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Drafting With Olivier - Shards/Conflux/Reborn #8

Olivier Ruel

By Olivier Ruel
06/12/2009

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.

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  Pack 1 pick 1:

  My Pick:

By far the best card here.


  Pack 1 pick 2:

  My Pick:

Kiss is White as well, and a better card, but it fits better in a control or aggro/control deck, while Sigil Blessing, a more aggressive card, suits my first pick better.


  Pack 1 pick 3:

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 4:

  My Pick:

All the good cards in this pack seem unplayable for me. I don’t like the signals much for now.


  Pack 1 pick 5:

  My Pick:

I don’t like Fodder and Crasher in three-color decks, and I have received almost only Jund signals so far. I’ll see in the next two or three picks if I must consider a switch.


  Pack 1 pick 6:

  My Pick:

Close pick with Thoctar, which totally depends on what will come from now. I could pick Thoctar and play it in Jund, but I’m more interested into RB than Jund in case of a splash.


  Pack 1 pick 7:

  My Pick:

Eventually an early drop, maybe WG is still possible.


  Pack 1 pick 8:

  My Pick:

I totally forget about my splash idea for now. My cards are not great but I have a curve and still a decent number of playables. Also, considering what I’ve passed so far, White and Green cards have good chance to come in pack 2.


  Pack 1 pick 9:

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 10:

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 11:

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 12:

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 13:

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 14:

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 15:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 1:

  My Pick:


Should make a fine splash!

  Pack 2 pick 2:

  My Pick:

Sacellum Archers won’t be great in my deck as red should only be a very small splash.


  Pack 2 pick 3:

  My Pick:

In a pure WG I could have picked the Leotau, but now that I have a splash, I’d rather pick the card I can play anytime I draw it.


  Pack 2 pick 4:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 5:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 6:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 7:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 8:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 9:

  My Pick:

Now that I have Banefire and a fine curve, I will pick the card drawer a little higher.


  Pack 2 pick 10:

  My Pick:


  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 3 pick 1:

  My Pick:

Not a single card I would play here, so I rather like hate drafting one I’d die to.


  Pack 3 pick 2:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 3:

  My Pick:

That should compensate the first pick I’ve wasted!


  Pack 3 pick 4:

  My Pick:

I should have enough playables, so now I need fixers to be able to optimize my Banefire splash. Also, the more Mountains I can play, the better Might of Alara and Matca Rioters will be.


  Pack 3 pick 5:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 6:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 7:

  My Pick:

It is very unlikely I play this card, but as I am a little short in playables, I can’t afford counterdrafting anymore.


  Pack 3 pick 8:

  My Pick:

A card a lot better than it seems, even though I’m a little short on flyers.


  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:

An excellent surprise, I now have enough playables.


  Pack 3 pick 14:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 15:

  My Pick:


This draft converter created by Benjamin Peebles-Mundy.
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6 Forest
7 Plains
2 Mountain
2 Wildfield Borderpost
1 Akrasan Squire
1 Valeron Outlander
1 Sighted-Caste Sorcerer
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Cylian Elf
1 Aven Squire
1 Matca Rioters
1 Bant Battlemage
1 Guardians of Akrasa
3 Rhox Meditant
1 Sigil Captain
1 Beacon Behemoth
1 Sigiled Behemoth
1 Might of Alara
1 Sigil Blessing
1 Crystallization
1 Sigil of the Nayan Gods
1 Behemoth Sledge
1 Lapse of Certainty
1 Gleam of Resistance
1 Banefire

Sideboard
1 Double Negative
2 Mountain
1 Tortoise Formation
1 Outrider of Jhess
1 Mountain
1 Dragon Broodmother
1 Metallurgeon
1 Maniacal Rage
1 Grixis Battlemage
1 Forest
1 Jund Hackblade
1 Blood Cultist
1 Spell Snip
1 Plains
1 Frontline Sage
1 Brainbite
2 Jund Sojourners
1 Corpse Connoisseur

ROUND 1: Esper

I start game 1 with two Forests and Borderpost in my opening hand. Eight draws later, I still don’t have the 4th mana that would help me cast my five cards in hand (except for a Might of Alara, which would give +1/+1, that I can technically play). Luckily, he draws only Black guys, and I’ve Valeron Outlander and a Behemoth Sledge he can’t deal with. 1-0

Game 2 is pretty similar, as I can only play one guy in the first 4 turns, and am having some problems with my mana in hand. Just as in game 1, it doesn’t matter much in the end, but for different reasons. This time he’s the one to have a card my deck almost can’t deal with: Ethersworn Adjucator. I watch my next draw, which isn't mana or a Qasali Pridemage... let’s go to game 3. 1-1

