After a busy Round 1 Qualifier in the summer, where Chris Mander took the top spot for a trip to Sofia for Legacy European Tour Round 1, we went into Round 2 hoping for a similar turnout, but realistically expecting some quieter Qualifying events.
With a combination of train strikes, cost of living pressure and a qualification spot for a less popular Standard tournament, we were right to temper our expectations. But in spite of the chilly weather, bugs and transport issues, many of our local players were still able to come out to support us, as well as a number of players from further afield, all ready to try to win the prestigious qualification spot at Legacy European Tour in Napoli next March.
With a high proportion of players well experienced with the competitive scene, even our smaller Pioneer event was tense through to the end, with many solid players in the running to take the top spot. Those that didn't make it still walked away with some generous top 4 prizing, and with striking artwork from Justine Jones and Yuko Shimizu featured on Top 8 Selfless Spirit promos, and Thraben Inspector participation promos for everyone joining in over the weekend, no one went away empty handed.
Qualifier Weekend Day 1: Modern (3rd December 2022)
21 players joined us for our Saturday Modern event. Players brought a range of decks to the competition, including a high showing of Ragavans, Murktides and Ledger Shredders!
After 5 rounds of Swiss, Mary Lou Mayjonade-Christy, Gavin Thacker, Steve Walsh, Dylan Gregory-Martin, David Inglis, Ays Banning, Daniel Yam and Liam Curry made it through to the top 8 knockouts.
Our top 8 Modern Qualifier finalists: Ays, Dylan, Gavin, David, Liam, Mary Lou, Steve and Daniel.
Mary Lou took a clean 2-0 win against Liam in the quarter finals, as did David against Dylan, whilst Gavin and Daniel took 2-1 wins against Ays and Steve respectively.
The semi finals saw David take a 2-0 win against Gavin, and Daniel went 2-0 against Mary Lou.
The finals were over quickly, as David and Daniel agreed to split the top two prizes, with David Inglis claiming our top Invitational spot for Legacy European Tour in Napoli, and £50 store credit after dropping only one game throughout the day; Daniel walked away with a cool £200 bursary from the pool.
Top 8 decklists are listed below.
Qualifier Weekend Day 2: Pioneer (4rd December 2022)
Despite a number of players taking advantage of our qualification weekend discount, train strikes and other travel issues coincided with illness and personal commitments to make for a quieter Sunday Pioneer event, with 13 players on the day. 'Cosy', as Judge, Hary Barlow referred to it!
With a strong player base competing over 5 rounds of Swiss, there was no guarantee of a spot in the play offs, as even into round 3 the top spots were still there to play for across the board!
Due to the lower number of players, we ran the event to a top 4 cut off. Dylan Gregory-Martin, David Inglis, Oliver Liu and Freddie Barber made top 8 on rankings, each taking home a Selfless Spirit promo. Keira Randall, Mary Lou Mayjonade-Christy, Steve Walsh and Thomas Hughes made it through to the top 4 playoffs. Decks on the day utilised a range of strategies with variants on Red Black midrange featuring most heavily, as reflected in our top 4 lists.
Mary Lou, Thomas, Steve and Keira made up the Top 4 of our Manaleak Pioneer Qualifier (4th December 2022)
The semi-finals saw Thomas take the win against Keira, and Steve win against Mary Lou, leading to an exciting Manaleak regular final! Both Steve and Tom have been competing for a qualification invite since season one, so the matches were played through to the end.
After a tense battle, Thomas took the top slot and the bursary, whilst Steve walked away with store credit and the winner's promo, kindly gifted by Thomas!
Top 4 decklists are listed below.
Huge thanks to all our players who joined us over the weekend, and best wishes to those who were there in spirit! Thank you to our judges, Ray and Hary, and to our scorekeepers, Rhian and Sam, who helped keep everything running smoothly over the weekend.
Biggest congratulations of all to our invitational winners, Thomas and David - we'll be rooting for you both in March at the European Championships in Napoli!
We're taking a little break on the events front until the new year. Join us for our weekly FNMs and Wednesday Commander Nights, watch our events page on the website, or join our friendly Facebook group to hear the latest event announcements.
Modern Qualifier Decklists: Top 8
David Inglis (invitational winner)
1 Subtlety
4 Consider
4 Island
Sideboard
1 Subtlety
1 Fury
Daniel Yam (finalist): Twinless Twin
3 Consider
4 Island
Sideboard
2 Fury
Gavin Thacker (semi-finalist): RB Scam
4 Grief
4 Fury
1 Persist
1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
1 Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire
1 Spikefield Hazard // Spikefield Cave
1 Agadeem's Awakening // Agadeem, the Undercrypt
Sideboard
Mary Lou Mayjonade-Christy (semi-finalist): 4c Kaheera
Find Mary Lou on Twitter: @MaryLou62818050
Companion: Kaheera, the Orphanguard
4 Solitude
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Island
Sideboard
1 Kaheera, the Orphanguard (Companion)
Liam Curry (quarter-finalist)
3 Consider
3 Island
Sideboard
1 Fury
Ays Banning (quarter-finalist): 5C Creativity
Find Ays on Twitter: @spritestutter
2 Persist
1 Mountain
Sideboard
Steve Walsh (quarter-finalist): UW Hammer
Find Steve on Twitter at @NooneKnowsImDog
3 Plains
Sideboard
Dylan Gregory-Martin (quarter-finalist): Yawg Chord
Find Dylan on Twitter @DylanGregoryOP
1 Swamp
2 Forest
Sideboard
Pioneer Decklists: Top 4
Thomas Hughes (Invitational winner): Rakdos Midrange
Find Tom on Twitter @BoneDaddy_99
2 Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger
1 Abrade
1 Mountain
1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
4 Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway
2 Swamp
Sideboard
1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
1 Abrade
1 Duress
1 Go Blank
Steve Walsh (finalist): Mono White
Find Steve on Twitter at @NooneKnowsImDog
4 Brutal Cathar // Moonrage Brute
14 Plains
Sideboard
2 Reidane, God of the Worthy // Valkmira, Protector's Shield
Keira Randall (semi-finalist): Rakdos Midrange
Find Keira on Twitter: @teskeract
Companion: Jegantha, the Wellspring
2 Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger
1 Abrade
4 Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway
2 Swamp
1 Mountain
1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
Sideboard
1 Jegantha, the Wellspring (Companion)
3 Go Blank
2 Duress
Mary Lou Mayjonade-Christy (semi-finalist): RB Midrange
Find Mary Lou on Twitter: @MaryLou62818050
2 Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger
1 Shatterskull Smashing // Shatterskull, the Hammer Pass
4 Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway
1 Swamp
1 Mountain
1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
Sideboard
2 Duress
1 Go Blank
1 Abrade
Thanks for reading! Just a reminder that we're taking a little break on the events front until the new year, but we'll have more planned soon! Meanwhile, join us for our weekly FNMs and Wednesday Commander Nights, watch our events page on the website, or join our friendly Facebook group to hear the latest event announcements.
If you're building these, or any other Magic: The Gathering decks, remember to take a look at our extensive card selection at www.manaleak.com.
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