Drafting with Kyle - M13/M13/M13 #5

Kyle Boggemes

About Kyle Boggemes

Kyle is a tournament Magic player who enjoys writing about the game and Drafting is his favorite format. He has a number of high-profile finishes under his belt:

• Second place finish at Pro Tour San Diego
• 4th place GP: Washington DC
• Two Limited GP top 16s

Drafting with Kyle - M13/M13/M13 #5

Booster 1 - Magic 2013 Core Set

Pack 1 pick 1:

My Pick: Flames of the Firebrand

This was a tough pick between a great removal spell and Arctic Aven.  This pick ultimately came down to taking the monochromatic spell because I’m putting myself into UW early with the flyer.

Pack 1 pick 2:

My Pick: Unsummon

This pack was pretty unimpressive.  I could take Welkin Tern or Unsummon despite passing Aven in the previous pack.  The reason I take Unsummon is because it fits better into a blue control deck.  I wouldn’t mind a blue red control deck with Archaeomancers because I already have Flames of the Firebrand.  Welkin Tern is still just blue mana, but only works in certain decks.

Pack 1 pick 3:

My Pick: Furnace Whelp

The two Canyon Minotaurs haven’t been a consideration because I really don’t want to play it in any red deck.  It’s better to hedge with the Unsummon from the previous pack.  I take the Whelp here because I want to be in red.

Pack 1 pick 4:

My Pick: Unsummon

At this point I feel like playing UR Control and pass up the Rummaging Goblin.  I do really like the Goblin in just about every red deck because of Arms Dealer and an overall low curve in my decks.

Pack 1 pick 5:

My Pick: Mwonvuli Beast Tracker

This pack is pretty weak, but it could signify green being open.  I haven’t seen too much in the way of blue and would prefer to be in an ally color combination. 

Pack 1 pick 6:

My Pick: Timberpack Wolf

I can take Kitesail because it’s great with Mogg Flunkies and Reckless Brute.  On the other hand, this is the second green card in a row I’ve seen so I will try to get on the green train.  I also want to mention how late Goblin Battle Jester goes because it’s only good in aggressive base-red decks.

Pack 1 pick 7:

My Pick: Kindled Fury

I love this pump spell because Mogg Flunkies is suddenly a 2 for 1.  It’s even better in green decks because it often takes two creatures to block down a Centaur Courser.

Pack 1 pick 8:

My Pick: Mogg Flunkies

This is perhaps the strongest common creature so I’ll take it over my favorite spell in the format- Titanic Growth.  The fact that the growth as well as Spiked Baloth are still in the pack shows my green dive is working out so far.

Pack 1 pick 9:

My Pick: Negate

Pack 1 pick 10:

Duress Vastwood Gorger Pillarfield Ox Forest Vile Rebirth Fungal Sprouting

My Pick: Vastwood Gorger

I don’t mind a six drop and I can shut off any playable green cards.

Pack 1 pick 11:

Zombie Goliath Angel's Mercy Elixir of Immortality Plains Guardian Lions

My Pick: Elixir of Immortality

This is a good answer to mill strategies.

Pack 1 pick 12:

Reliquary Tower Bountiful Harvest Fog Island

My Pick: Fog

Another fine sideboard card against ultra-aggressive strategies.

Pack 1 pick 13:

Glorious Charge Pillarfield Ox Hydrosurge

My Pick: Pillarfield Ox

Pack 1 pick 14:

Forest Goblin Battle Jester

My Pick: Goblin Battle Jester

I seriously get this card on the last pick a lot.  People have no respect for good beats.

Pack 1 pick 15:

Mountain

My Pick: Mountain

Booster 2 - Magic 2013 Core Set

Pack 2 pick 1:

My Pick: Centaur Courser

Not much to say here other than I’m RG and Bladetusk Boar is not as powerful when taking casting costs into consideration.

