Well as the last premier event I could play in Tassie winning it from 9th position was a great feeling. (Thanks Steve for dropping for me by the way yes I did really want to draft).

The day started off with a few hiccups as everyone had a go at me later. Not having enough stock to run the draft is a bad thing. Luckily Area 52 had a couple of boxes left.

Sealed pools for the day were interesting, when everyone was filling out the lists I don’t think anyone would have complained if they got the same pool back, which in my case and at least a couple of others it happened. It made it easy for me as I had already worked out what I would play as it had very strong black and green. With notable cards like: Sudden spoiling, Stronghold Overseer, Uncle Istvan and various other pieces of removal.

Unfortunately the 2 games I lost through the day involved Sam Sealy and his cursed Spirit loop on a 4/4 flier with protection from red. I suppose I did not deserve to win that game though after winning the first game by enchanting a Whirling Dervish with a Fallen Ideal. Sam always seemed to have the 1 answer in his deck at the right time that he needed it otherwise I would have stomped him with big critters. Funnily enough the same happened with Harry who was lucky enough to draw that 1 piece of removal he needed before he died. Things got worse as I was 1-2 and playing James 4th round off his win from a bye, my resistance was not going to be good to make it into the finals off 3 wins 2 losses. At this stage I could go into all my other games in more detail but I am at work at the moment (don’t tell anyone) and don’t have access to the rounds.

So Pip announces the Top 8 and I have come in 9th, damn I really wanted to draft. I checked Saturday night and worked out I really, really wanted to draft as I had done 22 drafts on MTGO in the 10 days prior to the PTQ. Luckily Steve was on a curfew with his lift arriving at 7:00 and was only going to rare draft. So with the help of Guy and a promise to give him everything I drafted, it was on. Now I cannot remember who was on my left but I know Nick was on my right. He likes forcing a particular archetype and ended up playing the bounce blue/red deck. I don’t know if he got any bombs from forcing, everyone was telling me afterwards that in the last game I would have been in trouble if he drew his Fortune Thief (luckily that did not happen). Anyway him forcing blue/red helped me build my very black splash blue deck.

Draft Deck
Creatures
Undertaker	1
Faceless Butcher	1
Mana Skimmer	1
Deathspore Thallid	1
Trespasser Il-Vec	2
Faceless Devourer	1
Soul Collector	1
Gorgon Recluse	2
Corpulent Corpse	1
Giant Oyster	1
Slipstream Serpent	1
Clockwork Hydra	1
Stronghold Overseer	1
	15
Spells
Chromatic Star	1
Walk the Aeons	1
Carfeful Consideration	1
Dread Return	1
Phyrexian Totem	1
Dark Withering	1
Tendrils of Corruption	1
Feeleness	1
	8
Land
Swamp	9
Island	7
Dreadship Reef	1
	17
Total	40
Notable Sideboard
Smallpox
Tolarian Sentinel
Skittering Monstrosity
Sol'kinar the Swamp King
(damn double blue spells - no room to fit him in)

First pick was the Stronghold Overseer second pick was the Faceless Butcher, and things just flowed from there. I was lucky nobody else in the pod drafted heavy black and I noticed in the second booster black cards were just circling the table. I did not move into blue until the last booster where Nick handed me the potent blue spells (and the Giant Oyster of course).

First Final – Ryan, playing Red/White/blue
Ryan had lots of little dudes as white does unfortunately Gorgon Recluse’s have a tendency to say no more attacking me. It is even better when you have both recluses out and you can attack with 1 and hold the other back. Unfortunately when you are just about mono black a Teferi’s Moat on black is a really bad thing. Ryan Gem Stone Mined it out the first game, luckily Clockwork Hydra comes out and gets rather large before killing a Keldon Halberdier and stomping over the couple of other creatures Ryan had built up. Second game went much like the first, except this time a Slipstream Serpent had its way until it was rudely Temporally Isolated from the action. As again Ryan was able to draw his Teferi’s Moat. Luckily the MVP Stronghold Overseer made an appearance quickly finished the game. (Oh don’t forget the Walk of the Aeons with buyback at this time as well)

Second Final – Tulip, playing Red/Green
Tulip wanted to go just as much as what I did and he had drafted a very interesting deck with a Gauntlet of Power and Empty the Warrens. First game was rather dramatic (wish I could remember all the detail) it involved various exchanges including a fourth turn Basalt Gargoyle by Tulip followed by his Gauntlet of Power. That was starting to look scary, as I had no fliers. Luckily Faceless Butcher took care of the Gargoyle for a couple of turns until Herd Narr saw an Empty the Warrens with 1 storm count. Don’t forget that at this time Tulip had out a Gauntlet of Power on Red. By putting the Storm spell son the stack I was able to Tendrils of Corruption the Herd Narr for 2 without it doing any serious damage. My biggest mistake of the day happened soon after though with lethal on the board for either of us I flipped over a land instead of holding it in my hand, and soon realising that I needed to discard it to my Trespasser il-Vec to get that last 3 points of damage through. Games 2 and 3 were largely uneventful (I cannot remember what happened) except that Stronghold Overseer made an appearance in Game 2 making it a very quick game and game 3 I think it was the Gorgon Recluse clan making an appearance again making it very hard for Tulip to do much else to get past them.

Last Final – Nick, playing Red/Blue
Ok now things were getting serious, prize split or not to prize split. Negotiations ensued, (well that’s what I think they were) any way it ended up with Nick saying no lets play, and Russ who had been table judging my last 2 games saying you have a very good deck. So we were going to play it out.

Game 1
COLOUR SCREW – Islands lots of Islands, Phyrexian Totem made an appearance but by that stage it was way to late. Nick made mince meat out of my 1 toughness creatures with a well timed Subterranean Shambler and it was over.

Game 2
Was fun for me, 3rd turn nick played a flier who was soon Small Poxed away allowing Stronghold Overseer to get discarded. I know its rude but it is always fun when you can re-animate a big monster like the Overseer and that’s what I soon did. Nick bounced it once but could not deal with it long game and was soon beaten by this virtually unstoppable Flying Shadow dude.

Game 3
Some serious side boarding was due if I wanted to win. Out came all my 1 toughness creatures in came the Skittering Montrosity (hey I was tired at the time) and the Tolarian Sentinel. Game 3 was a long slow game where Nick drew lots of extra land through his card drawing and me holding off his flying army with Soul Collecter and Tolarian Sentinel. Gorgon Recluse was slowly pecking away with me expecting Nick to have drawn a trick in all his multiple card drawing. In the end it was Smallpox that killed off that last creature and the Skittering Monstrosity coming in for the win.

I hope everyone had a great day I hope someone else is up there who can take Nick in the finals next time. Pre-Release is on the 20th of January I will let everyone know if I can get prize support for a Two-Headed Giant otherwise I will be running drafts as the PT in Geneva is draft, will keep the price down for the unsanctioned drafts ($15) as I wont lots of practice, if I am playing they wont be sanctioned though so if you want a sanctioned draft let me know and I will run a couple with prizes as well, they will be $18 I think at this stage.

Also there will be at least 1 lucky door prize as I have 1 big poster to give away. Nobody got the last 1 as no one looked at Guys 61 card Type 2 deck. This is virtually unheard of these days in the current competitive environment.

See you all next time.

Matthew