Most of the commenters in last week's article requested more walkthrough goodness over a pure theory article, and who am I to deny the people? I headed into the draft room, determined to join an 84 and write up whatever came of it. (Unless it became a frustrating train wreck, in which case I decided I’d bury it and never speak of again. Besides, I’ve already done a walkthrough of a frustrating Zendikar train wreck.) The 43 queue lapped the 84 queue a couple of times, but in fairly short order, the 84 fired.

  Pack 1 pick 1:

  My Pick:

An obvious choice whether you are picking for money or for power, although wrath effects can be trickier to play and ultimately less powerful in Limited than one might think. In constructed, you can break the synergy of wrath effects with your deck construction, making them far more devastating for your opponent than they are for you. In Limited, you can play around your wrath effect to make it more devastating for your opponent than it is for you, but it's tough to draft or build around them to any major effect.

In Limited, wrath effects are certainly quite powerful, but you are inevitably playing a heavy creature strategy, so it is harder to set up for that perfect post-wrath momentum swing without either telegraphing the wrath by not playing creatures, taking an uncomfortable amount of damage while luring Villain into overcommitting, or both. Also, casting the wrath is frequently your only play the turn you cast it, giving Villain the first shot at rebuilding.

Clean sweepers like Day of Judgment are still excellent first picks, but I have definitely lost a higher percentage of Limited games in which I’ve resolved a wrath effect than I have when I’ve resolved a six-mana evasive beater like Hellkite Charger, Sphinx of Jwar Isle or whatever the dragon du jour is.

When you have an obvious first pick like this, take the time to count off the next seven best cards, and see if you can predict what will come back to you for pick nine. In this case, I’d say the top seven, roughly in order, are:

1. Surrakar Marauder
2. Windrider Eel
3. River Boa
4. Spire Barrage
5. Mold Shambler
6. Reckless Scholar
7. Hagra Crocodile

That leaves Mark of Mutiny, Teetering Peaks, Kabira Crossroads, and (ugh) Ior Ruin Expedition as playable cards that I expect to wheel in this pack. If any of the top seven are left in the pack when I get it back, it can be an important signal, which is why it’s worth doing this for P1P1, as well as any particularly deep second and third packs. It also gives you an idea of what you might expect your neighbors to be taking.

  Pack 1 pick 2:

  My Pick:

This was a last-minute bail on Blazing Torch, which I’d had control-clicked for most of my clock, and wouldn’t fault anyone for taking. It’s colorless removal. I don’t generally care for in Limited unless the white in the environment has lots of good removal, but there were a couple things at play, here. For one, I’ve been keeping an eye out for paths into green, which, even taking into account the fact that it’s the weakest Zendikar color, is still being underdrafted. Second, the regeneration ability represented an instance of actually drafting around my wrath effect, because I could regenerate the boa, cast Day of Judgment, and emerge with the only creature on board.

The six cards I expect to table are the land, Goblin War Paint, Pillarfield Ox, Runeflare Trap, Ruinous Minotaur, and either the Kraken Hatchling or the Paralyzing Grasp. Luminarch Ascension isn’t great in limited since it’s a dead topdeck and you can’t build around not taking damage the way you can in constructed, but as a rare, I still don’t expect it to table.

  Pack 1 pick 3:

  My Pick:

I got greedy here, I admit it. My deck as it is shaping up would love the Kor Sanctifiers, Kor Aeronaut, or Grazing Gladehart, but I went for the money card. If I pass on the money rare, I would take the Kor Aeronaut. It’s heavy white, but it’s uncommon and I figure I’ll have other shots at sanctifiers and gladeharts.

This is a pretty deep pack. Two picks are already gone, and it’s still full of good stuff. The five cards I expect to table are the land, Spidersilk Net, Akoum Refuge, Ruinous Minotaur, and, wow…something really good. Packs like this contain good signals when they wheel. There will be five cards in this pack when I see it next, and there are only four cards that I see as clear candidates for tabling. That means the other cards will be taken along color lines, and whatever fifth “good” card is still left on the wheel will likely be in an underdrafted color at the table. Hopefully it will be one of the white cards for me.

