The First Ever Mythic Championship Makes Waves
Cleveland had the luxury of hosting the first ever Mythic Championship, which concluded on February 24th, 2019, marking a new page in Magic the Gatherings history books and one that won’t soon be forgotten.
To those who are unaware, the Mythic Championship is the new name for the the “Pro Tour”, a premier event, in which the top players vie against each other, in a grueling spell flinging event of epic proportion.
Over the course of the three days that this event lasted, 500 players faced off, showcasing some of the top decks that players have come to love since Ravnica Allegiance released, as well as a few surprise ones.
The Top 8 Was Filled With Talent
The first ever Mythic Championship was filled with talent, some players well known and some who are just beginning their careers.
Magic the Gathering has seen a surge in its player base over the last year with the rise in popularity of its hit new game, Magic the Gathering: Arena, resulting in a vast amount of fresh talent entering the scene.
However, the old guard showed up in spades and were not to be out done.
The top 8 of this Mythic Championship was represented by an insane amount of MTG Pros, once again proving that this is a true game of skill and not chance.
The top 8 featured players with a combined total of more than 20 Pro Tour top 8’s, a truly impressive display of talent.
These players were as followed;
- Marcio Carvalho
- Reid Duke
- Autumn Burchett
- Yoshihiko Ikawa
- Michael Bonde
- Julien Berteaux
- Alex Majlaton
- Luis Scott-Vargas
Equally as impressive as the lineup that represented the top 8 was the decks that they piloted, which showcased just how diverse and healthy the Ravnica Allegiance meta is at this moment in time.
The Pros Decks of Choice
Luis Scott Vargas, and Reid Duke, two of the most popular players in Magic the Gatherings long history once again made it to the top 8, piloting very different decks.
The former chose to fly high with Izzet Phoenix, while the later went low with Mono Blue;
Still, these two all star champions were not the only two pro’s to make the scene.
We had a large number of other well known names, such as Autumn Burchett, Yoshihiko Ikawa, Michael Bonde and Julien Berteaux.
Michael Bonde brought a deck that is built around a key card that has been recently embroiled in controversy, Nexus of Fate;
Meanwhile, Marcio Carvalho brought Azorius Aggro, a deck which has been finding incredible success in recent high profile tournaments and is one of our personal favorites to play;
Although all of these decks and the players who piloted them fought bravely and fiercely, they were not destined to make it to the final two.
The Final Two Face Off, A Champion is Crowned
Two time English National Champion Autumn Burchett and Japanese pro Yoshihiko Ikawa had faced off against numerous opponents over the course of three days, including some of the best names that have ever played the game.
Yet, they needed to overcome one last challenge before they could take home the crown. Each other.
Autumn Burchett came equipped with the following 75 cards, piloting Mono Blue Tempo, a deck that we recently highlighted as one of the best aggro decks in the format;
While Yoshihiko Ikawa brought the board wiping masterpiece, Esper Control;
In a total of five closely contested games, Autumn Burchett and Yoshihiko Ikawa went head to head, with neither getting too far ahead of the other.
In the end, it was Autumn Burchett who ultimately took the day, outdrawing the competition with “Curious Obsession” and taking home the Championship title and $50,000 prize that comes along with it.
In addition to this, they have received an automatic invite to the 2019 Magic World Championship, that will have a $1,000,000 prize pool!
Conclusion
Much to the shock of many, what was once considered a “budget” deck, Mono Blue Tempo, which consist of countless ways to counter your opponent and a vast selection of hard to stop low cost creatures took the day and the first ever Mythic Championship.
Autumn Burchett piloted this deck like the true champion they are. Proving to the world just how dynamic and diverse the current standard format is.
Let this be a lesson to all those who write off a deck, simply because it is not the most expensive in the format.
Mono Blue has proved itself in the arena of Magic the Gathering and Autumn Burchett was the one to do it.
Congratulations are in store and we can’t wait to see what surprises are coming next! Can you?