I don’t know about any of the other over 200 players that participated in this past Sunday’s Regional Pro Tour Qualifier but I am exhausted. Preparing for a Unified Standard event like this with a trip to the Pro Tour on the line was a very unique challenge that was both enjoyable and I’m sure rewarding for those who had success (I didn’t).

The teams of Derek Pite, David Rood and Dan Macdonald and Joe Fortini, Justin Bova and Brandon Dempsey stood atop the standings after he dust settled and are headed to the 25th anniversary Pro Tour.

You may know Derek better as “MisplacedGinger” from Twitch and author on this very site. Derek has played more Standard than anyone I know preparing for this event and was responsible for the construction of all three of his team’s decks. Quite frankly, in my opinion, nobody deserves this win more than Derek. He also had the added benefit of teaming with former Pro Tour champion David Rood who is back in the GTA Magic scene with a vengeance. There third was a Kitchener/Waterloo local who will be making his return to the Pro Tour as well in Dan Macdonald.

The other winners I’m not familiar with other than that I know they were from out of town. With that said, I’d like to congratulate them, as well as give them credit for some unique deckbuilding in a complicated format. Their version of B/R was much more midrangey than what we’re used to seeing from Goblin Chainwhirler strategies in the current Standard format and I’m sure it paid off for them given the amount of mirror matches they likely would have played on the day.

While preparing for the event the consensus, of course, was that you would play a red deck and then find two other archetypes to pair with it. The starting point for a lot of teams was a red deck, a control deck with Terferi, Hero of Dominaria and a green deck. This was just the natural place that your brain took you when looked at the format from afar.

What a lot of our players in the Top 4 seemed to discover is that the actual correct strategy was to find a way to maneuver U/B Midrange into your lineup. This would mean nerfing your control deck a little or to not play one at all. This Scarab God strategy performed very well on Sunday, and to me was the major metagame standout for me.

Congratulations to the rest of our Top 4 on qualifying themselves for the next RPTQ, and we hope to see everyone who competed Sunday at Canadian Nationals this coming weekend. Make sure to check out the Top 4 decklists below!

Face to Face Games will be hosting Nats from June 29 – July 1 over the long weekend. Come down early and make a weekend of it! We’ll also be hosting a slew of side events including a 5k Modern FacetoFaceGames.com Open+, a Legacy Eternal Weekend Trial and a Legacy Showdown on the Sunday. Get all the information here.

First Place: Rood, Pite and Macdonald

David Rood – Mono-Red Aggro

[Deck]
[Creatures]
4 Goblin Chainwhirler
3 Soul-scar Mage
2 Kari Zev, Skyship Captain
4 Earthshaker Khenra
4 Bomat Courier
3 Rekindling Phoenix
4 Hazoret the Fervent
2 Ahn-crop crasher
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
2 shock
4 lightning strike
4 Abrade
[/Spells]
[Lands]
24 Mountain
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
2 Glorybringer
3 Fight with Fire
4 Chandra’s Defeat
1 Rekindling Phoenix
3 Chandra, Torch of defiance
2 Aethersphere Harvester
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

Derek Pite – U/B Midrange

[Deck]
[Creatures]
2 torrential gearhulk
3 the scarab god
1 Ravenous Chepacabra
4 Vraska’s Contempt
4 Champion of Wits
4 Glint-sleever Siphoner
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Fatal Push
1 Supreme Will
1 Never // Return
2 Doomfall
3 Essence Scatter
1 Cast Down
2 Arguel’s Blood Fast
1 Liliana, Death’s Majesty
1 Commit // Memory
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Island
2 Field of Ruin
4 Aether Hub
4 Drowned Catacomb
4 Fetid Pools
8 Swamp
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
2 Duress
2 Essence extraction
1 Never // Return
1 Cast Down
1 Glimmer of Genius
1 Yahenni’s Expertise
1 Gonti, Lord of Luxury
3 Negate
1 Liliana, Death’s Majesty
1 Torențial Gearhulk
1 Sorcerous Spyglass
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

