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Drafting With Olivier - Shards/Conflux/Reborn #18

Olivier Ruel

By Olivier Ruel
07/08/2009

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:

Fatesticher is pretty good too, but it is a level lower. Drumhunter is not even a possible pick, as 5 power guy decks are not viable in ACR.


  Pack 1 pick 2:

  My Pick:

Almost as good as Skeletonize and suits my first pick a lot better.


  Pack 1 pick 3:

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  Pack 1 pick 6:

  My Pick:

I don't see myself going Bant, nor switching at this point, but it's even more unlikely that I'll play five power Naya (Mayael) or Yoked Plowbeast, which is just far too slow to be played.


  Pack 1 pick 7:

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  Pack 1 pick 10:

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  Pack 1 pick 11:

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  Pack 1 pick 12:

  My Pick:

I could actually play Outrider of Jhess, it was probably the right pick.


  Pack 1 pick 13:

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  Pack 1 pick 15:

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  Pack 2 pick 1:

  My Pick:

Not exactly a dreamy pick 1, but with double Sigil Blessing, the more guys and the more flyers the better.


  Pack 2 pick 2:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 3:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 4:

  My Pick:

I almost never counterdraft. But when I must choose between a good card I might face and a not so sexy one (Thallid) which is probably wheeling, I guess I can make an exception.


  Pack 2 pick 5:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 6:

  My Pick:

Not exactly perfect in two colors, but not much else to pick. With these last two picks, I can consider a splash.


  Pack 2 pick 7:

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  Pack 2 pick 9:

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  Pack 2 pick 11:

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  Pack 2 pick 12:

  My Pick:

And back it comes!


  Pack 2 pick 13:

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  Pack 2 pick 15:

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  Pack 3 pick 1:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 2:

  My Pick:

Nothing else relevant... I guess I officially have a splash.


  Pack 3 pick 3:

  My Pick:

I'll try and get another (and if possible a better) fixer later. Colossal Might may be a splash, but it is amazing in my deck. Now I only need one fixer and guys... any guys.


  Pack 3 pick 4:

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  Pack 3 pick 5:

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  Pack 3 pick 6:

  My Pick:

Right now I am a little more worried about my low amount of guys than by the mana problems the 6/3 would help but not make much more stable.


  Pack 3 pick 7:

  My Pick:

That one is too greedy, I should probably have taken the 4/5.


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  Pack 3 pick 15:

  My Pick:


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7 Plains
7 Forest
3 Mountain

1 Akrasan Squire
1 Tukatongue Thallid
1 Naya Hushblade
1 Valeron Outlander
1 Knight of the Skyward Eye
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Ember Weaver
1 Aven Trailblazer
1 Paragon of the Amesha
1 Matca Rioters
1 Court Archers
1 Leonin Armorguard
1 Retaliator Griffin
1 Naya Sojourners
1 Aerie Mystics
1 Welkin Guide
1 Cavern Thoctar
1 Might of Alara
2 Sigil Blessing
2 Colossal Might
1 Sigil of the Nayan Gods
1 Gleam of Resistance

Sideboard
1 Plains
2 Plains
1 Brainbite
1 Kathari Remnant
1 Swamp
1 Swamp
1 Mountain
1 Mountain
1 Savage Hunger
1 Lapse of Certainty
1 Valiant Guard
1 Forest
1 Obelisk of Naya
1 Offering to Asha
1 Grixis Slavedriver
1 Cloudheath Drake
1 Kathari Screecher
1 Elder Mastery
1 Obelisk of Esper
1 Naya Sojourners
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Spell Snip
1 Bone Saw

Card Power: 5
Many good cards, but no great ones. My MVP is by far Akrasan Squire, considering Retaliator Griffin is a splash and therefore not a card I can necessarily rely on.

Synergy: 8
All guys and pump spells, mostly possible finishers (2 Blessing, Gleam, 2 Might). Simple but efficient.

Curve: 6
It would actually be really good if I had another pair of one- or two-drops. Six is fine, but it's definitely not enough when my deck needs one in the first 8/9 cards consistently.

Stability: 4
The WG cards didn't really come in pack 2 (no Squire or Wild Leotau) or pack 3, pushing me to play a third color. As Borderposts didn't come either, I'm probably losing one game a match to mana issues, I just hope I win the other two.

Round 1: Jund

I take a mulligan and can't find a Mountain while drawing two of my three Red cards, but I still put him under pressure with turn 2 Knight of the Skyward Eye and turn 3 Tukatongue Thallid. He answers with Scarland Thrinax but doesn't block when I attack with both. When his board is eventually consolidated, I add Leonin Armorguard to my board and put him on 9 life. When I eventually draw my Mountain, I can attack for the win. He does play Soul's Fire on my 3/3 in response to Colossal Might, but I have Sigil Blessing and take the first game.

The following game starts with another mulligan, giving me a hand with Valeron Outlander and Sigil of the Nayan Gods as my only spells. As I drew another three lands, I decide to play the aura on the 2/2, but he has Resounding Thunder on turn 3. I topdeck my Griffin on turn 5, but he has Fiery Fall and takes the game in two turns.

Third game, third mulligan, and third mana problem, which happens to be the worst of all. No Green mana this time, and even though I miraculously control his board with Paragon and start believing in an unlikely comeback when I eventually draw a Forest on turn 5, he draws Dark Temper in the meantime. As his Scarland Thrinax already dealt me some damage, I'm already half dead when his removal resolves. Actually, I am more than half dead. Considering my deck, I can't afford to miss more than one creature drop from turns 2 to 4. When I've missed two, my cards don't have enough power to turn the tables, and I quickly lose the match.

Until Friday...

Oli


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