Drafting with Big Nass, OLS #1

Posted on July 31, 2012

I thought I’d go for something different this week. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to record any of my Cube Drafts due to a poor recording environment that week, but I do have some Onslaught/Legions/Scourge packs doing nothing in my account, so why the heck not? My very first booster draft ever was an OLS, and it was how I got to meet the local group of money drafters at the time. I’d like to think I’ve come a long way since then, but I’m no more familiar with this format now than I was then. I had to read almost every card as I was drafting, so I make no claims whatsoever that my Draft picks were correct. Remember:

As always, text recap follows the video links.

Draft

Match 1, Game 1

Match 1, Game 2

Match 2, Game 1

Match 2, Game 2

Pack 1, Pick 1:

My Pick:

I once asked Rich Hoaen what Magic card he’d like to get a tattoo of, and he replied, “Battlefield Medic.” That’s a good enough reason for me to go all-in on Clerics. Little did I know, Clerics were a lot better in triple Onslaught. Whoops.

Pack 1, Pick 2:

My Pick:

No Clerics? What sorcery is this? I’ll take a white card at least. Also coulda had two Wellwishers, BUT I’VE MADE MY CHOICE.

Pack 1, Pick 3:

My Pick:

In a world of Gray Ogres, the Infest is king. Or something.

Pack 1, Pick 4:

My Pick:

Super Battlefield Medic! At this point, I’m only looking at white and black cards with the Cleric creature type.

Pack 1, Pick 5:

My Pick:

I probably could have had a sick Elf deck. Oh well.

Pack 1, Pick 6:

My Pick:

I have no idea how good Astral Slide is in Draft. It’s worth speculating on, I guess.

Pack 1, Pick 7:

My Pick:

Cabal Slaver is technically a Cleric, but somehow, I don’t think it will make the cut.

Pack 1, Pick 8:

My Pick:

It’s a Cleric! It cyles! It slices, it dices!

Pack 1, Pick 9:

My Pick:

I’m planning on playing eighteen lands, so having some cylcers that I can play without costing me a real card helps a lot for the eventuality that I become flooded.

Pack 1, Pick 10:

My Pick:

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:

Pack 2, Pick 1:

My Pick:

Celestial Gatekeeper seems to be a good reason to be in the Clerics deck. I’m sure I’ll pick up some decent Birds along the way, too.

Pack 2, Pick 2:

My Pick:

This was a major herp-derp. I definitely should have taken the Daru Stinger since everything is a Human. Trying to go deep on Birds was a mistake.

Pack 2, Pick 3:

My Pick:

Vile Deacon hits really hard in this deck, but removal is removal.

Pack 2, Pick 4:

My Pick:

I may not remember much about these cards, but I do remember that Graveborn Muse is a good one.

Pack 2, Pick 5:

My Pick:

Pack 2, Pick 6:

My Pick:

I don’t have many Zombies, but the ones I do have are ones I’m interested in bringing back. It affects both players, so I’ll have to side it out against actual Zombie decks.

Pack 2, Pick 7:

My Pick:

Pack 2, Pick 8:

My Pick:

Pack 2, Pick 9:

My Pick:

Pack 2, Pick 10:

My Pick:

Pack 2, Pick 11:

My Pick:

This is a good sign that I’m the only one in this Draft deranged enough to draft Clerics.

Pack 2, Pick 12:

My Pick:

Pack 2, Pick 13:

My Pick:

Pack 2, Pick 14:

My Pick:

Pack 2, Pick 15:

My Pick:

Pack 3, Pick 1:

My Pick:

I think I like Lingering Death a bit more than Chill Haunting. This isn’t Innistrad where your graveyard is liable to fill up quickly.

Pack 3, Pick 2:

My Pick:

So, my opponents can’t attack me or else I get an Air Elemental? Okay, got it.

Pack 3, Pick 3:

My Pick:

Ah, the Temple of the Four-Land Mana-screw. I remember that one. I’m a big fan of cards that do something to help with both mana flood and mana screw, so Noble Templar is an easy pick.

Pack 3, Pick 4:

My Pick:

Dawn Elemental is close to impossible for most decks to deal with—if you can cast it that is. Even if I count it as a 6-drop, I think it’s worth playing.

Pack 3, Pick 5:

My Pick:

Sweet, now all I need is a Starlit Sanctum and some way of repeatedly targeting my Cleric for 0 mana.

Pack 3, Pick 6:

My Pick:

Pack 3, Pick 7:

My Pick:

Pack 3, Pick 8:

My Pick:

I may have initially overrated this card, but it’s still a playable Cleric I guess.

Pack 3, Pick 9:

My Pick:

Pack 3, Pick 10:

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Pack 3, Pick 11:

My Pick:

Pack 3, Pick 12:

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Pack 3, Pick 13:

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Pack 3, Pick 14:

My Pick:

Pack 3, Pick 15:

My Pick:

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Here’s what I battled with:

"W/B Clerics"

Lands (18)
8 Swamp
9 Plains
1 Barren Moor

Blood Celebrant is only in there to help cast Dawn Elemental. In hindsight, I probably should have played one more Plains and one fewer Swamp.

I ended up winning in the first round, and I then was Sparksmithed in the semis. I don’t know how that one slipped past R&D—it’s downright unfair—but that’s the way it goes.

Let me know in the comments if you guys want to see more of these old-man Draft formats. Until next time, may your opponent never have the Zombie Cutthroat.

Nassim Ketita

arcticninja on Magic Online

www.youtube.com/nketita

TAGS articles, draft, video, limited, drafting, legions, onslaught, nassim ketita, recap, scourge