Tuesday 10 November 2009

Drafting with Jim #14

By Jim Marlow

Hey everyone,

I know these articles were pretty popular when i did a few around alara block, so im trying to do as many as my (extremely) limited online budget will allow, although luckily i have been opening and selling fetchlands (something like 8 out of 7 drafts now), to fund the recent run of draft articles. Sorry that i didn't do too many in the last month or so but being poor, not opening baneslayers or duals....and triple M10 as the format were all causes for me to largely abandon modo untill Zendikar.

Anyway, this last couple of drafts i have done seem to have been a big improvement. I feel like i have a pretty good grasp of how the format works now, and how the state of the format affects my pick order.

So here is the first of a couple drafts i have to go up, when Andy came over to join me for a little sess. I know everyone is bored of me saying, but if this draft doesn't point out how i manage to lose with the best deck at the table, im not sure what will.


Event #: 677539
Time: 11/9/2009 2:26:20 PM
Players:
MrNinja
hairy_monster
Pheonix_Firebringer
--> wiggi1
Hugoh
svampubben
dancefly
JunkoZ

------ ZEN ------

Pack 1 pick 1:
--> Kor Skyfisher
Oran-Rief Recluse
Mold Shambler
Merfolk Seastalkers
Hagra Crocodile
Kor Hookmaster
Tuktuk Grunts
Trailblazer's Boots
Beastmaster Ascension
Teetering Peaks
Heartstabber Mosquito
Swamp
Stonework Puma
Quest for the Gravelord
Whiplash Trap

Its skyfisher or the 2 black cards here, and i like skyfisher bet and would rather ship the black.

Pack 1 pick 2:
Joraga Bard
--> Kor Skyfisher
Bladetusk Boar
Quest for the Gravelord
Whiplash Trap
Piranha Marsh
Slaughter Cry
Electropotence
Scythe Tiger
Mire Blight
Sunspring Expedition
Vastwood Gorger
Quest for the Gemblades
Mountain

Nice!

Pack 1 pick 3:
Into the Roil
Surrakar Marauder
Unstable Footing
Frontier Guide (FOIL)
Expedition Map
Island
Hideous End
Grazing Gladehart
Stonework Puma
--> Shepherd of the Lost
Pillarfield Ox
Umara Raptor
Kor Sanctifiers

I dont want too many 5 mana spells in the deck i hope to draft, and i would be happy with either the raptor or sanctifiers, but shepherd is so much better i cant pass it.

Pack 1 pick 4:
Kabira Crossroads
Hagra Diabolist
Nimbus Wings
--> Zektar Shrine Expedition
Landbind Ritual
Primal Bellow
Trapfinder's Trick
Mold Shambler
Hagra Crocodile
Zendikar Farguide
Swamp
Soul Stair Expedition

Most aggresive card in the pack, considering i am feeding black

Pack 1 pick 5:
Forest
Heartstabber Mosquito
--> Goblin Shortcutter
Kor Cartographer
Tanglesap
Desecrated Earth
Seascape Aerialist
Makindi Shieldmate
Caller of Gales
Mark of Mutiny
Blood Seeker

Pack 1 pick 6:
Soul Stair Expedition
Territorial Baloth
Sunspring Expedition
Mire Blight
Kor Cartographer
Jwar Isle Refuge
Tempest Owl
--> Windborne Charge
Baloth Cage Trap
Forest

Pack 1 pick 7:
Kabira Crossroads
--> Kor Skyfisher
Sejiri Refuge
Island
Mold Shambler
Spidersilk Net
Heartstabber Mosquito
Highland Berserker
Needlebite Trap

Zing Zing Zing!

(i forgot to mention this was a 4-3-2-2 - we were in a little bit of a hurry and the 8-4 had 0 people in the queue to the 4-3-2-2 having 6!)

