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The SCG Top 8: August 29, 2016

From triple Lightning Bolts to the second Conspiracy set, it’s been a wonderful and wild weekend of Magic! Danny West brings you the latest news from Indianapolis, Guangzhou, and Fiora in this week’s SCG Top 8!

1. Burn ‘Em All!

#GPINDY had a very diverse Top 8, but at the end of the day, sometimes all it takes is a bunch of Lightning Bolts!

No matter what the format does, it’s safe to say that setting your opponents on fire is always going to be a 100% viable way to win a Modern tournament. Brandon Burton is heading back to the Pro Tour, to Hawaii no less, thanks to his penchant for pyros!


2. Is Modern Good? Is Modern Bad?

Like all formats, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you’re a fan of deck diversity, then this format is great. But if you’re a fan of strategy diversity, then this format is probably not your cup of tea.

This format may become a big lesson about formats for the future: deck diversity isn’t necessarily the end of the format health discussion; if a bunch of different decks are all doing something that feels very similar, does it matter what we call the archetypes?

On Premium, Todd Anderson is leading the crusade against this idea of the illusion of format health. He’s got plenty of detractors and plenty of supporters. Which side are you on?

3. Bedlam Reveler is Going to Win Eventually

A large number of players are hard at work on Bedlam Reveler. This is a card that may eventually be right at home in Modern’s top tier.

It’s being touted as a Delver update, a Grixis Control angle, and even a Standard brew.

If just a player or two is interested, it might be an outlier or a pet card situation. But this is a lot of high-level mages. When this card explodes in popularity eventually, don’t be surprised.

4. We’re Running Out of Standard!

With the SCG Tour® taking a breather this past weekend, Saturday will mark a return to the home state for SCG and the home format for tournament Magic. It’s #SCGRICH time!

With Season Three ready to roll, there are again plenty of open spots for players to stake their claim at the Players’ Championship! If you’re a master of this Standard format, this is your opportunity to pounce! Before you know it, Kaladesh will be upon us. And everything will change…

5. King Me!

Conspiracy: Take the Crown is finally on the scene, and the reviews are…really, really good.


Magic’s version of Game of Thrones is striking chords of fun and flavor with players everywhere, from the hardest pro to the most casual Prerelease fan. Don’t miss out on your chance to play this wonderfully unique set! Matt Higgs breaks down the art of becoming the monarch here!

6. Whoa Whoa Whoa!

While we’re talking about all things Conspiracy: Take the Crown


You want to know why people don’t like early spoilers and leaks? Because it lessens the emotional impact of moments like this. Players everywhere opened up Conspiracy: Take the Crown packs with their strategies in mind, only to have every thought they had melt into sweet Christmas morning nothing when they saw this incredible foil.

Hype. Hype. My friends? That is some hype.

7. In Other Grand Prix and Modern News…

Let’s not forget that more Modern was taking place across the Pacific!




Is it even possible to understand how to attack Modern as a whole? Where was the recent breakout Dredge deck? Could we even strategize against this format if we had twenty sideboard slots?

Modern. The mystery that keeps on mystifying.

8. A Simple Question: Who Wins #SCGRICH?