
Grand Prix Gothenburg 2013
Christensen Breaks Through in Gothenburg
June 7-9, 2013
Grand Prix Gothenburg 2013

This weekend marked the debut of the Return to Ravnica Block Sealed Deck format at the Grand Prix level, and it was only the second event, after the Pro Tour three weeks ago, to feature Dragon's Maze Booster Draft. And if one lesson could be gleaned from this tournament, it was that no strategy dominates; the age-old battle to balance power and consistency was fought at every turn here in Gothenburg. Navigating the intricate new Limited format, some players went with four or even five colors, others chose but two. Both extremes could be, and have been, succesful.
Take, for example, the final match of the weekend, where Christensen's blue-black-red control met straight Rakdos, as drafted and piloted by Mats Törnros of Sweden. This time, the control deck prevailed, but the games were close and the result could have easily been the other way around. Or look at Jan van der Vegt's two-color draft strategy which has been wildly succesful over the course of the weekend but abandoned him in the quarterfinals. The point is, there's still a lot of room to explore in the maze of Ravnica.
Of course, further exploration will be done right next week at Grand Prix Houston as well as all over the world at various FNM locations and on Magic Online. Meanwhile, the coverage team says good bye from Sweden, and congratulations to Oscar Christensen, champion of Grand Prix Gothenburg 2013!
TOP 8 BRACKET
Quaterfinals
(1) Thoralf Severin
(8) Mark Dictus
(4) Mats Törnros
(5) Michal Gajewski
(2) Oscar Christensen
(7) Jan van der Vegt
(3) Robin Steinborn
(6) Antti Varhimo
Semi-finals
Thoralf Severin, 2-0
Mats Törnros, 2-1
Oscar Christensen, 2-0
Robin Steinborn, 2-1
Finals
Mats Törnros, 2-0
Oscar Christensen, 2-0
Champion
Oscar Christensen, 2-1
Twitch
See Live Coverage
Streaming video coverage of Grand Prix Gothenburg provided Matej Zatlkaj, Simon Görtzen, Rich Hagon, and Steven Leeming at http://www.twitch.tv/magic/.
EVENT COVERAGE
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by Frank KarstenTop 5 Cards of Grand Prix Gothenburg
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by Tobi HenkeFinalsOscar Christensen vs. Mats Törnros
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by Frank KarstenSemifinalsRobin Steinborn vs. Oscar Christensen
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by Frank KarstenSemifinalsMats Törnros vs. Thoralf Severin
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by Tobi HenkeQuarterfinalsRoundup
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by Frank KarstenSunday, 8:30 p.m.Top 8 Draft Graphical Overview
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by Frank KarstenSunday, 7:25 p.m.Top 8 Drafting with Mark Dictus
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by Tobi HenkeSunday, 5:33 p.m.Talking Draft Strategy with Jan van der Vegt
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by Event Coverage StaffTop 8Decklists
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by Event Coverage StaffTop 8Player Profiles
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by Event Coverage StaffDay 2 Blog
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by Event Coverage StaffDay 1 Blog
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by Event Coverage StaffInfo: Fact Sheet
INFORMATION
1. Oscar Christensen | $3,500 |
2. Mats Törnros | $2,300 |
3. Robin Steinborn | $1,500 |
4. Thoralf Severin | $1,500 |
5. Jan van der Vegt | $1,000 |
6. Mark Dictus | $1,000 |
7. Antti Varhimo | $1,000 |
8. Michal Gajewski | $1,000 |
pairings, results, standings
Top 8 Player profiles

Jan van der Vegt
Age: 26Hometown: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Occupation: Student/streamer
Guild: Dimir, eh, Azorius Previous Magic Accomplishments:
MOCS competitor, finished in the money at Pro Tour San Diego, lost a bunch of Grand Prix win-and-ins. What was the best card in your Sealed Deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Ætherling, BGuwr (five-color green) and I went 9-0. What was the best card in your first draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Haunter of Nightveil or Deadbridge Chant, UBg, 2-1. What was the best card in your second draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Carnage Gladiator, Rakdos, 2-0-1-

Oscar Christensen
Age: 17Hometown: Copenhagen, Denmark
Occupation: Play Magic and go to the gym
Guild: GRUUL Previous Magic Accomplishments:
– What was the best card in your Sealed Deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Advent of the Wurm, Boros Reckoner, Chaos Imps, or Clan Defiance. What was the best card in your first draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Rakdos, Rakdos Cackler. What was the best card in your second draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Azorius, Way of the Thief.

Thoralf Severin
Age: 25Hometown: Berlin, Germany
Occupation: Student
Guild: Azorius Previous Magic Accomplishments:
Worlds San Francisco Top 25, sixth at MOCS. What was the best card in your Sealed Deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Lavinia of the Tenth, URwg. What was the best card in your first draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Street Spasm, UGr. What was the best card in your second draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Double Explosive Impact, GRw.

Mark Dictus
Age: 43Hometown: Antwerpen, Belgium
Occupation: Outpost shop owner
Guild: Gruul Previous Magic Accomplishments:
Top 8 at Grand Prix Brighton, Belgian champion 2006. What was the best card in your Sealed Deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Beck & Call What was the best card in your first draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Gruul with white, Feral Animist, 3-0. What was the best card in your second draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Gruul, Feral Animist, 3-0.

