Pro Tour Shadows over Innistrad Finals: Andrea Mengucci vs. Steve Rubin

Three days, hundreds of the best players in the world, dozens of decks, and hours of Magic lead to this--the finals of Pro Tour Shadows over Innistrad.
The last players standing are Andrea Mengucci, playing Bant Company, and Steve Rubin, playing Green White Tokens.
Only one player can hoist the trophy. Only one can claim the berth at the World Championship.

[@datlad35960]

I love how green white tokens became black red angel/demon beatdown in that one game. Amusing flavour. Innistrad never fails

[@Patronux]

+ArkticChibi exactly. That's gotta be the most Zendikar-Innistrad flavored awesome deck ever

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

+ArkticChibi Yeah, that was pretty disgusting.

[@paathimself1]

wot

[@Dougyy]

i have no idea what is going on but i watched some of the how to play videos still confused but this looks awesome

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

***** , if you want to learn how to play, the best way is to find someone who does and has another deck you can use, and just fuddle your way through a couple games. You'll pick up the basics right away.

[@thisislesbomaya]

i like how the first few turns look like a limited game

[@pinedas20]

Marshall and Luis are so good in the booth together

[@frankster666metal]

+pinedas20 The best you can have. I don't think that girl has much too offer in the booth.

[@TheDemonica22]

+jacob siegersmapieters she just needs more experience i mean the thing is lsv and marshal work together on a regular basis so they have a report and they have commentated on so many pro tours and gp's they're old hands at this so i would say put her in at some gp's let her get her feet wet and then when she's more confident bring her up to the pt

[@sandyman6054]

BIG BOSS don't you mean tragic arrogance

[@blastalldaybitch]

"So steve rubin, your the shadows over innistrad pro tour winner, how do you feel about that?!" "Sure"

[@greghazlett6994]

When LSV started going into the details of how X spells work I lost it 😂.

[@UrbanRedBull]

+Greg Hazlett minute?

[@mrblump]

+UrbanRedBull around kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnS9pap6gZWZma8m59s

[@ronaldrockmann2032]

+UrbanRedBull 8:40 i think

[@jeromeofmarmite8914]

love watching when LSV is commentating, only problem is I also want him to go far in the tornement

[@xStoertebeker]

+Jerome OfMarmite yeah and im sitting here an only weant to learn to mix like Rubin xDDDDDDDD

[@BrujaDeAgua333]

Oh my god, if I wasn't into magic before I sure am now; these guys are beautiful

[@august_19]

+Luis Ceron A magic game with two good looking guys who aren't total slobs...WHAT??? (I'm so happy)

[@fireemblemistrash75]

First time I have seen some hot magic players in a while.

[@yurisims1798]

It's cute that Mengucci helps his opponent with the +1/+1 counters :P

[@thunderbug8640]

for the first time in a while standard looks good again.

[@TheHengKong]

+Callum Flude (Thunderbug) What do mean by that?(I am a new player)

[@thunderbug8640]

+TheHengKong recent standard formats have been dominated almost completly by a single deck with small variations. This top 8 had 6 different decks, while i believe it was pro tour khans of tarkir which had 6 out of the top 8 decks being essentially the same deck which is not fun to watch. There looks to be more viable stratagies this time around and that always makes for a better standard enviroment. its better to play in as its not endless mirror matches and its better to brew in as more cards and decks can be viable if built well.

[@TheHengKong]

May I rephrase what you said? Standard format before the Shadows was dominated by decks that is just tier 1 and 0 that anyone can make and not very varied. Now, More strategies and fun cards/decks are coming out.

[@Swisheals]

+Callum Flude (Thunderbug) yeah its actually fun atm U/b zombies G/r wolfs and obv several other decks

[@TheHengKong]

I am currently making R/B Vamps Aggro, Will I be able to compete with other people or am I at the bottem of the list of meta decks?

[@nbzness]

Just started playing magic for like a week and yesterday I got Gideon on my very first toolkit shadow of innistrad! so stoke. MTG is awesome

[@chumi269]

It is!

