1. Lukas Blohon Conquers the Pro Tour!
Not even time zone changes could stop long-time pro Lukas Blohon from crushing the Pro Tour this past weekend.
Creatures (7)
Planeswalkers (6)
Lands (26)
Spells (21)
The most amazing thing about this win?
Absolutely nobody is talking about his deck. Bant Company was the big question mark coming in. Emrakul-based Delirium and Emerge decks are the story coming out. So…why aren’t we addressing the fact that this deck won?
Blohon himself stated that the deck wasn’t in a great place in this metagame. Maybe he’s just that good at Magic. Will it take another big win at #SCGINVI to prove this deck is actually one of the best in the format?
2. Owen Turtenwald Is Clutch.
Many top-level players believe that Owen Turtenwald is the best Magic player on the planet right now. It’s getting harder and harder to argue against that.
Creatures (16)
- 3 Pilgrim's Eye
- 3 Emrakul, the Promised End
- 1 Wretched Gryff
- 4 Gnarlwood Dryad
- 3 Elder Deep-Fiend
- 2 Ishkanah, Grafwidow
Planeswalkers (1)
Lands (21)
Spells (22)
It’s insanely difficult to do well at a Pro Tour, let alone make a deep run into the Top 8 and beyond. When Rich Hagon and his coverage team laid out the scenarios for Owen taking over the Player of the Year title from Seth Manfield, most of us dismissed these scenarios on the grounds that they would be almost impossible for most players to overcome.
We forgot that Owen Turtenwald is not most players.
A finals appearance later and he is once again the Magic Pro Tour Player of the Year. Congratulations, Owen!
3. LSV. One, Two, Three.
Three Pro Tour Top 8s in a row? Even for Luis Scott-Vargas that’s an insane accomplishment.
Creatures (26)
- 1 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
- 4 Reflector Mage
- 4 Sylvan Advocate
- 2 Archangel Avacyn
- 3 Tireless Tracker
- 4 Duskwatch Recruiter
- 4 Spell Queller
- 4 Selfless Spirit
Lands (26)
Spells (8)
Luis is on his way to Worlds now through his merits this year as a Hall of Famer. Interestingly, it’s been pointed out that Luis may be the only player other than Jon Finkel to have a bona fide Hall of Fame career after his induction into the Hall of Fame.
Luck. Skill. Dominance.
4. How Many Extra Turns Is Too Many?
So yeah, Bant Company didn’t do that great. But man, something else did.
In case you didn’t notice, there were a lot of Emrakuls being cast in front of the Pro Tour cameras this weekend. The monster to rule all monsters has established herself as the go-to finisher of choice for this Standard format. Was this a metagame call that looked stronger than it is? Or are we all destined to be beneath the tentacles of oppression henceforth?
5. Ari Lax Is Concerned.
A Pro Tour Champion in his own right, Ari Lax did a lot of testing for this Pro Tour. And he is worried.
As good as Bant Company is, it obviously isn’t exceedingly so. But over on Premium, Ari thinks we may be moving toward a format with something far scarier. And this Pro Tour was just the beginning.
6. Congratulations, Mike Sigrist!
Our very own Player of the Year from last Pro Tour season is celebrating and then some after Pro Tour Eldritch Moon!
Finished 25th at #PTEMN. On the bubble for worlds pending results. Either way one hell of a year and love my teammates. #itspardeetime
— Michael Sigrist (@MSigrist83) August 6, 2016
A 25th-place finish was reasonable enough, but because of how the other scenarios fell, Mike now finds himself in contention for his first Worlds trophy! The most exclusive Magic event on the planet will now feature Mr. Sigrist and we couldn’t be prouder. Great job, Mike!
7. The World’s Eyes Turn to Modern…
The most influential Standard event for a while has completed, and now we’re all looking for some fresh Modern air. Luckily, we’re going to get it all month long. We’ve got Grand Prix, we’ve got the #SCGINVI, and most pertinently, we’ve got #SCGNY this weekend!
Jennifer Long has been leading the charge on catching up anyone who isn’t up to speed on the format. Her first two primers on the Modern metagame can be found here and here.
8. The Invitational Is Coming!
We’ve got the big Standard event we needed to prepare us for the future. #SCGNY will provide what we need to understand Modern as it currently stands. And what happens then?
Magic’s next big spotlight will be on the #SCGINVI in a few short weeks! Modern and Standard will both be on display, and it’ll take a mastery of both to make it to the top! What decks do you have prepared for the big weekend?