---

 

Unless the situation in my life drastically changes, I believe the Pauper format will always be my primary format on MTGO.  While I certainly enjoy both the challenge of playing Standard with only Commons and the community that has formed around this format, cost is and will probably always be the major determining factor in the formats I will play, even on a casual basis.  Nonetheless, ever since the release of Alara Reborn, I have discovered that I have a great affinity for Draft.  In some ways, this is a natural fit; after all, while Rares and Mythics may play an important role in who wins a particular drafting queue, it is the Commons that provide the bread-and-butter elements to make such wins possible.  Additionally, I enjoy the unique challenges and experiences of the Limited format, particularly the importance of discerning the unique strengths of your pool of cards and how those strengths can best be shaped into a cohesive decklist.  But more than any of these, Draft also takes me back to my days as an awkward teenager, driving more than an hour to reach the closest comic book store with two of my friends for the chance to purchase Revised Edition boosters.  I still remember the thrill of pulling open the thin wrappings and quickly sorting through the cards, hoping for a new bomb that would allow me to dominate my admittedly small group of fellow Magic players.  Back then I had no idea of the value of Dual Lands like Underground Sea; for me, it was always trying to get my hands on a Serra Angel or Shivan Dragon so I could lay the 'smack-down' on my friends.  Now fast-forward more than fifteen years.  Sadly, those valuable Revised cards are long gone.  And while I can never imagine myself actually 'cracking' a pack on MTGO (or, really, even buying packs at all outside of Limited play), when I take those same virtual packs and bring them into a Draft, I find myself with the selfsame feelings of anticipation and hope, excited to see what treasures have come my way.

 

Of course, my perspective on such 'treasures' is probably quite different from most other players on MTGO.  Powerful bombs, chase Rares, coveted Mythics, and such things no longer represent the chance to send these wheeling onto the Battlefield; instead, they represent the opportunity to sell them for tickets, allowing me to expand my growing Pauper collection and (hopefully!) even fund future Drafts.  After all, as a dedicated Standard Pauper player, I have little use for the new Painlands of Zendikar, or the much anticipated Lotus Cobra, or even the coveted Foil Baneslayer Angel.  Such cards will sit in my virtual binder only long enough to find the right seller (whether that be a respected bot like MTGO Trader's Buy Bot or a human player) so that I can convert them into cards that will see play in Pauper.  Granted, much of the time Draft isn't nearly as profitable as walking away with one of the aforementioned cards.  But even earning 50 cents of credit on a bot can go a long way when one is only interested in Commons!

 

But, enough introductions already.  Without further ado, I present my latest Zendikar Swiss Draft.  As is typical, I will offer commentary on my choices, briefly share my strategy in designing a deck from my pool, and summarize the ensuing matches.  So, here we go!

I. The Draft

  Pack 1 pick 1:
 
 
Not exactly the most promising start.  Khalni Gem, Grim Discovery, Stonework Puma, or Hagra Crocodile are all fine, but certainly not ideal first-picks.  Lullmage Mentor certainly isn't going to be of any use.  Fortunately, the pack also includes one of the strongest Commons in Blue.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 2:
 
  
Now this is a bit more interesting.  Shepherd of the Lost, Journey to Nowhere, and Grazing Gladehart are all great picks.  I debated for a bit between the 3/3 Angel and the Removal, but based on the scarcity of Removal available in Blue, Green, or White, I decided on the Journey to Nowhere.  Looking back, I'm not 100% sure if this is the right pick.  Is Shepherd of the Lost close enough to being a Bomb that it's worth taking over solid Removal?

