Warsaw Legacy Challenge - Metagame Breakdown
- May 5, 2023
- 10 min read
Howdy Players!
Warsaw Legacy Challenge is over, so it's time for a proper summary metagame of the tournament and the entire event.
In this article, you'll get wind of things like:
the origins of the tournament and the idea
detailed tournament metagame analysis - Warsaw Legacy Challenge
presenting the tournament's top 16 decklists
thanks
Origins of the tournament and the idea
The idea of organizing a tournament bigger than an fnm in Warsaw has been on my mind for several months now. So far, I've only had fun organizing intimate meetings with beer and meetings that looked like local tournaments without the support of local game stores in Warsaw.
Fortunately, in January 2023 there was an opportunity to organize such an event on the initiative of Akademia Legacy, which in our country distributes slots for the tournament in Bologna and organizes one of the largest tournaments in its home city of Łódź.
I will honestly admit that the reason why they named me as the man in the capital responsible for carrying out this task is foreign to me. However, because I like to be active for the community + I have this blog activity of my own and perhaps because I have often been to Lodz thresholds at smaller tournaments so far - probably all these reasons influenced their decision to let me take care of it.
Outside Warsaw, Legacy Academy has decided to distribute slots to Bologna in two other places:
2 for Łódź, where both can be won on June 17, 2023 during Polish Legacy Championship
2 for Katowice as Katowice successfully got off the ground with hosting national tournaments in its local game store
The time scales for each city to organize their tournaments must and will have to meet the appropriate time criteria, so that in the conclusion of 6 months from February, so people can prepare in advance for the trip to Italy.
Warsaw received time for March - April
Łódz for May - June
Katowice for July - August
The name of the tournament was proposed by my colleagues from Łódź as the Battle of Warsaw, but personally, the date suited me not and I decided to name the tournament Warsaw Legacy Challenge, thus referring to other tournaments in Poland, such as Łódź Legacy Trial, Polish Legacy Championship or Legacy Haj Stejk.
Undoubtedly, choosing the right place for the event was a bit of a problem for me and I have to admit that I was looking for a place after hotels, conference halls, community centers and so on. One idea was to have a tournament at a fire station, which could be quite fun. In the end, however, my choice was limited to one of the two local game stores in Warsaw and after consulting the possibilities with other players from Warsaw, I decided to organize a tournament at MTG Center.
Warsaw Legacy Challenge - Metagame Breakdown
We will now dive into the deep abyss of tournament metagame analysis Warsaw Legacy Challenge.
During the metagame analysis of the tournament, I decided to divide the player decklists into 4 main types of decks, which will be:
Aggro
Control
Combos
Midrange
Before we begin, I'd like to point out the extreme difficulty in trying to classify some Legacy format decks. Some decks in Legacy are not obvious Agrro decks, and some also combine features of many different types - an example of such a combination is Painter, which is sometimes referred to as a combo, prison and aggro deck.
As you can see in the attached image, during the tournament Warsaw Legacy Challenge there was no clear dominance of one type of deck. Aggro decks (22) and Combo decks (22) touched each other in the same amount. Slightly less, only 9, there were Control decks, and definitely in the smallest amount were Midrange decks (5).
Despite the recent bans of cards like Expressive Iteration and White Plume Adventurer, looking at the diversity of Aggro decks, the number of strategies using Delver and the Initiative mechanic has not decreased. In the attached chart, it is clear that Delver was the most popular choice of people for the tournament - he appeared in the number of 8 . Another popular Aggro deck is Initiative Stompy, which seemed to be doomed after the aforementioned bans, and yet his selection was the second most popular among Aggro decks at the tournament.
Aggro decks, at the tournament Warsaw Legacy Challenge made itself felt with the number of Combo decks, where their number was the same as the first ones (22).
To the two most popular combo deck archetypes during Warsaw Legacy Challenge includes Reanimator, whose general presence in the Polish metagame is extremely large (7). Not every Reanimator at the tournament, however, used the same strategy to defeat opponents, but this issue will be discussed in more detail in the analysis of Top16 players. The second most popular combo chosen by players for the Warsaw Legacy Challenge tournament was Painter, with a poor result to its predecessor Reanimator because it appeared in only three copies.
The player choice of the Cloudpost deck deserves a mention as well, which, while not considered a combo deck in general terms, has a decidedly unfair gameplan, which puts it in the same place in terms of tournament appearances like Painter(3).
For the third set of quantitative speeches during Warsaw Legacy Challenge, Control decks enter. Their number was definitely less noticeable during the tournament than the strategies I mentioned above. The 8cast deck led by a total of 5 players was in 1st place and at the same time the largest number. The other archetypes were already present one piece at a time.
The pilot of the Lands deck deserves a special mention here, as it uses a new card from the March of the Machines expansion - Wrenn and Realmbreaker. As a reminder, the new set was released to the game just a day before the tournament.
