It's Week 2 of the Core Split in the MPL, meaning the Emerald Division is front and center. This was always going to be a heavyweight division with no fewer than five Hall of Famers, and the live show on Saturday features a full set of Magic's elite. Congratulations to Seth Manfield, Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa, Martin Jůza, and Shota Yasooka, your field for the Top 4 bracket. Eric Froehlich (2-5) is the HOFer missing out, while Luis Salvatto (4-3), Jessica Estephan (2-5), and Alexander Hayne (1-6) couldn't stop the Hall of Fame rumbling to collective victory. Here's how the Top 4 made it happen:

Seth Manfield – USA (5-2)

Along with Yasooka, Manfield had Esper Control as his metagame choice for round-robin matches. An opening loss to Jůza's Mono-Red was soon forgotten, with four wins on the bounce. Against Salvatto's Jeskai Planeswalkers, the victory was fairly routine, but his win over Damo da Rosa was certainly not. If you get the chance, go see multiple Experimental Frenzy somehow not get the job done, and I know you'll hear more from Maria Bartholdi on this one during Saturday's show.

Seth improved to 3-1 over Froehlich, and a Top 4 slot was all but assured with a 2-0 win over Hayne on Esper Hero. A loss to Estephan followed, but he wrapped up the top slot by winning the Esper Control mirror against Yasooka. After a tremendous 6-1 record in the Core Split (where his only loss was to teammate Brad Nelson), Manfield did himself one place better this split.

Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa – Brazil (5-2)

The fun started early for da Rosa and his Mono-Red list in a startling match against Froehlich on Esper Hero. It's all very well knowing that Direfleet Daredevil is a potentially ruinous Magic card, but that's just not the same as watching the car crash unfold multiple times in all MTG Arena's technicolor glory. Suffice to say that Froehlich's deck doesn't like getting smashed in the face by Froehlich's deck.

From 1-1 (where Manfield began his four-match run of wins), PV got the winning habit in a big way, rattling off four wins of his own against Jůza, Hayne, Yasooka, and Estephan. That locked him for the Top 4, and although Salvatto took the 2 precious Mythic Points from the last match, PV could look ahead to the elimination rounds as the No. 2 seed.

Martin Jůza – Czech Republic (4-3)

One of the costs to playing Mono-Red is that sometimes an opponent has a sideboard plan that really messes with you. That's how Jůza opened his campaign 0-1, thanks to the words "Protection from Red" on Salvatto's Cerulean Drakes. But, just like Manfield and da Rosa, a four-game win streak was on the way. That run included victories over Manfield, Estephan, Yasooka, and Froehlich, before da Rosa ended the run in a three-game mirror match. Jůza ended his split with a 2-0 loss to Hayne, but he was comfortably in as the No. 3 seed earning the three-way tiebreak over Yasooka and Salvatto. Just as in the Core Split, Jůza has piloted Mono-Red Aggro to success.

Shota Yasooka – Japan (4-3)

Yasooka's story, with Esper Control, has four acts. Act 1 saw him lose twice to Mono-Red. Act 2 saw him dominate Esper Hero, with three 2-0 victories. Act 3 was a narrow loss in the mirror to Manfield, and Act 4 was the match that turned out to be the difference maker, against Salvatto and his Jeskai Planeswalkers. This was a fun one, and I'm certainly looking forward to sharing some Elderspell filth with you all on Saturday. It was a big win for Yasooka as he edged Salvatto on head-to-head tiebreaks for the last spot in Top 4.

One to Watch

It's a great lineup for Saturday, but, in the meantime, that da Rosa versus Froehlich match is really, really good. You can skip Game 1, but Games 2 and 3 are monsters.

The Race for Worlds

We said last week that Márcio Carvalho had set the benchmark for Manfield, scoring 10 Mythic Points to move up to the all-important fourth spot in the overall MPL standings in the hunt for the World Championship invitations. Manfield duly did his part, matching that 5-2 record, and joining Carvalho on 78 points behind Brian Braun-Duin and Reid Duke (both 85 points) and Javier Dominguez (79), all of whom have yet to play their Core Split matches. Da Rosa and Jůza both had positive records, but didn't progress far up the table—they continue to sit midfield, with 56 and 52 points respectively.

