The first weekend of May saw four different Regional Championships from around the world qualifying over 50 players for the Pro Tour and five players for the World Championship. Over the course of the weekend, competitors in the Regional Championships for Japan and Korea, Brazil, Southeast Asia, and the United States brought their Standard decks and well-honed skills to the table to compete for those coveted seats at the Pro Tour and beyond.

This cycle of Regional Championships is already well underway, but if you want to test your mettle against the best players in your region, see where the next qualifier near you is taking place!

Nagao Wins Japan and Korea's Regional Championship with Orzhov Pixie

Tokyo hosted the Champions Cup Final, where players from across Japan and Korea gathered to face off in another Regional Championship. The format was Standard, and 260 players arrived to take part. With sixteen Pro Tour invitations and two seats at Magic World Championship 31 up for grabs, it was a high-stakes event. Ultimately, it was Japan's Yasutaka Nagao who won the weekend, quickly dispatching his foes with his Orzhov Pixie list!

Decks based around Nurturing Pixie have been around for a while. Though many players opted for Esper Pixie builds for cards like Fear of Isolation and This Town Ain't Big Enough, Nagao stuck to two colors and was rewarded for it. His list was clean and efficient, leading him to go completely undefeated throughout the Top 8. The championship match was a quick affair, too, with Nagao seeing off runner-up Akira Shibata with another swift 2-0 victory. Both finalists qualified for the World Championship.

The Top 8 itself was heavily dominated by aggressive decks with cheap threats. Four of the eight decks were Izzet Prowess lists, using cards like Monastery Swiftspear and Cori-Steel Cutter in conjunction with cheap cantrips to launch fast and powerful attacks, while another two were classic Mono-Red Aggro decks. One brave player, Kazutaka Oya, made it to the semifinals with Mono-Black Demons, while the final slot in the Top 8 was of course Orzhov Pixie in the hands of the eventual champion, Nagao.

The Top 8 was somewhat reflective of the field at large: Izzet Prowess was overwhelmingly the most popular deck across the weekend, although Jeskai Oculus, the second-most popular, fell off completely; not a single copy made it into the Top 30, let alone the Top 8. Overall, it was a good weekend for aggressive decks with cheap creatures. Midrange and combo decks didn't put up numbers, and control decks were nowhere to be seen by the end of the tournament.

Outside of the main event, however, the weekend in Tokyo had a lot more to offer for Magic fans. Side events of all kinds were on, from competitive tournaments with spiky prize payouts, to casual matches designed for people to relax and have fun. Larger Magic events like this are always a terrific time, so why not head along to the next one near you?

Choo Wins the SEA Regional Championship with Izzet Prowess

Over the weekend, some of Magic's best gathered in Kuala Lumpur to take part in a Regional Championship. The field faced off in Standard Constructed, with six Pro Tour invites and a World Championship slot up for grabs. Of the 155 players, only one of them could take home the trophy, and it proved to be Clement Choo piloting Izzet Prowess!

Izzet Prowess was the deck of the weekend. This blue-red build was the most popular amongst those who played in Kuala Lumpur. Fast, efficient, and lethal if undisrupted, Izzet Prowess punishes anyone who isn't ready to deal with cheap and resilient threats like Cori-Steel Cutter. All the same, Choo faced his fair share of challenges throughout the tournament, including in the final, where runner-up RJ Yu forced a third game with his Dimir Midrange list.

Choo wasn't the only player on Izzet Prowess who made it all the way to the Top 8. Lucas Lim and Kelvin Chew were also playing Izzet, while several different Dimir decks also made appearances: Calvin Chen played Dimir Combo, while RJ Yu was joined by Mary Lyndel Amora with Dimir Midrange. Rounding out the Top 8 were Yuen Peir Teo, playing Azorius Omniscience and finally Artyom Arepin on Jeskai Control. From aggro to combo and midrange to control, this Top 8 had a bit of everything.

