Last week, I examined the top sixteen of the Modern SCG Classic in Atlanta in the wake of the bannings. While the Classic events represent a fairly small sample size, they are the best barometer for the current metagame until the Pro Tour this weekend. Until we have Pro Tour lists, let’s go ahead and break down the results from the SCG Classic this past weekend in Columbus.
The archetype breakdown looks like this:
Aggro (8)
1—Naya Zoo
2—Affinity
4—Burn
1—Merfolk
Midrange (1)
1—Jund
Control (4)
3—GR Tron
1—Jeskai Control
Combo (3)
1—Infect
1—TitanShift
1—Kiki Chord
As always, the terms Aggro/Midrange/Control/Combo aren’t definitive by any means. Tron certainly isn’t a traditional control deck but tends to win via incremental planeswalker advantage and has access to several sweepers, much like other control shells.
While we’re on the topic of Tron, it appears that rumors of its demise were somewhat exaggerated. While there was no RG tron in the top sixteen of Atlanta, lo and behold there are 3 lists in the top sixteen of Columbus. In terms of innovation, the sixth place Tron list contained the most cards from Oath of the Gatewatch (though each list had at least one copy of Warping Wail in the 75). Here is Hobie Hagan’s 6th place list:
RG Tron
While this list plays no Ugins in the main we have a veritable buffet of Eldrazi including Thought-Knot Seer and World Breaker. Aside from the giant colorless fiends, Hagan chose to replace Pyroclasm with Kozilek’s Return. Return is an instant speed sweeper that is great against Affinity and Burn. Not only can Return hit activated Nexi (of the Blinkmoth or Inkmoth Variety), it kills Etched Champion and Kor Firewalker thanks to being colorless, and the five damage clause triggers off of four different creatures in the main deck.
While Tron proved to the world that it is indeed still a deck, the real story of the classic in Columbus was Burn. Burn put up four copies in the top sixteen including a list that was designed to win the mirror. Adam Minniear cut Boros Charm and Atarka’s Command, instead opting for a mono red maindeck with two Stomping Ground to support a playset of Destructive Revelry in the sideboard. This innovation is significant because it means that Minniear isn’t taking nearly as much damage off his lands and is less susceptible to Blood Moon/Spreading Seas.
Rg Burn
| Creatures (15) 4 Eidolon of the Great Revel 4 Goblin Guide 3 Grim Lavamancer 4 Monastery Swiftspear Spells (24) 4 Lava Spike 4 Lightning Bolt 4 Rift Bolt 4 Searing Blaze 4 Shard Volley 4 Skullcrack | Lands (21) 3 Arid Mesa 3 Bloodstained Mire 7 Mountain 3 Scalding Tarn 2 Stomping Ground 3 Wooded Foothills Sideboard (15) 4 Destructive Revelry 4 Dragon’s Claw 1 Forked Bolt 1 Grim Lavamancer 1 Magma Spray 4 Molten Rain |
Not only does Minniear have a less painful manabase than most recent Naya Burn lists, he also chose to run a full set of Dragon’s Claws in the board for the mirror match. Minniear accurately predicted the meta for Columbus and was rewarded with a third place finish. I do wonder just how many times he played the mirror throughout the day.
The last innovation I want to talk about is Erik Rose’s fifth place Jund deck.
Jund
While this list may appear stock on first glance, his decision to include two copies of Doom Blade over additional copies of Abrupt Decay and Terminate is significant. In twenty lists on MTGTop8, Rose is the only person to include Doom Blade in the main deck. Right now, Doom Blade is a super efficient removal spell that is relevant in most match-ups. Even against decks with Tasigur/Angler or Siege Rhino, Doom Blade still has applicable targets. With a bunch of very aggressive decks dominating the meta, having a removal spell that doesn’t require two separate colors and can hit everything from Goblin Guide to Oblivion Sower is really important right now.
Going into the Pro Tour, I think there is still a fairly open meta. While there are an abundance of aggressive strategies, with Burn and Affinity being the decks to beat right now, there is no doubt in my mind that with an interactive deck and a few sideboard slots, flavors of GBx or even Jeskai could be the real winners this weekend. Though if enough folks try to go the midrange route, they risk being run over by the Eldrazi overlords in Tron or Bx Eldrazi. Regardless, I’m looking forward to coverage this weekend and taking the time to analyze the results afterward.
Also, Hipsters of the Coast has a Twitch Channel! This Wednesday tune in at 7:30PM (EST) and watch me draft Oath for the first time. Should be an adventure—Twitch.tv/hipsterstv
In terms of Magic, Shawn Massak is a Modern enthusiast, with a penchant for tier two decks, counterspells, and pre Eighth Edition frames. In terms of life, Shawn lives in Brighton, MA where he works as an employment coordinator for people with disabilities, plays guitar in an indie-pop band, and spends his free time reading comics, complaining about pro-wrestling, and wishing his apartment allowed dogs as pets.