The Ravitz PTQ

With just two weeks left in the qualifying season for Pro Tour: Kobe, I felt I could provide helpful insight into the process… a process story, if you will – though this isn’t government and politics – of how a typical Pro Tour Qualifier might be won. It’s been a while since I’ve played in a PTQ, but from what I understand, read and see; things are pretty much exactly the same, if not easier. My only regret is that I don’t have good stories from RGD sealed or Coldsnap Draft to fill the rounds.

For a local PTQ my alarm goes off at around 7am, and I ponder briefly why it is I’m getting up at 7am again… I remember why, and my alarm clock lives another day. I take a shower and grab a bite to eat, and it’s off to Clifton Commons to meet Gerard Fabiano and Jon Sonne. We’re off to New York City to play the PTQ at Neutral Ground. Either that or I’m at Osyp’s house in Madison, playing Extended for the next Pro Tour that I wasn’t qualified for, or, perhaps partaking in some classic movies such as Navy Seals and/or Varsity Blues. If I was really lucky (people insist on calling it luck), I got to see a pretty smashed Osyp serving his world famous screwdrivers. From what I understood — I was underage, so no drinking for me — they were pretty strong; I heard just Vodka with orange food coloring. Osyp is crafty, if nothing else.

Going to sleep much too late, and not getting enough sleep… often none at all. Then Saturday finally came! “Waking up” at 5am, taking a shower, and Starbucks isn’t even open. Driving four hours with Patrick Sullivan and his wife/fiancée/girlfriend; seeing the same people every weekend no matter what city we were in. Waiting around for the notoriously late start and struggling to get seated, because again, regardless of city, it seems no one knows how to anticipate a PTQ crowd.

We get settled and register a deck. People get up, wasting more time in between deck swap and deck registration, but I decide to just stay seated. It’s a hassle getting back to the middle of whatever table I’m seated at. You know how crowded it is. You’re sitting right next to me.

They pass out the decks, and with nervous excitement I await the “go.”

(This is the Sealed Deck cardpool I left for you to do in the forums last week, so it should look a little familiar.)

And now, the sorting begins. Short on space, I try not to disturb my neighbors; they’re struggling with the table size just like everyone else. That’s a tall order in this format, as I have 57 piles laid out in front of me… guilds, hybrids, colors, artifacts, lands, gold…

Regardless, first things first: I take away the worst cards immediately, to both conserve space and time, it’s easier to look at fewer cards. The cards I definitely don’t want to play are the first to go, but in this format I’m pretty lenient to start with. This almost defeats the purpose, but it’s a process.

These can go:

1 Cyclopean Snare
1 Dark Heart of the Wood
1 Dimir Machinations
1 Gate Hound
1 Goblin Fire Fiend
1 Leyline of Lightning
1 Necromantic Thirst
1 Surge of Zeal
1 Tunnel Vision
1 Votary of the Conclave
1 Zephyr Spirit
1 Street Savvy
1 Taste for Mayhem
1 Writ of Passage
1 Aethermage’s Touch

That’s not many. But it’s a start. The pile grows as it becomes clear the only White card I can really play is Faith’s Fetters. Moving the rest of the White aside provides a clearer and clearer view into the next 8 rounds of swiss. And no, for record, Selesnya Guildmage doesn’t count as White if you don’t want it to.

Benevolent Ancestor — Deceased
Shrieking Grotesque — Deceased
Votary of the Conclave — Deceased
Wojek Siren — Deceased
Aurora Eidolon — Deceased

Upon making these cuts I come to the realization that my mana could be better. Most people have this realization. While I’m excited to have the all-star Civic Wayfinder and the oft-maligned-but-not-by-me-Vesper Ghoul, I am less than pleased to have just Rakdos Carnarium in my Karoo pile. My Signets are okay, it seems: Orzhov and Selesnya, both of which will make what I’m trying to accomplish easier. Terrarion helps, but… I don’t know, I just don’t know.

Still, fewer cards to look at, things are getting clearer and easier. I check my watch. Not bad, eighteen minutes left.

Okay. Green is in. I mean, look at these cards! Battering Wurm, Bramble Elemental, Civic Wayfinder, Dowsing Shaman, Scatter the Seeds, Golgari Rotwurm, Selesnya Guildmage… To a lesser extent the Gruul team is represented, with both Nordorog and Scrapper. While not the most exciting of crowds to hang with, these guys get the job done when needed. They won’t today, but I’ve been there before. When I see the Dowsing Shaman at this stage of the game, I look and find Ocular Halo, Galvanic Arc, Clinging Darkness, and Faith’s Fetters. This is comforting. No Seals, but I’ll live.

