Evening ladies and gents. For my last assignment before the writing comp finishes I thought I better give you, my faithful reader, something a bit more tangible than my guesswork at what may happen in the not too distant future. You’d think it would be much harder to write about stuff like what might be in 10th Ed or any problems the game may be facing but actually, I find it much harder writing about actual events. I don’t feel I have the technical know-how of other members of the site so never quite certain that I have much to impart. Then again, perhaps reading how someone else did and pointing out there mistakes can be just as beneficial. None of us are perfect drafters after all.
And se here we are at the Asylum games club in Aberdeen on a gorgeous Sunday morning. This is my first paper draft for about a month and I’m feeling pretty excited about it. Aberdeen normally has the problem of not enough people - certainly that’s been the norm of late - but by the time we’re walking into the store, there’s 11 of us. This in itself poses a further problem. None of us want to draft in an 11 man pod but the only other option is to have two unsanctioned drafts - a 5 and a 6 man pod. Honestly, I think I’d have preferred the smaller pod and just had it unsanctioned but that’s not the general consensus. The next problem is that the shop owner Mike has very limited stock of Time Spiral so we end up having to draft TS / PC / PC. Hardly the end of the world but again, a bit annoying.
So an 11 man TS / PC / PC draft. I’d much rather be reporting a nice straight-forward 8 man TS / TS / PC event but we takes what we can get here in the far north and hopefully it’ll still be interesting for you guys to read.
I know most of the guys who’ve turned up pretty well and when seatings get announced I’m sat between Ken Green and Creag Forrest. Ken is one of the best players in Aberdeen and a jolly affable guy to boot once you get through what can sometimes appear to be a rather gruff exterior. Creag used to be considered a bit of a soft touch but has improved so, so much over the last few months. His constructed game has always been top notch and his limited is quickly catching up.
So with the setting laid out we sit down to draft. Now I’ve not written down very single card that was available in the pack - I just didn’t have the time - but all the key cards are there. I’m not going to go over every single pick as some of them won’t need any explanation but I’ll go over my thought process for the key picks.
First Pack - TS
1) Lightning Axe, Urborg Syphon-Mage, Sudden Spoiling, Outrider en-Kor, Snapback
Pick…
This was a tough call for me. Very tough. The choice is fairly simple - Lightning Axe or Sudden Spoiling. In straight-forward terms of power, the Spoiling is clearly the better card but we all know it’s never that simple. Lighting Axe is easy to cast, can be added as a splash and exists in a strong colour. Sudden Spoiling is black - a weak colour in TS - and has that double black cost. I went back and forth ages on this and what swung it for me was the fact that we’d be drafting with two Planar Chaos boosters instead of two Time Spiral boosters. I’m a big fan of black in PC. With hindsight, I wish I had taken the Axe. Opinions in the forum appreciated on this one.
2) Nether Traitor, Corpulent Corpse, Viscerid Deepwalker
Pick…
I did consider taking the Deepwalker here for a wee second. Am I wrong for not even considering the Traitor? I noted it as I flicked through the pack but it never really registered. A pretty weak pack I felt but the Corpse was quickly added to the Spoiling.
3) Phyrexian Totem, Looter il-Kor, Gorgon Recluse
Pick…
Sigh - if only I had kept the Deepwalker this would have been an easy call. The simple fact is that Looter shouldn’t me making it through to third pick. It’s beginning to look like Ken is shipping me blue. I might be too late to stop Creag cutting me off in pack 2 but I still have 12 picks from this booster and all of the 3rd booster. Yes, the Totem was a real consideration but I’m not turning down a signal like this.
4) Wall of Roots, Feebleness, Fool’s Demise, Evangelize, Psychotic Episode
Pick…
This was just another case of taking the best card. Wall of Roots is a house and I’m happy to have it in the deck. At this point my deck is hardly looking lightning fast so two-drop walls are going to be needed. The only other real option here was Feebleness but the Wall is just so much stronger. Nothing of note in blue here. Maybe I was wrong about blue being free?
5) Angel’s Grace, Coal Stoker, Gemhide Sliver, Gemstone Mine, Gustcloak Cavalier
Pick…
Man I love Coal Stoker. I don’t know what it is about it - I just love that card. However I’m not looking at a 4th colour by my 5th pick. I’m so, so tempted by the Sliver. The only problem, is, I’m not chained down to a second colour yet (hell, I’m barely tied down to a first colour) so I’m not keen on grabbing it. It’s functionally better than the Mine but Mine is very, very good. It ended up making the pile.
