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Drafting With Olivier - Zendikar #10

Olivier Ruel

By Olivier Ruel
11/20/2009

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:
Blessing

Buy This Card!
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  My Pick:

1) Sea Gate Loremaster
2) Disfigure
3) Gatekeeper of Malakir
I'm sick of drafting Black all the time, and since my last draft in GP Minneapolis (in which I drafted Allies and went 2-1), I 'm really curious to try that archetype a little more.


  Pack 1 pick 2:

  My Pick:

I guess I couldn't hope for any better second pick.


  Pack 1 pick 3:

  My Pick:

Welkin Tern or Kraken Hatchling would be decent picks, but I want as many allies as possible. I'll care about the mana fixing later, but I guess a good ally deck should have a solid GW core.


  Pack 1 pick 4:

  My Pick:

Doing it.


  Pack 1 pick 5:

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 6:

  My Pick:

The card is actually strong if you can have ten allies or more. I don't worry so much for that.


  Pack 1 pick 7:

  My Pick:

1) Highland Berserker
2) Hagra Diabolist
3) Bladetusk Boar
Hagra Diabolist is clearly the strongest ally in this pack, but I probably won't play Black. Unless I've enough fixers to allow a 5 color build, I'll probably play four color with a GW base.
The Boar may be strictly the strognest card in this pack, but it is still not interesting at all in an ally deck in which, basically, even a Joraga Bard should be stronger.


  Pack 1 pick 8:

  My Pick:

Spidersilk Net is the alternative pick. The deck is usually pretty weak against fliers unless you get an Archer or two. This card fixes this problem if none of the allies get online.


  Pack 1 pick 9:
Blessing

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


  Pack 1 pick 10:

  My Pick:

Combo with Tajuru Archer if I get one.


  Pack 1 pick 11:

  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:

Cool, a Fireheart! It's not an ally? Never mind.


  Pack 2 pick 2:

  My Pick:

1) Harrow
2) Burst Lightning
3) Nimana Sell-Sword
The Sell-Sword is the best reason to go Black in an ally deck. Also, the Akoum Refuge has good chance to wheel, as dual lands are not so popular in this format. However, the wisest choice is to pick the card which will actually allow me to go for plenty of colors: Harrow.


  Pack 2 pick 3:

  My Pick:

Some guys feel like they are allies even though they are not. They are defensive guys who do more than you would expect them to for their mana cost (Torch Slinger, Glazing Gladehart). River Boa fits that category.


  Pack 2 pick 4:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 5:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 6:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 7:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 8:

  My Pick:

With pretty much one ally or one dual a pack, this second series of packs is rather easy.


  Pack 2 pick 9:

  My Pick:

See?


  Pack 2 pick 10:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 11:

  My Pick:

The Quest is good too, but if the deck works they have to kill your best allies, and by saving them you can benefit every other copy of their siblings a second time.


  Pack 2 pick 12:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 13:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 14:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 15:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 1:

  My Pick:

Maybe I could have managed to play the Casualties, but I don't think the pick is actually even close. I have the good cards, so what I'm now aiming at is stability. In addition, the Casualties doesn't hurt my deck as much as it does others.


  Pack 3 pick 2:

  My Pick:

1) Reckless Scholar
2) Khalni Heart Expedition
3) Hideous End
Hideous End is very, very, very unlikely to be anything but a splash. I also think my deck is able to produce slow games in which Reckless Scholar will have the impact it usually doesn't have in the format. Probably more than an Expedition I won't even want to play in the first three turns.


  Pack 3 pick 3:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 4:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 5:

  My Pick:

I won't play the 3/2, but I don't feel so much like facing it either. Anyway, I won't be running any of those cards.


  Pack 3 pick 6:

  My Pick:

Being allies, you pass good cards for everyone all the time, but you also receive in picks 6 to 10 cards which are bombs for you.


  Pack 3 pick 7:
Blessing

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


  Pack 3 pick 8:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 9:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 10:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 11:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 12:

  My Pick:

The trap was an option as well, but I like to have a card which will allow me to regulate my draws.


  Pack 3 pick 13:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 14:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 15:

  My Pick:


This draft converter created by Benjamin Peebles-Mundy.
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6 Forest
4 Plains
2 Island
2 Mountain
2 Kazandu Refuge
2 Sejiri Refuge

2 Ondu Cleric
1 River Boa
1 Kazandu Blademaster
1 Oran-Rief Survivalist
1 Highland Berserker
2 Reckless Scholar
2 Makindi Shieldmate
1 Stonework Puma
2 Joraga Bard
1 Kazuul Warlord
2 Tuktuk Grunts
1 Sea Gate Loremaster

1 Expedition Map
2 Harrow
2 Narrow Escape

Sideboard
1 Soaring Seacliff
1 Seismic Shudder
1 Mountain
1 Forest
1 Noble Vestige
2 Khalni Heart Expedition
1 Demolish
1 Spreading Seas
1 Mire Blight
2 Relic Crush
1 Lethargy Trap
2 Mountain
1 Soul Stair Expedition
1 Jwar Isle Refuge
1 Plains
1 Akoum Refuge
1 Goblin War Paint
1 Bladetusk Boar

In the first round, I played against a French friend running a very strong RG deck. I won game 1 rather easily by installing the ally family, but I died instantly in game 2 when he cast Hellkite Charger on turn 6.

It made me realize that while my deck may be pretty good, it is very vulnerable to flyers. I should try and pick one Spidersilk Net for my sideboard next time.

In the third game, I manage one of the best comebacks I've ever done, thanks to a little reading, a good deck, and a lot of luck. He has River Boa enchanted by Savage Silhouette, while I have an island, Sea Gate Loremaster, and a 5/5 Warlord. I'm on 4, when he draws his sixth land, plays Hellkite Charger and swings. I play Narrow Escape on my Island, kill his Boa with my 5/5, and then go to three.

On the next turn I draw three cards and find two Ondu Clerics, allowing me to survive his next double attack. My next turn features another two allies, and I quickly get out of the Dragon's reach, advancing to the semi finals.

The semis is a good summary of what I had already found out about my deck: it is pretty good, but vulnerable to flyers. I lose 2/1 when I would have won all three games pretty easily if only I'd had a Spidersilk Net.

Until Monday...

Oli


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