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 3:
 
  
Definitely some great options in colors I haven't touched yet, like Bladetusk Boar, Vampire Lacerator, and Disfigure.  Still, with the Journey I'm pretty likely to include White, so I decide to stick with that option for the moment.  Blazing Torch was certainly tempting here as well, and looking back it might have been a better choice.  Kor Hookmaster is pretty solid, however, as its ability to tap out an opposing creature for two rounds makes a big difference in any kind of aggressive strategy.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 4:
 
  
And there's another Grazing Gladehart, giving me at least a decent indication that Green is probably open.  But, for the moment I'm feeling pretty committed to Blue and White, and since this pack includes one of the stronger Blue Commons, that's what I'll take.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 5:
 
 
This pack comes down to two choices: Whiplash Trap or Kor Sanctifiers.  Both are great picks here.  But, Whiplash Trap is definitely the more versatile of the two cards, and played at the right moment can easily be the difference between a win and a loss.  So, once again, I'll go with one of the stronger Commons in Blue.  Also of note here is yet another Stonework Puma and a fairly late Heartstabber Mosquito.

 My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 6:
 
  
Not much here for me.  Narrow Escape can be a fun combo with Journey to Nowhere and makes a decent combat trick to boot.  Likewise, Bold Defense isn't terrible, even if it seems pretty expensive for what it is.  But, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'll stick with the Blue trick.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 7:
 
  
Again, not a whole lot here, unless you're a fan of the Common cycle of Zendikar Nonbasic Lands.  Either of those could be fine for me, but they could easily wheel.  In M10 Drafts, Merfolk Looter was a strong card, even if it didn't always seem to work so well for me.  Honestly, I don't think it would be nearly as strong in the Zendikar environment, and Reckless Scholar is even slower.  Still, it's the best pick here.
 

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 8:
 
  
Anybody else think Blue is probably open at the moment? Definitely got a gift here in the very late Blue Landfall Evasion creature.  Please, keep 'em coming!

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 9:
 

Wow, you mean the Lullmage wheeled, how surprising! I'm not a fan of Spell Pierce at all, and none of the rest of these are remotely desirable or offer much of a threat.  Bog Tatters isn't any better, so I'm not sure what I was thinking.  Definitely should have just Rare-drafted.

My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 10:
 
  
Pick 10 is definitely late for either Cobra Trap or Nissa's Chosen.  But I'm feeling pretty confident that U/W is equally viable at this point, and so I'll go with the defensive flier here.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 11:
 
  
Prior to this draft I had never really considered Paralyzing Grasp to be that great, but I had seen it played against me once or twice with some success.  It certainly is about as good as Removal gets in Blue, so it seems the clear favorite out of these.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 12:
 
  
Pretty much junk here, but on the off chance I end up in Green, the artifact/enchantment hate at least offers a decent Sideboard alternative.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 13:
 

I really oscillated a lot in these late picks between Green and Black.  Given the alternative, would I have been better to try to cut off a third Color consistently here rather than trying to find the marginally stronger card? Of course, the croc is hardly a mediocre card, and to see it go quite this late is somewhat surprising. 
 

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 14:
 
 
Tempting to just take the Land here, but I figure I might as well continue to cut the Blue cards. 

 My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 15:
 
  
Not bad at all for the last pick of the pack.  It's on color, and the lifegain can be a nice bonus; it will almost certainly make the cut.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 1:
 
  
Several powerful options for Black, including the Heartstabber Mosquito and the Rare Halo Hunter, which despite its mediocre ability is probably pretty decent as a 6/3 Intimidate creature; Vampire Hexmage is also good, if not typically a first-pick.  For me, it's clearly between another Journey to Nowhere or the Umara Raptor.  Removal is almost always the right pick if it's in your color(s), and its scarcity in U/W makes the choice even better.  Still, it's hard to pass up the powerful flyer Ally.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 2:
 
 
A third Journey to Nowhere? Really? That seems just crazy.  Knowing that, I'd rather have taken the raptor from the previous pack.  I don't think I need a 3rd Windrider Eel, as powerful as it can be.  Gotta go with the Removal once again.  Also, that Baloth Woodcrasher would have gone great in the still underdrafted Green deck.
 

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 3:
 
  
And suddenly it seems my choices dried up pretty quick.  In either Blue or White, the best card is probably a Paralyzing Grasp, followed by Cancel and the Quest for Ancient Secrets.  Tempest Owl is even tempting, but there's a good chance it will wheel.  Honestly, I think I was too worried that I might not find enough playables and decided to hedge my bets by taking the decent Green card here.
 

