Drafting with fourouttheforty

So I've been on a pretty hot streak the past week in 8-4's on MODO, with three 3-0's and a 14-4 record in the past seven drafts. I haven't really been trying to force anything, just been trying to play nice with my neighbors and then focusing on my play across the board. I've been trying to do one draft a day, and I've really been working on my concentration: no TV, no web surfing, no music. Who knew when there are no distractions, you play better? If I can keep this kind of focus in Portland this Saturday, I think I've got a shot, because I'm feeling really good about Limited right now.

Here's the last draft I did. I thought my deck was bad at first, but I 3-0'd.

Pack 1 pick 1:
Narrow Escape, Giant Scorpion, Carnage Altar, Paralyzing Grasp, Goblin Shortcutter, Shepherd of the Lost, Swamp, Journey to Nowhere, Emeria, the Sky Ruin, Vines of Vastwood, Ruinous Minotaur, Pillarfield Ox, Turntimber Grove, Gomazoa, Desecrated Earth

My pick:
Shepherd of the Lost - I have no idea if it should have been Journey. This card's pretty darn good though, and I at least think it was between these two.

Pack 1 pick 2:
Hellfire Mongrel, Blood Seeker, Highland Berserker, Hedron Scrabbler, Lethargy Trap, Goblin Bushwhacker, Sejiri Refuge, Oran-Rief, the Vastwood, Swamp, Adventuring Gear, Kabira Crossroads, Giant Scorpion, Reckless Scholar, Savage Silhouette

My pick:
Adventuring Gear - I thought about Hellfire Mongrel, possibly also the Scorpion, but I've been in love with Gear so I went with the non-commitment pick.

Pack 1 pick 3:
Khalni Heart Expedition, Trailblazer's Boots, Magma Rift, Grazing Gladehart, Mire Blight, Zendikar Farguide, Swamp, Piranha Marsh, Shieldmate's Blessing, Murasa Pyromancer, Ravenous Trap, Molten Ravager, Cliff Threader

My pick:
Grazing Gladehart - I thought it's better than the 2/1 Cliff Threader, and Green might be open.

Pack 1 pick 4:
Whiplash Trap, Khalni Gem, Hedron Crab, Tuktuk Grunts, Vastwood Gorger, Spidersilk Net, Highland Berserker, Adventuring Gear, Oran-Rief Recluse, Plains, Nimana Sell-Sword, Electropotence

My pick:
Adventuring Gear - Took another Gear, seemed more powerful than the Highland Berserker, but maybe it could have been Nimana Sell-Sword? That's not a very strong signal in my opinion.

Pack 1 pick 5:
Into the Roil, Makindi Shieldmate, Graypelt Refuge, Quest for Ancient Secrets, Tanglesap, Ruinous Minotaur, Spreading Seas, Pillarfield Ox, Mountain, Stonework Puma, Eternity Vessel

My pick:
Into the Roil - This is a pretty powerful Blue card. It could have been Stonework Puma, since that will almost always make the cut to block Bladetusk Boars.

Pack 1 pick 6:
Guul Draz Vampire, Kor Duelist, Mountain, Piranha Marsh, Sky Ruin Drake, Goblin Shortcutter, Spreading Seas, Summoner's Bane, Cliff Threader, Narrow Escape

My pick:
Sky Ruin Drake - Went with the Blue creature to go with my previous pick. Shipped another Cliff Threader, but I really like Sky Ruin Drake.

Pack 1 pick 7:
Khalni Heart Expedition, Archmage Ascension, Seascape Aerialist, Soul Stair Expedition, Shieldmate's Blessing, Shoal Serpent, Plains, Beast Hunt, Hagra Crocodile

My pick:
Khalni Heart Expedition - Most relevant card in the pack, so it looks like we'll be trying a Blue-Green deck. Maybe we'll get some more fixing at play the Shepherd.

Pack 1 pick 8:
Ior Ruin Expedition, Stonework Puma, Plains, Quest for Pure Flame, Savage Silhouette, Hagra Crocodile, Teetering Peaks, Turntimber Basilisk

My pick:
Turntimber Basilisk - I think it's etter than Puma.

Pack 1 pick 9:
Narrow Escape, Carnage Altar, Swamp, Pillarfield Ox, Turntimber Grove, Gomazoa, Desecrated Earth

My pick:
Gomazoa - It's better than the Ox.

Pack 1 pick 10:
Hedron Scrabbler, Lethargy Trap, Sejiri Refuge, Swamp, Kabira Crossroads, Savage Silhouette

My pick:
Hedron Scrabbler - Most relevant card, and I've been playing it a lot, so it might make the cut.

