Hello, and welcome back to Metagame Mentor, your weekly guide to the top decks and latest Constructed developments on the path to the Pro Tour. This past weekend, 1,817 players gathered in Washington, DC, to compete in the United States Regional Championship. It was an exciting event with high-stakes Pioneer matches, all captured by Star City Games's video coverage. The metagame looked healthy and diverse, and the format is thriving with innovation.

After fifteen rounds of Swiss and a Top 8 playoff, Cory Lack claimed victory with Rakdos Tree. Several months ago, Lack designed the deck, bringing the combo of Agatha's Soul Cauldron and Tree of Perdition into the spotlight through his strong Magic Online finishes. This weekend, he demonstrated how two new additions from Duskmourn: House of Horror—Fear of Missing Out and Marvin, Murderous Mimic—took his creation to the next level. This deck is the real deal!

The Pioneer Regional Championship Schedule

Before analyzing Corey Lack's deck and the lists of other top finishers, let's quickly go over the full schedule and available Melee links for this round of Regional Championships:

• September 28–29: Brazil
• October 5–6: United States
• October 12–13: Japan/Korea and Southeast Asia
• October 19–20: Chinese Taipei
• October 26–27:No Regional Championship (due to Magic World Championship 30)
• November 2–3: China and South America
• November 9–10: Europe, Middle East, and Africa and Australia/New Zealand
• November 16–17: Canada
• November 23–24: No Regional Championship
• November 30–December 1: Mexico/Central America/Caribbean

These Regional Championships award substantial cash prizes and coveted invitations to the first Pro Tour of 2025. In the United States, the Top 64 eligible players secured a Pro Tour invite. Additionally, the winners of each Regional Championship—and the finalists from events in the US, Canada, Europe, and Japan—will qualify for Magic World Championship 31, set to take place later in 2025.

The Metagame and Win Rates

At the United States Regional Championship, 1,817 decklists were submitted. After standardizing archetype names, I calculated the combined metagame share and the match win rates (excluding mirror matches, byes, and draws) for every archetype during the Swiss rounds. Small discrepancies from the metagame data published by Star City Games are due to slight differences in how archetypes were labeled and grouped. My analysis is based on a thorough review of the cards in each decklist. In the following table, each archetype name links to a top-performing decklist that closely reflects the aggregate build of that archetype.

The "Other" category included such deck archetypes as Izzet Ensoul, Azorius Lotus Field, Bant Auras, Mono-Red Wizards, Quintorius Combo, Dimir Rogues, Acereak Combo, Boros Convoke, Golgari Food, Boros Prowess, Boros Creativity, Esper Control, Mono-Red Goblins, Mono-Black Midrange, Izzet Creativity, Dimir Control, Boros Magecraft, Jeskai Creativity, Atarka Red, Azorius Humans, Selesnya Auras, Naya Creativity, Boros Heroic, and more.

The Pioneer metagame at the United States Regional Championship looked amazing overall. No single archetype made up more than fifteen percent of the field, and a wide range of strategies found competitive success. The distribution closely mirrored that of the previous weekend's Regional Championship in Brazil, though the table's arrows highlight a few key differences. For instance, Jund Sacrifice's popularity dropped sharply after underperforming in Brazil, while Duskmourn's new Overlords pushed Enigmatic Incarnation ahead.

Another significant shift was the evolving deck preferences of players fond of casting Fatal Push and Thoughtseize. Compared to Brazil's RC, Rakdos Midrange saw a slight decline, while Rakdos Transmogrify, Mono-Black Demons, and Rakdos Tree gained ground. This trend suggests that midrange players are increasingly incorporating combo finishes into their decks to secure victories.

