Pro Tour Dragons of Tarkir Finals (Standard): Shota Yasooka vs. Martin Dang

This is it. More than 400 players, 16 rounds, three days, and who knows how many Dragons later and it's down to two players. Shota Yasooka fights for Silumgar while Martin Dang battles for Atarka with his Red Aggro deck. Who will be crowned champion of Pro Tour Dragons of Tarkir? Watch to find out.

[@PeteZa92]

I'm a control player myself but it's always nice to see an affordable deck win the tour

[@twitchster77]

*It was as Atarka commanded!* --Rich Hagen 2015

[@roykillany]

twitchster77 loooool :D

[@TheDarthnazrael]

twitchster77 "Put another Denmark in the record books." --Brian David-Marshall 2015

[@minibluepumpkin]

twitchster77 Here's a clue, Stratus Dancer, -Rich Hagen 2015

[@minibluepumpkin]

twitchster77 Here's a clue, Stratus Dancer, -Rich Hagen 2015

[@minibluepumpkin]

twitchster77 Here's a clue, Stratus Dancer, -Rich Hagen 2015

[@TheCharlieChitty]

Monored is in the final! Quick, make sure we've got the ads ready to make sure they're not already done by the time the viewer has the popcorn out of the microwave!

[@evanz7839]

Lol

[@squiddyfish9159]

Game one took 1 minute and 50 seconds. I knew red was fast but holy crap

[@illforcefeedyouasbestos3048]

Ben Holmes going to 4 cards will do that

[@aznfoomasta]

I'll force feed you asbestos also didn't help that he couldn''t pull 2 blue mana sources for his counterspell

[@jackpaul9496]

Ben Holmes Like almost every Magic game ever, what you draw (chance/probability) decides the game. But I see what you're saying, yeah, that was fast.

[@LAZERPEOPLZ]

Ben Holmes Well Shota is also like the fastest player ever, so if you told me any of his matches took 1:50 I wouldn't be insanely surprised.

[@DoitForTheLolz1]

Jack Paul Almost faster than mono black humans getting a turn 3 obelisk with a pain seer on board.

[@zippydipity42]

So I used to go to the same FNM as Martin Dang (still could, just dropped interest) and I honestly didn't expect him to win a PT! I knew he was good, but not PT winner good. Apparently I was wrong! Grats, Martin!

[@ScrapperTBP]

Shota's draws were terrible. I feel bad for him. I was really rooting for him.

[@VillainousVillainessViridi]

ScrapperTBP as far as the first draw, that's the problem with his mana base, with his need for double blue or black for blight and scorn on two, and the same for dissolve and hero's downfall, His opponent's deck was just built to punish bad luck and greedy manabases

[@RamDi3sel]

ScrapperTBP Was gonna post the exact same comment

[@ScrapperTBP]

I was thinking more about the fact that he seemed to flood a lot. But I agree with both of your points.

[@rainmaker6261]

Yeah the flood that last game was depressing to watch

[@Rkkixlol]

rainmaker6261 But never mind Martin flooding a game aswell

[@LordMagnus96]

Martin Dang came playing a deck that beat control decks, control decks were common and came out on top. Dang deserves to win because it was built to punish decks like the one Yasooka was playing. Choosing the correct deck was the decision that won him the pro tour, regardless of Shota's draws.

[@megaTreetreetree]

I'm sorry but I've played shota's deck and it punishes mono red with a passion because it can kill/counter by turn two, and his draws were the reason he lost they were just GOD awful for his deck. It doesn't run as many lands as most control and usually has trouble getting more than 6 lands. So the fact that he drew so many lands IS the reason he lost. I mean just last night I played Fnm and mono red just like dang's are flooding my card stores and I played 2 out of the 4 rounds against mono red and a jeskai heroic deck and I went 3-1 losing 2-1 against a mono red with a very close last game. If Shota's draws were just average he could have wiped dang's deck. It's a shame that mono red seems to be the only deck that anyone plays now because there is nothing worst then losing with 36 minutes till the next match but if I had to play mono red with control, then shota's is definitely the one I want to have with me.

[@containeduniverse]

megaTreetreetree lol No. He lost because he plays with a control deck with no *permanent* defense. He has nothing to keep him safe except 1-for-1 spells (except Bile Blight) against a deck that floods the field with permanents. Even something as simple as some side decked Sidisi's Faithful could've slowed things down. He doesn't have the time to get card advantage. A netdeck just got exposed that's all. Coming in being predictable was a fatal mistake. Cheerleading for the control player doesn't help the design of that deck.

[@thequis223]

LordMagnus96 The wisest comment on here. He truly came out with the right answer to the sudden shift in meta. In order to win the meta at a big event, you need to both beat what is hot and everyone's answer to what is hot.