  Pack 1 pick 4:

  My Pick:

Geopedes are usually all gone by pick four, and it was tempting to head into WR, a strong Zendikar draft archetype. The Plated Geopede, Kor Hookmaster, and Grazing Gladehart were the three finalists, and I don’t hate any of those three for this pick. I control-clicked the gladehart and then timed out while debating the relative merits of the three. With more time to think, I actually think gladehart comes in third place, as it’s more important to cut white than green for signaling, and Plated Geopede is the best card in the pack and it’s in the stronger archetype.

Still, with no significant red passed to me in P1P2 or P1P3, the geopede here could be a false signal from a powerful pack, and taking it means I will only have two spells from my first four picks in my deck (the Day of Judgment and either the River Boa or the Plated Geopede), so I stay on color. Plus, I’m a bit sick of red, and as mentioned previously, I was looking for reasons to give green more of a shot right now.

  Pack 1 pick 5:

  My Pick:

The Mold Shambler is the more abstractly powerful card in my colors here, but it is slow, and I expect to pick up a Kor Sanctifiers at some point. Effectively, the sanctifiers trade a point of power over the shambler to be two mana cheaper. Also, Cliff Threaders are pretty nuts against the always-tough red matchup, and my mindeset at this point was that I was drafting a Wg deck, not a Gw deck. Mold Shambler is a fine pick here too, and starts pushing the deck farther into green.

  Pack 1 pick 6:

  My Pick:

It’s possible I’ll develop an ally sub-theme, and there’s nothing else for me in green or white. I should be seriously putting my neighbor into red, hopefully that will pay dividends in pack two.

  Pack 1 pick 7:

  My Pick:

Not a big fan of Cobra Trap, and the Kor Cartographer is solid. I like Narrow Escape as well, but I try to pick those up as random 10th+ picks, not over solid creatures.

  Pack 1 pick 8:

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 9:

  My Pick:

So my prediction for what would wheel was off by one: the Reckless Scholar made it, and the Teetering Peaks did not. Somewhat surprising, as I like Mark of Mutiny more for a red deck than Teetering Peaks. I take the card I thought wouldn’t wheel in the pack, and with only two green cards, I can definitely swerve into blue if my pack-two options suggest it.

  Pack 1 pick 10:

  My Pick:

My wheel prediction again is off by one. I thought the Kraken Hatchling or the Paralyzing Grasp would still be here, but not both. Instead, the Ruinous Minotaur is gone, so my decision to pass on that Plated Geopede P1P4 is looking better. I take the unexciting Pillarfield Ox over one of the playable blue cards, as I know for sure I’m playing white.

  Pack 1 pick 11:

  My Pick:

What the hell? My wheel predictions are off by two in this pack.I knew one good card would come back, but three? The Ruinous Minotaur and the Akoum Refuge were taken when I expected them to wheel, again making me feel good about passing on the tempting Plated Geopede P1P4. And what a choice! I follow up pick 11 with the pick I would have taken pick three had it not been for the money rare. I would think I might be the only white drafter at the table, but the Ondu Cleric is gone from the previous pack.

  Pack 1 pick 12:

  My Pick:

There’s all sorts of wrong with this. First, this pack contained a Ruinous Minotaur, and minotaur over the Shatterskull Giant just can’t be correct. Second, the Kor Hookmaster wheeled? Wow. I may be the only white drafter not specifically taking allies. This pack contained a Stonework Puma, so maybe the white drafter who took the Ondu Cleric took either the Stonework Puma or the Murasa Pyromancer out of this pack. Sounds good to me, I am pretty thrilled with being in white now, and can expect some good white to table in packs two and three as well.

I took full-frame lands the rest of the way in this pack.

  Pack 2 pick 1:

  My Pick:

This will be an interesting wheel. The Kor Outfitter will almost certainly be there, but if the Kor Hookmaster is there as well, it may be a sign that the only other white drafter at the table is purely interested in allies. The Kazandu Blademaster is my favorite ally and super strong as the only one. If I can snag some green or white ally support along the way, all the better, but I’m not going to force it.

  Pack 2 pick 2:

  My Pick:

Pretty straightforward, and I’m again eyeing that Steppe Lynx to see if it makes it around. Am I the only white drafter, or one of two?

  Pack 2 pick 3:

  My Pick:

White can outrace black and red with enough cheap, aggressive drops, and this helps that cause. Vastwood Gorger is fine, but I would only want to play one, and I bet I can snag one much later than this.

