It's a new year and the Grand Prix circuit has not missed a beat. The first event of 2018 was Team Trio Constructed at Grand Prix Santa Clara. In this tournament teams of three would battle with each pilot taking a deck from a different format - Standard, Modern, and Legacy - to battle. Snowstorms and frigid weather in the American Northeast wrecked havoc on travel plans but just under 500 teams showed up to play for the right to attend the 25th Anniversary Team Pro Tour.
In the past teams laden with professional players and Pro Tour regulars have dominated these events. Santa Clara was different. While the top tables did have names, the winning team are relative unknowns. William Ho piloted Four-Color Energy in Standard, John Martin had Dredge in Modern, and Jeremy Frye played Grixis Delver in Legacy. The finals were a tense affair. Frye lost his match to Jonathan Anghelescu on Sneak and Show while Martin beat Vidianto Wijaya's White-Blue Control, all in two game matches. Ho was up against Logan Nettles and it looked like a game three was imminent when Nettles cast River's Rebuke. Ho was nonplussed and battled back to the game and match victory.
Congratulations to William Ho, John Martin, and Jeremy Frye!
Texans William Ho, John Martin, and Jeremy Frye are #GPSantaClara Team Trio champions!--defeating Logan Nettles, Vidianto Wijaya, and Jonathan Anghelescu in the finals. pic.twitter.com/R0vKe9iKC6
— Magic Pro Tour (@magicprotour) January 8, 2018
Four Color Energy -- Ixalan Standard | William Ho, Winner Grand Prix Santa Clara
- Legendary planeswalkers (4)
- 2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
- 2 Vraska, Relic Seeker
- Creatures (21)
- 2 The Scarab God
- 3 Bristling Hydra
- 4 Longtusk Cub
- 4 Servant of the Conduit
- 4 Rogue Refiner
- 4 Whirler Virtuoso
- Sorceries (4)
- 4 Attune with Aether
- Instants (8)
- 1 Essence Scatter
- 3 Abrade
- 4 Harnessed Lightning
- Lands (23)
- 1 Island
- 1 Swamp
- 2 Forest
- 2 Mountain
- 2 Sheltered Thicket
- 3 Rootbound Crag
- 4 Aether Hub
- 4 Botanical Sanctum
- 4 Spirebluff Canal
- Sideboard (15)
- 1 Confiscation Coup
- 1 River's Rebuke
- 2 Cartouche of Ambition
- 3 Vizier of Many Faces
- 4 Chandra's Defeat
- 4 Negate
Dredge -- Modern | John Martin, Winner Grand Prix Santa Clara
- Creatures (22)
- 2 Golgari Thug
- 4 Bloodghast
- 4 Insolent Neonate
- 4 Narcomoeba
- 4 Prized Amalgam
- 4 Stinkweed Imp
- Sorceries (15)
- 3 Conflagrate
- 4 Cathartic Reunion
- 4 Faithless Looting
- 4 Life from the Loam
- Instants (3)
- 1 Rally the Peasants
- 2 Darkblast
- Lands (20)
- 2 Mountain
- 1 Dakmor Salvage
- 1 Sheltered Thicket
- 1 Steam Vents
- 2 Blood Crypt
- 2 Gemstone Mine
- 2 Stomping Ground
- 3 Arid Mesa
- 3 Copperline Gorge
- 3 Wooded Foothills
- Sideboard (15)
- 1 Nature's Claim
- 2 Abrupt Decay
- 2 Ancient Grudge
- 2 Collective Brutality
- 2 Lightning Axe
- 2 Thoughtseize
- 4 Leyline of the Void
Grixis Delver -- Legacy | Jeremy Frye, Winner Grand Prix Santa Clara
- Creatures (14)
- 1 True-Name Nemesis
- 2 Gurmag Angler
- 3 Young Pyromancer
- 4 Deathrite Shaman
- 4 Delver of Secrets
- Sorceries (10)
- 2 Cabal Therapy
- 4 Gitaxian Probe
- 4 Ponder
- Instants (18)
- 1 Abrade
- 1 Spell Pierce
- 4 Brainstorm
- 4 Daze
- 4 Force of Will
- 4 Lightning Bolt
- Lands (18)
- 1 Badlands
- 1 Tropical Island
- 2 Underground Sea
- 2 Volcanic Island
- 4 Polluted Delta
- 4 Scalding Tarn
- 4 Wasteland