Hamilton Wins Back-To-Back Flesh and Blood Callings With Victory At SCG CON Indianapolis

Michael Hamilton notched his second straight Flesh and Blood Calling win by taking down the Calling: Indianapolis at SCG CON on Sunday with Bravo, Star of the Show.

Hamilton followed up his victory at the Calling: Orlando back in November of 2021 with quite the encore, becoming the second Flesh and Blood player to win back-to-back Callings despite the event being just the 12th Calling in the history of the game. The feat somehow had already been accomplished by Sasha Markovic with wins in Auckland in 2019 and 2020. Hamilton came into the weekend the highest Elo rated Classic Constructed player in the US and proved why with his masterful play.

Hamilton, a veteran of the SCG Tour with three MTG Invitational Top 8s and an SCG Tour Open win, entered the Top 8 of the Calling as the No. 6 seed after going 10-2 in the Swiss. Hamilton carefully maneuvered his way though the elimination rounds with his own take on Bravo, Star of the Show, opting for a more controlling build of the Elemental Guardian. He defeated Cody Williams on Chane, Bound by Shadow in the quarterfinals and Sam Dando on Briar, Warden of Thorns to set up a finals match against Pheano Black on Prism, Sculptor of Arc Light.

Black’s path to the finals was no fluke, as his version of Prism picked apart the field and allowed him to reach the Top 8 with an 11-1 record. Black defeated Matt Rogers and David Rood, both on Bravo, Star of the Show, en route to the finals for one more match against the newest hero from Everfest. But Hamilton’s take on the deck varied from most and the inclusion of three copies of Lead the Charge allowed his build to have more access to go again on top of Bravo’s ability, allowing him to keep Black’s auras in check while setting up a late-game full of power. Hamilton reached the second cycle of his deck with Black’s board presence under control, leading him to rebuy two copies of Oaken Old with Pulse of Candlehold to power through to victory behind two massive attacks.

Hamilton’s win earned him a second Calling trophy, $7,000, another PTI, and a gold cold foil extended art Fyendal’s Spring Tunic. Black took home $3,000, a PTI, and a random gold foil legendary for his second-place finish. The Calling: Indianapolis was streamed on the Star City Games Twitch channel. Check out the vods for all the action. Top 8 decklists will be available soon.

Battle Hardened

In other Flesh and Blood action at SCG CON, Yongi Yang won the Battled Hardened event on Sunday with Bravo, Star of the Show. Yang and runner-up Robert Greeson both secured PTIs for making the finals and $500.

In addition to his prize money and PTI, Yang’s gold cold foil prize card was a copy of Stalagmite, Bastion of Isenloft.

MTG Team Constructed 25K

Clay Spicklemire, Andrew Elenbogen, and Max McVety won the Team Constructed 25K over the weekend with Izzet Delver in Legacy, Four-Color Control (Yorion) in Modern, and Five-Color Humans in Pioneer.

Izzet Delver

Clay Spicklemire

1st Place at SCG CON Team Constructed 25K on 03-20-2022

Legacy

Creatures (13)

• 4 Delver of Secrets
• 1 Brazen Borrower
• 4 Dragon's Rage Channeler
• 4 Murktide Regent

Lands (18)

• 4 Wasteland
• 4 Volcanic Island
• 3 Polluted Delta
• 3 Flooded Strand
• 3 Scalding Tarn
• 1 Mystic Sanctuary

Spells (29)

• 4 Brainstorm
• 4 Lightning Bolt
• 4 Force of Will
• 1 Island
• 1 Chain Lightning
• 4 Daze
• 1 Pyroblast
• 1 Mishra's Bauble
• 4 Ponder
• 1 Preordain
• 4 Expressive Iteration

Sideboard

• 2 Meltdown
• 2 Price of Progress
• 1 Sulfuric Vortex
• 3 Pyroblast
• 2 Submerge
• 2 Surgical Extraction
• 1 Snapcaster Mage
• 2 End the Festivities

Four-Color Control (Yorion)

Andrew Elenbogen

1st Place at SCG CON Team Constructed 25K on 03-20-2022

Modern

Creatures (16)

• 2 Eternal Witness
• 4 Ice-Fang Coatl
• 4 Omnath, Locus of Creation
• 4 Solitude
• 2 Fury

Planeswalkers (8)

• 4 Teferi, Time Raveler
• 4 Wrenn and Six

Lands (30)

• 1 Wooded Foothills
• 4 Windswept Heath
• 4 Flooded Strand
• 1 Snow-Covered Plains
• 2 Snow-Covered Island
• 1 Snow-Covered Forest
• 1 Sacred Foundry
• 1 Temple Garden
• 1 Steam Vents
• 1 Stomping Ground
• 1 Breeding Pool
• 1 Hallowed Fountain
• 4 Misty Rainforest
• 2 Scalding Tarn
• 1 Ketria Triome
• 1 Raugrin Triome
• 2 Boseiju, Who Endures
• 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance

Spells (26)

• 4 Lightning Bolt
• 3 Counterspell
• 1 Eladamri's Call
• 3 Spreading Seas
• 4 Abundant Growth
• 2 Ephemerate
• 4 Expressive Iteration
• 4 Prismatic Ending
• 1 March of Otherworldly Light

Sideboard

• 1 Counterspell
• 1 Eladamri's Call
• 2 Supreme Verdict
• 1 Emrakul, the Promised End
• 2 Force of Vigor
• 2 Aether Gust
• 4 Veil of Summer
• 1 Yorion, Sky Nomad
• 1 Endurance