  Pack 2 pick 4:

  My Pick:

Close between the Territorial Baloth and the Turntimber Basilisk, but I have a Kor Aeronaut and a Kazandu Blademaster, and may end up playing a Kor Outfitter. My white-X decks usually contain 10+ white sources because of cards like those, and the basilisk really wants 9 or so green sources, so I go with the more splash-like baloth.

  Pack 2 pick 5:

  My Pick:

That’s what I’m talking about. These are the kinds of gifts I expected after those pack-one signals.

  Pack 2 pick 6:

  My Pick:

I’m not going to force the allies for weak ones like the Joraga Bard, but I would have taken an Oran-Rief Survivalist here. As it is, Vines of Vastwood is super solid.

  Pack 2 pick 7:

  My Pick:

It doesn’t take much to activate this, and four +1/+1 counters is a lot. The problem is, it becomes tough to squeeze in these kinds of spells after putting in your creatures, removal, tricks, and good equipment.

  Pack 2 pick 8:

  My Pick:
 
Shieldmate's Blessing is worse than Healing Salve, yes, but one-mana tricks are a good thing to have when you are hoping to dump creatures and swing, and it’s particularly good against red. That’s two Hedron Crabs I’ve passed, so I expect someone will attempt the crab deck.

  Pack 2 pick 9:

  My Pick:
 
I almost just rare or hate drafted because I expect to have lots of playables given how white is flowing, but took the white dork. The Kor Hookmaster is gone, so I seem to be one of two white drafters.

  Pack 2 pick 10:

  My Pick:

The Steppe Lynx is also gone, but I’m still happy to be in white right now. The Oran-Rief Recluse is more important and a better fit mana-wise for my deck than the clunky Turntimber Basilisk.

  Pack 2 pick 11:

  My Pick:

There’s the late Vastwood Gorger I hoped would find its way into my pile at some point.

  Pack 2 pick 12:

  My Pick:

I should have just “uncommon drafted” the quest or taken the pretty land, none of these are making my deck.

  Pack 2 pick 13:

  My Pick:

A playable sideboard card against green is the last relevant pick for pack two.

  Pack 3 pick 1:

  My Pick:

A total bummer of a P3P1. Nothing at all to be happy about for my deck, either clunky, blah removal in Arrow Volley Trap, a second Vastwood Gorger, or a sideboard ally in the Tajuru Archer. The removal is ultimately the right pick, but this pack is terrible.

  Pack 3 pick 2:

  My Pick:
 
Having established that there is another white drafter, I’m not counting on the Kor Aeronaut to table, but I have to take the Blazing Torch, especially with no Journey to Nowheres in my pile at this point.

  Pack 3 pick 3:

  My Pick:

I’m not going to play a second Kor Outfitter and I don’t like Bold Defense, so I take the rare. Hate drafting any of the red is also fine with this pack.

  Pack 3 pick 4:

  My Pick:

Fantastic!

  Pack 3 pick 5:

  My Pick:

And here’s the Kor Sanctifiers I’d been hoping for. The holes are really filling up now.

  Pack 3 pick 6:

  My Pick:

There are conceivably some matchups where I’d bring this in so I took it, but a second Zendikar Farguide to really crush the green-on-green matchup is also fine. I didn’t want a second Shieldmate's Blessing, and Khalni Heart Expedition is more for heavy green decks with lots of landfall and splash colors.

  Pack 3 pick 7:

  My Pick:

A fine finisher, especially if I have the Vastwood Gorger in play. Savage Silhouette is another aura that will be decent in some matchups, but it is effectively a spell, and I have trouble overcoming my innate dislike/distrust of auras anyway.

  Pack 3 pick 8:

  My Pick:

A great sideboard card. Maindeckable in a pinch, but unlikely for this deck.

  Pack 3 pick 9:

  My Pick:

I generally don’t like this main when I’m trying to cast lots of creatures on turn two, and generally curve out, but it can help the race against aggressive decks, particularly with Kor Skyfisher recursion.

  Pack 3 pick 10:

  My Pick:

Excellent, the aeronaut wheeled, and the Narrow Escape didn’t. Seems like the other white drafter is not heavy white. I wish I’d found another Journey to Nowhere in this draft, but other than that, it’s turning out fairly well.

  Pack 3 pick 11:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 12:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 13:

  My Pick:
 
This is an enters-the-battlefield-tapped land I’ll surely be playing. The refuges are frequently taken when there’s nothing playable in a pack, so I’m happy to snag it 13th. Nothing playable in the final two picks.

