Pro Tour Commander

Disclaimer: This work is intended to be a thought experiment and a fanciful piece of Magic fiction. I in no way endorse Commander as a competitive format.

We’ve spent three long days in a European city that photographs well but has no air conditioning whatsoever, and here we are. Hundreds of playtesting hours with cards no one has ever heard of and thousands more spent perfect-fitting judge foils are over and done with. All that remains is the Sunday stage.

It’s a star-studded inaugural Top 8 for Pro Tour Commander. It seems like only yesterday that the community was crying foul over the introduction of Commander as a competitive format. “It will ruin the purity of the format!” they said. “The price of affordable casual cards will get out of control!” Fortunately, Magic players have goldfish memories, and by the time PTQ season started, we had already—wait what are we talking about? I’m sorry, I was buying Sol Ring on the Internet for $125.

Commander has gone from a complex self-indulgent rules debacle played by huddles of giggly affluent judges to a tried-and-tested tournament format. Despite the continual efforts of a dozen teams at this Pro Tour, a diverse metagame has emerged with no duplicate archetypes appearing in the Top 8. Let’s take a look at our potential champions:

Brian Kibler's Rith, the Awakener

Danny West

Test deck on 11-24-2013

Commander

Creatures (37)

• 1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
• 1 Llanowar Elves
• 1 Solemn Simulacrum
• 1 Wall of Blossoms
• 1 Birds of Paradise
• 1 Jugan, the Rising Star
• 1 Yosei, the Morning Star
• 1 Ryusei, the Falling Star
• 1 Eternal Dragon
• 1 Eternal Witness
• 1 Flametongue Kavu
• 1 Rith, the Awakener
• 1 Rhys the Redeemed
• 1 Regal Force
• 1 Flameblast Dragon
• 1 Predator Dragon
• 1 Knight of the Reliquary
• 1 Qasali Pridemage
• 1 Acidic Slime
• 1 Baneslayer Angel
• 1 Borderland Ranger
• 1 Oracle of Mul Daya
• 1 Rampaging Baloths
• 1 Avenger of Zendikar
• 1 Dragonmaster Outcast
• 1 Mordant Dragon
• 1 Stoneforge Mystic
• 1 Wall of Omens
• 1 Sun Titan
• 1 Thrun, the Last Troll
• 1 Avacyn's Pilgrim
• 1 Huntmaster of the Fells
• 1 Restoration Angel
• 1 Craterhoof Behemoth
• 1 Yeva, Nature's Herald
• 1 Thundermaw Hellkite
• 1 Utvara Hellkite

Planeswalkers (2)

• 1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
• 1 Domri Rade

Lands (34)

• 1 Strip Mine
• 1 Brushland
• 6 Forest
• 1 Wooded Foothills
• 4 Plains
• 1 Reflecting Pool
• 1 Karplusan Forest
• 4 Mountain
• 1 Taiga
• 1 Savannah
• 1 Plateau
• 1 Windswept Heath
• 1 Battlefield Forge
• 1 Sacred Foundry
• 1 Temple Garden
• 1 Stomping Ground
• 1 Dryad Arbor
• 1 Jungle Shrine
• 1 Naya Panorama
• 1 Arid Mesa
• 1 Marsh Flats
• 1 Verdant Catacombs
• 1 Command Tower

Spells (27)

• 1 Umezawa's Jitte
• 1 Enlightened Tutor
• 1 Tooth and Nail
• 1 Swords to Plowshares
• 1 Sylvan Library
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Armadillo Cloak
• 1 Mirari's Wake
• 1 Skullclamp
• 1 Lightning Greaves
• 1 Eladamri's Call
• 1 Aura Shards
• 1 Boros Signet
• 1 Doubling Season
• 1 Selesnya Signet
• 1 Gruul Signet
• 1 Condemn
• 1 Harmonize
• 1 Coalition Relic
• 1 Oblivion Ring
• 1 Martial Coup
• 1 Banefire
• 1 Cultivate
• 1 Green Sun's Zenith
• 1 Birthing Pod
• 1 Beast Within
• 1 Parallel Lives

While mana dorks have traditionally been a little too low impact for such a battlecruiser format, Kibler refused to shy away from them.

“Birthing Pod allows me to sacrifice my inconsequential mana guys like Avacyn’s Pilgrim and Birds of Paradise in order to put some inconsequential two-drops on the field,” Kibler told me earlier. “It’s really important to have cards like Pod or Sylvan Library where you can pay life to get through your crappy creatures so that you can draw other green cards that do less than the blue cards.”