The third game looks a lot like the first two, mana issues and bomb for the win, except that this time it involves some misplays and topdecks. I mulligan and my hand doesn’t offer me a single spell prior to turn 4 Sigil Captain, whose impact should almost be nullified by his turn 2 Zombie Outlander, but he seems like he pressed f6 on turn 3 as he didn’t play a land or attack. In the end it comes down to a 3/3 Aven Squire versus Tower Gargoyle Race. It may seem like Kiss of the Amesha won the 4/4 the race, but Sigil of the Nayan Gods cancels the effect of the card drawer, before Banefire finishes him off while I was on 4. 2-1

ROUND 2: 5C Aggro

One more fascinating match, as I draw all lands while he plays Branching Bolt in game 1. 1-0

In the second game I take a double mulligan, don’t play a spell until turn 4, but that is surprisingly enough, as the spells he plays are far from scary. 1-1

His plays match his deck in game 3, as he decides to let me untap before he plays Branching Bolt on my Valeron Outlander. I now have Green mana untapped to play Might of Alara, but still only one basic land, so his removal can resolve. A little later, annoyed by his only creature, Saccelum Archers, I decide to destroy his WG Borderpost with Qasali Pridemage so he only has Jund lands. I attack, put him down to 7, but he instantly draws Plains, keeping me from attacking for a while. On turn 10, I have a pretty nice hand, but still the two Plains and the Borderpost which were in my opening hand. It is still no big deal as I played Crystallization on his first offensive threat of the match, Wild Leotau, until he plays Bituminous Blast on one of my anonymous exalted guys, revealing Mayael’s Aria. It makes me laugh for a while, until I realize if I keep on not drawing lands he will gain 10 before I can play my Fireball.

Luckily, two straight land draws allow me to play Beacon Behemoth and then to target his now 9/8 Crystallized guy. At this point, I can’t really attack anymore, but my number of guys slightly overcomes his, and he must stay in defense and rely on his Enchantment to try and bring him the game. In the mean time, I must simply reach 8 mana before his Archers become 10/11. When they reach 8 power, I’m one land away from winning and draw Borderpost. His guy is now 9 power and I can untap and play Banefire for the win. However, it was not the correct play, as I should have attacked with all my guys to make him activate his two archers or even play a removal, so he wouldn’t have the mana to cast a possible Sylvan Bounty. 2-1

ROUND 3: RBug

In game 1 his draw is not very productive, as his Pestilent Kathari with three untapped mana is very annoying but can’t do everything on its own. At some point, he plays a spell from his powerful splash: Architects of Will, to try and slow me down, but my triple Rhox Meditant gave me a huge creatures advantage, and I swing in and win in two attacks. 1-0

In game 2 I get to see a little more of his deck. I don’t do much but he only plays one toughness guys that can’t really attack. At some point, he plays Maniacal Rage on Corpse Connoisseur, and attacks with it and Pestilent Kathari, putting me on 2 life. I pray I will draw Mountain to Banefire his flyer, or Crystallization, as I can play both along with my second Rhox Meditant (so I can block the 5/5, as I also have Akrasan Squire and WG Borderpost)) to deal with his crew. I triple block, go down to one, and play a third Rhox Meditant, still looking for the same topdecks. It gives me Behemoth Sledge, one turn too late.

At least, now that I’ve seen some of his deck, I’m able to come up with a pretty good sideboard plan as I bring in a Mountain and my couple of Jund Sojourners, which kill about 2/3 of the creatures he has played so far in this match, including the annoying Kathari. With 3 Meditants that can stop all his crew, Valeron Outlander he can’t deal with from what I’ve seen so far, Banefire, and Behemoth Sledge, I advance very confidently into game 3.

He manages to deal with my turn 2 Outlander with Fiery Temper, and then takes advantage of my pretty bad draws to take a small lead, until I stabilize and the situation comes to: Him 7 Life, Squeletonize Token, Dregscape Zombie, no card in hand

Me 6 Life, Rhox Meditant, Guardians of Akrasa in play, Gleam of Resistance in hand, 22 cards left including Sojourners, Banefire, and Sledge. As we drew the same number of lands, I feel quite confidant. Here is the list of our next draws:

Him: Undead Leotau

Me: Wildfield Borderpost (now two Rhox Meditants are pretty fine draws too)

Him: Suicidal Charge

Me: Plains

Him: Jund Sojourners, with a Forest on the board

Me: Plains

Him: Unknown card

Me: Lapse of Certainty the turn when he only has to attack for the win.

1-2

Until Monday...

Oli


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