Antti Varhimo
Age: 21Hometown: Espoo, Finland
Occupation: Student
Guild: Simic Previous Magic Accomplishments:
This is my first big tournament, so literally none. What was the best card in your Sealed Deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Not sure since it had so many ridiculous cards, but I'm going with Clan Defiance, Naya, 8-1. What was the best card in your first draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Jund with Clan Defiance, 3-0. What was the best card in your second draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
BUG, probably Far & Away, 1-0-2.

Michal Gajewski
Age: 30Hometown: Warsaw, Poland
Occupation: IT developer
Guild: Izzet Previous Magic Accomplishments:
Top 16 at Grand Prix Malmö. What was the best card in your Sealed Deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Esper, Stab Wound, 7-2. What was the best card in your first draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Collective Blessing, BWG, 3-0. What was the best card in your second draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Voidwielder, UBR, 2-0-1.

Mats Törnros
Age: 28Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden
Occupation: System developer
Guild: Gruul Previous Magic Accomplishments:
19th at Pro Tour Atlanta, 19th at Grand Prix Barcelona. What was the best card in your Sealed Deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
7-1-1, Bant, Angelic Skirmisher. What was the best card in your first draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
3-0, Gruul, Madcap Skills. What was the best card in your second draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
2-1, Gruul splashing black, double Madcap Skills.