6) Penumbra Spider, Might Sliver, Sage of Epityr, Think Twice
Pick…
Well blue may or may not be open but over three turns I’ve been passed Wall of Roots, Gemhide Sliver and Penumbra Spider. Them’s the kind of signals even I can read! Easily the best green common in Time Spiral, I windmill slam this bad-boy.
7) Castle Raptors, Faceless Butcher, Gorgon Recluse
Pick…
wtf? Castle Raptors still kicking around 7th pick? Faceless Butcher? If there hadn’t been such a strong black card in the Butcher this pick would have been far more difficult. I’m beginning to wonder if I can read any signals. I mean seriously, wtf? Oh well, it gets passed on.
8) Think Twice, Temporal Isolation, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Gemstone Cavern
Pick…
See what I said earlier about two-drop walls?
9) Sage of Epityr, Mystical Teachings, Errant Doomsayers, Empty The Warrens, Sangrophage
Pick…
That’s a fair few decent cards to be seeing this late I feel…Especially the Warrens.
10) Evil Eye of Urborg, Strength in Numbers, Ophidian Eye
Pick…
I’ve had too many problems with Eyes to get burned again…
11) Subterranean Shambler, Havenwood Wurm
Pick…
12) Cloudchaser Kestrel, Aether Web
Pick…
13) Chameleon Blur
Pick…
14) Evangelize
Pick…
Should this be tabling? I’m thinking it shouldn’t be 14th pick anyway.
15) Psychotic Episode
Pick…
Second Pack - PC
1) Vorosh the Hunter, Giant Dustwasp, Pyrohemia, Shivan Meteor, Vampiric Link
Pick…
This is what the deck needed. This is a bomb of the absolute first class - if this guy connects with your opponent‘s life total twice that‘s generally enough for the handshake. Sure it’s hard passing Pyrohemia but what can you do? I’m already strongly in black and green and I have a Gemstone Mine so getting this into play shouldn’t be too tricky. It should be noted that I did consider the Dustwasp here. But only for about 2 seconds.
2) Shaper Parasite, Blightspeaker, Rathi Trapper, Treacherous Urge
Pick…
Yes, the Trapper is good but I’ve not yet played with Urge and wanted to give it a shot. It’s just a fantastic card. It can completely devastate the best-laid plans of your opponent.
3) Cradle to Grave, Evolution Charm, Saltblast, Body Double
Pick…
Disappointing 3rd pick. Not a lot here for me.
4) Hunting Wilds, Utopia Vow, Midnight Charm, Shaper Parasite, Melancholy
Pick…
This is a bit better. This ain’t shaping up to be a deck with a very low curve and I have precisely no acceleration up until now. Ignoring the kicker ability, this is decent. When you take the kicker into consideration though, this is a winner. It wasn’t an immediate pick however - two removal spells in Melancholy and Utopia Vow were definitely considered.
5) Dead / Gone, Hammerheim Deadeye, Dash Hopes
Pick…
And another disappointing one.
6) Big Game Hunter, Kor Dirge, Dust Elemental, Cradle to Grave
Pick…
Yeah! Steve Irwin! Seriously though, this guy is stupid good. That Blightspeaker from earlier should have perhaps been given a bit of a better look. Even so, there’s nothing bad you can sat about this guy. As we said earlier with Faceless Butcher, removal on a body = some good.
7) Mire Boa, Utopia Vow, Gaea’s Anthem
Pick…
Yes, Mire Boa is amazing but the Anthem just couldn’t be ignored. Good to see green is still flowing freely. Least if the signals coming to me are a bit confused, the ones I am sending appear to be clear from the last two picks.
8) Brain Gorgers, Bog Serpent, Shrouded Lore
Pick…
I know they are both pretty bad but what’s the correct pick here? Really not sure but the Gorgers got the nod.
9) Uktabi Drake, Bog Serpent, Seal of Primordium
Pick…
10) Kavu Predator, Evolution Charm, Lavacore Elemental
Pick…
11) Kavu Predator, 4 white cards!
Pick…
12) Fa’adiyah Seer, Ghost Tactician, Gossamer Phantasm, Dash Hopes
Pick…
13) Aquamorph Entity
Pick…
14) Seal of Primordium, Shade of Trokair
Pick…
Should Shade be here 14th pick? I had kind of got it into my head that that was pretty decent like.