Previously on MPL Weekly

In the Pearl Division last week, there were six Orzhov Vampire lists out of eight, with only Mono-Red Aggro and Bant Scapeshift lists for company. In the Top 4, Andrew Cuneo (Boros Feather) and Autumn Burchett (Mono-Red Aggro) tried to take down the bloodsuckers, but couldn't, with Carlos Romão claiming the first division title of the split and advancing automatically to Day Two at Mythic Championship V.

Metagame: Then and Now

This week, as Brad Nelson said on Twitter, "Everyone metagamed against Vampires. EVERYONE." Vampires went from 75% of the field to 0%, leaving us with a round-robin metagame of three Esper Hero, two Esper Control, two Mono-Red Aggro, and one Jeskai Planeswalkers, with the pairs of Mono-Red Aggro and Esper Control advancing to the Top 4. But the players got to choose new decks for the elimination bracket. Let's see who decided to stick, and who decided to twist:

Seth Manfield - Orzhov Vampires - Core Pearl Emerald Top 4

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Sort by: OverviewColorCostRarity

Planeswalker (4)

4 Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord

Creature (26)

4 Adanto Vanguard 4 Champion of Dusk 4 Knight of the Ebon Legion 4 Legion Lieutenant 3 Sanctum Seeker 3 Skymarcher Aspirant 4 Vicious Conquistador

Sorcery (2)

2 Legion's End

Instant (2)

2 Mortify

Enchantment (3)

3 Legion's Landing

Land (23)

7 Plains 8 Swamp 4 Godless Shrine 4 Isolated Chapel

60 Cards

Sideboard (15)

1 Legion's End 1 Despark 3 Noxious Grasp 1 Plague Mare 2 Gideon Blackblade 4 Duress 1 Vona, Butcher of Magan 2 Devout Decree

White (14)

4 Adanto Vanguard 3 Skymarcher Aspirant 3 Legion's Landing 2 Gideon Blackblade 2 Devout Decree

Black (30)

4 Champion of Dusk 4 Knight of the Ebon Legion 3 Sanctum Seeker 4 Vicious Conquistador 4 Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord 3 Legion's End 3 Noxious Grasp 1 Plague Mare 4 Duress

Multi colored (8)

4 Legion Lieutenant 2 Mortify 1 Despark 1 Vona, Butcher of Magan

Colorless (23)

7 Plains 8 Swamp 4 Godless Shrine 4 Isolated Chapel

75 Cards

1 (18)

4 Knight of the Ebon Legion 3 Skymarcher Aspirant 4 Vicious Conquistador 3 Legion's Landing 4 Duress

2 (17)

4 Adanto Vanguard 4 Legion Lieutenant 3 Legion's End 1 Despark 3 Noxious Grasp 2 Devout Decree

3 (9)

4 Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord 2 Mortify 1 Plague Mare 2 Gideon Blackblade

4 (3)

3 Sanctum Seeker

5 (5)

4 Champion of Dusk 1 Vona, Butcher of Magan

52 Cards

Common (19)

7 Plains 8 Swamp 4 Duress

Uncommon (24)

4 Adanto Vanguard 4 Legion Lieutenant 3 Skymarcher Aspirant 4 Vicious Conquistador 2 Mortify 1 Despark 3 Noxious Grasp 1 Plague Mare 2 Devout Decree

Rare (25)

4 Champion of Dusk 4 Knight of the Ebon Legion 3 Sanctum Seeker 4 Godless Shrine 4 Isolated Chapel 3 Legion's Landing 3 Legion's End

Mythic (7)

4 Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord 2 Gideon Blackblade 1 Vona, Butcher of Magan