Dan Macdonald – G/W Angels

[Deck]
[Creatures]
1 Angel of Sanctions
2 Rishkar, Peema Renegade
3 Thrashing Brontodon
3 Shalai, Voice of Plenty
4 Lyra Dawnbringer
4 Walking Balista
3 Jadelight Ranger
4 llanowar Elves
4 Servant of the Conduit
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
2 Ajani unyielding
1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
2 Cast Out
3 Blossoming Defence
[/Spells]
[Lands]
7 Forest
6 Plains
4 Sunpetal Grove
4 Scattered Grove
1 Shefet Dunes
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 Naturalize
1 Heroic intervention
1 Settle the wreckage
2 Deathgorge Scavenger
1 Lifecrafter’s Bestiary
1 Ajani unyielding
2 Carnage tyrant
2 Thopter arrest
2 Prowling Serpopod
2 Nissa, Vital Force
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

Second Place: Fortini, Bova and Dempsey

Joe Fortini – Mono-Green Stompy

[Deck]
[Creatures]
4 Greenbelt Rampager
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Scrapheap Scrounger
3 Rhonas the indomitable
4 steel-leaf Champion
4 Thrashing Brontodon
3 Ghalta, Primal Hunger
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
3 Blossoming Defence
4 Heart of Kiran
1 Aethersphere Harvester
2 Skysovreign, Consul Flagship
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Blooming Marsh
12 Forest
4 Hashep Oasis
4 Woodland Cemetary
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 shaper’s sanctuary
1 Naturalize
3 Nissa, Vital Force
1 Vraska, Relic seeker
2 Lifecrafter’s Bestiary
3 Hour of Glory
2 Aethersphere Harvester
2 Crushing Canopy
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

Justin Bova – B/R Midrange

[Deck]
[Creatures]
4 Glorybringer
2 Pia Nalaar
4 Glint-sleeve siphoner
2 Ravenous chupacabra
4 Goblin Chainwhirler
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
1 Arguel’s Blood fast
2 Liliana, Death’s Majesty
3 Chandra, Torch of defiance
4 Abrade
4 Vraska’s Contempt
3 Magma Spray
2 Cut // Ribbons
[/Spells]
[Lands]
2 Cinder Barrens
4 Dragonskull Summit
4 Canyon Slough
8 Mountain
3 Swamp
4 Aether Hub
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
2 Karn, Scion of Urza
2 Dire-fleet Daredevil
1 Arguel’s Blood Fast
1 Angrath, the Flame-Chained
4 Durres
3 Chandra’s defeat
2 Doomfall
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

Brandon Dempsey – U/W Control

[Deck]
[Spells]
2 Glimmer of Genius
2 Approach of the second Sun
2 Search for Azcanta
2 Blink of an eye
3 Cast Out
2 Fumigate
3 settle the wreckage
2 Essence Scatter
1 Negate
2 Syncopate
4 Disallow
4 Teferi, hero of dominaria
4 Seal away
[/Spells]
[Lands]
2 Memorial to genius
1 field of ruin
1 scavenger grounds
4 ipnu rivulet
4 irrigated farmland
4 glacial fortress
3 island
8 plains
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
3 Authority of the consuls
2 Baral, chief of compliance
1 Glimmer of genius
3 torrential gearhulk
1 invoke the divine
1 nezahal, primal tide
1 sorcerous spyglass
3 negate
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

Third Place: Ragsdale, Burnett and Archdekin

Adam Ragsdale – Mono-Red Aggro

[Deck]
[Creatures]
4 scrapheap scrounger
2 kari zev, skyship raider
4 goblin chainwhirler
2 Pia nalaar
2 ahn-crop crasher
4 Rekindling phoenix
3 glorybringer
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
3 abrade
2 cut // ribbons
2 unlicensed disintegration
3 chandra, torch of defiance
2 angrath, the flame-chained
2 heart of kiran
[/Spells]
[Lands]
13 Mountain
2 swamp
2 cinder barrens
4 dragonskull summit
4 canyon slough
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
4 bomat courier
2 magma spray
2 sweltering suns
2 the eldest reborn
2 hour of glory
1 heart of kiran
1 abrade
1 Karn, Scion of Urza
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