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Deckbuilding

I explored a monowhite option and even saved it out, but it felt a little too weakened for no great gain. If there were some kind of Plains-loving Armored Ascension in my pile it might have been worth it, but the consistency of all-white mana didn’t seem worth the drop in power that came with running cards like Kor Outfitter over green options like Grazing Gladehart and River Boa.

Here is the decklist I submitted:

Never Pass Judgment

84 Zendikar Draft Deck

Creatures 1 Grazing Gladehart 2 Kor Aeronaut 2 Kor Skyfisher 1 Kor Cartographer 1 River Boa 1 Kor Hookmaster 1 Kor Sanctifiers 1 Kazandu Blademaster 1 Cliff Threader 1 Territorial Baloth 1 Oran-Rief Recluse 1 Vastwood Gorger 14 cards Other Spells 1 Blazing Torch 1 Windborne Charge 1 Journey to Nowhere 1 Vines of Vastwood 1 Adventuring Gear 1 Shieldmate's Blessing 1 Arrow Volley Trap 1 Day of Judgment 8 cards

Lands 11 Plains 6 Forest 1 Graypelt Refuge 18 cards Sideboard 1 Zendikar Farguide 1 Cobra Trap 1 Relic Crush 1 Cliff Threader 1 Kabira Crossroads 1 Pillarfield Ox 1 Marsh Flats 2 Kor Outfitter 1 Quest for the Gemblades 1 Luminarch Ascension 1 Ondu Cleric 1 Nimbus Wings 13 cards

In Editor

Notable Exclusions

Marsh Flats: I basically dismissed the fetch land as a money pick, but this was a pretty sloppy omission. The Adventuring Gear and Territorial Baloth alone are enough to make it worth it. The Grazing Gladehart is a marginal reason, since I would be paying 1 life to gain 2, but I'd say it's correct to play your half-color fetches if you have any kind of landfall component to your deck.

Quest for the Gemblades: If I run this, it has to be over a non-creature spell, and past my removal and equipment, that means over the Vines of Vastwood, Shieldmate's Blessing, or Windborne Charge and I liked all of those for the deck over the on-board pump threat, although I kept it in mind for sideboarding against removal-light opponents where I could expect a lot of creature clashes.

Kabira Crossroads: With the Graypelt Refuge in, I didn’t want to add another “ETB tapped” land main, but with two Kor Skyfishers to recur it with and the general speed of the format, I should have started it main.

Cobra Trap: I find this card extremely underwhelming. The tokens come out much too late to be very relevant, and firing the trap is highly unlikely.

Cliff Threader: I liked one maindeck over a Kor Outfitter, ready to swap it out against non-red, or the other one in against red.

I went with 18 land, but also found that to be more than I really wanted. Yes I had a couple of landfall guys, but for the most part the deck is trim and speedy. I find the choice between 17 and 18 land can be fairly tough in many Zendikar builds, but I think this one should have been 17.

I’m only playing five green cards, so I do have the monowhite build at the ready, which runs 2x Kor Outfitter, Pillarfield Ox, Cliff Threader, and Nimbus Wings instead.

To battle!

R1G1

I win the roll and draw the following seven on the play:

Looks good, I have aggressive early drops and my mana covered. Villain has a turn-one Adventuring Gear off a Swamp. I draw a Plains, then cast the reliably-evasive Kor Aeronaut over the Cliff Threader, even though threader turn 2, Kor Hookmaster turn 3, and a kicked Kor Aeronaut turn four is a solid sequence.

A Mountain and a Zektar Shrine Expedition ensure the evasiveness of both my two drops, and after hitting for 2, I cast Cliff Threader with a Forest up for my just-drawn Vines of Vastwood. I’m liking my start, but Villain has another Zektar Shrine Expedition and a land drop on turn three. I’m at 20 life, but it’s feeling a lot like 6 right now. Where’s my Kazandu Blademaster when I need him?

Hoping to draw more gas, I instead find another Plains. This is a tricky spot: Am I casting the Kor Hookmaster as a Gray Ogre, or should he wait for a target?

R1G1 #1

Unless the effect is extremely minor, I tend to think of creatures with ETB abilities as sorceries that leave a body behind. In this case, though, the ability doesn’t actually do anything to help get damage through unless Villain casts a flyer next turn. However, locking down an opposing creature could be quite relevant to the race, especially if Villain has one of those Ruinous Minotaurs that were snapped up during the draft. I decide to hold off for a turn, but I’m not certain this was correct, even reflecting on it now.