[@alexsanzphoto]

is it just me, or these coverages are way better than the crap we have with Arena PT's?

[@acehole211]

Steve Rubin is lucky Shota Yasooka lost in the semi final because Yasooka had the deck to smash Rubin for sure.

[@DizzelerTheMediocre]

What was Steve Rubin thinking at 56:35 playing the linvala over flipping westvale abbey? Mengucci had already played 3 reflector mages by then. The risk is quite low for such a high payoff.

[@twilightknight123]

+Dizzeler The risk of Reflector Mage vs Command was the same (1 of each in the deck), though there is the added possibility that Command just wasn't sided in making Mage more likely. Not to mention if he HAS Mage, then Rubin loses his whole board and is almost certainly dead. If he plays Linvala, he gains 5 life and has a 5/5 blocker (meaning he gains roughly the same amount of life). This almost means he can theoretically attack for 5 damage that turn and 10 the next. Either way it is an apparent 2 turn clock for Rubin, but it is more likely that Mengucci has Mage rather than Command

[@waterfoker8558]

this season/rotation/meta is so friggen exciting so many styles

[@CoIdnestea]

Would be nice to see infographics every time a spell is played. They seem to miss some from time to time

[@hi00118]

I'm 100% sure this is a stupid question but what does the guy who sits at the Mac during all of these games do? My friends and I were talking and none of us knew

[@TensyCL]

website report

[@williampatrick6073]

It's unfortunate that there is a glare on all the cards. You'd think wizards would hire camera operators with experience in lighting

[@annabellethorpe2542]

+William Patrick the glare is unfortunate but the problem is not the camera men but the venue, the lighting in the venue results in a flooding of light because the fact the venue needs a lot of lighting in order for you to be able to see

[@williampatrick6073]

+francis thorpe camera operators are either accompanied by or have training in lightning. There are ways to offset and correct any out side light sources that are distorting your image.

[@annabellethorpe2542]

+William Patrick i'm aware of this but it doesn't make it easy because the location.

[@annabellethorpe2542]

and although i don't do camera work i work on shows on the sound and lighting side.

[@TimmytheSorcerer]

That game 3, crazy game, beautiful

[@BlaineTog]

As a newer player, it is extremely difficult to tell what's going on here, even at full screen. It would be nice if the commentators would spend more time explaining what's going on rather than speculating about what they might do in 10 turns, or even if the UI made even a passing attempt to show us what cards are being played, rather than sticking on one card from 3 turns back for several minutes.

[@Blazicle]

These aren’t designed for new players, clearly

[@BlaineTog]

@@Blazicle Clearly. That's a big part of why Wizards ended up shuttering the PT since I posted this comment 5 years ago: extremely inaccessible to all but the most enfranchised players. Your pro scene needs to draw in new players, but Magic's seemed almost hostile to accessibility.

[@fireemblemistrash75]

Some hot magic players here.

[@ianman222001]

3 cards in hand, must flip cards furiously for 40 seconds

[@Kavou]

Choices.

[@janrodriguez3200]

Dead

[@j.rivera1974]

Does anyone know what size those dice are 19mm or 25mm? and where I can get some... Thanks

[@dejaentendu5837]

They both have the same glasses, face and haircut..

[@fireemblemistrash75]

Twins. So if one wins, the other still wins.

[@joripa2621]

In this game they put the term "mirror match" on another level...

[@dylanpiazza6358]

If im Steve Rubin im talking to dad about if hes ever visited Italy, specifically about *Mengucci's Age* years ago. And if im Mengucci i get an ice cream/MTG tattoo on my face and only let people refer to me as MenGUCCI Mane

[@Intoxicatedmeta]

1:37:49 How come no one mentioned that Carrot Top was in Channel Fireball!

[@bijanashtiani3615]

Such entertaining games as the commentators pointed out, I liked seeing a flipped Avacyn and Ormendahl beating down someone.

[@jensvide777]

Yes! LSV commentary!

[@kokushinryu]

How did Avacyn flip triggered multiple times? Didn't they change the rules for flips when SOI was released?