Kibler maintains that a lot of his card choices are irrelevant when it gets right down to it.

“I’ve pretty much made a career of playing whatever I want and winning off of just being better than everyone else. I mean, is Yeva, Nature’s Herald a better card than Bribery or whatever? Is Domri Rade better than Jace? Of course not. But I’m better than you, so eat it.”

All in all, Kibler says the format has a lot to like and he looks forward to playing more of it in the years to come.

“Shuffling in this format takes forever. So like if my opponent mulligans or cracks a fetch land, I have about forty minutes to take pictures of my dog, which I can’t really do in most traditional tournament formats.”

Despite the plethora of shuffling being a positive for Kibler, he had no comment on the controversial decision to disallow Jun’ya Iyanaga entry into the event despite being technically qualified.

Patrick Chapin's Nicol Bolas

Danny West

Test deck on 11-24-2013

Commander

Creatures (15)

• 1 Solemn Simulacrum
• 1 Nicol Bolas
• 1 Anarchist
• 1 Izzet Chronarch
• 1 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
• 1 Puppeteer Clique
• 1 Nucklavee
• 1 Magister Sphinx
• 1 Mnemonic Wall
• 1 Consecrated Sphinx
• 1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
• 1 Phantasmal Image
• 1 Olivia Voldaren
• 1 Snapcaster Mage
• 1 Archaeomancer

Planeswalkers (5)

• 1 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
• 1 Sorin Markov
• 1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
• 1 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
• 1 Ral Zarek

Lands (35)

• 1 Reflecting Pool
• 5 Swamp
• 5 Mountain
• 6 Island
• 1 Volcanic Island
• 1 Underground Sea
• 1 Badlands
• 1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
• 1 Polluted Delta
• 1 Bloodstained Mire
• 1 Watery Grave
• 1 Steam Vents
• 1 Blood Crypt
• 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1 Crumbling Necropolis
• 1 Grixis Panorama
• 1 Dragonskull Summit
• 1 Drowned Catacomb
• 1 Scalding Tarn
• 1 Evolving Wilds
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Sulfur Falls

Spells (45)

• 1 Hinder
• 1 Counterspell
• 1 Treachery
• 1 Mystical Tutor
• 1 Time Warp
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Demonic Tutor
• 1 Braingeyser
• 1 Tidings
• 1 Temporal Manipulation
• 1 Remove Soul
• 1 Time Stretch
• 1 Decree of Pain
• 1 Frantic Search
• 1 Phyrexian Arena
• 1 Bribery
• 1 Evacuation
• 1 Relearn
• 1 Deja Vu
• 1 Sage's Knowledge
• 1 Shattering Pulse
• 1 Time Spiral
• 1 Dimir Signet
• 1 Sins of the Past
• 1 Izzet Signet
• 1 Rakdos Signet
• 1 Reiterate
• 1 Damnation
• 1 Coalition Relic
• 1 Cryptic Command
• 1 Makeshift Mannequin
• 1 Ponder
• 1 Thoughtseize
• 1 Cruel Ultimatum
• 1 Essence Scatter
• 1 Everflowing Chalice
• 1 Suffer the Past
• 1 Preordain
• 1 Call to Mind
• 1 Go for the Throat
• 1 Forbidden Alchemy
• 1 Mystic Retrieval
• 1 Dreadbore
• 1 Cyclonic Rift
• 1 Hero's Downfall

Our next Top 8 player is fellow Hall of Famer Patrick Chapin. Chapin elected to play a Grixis Control build that utilizes many of the Commander staples one would expect to see in this sort of archetype. Some of the card choices, however, had players scratching their collective heads.

“My goal is to cast Cruel Ultimatum as many times as humanly possible,” Chapin said. “I wasn’t even going to come to this Pro Tour, but then someone told me Cruel Ultimatum was playable. That’s when I added some of the spell recursion like Call to Mind and Sins of the Past. Sorin Markov and Magister Sphinx ensure that they’re always only two Ultimatums from game over.” Chapin lost only two matches in the Swiss portion of the event, casting Cruel Ultimatum a total of 63 times. And twice more while waiting for a taxi last night outside the venue.

