Hall of Famer Lee Shi Tian defeated Matt Nass on Saturday to win the Sapphire Division of the Magic Pro League’s Core Split. Lee lost to Nass in the upper bracket finals, forcing him to advance to the Grand Finals from the lower bracket, where he then had to beat Nass twice to win the Sapphire Division.
Lee played Kethis Combo during the round robin portion to a 5-2 record, earning him a spot in the upper bracket finals for the Top 4. He decided to play the powerful combo deck for the Top 4, as well.
The Top 4 bracket of the Sapphire Division.
In the Upper Finals, Lee faced Nass, who had also gone 5-2 with Kethis Combo during the round robin portion, for their first Kethis mirror of the day. Nass was able to take the match in three games, earning him a spot in the Grand Finals, while Lee dropped to the Lower Finals to play against the winner between Ken Yukuhiro and Brian Braun-Duin.
Yukuhiro, who was also on Kethis Combo, won his match against Brian Braun-Duin playing Esper Hero 2-1. That set up another Kethsis Combo mirror to decide who would get to play against Nass in the Grand Finals, which Lee Shi Tian won in two games, earning himself a rematch against Nass.
The Grand Finals
In Game 1 of the Grand Finals, Nass took the play and landed a Turn 2 Diligent Excavator, followed up by a Turn 3 Kethis, the Hidden Hand. Lee had his own Turn 3 Kethis and on Turn 4 played Mox Amber and Ashiok, Dream Render. Lee milled himself and exiled Matt Nass’s graveyard.
Nass played Teferi, Time Raveler to bounce Lee’s Kethis and attacked Ashiok to get the planeswalker off the board. Lee replayed Kethis and activated its ability, letting him cast Ashiok from his graveyard. Nass started his next turn by casting Fblthp, the Lost to draw a card, then played his own Ashiok, Dream Render and began replaying Mox Ambers with Kethis, milling his library and making infinite mana. Lee conceded to the demonstration the combo’s loop.
In Game 2, Nass played a Turn 2 Lazav, the Multifarious and Lee played a Turn 3 Ashiok, Dream Render. Nass followed up by playing a Teferi, Time Raveler on his Turn 3. Lee activated Ashiok to mill himself and exile Nass’s graveyard, then played a Mox Amber, activated Kethis and played a second Ashiok, Dream Render.
Nass used Teferi to bounce Lee’s Kethis, played Tamiyo, Collector of Tales, and named Ashiok, Dream Render with her plus ability. Lee activated Ashiok on his turn, replayed Kethis and activated it to play his own Tamiyo, Collector of Tales, and then returned The Elderspell from the graveyard to his hand. The Elderspell took down both of Nass’s planeswalkers and he conceded when Lee got a Diligent Excavator out of his graveyard.
In Game 3, Nass started out with Fblthp, the Lost into Ashiok, Dream Render. Lee played his own Ashiok, which Nass attacked and then plays Kethis, the Hidden Hand. Lee bounced Kethis with a Teferi, Time Raveler played a Mox Amber to cast The Elderspell to kill the opposing Ashiok.
Nass replayed his Kethis and added a Teferi to bounce Lee’s Kethis. Lee also replayed Kethis and bounced the other Kethis again with Teferi. Lee then played Tamiyo, Collector of Tales from the graveyard and used her plus ability to find a Diligent Excavator. Nass played his Kethis again, followed by a Lazav, the Multifarious, but on the next turn, Lee was able to find multiple Diligent Excavators and combo off for the win.
Since that was Nass’s first lost of the tournament, a second Grand Finals match needed to be played to crown the winner.
Game 1 of Match 2, Lee went first and played a Turn 2 Diligent Excavator while Nass played a Turn 2 Fblthp, the Lost. Lee played a second Diligent Excavator on Turn 3 and Nass played Ashiok, Dream Render. Lee attacked Ashiok and then used an Oath of Kaya to finish the planeswalker off.
Matt played Tamiyo, Collector of Tales and plussed to try and find a Diligent Excavator—but he whiffed. Lee also played Tamiyo to get a Kethis, the Hidden Hand out of his graveyard. Nass got his own Kethis off a Tamiyo activation, too, and played Fblthp into Mox Amber into a second Fblthp. However, next turn Lee activated Kethis to start comboing off and Matt Nass conceded.
