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Draft:

Pack 1:

Peppersmoke, Lys Alana Huntmaster, Consuming Bonfire, Wispmare, Stonybrook Angler, Thieving Sprite, Flamekin Brawler, Facevaulter, Warren-Scourge Elf, Blades of Velis Vel, Cenn's Heir, Fodder Launch, Merrow Reejerey, Lys Alana Scarblade, Rings of Brighthearth

Pick: Merrow Reejerey

Pack 2:

Hillcomber Giant, Streambed Aquitects, Stinkdrinker Daredevil, Battlewand Oak, Hurly-Burly, Plover Knights, Rootgrapple, Triclopean Sight, Nightshade Stinger, Faultgrinder, Benthicore, Pollen Lullaby, Giant Harbinger, Nettlevine Blight

Pick: Streambed Aquitects

Pack 3:

Lignify, Weed Strangle, Kithkin Healer, Deeptread Merrow, Kithkin Daggerdare, Herbal Poultice, Amoeboid Changeling, Spring Cleaning, Exiled Boggart, Shields of Velis Vel, Glen Elendra Pranksters, Crib Swap, Imperious Perfect

Pick: Imperious Perfect

Pack 4:

Oakgnarl Warrior, Hornet Harasser, Deeptread Merrow, Goldmeadow Harrier, Fistful of Force, Bog Hoodlums, Judge of Currents, Inkfathom Divers, Needle Drop, Soaring Hope, Turtleshell Changeling, Benthicore

Pick: Turtleshell Changeling

Pack 5:

Quill-Slinger Boggart, Bog-Strider Ash, Aethersnipe, Herbal Poultice, Springjack Knight, Ponder, Bog Hoodlums, Protective Bubble, Battle Mastery, Hoarder's Greed, Glarewielder

Pick: Aethersnipe

Pack 6:

Nath's Elite, Boggart Sprite-Chaser, Oaken Brawler, Smokebraider, Caterwauling Boggart, Tideshaper Mystic, Elvish Handservant, Broken Ambitions, Cenn's Heir, Goldmeadow Stalwart

Pick: Broken Ambitions

Pack 7:

Mudbutton Torchrunner, Springleaf Drum, Oakgnarl Warrior, Glimmerdust Nap, Lace with Moonglove, Blind-Spot Giant, Exiled Boggart, Ponder, Nectar Faerie

Pick: Ponder

Pack 8:

Inner-Flame Acolyte, Boggart Sprite-Chaser, Thieving Sprite, Goldmeadow Dodger, Nightshade Stinger, Makeshift Mannequin, Hearthcage Giant, Thousand-Year Elixir

Pick: Makeshift Mannequin

Pack 9:

Wispmare, Flamekin Brawler, Facevaulter, Warren-Scourge Elf, Blades of Velis Vel, Cenn's Heir, Rings of Brighthearth

Pick: Rings of Brighthearth

Pack 10:

Hurly-Burly, Rootgrapple, Triclopean Sight, Nightshade Stinger, Faultgrinder, Pollen Lullaby

Pick: Hurly-Burly

Pack 11:

Kithkin Healer, Herbal Poultice, Spring Cleaning, Exiled Boggart, Shields of Velis Vel

Pick: Kithkin Healer

Pack 12:

Bog Hoodlums, Judge of Currents, Needle Drop, Soaring Hope

Pick: Judge of Currents

Pack 13:

Herbal Poultice, Bog Hoodlums, Battle Mastery

Pick: Battle Mastery

Pack 14:

Boggart Sprite-Chaser, Cenn's Heir

Pick: Cenn's Heir

Pack 15:

Exiled Boggart

Pick: Exiled Boggart

Pack 16:

Eyeblight's Ending, Soulbright Flamekin, Glimmerdust Nap, Cloudcrown Oak, Oblivion Ring, Wanderer's Twig, Hornet Harasser, Elvish Branchbender, Wellgabber Apothecary, Aquitect's Will, Mournwhelk, Boggart Shenanigans, Ego Erasure, Fodder Launch, Sunrise Sovereign

Pick: Oblivion Ring

Pack 17:

