The Japanese city of Yokohama played host to the Champions Cup Final last weekend, with over 250 of the best players from across the Japan and Korea region gathering to test their mettle. Tens of thousands of dollars were on the line, but more important than prizemoney to many players were the Pro Tour and World Championship invitations that were also up for grabs. After two days of fierce competition, one player emerged triumphant: Yoshihiko Ikawa added another trophy to his already impressive resume, dominating the field with his Living End list.

Congratulations to Yoshihiko Ikawa!

In the finals, Ikawa faced off against Atsushi Nakashima, made a long undefeated run well into the tournament and finished the Swiss rounds with an unmatched 10-1-1 record. Nakashima looked almost untouchable for most of the weekend, his Temur Rhinos deck striking the right balance between pressure and disruption. In the finals, however, Ikawa's Living End list came up trumps, making the most of the extra value offered by the brand new surveil lands from Murders at Karlov Manor.

Ikawa on his way to the championship.

Nakashima's incredible run finally ended in the finals.

The Top 8 was dominated by Cascade decks, with three copies of Temur Rhinos and two Living End decks. The final three slots were rounded out by Amulet Titan, Rakdos Evoke, and an Esper Reanimator list that is able to sneak an Atraxa into play as early as turn two - again, thanks to the new surveil lands. Yuuki Ichikawa's deck is a wild ride, and one that many people will be trying out in the wake of this tournament.

Players in the Champions Cup Top 8

The Champions Cup Top 8 Bracket

It was interesting to see the decks brought to this tournament now that Fury and Up the Beanstalk have been banned out of Modern. Rakdos Evoke was still a popular choice, even without Fury, but didn't have an outstanding performance. Middle-of-the-pack decks like Izzet Murktide and Burn had an okay weekend, but once again it was the Cascade lists that really shone. Living End and various Crashing Footfalls builds - both Temur and Domain - did really well across two days of competition.

The day one metagame from the Champions Cup

This was reflected in the day two metagame, which saw decks based around Shardless Agent and Violent Outburst reign supreme with the lion's share of the metagame. As mentioned, Murders at Karlov Manor had a subtle but notable effect on the format, and aided these Cascade strategies greatly (particularly Living End). The new surveil lands were eagerly included in many other decks besides, and will likely become Modern mainstays - being able to fetch for them on a turn you don't need extra mana is a lot more powerful than it seems, with little bits of incremental value all adding up.

Cascade decks rise to the top

This Regional Championship is just one of many that are held regularly throughout regions all across the world. While events like the Champions Cup are amongst the best ways to test your skills as a player, attending these events is about more than just competitive constructed Magic. There are all sorts of other events held at these gatherings, and even if you're not vying for a slot at the next World Championship, there is always still plenty to do. But if you are wanting to take your game to the next level, why not play in a qualifier happening near you - your next stop might be the Pro Tour!

Hundreds of players were in attendance in Yokohama.

All sorts of special events took place throughout the weekend.