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Hello Magic Universe! Patrick here, I’m very happy to finish 1st with a 4-0 record in the Shards of Alara booster draft event. This is my first time to come on top in four tries. I’m going to share with you how I evolved and analyzed my past mistakes to rectify limited event mishaps.

1st Draft (LOR) Record: 1-0-3
I finished around fifth place; the deck that I constructed was U/B creature kill control deck, which really never had a bomb except for Mulldrifter, Liliana Vess, and Sower of Temptation. It took me very long to finish games; I’d be in control and run out of time. There must have been many different avenues for me during my pick which could have made a better result.
Lesson #1 – Know the background of the expansion, Identify if it is tribal based, artifact based, multicolor based, creature based, etc. With this data, you can be able to pattern your deck construction on how your cards can synergize and flow with your curve.
Note: Net info does help and common sense is best assistance you can get.

2nd Draft (LOR-MOR) Record: 2-1-0
I finished third place in our mock draft event. I constructed ubr faerie/elemental deck, again this tech had small flash critters and up tempo spells and counter spells. I won my first two games with flash tricks. The deck was ok though but a picked a lot of useless and irrelevant cards. Cards that got me win were the Roar of the Crowd and Pack’s Distain; I had a bunch of those. I lost my third game because of an earth shake by a Thundercloud Shaman. Again the deck was ok but I wasn’t satisfied, I could have picked better. I didn’t read most of the cards; I picked cards which I thought were flash and was not, sorceries that I thought was instant, etc.
Lesson #2 – Read the damn card! Get bombs while they present themselves to you in most instances. They can win games for you. I missed picking my bombs.

3rd Draft (SHM-EVE) Record: 0-3-0
This one I don’t want to talk about much. My first few picks were good ones, Burntrail, Incremental Blight, two Flame Jabs. The deck came out as disappointment. I based my next picks on the first few things I got and as a result, FAILURE. The construction was a bunch of baloney.
Lesson #3 – Don’t base your picks from your first pick. Hell, there are still many cards passing by which you can make a formidable archetype with.
Note: Thank you Rei for sharing this vital piece information with me.

4th Draft (ALA) Record: 4-0-0
This draft was a success, nevertheless this still needs improvement. I may have finished 1st in this event but there are still some boo boos I have to fix. I was able to construct a very threatening quick hitter tech, but my sideboards are full of useless craps which I never used.

Lesson #4 – Have the knowledge or at least the gut feel that your deck has been completed after drafting approximately 30 cards (I’m not sure, just have your own estimate)

Here’s the deck:
1st Place October 25, 2008

6 Plains
6 Forest
4 Mountains

1 Mycoloth
1 Feral Hydra
2 Resounding Silence
2 Excommunicate
2 Sigil Blessing
1 Branching Bolt
1 Soul’s Might
2 Steward of Valeron
2 Sunseed Nurturer
2 Cylian Elf
1 Knight of the Skyward
1 Mosstodon
1 Rockcaster Platoon
1 Woolly Thoctar
1 Dragon Fodder
1 Jungle Weaver
1 Vithian Stinger
1 Hissing Iguanar

This tech was built from the basic and stored knowledge that I learned when I was in the 6th Grade. It had no fancy combo’s, stealing stuff, flashy tricks; it was an all out assault in an early to mid-early game. Late games would not be favorable.

• 6 two drop creatures, Dragon Fodder included, capable of 2 damage, 2 mana producers.
• 5 three drop creatures, pinger, iguanar, thocter, 2 mana producers/lifegain
• 2 five drop creatures, mosstodon, mycoloth
• 2 seven drop creatures, spider, rockstar
• 1 X drop creature, hydra
• 5 creature eliminators
• 2 instant pump spells
• 1 super pumper sorcery

The usual curve occurs like this:
Turn 2: 1/1(x2), 2/2 maybe mana producer
Turn 3: 5/4, 3/1 life pinger, 1/1 pinger, 1/1 mana producer/lifegain
Turn 4: 5cc drop, or 3cc drop and 2cc drop in one turn something like that
Turn 5: Excommunicate, Branching Bolt, or attack with sigil blessing back up
Turn 6-8: would result to big amounts of pressure, my seven drops enter here for finishing touches (Opponent’s life is usually below 10). I may get stuck with five mana at times but the five drop guys do finish the job, Mycoloth, Feral Hydra, Mosstodon with Soul’s Might, thoctar and Mosstodon together attacking in turn 5 with an excommunicated blocker, 4th turn ten damage with an attacking thocter and a pumped skyward, very nice flow because of an excellent curve and abundant mana producers and utility creatures.

Anyway even with this successful performance in this event, “Damo pako bugas kaunon”. Same goes for everyone, I look forward for more draft events where we can enjoy, learn, and gain new experience to expand our game. Thank you very much!

Babu Shabu! Catch you later!