Gilt-Leaf Ambush, Hillcomber Giant, Streambed Aquitects, Stinkdrinker Daredevil, Battlewand Oak, Hurly-Burly, Ringskipper, Black Poplar Shaman, Shimmering Grotto, Elvish Eulogist, Ghostly Changeling, Seedguide Ash, Merrow Harbinger, Hamletback Goliath

Pick: Merrow Harbinger

Pack 18:

Paperfin Rascal, Runed Stalactite, Nath's Elite, Sentinels of Glen Elendra, Faerie Trickery, Warren-Scourge Elf, Lairwatch Giant, Spiderwig Boggart, Boggart Forager, Jagged-Scar Archers, Inner-Flame Igniter, Burrenton Forge-Tender, Wanderwine Hub

Pick: Paperfin Rascal

Pack 19:

Fertile Ground, Moonglove Winnower, Plover Knights, Whirlpool Whelm, Leaf Gilder, Adder-Staff Boggart, Facevaulter, Hunt Down, Giant's Ire, Ghostly Changeling, Harpoon Sniper, Flamekin Harbinger

Pick: Harpoon Sniper

Pack 20:

Soulbright Flamekin, Kithkin Daggerdare, Surge of Thoughtweft, Weed Strangle, Mudbutton Torchrunner, Heal the Scars, Skeletal Changeling, Shields of Velis Vel, Fire-Belly Changeling, Captivating Glance, Battle Mastery

Pick: Surge of Thoughtweft

Pack 21:

Springleaf Drum, Kithkin Healer, Footbottom Feast, Axegrinder Giant, Lignify, Aquitect's Will, Kinsbaile Skirmisher, Blind-Spot Giant, Captivating Glance, Forest

Pick: Springleaf Drum

Pack 22:

Fistful of Force, Aethersnipe, Mournwhelk, Needle Drop, Springjack Knight, Heal the Scars, Inkfathom Divers, Faerie Tauntings, Kithkin Mourncaller

Pick: Aethersnipe

Pack 23:

Boggart Loggers, Fertile Ground, Blades of Velis Vel, Elvish Handservant, Dawnfluke, Broken Ambitions, Nath's Buffoon, Forced Fruition

Pick: Broken Ambitions

Pack 24:

Soulbright Flamekin, Hornet Harasser, Elvish Branchbender, Wellgabber Apothecary, Aquitect's Will, Boggart Shenanigans, Ego Erasure

Pick: Wellgabber Apothecary

Pack 25:

Gilt-Leaf Ambush, Ringskipper, Black Poplar Shaman, Shimmering Grotto, Elvish Eulogist, Hamletback Goliath

Pick: Hamletback Goliath

Pack 26:

Runed Stalactite, Warren-Scourge Elf, Lairwatch Giant, Spiderwig Boggart, Boggart Forager

Pick: Runed Stalactite

Pack 27:

Adder-Staff Boggart, Facevaulter, Hunt Down, Giant's Ire

Pick: Adder-Staff Boggart

Pack 28:

Heal the Scars, Shields of Velis Vel, Captivating Glance

Pick: Captivating Glance

Pack 29:

Axegrinder Giant, Forest

Pick: Axegrinder Giant

Pack 30:

Heal the Scars

Pick: Heal the Scars

Pack 31:

Surge of Thoughtweft, Cloudcrown Oak, Tarfire, Wanderer's Twig, Silvergill Douser, Avian Changeling, Bog-Strider Ash, Boggart Birth Rite, Ingot Chewer, Soaring Hope, Shimmering Grotto, Ego Erasure, Crib Swap, Jagged-Scar Archers, Ajani Goldmane

Pick: Ajani Goldmane

Pack 32:

Wispmare, Consuming Bonfire, Boggart Loggers, Lys Alana Huntmaster, Runed Stalactite, Dawnfluke, Spellstutter Sprite, Black Poplar Shaman, Elvish Eulogist, Wings of Velis Vel, Goatnapper, Guardian of Cloverdell, Vivid Crag, Gaddock Teeg

Pick: Wings of Velis Vel

Pack 33:

Quill-Slinger Boggart, Bog-Strider Ash, Aethersnipe, Tarfire, Herbal Poultice, Kithkin Greatheart, Wellgabber Apothecary, Gilt-Leaf Seer, Boggart Birth Rite, Zephyr Net, Vivid Grove, Faerie Tauntings, Marsh Flitter