[@MrGunwitch]

Not necessarily, if Dang was on the other side of the quarter-finals he most probably would've lost to the green decks played by Strasky and Chung. Dang was lucky that his top-8 draw lined him up against Cammilluzzi and Adrian Sullivan. Even then, he got lucky against Shota who had terrible opening hands and draws...Shota's one decent draw saw him win easily.

[@shaihulud7316]

This was like a $40 deck...I loved watching it smoke those expensive control decks

[@IzzySpint]

Control decks and blue decks have been winning almost every standard pro tour for a while now, yet everyone is so salty about a red deck winning. Sultai control won the last standard pro tour (although the last was slightly closer to midrange but yeah it was pretty much a control deck though), and the standard pro tour before that, oops sphinx's rev is op i guess, a control deck wins the pro tour. Standard pro tour before that? Mono blue. Suddenly red gets a little love and it's all. 'he was so lucky', 'red is too strong now'.

[@AaronCanb]

Izzy Spint Turns out some players want to be controlling on and off the battlefield.

[@IzzySpint]

Torvak Mendelek Yeah i got mixed up, it was worlds, not the pro tour. The Sultai deck piloted by shahar shenhar.

[@rainmaker6261]

We really gotta update that bile blight slide. Boros Reckoner and burning tree emissary have been out of standard for a while now. Although I suppose bile blight won't exactly be around all that much longer either.

[@Lightmane]

37:00 Ian Duke says it all. Let me translate for those who might not get what he's really saying. We love all the flavor that we created with DTK but it totally sucks that the finals came down to blue/black control vs mono red aggro (well, almost mono red) & we're really really hoping now that players will adjust & come up strategies that will be able to beat these decks so that Magic will remain a super interesting & fun game to both play & watch, where the field is wide open with all kinds of decks that play well, but right now we're very very concerned that we really screwed up, especially with what we gave RDW decks, cause this was definitely one of the worst finals we've ever had.

[@krvavyzub1]

Well done red agrro!!! Looking forward to test this deck!

[@mtgrage230]

Congratulations Martin dang! I was there rooting you on as a fellow mono red player at the pro tour. It's awesome to see this deck win such a huge event. Great build too. Agreed that your op got screwed in draws but that's what the deck does. If you stumble even once the deck just takes over in the matter of a few turns. Grats!

[@fruscht]

Announcer: Martin, you just won the Pro Tour. Martin: Dang! .. I'll show myself out.

[@Marcination]

Fantastic to see such an affordable deck win a pro tour. This is how it should be: deck building skill over money.

[@Cryxboy]

Borzi There wasn't a lot of skill involved at all. Shota's by far the more well known deck builder. All that really happened was Dang played a fast deck against a Control deck that had terrible draws.

[@Marcination]

Cryxboy Yes, you're probably right. Dang must have just sleeved a bunch of mumbled together bulk and one of the apprentices at WoTC accidently signed him up for Top 8.

[@Cryxboy]

Borzi That's not what I said. Dang is a skilled player, but he's not the better deck builder, on top of Shota's deck losing to itself. Shota lost to his own draws more than he lost to Dang. Getting bad hands and having to mull in the finals of a Pro Tour basically means you lose.

[@VillainousVillainessViridi]

Cryxboy To be fair, RDW decks are able to severely punish those kinds of draws, and once again, his mana base was quite a bit greedy

[@DangerKennyB]

Borzi So games should be over in three or four turns? There is no "skill over money" here. They have given Red such an abundance of riches that if you have a deck that stumbles at all, you lose. If you think slamming creatures and burn for three turns is "skill", then I'm not sure you really know what that word means. If you're watching that game 1 and going, "Oooh, SKILL"....dude, I mean, what even.

[@Ben-lc2xp]

Next pro tour can you get 1080p :D

[@Qonvict92]

Question whats the Shuffle called that Shoota does when he cuts Dang's deck?

[@mahmoudtabsh1886]

The year is 2020. Mono Red Aggro is still a top tier deck. Magic never changes XD

[@danielcrowley5277]

The year is 2022. Aggro still reigns supreme in mono re... wait Esper? At least it's budget though, right? ...it's $450. Cool. Well I love paper magic with my friends... there's a pandemic and Arena exists now. Man I miss the good old days of Dragons of Tarkir.

[@seanm30083]

is there a way to see what cards they have in there deck ???

[@343Films]

I have a deck very similar to Martin's. Any suggestions on how best to deal with blue-white heroic?

[@behgz9886]

343Films rending volley, it deals 4 damage to target white or blue creature, and it can't be prevented by spells or abilities, I.E. it beats god's willing and counter spells like negate.

