Welcome to another weekly Showdown Recap, where we take a look at what happened at Face to Face Games Toronto’s weekly Sunday Showdown, a series of 1k events feeding into the Ultimate Showdown 5k Invitational. This week players in Legacy without Deathrite Shaman and Gitaxian Probe for the first time in the Toronto area!

This is the single Showdown I’ve been most excited to see the results from in a long time. Recently, Wizards of the Coast made the decision to ban both Deathrite Shaman and Gitaxian Probe and this was the first time that change would make its mark on a Toronto Legacy event.

Connors Eilerson took advantage of these changes. Using a powerful linear combo deck in B/G Depths to get underneath some of these recently-nerfed fair decks in order to take down our Legacy Showdown!

The rest of our Top 8 was, well, not exactly normal for Legacy in general, but more of the same for the Toronto scene — which is to say it was crawling with black-based resource-denial decks.

There were two copies of Mono-Black Pox in the Top 8, Jon Fine with his signature Eldrazi deck, a unique Sultai take on Infect a Sneak & Show deck and a copy of Death & Taxes.

If there is one big take away for me, it’s that there are zero total copies of Delver of Secrets in the Top 8. A lot of people were quite excited about Temur Delver after the banning (including local Nimble Mongoose apologist Daniel Fournier). But, the powerful one-drop did not show its face in this event.

I’m pretty intrigued by this Sultai Infect deck. Leovold, emissary of Trest is a very powerful card, and with combo decks picking up popularity now that every fair deck doesn’t come complete with free graveyard hate and mana acceleration, this deck can prey on combo with its cheap interaction and fast clock.

I’m not at all surprised to see Sneak & Show and Death & Taxes in the Top 8. Of everything that’s happened since the bans, these two decks came away unscathed and honestly look better than ever in the format. Don’t be surprised to see a lot of Griselbrand and Mother of Runes in the coming weeks of Legacy.

With his win on Sunday, Connors cements his spot in the upcoming Ultimate Showdown and the rest of our Top 4 have begun their march up the leader board to qualify. This upcoming weekend’s Showdown will be in the Standard format. It’s time to find out whether or not M19 can dethrone Goblin Chainwhirler, or if the powerful three-drop will stay on top.

First Place, Connors Eilersen – B/G Depths

[Deck]
[Creatures]
4 Dark Confidant
2 Sylvan Safekeeper
4 Vampire Hexmage
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Duress
4 Sylvan Scrying
4 Thoughtseize
4 Lotus Petal
3 Pithing Needle
4 Crop Rotation
2 Sylvan Library
[/Spells]
[Lands]
2 Bayou
1 Bojuka Bog
4 Dark Depths
2 Forest
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Sejiri Steppe
2 Swamp
4 Thespian’s Stage
3 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Verdant Catacombs
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
3 Abrupt Decay
1 Bitterblossom
1 Grafdigger’s Cage
1 Karakas
1 Marsh Casualties
1 Mindbreak Trap
2 Rite of Consumption
3 Surgical Extraction
2 Tarmogoyf
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

Second Place, Steve Scobie – Sultai Infect

[Deck]
[Creatures]
4 Noble Heirarch
4 Glistener Elf
4 Blighted Agent
2 Leovold, Emissary of Trest
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
3 Duress
3 Abrupt Decay
3 Ponder
3 Vines of the Vastwood
2 Berserk
2 Tainted Strike
2 Become Immense
4 Invigorate
4 Brainstorm
1 Search for Azcanta
[/Spells]
[Lands]
2 Tropical Island
1 Underground Sea
1 Bayou
1 Forest
1 Island
1 Swamp
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Inkmoth Nexus
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 Hydroblast
1 Pithing Needle
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Grafdigger’s Cage
2 Phyrexian Crusader
2 Viridian Corrupter
2 Flusterstorm
2 Thoughtseize
3 Surgical Extraction
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

