HOW TO GET ON THE PRO TOUR

On Friday, June 21, 2019, I won the 184-player Modern MCQ during Grand Prix Seattle weekend to qualify for my very first Pro Tour – Richmond. 

HOW DID I QUALIFY?

1. I didn’t play BW Tokens.  It is with a heavy heart, yet sound mind, that I confess my disloyalty.  After an exciting start to 2019 when the competitive metagame parted to allow BW Tokens a fair shot at respectability, 2019 is now looking pretty bleak for Tokens.  Here’s my take on why:
   1. First, the London Mulligan is now in effect and based on the last Pro Tour’s results, Tron is looking to make a huge comeback.  While the London Mulligan was not in effect for my MCQ, plenty of players were running Tron as well as the new combo decks.
   2. Second, and perhaps most importantly, Bridge from Below just got banned, which is bad for Tokens because this allows our bad matchup decks like Tron, Amulet, and Titan to have a chance again in the meta.  Previously, these decks faced an uphill climb beating Bridgevine.  The resurgence of bad matchups is upon us.  Bridgevine was legal for my MCQ, but I still decided against Tokens.
   3. I did horribly at the last SCG Classic and mediocre at the Invitational.  The metagame was moving away from BW Tokens even before the two changes above.
2. I played a lot of Modern over the past few years.  Something Alex Bianchi wrote awhile back for ManaDeprived stuck with me.  Alex is an incredible player from Buffalo who won GP Pittsburgh 2015 (Modern).  Also, a super awesome and humble guy.  You can find his tournament report from GP Pitt here: http://magic.facetofacegames.com/winning-gp-pittsburgh-with-jeskai-twin/  In another of his articles, he offered advice that the best way to qualify for the Pro Tour was through Modern.  Limited and Standard rotate so often that sticking with a few Modern decks you know well is the way to go.  I have to agree with Alex’s wisdom because I took it and it got me there.
3. Since 2015, I played two Modern decks consistently: BW Tokens and Burn.  When I began playing BW Tokens, I looked to find a deck that was good when Tokens wasn’t, and I used the heuristic what deck is good vs. Tokens’ bad matchups?  In other words, what deck is good against Tron, Storm, and Living End?  The answer was, and still is, Burn. 

WHAT WORKED FOR ME

• Rotating two Modern decks.  If you want to qualify for the Pro Tour and you’re not spending as much time as a pro player on preparation, my advice is to pick two or three Tier I decks and rotate between/among those.  I admit I didn’t do this.  Both Tokens and Burn are decks which are perennially shat on, and for reasons that aren’t totally without merit.  First, NO ONE has put up any big tournament wins with Tokens, as far as I can recall, since 2012: https://magic.wizards.com/en/events/coverage/gpyok12  BW Tokens is the fair deck to beat fair decks, and Modern is a format with such a deep card pool where it’s not easy winning fairly.  Second, lots of people accuse Burn of being a mindless and not-fun deck.  I will admit, I like playing Tokens much more, but Burn has put up plenty of good results, is a Tier I Modern deck from time to time, and functions as a combo deck.  Modern is a format that rewards consistent linear combo strategies, and I believe Burn qualifies as such a strategy.
• LUCK.  You have to get lucky to win, and Burn, as a combo deck, has some degenerate draws that no one can beat.  You just can’t pull a “gotcha” draw with my version of Tokens and smash.
• Tokens and Burn worked for me because they are relatively easy to pick up.  For someone who doesn’t have a lot of time to devote to Magic, sticking with two decks that were fairly straightforward worked well.
• I keep notes.  I track all my big tournament and online results.  I keep a list of play mistakes or things to remember for both Tokens and Burn.  After each round at the MCQ, I re-read a list of about 30 “things to remember.”  I won’t have an edge in the amount of time I play my decks, so I create an edge by constantly trying to avoid mistakes and keeping important play lines in my head.  I study hard.

PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER

• I began playing Magic competitively in March 2012.  My one goal then and ever since then has been to qualify for the Pro Tour.  I’ve attended 27 GPs, 45 PPTQs, 4 RPTQs, and 31 PTQs/MCQs (this was #31).  Previously I’ve been one game away from the Pro Tour once (2013 PTQ), two matches twice (2015 GP; 2018 GP), three matches once (2018 RPTQ), and four matches a bunch.  It took me seven years and that many tournaments to achieve my ultimate goal.
• My advice to qualify for the Pro Tour is to do what I did but to do it better.  Play Modern.  Pick 2-3 Tier I decks that are good with differential metagame shifts and learn them inside out. Take notes and re-read them often.  Do not get married to BW Tokens.  Burn has game against a lot of decks.  BW Tokens has no game against a fair amount of decks.  If you like Tokens and want to win a big tournament, pick it up when the meta is good for it and put it down when it’s not.
• If your goal is not to make the Pro Tour, I’d suggest you don’t take any of this advice and keep playing Tokens all the time.  Be my hero.