443095 Monstrous Rage 643107

The three most popular decks last weekend were, as expected, Azorius Control, Rakdos Prowess, and Izzet Phoenix. While the core of these decks hasn't changed much, several two-drop inclusions deserve special mention:

• High Noon – Azorius Control often runs two copies of High Noon in the main deck. Its ability to counteract key cards like Hidden Strings, Arclight Phoenix, Emberheart Challenger, and Bring to Light makes it a well-positioned card in today's Pioneer metagame.
• Proft's Eidetic Memory – Izzet Phoenix commonly runs two copies of this legendary enchantment. This card boosts the damage clock and turns a small Picklock Prankster into a formidable flier, capable of playing both offense and defense.
• Artist's Talent – While only 29% of Izzet Phoenix players included Artist's Talent, those who did saw significantly better results. The win-rate gap between builds with Artist's Talent and those without was over ten percentage points. If you're looking to discard Arclight Phoenix efficiently and sift through your deck, running two or three copies of Artist's Talent is worth considering.
• Manifold Mouse – Although just 32% of Rakdos Prowess players used Manifold Mouse to intensify their valiant synergies, those who did enjoyed a noticeable uptick in performance. The win-rate difference was around five percentage points, making two or three copies a strong option.

Zooming out to archetypes, their win rates help highlight both overperformers and underperformers. Based on sample sizes, the standout overperformers were Selesnya Company, Rakdos Tree, Mono-Black Demons, Azorius Control, and Enigmatic Incarnation. Players should expect to see more of these decks at future Regional Championships. It's worth noting, however, that my win rate calculations exclude draws, which makes draw-prone decks like Azorius Control appear slightly better on paper than they might perform in tournaments. That said, Azorius Control versions with a companion performed slightly better than those without, though there was no significant difference between using Yorion, Sky Nomad or Kaheera, the Orphanguard.

Conversely, Jund Sacrifice, Boros Tokens, and Waste Not had a rough weekend. Waste Not struggled with low win rates across the board, while Jund Sacrifice and Boros Tokens fared particularly poorly against Azorius Control and Enigmatic Incarnation. In the current Pioneer metagame, these decks seem to be in a tough spot.

For MTG Arena players, it's worth noting that Explorer is getting increasingly close to Pioneer. Explorer is the online format featuring all the cards on MTG Arena that are legal in Pioneer. At the United States Regional Championships, assuming all graspable decks were fully sleeved, 98.5% of sleeves contained cards legal in Explorer. For the remaining 1.5%, the most notable cards still absent from MTG Arena are Chained to the Rocks, Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, and Hidden Strings. Many players are hoping these will be included in Pioneer Masters, an upcoming digital-only reprint set.

Now, let's take a closer look at the hottest decks from last weekend.

Two Different Rakdos Decks in the Finals

The finals of the United States Regional Championship featured a match-up that, while not an exact mirror, showcased Fable of the Mirror-Breaker, Thoughtseize, and Fatal Push on both sides. This midrange core, bolstered by a few copies of Duress and Torch the Tower, serves as a fundamental pillar of the Pioneer format. However, the two decks diverged with distinct combos and strategies to secure victory. In a sense, both decks filled the void left by Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord and Vein Ripper, albeit in slightly different ways.

2 Marvin, Murderous Mimic 4 Voldaren Thrillseeker 4 Tree of Perdition 4 Bloodtithe Harvester 4 Fear of Missing Out 4 Agatha's Soul Cauldron 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker 4 Thoughtseize 4 Fatal Push 1 Torch the Tower 4 Blackcleave Cliffs 4 Blood Crypt 4 Blightstep Pathway 2 Mutavault 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire 2 Swamp 1 Mountain 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance 1 Hive of the Eye Tyrant 1 Fountainport 2 Raucous Theater 2 Duress 3 Ob Nixilis, the Adversary 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring 2 Hazoret the Fervent 2 Duress 1 Go for the Throat 3 Chandra's Defeat 1 Torch the Tower 1 Bitter Triumph 1 Withering Torment Jegantha, the Wellspring

Rakdos Tree seeks to discard Tree of Perdition then exile it with Agatha's Soul Cauldron, granting Tree of Perdition's ability to another creature. For instance, a Bloodtithe Harvester with a +1/+1 counter on it can tap to reduce your opponent's life total to 3. Combine that with Voldaren Thrillseeker, and you can set up lethal damage out of nowhere. Leveraging these synergies, Corey "Jupiterbrando" triumphed over more than 1,800 competitors to claim the trophy.

"I'm the one who made it," said Lack about the deck's origins in his winner's interview. He started looking at Agatha's Soul Cauldron in May, believing that the card was a powerhouse and the closest thing to his beloved Birthing Pod in Pioneer. "I looked up all activated abilities in Pioneer, and eventually, I looked at Tree of Perdition. It is as close to 'target player loses the game' as you'll get an activated ability."

