153 players converged in Singapore last weekend to contest the Southeast Asia Championships, where eight seats at the upcoming Pro Tour and a spot at next year’s World Championship would be decided. The format was Pioneer, and what a show the format put on - Rakdos and Mono-Green failed to deliver, and so we saw some very spicy decks succeed.
In the end, however, it was Michael Martin Go with Azorius Control who won the day, dispatching Heng Chye Hwee’s Mono-White Humans in the final to lock up a World Championship invitation!
The Top 8 was filled with unexpected decks, and two of them met in the championship match. The aggression of Mono-White Aggro managed to win Heng Chye Hwee one game, at least, but the power of Azorius Control’s sweepers and removal was too much for Heng, and saw Go win 2-1.
All the players in the Top 8 received invitations to the upcoming Pro Tour, taking place at MagicCon: Philadelphia in February. Let’s hope they bring equally spicy decks for us in Philly!
As mentioned, the decks in the Top 8 were pretty wild. Only one copy of Rakdos Midrange made it in, despite Rakdos’ strong performances in other Regional Championships: instead, in addition to Azorius and Mono-White, there was Selesnya Auras, Selesnya Angels, and two different Fires of Invention decks!
Players also enjoyed a range of other events at the SEA Championships, as Magic fans around the world begin to gather once again and celebrate the game we all love. Players from around Southeast Asia got involved with Commander, drafts, and even Legacy in the side events, as well as a $5,000 Modern event on Sunday. It’s great to have competitive Magic back in full swing!