TOURNAMENT REPORT

No BW Tokens here, but if you’re interested in my tournament, here goes.

I like running 4-ofs to increase the consistency of the deck.  I haven’t been impressed with Skewer the Critics and I think Light up the Stage is weaker than simply adding Sunbaked Canyons.  I decided against the 4^th Sunbaked Canyon because for the past year I’ve been incredibly happy with my manabase that I didn’t want to mess with it.  Trading 3 Inspiring Vantages for 3 Sunbaked Canyons didn’t alter the number of fetches.  I was very happy with Sunbaked Canyon and would run the exact same list again, though the 3^rd Rest in Peace is my big flex spot.

Round 1 – Bridgevine – Win 2-1

Game 1 my opponent only played Marsh Flats into Blood Crypt after mulling to 5.  That was literally the game.  Game 2 I correctly brought in RIP, but never saw one and watched him combo off.  Game 3 went much better.  I was on the play and he mulliganed again, this time to 6, and had little action.

My first time playing this deck and the matchup seemed fine.  I will admit, I got VERY LUCKY that my opponent had terrible or mediocre draws in both games I won.  My opponent was instrumental in my win next round, as he advised me to kill my own creatures in response to his combo.

Round 2 – Bridgevine – Win 2-0

Everything I learned last match worked out as I killed my own creatures a total of three times in the match to negate Bridge from Below shenanigans.  Game 2 was very close.  After I Destructive Revelried his Altar and ran out RIP, it was a race and a scary one at that.  On my last turn, I needed to top-deck any 1 mana bolt or any land to win.  Lightning Bolt for the win.

My finals opponent also beat Bridgevine in the top 4, leading me to believe, at least with this small sample, Burn does just fine versus the new Hogaak menace.  Update:  It’s been banned.

Round 3 – Burn – Win 2-0

I won both games on the draw against an opponent with Fiery Islets and Skewers.  Game 2 my Kor Firewalker was game over, as he sighed and showed me the Path to Exiles he left in his sideboard.  Yes, I got lucky, but this is one situation where all my hours of study intersected with an opponent less prepared to create an opportunity for success.

Round 4 – Devoted Devastation – Win 2-1

My opponent ended up finishing 9^th overall. The name of the game was to kill all his stuff.  Game 2 he snuck out Shalai to win out of nowhere.  Game 3 went much better for me as I killed EVERYTHING he played.  After this match, I added “watch for Dryad Arbor ambush” to my notes, as one pivotal turn I had a chance to attack with Eidolon.  I didn’t, due to all his instant speed spells, but at the time I hadn’t thought of the Dryad Arbor ambush (he had another creature to double block).

Round 5 – UW Control – Win 1-0

Unfortunately, I was paired down, leaving me in dire straits to draw into the top 8 next round if I won this match.  The realization I was paired down was followed by the longest deck check I’ve ever had.  After 20 minutes, the judge asked to speak with my opponent, leading to even more time lost, and then for the first time that I can remember, my opponent received a game loss.  Apparently he failed to include three Modern Horizons cards on his decklist.  So game 2 began with him on the play, no sideboarding.  Knowing my opponent took a draw in a prior round, I put him on control and so I kept a risky hand of 4 lands, Guide, Guide, Swiftspear.  Unfortunately, he Detention Sphered the Goblins and it was a rough start.  Rougher still when I saw maindeck Kitchen Finks!  On my last turn, knowing he had Cryptic Command in hand, I needed to top-deck another burn spell (I had one already in my hand).  Like clockwork, I drew it.  In response to firing my first spell, he tanked and told me later he was deciding between using Cryptic or Restoration Angel on his Finks.  Either way, he was dead, as I burned him in response to his Cryptic Command. 

After a free game win followed by my second game-winning top deck this tournament, I was feeling pretty good, even though I knew I’d more than likely need to play out round 6.

Round 6 – Tron – Win 2-0

Indeed, I had to play this one out, no drawing for me.  I was the only 5-0 paired down (my opponent had a draw, no losses) and my breakers were abysmal.  Later, I did some research and discovered that if I had lost this round, I most likely would have finished 14^th!  Yikes!  So, it was a win and in for top 8 for both my opponent and me.

Seeing Tron is glorious when you’re playing Mountains, and even more glorious was his mull to 4 game 1.  Game 2 my opponent made an error that allowed me to win.  Instead of firing his second Pulse of Murasa (yes, he had already gained 6 life) on his turn (when I was tapped out), he passed the turn and then allowed me to draw and sure enough, for the third time this tournament, I top-decked the burn spell to win (along with the one already in my hand).  I passed my turn, effectively waiting for him to cast something with his three open mana, and in response to his Pulse, I cast two instant-speed spells to close it out.  To win consistently at Magic, you need your opponents to make some mistakes, or at least to be less prepared than you (see Round 3).