15) Healing Leaves
Pick…
Third Pack - PC
1) Boom / Bust, Kavu Predator, Citanul Woodreaders, Reckless Wurm, Saltblast, Sinew Sliver
Pick…
Lot’s of good cards but only one in my colours which is worth serious consideration. I think I like it so much because 2G for a 1/4 seems reasonable and 4GG for a 1/4, draw two cards seems pretty decent too me. Not a bomb like Vorosh but could have been worse.
2) Whitemane Lion, Midnight Charm, Dash Hopes, Healing Leaves
Pick…
Hardly a stellar second pick. It’s going to have to do though.
3) Primal Plasma, Brain Gorgers, Shade of Trokair, Dawn Charm, Stormfront Riders
Pick…
See pick 2. Beginning to get worried that my deck lacks a bit of oomph.
4) Utopia Vow, Essence Warden, Blightspeaker, Extirpate (foil!!!)
Pick…
Yes, I know I said earlier that I wanted a Blightspeaker. Unfortuately, the one thing my deck seems to be lacking so far is plenty of removal. Sure I have Butcher and BGH but I need more. Vow is hardly ideal but it fills a slot. If I’m staring down an Akroma or dragon, I’d rather top-deck this than a very, very easy to kill Rebel-searcher.
5) Life and Limb, Erratic Mutation
Pick…
Not much to pick from here. Can’t see it making the deck but not much option.
6) Citanul Woodreaders
Pick…
There weren’t many other options here but I’m happy to add a second Woodreader to my pool.
7) Blightspeaker
Pick…
There’s some karma for you. The rest of the booster hasn’t been the best for me but I wanted one of these and I got one. Happy days. Just as well though because there was nothing else here worth considering.
8) Bog Serpent, Stingscourer, Shivan Meteor, Skirk Shaman
Pick…
I think it’s a fairly good indication of the standard of some of the people drafting around me when you see a card like Stingscourer coming 8th pick. My deck is still lacking a bit of fat outside of the dragon so happy enough to take the 5/5 now.
9) Ridged Kitsune, Deadly Grub
Pick…
10) Citanul Woodreaders, Dunerider Outlaw, Aven Riftwatcher
Pick…
A third Woodreader is probably a bit much. The Outlaw on the other hand works as a good pick on two levels for me though - I really don’t want to see it facing me on the other side of the table and Blightspeaker can search for it.
11) Kavu Predator, Dichtomancy
Pick…
12) Saltblast, Salt field Recluse, Seal of Primordium
Pick…
13) Wistful Thinking
Pick…
14) Seal of Primordium
Pick…
15) Ridged Kitsune
Pick…
Decklist
2 * Citanul Woodreaders
1 * Havenwood Wurm
1 * Penumbra Spider
1 * Corpulent Corpse
1 * Dunerider Outlaw
1 * Bog Serpent
1 * Big Game Hunter
1 * Thallid Shell-Dweller
1 * Kavu Predator
1 * Blightspeaker
1 * Faceless Butcher
1 * Vorosh
1 * Wall of Roots
1 * Gaea’s Anthem
1 * Sudden Spoiling
1 * Midnight Charm
1 * Treacherous Urge
1 * Utopia Vow
1 * Hunting Wilds
1 * Cradle to Grave
1 * Aether Web
1 * Gemstone Mine
2 * Island
8 * Forest
7 * Swamp
So, how do I feel about the build? Quite good actually. The deck pretty much built itself and the only thing I debated for some time was whether to run Uktabi Drake or an 18th land. Ine the end, I felt consistency was more important and with Vorosh, Wurm, Serpent and Hunting Wilds and Woodreaders wihch really want to be kicked, I’m going to need to get there quickly. Sure, I can always play Wilds without the kicker but outside of that, the only acceleration I have is Wall of Roots. The deck has some tricks, some removal and some decent guys all with an ok, if slightly top-heavy curve.