75 Cards

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a:22:{i:0;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:8:"creature";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"4";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:15:"Adanto Vanguard";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:1;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:8:"creature";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"4";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:16:"Champion of Dusk";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:2;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:8:"creature";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"4";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:25:"Knight of the Ebon Legion";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:3;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:8:"creature";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"4";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:17:"Legion Lieutenant";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:4;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:8:"creature";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"3";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:14:"Sanctum Seeker";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:5;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:8:"creature";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"3";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:19:"Skymarcher Aspirant";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:6;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:8:"creature";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"4";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:20:"Vicious Conquistador";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:7;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:12:"planeswalker";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"4";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:26:"Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:8;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:4:"land";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"7";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:6:"Plains";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:9;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:4:"land";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"8";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:5:"Swamp";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:10;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:4:"land";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"4";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:14:"Godless Shrine";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:11;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:4:"land";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"4";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:15:"Isolated Chapel";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:12;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:11:"enchantment";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"3";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:16:"Legion's Landing";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:13;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:7:"sorcery";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"2";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:12:"Legion's End";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:14;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:7:"instant";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"2";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:7:"Mortify";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:15;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:7:"instant";s:10:"deck_count";i:0;s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:7:"Despark";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:16;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:7:"instant";s:10:"deck_count";i:0;s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:13:"Noxious Grasp";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:17;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:8:"creature";s:10:"deck_count";i:0;s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:11:"Plague Mare";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:18;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:12:"planeswalker";s:10:"deck_count";i:0;s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:17:"Gideon Blackblade";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:19;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:7:"sorcery";s:10:"deck_count";i:0;s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:6:"Duress";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:20;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:8:"creature";s:10:"deck_count";i:0;s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:22:"Vona, Butcher of Magan";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:21;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:7:"sorcery";s:10:"deck_count";i:0;s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:13:"Devout Decree";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}}

Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa - Simic Nexus - Core Pearl Emerald Top 4

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Sort by: OverviewColorCostRarity

Planeswalker (6)

4 Tamiyo, Collector of Tales 1 Narset, Parter of Veils 1 Mu Yanling, Sky Dancer

Instant (21)

2 Blink of an Eye 4 Chemister's Insight 4 Growth Spiral 4 Nexus of Fate 4 Opt 3 Root Snare

Enchantment (7)

3 Search for Azcanta 4 Wilderness Reclamation

Land (26)

3 Blast Zone 4 Breeding Pool 4 Forest 4 Hinterland Harbor 5 Island 2 Memorial to Genius 4 Temple of Mystery

60 Cards

Sideboard (15)

1 Root Snare 1 Narset, Parter of Veils 3 Cerulean Drake 1 Negate 4 Shifting Ceratops 4 Veil of Summer 1 Pause for Reflection

Blue (24)

2 Blink of an Eye 4 Chemister's Insight 4 Nexus of Fate 4 Opt 3 Search for Azcanta 2 Narset, Parter of Veils 1 Mu Yanling, Sky Dancer 3 Cerulean Drake 1 Negate

Green (17)

4 Root Snare 4 Wilderness Reclamation 4 Shifting Ceratops 4 Veil of Summer 1 Pause for Reflection

Multi colored (8)

4 Tamiyo, Collector of Tales 4 Growth Spiral

Colorless (26)

3 Blast Zone 4 Breeding Pool 4 Forest 4 Hinterland Harbor 5 Island 2 Memorial to Genius 4 Temple of Mystery

75 Cards

1 (8)

4 Opt 4 Veil of Summer

2 (17)

2 Blink of an Eye 4 Growth Spiral 4 Root Snare 3 Search for Azcanta 3 Cerulean Drake 1 Negate

3 (4)

2 Narset, Parter of Veils 1 Mu Yanling, Sky Dancer 1 Pause for Reflection

4 (16)

4 Tamiyo, Collector of Tales 4 Chemister's Insight 4 Wilderness Reclamation 4 Shifting Ceratops

7 (4)

4 Nexus of Fate

49 Cards

Common (25)

2 Blink of an Eye 4 Growth Spiral 4 Opt 4 Root Snare 4 Forest 5 Island 1 Negate 1 Pause for Reflection

Uncommon (19)