While Izzet Prowess was both the most played deck and the deck that won the entire tournament, there was a wide variety of strategies and archetypes represented in Kuala Lumpur. Oculus and Domain decks, despite their numbers, didn't do very well—the best-performing decks tended to be either faster aggressive lists or slower controlling lists. Both Azorius and Jeskai Control performed strongly (the 9th-place finisher, Marlon Kane Cruz, played Azorius). Meanwhile the disruption-heavy deck Dimir Midrange put on an impressive show.

The Regional Championship wasn't the only event on the docket this weekend, however—the SEA Championships also included open tournaments, side events, artists, vendors, and much more! These events are always a blast to attend—so if you want to go up against the best players in your region, check out the next RCQ near you!

Casey Miller Wins the US RC with Jeskai Control

Minneapolis played host to the first of two US Regional Championships, and over 1,300 players showed up to test their Standard mettle against other qualifiers. With 32 Pro Tour invites and a seat at Magic World Championship 31 at stake. After fifteen rounds of Swiss and a Top 8 showdown, Casey Miller emerged victorious, crushing the competition with his Jeskai Control list.

While Izzet Prowess was the talk of the weekend, Miller had little trouble dispatching the deck in his quarterfinal and semifinal matches before defeating Michael DeBenedetto-Plummer on Jeskai Oculus in the finals. Miller was particularly fond of Temporary Lockdown over the course of the weekend, as it helped him deal with the many threats Izzet Prowess presented.

The Top 8 included a mix of what have become the staples of Standard since the release of Tarkir: Dragonstorm, including Izzet Prowess, Jeskai Oculus, and Azorius Omniscience. Jennifer Wang, who placed 6th with the Omniscience combo deck, chose it for good reason: "I have a game against every deck, Lockdown is good in the meta, and the deck can win out of nowhere and has a decent plan B."

Izzet Prowess, with cards like Stormchaser's Talent and Cori-Steel Cutter anchoring the deck, was the most popular choice overall at the tournament, accounting for 34% of the field, a share reflected in its presence in the Top 8. Jeskai Oculus, Mono-Red Aggro, and Zur Overlords continue to hold their place in the metagame as well, while Jeskai Control creeps up the ranks. Stay tuned to future Regional Championships to see how the metagame continues to develop!

Pedro Henrique Flores Wins in Brazil with Azorius Omniscience

Pedro Henrique Flores showed off his skills and style at the City Class Games Showdown, Brazil's Regional Championship, with Azorius Omniscience. Over the course of eight Swiss rounds of Standard play, Flores bested the over 200 players who had come to São Paulo for a chance at one of six Pro Tour qualifications and one invite to the World Championship.

For many players at the Regional Championship, aggro was the choice of the weekend. From newer builds like Izzet Prowess to old faithful classics like Mono-Red Aggro, competitors were intent on dealing out damage as quickly as they could. Flores, however, was able to dispatch both Boros Aggro and Izzet Prowess on his way to the finals, where he defeated runner-up Eduardo Vieira on Mono-Red Aggro.

The Top 8 in Brazil included a few surprises and departures from the Standard metagame seen at other Regional Championships. Andre Faustino finished in 8th place with Dimir Aggro, Rafael Marques Nishiyama came in 5th place with Golgari Midrange, and Wesley Brito finished in 6th with Mono-Black Midrange.

Nishiyama chose Golgari Midrange because "I just play with midrange decks and have a lot of Top 8s with this deck on Magic Online." Flores chose his winning Azorius Omniscience deck, stating, "I've loved playing combo for a long time, and I think this deck has some free match-ups and has pretty good cards against aggro in the main deck, too, so I think that mastering it in Standard is a good call." Recent RC winner Guilherme Merjam finished 4th with Izzet Prowess, securing another Pro Tour invite as well.

Congratulations to all of the RC players on their well-fought games and terrific accomplishments! Don't miss out on the next cycle!