Second color, okay, second color… second color? Well, maybe we’ll need two. Blue is good, but it’s not quite deep enough. Containing both of my true bombs – Cerulean Sphinx and Compulsive Research – it’s pretty obvious that I have to fit it in. Since the Sphinx is double Blue, it requires a little commitment. We already have Green cards like Coiling Oracle… this deckbuilding is making a reasonable amount of sense at what feels like an ungodly hour, despite it only being a touch past 10am.

At this point, we’ve got:

Faith’s Fetters
Battering Wurm
Bramble Elemental
Dowsing Shaman
Cerulean Sphinx
Ocular Halo
Torch Drake
Compulsive Research
Civic Wayfinder
Drift of Phantasms
Transluminant
Selesnya Guildmage
Surveilling Sprite
Lurking Informant
Coiling Oracle
Selesnya Signet
Orzhov Signet
Terrarion

Rakdos Carnarium

Eighteen cards and a land. We’re aiming for sixteen lands so we need six more cards, but things are pretty thin; one extra color probably won’t be enough. This is getting dangerous. There’s a lot of really good cards in Black, and I have the Carnarium that I pretty much have to play… I might as well make it sing for me. Adding the aforementioned Vesper Ghoul just gives me bigger and bolder ideas. Keening Banshee, despite its double Black, is getting in there. Last Gasp, Golgari Rotwurm, and Clinging Darkness are automatic after that. And now there are options; easy options, hard options, soft options, choose life, etc.

Rakdos Carnarium, Rakdos Carnarium, Rakdos Carnarium.

Obviously I choose to play Galvanic Arc. I have Dowsing Shaman and Bramble Elemental, it’s arguably the best card remaining, and I certainly don’t want the naked Gruul Scrapper or Nordorog. Scatter the Seeds does literally nothing in this deck, so it’s not much of a choice despite being in color. So it’s Galvanic Arc, and it might as well be… I’m five colors and that’s okay.

Mana isn’t even that hard. I play a Plains because of the Guildmage and Transluminant. Here’s the final decklist:

It’s not my favorite deck of all time, but it doesn’t seem that bad. Write enough articles and you can put a convincing positive spin on just about any deck, but what you’ll all see is that it has solid creatures and removal. The mana is good enough, though not the best of all time.

The rounds drift by; I’m 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, pushovers, maybe a little unlucky. Probably not as unlucky as they think; it’s 2:30, and the day is just starting. By the time I put the finishing touches on the perfect 8-0/16-0, it’s just about 8pm. Just kidding… of course I lay up. I do manage to make Top 8 at 6-0-2, after an intentional draw in round 5 with Pat Sullivan, figuring we’d be better off against likely weaker opponents.

Round 6, and my opponent isn’t very old. For some reason, he thinks he deserves to win. He complains, complains and complains. I nod silently and stare through him. I win the next round as well, and am all set for drawing again. Patrick, on the other hand, fares worse. He faces near elimination, losing in round 7 and taking a mulligan on the forced-play against Justin Polin in game 3 of round 8, after a heartbreaking game 2 loss. He pulls through, and the top 8 is set. Pat and Morgan Douglass join me in (I guess) an average PTQ Top 8. The format is, of course, Mirrodin-Mirrodin-Mirrodin Rochester draft.

No, sorry, it’s Coldsnap booster draft. What was I thinking?

Pack 1:

Surging Might,

Boreal Griffin, Surging Aether, Zombie Musher, Orcish Bloodpainter, Snow-Covered Plains, Simian Brawler, Martyr of Spores,

Karplusan Wolverine, Feast of Flesh, Krovikan Mist, Wall of Shards, Mouth of Ronom, Stromgald Crusader, Scrying

Sheets

Pick: Scrying Sheets

Pack 2:

Survivor of the Unseen,

Martyr of Sands, Thermopod, Goblin Rimerunner, Rite of Flame, Grim Harvest, Squall Drifter, Rimewind Taskmage, Snow-Covered

Mountain, Chill to the Bone, Goblin Rimerunner, Krovikan Whispers, Tresserhorn Skyknight, Cryoclasm

Pick: Krovikan

Whispers

Pack 3:

Boreal Griffin,

Surging Aether, Zombie Musher, Orcish Bloodpainter, Snow-Covered Plains, Simian Brawler, Rite of Flame, Feast of Flesh,