Honestly, I didn’t think much of Patrick telling me Cruel Ultimatum is the best card in his deck until he also declared that the sorcery is his favorite food, the town he was born in, and the best feature of the hotel in which he was staying.

“The buffet downstairs is pretty good, but they close it a little early for my tastes. I’m a late sleeper. Also, Cruel Ultimatum.”

Craig Wescoe's Thalia, Guardian of Thraben

Danny West

Test deck on 11-24-2013

Commander

Creatures (39)

• 1 Mother of Runes
• 1 Hokori, Dust Drinker
• 1 Solemn Simulacrum
• 1 Intrepid Hero
• 1 Soltari Champion
• 1 Weathered Wayfarer
• 1 Glowrider
• 1 Soltari Visionary
• 1 Paladin en-Vec
• 1 Kataki, War's Wage
• 1 Loxodon Gatekeeper
• 1 Spelltithe Enforcer
• 1 Mangara of Corondor
• 1 Stonecloaker
• 1 Aven Mindcensor
• 1 Mirror Entity
• 1 Stonehewer Giant
• 1 Flickerwisp
• 1 Ethersworn Canonist
• 1 Knight of the White Orchid
• 1 World Queller
• 1 Lodestone Golem
• 1 Stoneforge Mystic
• 1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
• 1 Student of Warfare
• 1 Serra Ascendant
• 1 Sun Titan
• 1 Leonin Arbiter
• 1 Hero of Bladehold
• 1 Phyrexian Revoker
• 1 Gideon's Lawkeeper
• 1 Grand Abolisher
• 1 Mikaeus, the Lunarch
• 1 Mentor of the Meek
• 1 Fiend Hunter
• 1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
• 1 Silverblade Paladin
• 1 Banisher Priest
• 1 Soldier of the Pantheon

Lands (33)

• 1 Strip Mine
• 24 Plains
• 1 Wasteland
• 1 Mishra's Factory
• 1 Eiganjo Castle
• 1 Rishadan Port
• 1 Dust Bowl
• 1 Flagstones of Trokair
• 1 Windbrisk Heights
• 1 Mutavault

Spells (28)

• 1 Armageddon
• 1 Ravages of War
• 1 Enlightened Tutor
• 1 Swords to Plowshares
• 1 Winter Orb
• 1 Land Tax
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Mana Crypt
• 1 Aura of Silence
• 1 Trinisphere
• 1 Sword of Light and Shadow
• 1 Skullclamp
• 1 Smokestack
• 1 Tithe
• 1 Crackdown
• 1 Tangle Wire
• 1 Condemn
• 1 Return to Dust
• 1 Mana Tithe
• 1 Oblivion Ring
• 1 Thorn of Amethyst
• 1 Path to Exile
• 1 Scepter of Dominance
• 1 Honor of the Pure
• 1 Brave the Elements
• 1 Journey to Nowhere
• 1 Revoke Existence
• 1 Sword of Feast and Famine

Craig Wescoe, the patron saint of White Weenie strategies, incorporated his comfort zone into his build for this tournament. While most decks take several turns and ramp spells to get into their endgame, Wescoe begins immediately on his second turn. By playing Thalia on turn 2 each game, he can lock an opponent out before they can even get off the ground. Cards like Rishadan Port, Glowrider, and Thorn of Amethyst keep the taxation climbing while small efficient creatures keep the pressure on. To ensure that the opponent doesn’t have time to recover from the initial blockade, Wescoe uses traditional Stax spells like Smokestack and Armageddon to seal the deal.*

Cedric Phillips' Krenko, Mob Boss

Danny West

Test deck on 11-24-2013

Commander

Creatures (38)

• 1 Zo-Zu the Punisher
• 1 Goblin Recruiter
• 1 Goblin Matron
• 1 Goblin King
• 1 Goblin Lackey
• 1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
• 1 Goblin Wizard
• 1 Goblin General
• 1 Goblin Warchief
• 1 Goblin Tinkerer
• 1 Goblin Sharpshooter
• 1 Goblin Piledriver
• 1 Gempalm Incinerator
• 1 Siege-Gang Commander
• 1 Goblin Ringleader
• 1 Skirk Prospector
• 1 Reckless One
• 1 Imperial Recruiter
• 1 Arms Dealer
• 1 Goblin Gardener
• 1 Ib Halfheart, Goblin Tactician
• 1 Stingscourger
• 1 Caterwauling Boggart
• 1 Sensation Gorger
• 1 Bloodmark Mentor
• 1 Horde of Boggarts
• 1 Outrage Shaman
• 1 Voracious Dragon
• 1 Goblin Chieftain
• 1 Goblin Guide
• 1 Warren Instigator
• 1 Tuktuk Scrapper
• 1 Spikeshot Elder
• 1 Goblin Wardriver
• 1 Adaptive Automaton
• 1 Hellrider
• 1 Krenko, Mob Boss
• 1 Legion Loyalist