At last, there are Midrange decks and I have to admit that presenting them was the most difficult task for me. I made the division based on my own observations and conclusions, and the value generated by these decks in games with other opponents. For this reason, in my opinion, they did not suit other types of decks than the Midrange type. In the course of the games conducted during Warsaw Legacy Challenge, we only had 5 of these decks, so they were a small force compared to the rest. The final results of the pilots were also not significant, because the highest place was just my own Nic Fit - 20.
I'm definitely surprised by the performance of the Bant Order deck, due to the fact that the version of this deck that uses the card - Atraxa, Grand Unifier is very popular recently. I expected much more of this construction than just one in this tournament.
Top16 decklist analysis
Top 16 Warsaw Legacy Challenge after swiss looked like this.
1 | Lukasz Matusiak (Boros Initiative) 4-1-1 |
2 | Rafal Lachtera (RB Reanimator) 4-1-1 |
3 | Nicholas Boltuć (Boros Initiative) 4-1-1 |
4 | Krzysztof Kleiner (UR Delver) 4-1-1 |
5 | Jakub Świderek (RG Tyranid Stompy) 4-1-1 |
6 | Artur Bogusiak (Boros Initiative) 3-0-3 |
7 | Adam Gerwatowski (Boros Initiative) 3-0-3 |
8 | Marek Szymanski (UR Delver) 3-0-3 |
9 | Wiktor Werner (UB Reanimator) 3-0-3 |
10 | Maciej Fidziński (UR Delver) 3-0-3 |
11 | Mikołaj Wyspianski (Black Saga Storm) 4-2-0 |
12 | Maximilian Czachur (UR Delver) 4-2-0 |
13 | Rafał Pekala (Show & Tell) 3-0-3 |
14 | Grzegorz Jezierski (Tin Fins & Doomsday Combo) 4-2-0 |
15 | Krzysztof Mazurek (UR Delver) 3-0-3 |
16 | Pawel Smolinski (Cephalid Breakfast) 4-2-0 |
We can already see that Aggro decks and Combo decks are competing for places here. No control or midrange deck made it to Top.
It is worth mentioning that the given results indicate the places taken before the TOP16 and the final standings looked a bit different.
Let's take a look at the finalists!
Place 16
Paweł Smolinski - Cephalid Breakfast
The only Cephalid Breakfast of the tournament, he broke through the rest of the players, securing 16th place and entering the Top 16 at the same time. An interesting two-line deck plan undoubtedly made it difficult for opponents to beat such an opponent, as evidenced by the swiss score 4-2-0.
The deck pilot came to the tournament from Wrocław. Congratulations!
Place 15
Krzysztof Mazurek - UR Delver
A well-known Delver pilot from Warsaw and a finalist of the Polish Legacy Championship 2022.
It seems that his Delver is doing well despite the lack of Expressive Iteration and Krzysiek is playing Chart a Course in its place. He is sometimes described as a man from the younger generation on the Polish stage. Also applause for a good result of 3-0-3!
Place 14
Grzegorz Jezierski - "Marek Undead" - Tin Fins & Doomsday Combo
The old Legacy stager from Warsaw, once again proved that the result can be made with any deck. He is known to like unfair constructions, which can be clearly seen in the attached picture. Unable to decide on one deck, he combined two of his favorites into one. In the foreground we can see Reanimator with an option, in the background Doomsday.
The score is 4-2-0!
Place 13
Rafał "Rav" Pękala - Sneak & Show
The only man at the tournament who walked more steps in anticipation of Top16 than during walks with children. His list is as interesting as the player himself, not least because of its horizontal version. Rafał came to the tournament from Rzeszów, which is definitely closest to my heart, and the away team from among the participants of the tournament - the largest. The deck of his choice this time turned out to be Sneak & Show, in the original, traditional version without Fable or Atraxa.
Score before Top16 3-0-3!
Place 12
Maximilian Czachur - UR Delver
Second Delver in Top16 and another player from Rzeszów. Maks performance in this tournament can be safely called a debut, as he has never played a competitive Legacy tournament before. The sideboard developed by Maks gives a lot to think about, as if the deck pilot wanted to prepare for every matchup.
Good result for 1 performance, 4-2-0!
Place 11
Mikołaj Wyspianski - Black Saga Storm
Another player from Warsaw and, next to Grzegorz Jezierski, a former participant of the World Championships. Undoubtedly, a very interesting choice of deck, which has as many as 3 lines of play.
First. Defeat your opponent with a combo and Tendrils of Agony.
Second. Simply summoning construct tokens from Urza's Saga.
Third. A sideboard plan in the form of an alternate combo Leyline of the Void + Helm of Obedience.
Score before Top16 4-2-0!
Place 10
Maciej "Fidzio" Fidziński - UR Delver
A real dinosaur of the Warsaw format scene, one of the few people in Poland who can be said to have everything - including Power 9, and the Polish Legacy Champion of 2022. His tournament pick has always been Delver, formerly in the RUG version, now in the classic UR variant. Fidzio's deck is the only Warsaw Legacy Challenge tournament decklist that uses Reckless Impulse - a card known to be used in Mono R Storm.