Robin Steinborn
Age: 21Hometown: Berlin, Germany
Occupation: Student
Guild: Dimir, Simic, Golgari Previous Magic Accomplishments:
13th at Grand Prix Bochum, 13th at Grand Prix Lille, some other money finishes at Grand Prix. What was the best card in your Sealed Deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Descration Demon/Dreg Mangler, GBW, 8-1. What was the best card in your first draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Beetleform Mage/Frostburn Weird, 3-0, UGR. What was the best card in your second draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Of course Pack Rat! All colors, GBU splashing RW, 1-0-2
Creature (11)
1 Isperia's Skywatch 1 Lobber Crew 1 Bane Alley Broker 1 Mindeye Drake 1 Corpse Blockade 1 Syndicate Enforcer 1 Duskmantle Guildmage 1 Murmuring Phantasm 1 Fluxcharger 1 Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker 1 Woodlot CrawlerInstant (7)
1 Auger Spree 1 Annihilating Fire 1 Explosive Impact 1 Dimir Charm 1 Devour Flesh 1 Fatal Fumes 1 Warped PhysiqueEnchantment (1)
1 Underworld ConnectionsBlack (5)
1 Corpse Blockade 1 Syndicate Enforcer 1 Underworld Connections 1 Devour Flesh 1 Fatal FumesMulti colored (10)
1 Bane Alley Broker 1 Duskmantle Guildmage 1 Fluxcharger 1 Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker 1 Woodlot Crawler 1 Auger Spree 1 Dimir Charm 1 Pilfered Plans 1 Breaking // Entering 1 Warped Physique2 (7)
1 Duskmantle Guildmage 1 Murmuring Phantasm 1 Woodlot Crawler 1 Prophetic Prism 1 Dimir Charm 1 Devour Flesh 1 Warped Physique3 (8)
1 Lobber Crew 1 Bane Alley Broker 1 Corpse Blockade 1 Auger Spree 1 Izzet Keyrune 1 Underworld Connections 1 Annihilating Fire 1 Pilfered PlansCommon (28)
5 Island 4 Mountain 7 Swamp 1 Isperia's Skywatch 1 Lobber Crew 1 Corpse Blockade 1 Syndicate Enforcer 1 Murmuring Phantasm 1 Auger Spree 1 Annihilating Fire 1 Explosive Impact 1 Prophetic Prism 1 Devour Flesh 1 Fatal Fumes 1 Pilfered PlansUncommon (8)
1 Bane Alley Broker 1 Mindeye Drake 1 Duskmantle Guildmage 1 Fluxcharger 1 Woodlot Crawler 1 Izzet Keyrune 1 Dimir Charm 1 Warped PhysiqueCreature (16)
1 Hellhole Flailer 1 Azorius Arrester 1 Azorius Justiciar 1 Batterhorn 1 Spawn of Rix Maadi 1 Court Street Denizen 1 Bomber Corps 1 Skinbrand Goblin 1 Haazda Snare Squad 1 Boros Battleshaper 1 Rakdos Drake 1 Maze Rusher 1 Spike Jester 1 Tajic, Blade of the Legion 1 Viashino Firstblade 1 Crypt GhastSorcery (1)
1 Shadow SliceEnchantment (1)
1 Security BlockadeLand (17)
5 Mountain 5 Plains 3 Swamp 1 Transguild Promenade 1 Godless Shrine 1 Orzhov Guildgate 1 Boros GuildgateWhite (6)
1 Azorius Arrester 1 Azorius Justiciar 1 Court Street Denizen 1 Haazda Snare Squad 1 Rootborn Defenses 1 Security BlockadeMulti colored (7)
1 Hellhole Flailer 1 Spawn of Rix Maadi 1 Boros Battleshaper 1 Spike Jester 1 Tajic, Blade of the Legion 1 Viashino Firstblade 1 Executioner's SwingColorless (19)
5 Mountain 5 Plains 3 Swamp 1 Transguild Promenade 1 Godless Shrine 1 Orzhov Guildgate 1 Boros Guildgate 1 Riot Gear 1 Boros Cluestone2 (6)
1 Azorius Arrester 1 Bomber Corps 1 Skinbrand Goblin 1 Spike Jester 1 Executioner's Swing 1 Riot Gear3 (8)
1 Hellhole Flailer 1 Court Street Denizen 1 Haazda Snare Squad 1 Rakdos Drake 1 Viashino Firstblade 1 Rootborn Defenses 1 Security Blockade 1 Boros Cluestone6 (1)
1 Maze Rusher7 (1)
1 Boros BattleshaperCommon (32)
5 Mountain 5 Plains 3 Swamp 1 Transguild Promenade 1 Orzhov Guildgate 1 Boros Guildgate 1 Azorius Arrester 1 Batterhorn 1 Spawn of Rix Maadi 1 Court Street Denizen 1 Bomber Corps 1 Skinbrand Goblin 1 Haazda Snare Squad 1 Rakdos Drake 1 Maze Rusher 1 Viashino Firstblade 1 Executioner's Swing 1 Rootborn Defenses 1 Launch Party 1 Riot Gear 1 Shadow Slice 1 Boros CluestoneCreature (16)
1 Isperia's Skywatch 1 Centaur's Herald 1 Thrashing Mossdog 1 Deathrite Shaman 1 Golgari Longlegs 1 Vassal Soul 1 Cloudfin Raptor 1 Leyline Phantom 1 Simic Fluxmage 1 Ghor-Clan Rampager 2 Shambleshark 1 Zameck Guildmage 1 Deathcult Rogue 1 Wind Drake 1 Battering KrasisBlue (9)
1 Isperia's Skywatch 1 Cloudfin Raptor 1 Leyline Phantom 1 Simic Fluxmage 1 Wind Drake 1 Runner's Bane 1 Cyclonic Rift 1 Mizzium Skin 1 Spell RuptureRed (1)
1 Punish the EnemyMulti colored (9)
1 Deathrite Shaman 1 Golgari Longlegs 1 Vassal Soul 1 Ghor-Clan Rampager 2 Shambleshark 1 Zameck Guildmage 1 Deathcult Rogue 1 Krasis Incubation6 (1)
1 Isperia's SkywatchCommon (34)
7 Forest 7 Island 3 Mountain 1 Isperia's Skywatch 1 Centaur's Herald 1 Thrashing Mossdog 1 Golgari Longlegs 1 Vassal Soul 1 Cloudfin Raptor 1 Leyline Phantom 2 Shambleshark 1 Deathcult Rogue 1 Wind Drake 1 Battering Krasis 1 Runner's Bane 1 Mizzium Skin 1 Chorus of Might 1 Spell Rupture 1 Punish the EnemyCreature (13)
1 Korozda Guildmage 1 Lotleth Troll 1 Sluiceway Scorpion 1 Gatecreeper Vine 1 Rubbleback Rhino 1 Stonefare Crocodile 1 Firemane Avenger 1 Zhur-Taa Swine 1 Korozda Gorgon 1 Maze Abomination 1 Battering Krasis 1 Kraul Warrior 1 Maze BehemothInstant (7)
1 Golgari Charm 1 Chorus of Might 1 Giant Growth 1 Smite 1 Orzhov Charm 1 Fatal Fumes 1 Punish the EnemyArtifact (1)
1 Orzhov CluestoneEnchantment (1)
1 Verdant HavenLand (17)
6 Forest 2 Mountain 1 Plains 5 Swamp 1 Selesnya Guildgate 1 Gruul Guildgate 1 Golgari GuildgateWhite (1)
1 SmiteBlue (1)
1 Give // TakeRed (1)
1 Punish the EnemyGreen (9)
1 Gatecreeper Vine 1 Rubbleback Rhino 1 Stonefare Crocodile 1 Battering Krasis 1 Kraul Warrior 1 Maze Behemoth 1 Chorus of Might 1 Giant Growth 1 Verdant HavenMulti colored (9)
1 Korozda Guildmage 1 Lotleth Troll 1 Sluiceway Scorpion 1 Firemane Avenger 1 Zhur-Taa Swine 1 Korozda Gorgon 1 Golgari Charm 1 Rites of Reaping 1 Orzhov CharmColorless (18)
6 Forest 2 Mountain 1 Plains 5 Swamp 1 Selesnya Guildgate 1 Gruul Guildgate 1 Golgari Guildgate 1 Orzhov Cluestone2 (6)
1 Korozda Guildmage 1 Lotleth Troll 1 Gatecreeper Vine 1 Kraul Warrior 1 Golgari Charm 1 Orzhov CharmCommon (33)