The Round 5 and Round 6 pair-downs shaped up to be blessings.  Since I won Round 6, and watched the two tables ahead of me draw, I knew I was locked for top seed as the only 6-0 player, meaning I’d be on the play each round in the top 8!  Being on the play with Burn is just so much better than the draw that I was feeling like a rock star to be in this spot and running so hot.

Let’s recap:  I need to get lucky to win at Magic.  Throughout this tournament, I kept 7 cards most of the time, drew well overall, top-decked what I needed, had some opponents make mistakes (e.g., game and deck registration errors), went 6-0, AND got paired down twice leading me to rise to the top seed.  That’s a lot that went right to get me this far.

Quarterfinals – Breach TitanShift – Win 2-1

My opponent threw down a Pro Tour playmat while his friend talked him up, saying he’s on a hot streak, mentioning that of course he got lucky with his breakers to sneak into the top 8 because he’s so on fire.  Watching this scene helped me to remember I was in the big leagues now.  I reminded myself that Burn on the play against a great player was exactly where I wanted to be.  Game 1 I crushed and my opponent commented how differently the game would have gone if I hadn’t been on the play, and I 100% agreed.  Game 2 he crushed me (naturally, he was on the play).  Game 3 was epic.  Early in the game he played an Obstinate Baloth that I couldn’t Skullcrack.  On my last turn, I attacked 2 Guides into his Baloth, sacrificing one, putting him to 6.  In my hand?  Lighting Helix and Deflecting Palm.  4 lands (2 Mountains, 2 Sunbaked Canyon) on my battlefield.  He untapped, Breached in a Titan, attacked with the Baloth and Titan, and put 6 Valakut triggers on the stack.  I was at 22 life and had two options – do the math and see if I could survive by Deflecting the Titan, or just ask a judge how I can Deflect his Valakut trigger, as I’ve never cast Deflecting Palm with multiple Valakuts in play before.  I asked the judge how to specify which Valakut is which, as I wanted to Deflect the first trigger, and the judge calmly told me I could just say I wanted to Deflect the first trigger, no need to specify which of the three Valakuts I was selecting.  I sat down, made sure I tapped my mana correctly (I needed one white source for each spell, after all), Helixed him to 3 and then Deflecting Palmed his first Valakut trigger for the win!

Semifinals – Infect – Win 2-1

Before we began, my opponent, who had never been to the Pro Tour but said he conceded once upon a time in a finals because he couldn’t go, and I had an interesting conversation about keeping track of how close we’ve come to the Pro Tour.  I told him I track how many matches away I’ve been (i.e., I was one game away once, two matches twice, three matches once – I generally consider “close” three matches away or closer, as that’s how many wins you need to win a top 8), and my opponent made a comment to the effect that keeping track that way was putting unnecessary pressure on yourself and taking you out of just playing the game.  I responded that actually I felt that keeping track helped give me confidence that I was on the right track and that eventually I’d make the Pro Tour, and I added, “hopefully today.”

Well, game 1 was the opposite of the running-good I’d been doing so far.  I mulled to 5, keeping what I thought to be a promising 3 Goblin Guide hand.  My opponent crushed me.  Game 2 I just got there. 

Game 3 was, as usual, epic.  I killed all his stuff and he had NOTHING on board, absolutely NOTHING, thankfully no Inkmoths, while I was getting in with one tiny Monastery Swiftspear since I spent all my burn killing all his creatures, including one huge sequence of his playing a double pump spell on his Noble Hierarch.  Now, I’m not sure if it was correct to go after the Hierarch (I didn’t know if he had Distortion Strike), but I went with the decision to kill everything.  Eventually, I drew Eidolon of the Great Revel and so I had Eidolon and Swiftspear versus his squadoosh.  I had one card in hand:  Destructive Revelry.  He was at 7 life.  I had 0 poison.  Let me tell you, I was feeling REALLY GOOD about this match after landing that Eidolon.  Then, on his next turn, he drew and played Blighted Agent.  THANKFULLY I remembered my Eidolon trigger so casting Agent dropped him to 5.  All of a sudden I got very nervous, when moments ago I thought I had this match wrapped up.  My opponent held four or five cards in his hand.  He might as well have been playing them face-up, we all knew what they were.