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 4:
 
  
(Windborn Charge) can be great in the right deck, but since most of my creatures already have Flying, it's less than desirable.  Gomazoa is good, but it's definitely more of a Control archetype card, and most of the time I'm not convinced Control is the way to go in Zendikar.  Cliff Threader is also a viable Sideboard option, and would have been a fine choice here.  Still, in my opinion the card with the most potential here is definitely the artifact Landfall enabler, which is especially great when it comes out early.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 5:
 
 
Speaking of aggressive Landfall cards that work great when they come out early, this little kitty is the epitome of that archetype.  I'll gladly take it here and hope to find one or two more.  Also a decent indication that the White will probably keep coming. 

 My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 6:
 
  
Wow, that didn't take long.  Having two lynxes in the deck definitely increases the odds of getting one early.  The fixing in Sejiri Refuge might have been useful, but it's pretty early given that I'm likely to stick to two colors unless something dramatic comes my way in the third pack. 

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 7:
 
  
Let's see, it's not looking like I'm going the Ally route, so I will pass on yet another Stonework Puma.  Multiple Paralyzing Graps continue to come my way, but I hardly think I'm in need of them at this point.  I guess I'll take the Vines of Vastwood here, simply because of its strength as a combat trick.  Looking back, Pillarfield Ox might not have been a bad pick, although I doubt I would have played it.  Khalni Heart Expedition might have been an option if I wanted to splash into a third color, but I don't think it's nearly as useful when the color you're trying to splash is Green.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 8:
 
  
No idea why I took my pick here.  While none of these cards are likely to make the cut, and none of them even offer any real threat against the decklist I'm developing, there was no reason not to Rare-draft here and pick up the Archmage Ascension, even if it is useless in Limited (and maybe in any format!).

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 9:
 
  
This pick offers the chance to go ahead and splash into Green with the fixing available from Graypelt Refuge, but at this point I really didn't think that's my strongest option.  There are enough decent Black cards that seeing the Heartstabber wheel isn't completely shocking, but most of the time I would still take it over the Giant Scorpion, which is obviously gone.  I considered hate-drafting it here, but decided to submit to the will of the Draft and take yet another Paralyzing Grasp.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 10:
 
  
None of these are even remotely interesting to me.  So I'll just cut the Blue card and send the rest on their merry way.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 11:
 
  
In a pack with little else to choose from, I'm happy here to pick up the Quest.  In my previous two drafts I've gotten milled to death by the infamous Hedron Crab, and in both games I lacked sufficient Removal or a good Sideboard option to combat it.  With the amount of Blue I've seen thus far it's unlikely someone is pursuing that strategy, but if so it's nice to have a viable means of combating it.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 12:
 

Here's the owl that I thought would probably wheel.  While it's not a great card, in the right circumstances the Kicker can win games, and early on a 1/2 flyer isn't terrible.  

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 13:
 
  
Even if I were drafting a Mono-Blue deck, I still don't think the flying mermaid would make the cut.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 14:
 
  
Guess my 14th pick could be worse than another Zendikar Common Nonbasic.  As far as Commons are concerned, Nonbasics actually hold their value decently well compared to other junk Commons.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 15:
 
  
How sad! Not even a nice full-art land for my troubles.  In extreme circumstances, this might make it into the Sideboard; but it would take a pretty Trap-happy opponent to make it worthwhile.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 1:
 
  
Not too shabby for my final pack.   All of the White and Blue cards here are playable, even if barely in the case of the Lethargy Trap.  Pitfall Trap can be a nice piece of Removal, and both the Hookmaster and the Merfolk Seastalkers would be a fine addition to my list.  None of cards here though compare to the Rare Angel, so I'll happily take that and pass the rest on.  The Emeria, combined with the Adventuring Gear, Windrider Eels, and Steppe Lynxs, should make for a solid Landfall deck.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 2:
 
  
Speaking of which, the Skyfisher is not only probably the best Common White creature in the format, but can be a great way to squeeze another round of Landfall out of your hand.  Marsh Casualties is quite strong and probably the best pick of an overall excellent pack.  Other notables in this pack include the Whiplash Trap, the Bladetusk Boar, the Vampire Lacerator, the Nimana Sell-Sword, Harrow, and Baloth Cage Trap.  Very nice pack with lots of playables, but I'm content with my share.  Maybe something decent will even table...