4 Chemister's Insight 4 Wilderness Reclamation 2 Memorial to Genius 2 Narset, Parter of Veils 3 Cerulean Drake 4 Veil of Summer

Rare (26)

4 Tamiyo, Collector of Tales 3 Search for Azcanta 3 Blast Zone 4 Breeding Pool 4 Hinterland Harbor 4 Temple of Mystery 4 Shifting Ceratops

Mythic (5)

4 Nexus of Fate 1 Mu Yanling, Sky Dancer

75 Cards

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a:23:{i:0;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:12:"planeswalker";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"4";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:26:"Tamiyo, Collector of Tales";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:1;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:7:"instant";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"2";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:15:"Blink of an Eye";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:2;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:7:"instant";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"4";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:19:"Chemister's Insight";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:3;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:7:"instant";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"4";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:13:"Growth Spiral";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:4;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:7:"instant";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"4";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:13:"Nexus of Fate";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:5;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:7:"instant";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"4";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:3:"Opt";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:6;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:7:"instant";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"3";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:10:"Root Snare";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:7;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:11:"enchantment";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"3";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:18:"Search for Azcanta";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:8;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:11:"enchantment";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"4";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:22:"Wilderness Reclamation";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:9;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:4:"land";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"3";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:10:"Blast Zone";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:10;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:4:"land";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"4";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:13:"Breeding Pool";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:11;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:4:"land";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"4";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:6:"Forest";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:12;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:4:"land";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"4";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:17:"Hinterland Harbor";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:13;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:4:"land";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"5";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:6:"Island";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:14;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:4:"land";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"2";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:18:"Memorial to Genius";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:15;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:4:"land";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"4";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:17:"Temple of Mystery";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:16;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:12:"planeswalker";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"1";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:23:"Narset, Parter of Veils";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:17;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:12:"planeswalker";s:10:"deck_count";s:1:"1";s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:22:"Mu Yanling, Sky Dancer";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:18;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:8:"creature";s:10:"deck_count";i:0;s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:14:"Cerulean Drake";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:19;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:7:"instant";s:10:"deck_count";i:0;s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:6:"Negate";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:20;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:8:"creature";s:10:"deck_count";i:0;s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:17:"Shifting Ceratops";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:21;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:7:"instant";s:10:"deck_count";i:0;s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:14:"Veil of Summer";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}i:22;O:8:"stdClass":3:{s:4:"type";s:7:"instant";s:10:"deck_count";i:0;s:9:"card_meta";O:8:"stdClass":2:{s:5:"title";s:20:"Pause for Reflection";s:22:"field_card_image_front";a:0:{}}}}

Martin Jůza - Simic Nexus - Core Pearl Emerald Top 4

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Sort by: OverviewColorCostRarity

Planeswalker (6)

2 Narset, Parter of Veils 1 Nissa, Who Shakes the World 3 Tamiyo, Collector of Tales

Sorcery (4)

4 Drawn from Dreams

Instant (17)

3 Blink of an Eye 4 Growth Spiral 4 Nexus of Fate 4 Opt 2 Root Snare

Enchantment (7)

3 Search for Azcanta 4 Wilderness Reclamation

Land (26)

4 Blast Zone 4 Breeding Pool 5 Forest 4 Hinterland Harbor 7 Island 2 Temple of Mystery

60 Cards

Sideboard (15)

2 Root Snare 2 Aether Gust 3 Negate 3 Shifting Ceratops 3 Veil of Summer 2 Cerulean Drake

Blue (27)

3 Blink of an Eye 4 Drawn from Dreams 2 Narset, Parter of Veils 4 Nexus of Fate 4 Opt 3 Search for Azcanta 2 Aether Gust 3 Negate 2 Cerulean Drake

Green (15)

1 Nissa, Who Shakes the World 4 Root Snare 4 Wilderness Reclamation 3 Shifting Ceratops 3 Veil of Summer

Multi colored (7)