Third Place, Michael Chan – Mono-Black Pox

[Deck]
[Creatures]
1 Gurmag Angler
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Innocent Blood
3 Thoughtseize
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Collective Brutality
1 Diabolic Edict
4 Smallpox
3 Hymn to Tourach
2 Surgical Extraction
4 Liliana of the Veil
2 Liliana, the Last hope
1 Phyrexian Totem
1 Chalice of the Void
1 Cursed Scroll
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Infernal Tutor
1 Bontu’s Last Reckoning
1 Crucible of Worlds
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Mishra’s Factory
4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Wasteland
6 Swamp
5 Snow-covered Swamp
1 Field of Ruin
1 Maze of Ith
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
4 Leyline of the Void
1 Surgical Extraction
2 Pithing Needle
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Dystopia
1 Dread of Night
1 Night of Soul’s Betrayal
1 Chalice of the Void
1 Duress
1 Ratchet Bomb
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

Fourth Place, Peirce Trifones – Sneak & Show

[Deck]
[Creatures]
1 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
4 Griselbrand
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Lotus Petal
4 Sneak Attack
4 Show and Tell
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
3 Preordain
4 Force of Will
2 Spell Pierce
1 Flusterstorm
2 Omniscience
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Ancient Tomb
2 City of Traitors
3 Island
1 Mountain
3 Volcanic Island
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
2 Grafdigger’s Cage
2 Abrade
2 Blood Moon
2 Pyroclasm
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Boseiju, Who Shelters All
2 Arcane Artisan
1 Wipe Away
1 Defense Grid
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

Fifth Place, Jon Fine – Eldrazi Stompy

[Deck]
[Creatures]
2 SImian Spirit Guide
2 Walking Ballista
4 Eldrazi Mimic
2 Endbringer
4 Endless One
3 Matter Reshaper
4 Reality Smasher
4 Thought-Knot Seer
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
2 Warping Wail
2 Spatial Contortion
1 All is Dust
4 Chalice of the Void
1 Umezawa’s Jitte
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Ancient Tomb
3 Cavern of Souls
3 City of Traitors
4 Eldrazi Temple
3 Eye of Ugin
1 Karakas
3 Mishra’s Factory
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
3 Wasteland
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 All is Dust
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Dismember
3 Faerie Macabre
1 Grafdigger’s Cage
2 Ratchet Bomb
2 Sorcerous Spyglass
3 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

Sixth Place, Indy Zhao – Death & Taxes

[Deck]
[Creatures]
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Mother of Runes
4 Flickerwisp
2 Brightling
1 Phyrexian REvoker
2 Remorseful Cleric
1 Mirran Crusader
2 Recruiter of the Guard
1 Sanctum Prelate
1 Palace Jailer
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Aether Vial
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Batterskull
1 Umezawa’s Jitte
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Wasteland
4 Rishadan Port
3 Karakas
10 Plains
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Blinkmoth Nexus
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 Cataclysm
2 Path to Exile
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Rest in Peace
2 Mirran Crusader
1 Containment Priest
1 Council’s Judgment
1 Leonin Relic Warder
1 Phyrexian Revoker
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

Seventh Place, John O’Keefe – Mono-Black Pox

[Deck]
[Spells]
2 Cursed Scroll
2 Surgical Extraction
4 Dark Ritual
2 Chalice of the Void
4 Smallpox
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Collective Brutality
1 Bitterblossom
2 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Phyrexian Totem
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Trinisphere
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
4 Liliana of the Veil
1 Nether Spirit
[/Spells]
[Lands]
11 Swamp
4 Mishra’s Factory
4 Wasteland
1 Cabal Pit
1 Field of Ruin
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Maze of Ith
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
4 Leyline of the Abyss
2 Helm of Obedience
1 Nether Void
1 Bontu’s Last Reckoning
2 Ratchet Bomb
1 Dystopia
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Pithing Needle
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

Eighth Place, Daniel Armchuck – U/B Reanimator

[Deck]
[Creatures]
1 Grave Titan
2 Griselbrand
3 Chancellor of the Annex
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
1 Tidespout Tyrant
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Brainstorm
4 Careful Study
3 Daze
4 Force of Will
1 Ponder
2 Animate Dead
1 Collective Brutality
4 Entomb
4 Exhume
4 Reanimate
2 Thoughtseize
3 Lotus Petal
[/Spells]
[Lands]
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Island
2 Verdant Catacombs
4 Polluted Delta
2 Swamp
4 Underground Sea
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 Ashen Rider
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Collective Brutality
2 Echoing Truth
1 Flusterstorm
2 Jace, Prodigy of Vryn
1 Keranos, God of Storms
1 Massacre
3 Show and Tell
1 Snuff Out
1 Back to Basics
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]