Drafting with Big Nass, RGD #1–2

Posted on September 3, 2012

I have something special for you guys: two drafts for the price of one! I have a lot of fond memories of Ravnica block. The first set of the block had only been out for a short time when I qualified for my first Pro Tour. And while I didn’t do so well at that PT and would have to wait quite a while for my second, that’s when I started actually becoming relatively good at Magic. That was also when I started winning tournaments outside of my local stores and when I started churning out Pro Tour Qualifier Top 8s. And although my win percentage went down with the release of Dissension, the block as a whole has been among the sets I’ve drafted the most.

Of course, that was then, and this is now. I think I’m a much better player than I was at the time, but I’m sure as heck nowhere near as familiar with the cards and the pick orders. As it turned out, my first Draft was a bit of a train wreck. The deck was okay, but the whole time, I regretted not forcing my favorite archetype, R/U/G Bloodgraft. I got the full Kunkel (win Game 1, then mana screw or mana flood Games 2 and 3) Round 1, and that was that.

Or was it?

I’m not letting it end like that. I sold my Liliana of the Veils and joined another Draft determined to force R/U/G Bloodgraft. I’ve posted the first Draft a few days ago, so those of you who subscribe to my YouTube channel had a sneak peek at it. Video links for both Drafts are included, and a text recap for the second Draft follows. Enjoy!

Draft 1

Match 1, Game 1

Match 1, Game 2

Match 1, Game 3

Draft 2

Match 1, Game 1

Match 1, Game 2

Match 1, Game 3

Match 2, Game 1

Match 2, Game 2

Match 2, Game 3

Match 3, Game 1

Match 3, Game 2

Pack 1, Pick 1:

My Pick:

Yeah, I rare-drafted. Like you wouldn’t do it, too.

Pack 1, Pick 2:

My Pick:

G/W is a bit of a trap in RGD. There aren’t any three-color combinations that include G/W and leave you with a guild in both packs two and three. It’s fine to draft off-guild in pack one because there are a lot of good mono-colored cards, but that doesn’t work out too well with Guildpact or Dissension. I already said I’m forcing R/U/G, and Vedalken Dismisser is the only real decision. Voyager Staff will be a nice wheel, though.

Pack 1, Pick 3:

My Pick:

Farseek is decent, but it’s easily replaceable with all the signets. Bramble Elemental is fine by itself, but it will be pretty exciting if I can pick up a Flight of Fancy, a Galvanic Arc, or even a Fists of Ironwood.

Pack 1, Pick 4:

My Pick:

First rule of RGD Draft: If it has creature type Wurm, you take it.

Pack 1, Pick 5:

My Pick:

There’s not much for the R/U/G deck here, but Frenzied Goblin can sometimes be good.

Pack 1, Pick 6:

My Pick:

I briefly considered taking the Halcyon Glaze here, but I can’t not take a card that says, “Draw three cards,” on it.

Pack 1, Pick 7:

My Pick:

I have a feeling I’m being cut off, but it’s not as though anything else is open. Goblin Spelunkers is a good sideboard card at least.

Pack 1, Pick 8:

My Pick:

Pack 1, Pick 9:

My Pick:

Pack 1, Pick 10:

My Pick:

Voyager Staff isn’t anything super-exciting, but it’s a decent value card. It can save a creature from removal, rebuy an enters-the-battlefield effect, and even remove a blocker for a turn. At such a low cost, it almost always makes my deck.

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:

The right pick is probably Streetbreaker Wurm, but I can’t remember how good Ulasht actually is. I am a sucker for rares, and there’s a decent chance I’ll pick up another Wurm.

Pack 2, Pick 2:

My Pick:

The big three commons I look for in this pack are Steamcore Weird, Ogre Savant, and Streetbreaker Wurm. I’m pretty happy to snap one of them up here.

Pack 2, Pick 3:

My Pick:

I haven’t picked up any mana fixing yet, so the Starfletcher is a welcome addition.

Pack 2, Pick 4:

My Pick:

Petrahydrox is decent, but I think I like Wildsize a bit more.

Pack 2, Pick 5:

My Pick:

There aren’t a ton of good 2-drops in the format, and Dryad Sophisticate is often unblockable.

Pack 2, Pick 6:

My Pick:

The lack of bounce lands means Skarrg is going to stretch my mana a bit further than I’d like, but it’s powerful enough to warrant taking.

Pack 2, Pick 7:

My Pick:

Well, that certainly helps with the mana . . .

Pack 2, Pick 8:

My Pick:

. . . As does a second Starfletcher.

Pack 2, Pick 9:

My Pick:

The options for this pack are all fairly mediocre, but I tend to err on the side of having cheap cards.

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:

Pack 3, Pick 1:

My Pick:

This is pretty close to a miss. Pure // Simple should be decent since most decks have some number of multicolored cards.

Pack 3, Pick 2:

My Pick:

I could take the bar of soap, but I think my mana is fine. Plaxmanta can often be a blowout.

Pack 3, Pick 3:

My Pick:

I almost forgot I was playing red and came close to not picking the Seal of Fire.

Pack 3, Pick 4:

My Pick:

Coiling Oracle is good and all, but the bounce lands are just insane.

Pack 3, Pick 5:

My Pick:

Here’s pretty much the best common creature in this set for R/U/G.

Pack 3, Pick 6:

My Pick:

Pack 3, Pick 7:

My Pick:

Pack 3, Pick 8:

My Pick:

Simic Ragworm will be pretty insane if that Ocular Halo comes back.

Pack 3, Pick 9:

My Pick:

Pack 3, Pick 10:

My Pick:

Ding!

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:

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Here’s where the final deck ended up:

"R/U/G Bloodgraft"

There are some pretty sketchy cards there, but overall, it’s a solid deck. I took down the Draft, though an Angel of Despair threatened to give me an early exit. Hope you guys enjoyed this blast from the past and are looking forward to the new incarnation of Ravnica. I know I am.

Until next time,

Nassim Ketita

arcticninja on Magic Online

www.youtube.com/nketita

TAGS articles, draft, video, limited, drafting, ravnica, dissension, guildpact, nassim ketita, recap, rgd