Author: klezmer

On February 11^th, 2024, playing Mono-Black, I top 8’ed the 57 person Pioneer RCQ as part of RC Ottawa weekend, qualifying for the next Regional Championship.  I went 4-0-2, not dropping a single game, before conceding a Top 8 with my qualification in hand.

After going 5-4 in the 2023 Atlanta Regional Championship (although a big win was my teammate making day 2 with the same deck, congrats!), it was a breath of fresh air to be doing well my favorite deck once again.

Not much changed, from my perspective, with the deck since my deck guide below.  What has also not changed much is the Pioneer metagame, which, according to Pro Tour Chicago February 2024 data, seems favorable for Mono-Black:

https://www.magic.gg/news/pro-tour-murders-at-karlov-manor-pioneer-metagame-breakdown

The top three decks, per PT data – Izzet Phoenix, Azorius Control, and Rakdos Midrange, are highly favorable matchups for Mono Black, at least according to my personal data with 1,000 matches played (not all archetypes are represented below):

Deck Type	Total	Wins	Losses	Win %
Dimir Control	15	12	3	0.8
Mono Red	36	27	9	0.75
Selesnya Angels	36	25	11	0.694444444
Azorius Control	52	36	16	0.692307692
Enchantments	13	9	4	0.692307692
Spirits – Bant	19	13	6	0.684210526
Azorius Control Lotus Field	14	9	5	0.642857143
Rakdos Midrange	99	61	38	0.616161616
Bright to Light Omnath	13	8	5	0.615384615
Izzet Creativity	39	24	15	0.615384615
Izzet Phoenix	32	19	13	0.59375
Boros Pia	14	8	6	0.571428571
Humans Mono White	54	29	25	0.537037037
Gruul Vehicles	49	26	23	0.530612245
Fires	41	21	20	0.512195122
Spirits – Mono Blue	26	13	13	0.5
Greasefang – Abzan	36	16	20	0.444444444
Spirits – Azorius	27	12	15	0.444444444
Lotus Field	33	14	19	0.424242424
Mono Green	114	42	72	0.368421053
Rakdos Sacrifice	31	7	24	0.225806452
Boros Convoke	14	3	11	0.214285714

AMALIA UPDATE

While I never played Amalia Combo as part of my 1,000 matches (which I reached in August 2023), here is my record vs. the deck since that time:

Deck Type	Total	Wins	Losses	Win %
Amalia Combo	8	6	2	0.75

I easily defeated the deck in person at RC Atlanta 2023 (it was the start of my 4-1 run before I lost my next three matchups to Mono-White, Gruul Vehicles, and Boros Convoke).

I went 5-2 against Amalia in MTGO Pioneer leagues, but one of those losses was due to timing out when I would have won otherwise.

Small sample size, but on paper we’re heavily favored.  Removal, notably Ray of Enfeeblement, is insane here, and Cling to Dust cleans up reanimation shenanigans.

DECK CHANGES

Decklist: https://melee.gg/Decklist/View/350458

+2 Bitter Triumph

I don’t love this card.  It’s fine.  It is a strictly better upgrade to Infernal Grasp.

However, there is one instance/matchup where it’s worlds better than Murderous Rider, and that matchup is against Azorius Control.  To be fair, this is already a good matchup, but one that I anticipate being more a presence in the meta moving forward.

Bitter T is so good b/c the main way you lose against Azorius Control is they land a Teferi with counter magic backup.  Holding up 2 mana rather than 3 mana is just an insane difference.  Many games I’d have a Murderous Rider that would be my only hope that I could not cast before they untapped end of turn with Teferi’s ability.  Nuking a Teferi before they can untap two lands is an insane advantage in our favor.  Bitter Triumph makes the Azorius Control matchup that much better. 

-1 Infernal Grasp

Noted above.

-1 Sorin the Mirthless

Something had to come out, and it’s Sorin.  He comes out in most of our sideboard games anyway, and for a deck that operates on gaining card advantage, spending four mana to draw one card, but have Sorin nuked in exchange for less mana or one attack is often a very unfavorable position for the deck.  However, Sorin is a win condition and games where he lands on an empty board he can take over the game similar to Teferi in Azorius Control.  In those spots, you will feel as though he’s your best card.

SIDEBOARD

+3 Meathook Massacre

-1 Legion’s End, -1 Murderous Rider, -1 Extinction Event

Meathook helps vs. Rakdos Sacrifice and Boros Convoke, our worst matchups.  It’s also great against all the Inthi decks and other creature decks.

Legion’s End is just not as good in the meta, a much worse version of Meathook.

Murderous Rider comes out with the Bitter Triumph additions to the maindeck.

Extinction Event is a bit worse due to Mono-Green disappearing.  I will say, cutting the third Extinction Event was the hardest gut-check for me among these three changes.  Extinction Event can still be insane, notably against Fires of Invention Decks and when Meathook costs too much to cast profitably.  And, there are games where it’s a nice two or three-for-one, notably against Rakdos Midrange’s even threats in the form of Bloodtithe, Inthi, Fable token, and Sheoldred.

MY TEAMMATE     

FYI My teammate did better than I did at RC Atlanta 2023 and swapped in a Go Blank, which he loved, for the 4^th Invoke.  He did not like The End out of his sideboard, the only other major change.

Ottawa RCQ

Round 1 – Izzet Phoenix – Won 2-0

The day started against the most-represented deck in the format and with two excellent starting 7s for me.  I had excellent draws both games, though I made a big mistake, but managed it well and still won the game.  After my Trespasser bit the dust, I forgot to Fatal Push his Phoenix until after he attacked.  I had planned to cast it pre-combat, I simply forgot.  I then had to decide if I still wanted to Push it EOT – I was preparing for an Invoke next turn, which would also nuke the Phoenix, but would not get me an addition card or ding my opponent an additional two life.  Fatal Push was a card I didn’t really want to hold onto for how the game had played out.  So, I just sucked up my pride and looked silly pushing the Phoenix after taking 3 damage for no reason.  A few turns later, b/c I made this play, I was able to kill him with Sign in Blood as he was at 1 life.  If he had been at 3 life, he would have had an additional turn with infinity mana to turn the game around in his favor.  I’m very proud I didn’t compound my mistake.  Extinction Event was insane for me game 2 when I nuked his Shredder, Pyromancer, and the Pyro’s tokens.  It’s still good!

Round 2 – Lotus Field – Won 2-0

Liliana carried the day.  Even when I missed my 4^th land drop game 1, Liliana was just insane.  Being on the play in this matchup is so much more favorable than being on the draw.

Round 3 – Rakdos Midrange Inthi Copter – Won 2-0

Against a great player, this matchup played out how I drew it up on paper.  He played his stuff, I killed it all, and just sat back until I found a way to win.  Surprisingly, Invoke is not really that great vs. the Rakdos Inthi/Copter versions and I started taking them out on the Draw.  Game 2 I’m proud of holding up a removal spell and letting Graveyard Trespasser get in a few hits, because when he played his Sheoldred, his only chance to get back into the game, I was able to nuke it and ride to an easy victory.  Sheoldred and Liliana are great here – I never drew a Lili, but after cleaning up his board, a lone Trespasser or Sheoldred are no match for a Lili.

Round 4 – Metalwork Colossus – Won 2-0

Prior to this match, I had only played the matchup twice in my 1,000 match sample, winning both.  This matchup, so long as nothing too unlucky like bad mulliganing or drawing infinity lands happens, seems probably one of our best.  The opponent has to two-for one himself to bring back a Colossus, making it even harder to cast, and Cling to Dust out of our sideboard will just live in our yard forever.  Their gameplan lines up extremely unfavorably to what we’re doing, even though we cannot interact with their creature-less artifacts at all.  This match played out exactly as planned.

Round 5 and 6 I waited forever, then drew into the 3^rd seed of Top 8.  Then I waited even longer after splitting for the judges to determine that we’d all be playing for a winner-take-all giant card, the identity of which they couldn’t reveal until we were finished.  Mission accomplished, having qualified for RC Montreal and shared my love and affection with the rest of the top 8 for splitting so the late night drivers among us could start our quest home earlier, I happily conceded top 8.

I’m very sad not to be playing the Pioneer Pro Tour (Chicago) again this year, mostly because Mono-Blacks seems to have the best positioning it ever has in the meta right now.  After going 3-2 at the last Pioneer Pro Tour (Philly 2023), I’m hopeful to continue both enjoying playing this deck and also feeling great about how good it is in the current metagame.

After luck-sacking the November 2022 Atlanta Regional Championship, a feat documented somewhere in the ramblings below, I was back on the Pro Tour.  The shine of this being its glorious return after COVID and all that MPL nonsense was not lost on me. 

Unlike my 1^st in-person Pro Tour, this go-round I had extensive experience with my constructed deck, Pioneer Mono-Black.  Over three months of practice I put in 500 matches (mostly MTGO).  I developed an extensive sideboard guide paired with just as extensive matchup notes, prompting one of my Pro Tour opponents to interrogate my use of the two-page manifesto in between games.  After a judge check, legality was confirmed.  Having the same Day 1 Pioneer record as the eventual Pro Tour champion, Reid Duke, cemented my confidence that I’d performed at my constructed ceiling for this Pro Tour.  This was as good as it will ever get for me. 

On the flip side, unlike my first Pro Tour, I had drastically less time to practice Limited and only managed 12 Magic Online and 3 in-person drafts.  That said, I did feel my knowledge of the format, notably my regurgitation of 17lands data and my biases (such as viewing Hexgold Slash as the best common), was good enough heading into the most important draft of my life.

Day 1 Draft

My Pack1/Pick1 of the Phyrexia: All Will Be One bomb-heavy format revealed, quite sadly, no Eternal Wanderer.  I took Urabrask’s Forge, the rare and best card in the pack.  A pick 2 Infectious Bite set me along the path of my favorite archetype, Gruul.  I even got a late Contagious Vorrac and Cinderslash Reveler.  Pack 1 was looking pretty dece.

Sadly, problems ensued.  I licked my lips opening pack 2, ready for a clean shot at a Hexgold Slash, then settled for Black Sun’s Twilight out of a horrific red/green selection (certainly no Slashes).  I would end the draft seeing zero, not even one I had to pass for something better, Hexgold Slashes.  Inconceivable as I was in what I thought to be the correct colors. 

Here are the draft colors for players on my side of the table:

	Passing Left Pack 1 ←
← Black-White	← Red-Green (Me)	← Black-Green	← Red-White

As indicated above, I was the only red drafter among the people to my right and left.  Before the PT, I wanted to be in Naya colors and not share one color with the people around me.  Success.  I was in the deepest color, red, and only being cut from it two seats away.

And yet, this is where I ended up:

Some very poor cards among the 1-3 drops.  The only big decision I faced my entire draft was an early pack 3 pick where I selected Armored Scrapgorger.  I forget what else as in the pack, but the slew of good 1-3 drops I had hoped to pan out in my later packs never appeared.

I ended up sideboarding into a Black splash for Black Sun’s Twilight, coincidentally the only game I won.

The Jim Davis Thing

Jim Davis and I sat across from each other while deckbuilding.  He made a video of his deck here:

The difference between a pro like him and me?  He went 2-1 with a horrible deck.  I went 0-3.  People might be talking about Reid Duke winning the tournament, but the real story for me is Jim’s feat going 2-1 in this draft.  That’s a considerable accomplishment, an amazing story that no one seems to be talking about.  Although, to be fair, Jim did manage to pick up one Hexgold Slash.

My Draft Games

Round 1 my opponent, on Green Black, did this to me, and this is not revisionist memory:

Game 1 (I’m on the play).  Turn 3 he plays Glissa.   Turn 4 he plays Archfiend of Dross.  Turn 5 he somehow has 4 black mana and casts Phyrexian Obliterator.  Again, to be very clear, this is not revisionist.  This is exactly what happened, turn by turn.  I wrote it all down on my notepad to ensure I wasn’t losing my mind. 

Game 2 (I’m on the play).  He mulls to 6.  Turn 3 Glissa again.  Turn 4 no Archfiend!  Turn 5 he plays Obliterator again.  Turn 6 I sigh.  He’s at 10 life.  I have 10 power.  I pray I draw Hazardous Blast for the win.  I don’t.  I pass.  Turn 6 he casts Ruthless Predation, targeting his Obliterator and my Furnace Strider.  I sacrifice 4 permanents.  Turn 7 I rip the Hazardous Blast, one turn too late, because I no longer have 10 power or 4 lands to cast the spell due to the demolition last turn.  GG.

Round 2 vs. a mediocre Black-White midrange deck.  I squeak out game 2 by Black Sunning his Mondrak (his only bomb).  On the draw game 3, I make a questionable keep and am run over by Mondrak and friends.  GG.

Round 3 I’m flabbergasted to greet Yuuki Ichikawa in the 0-2 bracket.  Like my prior opponents, he also produces a bomb, Elesh Norn.  His 4x Planar Disruption and Rebel Salvo (I didn’t see one Slash!) are enough for me to question, once again, how on earth he’s 0-2.  GG.

And that’s how you 0-3 a Pro Tour draft, if you’re me.  I hold myself accountable for the poor keep Round 2.  Round 1 and 3 and I can’t conceive any path to victory with my mediocre deck.  I’m sure I could have drafted better, and yet nothing stands out to me as a clear mistake.

Pioneer Constructed Play

Round 4 begins against Gregor Kowalski.  I know who he is.  Seeing him in the 0-3 bracket with me extinguishes any and all shame I have of my winless record.  I’m playing against a legit champ.  Gregor is playing Reid Duke’s Izzet Creativity deck, which is a fine matchup for Mono-Black.  Game 2 I get super lucky as he’s stuck with his Xenagos in hand.  I steal a quick 2-0 and my first win of the Pro Tour!

Round 5 I lose to someone playing Grixis Midrange, a deck I had barely, if ever, played beforehand.  After a quick game 1, game 2 I’m looking at my Invoke Despair into his two open mana.  I know he has two Disdainful Stroke (it was open decklists) and say as much.  I determine I can’t win without going for the Invoke.  Well, he does, in fact, have one of his two Strokes in hand.  GG.

Round 6 brings a routine win vs. Rakdos Midrange, the “best deck” of the format and one that heavily favors Mono-Black.  I had hoped to play Rakdos all day and welcome it here.

Round 7 brings Mono-White and second guessing myself for not saving a Murderous Rider for a possible Adeline, which he draws, as I lose game 1.  After a quick game 2, it’s on to a long, tense game 3.  A patient player, my opponent outlasts my removal and plays around Extinction Event to lock it up.  With my fifth loss, I am dead, but having so few Pro Tour matches under my belt, I play out my last round.

