In Modern, no matter where you are, what the format is like, what’s been dominant in past weeks or even what year it is — one things is always true:
You’ve got to respect Burn.
And this past weekend when the FacetoFaceGames.com Open Series traveled to Regina, Saskatchewan for a Modern Open, not enough of our competitors listened to that advice. Tyler Utman took down the entire event with his Burn deck.
Tyler defeated Ryan Christie in the finals who was playing the powerful Simic Urza midrange deck we’ve seen jump onto the scene lately. This deck fuses many of the most powerful components of the original Urza decks that featured [Card]Thopter Foundry[/Card] with a traditional [Card]Cryptic Command[/Card] midrange shell.
It’s these Urza decks that have actually allowed Burn to increase it’s standing in the format as of late. Despite being very powerful, it can be tough for these Urza decks to amass a quick enough clock to defeat Burn before their life total runs out. That said, with the addition of [Card]Oko, Thief of Crowns[/Card] to popular lists providing some incidental life gain, the matchup feels like it’s getting a lot better.
Joining those two in the Top 8 was our Red Deer Open champion Austin Anderson playing Jund Death’s Shadow, Michael Wright playing Humans, Matthew McLeay on Jund, Matthew Kasdorf trying to keep Dredge alive without [Card]Faithless Looting[/Card], Mitchell Gaertner playing Amulet Titan which has been very popular on the Open Series lately and Jeremie Asselin-Maulé who also played Jund.
Despite Burn’s winning performance, this past Saturday in Regina we saw what has become somewhat of a trend on the Open Series as of late. Midrange somehow dominated. Between Simic Urza, Shadow and multiple Jund decks — it looks like it’s a good time to be trying to interact in Modern right now. There always seems to be some [Card]Thoughtseize[/Card]s and [Card]Cryptic Command[/Card]s in our Top 8s.
While Tyler was casting [Card]Lava Spike[/Card]s in the main event, we had other players on-site all day long battling in side events and hanging out at the Face to Face Games booth. Commander pods just never seemed to stop firing and even some of the hotel staff came out to draft some Throne of Eldraine after they finished their shifts. We also had another special appearance from our friends at Commander Cookout who were hanging out and playing games against locals all day long!
Before I leave you for the week I’d just like to quickly plug all of Face to Face Games’ upcoming WPN qualifier events. Wizards of the Coast has added a new system to their competitive framework to allow players to qualify for the upcoming Player’s Tour at the local level. Below are the dates of our upcoming Open+ events which will qualify the winner for the PT and check out this article to find out how you can qualify at your local Face to Face location as well.
Congratulations again to our champion Tyler Utman from everyone at Face to Face Games! We’d also like to thank our awesome judge staff who ran a smooth event all day long!
With our tournament series growing every week we’ve added a feedback point of contact to our workflow in order to create the best events possible for you all in the future. If there are any changes you’d like to see from our events email us at: feedback@facetofacegames.com.
The next stop on the Open Series are coming up this weekend on Nov. 9 in Halifax, Nova Scotia where we’ll be hosting a Modern Open! Make sure to pre-register and we’ll see you on the battlefield!
[Deck Title= First Place, Burn – Tyler Utman]
[Creatures]
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Goblin Guide
4 Monastery Swiftspear
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Lava Spike
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Lightning Helix
4 Searing Blaze
4 Skewer the Critics
2 Skullcrack
4 Boros Charm
4 Rift Bolt
[/Spells]
[Lands]
3 Mountain
2 Sacred Foundry
3 Inspiring Vantage
4 Arid Mesa
1 Stomping Ground
2 Sunbaked Canyon
4 Wooded Foothills
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
2 Deflecting Palm
4 Destructive Revelry
2 Kor Firewalker
2 Path to Exile
2 Rest in Peace
2 Skullscrack
1 Stony Silence
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Second Place, Simic Urza – Ryan Christie]
[Creatures]
4 Urza, Lord High Artificer
4 Emry, Lurker of the Loch
4 Gilded Goose
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Arcum’s Astrolabe
3 Engineered Explosives
4 Mishra’s Bauble
4 Mox Opal
4 Oko, Thief of Crowns
1 Damping Sphere
1 Thopter Foundry
1 Sword of the Meek
2 Metallic Rebuke
3 Whir of Invention
2 Cryptic Command
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Snow-Covered Island
1 Snow-Covered Forest
1 Breeding Pool
1 Watery Grave
2 Mystic Sanctuary
2 Polluted Delta
2 Scalding Tarn
2 Flooded Strand
4 Misty Rainforest
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Assassin’s Trophy
1 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Vraska, Golgari Queen
2 Plague Engineer
2 Thoughtseize
2 Damping Sphere
2 Drown in the Loch
3 Fatal Push
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Third Place, Jund Death’s Shadow – Austin Anderson]
[Creatures]
4 Street Wraith
4 Death’s Shadow
