Drafting With Olivier - Zendikar #4
About Olivier Ruel: Pro Tour mainstay Olivier Ruel's outstanding career includes five Pro Tour Top 8s, numerous Grand Prix Top 8s (including the recent victory at Grand Prix: Brighton), and induction in the Magic Hall of Fame class of 2008.
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Pack 1 pick 1:
My Pick:
1)
2)
3)
may be a bomb in sealed, but it is less impressive in draft. I probably even take the Boar over it.
Pack 1 pick 2:
My Pick:
1)
2)
3) Glazing Gladehart
I don’t like WB. I’ve never tried the archetype, but it seems to be it can’t work as both colors rely on double colored mana costs. However, a few cards like , , or could make extremely decent splashes. The other two options don’t really tempt me here. One is not good enough, and the other is too Green.
Pack 1 pick 3:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 4:
"
tooltip="Cartographer">Cartographer
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"
tooltip="Blessing">Blessing
", "ZEN");'> 
My Pick:
The best Blue common still being in the pack has to be a sign.
Pack 1 pick 5:
My Pick:
1)
2)
3)
I’m in big trouble if I pick the Trap here. Even if it’s the best card in the pack, it is not an option at all. Then I can either pick the decent , which has good chance to make it to the maindeck, or , which is pretty good if Black is a dominant color but finishes in the sideboard otherwise. If I had one Ally already I’d go with the 2/2, but I want to keep the hope I’ll be running my Vampire.
Pack 1 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 7:
My Pick:
This pick should pretty much settle my draft into UW, unless I open a very powerful Black card pack 2.
Pack 1 pick 8:
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tooltip="Blessing">Blessing
", "ZEN");'>
My Pick:
A very underrated card. In such a fast format, any cheap trick is good.
Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick:
One of the very few cards in the format which can get you the tempo of a game back.
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick:
I’ve no interest into cutting a Red card when Narrow Excape is a very decent sideboard card against Red decks.
Pack 1 pick 11:
My Pick:
One of the most underrated cards in the format, this card is top class!
Pack 1 pick 12:
"
tooltip="Blessing">Blessing
", "ZEN");'>
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 1:
My Pick:
Picking is the best way to get into trouble now. What will happen if I take the removal now? I’ll probably end up with a White based WB splashing for 5 cards including two or thre double Black cards. Doesn’t sound so good when I’m aiming at being consistent. I’ll just stick to the plan and remain UW. Then, with only one White card and one Blue card in the pack, the choice is not so difficult.
Pack 2 pick 2:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 3:
My Pick:
looks like some kind of four-mana at first glance. It is nothing of the sort. It is good, but often slow and fragile for the format, so not a match for the Blademaster.
Pack 2 pick 4:
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tooltip="Cartographer">Cartographer
", "ZEN");'>
My Pick:
Here’s when I’m pretty glad I didn’t first-pick Black. Apparently, the I’ve passed P1P1 didn’t have bad consequences.
Pack 2 pick 5:
"
tooltip="Lynx">Lynx
", "ZEN");'>
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 6:
My Pick:
Emeria is not interesting at all outside a mono-White deck.
Pack 2 pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 8:
My Pick:
Usually a pretty good card in UW, but I don’t have any equipment yet. If I can get two or three from now on, it may make it to the main deck.
Pack 2 pick 9:
My Pick:
Probably more annoying to face than a Shrine in a UW deck. Also a card you can definitely play maindeck in sealed.
Pack 2 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 12:
My Pick:
In a deck a little short in playables, I like Blessing more, but it is unlikely I decide to run 3.
Pack 2 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 1:
My Pick:
The Stalkers are pretty good too but the Hookmaster will be better most of the time.
Pack 3 pick 2:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 3:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 4:
"
tooltip="Cartographer">Cartographer
", "ZEN");'>
My Pick:
If Cartographer was to make the cut, it would be the worst card in the pack. I rather like picking a card to which I could lose.
Pack 3 pick 5:
My Pick:
Sweeeeet.
Pack 3 pick 6:
My Pick:
My curve is pretty low, making Outfitters less important. On the other hand, a few 4-5 drops wouldn’t hurt, and now that I’ve 3 pump-type allies, I definitely want to help them grow.
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 9:
My Pick:
Same comment as earlier on when I picked Slinger over Cartographer. I'd rather have another filler than the 2/4 and not face the spider.
Pack 3 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 15:
My Pick:
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I’m a little land scewed in the early game of my quarterfinal versus RB, which helps him take the lead. Still, he draws a few too many lands so I’m not so far behind in the race. The turning point off the game happens when he plays on my , but I have Shieldmage’s Blessing to save it. This loss of tempo helps me catch up, and I soon finish him off with .
Game 2 is pretty similar. We race, but I win with the double +2/+2.
In my second round, I have to face Luis Scott-Vargas. Not the easiest opponent I can meet online! My deck understands this and offers me what can be called god draws. My turn 1 , turn 2 , turn 3 Welkin Turn, turn 4 is not something an ordinary deck can stop.
In game 2, even though he plays first, I take control of the tempo with my /Tern start. In he meantime, Luis is playing enchantments and artifacts (Puma, Machete, ), while I’m holding my two Sanctifiers. I eventually (and surprisingly) take that match without much trouble.
My final starts soon after, and my opponent is playing mono red. I think I’ve barely managed to stop his beating when he stills my with Mark of Munity and swings for the game.
Game 2 is won by one of my surprising MVP - Shieldmage’s Blessing - as the cheap trick allows me to save a from a , and win with the 4/4 a little later.
In the final game of this draft, he opens with a pair of Shrines, but will never be able to take me to less than ten life, for several reasons:
- I destroy one of his enchantments with Sanctifiers.
- I play Kabira Crossroads twice thanks to .
- He doesn’t draw well enough to send a second wave of attackers once I’ve stopped the first.
In this format, and in particular when playing Mountains, you usually don’t get a second chance when your beating is stopped. He didn’t, and I didn’t have much trouble finishing him as my guys were better than his when the first 5-6 turns were past.
Until Friday...
Oli
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