Round 8 brings with it my best matchup, Selesnya Angels.  I spend most of the match craning my head around the room, my eyes reflecting the glimmer of the colorful mana symbol display on the main stage, the shine of greatness the Pro Tour brings.  I inhale the vibe, savor the incredible feeling I’d been carrying around the past few months knowing I was qualified for the Pro Tour.  I acknowledge I’ll soon be grieving the daily absence of the spring in my step I’d carried the past few months anticipating this very moment. 

The match is overly too quickly.  I draw well and my opponent draws poorly: an utter bloodbath in my favor.  The easiest Pro Tour match of my life and against the deck which I’d beaten in my Atlanta win-and-in to get here in the first place.  Full circle.  Good bye, Pro Tour.  I hope to be back someday.

Takeaways

I feel no shame in my 0-3 draft.  I was the only player among my opponents who had no Mythic Rare bombs.  I had thought a bomb-heavy format would favor someone like me, who might get lucky and have a fighting chance vs. the pros.  Alas, not so.

Going 3-2 in Pioneer against the best in the world left me feeling great about my hard work getting here.

But wait, there’s more.

Sunday Morning 2^nd Chance PTQ

On Sunday, all the Pro Tour competitors who didn’t qualify for the next PT were offered a free PTQ for four spots.

The aura of the PT returned as I re-entered the ballroom for a 106-person stacked PTQ. 

How did I know it was stacked?  First, every opponent was a Pro Tour veteran.  Second, round 1 I was paired against Hall of Famer Shuhei Nakamura.  It felt surreal feeling the breath of LSV and other notables watching me play Magic.  Game 1, after a long back and forth (he was on Azorius Control), I somehow put myself in a position to lose if he has a counterspell, but thankfully he doesn’t and my Fatal Push resolves on his manland for the win.  Game 3 he mulls to 5 and I pull ahead in a matchup that heavily favors Mono-Black.  To his credit, LSV demolished me on MTGO with the deck leading up to the PT and I learned some good lessons from that practice.  I think better of thanking LSV as he looks on.

Round 2 I beat a guy who ends up in the final 4.  I’m his only loss.  He’s on Enigmatic Fires, basically a 50/50 matchup for me that comes down to Invoke Despair.  I find enough of them to earn quick 2-0, a nice reprieve from my last round marathon versus Shuhei.

Round 3 I play Rakdos Midrange, only this time I don’t draw well, not at all, and he has incessant gas to run me over.  A rare drubbing vs. one of my best matchups. 

Round 4 I recognize my opponent as winning a big tournament in China leading up to this PT.  He’s on Mono Green, a matchup about 60/40 in his favor.  Thankfully, I catch some breaks and I get past a tough matchup.

Round 5 I have another must win, but I’m facing my worst matchup, Rakdos Sacrifice.  After one of the longest and most judge call heavy matches of my life (mostly on account of him missing many triggers which I at times scribble dutifully onto my notepad anyway), I dig for ways to kill him in extra turns while he’s at 10 life.  I don’t get there as we draw game 2 and he takes down the match for a game 1 win.  I’m dead.

But I decide to play Round 6 since the pairings go up immediately after my last match.  I don’t remember much about this one.  Mono Green again.  I get run over one game, I run him over the next.  Then Game 3 ends with him getting too far ahead.

The hall is virtually cleared out.  The Pro Tour Top 8 is taking place on the main stage, but no spectators are allowed inside the ballroom, giving the place an empty, eerie feel.  Most PTQers, like me, have dropped from the event, so there’s a particular solemnness on our side of the room. 

I inhale the Pro Tour vibe, which now seems almost church-like, what with all the quiet and seriousness.  I pray one day to return in all the glory and privilege I experienced this weekend.

On November 20^th, 2022, I qualified for the newly reimagined Magic the Gathering Pro Tour by finishing 10-3, good for 26^th place out of 928 players, in the very first DreamHack Regional Championship in Atlanta, which awarded Pro Tour invites to the top 48 finishers. 

Here’s my decklist: Mono-Black Midrange.

Being back on the Pro Tour is hard for me to fathom for two reasons.  First, my overarching goal since 2012 has been to make the Pro Tour once, and now this will be my third time.  Second, I flew out to Atlanta not even qualified for the Regional Championship.  Flying home qualified for the PT felt inconceivable. 

So how did I qualify for the Pro Tour?

1. Luck
2. Mono-Black Midrange
3. Hard work

In that order.  But first, Mono Black:

Mono Black Midrange Pioneer Deck Guide

I view Mono Black as a control deck.  You manage the board with a never-ending supply of disruption and card advantage.  Discard spells, removal, deathtouch blockers, and Invoke Despair provide the disruption while you slowly but steadily develop card advantage and a Zillow-esque display of Castles and Swamps.  Sheoldred or Sorin provide a slow yet inevitable victory.  You’re an underdog boxer fading early pressure or whatever might come your way to harness a series of mediocre attacks…or no attacks at all…once you’ve weathered the initial assault.

While I initially ran Rakdos Midrange in Pioneer, I switched to Mono-Black after a string of never-ending losses and frustration of often finding myself unable to cast Invoke Despair on turn five.  I discovered several benefits to playing Mono-Black over Rakdos, with the caveat that these benefits are unique to me:

1. Mono-Black fits my playstyle.  It carries the same play pattern as my one true love, Modern BW Tokens, which I’ve doted over extensively on this blog.  Both decks allow you to sit back and control the pace of the game.  Like BW Tokens, Mono-Black is the midrange deck to beat midrange decks, but unlike BW Tokens, it also has fine matchups vs. combo and control.
2. Mono-Black fits my strengths and weaknesses as I’m a much stronger book learner than an intuitive strategist.  Mono-Black has a clearly identified way to win while Rakdos does not.  I never felt I had a solid game plan playing Rakdos.  Many games do not culminate in the ideal Kiki copy everything everywhere all at once endgame.  Most games I had to come up on the spot with how I was going to win and the deck plays out differently across different matchups.  It takes a good amount of skill to navigate when and how to pressure or switch gears and sit back and disrupt.  As such, Rakdos rewards intuition.  Mono-Black has less complicated inflection points and bears a streamlined, consistent-across-all-matchups gameplan:  Kill everything while quietly winning the arms race, then take card advantage and a resolved Sheoldred or Sorin to victory.  The deck rewards repetition and practice.

Mono Black is great in the current meta.  You’re favored against Rakdos Midrange, Phoenix, and Mono-White Humans.  You’re nearly 50/50 against Mono Green.  And, you have game against combo. 

Decklist:

4 Gifted Aetherborn

Akin to Auriok Champion in Modern BW Tokens, this little guy holds the deck together in any creature matchup.  Excellent against Mono-White Humans, Vehicles, Graveyard Trespasser, and virtually any non-flying attacker.  Sure, it’s terrible vs. Spirits, but even when it’s bad, it will always help gain life, an important synergy with the Castles, Sign in Bloods, and Murderous Riders in the deck.  It’s also a threat, not to mention fantastic against Liliana decks, as it protects the more-valuable-in-the-matchup Trespasser from a minusing Lili. 

0 Misery’s Shadow

Yes, this seems better vs. Mono-Green, and is certainly better than Aetherborn vs. Phoenix, but it lacks synergy within the framework of this deck.  Besides lacking lifelink, it doesn’t function as a control card in a control deck the way Aetherborn does.  This deck isn’t looking to sneak in an 8/8, it’s looking to sit back, hang out, and only get its feet wet after one too many cocktails or perhaps heavy encouragement from a sunbathing companion.  Misery’s Shadow seems much better in Rakdos than Mono-Black, where I’m not sold on casting a 2/2 on turn 2 that cannot trade up immediately.  No lifelink.  No deathtouch.  No thank you.

Additionally, in the mirror and vs. Vehicles, Aetherborn is annoying for the opponent to deal with.  Providing a target for Bonecrusher Giant on turn 2 seems so bad as to make a great matchup much worse.  This deck wants to tap out on its first four turns, so keeping one mana up to activate Misery is awkward. 

3 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse

This deck is really a Sheoldred deck.  Drawing multiples can be problematic, so the deck runs only three of its best card.

3 Liliana of the Veil

Ticking Lili down when an opponent has a single creature happens so often that I’m convinced three copies is correct.  She’s insane against Rakdos on turn three when she nukes a lone Trespasser.  Unlike other midrange decks, Mono-Black rarely wants to discard a card.  It wants a healthy amount of lands on the battlefield for the Castles (not to mention five lands for Invoke), so many times it’s correct not to tick Lili up, but to leave her to hang out and occupy what is commonly the only board presence.  She often catches the eye of a Bonecrusher Giant, and so ticking her up to 2 from 1 is a dangerous place to be, anyway.

I’ve seen many decklists run one of these, so I may be in the minority, but I’m of the opinion that even in situations where Liliana is not great, she’s fine.  Notably, she often draws out a removal spell that the opponent could have saved for a better opportunity later.  For instance, regarding the Bonecrusher Giant, there have been many situations where I’ve had to play around Bonecrusher Giant when blocking with Sheoldred.  A Liliana on 1 counter, when I will never use her again, drawing out a kill spell that could later have been used against Sheoldred, or a Skysovereign trigger that instead could have targeted a creature, or an attacker that could instead have attacked me, carriers a hidden benefit of running this planeswalker even when she’s not strong in the matchup overall.

4 Thoughtseize

Don’t leave home without four.  Yes, discard is overrated because so many decks in Pioneer top-deck well, but everyone gets a draw step.  The best starting draws against Mono-Green include two of this card.

4 Fatal Push

When I began playing Pioneer, I wanted to play a deck with 4 Thoughtseize and 4 Fatal Push.  Arguably the two most powerful one-mana spells you can cast in this format.

3 Murderous Rider

Mono Black’s best removal spell is this great two-for-one as it kills their best thing, then hangs around to gain life back, block, or work on the opponent’s life total.  While not a house against Phoenix and bad in multiples vs. Lotus Field, so many games come down to top decking for this card and I’m almost always happy to see one when the game is at all in doubt.  When this card is good, it’s really good, and it’s fantastic in multiples, which is why my fourth awaits its chance for glory in the sideboard.

1 Infernal Grasp/Baleful Mastery/Bloodchief’s Thirst

Yes, Murderous Rider is better, but Greasefang is a thing and this deck is light on two-drops.   Mastery kills EVERYTHING, yes, they draw a card, but it kills EVERYTHING.  Also, with Sheoldred out, that draw can Shock your opponent.  I’m currently on Infernal Grasp, but I’m keeping the door open.

0 Go for the Throat

Skysovereign is FANTASTIC vs. midrange.  I expect to see more of this card moving forward in the meta and at the Pro Tour.  Infernal Grasp or Mastery is where I want to be.

4 Sign in Blood

This is a card advantage deck, first and foremost.  Also, a Sheoldred deck.  Nearly every game I want to cast one of these on turn two, and then another later in the game, hopefully when I can benefit from Sheoldred netting two life or doming my opponent for six with her triggers.

4 Graveyard Trespasser

I cannot understand anyone playing a black midrange deck not running four of this card.  With the exception of Abrupt Decay or Liliana, it’s always a two for one or a one-for-one when and if you choose to block/attack.  It’s maindeck graveyard hate, a nightmare of a barrier for aggro decks, and an annoyance to remove elsewhere.  Ironically, not good against Mono Green, even with Storm the Festival.

2 Sorin the Mirthless

In a deck with few ways to win the game, Sorin volunteers his game-ending services along with a steady stream of card advantage.  Generally I’m gaining enough life for the draws not to sting.  Sorin, Sheoldred, and Invoke Despair team up to provide the opportunity to win games by doing…nothing, really.  No complicated attacks.  No circuitous lines.  No tricky decision trees to loop through.  Just draw cards and win.  He ultimates more often than I’d have ever thought possible before I started running him.

4 Invoke Despair

Mono-Black is THE Invoke Despair deck.  It’s often lights out for your opponent.  It totally disrupts rebuilt boards, interacts with enchantments, and pairs with Sheoldred to generate more life and more resources.

4 Castle Locthwain

The deck’s best land.  I generally want to activate this as soon as I can, every time I can.  This deck wants to run all four.  Mono-Black Midrange would not be great in Pioneer without this card.

2 Field of Ruin

I was surprised how often I’d get one or two of these in hand to disrupt my Sign in Blood/Invokes game plan.  Two is good, I wouldn’t go to three.

2 Hive of the Eye Tyrant

This deck often needs to hit its fifth land drop to cast Invoke.  I would love to go to three, but casting Sheoldred and Invoke on curve is just so important.  I don’t want to go to 25 lands because while I miss my 4^th or 5^th many games, many more I flood out without a Castle and those situations feel more hopeless.

Sideboard

4 Cling to Dust

This card is not great, just okay.  But it fits well into the theme of this deck, which is card advantage, and I wanted a 4-of sideboard package graveyard hate, so here it is.  Leyline of the Void is better 100% of the time if it’s drawn it in the opening 7 and the opponent doesn’t have Boseiju to kill it.  However, many games Leyline will not magically appear on turn 1, but will reveal itself on a turn 2 or turn 3 draw step, which this deck just cannot afford.  This deck needs to be winning the arms race early in the game, and drawing a Leyline kills its card advantage.  Mulling to 4 in search of a Leyline is just not where I want to be.  Cling might get exiled by the opponent’s Trespasser, but Cling can nuke Greasefang and Phoenix AND might get generate card advantage later in the game (notably, Azorius Control and Mono-Green can never exile it).

0 Go Blank

I’m interested in adding this to the board somehow.  Probably better than Cling to Dust versus the top three decks and for sure better against Lotus Field and Azorius Control.  Worse against Rakdos Sacrifice and Greasefang.

2 Duress

Great in many situations.

3 Ray of Enfeeblement

INSANE vs. Mono-White Humans, Angels, and Bant Spirits.  Even Legion Loyalist.  Meh vs. Mono-Blue Spirits, one of this deck’s few bad matchups.

1 Legion’s End

My pet card, a habit I cannot seem to drop.  Great vs. Phoenix and any creature decks.  Don’t bring it in vs. Mono-Green.  But the legion brings a dark night full of terrors for Awaken the Woods and Chariot decks.

1 Murderous Rider

The fourth copy of my best removal spell is here when I want it.

3 Extinction Event

The exact card I might need.  Does a fine job.  Can be insane at times.  Generally I always want to draw one vs. any creature matchup.  Often the card needed to turn the tide vs. Mono Green, although many times the opponent can afford to play around it.  Also decent against Rakdos, as the most common way to lose is they get a Kiki-combo going.  I’ve found it better than Go Blank and Thoughtseize in the mirror.

1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet

Often excellent, I like one.  The lifelink and zombies have generally been factors, so I’m still not trading this for Misery’s Shadow, for the reasons above.

0 Skysovereign

Great card, but this deck is gunning for Invokes on turn 5 AND I have so few creatures that I worry about crewing this.  I cannot overstate the amount of games where I have no board presence, nada, nothing, but I’m still way ahead.

