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 saw the first Magic Spotlight Series event in Europe, where an impressive 1,576 competitors gathered to put their Modern skills to the test. Meanwhile, the final three Regional Championships of the Modern cycle played out across South America, Southeast Asia, and Mexico/Central America/Caribbean, with a total of sixteen coveted Pro Tour invitations on the line.

In this article, I'll break down the winning Modern decks and highlight some of the spiciest decklists that made a splash.

Raul Porojan Triumphs at Magic Spotlight: Modern with Orzhov Blink

Congratulations to Raul Porojan, who emerged victorious at Magic Spotlight: Modern! Piloting Orzhov Blink, he conquered a field of 1,576 competitors to claim the title in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Magic Spotlight Series events offer two-day open tournaments that provide a direct path to the Pro Tour, alongside exclusive promos and a $50,000 prize pool. Porojan and the rest of the Top 8 secured coveted invitations to Pro Tour Magic: The Gathering®—FINAL FANTASY™, set to take place at MagicCon: Las Vegas in June.

1 Dauthi Voidwalker 3 Flickerwisp 3 Emperor of Bones 4 Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd 4 Ketramose, the New Dawn 4 Solitude 4 Overlord of the Balemurk 2 March of Otherworldly Light 3 Ephemerate 3 Fatal Push 3 Thoughtseize 3 Relic of Progenitus 2 Boggart Trawler 3 Witch Enchanter 4 Windswept Heath 4 Marsh Flats 2 Godless Shrine 2 Concealed Courtyard 2 Shadowy Backstreet 1 Bleachbone Verge 2 Plains 1 Swamp 1 Celestial Purge 1 Ray of Enfeeblement 1 Exorcise 1 Vindicate 1 Drannith Magistrate 1 Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines 1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben 1 Stony Silence 1 Deafening Silence 1 Aven Interrupter 3 White Orchid Phantom 2 Wrath of the Skies

Porojan, a seasoned competitor, had spent much of his recent Magic time grinding on MTG Arena. He only dove into Modern a few days before the event, but his strong Magic fundamentals carried him. He credited his Orzhov Blink deck choice, which had soared in popularity after Aetherdrift introduced Ketramose, the New Dawn, to its combination of "solid card advantage engines, fair matchups across the board, and many complicated decisions for not only me but also the opponent."

"Competitive Magic is one of the biggest enjoyments of my life, and I think I have a lot left to prove," Porojan shared before the Top 8 kicked off. While he had previously made three Grand Prix Top 8s, a premier event title had always eluded him—until now. And soon, he'll have another chance to prove himself at the Pro Tour stage.

Quinton Lip Zhao Jian Triumphs in Southeast Asia with Dimir Murktide

Congratulations to Quinton Lip Zhao Jian, who claimed victory at the Regional Championship for Southeast Asia, piloting Dimir Murktide to a 1st-place finish! His triumph earned him an invitation to Magic World Championship 31, set for December 2025. Additionally, the Top 6 finishers secured seats at Pro Tour Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY.

1 Archmage's Charm 2 Bloodstained Mire 1 Cling to Dust 3 Consider 4 Counterspell 3 Darkslick Shores 1 Dismember 4 Fatal Push 2 Flooded Strand 2 Force of Negation 2 Island 2 Kaito, Bane of Nightmares 3 Murktide Regent 4 Orcish Bowmasters 1 Otawara, Soaring City 4 Polluted Delta 2 Preordain 4 Psychic Frog 1 Sink into Stupor 2 Spell Snare 1 Sauron's Ransom 2 Subtlety 1 Swamp 2 Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student 2 Thoughtseize 2 Undercity Sewers 2 Watery Grave 3 Consign to Memory 1 Engineered Explosives 1 Dismember 1 Force of Negation 2 Harbinger of the Seas 2 Nihil Spellbomb 1 Sauron's Ransom 2 Stern Scolding 1 Subtlety 1 Thoughtseize

Hailing from Malaysia, the newly crowned Regional Champion credited Psychic Frog as the standout card of his weekend. While Psychic Frog decks mostly leaned on Abhorrent Oculus and Unearth several weeks ago, the Modern metagame has increasingly shifted toward graveyard hate largely in response to Underworld Breach. Ketramose, the New Dawn from Aetherdrift encouraged black-white players to add Relic of Progenitus to their main decks, making graveyard hate plentiful and powerful. As a result, Murktide Regent has reasserted itself as a more resilient win condition, demanding fewer deck slots while being slightly less vulnerable to graveyard disruption.

