol. VII

Pick: Search for Tomorrow

Pack 21:







Coral Trickster, Benalish Cavalry, Feebleness, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Two-Headed Sliver, Blazing Blade Askari, Shadow Sliver, Ophidian Eye, Haunting Hymn, Spike Feeder

Pick: Spike Feeder

Pack 22:







Ashcoat Bear, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Flickering Spirit, Call to the Netherworld, Thunder Totem, Cavalry Master, Paradox Haze, Glass Asp

Pick: Ashcoat Bear

Pack 23:




Sidewinder Sliver, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Viashino Bladescout, Ophidian Eye, Molder, Pull from Eternity, Molten Slagheap, Goblin Snowman

Pick: Molten Slagheap

Pack 24:




Gaze of Justice, Flamecore Elemental, Wormwood Dryad, Venser’s Sliver, Saltcrusted Steppe, Primal Forcemage, Swarmyard

Pick: Wormwood Dryad

Pack 25:




Drudge Reavers, Jhoira’s Timebug, Chameleon Blur, Subterranean Shambler, Cyclopean Giant, Screeching Sliver

Pick: Subterranean Shambler

Pack 26:




Traitor’s Clutch, Plunder, Eternity Snare, Molder, Spell Burst

Pick: Molder

Pack 27:

Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Ghitu Firebreathing, Detainment Spell, Psychotic Episode

Pick: Ironclaw Buzzardiers

Pack 28:

Psychotic Episode, Sprout, Aetherflame Wall

Pick: Aetherflame Wall

Pack 29:

Two-Headed Sliver, Shadow Sliver

Pick: Two-Headed Sliver

Pack 30:

Paradox Haze

Pick: Paradox Haze

Pack 31:










Temporal Isolation, Think Twice, Ashcoat Bear, Urborg Syphon-Mage, Cloudchaser Kestrel, Thallid Germinator, Sprout, Aetherflame Wall, Pit Keeper, Sage of Epityr, Undying Rage, Urza’s Factory, Smallpox, Draining Whelk, Bad Moon

Pick: Undying Rage

Pack 32:










Spinneret Sliver, Keldon Halberdier, Ivory Giant, Grapeshot, Mindstab, Slipstream Serpent, Watcher Sliver, Thrill of the Hunt, Plunder, Skulking Knight, Krosan Grip, Brine Elemental, Basalt Gargoyle, Saffi Eriksdotter

Pick: Keldon Halberdier

Pack 33:










Gaze of Justice, Fathom Seer, Flamecore Elemental, Gemhide Sliver, Shadow Sliver, Bogardan Rager, Traitor’s Clutch, D’Avenant Healer, Glass Asp, Skittering Monstrosity, Spirit Loop, Telekinetic Sliver, Thornscape Battlemage

Pick: Thornscape Battlemage

Pack 34:







Cancel, Empty the Warrens, Icatian Crier, Bonesplitter Sliver, Drifter il-Dal, Havenwood Wurm, Basal Sliver, Sage of Epityr, Ghitu Firebreathing, Sudden Shock, Scryb Ranger, Quilled Sliver

Pick: Sudden Shock

Pack 35:







Temporal Isolation, Crookclaw Transmuter, Empty the Warrens, Strength in Numbers, Corpulent Corpse, Psychotic Episode, Jedit’s Dragoons, Sprout, Foriysian Interceptor, Return to Dust, Sarpadian Empires, Vol. VII

Pick: Temporal Isolation

Pack 36:







Nantuko Shaman, Coral Trickster, Spinneret Sliver, Children of Korlis, Viscid Lemures, Ground Rift, Dream Stalker, Fury Sliver, Smallpox, Phantom Wurm

Pick: Phantom Wurm

Pack 37:







Feebleness, Chromatic Star, Tolarian Sentinel, Flowstone Channeler, Sangrophage, Wormwood Dryad, Mystical Teachings, Two-Headed Sliver, Dread Return

Pick: Chromatic Star

Pack 38:




Sage of Epityr, Divine Congregation, Mindlash Sliver, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Jhoira’s Timebug, Might Sliver, Fallen Ideal, Glass Asp

