This past weekend, 546 of the finest Magic players from across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa gathered in Lille, France for their inaugural Regional Championship of the 2024-25 season, organized by Fanfinity. The majority had secured their spots through competitive qualifiers in the Ultimate Guard European Magic Series. At stake were $130,000 in prizes, two coveted World Championship invitations, and 36 Pro Tour invitations. After fourteen intense rounds of Pioneer competition and a Top 8 playoff, Marc Tobiasch triumphed with his Golgari Food deck!

Congratulations to Marc Tobiasch, the new Regional Champion!

Marc Tobiasch's victory caps off an impressive streak of strong Regional Championship finishes, each showcasing combo decks of his own unique design. Back in 2022, at the very first Pioneer Regional Championship in Europe, he stunned the field by securing 21st place with a never-before-seen Storm Herald deck. Over his subsequent appearances in 2023's Pioneer Regional Championships, he placed 16th with the same inventive Storm Herald combo archetype and 55th with an ambitious Jeskai Ascendancy deck. Known for his sharp eye for powerful combos, Tobiasch was quick to take note when Bloomburrow introduced Ygra, Eater of All.

Ygra pairs particularly well with Cauldron Familiar, forming an infinite loop with two copies of the Cat: since each Familiar now counts as Food, you can sacrifice one to the other, triggering infinite life drain. This potent interaction threatens to close out the game instantly. "It's so difficult to interact with because it's an instant-speed combo, and you can combo for every Food you have in play," Tobiasch explained.

While many deckbuilders sought to incorporate Ygra into the existing Rakdos Sacrifice shell, Tobiasch's approach forgoes Mayhem Devil and instead focuses entirely on assembling the Ygra combo with consistency and speed. To this end, he employs Scavenger's Talent and Cache Grab to fill his graveyard and Traverse the Ulvenwald to fetch combo pieces, while Gilded Goose helps to ramp into Ygra, Eater of All as quickly as possible.

In Tobiasch's view, this strategy was perfectly suited to the current Pioneer metagame. "If the opponent's plan is to cast creatures and kill yours, then they're going to lose," he observed. His prediction proved true, as the deck performed extremely well throughout the tournament.

Finalist Sergio Gimenez congratulates Marc Tobiasch on his victory in the finals.

In the finals, Marc Tobiasch faced off against Sergio Gimenez, a 28-year-old player from Spain who had qualified through an RCQ at el Nucli. Competing in his third Regional Championship Day 2, Gimenez finally achieved his breakout finish, reaching the Top 8 with a Rakdos Demons deck. "As a team, we felt this deck was the strongest option for the field. The value engine of Unholy Annex and its 6/6 body is just too powerful," he explained.

Fueled by the freshly introduced Room from Duskmourn: House of Horror, the deck delivered strong results. Rakdos Demons was a popular choice, and three copies reached the Top 8. Deck variations abounded—some included Archfiend of the Dross or Bloodletter of Aclazotz to turn Unholy Annex into a potent life-draining engine, while others, like Gimenez's, opted for Mutavault and Blade of the Oni as their only Demons. All these versions had impressive win rates, sparking debate over the optimal list, but solidifying Rakdos Demons as a top-tier choice in Pioneer.

Both finalists earned invitations to Magic World Championship 31, set for 2025. Yet, after a hard-fought finals, it was Marc Tobiasch who emerged victorious, claiming the trophy, title, and $20,000 first-place prize. In Game 1, he assembled the combo after casting Fatal Push on his own Cauldron Familiar twice, preventing it from being exiled by Gimenez's Torch the Tower and Anoint with Affliction. In Game 2, Tobiasch skillfully exploited Scavenger's Talent, creating Food and milling himself to find a second Cauldron Familiar. He then sacrificed three permanents to return Ygra, Eater of All to the battlefield, executing the life-draining loop that secured his victory.

Top 36 Players Qualified for the Pro Tour

Top 8, left-to-right, top-to-bottom: Andrea Mengucci, Denny Weinhardt, Sergio Gimenez, Marc Tobiasch, Lorenzo Terlizzi, Gerardo D'Elia, Max Penzkofer, and Stefan Schütz.