Regional Championship Atlanta – Saturday

Having qualified for the Regional Championship (RC) in the penultimate Last Chance Qualifier the night before around 10:30 pm (my third and final last chance attempt), it felt surreal to plaster myself amidst 900 other bodies searching for their player meeting seatings.  Bearing witness to the mass of humanity before me, I would have thought everyone and their mother had qualified.  Indeed, upon parking my rear into my assigned chair, chatter around me erupted into how unlikely it was with 1200 players qualified (928 showed up for this 13-round tournament) to make one of the top spots that would qualify 48 players for the Pro Tour.  Debate about whether x-3-1 was locked ensued.  Said chatter was surprisingly easy for me to tune out – having weathered the gauntlet last night, I felt akin to freerolling.  I already achieved my goal for the trip: qualifying for this tournament.  The possibility of making the Pro Tour was simply the cherry on top of the sundae. 

I was here for the sundae.  Looking around, I soaked in the recognition of household-name pros, regular grinders, the uniform postures of hundreds of players caring enough about the game to sit still and wait for judges to hand out their Teferi promos.  An awareness of the time lost due to COVID came over me and I happily greeted the warm embrace of familiar vibes, acknowledging how awesome it was to return to the big tournament scene after such a long hiatus.  I had arrived exactly where I wanted to be at this moment in time, to be qualified for the first ever RC, to be playing high-level Magic once again, to be playing a format and deck I truly enjoyed.  Sure, I wanted to do well at this tournament, but relishing this experience was my top priority.  That said, I did care enough to run the numbers and learn that 48/928 = 5.17% of the field would qualify for the PT.  I dismissed the Pro Tour dream in conversations with friends over the course of that morning, announcing to the world that it was an impossibility for me (and my friends) to even consider making the Pro Tour against those odds.  I was delighted to play Magic on the biggest competitive stage in over three years.  That was enough.

Perspective and attitude so oriented, I made my way to my chair as the first round began.

Round 1 – Rakdos Sacrifice – Lost 0-2

I was delighted to learn this tournament had open decklists because I’m a huge beneficiary.  The tradeoff of someone knowing my deck is nothing compared to my knowledge of what they might do to me.  I’m someone who benefits from information, so seeing my opponent’s entire list before we even begin gives me what I believe are a few additional percentage points.  However, upon seeing what my opponent was playing this round, my heart sank.  Rakdos Sacrifice is a bad matchup.  Its engine is very difficult for Mono Black to disrupt and I knew I was in for a tough start.

On the draw game 1, where we both kept 7, I was extending the game by killing his Devils before he could get going.  On my last turn, I made a mistake attacking with Aetherborn into a Cat (in the yard at the time) that my opponent could just sac to not allow me to gain enough life to survive next turn.  My first big mistake of the tournament, but the silver lining was I was definitely dead in a few turns regardless.  Game 2 on the play, where we both kept 7, was a grind, but the entire game I felt behind.  Mono Black has no way to remove a Witch’s Oven, and so I sat a helpless spectator as he pinged me, then my creatures, then me again to death.

Round 2 – Jund Sacrifice – Won 2-1

While I felt as though I had locked in a good attitude for the day, I drew another heavy sigh to see another bad matchup.  After somehow winning Game 1, Game 2 I was stuck on 2 lands and had a rare game where I didn’t play Magic at all.  Game 3 was make or break for the rest of my day, and I knew it.  Fortunately, I drew very well – I cast all 3 Invokes (I boarded one out) while my opponent drew extremely poorly after keeping his starting 7.

This round was the only round where I was banished from the tournament room (they had a few overflow tables outside in the main hall), and it felt like a sign of things to come to regain entry and to continue the long road toward round 9.

Round 3 – Mono Green – Won 2-1

So began a long gauntlet of decks I expected to play today.  This was the first of my five Mono-Green opponents.  My opponent was super nice, but very fast – the fastest shuffler I have ever seen.  I had to mentally remind myself to slow down so as not to get lost in their furious pace to the game.  Game 3 was epic.  After they ticked down Karn to secure the new five-drop artifact that does -5/-5 (which they planned to cast on my Sheoldred next turn), I miracle drew a Duress to nab it and rode my Sheoldred to victory!

Round 4 – Selesnya Angels – Won 2-1

Wandering around the DreamHack exhibits before this round, I remember having the thought whichever one of us, my opponent or me, won the next round and started the tournament at 3-1 would actually have a strong chance of going deep.  This was the first time I invited the possibility of doing well today into my thought process.  It was either here or after this match that I began re-reading my three-pages of notes before each match.

I identified my opponent as a strong player right away.  Game 1 he absolutely annihilated me by attacking for 30+ damage while I was at a healthy 22 life – yes, one turn, blown out.  Game 2 a pattern that I’ve since noticed with this deck occurred – after being annihilated game 1, I was the annihilator game 2.  Game 3 was pretty uneventful – I killed all his stuff before making a big mistake not to kill his lone creature end of turn so I could then Invoke him for lethal.  Instead, he had one more turn at 1 life, but honestly I can’t imagine any combination of CoCo into Angels that would have saved him.

Round 5 – Rakdos Midrange – Won 2-0

Finally, my best matchup.  Another competent opponent who mulled once, to 6 game 1.  His Go Blank was annoying game 2, but a minor annoyance was the extent of the entire effort.  Both games were lopsided bloodbaths in my favor.

Round 6 – Izzet Phoenix – Won 2-0

The tournament seemed to be looking up for me – I had wanted to play Rakdos and Phoenix all day, and finally got my shot at Phoenix here.  Another great player, but unlike last round, these games went super long.  However, never, not once, was the advantage bar tilted away from me.  Definitely not game 2, when, after my opponent tapped out for Shark Typhoon, I followed up with Invoke Despair.  The only time that happened all tournament, but a turn that will stay with me for a long time.

Round 7 – Selesnya Humans – Won 2-1

My win and in for day 2.  Historically, I have a terrible record in day 2 win and ins, notably GPs, but this one felt different.  I had done well after an 0-1 start, but I knew better than anyone that finishing x-3 on day 1 was basically good bye Pro Tour.  I needed more than a day 1 minimum record, so perhaps that thinking allowed me to feel less pressure this match.

Another CoCo deck, but Humans, not Angels.  My good friend and trip roommate had the privilege of watching me get demolished by double Skyclave and a formidable army Game 1.  He promptly left only later to be amazed I’d somehow righted the ship.  Game 2 and 3 my opponent mulled to 6, and after winning a tenuous game 2 at one life, I received help from Kalitas, who crushed game 3.

Round 8 – Mono Green – Won 2-1

I was against a super strong Mono Green player who game 1 somehow beat me to death with nothing except a 4/4 token from a dead Troll and Skysovereign in a game where I drew NOTHING and he drew NOTHING except the 4/4 and skyship.  No Karn, no Storms, just a super unusual game.

Game 2 was the longest game of the day.  I finally won with a Sorin ultimate when he was at 8 life. 

We shuffled for game 3 with about 10 minutes left and both played FAST.  I was able to drop a Sheoldred and dome him with Sign in Blood for six for the win.  After starting 0-1, I’d just won 7 in a row!

Round 9 – Mono Green – Lost 1-2

Super great player who ended up 9^th overall.  Unlike last round, I blew him out game 1.  Game 2 was proceeding in similar fashion.  I killed all his stuff and we were both in top deck mode.  Unfortunately, he top-decked Karn and then drew complete gas and what was previously the advantage bar in my favor suddenly flipped entirely.  Game 3 was not a game – like earlier in round 2, I was stuck on two lands, and even my opponent apologized.  However, even if I had drawn well, this was the first game vs. Mono-Green where my opponent had absolute gas and I’m not sure any initial 7 would have propelled me to the finish line.

Losing this one hurt.  I’d made no glaring mistakes, but after having 8-1 in my sights, I had to settle on ending the day, glorious as it was, at 7-2.

Regional Championship Atlanta – Sunday

Round 10 – Mono Green – Lost 0-2

Like Day 1, I began Day 2 with an 0-2 beatdown loss.  For the first and only time playing Mono Green five times during this tournament, I was annihilated.  My opponent destroyed me with the combo (Stone Brain) game 1 on turn 4!  Game 2 he kept a 1 land, Oath hand, which I seized right away.  Unfortunately, I was stuck on 2 lands and he promptly drew Elf (which I killed), then land, and another land, while I remained mana screwed.  When I eventually accumulated enough lands to make the game somewhat competitive, my opponent expertly played around Extinction Event, and when I finally cast it, he simply recast double 3-converted-mana-cost jolly green friends to seal the deal.

Round 11 – Mono Green – Won 2-1

For the first time all tournament since the 48/928 division problem I’d worked out earlier, I reflected on my chances of making the Pro Tour.  After consulting with some experts, I discovered that x-3 was locked for top 48, while x-3-1 was possible.  This knowledge raised my spirits.  I’d been in this spot before.  Just like last night, I had another top 8 to win.  There were three matches of Magic between me and the Pro Tour.  Suddenly, “making it” morphed from a vague idea into a concrete plan of action.  If I won another top 8, I was in.  It was that simple.

Game 1 my opponent missed his third land and I ran him over.  Pushing two Elfs helped tremendously.  Game 2 I took my only mull to 5 all day and got destroyed. 

Before game 3, I asked to go the bathroom, and my opponent, a super nice guy, said he had to go too, and commented he’d never gotten up from a match with his opponent like this before.  Our peregrination together affected me – paralleling our journey toward the finish line, I was aware that while we’d walk back together, after this match only one of us would be continuing the quest toward the Pro Tour.

Game 3 my starting hand of 2x Thoughtseize was enough to sprint way ahead and after a somewhat lengthy game, I found myself still live for the PT!  My good friend showed up right at the end of the game to offer words of encouragement for my final two matches.

Round 12 – Rakdos Midrange – Won 2-0

All day I’d refresh the melee app hoping to see a Rakdos Midrange decklist materialize.  Lucky me to see it again now!  My opponent mulled to 5 game 1, then 6 game 2 and watched helplessly as I demolished him like the luck-sack that I am.  My good friend later commented he came looking for me soon after the round started, or so he thought, and upon seeing that no one was at our table, assumed I’d been vanquished.  After all, Mono-Black can’t win that fast!  And yet, it did.  My friend didn’t find me as I’d invested my extra time into booking it to the other side of the convention hall to secure food, clear my head, re-read my notes, and get psyched for what would be one of the biggest matches of my entire Magic career, past, present, and future.

Round 13 – Selesnya Angels – Won 2-0

My 4^th Pro Tour win and win.

I can’t say that the complete luck from the last round didn’t affect me – it sat there, taunting me.  No way I could get that fortunate again in such a monumental match, right?  However, the pairing delivered hope: a favorable matchup.  I’d beaten the prior two CoCo decks I’d faced, one of which was Angels, and I knew I was favored.

A quick standings check confirmed what I already knew – drawing MIGHT get me into the top 48, but not for sure.  This was a true win-and-in.  One of us would win everything, and one would go home with a $100 consolation prize. 

Game 1 was a blur – I forget everything, but the life totals on my pad read like this:

Me:  21, 23, 25, 21, 23, 27, 29

Him:  19, 17, 13, 11, 7, 5, 3

Game 2 brought with it baggage.  I have a history of winning game 1 of my win-and-ins decisively, then making some sort of boneheaded error to punt game 2, then go on to lose game 3.  This pattern is so consistent I’ve just resigned myself to it happening, though I keep telling myself to SLOW DOWN in game 2 and be careful.  Please.  Find the mistake before it happens.

Well, game 2 also brought back the lucksack in me.  On the draw, I looked at my starting seven to see this:

Swamp, Swamp, Swamp, Fatal Push, 2x Ray of Enfeeblement, Legion’s End 

Literally, if you asked me to pick through my deck and fish out the best seven card starting hand, I’d trade the Push for a Murderous Rider, but THAT’S IT.  The best starting 7 of my entire tournament and likely the best starting 7 of my entire history playing Magic, and it came here, in my most dire hour of need.  I sat poker-faced, squealing inside, while my opponent mulled to 6.  Then to 5.  He put two cards underneath his deck and was ready.

Turn 1 he played Plains.  Go.

Turn 1 I drew and played Swamp.  Go.

Turn 2 he played Bishop.

Turn 2 I drew Extinction Event and cast Legion’s End on Bishop to see this hand:  Temple Garden, Brushland, Righteous Valkyrie.  The grip on my Swamp, Swamp, Push, 2x Ray, Extinction tightened.

Turn 3 he dropped Valkyrie.

Turn 3 I drew Liliana and promptly ticked her down.

Soon after, he drew and played CoCo and nabbed Lili with Skyclave (he also CoCoed into a 3 cmc angel).  I then cast Extinction Event to 2 for 1 his board and come away with a 3/3 Illusion token (off Lili), which I used to beat him down the rest of the game.

Finally, my mistake happened.  On his last turn, I made the mistake of not pushing his new Bishop before he sacked Mutavault to my 2^nd Lili.  This allowed him to get a token off Bishop’s ability when if I had pushed Bishop first, he’d have none.  I had dutifully been reading the Angel cards all weekend, but here my excitement got the better of me as I’d forgotten about the Bishop’s 2^nd ability.  However, my deck bailed me out.  In my hand I held infinite removal, and the error cost me nothing more than flashing a Murderous Rider and winning next turn all the same.

I made it!  As I’d done when I qualified for my first Pro Tour back in 2019, I just sat at my table soaking in the tournament hall scene, enjoying one of the three biggest victories of my life.  I’d won my last three matches to get here.  I was one of the 5.17%.  I’d done it.  I was back on the Pro Tour!

I texted my good friend, “Where are you?”  He saw me coming far away, and when I was close enough, I let my face betray my emotion and we celebrated this giant moment of my mediocre Magic: The Gathering career together.

My 3rd Pro Tour, and the first time qualifying without Modern Burn.

It felt extra special to be qualified for the first Pro Tour since the MPL/Magic Arena/COVID hiatus.

MonoBlack4life!

In 2022, I recorded a video series opening one of all 17 Star Trek CCG 1st Edition booster packs: Star Trek CCG Youtube Link

Here are the photos of all the cards I opened:

Premiere Rares:

On January 11, 2020, I won the 30-person Modern WPNQ (PTQ) at my local store, Millennium Games.  For the second time within the past twelve months, I spiked a Modern PTQ with Burn. 

RETURNING TO THE OLD PTQ SYSTEM

The old (or new, however you look at it) PTQ system is a welcome one to me for a few reasons:

• Math

Current System:  PTQ win = Players Tour Invite (You need to win one tournament)

Previous System:  PPTQ win = RPTQ Invite = Pro Tour Invite (You need to win two tournaments)

• Dispelling My Personal Grinder Ethos

Managing the psychology of the grinder ethos took its toll on me.  When I began playing Magic in 2012, I quickly identified that the path to success was best accomplished by grinding.  By grinding, I mean opening up your calendar mid-Autumn, circling dates of big tournaments in the next calendar year, buying a few plane tickets, booking a few hotels, and understanding that the more shots you took the better chances you had of hitting the bullseye. 

