Drafting With Olivier - Zendikar #32
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:
Pack 1 pick 2:
My Pick:
is clearly worse than and . However, if I do play Green as I am planning, early removal is something I’ll be happier having as support than flyers.
Pack 1 pick 3:
My Pick:
I’d rather pass the Surivalist and waste one of my first three picks than pass a card of this level. From now on, I’ll just pick the best of the Blue, Black and Green cards coming and decide in the next few picks.
Pack 1 pick 4:
My Pick:
Of course, kicking a Mosquito is much stronger than kicking a Spider. However, when they are not kicked, the 1/3 is a lot better.
Pack 1 pick 5:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 6:
My Pick:
is a little better than , but as I’ve three Green cards for only one Black and one Blue, I’d rather strengthen my main color for now. Also, when I’m Green I often like to be mono-colored.
Pack 1 pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 8:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick:
Glad I can counterdraft it. Played on , it means pretty much instant GG.
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 11:
My Pick:
I’d be very surprised to end up running the wurm, and passing it, when I haven’t passed any Green yet, can’t be considered a signal.
Pack 1 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 1:
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My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 2:
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My Pick:
This pick may not be dreamy, but it is not as bad as it seems. It is even excellent if I can get passed more Landfall cards, and in particular Gladeharts.
Pack 2 pick 3:
My Pick:
I’d love to pick Nissa’s Chosen, but the Larva in mono Green is probably the best common in the format, close with in mono Red.
Pack 2 pick 4:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 5:
My Pick:
It’s bad, but it is still an early drop, which can deal with one of the most problematic card for the deck: . Also, the 2 Expedition and the can make it a surprisingly dissuasive blocker.
Pack 2 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 7:
My Pick:
I’m unlikely to play it, but I’m not running two Scrabbler.
Pack 2 pick 8:
My Pick:
With these two picks, I keep my options open between mono Green and UG.
Pack 2 pick 9:
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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:
Pack 3 pick 1:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 2:
My Pick:
I open this third pack with two of the best three commons I could get.
Pack 3 pick 3:
My Pick:
And here is the third one. would be great in the deck, but I only need early drops right now.
Pack 3 pick 4:
My Pick:
If I was UG, I’d pick Gomozoa here to lighten my curve. However, as far as synergy is concerned, I’d rather stay mono-color. Even if I were to splash, I would be playing so few s that I could miss casting Gomozoa on turn 3.
Pack 3 pick 5:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 6:
My Pick:
So far, this last pack is going incredibly well.
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick:
If I didn’t have a yet, I would pick it, but I would pretty much never want to board two in. Except maybe if I do face an deck.
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 biggest advantage of drafting Green is to compensate for the random early picks with pretty good picks later on. There is no color in which you can get cards of Chosen and Gladehart's level at pick 5 and 6, and at pick 12.
Pack 3 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 15:
My Pick:
A card I like in this type of deck.
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16
2
2 Nissa’s Chosen
1
3
1
1
1
1
2
3
1
1
3
1
1
The Tsunami almost doesn’t cost a thing in the deck, and 16 and four land searchers are more than enough for and to be efficient.
In the quarters, I face a GB deck, and game 1 is pretty long. I finish him with a attack pumped by and 9 . In game 2, I keep a two lander, and can’t do better than with no land on turn 3. Luckily, his start is not spectacular as his first play is with only four s on the board. I find a third land and drop . On the next turn, he plays for 5, and I don’t feel so confident about that game anymore. However, he doesn’t play a Forest or a spell in the next three turns, and I gradually take the advantage until the moment when he eventually finds a Green mana, but it is already too late for him to recover by then.
In game 1 of my semis, I win with my pick 45. Not because I’ve Fogged him, but because I have prevented all the damage except for damage that Terra Stomper deals to his three blockers. I lose the second despite a turn 5 Stomper, as he plays the feared on it. In the last one, we trade early drops until the moment when the board is clear and my hand is triple , on turn 5. He can’t do much to race, but still tries a plus Goblin Bushwacker attack, which puts me on 5. Nice, but not enough to stop my two 6/6 Baloths from finishing him on next turn.
In the finals, I’m playing against what seemed to be the worst deck I’ve faced in a while, as he was WBR allies. I took game 1 once more, thanks to my Terra Stomper/ combo. In game 2, he plays to kill and , but I have Primal Bellow to pump my Larva, which attacks as a 9/9, until he doesn’t have anything left to chump block with and must concede. He did try a Vampire’s Bite attack a little earlier, but I had, once again, to ensure the control of the race. It was surprising to see how much work a 45th pick can do sometimes.
Until next time...
Oli
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