The Top 8 is set. After a furious flurry of competition on Saturday, the field of 28 players—the four MPL Core Split champions and the Top 24 Friday finishers—was cut down to just eight. Each returns tomorrow to compete for the title of Mythic Champion and its $100,000 prize as we conclude Mythic Championship V in Long Beach, California.
Congratulations to Stanislav Cifka, Andrea Mengucci, Ken Yukuhiro, Gabriel Nassif, William Jensen, Jean-Emmanuel Depraz, Lee Shi Tian, and Javier Dominguez!
Here are the incredible moments that stood out to us from Day Two.
Sights and Sounds of the Tournament
The MTG Arena Mythic Championship is truly a spectacle. With dozens of computers alongside an attention-grabbing stage, the magnitude—and the stakes—of the tournament was not lost on the players. The pressure of playing in such a big moment is as much of the test as the games of Magic themselves are, and Mythic Championship V is an unforgettable experience for all involved, from grizzled MPL veterans to first-time challengers to the casters.
Ended 3-4! I'm happy about my performance. It was my first tournament ever and it was surreal to play against the pros. Thanks to everyone for your good vibes sent my way! ❤
— BLT (@BreannaLeeTan) October 19, 2019
BIG THANKS for the opportunity @MagicEsports 😊#MythicChampionshipV
Cedric and I are ready to rock and roll! Let's put some Embercleaves on Regisaurs! #MythicChampionshipV pic.twitter.com/CJyWCUKXRr
— 🧟♀️AliasVsZombies 🧟♂️ at #MythicChampionshipV (@coL_AliasV) October 19, 2019
“Do you think you can balance on three pillows?” As they are trying to even out @Marshall_LR and myself on the broadcast. #MythicChampionshipV pic.twitter.com/o7n6pbn2I0
— Paul Cheon (@HAUMPH) October 19, 2019
Numot Goes On a Run
Kenji "NumottheNummy" Egashira is a fan favorite, and one of Magic's original full-time streamers put on a show for fans at Mythic Championship V.
Not that it looked that way early in the tournament.
1-2 into 5-2 to convert for day 2 babaaaaaaay. See you kiddies tomorrow 🥳🥳🥳#MythicChampionshipV
— TSM Numot (@NumotTheNummy) October 19, 2019
One of the best stories entering Day Two, Egashira wasn't done yet – he got off to a hot start and found himself playing all the way to the end, where he met up with Jean-Emmanuel Depraz for a win-and-in to the Top 8.
Unfortunately for Egashira, his face here says it all:
It was a heartbreaking ending for Egashira, but his tournament run was one the highlights of the weekend, and as one of the top four finishing Challengers he'll be back here for Mythic Championship VII in December.
Green Mages Feast
It was Golos, Tireless Pilgrim and Field of the Dead that were most feared entering the tournament, but the Top 8 decks were relatively diverse:
- 3 Food decks (one Bant, two Simic)
- 1 Bant Ramp
- 1 Bant Golos
- 1 Mardu Knights
- 1 Mono-Red Cavalcade
- 1 Gruul Aggro
Green is king, at least this weekend. Between Gilded Goose; Wicked Wolf; Oko, Thief of Crowns; and Nissa, Who Shakes the World, the most important moments of the tournament often came on the back of green cards.
Bucking that trend were Lee Shi Tian, who brought what felt like a downright quaint Mono-Red Cavalcade of Calamity deck, and Ken Yukuhiro with the breakout deck of the tournament: Mardu Knights.
Cifka is Back
Stanislav Cifka is no stranger to high-level Magic—after all, he's a former Mythic Champion.
But after several years away from the game, Cifka earned his invite to Mythic Championship V the old-fashioned way: he won a qualifier. Along with roommate Ondřej Stráský, who qualified at the time, Cifka made an improbable run to Day Two, and then put together one of the tournament's most memorable Top 8 runs.
Feels really good to see @StanCifka make the top 8. He is probably the best player in the game right now, definitely the best deckbuilder. Hope he can go the distance tomorrow! #MythicChampionshipV
— Ondřej Stráský (@OndrejStrasky) October 19, 2019
The Best of the Challengers
Cifka's Top 8 appearance led the way, but he was far from the only Challenger this weekend to find success as one of the top four finishers earning an invite back to Mythic Championship VII. Joining Cifka will be Magic Hall of Famer Gabriel Nassif, who punched his own Top 8 ticket, as well as Kenji Egashira and Théo Moutier, who both finished narrowly outside the Top 8.
That news came as somewhat of a surprise to at least one of the challengers.
Wait, do Top 4 challengers get invited back to the next?!?! #MythicChampionshipV
— TSM Numot (@NumotTheNummy) October 20, 2019
WELL HELL YEAH BACK TO PARTYING!!! TOP 4 CHALLENGER AND BACK FOR MYTHIC VII!!! Thanks everyone for the kind words and support, means a ton! #MythicChampionshipV
— TSM Numot (@NumotTheNummy) October 20, 2019
Looking Ahead
Two days are behind us, but the Top 8 lies just ahead. It's a double-elimination bracket, with the playoff beginning at 9 a.m. PDT/12 p.m. EDT/4 p.m. UTC Sunday at twitch.tv/magic!