The winning decklist featured several other notable innovations, too. Kaito, Bane of Nightmares has gained traction in the archetype, offering both card advantage and a much-needed answer to Overlord of the Balemurk. Quinton Lip Zhao Jian also leveraged the "the Ring tempts you" through Sauron's Ransom, which gave him just enough incremental advantage to pave his way to victory.

Federico Giardini Triumphs in South America with Eldrazi Ramp

Congratulations to Federico Giardini, who emerged victorious at the Regional Championship for South America with Eldrazi Ramp! His 1st-place finish secured him a sought-after spot at Magic World Championship 31, and the Top 4 finishers who weren't already qualified earned invitations to Pro Tour Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY.

1 Bojuka Bog 1 Cavern of Souls 1 Commercial District 4 Devourer of Destiny 4 Eldrazi Temple 3 Emrakul, the Promised End 4 Forest 4 Karn, the Great Creator 4 Kozilek's Command 3 Kozilek's Return 4 Malevolent Rumble 1 Sanctum of Ugin 2 Sire of Seven Deaths 4 Sowing Mycospawn 2 Stomping Ground 4 Talisman of Impulse 4 Ugin's Labyrinth 4 Utopia Sprawl 1 Windswept Heath 1 Wooded Foothills 1 Misty Rainforest 1 Verdant Catacombs 2 Writhing Chrysalis 1 Engineered Explosives 1 Liquimetal Coating 2 Nature's Claim 1 Soulless Jailer 1 Tormod's Crypt 2 Writhing Chrysalis 3 The Stone Brain 2 Stone Rain 1 Dismember 1 Boseiju, Who Endures

After losing in the Top 4 of his Regional Championship one year ago, Federico Giardini returned with determination. And this time, he claimed the trophy. His Eldrazi Ramp deck was built to accelerate with Utopia Sprawl and Malevolent Rumble before unleashing massive threats like Emrakul, the Promised End.

Notably, his list deviated from the norm with two copies of Sire of Seven Deaths, opting for this powerful seven-drop creature over the more common World Breaker. While both options enable Kozilek's Return and Ugin's Labyrinth, Sire of Seven Deaths offers key advantages in certain matchups, boasting vigilance and lifelink to swing damage races while its punishing ward ability makes removal an expensive proposition.

Javier Castellan Triumphs in Central America with Temur Breach

Congratulations to Javier Castellan, who claimed victory at the Regional Championship for Mexico/Central America/Caribbean with Temur Breach! His 1st-place finish secured a spot at Magic World Championship 31, and the Top 4 finishers who weren't already qualified earned invitations to Pro Tour Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY.

4 Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student 4 Emry, Lurker of the Loch 1 Haywire Mite 1 Jace, Wielder of Mysteries 4 Underworld Breach 3 Grinding Station 4 Malevolent Rumble 2 Preordain 1 Swan Song 1 Lightning Bolt 1 Grapeshot 1 Pithing Needle 1 Aether Spellbomb 1 Soul-Guide Lantern 4 Mox Opal 4 Mishra's Bauble 3 Mox Amber 3 Urza's Saga 4 Scalding Tarn 4 Misty Rainforest 1 Steam Vents 1 Breeding Pool 1 Stomping Ground 1 Thundering Falls 1 Hedge Maze 1 Island 1 Shifting Woodland 1 Otawara, Soaring City 1 Sink into Stupor 4 Consign to Memory 1 Strix Serenade 1 Swan Song 1 Lightning Bolt 1 Unholy Heat 2 Nature's Claim 1 Boseiju, Who Endures 1 Mountain 2 Flame of Anor 1 Brainsurge

Just three months ago, Castellan fell one match short of the title, finishing 2nd at his Regional Championship. This time, the seasoned competitor from Guatemala made sure history wouldn't repeat itself. As for his deck choice? That decision was easy. He credited his success to Jesse Robkin, who had won the United States Regional Championship just one week prior.

All credit for the list to @tiddypills. Jesse, you're a genius. I had no time to prepare and just coppied your list, no changes. My gameplay was average but the deck carried me to the finish line. pic.twitter.com/LIzwwvLD9G

— Javier Castellan (@JCastellan) March 16, 2025

"Jesse, you're a genius," Castellan said. "I had no time to prepare and just copied your list, no changes. My gameplay was average, but the deck carried me to the finish line."