6 Forest 2 Mountain 1 Plains 5 Swamp 1 Selesnya Guildgate 1 Gruul Guildgate 1 Golgari Guildgate 1 Sluiceway Scorpion 1 Gatecreeper Vine 1 Rubbleback Rhino 1 Stonefare Crocodile 1 Zhur-Taa Swine 1 Maze Abomination 1 Battering Krasis 1 Kraul Warrior 1 Maze Behemoth 1 Chorus of Might 1 Giant Growth 1 Smite 1 Verdant Haven 1 Orzhov Cluestone 1 Fatal Fumes 1 Punish the EnemyUncommon (6)
1 Korozda Guildmage 1 Korozda Gorgon 1 Golgari Charm 1 Rites of Reaping 1 Orzhov Charm 1 Give // TakeCreature (15)
1 Soulsworn Spirit 1 Goblin Electromancer 1 Izzet Staticaster 1 Brushstrider 1 Millennial Gargoyle 1 Elusive Krasis 1 Shambleshark 1 Skarrg Guildmage 1 Crocanura 1 Crowned Ceratok 1 Beetleform Mage 1 Wind Drake 1 Fluxcharger 1 Maze Behemoth 1 Nivix CyclopsEnchantment (1)
1 Runner's BaneRed (2)
2 Traitorous InstinctMulti colored (10)
1 Goblin Electromancer 1 Izzet Staticaster 1 Elusive Krasis 1 Shambleshark 1 Skarrg Guildmage 1 Beetleform Mage 1 Fluxcharger 1 Nivix Cyclops 1 Izzet Charm 1 Blast of Genius1 (1)
1 Dispel2 (7)
1 Goblin Electromancer 1 Brushstrider 1 Shambleshark 1 Skarrg Guildmage 1 Runner's Bane 1 Izzet Charm 1 Hands of Binding3 (6)
1 Izzet Staticaster 1 Elusive Krasis 1 Crocanura 1 Beetleform Mage 1 Wind Drake 1 Nivix Cyclops4 (7)
1 Soulsworn Spirit 1 Millennial Gargoyle 1 Crowned Ceratok 1 Fluxcharger 1 Inspiration 2 Traitorous InstinctCommon (30)
4 Forest 4 Island 6 Mountain 1 Simic Guildgate 1 Goblin Electromancer 1 Millennial Gargoyle 1 Shambleshark 1 Crocanura 1 Crowned Ceratok 1 Beetleform Mage 1 Wind Drake 1 Maze Behemoth 1 Nivix Cyclops 1 Runner's Bane 1 Dispel 1 Inspiration 2 Traitorous Instinct 1 Hands of BindingUncommon (8)
1 Soulsworn Spirit 1 Izzet Staticaster 1 Brushstrider 1 Elusive Krasis 1 Skarrg Guildmage 1 Fluxcharger 1 Izzet Charm 1 Blast of GeniusCreature (17)
1 Tavern Swindler 1 Gore-House Chainwalker 2 Viashino Racketeer 1 Rakdos Shred-Freak 1 Balustrade Spy 1 Gateway Shade 1 Gutter Skulk 1 Shadow Alley Denizen 1 Wight of Precinct Six 1 Ember Beast 1 Skinbrand Goblin 3 Carnage Gladiator 1 Rakdos Drake 1 Riot PikerSorcery (1)
1 Act of TreasonArtifact (1)
1 Civic SaberBlack (9)
1 Tavern Swindler 1 Balustrade Spy 1 Gateway Shade 1 Gutter Skulk 1 Shadow Alley Denizen 1 Wight of Precinct Six 1 Rakdos Drake 1 Grisly Spectacle 1 Fatal FumesRed (9)
1 Gore-House Chainwalker 2 Viashino Racketeer 1 Ember Beast 1 Skinbrand Goblin 1 Riot Piker 1 Explosive Impact 1 Act of Treason 1 Weapon Surge2 (7)
1 Tavern Swindler 1 Gore-House Chainwalker 1 Rakdos Shred-Freak 1 Gutter Skulk 1 Wight of Precinct Six 1 Skinbrand Goblin 1 Riot Piker6 (1)
1 Explosive ImpactCommon (34)
8 Mountain 9 Swamp 1 Gore-House Chainwalker 2 Viashino Racketeer 1 Rakdos Shred-Freak 1 Balustrade Spy 1 Gutter Skulk 1 Shadow Alley Denizen 1 Wight of Precinct Six 1 Ember Beast 1 Skinbrand Goblin 1 Rakdos Drake 1 Riot Piker 1 Explosive Impact 1 Grisly Spectacle 1 Act of Treason 1 Fatal Fumes 1 Weapon SurgeCreature (17)
1 Concordia Pegasus 1 Selesnya Sentry 2 Sunspire Griffin 2 Cobblebrute 1 Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage 1 Knight of Obligation 1 Scorchwalker 2 Warmind Infantry 1 Boros Mastiff 1 Blaze Commando 1 Bronzebeak Moa 1 Rubblebelt Maaka 1 Viashino Firstblade 1 Zhur-Taa AncientSorcery (1)
1 Knight WatchEnchantment (1)
1 Five-Alarm FireWhite (10)
1 Concordia Pegasus 1 Selesnya Sentry 2 Sunspire Griffin 1 Knight of Obligation 1 Boros Mastiff 1 Eyes in the Skies 1 Aerial Maneuver 1 Knight Watch 1 Shielded PassageMulti colored (6)
1 Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage 1 Blaze Commando 1 Bronzebeak Moa 1 Viashino Firstblade 1 Zhur-Taa Ancient 1 Martial Glory1 (1)
1 Shielded Passage3 (7)
1 Selesnya Sentry 2 Sunspire Griffin 2 Warmind Infantry 1 Viashino Firstblade 1 Five-Alarm Fire4 (7)
2 Cobblebrute 1 Knight of Obligation 1 Scorchwalker 1 Bronzebeak Moa 1 Rubblebelt Maaka 1 Eyes in the SkiesCommon (34)
3 Forest 6 Mountain 8 Plains 1 Concordia Pegasus 1 Selesnya Sentry 2 Sunspire Griffin 2 Cobblebrute 1 Scorchwalker 2 Warmind Infantry 1 Boros Mastiff 1 Rubblebelt Maaka 1 Viashino Firstblade 1 Eyes in the Skies 1 Aerial Maneuver 1 Knight Watch 1 Shielded Passage 1 Martial GloryCreature (15)
1 Trostani's Summoner 1 Thrashing Mossdog 2 Centaur Healer 1 Axebane Guardian 1 Assault Griffin 2 Basilica Guards 1 Syndic of Tithes 1 Urbis Protector 1 Zarichi Tiger 1 Crocanura 1 Disciple of the Old Ways 1 Scion of Vitu-Ghazi 1 Bronzebeak MoaSorcery (1)
1 Alive // WellArtifact (1)
1 Orzhov CluestoneWhite (11)
1 Assault Griffin 2 Basilica Guards 1 Syndic of Tithes 1 Urbis Protector 1 Zarichi Tiger 1 Scion of Vitu-Ghazi 1 Debtor's Pulpit 1 Eyes in the Skies 1 Knightly Valor 1 Alive // WellColorless (19)
8 Forest 7 Plains 1 Swamp 1 Transguild Promenade 1 Selesnya Guildgate 1 Orzhov Cluestone1 (1)
1 Alive // Well3 (9)
2 Centaur Healer 1 Axebane Guardian 2 Basilica Guards 1 Crocanura 1 Common Bond 1 Orzhov Cluestone 1 Putrefy6 (1)
1 Urbis Protector7 (1)
1 Trostani's SummonerCommon (33)
8 Forest 7 Plains 1 Swamp 1 Transguild Promenade 1 Selesnya Guildgate 1 Thrashing Mossdog 2 Centaur Healer 1 Axebane Guardian 1 Assault Griffin 2 Basilica Guards 1 Syndic of Tithes 1 Zarichi Tiger 1 Crocanura 1 Disciple of the Old Ways 1 Eyes in the Skies 1 Knightly Valor 1 Common Bond 1 Orzhov CluestoneUncommon (5)
1 Trostani's Summoner 1 Urbis Protector 1 Bronzebeak Moa 1 Debtor's Pulpit 1 Alive // WellSunday, 5:33 p.m. – Talking Draft Strategy with Jan van der Vegt
"I usually try to draft a Return to Ravnica guild. By about pick five or six of the Dragon's Maze pack, one often gets very clear signals what guild is open," explained Jan. "Most people seem to prefer the Gatecrash guilds for the two-color approach, because then you can cut the guild you want to draft, sending signals rather than receiving them. But there are so many ways how that can go wrong: Maybe the person to your left picked up two good Gruul cards early and will stick to it no matter what, or will even switch into your guild at the beginning of the second booster, because that's still kind of early enough, or a three-color drafter will throw a wrench into things."

