Duke, Izzet Creativity, Wins Pro Tour Phyrexia

Reid Duke won Pro Tour Phyrexia with Izzet Creativity on Sunday, capping the return of tabletop premier play with a marquee victory for the Magic: The Gathering Hall of Famer.

Izzet Creativity

Reid Duke

1st Place at Pro Tour Phyrexia on 02-19-2023

Pioneer

Creatures (2)

• 1 Worldspine Wurm
• 1 Xenagos, God of Revels

Lands (24)

• 2 Mountain
• 2 Shivan Reef
• 4 Steam Vents
• 2 Mutavault
• 3 Spirebluff Canal
• 4 Riverglide Pathway
• 1 Hall of Storm Giants
• 3 Stormcarved Coast
• 2 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
• 1 Otawara, Soaring City

Spells (34)

• 4 Impulse
• 1 Spell Pierce
• 1 Dig Through Time
• 4 Fiery Impulse
• 4 Indomitable Creativity
• 1 Shark Typhoon
• 4 Fire Prophecy
• 1 Valakut Awakening
• 2 Spikefield Hazard
• 1 Secrets of the Key
• 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
• 3 Make Disappear
• 4 Big Score

Sideboard

• 2 Negate
• 1 Disdainful Stroke
• 3 Rending Volley
• 2 Narset's Reversal
• 1 Aether Gust
• 1 Mystical Dispute
• 3 Shark Typhoon
• 2 Hullbreaker Horror

Duke emerged on top of the 217-person field and a Top 8 stacked with Hall of Famers, the current world champion, and strong up and comers. The split-format tournament featured Pioneer constructed and Phyrexia: All Will Be One draft. Duke went 5-1 in draft and 7-2 in Pioneer with Izzet Creativity, the combo/control deck the Channel Fireball team brought to the event.

Duke was joined by hall of famers Shota Yasooka and Gabriel Nassif in the elimination rounds and his quarterfinal match was against Nathan Steuer, the reigning world champion. After dropping the first two games, Duke rattled off three dramatic wins in the post-sideboard games, where he dropped the combo finish in Game 3 then brought it back for the final two games.

Lotus Field Combo

Nathan Steuer

6th Place at Pro Tour Phyrexia on 02-19-2023

Pioneer

Creatures (10)

• 1 Voyaging Satyr
• 4 Vizier of Tumbling Sands
• 4 Arboreal Grazer
• 1 Lier, Disciple of the Drowned

Lands (22)

• 1 Island
• 1 Breeding Pool
• 4 Thespian's Stage
• 2 Temple of Mystery
• 4 Botanical Sanctum
• 4 Lotus Field
• 1 Lair of the Hydra
• 3 Boseiju, Who Endures
• 2 Otawara, Soaring City

Spells (28)

• 4 Impulse
• 4 Sylvan Scrying
• 1 Omniscience
• 4 Hidden Strings
• 2 Dark Petition
• 4 Pore Over the Pages
• 1 Behold the Beyond
• 1 Mastermind's Acquisition
• 2 Shimmer of Possibility
• 2 Emergent Ultimatum
• 3 Bala Ged Recovery

Sideboard

• 2 Pithing Needle
• 1 Voyaging Satyr
• 1 Dragonlord Dromoka
• 1 Sphinx of the Final Word
• 1 Natural State
• 1 Approach of the Second Sun
• 1 Hope Tender
• 1 Zacama, Primal Calamity
• 1 Ritual of Soot
• 1 Elder Gargaroth
• 2 Fading Hope
• 1 Boseiju, Who Endures
• 1 Depopulate

Duke’s semifinal opponent, Derrick Davis, took down Yasooka, the No. 1 seed, in the previous round with Four-Color Enigmatic Incarnation (Yorion). They split the first two games before Duke won the next two, quelling Davis’ momentum in Game 2 where he was able to attack with a Xenagos, God of Revels he took with an Agent of Treachery.

Four-Color Enigmatic Incarnation (Yorion)

Derrick Davis

4th Place at Pro Tour Phyrexia on 02-19-2023

Pioneer

Creatures (16)

• 1 Knight of Autumn
• 1 Deputy of Detention
• 1 Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves
• 1 Hanged Executioner
• 1 Cavalier of Dawn
• 1 Agent of Treachery
• 1 Kenrith, the Returned King
• 1 Archon of Sun's Grace
• 1 Destiny Spinner
• 1 Skyclave Apparition
• 2 Glasspool Mimic
• 2 Moon-Blessed Cleric
• 1 Titan of Industry
• 1 Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines

Lands (32)

• 1 Mountain
• 4 Sacred Foundry
• 4 Steam Vents
• 4 Stomping Ground
• 3 Breeding Pool
• 2 Glacial Fortress
• 4 Sunpetal Grove
• 3 Savai Triome
• 1 Boseiju, Who Endures
• 3 Spara's Headquarters
• 3 Jetmir's Garden

Spells (32)

• 4 Chained to the Rocks
• 4 Nylea's Presence
• 2 Oath of Chandra
• 4 Fires of Invention
• 2 Wolfwillow Haven
• 4 Enigmatic Incarnation
• 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
• 4 Leyline Binding
• 4 Bitter Reunion

Sideboard

• 2 Rest in Peace
• 4 Rending Volley
• 1 Alpine Moon
• 3 Mystical Dispute
• 1 Yorion, Sky Nomad
• 1 Archon of Emeria
• 1 Portable Hole
• 2 Temporary Lockdown

Duke, in his fifth Pro Tour/Mythic Championship Top 8, faced Benton Madsen, appearing in his first Pro Tour, in the finals. Madsen and his Selesnya Auras (Jegantha) deck defeated Duke in the first round of Pioneer on Day 1, but Duke avenged that loss and some by sweeping the finals 3-0.

Selesnya Auras (Jegantha)

Benton Madsen

2nd Place at Pro Tour Phyrexia on 02-19-2023

Pioneer

Creatures (17)

• 4 Gladecover Scout
• 3 Sram, Senior Edificer
• 2 Generous Visitor
• 4 Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice
• 4 Skrelv, Defector Mite

Lands (19)

• 1 Forest
• 1 Plains
• 4 Temple Garden
• 4 Razorverge Thicket
• 3 Mana Confluence
• 4 Branchloft Pathway
• 1 Boseiju, Who Endures
• 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire

Spells (24)

• 4 Ethereal Armor
• 1 Alpha Authority
• 1 Hammerhand
• 2 Gryff's Boon
• 3 Cartouche of Solidarity
• 1 Kaya's Ghostform
• 3 All That Glitters
• 1 Warbriar Blessing
• 3 Sentinel's Eyes
• 1 Rune of Sustenance
• 4 Audacity

Sideboard

• 2 Rest in Peace
• 2 Adanto Vanguard
• 2 Hushbringer
• 1 Warbriar Blessing
• 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring
• 1 Rune of Sustenance
• 3 Portable Hole
• 1 Boseiju, Who Endures
• 2 Extraction Specialist

Duke earned $50,000, an invite to the next World Championship, and his first Pro Tour trophy. The other seven players from the Top 8 also punched their ticket to the World Championship slated for the end of September.

View the Top 16 decklists from Pro Tour Phyrexia here. For all decklists check out the official coverage from WotC.