4 Growth Spiral 3 Tamiyo, Collector of Tales

Colorless (26)

4 Blast Zone 4 Breeding Pool 5 Forest 4 Hinterland Harbor 7 Island 2 Temple of Mystery

75 Cards

1 (7)

4 Opt 3 Veil of Summer

2 (21)

3 Blink of an Eye 4 Growth Spiral 4 Root Snare 3 Search for Azcanta 2 Aether Gust 3 Negate 2 Cerulean Drake

3 (2)

2 Narset, Parter of Veils

4 (14)

4 Drawn from Dreams 3 Tamiyo, Collector of Tales 4 Wilderness Reclamation 3 Shifting Ceratops

5 (1)

1 Nissa, Who Shakes the World

7 (4)

4 Nexus of Fate

49 Cards

Common (30)

3 Blink of an Eye 5 Forest 4 Growth Spiral 7 Island 4 Opt 4 Root Snare 3 Negate

Uncommon (13)

2 Narset, Parter of Veils 4 Wilderness Reclamation 2 Aether Gust 3 Veil of Summer 2 Cerulean Drake

Rare (28)

4 Blast Zone 4 Breeding Pool 4 Drawn from Dreams 4 Hinterland Harbor 1 Nissa, Who Shakes the World 3 Search for Azcanta 3 Tamiyo, Collector of Tales 2 Temple of Mystery 3 Shifting Ceratops

Mythic (4)

4 Nexus of Fate

75 Cards

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Shota Yasooka - Esper Control - Core Pearl Emerald Top 4

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Sort by: OverviewColorCostRarity

Planeswalker (10)

3 Narset, Parter of Veils 3 Teferi, Time Raveler 4 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria

Creature (3)

3 Basilica Bell-Haunt

Sorcery (10)

1 The Elderspell 4 Thought Erasure 1 Duress 2 Cry of the Carnarium 1 Unmoored Ego 1 Command the Dreadhorde

Instant (7)

1 Dovin's Veto 3 Disfigure 2 Cast Down 1 Despark

Artifact (1)

1 Bolas's Citadel

Enchantment (3)

3 Oath of Kaya

Land (26)

2 Isolated Chapel 1 Plains 4 Hallowed Fountain 4 Glacial Fortress 4 Godless Shrine 4 Drowned Catacomb 4 Watery Grave 1 Swamp 2 Temple of Silence

60 Cards

Sideboard (15)

1 Bolas's Citadel 1 The Elderspell 1 Narset, Parter of Veils 1 Dovin's Veto 1 Basilica Bell-Haunt 2 Duress 1 Despark 2 Ashiok, Dream Render 3 Noxious Grasp 2 Aether Gust

Blue (6)

4 Narset, Parter of Veils 2 Aether Gust

Black (18)

2 Bolas's Citadel 2 The Elderspell 3 Duress 2 Cry of the Carnarium 3 Disfigure 2 Cast Down 1 Command the Dreadhorde 3 Noxious Grasp

Multi colored (25)

2 Dovin's Veto 3 Teferi, Time Raveler 4 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria 4 Basilica Bell-Haunt 3 Oath of Kaya 4 Thought Erasure 1 Unmoored Ego 2 Despark 2 Ashiok, Dream Render

Colorless (26)

2 Isolated Chapel 1 Plains 4 Hallowed Fountain 4 Glacial Fortress 4 Godless Shrine 4 Drowned Catacomb 4 Watery Grave 1 Swamp 2 Temple of Silence

75 Cards

1 (6)

3 Duress 3 Disfigure

2 (17)

2 The Elderspell 2 Dovin's Veto 4 Thought Erasure 2 Cast Down 2 Despark 3 Noxious Grasp 2 Aether Gust

3 (15)

4 Narset, Parter of Veils 3 Teferi, Time Raveler 3 Oath of Kaya 2 Cry of the Carnarium 1 Unmoored Ego 2 Ashiok, Dream Render

4 (4)

4 Basilica Bell-Haunt

5 (4)

4 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria

6 (3)

