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In the week before Worlds, the U.S. Nationals team stayed at my house and playtested. When they saw that I got assigned a stint as substitute drafter, the reaction was unanimous: "I wanna do one!!" Thus, for these, the first three days of Worlds, you can catch a glimpse of the drafting styles of the skilled magicians who are representing our country. Then, if you're not impressed, you can call your bookie and put all your money on the Netherlands. First up, we have Ben "The Future of American Magic" Lundquist...

Pack 1:

Mogg War Marshal, Temporal Isolation, Think Twice, Ashcoat Bear, Urborg Syphon-Mage, Cloudchaser Kestrel, Basal Sliver, Drifter il-Dal, Subterranean Shambler, Mindlash Sliver, Sudden Death, Careful Consideration, Primal Forcemage, Flagstones of Trokair, Assault / Battery

Pick: Sudden Death

Pack 2:

Grapeshot, Mindstab, Slipstream Serpent, Nantuko Shaman, Castle Raptors, D'Avenant Healer, Wormwood Dryad, Mystical Teachings, Two-Headed Sliver, Prismatic Lens, Ignite Memories, Skittering Monstrosity, Sudden Death, Wall of Roots

Pick: Sudden Death

Pack 3:

Gorgon Recluse, Herd Gnarr, Fortify, Deathspore Thallid, Tolarian Sentinel, Thrill of the Hunt, Plunder, Skulking Knight, Brass Gnat, Krosan Grip, Fury Sliver, Basalt Gargoyle, Gaea's Liege

Pick: Gorgon Recluse

Pack 4:

Snapback, Aether Web, Drudge Reavers, Foriysian Interceptor, Aetherflame Wall, Detainment Spell, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Bewilder, Thick-Skinned Goblin, Ghostflame Sliver, Tectonic Fiend, Restore Balance

Pick: Snapback

Pack 5:

Deathspore Thallid, Flowstone Channeler, Herd Gnarr, Watcher Sliver, Blazing Blade Askari, Glass Asp, Traitor's Clutch, Plated Pegasus, Haunting Hymn, Ghostflame Sliver, Undertaker

Pick: Undertaker

Pack 6:

Strength in Numbers, Corpulent Corpse, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Jedit's Dragoons, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Flickering Spirit, Call to the Netherworld, Fallen Ideal, War Barge

Pick: Corpulent Corpse

Pack 7:

Drudge Reavers, Cancel, Pentarch Ward, Jhoira's Timebug, Chameleon Blur, Subterranean Shambler, Dreadship Reef, Dralnu, Lich Lord, Psychotic Episode

Pick: Dralnu, Lich Lord

Pack 8:

Herd Gnarr, Clockspinning, Sidewinder Sliver, Viscid Lemures, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Two-Headed Sliver, Dread Return, Fool's Demise

Pick: Dread Return

Pack 9:

Mogg War Marshal, Ashcoat Bear, Drifter il-Dal, Subterranean Shambler, Mindlash Sliver, Primal Forcemage, Assault / Battery

Pick: Assault / Battery

Pack 10:

Nantuko Shaman, Wormwood Dryad, Mystical Teachings, Two-Headed Sliver, Ignite Memories, Wall of Roots

Pick: Mystical Teachings

Pack 11:

Tolarian Sentinel, Plunder, Brass Gnat, Krosan Grip, Gaea's Liege

Pick: Tolarian Sentinel

Pack 12:

Foriysian Interceptor, Aetherflame Wall, Detainment Spell, Bewilder

Pick: Aetherflame Wall

Pack 13:

Glass Asp, Traitor's Clutch, Haunting Hymn

Pick: Haunting Hymn

Pack 14:

Ancient Grudge, Call to the Netherworld

Pick: Call to the Netherworld

Pack 15:

Chameleon Blur

Pick: Chameleon Blur

Pack 16:

Goblin Skycutter, Cancel, Penumbra Spider, Pentarch Ward, Assassinate, Thallid Germinator, Call to the Netherworld, Brass Gnat, Savage Thallid, Opaline Sliver, Wipe Away, Molten Slagheap, Dralnu, Lich Lord, Desert, Mogg War Marshal

Pick: Assassinate

Pack 17:

Aether Web, Assassinate, Amrou Seekers, Temporal Eddy, Psychotic Episode, Sprout, Aetherflame Wall, Pit Keeper, Sage of Epityr, Clockwork Hydra, Fledgling Mawcor, Paradise Plume, Living End, Verdeloth the Ancient

Pick: Fledgling Mawcor

Pack 18:

Benalish Cavalry, Orcish Cannonade, Errant Ephemeron, Strangling Soot, Gemhide Sliver, Dream Stalker, Blazing Blade Askari, Glass Asp, Traitor's Clutch, Return to Dust, Brine Elemental, Tromp the Domains, Twisted Abomination

Pick: Errant Ephemeron

Pack 19:

Amrou Scout, Grapeshot, Scarwood Treefolk, Slipstream Serpent, Plunder, Eternity Snare, Molder, Children of Korlis, Paradox Haze, Firewake Sliver, Clockwork Hydra, Return to Dust

Pick: Clockwork Hydra

Pack 20:

Deathspore Thallid, Tolarian Sentinel, Benalish Cavalry, Orcish Cannonade, Blazing Blade Askari, Shadow Sliver, Ophidian Eye, Pendelhaven Elder, Quilled Sliver, Voidmage Husher, Swarmyard

Pick: Deathspore Thallid

Pack 21:

Icatian Crier, Strength in Numbers, Drifter il-Dal, Havenwood Wurm, Basal Sliver, Sage of Epityr, Dreadship Reef, Yavimaya Dryad, Angel's Grace, Kobold Taskmaster

Pick: Dreadship Reef

Pack 22:

Gorgon Recluse, Scarwood Treefolk, Amrou Scout, Keldon Halberdier, Clockspinning, Viscid Lemures, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Faceless Devourer, Swamp

Pick: Gorgon Recluse

Pack 23:

Viscerid Deepwalker, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Search for Tomorrow, Divine Congregation, Chameleon Blur, Cyclopean Giant, Spell Burst, Curse of the Cabal

Pick: Viscerid Deepwalker

Pack 24:

Cancel, Pentarch Ward, Call to the Netherworld, Brass Gnat, Savage Thallid, Dralnu, Lich Lord, Mogg War Marshal

Pick: Cancel

Pack 25:

Aether Web, Psychotic Episode, Sprout, Sage of Epityr, Paradise Plume, Living End

Pick: Psychotic Episode

Pack 26:

Dream Stalker, Blazing Blade Askari, Glass Asp, Traitor's Clutch, Return to Dust

Pick: Dream Stalker

Pack 27:

Plunder, Molder, Children of Korlis, Paradox Haze

Pick: Children of Korlis

Pack 28:

Shadow Sliver, Pendelhaven Elder, Swarmyard

Pick: Swarmyard

Pack 29:

Drifter il-Dal, Havenwood Wurm

Pick: Havenwood Wurm

Pack 30:

Mwonvuli Acid-Moss

Pick: Mwonvuli Acid-Moss

Pack 31:

Zealot il-Vec, Urborg Syphon-Mage, Snapback, Aether Web, Lightning Axe, Ghitu Firebreathing, Momentary Blink, Greenseeker, Pit Keeper, Divine Congregation, Phyrexian Totem, Scryb Ranger, Paradise Plume, Reiterate, Mystic Enforcer

Pick: Urborg Syphon-Mage

Pack 32:

Keldon Halberdier, Mana Skimmer, Durkwood Baloth, Fathom Seer, Chromatic Star, Wormwood Dryad, Mystical Teachings, Two-Headed Sliver, Prismatic Lens, Fungal Reaches, Conflagrate, Premature Burial, Sudden Spoiling, Browbeat

Pick: Sudden Spoiling

Pack 33:

Gemhide Sliver, Mindstab, Gaze of Justice, Durkwood Baloth, Thrill of the Hunt, Plunder, Skulking Knight, Brass Gnat, Dream Stalker, Ignite Memories, Paradox Haze, Verdant Embrace, Merieke Ri Berit

Pick: Merieke Ri Berit

Pack 34:

