After three consecutive weeks of Azorius Control dominating the FacetoFaceGames.com Open Series, the king has been dethroned at long last. This past Saturday when we traveled to North Bay, Ontario for a Modern Open a trophy was placed in the hands of efficient, powerful and honest creatures once again.
Shawn Seguin took down our event with Humans.
With Modern Horizons just days away from tournament playability and the addition of War of the Spark to the format, Modern may just be more in flux now than at any other time in the last few years. In the past few weeks we’ve watched as [Card]Narset, Parter of Veils[/Card] has made her mark on the format in various controlling decks, but this week was a return to form.
Seguin defeated Jack Robbins in the finals who was also playing the powerful tribal aggro deck. Humans famously over-performed in the last Mythic Championship in London and has returned to form on the Open Series in North Bay. Personally, I love where Modern is at right now. Traditional archetypes like creature-based aggro decks and control decks have gained a lot in recent sets, so we now have this nice cyclical format where the linear decks can be beat — unlike Modern metas of the not too distant past.
Th rest of our Top 8 featured Shadow O’Shea piloting a sweet Azorius Flash deck built around [Card]Teferi, Time Raveler[/Card], Chris Beauchesne on Eldrazi Tron, Lee Heezer on Mono-Blue Tron in an escape from the norm, Liam Broad playing an old favourite in Bant Spirits, James Botham with a spicy Gruul Aggro deck and finally Frank Joanete with old faithful Golgari Midrange.
In addition to all the action in the main event on Saturday, we also had tons going on at the venue for those who didn’t want to battle in Modern. We had 30 drafters on-site playing Modern Horizons to celebrate pre-release weekend, Commander pods and players buying and selling cards from the Face to Face Games booth!
Before I leave you for the week we at Face to Face Games want to remind you about our upcoming 10k Mythic Championship Qualifier taking place THIS Saturday on June 15 in Toronto. We’ll be hosting it at the Montecassino Hotel, and every registrant will get a free [Card]Arcbound Ravager[/Card] promo with entry. Make sure to pre-register and we’ll see you there!
Congratulations again to our champion Shawn Seguin from everyone at Face to Face Games! Additionally, we’d like to extend our thanks to both our Open Series sponsor — Ultimate Guard — who hooked up everyone in the Top 8 with some awesome swag and to our amazing judge staff! The next stop on the series is coming up on June 22 when we travel to Hamilton, Ontario for a Modern Open. Make sure to pre-register and we’ll see you there!
[Deck Title= First Place, Humans – Shawn Seguin]
[Creatures]
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Champion of the Parish
4 Phantasmal Image
4 Meddling Mage
4 Thalia’s Lieutenant
3 Kitesail Freebooter
4 Reflector Mage
4 Mantis Rider
1 Deputy of Detention
1 Militia Bugler
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Aether Vial
[/Spells]
[Lands]
1 Island
4 Unclaimed Territory
4 Horizon Canopy
4 Cavern of Souls
2 Plains
4 Ancient Ziggurat
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
2 Ravenous Trap
2 Gaddock Teeg
2 Deputy of Detention
2 Militia Bugler
3 Auriok Champion
2 Dismember
2 Damping Sphere
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Second Place, Humans – Jack Robbins]
[Creatures]
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Champion of the Parish
4 Thalia, Guardian of Tharaben
4 Thalia’s Lieutenant
4 Phantasmal Image
3 Kitesail Freebooter
4 Reflector Mage
4 Reflector Mage
4 Mantis Rider
2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
4 Meddling Mage
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Aether Vial
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Horizon Canopy
4 Unclaimed Territory
4 Ancient Ziggurat
1 Island
1 Plains
1 Seachrome Coast
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
2 Damping Sphere
3 Deputy of Detention
1 Riders of Gavony
1 Dismember
2 Militia Bugler
2 Auriok Champion
1 Grafdigger’s Cage
2 Knight of Autumn
1 Kambal, Consul of Allocation
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Third Place, Eldrazi Tron – Chris Beauchesne]
[Creatures]
2 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
2 Endbringer
4 Reality Smasher
4 Thought-Knot Seer
4 Matter Reshaper
1 Walking Ballista
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Karn, the Great Creator
2 Ugin, the Ineffable
1 All is Dust
3 Dismember
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Expedition Map
1 Relic of Progenitus
[/Spells]
[Lands]
2 Blast Zone
2 Cavern of Souls
4 Eldrazi Temple
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Scavenger Grounds
4 Urza’s Tower
4 Urza’s Mine
4 Urza’s Power Plant
2 Wastes
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
4 Leyline of the Void
1 Platinum Angel
1 All is Dust
1 Mycosynth Lattice
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Sorcerous Spyglass
