Drafting with Yann - RoE #3

About Yann Massicard

Yann Massicard

Yann is a Level 6 Magic pro player from France who has a number of high-profile finishes under his belt:

• Winner Grand Prix Seattle 2009
• 51 Lifetime Pro Points
• Level 6 Pro Players Club member
• Top 16 Pro Tour Kyoto 2009
• Top 24 Pro Tour Kuala Lumpur 2008
• Top 16 Grand Prix Strasbourg 2007

Hey everyone,

It has been quite a while since I drafted Rise of the Eldrazi, and though I did not really miss it, I was happy to see that my article for this week was a «Draft with the Pro». After updating Magic Online and trading a few RoE packs, I registered for this draft.

You can find the last installment of Drafting with Yann here:

Booster 1 - Rise of the Eldrazi

Pack 1 pick 1:

My Pick: Domestication

Though I like Vendetta a lot, Domestication is by far the better pick. But I wanted to force a token deck, just to try it, and therefore picked Kozilek's Predator. Let's be serious for 2 seconds. If you look closer at this pack, you can see a Totem-Guide Hartebeest which might wheel, therefore Domestication becomes even more obvious as a pick, and I will pick White cards slightly higher now, knowing that the Hartebeest could come back.

Pack 1 pick 2:

My Pick: Kabira Vindicator

Tough pack. Nothing really exciting. I don’t want to pick Regress so high which basically gives me 3 choices: either Kabira Vindicator for a possible UW leveler deck, or Pawn of Ulamog for UB or maybe Ulamog's Crusher for a possible control Ubr deck or UG. Pawn looks too much like a gamble, and double black is bad, so I would rather take Regress over it to stay flexible. I don’t really know where to go with a Crusher too, since it's not the card you like to pick right after Domestication, then in the end, Vindicator seems to be the easiest and safest pick, as Blue and White make for a pretty good team in this format, and don't forget that I'm picking white cards slightly higher after pick 1.

Pack 1 pick 3:

My Pick: Knight of Cliffhaven

Looks like UW levelers is open so far.

Pack 1 pick 4:

My Pick: Beastbreaker of Bala Ged

Quite a complicated pack. I'd like to take Guard Duty since I'll pick Totem-Guide Hartebeest pretty high if I see one, but Green seems so open and so good that I think I should take my chance. If I don't see more Green coming, then I will lose only 1 pick. If there had been a good UW card for me, like Sea Gate Oracle or Halimar Wavewatch, I wouldn't have picked the Beastbreaker, hoping that everyone else would then be fighting for Green.

Pack 1 pick 5:

My Pick: Deprive

Deprive is pretty good in this kind of deck while Soul's Attendant is just fine.

Pack 1 pick 6:

My Pick: Champion's Drake

Since I plan to go for a leveler deck, Drake fits better than Frostwind Invoker, as my strategy will be cheap and fast guys.

Pack 1 pick 7:

My Pick: Venerated Teacher

Okay I did not really expect this guy that late. Weee!!

Pack 1 pick 8:

My Pick: Caravan Escort

Pack 1 pick 9:

My Pick: Phantasmal Abomination

Pack 1 pick 10:

Jwari Scuttler Nighthaze Contaminated Ground Nema Siltlurker Harmless Assault Mountain

My Pick: Harmless Assault

Pack 1 pick 11:

Grotag Siege-Runner Haze Frog Not of This World Fleeting Distraction Swamp

My Pick: Fleeting Distraction

Pack 1 pick 12:

Explosive Revelation Crab Umbra Hand of Emrakul Island

My Pick: Explosive Revelation

Pack 1 pick 13:

Hand of Emrakul Fleeting Distraction Mountain

My Pick: Fleeting Distraction

Pack 1 pick 14:

Irresistible Prey Island

My Pick: Irresistible Prey

Pack 1 pick 15:

Island

My Pick: Island

Summary Pack 1

Pack 1 went pretty well and I got some awesome late picks which makes me think that UW levelers is quite open. What I want next is more levelers and at least 1 more Venerated Teacher, a Totem-Guide Hartebeest and a Narcolepsy or something to go with it, and maybe a few fixers in case I get some removal spells or want to splash my green leveler.

Booster 2 - Rise of the Eldrazi

Pack 2 pick 1:

My Pick: Coralhelm Commander

Woohh!! In my head I was thinking, c'mon Gideon Jura or Transcendent Master or... the Coralhelm Commander I just asked for, nice! Sadly I have to pass Cryptologist and Narcolepsy, but I can’t complain. Time of Heroes is most certainly going to wheel, as I don't think many players here are drafting White levelers, and if they do they already have 2 better Blue cards to pick first.