[@abefakhoury8358]

I looked up martin dangs decklist and there were no edilons can someone explain

[@Jon0sterman]

Abe Fakhoury 4 of in the sideboard

[@burgessrock]

14:30 sure glad i can use my bile blight to take out those pesky boros reckoners and burning tree emissarys, what a pain in dtk standard

[@aimeeflynn4369]

I started the video, went to the bathroom for like 3 minutes, and came back and game two has already started!!

[@waluigiswaluweenie8194]

Everyone else: Oo, good play, good play. Me: Ooo! Pretty unhinged lands!

[@DeadDanceTV]

ok at 29:30 why doesnt he counter hordeling outburst by flipping the stratus dancer, block the and kill the monastery? (dang woulda striked the dancer on block? saving monastery) he would only take 2 from rabble, be on 8, but dang would be a lightning strike down? thus survive another turn? to draw drown in sorrows or bile?

[@itsthekid9815]

It's 7 years later but that is 100% the incorrect line. He strikes shoka down to 7 and then swiftspear lives and he goes to 5. Then he has two cards he has to have an answer for. Your outs for lightning strike in hand become a lot lower with your line. Thinking the opponent doesn't have another instant in their hand at that time is also a non-line.

[@JesGolbez]

Always great to see control decks lose! :) Say 'no' to this!

[@Mrbigmike311]

Control just got wreck and I'm happy it needs to die already. Magic is so much more fun when people play creatures vs creatures and not counterspell vs spell

[@AaronCanb]

JesGolbez So satisfying when they run out of answers. That's what you get when you never want to miss a land drop though.

[@dayrunner91]

Thomas Wayne Unless it's the G/W mirror. Then it's just silly and not worth anyone's time.

[@joevonpoison834]

JesGolbez in current standard there isn't any control decks, so I'm happy to see a control deck around. It gets silly when at FNM 5 out of 14 people are playing G/R aggro another 3 are R/B aggro and another 3 running Green devotion, while the rest are playing with precons. The game is pure red aggro right now and its sad. Magic is about seeing many different kind of decks. So again I'm happy to see a control deck come back into standard play. With all that said I'm an aggro player and yes it is great to see a control deck lose.

[@tomjackson5093]

Thomas Wayne That's just your opinion. Control has always been around, but it's a lot weaker now than it used to be. Remember last year when White-blue control decks with Sphinx's revelation and Supreme Verdict were around?

[@MagvireMafia]

MTG is pretty much like. The more control your deck is the more expensive it is usually. Aggro is like usually the cheapest.

[@MrMinecraftMasterpie]

There is a 5$ difference between these decks..

[@BigTibbs78]

Well there goes playing control in my shop everyone and their mom is going to be playing mono red now

[@DangerKennyB]

James Tibbs FNM is nothing but Mono-Red already. They have given Mono-Red SO much ridiculous bullshit over the past year. Sick to death of it, and the stores around here struggle to get even 8 for Standard because it is so ridiculous. So hey Wizards, no turn 3 kills in Modern, but you're okay giving red all of this shit so it can do it in Standard? Thankfully, when Standard and M15 goes, most of this crap goes with it, and we can get back to playing real, honest-to-god Magic again. This Standard is an utter and complete joke.

[@Cowb0yDan]

Dave Bautistaroid I completely agree. This RDW is getting out of hand.

[@DangerKennyB]

Lane Pitman I said this in another thread, but I don't fault players at all for running it. I do blame Wizards for piling on this much quality into red for what seems a solid year.

[@Cowb0yDan]

Exactly. Just look at DTK and look how much support it got. It's development that screwed up, but it's up to players to shape the game and take advantage of where they failed.

[@tomnajera4906]

you guys are crazy, control got sooo much support in DTK

[@AllocatesBeef]

Shame to see Shota seeing red. Would have been a more interesting final otherwise.

[@이삭-w5g]

I don't like watching control deck's grindy matchups but for viewers sake this one ended too quickly.

[@lorddark89]

Lol. I love how LSV looks over at Rich at the very start like "WTF you talkin' about there bud?"

[@Sestze]

That isn't LSV. Where'd that chubbiness go?

[@MithDragon]

This was painful to watch.

[@nathanielyoon3592]

Bile Blight does provide an efficient answer to some of the top creatures in Standard. I mean, everyone needs to stop those Boros Reckoners and Burning-Tree Emissaries running around at your standard events.

[@Ottawa3453]

Tillykke Martin! Danish Magic is on the rise! :D

[@ronalderhoffer2984]

has anybody ever seen martin dang wearing a different shirt?

