Sunday, 2:50 p.m. – Drafting with Shamsul Bahrin Zainuddin

By Noel Neo

Shamsul is one of just 6 players sitting on 11-1, having gone 3-0 in his first pod. Is this a fluke of chance or does Shamsul have some secret sauce? Read on to find out.

Shamsul quickly solidified himself in UG, with an initial four picks of Nimbus Naiad, Voyage's End, Leafcrown Dryad and Feral Invocation. He stuck to his guns through the three packs and ended up with a strong evasive rush deck.

A number of less conventional picks include Nylea's Disciple over Horizon Scholar – Shamsul tends to err on the side of speed over power; Bronze Sable over counter drafting Underworld Cerberus; and not picking up a late Warrior's Lesson. A late pick of Benthic Giant over Horizon Scholar was made because he has a number of ways of granting his creatures evasion and so contextually values hexproof over flying.

Booster One

1 Nimbus Naiad, Horizon Chimera

2 Voyage's End, Thassa's Emissary, Gods Willing

3 Leafcrown Dryad, Nessian Courser

4 Feral Invocation, Horizon Scholar

5 Vulpine Goliath, Nylea's Presence

6 Aqueous Form

7 Fate Foretold, Mnemonic Wall

8 Centaur Battlemaster

9 Unknown Shores

10 Lagonna-Band Elder

11 Shredding Winds

12 Anvilwrought Raptor

13 Pheres-Band Centaurs

14 Viper's Kiss

Booster Two

1 Feral Invocation, Nylea's Disciple, Savage Surge

2 Prescient Chimera, Time to Feed, Horizon Chimera

3 Nylea's Disciple, Horizon Scholar

4 Vaporkin

5 Crackling Triton, Traveler's Amulet

6 Fleetfeather Sandals, Vulpine Goliath

7 Annul, Sip of Hemlock, Shredding Winds

8 Ordeal of Erebos, Thassa's Bounty

9 Savage Surge

10 Pharika's Mender

11 Benthic Giant, Horizon Scholar

12 Coastline Chimera

13 Unknown Shores

14 Demolish

Booster Three

1 Nessian Courser, Daxos of Meletis, Prowler's Helm

2 Agent of Horizons, Prescient Chimera

3 Loathsome Catoblepas, Gainsay, Guardians of Meletis

4 Nimbus Naiad, Agent of Horizons

5 Aqueous Form

6 Griptide

7 Bronze Sable, Underworld Cerberus, Mnemonic Wall

8 Agent of Horizons

9 Burnished Hart

10 Evangel of Heliod

11 Two-Headed Cerberus

12 Lost in a Labyrinth

13 Triton Shorethief, Warriors' Lesson

14 Commune with the Gods

Deckbuilding

Having drafting a pool of solid UG, Shamsul then made another unconventional decision in deciding to splash black for the singleton – Pharika's Mender. "The ability to return Aqueous Form is very powerful", he explained.

To enable the splash, Shamsul is running two copies of Unknown Shores. Would his plan work?

Grand Prix Kuala Lumpur Draft #2 Shamsul Bahrin Zainuddin

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Creature (14)

2 Agent of Horizons 1 Burnished Hart 1 Centaur Battlemaster 1 Coastline Chimera 1 Leafcrown Dryad 1 Nessian Courser 2 Nimbus Naiad 1 Nylea's Disciple 1 Pharika's Mender 1 Prescient Chimera 1 Vaporkin 1 Vulpine Goliath

Instant (4)

1 Annul 1 Griptide 1 Savage Surge 1 Voyage's End

Artifact (1)

1 Fleetfeather Sandals

Enchantment (4)

2 Aqueous Form 2 Feral Invocation

Land (17)

8 Forest 7 Island 2 Unknown Shores

40 Cards

Sideboard (16)

1 Anvilwrought Raptor 1 Benthic Giant 1 Bronze Sable 1 Commune with the Gods 1 Demolish 1 Evangel of Heliod 1 Fate Foretold 1 Lagonna-Band Elder 1 Loathsome Catoblepas 1 Lost in a Labyrinth 1 Ordeal of Erebos 1 Pheres-Band Centaurs 1 Shredding Winds 1 Triton Shorethief 1 Two-Headed Cerberus 1 Viper's Kiss