Become a StarCityGames.com Premium Member and receive exclusive access to top-level strategies, new decklists and entertaining reports from many of the best players and writers that the game has to offer!

• "The Innovator" & 2007 Worlds finalist Patrick Chapin


• Pro Tour Player Gerry Thompson


• Deckbuilder extraordinaire Adrian Sullivan


• Limited expert Nick Eisel


• Vintage expert Stephen Menendian


• Pro Tour deck designer Benjamin Peebles-Mundy


• StarCityGames.com GM of Inventory & Acquisitions Ben Bleiweiss


• Fan favorite Richard Feldman


• Fan favorite Kyle Sanchez

PLUS! StarCityGames.com Premium members now have unprecedented access into America's largest Magic: the Gathering sales database, and can view lists of StarCityGames.com's top-selling items - broken down by category, format legality, and rarity - in real time! When it comes to trading, increased knowledge equals increased profits - and increased knowledge is just one click away for our Premium members!

A StarCityGames.com Premium Membership gives you exclusive access to the best Magic: the Gathering content available and is an amazing bargain for just pennies a day! When you're ready to start getting more out of this game, click here to join StarCityGames.com Premium today!

If you are a valid StarCityGames.com Premium member and still cannot view the article, please consult this FAQ.

Draft:

Pack 1:

Temporal Eddy, Tendrils of Corruption, Lightning Axe, Mogg War Marshal, Temporal Isolation, Flickering Spirit, Ghitu Firebreathing, Bewilder, Detainment Spell, Psychotic Episode, Foriysian Totem, Sudden Death, Dementia Sliver, Wurmcalling, Uthden Troll

Pick: Lightning Axe

Pack 2:

Strangling Soot, Gemhide Sliver, Mindstab, Gaze of Justice, Coal Stoker, Thrill of the Hunt, Plunder, Skulking Knight, Brass Gnat, Dream Stalker, Truth or Tale, Aspect of Mongoose, Knight of the Holy Nimbus, Scragnoth

Pick: Strangling Soot

Pack 3:

Think Twice, Ashcoat Bear, Thallid Germinator, Terramorphic Expanse, Sprout, Aetherflame Wall, Pit Keeper, Sage of Epityr, Phyrexian Totem, Telekinetic Sliver, Spirit Loop, Restore Balance, Ovinomancer

Pick: Phyrexian Totem

Pack 4:

Snapback, Rift Bolt, Pentarch Ward, Dark Withering, Divine Congregation, Mindlash Sliver, Thallid Shell-Dweller, Jhoira's Timebug, Jedit's Dragoons, Dreadship Reef, Fungal Reaches, Dralnu, Lich Lord

Pick: Rift Bolt

Pack 5:

Viscerid Deepwalker, Ashcoat Bear, Corpulent Corpse, Cancel, Savage Thallid, Ancient Grudge, Call to the Netherworld, Phyrexian Totem, Dread Return, Wheel of Fate, Flying Men

Pick: Corpulent Corpse

Pack 6:

Coal Stoker, Deathspore Thallid, Tolarian Sentinel, Blazing Blade Askari, Shadow Sliver, Ophidian Eye, Watcher Sliver, Dread Return, Voidmage Husher, Mirari

Pick: Coal Stoker

Pack 7:

Coral Trickster, Ivory Giant, Deathspore Thallid, Watcher Sliver, Blazing Blade Askari, Glass Asp, Conflagrate, Paradise Plume, Ghostflame Sliver

Pick: Conflagrate

Pack 8:

Chromatic Star, Clockspinning, Sidewinder Sliver, Viscid Lemures, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, Two-Headed Sliver, Saltcrusted Steppe, Nicol Bolas

Pick: Chromatic Star

Pack 9:

Temporal Eddy, Mogg War Marshal, Flickering Spirit, Ghitu Firebreathing, Bewilder, Detainment Spell, Dementia Sliver

Pick: Mogg War Marshal

Pack 10:

Gaze of Justice, Plunder, Skulking Knight, Brass Gnat, Truth or Tale, Aspect of Mongoose

Pick: Skulking Knight

Pack 11:

Sprout, Aetherflame Wall, Sage of Epityr, Spirit Loop, Restore Balance

Pick: Aetherflame Wall

Pack 12:

Pentarch Ward, Divine Congregation, Mindlash Sliver, Jhoira's Timebug

Pick: Jhoira's Timebug

Pack 13:

Ashcoat Bear, Call to the Netherworld, Flying Men

Pick: Flying Men

Pack 14:

Shadow Sliver, Ophidian Eye

Pick: Ophidian Eye

Pack 15:

Glass Asp

Pick: Glass Asp

Pack 16:

Dreamscape Artist, Poultice Sliver, Dead / Gone, Deadly Grub, Dust Corona, Blightspeaker, Evolution Charm, Vampiric Link, Piracy Charm, Essence Warden, Phantasmagorian, Hunting Wilds, Hedge Troll, Temporal Extortion, Ridged Kusite

Pick: Dead / Gone

Pack 17:

Battering Sliver, Erratic Mutation, Cradle to Grave, Reflex Sliver, Firefright Mage, Pallid Mycoderm, Uktabi Drake, Brute Force, Revered Dead, Prodigal Pyromancer, Dismal Failure, Tidewalker, Voidstone Gargoyle, Brain Gorgers

Pick: Prodigal Pyromancer

Pack 18:

Needlepeak Spider, Dead / Gone, Dreamscape Artist, Vitaspore Thallid, Dash Hopes, Aquamorph Entity, Gossamer Phantasm, Prodigal Pyromancer, Seal of Primordium, Riftmarked Knight, Pongify, Dunerider Outlaw, Chronozoa

Pick: Dead / Gone

Pack 19:

Dawn Charm, Stingscourger, Evolution Charm, Pallid Mycoderm, Brain Gorgers, Dust Corona, Vitaspore Thallid, Melancholy, Merfolk Thaumaturgist, Frenetic Sliver, Auramancer's Guise, Wild Pair

Pick: Stingscourger

Pack 20:

Cradle to Grave, Stingscourger, Synchronous Sliver, Keldon Marauders, Dash Hopes, Shade of Trokair, Piracy Charm, Seal of Primordium, Mantle of Leadership, Radha, Heir to Keld, Brain Gorgers

Pick: Stingscourger

Pack 21:

Ridged Kusite, Shade of Trokair, Uktabi Drake, Ghost Tactician, Wistful Thinking, Mana Tithe, Brute Force, Waning Wurm, Keen Sense, Keen Sense

Pick: Brute Force

Pack 22:

Spitting Sliver, Vitaspore Thallid, Brain Gorgers, Fury Charm, Wistful Thinking, Melancholy, Fa'adiyah Seer, Lavacore Elemental, Mycologist

Pick: Spitting Sliver

Pack 23:

Reflex Sliver, Poultice Sliver, Spitting Sliver, Uktabi Drake, Blightspeaker, Aquamorph Entity, Vampiric Link, Simian Spirit Guide

Pick: Blightspeaker

Pack 24:

Deadly Grub, Dust Corona, Vampiric Link, Essence Warden, Phantasmagorian, Hunting Wilds, Ridged Kusite

Pick: Phantasmagorian

Pack 25:

Reflex Sliver, Firefright Mage, Revered Dead, Dismal Failure, Tidewalker, Brain Gorgers

Pick: Brain Gorgers

Pack 26:

Vitaspore Thallid, Dash Hopes, Aquamorph Entity, Gossamer Phantasm, Seal of Primordium

Pick: Aquamorph Entity

Pack 27:

Brain Gorgers, Dust Corona, Vitaspore Thallid, Auramancer's Guise

Pick: Brain Gorgers

Pack 28:

Seal of Primordium, Mantle of Leadership, Brain Gorgers

Pick: Brain Gorgers

Pack 29:

Ridged Kusite, Wistful Thinking

Pick: Ridged Kusite

Pack 30:

Lavacore Elemental

Pick: Lavacore Elemental

Pack 31:

Saltskitter, Unblinking Bleb, Llanowar Augur, Venser's Diffusion, Judge Unworthy, Henchfiend of Ukor, Thornweald Archer, Death Rattle, Blind Phantasm, Lumithread Field, Even the Odds, Mystic Speculation, Stronghold Rats, Nimbus Maze, Pyromancer's Swath

Pick: Death Rattle

Pack 32:

Cutthroat il-Dal, Gift of Granite, Quiet Disrepair, Foresee, Rift Elemental, Augur il-Vec, Vedalken Aethermage, Virulent Sliver, Frenzy Sliver, Fomori Nomad, Sliversmith, Chronomantic Escape, Cloudseeder, Tombstalker

Pick: Tombstalker

Pack 33:

Wrap in Vigor, Samite Censer-Bearer, Putrid Cyclops, Rift Elemental, Llanowar Empath, Sarcomite Myr, Death Rattle, Lymph Sliver, Even the Odds, Reality Strobe, Pooling Venom, Steamflogger Boss, Steamflogger Boss

Pick: Death Rattle

Pack 34:

Petrified Plating, Judge Unworthy, Leaden Fists, Quiet Disrepair, Thornweald Archer, Frenzy Sliver, Mesmeric Sliver, Patrician's Scorn, Sarcomite Myr, Sparkspitter, Cyclical Evolution, Sword of the Meek

Pick: Sparkspitter

Pack 35:

Kavu Primarch, Oblivion Crown, Emberwilde Augur, Aven Augur, Fatal Attraction, Edge of Autumn, Logic Knot, Lucent Liminid, New Benalia, Shivan Sand-Mage, Cyclical Evolution

Pick: Fatal Attraction

Pack 36:

Marshaling Cry, Unblinking Bleb, Wrap in Vigor, Blind Phantasm, Virulent Sliver, Mass of Ghouls, Vedalken Aethermage, Blade of the Sixth Pride, Tolaria West, Ravaging Riftwurm

Pick: Mass of Ghouls

Pack 37:

Bogardan Lancer, Grave Peril, Lumithread Field, Mesmeric Sliver, Deepcavern Imp, Blade of the Sixth Pride, Sparkspitter, Riftsweeper, New Benalia

Pick: Sparkspitter

Pack 38:

Leaden Fists, Gift of Granite, Lost Hours, Mass of Ghouls, Lucent Liminid, Delay, Skirk Ridge Exhumer, Daybreak Coronet

Pick: Mass of Ghouls

Pack 39:

Saltskitter, Unblinking Bleb, Llanowar Augur, Henchfiend of Ukor, Blind Phantasm, Even the Odds, Mystic Speculation

Pick: Henchfiend of Ukor

Pack 40:

Cutthroat il-Dal, Gift of Granite, Quiet Disrepair, Rift Elemental, Virulent Sliver, Chronomantic Escape

Pick: Cutthroat il-Dal

Pack 41:

Samite Censer-Bearer, Putrid Cyclops, Rift Elemental, Sarcomite Myr, Lymph Sliver

Pick: Putrid Cyclops

Pack 42:

Quiet Disrepair, Mesmeric Sliver, Sarcomite Myr, Cyclical Evolution

Pick: Cyclical Evolution

Pack 43:

Oblivion Crown, Shivan Sand-Mage, Cyclical Evolution

Pick: Shivan Sand-Mage

Pack 44:

Wrap in Vigor, Blind Phantasm

Pick: Blind Phantasm

Pack 45:

New Benalia

Pick: New Benalia

Final Decklist:

Maindeck:

1 Brute Force
2 Dead // Gone
1 Lightning Axe
1 Mogg War Marshal
2 Stingscourger
1 Fatal Attraction
1 Phyrexian Totem
1 Prodigal Pyromancer
1 Rift Bolt
1 Sparkspitter
1 Strangling Soot
1 Coal Stoker
1 Henchfiend of Ukor
1 Chromatic Star
2 Mass of Ghouls
1 Corpulent Corpse
2 Death Rattle
1 Tombstalker
1 Conflagrate
9 Mountain
8 Swamp

Sideboard:

1 Aetherflame Wall
1 Aquamorph Entity
1 Blightspeaker
1 Blind Phantasm
1 Brain Gorgers
2 Brain Gorgers [FOIL]
1 Cutthroat il-Dal
1 Cyclical Evolution
1 Flying Men
1 Glass Asp
1 Jhoira's Timebug
1 Lavacore Elemental
1 New Benalia
1 Ophidian Eye
1 Phantasmagorian
1 Putrid Cyclops
1 Ridged Kusite
1 Shivan Sand-Mage
1 Skulking Knight
1 Sparkspitter
1 Spitting Sliver

Another really good Black/Red deck. This one didn't have the bombs of the last one, but it did have tons of removal to go with a solid creature base. The draft was pretty simple. The second pick Strangling Soot put me into Black/Red, and I was never given a reason to leave it.

Round 1 I played against a mediocre Green/Red deck featuring multiple Uktabi Drakes, and no removal. In the first game I suspended Corpse turn 1, and it went most of the way, while I killed all his creatures, including Tarox Bladewing three times since he returned it with Deadwood Treefolk twice. Game 2 I was pretty flooded, and would have been able to win if he didn't have the Deadwood Treefolk again, a Black/Red deck's worst nightmare. Just as I was recoving from the Treefolk and all the men he made, he drew Thelonite Hermit to finish me off. In the third game I kept a hand of Chromatic Star, Dead/Gone, Death Rattle, Fatal Attraction, and three lands. I drew a Dead/Gone first, then seven more lands before drawing another spell. A rather frustrating match, to say the least.

Until tomorrow,

Rich

Draft recording done by Blargware's MTGO DraftCap. Support Blargware!