Pack 1 pick 11:
Trailblazer's Boots, Mire Blight, Swamp, Shieldmate's Blessing, Ravenous Trap

My pick:
Shieldmate's Blessing

Pack 1 pick 12:
Khalni Gem, Hedron Crab, Spidersilk Net, Plains

My pick:
Hedron Crab - Are we going to get to Crab it up?

Pack 1 pick 13:
Quest for Ancient Secrets, Tanglesap, Mountain

My pick:
Quest for Ancient Secrets

Pack 1 pick 14:
Kor Duelist, Mountain

My pick:
Kor Duelist

Pack 1 pick 15:
Beast Hunt

My pick:
Beast Hunt

Pack 2 pick 1:
Scythe Tiger, Trapfinder's Trick, Baloth Woodcrasher, Swamp, Shepherd of the Lost, Timbermaw Larva, Jwar Isle Refuge, Beast Hunt, Paralyzing Grasp, Sadistic Sacrament, Burst Lightning, Explorer's Scope, Vampire's Bite, Disfigure, Kor Outfitter

My pick:
Baloth Woodcrasher - There's another Shepherd, but I went with the Green card that we're probably going to play.

Pack 2 pick 2:
Kabira Crossroads, Reckless Scholar, Hagra Crocodile, Goblin War Paint, Mold Shambler, Teetering Peaks, Brave the Elements, Forest, Vastwood Gorger, Nissa's Chosen, Inferno Trap, Kraken Hatchling, Ondu Cleric, Vampire Nighthawk

My pick:
Nissa's Chosen - Best card on color.

Pack 2 pick 3:
Disfigure, Spire Barrage, Kor Hookmaster, Pillarfield Ox, Paralyzing Grasp, Sejiri Refuge, Island, Timbermaw Larva, Scute Mob, Explorer's Scope, Soaring Seacliff, Vampire Lacerator, Quest for the Gravelord

My pick:
Timbermaw Larva - I guess this could have been Scute Mob, but I'm not sold on it yet. Paralyzing Grasp is also playable, but I think the Larva is more powerful than the Grasp.

Pack 2 pick 4:
Caravan Hurda, Seismic Shudder, Goblin War Paint, Crypt Ripper, Narrow Escape, Kraken Hatchling, Soaring Seacliff, Expedition Map, Quest for the Holy Relic, Caller of Gales, Armament Master, Forest

My pick:
Kraken Hatchling - Only relevant card. This deck might be kind of slow, so these guys might save us from getting blow us out.

Pack 2 pick 5:
Plains, Harrow, Vampire Lacerator, Quest for the Gravelord, Hagra Crocodile, Kazandu Refuge, Mold Shambler, Trapmaker's Snare, Teetering Peaks, Cliff Threader, Kabira Crossroads

My pick:
Harrow - Woo hoo, we really needed this one! Now we can splash for stuff like that first pick Shepherd.

Pack 2 pick 6:
Oran-Rief Recluse, Demolish, Kor Duelist, Noble Vestige, Merfolk Wayfinder, Molten Ravager, Grim Discovery, Cancel, Swamp, Beast Hunt

My pick:
Oran-Rief Recluse - Best on-color card.

Pack 2 pick 7:
Scythe Tiger, Magosi, the Waterveil, Slaughter Cry, Swamp, Tempest Owl, Murasa Pyromancer, Hedron Scrabbler, Zektar Shrine Expedition, Runeflare Trap

My pick:
Hedron Scrabbler - I thought Scythe Tiger was playable at first, but it's not.

Pack 2 pick 8:
Vastwood Gorger, Expedition Map, Surrakar Marauder, Teetering Peaks, Brave the Elements, Forest, Torch Slinger, Hagra Crocodile

My pick:
Vastwood Gorger - That's a late Torch Slinger, but we'll stay on color and play the fat that we could ramp up to.

Pack 2 pick 9:
Scythe Tiger, Trapfinder's Trick, Swamp, Timbermaw Larva, Jwar Isle Refuge, Beast Hunt, Vampire's Bite

My pick:
Timbermaw Larva

Pack 2 pick 10:
Kabira Crossroads, Teetering Peaks, Brave the Elements, Forest, Vastwood Gorger, Kraken Hatchling

My pick:
Kraken Hatchling - I like fat, but I've already got one of these and a Baloth Woodcrashers.

Pack 2 pick 11:
Pillarfield Ox, Sejiri Refuge, Island, Explorer's Scope, Soaring Seacliff

My pick:
Sejiri Refuge - Now we can play our Shepherd.