After integrating the combo into an interactive midrange shell, he used an earlier version of the deck to win a Magic Online Challenge, bringing the strategy into the spotlight. Lack also published a free-to-read, extensive primer on the deck in June. By the time Duskmourn: House of Horror released, he already held the deck in high regard, though two new cards from the set proved to be welcome additions.

673541 Marvin, Murderous Mimic

"Fear of Missing Out really ties the deck together," Lack explained, "making it work both as sort of an aggressive strategy while also being a combo enabler." He also praised Marvin, Murderous Mimic, which can gain the activated ability of Tree of Perdition to reduce the opponent's life total to 2 as early as turn four, while dodging graveyard hate. "Marvin's my guy—Marvin won like six games this weekend."

Winning a major tournament with a deck of your own invention is an incredible feeling, and Lack has proven that it's possible. The surprise factor of an off-meta deck plays a significant role in this success. It's challenging for opponents to intuit the right way to play against a strategy they've never encountered before. As Lack concluded in his guide from June, "The best deck for any of these major events is something for which players aren't prepared. And therefore, the best deck for any given major event is the one that has yet to be found."

In a format as open as Pioneer, the newly crowned Regional Champion encourages everyone to start exploring and building. "It's a wonderful way to enjoy Magic: The Gathering."

2 Atraxa, Grand Unifier 1 Bitter Triumph 2 Duress 4 Thoughtseize 3 Blightstep Pathway 2 Swamp 4 Case of the Stashed Skeleton 2 Mutavault 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker 1 Mountain 3 Fountainport 4 Haunted Ridge 1 Hidetsugu Consumes All 4 Fatal Push 4 Blood Crypt 2 Ob Nixilis, the Adversary 3 Reckoner Bankbuster 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance 3 Torch the Tower 4 Transmogrify 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth 1 Sheoldred's Edict 4 Blackcleave Cliffs 1 Ob Nixilis, the Adversary 1 Extinction Event 2 Hidetsugu Consumes All 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring 2 Go Blank 2 Urabrask's Forge 1 Abrade 1 Damping Sphere 2 Unlicensed Hearse 2 Duress Jegantha, the Wellspring

The other Rakdos deck with a combo finish in the finals was Rakdos Transmogrify. Its share of the metagame increased from 1.9% at the Regional Championship in Brazil to 6.2% at the Regional Championship in the United States, making it the fifth-most-played deck last weekend. While its win rate of 49.5% was significantly lower than Rakdos Tree's impressive 56.6%, Connor Mackenzie demonstrated Rakdos Transmogrify's power by advancing all the way to the finals. Both Connor Mackenzie and Cory Lack earned their spots in Magic World Championship 31.

The primary win condition of Rakdos Transmogrify is to use Transmogrify on a token generated by Case of the Stashed Skeleton, Fable of the Mirror-Breaker, or Fountainport to put Atraxa, Grand Unifier onto the battlefield. While a few players experimented with Duskmourn's Valgavoth, Terror Eater, Atraxa proved to be the most effective choice.

Transmogrify is easier on the mana base than Indomitable Creativity and allows players to incorporate Reckoner Bankbuster into their decks, providing long-term card advantage in grindy match-ups. While the spotlight may currently be on Rakdos Tree, Transmogrify strategies remain viable and add to the diversity of the Pioneer format.

Enigmatic Incarnation Decks Adapt in Different Directions

Enigmatic Incarnation gained the most from Duskmourn: House of Horror. With powerful new additions like Overlord of the Hauntwoods and Hushwood Verge, Jonathan Lobo Melamed already proved the deck's potential with his 2nd-place finish at the preceding weekend's Regional Championship in Brazil. A turn-three Overlord of the Hauntwoods triggers Up the Beanstalk, unlocks domain for Leyline Binding, and later transforms into a six-drop creature through Enigmatic Incarnation. Meanwhile, Hushwood Verge and the various Triomes ensure smooth and consistent mana.

The archetype's share of the Regional Championship metagame increased from 3.4% in Brazil to 7.0% in the United States. Enigmatic Incarnation also performed admirably, boasting a solid 52.8% win rate against the field. However, there is no consensus on the optimal way to build the 80-card deck, and a diverse array of builds featuring different card choices all managed to secure Pro Tour qualifications. I'll highlight three of them.

