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The F2F Tour Edmonton event saw an impressive gathering of 82 Modern enthusiasts battling through intense rounds and showcasing a diverse range of strategies. Players brought their best decks to compete for the coveted championship title, resulting in thrilling matchups and memorable moments. Here’s a closer look at how the Top 8, featuring insights directly from the champion and runner-up themselves:
Champion: Ash Loraas – Orzhov Midrange
Despite losing round one, Ash maintained a focused approach, advancing to become the first seed in the Top 8.
Orzhov Midrange – Ash Loraas (1st)
Artifacts (3)
Interview with Ash Loraas:
You’re the F2F Tour champ! What was the moment in the tournament when you first thought, “I’ve got this”?
I lost my round one so it really wasn’t ever on my brain. I just took it one round at a time and eventually I ended up 1st seed into top 8. Then I realized I had the play and just couldn’t lose anymore.
How did you settle on your deck for this event? Was it a last-minute call or something you’d been tuning for a while?
I’ve been playing the Pair O’ Dice Showcase hosted by House of Mana (Jack Potter) and I’ve been playing modern often to prepare for that event. I found the deck in a random top 8 challenge and just kept working at making sure I knew everything about the deck. The knowledge paid off. I’m doing well there and now well… you know.
What was the one card or play that you think carried you across the finish line?
My good boy Phelia was the MVP. Flickering blockers or my own enter the battlefield effects has been insanely powerful.
Even a winner has off moments—looking back, is there anything in your run or deck you’d tweak for next time?
So I played in a modern event the next day and swapped around a Concealed Courtyard for a Sacred Foundry as I found Prismatic Ending for 3 to be quite important, especially in the mirror. Speaking of the mirror I also cut my Elesh Norn in the side for a Blood Baron of Vizkopa. It’s a mirror breaker.
This win earns you a spot at the Regional Championship. How are you feeling about that, and what’s your plan to celebrate?
I sadly won’t be going to the next RC as I’m having some surgery but I have and will be helping my Alberta friends prepare to take home another trophy.
But as for my feelings I am eternally grateful for the Magic community. All my friends ran up to me and gave me hugs and just really supported me throughout the event. So thank you to all my friends. My plan to celebrate? I went and got a donair and it was exactly what a champion needed.
Runner-Up: Kyle Gellert – Esper Control
Esper Control – Kyle Gellert (2nd)
Artifacts (4)
Interview with Kyle Gellert:
Second place at F2F Tour Edmonton is a massive achievement—congrats! What was the toughest match you faced on your way to the finals, and how did you manage to push through it with your Esper Frog Ketramose deck?
The toughest match I faced on my way to the finals was against fellow Saskatoon player Jesse Speers on Eldrazi, who had a very strong gameplan of Cavern of Souls + Sire of Seven Deaths. I approached this matchup by trying to present an early Frog and using my disruption to protect my threat. Subtlety ended up being relevant as a way to “counter” a Sire through a Cavern.
How did you prepare for this Modern event, and what made you decide on Esper Frog Ketramose as your weapon of choice for this meta?
I didn’t end up having a lot of time to test for this event but I did prepare by reading other players’ thoughts on the format and scouring the internet for decklists. I ended up selecting this Esper deck because I’ve always been fond of the archetype, I also liked that the BW Sewers decks had moved away from Aether Vial, and I liked that there is a build of Esper Frog that doesn’t have any threats that overly rely on the graveyard (No Oculus or Murktide).
What’s one play from your run—maybe with Psychic Frog and Ketramose together—that you’re really proud of, or one you’d change if you could?
One play I was really happy with was against my round 5 opponent on Zoo who was at 12 life, when I moved to combat with a Ketramose and a 1/2 Frog and he responded with a Leyline Binding targeting Ketramose and I had just enough cards between hand + graveyard to pitch and grow my Frog to 12 power and one-shot him.
The finals against BW Sewers must have been intense. How did it feel stepping into that final match compared to the earlier rounds, and did it change your approach?
Honestly, I felt very relaxed and calm for the duration of the tournament, including the finals. In the past, I have struggled with nervousness during tournaments and have tried my best to not let it show in my gameplay but maybe as I’ve gotten older that hasn’t been as big of an issue. I approached the finals as I do with all my other matches; play tight and think as clearly as I can.
You also finished Top 4 in the provincial cEDH Championship—what’s one highlight or lesson from that event, and how does it feel to have strong results in both formats recently?
The biggest lesson I have from the cEDH event is that the table ‘politics’ plays a very important role in order to help keep the games competitive. Sometimes you’re trying to persuade players into help deal with a threatening player or announce your intentions as you’re casting a spell so other players don’t overreact.
It feels great having strong results in both events. It was my first cEDH tournament so I was definitely more unsure of if I’d like the format as a tournament structure but I was pleasantly surprised of my level of enjoyment while playing it and I’m very happy with my result.
Other Top 8 Decks:
- 3rd: Josh Southcott – Orzhov Blink
- 4th: Graham Hryniuk – Domain Zoo
- 5th: Justin Crump – Domain Zoo
- 6th: Derrick Hopkins – Eldrazi Ramp
- 7th: Earl Prusak – Boros Energy
- 8th: Alex Hatch – Dimir Oculus
In addition to Modern action, players also competed in the provincial cEDH Championship. Check out the champion, Top 4, and full Top 10 standings below!
Congratulations to all competitors, and good luck to everyone heading to the next F2F Tour stop in Langley on March 22!
Kar Yung Tom (KYT) is the Digital Content Manager for Face to Face Games. He oversees the F2FTour.com and Magic F2F websites. He is also the lead host of the First Strike podcast.