Villain plays an unkicked Torch Slinger, plays a land, and equips the Adventuring gear. This is very disconcerting, as playing a Torch Slinger when he has a fourth land drop suggests that Villain intends to win the game before a kicked Torch Slinger is even relevant. A Mountain and a Spire Barrage represent 22 points of damage, so I’m thinking that may be it. Hookmaster to the rescue!

I draw Graypelt Refuge and play it to put my virtual life total at 7, attack for 4, then hook the Torch Slinger before passing the turn back, bracing for a wave of damage.

A fourth Mountain comes down and I’m thinking my read was correct, but Villain has a different surprise: Elemental Appeal! Suddenly there are three 7/1 tramplers with haste staring me down, and I’m wondering if I have any shot to win this at the 2 life I’ll find myself at after I throw the hookmaster under one of the three busses. But Villain wasn’t done, casting Vampire's Bite targeting an elemental to set up 24 points of trample damage:

R1G1 #2

So, did you see it? Did you remember that the Vines of Vastwood can give “enemy shroud” to opposing creatures in spots like this? Sadly, I biffed it, realizing what I had done right after allowing the bite to resolve. This was a terrible oversight, and a complete failure on my part to be aware of all the possibilities of my spells. Embarrassing! Particularly because this game was far from over, given Villain’s single card left in hand. I would still have been up against it, but any kind of action would give me a solid shot here if Villain were out of gas.

As it is, I gave up my chance to pull this one out with my failure to think outside the box a bit on Vines of Vastwood. Funny, too, because I have a casual constructed deck that runs Vines of Vastwood, and I’ve pulled “shroud opposing creature” with it on multiple occasions. I think I was just in shock at suddenly facing three 7/1 trampling, hasty elemental tokens, and allowed the game-winning spell to resolve before I’d fully considered my options. Well, do as I say, not as I do, mmmmkay?

R1G2

With concerns about too much mana and having seen Adventuring Gear and double Zektar Shrine Expedition, I make the following changes:

-2 Plains, –1? (Vastwood Gorger? My notes are a bit of a mess)

+1 Cliff Threader, +1 Kabira Crossroads, +1 Relic Crush

On the play again, I look at my seven hoping to avoid the 0-2-and-done:

Annoying that I can’t lead with Adventuring Gear on turn one (yes, it turns out entering the battlefield tapped is indeed a drawback), but a clear keeper with the ability to cast every spell in my hand off the two land I have. Villain keeps as well, and I play the refuge and ship the turn. In response to Villain casting a turn-one Vampire Lacerator, I groan.

I draw my other Cliff Threader and assess which of my two-drops to cast. What’s your choice?

R1G2 #1

I could risk the River Boa and hope the snake lives and I draw into land, which would then allow me to play a threat while keeping regeneration mana up. That’s an unrealistic expectation early on against red-black, though, which has no shortage of cheap ways to deal with a vulnerable boa. With the proven explosiveness of Villain’s deck, I also don’t want to take too much damage early on. I like leading with the Kor Aeronaut and trading for the lacerator if possible. If the Aeronaut doesn’t draw a Disfigure, Burst Lightning, or Punishing Fire, I’ll have strong evidence that those cards are not in hand.

Well, Punishing Fire is in hand, as it turns out, and my aeronaut crashes and burns before I take two from the lacerator. I draw my other aeronaut, and face a repeat of turn two with less of a chance of facing removal for the boa. Any difference this turn?

R1G2 #2

I’m still content to offer up an aeronaut, drawing out further removal, saving the Cliff Threaders as eventual win conditions and the boa for when I can reliably regenerate it. No removal for the second aeronaut, so I accept the trade for the lacerator, only to stare down a Ruinous Minotaur after combat. I rip the not-at-all-helpful Oran-Rief Recluse (which probably should have been what I boarded out), and again weigh my two-mana options:

R1G2 #3

 Now I'm convinced Villain is out of removal, but I'm not sure I want to cast the boa and take 5 from the minotaur while I wait a turn to have regeneration mana available. Normally, I’m fine with that play at 19 life in Limited, but in Zendikar limited against red-black, things can get so out of hand so quickly. Still, I think I have to play the boa, take the 5, and set up a solid defense, so the right play is to cast the River Boa and try to hold the ground with my meager mana.