2 Spatial Contortion
2 Warping Wail
1 Sundering Titan
1 Ensnaring Bridge
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Fourth Place, Teferi Flash – Shadow O’Shea]
[Creatures]
4 Wall of Omens
4 Spell Queller
4 Restoration Angel
2 Vendilion Clique
1 Snapcaster Mage
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
2 Cryptic Command
1 Dovin’s Veto
1 Spell Snare
1 Detention Sphere
1 Spell Pierce
1 Settle the Wreckage
1 Echoing Truth
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Teferi, Time Raveler
4 Serum Visions
4 Path to Exile
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Flooded Strand
4 Celestial Colonnade
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Mystic Gate
2 Glacial Fortress
2 Field of Ruin
5 Island
3 Plains
1 Scalding Tarn
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 Disdainful Stroke
1 Dovin’s Veto
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
2 Geist of Saint Traft
2 Kitchen Finks
1 Cataclysmic Gearhulk
1 Supreme Verdict
1 Lavinia, Azorius Renegade
2 Ashiok, Dream Render
2 Damping Sphere
1 Wrath of God
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Fifth Place, Mono-Blue Tron – Lee Heezer]
[Creatures]
1 Nimble Obstructionist
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Walking Ballista
1 Torrential Gearhulk
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
1 Mindslaver
1 Oblivion Stone
2 Expedition Map
4 Spatial Contortion
2 Chalice of the Void
4 Condescend
2 Echoing Truth
2 Repeal
1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
3 Karn, the Great Creator
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Cyclonic Rift
4 Thirst for Knowledge
2 Remand
1 Supreme Will
[/Spells]
[Lands]
7 Island
4 Urza’s Power Plant
4 Urza’s Tower
4 Urza’s Mine
1 Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
1 Academy Ruins
1 Tolaria West
1 Field of Ruin
1 Blast Zone
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 Mycosynth Lattice
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Sorcerous Spyglass
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Torpor Orb
1 Expedition Map
1 Grafdigger’s Cage
1 Mindslaver
1 Trinisphere
1 Sundering Titan
1 Platinum Angel
1 Oblivion Stone
1 Batterskull
1 Hurkyl’s Recall
1 Commandeer
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Sixth Place, Bant Spirits – Liam Broad]
[Creatures]
1 Birds of Paradise
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Mausoleum Wanderer
3 Phantasmal Image
3 Selfless Spirit
4 Supreme Phantom
1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
2 Deputy of Detention
4 Drogskol Captain
4 Spell Queller
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
3 Path to Exile
4 Collected Company
3 Aether Vial
[/Spells]
[Lands]
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Moorland Haunt
2 Misty Rainforest
3 Botanical Sanctum
2 Horizon Canopy
3 Flooded Strand
2 Windswept Heath
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Temple Garden
1 Breeding Pool
1 Plains
1 Island
1 Forest
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
2 Stony Silence
2 Damping Sphere
1 Dromoka’s Command
3 Knight of Autumn
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Rest in Peace
1 Deputy of Detention
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Seventh Place, Gruul Aggro – James Botham]
[Creatures]
4 Goblin Guide
4 Monastery Swiftspear
3 Fanatical Firebrand
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
2 Legion Loyalist
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
2 Searing Blaze
1 Become Immense
3 Skewer the Critics
3 Skullcrack
4 Lava Spike
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Atarka’s Command
4 Light Up The Stage
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Arid Mesa
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Stomping Ground
1 Windswept Heath
6 Mountain
1 Forest
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
2 Searing Blaze
2 Dragon’s Claw
2 Searing Blood
4 Destructive Revelry
2 Exquisite Firecraft
1 Shrine of Burning Rage
2 Dryad Militant
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Eighth Place, The Rock – Frank Joanete]
[Creatures]
3 Tireless Tracker
3 Dark Confidant
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Scavenging Ooze
1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
3 Assassin’s Trophy
2 Abrupt Decay
4 Liliana of the Veil
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Thoughtseize
4 Fatal Push
2 Nihil Spellbomb
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Field of Ruin
1 Mobilized District
3 Forest
4 Swamp
4 Verdant Catacomb
2 Overgrown Tomb
4 Blooming Marsh
1 Treetop Village
1 Marsh Flats
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 Casualties of War
1 Damping Sphere
1 Nissa, Worldwaker
3 Fulminator Mage
2 Collective Brutality
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Damnation
1 Languish
1 Ashiok, Dream Render
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Choke
1 Surgical Extraction
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]