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 3:
 
  
Several good playables in this pack as well, including Vines of Vastwood, Disfigure, and Burst Lightning.  Yet another Paralyzing Grasp is begging to join its brethren in my picks.  But the clear pick for me is the excellent Kor Sanctifiers, which are great as a 2/3 for 2 vanilla and excellent when Kicked to remove a pesky Enchantment.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 4:
 
 
I definitely think the Kraken Hatchling can be a great Blue card, easily slowing down the ultra-aggressive decks and allowing one the time to take control of the game.  Yet another Sejiri Refuge tempts me with some mana-fixing, and it's a foil to boot! But the innocent looking seagull is a great little early beater, and I happily add it to my list.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 5:
 
  
A late Harrow, so it seems that Green continues to be undervalued in this draft.  I have little need of the 5/5 wall at this point, since I'm aiming for a pretty aggressive strategy.  While not ideal, my pick here does bring some much-needed reach to my deck.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 6:
 
  
Getting down the dregs at this point, and all the playables are really in Green and Black.  While hate-drafting the Soul Stair Expedition would have been equally fine, I take out the reliable Green Ally.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 7:
 
  
Into the Roil was tempting here, but to be honest I don't think that running 3 is the right approach.  Cancel seems pretty weak in this environment, as leaving the necessary mana up usually means foregoing any action for a turn or two, and at that point your opponent can simply play around it.  I considered taking out yet another decent Green card, but ended up just taking the defensive combat trick to give me yet another Sideboard option.
 

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 8:
 
  
Perfectly delighted to take an 8th pick Raptor over the rest of the dregs here.  Khalni Gem isn't terrible if you need the fixing, but there is little else of value left.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 9:
 
  
In my opinion the Hookmaster is definitely a better card than a 9th pick.  Of course, this was a pretty potent pack.  I've already got one Hookmaster, but she's powerful enough that I will probably run them both.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 10:
 
  
I must be one of the few drafters pursuing a Landfall strategy, as otherwise I would not have suspected to see Harrow table.  I've seen few Red cards, and at this point I'll happily remove from consideration the very solid Intimidating Boar.
 

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 11:
 
  
Alright already, I'll take another Paralyzing Grasp! Please stop coming! At least this one is a shiny Foil.
 

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 12:
 
  
The Spidersilk Net would be a great Sideboard option against all my fliers, so let's keep that out of anyone else's hands.  Not like I'm losing much here.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 13:
 
  
I've seen this played against me, but I would hate to actually have to run this card, even if I was squarely in Black. 

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 14:
 
  
The Dual-Land isn't a bad 14th pick, even if it isn't in my colors.  I'm certainly not going to splash into Black at this point.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 15:
 
  
It makes sense that the last card I would see this draft would be Green.

  My Pick:


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II. The Decklist

So, after some thought, here is the way the decklist came together.  Interestingly enough, I thought my choices were strong enough that I never sideboarded in a single card for any of the three matches!
[Note - I apologize for the awkward table below.  The Deck Creator currently doesn't support Zendikar, and I lack the html skills to code it myself.]

Trickfall	A Swiss Zen Draft Decklist by gwyned
Creatures: 13 1 Emeria Angel 2 Kor Hookmaster 1 Kor Sanctifiers 1 Kor Skyfisher 1 Sky Ruin Drake 2 Steppe Lynx 1 Tempest Owl 1 Umara Raptor 1 Welkin Tern 2 Windrider Eel	Lands: 17 9 Island 1 Kabira Crossroads 7 Plains
Spells: 10 1 Adventuring Gear 2 Into the Roil 1 Ior Ruin Expedition 3 Journey to Nowhere 2 Paralyzing Grasp 1 Whiplash Trap	Sideboard: 12 1 Bold Defense 1 Jwar Isle Refuge 1 Kabira Crossroads 1 Merfolk Wayfinder 1 Paralyzing Grasp 1 Quest for Ancient Secrets 1 Reckless Scholar 1 Spell Pierce 1 Spidersilk Net 1 Spreading Seas 1 Trapfinder's Trick 1 Turntimber Grove