Villain drops a fourth land, casts Blood Seeker, and enchants it with Goblin War Paint. Ouch. Initially, both creatures are tagged as attackers, but then the Ruinous Minotaur “unattacks” in what feels like a mistake, although I don’t know what plans Villain may have for all that land. In any case, I am thankful to only be facing 3 damage instead of 8, and I drop to 16 before untapping.

I rip a glorious Plains off the top, and my mind reels at the possibilities with my 50% increase in mana. What would you do with this mana infusion?

R1G2 #4

Needing regeneration mana, the Graypelt Refuge will remain untapped, but what to do with two Plains? If I can solidify my defense, I can bring the Cliff Threaders in later. The play here is to cast and equip the Blazing Torch to set up for some block-and-burn defensive capabilities. I do just that and pass it back. Villain untaps and swings in without a land drop, this time with both. I’m not sure what to make of the willingness to send in the minotaur this turn, but not last turn. What is your blocking plan?

R1G2 #5

I have two choices: block the Blood Seeker, regenerate and throw the torch at it, taking 5 from the minotaur but costing Villain a land, or blocking the minotaur, regenerating, and waiting until next turn to threaten with the torch. Looking at this now, I like just blocking the minotaur and dealing with the Blood Seeker next turn, assuming the minotaur actually dies. If Villain has drawn some removal to use in response to my regeneration of the boa, this game will turn into a blowout. That’s unlikely, though, and I couldn’t really play afford to play around it if it weren’t.

In the game, I elect to leave the minotaur unblocked and block-and-torch the Blood Seeker. As expected, there is no removal in response to regeneration, but there is a Vampire's Bite targeting the minotaur, who proceeds to cut my life total in half. Weird plays from both of us. I effectively exchange two life for one of Villain’s lands with this play, which is a trade that doesn’t make sense to me in retrospect. I think I wanted to take out the Blood Seeker before something unexpected disrupted my ability to do so, as I had two creatures in hand that could trade with the minotaur. I play fairly paranoid Magic, and generally that serves me well, but sometimes it leads me to defend against or play around phantom plays, and I think that’s what happened here—it’s very unlikely that the block-and-torch play won’t be around for me next turn, and I should have taken the least amount of damage possible in this spot.

Interestingly, Villain sacrifices the singleton Swamp to the minotaur and passes the turn without a land drop, clarifying a few things: one of the two cards in his hand is Elemental Appeal, the other one is not a land, and Villain didn’t expect me to block the seeker in that spot. Hopefully that lost land will hurt more than the extra two damage did.

I pull Kor Skyfisher and plan the turn.

R1G2 #6

I’m still on defense, and I have to be prepared to deal with a 7/1 trampler as soon as Villain finds another Mountain. I cast the Kor Skyfisher, bounce and replay a Plains, and cast Adventuring Gear. The refuge stays up to regenerate the boa, and I pass. Villain rips a Mountain and casts the Elemental Appeal as expected. Less expected is the decision to attack with both the minotaur and the 7/1 trampling token. This is minotaur suicide for one extra point of damage, as I block the 7/1 with the skyfisher and the minotaur with the boa, and after regeneration, I have 4 life and the only creature in play.

I untap and draw a Plains. Four mana feels like a thousand, so what’s the play?

R1G2 #7

Equip the Adventuring Gear, play the Plains, attack for 4, and drop a Cliff Threader. Tapping out to get both threaders down doesn’t actually change my expected damage, so there’s no reason to leave the boa without regeneration mana. I pass the turn, Villain pulls a Swamp, and casts Mindless LOL. The tide has turned, and I am now aggro. A Territorial Baloth off the top can’t hit the battlefield yet, but I move the gear onto Cliff Threader A, cast Cliff Threader B, and attack for 2.

Villain casts and equips a currently-useless Adventuring Gear and passes it back. I pull a Forest, and I put the nail in the coffin by playing the Forest, attacking for 8 to bring the life totals even at 4, and casting the Territorial Baloth. Villain has no outs, and I attack for lethal the following turn.