The Modern Metagame and Win Rates

Modern is a nonrotating 60-card format that encompasses cards from expansion sets, core sets, and straight-to-Modern sets from Eighth Edition onward, except for those on the banned list. The next banned and restricted announcement is scheduled for March 31, 2025.

To capture the latest state of the Modern metagame, the table below presents the metagame breakdown from Magic Spotlight: Modern, along with the Day One match win rates for each deck archetype (excluding mirror matches, byes, and draws). Since Day One featured closed decklists—while Day Two of Magic Spotlight: Modern and all rounds of the Regional Championships used open decklists—these numbers are particularly relevant for the upcoming cycle of Modern Regional Championship qualifiers.

The format's diversity was on full display in Utrecht, with a metagame that largely mirrored recent Regional Championships. The one major shift? Temur Breach saw its representation nearly cut in half, making up just 12.1% of the field. Nevertheless, the deck still posted a strong 55.7% non-mirror Day One win rate and placed two players in the Top 8, proving that it remains a dominant force in the format.

On the other hand, Dimir Mill had a poor performance. While Dimir Mill theoretically had a strong matchup against Temur Breach, it faltered against the rest of the field. Especially with Breach showing up in lower numbers than expected, Dimir Mill struggled notably.

On a more positive note, the performance of Samwise Gamgee Combo stood out, with the creature-based strategy winning a significant 61.2% share of its non-mirror matches on Day One. Since creature-based combos sidestep many of the common sideboard cards against Temur Breach, such as Stony Silence or Wear // Tear, Samwise Gamgee Combo is proving itself to be a well-positioned, and perhaps overlooked, strategy in the current Modern metagame.

What Are the Spiciest Decklists?

Several offbeat decks turned heads this past weekend, proving that innovation is alive and well in Modern. Let's dive into the most notable brews that put up solid results.

4 Birthing Ritual 3 Boseiju, Who Endures 4 Cauldron Familiar 4 Chord of Calling 1 Dewdrop Cure 1 Dryad Arbor 1 Forest 4 Gilded Goose 1 Godless Shrine 1 Grist, the Hunger Tide 1 Lush Portico 1 Orcish Bowmasters 2 Overgrown Tomb 4 Samwise Gamgee 1 Sylvan Safekeeper 2 Temple Garden 1 Underground Mortuary 4 Verdant Catacombs 4 Viscera Seer 4 Windswept Heath 1 Swamp 1 Wooded Foothills 1 Yawgmoth, Thran Physician 1 Gravecrawler 1 Marionette Apprentice 1 Warren Soultrader 1 Haywire Mite 2 Wall of Roots 3 Young Wolf 1 Collector Ouphe 2 Fatal Push 3 Force of Vigor 3 Leyline of the Void 2 Thoughtseize 1 Scavenging Ooze 1 Drannith Magistrate 1 Crystal Barricade 1 Doorkeeper Thrull

I already mentioned that Samwise Gamgee Combo, which sixteen players registered in Utrecht, had an excellent result. One version of the deck stood out among the crowd—Lauge De Place, Thomas Munk, and Jacob Hauch all made Day Two at Magic Spotlight: Modern with a crafty version incorporating Young Wolf and Yawgmoth, Thran Physician into the toolbox shell. This provided additional routes for winning the game, beyond the main plan of combining Samwise Gamgee, Cauldron Familiar, and Viscera Seer for infinite drains.

Gravecrawler 662262 662252

Lauge de Place—who finished 11-3-1—added the Gravecrawler, Warren Soultrader, and Marionette Apprentice combo to his deck, leaving his opponents guessing when and how he'd go for the win. Why stick with one combo when you can have three?

3 Island 1 Mountain 2 Thundering Falls 3 Steam Vents 4 Scalding Tarn 4 Misty Rainforest 1 Otawara, Soaring City 3 Sink into Stupor 1 Lórien Revealed 4 Splinter Twin 4 Deceiver Exarch 4 Flame of Anor 3 Flare of Denial 4 Counterspell 4 Thundertrap Trainer 4 Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student 4 Lightning Bolt 3 Spell Snare 2 Magus of the Moon 2 Snapcaster Mage 1 Brotherhood's End 2 Pyroclasm 4 Consign to Memory 1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn 1 Relic of Progenitus 1 Ghost Vacuum 1 Surgical Extraction 1 Soul-Guide Lantern 1 Stern Scolding 1 Magus of the Moon 1 Meltdown

Longtime Magic player Jacob Hart made the Top 8 of the Southeast Asia Regional Championship with Splinter Twin! "I wanted to show everyone it's still very good," he explained.

