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Drafting With Olivier - Zendikar #6

Olivier Ruel

By Olivier Ruel
11/11/2009

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.

#Zendikar Limited, #Olivier Ruel
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  Pack 1 pick 1:

  My Pick:

One of the best rares in the format, even though is other rare is quite good itself! Not a great signal to pass though, so I’ll try and cut White as much as I can from now on.


  Pack 1 pick 2:

  My Pick:

Marauder and Baloth are quite good as well, even a little better than the Hookmaster. However, Green and Black are the two colors I like the least to associate with White and, as I have said, I’d rather cut all the White to make it clear to my left neighbor the Sovereign was not a signal but a misunderstanding.


  Pack 1 pick 3:
Blessing

Buy This Card!
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  My Pick:

Whiplash Trap would be excellent in a UW deck, but, once again, I’d rather cut the white and keep my options open. Also, I think the Skyfisher is a little better than the bounce spell anyway.


  Pack 1 pick 4:

  My Pick:

Not only does this pick inform me that white is open, it also makes me consider actually running mono White.


  Pack 1 pick 5:

  My Pick:

One of the most underrated cards in the format. Excellent in a aggro deck, which is what I should be.


  Pack 1 pick 6:

  My Pick:

Landbind Ritual seems okay in a mono White deck, but I’ve already tried it in draft and it was quite weak against any non Red aggro deck.


  Pack 1 pick 7:

  My Pick:

Gladehart and even Survivalist are a lot better, but I’ll stick to my strategy.


  Pack 1 pick 8:
Blessing

Buy This Card!
" tooltip="Blessing">Blessing ", "ZEN");'>
  My Pick:

Excellent versus Red decks, and decent against everything else, while the Ox will be mediocre against most decks.


  Pack 1 pick 9:

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 10:

  My Pick:

I have passed enough Green for my neighbors to understand Green was open, so I can now afford counter drafting a little.


  Pack 1 pick 11:
Blessing

Buy This Card!
" tooltip="Blessing">Blessing ", "ZEN");'>
  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 12:

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 13:

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 14:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 1:

  My Pick:

Arid Mesa is decent in the deck, but I already have four in my account, so I’d consider Kazandu Blademaster, Burst Lightning, and Adventure Gear over it. As I’m short in early good guys, I decide to go for the first striker, which should give my deck more consistency than the equipment or the Blast. If it wasn’t in the pack I’d go with the Gear, as the card is excellent in White decks, and as it keeps my draws more regular than going for a second color.


  Pack 2 pick 2:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 3:

  My Pick:

This time the two-drop is nothing fantastic, and the equipment should be more precious.


  Pack 2 pick 4:

  My Pick:

The card is clearly okay, but I've a few too many spells and not enough creatures for now.


  Pack 2 pick 5:

  My Pick:

Probably the best common I could get at this point.


  Pack 2 pick 6:

  My Pick:

I’m unlikely to play it, but it is still the card which would seem the most likely to fit into my deck.


  Pack 2 pick 7:

  My Pick:

Would be really good if I were to receive a second piece of equipment.


  Pack 2 pick 8:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 9:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 10:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 11:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 12:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 13:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 14:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 15:

  My Pick:

My deck is now pretty good; I should just try and get as many creatures as possible from pack three.


  Pack 3 pick 1:

  My Pick:

Nothing I want, so I might as well pick the dragon and consider a 12/6 manabase. Worst case scenario? I won’t have to face it.


  Pack 3 pick 2:

  My Pick:

Brave the Elements is a better card, but all I need at this point is guys.


  Pack 3 pick 3:

  My Pick:

I already have enough tricks, and this pack doesn’t have any guys.


  Pack 3 pick 4:

  My Pick:

Some quite empty white packs. I could take Scope to combine it with Duelist and Emeria Angel, but the card doesn’t shine that much in the deck besides those two combos. Also, the Angel is a winning combo on its own, and what I need the most is guys.


  Pack 3 pick 5:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 6:

  My Pick:

Still no White guy... where have they gone? Well, I guess it’s the risk of drafting mono color: even if the color is open and you should therefore be receiving good stuff, you won’t have any flexibility when the packs are bad.


  Pack 3 pick 7:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 8:

  My Pick:

Such a great combo with Landfall. Okay, okay, it’s a rare draft…


  Pack 3 pick 9:

  My Pick:

My 18618638136836th trick... just what I needed.


  Pack 3 pick 10:

  My Pick:

And there is number 18618638136837, but it’s also the best.


  Pack 3 pick 11:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 12:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 13:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 14:

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  Pack 3 pick 15:

  My Pick:


This draft converter created by Benjamin Peebles-Mundy.
Visit the draft converter today!

16 Plains
2 Kabira Crossroads

1 Steppe Lynx
2 Kor Duelist
2 Cliff Threader
1 Kazandu Blademaster
2 Kor Skyfisher
1 Noble Vestige
1 Kor Hookmaster
1 Devout Lightcaster
1 Emeria Angel
1 Pillarfield Ox
1 Kor Cartographer
2 Adventuring Gear
2 Brave the Elements
2 Shieldmate's Blessing
1 Bold Defense
1 Windborne Charge
1 Pitfall Trap

Sideboard
1 Welkin Tern
1 Seismic Shudder
1 Expedition Map
1 Desecrated Earth
1 Bold Defense
1 Magosi, the Waterveil
1 Ravenous Trap
1 Noble Vestige
1 Mountain
1 Spidersilk Net
1 Tajuru Archer
2 Shieldmate's Blessing
1 Hellkite Charger
1 Primal Bellow
1 Expedition Map
2 Sunspring Expedition
2 Nimbus Wings

In my first round, I twice have an Emeria Angel on turn 5, and I’m able to protect it (Brave the Elements game 1, Shieldmate's Blessing game 2), allowing me a quiet win and a ten minute wait from my apparently disappointed opponent.

In game 1 of my semi final, my opponent opens with Hexmage. As I don’t have anything to protect it in reserve, I decide to cast Emeria on turn 4. He taps two mana and casts... Blood Seeker. Saaaafe! And then he taps another two for... Feast of Blood. Ouuuuuuut!

Let’s go to game 3, as his double mulligan didn’t make game 2 very entertaining. I’ve a pretty fast opening hand, but only two Plains. At the end of turn 2, I don’t have any land left in hand, but still manage to draw four straight in order to cast Bold Defense for the win on the 6th turn (turn 4 being a Kor Cartographer).

In the final I draw reasonably well, but still get massacred. At first, my opponent plays River Boa and stops my team. He then adds Gladehart to the board, which is quite a good idea when he already has two counters on his Khalni Heart Expedition. When he plays a pair of Crabs and puts a third counter on his enchantment, I concede rather than show him any more of my deck. The second game goes about as quickly, as I mulligan and have slow draws while he opens with Vampire Nighthawk (quite a strange turn of events when he seemed to be pure UG in game 1) and Gladehart again. As I’ve no way to deal with any of his life gain guys, or any way to put him under any kind of pressure, I concede on turn 5.

Until Friday...

Oli


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