Martyr of Frost, Swift Maneuver, Rimehorn Aurochs, White Shield Crusader, Flashfreeze

Pick: Zombie Musher

Pack 4:

Frostweb Spider,

Martyr of Bones, Rune Snag, Sun’s Bounty, Surging Flame, Kjeldoran Javelineer, Drelnoch, Gutless Ghoul, Snow-Covered Island,

Phyrexian Snowcrusher, Krovikan Rot, Cover of Winter

Pick: Krovikan Rot

Pack 5:

Ronom Unicorn,

Krovikan Scoundrel, Rune Snag, Martyr of Sands, Squall Drifter, Rimewind Taskmage, Snow-Covered Mountain, Chill to the Bone,

Goblin Rimerunner, Wilderness Elemental, Kjeldoran Gargoyle

Pick: Rimewind Taskmage

Pack 6:

Drelnoch, Surging

Sentinels, Swift Maneuver, Icefall, Krovikan Scoundrel, Survivor of the Unseen, Martyr of Sands, Balduvian Warlord,

Counterbalance, Fury of the Horde

Pick: Surging Sentinels

Pack 7:

Martyr of

Sands, Icefall, Grim Harvest, Krovikan Mist, Kjeldoran Javelineer, Drelnoch, Gutless Ghoul, Snow-Covered Island, Freyalise’s

Radiance

Pick: Snow-Covered Island

Pack 8:

Drelnoch, Surging

Sentinels, Surging Dementia, Survivor of the Unseen, Ronom Unicorn, Perilous Research, Controvert, Braid of Fire

Pick:

Perilous Research

Pack 9:

Boreal Griffin,

Zombie Musher, Snow-Covered Plains, Martyr of Spores, Karplusan Wolverine, Feast of Flesh, Wall of Shards

Pick: Zombie

Musher

Pack 10:

Survivor of the Unseen,

Martyr of Sands, Rite of Flame, Grim Harvest, Tresserhorn Skyknight, Cryoclasm

Pick: Tresserhorn Skyknight

Pack 11:

Boreal Griffin,

Surging Aether, Rite of Flame, Martyr of Frost, Swift Maneuver

Pick: Boreal Griffin

Pack 12:

Martyr of

Bones, Rune Snag, Sun’s Bounty, Kjeldoran Javelineer

Pick: Rune Snag

Pack 13:

Ronom Unicorn,

Martyr of Sands, Wilderness Elemental

Pick: Ronom Unicorn

Pack 14:

Swift Maneuver,

Icefall

Pick: Swift Maneuver

Pack 15:

Freyalise’s Radiance

Pick: Freyalise’s Radiance

Pack 16:

Thermopod, Ohran Yeti,

Rite of Flame, Grim Harvest, Martyr of Frost, Kjeldoran War Cry, Kjeldoran Outrider, Surging Aether, Boreal Centaur, Gutless

Ghoul, Snow-Covered Swamp, Juniper Order Ranger, Luminesce, Arctic Flats, Sunscour

Pick: Snow-Covered Swamp

Pack 17:

Kjeldoran War

Cry, Frostweb Spider, Martyr of Ashes, Surging Dementia, Survivor of the Unseen, Snow-Covered Swamp, Kjeldoran Javelineer,

Frozen Solid, Zombie Musher, Ronom Hulk, Orcish Bloodpainter, Balduvian Fallen, Stalking Yeti, Karplusan Strider

Pick:

Snow-Covered Swamp

Pack 18:

Ronom Serpent,

Squall Drifter, Goblin Furrier, Rimebound Dead, Snow-Covered Island, Ronom Unicorn, Frostweb Spider, Skred, Martyr of Bones,

Snow-Covered Swamp, Sun’s Bounty, Vanish into Memory, Soul Spike

Pick: Soul Spike

Pack 19:

Sun’s Bounty,

Thermopod, Simian Brawler, Rite of Flame, Martyr of Frost, Kjeldoran Outrider, Surging Aether, Gutless Ghoul, Snow-Covered

Swamp, Jotun Owl Keeper, Controvert, Boreal Shelf

Pick: Snow-Covered Swamp

Pack 20:

Ronom Serpent,

Goblin Furrier, Rimebound Dead, Bull Aurochs, Martyr of Ashes, Martyr of Bones, Thermal Flux, Sun’s Bounty, Thermopod,