He slotted the classic combo of Deceiver Exarch and Splinter Twin into an Izzet Wizards shell. This allowed him to put Splinter Twin onto Thundertrap Trainer or Snapcaster Mage for value in case Deceiver Exarch was not available. The deck proved itself, showing that old favorites can still thrive in Modern.

4 Emry, Lurker of the Loch 1 Haywire Mite 3 Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student 1 Kappa Cannoneer 2 Inquisition of Kozilek 2 Malevolent Rumble 3 Thoughtseize 1 Dismember 4 Whir of Invention 3 Codex Shredder 2 Ensnaring Bridge 4 Mishra's Bauble 4 Mox Opal 2 Mox Amber 2 Portable Hole 1 Pithing Needle 1 Tormod's Crypt 2 Lantern of Insight 1 Island 4 Darkslick Shores 4 Urza's Saga 4 Glimmervoid 4 Spire of Industry 1 Seachrome Coast 1 Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student 2 Kappa Cannoneer 1 Consign to Memory 1 Ashiok, Dream Render 1 Boseiju, Who Endures 1 Grafdigger's Cage 1 Torpor Orb 1 Soulless Jailer 1 Damping Sphere 1 Nature's Claim 1 Witchbane Orb 1 The Underworld Cookbook 1 Thoughtseize 1 Metallic Rebuke

Lantern Control is back! Bram Meulders reached Day Two at Magic Spotlight: Modern with a fresh take on the archetype, revamping the classic strategy with a new package of cards: the "enormously strong base" of Emry, Lurker of the Loch; Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student; Mox Opal; Mox Amber; and Urza's Saga.

As he explained, he had been holding onto his pre-pandemic Lantern Control deck but saw two challenges in adapting it to today's Modern metagame. First, he feared it'd have a poor matchup against Temur Breach, as Ensnaring Bridge does little to stop Breach loops or Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student. Second, he wanted to integrate Urza's Saga, which tutors for Lantern of Insight or Codex Shredder to lock out the opponent, but the colorless land made it difficult to get enough blue sources for Whir of Invention.

His solution? Merge Lantern Control with aspects of Temur Breach! It resulted in a powerful hybrid, unlocking Mox Amber to support Whir of Invention. Post-sideboard, he praised Kappa Cannoneer as a well-positioned, resilient finisher. While his 8-5 record wasn't groundbreaking, Meulders—who brought a spicy Merfolk deck to Pro Tour Aetherdrift—remains one of Magic's most daring deck builders, always pushing formats into bold new directions.

3 Living End 4 Malevolent Rumble 1 Lush Portico 1 Elegant Parlor 4 Leyline of the Guildpact 3 Generous Ent 3 Oliphaunt 4 Leyline Binding 1 Xander's Lounge 1 Boseiju, Who Endures 1 Arid Mesa 4 Scion of Draco 2 Territorial Kavu 3 Endurance 1 Solitude 1 Sacred Foundry 4 Glassdust Hulk 1 Temple Garden 1 Stomping Ground 1 Windswept Heath 4 Wooded Foothills 1 Eladamri's Call 1 Mountain 1 Forest 1 Zagoth Triome 4 Bloodbraid Marauder 4 Incubation 1 Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines 1 Foundation Breaker 1 Endurance 2 Inevitable Betrayal 1 Drannith Magistrate 2 Mystical Dispute 1 Force of Vigor 1 Damping Sphere 1 Anger of the Gods 2 Slaughter Games 2 Stony Silence

Living End meets Domain Zoo? Asger Thorsboe Lundblad pulled off an unexpected fusion when he piloted this hybrid deck to a 9-4-2 finish at Magic Spotlight: Modern. As he explained, Living End is a powerful effect, but graveyard hate is everywhere. His solution was to add Leyline Binding to remove graveyard hate alongside a backup plan of Leyline of the Guildpact and Scion of Draco.

Unlike traditional Living End builds, he ran just one cascade spell—Bloodbraid Marauder—but Malevolent Rumble helped find it while also fueling the graveyard. Even without Malevolent Rumble, he could reach delirium by cycling Glassdust Hulk, playing Incubation // Incongruity, and cracking a fetch land. "It works surprisingly well!" he said, a testament to Modern's ever-expanding horizons of deck building.