Pack 2 pick 2:

My Pick: Time of Heroes

Guard Gomazoa is not that awesome in my aggressive deck, so the choice is between Time of Heroes (knowing another one should come back) and Kor Line Slinger. Looking back at my deck, Time of Heroes can be the nuts if I get more levelers, and I see no reason why I shouldn’t get more of them.

Pack 2 pick 3:

My Pick: Smite

Not exactly the pack I wanted to see. I would have picked any leveler here, but I will have to go with the Smite, a fine removal spell in my deck.

Pack 2 pick 4:

My Pick: Vendetta

I already have a Smite and Vendetta is just infinitely better. Also, I may be able to splash it in the end.

Pack 2 pick 5:

My Pick: Sea Gate Oracle

Pack 2 pick 6:

My Pick: Raid Bombardment

Nothing for me, and I already lost one draft to this card, so there’s no way I’m going to pass it.

Pack 2 pick 7:

My Pick: Frostwind Invoker

Sadly still no leveler, well at least I will probably end-up playing this guy.

Pack 2 pick 8:

My Pick: Skeletal Wurm

I thought for a while about Aura Finesse with my Domestication, but in the end it just seemed not good enough.

Pack 2 pick 9:

My Pick: Time of Heroes

Surprise!!

Pack 2 pick 10:

Jaddi Lifestrider Nighthaze Kor Line-Slinger Battle Rampart Distortion Strike Mountain

My Pick: Kor Line-Slinger

Nice.

Pack 2 pick 11:

Irresistible Prey World at War Shared Discovery Harmless Assault Swamp

My Pick: World at War

Pack 2 pick 12:

Ancient Stirrings Jwari Scuttler Contaminated Ground Island

My Pick: Jwari Scuttler

Pack 2 pick 13:

Perish the Thought Fissure Vent Island

My Pick: Perish the Thought

Pack 2 pick 14:

Shared Discovery Mountain

My Pick: Shared Discovery

Pack 2 pick 15:

Island

My Pick: Island

Summary Pack 2

Though pack 2 started pretty well, it quickly dried out, offering me almost no card for my strategy. I've got a few guys that work well with levelers and a pair of Time of Heroes, but I have to pick more levelers, otherwise I’ll end up with several blanks.

Booster 3 - Rise of the Eldrazi

Pack 3 pick 1:

My Pick: Sphinx of Magosi

Or maybe a spoiler could help...

Pack 3 pick 2:

My Pick: Dawnglare Invoker

Not a leveler but still a good card I don't want to face.

Pack 3 pick 3:

My Pick: Domestication

Awesome, pack 3 starts pretty well, I just hope I'll get some levelers for my strategy.

Pack 3 pick 4:

My Pick: Last Kiss

I'm not sure I will play Hyena Umbra so I prefer to hate draft here. Both Last Kiss and Pestilence Demon are annoying cards for me. I think the Demon is going to be a bit slow against me while Last Kiss could get rid of one of my few guys and destroy my curve, so I remove it. Also, I could possibly splash it against a very fast deck.

Pack 3 pick 5:

My Pick: Makindi Griffin

At this point I need guys and playables so I won't say no to a 2/4 flier. Still no leveler :(

Pack 3 pick 6:

My Pick: Deprive

Angelheart Vial is a possible pick but doesn't fit my strategy, while Emerge Unscathed can protect one of my bombs.

Pack 3 pick 7:

My Pick: Emerge Unscathed

Or Domestication number 3.

Pack 3 pick 8:

My Pick: Totem-Guide Hartebeest

Pack 3 pick 9:

My Pick: Glory Seeker

Pack 3 pick 10:

Goblin Tunneler Living Destiny Crab Umbra Glory Seeker Distortion Strike Forest

My Pick: Distortion Strike

Pack 3 pick 11:

Stomper Cub Guard Gomazoa Brood Birthing Repel the Darkness Forest

My Pick: Guard Gomazoa

I needed playables and my deck switched a bit into an aggro control deck anyway.

Pack 3 pick 12:

Skeletal Wurm Irresistible Prey Eland Umbra Island

My Pick: Skeletal Wurm

Pack 3 pick 13:

Death Cultist Demystify Swamp

My Pick: Demystify

Pack 3 pick 14:

Glory Seeker Swamp

My Pick: Glory Seeker

Pack 3 pick 15:

Swamp

My Pick: Swamp

Summary Pack 3

In the end my deck is pretty good although I did not think it would end up like this. Fortunately I opened a few bombs which should help with replacing the missing levelers, seriously, where have they all gone? After a pick 7 Venerated Teacher, I really expected the archetype to be completely open. Building the deck was pretty easy, since I wanted to play 18 lands. I cut the Time of Heroes as I had only 4 levelers, and I chose not to splash for Black maindeck. I prefer to side my Vendetta in against Green decks or in case I see a guy I can't deal with otherwise.