Jan van der Vegt
What guilds in particular? "Selesnya and Rakdos are good, but the best one is Azorius," said Jan. "It seems somewhat underdrafted and also fliers are so amazing in this format. Wind Drake is actually a strong card."
And what if the two-color strategy doesn't work out? "Well, of course, there's always the five-color control deck as a fall-back," Jan admitted with a shrug. "I have drafted a lot of those too, I regularly second-pick Guildgates for example. Sometimes there just isn't a two-color in the packs. It still is a multicolor block after all."
Sunday, 7:25 p.m. – Top 8 Drafting with Mark Dictus
Pack 1: Dragon's Maze
Pick | Mark's choice | Other relevant options |
1 | Punish the Enemy | Warped Physique, Boros Battleshaper, Alive//Well, Korozda Gorgon |
2 | Zhur-Taa Druid | Haazda Snare Squad, Orzhov Guildgate, Wind Drake, Krasis Incubation, Trostani's Summoner |
3 | Give//Take | Bronzebeak Moa, Carnage Gladiator, Battering Krasis, Viashino Firstblade |
4 | Battering Krasis | Pilfered Plans, Spike Jester, Dimir Guildgate |
5 | Kraul Warrior | Selesnya Guildgate; Melek, Izzet Paragon |
6 | Feral Animist | Boros Guildgate, Trashing Mossdog |
7 | Golgari Guildgate | Maze Rusher, Fatal Fumes, Wind Drake |
8 | Fatal Fumes | Gruul Cluestone, Rakdos Drake |
9 | Korozda Gorgon | |
10 | Maze Behemoth | |
11 | Orzhov Cluestone | |
12 | Maze Abomination | |
13 | Drown in Filth | |
14 | Mutant's Prey | |
15 | Clear a Path |
"I like the 7-drops, but not as a first or second pick," Mark told me afterwards. "In the first booster, Punish the Enemy was the best card. In the second booster, I faced a difficult choice, but the tempo you get from Zhur-Taa Druid is absolutely insane. Also, I like green a lot in this format. My third pick was easy: the +3/+3 part of Give & Take is just insane in this format."
After that, Mark cut the Gruul cards, and cut them hard. Also worthy of note is the Korozda Gorgon that came back to him as a 9th pick, foreshadowing that Golgari would be open in the Return to Ravnica booster.
After the booster, I looked to Mark's left and right to see what his neighbors were doing. A glance to Mark's left revealed that cutting Gruul had worked out well: the two drafters to his left were on White-Red-Black and Black-Red. Mark's right neighbor, in the meantime, was drafting a Blue-Black-White deck.
Pack 2: Gatecrash
Pick | Mark's choice | Other relevant options |
1 | Firemane Avenger | Crowned Ceratok, Warmind Infantry, Prophetic Prism |
2 | Devour Flesh | Zarichi Tiger, Hands of Binding |
3 | Gruul Guildgate | Scorchwalker, Devour Flesh |
4 | Massive Raid | Five-Alarm Fire, Deathcult Rogue |
5 | Zhur-Taa Swine | Crocanura |
6 | Orzhov Charm | Adaptive Snapjaw, Simic Guildgate |
7 | Verdant Haven | Knight Watch |
8 | Smite | Millennial Gargoyle |
9 | Sapphire Drake | Wildwood Rebirth |
10 | Primal Visitation | |
11 | Last Thoughts | |
12 | Shattering Blow | |
13 | Mark for Death | |
14 | Spire Tracer |
"The second booster was really bad. Unfortunately, I didn't see many Gruul cards. I didn't get many good cards at all," Mark said after the draft.
Indeed, despite his left neighbors not being in Gruul, the packs were not kind to Mark. After a speculative Firemane Avenger pickup, Mark had to settle for mediocre cards out of weak packs, and he only got a Zhur-Taa Swine for his efforts of cutting off Gruul.
Pack 3: Return to Ravnica
Pick | Mark's choice | Other relevant options |
1 | Chorus of Might | Centaur's Herald, Ash Zealot, Hellhole Flayer, Centaur Healer |
2 | Lotleth Troll | Dreg Mangler, Viashino Racketeer, Common Bond |
3 | Giant Growth | Sluiceway Scorpion, Knightly Valor |
4 | Selesnya Guildgate | Spawn of Rix Maadi, Cobblebrute |
5 | Gatecreeper Vine | Chorus of Might, Stonefare Crocodile |
6 | Korozda Guildmage | Rites of Reaping |
7 | Stonefare Crocodile | Trestle Troll |
8 | Rubbleback Rhino | Transguild Promenade |
9 | Ash Zealot | Grisly Salvage |
10 | Golgari Charm | Catacomb Slug |
11 | Sluiceway Scorpion | |
12 | Hussar Patrol | |
13 | Sundering Vitae | |
14 | Rites of Reaping |
So Gruul hadn't really worked out as well as Mark had hoped. But Golgari was clearly open, as exemplified by the late Korozda Guildmage and Rites of Reaping that he received in the Return to Ravnica booster.
At the conclusion of the draft, Mark had cards all over the place. Would he be able to run Zhur-Taa Druid, Lotleth Troll, and Firemane Avenger in his deck?