2 Blood Crypt 4 Bloodstained Mire 1 Cling to Dust 3 Counterspell 4 Death's Shadow 2 Dismember 2 Dress Down 4 Expressive Iteration 3 Fatal Push 1 Flooded Strand 3 Force of Negation 2 Molten Collapse 2 Murktide Regent 4 Polluted Delta 2 Preordain 4 Psychic Frog 4 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer 2 Spell Snare 2 Steam Vents 1 Swamp 4 Thoughtseize 1 Undercity Sewers 3 Watery Grave 3 Break the Ice 4 Consign to Memory 2 Nihil Spellbomb 2 Tourach, Dread Cantor 2 Toxic Deluge 1 Untimely Malfunction 1 Dismember

Lorenzo Bellettini attended Magic Spotlight: Modern just to have fun and "compete against good players," but he made it all the way to the Top 8 with Grixis Shadow. With that finish, he earned a Pro Tour invitation and proved the classic strategy is still competitive in 2025. "I like tempo decks, and [Grixis] is a nice combination," he explained.

To ensure Death's Shadow will attack for large amounts of damage, Thoughtseize, Dismember, and shock lands can manage your life total. For an even bigger swing, Bellettini could leverage Dress Down to remove all abilities, instantly turning Death's Shadow into a 13/13 attacker while killing any Construct tokens that opponents may have created via Urza's Saga. "Dress Down is the most versatile and strong card."

4 Thoughtseize 2 Swamp 4 Marsh Flats 4 Emperor of Bones 4 Polluted Delta 1 Haywire Mite 1 Pithing Needle 4 Fatal Push 2 Inquisition of Kozilek 4 Nethergoyf 1 Nihil Spellbomb 1 Overgrown Tomb 2 Bloodstained Mire 4 Dauthi Voidwalker 4 Psychic Frog 1 Shadowspear 2 Undercity Sewers 2 Watery Grave 4 Urza's Saga 2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth 2 Dismember 4 Mishra's Bauble 1 Spymaster's Vault 4 Consign to Memory 1 Ray of Enfeeblement 1 Shoot the Sheriff 2 Toxic Deluge 1 Engineered Explosives 3 Torpor Orb 2 Graveyard Trespasser 1 Grafdigger's Cage

Noé "Xenowan" Fauquenoi finished 11-4 at Magic Spotlight: Modern with their spicy Dimir Midrange deck. "If you're not playing Breach, Dauthi Voidwalker and Thoughtseize are a great way to attack the metagame," he noted.

Seeking the best shell for these cards, he started with a mono-black list from ClaymoreTobi on Magic Online. Next, he improved on that Urza's Saga shell by adding blue: "Psychic Frog is the best creature in the format, and Consign to Memory is the best sideboard card," he declared. After weeks of fine-tuning, his deck carried him to an impressive 44th-place finish.

2 Arena of Glory 4 Arid Mesa 1 Blood Crypt 2 Bloodstained Mire 1 Elegant Parlor 3 Emperor of Bones 2 Ephemerate 2 Fatal Push 1 Godless Shrine 4 Ketramose, the New Dawn 4 Marsh Flats 1 Mountain 4 Overlord of the Balemurk 4 Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd 3 Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury 2 Plains 2 Prismatic Ending 3 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer 1 Raucous Theater 2 Relic of Progenitus 2 Sacred Foundry 4 Senu, Keen-Eyed Protector 1 Shadowy Backstreet 4 Solitude 1 Witch Enchanter 2 Drannith Magistrate 1 Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines 1 Grafdigger's Cage 1 March of Otherworldly Light 1 Relic of Progenitus 1 Stony Silence 1 Thoughtseize 2 Vindicate 2 White Orchid Phantom 3 Wrath of the Skies

Only six copies of Senu, Keen-Eyed Protector were registered at Magic Spotlight: Modern, and four of them were in Wenfrie Hu's main deck. The nearly forgotten card from Magic: The Gathering® – Assassin's Creed® showcased the incredible synergy of Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer with Ketramose, the New Dawn, piloting this Mardu Blink deck to an 11-3-1 finish and 24th place.

With Ketramose in play, Hu could exile Senu to draw a card with Ketramose. Then, if a removal spell cleared the way for Ragavan to connect, Senu would return. This could be repeated for a flood of card advantage. These interactions are sweet, underexplored, and surprisingly powerful.

