Drafting With Nico - M10 #5

Level 5 Pro Player Nico Bohny takes us through an M2010 8-4 draft queue on Magic Online. He shares some comprehensive thoughts about both the picks and the games, and talks us through each step of the way! If you're looking to improve your Limited game, this is the article series for you!

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About the Author

Nico is a level 5 member of the Pro Players Club, he has 71 lifetime Pro Points and is one of the best Limited players worldwide! Some of Nico’s MTG accomplishments include:

-Winning Grand Prix Torino
-Top 8 at Pro Tour Hollywood
-Winning the team World Championship

Apart from playing high-level tournaments, Nico judges various Magic tournaments. In addition Nico is the original designer of the BW token deck, which performed well in the current Standard format. He was also spotted winning matches with 20/20 avatar tokens (or as he says “Chuck Norris tokens”) from Dark Depths at last year’s Nationals ;-).

If you missed the last episode of "Drafting with Nico" you can find it here:

M10 Draft

Let's see, I have only 3 boring M10 boosterpacks left in my Magic Online account, which means:

• I either lose one of my first rounds and will have no M10 product left, meaning I won't draft M10 again.
• I make it to the final and win some packs.

Wow, that sounds like a win/win situation!

Off we go:

Booster 1 - Magic 2010 Core Set

Pack 1 pick 1:

My Pick:

The draft starts with a fairly easy decision. We have a quite powerful pack here with Divine Verdict, Merfolk Looter, Overrun and Dragon Whelp. Overrun ist just simply the best card in the pack, and although I would prefer to firstpick something blue or black, I just have to grab the gamebreaking green sorcery here. If it would be missing in this pack, I would have taken the Merfolk Looter (best blue Common, and although Dragon Whelp is the better card, I like blue much more than red).

Pack 1 pick 2:

My Pick:

And we get a pack where the rare is missing - no signals here. As you may remember from my last draft, I mostly try to stay in a single color until I get to see strong signals. But since we are in green, we can probably get some mana fixers to splash even a third color. That's why a collect the red removal spell here.

If you are trying to stay on your color, you could as well just take the (a bit weaker) Gorgon Flail.

Pack 1 pick 3:

My Pick:

That's not an easy pick at all here. Seismic Strike demands a high percentage of Mountains in your deck - a commitment I am not willing to make, at least not yet. Deadly Recluse is a solid card in defense. And Awakener Druid is just an insane speed card, producing kind of a 4/5 haster for four mana. I am fine with that one.

Pack 1 pick 4:

My Pick:

Rod of Ruin is a goodie in green decks with some acceleration - being formidable against the blue "don't touch us" and a couple of black guys. Deathmark is also a fine Sideboard card, but not worth the splash. Rampant Growth allows us to better splash the Lightning Bolt (since we passed some red cards, we wont see a lot of Red in pack 2).

Pack 1 pick 5:

My Pick:

Ugh, another Merfolk Looter. But threre is no reason to cry here, since there is also a solid green guy in the pack. And what else do we wish for, with an Overrun in our pile...?

Pack 1 pick 6:

My Pick:

And even more Blue goodies. Must be nice to be my left neighbour. At least there is a Craw Wurm for me.

Pack 1 pick 7:

My Pick:

Nothing in there for me. Hellhound is too red, the rest is too ungreen.

Pack 1 pick 8:

My Pick:

We would definitely be happy with some removal in our deck. Entangling Vines is not exactly what we are looking for, but I often play some of them in my decks.

Pack 1 pick 9:

My Pick:

Windstorm seems to be a strong sideboard plan against flyers, but we're lacking some good guys. I usually start thinking about picking sideboard cards when I'm sure that my maindeck is full.

Pack 1 pick 10:

My Pick:

And the second Vines for us. Unfortunately we're opting to build a rather agressive deck (with the Druid, the Bolt and the Overrun), but since there's no other option...

Pack 1 pick 11:

My Pick:


Pack 1 pick 12:

My Pick:


Pack 1 pick 13:

My Pick:


Pack 1 pick 14:

My Pick:


Pack 1 pick 15:

My Pick:

Booster 2 - Magic 2010 Core Set

Pack 2 pick 1:

My Pick:

Sadly, there's no bomb in here. Since I can still afford another color, I just take the next best splash card in Gravedigger and hope for the next pack.

Pack 2 pick 2:

My Pick:

No big deal here either. Howl of the Night Pack is almost combolicious with Overrun, I just have to watch out for manafixers to be able to play as few Swamps/Mountains as possible.

Pack 2 pick 3:

My Pick:

And off we go - one of my favorite green cards. Fixes our mana, and gives me another dude to pump with Overrun - perfect!

Pack 2 pick 4:

My Pick:

What a poor pack again. Bog Wraith sure is a fine card, but a somehow offcolor Hill Giant against nonblack... not too wow.

Pack 2 pick 5:

My Pick:

No WOW's again - but at least another dude to lower the land count and rise the creature count. Not exciting at all, but solid.

Pack 2 pick 6:

My Pick:

Same again here - empty pack with an Elf.