Pack 1 pick 8:
Hedron Scrabbler
Paralyzing Grasp
Forest
Giant Scorpion
--> Goblin Bushwhacker
Hagra Diabolist
Ondu Cleric
Seascape Aerialist

Pack 1 pick 9:
Hagra Crocodile
Trailblazer's Boots
Beastmaster Ascension
--> Teetering Peaks
Heartstabber Mosquito
Swamp
Stonework Puma

not bad with trips fisher

Pack 1 pick 10:
Piranha Marsh
Scythe Tiger
Mire Blight
Sunspring Expedition
--> Quest for the Gemblades
Mountain

Pack 1 pick 11:
--> Surrakar Marauder
Unstable Footing
Expedition Map
Island
Pillarfield Ox

Pack 1 pick 12:
--> Kabira Crossroads
Landbind Ritual
Trapfinder's Trick
Swamp

Pack 1 pick 13:
Forest
Desecrated Earth
--> Caller of Gales

Pack 1 pick 14:
Mire Blight
--> Forest

Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Island

------ ZEN ------

Pack 2 pick 1:
Goblin War Paint
Spire Barrage
Ior Ruin Expedition
Kraken Hatchling
Hellfire Mongrel
Desecrated Earth
Island
Seismic Shudder
Surrakar Marauder
Spidersilk Net
Caravan Hurda
Turntimber Grove
Kor Aeronaut
--> Verdant Catacombs
Needlebite Trap

Pretty good pack to get a money rare in, nothing too bomby. Probs would have taken aeronaut if not.

Pack 2 pick 2:
Beast Hunt (FOIL)
Mind Sludge
Paralyzing Grasp
Piranha Marsh
Sky Ruin Drake
--> Bladetusk Boar
Spidersilk Net
Harrow
Welkin Tern
Grazing Gladehart
Island
Bloodghast
Kor Cartographer
Murasa Pyromancer

Pack 2 pick 3:
Harrow
--> Shatterskull Giant
Grazing Gladehart
Into the Roil
Graypelt Refuge
Bold Defense
Swamp
Kor Duelist
Nimana Sell-Sword
Tuktuk Grunts
Ior Ruin Expedition
Devout Lightcaster
Tajuru Archer

Pack 2 pick 4:
Frontier Guide
Gomazoa
Goblin War Paint
Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
Plains
Blood Seeker
Ior Ruin Expedition
Guul Draz Vampire
Lethargy Trap
--> Kor Hookmaster
Territorial Baloth
Tanglesap

Pack 2 pick 5:
Spreading Seas
Trapmaker's Snare
--> Adventuring Gear
Savage Silhouette
Goblin Bushwhacker
Reckless Scholar
Lethargy Trap
Ondu Cleric
Forest
Brave the Elements
Cliff Threader

Pack 2 pick 6:
Runeflare Trap
Ruinous Minotaur
--> Torch Slinger
Vastwood Gorger
Island
Reckless Scholar
Territorial Baloth
Blood Tribute
Teetering Peaks
Soaring Seacliff

Pack 2 pick 7:
Kor Duelist
Goblin War Paint
Goblin Shortcutter
Plains
Narrow Escape
--> Kor Hookmaster
Nissa's Chosen
Goblin Shortcutter (FOIL)
Sadistic Sacrament

Pack 2 pick 8:
Pillarfield Ox
--> Turntimber Basilisk
Forest
Timbermaw Larva
Narrow Escape
Kraken Hatchling
Desecrated Earth
Caller of Gales

Im not a big fan of narrow escape, but apparently everyone else is. I prefer to take a card that makes my flyers block it.

Pack 2 pick 9:
Goblin War Paint
Ior Ruin Expedition
Desecrated Earth
Island
--> Seismic Shudder
Caravan Hurda
Turntimber Grove

Pack 2 pick 10:
Beast Hunt (FOIL)
--> Mind Sludge
Paralyzing Grasp
Piranha Marsh
Spidersilk Net
Island

Pack 2 pick 11:
--> Graypelt Refuge
Swamp
Kor Duelist
Ior Ruin Expedition
Tajuru Archer

Pack 2 pick 12:
--> Frontier Guide
Plains
Ior Ruin Expedition
Tanglesap

Pack 2 pick 13:
--> Spreading Seas
Trapmaker's Snare
Forest

Pack 2 pick 14:
Island
--> Soaring Seacliff

Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Kor Duelist

------ ZEN ------

Pack 3 pick 1:
Makindi Shieldmate
Caller of Gales
Blood Seeker
--> Marsh Flats
Vines of Vastwood
Ruinous Minotaur
Quest for Pure Flame
Plains
Giant Scorpion
Stonework Puma
Tanglesap
Paralyzing Grasp
Pillarfield Ox
Gomazoa
Quest for the Gemblades

