February 23 2014
TOP 5 CARDS by Blake Rasmussen5. Path to Exile Ask Shaun McLaren where he'd be without Path to Exile and chances are the answer would be on the wrong side of a Tarmogoyf or Restoration Angel. Many players identified the...
McLaren's WUR Control deck outmaneuvered Wilson's Melira Pod deck in a thrilling five-game match behind superb use of Threads of Disloyalty.
SUNDAY COVERAGE
Welcome to the Modern Magic world, Shaun McLaren. The 25-year-old Canadian best known as a Magic Online player defeated fellow countryman Jacob Wilson in the finals of Pro Tour Born of the Gods, earning the $40,000 first prize, a spot at the World Championship, and immediate promotion to Platinum status in the Pro Players Club. McLaren's WUR Control deck outmaneuvered Wilson's Melira Pod deck in a thrilling five-game match thanks to the timely use of Threads of Disloyalty. McLaren came back from a 2-1 deficit to win the last two games and secure the victory. Game 4 was particularly tense when it looked like Wilson might actually come back after losing all his lands to an ultimated Ajani Vengeant.
Spain continued to be a home away from home for Canadian Magic, as McLaren followed up on Alexander Hayne's win at Pro Tour Avacyn Restored last year in Barcelona. Expect to hear plenty from these three Canadians the rest of the season as all three jump into the hunt for Player of the Year.
The Pro Tour's return to Valencia opened with great anticipation on what the recent changes to the Modern Banned and Restricted List would do to the metagame. The absence of Deathrite Shaman opened up deck choices and made for a vibrant format that featured eight distinct decks in the Top 8. Couple that with the debut of Born of the Gods/Theros Booster Draft on the Pro Tour stage and the impressive performances by all the Top 8 players and you get a Pro Tour few will soon forget.
February 23 2014
TOP 5 CARDS by Blake Rasmussen5. Path to Exile Ask Shaun McLaren where he'd be without Path to Exile and chances are the answer would be on the wrong side of a Tarmogoyf or Restoration Angel. Many players identified the...
February 23 2014
FINALS: SHAUN MCLAREN VS. JACOB WILSON by Nate PriceThere is much that could be said about the air about the final table of a Pro Tour. Under the hot lights, surrounded by judges and cameras, knowing that everyone in the Magic world is going to...
February 23 2014
FOUR THINGS WE LEARNED ABOUT MODERN by Blake RasmussenThere were a lot of questions coming into this weekend. With Modern mixed up thanks to the banning of a certain Shaman and the return of one nasty Nacatl and the most bitter of blossoms, no one...
SATURDAY COVERAGE
After 16 grueling rounds across two days of Magic competition, the Top 8 is now set for Pro Tour Born of the Gods—and it's a Top 8 full of new faces. Only Lee Shi Tian has appeared on the Pro Tour Sunday stage before, and he will be joined by Shaun McLaren, Jacob Wilson, Christian Seibold, Patrick Dickmann, Chris Fennell, Anssi Alkio, and Tim Rivera. They'll be battling with their Modern decks in the Top 8, with each player bringing a unique deck to the elimination rounds.
February 23 2014
AND THE LEADING TEAM IS... by Blake RasmussenAt the end of the weekend, one player will thrust a trophy in the air, get handed a giant check, and forever have their name aligned with Budde, Finkel, and more as Pro Tour winners. But if you...
February 23 2014
ROUND 16 FEATURE MATCH: SAUL AGUADO VS. ALEXANDER HAYNE by Nate PriceEverything is on the line as the big clock in the front of the room is reset to the fifty-minute mark for the final time for this Pro Tour. At least two of the spots in tomorrow's Top 8 were still...
February 23 2014
PHOTO ESSAY by Mike RosenbergPro Tour Born of the Gods is taking place at the Museum of Arts and Sciences which, aside from being an awesome display of architecture, is particularly gorgeous at night. Video coverage...
