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Draft:
Pack 1:
  
  
  
   Orcish Cannonade, Amrou Scout, Keldon Halberdier, Mana Skimmer, Durkwood Baloth, Mystical Teachings, Thrill of the Hunt, Shadow Sliver, Bogardan Rager, Brine Elemental, Primal Forcemage, Weatherseed Totem, Vesuvan Shapeshifter, Desert, Academy Ruins Pick: Vesuvan Shapeshifter
Pack 2:
  
  
  
  Slipstream Serpent, Gaze of Justice, Strangling Soot, Fathom Seer, Flamecore Elemental, Gemhide Sliver, Two-Headed Sliver, Prismatic Lens, Clockspinning, Sidewinder Sliver, Dementia Sliver, Paradise Plume, Faceless Devourer, Grinning Totem Pick: Fathom Seer
Pack 3:
  
  
  
 Feebleness, Castle Raptors, Chromatic Star, Tolarian Sentinel, Viscid Lemures, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Two-Headed Sliver, Blazing Blade Askari, Shadow Sliver, Gustcloak Cavalier, Spell Burst, Ghostflame Sliver, Sol'kanar the Swamp King Pick: Castle Raptors
Pack 4:
  
  
    Chromatic Star, Gorgon Recluse, Herd Gnarr, Fortify, Traitor's Clutch, D'Avenant Healer, Glass Asp, Ground Rift, Chronatog Totem, Spirit Loop, Thunder Totem, Vesuva Pick: Fortify
Pack 5:
  
  
   Coral Trickster, Benalish Cavalry, Feebleness, Skulking Knight, Brass Gnat, Dream Stalker, Watcher Sliver, Blazing Blade Askari, Pendelhaven Elder, Tectonic Fiend, Celestial Crusader Pick: Benalish Cavalry
Pack 6:
  
  
  Spinneret Sliver, Flamecore Elemental, Mana Skimmer, Ophidian Eye, Watcher Sliver, Thrill of the Hunt, Plunder, Spirit Loop, Swarmyard, Auratog Pick: Watcher Sliver
Pack 7:
  
  
 Spinneret Sliver, Mindstab, Glass Asp, Traitor's Clutch, Plunder, Pull from Eternity, Molten Slagheap, Grinning Totem, Thrill of the Hunt Pick: Thrill of the Hunt
Pack 8:
  
    Nantuko Shaman, Scarwood Treefolk, Venser's Sliver, Children of Korlis, Sangrophage, Viashino Bladescout, Smallpox, Might of Old Krosa Pick: Nantuko Shaman
Pack 9:
  
   Mana Skimmer, Mystical Teachings, Shadow Sliver, Bogardan Rager, Primal Forcemage, Weatherseed Totem, Academy Ruins Pick: Weatherseed Totem
Pack 10:
  
  Gaze of Justice, Flamecore Elemental, Clockspinning, Sidewinder Sliver, Dementia Sliver, Paradise Plume Pick: Sidewinder Sliver
Pack 11:
  
 Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Shadow Sliver, Gustcloak Cavalier, Spell Burst, Ghostflame Sliver Pick: Spell Burst
Pack 12:
    Traitor's Clutch, Glass Asp, Ground Rift, Spirit Loop Pick: Spirit Loop
Pack 13:
   Brass Gnat, Pendelhaven Elder, Tectonic Fiend Pick: Pendelhaven Elder
Pack 14:
  Plunder, Auratog Pick: Auratog
Pack 15:
 Glass Asp Pick: Glass Asp
Pack 16:
  
  
  
   Snapback, Rift Bolt, Pentarch Ward, Bonesplitter Sliver, Dark Withering, Mindlash Sliver, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Jhoira's Timebug, Jedit's Dragoons, Savage Thallid, Faceless Devourer, Foriysian Totem, Fallen Ideal, Magus of the Candelabra, Wall of Roots Pick: Wall of Roots
Pack 17:
  
  
  
  Temporal Eddy, Tendrils of Corruption, Lightning Axe, Mogg War Marshal, Temporal Isolation, Ghitu Firebreathing, Bewilder, Detainment Spell, Psychotic Episode, Sprout, Tromp the Domains, Vampiric Sliver, Ignite Memories, Reiterate Pick: Tromp the Domains
Pack 18:
  
  
  
