By Niels Viaene

2 Elementals players entered the top 4 to contend for the bye but it was GW enchantments and Jund Food that duked it out in the finals. There were also 2 decks focused on Staggering Insight but they still seem to need some optimisation to reach competitive status.

You can find video coverage of the Top 4 below:

Boyan Bosschem
Winner
BRG Food

Maindeck (60)
Swamp
Forest
Mountain
Rugged Highland
Bloodfell Cliffs
Jungle Hollow
Evolving Wilds
Cauldron Familiar
Sanitorium Skeleton
Mayhem Devil
Fierce Witchstalker
God-Eternal Bontu
Korvold, Fae-cursed King
Spark Harvest
Witch’s Oven
Heartfire
Scorching Dragonfire
Trail of Crumbs
Vraska, Golgari Queen
Liliana, Dreadhorde General
Sideboard (15)
Return to Nature
Dead Revels
Duress
Ob Nixilis’ Cruelty
Audacious Thief
Heartfire
Scorching Dragonfire

We knew the Red Black Aggro version has what it takes to take a bye, but now Boyan shows you can have a slower, more methodical plan as well. Adding Green lets you squeeze unseen amounts of card advantage and card selection out of Trail of Crumbs to allow you to bury youropponents under an ever growing avalanche of card advantage. The hardest part with this deck is to survive the early game but after that you have the tools and the power to bury any opposition.

Ian Ide
Finalist
WG Auras

Main deck (60)
Blossoming Sands
Selesnya Guildgate
Forest
11 Plains
Healer’s Hawk
Alseid of Life’s Bounty
Gingerbrute
Pious Wayfarer
Transcendent Envoy
Shepherd of the Flock
Barkhide Troll
Bronzehide Lion
Heliod’s Pilgrim
Setessan Champion
Heliod, Sun-Crowned
Karametra’s Blessing
Sentinel’s Eyes
All that Glitters
Angelic Gift
Warbriar’s Blessing
Season of Growth
Setessan Training
Hydra’s Growth
Dreadful Apathy
Gideon Blackblade
Sideboard (15)
Warbriar Blessing
Healer’s Hawk
Omen of the Sun
Return to Nature
Setessan Training
Revoke Existence
Nexus Wardens
Dreadful Apathy
Plummet

Ian shows yet again he is not afraid of bringing a fresh brew into the Leaderboard events and surprised everyone with the power of his Green-White Auras deck. The list looks decidedly unfinished but really showed the potential. Considering he did not even play Siona, Captain of the Pyleas, a card many consider to be the backbone of what this archetype should look like will likely turn some heads and make people reconsider how you should build this deck.

Kobe Keymeulen
semi-finalist
RUG Elementals

Main deck (60)
Mountain
ISland
Forest
Rugged Highlands
Swiftwater Cliffs
Thornwood Falls
Leafkin Druid
Risen Reef
Cloudkin Seer
Thrashing Brontodon
Omnath, locus of the Roil
Scampering Scorcher
Thassa, Deep-Dwelling
Cavalier of Flame
Chillbringer
Meteor Golem
Neoform
Scorching Dragonfire
Teferi’s Time Twist
Finale of Devastation
Sideboard (15)
Negate
Return to Nature
Kasmina’s Transmutation
Omen of the Forge
Run Away Together
Opt

Kobe seems to be on a quest to make sure he has played every single deck in the format this season, like everything is a huge testing session for the Gentry Open on April 11th. Here we see him bringing Elementals, a very established deck, to the fray, sporting a few interesting new card choices. Thassa, Deep dwelling has solidified her position in the deck and makes a great soft-lock together with Chillbringer for a single problematic creature.

Schuer Alan
Semi Finalist
RUG Elementals

Main deck (61)
Island
Forest
Swiftwater Cliffs
Rugged Highlands
Bloodfell Cliffs
Thornwood Falls
Leafkin Druid
Creeping Trailblazer
Cloudkin Seer
Risen Reef
Thassa, Deep-dwelling
Scampering Scorcher
Thicket Crasher
Omnath, Focus of the Roil
Chillbringer
Cavalier of Gales
Yarok, the Desecrated
Meteor Golem
Neoform
Teferi’s Time twist
Scorching Dragonfire
Sideboard (15)
Unsummon
Healer of the Glades
Negate
Return to Nature
Mystical Dispute
Sagittar’s Volley

We have come to know Alan as the person who chooses and really sticks with a deck. He dabbles from time to time in other options but usually gravitates towards a deck and really makes it his own. This season is no different, as we see in his decklist that has Creeping Trailblazer flavor coupled with a few more harder hitters than the more common lists we see.

Conclusion

Ian showing there is always a deck hiding in a corner no one is expecting is what we take away from this event. GW Auras has not really been on people’s radar though everyone is trying to break the format using Hydra’s Growth.

Another conclusion is that the Competitive Leaderboard formula is not working. The next events are canceled and the leaderboard will continue as it was before, with a monthly event on the third Thursday evening of every month.

May your auras never fall off,
Niels Viaene

Niels Viaene came into contact with Magic first through the Kazz & Zakk starter set in 1996, but it wouldn’t be until 2000, around the time Prophecy came out that he actually started playing magic thanks to his nephew. Niels’ Magic career has been a roller coaster up to now, including Grand Prix Paris 2009 top 8, Pro Tour San Diego 2010 top 8, becoming a L3 Magic Judge in 2015 and managing the community effort that is the League of New and Beginning Magic: the Gathering Players, the birthing ground for Gentry since 2012. All this comes from a deep love for the game that is far from diminishing.

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