Kai Burnett – U/W Control

[Deck]
[Creatures]
2 torrential gearhulk
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
1 syncopate
2 Blink of an eye
2 search for azcanta
4 teferi, hero of dominaria
3 settle the wreckage
1 commit // memory
4 disallow
1 negate
2 glimmer of genius
2 essence scatter
3 cast out
2 fumigate
4 seal away
[/Spells]
[Lands]
8 plains
7 island
2 memorial of genius
2 field of ruin
4 irrigated farmland
4 glacial fortress
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 search for azcanta
1 Ixalan’s Binding
2 negate
1 Fumigate
2 Sorcerous Spyglass
2 Lyra Dawnbringer
1 Torrential Gearhulk
1 Glimmer of genius
3 Baral, chief of compliance
1 Forsake the worldly
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

Jamie Archdekin – U/B Midrange

[Deck]
[Creatures]
4 Champion of wits
3 gifted Aetherborn
1 Gonti, Lord of Luxury
3 the scarab god
2 Ravenous Chepacabra
4 Glint-sleever Siphoner
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Fatal Push
4 Vraska’s Contempt
1 Supreme Will
1 Never // Return
2 Doomfall
2 Cast Down
2 Arguel’s Blood Fast
2 Liliana, Death’s Majesty
[/Spells]
[Lands]
3 Island
1 submerged boneyard
4 Aether Hub
4 Drowned Catacomb
4 Fetid Pools
9 Swamp
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
4 Duress
2 hostage taker
2 confiscation coup
1 Cast Down
1 Baral’s Expertise
1 Gonti, Lord of Luxury
1 Arguel’s Blood Fast
1 walking Ballista
1 deadeye Tracker
1 Essence Extraction
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

Fourth Place: Demars, Nikolai and Parnes

Brian Demars – Mono-Red Aggro

[Deck]
[Creatures]
4 Soul-scar Mage
3 Bomat Courier
3 Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
4 Earthshaker Khenra
1 Ahn-crop Crasher
4 Goblin Chainwhirler
3 Hazoret the Fervent
2 Rekindling Phoenix
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
3 Abrade
4 Lightning Strike
2 shock
1 Aethersphere Harvester
[/Spells]
[Lands]
24 mountain
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 Siege-gang Commander
1 Cut//Ribbons
1 Aethersphere Harvester
1 Bomat Courier
1 Abrade
1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
1 Rekindling Phoenix
3 Glorybringer
3 Chandra’s Defeat
2 Fight With Fire
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

Matthew Nickolai – U/W Control

[Deck]
[Spells]
3 Blink of an eye
2 essence Scatter
4 Disallow
3 Settle the Wreckage
1 Commit // Memory
2 Fumigate
2 Syncopate
1 Pull from tomorrow
2 search for azcanta
3 Seal away
3 Cast Out
2 Gideon of the Trials
1 Karn, scion of Urza
4 Teferi, hero of dominaria
[/Spells]
[Lands]
2 Memorial of genius
1 Arch of Orazca
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Irrigated Farmland
3 Field of ruin
6 Island
7 Plains
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 Karn, scion of urza
2 Walking Ballista
1 Fumigate
1 Raff Capashen, Ship’s Mage
1 Seal Away
3 History of Benalia
1 Jace’s Defeat
3 Negate
2 Lyra Dawnbringer
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

Stuart Barnes – U/B Midrange

[Deck]
[Creatures]
4 Glint-sleeve siphoner
3 champion of wits
1 Ravenous Chupacabra
3 the Scarab God
2 Torrential Gearhulk
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
2 Liliana, Death’s Majesty
4 Vraska’s Contempt
1 Glimmer of genius
3 Doomfall
2 Supreme Will
2 Arguel’s Blood Fast
1 Consign // oblivion
2 Cast Down
4 Fatal Push
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Aether Hub
4 Drowned Catacomb
4 Fetid Pools
4 Island
8 swamp
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Ifnir Deadlands
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 Cast Down
1 Glimmer if Genius
2 Essence Extraction
2 Hostage Taker
1 Never // Return
2 Knight of malice
2 Spell Pierce
4 Duress
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]