 Errant Doomsayers, Rift Bolt, Aether Web, Assassinate, Amrou Seekers, Greenseeker, Pit Keeper, Divine Congregation, Jhoira's Timebug, Voidmage Husher, Volcanic Awakening, Hivestone, Gaea's Liege Pick: Amrou Seekers
Pack 19:
  
  
    Cloudchaser Kestrel, Drudge Reavers, Goblin Skycutter, Cancel, Greenseeker, Foriysian Interceptor, Basal Sliver, Drifter il-Dal, Subterranean Shambler, Urza's Factory, Lim-Dul the Necromancer, Undertaker Pick: Cloudchaser Kestrel
Pack 20:
  
  
   Ashcoat Bear, Amrou Seekers, Cancel, Ancient Grudge, Flickering Spirit, Call to the Netherworld, Drifter il-Dal, Knight of the Holy Nimbus, Krosan Grip, Moonlace, Evil Eye of Orms-by-Gore Pick: Knight of the Holy Nimbus
Pack 21:
  
  
  Empty the Warrens, Icatian Crier, Think Twice, Havenwood Wurm, Basal Sliver, Sage of Epityr, Ghitu Firebreathing, Vampiric Sliver, Return to Dust, Tivadar of Thorn Pick: Icatian Crier
Pack 22:
  
  
 Pentarch Ward, Thallid Germinator, Zealot il-Vec, Ironclaw Buzzardiers, Mindlash Sliver, Havenwood Wurm, Chameleon Blur, Flickering Spirit, Dreadship Reef Pick: Thallid Germinator
Pack 23:
  
    Think Twice, Cloudchaser Kestrel, Aetherflame Wall, Sage of Epityr, Divine Congregation, Opaline Sliver, Molten Slagheap, Eron the Relentless Pick: Cloudchaser Kestrel
Pack 24:
  
   Snapback, Pentarch Ward, Mindlash Sliver, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Jhoira's Timebug, Fallen Ideal, Magus of the Candelabra Pick: Thallid Shell-Dweller
Pack 25:
  
  Ghitu Firebreathing, Bewilder, Detainment Spell, Sprout, Ignite Memories, Reiterate Pick: Reiterate
Pack 26:
  
 Divine Congregation, Jhoira's Timebug, Voidmage Husher, Volcanic Awakening, Gaea's Liege Pick: Gaea's Liege
Pack 27:
    Drudge Reavers, Cancel, Foriysian Interceptor, Drifter il-Dal Pick: Cancel
Pack 28:
   Ancient Grudge, Drifter il-Dal, Krosan Grip Pick: Krosan Grip
Pack 29:
  Ghitu Firebreathing, Return to Dust Pick: Return to Dust
Pack 30:
 Pentarch Ward Pick: Pentarch Ward
Pack 31:
  
  
  
   Poultice Sliver, Giant Dustwasp, Dead / Gone, Evolution Charm, Pallid Mycoderm, Brain Gorgers, Dust Corona, Vitaspore Thallid, Gossamer Phantasm, Bog Serpent, Revered Dead, Kavu Predator, Necrotic Sliver, Porphyry Nodes, Dust Elemental Pick: Giant Dustwasp
Pack 32:
  
  
  
  Ridged Kusite, Dawn Charm, Shaper Parasite, Cradle to Grave, Dash Hopes, Aquamorph Entity, Shade of Trokair, Healing Leaves, Primal Plasma, Venarian Glimmer, Stormfront Riders, Kor Dirge, Teneb, the Harvester, Uktabi Drake Pick: Shaper Parasite
Pack 33:
  
  
  
 Battering Sliver, Reflex Sliver, Dust Corona, Reality Acid, Blightspeaker, Evolution Charm, Shade of Trokair, Bog Serpent, Skirk Shaman, Essence Warden, Hunting Wilds, Timebender, Crovax, Ascendant Hero Pick: Crovax, Ascendant Hero
Pack 34:
  
  
    Veiling Oddity, Ridged Kusite, Saltfield Recluse, Uktabi Drake, Blightspeaker, Aquamorph Entity, Seal of Primordium, Healing Leaves, Simian Spirit Guide, Lavacore Elemental, Frozen Aether, Life and Limb Pick: Saltfield Recluse
Pack 35:
  