FRIDAY COVERAGE
Michael Hetrick stands alone atop the standings with the only 8-0 record at the end of Day One at Pro Tour Born of the Gods in Valencia, Spain. Close on Hetrick's heels is Lee Shi Tian at 7-0-1, and then a group of 12 players lurks behind them at 7-1. Day One opened with 393 players battling across three rounds of Theros/Born of the Gods Booster Draft, giving the pros a crack at drafting the new set for the first time on the Pro Tour stage. Then the pros turned their attention to Modern for the last five rounds before the cut. With the banning of
February 21 2014
ROUND 8 FEATURE MATCH: PATRICK DICKMANN VS. MICHAEL HETRICK by Nate PriceAs Day One drew to a close, three players clung to perfect 7-0 records, looking desperately to extend their undefeated streaks into Day Two. All three were playing unique combo decks, serving to...
February 21 2014
RELEASED BACK INTO THE WILD by Nate PriceTwo cards unbanned, one card unbanned, and the entire format changes. Welcome to the new face of Modern. At first glance, it may not look too different from the Modern you played a few months ago....
February 21 2014
ROUND 7 FEATURE MATCH: REID DUKE VS. MAKIHITO MIHARA by Blake RasmussenThere were whispers before the Round started of No. 13 Ranked Player Makihito Mihara doing some ridiculous, ridiculous things with his Kiki-Pod deck, one of them revolving around a pair of...
DECKS
February 22 2014
VIDEO DECK TECH: BLUE MOON WITH LEE SHI TIAN by Brian David-MarshallLee Tian Shi shares the MTG Mint Card deck "Blue Moon" in a deck tech with Brian David-Marshall.
February 22 2014
VIDEO DECK TECH: HEXPROOF AURAS WITH RAYMOND TAN by Brian David-MarshallThis was Raymond Tan's first Pro Tour and he talks with Brian David-Marshall about his Modern deck: Hexproof Auras.
February 22 2014
VIDEO DECK TECH: MONO-BLACK CONTROL WITH ARJAN VAN LEEUWEN by Brian David-MarshallArjan Van Leeuwen shares his Modern format Mono-Black Control with Brian David-Marshall.
(1)Shaun McLaren, 2-1
(8)Tim Rivera
(4)Christian Seibold
(5)Patrick Dickmann, 2-1
(2)Lee Shi Tian
(7)Anssi Alkio, 2-0
(3)Jacob Wilson, 2-0
(6)Chris Fennell
(1)Shaun McLaren, 2-1
(5)Patrick Dickmann
(7)Anssi Alkio
(3)Jacob Wilson, 2-1
(1)Shaun McLaren, 3-2
(3)Jacob Wilson
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
by Blake Rasmussen5. Path to Exile Ask Shaun McLaren where he'd be without Path to Exile and chances are the answer would be on the wrong side of a Tarmogoyf or Restoration Angel. Many players identified the...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
FINALS: SHAUN MCLAREN VS. JACOB WILSON
by Nate PriceThere is much that could be said about the air about the final table of a Pro Tour. Under the hot lights, surrounded by judges and cameras, knowing that everyone in the Magic world is going to...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
FOUR THINGS WE LEARNED ABOUT MODERN
by Blake RasmussenThere were a lot of questions coming into this weekend. With Modern mixed up thanks to the banning of a certain Shaman and the return of one nasty Nacatl and the most bitter of blossoms, no one...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
SEMIFINALS: PATRICK DICKMANN VS. SHAUN MCLAREN
by Blake RasmussenAfter already surviving his all-Steam Vents Quarterfinal match, Shaun McLaren is going to have his work cut out for him battling through yet another Izzet Mage. Patrick Dickmann is playing what...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
by Mike Rosenberg44 archetypes emerged on Friday. By the end of Saturday, many matches of Modern were played, and with the dust finally settled, we were able to crunch the numbers and discover the decks with the...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
SEMIFINALS: ANSSI ALKIO VS. JACOB WILSON
by Nate PriceThis was an unlikely pairing for this leg of the Semifinals here at Pro Tour Born of the Gods. Anssi Alkio's U/R Twin deck found itself facing a nightmare scenario in the Quarterfinals, staring...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
QUARTERFINALS: PATRICK DICKMANN VS. CHRISTIAN SEIBOLD
by Blake RasmussenRight now, before the match even starts, Christian Seibold must be pretty happy with Patrick Dickmann. Dickmann and Seibold, you see, are friends and teammates on Team Austria, and Dickmann,...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
QUARTERFINALS: SHAUN MCLAREN VS. TIM RIVERA
by Nate PriceThis match-up is another perfect example of how two decks that share an identical set of colors can have such a different approach to winning the game. Canadian Shaun McLaren's W/U/R Control deck...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
QUARTERFINALS: CHRIS FENNELL VS. JACOB WILSON
by Blake RasmussenIn the run up to the Top 8, there's a lot of speculation about match-ups, who'll win, who'll fall off, what match-ups certain players want to see, and, above all, how each player feels about their...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
QUARTERFINALS: ANSSI ALKIO VS. LEE SHI TIAN
by Nate PriceThough they share the same colors, the two decks featured in this Quarterfinals match could not be any different. Finland's Anssi Alkio made his way to his first Top 8 on the back of a 9-0-1...