1 Atraxa, Grand Unifier 1 Beza, the Bounding Spring 1 Bitter Reunion 1 Bonny Pall, Clearcutter 1 Boseiju, Who Endures 2 Breeding Pool 1 Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines 4 Enigmatic Incarnation 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker 1 Get Lost 1 Glasspool Mimic 1 Heliod, the Radiant Dawn 1 High Noon 3 Hushwood Verge 1 Indatha Triome 2 Jetmir's Garden 3 Ketria Triome 1 Knight of Autumn 1 Kutzil's Flanker 4 Leyline Binding 2 Lightning Helix 1 March of Otherworldly Light 1 Mountain 2 Nylea's Presence 1 Otawara, Soaring City 1 Overlord of the Boilerbilges 4 Overlord of the Hauntwoods 1 Plains 2 Portable Hole 3 Raugrin Triome 2 Roaring Furnace // Steaming Sauna 4 Sacred Foundry 1 Skyclave Apparition 2 Spara's Headquarters 4 Stomping Ground 4 Temple Garden 2 Thornspire Verge 1 Titan of Industry 1 Torch the Tower 4 Up the Beanstalk 2 Chained to the Rocks 1 Archon of Emeria 2 Chandra, Awakened Inferno 1 Chandra's Defeat 3 Dovin's Veto 1 Elspeth Conquers Death 1 High Noon 1 Knockout Blow 1 Nimble Larcenist 1 Reckoner Bankbuster 2 Rest in Peace 1 Yorion, Sky Nomad Yorion, Sky Nomad

Soohwang Yeem secured 3rd place with a build that emphasizes white removal spells, including Portable Hole, Chained to the Rocks, and March of Otherworldly Light. This can be considered the "stock" version of the deck, closely resembling Melamed's list from Brazil. A notable new addition from Duskmourn: House of Horror is Roaring Furnace // Steaming Sauna—a removal spell that can be sacrificed to Enigmatic Incarnation for added value.

1 Noxious Gearhulk 1 Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines 4 Enigmatic Incarnation 3 Breeding Pool 1 Glarb, Calamity's Augur 1 Glasspool Mimic 4 Gloomlake Verge 1 Go for the Throat 3 High Noon 3 Watery Grave 3 Hushwood Verge 4 Indatha Triome 1 Atraxa, Grand Unifier 1 Knight of Autumn 1 Kroxa and Kunoros 4 Leyline Binding 4 Nowhere to Run 1 Overlord of the Boilerbilges 3 Overgrown Tomb 3 Overlord of the Balemurk 3 Overlord of the Floodpits 4 Overlord of the Hauntwoods 1 Sanctuary Warden 1 Skyclave Apparition 4 Spara's Headquarters 2 Temple Garden 1 Titan of Industry 4 Up the Beanstalk 4 Zagoth Triome 1 Zur, Eternal Schemer 4 Fatal Push 3 Cavern of Souls 1 Swamp 1 Archon of Emeria 1 Nezahal, Primal Tide 1 Nimble Larcenist 3 Thought Distortion 4 Thoughtseize 1 Yorion, Sky Nomad 2 Knockout Blow 1 Go for the Throat 1 Agent of Treachery Yorion, Sky Nomad

Jacob Heybl finished in 35th place with a build that utilizes Nowhere to Run and Fatal Push for early interaction, making it well-suited against Rakdos Prowess. Many players found success with black-based versions. Specifically, Enigmatic Incarnation lists featuring four main deck copies of Nowhere to Run achieved an impressive 62% win rate across 100 matches. However, Heybl's list stands out for its unique tutor targets.

In Heybl's configuration, Enigmatic Incarnation can sacrifice Overlord of the Balemurk to fetch Kroxa and Kunoros. By exiling five cards to the Elder Giant Dog's ability (facilitated by the Overlord's mill effect), you can immediately bring back the Overlord and maintain the value chain. Only two RC competitors ran Kroxa and Kunoros, yet they posted a combined record of 21-8-1, translating to an outstanding 72% win rate.