[@thedarklight6752]

that was a bit boring there wasn't a lot of tension like the last 2 pro tour

[@GPEGEMGTM3]

Props to Dang for a smart metagame call, but I was rooting for Shota :/

[@zeruel31]

This is intense match, my hands are shaking.

[@Osborne4Life]

Too bad I missed this whole fucking tournament because it starts at what was 1am for me.

[@syntheticlegion]

***** so? 1am is when i start playing league of legends

[@jamesfrazier4005]

Have yall ever noticed that Asian magic players have more control decks than aggro?

[@rfkmtg3944]

Well done Martin Dang!

[@morsssssssssss]

I hate how standard is now either rush tokens or control dragons it used to have a variety of decent standard decks but not so much anymore

[@th3on3thatb3atu]

Except that there were more green devotion decks in this pro tour than anything else. Doesn't really seem like you know what you're talking about there bud.

[@sh1nypantsgaming661]

Can we just make it so the player going first skips their combat step? Taking combat damage before you can literally do anything is kinda ridiculous.

[@swiftmfb]

Level.100 Games no It’s not? If you think this is bad then you wouldn’t be able to handle modern lol. That’s the whole point of these decks “be fast and end the game”

[@stolenrims]

BDM: "Slide in under the bottom...?" 32:24 I think he means under the radar. sliding things in under the bottom sounds like something...else.

[@neXianXaviaX]

stolenrims He means the bottom of other decks' curves in terms of threats.

[@nickp7269]

You know wizards messed up when mono red wins a pro tour.... Smh

[@leorettie9948]

Blazin Fyr oh shit nice burn. I'm a fellow red player

[@GMTioCharlie]

Mono Red FTW

[@VillainousVillainessViridi]

Rob Ireland I think you mean a mono red shell with a great green splash, it is basically mono-red, I call it Red/Green wins :)

[@Arcangel61286]

Carlos Tovar More like Atarka minions FTW

[@shadowwolfgames13]

mono red is nice but im gonna keep my red black control

[@akenglin]

terrible draw. I didn't expect that in PT. But this is Magic too.. well done Dang.

[@RagingPoo]

Game 2 was my favorite

[@pylerterry966]

I miss khans. Great set.

[@SkylightShepherd]

I hated Martin Dang's attitude throughout the top 8. I realize he has just made a huge accomplishment but as a professional player where there is an opponent involved, he should be more humble and show a bit more restraint on the camera and in front of his opponents.

[@glen2003]

sometimes it's not really the deck but the way it was shuffled...

[@Pocketyuf]

Well, that was pretty fast.

[@ErickBee]

Hot Dang that first game barely lasted 2 minutes!

[@mtgkraze2520]

I see what u did there ;)

[@Zeferet.]

Ahahhaha godt gået Martin ;)

[@K0komo]

Gosh Dang it Martin! :D

[@kazak60]

nice game

[@chadwallace3045]

MTG version of the old school Mike Tyson fights Travelled miles away from home, spent $1000's of dollars for 90 seconds of fight

[@tenaciousblender]

More LSV.

[@HyperShadow89]

Red means go go go!

[@ChaiKirbs]

I thought Atarka was fast, but..... O.O

[@nichlasp1]

i am gladt to be danis

[@amacuro]

Ian and Tim are great! I find Randy annoying though...

[@TaksaJG]

This was terrible. Poor Shota.

[@tomjackson5093]

I'm getting sick and tired of these (mono) red aggro decks. Nothing but red aggro at FNM, and even more people will play it now. Attendance at standard FNM has been dropping constantly by the way, because red got so many OP one- and two-drops. Wizards, if you can hear this, we know you want to give aggro players a fair shot against control, but it's been starting to get a little crazy in the latest sets.

[@robertocamerlingo6281]

if only shota didnt get land flooded,it's sad really

[@harakanvarvas12]

Bad game for Shota... It's a shame

[@abdo19code]

LSV has got one of the most horrendous neck beards I've ever seen.

[@frepaint]

Looks like he wasn't doing much controlling... lol

[@jacob10pl]

28:47

[@nathanlawlor8092]

dang it

[@LazerDazer17]

1st comment :) Well done Martin!

[@D4rthridiculous]

starcitygames tournaments are WAAAAAAY better

[@jokertone36]

They make this look so awkward hahah just bunched up

[@Wiciuchozo]

winning pro tour with deck for 10$

[@clonezryan12345]

Wiciuchozo www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/standard-atarka-sligh#paper not necessarily that cheap but is significantly cheaper than most of the tier 1 standard decks

[@Wiciuchozo]

yeah ,3/4 cards are commons or uncomm so ;d

[@voevodineu]

Wiciuchozo Eidolon disagrees, but still pretty much inexpensive deck though