The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Toronto Legacy superstar and all around master Matthew Dilks threw everyone a curveball this weekend when he registered Jeskai Mentor in Legacy, but that didn’t stop him from winning the entire tournament.
Dilks is of course known for playing any deck in Legacy containing [Card]Dark Depths[/Card]. But this weekend he escaped from that norm in order to try out the Jeskai Mentor archetype that has been gaining popularity as of late. This is the deck that seems to best utilize War of the Spark’s Narset and Teferi in order to lock out other blue decks. Dilks told me that those two three mana planeswalkers over-performed all day for him (as they seem to do in every format).
Dilks defeated Alexander Neufeldt in the finals, who was playing one of two Izzet Delver decks in our Top 8.
Joining them in the Top 8 was Boston Schatteman on Temur Delver, Tse Shuen Wan who’s been dominating Showdowns as of late on a cool Bant Miracles deck, Wilkin Chau with his classic Dead Guy Ale deck, Justin Wong with a sweet Dimir Ninjas brew, Travis McDonald playing Omni-Tell and Steven Kostas on Izzet Delver.
Legacy at the Toronto shop continued to be a pretty tough nut to crack on Sunday. Both Dilks and Daniel Fournier have been having a lot of success with the Golgari Depths archetype over the last few months, but on Sunday we saw blue decks really shine.
Maybe Dilks has found a way to beat his own baby with Jeskai Mentor and it’s ability to thwart Marit Lage and company.
Before I leave you for the week I’d just like to quickly plug all of Face to Face Games’ upcoming WPN qualifier events. Wizards of the Coast has added a new system to their competitive framework to allow players to qualify for the upcoming Player’s Tour at the local level. Below are the dates of our upcoming Open+ events which will qualify the winner for the PT and check out this article to find out how you can qualify at your local Face to Face location as well.
With his win on Sunday, Dilks cements his spot in the upcoming Ultimate Showdown, while the rest of our Top 8 have begun their march up the leader board to qualify. If you’re interested in your Ultimate Showdown point total, you can check it out here. If you’d like to inquire about your point total or report a discrepancy, please email Toronto@facetofacegames.com.
This upcoming weekend at Face to Face Games Toronto we’ll be hosting a Modern Showdown! The format seems like it shifts more and more every week and we are excited for another awesome Showdown. Make sure to pre-register and we’ll see you at the shop!
[Deck Title= First Place, Jeskai Mentor – Matthew Dilks]
[Creatures]
4 Monastery Mentor
2 Snapcaster Mage
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
2 Narset, Parter of Veils
3 Arcum’s Astrolab
2 Council’s Judgement
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Force of Will
2 Magmatic Sinkhole
2 Teferi, Time Raveler
2 Jace, the mind Sculptor
2 Force of Negation
1 Spell Snare
1 Counter Spell
1 Supreme Verdict
[/Spells]
[Lands]
1 Tundra
1 Volcanic Island
5 Snow-covered Island
2 Snow-covered Plains
1 Snow-covered Mountain
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Flooded Strand
1 Prismatic Vista
1 Polluted Delta
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 Containment Priest
1 Path to Exile
2 Palace Jailer
2 Blood Moon
2 Rest in Peace
1 Supreme Verdict
2 Pyroblast
1 Red Elemental Blast
1 Blue Elemental Blast
1 Hydroblast
1 Wear // Tear
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Second Place, Izzet Delver – Alexander Neufeldt]
[Creatures]
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Dreadhorde Arcanist
3 Stormchaser mage
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
3 Preordain
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Chain Lightning
4 Force of Will
4 Daze
1 Vapor Snag
1 Abrade
[/Spells]
[Lands]
3 Volcanic Island
2 Island
1 Mountain
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Polluted Delta
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Flooded Strand
2 Fiery Islet
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
3 Relic of Progenitus
2 Hydroblast
3 Pyroblast
2 Jinxed Choker
2 Blood Moon
2 Smash to Smithereens
1 Vapor Snag
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Third Place, Bant Miracles – Tse Shuen Wan]
[Creatures]
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Monastery Mentor
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Ponder
4 Brainstorm
4 Arcum’s Astrolab
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Terminus
2 Council’s Judgement
1 Oko, Thief of Crowns
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Teferi, Time Raveler
4 Force of Will
2 Force of Negation
2 Dovin’s Veto
2 Counterbalance
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Flooded Strand