Currently, there’s no more tangible example of grinding than MTG:Arena: Climbing the ladder to hit mythic, then spending two days playing an online Grand Prix, only to do it again and again.  It’s the reason I don’t play MTG:Arena. 

While grinding might be a choice for some players and a lifestyle that works for them, it’s not for me.  Family and work obligations prevent me from cavorting around the continent hoping to spike.  Additionally, it’s my opinion that I’ve contributed to a culture of toxic grinding, encouraging and congratulating my friends’ ostensible dedication to the game when they return from a disappointing 9-6 GP finish only to prioritize squeezing in an extra Grand Prix into their already tenuous schedule.

For me, going to RPTQs embodied grinding and I’m happy to be out.  The updated PTQ system affords me the opportunity to attend a PTQ locally and then spike right away rather than return to the pervasive sheep-herding from event to event.

• My Privilege

Magic isn’t my top priority.  I’ve got a partner and two year-old son who love me, a job I love, and a few other hobbies to propel my sanity through the month.  I’ve already been on the Pro Tour, which was my top Magic goal, and so I’m no longer chasing that Holy Grail.  PTQs returning to my local area is a huge deal because I don’t have to drive three hours to Toronto anymore to try to chase my Magic dream (or to Seattle, for that matter, where I won my last PTQ).

Additionally, this local PTQ hosted 30 people.  The last local PTQ I attended was 13.  13!  This is a far cry from the PTQs of old, sometimes hosting 300+ players.  As all the current Grand Prix PTQs remain around 100+, there’s no better way to make the Players Tour than through local events.

MY ADVICE ON HOW TO MAKE THE PLAYERS TOUR

If you want my advice on what I think is the easiest way to qualify for a Regional Players Tour at the current time, I advocate this:

1. Scour the PTQ list for events relatively near you.
2. Call the store to ask about how many players attended the last PTQ OR find some other way to decipher typical attendance numbers.
3. Prioritize attending a few of those events over any others, notably Grand Prix.

THE TOURNAMENT

I was delighted the PTQ was Modern.  Unlike Standard or Pioneer, my history with Modern is weathered, yet strong, and every time I sit down for Round 1 I feel as though I’m being welcomed home.  Since 2012, I’ve played BW Tokens and Burn competitively, generally switching to Burn when Tokens is bad (which happens to be most of the time), and I’ve cashed three Grand Prix with both decks (twice with Tokens, once with Burn).   I won a June 2019 MCQ with my stock Burn list, and changed just one sideboard card this time around (adding the 4^th Kor Firewalker and removing the 3^rd Rest in Peace).

My deck:

REASONS I PLAYED BURN

A friend of mine commented recently that Mono-Red Prowess may be better than Burn in the current meta, and I tended to agree.  I still played Burn for these reasons:

First, I’ve always been leery about single-creature-based gameplans.  It’s much easier to stumble because the prowess deck is less redundant.  Like Burn, you generally need to mulligan hands without a turn 1 threat.  However, when your turn 1 Goblin Guide bites the dust, his two damage is usually all you needed from him.  Fatal Push and Lightning Bolt can wreak more havoc on a gameplan more reliant on creatures.

Second, I’m not that good at Magic.  Burn is my jam.  I’ve spent years playing it and I know it much better than a random audibled deck.  My biggest success in Magic is 100% based on learning two Modern decks and rotating them (BW Tokens led me to pick Burn as my second choice since it’s good against Tokens’ bad matchups).

Third, Burn is good in the current meta, even if Mono-Red Prowess is better according to MTG Goldfish.

Fourth, BW Tokens is not a good choice in the current meta.  I chose trying to win over having fun this tournament.

Round 1 – Bant Stoneblade – Dave – Won 2-0 (Oko was still legal at this time)

Even with low attendance, Rochester, NY PTQs are pretty stacked.  Dave’s attended the last two PTs and he was qualified for Phoenix.  Game 1 he drew Oko too late and game 2 he never had it.  I discovered Eidolon of the Great Revel is really, really good versus this deck.  This match highlighted Burn’s redundancy.  Even though Bant Stoneblade might be a bit of an unfavorable matchup, notably due to Oko presenting so much lifegain, Dave has to draw certain cards to win, whereas I generally only have to draw cards.  Burn gets there so many times when an opponent stumbles (more on this later).

Round 2 – Burn – JP – Won 2-0

I love playing the Burn mirror.  There’s no better way for me to feel competent with this deck than to battle against it.  Game 1 I was on the play and so had a huge advantage to start.  Game 2 I drew 3 Kor Firewalker and that was that.  After the match, we discussed our deck differences – JP eschewed all Skullcrack and 1 Lightning Helix for 3 Skewer and 2 Light up the Stage.  One huge difference between my deck and many other successful Burn lists is Skullcrack over Skewer.  I prefer Skullcrack mostly because it’s a three-damage burn spell for two-mana, whereas Skewer off the top might cost three-mana.

Round 3 – Eldrazi Tron – Derrick – Won 2-1

One of Burn’s tough matchups, but totally winnable.  I was fortunate that game 1, he cast Chalice for 1 after I cast all my 1cmc spells.  Game 2 his Warping Wail was just enough to get me.  I had three outs to win that game (Boros Charm), but missed.  Game 3 he natural drew tron (on the draw), but no Matter Reshaper or anything before turn 3 was just way too slow for my gas.

Round 4 and Round 5 – IDs

Quarterfinals – Burn – JP – Won 2-1

Against the same Burn player from the Swiss, I was on the play.  Game 1 I barely got there, and the story of this match was making the most out of much tougher situations than the ease of Round 2.  Game 2 I played way too cautiously – I played not to die when I should have just been going for the jugular and I finally lost.  Specifically, I held up a bolt over many turns not to die to a top-decked haste creature (which he never drew).  Game 3 started very poorly, as he pathed my turn 2 Kor Firewalker after I burned myself playing Scared Foundries.  I drew no more Firewalker that game, but somehow I closed it out, again, just barely.

Semifinals – Bant Stoneblade –  Ricky – Won 2-0

This match was a clinic on the redundancy of Burn.  Game 1 he kept a one lander with 3 Noble Hierarchs and it turned into another clinic, this time one on killing Hierarchs.  Game 2 played out differently and the game boiled down to a Batterskull arms race.  I blazed his first Stoneforge, but the second stuck.  Luckily, I had a Skullcrack the entire game and on the turn where he was set to gain his life, I cracked him.  I needed one more draw step and that was that. 

My opponent was upset with his poor draws, as would I if I’d been in his seat.  One of the benefits of playing Burn is that this rarely happens to you.  Sure, you have some games where it’s correct to keep a 1- lander, but you’re never going to have the complications of one-land decisions that a three-color deck full of mana dorks presents.  My opponent’s misfortune highlighted a second reason to play Burn – the deck wins at times without putting in too much effort.  Imagine you are a professional player in a sport of your choosing.  Imagine a scenario where, perhaps 10-15% of the time, when you show up to your game you only need to play at 50% of your potential to beat your opponent.  That’s what Burn does.  You don’t need three colors to materialize, you don’t need both halves of your deck to cooperate, you really don’t need much, whereas often your opponent will need an absence of mediocre draws to get their operation running at an adequate, let alone optimal, capacity.  (FYI I think BW Tokens is the complete opposite and needs to show up firing at at least 75% potential, and 100% if you don’t include Auriok Champion in your list).

Finals – Humans – Nick – Won 2-1

Well, this was one for the ages.  Nick, a local player, beat my friend Jason in his bracket, which was good because the Humans matchup was better for me, but poor in the sense that Nick historically always beats me.  In fact, earlier in this tournament, he reminded me of the time he top-decked a 1-outer (Sleep playing Mono-Blue) to beat me in a PPTQ match some time ago.  I also remember him top-decking the 4-mana GW lifelink human in a Standard PTQ as well to come from behind another time.  Alas, my track record vs. him wasn’t great.

Since I was the 2 seed and he was 3, I was on the play, and game 1 went like clockwork for me.  Things were going well game 2 until I made the biggest mistake in paper Magic (at least one that I caught) in the past year.  Having suspended double Rift Bolt on my turn 2, I passed to Nick, who dropped Meddling Mage, naming Rift Bolt, on his turn 3.  My big mistake here was mental – I fell into an emotional reasoning thought error – I was immediately hard on myself for not anticipating his play – when looking back my play was objectively the correct play.  I got so stuck in my head, so upset with myself for not foreseeing Meddling Mage and then I asked a question (I’m not sure whether to Nick or to our judge sitting next to him) to confirm where I thought the Rift Bolts would go.  These two pieces filling all the space in my mind, I absent-mindedly drew my card and immediately realized I could have just Pathed the Mage in my upkeep.  Looking back, a lack of mindfulness and operating in the present precluded me from seeing the correct (and obvious!) line before it was too late.  Well, I went on to lose that game and started game 3 with a well of self-criticism that I immediately worked to keep at bay.   Jason, sitting next to me, later told me he thought I still would have lost, even with the Rift Bolts doming for 6, but I’m pretty confident that’s not the case.

Game 3 was nuts.  I was on the play, but we both mulled to 6 and I was on the back foot the entire time.  He was at 8 life when the last spell in my hand, Skullcrack, got stolen by Kitesail Freebooter and I had 0 cards left.  He had Noble Hierarch, Champion of the Parish, Kitesail Freebooter, and Mantis Rider.  He had also drawn about three cards off horizon lands by this point.  Things were looking grim and I resigned myself to losing the match.  Then, I untapped and drew Searing Blaze.  What an incredible stroke of good luck.  During his combat next turn, I fetched and blazed his Freebooter, chumped a huge Champion with Goblin Guide, and somehow stayed alive at 5 life.  I fired off the Skullcrack end of his turn, leaving him at 2 life and with me inexplicably drawing for the win on my next draw step.  This was it, I needed it NOW, a huge Champion of the Parish coming in to kill me versus no creatures of my own.  Realizing how exciting this match was going to end, I asked the judge and Jason if they wanted to turn the card over for me.  They declined and I threw over…Grim Lavamancer.  Ugh, the best card in the matchup, just way too late.  Good game.  Good match.  Goodbye Players Tour.  The circumstances dire, I somehow stopped myself from making a bigger mistake than the Game 2 fiasco by shaking Nick’s hand in concession.  Instead, I threw down the Lavamancer, hoping to chump the Champion, resigned to die to an infinity of his top decks, most likely Reflector Mage.  Thalia’s Lieutenant also would have done the trick as it would have pumped Noble and Mantis Rider for the win.  Regardless, I’m sure Nick had many lives draws.  Nick untapped and drew.  And then…he did nothing.  He didn’t slam Reflector Mage or do anything to indicate he was going to kill me.  This moment brought me back to the final turn of my semi-finals match versus my Infect opponent at the Seattle PTQ I won in June:  Cringing, waiting with baited breath to die, only to be frozen in limbo.  Nick went to combat.  He allowed my Lavamancer to chump block the Champion and I fell to 2 life (I took 3 from Mantis Rider).  So we were both at 2 life.  He said, “Pass turn.”  Wow.  Somehow I’d escaped the turn.  Here I was with one more top-deck opportunity loaded in the gun.  Nick had a tapped Champion of the Parish (four, maybe five counters?), an untapped Mantis Rider, and an untapped Noble Hierarch, which meant any creature I top decked wouldn’t be enough to save me.  It had to be a burn spell that wasn’t Searing Blaze, or at least a Sunbaked Canyon to attempt to draw into another spell.  I said as much.  This time I didn’t ask for anyone else to reveal my fate.  I untapped, drew a breath, and flipped over my top card.  Lava Spike for the win.

I’M A LUCKSACK

To say I got lucky is an understatement, though to be fair, it took me two top-decks to seal my trip to the Players Tour.  As was the case in the semi-finals (vs. Bant Stoneblade), Nick’s Humans deck let him down.  He literally drew three more cards than I did game 3, and they weren’t enough.  However, I’m not discounting my sequence of incredible fortune (i.e., my last three draw steps).  I drew the only card that could have gotten me back in the game, Searing Blaze, then I top-decked an answer to block his Champion of the Parish, and then I top-decked the Lava Spike to win.

I’m incredibly fortunate to have attended a very small local PTQ and very lucky that my deck got the job done.  3 Burn players made top 8, reinforcing the notion that Burn is pretty good in my local meta (even with Oko), and should be even stronger now that Oko has left us. 

THANK YOU

I can’t say enough about all the great Magic players I know in Rochester and in Albany.  Out of my play group/local store, there are many players who are definitively better at the game than I am (Dave and Nick, I’m looking at you.  Also, my great friend from Albany Scott, who qualified for almost every PPTQ when those were around).  I’ve gotten better by playing against you and players like you – THANK YOU!  While I’m luckier than most to have spiked two PT invites in the past year, I’m even luckier to be able to play at an incredibly high level right down the street.

HOPES AND WISHES

I hope to do better at Players Tour 2 than I did at Mythic Championship VI, my first Pro Tour, where I finished 2-5-1.  Specifically, I hope to open a Pack 1 Pick 1 single-color bomb instead of a multi-color bomb, and to win one match of constructed, whatever the format (which has yet to be announced).  While I’ll trifle with Standard or Pioneer, as needed, my biggest wish would be to sit down for the first constructed round, take a deep, cleansing breath, and feel at home shuffling up either a bunch of lightning bolts or a bunch of flying tokens.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

When I drove past Reptiland, I knew I was in trouble.  The place has a way of putting me in a certain mood.  Usually, the result is a big, fat seed of fascination, intensified by the possibility of one day sharing my first experience in this otherworldly attraction with my two-year-old son.  It speaks to me in a way the nearby Little League World Series does not.  Perhaps my sports-loving son will disagree when he is old enough to stratify his interests, maybe before then.  The slimy monsters plastered to the inauspicious building mark a third of my progress to my oft-traveled Washington, DC destination.  But not today.  The bug-eyed creatures leered with darker energy, hissing through sharp teeth as if to say you’re only two hours into this drive, you have so much farther to go.

And so began the first of many mistakes during my first Pro Tour weekend, driving the entirety of Rochester to Richmond by my lonesome.  The nine-hour drive was mitigated by my two friends and weekend bunkmates welcoming me with weary arms themselves when I eventually crawled into the downtown district.  The reprieve was short-lived, as I had to clamor over to the convention hall to pick up my PT swag.  I redeemed myself, however, when, lost and confused as to where and how to register, I encountered the inimitable Alexander Hayne, my pick for most intelligent and witty Magic player.  Rather than gushing over my love for his Table for Two podcast, a modern masterpiece, I simply asked him where to register, to great success.