III. The Matches

A. Round One, Game One:

I lose the roll, my opponent chooses to play, and we both keep, giving me the following hand to start:


 

Turn 2 my opponent drops a Lotus Cobra! into play. I end up sending it in circles with my Journey to Nowhere, but I quickly regret doing so as he proceeds to drop a Grazing Gladehart and enchanting it with Nimbus Wings during the next two rounds.  Turn 3 I drop the Skyfisher, and end up immobilizing the Gladeheart in place with Paralyzing Grasp after my opponent swings with it for 3.  Next my opponent summons a Turntimber Ranger and its Wolf companion, and I find myself staring down at the Battlefield with the Skyfisher in play, a Welkin Tern in hand, and a fistful of lands.  We both continue to improve our board, him with a Timbermaw Larva and me with Umara Raptor.  Both of us attack aggressively, but his Gladehart ensures that the impact is minimal, while I quickly fall to 12 life.  Next round, I find myself facing this combat scenario:

 

Obviously my hand is no help.  How should I proceed?

I double-block the Turntimber Ranger with the Raptor and the Skyfisher, hoping that my opponent doesn't have a relevant trick.  He doesn't, as he kills off the Raptor and drops me to 7.  Next round I draw a Steppe Lynx, continue to swing with the Welkin Tern and summon the small and cuddly kitty onto the Battlefield.  My opponent swings back the next round with the lone Wolf and the Larva.  I gladly kill off the former with my Skyfisher and take another 6, dropping me to 1.  I draw into a Tempest Owl, and while I certainly have the mana to pay the Kicker, the fact that my opponent is at 20 life makes any kind of Alpha Strike impossible.  Since the Tern can't block anyway, I peck away at my opponent for another 2 life and end my turn.  Once again the Larva thrashes into the red zone, and my only real chance is to chump my poor kitty into its waiting maw.  Definitely not looking like this one is going to turn out well.  Fortunately, I draw into an Into the Roil, kick/bounce my Journey to Nowhere to trade the Larva for the Lotus Cobra, draw into yet another Into the Roil, and end the turn.  Unfortunately, my opponent responds with a kicked Mold Shambler, and that's the end of that.

B. Round One, Game Two:

On the play this time; my opponent and I both keep, and here's what I start with:

A perfect starting hand.  Indeed, I don't think I could ask for better.  I get off to a great start - Turn 1 Plains plus Steppe Lynx; Turn 2 Island, drop Kor Skyfisher, return the Island, swing for 2; Turn 3 Island, swing for 4. I also manage to draw yet another Journey to Nowhere, giving me plenty of removal to support my race to the death.  After my opponent drops the meager Noble Vestige at the end of his Turn 3, I draw yet another kitty, drop another Plains, swing for another 4, and summon the Lynx.  My opponent is now bloodied, and I'm half way to victory.  At the end of his Turn 4, my opponent leaves all his mana untapped and simply passes the turn, and I'm immediately suspicious.  I also fail to draw a Land, leaving me with the great Skyfisher and two kittens.  I merely attack with the flier, my opponent prevents one damage with the Vestige, and leaves it at that.  I take advantage of my opponent's decision to tap out on his next turn for the excellent Turntimber Ranger by casting Whiplash Trap for its Trap cost, which while certainly not its most powerful use ever certainly is a significant tempo loss.  On my turn I draw and drop another Island, and swing for 6; my opponent chumps the Noble Vestige, and rather than tapping to save his lone creature, he uses its protection to prevent the point of damage to himself, leaving him at 6 life instead of five, which seems strange to me.  Then, rather than replaying the Turntimber to get 2 blockers into play, my opponent instead taps out for a Baloth Woodcrasher.  I draw and drop a Plains, send the beast on its way to nowhere, and swing in for lethal.