Deck

Round 1: Legasteropode, GWR

Game 1

Against this French player I keep on the draw with 3 Island, Plains, Dawnglare Invoker, Kabira Vindicator and Teacher. Except for the Teacher I play my whole hand until turn 5 while his board is an Overgrown Battlement, a 1/5 reach, a 4/5 flying wall and a Dawnglare Invoker. I play Sphinx of Magosi on turn 6 and soon get Domestication to steal his Invoker, the only guy which could have done something in this game. GG

Game 2

I hesitate about siding a Vendetta in, but he just seemed to have a medium deck with Invoker as his lone threat and since I've 3 Domestication, I prefer to keep a stable manabase.

I don't remember all the details from game 2. I know I kept a fine hand and he had a Spawning Breath for my Dawnglare Invoker and then got his own after a very fast start. From there I've Hartebeest into Domestication but he has Naturalize and I don't draw my last Domestication. Pretty frustrating since I didn't see any real threat in his deck except the Invoker, so this time I sided a Fleeting Distraction out for Vendetta, just in case.

Game 3

Game 3 I keep on the play 3 Island, Plains, Champion's Drake, Sea Gate Oracle and Sphinx of Magosi. He goes down to 5 ( well he's 3 colors…) and again plays Overgrown Battlement on turn 2. My Oracle finds a Domestication which steals his Battlement and allows me a turn 5 Sphinx of Magosi, GG.

Round 2: Fxd, RW

Game 1

I keep the following 6 cards: Island, Plains, Dawnglare Invoker, Emerge Unscathed, Makindi Griffin and my super Sphinx. Unfortunately I don’t manage to draw an Island until it’s already too late and he kills me with Vent Sentinel, despite me stealing one of them with Domestication.

Game 2

I chose to side in Vendetta since Fleeting Distraction doesn't do much against walls and if I kill Vent Sentinel I should be in good shape.

Game 2 I mulligan to 5 and keep Island, Plains, Coralhelm Commander, Domestication and Dawnglare Invoker, and skillfully proceed to draw my 2 Swamps, leaving me with just 1 Island and 2 Domestication, Coralhelm Commander and Sphinx in hand. I draw the Island right when I was about to concede the game and then steal his annoying guys and finally win with my bombs. Woooh!!

That's why I don't really like to splash with no fixer, but since I’m playing 18 lands it usually shouldn’t be a problem, although I've a lot of double blue cards.

Game 3

I keep 6 cards on the draw with 2 Islands, Caravan Escort, Guard Gomazoa, Smite and Hartebeest. I have a turn 3 Gomazoa turn 4 Champion's Drake and Knight of Cliffhaven (right, I did draw a Plains, how lucky!). On the other side of the board there are a few non flying walls, a Kiln Fiend and a Goblin Tunneler. I chose on turn 5 to level-up my Knight of Cliffhaven, swing with my 2 fliers and play Caravan Escort. Soon my Sea Gate Oracle finds a Venerated Teacher, and after a Deprive I swing for the win.

Finals: Kithkin209, GR

Game 1

He chooses to draw and I keep 2 Plains, Island, Champion's Drake, Venerated Teacher, Fleeting Distraction and Emerge Unscathed. I immediately draw 2 Domestication but don't have a second Island. My Drake gets Spawning Breathed and I then decide to drop my Teacher as a lowly 2/2 against his empty board. He has a turn 4 Lagac Lizard, which I chose to steal on turn 5 when I draw my second Island. After all, I still have one in hand, and my board will then become threatening while his is empty. Remember I've Emerge Unscathed too so if I can deal enough damage early I may go for lethal soon. He responds with Kozilek's Predator. I consider stealing it, but I drew Kor Line-Slinger, which I could play and keep 2 blue open for a Deprive. I then counter Surreal Memoir and tap the Predator to swing with my 2 guys. I find a second Deprive and the second Domestication is enough.

Game 2

I once again bring in Vendetta, and have mana problems again, don’t draw a Plains and lose.

Game 3

I keep Game 3 with 2 Island, Swamp, Coralhelm Commander, Guard Gomazoa, Dawnglare Invoker and Makindi Griffin. I haven’t seen anything in his deck which could deal with my Commander so I happily kept my hand, he then Flame Slashes the Commander… I find my Plains on turn 4 and play Makindi Griffin and then Invoker which immediately gets Staggershocked. The rebound targets me (great!) and then nothing happens for a few turns, I just swing with the Griffin. Ultimately, I draw my super awesome Sphinx, he regresses it, but is unable to deal with it permanently.

All in all, the deck was pretty strong but is probably missing an Evolving Wilds for stability, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't satisfied with it. I hope I will continue opening some bombs in the coming weeks (especially at Nationals), but this time it will be M11 draft. I hope you enjoyed my final RoE draft, I know I don't really master this format, but I guess this draft was interesting and tricky enough to make for a good article.

Thanks for reading, and see you next time.

Yann

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