Theoretically, Thought Distortion in the sideboard might be stronger than Chandra, Awakened Inferno as an uncounterable haymaker against Azorius Control. However, an analysis of win rates against Azorius Control did not provide additional support for this claim. The sample sizes are too small to draw definitive conclusions, but the data suggests that the match-up against Azorius Control remains challenging, regardless of what you include in your sideboard.

1 Atraxa, Grand Unifier 1 Beza, the Bounding Spring 2 Boseiju, Who Endures 1 Breeding Pool 1 Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines 4 Enigmatic Incarnation 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker 4 Fires of Invention 1 Floodfarm Verge 1 Forest 2 Get Lost 1 Glasspool Mimic 1 Hushwood Verge 1 Island 3 Jetmir's Garden 1 Kenrith, the Returned King 4 Leyline Binding 1 Mountain 1 Overgrown Tomb 2 Overlord of the Boilerbilges 4 Overlord of the Hauntwoods 4 Path to the World Tree 1 Plains 4 Portable Hole 3 Raugrin Triome 1 Rootbound Crag 4 Sacred Foundry 2 Skyclave Apparition 3 Stomping Ground 2 Sunpetal Grove 1 Swamp 4 Temple Garden 1 Titan of Industry 4 Up the Beanstalk 3 Zagoth Triome 2 Chained to the Rocks 2 Get Lost 2 High Noon 2 Reckoner Bankbuster 2 Rest in Peace 2 The Wandering Emperor 1 Tranquil Frillback 1 Yorion, Sky Nomad 3 Chandra, Awakened Inferno Yorion, Sky Nomad

Finally, David Johnson finished in 46th place by embracing an old-school approach: utilizing Fires of Invention and Path to the World Tree in the flex slots. Fires of Invention is a contentious inclusion. It doesn't synergize well with High Noon, doesn't facilitate casting Overlords for their impending cost, and only has a 46% win rate across 109 matches in lists with a play set. However, its synergy with Enigmatic Incarnation and Yorion, Sky Nomad remains strong and proved effective for Johnson.

Path to the World Tree, an alternative to Nylea's Presence, offers late-game staying power and correlated with high success rates. Enigmatic Incarnation decks running four copies of Path to the World Tree achieved a 59% win rate across 95 matches.

In conclusion, there are numerous ways to build Enigmatic Incarnation, and players are finding success with a wide array of card choices. Based on a numerical analysis of the data, I favor the black-based builds featuring Nowhere to Run plus Kroxa and Kunoros. However, due to the deck's toolbox nature, the possibilities are nearly limitless, and I am excited to see where the archetype will head next.

Many Sweet Decks Earned a Pro Tour Invite

While most Pro Tour invites for the eligible Top 64 players were claimed by Izzet Phoenix, Azorius Control, Rakdos Prowess, and Enigmatic Incarnation, several surprising or innovative decks also made their mark. Here are some of my favorites.

3 Anointed Peacekeeper 4 Razorverge Thicket 2 Kellan, Daring Traveler 4 Aven Interrupter 1 Voice of Resurgence 4 Brushland 4 Temple Garden 4 Elvish Mystic 3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben 4 Collected Company 4 Llanowar Elves 3 Plains 4 Archon of Emeria 4 Enduring Innocence 4 Skyclave Apparition 4 Branchloft Pathway 2 Werefox Bodyguard 1 Shefet Dunes 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire 2 Werefox Bodyguard 2 Unlicensed Hearse 2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar 2 Portable Hole 3 Brutal Cathar 2 Elite Spellbinder 1 The Wandering Emperor 1 Anointed Peacekeeper

Zevin Faust secured 6th place with Selesnya Company, sporting an honest, fair deck in a format otherwise dominated by game-winning combos. While the deck mainly consists of creatures and lands, it incorporates a solid amount of disruption through cards like Aven Interrupter and Archon of Emeria, both of which can be deployed as early as turn two. With 35 creatures in the deck, Collected Company has an impressive 96% chance of hitting two creatures, making it a formidable card-advantage engine.

Speaking of card advantage, the newly introduced Enduring Innocence from Duskmourn ensures that players never run out of gas, as nearly every creature in the deck triggers it. It provides consistent card advantage that not only gains life but is resistant to removal. Thanks to this setup, Zevin Faust was not alone in his success. Jacob Milchman, Joseph Puglisi, and Jordan Lidsky also reached the Top 64 with identical or nearly identical decklists. Overall, Selesnya Company players boasted an impressive 60% win rate, the highest among all archetypes with at least ten pilots.