article GRAND PRIX MELBOURNE 2014 March 2, 2014
by Chapman SimWei YifanAge: 25 Hometown: Wollongong, Australia Occupation: Student What Standard deck are you playing today and why? Esper Control. There aren't many bad matchups. Day 1 Score: 9-0 (2...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
by Blake RasmussenAt the end of the weekend, one player will thrust a trophy in the air, get handed a giant check, and forever have their name aligned with Budde, Finkel, and more as Pro Tour winners. But if you...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
ROUND 16 FEATURE MATCH: SAUL AGUADO VS. ALEXANDER HAYNE
by Nate PriceEverything is on the line as the big clock in the front of the room is reset to the fifty-minute mark for the final time for this Pro Tour. At least two of the spots in tomorrow's Top 8 were still...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
by Mike RosenbergPro Tour Born of the Gods is taking place at the Museum of Arts and Sciences which, aside from being an awesome display of architecture, is particularly gorgeous at night. Video coverage...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
ROUND 15 FEATURE MATCH - CHRIS FENNELL VS. DOMINIK PROSEK
by Simon GoertzenWhen Dominik Prosek and Chris Fennell met at the feature match table, they were sitting down for the most important match of their lifes. Sitting at twelve wins and three losses each, a win would...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
by Nate PriceSince the earliest days of the Pro Tour, players have been teaming to pool their talents, realizing that banding together with other talented players only serves to strengthen everyone's game....
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
ROUND 14 FEATURE MATCH: TIM RIVERA VS. JINGWHEI ZHENG
by Blake RasmussenThis is the first time you've featured us," Jingwei Zheng said as he sat down across from Tim Rivera in the feature match. Indeed it was. Zheng and Rivera had been hanging around in the top...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
by Event Coverage StaffEsther Moreno Morales is a 67-year-old Magic: The Gathering fan. She lives in Valencia and dropped by her hometown's Pro Tour on Saturday morning. Morales was looking for the cards that she needs...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
by Nate PriceThere are an incredibly large number of viable decks in Modern, spanning every style of play, but many of them have been a part of the fabric of the format for many years now. These decks get...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
by Simon Goertzen"Deathrite Shaman is banned. Bitterblossom and Wild Nacatl are unbanned." – February 3, 2014 Pro Tour Born of the Gods showcases a Modern format that was radically changed by the latest Banned...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
ROUND 13 FEATURE MATCH: RAYMOND TAN VS. JACOB WILSON
by Blake RasmussenImagine it's your first Pro Tour. You've qualified thanks to what our media guide calls a "bonkers Grand Prix win rate" of 76.5 percent, mostly on the back of your Grand Prix win mere months ago....