While the Top 8 competitors battled for the largest prizes, the Top 36 eligible players in the final standings who had not yet qualified for Pro Tour Aetherdrift at MagicCon: Chicago earned their invitation to that highly anticipated tournament, set for February 21–23, 2025. We look forward to seeing all qualified players compete there!

The event's Top 36 decklists reflect the rich diversity of competitive Pioneer, showcasing a wide range of archetypes. Among the Pro Tour-qualifying decks were some unexpected standouts, including Boros Burn, Dimir Ninjas, and Acererak Combo— decks that demonstrate how virtually any strategy can flourish in Pioneer when piloted by a skilled player.

Two of the first players to secure Top 8 spots were Mythic Invitational winner Andrea Mengucci and World Championship XXIX Top 8 competitor Lorenzo Terlizzi, both piloting nearly identical Jund Sacrifice decks. Terlizzi, who had also made the Top 8 at his previous Pioneer Regional Championship with Mayhem Devil, proved himself once again to be a master of the archetype in Lille. "It's my pet deck, and it's actually busted," he declared with confidence.

Mengucci, who relished the challenge of assembling exactly 20 points of damage, credited his Italian compatriot for teaching him how to pilot the deck most effectively. He noted its favorable matchups against two of the most popular decks in the metagame—Izzet Phoenix and Rakdos Demons—but with three Cauldron Familiar decks in the Top 8, the Cat was truly out of the bag.

Also among the star-studded Top 8 was Pro Tour veteran Stefan Schütz, who has been on a stellar run this year, with both first- and second-place finishes in the Magic Online Championship Series. Like many Izzet Phoenix players, he opted for the version featuring four copies of Artist's Talent over Ledger Shredder. "Tristan Wylde-LaRue is a talented artist," Schütz noted, acknowledging the creative force behind this strategic innovation.

A Memorable Event With a Diverse Metagame

The metagame at the Ultimate Guard Regional Championship in Lille showcased the dynamic and diverse landscape of competitive Pioneer. Compared to preceding Regional Championships, this event saw a notable rise in the popularity of Izzet Phoenix, Rakdos Demons, and Four-Color Zur. In particular, Zur, Eternal Schemer proved to be a powerful synergy piece with Overlord of the Hauntwoods and Leyline Binding, while cutting Enigmatic Incarnation made space for more efficient early-game interaction. This streamlined strategy carried Max Penzkofer to a Top 8 finish.

The enormous "Other" category included a fascinating variety of decks: 3.5% Mono-Black Demons, 2.9% Jund Sacrifice, 2.0% Rakdos Transmogrify, 1.8% Azorius Humans, 1.8% Rakdos Tree, 1.8% Orzhov Demons, 1.7% Acererak Combo, 1.3% Dimir Ninjas, and a broad assortment of other archetypes, including the surprise winning Golgari Food deck—a strategy few anticipated as a top contender.

Fanfinity organized an outstanding weekend brimming with high-level competition. Live coverage of both Day 1 and Day 2 aired on Fanfinity's streaming channels, allowing fans to follow the action closely. While the Regional Championship spotlighted the remarkable talent of players across Europe, the event hall was bustling with hundreds of additional players in Last Chance Qualifiers, the $20K Pioneer Open, and various side events. It was a memorable weekend of camaraderie and fierce competition, and we eagerly anticipate the next Ultimate Guard Regional Championship in Prague on January 25–26, 2025!

A crowd of 546 players converged upon the Lille Grand Palais to test their mettle in the Ultimate Guard European Magic Series – Regional Championship.

As the Swiss rounds progressed, the battle for supremacy at the top tables grew increasingly intense, with the best players vying for a coveted spot in the Top 8.

A sleek, professional live stream production brought the excitement of the tournament to viewers at home, showcasing every thrilling moment of high-level competition.

The dedicated viewing area set up for Day 2 gave attendees the perfect vantage point to experience all the action unfolding in real-time.

Prize tix earned in side events could be redeemed for a variety of goodies at the Prize Wall, adding another layer of excitement to the weekend.

Be part of the next cycle of Regional Championships by participating in a qualifying event near you! Explore upcoming events through the Store & Event Locator, or visit your regional organizer's website for more details.