Planeswalkers (1)

• 1 Koth of the Hammer

Lands (34)

• 29 Mountain
• 1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
• 1 Goblin Burrows
• 1 Spinerock Knoll
• 1 Teetering Peaks
• 1 Cavern of Souls

Spells (27)

• 1 Goblin Warrens
• 1 Goblin Offensive
• 1 Urza's Incubator
• 1 Coat of Arms
• 1 Wheel of Fortune
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Skullclamp
• 1 Blood Moon
• 1 Lightning Greaves
• 1 Goblin Charbelcher
• 1 Goblin War Strike
• 1 Brightstone Ritual
• 1 Shattering Spree
• 1 Magewright's Stone
• 1 Empty the Warrens
• 1 Boggart Shenanigans
• 1 Door of Destinies
• 1 Rage Reflection
• 1 Banefire
• 1 Eldrazi Monument
• 1 Splinter Twin
• 1 Mimic Vat
• 1 Red Sun's Zenith
• 1 Caged Sun
• 1 Faithless Looting
• 1 Bonfire of the Damned
• 1 Hammer of Purphoros

Our next entry is Pro Tour Kyoto Top 8 competitor Cedric Phillips. Cedric registered a Krenko list with a lot of subtle twists and turns.

“There’s nothing better than casting Recruiter early and stacking your whole deck. Then you Charbelcher them and win right then and there.”

Phillips has always been in the interest of killing his opponents with both the Goblin tribe and their ridiculous cannon. Getting to use both was too good to resist.

“Sometimes I storm off with Empty the Warrens and the rituals or Banefire. Sometimes I get a late Koth emblem they can’t outrace. This one guy laughed at me when I played Blood Moon. The next turn I played Goblin King. He isn’t laughing anymore.”

He’s shouting at me because he’s listening to bad pop music on his big headphones. He looks ridiculous.

Sam Black's Tariel, Reckoner of Souls

Danny West

Test deck on 11-24-2013

Commander

Creatures (25)

• 1 Mother of Runes
• 1 Fumiko the Lowblood
• 1 Solemn Simulacrum
• 1 Carrion Feeder
• 1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
• 1 Dark Confidant
• 1 Mangara of Corondor
• 1 Cloudgoat Ranger
• 1 Twilight Shepherd
• 1 Tidehollow Sculler
• 1 Bloodghast
• 1 Felidar Sovereign
• 1 Stoneforge Mystic
• 1 Serra Ascendant
• 1 Sun Titan
• 1 Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
• 1 Geth, Lord of the Vault
• 1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
• 1 Tariel, Reckoner of Souls
• 1 Mentor of the Meek
• 1 Geist-Honored Monk
• 1 Restoration Angel
• 1 Blood Artist
• 1 Boros Reckoner
• 1 Sin Collector

Planeswalkers (4)

• 1 Sorin Markov
• 1 Elspeth Tirel
• 1 Liliana of the Veil
• 1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad

Lands (34)

• 3 Plains
• 1 Reflecting Pool
• 4 Swamp
• 2 Mountain
• 1 Scrubland
• 1 Plateau
• 1 Badlands
• 1 Tainted Peak
• 1 Tainted Field
• 1 Bloodstained Mire
• 1 Temple of the False God
• 1 Battlefield Forge
• 1 Sacred Foundry
• 1 Godless Shrine
• 1 Blood Crypt
• 1 Kher Keep
• 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1 Graven Cairns
• 1 Fetid Heath
• 1 Rugged Prairie
• 1 Dragonskull Summit
• 1 Arid Mesa
• 1 Marsh Flats
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Isolated Chapel
• 1 Clifftop Retreat
• 1 Vault of the Archangel
• 1 Temple of Silence

Spells (37)

