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The F2F Tour returned to Alberta this past weekend, where 80 players battled through a diverse Modern field. When the dust settled, it was longtime competitor Jakob Allan who triumphed, piloting WURG Zoo to the trophy.
W-U-R-G – Jakob Allan (1st)
Allen isn’t new to success on the circuit — he captured an F2F Tour Open title back in 2022 — but this win marks a new chapter in his journey. After some time away from the game, he came back prepared and left Calgary as the Modern Super Qualifier champion.
Top 8 – Calgary Modern Super Qualifier
| Placing | Player | Deck |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jakob Allan | WURG Zoo |
| 2nd | Jesse Speers | Grixis Affinity |
| 3rd | Ashiok Nightmare_Weaver | Mono-Green Eldrazi |
| 4th | Nik Austin | Gruul Eldrazi |
| 5th | Joshua Saruga | Boros |
| 6th | George Ren | Esper |
| 7th | Paul Wilson | Boros Aggro |
| 8th | Zak Turchansky | Bant |
Interview with Jakob Allan – Modern Super Qualifier Champion
Congrats on your Calgary win! You’ve been competing on the F2F Tour for a while now, including an earlier trophy run back in the Open days. How does this victory fit into your overall journey so far?
Thanks! This win was really cool for me, I stepped away from Magic for a little due to some life stuff but I practiced pretty heavily for this event, getting back into the format alongside some friends, and was thrilled to walk away with a win. I’m having a lot of fun with Magic and am excited about it so I’m planning to grind some LCQ’s to hopefully make it to RC Calgary, and I’m going to do my best to make it to Vancouver now that I have that invite.
You mentioned stepping away and then grinding hard for Calgary. What did that prep actually look like? Who were you jamming with, what matchups did you target, and did anything about the Modern landscape surprise you once you got deep into testing?
I did a lot of testing just in MTGO leagues and discussed the format a lot with Jan Ong and Lane MacTavish to get up to speed. In general I felt like Zoo was a really stable deck, no match-ups are a total stomp either way in my experience. After being away from the format for a bit I was surprised by how strong flicker/ETB packages were in Energy and Esper, so I made the meta call to cut the Tribal Flames from stock Zoo deck and play Doorkeeper Thrull main. I also had a local-meta read that Esper Blink would be popular which influenced that decision. I was most surprised by how much innovation was going on in Modern — I had assumed that Edge of Eternities wouldn’t change too much about the format and there weren’t any bans or major shakeups. But UW Energy, Esper Blink and Affinity all do interesting stuff with the EOE cards, and Grixis Reanimate seems like it came out of nowhere without leveraging any new cards which is pretty cool.
That’s a really sharp read, especially on the Esper Blink angle. Looking back at your run, did you feel like those choices—like cutting Tribal Flames for Thrulls—directly paid off in matches this weekend?
In hindsight I’m extremely happy with the call, I hit Esper Blink twice in the Swiss and Energy in the Top 8. Having Thrulls main didn’t actually come up but I would have been happy to see them, and there was never a spot where I drew a Thrull and wished it was Tribal Flames. The card also has some extra utility in the deck — denying ETB’s like Thought Monitor, Atraxa and Archon of Cruelty, or letting you cheat a Phlage into play without escaping it.
Your finals opponent Jesse Speers was on Grixis Affinity with Kappa Cannoneer, which is a terrifying threat if it hits the battlefield. How did you approach that matchup, and what ended up being the key to closing out the event?
Kappa Cannoneer is terrifying and Affinity is a deck I was worried about. I’ve found the most important tool in the matchup is just having access to as much early game interaction as possible. Removing a Pinnacle Emissary immediately after it’s warped in helps keep the board in check and makes it a lot harder for them to deploy the turtle. I’m willing to keep hands that are pretty light on action or lands if I have a high density of removal, because I’m confident I can top deck my way out of it as long as I maintain their board.
This win clearly has you excited about Magic again. Looking ahead, what’s next for you—more F2F Tour stops, chasing bigger events, or just enjoying the grind with your friends for now?
Feeling like doing a bit of everything right now! I’m definitely going to be catching all the stops in Alberta and I’m excited for the Vancouver RC plus anything that might come after that. But I’m also happy to just be playing with friends through Modern weeklies, Draft, Commander or whatever else seems like fun.
What’s Next on the F2F Tour
With Calgary and Saskatoon wrapped up, the spotlight now turns to CommandFest Ottawa, running September 5–7 at the Palais des congrès de Gatineau.
This three-day celebration of Magic offers everything from all-day Commander pods to Super Qualifiers, Legacy, Duel Commander, and unique events like Grand Melee Pre-Con Commander and 2 Unfinity & Beyond Sealed. Saturday night, don’t miss the Planeswalker Party VIP event — a legendary evening with comedy, cosplay, content creators, and community fun.
Special guests include fan-favorite artists like Nino Vecia, Véronique Meignaud, Jeff Laubenstein, and Jason Rainville, plus community creators such as MTG Muddstah, MrBevers, 8th Place Dave, Snug the Amazing, and many more.
Whether you’re a competitive grinder or a Commander enthusiast, Ottawa CommandFest is the perfect way to kick off September with friends, spells, and unforgettable games.
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.