Mark Dictus building his deck.
Mark took all the time available to him to figure out how to piece together his deck. Eventually, he chose to go with all 4 colors, but to cut Zhur-Taa Druid. "I wouldn't be able to cast it on turn 2," Mark explained. This was the deck Mark eventually registered:
Creature (13)
1 Korozda Guildmage 1 Lotleth Troll 1 Sluiceway Scorpion 1 Gatecreeper Vine 1 Rubbleback Rhino 1 Stonefare Crocodile 1 Firemane Avenger 1 Zhur-Taa Swine 1 Korozda Gorgon 1 Maze Abomination 1 Battering Krasis 1 Kraul Warrior 1 Maze BehemothInstant (7)
1 Golgari Charm 1 Chorus of Might 1 Giant Growth 1 Smite 1 Orzhov Charm 1 Fatal Fumes 1 Punish the EnemyArtifact (1)
1 Orzhov CluestoneEnchantment (1)
1 Verdant HavenLand (17)
2 Mountain 6 Forest 1 Plains 5 Swamp 1 Selesnya Guildgate 1 Gruul Guildgate 1 Golgari GuildgateWhite (1)
1 SmiteBlue (1)
1 Give // TakeRed (1)
1 Punish the EnemyGreen (9)
1 Gatecreeper Vine 1 Rubbleback Rhino 1 Stonefare Crocodile 1 Battering Krasis 1 Kraul Warrior 1 Maze Behemoth 1 Chorus of Might 1 Giant Growth 1 Verdant HavenMulti colored (9)
1 Korozda Guildmage 1 Lotleth Troll 1 Sluiceway Scorpion 1 Firemane Avenger 1 Zhur-Taa Swine 1 Korozda Gorgon 1 Golgari Charm 1 Rites of Reaping 1 Orzhov CharmColorless (18)
2 Mountain 6 Forest 1 Plains 5 Swamp 1 Selesnya Guildgate 1 Gruul Guildgate 1 Golgari Guildgate 1 Orzhov Cluestone2 (6)
1 Korozda Guildmage 1 Lotleth Troll 1 Gatecreeper Vine 1 Kraul Warrior 1 Golgari Charm 1 Orzhov CharmCommon (33)
2 Mountain 6 Forest 1 Plains 5 Swamp 1 Selesnya Guildgate 1 Gruul Guildgate 1 Golgari Guildgate 1 Sluiceway Scorpion 1 Gatecreeper Vine 1 Rubbleback Rhino 1 Stonefare Crocodile 1 Zhur-Taa Swine 1 Maze Abomination 1 Battering Krasis 1 Kraul Warrior 1 Maze Behemoth 1 Chorus of Might 1 Giant Growth 1 Smite 1 Verdant Haven 1 Orzhov Cluestone 1 Fatal Fumes 1 Punish the EnemyUncommon (6)
1 Korozda Guildmage 1 Korozda Gorgon 1 Golgari Charm 1 Rites of Reaping 1 Orzhov Charm 1 Give // Take"I would have been happier with 2 colors. Now I'm playing all the good cards, but in 4 colors," Mark said after building his deck. Things didn't working out for him in the quarterfinals: he fell at the hands of Thoralf Severin.
Sunday, 8:30 p.m. – Top 8 Draft Graphical Overview

