After a week off to explore Modern the Grand Prix circuit returned to Standard in Manila, Amsterdam, and Omaha. The question on everyone's mind was whether or not Aetherworks Marvel decks would continue to dominate. The card, capable of cheating Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger into play, has been everywhere and there have been calls to ban the Artifact.
Grand Prix Manila was first up and as Sunday wound down the Top 8 was graced with only a single Marvel deck. White based decks like Mardu and Esper Vehicles were abundant and in the end Pro Tour Battle for Zendikar finalist Ryoichi Tamada came out on top with White-Blue Flash.
(Chapman) Congratulations to Ryoichi Tamada (@tamachan567), our Grand Prix Manila 2017 Champion! #gpManila pic.twitter.com/OWh7lM74O3
— Magic Pro Tour (@magicprotour) June 4, 2017
White-Blue Flash - Amonkhet Standard | Ryoichi Tamada, Winner Grand Prix Manila
- Creatures (22)
- 2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
- 4 Archangel Avacyn
- 4 Glory-Bound Initiate
- 4 Selfless Spirit
- 4 Spell Queller
- 4 Thraben Inspector
- Planeswalkers (4)
- 4 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
- Instants (3)
- 3 Negate
- Enchantments (6)
- 2 Cast Out
- 4 Stasis Snare
- Lands (25)
- 6 Island
- 10 Plains
- 1 Westvale Abbey
- 4 Port Town
- 4 Prairie Stream
- Sideboard (15)
- 1 Negate
- 1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
- 1 Vizier of Many Faces
- 2 Aether Meltdown
- 2 Essence Scatter
- 2 Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
- 3 Dispel
- 3 Dusk // Dawn
Grand Prix Amsterdam was the second leg of the trifecta and once again the Top 8 only featured a second Aetherworks Marvel deck. For the second time, however, the deck faltered and Lukas Blohon took the trophy with his Black-Green Delirium deck. Even though Marvel did not win its presence was felt as Blohon ran four copies of Dissenter's Deliverance in his main deck.
(Frank) Congratulations to @LukasBlohon, the winner of Grand Prix Amsterdam with Black-Green Delirium! #GPAmsterdam pic.twitter.com/pV5Ptwv8VY
— Magic Pro Tour (@magicprotour) June 4, 2017
Black-Green Delirium - Amonkhet Standard|Lukas Blohon, Winner Grand Prix Amsterdam
- Creatures (20)
- 2 Rishkar, Peema Renegade
- 2 Verdurous Gearhulk
- 4 Grim Flayer
- 4 Tireless Tracker
- 4 Walking Ballista
- 4 Winding Constrictor
- Planeswalkers (4)
- 1 Liliana, the Last Hope
- 3 Nissa, Voice of Zendikar
- Sorceries (6)
- 2 Never // Return
- 4 Traverse the Ulvenwald
- Instants (8)
- 4 Dissenter's Deliverance
- 4 Fatal Push
- Lands (22)
- 5 Swamp
- 6 Forest
- 3 Evolving Wilds
- 4 Blooming Marsh
- 4 Hissing Quagmire
- Sideboard (15)
- 1 Ishkanah, Grafwidow
- 1 Liliana, the Last Hope
- 1 Never // Return
- 2 Dispossess
- 2 Gonti, Lord of Luxury
- 2 Grasp of Darkness
- 2 Ob Nixilis Reignited
- 4 Transgress the Mind
The Magic world turned its eyes to Grand Prix Omaha to see if the Marvel could be contained. When the Top 8 was announced the answer was resounding: No. Six of the Top 8 decks were Marvel decks bringing the count on the weekend to 8 - fully one-third of elimination round builds. Sam Pardee made the finals with a Black-Green Winding Constrictor deck but Brad Nelson, who did not drop a match all weekend, won with his build of Temur Marvel.
(Corbin) Brad Nelson takes it down! No Ulamogs needed in the final game as he becomes the champion of #GPOmaha, his first GP win in 7 years! pic.twitter.com/tSyMHm30lZ
— Magic Pro Tour (@magicprotour) June 4, 2017
Temur Marvel - Amonkhet Standard|Brad Nelson, Winner Grand Prix Omaha
- Creatures (8)
- 4 Rogue Refiner
- 4 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
- Planeswalkers (2)
- 2 Chandra, Flamecaller
- Sorceries (4)
- 4 Attune with Aether
- Instants (15)
- 1 Negate
- 3 Censor
- 3 Dissenter's Deliverance
- 4 Glimmer of Genius
- 4 Harnessed Lightning
- Artifacts (8)
- 4 Aetherworks Marvel
- 4 Woodweaver's Puzzleknot
- Lands (23)
- 1 Island
- 1 Mountain
- 5 Forest
- 1 Lumbering Falls
- 2 Cinder Glade
- 2 Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
- 3 Botanical Sanctum
- 4 Aether Hub
- 4 Spirebluff Canal
- Sideboard (15)
- 1 Confiscation Coup
- 1 Negate
- 1 Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
- 2 Dispel
- 2 Radiant Flames
- 2 Ulvenwald Hydra
- 3 Aether Meltdown
- 3 Tireless Tracker
So where does Standard go from here? The Banned list will be updated on June 14th (and goes into effect after Grand Prix Las Vegas). Given how potent the deck has been at Grand Prix it is possible that something from the archetype will be banned. We will know more next week but in the interim the community holds its collective breath.