I've been very much on the 'don't draft Green if you can avoid it' bandwagon in BfZ, but in this draft I had my worst-case scenario materialize: opened one of the better Green rares (Undergrowth Champion) in a lackluster pack. I felt forced to take it, and since it was just a LGS draft I felt I could take the risk. As it turns out, I was the only Green drafter at the table, so I was passed Green rares like Oran-Rief Hydra, Kiora, Master of the Depths, From Beyond, and Brood Butcher, as well as solid Green uncommons like Tajuru Warcaller and Brood Monitor very late.

The deck was very far from perfect--I didn't see a single Lifespring Druid (and I don't think anyone else was taking them from me), and I was so short on removal that I maindecked one of my two Plummets to have an answer against fliers--I figured I could lock up the ground pretty easily but would struggle against the air. I also had too much top end without really having enough ramp, but the Natural Connection and the two Blighted Woodlands were incredibly helpful and prevented me from having any real mana issues. The Woodlands were also fun with the Landfall creatures, especially the Hydra. I also probably should have splashed the Butcher rather than the Kiora, but it was a LGS draft and I wanted to play the mythic Planeswalker (plus she did help with the ramp).

Round 1 - BWR Allies

He went first and curved Kalastria Healer into Kor Castigator into Silent Skimmer into Drana, Liberator of Malakir, and while I stabilized the ground with a Giant Mantis and From Beyond followed up with Brood Monitor, he clocked me in the air with the Skimmer and killed a bunch of Scions with Boiling Earth. I deployed Plated Crusher, Oran-Rief Hydra, and Oran-Rief Invoker while he hit the Mantis with Demon's Grasp and swung in with Drana...though he forgot about the Ondu Rising in his hand that would have been lethal. I went down to 1, then swung back for 21 trample to kill him. I sided out the blue splash/Island for a Plains and the second Plummet. Game 2 I missed my third land drop after keeping two lands + Natural Connection on the draw, but I did hit it the next turn and was able to play some blockers until I could cast Planar Outburst. I then cast Undergrowth Champion to block and ramped out Oran-Rief Hydra. Breaking two Blighted Woodlands to get Forests turned the Hydra into a 16/16 by the end of the game and killed him very quickly.

Round 2 - BR Devoid Aggro

I deployed Snapping Gnarlid on two and used Natural Connection to allow it to block and survive his Vile Aggregate. He then hit me with a Dust Stalker and managed to kill my Undergrowth Champion after I blocked by using Stonefury to remove a counter. I wound up chumping with the Gnarlid and with an Eyeless Watcher to encourage him to overextend into my Planar Outburst, which got an extra Nettle Drone for my troubles. From Beyond and Kiora, Master of the Depths came down and found/ramped me into Breaker of Armies, which traded with a Nettle Drone, a Vestige of Emrakul, and a Valakut Predator, leaving him with a Nettle Drone against my newly played Plated Crusher. The Crusher won the race and sent us to G2. I sided out Plummet for Felidar Cub, which paid off when I was able to hit a Molten Nursery. This time, he curved Aggregate into Dust Stalker and hit me down low quite early, but I was able to hang on and again wipe the board. I played From Beyond and then Conduit of Ruin, failing to find as the Breaker was already in my hand (and got played the next turn). He didnt have enough power to kill the Breaker this time, so he pinged away with a Nettle Drone and kept deploying creatures to chump (including a Wasteland Strangler, while I dropped Oran-Rief Invoker and Oran-Rief Hydra. The game was just over after that.

Round 3 WR Allies

I kept my opening hand without really thinking, and then realized it was 5 lands (including Blighted Woodland), Natural Connection, and Snapping Gnarlid. Lots of mana, but not much action. I played the Gnarlid on two and drew/played Oran-Rief Invoker on three, and decided that all of the extra Landfall triggers meant the Gnarlid was too valuable to trade with his Makindi Sliderunner. I thought about trading the Invoker off, but his Firemantle Mage kept me from blocking anyway so I wound up racing. The extra land drops allowed the Gnarlid to get in a ton of damage, and an awakened Sheer Drop on his Kor Entanglers swung the race in my favor so that I was able to get him with my ramped-out Invoker activation. I again sided out Plummet for the Cub, but Game 2 he got stuck on Plains only so I was able to play Undergrowth Champion and crack Blighted Woodland to ramp out Brood Monitor and Oran-Rief Hydra to kill him rather easily.

Round 4 GW Stuff

This round was fairly anticlimactic. I had a moment of panic in G1 where I thought my opponent might be able to outrace me with Angel of Renewal, especially since he hit my Undergrowth Champion with Stasis Snare and my From Beyond with Felidar Cub, but as it turns out, Oran-Rief Hydra is difficult to race. Especially when its backed up by Conduit of Ruin fetching Breaker of Armies. Conduit hit the table again in G2 (early, thanks to From Beyond), but my opponent was alarmed when I failed to find as I already had the Breaker in my hand. The game was just over after that, so I ended the night 4-0 without dropping a game.