From games crashing to competitive tribal decks, the Streets of New Capenna Championship had a lot of storylines from this past weekend. The most incredible of all of these is the story of a challenger who made his entire run to MTG worlds with his own unique deck lists.
For any who think that you need to follow the meta to win a game of MTG, this is a great example of how to not do that. Don’t get me wrong, ignoring the metagame is a quick way to earn yourself some losses. Using it to create something entirely new, however, is an incredibly difficult achievement. This is a story for all the players out there who refuse to do what’s already been done.
Yoshigoe’s Orzhov Brew
Back in late February of this year, Hisamichi Yoshigoe entered an SNC championship qualifier with his Orzhov brew. He didn’t know at the time that winning this tournament would qualify him for anything. His brew would go on to win that qualifier, and win another qualifier the next day. This tournament win will end up qualifying Yoshigoe for MTG worlds.
Orzhov was present in the meta when Yoshigoe won this qualifier, but it was much more controlling than this list. The use of
Silverquill Silencer
Silverquill Silencer
As this creature enters, choose a nonland card name.
Whenever an opponent casts a spell with the chosen name, they lose 3 life and you draw a card.
in particular was not something that had been commonly seen up to this point. This list was much more concerned with disrupting your opponent temporarily and using that opening to win the game.
The video in the embedded link below from @PlayMTG outlines his two-month old competitive history.
Yoshigoe’s Naya Brew
Fast forward to the SNC championships, and Yoshigoe registers another home brew that in his words is ‘not around in Arena.’
There were other players that played this archetype in the SNC championships, but it was a very underplayed option. This deck was generally a bit more aggressive than the rest of the meta, allowing for it to beat other decks down. This is a midrange list by heart. This can be seen by the amount of removal present in the main deck.
Esika’s Chariot
Esika’s Chariot
When Esika's Chariot enters, create two 2/2 green Cat creature tokens.
Whenever Esika's Chariot attacks, create a token that's a copy of target token you control.
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and
Workshop Warchief
Workshop Warchief
Trample
When this creature enters, you gain 3 life.
When this creature dies, create a 4/4 green Rhino Warrior creature token.
Blitz {4}{G}{G} (If you cast this spell for its blitz cost, it gains haste and "When this creature dies, draw a card." Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.)
have some amazing interactions. Being able to push a ton of damage immediately with blitz while leaving a token for the chariot to copy gives this deck an option to get aggressive before the opponent can stabilize.
Sideboarding For The Meta
The sideboard for Yoshigoe’s deck reflects that his brew respects the meta wholeheartedly. A full playset of
Archon of Emeria
Archon of Emeria
Flying
Each player can't cast more than one spell each turn.
Nonbasic lands your opponents control enter tapped.
will make any runes player’s life miserable. Allowing them to only play one spell per turn prevents them from stacking a bunch of free runes on top of a creature. The Archon also plays double duty against Jeskai Storm. Your opponent can’t storm off if they only play one spell per turn. Spot removal that can take out big creatures will shine in both matchups. Between
Voltage Surge
Voltage Surge
As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may sacrifice an artifact.
Voltage Surge deals 2 damage to target creature or planeswalker. If this spell's additional cost was paid, Voltage Surge deals 4 damage instead.
and
Valorous Stance
Valorous Stance
Choose one —
• Target creature gains indestructible until end of turn. (Damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy it.)
• Destroy target creature with toughness 4 or greater.
, this deck came prepared.
Broken Wings
Broken Wings
Destroy target artifact, enchantment, or creature with flying.
is an incredibly interesting tech that should be talked about. Many of Standard’s flagship creatures in this tournament were fliers. This includes
Raffine, Scheming Seer
Raffine, Scheming Seer
Flying, ward {1}
Whenever you attack, target attacking creature connives X, where X is the number of attacking creatures. (Draw X cards, then discard X cards. Put a +1/+1 counter on that creature for each nonland card discarded this way.)
, but more importantly,
Goldspan Dragon
Goldspan Dragon
Flying, haste
Whenever this creature attacks or becomes the target of a spell, create a Treasure token.
Treasures you control have "{T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Add two mana of any one color."
. Esper decks can win a game without Raffine, but Jeskai Storm typically needs
Goldspan Dragon
Goldspan Dragon
Flying, haste
Whenever this creature attacks or becomes the target of a spell, create a Treasure token.
Treasures you control have "{T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Add two mana of any one color."
to not die in order to stand a chance.
Broken Wings
Broken Wings
Destroy target artifact, enchantment, or creature with flying.
is also capable of blowing up enchantments.
Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter.)
I — Create a 2/2 red Goblin Shaman creature token with "Whenever this token attacks, create a Treasure token."
II — You may discard up to two cards. If you do, draw that many cards.
III — Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control.
, as mentioned before, is a Standard all-star. If there aren’t any fliers or enchantments around,
Broken Wings
Broken Wings
Destroy target artifact, enchantment, or creature with flying.
is capable of dealing with
Esika’s Chariot
Esika’s Chariot
When Esika's Chariot enters, create two 2/2 green Cat creature tokens.
Whenever Esika's Chariot attacks, create a token that's a copy of target token you control.
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as well. This sideboard card can deal with some of Standard’s biggest cards. I’m certain that this card will see some experimentation in Standard.
READ MORE: At This Rate, White May Become the Strongest MTG Color in Commander
Final Notes
Yoshigoe did register Rakdos Arcanist, a known meta archetype for Historic. Even with this deck he had a ton of unique options like Sarkhan, Wanderer of Shiv and two
Unlicensed Hearse
Unlicensed Hearse
{T}: Exile up to two target cards from a single graveyard.
Unlicensed Hearse's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards exiled with it.
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in the maindeck. He even had some
By Force
By Force
Destroy X target artifacts.
in the sideboard for Azorius Affinity and Food matchups.
MTG worlds are just around the corner. I haven’t been very excited in the past for them, but I will be cheering on Yoshigoe this time. His story is too good not to root for him.