The win was short-lived when I was unable to secure a promotional Oko shirt that fit.  Offered a small or extra-large, I considered the pros and cons of gifting the small to my wife or trying to shrink the extra-large.  My matrimonial loyalties persevered, as well as my expectation that seeing my wife wandering around the house with the Thief of Crowns glaring back would be an acceptable, albeit minimal, way for her to support my hobby.  More letdowns ensued regarding the playmat – no, the playmats are not part of the swag, the joke’s on anyone assuming Wizards would be so generous, you have to buy them, and no, they aren’t of Oko.  Bloody Embercleave somehow got the call for this one.

Upon returning to the hotel, I discovered my marriage priority was well-placed.  Waiting for me at the front desk were flowers and a mistaken birthday balloon (my wife would later insist she ordered Congratulations) signed by my wife and son wishing me good luck at my first Pro Tour.  The balloon put in some good work, as multiple Holiday Inn patrons offered warm wishes as well as suggestions on how I might best appreciate my night.

My bunkmates were too tired to jam any games of Standard, so I resigned myself to the reality of having put in a grand total of 0 tabletop games with my Standard deck.

Friday, November 8, 2019

I arrived at the convention hall exactly as planned, ten minutes before, soon enough to be early, not long enough to ruminate and lose my mind.  Also, the perfect amount of time to ask some rando to take my picture while I smiled as if it were the first day of school, all with the intention of offering folks around me the opportunity to snicker at the noob.  I’ve been told I often put other people first.

This time I did gush, having spotted Autumn Burchett seated alone, most likely deep in a mindfulness exercise as part of their pre-game sequence.  I remarked that I missed hearing them on the Proven Combatants podcast, a true gem.  Autumn’s humility and insights were incredibly valuable to me, and Sarah Zyla’s determination to make her first PT and anecdotes along the way had for the past year or so motivated me to get to this very spot.  Autumn was gracious and polite and I appreciated them not telling me to get lost, noob, can’t you see I’m getting in my zone?

We got called to our draft pods and I soon found my butt plastered between Seth Manfield and Luis Salvatto.  No big deal.  Announcements commenced.  I waited on pins and needles for the opportunity to stand up, as I’d been told first-timers are asked to identify themselves so everyone can welcome us and applaud our outstanding accomplishment.  Read: allow the veterans to identify noobs.  Regardless of the intentionality or impact, I was excited for this rite of passage and was disappointed when it never came.  Someone either wizened up to said impact or just plain forgot.

One of my biggest worries with the timed draft was the mechanics behind counting out the 14 cards in front of me without wildly exposing the top card, which is the only card facing the opposite direction (so no front sides stick out).  Several folks reassured me peeking was inevitable, just turn it over in a calm, natural-sort of way.  Well, when the announcer asked us to count out our cards, I proceeded with said flip and Oko, Thief of Crowns (no, not altered art) glared back at me.  I was immediately exuberant and also a bit miffed.  I’d opened one of the three best mythics in the set, yet I’d had very little experience in my 42 prior drafts with the BlueGreen archetype.  In addition, I was primed to draft the hard way in this format, as that was the advice I’d absorbed the past several weeks, and opening Oko meant that went right out the window – I was 100% forcing BlueGreen.  Seth Manfield complicated matters by passing me red, I mean, he directed crystal-clear, take red you noob, signals no one could miss.  Luis Salvatto ended up with an insane red-white agro deck. 

Pack 1 Pick 2 was between the Red 5-drop Syr and Charmed Sleep.  Now, I’d done a bunch of drafts and never liked having a third color, not even a splash.  Looking back at this pick, I definitely should have taken the Syr and looked to suck it up and splash green or blue.  To be fair, my decision was based on some intentionality.  I’d drafted Oko twice prior and had little success with the resulting three color monstrosities.  I really wanted to stick with two colors, and there were tons of games, admittedly most with BlueRed, where I really wanted as many Charmed Sleeps as I could get.  I took Charmed Sleep.  And so, my mistakes continued.  I was, however, rewarded with a Maraleaf Pixie pick 3.

Around this time one of my contacts started bothering me.  A lot.  Either my eye became dry or something got into it, and I began tearing up and wished I could just call a judge and go to the bathroom to straighten things out.  I’d peer at packs with one-eye, blink forty times in a row, and try to stare at dark spots on the table for prolonged periods of time to no avail.  I can’t remember this happening to me ever before, at least not in the past year, yet here I was, a few picks and an Oko deep into a Pro Tour draft, and I was struggling with all my might to keep my contact in.  It must not have been terrible, because I didn’t remove it and play the disoriented when I look anywhere game, but it was frustrating.  Naturally, all the commotion ceased the moment the draft ended.

Somehow I messed up the mechanics of the top-card flip in pack two.  I spotted an uncommon during this process, so the rare was foreign to me until I examined the entire pack.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered Garruk staring back.  So I just opened the two best planeswalkers in the set and I was playing Sultai.  Sure.  The draft ended with me settling into BlueGreen with a Black splash.  Overall, I had two Trail of Crumbs, the two planeswalkers, 2 Fierce Witchstalkers, and generally pretty good stuff, but I was nervous about the three color business and my curve, which was unexciting. I had too many three-drops and little removal, notably not one Outmuscle.  I’d had limited success with midrange food decks in practice, and with the third color, even though I had two bombs, I wasn’t confident with how this deck would play out.  My splits were 8 Forest, 7 Island, and 3 Swamp.  I included a maindeck Reave Soul as my second black mana requirement.

Draft Deck:

• 8 Forest
• 7 Island
• 3 Swamp
• 2 Curious Pair
• 1 Maraleaf Pixie
• 2 Sporecap Spider
• 1 Shambling Suit
• 2 Fierce Witchstalker
• 1 Tuinvale Treefolk
• 1 Prophet of the Peak
• 2 Trail of Crumbs
• 1 Run Away Together
• 1 Reave Soul
• 2 Giant Opportunity
• 2 Charmed Sleep
• 1 Didn’t Say Please
• 1 Oko, Thief of Crowns
• 1 Garruk, Cursed Huntsman
• 1 Into the Story

Before the first round began, they announced this Pro Tour had 495 players, but for some reason only 494 were listed on the final standings sheet.

Round 1 – UR – Brett

Well, here it began, my first Pro Tour match, and I found myself on the draw.  Brett mulled to 6 game 1 and we both kept 7 game 2.  To my complete surprise, both games went like clockwork.  My Fierce Witchstalkers worked wonders and Run Away Together rescued one from Charmed Sleep.  Trail of Crumbs went bonkers game two and I gained more life than I would need all tournament.  Brett lamented a problem somewhat similar to mine.  He opened a Royal Scions Pack 1 Pick 1 and noted he’d gotten some tunnel vision, which was really also the story of my draft.  Pro players like Seth and Luis might be able to deftly navigate constraints imposed on opening multi-color cards, but my hope for any future high-level draft would be to open a mono-color bomb, read signals well, be lucky enough to stay in that color, and enter into a comfortable  and familiar archetype.  However, the silver lining was I’d just achieved my only goal for the day: winning a Pro Tour match, and it was my first one!

Round 2 – UW – Sergio

My round 2 opponent was baller.  Later, these suspicions were confirmed as he had the highest Elo of all my opponents (which, considering my final record, really shouldn’t come as a surprise).  What was a surprise was his deck, which in my opinion, was a very weak BlueWhite aggro build, with no fliers and no Flutterfox.  As a reminder, this guy was baller, and I remembered many times hearing from fellow players they’d been smashed by incredible players wielding a mash of average commons and uncommons.  Game 1 was the harbinger of the bad times to come.  We both mulled to 6 and I was stuck on one color, having only drawn Forests.  The 3-color problem reared its ugly head.  It literally took him forever to kill me with a  Gingerbrute and the 3-mana artifact, but after not drawing my colors, I just died.  Game 2 went much better for me, and I understood right away that if I landed a planeswalker early enough, he had no way to handle it. However, while Garruk won me this game, he had a solid board presence and my life total was low enough that it took me many turns before I could safely attack.  After the match, I asked Sergio about this and he insisted I may have been safe to attack one turn before I actually did, but not any before then.  We hustled on to game 3 with about six or seven minutes of time left.  Sergio did not slow play at all, far from it, but he was clearly playing for the draw.  Again, we both mulled to 6 and I kept a hand with Garruk.  If I had ever drawn a Swamp, I would have undoubtedly won, but it was not to be, and the 3-color problem manifested itself here.

Round 3 – BW Knights – Ryan

This guy knew what he was doing.  He drafted a solid BlackWhite Knights deck and game 1 he played turn 3 Oathsworn Knight and I didn’t have Charmed Sleep. Then I missed several land drops.  My curve and midrange plan were exposed – not only was his deck fast with a great curve, but also he had strong cards to handle going to a late game.  Game 2 his curve went exactly like this – turn 2 Charming Prince, turn 3 Oathsworn Knight, and turn 4 Rankle.  Unlike game 1, where I needed my 6^th land and never drew it, I flooded out, though I did manage to cast both planeswalkers and survive for an exceptionally long time, but his board presence and my low life total were just too much to overcome.  Also, fun fact, his Charming Prince returned his stolen-by-Oko Rankle, so that didn’t help matters much, either.

Overall, it was disappointing to go 1-1-1 with Oko and Garruk powering my deck.  I was embarrassed to cop to my record and confess that I’d had these two bombs.  I felt like a noob who couldn’t get the job done.  However, I didn’t beat myself up too much for a few reasons.  I had real mana problems both Round 2 and Round 3 (though I think my Round 3 opponent’s deck was more streamlined than mine). Losing Round 2 was the killer.  My lack of a solid curve and the three-color nature of my deck were too big an inconvenience for those two planeswalkers.  I’m not sure how I could have engineered a more efficient deck, as anyone opening Oko and Garruk would have played them, but with my deck built the way it was, mana problems got me into trouble.

Round 4 – Sultai Oko – Joseph

As the Standard portion of the tournament began, I discovered this was truly the Oko Pro Tour.  We had open decklists, which generally led to the anticlimax of discovering which two or three card choices were different between my opponents’ and my decks.  Joseph had Liliana to my Ugin.  He top decked Oko and then Noxious Grasp to break parity game 1.  Game 2 I made a bad decision not to mulligan and it cost me.

Here’s a link to my decklist: Michael Siembor’s standard decklist.

Round 5 – Sultai Oko – Ally

I got in my head a little bit here, as I knew Ally had just finished highly at an SCG event with this deck.  My insecurity with my lack of practice compounded when I saw her two maindeck Elderspells on her decklist.  True to form, she drew one Game 1 when I was ahead and it was a nose-dive from there.  Game 2 she double Noxious Grasped my Oko and Vraska when she had nothing on her board and she turned Nissa into Krasis into victory rather quickly.

Round 6 – Temur Reclamation – Adrian

Game 2 I almost got there, but as this deck is apt to do, he barely turned the corner and the game was decided on that turn.

Round 7 – Oko something – Parker  

Parker brought back the smile to my face as he commiserated that we’d both missed day 2 and boy these Oko mirrors were just not making this event a good time for him.  In fact, he thought he’d have a better time jamming side events at the Grand Prix in the hall next to ours and conceded to me.  So, while our tablemates to the left and right mashed their eyebrows together debating keeping marginal hands with Once Upon a Time, we sat back and unburdened ourselves from the complication of said Oko problems and waited for our match slip.

Round 8 – Sultai Oko – Kyle

Let me tell you, finally winning a game felt great.  After getting stuck on 3 lands and losing game 1, I won a long, drawn-out slugfest, the kind that my last round opponent described so fondly.  Game 3 my opponent’s Veil of Summer wrecked me and my hopes to win my last match.

Overall, my opponents were better players and better prepared with the deck. I jammed about thirty games with the deck online before the Pro Tour, way down from my 42 Draft leagues. The banned and restricted status of Standard precluded me from having much time to get comfortable with the format, as there were only 2 ½ weeks between the Golos banning and the PT. I had held off playing Standard, anticipating the ban, and then moved into Sultai Oko too late.

That said, I believe I picked the best Standard deck for me at this tournament.  Sure, Sultai Sacrifice was the deck to beat at this Pro Tour, but without a testing group, playing the Sacrifice deck seemed to go against advice I’d gotten, “don’t be fancy, just play the best deck.”  I’m proud of registering 4 Okos as I think anyone who didn’t was just wrong. 

Later that night, my win column finally materialized, as we drove to Mellow Mushroom. I highly recommend the vegan pepperoni pizza and any calzone, to be accompanied by a variety of beverages, a panacea to wash down the misery of a tough Pro Tour finish.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

On Saturday, I decided to play in the Grand Prix, and confronted the harsh reality of how difficult it is to win at Magic.  After starting 5-0 (I had 2 byes) with my PT Sultai Oko deck, I got smashed (understandably) by Corey Burkhart on Sultai Sacrifice.  Needing to win one of my last two rounds to advance to day 2, I got in my head again.  I’d missed Day 2 of my last two Grand Prix, losing game 3 of Round 8 both times.  Safe to say, I knew what was coming.

One thing I dislike about both this Standard and Draft format is that the games take too long.  Sultai Food does not win or lose quickly.  I’d gone to time unintentionally the prior Grand Prix (Throne Sealed), and I cannot remember another Grand Prix match where I unintentionally drew.  During Round 7 I experienced a tiny meltdown.  At the end of game 3, before turns, I had an entire army of a board state against an opponent who had nothing except about twenty or so food tokens.  After attacking every turn and using Ugin to wipe away a top-deck threat, I was one turn away from putting him to negative twenty or so when we finished turn 5.  He agreed with my assessment, but declined to concede.  Instead of accepting the reality that winning at Magic is hard, there is no shame to going to time in this format, and reminding myself I just was at the Pro Tour yesterday, my one goal playing Magic, I got frustrated that my opponent wouldn’t give me what wasn’t mine.  I’d succeeded at making the Pro Tour by putting these frustrating emotions in their place, tolerating the distress that invariably comes in situations like this, and staying focused.  I reminded myself that not only did my opponent not owe me the win, but also if my need to prove myself devolved into this type of anger and frustration, it’d be much harder for me to be successful as well as to have any fun.   

So…it was with renewed focus, recharge, and resolve that I vaulted into Round 8, faced Sultai Oko yet again, went to time, and conceded to my opponent after a turn 5 draw due his accrual of a superior board state.

Magic is a tough game.  I began as a noob and remain just that, making all kinds of mistakes and getting frustrated I can’t day 2 a GP consistently.  It’s at these times my mind and heart can be dark to my success.  Sure, I’ll lose almost as many games as I win, lose horrifically to opponents who aren’t as good as I am, as well as to tons of great people and better players than I am, but I’ll win my fair share, too.  Magic mirrors life – it presents a series of problems, distributed unequally and often unfairly, to solve, both during the game and systemically around it.  My life is what happens while I’m busy solving these problems. 