C. Round One, Game Three: 

My opponent elects to play first, and once again we both keep.  Here's my starting seven:

 

I am once again graced with a Turn 1 Steppe Lynx, and after my opponent's land drop and pass, I drop a newly drawn Plains and summon my faithful feline.  My opponent once again pulls off a Turn 2 Lotus Cobra.  On my turn I drop my Island, swing in with the Lynx, and summon my latest find, Welkin Tern.  Perhaps fearing another fast start, my opponent drops an unkicked Mold Shambler; in response, on my turn I play my Plains, summon the Kor Hookmaster to keep the Shambler at bay for a bit, and swing in for another 4.  My opponent utilizes his Landfall with the Cobra to yet again bring Turntimber Ranger and puppy into play.  Once the dust settles, I draw into a Umara Raptor, chomp down on some yummy (Kabira Crossorads) lifegain, and consider my tactical situation:

 

Basically just three options here - bring in the Raptor, drop the Ior Ruin Expedition and hope for another Land next turn, or make the Hookmaster's temporary paralysis on the Shambler more permanent with the Paralyzing Grasp.  I choose the third option and swing in for another 2 with the cute seagull.  Unfortunately, on his turn, my opponent summons a Kor Skyfisher of his own, returns the Shambler to hand, and swings in with the 2/2 Wolf token, which I'm happy to let bite my face.  Turn 5 I draw another Island, and eagerly bring the Emeria Angel into play, immediately dropping the Island and adding a majesty hawk to my army of fuzzy-wuzzy critters. I decide not to press the attack, but merely pass the turn at this point.  On his Turn 6 my opponent drops the annoying Grazing Gladehart back into play and attacks with his Turntimber Ranger.  Somewhat suspicious, I block anyway with the Hookmaster and Bird token, and my opponent preserves the ranger with the meager Shieldmate's Blessing.  Definitely should have seen that coming, but the loss was hardly a setback.  I then draw an Island, bring the Expedition into play, drop the Island to enable the Lynx, gain another Bird token and the first Quest counter, and send the Angel into the red zone.  She is uncontested, leaving the life-totals at 18 to 9.  I then end the turn by bringing the Umara Raptor into play, emptying my hand.  After my opponent simply passes his turn, I draw another Journey to Nowhere, send the Skyfisher packing, and swing in with all my fliers for another 8 damage.  My opponent draws and then concedes.  Victory!

D. Round Two, Game One:

I win the toss and elect to play; my opponent and I both keep, and this is my starting seven:

It's not great, particularly since I'm lacking Blue.  On the other hand, I will have the excellent Turn 2 Kor Skyfisher, and should be able to bring in the Emeria without much delay.  I play the Plains and pass, and my opponent drops a Swamp and summons a Vampire Lacerator.  My next turn reveals an Island off the top, and I can only smile with glee as I quickly drop another Plains, trot out the Skyfisher, and bounce the Plains right back.  My opponent takes the hit from the Lacerator, punishes me with a ping from his Piranha Marsh as it enters the Battlefield, but leaves his Vampire with nothing else to do but suck his own life away.  Turn 3 I play and Island, summon the Expedition, and pass.  My unfortunate opponent has another life point leeched away, misses a land drop, and also passes.  Turn 4 I draw the excellent Windrider Eel, drop a Plains, and use the Hookmaster to further befuddle the poor Vampire, and swing in with the Skyfisher.  And, once again, my opponent is unable to do anything, and discards a green Predatory Urge to boot.  I play another Island, swing for 4, and bring my Angel onto the field of battle.  During my opponent's turn it meets a Hideous End after he finally finds a third Land, but it's definitely too little too late as I draw yet another Eel, swing in for 2 from the Skyfisher, and bring the first Eel into play.  My opponent doesn't get off another play, and after the second Eel appears he concedes.

