TOP 8 COVERAGE
It was a whirlwind weekend of Modern Constructed in Vancouver. At times it seemed like everything under the sun was viable, and fully six different decks were represented in the Top 8. When the dust settled, it was 2008 Canadian National Champion Dan Lanthier and his Blue-Red Twin deck standing tall above the rest.
The picture of the format was somewhat clearer after the results of Pro Tour Fate Reforged, and among the 1098 competitors the major expected archetypes – Twin, Abzan, Infect and Burn – were out in full force. Their presence wasn’t overwhelming, however, as more than twenty archetypes crossed into Day 2. Most significantly, both of the Day 2 players on Amulet Bloom locked up Top 8 slots, and one of them was Alex Hayne. It looked like Justin Cohen’s Pro Tour brainchild would finally earn a trophy. However, Hayne fell in the semis to Robbie Schmidt’s Affinity.
On the other side of the bracket, Dan Lanthier defeated Tom Martell’s infect deck in two games that were always just inches from defeat. Next on his hit list was Florian Koch, and another sweep put Lanthier in the finals. Ultimately, Lanthier proved that you don’t mess with success, and the archetype that made Antonio del Moral Leon a Pro Tour Champion took home another gold medal. Congratulations to Dan Lanthier, Grand Prix Vancouver 2015 Champion!
DAY 2 COVERAGE
From a field of 1098 hopefuls just 119 remain, with only six rounds remaining to prove themselves worthy of a Top 8 berth. Modern Constructed continues to be a deckbuilder’s playground, where anything is possible. The major archetypes from Pro Tour Fate Reforged proved popular and successful this weekend, but Day two boasts more than twenty different archetypes, including some very surprising dark horses.
At day’s start three players have set themselves apart with perfect 9-0 records: Mark Jacobson, Robbie Schmidt and Miguel Sumulong. There’s no time to rest easy, however, as hot on their heels are some of Canada’s best, including former National Champion Dan Lanthier, Pro Tour Avacyn Restored Champion Alex Hayne, and last month’s Grand Prix Mexico City Champion Pascal Maynard. There’s also a murderer’s row of US masters at 7-2. You back the likes of Hall of Famer Brian Kibler, Pro Tour Gatecrash Champion Tom Martell, and #11 Reid Duke into a corner, you’d better watch out! Stay tuned for all the action!
DAY 1 COVERAGE
After nine grueling rounds in sunny Vancouver, the first day of the Grand Prix is in the books! Only three players, Miguel Sumulong, Mark Jacobson, and Robbie Schmidt reached 9-0, with Dan Lanthier on their heels at 8-0-1.
The story of the day was the resurgence of Splinter Twin after the momentum gain that was Pro Tour Fate Reforged. The two-card combo has broken out like a bad rash here, and some decks are even running cards like Vedalken Shackles maindeck to take down the mirror. Both Lanthier and hotter-than-the-sun Pascal Maynard are on the list. Maynard finished just shy of unscathed, dropping a crazy last game to Jacobson.
The monster of the Pro Tour, Abzan, is still present, but has proven quite beatable. No one on the original build made through Round 8 undefeated. However, Wilt-Leaf Abzan, the more proactive version, put Sumulong to his strong finish.
There’s plenty more Modern Magic tomorrow. So tune in bright and early to catch the constantly evolving Modern action!
Article
February 22 2015
Undefeated Round-Up
by Marc Calderaro
The first day of a Grand Prix is always long—especially because you were probably up late testing the night before. Few people can emerge completely intact. But not only can few remain intact...
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