After losing with last week's insane G/W deck I felt the need to redeem myself. And by redeem myself I mean how in God's name did I lose when I had Ajani Caller of the Pride and Garruk Primal Hunter in the same deck?!

But I digress…

On to the draft!

  Pack 1 pick 1:

  My Pick:


There are really only two options in this pack: Centaur Courser and Searing Spear. Searing Spear is the "easy" choice because it's removal but I've found red to be rather weak in M13. In addition Centaur Courser is quite large for its cost and is easy on the mana where similar three-mana 3/3s haven't been (think Trained Armodon or Gnarled Mass). In the end I chose the Searing Spear because it's the more powerful card—removal is removal after all—and is splashable in case I pick up some fixing later on in the draft.

  Pack 1 pick 2:

  My Pick:


Chronomaton is quickly becoming one of my favorite uncommons in M13. It's absurd on turn 1 blocks creatures with intimidate and if given enough time can beat any creature in a fight. Without an uncommon or the rare missing from this pack it's hard for me to believe that the person passing to me took the right card.

  Pack 1 pick 3:

  My Pick:


And now my pick for best uncommon in M13 by a country mile! There isn't anything hard to understand about Talrand's Invocation. It's four power for four mana and can be returned with Archaeomancer. There isn't a better signal that blue is wide open than this one.

  Pack 1 pick 4:

  My Pick:


Looking back on this pick I think it was wrong. I've had a lot of experience playing with and against Switcheroo since this draft and rarely has it impressed me. It's supposed to fill the Mind Control role for blue but it rarely does as much as a Control Magic effect typically would. With those thoughts in mind I believe Essence Drain is the right pick because with Essence Drain you always know what you're going to get and it's always going to be good.

  Pack 1 pick 5:

  My Pick:


Wind Drake has been getting a bad rap in M13 thus far and while I don't think it's as good as it has been in previous formats I'm still more than happy to have one in my deck. I can see an argument for taking Mogg Flunkies but I absolutely despise drafting U/R in M13.

  Pack 1 pick 6:

  My Pick:


The only other option here for me was Ravenous Rats but I think Essence Scatter is miles better.

  Pack 1 pick 7:

  My Pick:


That late of a Prey Upon was a bit scary but that late of a Watercourser wasn't something I was going to pass up.

  Pack 1 pick 8:

  My Pick:


Another one couldn't hurt.

  Pack 1 pick 9:

  My Pick:


Negate is always a card I want access to when I'm drafting blue. I was glad to get one this late.

  Pack 1 pick 10:

  My Pick:


Tricks of the Trade is a card that has really been picking up in value for me lately. U/B Aggro is one of my favorite decks to draft and this is one of the cards that enhances that strategy. You don't want a ton of them in your deck but it's nice to have a way to break through a stalemate if one presents itself.

  Pack 1 pick 11:

  My Pick:


Splashing that Searing Spear was looking more and more likely.

  Pack 1 pick 12:

  My Pick:


Zzzz…

  Pack 1 pick 13:

  My Pick:


It was unlikely that I'd play this but you never know.

  Pack 1 pick 14:

  My Pick:


Zzzz…

  Pack 1 pick 15:

  My Pick:


Zzzz…

  Pack 2 pick 1:

  My Pick:


Let it be known that I have an irrational love for Bloodhunter Bat. Not only would I be willing to listen to an argument for taking Essence Drain here but I'd likely tell you that your argument is 100% correct. I just LOVE Bloodhunter Bat in U/B Aggro and it's very hard for me to pass it.

  Pack 2 pick 2:

  My Pick:


Bank on it! There are times when I consider passing Fog Bank for something more aggressive (I love to attack ok?) but I always quickly come to my senses because I remember how annoying this card is to play against. The other options—Divination and Sign in Blood—aren't even close to the power level of Fog Bank.

  Pack 2 pick 3:

  My Pick:


An argument can be made for Faerie Invaders but I hate how obvious of a trick it is as leaving five mana up on their turn is rather suspicious. Gimme dat Bloodhunter Bat!

  Pack 2 pick 4:

  My Pick:


A rather boring pack here. I could certainly use some two-drops for my mana curve.