1 Castle Ardenvale 1 Censor 2 Deduce 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire 3 Farewell 4 Floodfarm Verge 1 Fountainport 2 Get Lost 1 Hall of Storm Giants 4 Hengegate Pathway 4 Horned Loch-Whale 1 Island 4 Lotus Field 4 March of Otherworldly Light 3 Memory Deluge 4 Meticulous Archive 1 Otawara, Soaring City 2 Plains 4 Shark Typhoon 4 Strict Proctor 3 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria 3 The Wandering Emperor 3 Thespian's Stage 2 Aether Gust 4 Dovin's Veto 1 Enduring Curiosity 2 High Noon 1 Hullbreaker Horror 4 Knockout Blow 1 Thought Distortion

Patrick Wu has made a name for himself in Canadian Regional Championships, previously reaching Top 8s in Modern, Pioneer, and Standard by piloting controlling white-blue decks. This weekend, he added another Regional Championship Top 8 to his resume with Azorius Lotus Field, a deck that he popularized last year. His list excels at controlling the opponent's board through spot-removal spells and sweepers but opts for only a single copy of Censor for countermagic. Instead, the strategy focuses on combining Lotus Field with either Strict Proctor or Thespian's Stage to ramp into powerful haymakers.

New additions to the deck include Duskmourn's Floodfarm Verge for mana consistency and four copies of Horned Loch-Whale. The Loch-Whale serves as an effective answer to a beefed-up Heartfire Hero while also providing a win condition powered by Lotus Field's mana. Another Azorius Lotus Field player, Phillip Hurst, used the exact same list as Wu to clinch 37th place, demonstrating the deck's strength. While many other Azorius Lotus Field players had different card choices (like opting for Discontinuity over Horned Loch-Whale) the ten total players on the archetype collectively achieved an impressive 60.2% win rate.

4 Archfiend of the Dross 9 Swamp 4 Castle Locthwain 2 Sunken Citadel 1 Hive of the Eye Tyrant 1 March of Wretched Sorrow 3 Mutavault 2 Reckoner Bankbuster 4 Sheoldred's Edict 4 Field of Ruin 4 Fatal Push 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire 4 Duress 4 Unstoppable Slasher 4 Bloodletter of Aclazotz 4 Thoughtseize 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth 4 Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber 2 Liliana of the Veil 2 Extinction Event 2 Go Blank 1 Invoke Despair 2 Gifted Aetherborn 2 Path of Peril 1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet 1 The Meathook Massacre 2 Unlicensed Hearse

Jeffrey Chen finished in 19th with Mono-Black Demons, also known as Mono-Black Slasher or Mono-Black Midrange. At its core, this deck functions as a midrange strategy with a potent combo finish. It employs Fatal Push and Thoughtseize in the early game to disrupt opponents before executing a lethal one-two punch with Unstoppable Slasher and Bloodletter of Aclazotz. When Unstoppable Slasher connects, it forces the opponent to lose half their life, which is then doubled by Bloodletter of Aclazotz, reducing their life total to 0 in a single attack. While a single blocker can stop this combo, it can win as early as turn four, and both cards stand as persistent, formidable threats on their own.

Both Bloodletter of Aclazotz and Archfiend of the Dross are Demons, making Unholy Annex a life-draining powerhouse in this deck. The strategy would not be possible without the inclusion of Unstoppable Slasher and Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber from Duskmourn, and it had a breakout performance this weekend. With a 2.6% share of the field, the archetype boasted an impressive 54.9% win rate. Alongside Jeffrey Chen, Seamus Kelahan and Joel Sadowsky also reached the Top 64 with very similar lists.

At this point, it remains unclear whether the true successor to Sorin and Vein Ripper will emerge from Transmogrify, Tree of Perdition, or Bloodletter of Aclazotz. Nevertheless, it's exciting to see so many viable options in the current metagame.

