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Getting ready for the Qualifier Weekend
Qualifier entry & Play -in
Hello everyone! This weekend is the Qualifier Weekend event, which consists of two days of Standard best-of-three, against some of the best MTG Arena players.
Day one starts on Saturday, October 15th at 6am PT (13:00 UTC), right after the Qualifier Play-In. Seven wins gets you into the Day two event, which starts on Sunday, October 16th at 6am PT (13:00 UTC).
The entry window for Day one (Saturday) and Day two (Sunday) events is only two hours each day, from 6am to 8am (13:00 to 15:00 UTC), so stay tuned!
There's one last chance for anyone who wants to participate, with a best-of-three qualifier Play-In event that starts this Friday, October 14th at 6am PT (13:00 UTC) and runs until Saturday, October 15th at 3am PT (10:00 UTC).
What should I play?
At this point, your question is probably: Which deck should I trust to qualify me? The answer is simple: The one that you feel most comfortable playing with.
And that's because there are many alternatives, many powerful decks with the possibility of winning it all or miserably losing on turn 3, that's the beauty of the format right now! So why not bet on that deck that you've played the most with, that deck that makes you feel more comfortable and secure on the battlefield and that you enjoy playing the most.
Esper, Jund, Orzhov, Grixis, Selesnya, Izzet, Mardu, Mono Black, Mono White, Gruul, Jeskai .... Which one do we choose?
Personally, I've chosen for you the ones that I consider pillars of this format and with which you are sure to get good results, but that does not mean that there are no other options, I simply choose the 3 that I consider the most solid after so many hours and so many games played since Dominaria came out.
So, here we go with my 3 choices!
(NOTE: These are lists from the weekend that have had good results in Challenge #12483148 - 09-Oct-2022, The Meathook Massacre is of course replaced)
Jund Midrange
Keep winning, keep fighting, keep being powerful.
This is how Jund is staying as a top choice in the current metagame. Titan of Industry, Unleash the Inferno, Soul of Windgrace, Fable of the mirror breaker, The Cruelty of Gix... no matter how much I look through the deck, I can't find a single bad card!
$493/327.59 Tix
Maindeck (60)
| Creature [19] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Bloodtithe Harvester | $0.35 | |
| 2 Graveyard Trespasser | $0.99 | |
| 3 Soul of Windgrace | $0.99 | |
| 2 Tenacious Underdog | $0.49 | |
| 2 Titan of Industry | $6.49 | |
| 2 Workshop Warchief | $0.49 | |
| 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker | $21.99 | |
| Artifact [2] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Reckoner Bankbuster | $2.29 | |
| Instant [8] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Cut Down | $1.29 | |
| 3 Unleash the Inferno | $0.49 | |
| 3 Voltage Surge | $0.35 | |
| Enchantment [5] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 The Cruelty of Gix | $4.49 | |
| 2 The Meathook Massacre | $37.99 | |
| Land [26] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Deathcap Glade | $20.99 | |
| 2 Forest | $0.01 | |
| 4 Karplusan Forest | $5.49 | |
| 2 Mountain | $0.01 | |
| 4 Riveteers Overlook | $0.69 | |
| 3 Sulfurous Springs | $1.79 | |
| 2 Swamp | $0.01 | |
| 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire | $12.99 | |
| 4 Ziatora's Proving Ground | $11.99 | |
| Sideboard [14] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Graveyard Trespasser | $0.99 | |
| 1 Cut Down | $1.29 | |
| 2 Reckoner Bankbuster | $2.29 | |
| 1 Unleash the Inferno | $0.49 | |
| 3 Duress | $0.35 | |
| 2 Liliana of the Veil | $15.99 | |
| 2 Nemata, Primeval Warden | $0.69 | |
| 2 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse | $79.99 | |
$116.45 Tix @cardhoarder
$2.91 / Week @cardhoarder
$444.00 @tcgplayer
$572.38 @cardkingdom
Visual View
Similar Decks
Proxies
Archetype Analysis
Magic online format
Apprentice and MWS .dec
Esper Midrange
My favorite archetype is here!
Pressure with control. That's how I would define it, because it's going to curve your opponent until turn 3 and... and then everything else will be played at instant speed: The Wandering Emperor, Obscura Interceptor, Ertai and the counters.
All this combined allows us to keep the pressure on the board with our early threats while generating card advantage. All in all a fun deck to play with a nice mix of midrange and tempo components.
