Happy Monday MTG peeps,
It was certainly a very busy weekend for Magic: the Gathering players. Not only was is Gatecrash Game Day, but there was also TWO Grand Prix events taking place. GP Charlotte (sealed format) broke records for being the largest-attended event to date with 2,692 players while here in Canada, GP Quebec (standard format) attracted 800 games who braved the cold weather to get down to gaming at the Centre des Congrès de Québec. We had a blast at Game Day at OMG! Games and were happy with our new cards we picked up at MTG Mint Card to complete our decks.
Magic: the Gathering - Grand Prix Tournament
2,693 gamers at GP Charlotte 2013 - images from Joey Pasco @AffinityForBlue and Magic Pro Tour @magicprotour
~We've been talking to other magic players for the last few weeks and we all agree that typically the standard format would have, within a few weeks after the newest set release, distilled to produce only a handful of decks which 'rules the roost' until the next release. As home-brew fans, we love that the format is as diverse as it is. Here is an excellent summary by WotC minion Josh Bennet posted to the mothersite describing the current metagame as it looked on day 2 in Ville de Québec. Grand Prix Québec attirant des centaines de joueurs de Magic qui se disputeront des prix et la gloire dans une ambiance de festival.
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Sunday, 11:22 a.m. – Day 2 Metagame Breakdown, by Josh Bennett
If the health of a format is measured by the number of viable decks, it appears that Standard is is a very good place right now. Following the diverse Top 8 at Pro Tour Gatecrash and the breakout success of The Aristocrats, it was an open question how the metagame would shape itself. The Pros who stayed in Canada to battle this weekend agreed that, while they expected a lot of Jund, it was important to have game against a variety of deck types. Looking at the 128 players who crossed into Day 2, that intuition proved correct. Here's how it shakes out.
Jund Midrange - 21This deck is stocked with haymakers: Rakdos's Return, Garruk, Primal Hunter, Huntmaster of the Fells, Thragtusk and Liliana of the Veil. Farseek and occasionally Arbor Elf help to speed the deck to its powerful plays, and Aburpt Decay and even Murder (remember Murder?) let it deal with the format's boogeyman, Boros Reckoner.
Blue-White-Red - 17
The aggressive Sphinx's Revelation deck turns on the powerful four-card package of Boros Reckoner, Augur of Bolas, Restoration Angel and Snapcaster Mage. Those cards let it take a defensive posture against aggro decks, while going on the beatdown against the more dedicated control decks. Of all the decks in the field, it may be the only truly "Midrange" deck.
Esper - 12
"The Other Sphinx's Revelation Deck" plays pure control, but still with very little countermagic. Instead it relies on sweepers and spot removal, with Think Twice acting as a bridge to the format's defining card draw spell. Nephalia Drownyard gives the deck an inescapable win condition.
Jund Aggro - 12
Playing a much different game than its stockier brother, this deck harnesses the power of Burning-Tree Emissary and Flinthoof Boar for explosive starts, and touches black for Dreg Mangler, Abrupt Decay and Falkenrath Aristocrat.
Human Reanimator - 11
Centered around stocking the graveyard with humans then casting Unburial Rites on Angel of Glory's Rise, the newest version of this deck adds Undercity Informer and Burning-Tree Emissary to the mix for an instant mill kill. Not all of the Reanimator decks this weekend are wise to the tech.
Wolf-Run Bant - 11
Straight from the Top 8 at Montreal, this deck is reminiscent of the first BantSphinx's Revelation decks, but now with better mana and access to the power of Kessig Wolf-Run.
Naya Midrange - 7
Thragtusk, Restoration Angel, Huntmaster of the Fells, acceleration, removal and often both Aurelia, the Warleader AND her Fury.
The Aristocrats - 7
The deck that Tom Martell played to his Pro Tour victory. Designed by Sam Black, it is a tight package of synergies.
Naya Humans - 6
The beatdown sensation from MTGO. Twelve one-drop humans, Lightning Mauler, Burning-Tree Emissary, Mayor of Avabruck, Frontline Medic. Surprise, you're dead.
Gruul - 4
Both the land-light version with a "curve" that seems to stop at two, as Ben Stark played at Montreal, and a bigger version that goes up to Wolfir Silverheart and Increasing Savagery.
Saito Zoo - 3
The best creatures from Naya backed by Mizzium Mortars and Domri Rade.
Jund Zombies - 2
An update of the formerly-popular Red-Black zombies to include Lotleth Troll.
Other - 15
A take on Conley Woods's "Black by Popular Demand", Boros Beatdown, Black-Red Aggro, Dark Naya, Green-White, Junk Goodstuff, two takes on Junk Rites with Craterhoof Behemoth, Mono-Red, two takes on Orzhov Zombies, a Red-White-Black Planeswalker Control, Junk with Homicidal Seclusion, Token Reanimator, and Blue-White Humans.
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