3 Adarkar Wastes 4 Adeline, Resplendent Cathar 3 Brutal Cathar 4 Cavern of Souls 4 Coppercoat Vanguard 4 Dauntless Bodyguard 2 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire 3 Get Lost 4 Hallowed Fountain 4 Hopeful Initiate 4 Mockingbird 4 Mutavault 4 Recruitment Officer 4 Seachrome Coast 4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben 4 Thalia's Lieutenant 1 Plains 3 Containment Priest 4 Portable Hole 2 Rest in Peace 2 Wedding Announcement 2 Anointed Peacekeeper 2 Knockout Blow

Azorius Humans, despite being registered by only five players, achieved an impressive 63.5% win rate, with Michael Greenberg securing a Pro Tour invite in 14th place. While aggressive Human decks are not a new concept, the blue splash for Mockingbird may have provided the final boost the deck needed. Effortlessly splashed into the mana base, Mockingbird can enter the battlefield as a flying copy of Coppercoat Vanguard or Thalia's Lieutenant, creating a critical mass of two-drops to maintain consistent pressure on opponents.

4 Blooming Marsh 2 Boseiju, Who Endures 4 Cauldron Familiar 4 Darkbore Pathway 4 Deadly Dispute 4 Fatal Push 1 Forest 1 Fountainport 4 Gilded Goose 2 Hive of the Eye Tyrant 1 Llanowar Wastes 4 Overgrown Tomb 1 Pitiless Carnage 4 Scavenger's Talent 4 Sentinel of the Nameless City 2 Swamp 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire 2 Thoughtseize 4 Vinereap Mentor 4 Witch's Oven 3 Ygra, Eater of All 2 Abrupt Decay 1 Boseiju, Who Endures 1 Duress 2 Extinction Event 1 Go Blank 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring 1 Path of Peril 2 The Meathook Massacre 2 Thoughtseize 2 Unlicensed Hearse Jegantha, the Wellspring

At the Regional Championship, several decks could infinitely loop two copies of Cauldron Familiar with Ygra, Eater of All, but Liam Etelson's version stood out as the sweetest. Rather than the typical black-red shell—utilizing cards like Bloodtithe Harvester, Mayhem Devil, and Fable of the Mirror-Breaker—Etelson finished in 55th place with a black-green list. This deck emphasized the Food theme with Gilded Goose and Vinereap Mentor, featuring Sentinel of the Nameless City as a useful three-drop creature.

This approach is intriguing. While the red cards excel at controlling opposing creatures, Mayhem Devil is vulnerable to spot removal. Conversely, the speed boost from Gilded Goose allows for quicker starts, helping to outpace opposing combo decks. It's hard to say which build is superior, but Golgari Food certainly paid off for Liam Etelson.

4 Acererak the Archlich 3 Atraxa, Grand Unifier 4 Blooming Marsh 2 Boseiju, Who Endures 4 Botanical Sanctum 2 Breeding Pool 4 Collected Company 3 Elvish Mystic 1 Forest 4 Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea 4 Honest Rutstein 3 Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy 4 Llanowar Elves 1 Otawara, Soaring City 3 Overgrown Tomb 4 Plaza of Heroes 4 Relic of Legends 4 Rona, Herald of Invasion 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire 1 Tranquil Frillback 1 Assassin's Trophy 2 Back to Nature 3 Fatal Push 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring 3 Thoughtseize 1 Tranquil Frillback 2 Unlicensed Hearse 2 Yasharn, Implacable Earth Jegantha, the Wellspring

Perhaps the spiciest deck to earn a Pro Tour invite was Acereak Combo, which finished in 33rd place. Its main game plan revolves around tapping Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea and Relic of Legends for three mana, then casting Acererak the Archlich. This untaps Gwenna, and Acererak can untap Relic of Legends with its enters trigger on the stack. Acererak will bounce itself, allow you to venture into the Lost Mine of Phandelver, and repeat this loop for infinite life drain. It's an awesome path to victory.

Overall, I'm excited about the upcoming Regional Championships and the future of Pioneer. Many innovative and unexpected decks performed very well this weekend, demonstrating that you can play virtually anything. Whether you prefer aggro, midrange, control, or combo, Pioneer has a deck for you. With the format thriving, I can't wait to analyze the results from Japan/Korea, Southeast Asia, Chinese Taipei, China, and South America soon after Magic World Championship 30.