2 Bolas's Citadel 1 Command the Dreadhorde

49 Cards

Common (5)

1 Plains 1 Swamp 3 Duress

Uncommon (30)

4 Narset, Parter of Veils 2 Dovin's Veto 4 Basilica Bell-Haunt 4 Thought Erasure 2 Cry of the Carnarium 3 Disfigure 2 Cast Down 2 Despark 2 Ashiok, Dream Render 3 Noxious Grasp 2 Aether Gust

Rare (36)

2 Bolas's Citadel 2 Isolated Chapel 2 The Elderspell 3 Teferi, Time Raveler 3 Oath of Kaya 4 Hallowed Fountain 4 Glacial Fortress 4 Godless Shrine 4 Drowned Catacomb 4 Watery Grave 2 Temple of Silence 1 Unmoored Ego 1 Command the Dreadhorde

Mythic (4)

4 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria

75 Cards

Deal Another Hand

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Once again I'll tag in Paul Cheon for the Top 4 metagame analysis:

• Yasooka is playing Esper Control. Water is wet. The Earth is round. Nothing to see here. He has historically played control decks whenever they are a viable option. It's unsurprising that he chose to go with it again given his success with the deck in this format with a deep run at Mythic Championship III along with his Top 4 berth here.

• Damo da Rosa and Jůza submitted Nexus of Fate decks, which is the opposite from their Mono-Red strategy in the round-robin matches. If they expect the players in the Top 4 to metagame against Mono-Red by bringing midrange or controlling strategies, then swapping to Nexus of Fate makes a lot of sense as it preys on those decks. Knowing Yasooka's tendencies as these players do, they were right in expecting him to submit Esper Control. Bringing a deck that has a decent matchup against his strong control tendencies is a great metagame choice.

• Jůza chose Drawn from Dreams as his card draw spell of choice over the traditional Chemister's Insight that Damo da Rosa is playing. Drawn from Dreams allows you to dig much deeper through your deck but has worse synergy with Wilderness Reclamation since it's a sorcery. It looks like Martin has determined that the card was still powerful enough to run despite this limitation.

• Manfield went the other direction by switching from Esper Control to Orzhov Vampires. When asked, he said he was surprised no one was on Vampires during round-robin matches. "I think it is overall the best deck, and I thought other wouldn't expect me to play it," said Manfield. "Since I had been trying all sorts of things to target it. I also thought there was a possibility they would Nexus. So I think I'm a favorite based on the lists. It's basically all leveling each other."

• Vampires is generally considered to be the premier aggressive deck in the format, capable of storming out the gates with explosive starts but also has added resilience with Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord and Champion of Dusk. The key card for Manfield against the Nexus of Fate decks is Sanctum Seeker. Nexus decks rely on Root Snares to preserve their life totals but Sanctum Seeker allows the deck to still get damage in through the fog effect, with Sorin also providing a path to victory around Root Snare.

The Saturday Showdown

So we have four terrific Hall of Famers going at it on the show this Saturday. Our opener is the top-of-the-table clash between Seth Manfield and Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa. There's a little history here—da Rosa defeated Manfield in the quarterfinals of Pro Tour Hour of Devastation in 2017 en route to winning the event and clinching Player of the Year. It's tempting to dismiss that as ancient history, but it's worth noting that Manfield himself posted a link to that match on Twitter:

Before I play my match against @PVDDR as the top 2 in the Emerald Division I decided to watch this video to remind myself what not to do this time: https://t.co/z9nXhhPGS2

— Seth Manfield (@SethManfield) August 14, 2019

The loser of their Upper Bracket confrontation will face the winner of the match between Martin Jůza and Shota Yasooka. Jůza won their match earlier in the week. Whoever emerges from the Lower Bracket will still have an uphill tasking, needing to win two matches back to back in the Grand Finals. So join Manfield, da Rosa, Jůza, Yasooka, and your MPL Weekly team for our live show, this Saturday at noon PT/3 p.m. ET/7 p.m. UTC on twitch.tv/magic!