  Pack 2 pick 5:

  My Pick:


Daddy's home!

  Pack 2 pick 6:

  My Pick:


I don't love Ravenous Rats in M13 but it was the best card in the pack and I could use another two-drop to go along with that Walking Corpse and Fog Bank.

  Pack 2 pick 7:

  My Pick:


I'm gonna find that Talrand's Invocation!

  Pack 2 pick 8:

  My Pick:


Sign in Blood isn't a card that I love or hate. I'm rather neutral on it. That being said I'm not upset to have one in my starting 40.

  Pack 2 pick 9:

  My Pick:


My deck already contained some fliers and would likely contain some more so I happily picked up this Plummet.

  Pack 2 pick 10:

  My Pick:


Unlikely to make my deck but you never know.

  Pack 2 pick 11:

  My Pick:


Disentomb has been gaining a lot of respect from me over the past couple of days. Returning your bombs is awesome but even returning something as common as Bloodhunter Bat and Archaeomancer is still quite good.

  Pack 2 pick 12:

  My Pick:


This wasn't the deck where I'd really like Vedalken Entrancer but it could be a useful card to sideboard in in specific matchups.

  Pack 2 pick 13:

  My Pick:


Zzzz…

  Pack 2 pick 14:

  My Pick:


Zzzz…

  Pack 2 pick 15:

  My Pick:


Zzzz…

  Pack 3 pick 1:

  My Pick:


Easy breezy.

  Pack 3 pick 2:

  My Pick:


Akroma's Memorial is a ridiculous bomb if you can cast it in time but my deck was relatively aggressive and I'd much rather have a card that fills my curve and plays defense well while my fliers get the job done.

  Pack 3 pick 3:

  My Pick:


While this was a relatively easy pick it's important to keep track of the cards you pass. In this pack alone I passed a Rancor Prey Upon Searing Spear Garruk's Packleader and now a Turn to Slag and Flinthoof Boar. Keeping these cards in mind is important for when I inevitably play against a green deck in the draft.

  Pack 3 pick 4:

  My Pick:


Hells yeah! Just the card I wanted!

  Pack 3 pick 5:

  My Pick:


Rather easy pick here.

  Pack 3 pick 6:

  My Pick:


Archaeomancer was just the card that I needed. It's not like Sleep Murder or Talarand's Invocation needed the help but it sure couldn't hurt.

  Pack 3 pick 7:

  My Pick:


This probably wasn't going to make it in my deck but it is a nice sideboard card against a removal heavy deck.

  Pack 3 pick 8:

  My Pick:


Always a nice card to not have to play around.

  Pack 3 pick 9:

  My Pick:


My favorite removal spell in the format Crippling Blight is very unassuming. It shuts down Giant Scorpion and Deadly Recluse and makes Sentinel Spider much more tolerable for the low cost of one black mana. It will eventually stop going this late in drafts but until it does I'll enjoy getting it this late.

  Pack 3 pick 10:

  My Pick:


I'm not sure a second Negate is better than taking a Guardians of Akrasa from someone else in the draft. Your thoughts?

  Pack 3 pick 11:

  My Pick:


Zzzz…

  Pack 3 pick 12:

  My Pick:


Zzzz…

  Pack 3 pick 13:

  My Pick:


Zzzz…

  Pack 3 pick 14:

  My Pick:


Zzzz…

  Pack 3 pick 15:

  My Pick:


Zzzz…

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I ended up playing this:

Notes about the deck:

This deck really built itself this time around. I had good mana a nice curve and some solid removal. Though I think I made a few mistakes throughout the draft there wasn't anything outlandish that I regret.

Unlike the last draft I covered where my deck was clinically insane I was actually able to win this 8-4. The deck played out very smoothly and I was happy with all 23 of my cards. This is my favorite type of deck to draft in M13 and if I make Day 2 at Grand Prix Boston-Worcester I'll be hoping to end up with a similar deck in my drafts.

If you're headed to the Grand Prix this weekend feel free to say hi. I promise I don't bite.

Until next week my friends!

Cedric Phillips

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