Drafting With Rich - TTP #21
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Draft:
Pack 1:












Herd Gnarr, Fortify, Coal Stoker, Deathspore Thallid, Tolarian Sentinel, Sangrophage, D'Avenant Healer, Wormwood Dryad, Mystical Teachings, Two-Headed Sliver, Truth or Tale, Pull from Eternity, Thunder Totem, Vesuva, Dragonstorm
Pick: Coal Stoker
Pack 2:











Mana Skimmer, Durkwood Baloth, Chromatic Star, Looter il-Kor, Wormwood Dryad, Venser's Sliver, Clockspinning, Bogardan Rager, Chronatog Totem, Harmonic Sliver, Celestial Crusader, Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder, Hail Storm, Trickbind
Pick: Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
Pack 3:










Grapeshot, Mindstab, Slipstream Serpent, Nantuko Shaman, Castle Raptors, Gorgon Recluse, Sidewinder Sliver, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Viashino Bladescout, Ophidian Eye, Volcanic Awakening, Chronatog Totem, Witch Hunter
Pick: Castle Raptors
Pack 4:










Benalish Cavalry, Errant Ephemeron, Gemhide Sliver, Mindstab, Prismatic Lens, Clockspinning, Sidewinder Sliver, Viscid Lemures, Evil Eye of Urborg, Yavimaya Dryad, Outrider en-Kor, Honorable Passage
Pick: Errant Ephemeron
Pack 5:









Tolarian Sentinel, Trespasser il-Vec, Fortify, Children of Korlis, Sangrophage, Viashino Bladescout, Mystical Teachings, Thrill of the Hunt, Pull from Eternity, Magus of the Mirror, Ophidian Eye
Pick: Trespasser il-Vec
Pack 6:







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Flamecore Elemental, Coral Trickster, Benalish Cavalry, Shadow Sliver, Bogardan Rager, Traitor's Clutch, D'Avenant Healer, Krosan Grip, Fury Sliver, Sprite Noble
Pick: Benalish Cavalry
Pack 7:







Scarwood Treefolk, Amrou Scout, Molder, Children of Korlis, Viscid Lemures, Ground Rift, Dream Stalker, Evil Eye of Urborg, Avoid Fate
Pick: Amrou Scout
Pack 8:







Feebleness, Ivory Giant, Glass Asp, Ground Rift, Eternity Snare, Skulking Knight, Return to Dust, Flying Men
Pick: Feebleness
Pack 9:






Sangrophage, D'Avenant Healer, Mystical Teachings, Two-Headed Sliver, Truth or Tale, Pull from Eternity, Vesuva
Pick: D'Avenant Healer
Pack 10:





Wormwood Dryad, Venser's Sliver, Clockspinning, Bogardan Rager, Chronatog Totem, Harmonic Sliver
Pick: Chronatog Totem
Pack 11:




Sidewinder Sliver, Viashino Bladescout, Ophidian Eye, Volcanic Awakening, Chronatog Totem
Pick: Sidewinder Sliver
Pack 12:




Clockspinning, Sidewinder Sliver, Viscid Lemures, Evil Eye of Urborg
Pick: Viscid Lemures
Pack 13:



Children of Korlis, Sangrophage, Pull from Eternity
Pick: Pull from Eternity
Pack 14:


Shadow Sliver, Traitor's Clutch
Pick: Traitor's Clutch
Pack 15:

Ground Rift
Pick: Ground Rift
Pack 16:












Penumbra Spider, Pentarch Ward, Assassinate, Thallid Germinator, Zealot il-Vec, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Jhoira's Timebug, Jedit's Dragoons, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Calciform Pools, Telekinetic Sliver, Smallpox, Moonlace, Soltari Priest
Pick: Assassinate
Pack 17:








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Viscerid Deepwalker, Ashcoat Bear, Amrou Seekers, Search for Tomorrow, Corpulent Corpse, Cancel, Cyclopean Giant, Screeching Sliver, Psychotic Episode, Might Sliver, Durkwood Tracker, Unyaro Bees, Moorish Cavalry, Undying Rage
Pick: Amrou Seekers
Pack 18:










