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Drafting With Olivier - Shards/Conflux/Reborn #6

Olivier Ruel

By Olivier Ruel
06/05/2009

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.

#Shards of Alara Limited, #Olivier Ruel
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  Pack 1 pick 1:

  My Pick:

Nothing very sexy here. I’d rather go for the card that leaves the more options open than for the average creature (Steward or Ambusher) or for the okay removal (Bloodpyre Elemental).


  Pack 1 pick 2:

  My Pick:

Rather than having a mediocre card (Gargantuan or Naya Panorama), I go for the only good card in the pack, even though it doesn’t suit my first pick too well. There are so many playables in Reborn that it’s no big deal if you lose one pick or two as you’re searching your path.


  Pack 1 pick 3:

  My Pick:

Way too many Jund cards in the first packs. Not only is it an archetype I’m not a huge fan of, it also gives bad signals at the table.


  Pack 1 pick 4:

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 5:

  My Pick:

The Panorama could help, but I’m not its biggest fan as I don’t want to lose one turn fetching in the early game. Now that I’m more clearly Esper, I prefer picking artifacts.


  Pack 1 pick 6:

  My Pick:

I consider the Aven for one second, but none of the Black guys, which are just not reliable in Esper, the archetype being essentially UW based.


  Pack 1 pick 7:

  My Pick:

Obelisk is just too slow in Esper.


  Pack 1 pick 8:

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  Pack 1 pick 9:

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  Pack 1 pick 10:

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  Pack 1 pick 11:

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  Pack 1 pick 12:

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  Pack 1 pick 13:

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  Pack 1 pick 14:

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  Pack 1 pick 15:

  My Pick:

Pick 13 and 14 got me confused. Is it actually possible to go UB aggro with a splash for Gargoyle? I am far from sure, considering all the UW I should be getting from pack 2, but I am now tempted to experience something new 24 hours before the PT kicks off.


  Pack 2 pick 1:
Squire

Buy This Card!
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  My Pick:

Let’s give it a try... In the PT I'd have picked the Squire, but this guy seems awesome in a UB based deck.


  Pack 2 pick 2:
Squire

Buy This Card!
" tooltip="Squire">Squire ", "CON");'>
  My Pick:

Same pick with Esperzoa. The card is amazing with Shieldmage in Reborn, and pretty fine with the Fiends, but Strix seems a little more efficient.


  Pack 2 pick 3:

  My Pick:

Okay, there is no way I am passing three of the expansion’s best common in the first three packs.


  Pack 2 pick 4:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 5:

  My Pick:

Unsummon would be better in UB, but I have the feeling I am going to give up on many good picks from now on if I keep on insisting.


  Pack 2 pick 6:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 7:

  My Pick:

Usually I’d pick Outlander, but after picking two Parasitic Strix, the 3/3 is a better choice.


  Pack 2 pick 8:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 9:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 10:

  My Pick:

Mark is a good sideboard card, but if I end up running the Fiends, I’ll be glad to have as many artifacts as possible.


  Pack 2 pick 11:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 12:

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  Pack 2 pick 13:

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  Pack 2 pick 14:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 15:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 1:

  My Pick:

I already have one Savage Lands. If I can get one more fixer, it should do!


  Pack 3 pick 2:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 3:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 4:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 5:

  My Pick:

Totally forgot about the UB idea now, I’ll just be UW splash Strider/Sledge.


  Pack 3 pick 6:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 7:

  My Pick:

Now I can play my Sledge.


  Pack 3 pick 8:

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  Pack 3 pick 11:

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  Pack 3 pick 12:

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  Pack 3 pick 13:

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  Pack 3 pick 14:

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  Pack 3 pick 15:

  My Pick:


This draft converter created by Benjamin Peebles-Mundy.
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6 Plains
7 Island
Savage Lands
Swamp
Esper Panorama
Court Homonculus
Darklit Gargoyle
Etherium Sculptor
2 Ethercaste Knight
Deft Duelist
Aven Squire
Aven Mimeomancer
Wall of Denial
2 Ethersworn Shieldmage
Aven Traiblazer
2 Parasitic Strix
Sanctum Gargoyle
Scornful Aether-Lich
Sludge Strider
Cloudheath Drake
Sanctum Plowbeast
Call to Heel
Fieldmist Borderpost
Wildfield Borderpost
Behemoth Sledge
Deny Reality
Kiss of the Amesha

Round 1: Jund

In the first two games we draw great, but the games aren’t close as the one playing first is unstoppable. In the first, his Bloodbraid Elf into 4/4 Matca Rioters followed by Lord of Extinction are totally neutralized by my two Shieldmages, while my flyers quickly put him down down to zero. With very similar draws in the second, I manage to survive a little by bluffing Shieldmage instead of playing one guy, but his Nactal Outlander, Matca Rioters, Marisi's Twinclaws, Mosstodon, and Lord of Extinction (from turns 2 to 6) draw is not something I have any way to stop.

On the third I open a five-land (including Savage Lands) Strider and Sledge hand. I play turn 3 Sculptor, turn 4 Strider and attach the hammer to the 3/3 for a five-damage attack. He reacts with Dark Temper on the Strider, but I have Sanctum Gargoyle in back-up. In the end, despite great resistance, he can’t ever deal with the 4/5 lifelink flyer, and I take the match.

Round 2: UBRG control

In the first game I have pretty horrible draws, drawing only Plains and Islands in the first 22 cards, and dying with Strider and Sledge in hand. In the meantime, he has played 3 Banquets and several big guys.

As the tempo seem to be a problem for his deck, I decide, as I did in round 1, to board in a second Deny Reality and another Swamp instead of Island and Plowbeast. I keep the wall, even though it won’t block much, because it stops the three Banquets.

In the second game he has a pinger, while I’ve my deck’s only two targets for his 0/1 (Squire and Mimeomancer), but I also have Wall of Denial and, more important, Sledge. The card ends up winning the game on its own.

The third is pretty close as he plays Fallout and Deadshot Minotaurs to kill most of my guys. But once again, sanctum Gargoyle offers me a precious back-up, and at some point, to try and keep me from attacking with my flyers, he has two jump straight into a Shieldmage, losing almost all of his guys. On the following turn, I attack for the win with Darklit Gargoyle and make it to the final!

Round 3: WGRB Aggro

In the first game we quickly can’t attack, as my early clear advantage gained with Sledge has been annihilated by Pestilent Kathari. At some point I eventually draw Shieldmage, attack, and play the 2/2 to kill his blocking deathtouch guy. The game lasts longer, as he gets rid of all my flyers, but, after 33 minutes, Sludge Strider and Parasitic Strix eventually put him down to zero.

In the second game, he plays Sigil of Distinction for 6 on turn 6 and equips his Kathari. Luckily I have all it takes to stop it, as I play two Deny Realities on his 1/1, and Behemoth Sledge, making my guys just bigger than his. When he eventually tries to block, I have the Shiledmage and he concedes.

Until Monday...

Oli


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