Drafting With Olivier - Rise of the Eldrazi #2
About Olivier Ruel: Pro Tour mainstay Olivier Ruel's outstanding career includes five Pro Tour Top 8s, numerous Grand Prix Top 8s (including the recent victory at Grand Prix: Brighton), and induction in the Magic Hall of Fame class of 2008.
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Pack 1 pick 1:
My Pick:
Rise of the Eldrazi Draft is much slower than Zendikar, meaning expensive cards do have an impact on the game. And as far as a card like is concerned, its impact is huge. The card can fit in two archetypes. The classic is a RG based eldrazi deck, but it can be either classic (RG, RGb) or more surprising (RGu, 4 or 5cc). 5cc is not an archetype you can draft easily, as it was in Alara, but it is still an option in this format, thanks to the many fixers (, , , and the excellent ).
Pack 1 pick 2:
My Pick:
No matter what archetype I want to play, it will need , which is the best card in this pack anyway.
Pack 1 pick 3:
My Pick:
This pick is a little more difficult. Sphinx Bone-Wand is excellent in the right deck, I hope it will wheel, but I can't seriously pick it this high. Then is pretty good and kills decks on its own, but the comment applies even more to , which also is great with my first pick.
Pack 1 pick 4:
My Pick:
I am, in theory, picking the worst Blue card here. However, I'd like to go for five color, a deck which relies mostly on fixers and removal. If I do manage to make this work, and if I can get Sphinx Bone-Wand on the wheel, then will be the best card for my deck.
Pack 1 pick 5:
My Pick:
Once again, the card may not be great and be much worse than , but it is still the best one for the archetype I'm aiming for.
Pack 1 pick 6:
My Pick:
This card is the reason why 5CC is a playable archetype. When most fixers actually only help you fixing one color, the Prism almost guarantees you won't be having any problem casting your spells for a whole game. And it's a cantrip!
Pack 1 pick 7:
My Pick:
I'm now pretty sure being 4 or 5 color won't be a problem.
Pack 1 pick 8:
My Pick:
would be excellent in this deck, but is a great kill for my deck, as well as the card I fear facing the most.
Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick:
The card is a filler in most decks, but it is excellent in mine, as it saves a lot of time for my bombs to arrive and will keep me from having to play removal (assuming I'll get some!) on every early guy.
Pack 1 pick 11:
My Pick:
I was excessively optimistic thinking a rare would make this far, but it's still an excellent 11th pick.
Pack 1 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pretty good when you have artifacts and Eldrazis.
Pack 1 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 15:
My Pick:
Only one pack and already 11 cards (10 spells) I can see myself playing. I have winning cards and fixers, so I now need to focus on removal and guys.
Pack 2 pick 1:
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tooltip="Vengeance">Vengeance
", "ROE");'> 
My Pick:
That's a lot of cards I'd like for my deck. I have fixers and I need removal, so is not an option here. Neither is , which is excellent but simply worse than the two Red removal spells. Then it leaves me with a difficult choice between the possibility to kill any guy or to kill two small ones. To be honest I don't know which is best, but my attraction for card advantage makes me go with the spell.
Pack 2 pick 2:
My Pick:
I like Spiritdancer in this kind of deck but I have no or yet. On the other hand, the Invoker is a pretty solid guy as well as a card which can win games on its own.
Pack 2 pick 3:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 4:
My Pick:
I did get it in the end!
Pack 2 pick 5:
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tooltip="Vengeance">Vengeance
", "ROE");'>
My Pick:
I've enough fixers to splash it, and as I am not planning on winning by attacking, it should be a true one-mana pacifism in my deck.
Pack 2 pick 6:
My Pick:
There's nothing I'd like to play here, but is at least a very good sideboard card.
Pack 2 pick 7:
My Pick:
could be useful but I doubt the card will make the cut, and I like a lot when it can get my three non-land targets and put counters on if my artifact is already in play.
Pack 2 pick 8:
My Pick:
Just what is this still doing here? The card could easily be first picked.
Pack 2 pick 9:
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tooltip="Vengeance">Vengeance
", "ROE");'>
My Pick:
A card I must consider playing with and so many accelerators.
Pack 2 pick 10:
My Pick:
I'll pick it just in case, but would be surprised to actually run it.
Pack 2 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 1:
My Pick:
Not only a very good removal, is also fantastic with .
Pack 3 pick 2:
My Pick:
would be great, as casting it on turn 6 shouldn't be so hard, but I've so far drafted more cards which put me in a good situation from there than until there. This is why I can't neglect such a good early drop as .
Pack 3 pick 3:
My Pick:
Not only is the card excellent, I also have many many ways to accelerate into it, and having two of them + two means I won't have to play tons of guys in order for to be excellent.
Pack 3 pick 4:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 5:
My Pick:
I may not have as many removal spells as I'd like, but still goes for all my Green spells, and integrates pretty well the deck's global strategy.
Pack 3 pick 6:
My Pick:
may be an interesting card, but I don't think it has a place in my deck, and I consider my deck able to stop it so I think would be more helpful in general.
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick:
Fixer, early drop, and win condition all at once. Also, knowing the top card will help me decide when to cast , , or even make me mill myself with (which 2 s already make an option).
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick:
Deals with and , so you'll easily understand I don't want to be facing it.
Pack 3 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 15:
My Pick:
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10
3
Mull Daya Channelers
2 Mnemonic Wall
2
Guard Duty
4 Ancient Stirrings
2
2 Growth Spasm
Disaster Radius
The deck is strong and stable. It needs a few more removal spells but I should be able to accelerate into my expensive spells fast enough for it not to matter too much.
Round 1 vs GR
In the first game he opens with . Luckily I won the toss and can play Staggershock in response to its leveling up. I follow up with turn 5 Keening Stone, mill on turn 6 and 7, then I'm one card short of killing him on turn 8 so I play it safe and cast . I win the first on the next turn.
In game 2 he plays first and wins by playing on turn three, targeting his Beastbreaker. I do manage to draw Guard Duty at some point, but it's a little late, and he finishes me off with Esssence Feed.
In game 3 my draw is nearly unstoppable, as I have on turn 5, quickly followed by a turn 6 Sphinx-Bone Wand and a magical double Staggershock + Spawing Breath turn 7 for a win on the next upkeep.
Round 2 vs UW
Just as in the previous round, I have the right card at the right time, as I can play in response to his first level up of the match on . His loss of tempo is too much, as I can cast Pelakka Wurm and while he's still trying to get his small guys pumped, and I take the first one without too much trouble. I decide not to board in the effect, as I haven't seen any s, nor any non level up one-toughness guy. This time his start is fast, with an Escort, , draw, but a turn 6 Pelakka Wurm gives me enough time to cast Disaster Radius, kill 5 of his guys, and take the game.
Round 3 vs RGB
He wins the toss and starts with turn 6 . Too bad, I don't draw a land for a turn 6 Artisan of Kozilek and lose that one. In game 2, my 10/9 shows up on turn 7 and we quickly move on to game 3. In that third game he opens with triple by turn 3, making me think the game is over, but he can't follow up with anything better than . It may be pretty annoying, but far less than what I had imagined. I cast Artisan of Kozilek, which doesn't bring anything back, but at least stops the 4/3 by trading with it, and on the next turn I draw Ancient Stirrings, which reveals... another Artisan! With two 10/9s on the board, I now have an advantage I won't lose until the end of the match.
Until next time...
Oli
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