Think Twice, Ashcoat Bear, Urborg Syphon-Mage, Cloudchaser Kestrel, Thallid Germinator, Terramorphic Expanse, Sage of Epityr, Ghitu Firebreathing, Momentary Blink, Greenseeker, Nightshade Assassin, Spirit Loop, Nether Traitor
Pick: Nightshade Assassin
Pack 19:










Pentarch Ward, Bonesplitter Sliver, Dark Withering, Pit Keeper, Divine Congregation, Jhoira's Timebug, Chameleon Blur, Subterranean Shambler, Calciform Pools, Barbed Shocker, Candles of Leng, Plains
Pick: Dark Withering
Pack 20:









Drudge Reavers, Goblin Skycutter, Cancel, Pit Keeper, Sage of Epityr, Divine Congregation, Mindlash Sliver, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Molten Slagheap, Fungus Sliver, Scragnoth
Pick: Pit Keeper
Pack 21:








Empty the Warrens, Icatian Crier, Bonesplitter Sliver, Sprout, Foriysian Interceptor, Aetherflame Wall, Detainment Spell, Locket of Yesterdays, Sarpadian Empires, Vol. VII, Thallid
Pick: Icatian Crier
Pack 22:







Urborg Syphon-Mage, Snapback, Aether Web, Detainment Spell, Psychotic Episode, Sprout, Aetherflame Wall, Wheel of Fate, Mirari
Pick: Urborg Syphon-Mage
Pack 23:







Mogg War Marshal, Call to the Netherworld, Drifter il-Dal, Havenwood Wurm, Basal Sliver, Primal Forcemage, Jasmine Boreal, Island
Pick: Basal Sliver
Pack 24:






Pentarch Ward, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Jhoira's Timebug, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Smallpox, Moonlace
Pick: Pentarch Ward
Pack 25:



![]()

Cancel, Cyclopean Giant, Screeching Sliver, Psychotic Episode, Durkwood Tracker, Unyaro Bees
Pick: Psychotic Episode
Pack 26:




Think Twice, Sage of Epityr, Ghitu Firebreathing, Greenseeker, Spirit Loop
Pick: Think Twice
Pack 27:




Pentarch Ward, Divine Congregation, Chameleon Blur, Barbed Shocker
Pick: Pentarch Ward
Pack 28:



Drudge Reavers, Divine Congregation, Mindlash Sliver
Pick: Drudge Reavers
Pack 29:


Sprout, Foriysian Interceptor
Pick: Foriysian Interceptor
Pack 30:

Detainment Spell
Pick: Detainment Spell
Pack 31:












Cradle to Grave, Dead / Gone, Reflex Sliver, Fury Charm, Evolution Charm, Reality Acid, Deadly Grub, Citanul Woodreaders, Revered Dead, Merfolk Thaumaturgist, Brute Force, Tidewalker, Treacherous Urge, Gaea's Anthem, Mirri the Cursed
Pick: Mirri the Cursed
Pack 32:











Erratic Mutation, Midnight Charm, Needlepeak Spider, Shaper Parasite, Utopia Vow, Keldon Marauders, Dust Corona, Uktabi Drake, Seal of Primordium, Mana Tithe, Rathi Trapper, Treacherous Urge, Sulfur Elemental, Volcano Hellion
Pick: Rathi Trapper
Pack 33:










Synchronous Sliver, Needlepeak Spider, Mire Boa, Dreamscape Artist, Aven Riftwatcher, Firefright Mage, Blightspeaker, Ghost Tactician, Brute Force, Fa'adiyah Seer, Dormant Sliver, Stormfront Riders, Mycologist
Pick: Stormfront Riders
Pack 34:










Dawn Charm, Whitemane Lion, Wistful Thinking, Dash Hopes, Reality Acid, Pallid Mycoderm, Vampiric Link, Gossamer Phantasm, Prodigal Pyromancer, Rebuff the Wicked, Auramancer's Guise, Dunerider Outlaw
Pick: Whitemane Lion
Pack 35:









Reflex Sliver, Poultice Sliver, Deadly Grub, Dust Corona, Reality Acid, Evolution Charm, Fa'adiyah Seer, Revered Dead, Merfolk Thaumaturgist, Dormant Sliver, Detritivore
Pick: Poultice Sliver
Pack 36:








Battering Sliver, Aven Riftwatcher, Cradle to Grave, Firefright Mage, Pallid Mycoderm, Uktabi Drake, Vampiric Link, Brute Force, Hunting Wilds, Timebender
Pick: Cradle to Grave
Pack 37:







Poultice Sliver, Spitting Sliver, Synchronous Sliver, Brain Gorgers, Keldon Marauders, Ghost Tactician, Melancholy, Seal of Primordium, Heroes Remembered
Pick: Melancholy
Pack 38:







Spitting Sliver, Evolution Charm, Pallid Mycoderm, Brain Gorgers, Piracy Charm, Seal of Primordium, Ana Battlemage, Dismal Failure
Pick: Pallid Mycoderm
Pack 39:






Reflex Sliver, Fury Charm, Reality Acid, Deadly Grub, Revered Dead, Tidewalker, Treacherous Urge
Pick: Treacherous Urge
Pack 40:





Midnight Charm, Dust Corona, Uktabi Drake, Seal of Primordium, Mana Tithe, Treacherous Urge
Pick: Midnight Charm
Pack 41:




Firefright Mage, Ghost Tactician, Fa'adiyah Seer, Dormant Sliver, Mycologist
Pick: Ghost Tactician
Pack 42:




Wistful Thinking, Dash Hopes, Vampiric Link, Rebuff the Wicked
Pick: Rebuff the Wicked
Pack 43:



Deadly Grub, Fa'adiyah Seer, Dormant Sliver
Pick: Dormant Sliver
Pack 44:


Firefright Mage, Vampiric Link
Pick: Vampiric Link
Pack 45:

Ghost Tactician
Pick: Ghost Tactician
Final Decklist:
Maindeck:
1 Midnight Charm
1 Amrou Scout
1 Benalish Cavalry
1 Cradle to Grave
1 Feebleness
1 Pit Keeper
1 Rathi Trapper
1 Whitemane Lion
1 Amrou Seekers
1 Assassinate
1 D'Avenant Healer
1 Icatian Crier
1 Melancholy
1 Trespasser il-Vec
1 Urborg Syphon-Mage
1 Mirri the Cursed
1 Nightshade Assassin
1 Pallid Mycoderm
1 Castle Raptors
1 Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
1 Stormfront Riders
1 Treacherous Urge
1 Dark Withering
8 Plains
9 Swamp
Sideboard:
1 Basal Sliver
1 Chronatog Totem
1 Coal Stoker
1 Detainment Spell
1 Dormant Sliver
1 Drudge Reavers
1 Errant Ephemeron
1 Foriysian Interceptor
2 Ghost Tactician
1 Ground Rift
2 Pentarch Ward
1 Poultice Sliver
1 Psychotic Episode
1 Pull from Eternity
1 Rebuff the Wicked
1 Sidewinder Sliver
1 Think Twice
1 Traitor's Clutch
1 Vampiric Link
1 Viscid Lemures
For the first few picks of this draft I simply took the best card in each pack, since they were very good cards, and there was no clear indication as to what colors I should be in. From there I got settled into White/Black with the late Amrou Scout. Apparently this wasn't an indication that White was underdrafted, since in the next pack I opened a pack with three playable White cards, two of which were quite mediocre, and none of them came back. Pack 3 was also pretty bad. I only saw one Rebel searcher and I had to take Stormfront Riders over it.
Round 1 I played against a solid Blue/White deck. Game 1 looked pretty good in the early turns. I had Benalish Cavalry on turn 2, and Amrou Seekers on turn 3 while he just played morphs on turns 3 and 4. Unfortunately I drew five Plains and only a single Swamp this game, and had three to four Black cards in my hand the entire game. If I had a second Swamp I'd have been able to play two spells a turn, which would have won me the game, but as it was he eventually got to flip a Brine Elemental that I would've killed the previous turn. Game 2 I mulliganed and played three Swamps and one spell.
Until tomorrow,
Rich
Draft recording done by Blargware's MTGO DraftCap. Support Blargware!






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