Pick: Aethersnipe

Pack 34:

Consuming Bonfire, Wispmare, Thieving Sprite, Gilt-Leaf Ambush, Lairwatch Giant, Spellstutter Sprite, Spiderwig Boggart, Flamekin Brawler, Tideshaper Mystic, Final Revels, Elvish Harbinger, Mosswort Bridge

Pick: Final Revels

Pack 35:

Sentinels of Glen Elendra, Battlewand Oak, Oaken Brawler, Pestermite, Hurly-Burly, Faultgrinder, Rootgrapple, Goldmeadow Dodger, Wings of Velis Vel, Rebellion of the Flamekin, Arbiter of Knollridge

Pick: Pestermite

Pack 36:

Smokebraider, Kinsbaile Balloonist, Peppersmoke, Paperfin Rascal, Ringskipper, Hunt Down, Triclopean Sight, Nath's Buffoon, Vivid Crag, Heat Shimmer

Pick: Paperfin Rascal

Pack 37:

Axegrinder Giant, Footbottom Feast, Zephyr Net, Scarred Vinebreeder, Gilt-Leaf Seer, Protective Bubble, Ingot Chewer, Lammastide Weave, Benthicore

Pick: Benthicore

Pack 38:

Springleaf Drum, Kithkin Healer, Footbottom Feast, Axegrinder Giant, Lace with Moonglove, Scarred Vinebreeder, Woodland Guidance, Pollen Lullaby

Pick: Pollen Lullaby

Pack 39:

Surge of Thoughtweft, Bog-Strider Ash, Boggart Birth Rite, Ingot Chewer, Soaring Hope, Shimmering Grotto, Ego Erasure

Pick: Surge of Thoughtweft

Pack 40:

Wispmare, Boggart Loggers, Dawnfluke, Black Poplar Shaman, Elvish Eulogist, Guardian of Cloverdell

Pick: Wispmare

Pack 41:

Herbal Poultice, Wellgabber Apothecary, Gilt-Leaf Seer, Boggart Birth Rite, Faerie Tauntings

Pick: Wellgabber Apothecary

Pack 42:

Wispmare, Lairwatch Giant, Spiderwig Boggart, Flamekin Brawler

Pick: Wispmare

Pack 43:

Oaken Brawler, Goldmeadow Dodger, Rebellion of the Flamekin

Pick: Oaken Brawler

Pack 44:

Ringskipper, Nath's Buffoon

Pick: Ringskipper

Pack 45:

Protective Bubble

Pick: Protective Bubble

Final Decklist:

Maindeck:

1 Ajani Goldmane
1 Harpoon Sniper
1 Judge of Currents
1 Kithkin Healer
1 Oblivion Ring
2 Wellgabber Apothecary
1 Benthicore
2 Broken Ambitions
1 Merrow Harbinger
1 Merrow Reejerey
2 Paperfin Rascal
1 Pestermite
1 Ponder
1 Streambed Aquitects
1 Turtleshell Changeling
1 Wings of Velis Vel
3 Aethersnipe
10 Island
8 Plains

Sideboard:

1 Adder-Staff Boggart
1 Axegrinder Giant
1 Battle Mastery
1 Captivating Glance
1 Cenn's Heir
1 Exiled Boggart
1 Final Revels
1 Hamletback Goliath
1 Heal the Scars
1 Hurly-Burly
1 Imperious Perfect
1 Makeshift Mannequin
1 Oaken Brawler
1 Pollen Lullaby
1 Protective Bubble
1 Rings of Brighthearth
1 Ringskipper
1 Runed Stalactite
1 Springleaf Drum
2 Surge of Thoughtweft
2 Wispmare

Pick 1: I don't like Green that much, but Lys Alana Huntmaster has been serving me really well on Online drafts. This time it's a one-on-one between Huntmaster and Merfolk Reejerey. I consider both of them to be "lords" of their tribes, but I'm going for the Merfolk, to see if I can actually draft Blue once online. My view so far is that Reejerey is more powerful if you end up with plenty of Merfolk, while Huntmaster is less powerful but easier to set up.

Pick 3: Crib Swap or Imperious Perfect? I would be happy to follow the two Merfolk I have with Crib Swap, but a 3rd pick Imperious Perfect can't be ignored. It's too good, and there's a chance Green is coming.

