The Southeast Asia Championships were held in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur last weekend, with almost 150 people turning out to play Standard in pursuit of invitations to the Pro Tour and Magic World Championship 32—not to mention a hefty cash prize pool. After hard-fought Swiss rounds and a blazing-fast Top 8, it was Justin Chin who emerged victorious with Izzet Prowess and enjoyed an undefeated record across the entire weekend!
Chin's 2-0 defeat of runner-up Thirawat Chaovarindr, who was also on Izzet Prowess, reflected his results in both the quarterfinals and semifinals. He took them down 2-0. In fact, every single Top 8 match was won with a 2-0 scoreline. Much of Sunday was a one-sided affair. In the end, however, Chin dispatched Mardu Dragons and Four-Color Control before triumphing in a finals mirror match.
The Top 8 was made up of some of the most popular strategies in Standard, and an interesting wildcard inclusion. Justin Chin, Thirawat Chaovarindr, and Alexey Shashov were all on Izzet Prowess. Soh Weng Heng and Denny Dunsford played Mono-Green Landfall, choosing not to include white as many Landfall players do these days. Kelvin Chew and Poh Liang Choong played Four-Color Control, although their builds differed significantly. Finally, Goh Chi Lin made the Top 8 with a sweet Mardu Dragons list.
Izzet Prowess was the most popular deck for the tournament. It had a successful weekend with three pilots making it into the Top 8. The interesting part, however, is which decks were chosen to challenge Izzet's supremacy. In Kuala Lumpur, Four-Color Control was the second most popular choice. Surprisingly, Azorius Momo was also strongly represented, along with Izzet Spellementals, although neither deck really managed to excel this weekend.
The best way to level up your game and test your skills is to start trying to qualify for your Regional Championship. For players that do well, it's a direct path to the Pro Tour, and perhaps even the World Championship. If you think you've got what it takes to compete at a tournament like this one, check where the next qualifier near you is taking place, and test your mettle against your region's best!