Pack 2 pick 12:
Narrow Escape, Quest for the Holy Relic, Caller of Gales, Forest

My pick:
Narrow Escape

Pack 2 pick 13:
Plains, Hagra Crocodile, Kazandu Refuge

My pick:
Hagra Crocodile

Pack 2 pick 14:
Merfolk Wayfinder, Beast Hunt

My pick:
Merfolk Wayfinder

Pack 2 pick 15:
Scythe Tiger

My pick:
Scythe Tiger

Pack 3 pick 1:
Demolish, Vampire's Bite, Ior Ruin Expedition, Hellfire Mongrel, Zendikar Farguide, Trailblazer's Boots, Zektar Shrine Expedition, Relic Crush, Cosi's Trickster, Bog Tatters, Plated Geopede, Swamp, Kor Hookmaster, Territorial Baloth, Blazing Torch

My pick:
Blazing Torch - We don't have removal, so I picked this.

Pack 3 pick 2:
Adventuring Gear, Greenweaver Druid, Nimana Sell-Sword, Gomazoa, Sky Ruin Drake, Spreading Seas, Journey to Nowhere, Seismic Shudder, Nissa's Chosen, Vastwood Gorger, Guul Draz Vampire, Seascape Aerialist, Pyromancer Ascension, Forest

My pick:
Journey to Nowhere - Since we have Harrow and Khalni Heart and the UW land in our pool, I can splash this.

Pack 3 pick 3:
Island, Giant Scorpion, Khalni Heart Expedition, Nimbus Wings, Vines of Vastwood, Island (FOIL), Shieldmate's Blessing, Shoal Serpent, Windborne Charge, Quest for the Gemblades, Soul Stair Expedition, Trapfinder's Trick, Feast of Blood

My pick:
Vines of Vastwood - Not sure how good multiple Khalni Hearts are, but I do know that this card is very solid.

Pack 3 pick 4:
Ior Ruin Expedition, Kraken Hatchling, Forest, Makindi Shieldmate, Spire Barrage, Tanglesap, Turntimber Grove, Kabira Evangel, Surrakar Marauder, Seismic Shudder, Harrow, Caravan Hurda

My pick:
Harrow

Pack 3 pick 5:
Joraga Bard, Tempest Owl, Mindless Null, Sky Ruin Drake, Kor Aeronaut, Nimbus Wings (FOIL), Lullmage Mentor, Bold Defense, Frontier Guide, Brave the Elements, Plains

My pick:
Sky Ruin Drake - Thought about Frontier Guide, but I think this is better.

Pack 3 pick 6:
Kor Outfitter, Cancel, Welkin Tern, Oran-Rief, the Vastwood, Bog Tatters, Mountain, Beast Hunt, Windborne Charge, Quest for Pure Flame, Scythe Tiger

My pick:
Welkin Tern - Another two drop.

Pack 3 pick 7:
Kraken Hatchling, Ondu Cleric, Grappling Hook, Unstable Footing, Goblin War Paint, Steppe Lynx, Expedition Map, Caller of Gales, Mountain

My pick:
Kraken Hatchling - Grappling Hook's pretty bad.

Pack 3 pick 8:
Shieldmate's Blessing, Shoal Serpent, Molten Ravager, Grim Discovery, Beast Hunt, Mountain, Celestial Mantle, Bold Defense

My pick:
Bold Defense - Messed this one up, should've been Shoal Serpent.

Pack 3 pick 9:
Vampire's Bite, Ior Ruin Expedition, Zendikar Farguide, Trailblazer's Boots, Relic Crush, Bog Tatters, Swamp

My pick:
Zendikar Farguide -

Pack 3 pick 10:
Greenweaver Druid, Gomazoa, Spreading Seas, Vastwood Gorger, Seascape Aerialist, Forest

My pick:
Greenweaver Druid - Definitely playing this to ramp to our six drops.

Pack 3 pick 11:
Island, Khalni Heart Expedition, Shieldmate's Blessing, Shoal Serpent, Trapfinder's Trick

My pick:
Khalni Heart Expedition - Guess it came back.

Pack 3 pick 12:
Forest, Makindi Shieldmate, Tanglesap, Caravan Hurda

My pick:
Tanglesap

Pack 3 pick 13:
Joraga Bard, Tempest Owl, Plains

My pick:
Joraga Bard

Pack 3 pick 14:
Mountain, Beast Hunt

My pick:
Beast Hunt

Pack 3 pick 15:
Caller of Gales

My pick:
Caller of Gales

Here's my final deck. The two hidden cards are 2 Sky Ruin Drakes. I left the second Khalni Heart Expedition in the side because two really isn't very good.

Blazing Torch also stayed in the side since I had removal with Journey and could stay in the game with Into the Roil, and I didn't really want to cut a creature or any of the other spells. I boarded it in against faster decks and decks with cards I really needed to deal with like Bladetusk Boar.

The other card I brought in a lot was Gomazoa for decks that had creatures I could easily remove, like two decks that had Vampire Nighthawk, and one of those decks having a Halo Hunter. I think I should've started it.