Pick 6: I followed the Imperious Perfect with two Blue cards. Pick 5 Aethersnipe has to mean something, and that gives me a total of four Blue cards and Imperious Perfect. I don't want to be Blue/Green half merfolk half elves, so I'm probably ditching the Green and stick to Blue. Broken Ambitions over Nath's Elite.

Pick 18: Sentinels of Glen Elendra versus Paperfin Rascal versus Wanderwine Hub. Sentinels is the best card, but the trick to finishing up with ridiculous theme decks with 18 elves or 15 merfolk is to pick them all over slightly superior cards, I took the Rascal, but I probably should have taken the land. I lose so many games by not having one of my colors, or because I can't play a card with double-color on its cost. I love lands, and colored mana is priceless. When it's a dual land in your two main colors, or especially one of your main colors and the splash, it's not rare drafting - they're high picks.

Pick 21: Springleaf Drum is quite okay in Merfolk when you have Fallowsage, Veteran of the Depths, Judge of Currents, or Wellgabber Apothecary.

Pick 31: A Silvergill Douser is one of the cards this deck wants, but I still think Ajani Goldmane is too powerful to pass on, and it's obviously good in this Merfolk deck too.

Despite ending with some power - Ajani, triple Aethersnipe - I wasn't too excited with this deck, as it was lacking Merfolk both in power and in numbers... and also because this was my fourth draft of the day, and DraftCap did not save the previous three, which were all very powerful. Good news is that I re-installed both MTGO and DraftCap and everything's working again normally, so far.

Round 1 I played against a Blue/Green good stuff deck, with no real theme, though it did have two Silvergill Douser so the games took quite a long time. He lost one of the Dousers in the early game in a desperate attack to kill my Ajani, and eventually I dealt with the other. I started attacking with a 3/4 Merfolk Harbinger and a 5/5 Paperfin Rascal, with Wellgaber Apothecary protection. I had Merfolk Reejerey in play, and the Rascal had two counters, one from clash, one from Ajani. Even though I had an Harpoon Sniper, he was clearly losing his life, so he attacked with all his team, more than 6 creatures, total power close to 20. I was holding Pestermite and Wings of Velis-Vel, so I used the Sniper, untapped it, untapped more stuff, and he conceded during the attack.

Game 2 he wasn't playing much, so he took some early points from Judge of Currents and Steambed Aquitects, while I was gaining life. Later, the Aquitects was providing Islandwalk to Turtleshell Changeling, a much faster clock, and a pair of Aethersnipes guaranteed the board was always under control.

Round 2 I played against a Green/White deck. Game 1 I had a good opening - turn 2 Broken Ambitions his creature, because I was going to tap out in the next turns. On the third I played Aquitects, on the fourth I played Merfolk Harbinger, and on the fifth Merfolk Reejerey. However, he did not have Islands... instead he had big creatures, so it didn't effectively deal much damage, and when the creatures became even bigger with Incremental Growth I scooped shortly after, as I had only those mentioned merfolks plus a Paperfin Rascal.

I could've won Game 2 and force a decider, but I screwed up. The game was a pure race when he played Incremental Growth, targeting my lone Turtleshell Changeling for 1 (2/5), his Elf token for 2 (3/3) and his Kinsbaile Skirmisher for 3 (5/5). I got rid of the 5/5 with an Oblivion Ring I was holding, and started racing. He was at 15, from one attack of the Turtle for one, and another for four, so I managed to attack twice when he did not have blockers or didn't block, taking him down to five. On my next turn, when I'm at five too, and he has Kinsbaile Balloonist (tapped), plus Lys Alana Huntmaster and the 3/3 token untapped. I was holding Wings of Velis and failed to notice that if I cast it on the Turtle 2/5, it would become a 4/4 with a +1+1 counter, therefore a flying 5/5 for his exact life total.

The worst feeling is that I knew how this worked... with paper cards I never failed to notice the interaction between cards that set a creature's power/toughness and the +1+1 counters. It's happened so many times with Lignify on creatures with counters, or when people would play Ovinize on my Kavu Primarch with Kicker and still block it. I guess I wasn't looking at the counter on the Turtle.

See you tomorrow!

Tiago

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