The Road to Magic World Championship 30

Magic World Championship 30 at MagicCon: Las Vegas is just two weeks away. Over the past 29 weeks, I've revisited the legendary performances, winning decks, and historical lessons from past Magic World Championships. I enjoyed my journey back through the years, and I hope you found it as engaging as I did. Feel free to take a look back through these events from 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022.

Today, finally, brings us to the not-so-distant year of 2023.

At Magic World Championship XXIX, 105 competitors gathered in Las Vegas to compete in Wilds of Eldraine Booster Draft and Standard. With $1,000,000 in prizes and the most prestigious title of the year on the line, all competitors were eager to succeed. However, only a few had come tantalizingly close to the title before. One of those was Jean-Emmanuel Depraz, who had previously lost to Yuta Takahashi in the finals in 2021. In 2023, Depraz proved himself once again by making it to the World Championship finals, where he faced Japan's Kazune Kosaka in an Esper Legends mirror match. This time, Depraz wasn't going to fall in the finals.

2 Ertai Resurrected 4 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse 4 Raffine, Scheming Seer 2 Lord Skitter, Sewer King 4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben 4 Dennick, Pious Apprentice 2 Rona, Herald of Invasion 3 Faerie Mastermind 4 Skrelv, Defector Mite 3 Go for the Throat 1 Make Disappear 4 Plaza of Heroes 3 Otawara, Soaring City 4 Seachrome Coast 2 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire 4 Caves of Koilos 1 Swamp 2 Shipwreck Marsh 1 Shattered Sanctum 2 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire 4 Darkslick Shores 2 Ao, the Dawn Sky 1 Blot Out 2 Disdainful Stroke 1 Negate 4 Cut Down 1 Surge of Salvation 4 Wedding Announcement

After the banning of Fable of the Mirror-Breaker, Invoke Despair, and Reckoner Bankbuster in May 2023, black midrange strategies would continue to dominate Standard. At Magic World Championship XXIX, the most-played nonland cards were Go for the Throat and Cut Down, which remains true in today's Standard metagame. A significant difference from 2023 is that Streets of New Capenna was still legal during the World Championship, leading 29 out of 105 competitors to register Raffine, Scheming Seer, one of the best three-drop creatures in the format.

The builds of these competitors diverged into two versions: nine players opted for the creature-heavy Esper Legends build featuring Thalia, Guardian of Thraben and Plaza of Heroes, while twenty players chose the spell-heavy Esper Midrange build with Wedding Announcement and Make Disappear. Jean-Emmanuel Depraz found his success with a relatively stock Esper Legends build.

Raffine, Scheming Seer Sheoldred, the Apocalypse Plaza of Heroes

Playing Skrelv, Defector Mite into Dennick, Pious Apprentice, then Raffine, Scheming Seer, then Sheoldred, the Apocalypse was regarded as one of the strongest openings at the time. You could attack with Dennick, grow it with Raffine, trigger Sheoldred's ability, and use Skrelv to protect yourself from removal spells.

Meanwhile, Thalia, Guardian of Thraben posed significant challenges for decks reliant on noncreature spells. To complement the strategy, utility lands like Plaza of Heroes, Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire, and Otawara, Soaring City helped mitigate flooding and provided rewards for focusing on legendary creatures. While most of these cards have since rotated out of Standard, they dominated at Magic World Championship XXIX, culminating in Jean-Emmanuel Depraz taking home the trophy.

As the reigning World Champion, Jean-Emmanuel Depraz had an excellent 2023–24 season: He finished 8th at Pro Tour Murders at Karlov Manor, 70th at Pro Tour Thunder Junction, and 11th at Pro Tour Modern Horizons 3. Two weeks from now, he will have the chance to become a back-to-back World Champion. Depraz isn't the only player with the chance to win multiple World Championships—Kai Budde, Javier Dominguez, Yuta Takahashi, and Seth Manfield are also on the invitation list. But Depraz's performance this season and last places him in a unique situation where he may just claim successive titles.

Magic World Championship 30 promises to be an incredible celebration of competitive Magic and the stories it creates. Don't miss the Standard and Duskmourn Draft rounds on October 25–27, 2024. Even if you can't attend MagicCon: Las Vegas in person to witness the action unfold, all three days of the event will be broadcast live on twitch.tv/magic as well as on the Play MTG YouTube channel!