Pick: Might Sliver

Pack 39:




Think Twice, Ashcoat Bear, Aetherflame Wall, Pit Keeper, Sage of Epityr, Urza’s Factory, Smallpox

Pick: Ashcoat Bear

Pack 40:




Grapeshot, Slipstream Serpent, Watcher Sliver, Thrill of the Hunt, Plunder, Krosan Grip

Pick: Grapeshot

Pack 41:




Shadow Sliver, Traitor’s Clutch, D’Avenant Healer, Glass Asp, Spirit Loop

Pick: D’Avenant Healer

Pack 42:

Cancel, Havenwood Wurm, Ghitu Firebreathing, Quilled Sliver

Pick: Havenwood Wurm

Pack 43:

Sprout, Foriysian Interceptor, Return to Dust

Pick: Sprout

Pack 44:

Ground Rift, Dream Stalker

Pick: Dream Stalker

Pack 45:

Sangrophage

Pick: Sangrophage


Final Decklist:


8 Forest
7 Mountain
1 Spike Feeder
1 Swamp
1 Thornscape Battlemage
1 Wildfire Emissary
2 Ashcoat Bear
1 Durkwood Baloth
1 Flamecore Elemental
1 Flowstone Channeler
1 Foriysian Totem
1 Grapeshot
1 Havenwood Wurm
1 Keldon Halberdier
1 Might Sliver
1 Nantuko Shaman
1 Phantom Wurm
1 Rift Bolt
1 Search for Tomorrow
1 Strangling Soot
1 Sudden Shock
2 Sulfurous Blast
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Tromp the Domains
1 Undying Rage


Sideboard
1 Bonesplitter Sliver
1 Chromatic Star
1 Dream Stalker
1 D’Avenant Healer
1 Grapeshot
1 Ground Rift
1 Ironclaw Buzzardiers
1 Mogg War Marshal
2 Molder
1 Molten Slagheap
1 Paradox Haze
1 Sangrophage
1 Sprout
1 Subterranean Shambler
1 Temporal Isolation
1 Thallid Shell-Dweller
1 Two-Headed Sliver
1 Wormwood Dryad
1 AEtherflame Wall
1 AEther Web


You probably won’t be terribly surprised to discover that I lost round 1. In game 1, I mulled a 1-lander into a 5-land + Search for Tomorrow into another 1-lander. I drew two straight lands to play a turn 3 Foriysian Totem and Sulfurous Blasted away a morphed Shapeshifter and Gemhide Sliver, but he simply played a Penumbra Spider and a Gorgon Recluse while I drew no more lands or castable spells. In game 2, I had a land-heavy draw with Totem and Sulfurous Blast. He played his Spider again and made a copy of it with Shapeshifter. I blocked Spider with Totem, and he used Nightshade Assassin to finish it off before playing a Sengir Nosferatu. Am I streaky or what?


As to the draft itself…


P4: I didn’t know whether the play here was to take the fixer/accelerant or the huge monster, so I went with the middle ground of the card that’s potentially either. Ordinarily I wouldn’t even have considered the Search, but if I have Tromp, I’d prefer it to be for +3/+3.
P6: Yeah yeah “so lucky.” If I were actually lucky, I might have won.
P8: I actually debated taking the Watcher Sliver here because I thought the Bonesplitter Sliver might table.


P16: At this point, I had a bunch of Red cards and only a few Green cards. Soot is, naturally, better than Gemhide Sliver, and taking it gave me several options: 1> to abandon Green and just go Black/Red; 2> to have some configuration of Red and Black cards (possibly mostly Red with a double-splash) but adding in the Tromp; or 3> to stay Green/Red but splash the powerful removal spell.


P32: Should I have taken the Gargoyle here?
P35: Empty the Warrens wasn’t going to make my deck, so this was just an arbitrary hate-draft.


Final thought: Ashcoat Bear is rather underwhelming. Every time I try to play it, I lose. This time, I felt obligated to toss some in for curve concerns and Undying Rage, but I’d still rather play a 2-drop Sliver, a Prismatic Lens, or no 2-drop at all on turn 2 in a Green deck.


Until next time,


Tim Aten

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