R1G3

I think I did bench the Oran-Rief Recluse here due to lack of opposing flyers, but I’m not certain. On the draw after Villain keeps, I check my seven:

A solid starter with a nice life boost out of the gate. The first spell of the game is Villain’s turn-two Zektar Shrine Expedition, and I plan my second turn having drawn Kor Skyfisher and Cliff Threader. I play out the Cliff Threader to avoid disrupting my land drops with the skyfisher or exposing the boa to removal without regeneration, and pass. A third Mountain adds a counter to the Zektar Shrine Expedition, and the Ruinous Minotaur makes a return appearance. I draw Relic Crush and plan the future before making my land drop: 

R1G3 #1

I attack for 2, then cast the Kor Skyfisher, bounce the Kabira Crossroads, and play the Plains. Shieldmate's Blessing can now trade 1:1 with the minotaur, barring Goblin War Paint or Slaughter Cry (a spell I’m not going to play around, given villain’s demonstrated willingness to send that minotaur headlong into unfavorable battle). The Kor Skyfisher won’t even alter my mana development unless I draw a land next turn, so playing the skyfisher may not have a drawback at all.

A Teetering Peaks puts a second counter on the Zektar Shrine Expedition and makes the Ruinous Minotaur a 7/2. This diffuses the Shieldmate's Blessing plan and I’m thinking I’ll have to trade the skyfisher now, but Villain declines to attack! These plays led to me believe I had a lot of rating points on the line, which strengthened my resolve to take this down.

I pull a Forest, welcoming some additional land, and with it, more options.

R1G3 #2

Villain passing with three mana up has me thinking Punishing Fire, especially with the open knowledge that I hold Kabira Crossroads. Since I have good plays that don’t involve gaining life this turn, I decide to play around Punishing Fire, which starts by attacking—maybe I’ll draw it out. There is no response to my attack, so I play the Forest and the River Boa. I wish I had my refuge to have both regeneration mana and blessing mana up, but boa regeneration will have to do.

Villain untaps, drops a Swamp, casts Quest for the Gravelord and a kicked Goblin Bushwhacker and swings in. At 22 life and suspecting burn, do I block here?

R1G3 #3

Perhaps my Punishing Fire read is off. It can be a lot harder to read lower-ranked players because their decisions don’t always make complete sense or tell a consistent story. I could take this, but I’m fine if Villain wants to use burn to take out the boa with regeneration on the stack. I still have the skyfisher/blessing play in my back pocket to take out the minotaur, I’m ahead on cards, and my life total is going to climb shortly. Villain has no response, and the suicidal minotaur again hits the graveyard after a profit-free attack. I draw a plains, now what?

R1G3 #4

The events of the last combat phase suggest Villain does not have the Punishing Fire, but that read assumes good play, which has not been the case, so I really don’t know what to think. I start by attacking with all three, and again there is no response, dropping Villain to 8. I know I’m casting the Grazing Gladehart here. The trickier question is whether or not I’m dropping the Plains to have blessing mana, or the Kabira Crossroads to get that down while Villain can’t recur a Punishing Fire, also guaranteeing five mana for a turn-six Relic Crush.

It’s a bit of a tossup, but either way things look very good for me. In the game I decide to play the Plains and maintain some protection for my creatures, but in my head as I write this, I decided on the crossroads. I’m the aggressor, and no single targeted removal spell is going to swing things to Villain’s favor anyway, so go ahead and set up for the sure Relic Crush next turn and gain crossroads life while Punishing Fire recursion isn’t possible (although if I’m up against Punishing Fire, Villain has now brutally misplayed it). It’s a fairly moot point, as the land drop decision has a minimal impact on my EV.

Villain untaps and casts a main-phase Punishing Fire on my Cliff Threader, which I save with the blessing. Either the fire was the most recent draw, or Villain misplayed the burn. The remaining mana goes towards a Giant Scorpion, and I draw a Plains to set up the Relic Crush for the two enchantments anyway. Two swings with my Cliff Threader and Kor Skyfisher later, and the match is mine, a victory that netted me two whole rating points, or, as I like to think of it, kept me from losing 14. Given my early surrender in game one, I’m thankful to have pulled out the next two. If I had lost the match and the 14 rating points, I’d only have myself and my mistakes to blame.

Next Week…

I’ll be back next week to wrap up this draft, and I’ll also update my Oliver’s progress at Magic (for new readers, he is my seven-year-old who started playing a few months ago). Also, I’ll either be playing in the live PTQ this Saturday in Seattle or in Sunday’s online PTQ. With some luck (and better play than I managed in round one of this draft), my article two weeks from now will be about how I landed on the Pro Tour!

Until next week, happy drafting!