TOP 8 COVERAGE
The Grand Prix returned to Madrid for the seventh time and going into the weekend, we expected to see a lot of Jeskai Ascendancy, a lot of Treasure Cruise, and many more cards from Khans of Tarkir that were recently introduced into the Modern environment.
After 15 rounds of Swiss and three more rounds in the single-elimination portion of the tournament, the story of the weekend is a rather different one. Some of the most iconic Magic cards that few of the Pro Players have considered to be viable choices for the event have made a stunning comeback and left a lasting impression in the Spanish Capital.
While Birthing Pod stole the top spot as the most popular card in the Top 8, Tarmogoyf came in a close second and it played a vital role in Immanuel Gerschenson's victory in the event—all the more surprising considering the vast amount of cards with delve we've seen all weekend.
Plenty of innovative Magic players showed us that the Modern format is anything but explored and that it pays out to revisit some of the established archetypes and question the general consensus. In the end, it was Austria's Immanuel Gerschenson who came out on top and defeated all comers to become Champion of Grand Prix Madrid 2014!
Article
November 16 2014
TOP 5 CARDS
by Event Coverage Staff
While some of the newly released cards have had a lasting effect on the Grand Prix Madrid metagame, it were some iconic Magic cards that made a comeback and that helped shape the event in the...
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DAY 2 COVERAGE
Welcome back! Of an original field of 1,900 players, 220 have returned for Day 2 of Grand Prix Madrid 2014. The format is Modern, and since it's the first Modern Grand Prix since the release of Khans of Tarkir, there is a lot of information coming in!
We've already seen the spectacular fall from grace of Jeskai Ascendancy, we've seen Monastery Swiftspear and Treasure Cruise perform as expected in Burn and Blue-Red Delver strategies, and we've seen Splinter Twin and Scapeshift decks harness the power of Dig Through Time. Also, Slippery Bogle and friends made a comeback, being very well positioned in the metagame.
The 9-0 decks include one Splinter Twin, one Scapeshift, one Blue-Red Delver, and one Bogle deck as well two surprises: Zoo and a deck build around Through the Breach and Summoning Trap to power out Primeval Titan plus Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle and Emrakul, the Aeons Torn.
The 9-0 players include Alexander Semkin, Milan Niznansky, Antonio Del Moral, Ricardo van den Bogaard, Stefano Biasio, and none other than No. 5 Ivan Floch. These players ended up in the pole position at the end of the first day, but there are 214 others who want to make it to the top.
Follow along as we follow some of the game's best and brightest throughout today's six rounds and the Top 8 playoffs, as we bring you all news and all the action straight from the battlefield of Grand Prix Madrid!
Article
November 16 2014
ROUND 13 FEATURE MATCH
by Tobi Henke
At other times these two would work together as teammates, this time Pierre Dagen and Patrick Dickmann were locked in a battle which would eliminate one of them from Top 8 contention. Dagen's...
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DAY 1 COVERAGE
Day 1 of Grand Prix Madrid 2014 has come and gone, and it's been a great day—full of exciting developments in the Modern metagame, with close and suspenseful games, surprising turnarounds, and heart-stopping blowouts. 1,900 players filled the venue to its limits, and throughout nine rounds, this number has been reduced to 220.
Leading up to the tournament, one of the biggest stories in Modern was Jeskai Ascendancy combo, and the big story now turned out to be its almost absolute absence. Neither in the feature match area nor among the more succesful decklists was there any Jeskai Ascendancy to be found. A complete bust? We'll know more on Sunday. Meanwhile, recent additions to the format like Treasure Cruise and Monastery Swiftspear were doing well as expected, and Dig Through Time even breathed new life into old favorites like Scapeshift and Splinter Twin.
Finishing the day with perfect records of 9-0 were a total of six players: Alexander Semkin, Milan Niznansky, Antonio Del Moral, Ricardo van den Bogaard, Stefano Biasio, and none other than No. 5 Ivan Floch. These players ended up in the pole position for now, but fierce competition is never far behind: Kevin Grove, Remi Fortier, Daniel Fior, Marcio Carvalho, Marco Cammilluzzi, Eliott Boussaud, and Peter Vieren all made the cut with eight wins, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Tomorrow, we'll have more insights into Modern, more decks, more tech, and all the news and action straight from the battlefield of Grand Prix Madrid 2014. Until then, good night!
Article
November 15 2014
ROUND 8 FEATURE MATCH
by Tobi Henke
Two undefeated players met in round 8: Ivan Floch, recent Pro Tour champion and currently ranked fifth in the world, was facing little-known Julio Fernandez, making his first run at the fame and...
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