Balduvian Frostwaker, Rime Transfusion

Pick: Ronom Serpent

Pack 21:

Goblin Furrier,

Ronom Serpent, Rimebound Dead, Snow-Covered Plains, Ronom Unicorn, Krovikan Scoundrel, Rune Snag, Wall of Shards, Krovikan

Whispers, Cover of Winter

Pick: Krovikan Whispers

Pack 22:

Goblin Furrier,

Boreal Griffin, Snow-Covered Plains, Karplusan Wolverine, Thermopod, Thermal Flux, Ronom Unicorn, Ursine Fylgja,

Counterbalance

Pick: Snow-Covered Plains

Pack 23:

Martyr of Frost, Swift

Maneuver, Icefall, Krovikan Scoundrel, Snow-Covered Swamp, Kjeldoran Javelineer, Luminesce, Jokulmorder

Pick: Snow-Covered

Swamp

Pack 24:

Thermopod, Rite of Flame,

Martyr of Frost, Kjeldoran War Cry, Kjeldoran Outrider, Gutless Ghoul, Luminesce

Pick: Gutless Ghoul

Pack 25:

Kjeldoran War

Cry, Surging Dementia, Survivor of the Unseen, Kjeldoran Javelineer, Frozen Solid, Orcish Bloodpainter

Pick: Frozen

Solid

Pack 26:

Ronom

Serpent, Rimebound Dead, Martyr of Bones, Sun’s Bounty, Vanish into Memory

Pick: Ronom Serpent

Pack 27:

Sun’s Bounty, Rite of

Flame, Martyr of Frost, Controvert

Pick: Controvert

Pack 28:

Rimebound Dead, Martyr

of Bones, Thermal Flux

Pick: Rimebound Dead

Pack 29:

Wall of Shards,

Cover of Winter

Pick: Cover of Winter

Pack 30:

Counterbalance

Pick: Counterbalance

Pack 31:

Swift Maneuver,

Martyr of Spores, Aurochs Herd, Karplusan Wolverine, Surging Dementia, Thermal Flux, Gelid Shackles, Ohran Yeti, Frozen

Solid, Chill to the Bone, Sound the Call, Jotun Grunt, Controvert, Deathmark, Arcum Dagsson

Pick: Chill to the Bone

Pack 32:

Martyr of Spores,

Karplusan Wolverine, Feast of Flesh, Krovikan Mist, Kjeldoran War Cry, Gelid Shackles, Ohran Yeti, Frozen Solid, Chill to the

Bone, Snow-Covered Plains, Freyalise’s Radiance, Boreal Shelf, Kjeldoran Gargoyle, Thrumming Stone

Pick: Chill to the

Bone

Pack 33:

Gelid

Shackles, Snow-Covered Forest, Chilling Shade, Bull Aurochs, Icefall, Grim Harvest, Krovikan Mist, Swift Maneuver, Martyr of

Spores, Perilous Research, Greater Stone Spirit, Tresserhorn Sinks, Zur the Enchanter

Pick: Chilling Shade

Pack 34:

Into the North,

Icefall, Krovikan Scoundrel, Survivor of the Unseen, Martyr of Sands, Sound the Call, Surging Sentinels, Snow-Covered Forest,

Goblin Rimerunner, Phobian Phantasm, Highland Weald, Phyrexian Etchings

Pick: Phobian Phantasm

Pack 35:

Snow-Covered

Mountain, Kjeldoran Outrider, Rimewind Taskmage, Chilling Shade, Sun’s Bounty, Thermopod, Rite of Flame, Feast of Flesh,

Rimewind Cryomancer, Magmatic Core, Thrumming Stone

Pick: Rimewind Taskmage

Pack 36:

Kjeldoran War Cry,

Bull Aurochs, Martyr of Ashes, Martyr of Bones, Thermal Flux, Sound the Call, Surging Sentinels, Disciple of Tevesh Szat,

Sheltering Ancient, Field Marshal

Pick: Disciple of Tevesh Szat

Pack 37:

Kjeldoran

Outrider, Rimewind Taskmage, Chilling Shade, Thermopod, Rite of Flame, Grim Harvest, Martyr of Frost, Glacial Plating,

Flashfreeze

Pick: Chilling Shade

Pack 38:

Martyr of

Frost, Kjeldoran War Cry, Frostweb Spider, Martyr of Ashes, Surging Dementia, Survivor of the Unseen, Mishra’s Bauble,