Moving forward, I’ll be working on enhancing my patience, accepting my shortcomings, tolerating my mind getting off track toward what doesn’t really matter and coaxing it back.  Gently, warmly, but convincingly. Perhaps hard work and an incredible stroke of good fortune will one day enable me to return to Magic’s biggest stage.

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.

I qualified for the SCG Invitational with my top 4 finish with BW Tokens in March (link). The SCG Invi format is 4 rounds of Standard followed by 4 rounds of Modern on each of two days, with players 5-3 or better on day 1 making day 2. On the back of BW Tokens in Modern, I finished day 1 3-1 after going 2-2 in Standard to make day 2. I went 4-4 overall in Standard with a stock Mono-Red list, albeit with 2 Fight with Fires in the board. I got smashed by Esper Hero all weekend. I went 5-3 with Tokens to finish 93rd out of 474 overall. I don’t have much more to say about Standard, so I’ll provide my BW Tokens report.

I made one change to my Tokens list: I took out the Lost Legacy from the sideboard and put in Ashiok, Dream Render.

Round 5 – BW Dispalcer – Win 2-1

After going 2-2 in Standard, I know I need BW Tokens to carry me to a 3-1 record to make day 2. I’m hoping for none of the hardships from the last Classic!

I’m excited when my opponent plays a turn 1 Shambling Vent. Could it be the first time in competitive play since GP Pitt in 2015 that I’m playing the mirror? Not so fast. I IOK him to see a lot of cards that kill me – notably Eldrazi Displacer and Thalia. I take Displacer and lose to pure gas on his part. Game 3 is pretty epic. He was land light and he decided to use his Ghost Quarter with Arbiter out. This gave me a window of a few turns to try to develop a better board presence and while his deck let him down (no more lands), mine didn’t and I escape a rough start to the Modern portion of the tournament.

Round 6 – Dredge – Win 2-1

Yes! Finally a great matchup! Game 1 I get blown out with an explosive start, but games 2 and 3 go much better. Game 3, though, takes forever, and ends with me playing Ashiok for the first time and milling him out!

Round 7 – Humans – Loss 0-2

Humans isn’t a great matchup, but it’s close to 50-50. Game 1 I get run over by pure gas. Game 2 brought an interesting question. I turn one IOK to see one land, noble hierarch, and higher costed spells. I gamble on the hierarch. My opponent doesn’t miss a land drop his first 4 turns and I just lose.

Round 8 – Mono-Red Phoenix – Win 2-1

Well, here it is. At my first Invitational, a win and in for day 2. My opponent is a streamer and has a decent cheering section for the match. Game 1 I’m in a tough spot – after mulling to 6, a second Bitterblossom is on the top of my deck. Since I have no idea what she’s playing, I keep it on top. She plays a turn one swiftspear and it’s not even close. Wow. I’m facing a matchup I literally have never lost for my win-and-in and I’m already down a game. I’m in a good frame of mind, however, reminding myself I literally have never lost to this matchup online or in person and I would take being down a game to this deck versus being up a game versus so many others. Game 2 my turn 2 Auriok is just lights-out, and the insanity of how easy it was for her to win game 1 replicates for me as this isn’t a game, either. It’s just another walk in the park. Game 3 I start to get nervous. I’m on the draw and have to mulligan. I forget my 6, but I remember it’s not good. No Aurioks or interaction, but a solid keep of tokens. My opponent keeps 7. I tank and finally decide this 6 is better than a random 5, and that I have a better chance of winning with this hand than that random 5, though I’m not happy about this at all. Turn 1 she drops swiftspear. Turn 1 I draw Path to Exile. Wow. So lucky. I prevent 4 or 5 damage on turn 2. She has no other one-drop follow-up. Either turn 3 or turn 4 I draw Auriok Champion. My deck really bailed itself out after the mulliganing fiasco. Once Auriok Champion arrives, the game is over. My opponent has lots of cards, but Auriok Champion is just lights-out versus her deck. If Mono-Red Phoenix isn’t BW Tokens’ best matchup, it’s right up there.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Auriok Champion is the reason to play this deck. Sure, it’s TERRIBLE in our bad matchups, but those matchups are terrible any way you look at them. A mono-white Tokens list or more aggro-heavy list will win more versus Tron and combo, but those versions sacrifice points against the red decks. Auriok Champion enabled me to make day 2 and I just haven’t seen non-Auriok Champion (or really any other) BW Tokens lists doing well at large tabletop tournaments (with the exception of this gem: List).

Round 13 – Izzet Phoenix – Win 2-1

After going 2-2 again in Standard, I know I need another solid Modern finish to cash this tournament. It’s refreshing to play against the nicest opponent ever this round. Game 1 I get lucky that he is stuck with 2 Ascensions and not much else. Game 3 is long and epic and vindicates my belief that Izzet Phoenix, while on-paper a very poor matchup for me (I think 33%), is more likely closer to 50-50. After infinity turns where we trade resources in the air, I finally break through for a lethal attack. Another 3-1 in Modern is looking very doable!

Round 14 – Tron – Loss 0-2

No, not Tron! Making matters worse is that both games, my opponent stumbled, never had an early Tron, and these were games I needed to win. Game 1 the turn before he dies, my opponent natural draws his needed Tron land. Game 2 is going great. I correctly take Ugin with my turn 1 Duress. I have all the stuff – Stony Silence, more disruption, some tokens, but the problem is – I can’t kill my opponent fast enough. Just like game 1, the turn before he’s going to die, he draws his second (and last copy) Ugin! That’s game.

Round 15 – BG Rock – Loss 1-2

I’m very happy to see this deck, knowing I absolutely need to win my last two matches to have a chance to cash, though even if I win out, it’s unlikely I make top 64. The matchup is very disheartening, as it’s usually very very good. Game 2 I simply cannot kill a Tireless Tracker while my opponent plays multiple Engineered Explosives. Game 3 it’s the same thing – he draws lots of hate, gets infinity clues with Tracker, and after a top-deck war just gets there.

Round 16 – Concession – Won 1-0

After my opponent doesn’t show up initially, he kindly hustles over to sign the slip so I don’t have to wait 10 minutes before getting the pity win.

Overall, I was happy that Tokens went 3-1 day 1 to take me to Day 2. 1-2 on day 2 wasn’t awesome. The matchups, with the exception of Tron, were pretty good. My opponents also had great starts (notably Humans, Dredge, and Mono-Red Phoenix), and I was lucky to play great matchups to win so many game 3s day 1. Losing to Tron when I could have won and BG, a great matchup, really hurt. It was great to see Mono-Red Phoenix at the most important match of the day, and I can only hope Mono-Red Phoenix rises to prey on Tron, combo, and other bigger decks that the Tokens midrange plan has problems with.

On May 20, 2019, I played in the Star City Games Modern Classic in Syracuse. I ran the same BW Tokens list I ran at the last Syracuse classic, where I finished 4th: List.

This time the tournament didn’t go so well.

Round 1 – UW Control – Loss 0-2

Game 1 I’m on the play and my opponent spells snares my t2 Bitterblossom. That was the game right there. He plays new Narset and Teferi to stabilize at 6 life. Game 2 I likely punted, though I can’t be sure of the outcome. My opponent is at 2 life with big Teferi out against my single 1/1 Spirit. He’s got no cards in hand. Instead of killing Teferi, I put him to one, thinking I have to fade two draw steps either way. This is clearly a mistake, as the two choices were: give my opponent 2 draws steps with Teferi still in play or give my opponent 2 draw steps without Teferi in play. I went on to lose that game as my opponent top-decked an answer.

Round 2 – Merfolk – Win 2-1

Another tough matchup. Game 3 was pretty epic – I should have lost, but my opponent missed the Elemental tokens triggers from an Image copying a Master already in play. Engineered Explosives and Sorin were instrumental in winning a long game after that.

Round 3 – Souls Sisters – Win 1-0

This match went about how I expected it to, though my drawing more lands than I ever have in game 2 didn’t help. For maybe the first time ever, I removed all searchable lands from my deck and promptly drew an Arid Mesa. We went to turns and my opponent conceded a game that I’m sure I eventually would have won. Kaya was great here.

Round 4 – Grishoalbrand – Loss 0-2

My opponent admits he has insane draws, but this is what I’m expecting in a few months when the London Mulligan starts up. Game 1 is yet another testament to problems with discard. After discarding his only Goryo’s Vengeance in hand game 1, he simply drew another one soon after to win. Game 2 Kaya’s Guile would likely have saved me. On my turn 3, with a Griselbrand in his yard, I play my third land and sigh at the Path and Kaya (planeswalker in my hand). If I play Kaya, I’m dead to a Goryo’s in response. If I hold up Path, at least I have a fighting chance. I hold up Path, he has the Goryo’s, I path the Griselbrand, but he Through the Breaches in the new Wurm to attack me for 21.

Round 5 – BG Rock – Won 2-0

Not much to say here, things went as expected.

Round 6- Tron – Loss 0-2

This one was textbook. I got blown out. No chance. Ironically, my friend, with whom I had a discussion on the drive up about how I beat a resolved Ugin (my answer was Secure the Wastes), walks up to our match just as his Ugin resolves. I have tons of land in play and I’m ready to draw the Secure, but my opponent is at 60 life off Engines so it’s pretty anticlimactic.

Round 7 – Tron – Loss 0-2

Word on the street was this deck was on the downswing, but it seems it’s everywhere and with it being so highly represented at the last Pro Tour AND the London mulligan arriving soon, I don’t think it’s going anywhere. These are tough times for Tokens! Game 2 is the set-up I want: Stony Silence. However, I draw 0 token-producers the entire game and after infinity turns, I don’t win a game that actually should have gone my way.

After going 8-2-1 at the last Classic in March, this 3-4 result is pretty disappointing. I played 2 good matchups (winning both), and 5 poor ones (winning one). Playing Tron twice was pretty awful, and with the London Mulligan approaching, times are not looking good in the competitive tabletop Modern metagame for the deck.

WHAT DOES BW TOKENS DO?

My version of BW Tokens is a control deck that gains advantage through a slew of 3-for1-s and 4-for-1s.  Cards like Lingering Souls, Spectral Procession, Bitterblossom, and Secure the Wastes offer an incredible amount of card advantage.  Many of the cards in the deck single-handedly produce an army of threats, making spot removal laughable, board wipes possible to overcome, and an endless supply of action readily available.  Auriok Champion, discard spells, removal, and tokens on chump duty buy you time to set up a huge alpha strike, typically over two or three turns, once you’ve sufficiently swarmed the board.  There are some situations and matchups where you need to switch gears and race, but for the most part, with this version of the deck, you’re an underdog boxer fading early brute force only to harness a series of haymakers once you’ve weathered the initial surge.

Tokens is great when fair decks like Jund and Death’s Shadow reign supreme.  Those decks just can’t keep up with your 3 and 4-for-1 threats.  Anytime the format slows down just a little bit, Tokens is primed for a push.  Now for a reality check.  Even when the format slows down, Tokens is not overly powerful (you are literally playing 1/1s), it’s not too consistent (you should generally mulligan any non-token generator opening hand and you’re still at risk of drawing the wrong side of your deck), and while it’s resilient, it takes time to rebuild your army.  Tokens is not close to an overpowered deck, but I believe it’s a lot better than people give it credit for. 

METAGAME CONSIDERATIONS

Tokens is best when the format is slow and midrange is king.  Tokens is the midrange deck to beat all midrange decks because you destroy midrange with your 3-for-1s and 4-for-1s. 

My version of Tokens is best when Auriok Champion is good.  Auriok Champion is the most disruptive element this deck packs.  She annihilates black and red decks, gives you a good chance vs. Burn and aggro, and plays to the overall control theme of the deck.  Auriok Champion is the glue holding Tokens together in the realm of competitive Magic.

CARD CHOICES

BW Tokens is made up of three different types of cards:  Lands, Tokens, and Disruption.  I’ve heard people say that the deck is super redundant, but I don’t believe that’s the case.  Similar to decks like Merfolk, you can draw the wrong half of your deck.  With no library manipulation capability (outside of Hidden Stockpile), you’re reliant on getting enough of a balance among these three card types and sometimes you don’t and just die.

The London Mulligan will likely help most decks, and Tokens is no exception. You should be aggressively mulliganing hands with no Tokens, unless you have a very good reason.

I’m a believer there are many ways to build BW Tokens.  After playing the deck for the past six years, this is my current assessment of the best competitive configuration for the current Modern metagame.  I stand by these decisions while conceding that my way of building Tokens is not the right away, it’s just the way that works for me currently.

Lands

The most important consideration when selecting your lands is this:  you need to hit your 3^rd land drop to cast Lingering Souls or Spectral Procession on turn 3.  Some games you can get away with playing a tapped land on turn 3, but the easiest way to lose is to miss your third land drop, so you need to give yourself the best chance to make land drop #3 happen.  Most lists run between 23-25 lands, and after messing with an array of land configurations over the past five years, I’m not changing my land base anytime soon because currently I’m hitting that third land better than ever before.

4 Godless Shrine – You should run 4 of these.  A few folks have taken issue with running four due to the 2 damage, but I’ve lost more games than I can count needing a double black source to double spell and being unable to do so.  Godless Shrine is your dual land and drawing this on turn 3 when you need that 3^rd untapped land is worth putting four in your deck.

4 Marsh Flats – Sometimes you need to fetch your basic Swamp, so you need to run 4 of these. 

3 Additional White Fetchlands – Three additional fetchlands has been my sweet spot.  It’d be great to run a few more to activate Hidden Stockpile, but currently I think 7 is perfect for maximizing getting 3 untapped lands by turn 3.

1 Fetid Heath – I used to run two, but having Health + Swamp + Vault is a real concern.

0 Isolated Chapel – This comes into play tapped so many times that I think Shambling Vent is better.

2 Shambling Vent – I think this is better enough than Caves of Koilos.  The life loss matters, and Vents attacks more than you would think.  If Worship or Serra the Benevolent become a thing, you can activate this in response to lethal if your board has been wiped.

4 Concealed Courtyard – You should run 4.  If this land is coming into play tapped, you’ve already hit your requisite 3 mana.

1 Vault of the Archangel – your best utility land. 

4 Plains/1 Swamp – I could see running more Plains, but you really don’t want another Swamp. 

Theory aside, from a practical perspective, I’ve been very happy with my configuration of these 24 lands, and after years of messing with the mana base and finding myself losing games stuck on two lands, this is where I want to be.  To be fair, this manabase is built around needing to cast Auriok Champion on turn 2 and Spectral Procession on turn 3.  If you’re not going to run those cards (I’d encourage you to do so), your manabase might change to accommodate more utility lands like Field of Ruin or Ghost Quarter. 