[@Orliosis]

At 58:30, couldn't Rubin have kept two thopters since Tragic Arrogance allows a creature and an artifact?

[@PalPlays]

32:40 Yeah, I remember being down two games in a Pauper tournament. I was piloting Mono Black Devotion, and just had to tell myself that it wasn't my playing that was at fault but that it was a result of bad draws. Against Selesnya Counters, I finally drew into my Faceless Butchers and Snuff Outs to force 2-for-1s and climb my way to victory.

[@caydenong3870]

Could I have the full decklist from both sides please?

[@SuperHumblewarrior]

Google is your friend.

[@mentosmuncher]

Steve rubin during the award ceremony looked like Brad Pitt from curious case of Benjamin Button

[@Ottawa3453]

+Ryan S Cannot be unseen!

[@derpy3781]

that secure the wastes is deadly

[@Drecon84]

After begging his teammate to please conced to him (instead of having a draw that would benefit neither of them) Andrea actually did well. Must be a great consolation for Mori.

[@ekteboi4179]

+Drecon84 He did that? Wow, lame.

[@Drecon84]

+Ekte Boi You can see it at the end of the round 16 video. That said, you can't really blame him. With a draw both him and his teammate would have missed top 8.

[@ekteboi4179]

Ye okay, but controlling results like that always makes me a little uneasy.

[@Drecon84]

+Ekte Boi I feel the same way.

[@AB21]

Question for someone with more experience. Where do they get parts of deck names? for example "Bant" Company I know the company part comes from the card collected company but where does Bant come from.

[@AB21]

***** Thank you! That explains it.

[@alfyt3385]

Bant is a clan there's bant Jund Esper Grixis Abzan Temur Mardu Jeskai They are all 3 color combinations

[@xx_pussyslayer69_xx95]

Alfred Smith it's not a clan their the names of the shards of the plain Alara. Which is split into four Pieces Bant Jund Grixis Esper And the clans of tarkir Mardu Temur Abzan Jeskai Sultai

[@beauxmckenty7460]

So at 6:47 Steve Rubin Tapped 3 plains to pay for Nissa. Did I miss something or is this an illegal play?

[@RickCentauro]

+Beaux McKenty He has Oath of Nissa out.

[@joseluisarmenta]

andrea mengucci has 6 cards of refelctor is that legal? 24:00

[@alecsavaro6501]

Game 4, Nissa, voice of zendikar costs 2 green 1 generic, but he had 2 plains and a dual green white ( looks like canopy vista) how did he cast Nissa??

[@alecsavaro6501]

Neverrrr mind, went back and had to read oath of Nissa.

[@noradi123]

Rubin look so different now lmao

[@maxpheby7287]

When a minute its the same guy on both sides, hows that fair or even possible?

[@ashzciwobuz1277]

Love to see LSV vs Ivan Floch one day. my two magic idols.

[@Leverquin]

is this without eldrich moon?

[@quinnskoog7153]

at 55:30 could Steve have added a counter to Hangarback to get an extra thopter after TA resolves?

[@jacobondeka914]

+Quinn Skoog yeah he even noticed after the TA resolved. You could even see him bang the table for it.

[@mr.dreampants8095]

Its funny how the top 8 had so many veterans and the finals ended up being 2 fairly new young players.

[@fredmuppet2027]

Am I missing something or shouldn't the 0/0 Hangerback have flipped Rubin's avacyn, saving it from the other avacyn?

[@jairomy]

+Fred Muppet Read the cards.

[@Tryo707]

+Fred Muppet You are missing something.

[@montyblume]

+Fred Muppet Avacyn flips at the beginning of the next upkeep, not immediately.

[@tio4440]

What was carrot top doing there at the end?

[@lineshawn4819]

What happened at the end of game 2?

[@johnbrahaney9350]

umm... so at about 7:08 Nobody else saw the incorrect mana tap...? for the nissa?

[@josenellandrewtumulak2400]

oath of nissa allows you to tap any land for any color if youre gonna play a planeswalker

[@johnbrahaney9350]

+Jose Nell Andrew Tumulak didn't see the oath, thnx

[@PalPlays]

I miss Reflector Mage in standard.