Mana Skimmer, Durkwood Baloth, Fathom Seer, Chromatic Star, Two-Headed Sliver, Blazing Blade Askari, Shadow Sliver, Ophidian Eye, Watcher Sliver, Fallen Ideal, Pull from Eternity, Calciform Pools

Pick: Fathom Seer

Pack 35:

Mogg War Marshal, Terramorphic Expanse, Drudge Reavers, Crookclaw Transmuter, Empty the Warrens, Divine Congregation, Mindlash Sliver, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Jhoira's Timebug, Assembly-Worker, Merfolk Assassin

Pick: Crookclaw Transmuter

Pack 36:

Benalish Cavalry, Spinneret Sliver, Venser's Sliver, Clockspinning, Bogardan Rager, Sangrophage, Primal Forcemage, Gustcloak Cavalier, Voidmage Husher, Saffi Eriksdotter

Pick: Venser's Sliver

Pack 37:

Strength in Numbers, Screeching Sliver, Psychotic Episode, Jedit's Dragoons, Sprout, Opaline Sliver, Voidmage Husher, Spirit Loop, Grinning Totem

Pick: Grinning Totem

Pack 38:

Zealot il-Vec, Temporal Eddy, Screeching Sliver, Momentary Blink, Ancient Grudge, Foriysian Interceptor, Smallpox, Fungal Reaches

Pick: Temporal Eddy

Pack 39:

Zealot il-Vec, Aether Web, Ghitu Firebreathing, Greenseeker, Pit Keeper, Divine Congregation, Paradise Plume

Pick: Pit Keeper

Pack 40:

Mana Skimmer, Chromatic Star, Wormwood Dryad, Mystical Teachings, Two-Headed Sliver, Fungal Reaches

Pick: Mana Skimmer

Pack 41:

Plunder, Brass Gnat, Dream Stalker, Ignite Memories, Paradox Haze

Pick: Dream Stalker

Pack 42:

Shadow Sliver, Ophidian Eye, Fallen Ideal, Calciform Pools

Pick: Calciform Pools

Pack 43:

Drudge Reavers, Divine Congregation, Mindlash Sliver

Pick: Drudge Reavers

Pack 44:

Clockspinning, Sangrophage

Pick: Clockspinning

Pack 45:

Screeching Sliver

Pick: Screeching Sliver

Final Decklist:

7 Island
10 Swamp
1 Undertaker
1 Assassinate
1 Clockwork Hydra
1 Corpulent Corpse
1 Crookclaw Transmuter
1 Dralnu, Lich Lord
1 Dreadship Reef
1 Errant Ephemeron
1 Fathom Seer
1 Fledgling Mawcor
2 Gorgon Recluse
1 Haunting Hymn
1 Mana Skimmer
1 Mystical Teachings
1 Pit Keeper
1 Snapback
2 Sudden Death
1 Sudden Spoiling
1 Temporal Eddy
1 Urborg Syphon-Mage
1 Viscerid Deepwalker

Sideboard
1 Grinning Totem
1 Merieke Ri Berit
1 Nicol Bolas
1 Calciform Pools
1 Call to the Netherworld
1 Cancel
1 Chameleon Blur
1 Children of Korlis
1 Clockspinning
1 Deathspore Thallid
1 Dread Return
2 Dream Stalker
1 Drudge Reavers
1 Havenwood Wurm
1 Mwonvuli Acid-Moss
1 Psychotic Episode
1 Screeching Sliver
1 Swarmyard
1 Tolarian Sentinel
1 Venser's Sliver
1 AEtherflame Wall

One note about this draft and potentially others: The Assault/Battery in the first pack was actually a Nicol Bolas. There must be some sort of bug with DraftCap where, if it doesn't recognize certain Timeshifted cards, it makes them into Assault/Battery. This means that in most cases, you have to disregard any of those you see in the packs.

Ben's draft seemed pretty straightforward. The most interesting pick was Ephemeron over Soot and Abomination, which I agree with. Mr. Lundquist had no problems splitting in the finals with his deck. Since we're at Worlds, I can't promise that we'll be able to address forum responses. If any questions or debates arise that the other forum posters can't handle in a satisfactory manner, I'll talk about them in an article when I'm back from France.

Until tomorrow,

Tim Aten

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