• 1 Sensei's Divining Top
• 1 Hymn to Tourach
• 1 Enlightened Tutor
• 1 Swords to Plowshares
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Mind Twist
• 1 Demonic Tutor
• 1 Goblin Bombardment
• 1 Plague Wind
• 1 Solitary Confinement
• 1 Cabal Therapy
• 1 Sword of Fire and Ice
• 1 Skullclamp
• 1 No Mercy
• 1 Lightning Greaves
• 1 Mind's Eye
• 1 Syphon Mind
• 1 Pandemonium
• 1 Boros Signet
• 1 Hour of Reckoning
• 1 Orzhov Signet
• 1 Condemn
• 1
• 1 Rakdos Signet
• 1 Skred
• 1 Austere Command
• 1 Oblivion Ring
• 1 Thoughtseize
• 1 Bitterblossom
• 1 Cauldron of Souls
• 1 Martial Coup
• 1 Sign in Blood
• 1 Luminarch Ascension
• 1 Faithless Looting
• 1 Lingering Souls
• 1 Assemble the Legion
• 1 Barrage of Expendables

Sam Black brought his usual brand of bizarre deckbuilding and sacrifice outlets. The deck is loaded with cheap discard and disruption spells to allow Sam to clear the way for various combos involving creatures that are easy to recur or a left-field enchantment like Barrage of Expendables.

“The deck has a ton of parachutes,” Sam explained. “It’s about having a lot of backup plans depending on what you draw. Sometimes you get a token-generator engine going with Skullclamp or the Solitary Confinement and Squee combo. Sometimes everything fails, but you draw Skithiryx and win anyway.”       

Sam and his team were pretty sure he had made the best deck for the tournament, but as usual nobody but Sam was actually willing to play it.

“Yeah, it’s pretty much unplayable in every regard. But hey, I’m winning with it.”

At this point I shamefully used the term “YOLO” and an unrequited high five ended our correspondence.

Shuhei Nakamura's Guan Yu, Sainted Warrior

Danny West

Test deck on 11-24-2013

Commander

Creatures (8)

• 1 Guan Yu, Sainted Warrior
• 1 Lead Golem
• 1 Silkenfist Order
• 1 Sentry Oak
• 1 Siege Mastodon
• 1 Thraben Purebloods
• 1 Nav Squad Commandos
• 1 Silent Artisan

Planeswalkers (1)

• 1 Gideon Jura

Lands (33)

• 1 Strip Mine
• 1 Wasteland
• 1 Kor Haven
• 1 Maze of Ith
• 24 Snow-Covered Plains
• 1 Dust Bowl
• 1 Scrying Sheets
• 1 Flagstones of Trokair
• 1 Mistveil Plains
• 1 Emeria, the Sky Ruin

Spells (58)

• 1 Ghostly Prison
• 1 Final Judgment
• 1 Wrath of God
• 1 Enlightened Tutor
• 1 Scroll Rack
• 1 Swords to Plowshares
• 1 Land Tax
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Disenchant
• 1 Mana Crypt
• 1 Winds of Rath
• 1 Gift of Estates
• 1 Aura of Silence
• 1 Pacifism
• 1 Catastrophe
• 1 Resurrection
• 1 Reverse the Sands
• 1 Reciprocate
• 1 Kirtar's Wrath
• 1 Akroma's Vengeance
• 1 Exile
• 1 Skullclamp
• 1 Extraplanar Lens
• 1 Reprisal
• 1 Mind's Eye
• 1 Oblation
• 1 Tithe
• 1 Retribution of the Meek
• 1 Pursuit of Knowledge
• 1 Radiant's Judgment
• 1 Parallax Wave
• 1 Rout
• 1 Karmic Justice
• 1 Three Dreams
• 1 Condemn
• 1 Sunscour
• 1 Gauntlet of Power
• 1 Return to Dust
• 1 Temporal Isolation
• 1 Austere Command
• 1 Oblivion Ring
• 1 Idyllic Tutor
• 1 Armored Ascension
• 1 Mass Calcify
• 1 Mine Excavation
• 1 Prison Term
• 1 Endless Horizons
• 1 Scourglass
• 1 Planar Cleansing
• 1 Day of Judgment
• 1 Eldrazi Conscription
• 1 Oust
• 1 True Conviction
• 1 Caged Sun
• 1 Angelic Destiny
• 1 Smite the Monstrous
• 1 Staff of Nin
• 1 Vanquish the Foul

Unbelievable.