Pack 2 pick 2:

My Pick: Arms Dealer

This creature is basically better than anything else you can take in a pack when you’re base red.  Krenko's Command goes late because it’s only good with Arms Dealer.

Pack 2 pick 3:

My Pick: Chandra's Fury

Arbor Elf is only good in base-green decks because you need enough Forests to reliably cast it early.  It’s also weak in decks with low curves (most decks I draft).  Farseek is even worse because I emphasize two and three drops so there’s no need to ramp and miss casting Centaur Courser.  Chandra's Fury is extremely underrated and is better than Turn to Slag.  I don’t want too many 5 drops because Arm's Dealer is also very mana-intensive and takes out the larger creatures.

Pack 2 pick 4:

My Pick: Acidic Slime

I would rather take a strong creature over a mediocre removal spell in Turn to Slag.  The slime works well with the beast tracker, assuming I get more targets.

Pack 2 pick 5:

My Pick: Flinthoof Boar

The primary reason to be RG.

Pack 2 pick 6:

My Pick: Naturalize

A fine sideboard card although it could have been a mistake to pass Bloodhunter Bat since I already have Acidic Slime and beast tracker.

Pack 2 pick 7:

My Pick: Titanic Growth

This is perfect for a RG Aggro deck where Arbor Elf is not.

Pack 2 pick 8:

My Pick: Mindclaw Shaman

Sideboard this card in draft and maindeck it in sealed.

Pack 2 pick 9:

My Pick: Touch of the Eternal

This card could be tough to beat.

Pack 2 pick 10:

Forest Bloodthrone Vampire Downpour Krenko's Command Mindclaw Shaman Guardian Lions

My Pick: Krenko's Command

They usually table.

Pack 2 pick 11:

Mountain Bloodthrone Vampire Naturalize Ring of Thune Mind Sculpt

My Pick: Naturalize

Pack 2 pick 12:

Glorious Charge Island Krenko's Command Erase

My Pick: Krenko's Command

Pack 2 pick 13:

Kindled Fury Zombie Goliath Mountain

My Pick: Kindled Fury

I will gladly play two of these; they have great synergy with Krenko's Command because you can attack into two drops and still deal a damage.

Pack 2 pick 14:

Glorious Charge Pillarfield Ox

My Pick: Glorious Charge

Pack 2 pick 15:

Zombie Goliath

My Pick: Zombie Goliath

I guess somebody thinks this card is worse than a land...

This is not a good way to send signals because I’m not going to start drafting black because the guy next to me passed a playable 30 picks in.  Besides, it’s not like he’s passing to me in the third pack anyway.

Booster 3 - Magic 2013 Core Set

Pack 3 pick 1:

My Pick: Prey Upon

I don’t want too many of this spell because you need a 3/3 to make it good most of the time and can get blown out by a timely Unsummon or Searing Spear.

Pack 3 pick 2:

My Pick: Flinthoof Boar

I have a lot of creatures so I don’t want Magmaquake.  I have a ton of creature pump spells and a Prey Upon so I’ll pass on Rancor.  All I want is creatures.

Pack 3 pick 3:

My Pick: Searing Spear

A close pick between this and Deadly Recluse because of double Kindled Fury.

Pack 3 pick 4:

My Pick: Goblin Arsonist

I don’t want to play this card even with Arms Dealer, but I might need a 23rd.

Pack 3 pick 5:

My Pick: Flames of the Firebrand

This pack was probably stacked because I would splash this card in most decks.

Pack 3 pick 6:

My Pick: Timberpack Wolf

The second wolf is even better than the first.  I want a ton of two drops in this deck- especially 3/3s.

Pack 3 pick 7:

My Pick: Torch Fiend

I have a higher than usual curve already so I’ll pass on Turn to Slag.  When in doubt, take the creature.

Pack 3 pick 8:

My Pick: Yeva's Forcemage

This card is good at forcing through damage.

Pack 3 pick 9:

My Pick: Wild Guess

I don’t mind playing this card even though I never have.