[@JakeMGolle]

This season looked so promising. Now it's just GW and Bant everywhere

[@felipeviana1994]

Nice GW planeswalkers splashing Avacyn Rubin got there

[@alphshift7857]

And now Steve Rubin is the one in charge for balance changes in LoR

[@Jaryism]

Waldo vs Waldo

[@ShrinkWrapping]

58:45 why is thopter token tapped?

[@unwantedpeasant166]

what are these dices they put on top of the cards?

[@federicobiondi431]

+1/+1 counters

[@troyrussell177]

8:20 )sv casually roasting the coverage 😂😂😂

[@viktorkm9]

this match is beautiful

[@jeromeofmarmite8914]

When randy was playing, was he better then LSV?

[@Smesh_U]

I dont think so. He just played blue control old school control lsv plays everything

[@Smesh_U]

In my opinion atleast

[@GuzForster]

I love Steve's deck, it's a killer!

[@Kavou]

WOW!Amazing games!

[@tazmetgrisham8]

i run a naya speed deck and i can turn 3 win in standard and now I'm sad because both swiftspear and seeker is gone :-(

[@zezonobito6654]

Wait how can Gideon attack? I thought he was a planeswalker

[@sebastianllano7424]

He has an ability saying he turn into a human that can attack

[@ErickBee]

Wasn't Mengucci given a lifetime ban?

[@Domenico44055]

No, a Bant xD

[@ErickBee]

OH NO YOU DIDN'T

[@Osborne4Life]

Rubin was smug as fuck, and Mengucci basically cheated his way into Top 8. This was definitely one of those finals where I didn't want either finalist to win.

[@raitosureya]

ALL HAIL OUR STANDARD METAGAME OVERLORDS! #ProTourCoCo :V

[@SuperHumblewarrior]

is budget green white tokens possible?

[@gaminginc-lj3wt]

+SuperHumblewarrior Not really withought nissa and gideon its not really possible

[@SuperHumblewarrior]

That's okay. I brewed up a white black allies/life drain deck last night. It's pretty awesome.

[@gaminginc-lj3wt]

SuperHumblewarrior yeah they're pretty fun to play with

[@brandenplaysgames4413]

i would make a prowess deck with stormchaser mage cuz that shit is terrifying.

[@Foozefighter]

The real angel in all of this is Gaby Spartz in the back ;)

[@QSP-OG]

does anyone else think these two look related in some way? or is it just me?

[@nino3759]

STEVE Rubin cast gideon with 2 colorless mana in game 3. 41 minutes in and no one caught it.

[@dillpickle694]

Oath of Nissa allows you to spend mana as though it was any colour if you’re casting a plansewalker

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

Great match!

[@dng3mjh]

Please bring back Randy. :(

[@brunoareastoledo]

On the last game, when Andrea transformed his Nissa, Vastwood Seer, wouldn't his Nissa planeswalker destroy Steven's Nissa planeswalker? I'm confused.

[@TheSaionari]

no, this worked in kamigawa, i think. :)

[@thothheartmaat2833]

why dont people dress up in cosplay for this? they dont look like wizards...

[@joshshin6819]

That's because they are Planeswalkers.

[@thomasgreen9940]

i swear that at 1:21:48 rubins sylvan advocate triggered (6 or more lands) giving all his stuff +2+2!

[@slapp5357]

It's not a trigger and only works for itself and animated lands

[@thomasgreen9940]

oh thanks

[@FrazierHarcrow]

I don't understand the constant fidgeting with cards in their hands. maybe it's a nervous tick like with a fidget spinner or poker chips. i don't know but for me it's distracting :P

[@christhesoulcastermage]

Its called card flicking. It can be used as a stress relief, but it also shuffles their hands. That way the opponent cant tell if a card they played was their draw, or if it was already in their hand

[@gsharpenmydjencil]

Tell me you haven’t played competitive magic without telling me you haven’t played competitive magic.

