After 15 rounds, with a total of 1,944 others eliminated, only eight players remained in the running for the fame and the fortune, the title and the trophy. Find out more about these people here!
Branco Neirynck
Age: 25
Occupation: Magic Online grinder
Hometown: Bovekerke, Belgium
Previous Magic accomplishments: Top 8 at Grand Prix Utrecht 2015 and Grand Prix Copenhagen 2015. 2009 national champion, 2015 World Magic Cup team captain.
What was the best card in your sealed deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Murk Strider, blue-red, 9-0.
What was the best card in your first draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Black/Green Tokens with two Swarm Surges and four Eyeless Watchers. 2-1.
What was the best card in your second draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Akoum Firebird, blue-red, 2-0-1.
Christian Seibold
Age: 26
Occupation: Student
Hometown: Nuremberg, Germany
Previous Magic accomplishments: Pro Tour Born of the Gods Top 8, Grand Prix Barcelona winner, Grand Prix Utrecht semifinalist, Grand Prix Stockholm Top 8.
What was the best card in your sealed deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
8-1, blue-black. Clutch of Currents was actually the best card in my deck.
What was the best card in your first draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Rolling Thunder, red-black, 3-0.
What was the best card in your second draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Ob Nixilis Reignited, red-black, 2-0-1.
Tomoharu Saito
Age: 31
Occupation: Hareruya CEO and pro player
Hometown: Narita, Chiba, Japan
Previous Magic accomplishments: Pro Tour winner, four-time Grand Prix winner, and more.
What was the best card in your sealed deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger and Valakut Invoker. Blue/Black/Red Control and Red/White Beatdown, switch style! 8-1.
What was the best card in your first draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Grip of Desolation, white-black, 3-0.
What was the best card in your second draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Ondu Rising and Drowner of Hope, green-white-blue, 2-1.
Florian Reiter
Age: 28
Occupation: Writer, editor, PR dude
Hometown: Munich, Germany
Previous Magic accomplishments: Member of Team #GPWhatever. Not getting a haircut before this.
What was the best card in your sealed deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
I played blue-white to an 8-1 finish. Best cards were Quarantine field and Oblivion Sower, shockingly.
What was the best card in your first draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
I played Blue/Red Devoid, went 2-1. Best card was the splashed Dominator Drone, though everyone disagrees with me on this.
What was the best card in your second draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Black/Red Devoid Aggro. Best cards were my two copies of Forerunner of Slaughter, although quadruple Nettle Drone was helpful too.
Vincent Lemoine
Age: 37
Occupation: Travel agent
Hometown: Brussels, Belgium
Previous Magic accomplishments: Pro Tour Paris Top 8, Grand Prix Athens finalist, four-time Belgian national champ, team finalist at Worlds in San Francisco, Top 8 at the Magic World Cup in Amsterdam.
What was the best card in your sealed deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Resolute Blademaster, 9-0. White-red, but played white-blue after sideboarding a lot.
What was the best card in your first draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Serpentine Spike, blue-red, 2-1.
What was the best card in your second draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Tajuru Warcaller, green-white, 2-1.
Mark Litvak
Age: 25
Occupation: Real estate development
Hometown: Vienna, Austria
Previous Magic accomplishments: Couple of PTQ Top 8s, Grand Prix Day 2, nothing special.
What was the best card in your sealed deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Blue/Black Control, 8-1, Grip of Desolation.
What was the best card in your first draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Red/White Allies, 2-1, Resolute Blademaster.
What was the best card in your second draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
A horrible black-green deck, 3-0, Eldrazi Scion token.
Felix Weidemann
Age: 28
Occupation: Statistician
Hometown: Berlin, Germany
Previous Magic accomplishments: Played one Pro Tour, some minor money finishes.
What was the best card in your sealed deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Ugin's Insight, blue-black, 7-2.
What was the best card in your first draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Ob Nixilis Reignited, Black/White Fliers, 3-0.
What was the best card in your second draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Grip of Desolation, Blue/Black Ingest, 3-0.
Damien Bouillot
Age: 29
Occupation: Software developer
Hometown: Lyon, France
Previous Magic accomplishments: Nothing interesting.
What was the best card in your sealed deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Two copies of Shambling Vent, Esper, 8-1.
What was the best card in your first draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Guardian of Tazeem. Blue/White Fliers splashing black for two copies of Demon's Grasp. 2-1.
What was the best card in your second draft deck, what color combination did you play, and what was your record?
Tajuru Beastmaster. Bad green-white deck with a splash of red for Angelic Captain. 3-0.