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The F2F Tour recently made a competitive stop in Winnipeg, drawing 45 players to compete in the Modern Super Qualifier. Jonathan White took home the championship title with his Gruul Prowess deck, showcasing his skill and strategic prowess. Runner-up Jessie, hailing from Toronto, also put on a remarkable performance with Bant Nadu.
Top 8 Finishers:
The competition was fierce, but these players rose to the top with their impressive deck choices:
- Jonathan White – Gruul Prowess
- Jessie Naamani – Bant Nadu
- James Lebar – Mardu Energy
- Tianlang Zhang – Jeskai Control
- Dorian Gillis – Izzet Control
- Jesse Speers – Bant Nadu
- Larissa Adams – Esper Mill
- Braiden Duncan – Gruul Energy
Let’s hear from our top two players about their experiences and insights from the event.
Interview with Jonathan White, Winner of the Winnipeg Modern Super Qualifier
KYT: Can you share a bit about your history with Magic: The Gathering and what drew you to competitive play, specifically in the Modern format?
Jonathan: I started playing Magic in 2015 with some friends during Oath of the Gatewatch. My friends convinced me to buy a Standard deck for a 3K event, and I’ve never really looked back, still playing competitively nine years later. I’ve played Modern since around 2016. COVID mostly killed the Standard scene in Winnipeg, and it’s been mostly Modern since stores reopened, so it’s been my format of choice as it’s the most competitive format in the city.
KYT: What factors influenced your choice of deck for this tournament? How did you prepare for the expected meta, and were there any particular decks you were looking to counter?
Jonathan: For deck choices, it was easy. I’ve played Prowess a ton since Modern Horizons 1 when Lava Dart was reprinted into Modern. It’s been my favorite deck since then other than maybe Hammer Time (RIP). I’ve always felt Prowess has all the tools to win any matchup, and I didn’t have a ton of practice since Modern Horizons 3, so I stuck with comfort.
Gruul Prowess – Jonathan White (1st)
Enchantments (2)
KYT: Were there any unique card choices or tech in your deck that you feel gave you an edge in this tournament? Is there a particular card that overperformed or played a crucial role in your matches?
Jonathan: For a unique card, I’d say Crash Through. I played four copies instead of the stock Mutagenic Growth. It’s a pet card of mine, and it felt very good all day, helped smooth out your draws, and is a sorcery for delirium, which was very relevant as I felt the stock lists struggle with delirium. The trample also came up a few times and can swing games. The card that overperformed was Slickshot Showoff. The card just does so much damage; it was definitely my MVP for the day.
KYT: How was your overall experience at the tournament? Were there any memorable moments or particularly challenging matches that stood out to you?
Jonathan: The tournament ran very well. The most memorable moment was finally winning an F2F trophy. I’ve lost in the finals of two other F2F events and chopped the finals another time when there wasn’t a trophy. Monastery Swiftspear has been in my deck for all but one of those finals, so it felt good to finally get an F2F trophy with Swiftspear since it’s my favorite card.
KYT: What are your future plans in the Magic competitive scene? Are there any specific events or goals you’re aiming for next?
Jonathan: For competitive Magic going forward, I’ll likely go to F2F Regina in September and then the RC in Calgary now that I’ve got an invite. The goal is just to enjoy the game and the trips with my friends more than anything.
Interview with Jessie, Runner-Up at the Winnipeg Modern Super Qualifier
KYT: It looks like you’re from Toronto and have played at our Toronto location. What brought you all the way to Winnipeg?
Jessie: I still needed my Calgary invite and had some family friends in Winnipeg that I thought I’d visit. We grabbed dinner and went to the Fringe Festival together after the Tour Stop.
KYT: I’d love to know more about your background. Have you been competitive for a long time?
Jessie: I used to play Yu-Gi-Oh! (more or less casually) before the pandemic, sold my collection after moving here to buy into Modern MTG briefly after MH2. My first deck was Blue Moon. I’d say I’ve been competitive since about two years ago. I just played decks I enjoyed before then, notably a combination of Murktide/UW Control. I historically wasn’t too keen on playing the non-Modern RCQ formats and consequently only played two RCs so far, but I intend to change that moving forward!
KYT: Let’s zoom in on this tournament. Looks like you played Nadu. Any insights into how you landed on this deck choice?
Jessie: Nadu looked pretty crazy as soon as it was spoiled, and got better and better as decklists got refined for the PT. It helped that I already owned most of the cards for the deck before MH3 (including 4 Shuko for Legacy), but I think it’s a bit of a spew to play anything else in Modern at the moment.
Bant Nadu – Jessie Naamani (2nd)
Planeswalkers (1)
Artifacts (4)
Enchantments (4)
KYT: So even with the target on its back, you think it’s still undeniably the best deck? Are there matchups now that give the deck even a bit of trouble?
Jessie: I would say it’s undeniably the best deck. A big issue is how hard it is to find an axis to attack it on. It doesn’t care about GY hate and Nadu doesn’t count as card draw for cards like Orcish Bowmasters. The best Nadu hate piece running around is probably Harsh Mentor, but it’s not hard to beat with cards like Burrenton Forge-Tender, Volatile Stormdrake, and The One Ring. The Necro and Jeskai matchups have felt a little on the unfavored side, but Nadu has no unwinnable matchups by any means.
KYT: Thanks for all your answers; they’re awesome. How do you plan on prepping for Calgary? To be more specific, from a process standpoint, are you just going to jam a lot of games, or do you discuss more with your peers on how to attack a format?
Jessie: My friends and I typically host testing houses leading up to each RC where we focus test different matchups and how to approach them, specific sideboard cards, etc. I didn’t always partake in said testing houses, but will probably host a couple of my own this time around. My testing will probably not involve jamming a lot of games, but I might renew my ManaTraders subscription to play some leagues or challenges on MTGO, perhaps starting in October or so.
As we conclude our recap of this event, we’re already looking forward to the next exciting stop on the F2F Tour. Don’t miss the action in Ottawa on August 17, where we expect even more intense Magic: The Gathering battles and memorable experiences.
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.