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Grim Flayer
1 Ghor-Clan Rampager
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Once Upon a Time
2 Temur Battle Rage
2 Kolaghan’s Command
4 Thoughtseize
3 Fatal Push
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Traverse the Ulvenwald
2 Tarfire
1 Seal of Fire
4 Mishra’s Bauble
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Bloodstained Mire
2 Wooded Foothills
2 Overgrown Tomb
1 Blood Crypt
1 Stomping Ground
1 Forest
1 Swamp
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 Embereth Shieldbreaker
2 Assassin’s Trophy
4 Collective Brutality
1 Collector Ouphe
1 Fulminator Mage
1 Kolaghan’s Command
1 Plague Engineer
3 Bloodbraid Elf
1 Yixalid Jailer
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Fourth Place, Humans – Michael Wright]
[Creatures]
4 Reflector Mage
4 Meddling Mage
4 Mantis Rider
3 Kitesail Freebooter
2 Ranger-Captain of Eos
3 Phantasmal Image
2 Deputy of Detention
4 Thalia’s Lieutenant
4 Champion of the Parish
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Aether Vial
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Ancient Zigguruat
1 Snow-Covered Island
4 Horizon Canopy
4 Unclaimed Territory
4 Cavern of Souls
1 Snow-Covered Plains
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
2 Plague Engineer
3 Dismember
2 Damping Sphere
2 Collector Ouphe
2 Knight of Autumn
2 Auriok Champion
2 Gaddock Teeg
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Fifth Place, Jund – Matthew McLeay]
[Creatures]
2 Scavenging Ooze
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Tireless Tracker
4 Bloodbraid Elf
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
3 Wrenn and Six
2 Kolaghan’s Command
4 Liliana of the Veil
1 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Fatal Push
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Thoughtseize
1 Abrupt Decay
2 Assassin’s Trophy
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Blood Crypt
4 Bloodstained Mire
2 Forest
1 Nurturing Peatland
2 Overgrown Tomb
2 Raging Ravine
1 Stomping Ground
2 Swamp
4 Verdant Catacombs
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Ancient Grudge
2 Collective Brutality
2 Collector Ouphe
1 Damping Sphere
1 Weather the Storm
2 Ashiok, Dream Render
3 Fulminator Mage
2 Plague Engineer
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Sixth Place, Dredge – Matthew Kasdorf]
[Creatures]
4 Stinkweed Imp
4 Narcomoeba
4 Prized Amalgam
4 Bloodghast
2 Golgari Thug
3 Merchant of the Veil
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
1 Collective Brutality
4 Life from the Loam
4 Shriekhorn
4 Cathartic Reunion
2 Conflagrate
4 Creeping Chill
[/Spells]
[Lands]
2 Blood Crypt
2 Stomping Ground
2 Mountain
1 Blast Zone
1 Mana Confluence
3 Copperline Gorge
3 Wooded Foothills
3 Bloodstained Mire
3 Forgotten Cave
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
3 Thoughseize
2 Nature’s Claim
1 Shenanigans
2 Ancient Grudge
3 Lightning Axe
2 Leyline of the Void
1 Darkblast
1 Assassin’s Trophy
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Seventh Place, Amulet Titan – Mitchell Gaertner]
[Creatures]
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Walking Ballista
4 Azusa, Lost but Seeking
4 Primeval Titan
4 Sakura-Tribe Scout
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Amulet of Vigor
4 Ancient Stirrings
4 Summoner’s Pact
4 Once Upon a Time
1 Engineered Explosives
[/Spells]
[Lands]
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Field of the Dead
1 Radiant Fountain
1 Ghost Quarter
4 Simic Growth Chamber
1 Gruul Turf
1 Selesnya Sanctuary
1 Golgari Rot Farm
2 Breeding Pool
2 Gemstone Mine
2 Forest
2 Snow-Covered Forest
2 Castle Garenbrig
1 Boros Garrison
1 Slayers’ Stronghold
1 Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
1 Vesuva
3 Tolaria West
1 Cavern of Souls
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
2 Oko, Thief of Crowns
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Pact of Negation
2 Dismember
2 Force of Vigor
1 Manglehorn
1 Emrakul, the Promised End
1 Field of the Dead
1 Negate
1 Tireless Tracker
1 Obstinate Baloth
1 Ramunap Excavator
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Eighth Place, Jund – Jeremie Asselin-Maulé]
[Creatures]
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Scavenging Ooze
2 Dark Confidant
4 Bloodbraid Elf
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
3 Wrenn and Six
4 Lilliana of the Veil
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Kolaghan’s Command
2 Fatal Push
2 Thoughtseize
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Assassin’s Trophy
2 Abrupt Decay
[/Spells]
[Lands]
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Raging Ravine
2 Forest
1 Swamp
1 Mountain
3 Bloodstained Mire
3 Blackcleave Cliffs
2 Wooded Foothills
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Stomping Ground
2 Overgrown Tomb
1 Blood Crypt
2 Nurturing Peatland
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
3 Leyline of the Void
1 Huntmaster of the Fells
2 Collective Brutality
2 Plague Engineer
3 Fulminator Mage
1 Damping Sphere
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Collector Ouphe
1 Ashiok, Dream Render
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
