Draft 1: 2020 vs. The Fun Police

By Ted Knutson

2020 has made a name for themselves in Team Limited over the last year. Steve Wolfman, David Rood, and Elijah Pollock finished second at Pro Tour - Boston last year, and have kept their momentum up with a string of consistent money finishes. Their opponents, The Fun Police, are comprised of Star City writer Tim Aten, his brother Mike, and former US National Team member John Hunka, and while their name implies that they are a jovial crew just out to have a good time, their play skills prove otherwise.

Talking to David Rood before the draft, he said that their plan was to put a B-W Cleric in seat B and put either R-U in Seat C and G-B in Seat A or R-B in Seat C and U-G in Seat A. Tim Aten, on the other hand, said that they talked to Mike Turian a bit last night after Day 1 to try and glean some info from the Team Rochester master, but didn't really end up with much of a plan. They were going to try and draft Green in Seats A and C and see how things worked out, but Tim felt that this format was more card-based than matchup-based when compared with Odyssey Block Limited, meaning a lot of things would depend on what cards the players opened.

2020 won the draft roll and chose to kickoff, with David Rood in the B Seat drafting first. Unfortunately David opened an awful pack, with the highlights being Daunting Defender, Mistform Dreamer, Erratic Explosion, and Barkhide Mauler. David drafted the Defender according to their clergy plan, and they were off. Elijah picked Erratic Explosion, Hunka followed with a Barkhide Mauler, and Tim Aten essentially finished the pack by drafting Mistform Dreamer.

Pack 2 was slightly better in overall card quality, but Elijah was unhappy with being forced to take Dirge of Dread as his first pick. Hunka then chose Ascending Aven, Tim Aten snatched a Gustcloak Harrier, and his brother Mike picked Battering Craghorn, leaving a Mistform Wall for Wolfman, and allowing Rood to pick up a Daru Cavalier.

Pack 3 saw the first bomb hit the table, with Silvos Rogue Trampling Beatstick being greedily plucked by Hunka, while Tim grabbed a Pacifism and Mike got a Snarling Undorak. On the 2020 side, Wolfman got an important Vitality Charm, and Pollock got to choose a very solid wheel in Erratic Explosion and Nantuko Husk.

By Pack 4, both sides had pretty much settled into the colors they would continue drafting for the rest of the packs. Tim Aten opened the drafting of a very solid pack by choosing a Lightning Rift that he would quickly abandon in favor of a B-W deck, while his brother picked up a Wirewood Savage for his R-G deck. Wolfman then picked Barkhide Mauler, Rood chose a Swat, Pollock got a Blistering Firecat, and John (say it with me...) Hunka Hunka Burnin' Love wheeled Serpentine Basilisk and Treespring Lorian. The only other notable picks as the teams finished up the Onslaught packs were Mike Aten opening and choosing the first and only Sparksmith of the draft and getting a Tusker-Explosion wheel on the subsequent pack, while Rood picked up a total of 3 Daru Cavaliers and 2 Daunting Defenders, Pollock got an Infest out of Wolfman's pack, and Wolfman fully settled into his U-G deck by choosing Ascending Aven as the first pick in his pack.

Wolfman kicked off the Legions packs with the provocative Krosan Vorine, which allowed Mike Aten to grab a Goblin Dynamo and Tim to grab a Skinthinner, while Hunka grabbed a Mistform Seaswift. Tim also got a very late Daru Stinger due to the fact that Pollock was gunning for the heavy Cleric deck and didn't think it would be that useful in the end for his deck, even though he already had the 3 Cavaliers.

Pack 10 saw Hunka pick up a second seemingly crucial Needleshot Gourna (which didn't get played) that could stall Wolfman's flyers of the friendly sky in the G-U mirror match. In the same pack, Pollock was forced to choose another in the seemingly endless line of Goblin Turncoats that may or may not make his final deck (he was not pleased), while Rood grabbed a Withered Wretch, Wolfman plucked a Mistform Seaswift, Mike Aten grabbed a Skirk Outrider, and Tim Aten wheeled Sootfeather Flock and Gempalm Avenger.

Pack 12 saw Rood open the first of back to back packs that would leave Tim Aten with his head in his hands, as David got to pluck an Aven Warhawk, leaving Chromeshell Crab for Wolfman to choose as the picks continued on to the right. Mike Aten grabbed a Berserk Murlodont, Tim choose a Swooping Talon, Hunka grabbed a Keeneye Aven, and Elijah got the hate draft wheel of Primoc Escapee and Lowland Tracker.

Pack 13 was the real reason for The Fun Police's later complaint that they were essentially out-opened by 2020, as Rood opened perhaps the number one limited bomb in Scourge: Decree of Pain, and quickly placed it on top of his pile. Pollock grabbed another solid removal spell in Lingering Death, and Hunka chose Rush of Knowledge, essentially closing out a very top-heavy pack.

The rest of the Scourge packs were rare-bomb free outside of a Skirk Volcanist for Pollock, but Rood, Tim Aten and Mike Aten each ended up with a Zombie Cutthroat. Wolfman and Hunka each ended up with a Frozen Solid and a Pemmin's Aura, but Wolfman one-upped Hunka by grabbing a second Rush of Knowledge to John's one and as well as a surprisingly late Hunting Pack.

After the draft 2020 felt that they had opened some very rough packs on their side, especially for Elijah, but their plan worked out alright in the end. Wolfman had at least one way to deal with Silvos, while Rood's deck looked very deep, and Elijah's deck somewhat brought up the rear.

Fun Police felt that they were outopened, but they also said that they weren't as experienced as 2020 and it showed in the end.

John Hunka – The Fun Police

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Creature (15)

1 Ascending Aven 1 Riptide Entrancer 1 Barkhide Mauler 1 Serpentine Basilisk 1 Silvos, Rogue Elemental 1 Treespring Lorian 1 Covert Operative 1 Echo Tracer 1 Keeneye Aven 2 Mistform Seaswift 1 Skirk Marauder 1 Nantuko Vigilante 1 Raven Guild Initiate 1 Elvish Aberration

Sorcery (1)

1 Rush of Knowledge

Instant (3)

1 Vitality Charm 2 Accelerated Mutation

Enchantment (2)

1 Dragon Wings 1 Pemmin's Aura

Land (17)

8 Forest 7 Island 1 Mountain 1 Lonely Sandbar

Other (1)

1 Spouting Vines

39 Cards

Sideboard (15)

1 Treetop Scout 1 Divergent Growth 1 Metamorphose 1 Hindering Touch 1 Frozen Solid 1 Frontline Strategist 1 Recuperate 1 Mistform Sliver 2 Merchant of Secrets 1 Gempalm Sorcerer 1 Aven Envoy 1 Glowering Rogon 2 Needleshot Gourna

Deal Another Hand

Tim Aten – The Fun Police

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Creature (16)

1 Crude Rampart 1 Gustcloak Harrier 1 Spined Basher 1 Deftblade Elite 1 Gempalm Avenger 1 Liege of the Axe 1 Swooping Talon 1 Gempalm Polluter 1 Noxious Ghoul 1 Skinthinner 1 Sootfeather Flock 1 Aven Liberator 1 Silver Knight 1 Cabal Interrogator 1 Vengeful Dead 1 Zombie Cutthroat