Tokens

4 Lingering Souls – This is the best card in your deck.  You should always be happy to see one in your opening hand, you should never run fewer than 4, and you should never sideboard any number of these out under any circumstances (so long as you’re trying to win).

4 Spectral Procession – Your second best token-maker.  I played two copies for a long time because with Vault and Swamp sometimes it’s hard to cast and having multiples stuck in your hand looking at Plains, Plains, Swamp is just horrific.  Any Tokens deck running other utility lands (e.g., Ghost Quarter, Field of Ruin), will have problems casting this and Auriok on time.  Despite these drawbacks, Spectral or Souls is what you absolutely want to be doing most of the time on turn three.  Spectral produces three tokens for the low price of three mana, and the three life from Auriok if she’s out can be life-saving.  If you don’t draw Souls or they get extracted, you’re going to need to Process.  This is the card you almost always are happy to see as a top deck and it comes with an immediate board statement and threat.  It does what the deck wants to do, which is vomit out flyers out of nowhere.  As an added bonus, Spectral, with a converted mana cost of 6, dodges Eidolon of the Great Reveal and Spell Queller.  I’m confident that four is the correct number.

2 Bitterblossom – Perhaps the most powerful card in the deck (considering it was on the ban list for some time), BB and I have had a love-hate relationship.  My biggest realization with BB was  that BB doesn’t really improve your good matchups and doesn’t really help your bad ones.  Now, to be fair, BB on turn 2 is typically what you want to do be doing, and it’s fantastic against decks like Izzet Phoenix and Humans.  However, there are times when you absolutely don’t want this card and I’ve died to its life loss many times.  I think two is the correct number.  Multiples of this card can be good, but are often win-mores or kill-you-to-life-loss-quickers.

Remember that you often sideboard Auriok Champion out, upon which BB becomes much more of a liability.  Bitterblossom shines when you have lots of time and is best against Control or a midrange deck without access to Assassin’s Trophy.  Bitterblossom is likely the best card in the mirror (besides Gideon, Virtue, or Elspeth, Sun’s Champion), and a great turn two play.

After a few years of running this in the board, I’ve come around to its power and necessary inclusion in the maindeck.

2 Hidden Stockpile

When I saw this card spoiled, I wasn’t impressed.  I was the nay-sayer doubting this card would ever make it into my deck.  Why?  (Besides the fact that triggering revolt can be hard when your opponent doesn’t want it to happen?)  Because the tokens don’t fly.  Sure, they can block an Etched Champion and brick wall Apostle’s Blessing shenanigans, but if a token isn’t flying in this deck, there needs to be a GREAT reason to include the card.  The reason in this case is card selection.  While Tokens has great card advantage due to our cards creating multiple creatures, Tokens offer squadoosh in the way of card selection (unless you count Windbrisk Heights).  You’re stuck with your 20 or so cards each game and that is that.  As I mentioned above, sometimes you will draw the wrong part of your deck.  Stockpile helps smooth your draws like no other card in the history of Tokens.  While good in multiples on paper, some games you’ll have two of these stuck in your hand with no chance to revolt and you will rue the day you ever took deck building advice from this blog because this card is terrible!  Yes, it can clog your hand like Spectral, but them’s the breaks.  Magic is full of them.  Hidden Stockpile is a necessary evil and better than 4 BBs, in my opinion, for the reasons listed under BB above (also, in a world of red decks the life loss matters). 

2 Secure the Wastes

Secure produces non-flying tokens, but carries the huge upside that you can cast it at instant speed and it’s part of your game plan to win out of nowhere with a huge alpha attack.  You can play it after a sweeper, gain life in response to being dead on the stack if Auriok is out, and it’s one of your best win conditions vs. Tron – after Ugin wipes your board, play this and then cast the Virtues you’ve been sand-bagging.  This is also great vs. decks where you need to hold up mana for spot removal and all of a sudden you play this card for a million.  It’s a fantastic top deck and playing this into Sorin is often back-breaking.  People won’t expect this card so you also get many free wins from opponents who tap out thinking they’re safe because you have no board presence.  This card is great in the mirror as well.  Secure is not great vs. fast decks with flyers, like Affinity or Spirits.

3 Sorin, Solemn Visitor

In my opinion, Sorin is the best Token-making planeswalker and the only one you should play maindeck.  He does it all – you get flying tokens when you need them (and everyone seems to forget they’re 2/2s, not 1/1s), his ultimate is fine (dodge Rancor and Bogles is toast), and his +1 is glorious.  He saves you vs. Mono-Red, lets you race Merfolk, gives you an extra turn against Scapeshift, and completely alters combat.  If your tokens are blessed with the virtue, forget about it – it’s Magical Christmas land.  He’s better than Gideon because Gideon cannot save you when you’re behind.  Sorin can.  He can be the answer to your prayers and completely affects the board state anytime he’s cast.  I’ve been hard-pressed to find any sound debate usurping Sorin as the best planeswalker so I’ll take your challenge to play anything over 3 Sorins. 

Token-Makers that Didn’t Make My Cut

0 History of Benalia

History of Benalia could theoretically replace Spectral Procession, but I’ve never tried History of Benalia because I think it’s terrible in my version of the deck for a few reasons. 

1. History if out of touch with our game plan.  Our goal is to control the battlefield with a swarm of creatures.  Our mission is to buy enough time, chump with enough flyers, to acquire an overwhelming position and attack for a ton of damage over a few fateful turns in the air.  History is best in an aggro deck, not a swarm-based evasive strategy, so if your version of Tokens is more all-in OR is built to be fast to combat your bad matchups (e.g., Tron and Whir), then History is much more appropriate.
2. This deck is built around controlling the battlefield, and the +2/+2 for one turn is not part of that controlling game-plan.  However, even when considering that +2/+2 (which doesn’t pump any of our spirits, btw), we’re forced to consider attacking that turn rather than waiting for the right time to jam our swarm.
3. Lingering and Spectral produce four and three FLYING tokens each, while History produces two NON-FLYING tokens and we only get one per turn.  Sacrificing numbers as well as evasion just seems like a disservice to our chance to win games. 
4. A 2/2 body and then another over two turns without evasion seems blah in a deck where our three-drops need to matter right away.
5. The double white is no joke to cast for decks that play more utility lands.

When you cast Souls or Spectral you have the opportunity not only to chump block into oblivion, but also to set up your battlefield for a giant attack in the air.  Very few Modern decks can block flyers, but almost all don’t care about the ground.  You typically do damage in large clumps and having two 4/4 vigilance soldiers that don’t even pump your spirits or fly is just not where you want to be.  The soldiers are going to be a lot worse blocking than 1/1 flying spirits and a lot worse attacking than 1/1 giant spirits.  This deck wants evasive creatures, it wants cards that create multiple creatures, and it wants to rebuild right away if necessary.  It doesn’t care about attacking on the ground, it doesn’t care about vigilance because you have Virtues, and it can’t be bothered to need to attack when more often than not you’re chipping away in the air.  Secure the Wastes and Stockpile tokens often cannot attack and I can’t imagine History would be any different. 

A rule I like to follow is that every token producer that doesn’t have flying needs a very good reason to be in the deck, and History of Benalia offers nothing in the way of advancing your game plan so it’s out.  Yes, it’s a good card and yes, some games you’ll jam two of these and win the game wondering how on earth this card doesn’t get respect, but I doubt most games will go according to that plan.

As noted above, History is fine in decks that are more aggro-based or when you want to make concessions to try to beat your bad matchups.  However, I haven’t seen History of Benalia versions putting up good results and in the current meta, I think a more controlling, Auriok/ Spectral build is the way to go.  Also, the player who made day 2 of GP SaoPaulo with aggro Tokens, Wendell Santini, ran 4 Spectrals and 0 History of Benalia.

0 Midnight Haunting

This token-maker has made my deck several times, and I’m not opposed to running it, but Souls and Spectral are better.

0 Raise the Alarm

A fine card, probably an auto-4 in aggro versions (check out Santini’s GP SaoPaulo deck).  However, no flying and not advancing your board in a meaningful way means there are better options.

0 Legion’s Landing

Yes, in the late game this card can be great vs. control and midrange, if it survives that long.  But you’re already pretty good in long, grindy games and this card just seems horrendous in a turn-four format.  The token don’t have flying, it’s probably never going to do much damage by itself, and if you’re alive by the time you start cashing this in for a token a turn, this card probably isn’t going to alter the outcome of the game in any meaningful way.  It’s not even that good against Burn because Searing Blaze is a thing.  Pass.

0 Timely Reinforcements

Remember my rule regarding non-flying tokens above.  Like Hidden Stockpile, you might not even get tokens out of this card, which is just not where you ever want to be with this deck.  We need to be gunning on turn 3 and to stumble because we have more creatures than our opponent is a real concern with this card.  Red decks are already okay matchups.  Secure and Hidden Stockpile are just better.

0 Start/Finish

I have never played with this card, and while it certainly seems reasonable to have a doom blade attached to an overcosted Raise the Alarm, I think we can do better than this.  The extra side of this card is a trap – while it looks good to have more flexibility with the second spell attached to a token producer, the effect isn’t THAT good.  We’re already good against creature decks, and there’s a real sacrifice to be made for using our turn three to cast two non-flying tokens when we’d much rather cast Souls or Spectral.  As I noted above, there should be a very good reason to play non-flying tokens in this deck and I just don’t think this card cuts it at a competitive level.  I think Raise the Alarm is better for the sole reason that you can play it a turn before Souls/Spectral and ground tokens are much better in the early game than after the battlefield becomes clogged.  If the back end were an instant and not a sorcery, I might be higher on this card. 

0 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad

Way worse than both Sorin, Solemn Visitor and Gideon in this deck.  The token doesn’t fly, the anthem doesn’t include a buffer for toughness, and you’re already good against creature decks so the ultimate, certainly a powerful effect, is not as exciting.  Lord of Innistrad doesn’t impact combat the way Sorin, Solemn Visitor does.

0 Gideon

Gideon is a better card than Sorin, Solemn Visitor.  Hands down.  He makes a token for free and gives you an anthem if you really need it.  However, he’s a lightning rod for spot removal in a deck where you don’t want to turn on any spot removal.  Most decks will keep in path against you, even if it’s bad.  Also, Gideon doesn’t affect the game the turn he comes into play like Sorin does.  You’re already a SLOW, dreary deck durdling in a modern world of turn 4 kills.  He’s the Jace of this deck – once he gets going he looks unstoppable, but Modern is just too fast to be messing with Jace in a midrange deck.  Sorin is the best person for the job.  I can’t fault people for putting Gideon in their sideboard – he’s the BEST card in the mirror (ok, maybe Bitterblossom, Virtue, or big Elspeth, but she costs six mana) and a huge beating versus fair decks.  So what’s the problem?  The problem is you’re already great against fair decks so what does Gideon really do?  My answer is nothing more than what you already have, which is an infinite supply of tokens.  You don’t need Gideon’s assistance to crush those decks.  Of course, if the mirror becomes a thing, you want a deck with 8 Virtues, 4 Gideon, 4 BB, and 12 Lingering Souls.  Also, Worship or Serra the Benevolent.

0 Serra the Benevolent

This card looks flashy and her ultimate is infinitely better than Worship as the emblem can’t be destroyed.  However, all her other abilities aren’t as good as Sorin, Solemn Visitor’s.  Her +1 doesn’t last until next turn and doesn’t give lifelink AND she can’t make two tokens two turns in a row.  She’s going to be great in the mirror, but I’m not sure where else.

0 Hero of Bladehold

Opponents will still keep in Path to Exile against you.  Please never forget this.  Your opponents post-board will still have ways to kill your creatures.  It pains me not to play this card because she was my go-to back in Standard 2012, but now she’s just another Admiral Ackbar quote waiting to happen.  She looks great on paper and people that haven’t run her (i.e., me in 2014) get excited about her, but Ackbar was right, it’s a trap.  If you absolutely need to play a flashy card, play Gideon – at least he’ll leave a token or two behind before your opponent kills him.

Disruption

4 Auriok Champion

I wouldn’t leave home without 4 Auriok Champion.  Sure, she comes out half the time and she’s horrible in your bad matchups, but those matchups are bad anyway you look at them.  If you’re playing BW Tokens, you’re just not going to beat combo or big mana most days.  Auriok is the glue holding Tokens together.  Without her, your good matchups would become mediocre at worst, sketchier at best.  She’s a force to be reckoned with in those matchups and all the disruption you need against them.  Auriok belongs in this deck if you’re serious about being the midrange deck to beat midrange decks.  She helps buy you plenty of time while you stabilize against whatever your opponent is doing, and is a silver bullet vs. red and black decks.  She’s great against aggro and midrange and your best card vs. Jund, Burn, Mono-Red Phoenix, and Shadow – since Rock is apparently no longer playing Golgari Charm in the sideboard, Auriok is looking mighty fine these days.  Of course, when she’s bad, she’s really bad, I mean really really awful, so I understand why people aren’t always high on her, but she’s an integral part of your game plan and not including her hurts against the matchups you should be winning.  If you’re playing BW Tokens in Modern, you’re already carrying a knife into a few gun fights, but you should play to your strengths, and Auriok Champion brings the biggest knife to the fight.

4 Path to Exile

Don’t leave home without 4.  Path gets rid of EVERYTHING and when you need to get rid of something, you can’t rely on Fatal Push or Doom Blade to get you there.  You can rely on Path.  Also, while Blood Moon isn’t great against you, sometimes it is and you can path one of your own minions to get out of a jam.  Since most games go long and you’re playing control, it’s not as though giving your opponent an extra land matters a ton, even if it is a drawback.

2 Zealous Persecution

After a long six years of running 0, 1, 2, and 3 of these maindeck and sideboard I’m never leaving home right now without two mainboard.  This unassuming card does it all – it kills mana dorks, elves, Thalia’s Lieutenant targeting other sitting ducks, robots, and it completely alters combat.  It’s great.  I used to run three, but found three was too many.  The best benefit for Zealous, though, is that it can act as Virtue #5 and #6.  There have been way too many games where, win or lose, the last turn had me saying to myself, “ok, any Virtue, Sorin, or Zealous off the top for the win.”  This card will win you games out of nowhere the same way a top-decked Virtue will, and it also has the upside of wiping your opponent’s x-1s into oblivion and altering combat at instant speed.

2 Thoughtseize/2 Inquisition of Kozelik

I’m not too high on discard spells right now.  Seize is the best against your bad matchups, but a liability against burn and aggro and usually a HORRIBLE top deck.  Turn 1 discard into BB is still your best starting combination, but with certain decks reclaiming their place in Modern (e.g., Jund, Dredge, Affinity, Burn), Thoughtseize isn’t really where I want to be.  If the format shifts away from those good matchups, I could see going to more discard spells to buy you more time, but let’s face it, most decks are resilient and can come back from your early discard because you’re just SLOW.  Auriok Champion, multiple flying spirits, and creature removal are the best ways you nullify your opponent’s gameplan.

