Handful of big events. There was a Modern PTQ on MTGO, GP Toronto, and lastly a set of SCG events in Milwaukee. Gave me enough decks to come up with a top 5 for all 3 major formats.
Standard
1) Esper Dragons by Robert Lombardi – 1st Place GP Toronto
Esper Dragons still lives strong as Lombardi took this version to win a 1,700 man GP event in Toronto.
2) Naya Walkers by Rob Birdsall – 1st Place SCG Classic Milwaukee
I’ll admit. Not a fan of crossing the Nissa streams with [mtg_card]Nissa, Vastwood Seer[/mtg_card] and [mtg_card]Nissa, Voice of Zendikar[/mtg_card]. But Birdsall came with a very sick list designed to control down a game with a mass of planeswalkers.
3) BG Arisocrats by CLYDE THE GLIDE DREXLER – 1st Place MTGO PTQ
MTGO god CLYDE THE GLIDE DREXLER won another event with a no thrills BG Aristocrats deck.
4) Jeskai Midrange by jled – MTGO Standard League 5-0
Nice deck that reminds of the Jeskai Dragons decks people were brewing up with the release of Dragons of Tarkir.
5) UR Eldrazi by ManuGodineau – MTGO Standard League 5-0
A control style ramp deck, similar to WU Tron decks in Modern. Counter everything until you can hardcast an [mtg_card]Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger[/mtg_card] to win a game.
Modern
1) Project Melira by Joseph Presnell – 1st Place SCG Open Milwaukee
Pretty standard Abzan Company combo deck took down the open event.
2) RG Tron by Joe Lossett – 2nd Place SCG Open Milwaukee
Legacy destroyer Joe Lossett took second in the event with a somewhat brew-ish GR Tron. I say that since his top curve consists of [mtg_card]World Breaker[/mtg_card] and [mtg_card]Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger[/mtg_card] over [mtg_card]Emrakul, the Aeons Torn[/mtg_card].
3) Death’s Shadow Aggro by Will Drescher – 7th Place SCG Open
4) Jeskai Flash by Nick Hansen – 13th Place SCG Open Milwaukee
Fairly common to see a Jeskai Midrange/Control deck at pretty much every Modern event. But this one has quite a few flash creatures, including 2 [mtg_card]Vendilion Clique[/mtg_card]s.
5) Grixis Control by Michael Majors – 16th Place SCG Open Milwaukee
Legacy
1) Grixis Delver by Zack Witten – 1st Place SCG Classic Milwaukee
Standard Legacy Delver/Pyromancer deck took down the Legacy event.
2) Slivers by Xander Niazi – 4th Place SCG Classic Milwaukee
Whoa. Let’s take a moment to bask in awe of this craziness. The deck almost runs exclusively 2CMC Slivers with exception to the totally understandable [mtg_card]Galerider Sliver[/mtg_card]. The plan is simple. With [mtg_card]Crystalline Sliver[/mtg_card], Galerider Sliver, and 11 anthem slivers, he can just fly over you with big slivers that have shroud. The speed of this deck is deceptively fast. While it looks somewhat like a Death and Taxes deck, this actually has a much faster kill. Be prepared to deal with a tribal deck like this or Merfolk in any Legacy event. Decks where going one-for-one against your opponent’s board is impossible. Decks like this pop up when people aren’t prepared to play against decks the flood the board quickly. It’s a sign of the current meta game.
3) BG Midrange by Alexander Luke – 6th Place SCG Open Milwaukee
Great. More decks that will take me a full paragraph to explain. In simple terms, this is a Pox deck without playing [mtg_card]Smallpox[/mtg_card]. Instead of keeping whole board clean, the deck attritions out all your powerful cards with discard, and let’s single threat hang on the board in [mtg_card]Dark Confidant[/mtg_card], [mtg_card]Vampire Nighthawk[/mtg_card], or [mtg_card]Liliana of the Veil[/mtg_card]. And it can get away with this, because it’s not playing Smallpox. He doesn’t have to sac creatures on his side of the board to Smallpox. I suspect this deck is very not fun to play against. Dark Confidant reveals with a [mtg_card]Hymn to Tourach[/mtg_card] seems soul crushing to me.
4) Abzan Explorer by Shafer Hanson – 7th Place SCG Open Milwaukee
Most Explorer decks don’t play nearly as many top curve hits as this one. If you told me there was a Legacy deck that would play 4x [mtg_card]Siege Rhino[/mtg_card], I would tell you that you are insane. And I can’t explain the singleton [mtg_card]Sorin, Grim Nemesis[/mtg_card]. Don’t ask me to.
5) Mono-Red Sneak Attack by Jeff Hoogland – 10th Place SCG Open Milwaukee
Now this is a crazy bender on Sneak and Show decks by the brewmaster supreme Jeff Hoogland. This version gets away from blue draw spells and [mtg_card]Show and Tell[/mtg_card] in order to be even more direct. Format redefining deck? Maybe. For now, I’ll but the high placement of this deck on the power of Jeff Hoogland’s skill and not so much the deck.
