[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:

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!