E. Round Two, Game Two:

My opponent chooses to go first, we both keep, and here's my start:

I'm perfectly happy with this start, but hopefully I won't draw too many more lands.  My opponent and I both do the obligatory Turn 1 Land drop, and he follows up his Piranha Marsh with a Hedron Scrabbler.  I draw another Island, and since mediocrity loves company, summon my Tempest Owl to the battlefield before passing the turn.  My opponent drops a Swamp, attacks with the Scrabbler, but fails to build any further presence in the Battlefield.  I draw yet another Island, but fortunately I have the Umara Raptor I drew on Turn 1.  So I ping him with the Owl, summon the Raptor, and pass the turn.  Once again, my opponent drops a Swamp, attacks with the Scrabbler, but makes no further plays.  Turn 4 I draw...yet another Island! Of course, with the Windrider Eel coming into play this turn, all that extra Land could prove quite valuable. The Owl and Raptor duo fly into the Red Zone, and are thereafter joined by the Eel.  After yet another turn of Land plus Scrabbler, my opponent flings Mind Sludge all over me, forcing me to discard all the cards in my hand.  It's Turn 5 now, and I'm joined by my favorite little kitty as my three fliers continue their relentless assault.  My opponent seems to be completely flooded with Swamps, and is forced to drop an unkicked Oran-Rief Recluse into play after the obligatory Scrabbler scramble, and adds a Giant Scorpion to the mix as well.  I draw a Whiplash Trap and send in the fliers, only two of which can now connect thanks to the Reach of the Recluse.  Another land drop, another attack by the Scrabbler, and a Vampire Lacerator later, it's my turn once again.  I play my newly drawn Kor Hookmaster to tap out the Recluse, and swing in for another 5, leaving my opponent at 3.  My opponent draws one more card and concedes.  Victory!

F. Round Three, Game One:

Unfortunately, I've got no replay for this particular game.  I remember that it was fairly close, as my opponent had put together an aggressive Black deck with several excellent creatures and removal.  And while I did manage to squeak in a win, my opponent complained of some mana issues, which I don't recall looking like much of an issue from my side of the virtual table.

G. Round Three, Game Two:

My opponent chooses to play last, and we both keep our opening hands.  Here's my seven:

It's a little weak, and could potentially end up with some minor mana flooding, but the Skyfisher and Expedition, backed up by the Whiplash Trap, make this a keeper for sure.  I drop the Island and pass, and my opponent follow suit, then summons the undervalued Kraken Hatchling onto the battlefield, which would have been excellent against my little kitties had they made an appearance.  I then draw a Sky Ruin Drake, drop a Plains, begin an Ior Ruin Expedition, and pass the turn.  My opponent drops a Swamp and goes on a Soul Stair Expedition all his own.  I draw a Welkin Tern, play an Island, and summon the Skyfisher, returning the Island to hand.  Unfortunately for him, my opponent then began a several turn run of missing land drops.  I manage to get the Tern, the Ruin Drake, and a Umara Raptor into play over the next three turns, and while the former is horribly Disfigured, between them and the card advantage generated by the Expedition my opponent was never able to catch up, and conceded with a very gracious congratulations on his Turn 7.  Victory!

IV. Concluding Thoughts

As this was only my third Zendikar draft, I was quite delighted to win all three of my matches, and even snapped off a quick picture of my winnings as a memorial to the occasion:

While overall I was very pleased with the way the deck came together, I also have to admit that good fortune played a strong part in my sweeping the matches.  It was nice that the shuffler cooperated and allowed me to never need a mulligan, although in all fairness I don't believe any of my opponent's mulliganed either.  I have seen several recent ZEN drafts recaps (both video and text) that feature a U/W Aggressive fliers deck similar to this, and I have to admit it's a powerful archetype to end up in.  Although  I have heard several mention that White is one of the weaker colors in Zendikar, I certainly have to respectfully disagree.  In fact, I would contend that White will play a strong role in the most successful Standard Pauper decks this season.  Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the writeup; it certainly was a nice break from my usual focus on Pauper.  Very soon the new seasons of both MPDC and SPDC will be starting up, and I hope to be back soon with a nice article about the top-performing decks.  Thanks for reading, and as always, comments and feedback are always appreciated.  Later!