[@Cascademenace]

Mengucci and Rubin could be brothers lol.

[@ShuffleHerci]

1:37:19 mike sigrist at the ceremony ... "lose all my sandals" ... "better get them back" .... "fk it, one is enough" :D

[@piff28]

who win?

[@StealthAngel667]

Steve Lubin' dat CoCo deck up! Kreygasm

[@Scribblescrabbly]

Looking like a young Brad Pitt tbh

[@Snapdaxx]

If Luis beats shota in the quarterfinals he wins this whole thing. He stomped everyone of these decks

[@KhanGarth]

BBD was on his team, cool

[@irlrp]

Actual meta seems interesting :)

[@hallt13]

STOP SHUFFLING! Your cards won't change.

[@aarongalloway9750]

It's a mind game. A lot of pro players that I've noticed shuffle their cards in their hands quickly to try and throw off their opponent and distract them so that they maybe make mistakes.

[@chameleonedm]

...urhm, it's literally the same as fiddling with a pen, there's little thought behind it

[@ajaxvibe1629]

Chameleon EDM If there are several cards in hand it is also used so your opponent doesn't see which cards are staying in your hand constantly.

[@RM_3D]

Yeh man its super anoying its like they all snorted coke or drank 8 red bulls. literally cant watch it had to stop the vid lol

[@Vanguard187]

MenGucci losing feels like justice. begging for teammate to concede is greasy.

[@robertlozyniak3661]

9:52 I would think that, at a MTG tournament of all places, running out of dice would never be a problem. P.S. I have made well over a hundred of my own "counter" dice out of different materials. The easiest way is to take blank wood cubes and write on them (I prefer a Sharpie-brand oil-based paint-marker for this).

[@kennhern]

p

[@The_Nova_Glow]

40K, "'sure"

[@marianorivera3272]

Omw to pick up a couple avacyns...

[@honeybadger265]

what is the price on them? My local shop has one but for $60 I was like "NOPE"

[@xLycaNinjax]

+honeybadger265 40-50

[@fireemblemistrash75]

Thank god I got one in a pack.

[@honeybadger265]

+CommanderSh!mi X 2 boxes, 2 avacyns here lol

[@maverickpatterson2718]

sylvan advocate should be at least three mana not 2

[@siegelink9549]

11:29 Collected Company into 2 collected Company's and a Archangel Avacyn that he can't play, BUUUUURRRN.

[@antandian123]

I think Steve Rubin's deck should have a always watching card

[@triis2]

+Anthony Munoz non-token

[@martinmcguire6686]

+Anthony Munoz Not even. He's a token deck. Always watching reads "NONE-TOKEN creatures you control get +1/+1 and vigilance."

[@elevendyseven4227]

+Martin McGuire I think he thought it was the opposite

[@antandian123]

yeah sorry I forgot it said non token other wise it would be perfect

[@waterfoker8558]

my god that 1st game avacyn

[@killustrator]

I don't think LSV should do commentary seeing as how he was competing in this tournament. Blurs the lines a bit. He's great but he shouldn't do both.

[@ekteboi4179]

+killustrator He's the only commentator I enjoy.

[@killustrator]

I like him too I just think it's a murky area having one of the competitors weighing in and doing commentary. He should do that at events he isn't playing in and when he retires from play.

[@tuber856]

+killustrator nah go fuck yourself his great

[@Jesin00]

What's "murky" about it?

[@CodyHvids]

yeah standard is fun again i hated the last few formats it was a awful three to five colors and every deak needed 200$+ of lands just to stand a chance.

[@TheWhmaxwell]

Those guys look so much like the same guy it's hilarious

[@fireemblemistrash75]

"Crack my evolving wilds."

[@paulcrick856]

47:02 there is zero benefit to making a Gideon emblem after combat and that was clearly the best loyalty use on Gideon, such a terrible play for such a good player. I guess the big lights make people do really stupid things.

[@MTGMitch]

deece

[@gradydavis251]

+MTG Mitch deece

[@heidikeefe4376]

Mono deece

[@DieTheShisno]

BBD put it best. DECE.