Yuuki Ichikawa won the Innistrad Championship on Sunday with Golgari Food (Lurrus) in Historic and Izzet Epiphany in Standard.
Creatures (15)
Lands (22)
Spells (23)
Creatures (3)
Lands (21)
Spells (36)
Ichikawa entered the Top 8 bracket as the #3 seed with a record of 12-3 and as one of five Japanese players to make the elimination rounds. Ichikawa was joined by testing partners Riku Kumagai and Toru Saito in the Top 8, all three on an identical Golgari Food (Lurrus) build in Historic.
Ichikawa had to take down the reigning world champion, Yuta Takahashi, in the first round of Top 8, setting up a match against Kumagai in the upper bracket semifinals. Ichikawa lost 2-0, falling to the lower bracket where he started climbing back with a 2-0 win over Zachary Kiihne. Simon Gortzen on Izzet Phoenix reached the title match from the upper bracket with a 2-0 win over Kumagai. Ichikawa had to beat his two testing partners in back-to-back matches to make the title match and attempt to avenge Kumagai’s earlier loss.
Creatures (14)
Lands (20)
Spells (26)
Ichikawa lost the first match in a best-of-three matches final, putting his back to the wall. Ichikawa fought back and forced the title match to a Game 3 situation in the third and final match. Gortzen kept a hand light on action and Ichikawa was equipped with plenty of removal and card drawing. Ichikawa stabilized early and rode a pair of Ravenous Squirrels to victory, taking down first place and $20,000.
Goglari Food (Lurrus) was only a little more than 8% of the field, but accounted for three of the eight players in the Top 8. The most played deck, Selesnya Humans, only had one player in the Top 8, while Izzet Phoenix at #2 also had three pilots in the Top 8.
Izzet decks of multiple varieties made up more than 45% of the Standard metagame, with Izzet Epiphany boasting 38% on its own, including six of the Top 8 players. Mono-White Aggro❄ and Mono-Green Aggro❄ were the second and third most played decks at 20% and just under 10%, respectively. Only one copy of Mono-Green Aggro❄ made the Top 8.
Gortzen made Top 8 with an off-the-radar Standard deck — Mono-Black Zombies❄ — easily the best showing for a non-meta deck.
Creatures (25)
- 4 Shambling Ghast
- 4 Champion of the Perished
- 3 Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia
- 4 Tainted Adversary
- 4 Fell Stinger
- 3 Undead Butler
- 3 Headless Rider
Planeswalkers (3)
Lands (20)
Spells (12)
- 2 Hagra Mauling
- 1 Malakir Rebirth
- 2 Agadeem's Awakening
- 2 Infernal Grasp
- 1 Eaten Alive
- 4 The Meathook Massacre
Sideboard
The Top 6 players punched their tickets to Magic World Championship XXVIII in addition to their cash prizes. Ichikawa, Gortzen, Kumagai, Saito, Kiihne, and Yo Akaike will join Takahashi for the biggest tournament of the year in 2022.
View the Top 8 Historic decklists and Standard decklists.