  
   Aven Riftwatcher, Cradle to Grave, Brain Gorgers, Fury Charm, Wistful Thinking, Rathi Trapper, Simian Spirit Guide, Rebuff the Wicked, Necrotic Sliver, Groundbreaker, Darkheart Sliver Pick: Aven Riftwatcher
Pack 36:
  
  
  Reflex Sliver, Dreamscape Artist, Poultice Sliver, Ridged Kusite, Pallid Mycoderm, Uktabi Drake, Deadly Grub, Piracy Charm, Fa'adiyah Seer, Timecrafting Pick: Pallid Mycoderm
Pack 37:
  
  
 Dawn Charm, Battering Sliver, Dash Hopes, Vitaspore Thallid, Piracy Charm, Healing Leaves, Timecrafting, Malach of the Dawn, Temporal Extortion Pick: Malach of the Dawn
Pack 38:
  
    Synchronous Sliver, Uktabi Drake, Ghost Tactician, Firefright Mage, Wistful Thinking, Mana Tithe, Sophic Centaur, Dunerider Outlaw Pick: Uktabi Drake
Pack 39:
  
   Poultice Sliver, Pallid Mycoderm, Dust Corona, Vitaspore Thallid, Bog Serpent, Revered Dead, Porphyry Nodes Pick: Pallid Mycoderm
Pack 40:
  
  Ridged Kusite, Dash Hopes, Shade of Trokair, Healing Leaves, Venarian Glimmer, Uktabi Drake Pick: Shade of Trokair
Pack 41:
  
 Reflex Sliver, Dust Corona, Reality Acid, Bog Serpent, Essence Warden Pick: Essence Warden
Pack 42:
    Ridged Kusite, Seal of Primordium, Healing Leaves, Simian Spirit Guide Pick: Seal of Primordium
Pack 43:
   Fury Charm, Wistful Thinking, Simian Spirit Guide Pick: Simian Spirit Guide
Pack 44:
  Reflex Sliver, Timecrafting Pick: Reflex Sliver
Pack 45:
 Dash Hopes Pick: Dash Hopes
Final Decklist: Maindeck: 1 Amrou Seekers 1 Benalish Cavalry 1 Castle Raptors 2 Cloudchaser Kestrel 1 Crovax, Ascendant Hero 1 Fortify 1 Knight of the Holy Nimbus 1 Malach of the Dawn 2 Pallid Mycoderm 1 Saltfield Recluse 1 Shade of Trokair 1 Shaper Parasite 1 Vesuvan Shapeshifter 1 Wall of Roots 1 Giant Dustwasp 1 Nantuko Shaman 1 Thallid Germinator 1 Thallid Shell-Dweller 1 Thrill of the Hunt [FOIL] 1 Tromp the Domains 1 Weatherseed Totem 6 Forest 2 Island 9 Plains
Sideboard: 1 Auratog 1 Aven Riftwatcher 1 Cancel 1 Dash Hopes 1 Essence Warden 1 Fathom Seer 1 Gaea's Liege 1 Glass Asp 1 Icatian Crier 1 Krosan Grip 1 Pendelhaven Elder 1 Pentarch Ward 1 Reflex Sliver 1 Reiterate 1 Return to Dust 1 Seal of Primordium 1 Sidewinder Sliver 1 Simian Spirit Guide 1 Spell Burst 1 Spirit Loop 1 Uktabi Drake 1 Watcher Sliver
This is a draft where, if I let myself get locked into my colors with a very powerful first couple of picks, I would have ended up with quite a poor deck. Since I went with the flow of the draft and figured out that White/Green was wide open, at least in the first pack (not that it was hard to figure that out), I was rewarded with an excellent deck. Whereas if I'd tried to force Blue my deck would've been quite poor, since it was cut off from both sides.
Round 1 I played against another Blue/White deck. In the first game we got into a creature stall and I was able to build up my thallids, and eventually Tromp him out without much difficulty. Game 2 I drew both my Blue cards and an Island, and he didn't have anything to stop the Shapeshifter / Parasite combo.
Round 2 my opponent didn't play much of anything. He had two terrible draws, and both games I had an excellent curve topped off with Crovax (in the first game) and Tromp (in the second).
I split the finals because I was very tired. I usually play when I have a deck this good.
Until Monday,
Rich
Draft recording done by Blargware's MTGO DraftCap. Support Blargware!
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