Place 9
Wiktor "Wiktul" Werner - UB Reanimator
One of the two founding fathers of Legacy Academy, famous for his love of the Lands deck. This time he decided to pilot an interesting version of the Reanimator of his own idea - I honestly admit that I had a problem typing the name of the deck next to his name. The decklist combines the features of Show&Tell and Reanimator, and the post side adds an additional, optional option in the form of Echo of Eons + Hullbreacher. It's interesting that so many players in the Top 16 decided to play this way - pretend to play one deck, only to swap it for another after the sideboard. Apparently, this strategy turned out to be very effective, but it is not enough to reach for a higher result with it.
Wiktor's score is an honorable 3-0-3!
Place 8
Marek Szymanski - UR Delver
The fourth Delver in Top makes it clear that this deck is doing very well despite the ban of Expressive Iteration. In the case of this roster, the card selection in the main is very interesting - Snapcaster Mage, Vapor Snag, Spell Pierce. These are not the cards we see in this archetype every day. I don't know Marek very well, so I can't write much here, but congratulations on the result!
3-0-3!
Place 7
Adam "Gerwaz" Gerwatowski - Boros Initiative
The second founding father Legacy Academy , content creator, longtime format player and grinder. There are many unflattering opinions about Adam, but you can't deny him the ability to play cards, which he proves at every tournament he participates in. The deck of his choice turned out to be Boros Initiative this time, a deck whose prognosis after bans for further existence was extremely low. Perhaps in the right hands it is an unstoppable machine, which Adam proved - winning the entire tournament and sharing the slot to Bologna with another player. Result before Top16 3-0-3!
Place 6
Artur Bogusiak - Boros Initiative
Artur's list is almost identical to the one above, the only differences are single sideboard cards. It is clear that both gentlemen have a lot to do with each other, which is shown by Artur's result during Warsaw Legacy Challenge. I'm not staying here for long, congratulations on a good result before the Top, 3-0-3 and good luck in the next fights for the Bologna slot.
Place 5
Jakub "Świder" Świderek - RG Tyranid Stompy
Here is the man who beat me for a place in the Top16. Jakub's selection in this tournament is not a traditional Cloudpost but a specially refined and tested deck. The name of the decklist may be puzzling, because we see only one red card in the deck - Mawloc. It might also be interesting to use an extra Emrakul and a meta-match minion with the Initiative- Undermountain Adventurer. 3 pieces of main Endurances undoubtedly came in handy for Jakub in a meta full of Delvers and Reanimators.
Nice Player, Nice Feat! Result before Top - 4-1-1.
Place 4
Krzysztof Kleiner - UR Delver
The last, fifth and best UR Delver, who managed to reach not only TOP16 but also the best four. Krzysztof came to the Warsaw Legacy Challenge from Katowice, where we will have the opportunity to play for more slots on vacation. His list, as you can see in the attached picture, went through various changes before the tournament, to finally focus on the classic version of Delver without unnecessary frills. Perhaps this was the reason for his great result. Score ahead of Top 4-1-1!
Place 3
Nicholas Boltuć - Boros Initiative
The third Boros Initiative in Top16, however, differs too much from the previous two. In his list, Mikołaj decided to play cards in the form of Elite Spellbinder and Anointed PeaceKeeper. The card in sideboard, Gaea's Blessing is also puzzling, probably put there out of fear before the Painter matchup.
Result before Top16 4-1-1.
Place 2
Rafał Lachtera - RB Reanimator
His decklist is a perfect example of a classic RB Reanimator - using the player's classic combo responses, Chancellor of the Annex. As with Delver who made it to the top 4, apparently the classic versions of the decks are the key to achieving the result. Score ahead of Top 4-1-1!
Place 1
Lukasz "Matys" Matusiak - Boros Initiative
The second, next to Adam Gerwatowski, winner of the tournament and the only player at the entire event who decided to use the not very popular card in the deck in the form of Comet, Stellar Pup. Without a doubt, it was this tech that gave him victory over other opponents. His list is also similar to the one used by Nicholas Bołtuć. Sided Gaea's Blessing as a response against Painter indicates that this deck definitely has a weak matchup with that mentioned strategy. Score ahead of Top 4-1-1!
It's good to know that there was a split in Top16. Some of the players decided to collect prizes in the form of boosters, while the other part decided to fight for the qualification to Bologna and the Cup.
The final winners of the tournament turned out to be Adam Gerwatowski from Łódź and Łukasz Matusiak from Warsaw. Congratulations to the players!
Thanks
Sincere and warm thanks to all partners, friends and everyone who wished the NiceFeat in the implementation of this tournament. This is the first big tournament that I have ever organized and from what I have already figured out - it was successful.
Special thanks go to Akademia Legacy who decided to donate 2 slots as a form of prize for the players of this tournament. I also thank them for the media support they provided during the implementation of this project.
A big thanks to Centrum MTG, which willingly agreed to my proposal to organize the tournament in their modest premises. I don't think I would be capable of doing this on my own.
Now it's time to Nice Feat to focus again on what i do best - promoting the Nic Fit deck in Poland and beyond!
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