Standard
1) Esper Dragons by Robert Lombardi – 1st Place GP Toronto
Esper Dragons still lives strong as Lombardi took this version to win a 1,700 man GP event in Toronto.
2) Naya Walkers by Rob Birdsall – 1st Place SCG Classic Milwaukee
I’ll admit. Not a fan of crossing the Nissa streams with [mtg_card]Nissa, Vastwood Seer[/mtg_card] and [mtg_card]Nissa, Voice of Zendikar[/mtg_card]. But Birdsall came with a very sick list designed to control down a game with a mass of planeswalkers.
3) BG Arisocrats by CLYDE THE GLIDE DREXLER – 1st Place MTGO PTQ
MTGO god CLYDE THE GLIDE DREXLER won another event with a no thrills BG Aristocrats deck.
4) Jeskai Midrange by jled – MTGO Standard League 5-0
Nice deck that reminds of the Jeskai Dragons decks people were brewing up with the release of Dragons of Tarkir.
5) UR Eldrazi by ManuGodineau – MTGO Standard League 5-0
A control style ramp deck, similar to WU Tron decks in Modern. Counter everything until you can hardcast an [mtg_card]Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger[/mtg_card] to win a game.
Modern
1) Project Melira by Joseph Presnell – 1st Place SCG Open Milwaukee
Pretty standard Abzan Company combo deck took down the open event.
2) RG Tron by Joe Lossett – 2nd Place SCG Open Milwaukee
Legacy destroyer Joe Lossett took second in the event with a somewhat brew-ish GR Tron. I say that since his top curve consists of [mtg_card]World Breaker[/mtg_card] and [mtg_card]Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger[/mtg_card] over [mtg_card]Emrakul, the Aeons Torn[/mtg_card].
3) Death’s Shadow Aggro by Will Drescher – 7th Place SCG Open
4) Jeskai Flash by Nick Hansen – 13th Place SCG Open Milwaukee
Fairly common to see a Jeskai Midrange/Control deck at pretty much every Modern event. But this one has quite a few flash creatures, including 2 [mtg_card]Vendilion Clique[/mtg_card]s.
5) Grixis Control by Michael Majors – 16th Place SCG Open Milwaukee
Legacy
1) Grixis Delver by Zack Witten – 1st Place SCG Classic Milwaukee
Standard Legacy Delver/Pyromancer deck took down the Legacy event.
2) Slivers by Xander Niazi – 4th Place SCG Classic Milwaukee
Whoa. Let’s take a moment to bask in awe of this craziness. The deck almost runs exclusively 2CMC Slivers with exception to the totally understandable [mtg_card]Galerider Sliver[/mtg_card]. The plan is simple. With [mtg_card]Crystalline Sliver[/mtg_card], Galerider Sliver, and 11 anthem slivers, he can just fly over you with big slivers that have shroud. The speed of this deck is deceptively fast. While it looks somewhat like a Death and Taxes deck, this actually has a much faster kill. Be prepared to deal with a tribal deck like this or Merfolk in any Legacy event. Decks where going one-for-one against your opponent’s board is impossible. Decks like this pop up when people aren’t prepared to play against decks the flood the board quickly. It’s a sign of the current meta game.
3) BG Midrange by Alexander Luke – 6th Place SCG Open Milwaukee
Great. More decks that will take me a full paragraph to explain. In simple terms, this is a Pox deck without playing [mtg_card]Smallpox[/mtg_card]. Instead of keeping whole board clean, the deck attritions out all your powerful cards with discard, and let’s single threat hang on the board in [mtg_card]Dark Confidant[/mtg_card], [mtg_card]Vampire Nighthawk[/mtg_card], or [mtg_card]Liliana of the Veil[/mtg_card]. And it can get away with this, because it’s not playing Smallpox. He doesn’t have to sac creatures on his side of the board to Smallpox. I suspect this deck is very not fun to play against. Dark Confidant reveals with a [mtg_card]Hymn to Tourach[/mtg_card] seems soul crushing to me.
4) Abzan Explorer by Shafer Hanson – 7th Place SCG Open Milwaukee
Most Explorer decks don’t play nearly as many top curve hits as this one. If you told me there was a Legacy deck that would play 4x [mtg_card]Siege Rhino[/mtg_card], I would tell you that you are insane. And I can’t explain the singleton [mtg_card]Sorin, Grim Nemesis[/mtg_card]. Don’t ask me to.
5) Mono-Red Sneak Attack by Jeff Hoogland – 10th Place SCG Open Milwaukee
Now this is a crazy bender on Sneak and Show decks by the brewmaster supreme Jeff Hoogland. This version gets away from blue draw spells and [mtg_card]Show and Tell[/mtg_card] in order to be even more direct. Format redefining deck? Maybe. For now, I’ll but the high placement of this deck on the power of Jeff Hoogland’s skill and not so much the deck.
Very Sick....now thats High Praise
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