[SCROLL DOWN TO READ THE ARTICLE!]

Become a StarCityGames.com Premium Member and receive exclusive access to top-level strategies, new decklists and entertaining reports from many of the best players and writers that the game has to offer! This includes "The Innovator" & Worlds finalist Patrick Chapin, 2010 Player of the Year Brad Nelson, Classic Theorist Mike Flores, Hall of Famer Brian Kibler, GP and SCG Invitational Champion Gerry Thompson, StarCityGames.com Director of Sales Ben Bleiweiss ...and many, many more!

PLUS! StarCityGames.com Premium members now have an EXCLUSIVE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER sent just to them with the latest tech, exclusive content and exclusive deals along with unprecedented access into America's largest Magic: the Gathering sales database, and can view lists of StarCityGames.com's top-selling items - broken down by category, format legality, and rarity - in real time! When it comes to trading, increased knowledge equals increased profits - and increased knowledge is just one click away for our Premium members!

A StarCityGames.com Premium Membership gives you exclusive access to the best Magic: the Gathering content available and is an amazing bargain for just pennies a day! When you're ready to start getting more out of this game, click here to join StarCityGames.com Premium today!

If you are a valid StarCityGames.com Premium member and still cannot view the article, please consult this FAQ.

Draft:

Pack 1:

Chromatic Star, Looter il-Kor, Gorgon Recluse, Herd Gnarr, Fortify, Skulking Knight, Brass Gnat, Dream Stalker, Watcher Sliver, Blazing Blade Askari, Firewake Sliver, Spell Burst, Duskrider Peregrine, Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir, Mindless Automaton

Pick: Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir

Pack 2:

Herd Gnarr, Trespasser il-Vec, Amrou Scout, Grapeshot, Scarwood Treefolk, Traitor's Clutch, D'Avenant Healer, Glass Asp, Prismatic Lens, Ground Rift, Tectonic Fiend, Fallen Ideal, Triskelavus, Dandan

Pick: Triskelavus

Pack 3:

Keldon Halberdier, Ivory Giant, Grapeshot, Mindstab, Slipstream Serpent, Two-Headed Sliver, Clockspinning, Sidewinder Sliver, Saltcrusted Steppe, Fool's Demise, Basalt Gargoyle, Coalition Victory, Island

Pick: Grapeshot

Pack 4:

Coal Stoker, Deathspore Thallid, Tolarian Sentinel, Benalish Cavalry, Orcish Cannonade, Glass Asp, Traitor's Clutch, Plunder, Eternity Snare, Paradise Plume, Primal Forcemage, Urza's Factory

Pick: Coal Stoker

Pack 5:

Nantuko Shaman, Castle Raptors, Gorgon Recluse, Spiketail Drakeling, Scarwood Treefolk, Viscid Lemures, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Two-Headed Sliver, Blazing Blade Askari, Shadow Sliver, Volcanic Awakening

Pick: Spiketail Drakeling

Pack 6:

Mana Skimmer, Durkwood Baloth, Ophidian Eye, Watcher Sliver, Thrill of the Hunt, Plunder, Plated Pegasus, Molten Slagheap, Cavalry Master, Dementia Sliver

Pick: Durkwood Baloth

Pack 7:

Gaze of Justice, Molder, Venser's Sliver, Children of Korlis, Sangrophage, Spell Burst, Ignite Memories, Tormod's Crypt, Pull from Eternity

Pick: Venser's Sliver

Pack 8:

Ivory Giant, Mystical Teachings, Thrill of the Hunt, Shadow Sliver, Bogardan Rager, Spirit Loop, Molten Slagheap, Conspiracy

Pick: Mystical Teachings

Pack 9:

Chromatic Star, Fortify, Skulking Knight, Brass Gnat, Watcher Sliver, Firewake Sliver, Spell Burst

Pick: Chromatic Star

Pack 10:

Scarwood Treefolk, Traitor's Clutch, Glass Asp, Ground Rift, Tectonic Fiend, Dandan

Pick: Dandan

Pack 11:

Clockspinning, Sidewinder Sliver, Fool's Demise, Coalition Victory, Island

Pick: Coalition Victory

Pack 12:

Glass Asp, Traitor's Clutch, Plunder, Eternity Snare

Pick: Eternity Snare

Pack 13:

Two-Headed Sliver, Shadow Sliver, Volcanic Awakening

Pick: Volcanic Awakening

Pack 14:

Ophidian Eye, Plated Pegasus

Pick: Ophidian Eye

Pack 15:

Children of Korlis

Pick: Children of Korlis

Pack 16:

Aether Web, Assassinate, Amrou Seekers, Temporal Eddy, Mogg War Marshal, Terramorphic Expanse, Ancient Grudge, Foriysian Interceptor, Basal Sliver, Vampiric Sliver, Sudden Shock, Pendelhaven Elder, Curse of the Cabal, Defiant Vanguard, Tectonic Fiend

Pick: Sudden Shock

Pack 17:

Mogg War Marshal, Temporal Isolation, Think Twice, Ashcoat Bear, Urborg Syphon-Mage, Momentary Blink, Greenseeker, Pit Keeper, Divine Congregation, Jhoira's Timebug, Sudden Death, Durkwood Tracker, Lotus Bloom, Shadow Guildmage

Pick: Think Twice

Pack 18:

Bonesplitter Sliver, Viscerid Deepwalker, Ashcoat Bear, Amrou Seekers, Psychotic Episode, Jedit's Dragoons, Sprout, Foriysian Interceptor, Aetherflame Wall, Wipe Away, Dementia Sliver, Spike Tiller, Sengir Autocrat

Pick: Viscerid Deepwalker

Pack 19:

Thallid Germinator, Zealot il-Vec, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Temporal Eddy, Havenwood Wurm, Basal Sliver, Sage of Epityr, Ghitu Firebreathing, Phthisis, Harmonic Sliver, Tivadar of Thorn, Prodigal Sorcerer

Pick: Prodigal Sorcerer

Pack 20:

Cloudchaser Kestrel, Thallid Germinator, Terramorphic Expanse, Pentarch Ward, Chameleon Blur, Subterranean Shambler, Cyclopean Giant, Screeching Sliver, Fallen Ideal, Magus of the Candelabra, Consecrate Land

Pick: Terramorphic Expanse

Pack 21:

Cancel, Icatian Crier, Bonesplitter Sliver, Detainment Spell, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Bewilder, Call to the Netherworld, Might of Old Krosa, Gustcloak Cavalier, Nether Traitor

Pick: Cancel

Pack 22:

Think Twice, Errant Doomsayers, Brass Gnat, Savage Thallid, Screeching Sliver, Momentary Blink, Thunder Totem, Skittering Monstrosity, Thunder Totem

Pick: Think Twice

Pack 23:

Cancel, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Call to the Netherworld, Drifter il-Dal, Opaline Sliver, Wipe Away, Ignite Memories

Pick: Wipe Away

Pack 24:

Aether Web, Mogg War Marshal, Ancient Grudge, Foriysian Interceptor, Pendelhaven Elder, Curse of the Cabal, Tectonic Fiend

Pick: Mogg War Marshal

Pack 25:

Mogg War Marshal, Greenseeker, Pit Keeper, Divine Congregation, Durkwood Tracker, Lotus Bloom

Pick: Mogg War Marshal

Pack 26:

Jedit's Dragoons, Sprout, Foriysian Interceptor, Aetherflame Wall, Dementia Sliver

Pick: Aetherflame Wall

Pack 27:

Havenwood Wurm, Basal Sliver, Ghitu Firebreathing, Harmonic Sliver

Pick: Havenwood Wurm

Pack 28:

Chameleon Blur, Screeching Sliver, Consecrate Land

Pick: Consecrate Land

Pack 29:

Detainment Spell, Gustcloak Cavalier

Pick: Gustcloak Cavalier

Pack 30:

Screeching Sliver

Pick: Screeching Sliver

Pack 31:

Aven Riftwatcher, Erratic Mutation, Cradle to Grave, Reflex Sliver, Dreamscape Artist, Wistful Thinking, Dash Hopes, Reality Acid, Seal of Primordium, Healing Leaves, Simian Spirit Guide, Waning Wurm, Sulfur Elemental, Ovinize, Intet, the Dreamer

Pick: Intet, the Dreamer

Pack 32:

Poultice Sliver, Dead / Gone, Dreamscape Artist, Ridged Kusite, Shade of Trokair, Vitaspore Thallid, Merfolk Thaumaturgist, Sunlance, Mana Tithe, Darkheart Sliver, Stonecloaker, Kor Dirge, Detritivore, Midnight Charm

Pick: Dead / Gone

Pack 33:

Ridged Kusite, Needlepeak Spider, Deadly Grub, Dust Corona, Reality Acid, Blightspeaker, Evolution Charm, Revered Dead, Fa'adiyah Seer, Dismal Failure, Porphyry Nodes, Radha, Heir to Keld, Dust Corona

Pick: Dismal Failure

Pack 34:

Stingscourger, Utopia Vow, Dawn Charm, Fury Charm, Evolution Charm, Reality Acid, Healing Leaves, Sunlance, Prodigal Pyromancer, Sophic Centaur, Temporal Extortion, Reflex Sliver

Pick: Prodigal Pyromancer

Pack 35:

Mire Boa, Battering Sliver, Deadly Grub, Citanul Woodreaders, Brain Gorgers, Ghost Tactician, Piracy Charm, Primal Plasma, Riftmarked Knight, Pongify, Groundbreaker

Pick: Primal Plasma

Pack 36:

Dawn Charm, Deadly Grub, Aquamorph Entity, Firefright Mage, Blightspeaker, Ghost Tactician, Simian Spirit Guide, Venarian Glimmer, Phantasmagorian, Dunerider Outlaw

Pick: Aquamorph Entity

Pack 37:

Battering Sliver, Utopia Vow, Veiling Oddity, Firefright Mage, Uktabi Drake, Healing Leaves, Sulfur Elemental, Frozen Aether, Life and Limb

Pick: Sulfur Elemental

Pack 38:

Midnight Charm, Vitaspore Thallid, Fury Charm, Wistful Thinking, Mana Tithe, Primal Plasma, Rebuff the Wicked, Auramancer's Guise

Pick: Primal Plasma

Pack 39:

Reflex Sliver, Wistful Thinking, Dash Hopes, Reality Acid, Seal of Primordium, Healing Leaves, Simian Spirit Guide

Pick: Simian Spirit Guide

Pack 40:

Poultice Sliver, Shade of Trokair, Vitaspore Thallid, Mana Tithe, Darkheart Sliver, Midnight Charm

Pick: Shade of Trokair

Pack 41:

Dust Corona, Reality Acid, Revered Dead, Fa'adiyah Seer, Dust Corona

Pick: Dust Corona

Pack 42:

Dawn Charm, Reality Acid, Healing Leaves, Sophic Centaur

Pick: Reality Acid

Pack 43:

Brain Gorgers, Ghost Tactician, Piracy Charm

Pick: Piracy Charm

Pack 44:

Ghost Tactician, Phantasmagorian

Pick: Phantasmagorian

Pack 45:

Frozen Aether

Pick: Frozen Aether

Final Decklist:

Maindeck:

1 Prodigal Sorcerer
1 Aquamorph Entity
1 Piracy Charm
2 Primal Plasma
1 Spiketail Drakeling
1 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
2 Think Twice
1 Viscerid Deepwalker
1 Wipe Away
1 Coal Stoker
1 Grapeshot
2 Mogg War Marshal
1 Prodigal Pyromancer
1 Sudden Shock
1 Sulfur Elemental
1 Aetherflame Wall
1 Chromatic Star
1 Triskelavus
1 Dead // Gone
1 Intet, the Dreamer
1 Forest
8 Island
7 Mountain
1 Terramorphic Expanse

Sideboard:

1 Cancel
1 Children of Korlis
1 Coalition Victory
1 Consecrate Land
1 Dandân
1 Dismal Failure
1 Durkwood Baloth
1 Dust Corona [FOIL]
1 Eternity Snare
1 Frozen Aether
1 Gustcloak Cavalier
1 Havenwood Wurm
1 Island
1 Mountain
1 Mystical Teachings
1 Ophidian Eye
1 Phantasmagorian
1 Reality Acid
1 Screeching Sliver
1 Shade of Trokair
1 Simian Spirit Guide
1 Venser's Sliver
1 Volcanic Awakening

This deck could have been excellent if I had been more attentive to the signals in the draft, such as the fifth pick Castle Raptors. Instead the deck ended up rather unimpressive if it weren't for the rares. Fortunately the rares existed, and they gave the deck the boost it needed.

Round 1 I played against a good Black/Red deck. In the first game he drew a lot of his good cards, and I got flooded so he won fairly easily. For game 2 I boarded in Eternity Snare and Dismal Failure because his deck wasn't very fast. The second game was weird. He didn't do much of anything. He played a Deathspore Thallid and Basalt Gargoyle, both of which I dealt with, then he got to about six lands and stopped playing lands and spells. I didn't have much going on either, with the Snare and Failure in my hand. Eventually I drew into Teferi and Triskelavus, which both came out at the end of one of his turns and put him away. Game 3 he had turn 1 Mindstab, but I had Dismal Failure for that, then a Grapeshot for three to kill his Mana Skimmer and Skulking Knight. From there I was able to win by attacking with some Goblins from Mogg War Marshal since I had run him out of cards.

Round 2 I played against a Blue/Black deck splashing Red for the Flashback on Strangling Soot (and maybe a bit more). Game 1 he Psychotic Episoded Intet to the bottom on turn 3, but I had drawn both Think Twices and was able to win fairly easily with the card advantage they provided by simply playing a creature each turn and attacking when possible. Game 1 I got stuck on three lands for a couple of turns, but he didn't have much going on either so I was able to take over the game with Teferi once I got to five mana.

I split the finals.

Until tomorrow,

Rich

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