2 Misty Rainforest
1 Polluted Delta
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Prismatic Vista
3 Snow-covered Island
2 Snow-covered Plains
1 Snow-covered Forest
1 Tundra
1 Tropical Island
1 Mystic Sanctuary
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 Rest in Peace
1 Disenchant
1 Nature’s Claim
3 Veil of Summer
2 Flusterstorm
2 Back to Basics
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Containment Priest
1 Palace Jailer
1 Celestial Purge
1 Hydroblast
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Fourth Place, Temur Delver – Boston Schatteman]
[Creatures]
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Tarmogoyf
2 True-name Nemesis
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
2 Wrenn and Six
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Dead // Gone
4 Force of Will
4 Daze
3 Spell Pierce
2 Spell Snare
4 Stifle
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
3 Tropical Island
3 Volcanic Island
4 Wasteland
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Cindervines
2 Grafdigger’s Cage
2 Pyroblast
3 Submerge
1 Tormod’s Crypt
2 Veil of Summer
1 Winter Orb
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Fifth Place, Dimir Ninjas – Justin Wong]
[Creatures]
3 Ingenious Infiltrator
3 Ornithopter
2 Tombstalker
1 Brazen Borrower
2 Snapcaster Mage
3 Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow
2 Baleful Strix
2 Plague Engineer
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
2 Spell Snare
1 Force of Negation
3 Retrofitter Foundry
4 Ponder
4 Thoughtseize
4 Brainstorm
2 Spell Pierce
4 Force of Will
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Polluted Delta
4 Prismatic Vista
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Bloodstained Mire
3 Snow-covered Island
3 Snow-covered Swamp
2 Underground Sea
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
2 Blue Elemental Blast
1 Dominate
2 Flusterstorm
1 Pithing Needle
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Grafdigger’s Cage
1 Plague Engineer
2 Engineered Explosives
1 Tyrant’s Scorn
2 Back to Basics
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Sixth Place, Izzet Delver – Steven Kostas]
[Creatures]
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Pteramander
4 Young Pyromancer
2 Bedlam Reveler
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Light up the Stage
4 Ponder
4 Preordain
4 Brainstorm
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Wasteland
4 Volcanic Island
1 Island
2 Scalding Tarn
3 Flooded Strand
4 Misty Rainforest
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 Forked Bolt
1 Spell Pierce
1 Flusterstorm
1 Smash to Smithereens
2 Grafdigger’s Cage
2 Blood Moon
2 Pyroblast
1 Hydroblast
2 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Submerge
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Seventh Place, Izzet Omni-Tell – Travis Macdonald]
[Creatures]
3 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
3 Griselbrand
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Ponder
1 Spell Pierce
1 Intuition
1 Impulse
4 Show and Tell
4 Force of Will
2 Flusterstorm
3 Omniscience
3 Cunning Wish
4 Brainstorm
4 Preordain
4 Lotus Petal
3 Blood Moon
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Ancient Tomb
2 Flooded Strand
3 Island
2 City of Traitors
3 Volcanic Island
2 Misty Rainforest
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 Firemind’s Foresight
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Release the Ants
1 Pyroblast
1 Kozilek’s Return
1 Trickbind
1 Through the Breach
1 Raging River
1 Wipe Away
1 Intuition
1 Abrade
1 Pyroclasm
3 Sneak Attack
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]
[Deck Title= Eighth Place, Dead Guy Ale – Wilkin Chau]
[Creatures]
4 Dark Confidant
3 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Remorseful Cleric
2 Gurmag Angler
1 Shriekmaw
1 Hero of Bladehold
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
3 Thoughtseize
1 Cabal Therapy
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Hymn to Tourach
3 Liliana of the Veil
2 Liliana, the Last Hope
2 Vindicate
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Umezawa’s Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Batterskull
2 Lingering Souls
3 Chrome Mox
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Scrubland
2 Swamp
1 Plains
1 Karakas
1 Shambling Vent
4 Wasteland
4 Marsh Flats
1 Polluted Delta
1 Bloodstained Mire
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
3 Leyline of the Void
1 Leyline of Sanctity
1 Kaya, Orzhov Usurper
1 Kaya’s Guile
1 Zealous Persecution
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Plague Engineer
1 Liliana’s Triumph
1 Damping Sphere
1 Humility
1 Sanctum Prelate
1 Pithing Needle
1 Murderous Rider
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]