In Game 2, Nass started with a Turn 2 Flbthp and Lee played a Diligent Excavator. On the next turn, Nass played Mox Amber and Tamiyo, Collector of Tales, naming Kethis, the Hidden Hand. Lee played Teferi, Time Raveler, bounced the Flbthp and attacked Tamiyo with the Excavator. Nass plays Kethis, a Mox Amber, Flbthp and with an activation from Kethis, Nass demonstrated the combo once again and took Game 2.
In the final game, Lee began with a familiar Turn 2 Diligent Excavator, while Nass did the same. On Turn 3, the only play Lee had was to play a Mox Amber and Nass played a Teferi, Time Raveler and bounced the opposing Diligent Excavator. Stuck without a White source, Lee played a Tamiyo, Collector of Tales naming Kethis, the Hidden Hand.
Nass attacked Tamiyo and played an Ashiok. Lee activated his Tamiyo again and named Ashiok, but didn’t find one, so he finished his turn off by replaying Diligent Excavator and casting The Elderspell to kill the Ashiok and Teferi across the table.
Nass played a Lazav, the Multifarious and copied a Kethis in his graveyard. In response to Nass’s Kethis activation, Lee destroyed the Lazav (which had copied Kethis) with a Noxious Grasp. Then, Lee was finally able to find a White source by getting a Sunpetal Grove out of his graveyard with Tamiyo and played his own Kethis, enabling him to combo off for the win.
Lee Shi Tian will join Carlos Romao and Seth Manfield on Day 2 of Mythic Championship V. There is only one more MPL division left to play in the Core Split, which will decide the final player that will be getting the bye to Day 2. The Ruby Division Top 4 will be streamed on September 14 at noon PT/3pm ET and any previous matches can be viewed at magic.gg.
Decklists
Lee Shi Tian's Standard Kethis Combo
| Creatures (16) 4 Diligent Excavator 4 Fblthp, the Lost 4 Kethis, the Hidden Hand 3 Lazav, the Multifarious 1 Teshar, Ancestor’s Apostle Spells (2) 2 Yawgmoth’s Vile Offering Artifacts (4) 4 Mox Amber Enchantments (3) 3 Oath of Kaya Planeswalkers (10) 4 Tamiyo, Collector of Tales 4 Teferi, Time Raveler 2 Ashiok, Dream Render | Lands (25) 4 Breeding Pool 2 Sunpetal Grove 4 Watery Grave 1 Glacial Fortress 3 Isolated Chapel 1 Overgrown Tomb 4 Hallowed Fountain 3 Woodland Cemetery 1 Temple Garden 1 Temple of Malady 1 Temple of Silence Sideboard (15) 1 Oath of Kaya 1 Ashiok, Dream Render 2 Legion’s End 1 Jace, Wielder of Mysteries 2 Vraska, Golgari Queen 1 Tyrant’s Scorn 2 The Elderspell 1 Noxious Grasp 2 Urza’s Ruinous Blast 2 Assassin’s Trophy |
Matt Nass's Standard Kethis Combo
| Creatures (16) 4 Diligent Excavator 4 Lazav, the Multifarious 4 Kethis, the Hidden Hand 4 Fblthp, the Lost Artifacts (4) 4 Mox Amber Enchantments (4) 4 Oath of Kaya Planeswalkers (11) 4 Teferi, Time Raveler 4 Tamiyo, Collector of Tales 3 Ashiok, Dream Render | Lands (25) 3 Glacial Fortress 4 Breeding Pool 1 Godless Shrine 3 Hallowed Fountain 3 Temple of Silence 3 Temple of Malady 4 Watery Grave 1 Drowned Catacomb 2 Temple Garden 1 Temple of Mystery Sideboard (15) 1 Ashiok, Dream Render 1 Jace, Wielder of Mysteries 2 Urza’s Ruinous Blast 3 Unmoored Ego 2 Vraska, Golgari Queen 1 The Elderspell 1 Swamp 1 Tyrant’s Scorn 1 The Immortal Sun 2 Devout Decree |