The Magic world got its first taste of the Players Tour this past weekend. The tabletop tournament series had its first two Regional events in Players Tour Nagoya and Players Tour Brussels. The split-format events featured Theros Beyond Death Draft and Pioneer, with the constructed format making its high level debut.
Going into the tournaments, the Dimir Inverter deck was getting quite a bit of buzz. Using Inverter of Truth to power up both Thassa’s Oracle and Jace, Wielder of Mysteries, the strategy was likened to Splinter Twin for its ability to play interactive Magic before setting up a two card combo.
In Nagoya, the deck appeared to be the truth as five members of the Top 8 ran some form of Dimir Inverter: Shintaro Ishimura, Yuta Takahashi, Shota Yasooka, Akira Asahara, and Lee Shi Tian. The other players in the Top 8 were Dmitry Butakov on Mono Black Vampires, Ken Yukuhiro and Sram Auras, and Kenta Harane on Bant Spirits.
The finals pitted Ken Yukuhiro and his Sram, Senior Edificer powered white-black Aura deck against Kenta Harane’s Bant Spirits. Opting to include Collected Company gave Harane’s deck another angle of attack. It proved useful as he bested the master deck-builder Yukuhiro in the finals to earn the victory at Players Tour Nagoya!
Kenta Harane’s Bant Spirits
Winner – Players Tour Nagoya – Pioneer
Meanwhile in Brussels, only one copy of Dimir Inverter made it to the Top 8. It just so happened to be in the hands of the last Mythic Champion – and the player who helped popularize the deck – Piotr Głogowski. Joining Głogowski in the Top 8 was Mattia Rizzi on Bant Spirts, Juan Jose Rodriguez Lopez on Mono Red Aggro, Brent Vos on Lotus Field – Underworld Breach combo, Zhang Ziyang on Mono Black Aggro, Valerio Luminati on Bant Spirits, Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa on Niv to Light, and Joel Larrson on Sultai Delirium.
In Belgium, Dimir Inverter made the finals as Głogowski used the powerful combo to put himself in position for back-t0-back wins. And just like Nagoya, a rogue strategy also made the finals. Joel Larrson’s Sultai Delirium – part ramp deck, part engine to resolve Emrakul, the Promised End – was there to put a stop to the shenanigans. Głogowski took the first game but sideboard copies of Leyline of the Void proved to be the difference maker and Larrson added another trophy to his shelf.
Joel Larrson’s Sultai Delirium
Winner – Players Tour Brussels – Pioneer
But that’s not all. Both events featured MagicFests with Pioneer Grand Prix main events. At Grand Prix Nagoya, Takuya Ishizuki won with Izzet Wizards. Meanwhile at Grand Prix Brussels, Carlos Moral won with Dimir Inverter.
Takuya Ishizuki’s Izzet Wizards
Winner – Grand Prix Nagoya – Pioneer
Carlos Moral’s Dimir Inverter
Winner – Grand Prix Brussels – Pioneer