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
ROUND 12 FEATURE MATCH: SHAUN MCLAREN VS. LEE SHI TIAN
by Nate PriceShaun McLaren has been having a very good day. After dropping a lone match during yesterday's play, he ran a perfect 3-0 record off during the opening Draft rounds today to surge to the top of the...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 23, 2014
ROUND 10 FEATURE MATCH: NICO BOHNY VS. MELISSA DETORA
by Simon GoertzenWith a combined six rounds of Booster Draft and ten rounds of Modern, players are looking for two strong Limited performances to boost their records and to compensate for some of the inevitable...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 22, 2014
by Blake RasmussenGoing undefeated in any portion of the Pro Tour is something rare and special. The 3-0 draft, the 5-0 in Modern. Even better, the 6-0 or the 10-0, each stage harder to do than the other. In the...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 22, 2014
by Blake RasmussenThere was an odd sequence of events following the unbanning of Bitterblossom. The immediate reaction was that "Faeries was Back!" which was followed with much excitement. People rushed out to get...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 22, 2014
DAY 2 MODERN METAGAME BREAKDOWN
by Nate PriceDay One is in the books here at Pro Tour Born of the Gods! If you've been paying attention to the coverage, you know that only Michael Hetrick and his Living End deck ended up undefeated after a...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 22, 2014
by Blake RasmussenSitting as the lone 8-0, there are a lot of eyes on Michael Hetrick entering the weekend's second draft. After acing the draft part of the exam yesterday, he's clearly demonstrated he knows the...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 21, 2014
ROUND 8 FEATURE MATCH: PATRICK DICKMANN VS. MICHAEL HETRICK
by Nate PriceAs Day One drew to a close, three players clung to perfect 7-0 records, looking desperately to extend their undefeated streaks into Day Two. All three were playing unique combo decks, serving to...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 21, 2014
by Nate PriceTwo cards unbanned, one card unbanned, and the entire format changes. Welcome to the new face of Modern. At first glance, it may not look too different from the Modern you played a few months ago....
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 21, 2014
ROUND 7 FEATURE MATCH: REID DUKE VS. MAKIHITO MIHARA
by Blake RasmussenThere were whispers before the Round started of No. 13 Ranked Player Makihito Mihara doing some ridiculous, ridiculous things with his Kiki-Pod deck, one of them revolving around a pair of...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 21, 2014
by Blake RasmussenWhile the impact of Born of the Gods is certainly being felt in Limited, its impact on Modern has been more, well, limited. Coming into the weekend, it was expected that a few cards had some...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 21, 2014
by Blake RasmussenThe big focus this weekend, outside the cards and decks themselves, have been the rise of the super teams, the large testing groups that bring varieties of expertise to bear and share. But then...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 21, 2014
ROUND 5 FEATURE MATCH: KAI BUDDE VS. ALEX SITTNER
by Nate PricePerhaps the biggest story coming into this Pro Tour was what the recent changes to the Modern banned list were going to do to the format. This match featured two of the biggest beneficiaries of...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 21, 2014
SPAIN'S JOE CALAFELL ON THE PRO TOUR
by Blake RasmussenJoel Calafell is something of a torch bearer at Pro Tour Born of the Gods. One of Spain's most successful players ever, Calafell is a veteran of more than 20 Pro Tours over more than a decade of...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 21, 2014
by Nate PriceThe Deck lists have been finalized, and the numbers have been tabulated. Here's the Pro Tour Born of the Gods-edition Metagame Breakdown! With a total of 396 players checking in, there are an...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 21, 2014
ROUND 4 FEATURE MATCH: MICHAEL HETRICK VS. STEPHEN MANN
by Blake RasmussenBoth Michael Hetrick and Stephen Mann have started out precisely as well as they could have hoped, rattling off quick 3-0s in the draft portion of the day to make their way toward the top of the...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 21, 2014
by Nate PriceAffinity – One of the most aggressive decks in Modern, Affinity plays a number of ridiculously cheap (sometimes free) artifact creatures, enhances them with Master of Etherium and Cranial...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 21, 2014
FIVE UP AND FIVE DOWN IN THEROS
by Blake RasmussenThe Deck lists have been finalized, and the numbers have been tabulated. Here's the Pro Tour Born of the Gods-edition Metagame Breakdown! With a total of 396 players checking in, there are an...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 21, 2014
ROUND 1 FEATURE MATCH: OLLE RADE VS. CRAIG WESCOE
by Blake RasmussenThis is one of the best reasons to love European Pro Tours. Olle Rade, one of the oldest of old school and a Hall of Famer in the inaugural class of 2005, doesn't play much professional Magic...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 21, 2014
by Nate Price"It's evolution, not revolution." No matter who I asked, the response seemed to be the same thing: the cards from Theros in Limited are a bit stronger on average than their counterparts in Born...
article PRO TOUR BORN OF THE GODS February 21, 2014
by Blake RasmussenTo most people, Hall of Famer Kai Budde is the German Juggernaut, a Sunday killer, and one of the best players of all time. To his fans, he's a legend, a Magic player whose legacy is secure, and...