Many people have reacted strongly to my downplaying discard, and I can understand that.  The nail in the coffin for me was in the semis at SCG Syracuse where I turn 1 and turn 2 inquisitioned Dominic Harvey on Whir removing 2 Whirs from his hand and leaving him literally with just lands in hand and nothing on his board.  I was feeling pretty good at that point, thinking I might steal a game versus a bad matchup, but I got annihilated that game because I did nothing for my board until turn 3 (when I cast some spirits) and gave him about four or five draw steps, during which he drew an Ensnaring Bridge.  Combo decks are too resilient and my deck is just too slow for discard to be as impactful as it is in a deck like Jund or Shadow. 

BW Tokens could move to 4 IOK and 4 Thoughtseize and it would be better against our bad matchups.  But I play BW Tokens is to be better against the good matchups and I’m not about to sacrifice its potential to be great.  I’m a firm believer in playing to the strengths of the deck as opposed to watering Tokens down so it’s just mediocre against everything.  You’re not going to win regularly with a mediocre deck.

1 Kaya, Orzhov Usurper

With discard and me having issues, I cut a Thoughtseize for this card, which is theoretically good against the likes of Dredge, Phoenix, and really any graveyard deck or deck running 1 drops.  It’s great against Hardened Scales and Chalice.  It’s a 3-mana Fatal Push against Humans.  Overall, it’s been fine for me and carries the upside of winning without combat (e.g., Ensnaring Bridge).  This is likely my flex spot and perhaps I’ll add an extra Fatal Push, Vindicate, or some other card in the future, but for now I like Kaya.

0 Fatal Push Main Deck

Push is great, and I can’t argue adding some maindeck to deal with things like Thing in the Ice.  However, overall we’re pretty good already against creature decks and I don’t know what I’d cut.

0 Liliana of the Veil

I’m a firm believer she does not belong in this deck for two big reasons.

1. You don’t want to be discarding anything.  It’s possible you flood out late, but you want those lands to translate into Secure the Wastes Warriors.  You’re a control deck where your advantage comes in creature resources, so discarding Souls isn’t great because you’re down two spirits.
2. The three-drop slot is the bread and butter of this deck.  Lili competes with Souls and Spectral, and you want those on turn 3 most.

0 Worship

If you want to play Worship, main deck it.  Every deck can kill enchantments post-board and guess what, your deck has infinity enchantments so everyone will emerge from their stocked sideboard with ammunition to destroy this, even if they have never seen this card before, pick it up to read it, and then shrug and fire off that Nature’s Claim.  Wrath of God or Settle the Wreckage are better cards in this spot.  The days of Worship-locking people with Auriok Champion are over.  Sure, it’s great game 1 in the tokens mirror, you can’t lose, but after board Disenchant comes in and lots of other decks just don’t care about a four-mana do nothing.  This card was great for me maindeck in 2015, but since that time every time I’ve cast this card it’s just been a disappointment.

SIDEBOARD

1 Burrenton Forge-Tender

Great vs. Burn, Ad Nauseam, Anger of the Gods  –  this little woman can do it all.  One of my favorite sequences was preventing a Death’s Shadow opponent from bolting their own Izzet Staticaster in response to my path so they couldn’t Kolaghan’s Command it back later.  There’s some play to this deck.

3 Stony Silence

Yes, KCI is gone.  Yes, you still need three.

2 RIP

Three would be fine.  Living End is a horrible matchup.  Dredge isn’t an auto-win.

0 Surgical Extraction

This card is fine, but RIP is where you want to be.  Magical Dreamland of Ghost Quarter + Surgical or Seize + Surgical are just that, dreams, and great stories.  Just play RIP and Lost Legacy.

2 Duress

My answer to having only four discard spells in the main.  You really want to be executing your game plan of controlling the game with your spirits rather than controlling with discard.  If you want to max out on discard, play Rock.  Then you can turn 1 discard, drop a threat, and tick up Liliana forever.

1 Lost Legacy

Perfect vs. combo decks.  Nabs their payoff card.  Also fine vs. control.  I used to like it vs. Tron naming Karn or Ugin, but then they just play another win condition.  This is best in decks with few win conditions.  Unfortunately, the drawback against Whir is real.

Here is what I usually nab with Lost Legacy:

TitanShift: Scapeshift or Primeval Titan

Ad Nauseam : Ad Nauseam

Living End:  Living End

Control:  Jace, the Mind Sculptor, Teferi, Hero of Dominaria, or Cryptic Command

Storm:  Grapeshot

Amulet Titan:  Primeval Titan

Taking Turns:  Part the Waterveil

Kiki Vanifar:  Kiki Jiki, the Mirror-Breaker

Sultai Reclamation:  Blue Sun’s Zenith

Whir:  Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas

0 Fulminator Mage

I don’t think you’re reliably going to stop Tron with this card so I’d just not play it.  I played Fulminator once upon a time and I learned the hard way that casting any non-Auriok creature is just inviting your opponent to be happy to cash in a removal spell, even if it just forces you to use your Mage.

1 Runed Halo

Awesome catch-all.  Great vs. all kinds of decks.  Names Eidolon of the Great Revel, Lightning Storm, Grapeshot, Blighted Agent, and Etched Champion.  I like it better than Nevermore.

1 Wrath of God

Yes, you’re good against creature decks, but this can really help in a pinch because you can rebuild while they usually can’t.  Great vs. Humans, Merfolk, Slivers, any value-town green deck.  Sure, it’s not great vs. Spirits or Coco with Selfless Spirit, but it’s solid and many games you’re about to lose you will hope and pray this is your top deck.  I play this over Settle the Wreckage since Humans has Kitesail Freebooter and Sin Collector to nab your card before combat.

2 Disenchant

You don’t have a catch-all for problematic cards like Ensnaring Bridge or Cranial Plating.  This is it. 

0 Sundering Growth

When you want disenchant, what you want to do is kill the artifact or the enchantment.  You don’t really need an extra token.  Sure, it’s a nice bonus, but you’re not dedicating a sideboard space for an extra token.  The times you only have one white mana due to Blood Moon or have a Vault or a Swamp in play (God forbid both at the same time) happen far too often for you to care about Sundering Growth’s bonus.  Don’t play it.

0 Anguished Unmaking

I ran this card for awhile and while there’s nothing wrong with it, it was just underwhelming and losing the three life and needing to pay three mana just wasn’t where I wanted to be.  I like Disenchant better.  Some folks are running Cast Out or Conclave Tribunal.  I haven’t tried those, but there’s something to be said about a slot for this type of card. 

0 Vindicate

If Vindicate becomes legal through Modern Horizons, I will consider running one, perhaps in lieu of maindeck Kaya, but my fear is it won’t be good enough.  Anguished does basically the same thing at instant speed and I’ve been underwhelmed.  Anguished is great vs. Tron because you can actually come back from behind, but Vindicate is worse than Anguished b/c Karn could be ticking up and you couldn’t cast Vindicate in response.  Anguished is also better than Vindicate vs. Whir because of Welding Jar.  I hope to be proven wrong, but my fear is Vindicate is just too weak.  If Vindicate were a Black-White Maelstrom Pulse, then maybe we’d be in business.  But would we?  BG Rock only runs one or two copies – it’s not the busted card we’d hope it would be and Vindicate is weaker.  I know Vindicate can also hit lands, so I’ll wait and stay skeptical.  Cast Out and Conclave Tribunal, with exile and other effects, may be better.

1 Fatal Push

You’re generally already good vs. creature decks, but this is great vs. many decks and threats, notably Walking Ballista, all Merfolk, and Thing in the Ice.

1 EE

Great vs. Merfolk, Elves, and Affinity when you don’t have Stony.  Be mindful that most of your stuff costs two – you usually set your bomb to one, but at times it can be more or less.  I ran Ratchet Bomb for awhile, and it’s not terrible because your deck is slow anyway.

0 Damping Sphere

I put this in my deck for Tron, Storm, and Amulet for the GP, but I regretted it.  BW Tokens is already bad against these decks and Damping Sphere is probably only fantastic vs. Storm and maybe Izzet Phoenix.

Matchup and Sideboard Guide

Worst Matchups (my opinion)

1. Whir Prison
2. Bant Eldrazi
3. Tron/Eldrazi Tron
4. Amulet Titan
5. Living End
6. Storm
7. Valakut/TitanShift/really any combo deck that can combo without creatures (whether or not it also has that capability with creatures)
8. Merfolk
9. Ad Nauseam
10. UW Control   

Best 10 Matchups (my opinion)

1. Mono-Red Phoenix
2. Goblins
3. Grixis or UR Delver/Mardu Pyromancer/anything with Pyromancer
4. Grixis Death’s Shadow
5. Jund/Abzan/Rock
6. Zoo
7. Affinity/Hardened Scales
8. Soul Sisters
9. Dredge
10. Burn

Note:  The Overall Win % below is my win % in my first 1,000 matches on MTGO.  My 2019 W-L record includes all matches from 2019, including 80 that are part of the 1,000 and 45 that occurred since.

Matchup	Overall Win%	2019 W-L	In	Out
Hardened Scales	100%	2-0	3 Stony,2 Disenchant, Halo, EE, Push	4 Auriok, 2 Seize, 2 IOK
Mono-Red Phoenix	100%	9-0	2 RIP, 2 Duress, 1 EE, 1 Burrenton, 1 Push, 1 Halo	2 Virtue, 2 IOK,  2 Seize, 2 BB
Goblins	90%	N/A	1 Burrenton, 1 Wrath, 1 EE, 1 Push, 1 Halo	2 Thoughtseize, 2 BB, 1 Virtue
Mardu	90%	3-0	Burrenton, Push	2 Virtue
Grixis Death’s Shadow	85%	8-1	Halo, Push, EE, 1 Burrenton, 1 Wrath (draw)	2 Zealous, 2 Sorin, 1 Seize
Jund	79%	2-1	2 RIP, Fatal Push, Wrath, Burrenton	2 Seize, 2 IOK, 1 Kaya
BG Rock	75%	1-1	2 RIP, Fatal Push, Wrath	2 Seize, 2 IOK
Zoo	72%	2-0	1 Burrenton, 1 Wrath, 1 EE, 1 Push, 1 Halo	2 Thoughtseize, 2 BB, 1 Zealous
Affinity	70%	4-0	3 Stony, 2 Disenchant, Halo, Burr, EE, Push, Wrath	4 Auriok, 2 Seize, 2 IOK, 2 Secure
Soul Sisters	69%	N/A	1 Push, 1 Disenchant, 1 Wrath, 1 Runed Halo	4 Auriok
Boggles	64%	2-0	Halo, 2 Duress, 2 Disenchant, EE, Push	4 Auriok, 3 Path
Dredge	64%	5-6	Runed H, 2 RIP, Burren, LL	2 Seize, 2 IOK, 1 BB
Elves	63%	N/A	1 Wrath, 1 Push, 1 EE	3 Auriok
Faeries	63%	N/A	Push	Kaya
Jeskai	60%	1-0	2 Duress, Lost Legacy, 1 Burrenton	4 Auriok
Ponza	60%	N/A	2 Disenchant, 1 Burrenton	3 Sorin
Burn	58%	5-1	Burrenton, Halo, 2 Duress, 1 Push	2 Seize, 2 BB, 1 Zealous
Abzan Midrange	57%	N/A	2 RIP, Fatal Push, Wrath	2 Seize, 2 IOK
Death’s Shadow (non-Grixis)	53%	5-1	Halo, Push, EE, 1 Burrenton, 1 Wrath (draw), 2 RIP	2 BB, 2 Seize, 2 Zealous
Infect	53%	N/A	Push, 2 Duress, 2 Disenchant, Halo, EE	4 Auriok, 3 Virtue
Hollow One	50%	1-2	Halo, 2 RIP, Burrenton, Wrath	2 Seize, 2 IOK, 1 Virtue
Spirits	50%	0-1	EE, Push, Halo, Wrath	4 Auriok
Humans	47%	5-5	EE, Push, Wrath, Halo	2 Seize, 2 Auriok
Scapeshift	47%	N/A	2 Duress, 1 Burrenton, Halo, LL	4 Auriok, 1 Kaya
BW D&T/Deadguy Ale/Eldrazi	46%	N/A	1 Push, 1 Halo, 1 Wrath	3 Auriok
UW Control	43%	1-2	2 Duress, Lost Legacy, Runed H	4 Auriok
Merfolk	40%	N/A	1 Push, 1 EE, 1 Wrath, 1 Halo	4 Auriok Champion
Ad Nauseam	37%	N/A	1 LL, Burrenton, Halo, 2 Duress, 2 Disenchant, 3 Stony	4 Auriok, 4 Path, 2 Zealous
Storm	34%	2-1	Lost Legacy, 2 Duress, 2 RIP, Push, Halo	4 Auriok, 2 Secure, BB
Izzet Phoenix	33%	3-5	Burrenton, Push, Halo, 2 RIP, EE	4 Auriok, 2 Seize
Living End	33%	0-3	Lost Legacy, 2 Duress, 2 RIP, Burrenton	4 Auriok, 2 Zealous
TitanShift	29%	0-4	Lost Legacy, 2 Duress,Burrenton, Halo	4 Auriok, 1 Kaya
Amulet Titan	27%	0-2	Halo, 2 Disenchant, Lost Legacy, 2 Duress, 3 Stony	4 Auriok, 2 Zealous , 2 BB, 1 HS
Tron	26%	5-4	3 Stony, 2 Disenchant, 2 Duress	4 Auriok, 2 Zealous, 1 BB
Eldrazi Tron	20%	N/A	3 Stony, 2 Disenchant, Halo, Push	4 Auriok, 2 Zealous, 1 IOK
Counters Company	0%	0-1	Halo, EE, Push, Wrath	4 Auriok
Turns	0%	N/A	2 Duress, Lost Legacy, Fatal Push, 2 Disenchant	4 Auriok, 2 Zealous
Whir	0%	0-3	3 Stony, 2 Disenchant, 2 RIP, 1 Runed Halo,  2 Duress, 1 LL	3 Sorin, 4 Auriok, 4 Path
Kiki Vanifar	N/A	N/A	2 RIP, 1 Push, 1 EE, 1 Lost Legacy, 1 Wrath	2 Hidden Stockpile, 2 Virtue, 2 BB
Kiki Traditional	N/A	N/A	Burrenton, Halo	2 BB
Reclamation	N/A	N/A	2 Duress, 2 Disenchant, 1 Lost Legacy, 1 Runed Halo	4 Auriok, 2 Path