Conley Woods' Adun Oakenshield

Danny West

Test deck on 11-24-2013

Commander

Creatures (21)

• 1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
• 1 Solemn Simulacrum
• 1 Avalanche Riders
• 1 Adun Oakenshield
• 1 Terravore
• 1 Eternal Witness
• 1 Argothian Wurm
• 1 Deus of Calamity
• 1 Devoted Druid
• 1 Farhaven Elf
• 1 Fulminator Mage
• 1 Woodfall Primus
• 1 Quillspike
• 1 Acidic Slime
• 1 Goblin Ruinblaster
• 1 Lotus Cobra
• 1 Mold Shambler
• 1 Avenger of Zendikar
• 1 Grave Titan
• 1 Wurmcoil Engine
• 1 Sylvan Primordial

Planeswalkers (1)

• 1 Garruk Wildspeaker

Lands (36)

• 1 Strip Mine
• 5 Forest
• 1 Wooded Foothills
• 1 Wasteland
• 1 Reflecting Pool
• 1 Sulfurous Springs
• 1 Karplusan Forest
• 2 Swamp
• 1 Mountain
• 1 Taiga
• 1 Bayou
• 1 Badlands
• 1 Bloodstained Mire
• 1 Overgrown Tomb
• 1 Stomping Ground
• 1 Blood Crypt
• 1 Dryad Arbor
• 1 Graven Cairns
• 1 Vivid Grove
• 1 Vivid Marsh
• 1 Fire-Lit Thicket
• 1 Jund Panorama
• 1 Savage Lands
• 1 Dragonskull Summit
• 1 Rootbound Crag
• 1 Verdant Catacombs
• 1 Lavaclaw Reaches
• 1 Evolving Wilds
• 1 Inkmoth Nexus
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Kessig Wolf Run

Spells (42)

• 1 Plow Under
• 1 Vampiric Tutor
• 1 Tooth and Nail
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Regrowth
• 1 Demonic Tutor
• 1 Stone Rain
• 1 Pillage
• 1 Ice Storm
• 1 Ambition's Cost
• 1 Winter's Grasp
• 1 Wildfire
• 1 Sinkhole
• 1 Kodama's Reach
• 1 Beacon of Unrest
• 1 Worldly Tutor
• 1 Phyrexian Arena
• 1 Molten Rain
• 1 Creeping Mold
• 1 Burning of Xinye
• 1 Thermokarst
• 1 Stunted Growth
• 1 Survival of the Fittest
• 1 Greater Good
• 1 Rancid Earth
• 1 Golgari Signet
• 1 Gruul Signet
• 1 Rakdos Signet
• 1 Mwonvuli Acid-Moss
• 1 Damnation
• 1 Harmonize
• 1 Coalition Relic
• 1 Violent Ultimatum
• 1 Sign in Blood
• 1 Roiling Terrain
• 1 Cultivate
• 1 Green Sun's Zenith
• 1 Red Sun's Zenith
• 1 Beast Within
• 1 Noxious Revival
• 1 Bramblecrush
• 1 Rain of Thorns

Conley Woods is one of the most famous deckbuilders in the world. He often finds holes in metagames and uses the element of surprise to great effect.

“My surprise for my opponents this weekend is that they have no lands,” Conley said with a chuckle. “I took a bunch of cards that blow up lands and noncreature permanents and put them together with Eternal Witness and Regrowth. Plus, there’s Plow Under and Stunted Growth. I just want to have as much fun as possible while my opponent sits there. I also have tutoring for the Quillspike combo and some other cute stuff. It’s a pretty big game.”

I asked him about the off-color fetch lands.

“They’re for Lotus Cobra. I like the idea of being able to Violent Ultimatum them or Grave Titan them on turn 3 or 4. It’s a pretty big game.”

I asked him about the cost of his transatlantic flight.

“I paid for a lot of it with miles. They have this room at the airport where you can go in and shower and have a drink or two. You just have to join their Platinum Club or whatever. It’s a pretty big game.”

I asked him if he knew the sum of two and two.

“I know it’s been four for a long time. A few times though to illustrate a point, an artist or author or whatever will say it’s five. Radiohead did it, and it’s an ongoing motif in George Orwell’s 1984. That book is pretty timeless. It’s got a strong message about the perils of government control in media outlets and the danger of privacy loss. It’s a pretty big game.”