See pack 2

Pack 3 pick 2:
Molten Ravager
Mountain
Arrow Volley Trap
Mind Sludge
Mire Blight
Zendikar Farguide
Khalni Heart Expedition
Archmage Ascension
Tuktuk Grunts
Soul Stair Expedition
Quest for the Holy Relic
Kor Sanctifiers
Crypt Ripper
--> Magma Rift

Pack 3 pick 3:
Kazandu Refuge
Highland Berserker
Cosi's Trickster
Forest (FOIL)
Kabira Crossroads
Giant Scorpion
--> Disfigure
Savage Silhouette
Reckless Scholar
Desecrated Earth
Cobra Trap
Plains
Narrow Escape

Yuk!

Pack 3 pick 4:
Goblin Shortcutter
Turntimber Grove
Spreading Seas
Ior Ruin Expedition
Caravan Hurda
Nissa's Chosen
Emeria, the Sky Ruin
Plains
Guul Draz Vampire
Graypelt Refuge
Carnage Altar
--> Steppe Lynx

Pack 3 pick 5:
Landbind Ritual
Grim Discovery
Cancel
Savage Silhouette
Noble Vestige
Shatterskull Giant
Mindless Null
--> Journey to Nowhere
Joraga Bard
Mountain
Demolish

Yay!

Pack 3 pick 6:
--> Pitfall Trap
Kor Outfitter
Ravenous Trap
Spidersilk Net
Joraga Bard
Kor Hookmaster
Quest for Pure Flame (FOIL)
Grim Discovery
Swamp
Surrakar Marauder

This is why i never take removal packs 1 and 2...

Pack 3 pick 7:
--> Steppe Lynx
Grim Discovery
Akoum Refuge
Demolish
Spell Pierce
Goblin Ruinblaster
Forest
Bog Tatters
Kor Outfitter

Pack 3 pick 8:
Quest for Ancient Secrets
Bog Tatters
--> Slaughter Cry
Kor Outfitter
Shieldmate's Blessing
Beast Hunt
Bold Defense
Swamp

Pack 3 pick 9:
Caller of Gales
Ruinous Minotaur
Quest for Pure Flame
Plains
Tanglesap
Pillarfield Ox
--> Quest for the Gemblades

Pack 3 pick 10:
Mountain
Mire Blight
Zendikar Farguide
Archmage Ascension
--> Soul Stair Expedition
Quest for the Holy Relic

Pack 3 pick 11:
--> Forest (FOIL)
Kabira Crossroads
Desecrated Earth
Plains
Narrow Escape

Pack 3 pick 12:
Turntimber Grove
--> Caravan Hurda
Plains
Carnage Altar

Pack 3 pick 13:
Noble Vestige
--> Mindless Null
Mountain

Pack 3 pick 14:
Ravenous Trap
--> Swamp

Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Forest


im pretty sure the deck i made was absolutely nonsense, i didn't really percieve a way to lose with it.

Round 1 - 5 colour allies.

Game 1 he made irrelevant allies to my mull to 5, then made an eldrazi monument, nice.

Game 2 - he made 5 different refuge lands, played a guy which i killed, then passed with 7 lands in play, 5 cards in hand and i killed him

Game 3 - He played some allies, i got him to 2, then he made ondu cleric then more allies to go to 20 life again, awkward. Then he found kazuul warlord with his sea-gate loremaster.....awkward.

So i lose with a deck which barring pedo's, is just the absolute nuts, ah well.


Untill then,


Jim


As always, feel free to comment on this article, or anything related or unrelated to magic whatsoever. If you would like to contribute to the TLM blog, please email any pictures, ideas or articles to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk

2 comments:

  1. 2 Fetches, nice. It'd be nice to see your decklists too. Is 5 colour allies a real deck? Amazing...

    ReplyDelete
  2. yeah sorry, i did this in a hurry. i will muster the decklist and write it up.

    ReplyDelete