It transpires that Creag on my left has built 5 colour slivers wih only one Gemhide. Looking at the deck it will either play unbelievably well or totally crash and burn. And Ken on my left? He had managed to end up black / green as well despite having such bombs as Pyrohemia. Looks like neither of us did each other any favours. Realistically my deck is probably not quite bomb-tastic enough to go 3-0 out of an 11 man pod but I reckon the deck was good for 6 points. We shall see…
Round 1 - Scott McLellan
Scott’s a good lad once you figure out when he’s talking out of his derriere and when he’s being serious. He’s the best person playing on the day and has played on the Pro Tour a couple of times so it’s good to see how my deck matches up. His deck is basically lots of bombs all over the shop in 4 colours with 4 (yes, four) Dreamscape Artists to sort out any potential mana worries.
Game 1 was very good for me. Turn 2 Wall of Roots into turn 3 unkicked Hunting Wilds into turn 4 Bog Serpent. I could have played Vorosh here but I was fishing for counter magic or removal. Feeling safe that he didn’t have either, I dropped Vorosh turn 5 only to see it eat Shivan Meteor. By this point Scott had managed to get a Chronazoa into play and the balance was potentially turning. He then proceeds to drop Oros, the Avenger the turn after. Unfortunately for him, I’ve had Steve Irwin in my hand from the start which takes it out. He’s too far behind at this point for Chronazoa to get the job done - Serpent ftw.
My notes for game 2 just read ‘Too slow’. He got a Dreamscape Artist online very early and was able to outrace the very slow draw I had.
Game 3 was the closest game of the day. We traded creatures and removal all the day long. I managed to play an kicked Hunting Wilds to swing Scott down to four. All he has on the table is a Crookclaw Transmuter so I’m feeling good on 8. EOT, he flashes in another Transmuter, swings for 6 and casts Sulfurous Blast ftw.
I actually didn’t feel too bad after this game at all. I had pushed Scott very close and they were very enjoyable games.
Round 2 - Blair Neil
I’ve never met Blair before but he seems very affable and I’m told he got to the final of the draft the week before so the guy has game.
I win the die roll and choose to play game one but have to send the first hand back to Paris. I manage to settle on a hand of 6 though. Land, go and my opponent drops a Greenseeker after laying a forest. I have Midnight Charm to take care of that eot. He missed his second land drop so I’m assuming his hand relied on the ‘seeker to get him anywhere. I went turn 2, Wall of Roots, turn 3 Hunting Wilds, turn 4 Vorosh. He bounced it once with Dead Gone then bounces it again a turn later with Stingscourer. Eventually the bomb sticks though and 3 swings later we’re onto game 2.
Game 2 was very, very strange. The only significant play Blair makes all game is around turn 4 or 5 where he gets an Ignite Memories for 12. In the meantime, my turn 2 Dunerider Outlaw goes from a 1/1 to a 2/2 to a 3/3... You get the picture. 6 swings later and my opponent is scooping them up. Seeing a 6/6 Outlaw = some good.
Round 3 - Mark Rutter
Mark is also a new face to me and it transpires that this is his first ever draft. He seems like a really nice kid though. Game 1 he was very unlucky. He mulls to 5 on the draw. I didn’t get to see much mana but his draw is so bad that a Kavu Predator and an (eventually) unsuspended Corpse take me home.
Game 2 has a very, very interesting moment. I’m sitting very pretty indeed. When my opponent plays Evil Eye of Urborg. I feel a bit bad about doing it but the top-decked Utopia Vow only has one destination. The it get’s even more interesting. He’s about to scoop them up when I ask to see his hand. It’s all quite informal at this stage and me and Dave (the judge) have a look. We then proceed to talk him through a turn of Claws of Gix, Coal Stoker, Fury Charm, Empty the Warrens for 8! Despite staring down an angry horde of goblins free to attack after sac’ing the Eye to the Claws and stupid amounts of life gain, I still manage to grind out the win eventually but that was one amazing turn.
After it all shakes out I come 5th with 6 points. Creag’s 5 colour sliver monstrosity end’s the day unbeaten on 7 points. Scott and Ken played to win the draft and Ken won a tight one 2-1. The rare redraft was meaty one indeed with a foil Extirpate, Damnation, 2 red Akromas, Boom / Bust, Magus of the Library and lot’s of other nice stuff. My spoils end up including one of the aforementioned Akromas, the Magus, Fatal Frenzy and Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth. Not a bad day’s work. But more importantly it was good to sit down and play some paper Magic again after a month out and know I’m still competitive. Sure, some of the decisions I made in the draft were questionable but I honestly feel I am getting better each time I sit down. Let me know what you guys would have done differently in the forums. See you there.
-Flame on-
Dave
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