2 All Is Dust 1 Bojuka Bog 1 Breaker of Creation 4 Breeding Pool 4 Devourer of Destiny 1 Dismember 4 Eldrazi Temple 2 Forest 1 Hedge Maze 4 Kozilek's Command 4 Malevolent Rumble 2 Misty Rainforest 4 Nulldrifter 1 Sanctum of Ugin 4 Sowing Mycospawn 4 Stock Up 4 Ugin's Labyrinth 4 Utopia Sprawl 1 Verdant Catacombs 3 Wastescape Battlemage 2 Windswept Heath 2 Wooded Foothills 1 World Breaker 1 Chalice of the Void 1 Collector Ouphe 3 Consign to Memory 1 Damping Sphere 1 Dismember 2 Ghost Vacuum 2 Nature's Claim 1 Nexus of Fate 1 Quicksand 1 Spell Pierce 1 Torpor Orb

Peter van der Ham reimagined Eldrazi for Modern, incorporating more Forests to support Utopia Sprawl while fully leveraging Nulldrifter and Stock Up. As he explained, many Eldrazi decks are "mis-built" with too few Forests for Utopia Sprawl. His initial attempt, which included Through the Breach alongside blue card-draw spells, left him unimpressed with Through the Breach but convinced him that raw card advantage was the way forward.

His build maximized consistency, even if it meant cutting Kozilek's Return. Yet he praised the Quicksand in his sideboard as a solid alternative against pesky attackers such as Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd or Guide of Souls. He was the only Eldrazi player in the tournament running the land, and it proved an underrated tutor target for Sowing Mycospawn. Against midrange and control decks, his version excelled: "It eats Ketramose decks for breakfast," he said after finishing 10-5.

4 Eldritch Evolution 3 Neoform 4 Glittering Wish 4 Allosaurus Rider 4 Summoner's Pact 3 Eladamri's Call 4 Nourishing Shoal 2 Autochthon Wurm 1 Worldspine Wurm 1 Noxious Revival 1 Endurance 2 Angel's Grace 2 Pact of Negation 1 Chord of Calling 4 Chancellor of the Tangle 1 Griselbrand 1 Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant 1 Thassa's Oracle 2 Disciple of Freyalise 4 Misty Rainforest 4 Windswept Heath 1 Flooded Strand 1 Hedge Maze 1 Meticulous Archive 1 Hallowed Fountain 1 Forest 2 Gemstone Mine 3 Leyline of Sanctity 2 Pact of Negation 2 Orim's Chant 1 Neoform 1 Eladamri's Call 1 Guttural Response 4 Boseiju, Who Endures 1 Force of Vigor

The final spicy decklist I'd like to highlight was played by Aaron Burns Lees, who piloted a Neoform Griselbrand (or Neobrand) combo deck to an impressive 11-4 record at Magic Spotlight: Modern. The list is finely tuned for consistency, featuring Glittering Wish to grab either Neoform or Eladamri's Call, ensuring the game plan can be consistently executed.

The game plan revolves around playing Allosaurus Rider by exiling two green cards, then using Neoform or Eldritch Evolution to turn it into Griselbrand. With Chancellor of the Tangle, this can happen as early as turn one! Once Griselbrand is in play, you draw your entire deck, using Nourishing Shoal along the way to bolster your life total. Then, by playing the remaining Allosaurus Riders, the board fills with four creatures, setting up for the next phase of the combo.

When you discard Thassa's Oracle and Worldspine Wurm at end of turn due to hand-size limits, the Wurm's trigger goes on the stack, allowing you to play spells in response. You'd put Thassa's Oracle back on top of your library with Noxious Revival, and an evoked Endurance then temporarily lets you control five creatures to convoke Chord of Calling for X=2. After this intricate setup, Thassa's Oracle cleverly secures victory.

What's Next for Modern?

The Magic Spotlight Series event will focus on Limited, taking place at SCG CON Denver from April 11–13. Still, Modern players have a lot to anticipate. The next cycle of Regional Championship Qualifiers (RCQs), featuring Modern as the Constructed format for in-store events, runs from April 12 to July 20. These events will grant players the chance to qualify for a Modern Regional Championship later this year, where numerous Pro Tour invitations are on the line. To learn more about the various qualification paths to the Pro Tour, this article provides an overview.