Maindeck (60)
| Creature [14] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Dennick, Pious Apprentice | $0.69 | |
| 1 Ertai Resurrected | $0.99 | |
| 3 Obscura Interceptor | $0.49 | |
| 4 Raffine, Scheming Seer | $5.99 | |
| 4 Tenacious Underdog | $0.49 | |
| Instant [8] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Cut Down | $1.29 | |
| 2 Infernal Grasp | $2.29 | |
| 2 Make Disappear | $0.49 | |
| 1 Negate | $0.35 | |
| 1 Spell Pierce | $0.59 | |
| Enchantment [6] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 The Meathook Massacre | $37.99 | |
| 4 Wedding Announcement | $12.99 | |
| Planeswalker [5] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Kaito Shizuki | $3.99 | |
| 3 The Wandering Emperor | $29.99 | |
| Land [27] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Adarkar Wastes | $7.49 | |
| 4 Caves of Koilos | $0.59 | |
| 4 Deserted Beach | $6.49 | |
| 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire | $9.99 | |
| 1 Island | $0.01 | |
| 1 Otawara, Soaring City | $24.99 | |
| 1 Plains | $0.01 | |
| 4 Raffine's Tower | $15.99 | |
| 3 Shattered Sanctum | $21.99 | |
| 4 Shipwreck Marsh | $7.49 | |
| 1 Swamp | $0.01 | |
| 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire | $12.99 | |
| Sideboard [15] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Dennick, Pious Apprentice | $0.69 | |
| 1 Cut Down | $1.29 | |
| 1 Negate | $0.35 | |
| 1 The Meathook Massacre | $37.99 | |
| 2 Destroy Evil | $1.99 | |
| 2 Disdainful Stroke | $0.35 | |
| 1 Duress | $0.35 | |
| 1 Farewell | $9.49 | |
| 2 Knockout Blow | $0.35 | |
| 2 Liliana of the Veil | $15.99 | |
| 1 Temporary Lockdown | $6.99 | |
$120.54 Tix @cardhoarder
$3.01 / Week @cardhoarder
$430.75 @tcgplayer
$605.43 @cardkingdom
Visual View
Similar Decks
Proxies
Archetype Analysis
Magic online format
Apprentice and MWS .dec
Grixis Midrange
I think Grixis is the best deck right now. It's the one that most adapts to the current metagame. There have been many notable changes in it in recent weeks. Sol’kanar is no longer played, and Bloodtithe Harvester has been cut because it is hard to play them on turn 2 with the current mana base.
It has become a more controlling and oppressive deck in the late game with the Invoke / Sheoldred and it has also added Jaya to mix to fight the midrange decks.
A complex deck to play but rewarding to the player if he knows how to get the most out of it.
Maindeck (60)
| Creature [7] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Graveyard Trespasser | $0.99 | |
| 2 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse | $79.99 | |
| 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker | $21.99 | |
| Artifact [4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 Reckoner Bankbuster | $2.29 | |
| 1 The Celestus | $1.99 | |
| Instant [14] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Abrade | $0.35 | |
| 2 Cut Down | $1.29 | |
| 3 Infernal Grasp | $2.29 | |
| 4 Make Disappear | $0.49 | |
| 3 Siphon Insight | $0.49 | |
| Sorcery [4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 Invoke Despair | $0.59 | |
| 1 Soul Transfer | $0.49 | |
| Enchantment [2] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 The Meathook Massacre | $37.99 | |
| Planeswalker [3] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jaya, Fiery Negotiator | $0.99 | |
| 2 Sorin the Mirthless | $5.99 | |
| Land [26] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Haunted Ridge | $8.99 | |
| 1 Otawara, Soaring City | $24.99 | |
| 4 Shipwreck Marsh | $7.49 | |
| 3 Shivan Reef | $0.79 | |
| 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance | $6.49 | |
| 2 Stormcarved Coast | $3.99 | |
| 4 Sulfurous Springs | $1.79 | |
| 2 Swamp | $0.01 | |
| 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire | $12.99 | |
| 4 Xander's Lounge | $14.99 | |
| Sideboard [15] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Abrade | $0.35 | |
| 1 Cut Down | $1.29 | |
| 1 Reckoner Bankbuster | $2.29 | |
| 1 The Meathook Massacre | $37.99 | |
| 2 Disdainful Stroke | $0.35 | |
| 3 Duress | $0.35 | |
| 1 Hullbreaker Horror | $3.99 | |
| 2 Negate | $0.35 | |
| 2 Structural Assault | $0.49 | |
$130.20 Tix @cardhoarder
$3.26 / Week @cardhoarder
$464.52 @tcgplayer
$600.15 @cardkingdom
Visual View
Similar Decks
Proxies
Archetype Analysis
Magic online format
Apprentice and MWS .dec
We can expect to see a resurgence in Selesnya Enchantments decks in the absence of The Meathook Massacre. This was something that was to be expected, along with an Esper Legends deck full of creatures. It is also worth considering that Rakdos Midrange would be now in a good position, as they can ensure that their turn two drops and Fable of the Mirror Breaker will stay on the table for longer.
Good luck to everyone in this weekend's Qualifier weekend and go for it all!
We'll see you in the next article next week, summarizing the classified decks of this weekend.
If you liked this article maybe you will also find interesting on of the following ones Discovering Modern: Key Archetypes & Strategies, 3 decks to keep an eye on after the banning of The Meathook Massacre, Most Played Lord of the Rings Cards in Modern, Mastering Standard: 10 Sideboard Cards to Beat the Metagame, MTG Las Vegas Top 8 Decklists: Infect making it to the top?
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Always competitive never friendly
My name is Rapsolo. I'm a content creator on Twitch, I organize tournaments and I play Standard most of the time on Mtg Arena and MTGO.