Five-Color Humans

Max McVety

1st Place at SCG CON Team Constructed 25K on 03-20-2022

Pioneer

Creatures (33)

• 3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
• 4 Experiment One
• 4 Mantis Rider
• 4 Reflector Mage
• 3 Thraben Inspector
• 4 Thalia's Lieutenant
• 2 General Kudro of Drannith
• 4 Werewolf Pack Leader
• 3 Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
• 2 Katilda, Dawnhart Prime

Lands (22)

• 4 Temple Garden
• 1 Stomping Ground
• 1 Hallowed Fountain
• 3 Mana Confluence
• 2 Botanical Sanctum
• 4 Unclaimed Territory
• 2 Branchloft Pathway
• 1 Hengegate Pathway
• 4 Secluded Courtyard

Spells (5)

• 1 Plains
• 4 Collected Company

Sideboard

• 2 Rest in Peace
• 2 Valorous Stance
• 2 Tireless Tracker
• 3 Kambal, Consul of Allocation
• 2 Reidane, God of the Worthy
• 2 Portable Hole
• 2 Brutal Cathar

The trio defeated Kyle Moran, Kevin Thanakit, and Jeffery Silver in the finals for the $7,500 first-place prize. Spicklemire, Elenbogen, and McVety went 11-1 through the Swiss to enter the Top 6 as the No. 1 seed and didn’t stop winning to take the title.

Check out the decklists for the Top 6 teams of the Team Constructed 25K.

Pioneer 5K

Steven Byerly won the Pioneer 5K on Sunday with Naya Winota.

Naya Winota

Steven Byerly

1st Place at SCG CON Pioneer 5K on 03-20-2022

Pioneer

Creatures (32)

• 4 Llanowar Elves
• 4 Voice of Resurgence
• 4 Elvish Mystic
• 2 Gilded Goose
• 1 Kenrith, the Returned King
• 4 Winota, Joiner of Forces
• 1 Blade Historian
• 4 Prosperous Innkeeper
• 4 Brutal Cathar
• 4 Tovolar's Huntmaster

Lands (22)

• 1 Sacred Foundry
• 4 Temple Garden
• 4 Stomping Ground
• 4 Cragcrown Pathway
• 4 Branchloft Pathway
• 4 Needleverge Pathway
• 1 Boseiju, Who Endures

Spells (6)

• 1 Forest
• 1 Eldritch Evolution
• 4 Esika's Chariot

Sideboard

• 3 Rest in Peace
• 2 Deafening Silence
• 3 Skyclave Apparition
• 3 Archon of Emeria
• 1 Reidane, God of the Worthy
• 3 Elite Spellbinder

Byerly defeated Abe Schnake on Mono-Red Aggro in the finals to claim the $1,500 first-place prize. Check out the Top 8 decklists for the Pioneer 5K.

Modern 5K

Andrew Bader won the Modern 5K on Sunday with Living End.

Living End

Andrew Bader

1st Place at SCG CON Modern 5K on 03-20-2022

Modern

Creatures (30)

• 4 Street Wraith
• 4 Architects of Will
• 4 Shardless Agent
• 4 Curator of Mysteries
• 4 Striped Riverwinder
• 1 Titanoth Rex
• 3 Waker of Waves
• 4 Grief
• 2 Colossal Skyturtle

Lands (17)

• 2 Steam Vents
• 2 Breeding Pool
• 4 Misty Rainforest
• 2 Scalding Tarn
• 2 Spirebluff Canal
• 3 Botanical Sanctum
• 2 Otawara, Soaring City

Spells (13)

• 1 Forest
• 1 Island
• 3 Living End
• 4 Violent Outburst
• 4 Force of Negation

Sideboard

• 3 Leyline of Sanctity
• 3 Force of Vigor
• 2 Mystical Dispute
• 3 Subtlety
• 2 Endurance
• 2 Foundation Breaker

Bader defeated Steven Brannon on Azorius Control in the finals to claim the $1,500 first-place prize. Check out the Top 8 decklists for the Modern 5K.

Legacy 5K

Theodore Jung won the Legacy 5K on Sunday with Izzet Delver.

Izzet Delver

Theodore Jung

1st Place at SCG CON New Jersey Legacy $5k on 03-20-2022

Legacy

Creatures (13)

• 4 Delver of Secrets
• 1 Brazen Borrower
• 4 Dragon's Rage Channeler
• 4 Murktide Regent

Lands (18)

• 4 Wasteland
• 4 Volcanic Island
• 2 Polluted Delta
• 2 Flooded Strand
• 1 Steam Vents
• 2 Misty Rainforest
• 2 Scalding Tarn
• 1 Mystic Sanctuary

Spells (29)

• 4 Brainstorm
• 4 Lightning Bolt
• 4 Force of Will
• 1 Island
• 4 Daze
• 1 Pyroblast
• 2 Mishra's Bauble
• 4 Ponder
• 4 Expressive Iteration
• 1 Unholy Heat

Sideboard

• 2 Meltdown
• 1 Red Elemental Blast
• 1 Price of Progress
• 2 Pyroblast
• 1 Submerge
• 2 Surgical Extraction
• 1 Grafdigger's Cage
• 1 Narset, Parter of Veils
• 2 Force of Negation
• 2 End the Festivities

Jung defeated Stephen Lichtenwalter on Grixis Control in the finals to claim the $1,500 first-place prize. Check out the Top 8 decklists from the Legacy 5K.