On my next turn, I drew a non-Sunbaked Canyon land (squadoosh) and prepared to attack with Swiftspear, but I paused and thought about it.  To recap, I had Eidolon and Swiftspear on the board, a dead Destructive Revelry in my hand, and I just drew a land, so I was holding two cards.  If he blocked with his Blighted Agent, he’d have to play a pump spell to save it and go to 3, meaning he’d only be able to play one more 3-mana spell this game.  The game was now all about Become Immense.  He needed it to win, and even if he had it, he had to be aware he would die if he didn’t block and I had any burn spell to 3 him and activate Swiftspear (5 damage total – unless he had a counterspell, but that would put him to 3 life anyway before a pump spell would put him to 1).  If I attacked with Eidolon, he would win (because I couldn’t kill him this turn) by blocking Eidolon and using a pump spell on his Agent.  Swiftspear would take him to 4, his pump spell to 2, Eidolon would die, and he would swing back for the win. 

I’m proud of myself for only attacking with Swiftspear.  When I attacked, he even asked, “just him?” validating my decision.  He didn’t block and went to 4.  On his next turn, I sat on pins and needles, waiting for him to show me a Become Immense.  He drew his card.  Seconds ticked by.  He tanked and I was feeling GREAT.  He finally ran out two pump spells, no Become Immense, in quick succession, and my finger, which had been on my Eidolon his entire turn, pounded it both times and he fell to exactly 0.

I was pretty even-keeled the entire tournament, but this win was emotional – I was drained and those last three turns, starting with his Blighted Agent, had my heart pounding.  I knew the other match was Burn versus Bridgevine and I was delighted to see the Burn player waiting for me.  The Burn mirror on the play was right where I wanted to be.

Finals – Burn – Win 2-0

I calmed down considerably, focused on my confidence being on the play in the mirror, a matchup I knew well and for which I had a good sideboard plan, written down, no less, both for the play and for the draw.

Game 1 we both kept 7 and we both had great starts, BUT I was on the play.  I had a big decision turn 2 to either play my second Guide and a Bolt or an Eidolon.  I decided on the Guide.  His hand was gas, too; however, turn 1 he played Grim Lavamancer, which I’m 100% confident is just way too slow in the mirror.  His using that turn to drop Lavamancer and my fast start made the game not at all in doubt. 

Game 2 he kept 7 again and I looked at 3 lands and 4 two-drops.  This was a pretty clear mull based on this mulligan guide (https://www.reddit.com/r/LavaSpike/comments/8ginw6/a_guide_to_mulliganing_with_burnmodern/, which I know inside out.  However, I tanked and thought about keeping it.  It had a Searing Blaze, so my plan would be to use it turn 2 on his creature, and hopefully I could draw into more action.  Unfortunately, this 7 had no Lightning Helix, which would have pushed me more confidently into keeping.  In general, for the Burn mirror, I’m afraid of getting run over fast, but I’m also afraid that going down any cards is putting myself too far behind on resources, and this will matter in any game where my opponent doesn’t have the nuts.  If he has the nuts, he’ll win anyway, so I went ahead and kept my 7.  Turn 2 I nuked his Swiftspear.  My keep looked better when he started flooding out.  I was delighted to see him play an Inspiring Vantage, NOT a Sunbaked Canyon (I took out my 3 Vantages for 3 Canyons before starting this tournament as Modern Horizons was legal), which he could have used to draw another card.  I had a huge decision at 3 life either to play Kor Firewalker (a way way way too late Firewalker!) or to hold up Deflecting Palm, as I only had access to two white mana, thankfully no Sunbaked Canyon pain.  My opponent previously Pathed my Swiftspear, so I felt confident the Firewalker would stick, but I was nervous about how many burn spells I needed to fade.  I ran out Kor Firewalker, crossed my fingers, and somehow found myself untapping next turn!  Well, after I untapped, I drew a useless Searing Blaze, so I sat with Kor Firewalker on the board, Deflecting Palm and Searing Blaze (no fetches out) in hand.  Fireworks ensured on his next turn.  He went for the kill and I gained a lot of life and Deflected his Bolt (no Skullcrack, he told me later he ran none).  For the second straight turn, his saying “your turn” made me feel so fortunate that I was somehow still alive in this game.  I untapped my Kor Firewalker, and Kor Firewalker attacked for exactly lethal to take me to the Pro Tour!

FINAL THOUGHTS

This is mostly goodbye to BW Tokens for now.  Since I’ve reached my highest goal with Magic, I’m going to take a step back from playing competitively.  I’m very excited for the Pro Tour, and will blog about my experience in Richmond, but I don’t think I’ll be playing the bigger tournaments as much as I had been while chasing the Pro Tour dream.  With increasing family and work commitments, it’s goodbye to working on BW Tokens for now.  BW Tokens is and always will be my favorite Magic deck, and I’m excited to pick it up and play it every now and again. 

Best wishes to all you BW Tokens players out there (i.e., my two fans, you know who you are, thanks for the support)!  Making the Pro Tour with BW Tokens would have been sweet, but it just wasn’t in the cards.