Pack 2 pick 7:

My Pick:

I'm thinking a quite long time here before picking the third Vines over hatedrafting the Flashfreeze or the Skeletons. Although I almost never run three of them in decks with Overrun. And also not in others :-)

Pack 2 pick 8:

My Pick:

I don't want any more non-creature spells with already mutliple Vines, which probably need to be maindecked. If I move some more into black, this guy could be a fine sideboard plan against white. And if not, we didn't waste more than a Giant Growth, of which I'm sure to see another one in this draft.

Pack 2 pick 9:

My Pick:

Still a Rare drafter at heart...

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:

Booster 3 - Magic 2010 Core Set

Pack 3 pick 1:

My Pick:

That's much better than pack 2, offering us a splashable bomb in an already splashworthy color.

Pack 3 pick 2:

My Pick:

Weak, very weak. The vampire is a creature I pretty much like, but as a splash, it's not even better than the Zombie Goliath. Close one here, still opting to move deeper into black.

Pack 3 pick 3:

My Pick:

Finally, another great dude for my deck. Tutor might be nice to fetch Overrun/Ball, but I usually take good cards over the Tutor.

Pack 3 pick 4:

My Pick:

More fatties. I'm getting sick about these non-discussable picks here. There's just nothing else to think about - somehow reflecting the M10 format. I really don't like it...

Pack 3 pick 5:

My Pick:

Yippie, a pack with a decision to make. Let's check - we don't want to splash for another color, so no Pacifism for us. Some really big dudes and the Wolf Pack would definitely appreciate the help of Master Unicorn here, so let's give it a shot.

Pack 3 pick 6:

My Pick:

Another no-brainer. Not the Zombie Goliath, the pick...

Pack 3 pick 7:

My Pick:

Spiderman will be the hero of our clan. Our only hope to fight the evil flyers...

Pack 3 pick 8:

My Pick:


Pack 3 pick 9:

My Pick:


Pack 3 pick 10:

My Pick:


Pack 3 pick 11:

My Pick:


Pack 3 pick 12:

My Pick:


Pack 3 pick 13:

My Pick:


Pack 3 pick 14:

My Pick:


Pack 3 pick 15:

My Pick:

Nothing more to add :-/

My Deck

Deck Comment

The deck seems ok for a rareless pile - I have some nice manafixing, and two gamebreakers with Overrun and Fireball. I have to play some fillers, but
I guess if I get lucky, I could reach the final with this deck...

Round 1 - l3g()las - blue/green

Game 1

He wins the roll and decides to go first. I keep a rather slow hand with 3 lands, Lightning Bolt, Cudgel Troll and some other green (rather fat) guys. My opponent starts with two Islands and a Sage Owl (which must really have disappointed him, since he screws on blue mana for several turns). The Wind Drake he summons next turn gets bolted away, and instead of a fourth mana, I draw a Runeclaw Bear which I'm able to cast.
He goes on with Illusionary Servant, while I finally find my fourth land, allowing me to drop my Troll. An Unsummon forces me to repeat my turn, while my opponent hits me with his flyers. Canyon Minotaur hits the board, but the more important Giant Spider gets Essence Scattered. Still, my opponent has not found his second color yet. Nevertheless, already on 6 life, I play my Prized Unicorn, and when he taps out for another Wind Drake, I finish him off with a hasty 4/5 Forest, animated by my Awakener Druid.

Game 2

The next game starts with a Forest on my opponent's side of the table. I have kept a rather slow hand with 2 Swamps, 2 Forests, Cudgel Troll, Giant Spider and Craw Wurm. Again, the first play is a Sage Owl. Then he plays (combo, combo) a Borderland Ranger and shuffles his unwanted cards away from the top of his library. I only have a topdecked Bear for my third turn. We trade 2/2 guys, and he adds Snapping Drake to the Board. I summon a Giant Spider with my four mana, which prevents him from attacking for a turn, just playing Illusionary Servant and passing the turn. I play some more dudes, just about enough to provoke him to play his Sleep from his hand. When he draws another flyer next turn, I'm unable to stop the beatings.

Game 3

I decide to start the last game and have to take a mulligan. My second hand, containing Forest, Llanowar Elf, Bordeland Ranger, Fireball and Craw Wurm looks promising. If I just rip another land... Well, I draw a Howl of the Night Pack (not exactly the card I'm looking for) as my next card, then the mandatory Grizzly Bear on the third turn. My opponent hasn't found his third land yet, but he Ice Cages my Elf, denying his mana ability. Then, another land and a Divination give him some extra options to find something to handle my bear. Meanwhile, I draw a Mountain and cast Fireball for 0 on my Elf, wiping the Ice Cage off of him. My opponent bounces the Elf using Unsummon and summons a Phantom Warrior. I draw a Forest, and cast my Borderland Ranger, fetching a Swamp (for my Gravedigger in Hand). We trade some creatures, and the game comes to a stall when he freezes the ground with a Giant Spider. I reach my 7th mana and produce 4 wolves with the Howl. His answer is obvious: Sleep for my guys, and in for the win. Grrrr...

There go my last M10 packs, and I'm not willing to buy new ones.

No more M10... let's wait for Masters Edition 3 to be released on Magic Online...

I hope you liked this article and you were able to profit a lot from it. Please leave your feedback in the comments section.

You can again submit questions for another installment of the "Ask the Pro" feature. All users whose questions are featured in my column will receive 250 Blackborder points!

Thank you for reading and have fun!

Nico

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