Sek’Kuar, Deathkeeper

Pick: Survivor of the Unseen

Pack 39:

Swift Maneuver,

Martyr of Spores, Surging Dementia, Thermal Flux, Jotun Grunt, Controvert, Arcum Dagsson

Pick: Controvert

Pack 40:

Martyr of Spores,

Karplusan Wolverine, Krovikan Mist, Kjeldoran War Cry, Freyalise’s Radiance, Thrumming Stone

Pick: Krovikan Mist

Pack 41:

Chilling

Shade, Icefall, Swift Maneuver, Martyr of Spores, Zur the Enchanter

Pick: Chilling Shade

Pack 42:

Icefall, Krovikan

Scoundrel, Survivor of the Unseen, Martyr of Sands

Pick: Krovikan Scoundrel

Pack 43:

Sun’s Bounty,

Thermopod, Rimewind Cryomancer

Pick: Thermopod

Pack 44:

Martyr of Bones,

Thermal Flux

Pick: Thermal Flux

Pack 45:

Martyr of

Frost

Pick: Martyr of Frost

Final Decklist:

Maindeck:

1 Frozen Solid
6 Island
1 Snow-Covered Island
4 Snow-Covered Swamp
6

Swamp
3 Chilling Shade
2 Chill to the Bone
1 Disciple of Tevesh Szat
1 Gutless Ghoul
1 Krovikan Rot
2

Krovikan Whispers
1 Perilous Research
1 Phobian Phantasm
1 Rimebound Dead
2 Rimewind Taskmage
2 Ronom

Serpent
1 Scrying Sheets
1 Soul Spike
1 Tresserhorn Skyknight
2 Zombie Musher

Sideboard

Snow-Covered

Plains
1 Boreal Griffin
2 Controvert
1 Counterbalance
1 Cover of Winter
1 Freyalise’s Radiance
1 Krovikan

Mist
1 Krovikan Scoundrel
1 Martyr of Frost
1 Ronom Unicorn
1 Rune Snag
1 Surging Sentinels
1 Survivor of

the Unseen
1 Swift Maneuver
1 Thermal Flux
1 Thermopod

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

(Rich Hoaen originally did this draft. I edited it with the picks I would have made; I disagreed with Rich pretty much from the beginning, and you’ll be able to see what picks he made in his “Drafting With Rich — Coldsnap #5” draft article, up today. In general, it seems Richie’s idea was to move in and try to mise, whereas in my eyes we already had a solid plan with the Scrying Sheets, and just needed to stay on course.)

Okay. A few picks are probably worth talking about. First, Scrying Sheets over Mouth of Ronom. It’s close, but there aren’t many ways to draw cards in this format, and I’d rather have the Sheets. For most of the draft I took the best card I could, assuming I was a snow-deck from the get-go (after the Sheets.) I didn’t have a great reason to switch. I could have maybe moved in a few times during pack 1, on things like Surging Flames or Sentinels — I did take a Sentinels, in case it panned out when there was nothing else, but of course it didn’t. I took plenty of Snow Lands, but in pack 3 I took Chilling Shade over Tresserhorn Sinks. I wanted the Shade (and ended up with three, probably one too many). I thought I needed ways to win, and at the time I did. I limited myself to just two Taskmages because they’re not that amazing. I have good removal, and all in all I think the deck turned out pretty good. I passed a lot of Zombie Mushers, which worried me as they’re hard to stop and I, of course, have snow lands. I do have two Krovikan Whispers — I could have had more Gutless Ghouls, but opted to take snow-lands because they’re obviously much more valuable, and I could not have reasonably predicted the second Whispers. One pick I regret was the Serpent over the Dead, as it turns out I’d probably rather have the cheap-Snow-guy for my Taskmages and my early game, but alas.

I gave myself a reasonable shot at making the final, but Pat Sullivan, my opponent for the second time on this PTQ, day had drafted a monster of a Red/Blue deck with five Martyr of Ashes and five Krovikan Mist. He too saw himself making the finals, and since only one of us could, he dispatched me in three games.

My day was done. Pat beat Morgan in the semis, and a random in the finals. He won the slot, the flight, and the glory. Typical.

We decide to journey back to New Jersey after the PTQ, and despite being absurdly tired — we all are — I can’t fall asleep for fear of Pat smashing the car into another car.

Miraculously, we arrive back in New Jersey in one piece. Back there, of course, falling asleep is much easier.

Good luck in your remaining PTQs, and see you in Kobe.

Josh Ravitz