Guillaume Wafo-Tapa's Sivitri Scarzam

Danny West

Test deck on 11-24-2013

Commander

Creatures (1)

• 1 Sivitri Scarzam

Planeswalkers (2)

• 1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
• 1 Jace, Memory Adept

Lands (35)

• 1 Cabal Coffers
• 1 Underground River
• 5 Swamp
• 8 Island
• 1 Underground Sea
• 1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
• 1 Tainted Isle
• 1 Polluted Delta
• 1 Temple of the False God
• 1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
• 1 Dimir Aqueduct
• 1 Watery Grave
• 1 Academy Ruins
• 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1 Sunken Ruins
• 1 Reliquary Tower
• 1 Drowned Catacomb
• 1 Scalding Tarn
• 1 Verdant Catacombs
• 1 Bojuka Bog
• 1 Halimar Depths
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Nephalia Drownyard
• 1 Temple of Deceit

Spells (62)

• 1 Sensei's Divining Top
• 1 Stroke of Genius
• 1 Hinder
• 1 Mana Drain
• 1 Nevinyrral's Disk
• 1 Counterspell
• 1 Mystical Tutor
• 1 Dissipate
• 1 Ensnaring Bridge
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Mind Twist
• 1 Demonic Tutor
• 1 Meekstone
• 1 Mana Crypt
• 1 Rewind
• 1 Impulse
• 1 Wash Out
• 1 Time Stretch
• 1 Careful Study
• 1 Stifle
• 1 Decree of Pain
• 1 Last Word
• 1 No Mercy
• 1 Frantic Search
• 1 Oblivion Stone
• 1 Phyrexian Arena
• 1 Consume Spirit
• 1 Evacuation
• 1 Lethal Vapors
• 1 Feroz's Ban
• 1 Forced March
• 1 Black Market
• 1 Rhystic Study
• 1 Overburden
• 1 Vile Consumption
• 1 Undermine
• 1 Fact or Fiction
• 1 Meishin, the Mind Cage
• 1 Dimir Signet
• 1 Telling Time
• 1 Leyline of the Void
• 1 Mystical Teachings
• 1 Trickbind
• 1 Damnation
• 1 Pongify
• 1 Foresee
• 1 Cryptic Command
• 1 Ponder
• 1 Profane Command
• 1 Mind Spring
• 1 Ward of Bones
• 1 All Is Dust
• 1 Recurring Insight
• 1 Jace's Ingenuity
• 1 Preordain
• 1 Temple Bell
• 1 Venser's Journal
• 1 Blue Sun's Zenith
• 1 Life's Finale
• 1 Temporal Mastery
• 1 Cyclonic Rift
• 1 Dissolve

Our last championship candidate is one of the purest strictly control players on the planet. Wafo-Tapa is a Worlds finalist and one of the most respected blue mages of all time. Being that he is quite reserved, I was not able to interview him directly but spoke to a friend of his he brought along to interpret his emotions.

“Guillaume really likes his deck,” the stranger told me in a French accent. “He bounces, counters, or destroys his opponent’s creatures. Then he draws lots of cards.”

It occurred to me that there aren’t any win conditions in the deck. The man looked at Wafo-Tapa, who still hadn’t moved.

“Guillaume uses Nephalia Drownyard to win,” he said. “Or Jace. It takes forever.”

Control-oriented players like Ben Stark have championed the Innistrad rare for a long time, but seeing it in this setting brings the idea of drowning slowly to a whole new level.

I suddenly noticed the vanilla and inefficient nature of Wafo-Tapa’s commander.

“Why is he using Sivitri?” I asked.

“He isn’t,” said the translator. “Guillaume doesn’t even know what it is.”   

It’s at this point that Wafo-Tapa’s face began to pale, and he sprinted for the nearest restroom holding his mouth closed. His cheeks were swollen and full of fluid.

“Forgive him,” said the stranger. “The thought of using creatures makes Guillaume very ill.”

And there you have it. Eight talented minds piloting eight decks that showcase the best of what they have to offer the evolving game of Magic. Perhaps in the future we will see the play-by-play of this historic Top 8. What matchup would you like to read about? Which of the decks is the favorite to win? Which player are you rooting for?

Until we meet again . . .

. . .

. . .

I don’t want to write about this again.

. . .

Also, Conley won.

*A vast majority of this list was taken directly from fellow SCG Magic expert, perennial States champion, and White Weenie enthusiast Adam Westnedge, who has spent the last year dialing in his Thalia build. If you’re caught without a Sol Ring on the draw against Thalia, may the force be with you.