Clearly, red was overdrafted: All players except for one dabbled in red. Blue and black, on the other hand, were drafted by only three and four players, respectively. Notably, eventual champion Oscar Christensen was in the Dimir colors. Apparently, reading the table and moving into the underdrafted colors is a great strategy for winning a Grand Prix!
Quarterfinals – Roundup

Antti Varhimo 1-2 Robin Steinborn

Jan van der Vegt 0-2 Oscar Christensen

Mark Dictus 0-2 Thoralf Severin

Michal Gajewski 1-2 Mats Törnros
Semifinals – Mats Törnros vs. Thoralf Severin
In game 1, Törnros' had Shadow Alley Denizen, Gore-House Chainwalker, Gutter Skulk, and Wight of Precinct Six over the course of his first four turns: an impressive amount of pressure. Severin never had the opportunity to muster a defense. When Törnros found his fourth land and Carnage Gladiator came down, it was over.

Thoralf Severin (left) vs Mats Tornros (right)
In game 2, it was Severin who was the early aggressor, with Deathcult Rogue and Cloudfin Raptor attacking. "But he never got green mana," Törnros summarized after the match. Törnros played Dead Reveler, Ember Beast, and Carnage Gladiator and simply started attacking. "I was a bit scared of Ætherize since I passed it to him in the draft." But as it turned out, Severin had nothing except for a bunch of uncastable green cards. When he finally found a Forest, it was too late.
Semifinals – Robin Steinborn vs. Oscar Christensen
In game 1, Christensen had the defender team of Murmuring Phantasm and Lobber Crew to stave off Steinborn's early attacks. Christensen's plan of winning the game with Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker seemed to be thwarted by Steinborn's Launch Party, but it immediately entered the battlefield again due to Breaking & Entering. Steinborn didn't have a removal spell for the second incarnation, and was quickly milled to death.

Oscar Christensen (left) vs Robin Steinborn (right)
In game 2, Christensen again had the same defenders holding the fort. Steinborn used Shadow Slice plus Lyev Decree to push through a lot of damage, but didn't manage to deal 20. Steinborn then hit a bunch of lands. "I think I was pretty lucky, since my opponent drew too many lands," Christensen said after the match. At some point, having Explosive Impact, Isperia's Skywatch, and Breaking & Entering in hand but needing a sixth land to play them, Christensen chose to play Dimir Charm on himself. "I figured, why not", he mentioned. It worked out well: He found a land in his top three cards. A few turns later, his 6-mana haymakers had taken the game, and the match.
Finals – Oscar Christensen vs. Mats Törnros
"Break you ...?" asked Oscar Christensen in the final moments of this final duel of the weekend, revealing Breaking & Entering. Mats Törnros held his opponent's gaze for a bit, then nodded, "Sure." And with that, Christensen won the game and match to become the champion of Grand Prix Gothenburg 2013, to the deafening cheers of his friends.
But it was no easy path that led to this triumph. At the beginning of the match it seemed as if Christensen's control-oriented blue-black-red deck might be at a disadvantage in the fight against Törnros's straight-up Rakdos.
"How many have you got?" Christensen asked in disbelief when faced with two Carnage Gladiators on the fifth turn of the first game. Törnros just smiled. "At least two," Törnros answered, with a third copy still somewhere in his deck. Meanwhile, Christensen had missed his fourth land drop, and when he made it, he was still missing blue mana. He never stood a chance.

