by Taylor Putnam

Taylor, currently residing in Lethbridge, is one of Alberta's diamonds in the ruff. This is mostly because he has not been able to play much outside of the 8-4 queues in the past year. Taylor has been to multiple Pro Tours, and has a 2nd place finish at GP Seattle to his name (overcasting ManaDeprived's own Doug P, who in a tie from 5th-9th, ended up in 9th at that same event).  Taylor is back, and according to Doug P his play is almost back to its full force. He should be representing Canada again on the Pro Tour in no time.  Today, he makes his article debut (a draft report) on Mana D.

Let’s be honest, you don’t care what my accomplishments are. If you did, you would just Google my name or something.*

Introductions are always awkward.

I’m likely doing this project to offset the growing awareness that my once spotty talents have completely passed me by. Granted, I was never a “good” player; I was merely better than most in my area.** Winning envelopes had more to do with the ability to net deck whatever won the most recent event than having sweet tech. Knowing matchup analyses was irrelevant. Few people played correctly anyways. Limited events were gratuitous displays of ignorance. Last weekend, I 3-2’ed a PTQ.

The word count here is irrelevant so I will quit padding it and let the draft speak for itself. As fair warning, there will be no cherry picking. I don’t want to create any possible illusion of my abilities by hiding failures. They’re probably more entertaining anyways.

  Pack 1 pick 1:

Well I certainly like easy decisions. Had the Precursor Golem not been there, the choices are between Rusted Relic and Hippogriff with me leaning towards the flyer. Rusted Relic places an assumption on our draft that may or may not pan out where as a 3/3 flyer will always be a creature. You could argue for the Relic on the grounds that it doesn’t put us in a color but in Scars draft it’s more likely that you will be able to force a color than accumulate 16+ playable artifacts.   My Pick:

  Pack 1 pick 2:

Necrotic Ooze is not terribly exciting and certainly not better than Icy Manipulator. Rust Tick is an easy pick here.   My Pick:

  Pack 1 pick 3:

The choice here is between Glint Hawk and the Replica. I personally do not like white aggro in this format because the flyers, while cheap to cast, have weird conditions (return an artifact, cast an artifact) that aren’t always met. I have beat way too many white drafters because Glint Hawk didn’t hit play until turn 3-4 and then just trades with my 4 drop.   My Pick:

  Pack 1 pick 4:

Well this draft is very quickly losing any appeal. Replica has no real competition here.   My Pick:

  Pack 1 pick 5:

I’m on the fence about this pick. Thrummingbird is actually good enough I think to justify the pick although branching out into another color this early seems unnecessary. I could have taken Tel-Jilad Fallen. That pick doesn’t really send a strong signal for or against green because it’s a poison card. If anything, passing it will hopefully push someone downstream into poison.   My Pick:

  Pack 1 pick 6:

Is Dissipation Field playable? I had this vision where I got attacked every turn by the Hippogriff I passed pack one and getting blown out. It wasn’t really considered. Corpse Cur isn’t good enough to push me into infect. Plus after 5 picks it should be obvious if the archetype is open, which it isn’t. The only remaining cards are Origin Spellbomb, Moriok Replica, and Bleak Coven Vampires. Lifesmith isn’t worth the consideration. Origin Spellbomb doesn’t really excite me because GW is awkward I find. Finally, Replica is just better than Vampires and can be played without swamps.   My Pick:

  Pack 1 pick 7:

Currently I have 2 green cards, Thrummingbird and Moriok Replica. Because Moriok is better than Thrummingbird I lean towards Bleak Coven Vampires. I think this was possibly too hasty of a commitment and I should have picked the Archers, solidifying my Green. The Vampires aren’t critical to any deck I wind up with so they shouldn’t have commanded the pick.   My Pick:

  Pack 1 pick 8:

White is looking pretty open but I am more than happy to continue shipping it. 3/3 flyers are still playable and I will admit I was seduced by the Thrummingbird possibilities.   My Pick:

  Pack 1 pick 9:

This was my opening pack and it tells an interesting story. There is likely only one poison drafter at the table because the Ichorclaw Myr is gone but the Plague Stinger is still here. Trinket Mage is obviously the best card in the pack so I took it.   My Pick:

  Pack 1 pick 10:

Trinket Mage needs targets.  My Pick:

  Pack 1 pick 11:

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  Pack 1 pick 15:

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  Pack 2 pick 1:

After the first pack the deck is looking Green with the second color most likely Blue. Even though my Green is really only two Replicas I think that’s sufficient reason to fight for it. Blue appears wide open and I am happy to take it unless some serious Black comes my way. The pick came down to Relic or Blast. I didn’t want to risk taking another color and having a wasted pick when my deck looks like it will be able to support the Relic. With Trinket Mage and Thrummingbird I will be looking for artifacts all draft so Relic wins out. It is the safer pick.   My Pick:

  Pack 2 pick 2:

I don’t know what I was thinking. Trinket Mage doesn’t really feel like a second pick type of card, especially in my deck where I don’t have any decent targets yet. Plus, I already have one. I should have taken the spellbomb.   My Pick:

  Pack 2 pick 3:

Here is an excellent example of why a bad pick compounds throughout the draft and hurts the overall quality of the deck. Had I taken the Spellbomb and not the mage I would have looked at the Grasp of Darkness and been happy. Instead, convinced I was in Blue, I took the next best card in the pack. While Chrome Steed isn’t terrible and fits well into my deck, Grasp is clearly better. In a funny twist, had I taken the Spellbomb I would have looked long and hard at the Steed anyways and might have still taken it. Grasp, however, was the pick.   My Pick:

  Pack 2 pick 4:

Why is Glimmerpoint Stag in the pack? Regardless, I get a gift in the form of a third Replica. The elf legend is solid but as of yet I have no other elves so he isn’t considered.   My Pick:

  Pack 2 pick 5:

How many removal spells do I need? Untamed Might was probably the pick here because I am clearly running a ‘good stuff’ deck and need ways to win the game. Plus, how sick would might be with Precursor Golem? Just saying.   My Pick:

  Pack 2 pick 6:

Trinket Mages wanted targets, and Memnite shouldn’t be one. I should have taken Neurok Replica.   My Pick:

  Pack 2 pick 7:

The only consolation for me is that I have yet to see another decent black card. Scrapdiver Serpent was a consideration here but without any myr yet he seems too expensive.   My Pick:

  Pack 2 pick 8:
How many times can I blame Trinket Mage? Trigon of Infestation is a solid card outside of poison and was probably the pick. I can pick up a Wall of Tanglecord later in the draft if I really want one.
  My Pick:

  Pack 2 pick 9:

Like right now.   My Pick:

  Pack 2 pick 10:

Steady Progress is just too expensive and has no targets in my deck yet. Molder Beast is huge and works well with all my Replicas.   My Pick:

  Pack 2 pick 11:

Memoricide could get me but I would rather have a beater.   My Pick:

  Pack 2 pick 12:

Nice Blue cards.   My Pick:

  Pack 2 pick 13:

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  Pack 2 pick 15:

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  Pack 3 pick 1:

No time like the present to start picking up myrs. I would rather have not needed to rely on good opens even though there isn’t anything else in the pack for me. Mise I guess.   My Pick:

  Pack 3 pick 2:

Please see above.   My Pick:

  Pack 3 pick 3:

I passed on another Untamed Might, perhaps in error. I felt that I had enough artifacts at this point that the Drake would more than likely be a manowar whenever I cast it. At this point in the draft, the Drake is the right pick.   My Pick:

  Pack 3 pick 4:

Without the pump spells, Grafted Exoskeleton didn’t seem that exciting. With nothing else in the pack, I took Withstand Death as the possible 24th card. Neither card was going to make the main deck.   My Pick:

  Pack 3 pick 5:

I want at least 3 myr in my deck, or none. With two already in my pile the third was necessary.   My Pick:

  Pack 3 pick 6:

TRINKET MAGE. Nothing to see here.   My Pick:

  Pack 3 pick 7:

With a Thrummingbird and some myr Culling Dais is an obvious pick.   My Pick:

  Pack 3 pick 8:

Not really sure why there are so many infect cards. Looking back, infect was never open so why bother focusing on this pick? I might board in the fallen.   My Pick:

  Pack 3 pick 9:

With 4 Sylvok Replica, Rust Tick, Rusted Relic and Chrome Steed, Liquidmetal Coating is far more versatile in my deck.   My Pick:

  Pack 3 pick 10:

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The Deck:

1 Chrome Steed
1 Rust Tick
1 Sky-Eel School
2 Silver Myr
1 Precursor Golem
1 Memnite
1 Rusted Relic
1 Copper Myr
1 Accorder's Shield
1 Carapace Forger
1 Lumengrid Drake
1 Thrummingbird
2 Trinket Mage
4 Sylvok Replica
1 Golden Urn
1 Liquimetal Coating
1 Culling Dais
1 Molder Beast
1 Sylvok Lifestaff

8 Island
8 Forest

Sideboard
1 Bleak Coven Vampires
1 Darksteel Myr
1 Twisted Image
1 Oxidda Daredevil
2 Barbed Battlegear
1 Plated Seastrider
1 Instill Infection
1 Soliton
1 Tel-Jilad Fallen
1 Moriok Replica
2 Withstand Death
1 Golem Foundry
1 Moriok Reaver
1 Turn Aside

I’ve had better decks and I’ve had worse. The 1 mana casting costs artifacts served the purpose of getting me to metalcraft. I wish they were spellbombs but you make do with what you have. Golden Urn deserves more respect that it gets. I am never embarrassed when it makes the deck. Plus, Thrummingbird can always make things exciting. The battlegears seemed clunky and didn’t really fit my curve. Maybe one should have made it in.

The replays weren’t saved by modo. I lost in the second round to another Blue based deck. The key difference between our decks was he had Geth and Sword of Body and Mind. Game three was reasonably close but I wasted a Replica on the Sword. With Rust Tick and Liquidmetal Coating out I could have continued tapping whatever he equipped. For no good reason I chose to kill the equipment. My opponent must have had the read. After I foolishly wasted the Replica, he untapped and cast Geth.

Oh well. Next week, another attempt.

Taylor Putnam
TPuttz on Twitter

*Yes, my ego is actually that big. Blame Doug Potter for stealing all my thunder and reducing me to petty attempts at internet fame and fortune.

** I dare you to find another author busting out semicolons four sentences deep into their first article ever.