Pack 3 pick 10:

Volcanic Strength Plains Downpour Guardian Lions Craterize Serpent's Gift

My Pick: Volcanic Strength

A good sideboard card versus red.

Pack 3 pick 11:

Wall of Fire Tormod's Crypt Plains Hydrosurge Clock of Omens

My Pick: Wall of Fire

Pack 3 pick 12:

Serra Avatar Bountiful Harvest Glorious Charge Island

My Pick: Serra Avatar

Pack 3 pick 13:

Reliquary Tower Island Hydrosurge

My Pick: Reliquary Tower

Pack 3 pick 14:

Canyon Minotaur Forest

My Pick: Canyon Minotaur

Pack 3 pick 15:

Swamp

My Pick: Swamp

I’m certainly getting the hang of drafting this format.  The fact that I only have 15 creatures and 2 Krenko's Command despite taking creatures in close situations is telling of their importance.

Notable sideboard:

• Volcanic Strength
• Naturalize
• Goblin Arsonist
• Mwonvuli Beast-Tracker
• Elixir of Immortality
• Vastwood Gorger
• Mindclaw Shaman

I decided against the Beast-Tracker because my only target was Acidic Slime.  If I drew the slime, then I would be left with a crappy 2/1 for three mana.

Match 1 Game 1

My opponent mulliganed to 5 on the draw.  My hand is quite good leading with Krenko's Command into Centaur Courser.  Flames of the Firebrand kills his Servant of Nefarox and Walking Corpse.  The only way I can see losing this game is to Mutilate so I am careful not to play any more creatures.

I sideboard in Mindclaw Shaman for Canyon Minotaur.  This is probably wrong because white may be his second color.  The Servant of Nefarox showed me he was likely aggressive.

Match 1 Game 2

I mulligan to six on the draw.

I have another aggressive start with Flinthoof Boar into Mogg Flunkies while he defends with Guardians of Akrasa.  Once he plays the Rhox Faithmender, I attack with both and he blocks my two 3/3’s only to be blown out by Flames of the Firebrand.

Match 2 Game 1

I win the die roll and we both keep seven.

His start is slow with Duty-Bound Dead and Kitesail.  The fact that he kept seven cards with such a weak start should have tipped me off about Mutilate.  I held back a creature, but it still slowed me down.  On the deciding turn, he let my Whelp go unblocked and Titanic Growth finished him off.

I don’t sideboard this game.

Match 2 Game 2

He mulligans down to 5 on the play and I keep seven.

The game is closer than it should have been because Primal Huntbeast could block down my grizzly bears making Mogg Flunkies unable to attack.  Once I can cast Chandra's Fury, my attacks look better and take over the game after he tries to eat a 2/1 with the hexproof 3/3.

I decline the split in the finals and we’re off to do more battling.

Match 3 Game 1

I mulligan on the play and he keeps seven.

My opponent had a great start that featured Fog Bank, Watercourser, Talrand's Invocation, and Faerie Invaders.  My deck wasn’t as nice to me and I had to waste a turn killing Fog Bank with Flames of the Firebrand.  I gave up after he bought back Talrand's Invocation with Archaeomancer.

I don’t sideboard as I just want to attack and play good cards.  All I saw were basic good blue cards.

Match 3 Game 2

We both keep seven cards and I go first.

My opponent understood that he was not the beatdown and stopped me from dealing damage with Kraken Hatchling.  I almost killed him with Furnace Whelp, but it was killed by Prey Upon on the last turn.  After it died, I didn’t have much of an offense and my Chandra's Fury was negated (which would have killed a Welkin Tern).

I hope this provided a good example of how to draft a dedicated RG Aggro deck.  Some of my pick orders are unusual because I have drafted the archetype plenty and look for specific cards.  The most important thing to keep in mind is the power of creatures compared to removal.  This deck is designed to attack and not sit back waiting to go to the late game.

Happy Drafting!

-Kyle