Mats Törnros
So game one was utter carnage, literally, and Christensen now found himself down one game, with his back against the wall.
The second game, however, saw the traditional roles curiously reversed. Here it was Christensen's Duskmantle Guildmage who led the beatdown. Christensen followed it up with Bane Alley Broker and Bane Alley Blackguard, while Törnros only had two 1/1s in Wight of Precinct Six and Gateway Shade.
But once again Carnage Gladiator came down on turn four, and a second one joined its colleague on turn five. The Gladiator attacked, and Christensen didn't dare block with his freshly-summoned Mindeye Drake—a good choice as Weapon Surge was waiting in Törnros's hand. Instead, the 2/5 flier continued what Duskmantle Guildmage and Bane Alley Blackguard had started, getting Törnros down to 9.
Of course, two Carnage Gladiators on the opposing side didn't just sit there. Trying to win the race, Törnros attacked with all of his creatures, but, unfortunately, managed to deal exactly zero points of damage thanks to Christensen's overloaded Downsize. Mindeye Drake put Törnros at 7.
And again Törnros attcked with all of his creatures. Even though Christensen cumpblocked both Gladiators, their triggers along with Gateway Shade and Wight of Precinct Six dealt a whopping 8 damage, half of Christensen's life total at this point. He wouldn't survive one more attack. Luckily, he didn't have to. His Explosive Impact put Törnros at 2 and Mindeye Drake finished the job just in time.

Oscar Christensen
Now the score stood at one win each, and it all came down to the third. Here, Törnros stumbled on his mana. Stuck on two Mountains, he lost his Gore-House Chainwalker to Devour Flesh, then didn't do anything for a couple of turns. He even had to discard.
Meanwhile, Christensen had no red mana, but he did have Duskmantle Guildmage and begun the slow process of beating down for 2 points a turn. He sped that up a little by activating the Guildmage's first ability, followed by Dimir Charm's third mode. Two Swamps made their way to Törnros's graveyard, though now he did topdeck a third Mountain, cast Viashino Racketeer, and finally found a Swamp.
But it was too little too late. Soon, Christensen activated Duskmantle Guildmage's first ability one last time, then pointed Breaking & Entering at Törnros, making him lose all of his remaining life total and claiming the title of Grand Prix champion!
Top 5 Cards of Grand Prix Gothenburg
5. Feral Animist
This card can do a ton of damage for the low, low cost of three mana. Top 8 competitor Mark Dictus named it as the best card in both of his 3-0 Gruul draft decks. He combined it with Ghor-Clan Rampager to turn the 2/1 into an impressive 12-power trampler to win game after game. It just goes to show that the synergies in this Limited format run very deep. Players such as Mark who recognized the value in cards like Feral Animist were rewarded over the course of the weekend.
4. Azorius Guildgate
Mana fixing is a top priority in the multicolored Ravnica Block Limited format. In the Sealed deck portion, most players started by checking how many Guildgates they got. In the draft portion, several players were going as far as taking Guildgates first-pick. One of the biggest advocates of mana consistency was Kenny Oberg, who made Day 2 with an ultra-consistent blue-white deck featuring 3 Azorius Guildgates. While some players are weary of running come-in-play tapped lands, Kenny didn't have to take many mulligans and was always able to cast his spells. But Guildgates are not just for fixing: we saw plenty of off-color Guildgates being played over the weekend to turn on Saruli Gatekeepers and the like.
3. Verdant Haven
Verdant Haven saw a lot of play over the course of this weekend as an enabler for the five-color mages. It fills three important roles simultaneously: fixing mana, accelerating into the expensive haymakers, and staying alive. The Green enchantment was one of the centerpiece's of Jan van der Vegt's 9-0 Sealed deck; it allowed the Dutchman to cram his best cards from all five colors into his deck. Verdant Haven also allows for some sweet combo potential: Jan's fastest wins came from draws that provided turn 1 Guildgate, turn 2 Greenside Watcher, turn 3 Verdant Haven on the Guildgate, into turn 4 Trostani's Summoner. How is that fair?
2. Carnage Gladiator
This weekend, we saw Rakdos annihilating anyone at a moment's notice, and we saw Carnage Gladiator showcased in the way it is meant to be: absolutely punishing opponents who stumble on early drops and mana. A 4/2 regenerator for 4 mana wouldn't be a bad deal by itself, but its ability to make blocking into a nightmare is just insane for any aggressive Rakdos deck. When you're on the receiving side of Carnage Gladiator, it doesn't matter what you do. Block or don't block; your life total will go down regardless. In the Top 8, Mats Törnros had as many as three copies of Carnage Gladiator in his blazingly fast Rakdos deck. They quickly carried him to the finals, but in the end it was still Oscar Christensen who took the trophy with our number one card.
1. Breaking & Entering
It doesn't matter whether it's Round 1 or Round 18; when you're playing Magic, you are continually learning about new interactions. While drafting in the Top 8, Oscar Christensen didn't notice the interaction between Breaking & Entering and Dimir Guildmage right away. It wasn't until a game in the quarterfinals when he worked it out. With his opponent at 8 life, he used the first ability of Duskmantle Guildmage followed by the Dimir part of Breaking & Entering to win the game out of nowhere. In the semifinals, he used the Rakdos part to get back his eventually game-winning Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker. And in the crucial game 3 of the finals, the exact same situation as in the quarterfinals happened again. With Mats Törnros at 8 life, Oscar Christenen again had Duskmantle Guildmage plus Breaking & Entering, and took the title of Grand Prix Gothenburg champion.