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Drafting With Olivier - Zendikar #30

Olivier Ruel

By Olivier Ruel
01/15/2010

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:

A rather interesting first pick. I like Kor Skyfisher more than Disfigure, but I think Nissa Revane is still a little better. One Nissa's Chosen make it about as good as the Kor, while none make it unplayable and two make it better. I'm pretty sure I'll get at least one, as each common should show at least twice on every draft, and as Green is not so popular.


  Pack 1 pick 2:

  My Pick:

Green/Black is not an association I like a lot, but Hideous End is far superior to any other card in that pack for me to pick anything else.

I'm currently drafting from my Youth Hostel in Barcelona, and the connection is quite bad. I didn't even get the chance to see my third pack, in which the computer randomly picked a Forest. I then decided to do all of my picks as fast as possible, and lucky didn't miss any of the following picks.


  Pack 1 pick 4:

  My Pick:

The best card here, Devout Lightcaster, is not really an option as it goes pretty badly with either of my first two picks. Then the two options are Shatterskull Giant and Into the Roil. I like U with both Green and Black, when I don't much like Red with Green. I think Into the Roil has better chance to make it to the deck.


  Pack 1 pick 5:

  My Pick:

I used to love Kraken Hatchling, but the decks I'm facing in ZZZ tend to be slower and slower, and Into the Roil is becoming better and better.


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  Pack 2 pick 1:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 2:

  My Pick:

I'd like to pick Gomozoa, which would be great with my two Into the Roil, but even so, it's not as good as Hideous End.


  Pack 2 pick 3:

  My Pick:

I'm very short in creatures so far, and in order to make the most of my two Hideous Ends, I must be able to put my opponent under some pressure.


  Pack 2 pick 4:

  My Pick:

With the best card for me being Stonework Puma, I'd rather just counterdraft the most annoying one.


  Pack 2 pick 5:

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  Pack 2 pick 6:

  My Pick:

I like Sky Ruin Drake more and more. It may be a bit slow, it is still an excellent defender, as well as a good win condition.


  Pack 2 pick 7:
Blessing

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  My Pick:

I would probably end up playing Shoal Serpent, but drafting another one shouldn't be hard, while facing River Boa could be much more problematic.


  Pack 2 pick 8:

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  Pack 3 pick 1:

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  Pack 3 pick 3:
Blessing

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

My deck is becoming pretty good now. The two Scorpions, associated with many removal and bounce spells, seem to form a very synergistic deck.


  Pack 3 pick 4:

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  Pack 3 pick 5:

  My Pick:

I did consider picking the Puma here, but the Crocodile is excellent with a pair of Hideous End.


  Pack 3 pick 6:

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  Pack 3 pick 8:

  My Pick:

Kraken Hatchling is a better card, but, as far as synergy is concerned, Blood Seeker seems stronger than the 0/4, as it goes pretty well with Lacerator, Hideous End, Hagra Crododile. Put simply, I would have picked the 0/4 in the first half of the draft, but my deck has been turning more and more aggressive since then.


  Pack 3 pick 9:

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  Pack 3 pick 11:
Blessing

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

I have enough playables and shouldn't need a second Serpent.


  Pack 3 pick 12:

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

10 Swamp
8 Island

2 Vampire Lacerator
1 Vampire Hexmage
1 Blood Seeker
1 Surrakar Marauder
2 Reckless Scholar
2 Giant Scorpion
1 Hagra Crocodile
2 Sky Ruin Drake
1 Shoal Serpent

1 Soul Stair Expedition
2 Disfigure
2 Into the Roil
2 Hideous End
1 Summoner's Bane
1 Whiplash Trap

Sideboard
1 Caller of Gales
1 Forest
2 Spell Pierce
1 Mountain
2 Trapmaker's Snare
2 Sejiri Refuge
1 Tempest Owl
1 Demolish
1 Island
1 River Boa
1 Merfolk Wayfinder
1 Shieldmate's Blessing
1 Quest for Ancient Secrets
1 Kazandu Blademaster
1 Territorial Baloth
1 Piranha Marsh
1 Mindless Null
1 Trapfinder's Trick
1 Nissa Revane
1 Oran-Rief Recluse

In the first round I'm facing a Boros deck, which plays mostly small guys, while I have Giant Scorpion on turn 3 of each game. Even though he has Geopede on turn 2 of game 1, and on turn 4 of game 2, to get past the 1/3, I receive the fast support of Sky Ruin Drake, backed up by a pair of removal in game one for the win, while it's Shoal Serpent which actually gives me the second.

The most interesting play of this round occurred when my opponent, with RRRWW untapped, and Torch Slinger and Kor Hookmaster on the board, attacked with the Goblin only into Sky Ruin Drake and Giant Scorpion. After thinking for a few seconds, I figured the most likely card for him to have was Slaughter Cry, and double-blocked the 2/2. He did pump it as expected, and I made a two-for-one while he couldn't play any more spell in the turn.

In round two, I was in an extremely hard situation as I was one game done versus my UW opponent, as well as 6 minutes behind on the clock and trying not to die. After he had won game 1 thanks to Hedron Crab, he played his 0/2 on turn 1 again in game 2. The situation was quite tough for me as, even though I had four guys to his two, including his Crab, as his other one (Mefolk Seastalkers) keeps all my creatures from going in. Still, he decides to equip his guy with Explorer's Scope and swing in. His play is pure suicide if he doesn't reveal his fifth land, and it is just bad for him if he does. He does manage to mill me, heightening his chances to deck me, but suddenly giving me a window for a huge swing. He does find a land but takes 8 on the next turn, and he's now withing hitting range.

On the following turns, he manages to nearly stabilize the board, and, in the meantime, he attacks twice more with his Scope guy and wins both. My library is now very thin, but having Into the Roil and Summoner's Bane in hand when he's on three, I can still hope to win this, but I need him not to find many lands and to fall into my counter. On the next turn he attacks with Scope again, and reveals a land for the fourth straight time, and then passes without playing a guy. I bounce his 2/3, and then attack with my only guy, a Lacerator, to put him down to one. I need him not to have a land in the next two cards, nor play several guys in order to win. He equips his Crab, and attacks, but misses a land for the first time. He then plays two guys, I counter one of them and put him to -1 with no cards left in my deck and 7 minutes left on the clock.

In game 3, he has his strongest start of the match, opening with Armament Master and a pair of Skyfishers. However, I have Disfigure and a couple of Hideous Ends to nullify his beatdown, shortly followed by several guys including Sky Ruin Drake, which will go all the way.

After winning with 3 minutes left on the clock, and considering the poorness of my connection, I'm glad my final opponent agrees to draw the finals.

Just one more word concerning my semi, in case my opponent reads this: thanks a lot for not stalling me. It would have been super easy to keep priority until I disconnected, and repeat the operation in order to time me out, but he didn't. Thanks again for that!

Until Monday...

Oli


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