Tournament Report — MagicCon Las Vegas 2025 Duel Commander Cup
Written by Beau Doran
It’s likely been a decade since I posted a tournament report; when Gitaxian Probe and Summer Bloom were still Modern legal Deathrite Shaman was still alive in Legacy. I’ve mainly been about the Gathering with some RCQ'ing and RC'ing.
Since having kids and playing nearly all the formats created by Wizards of the Coast (WotC) and the community alike, I hadn’t found my “home” since the 2008 Standard season and early Modern. That changed this past weekend while playing in the MagicCon Las Vegas Duel Commander Cup.
I played the Duel Commander Cup in Chicago in February with Ketramose, the New Dawn. This MagicCon, I pivoted over to Deadpool, Trading Card, as all the pieces had come in, even after picking up The Abyss for Ketramose. Whoops!
Round One: Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury | Gino
Lost the die-roll. Kept a reasonable hand game one. Neither of us mulligan’d.
Turn 2, I played Hymn to Tourach hitting Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd and Blood Moon. The game got grindy but I flooded. We’re each at six life. A top-decked Arena of Glory cast a hasty Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury to finish me off.
Game 2, on the play, I land an early protected Magus of the Moon after looking at their hand. I beat with Magus and Synth Eradicator, which exiles a lethal Ghostfire Slice.
Game 3 was the converse of game 2. My opponent lands a turn 3 Blood Moon but was disappointed I’d fetched Snow-Covered Swamp — aesthetics — and naturally drew my lone Swamp.
The game grinded back and forth. Deadpool swapping text boxes with Mother of Runes. My opponent attempted to On Thin Ice my Nethergoyf. I gave it protection from white with Deadpool. They attacked with Phlage, targeting my face.
I block with my pro-white ‘goyf and drop to six life in the face of their two open mana. I have Lightning Bolt in hand. I crack a fetchland for Raucous Theater and surveil a Synth Eradicator on top. I cast it but it is Reprieved. They’re tapped out, I swing out, and cast the Bolt for lethal.
Tournament Record: 1-0 (2-1 in games)
Round Two: Wilson Partner GW Boggles | Luke
Lost the die-roll again. Game 1, I deal with their threats until they string cards off Kor Spiritdancer. Luckily, I had Chaos Defiler.
Game 2, Luke commander swaps to Sythis, Harvest’s Hand. I pick apart his hand and play around flash enchantments, Luke sticks Light-Paws, Emperor’s Voice but I have Fatal Push and Lighting Bolt. A flashed in Opposition Agent and Broadside Bombardiers finish him out.
Tournament Record: 2-0 (4-1 in games)
Round Three: Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd | Ian
Companion decides to pair me against fellow Colorado player Ian Heinig. I offered an Intentional Draw and ruin everyone’s breakers.
Tournament Record: 2-0-1 (4-1 in games)
Round Four: Aragorn, King Of Gondor | Michael
Lost the die-roll again. Game 1, Michael mulls to six. I cast Deep-Cavern Bat on turn 2 and ride it for a long time having taken his Chain Lightning. He was left with an uncastable Fury and various countermagic.
I wanted a faster clock so I collided with his wall of counterspells, eventually landing Emperor of Bones with Pyroblast back up to close the game.
Game 2 played similarly to game 1. An early Bat saw my opponent get stuck on three lands. I stick a Bloodtithe Harvester, he taps out for True-Name Nemesis. I follow up with Deadpool swapping textboxes with True-Name, which leads to a three-minute judge call. Once resolved, True-Name Deadpool closes it out.
Tournament Record: 3-0-1 (6-1 in games)
Round Five: Lier, Disciple of the Drowned | Nick
Still couldn't win a die-roll. Game 1, I keep a hand of reasonable interaction. It wasn't enough, since Nick, at 13 life, comboed me out.
Game 2, I commander swap into Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger. This is the feature of my deck that makes it so powerful when playing against combo. Kroxa in the command zone is strong.
We both mull to 5. I keep a hand with Hymn to Tourach and Duress with Barrowgoyf as my clock. Nick Sunk Into Stupor and Gigadrowsed my 'goyf to buy time but it wasn't enough.
I keep Kroxa in the command zone for Game 3. We both mull to 6. I keep a hand with plenty of interaction and eventually nuke his graveyard with Boggart Trawler. He has Into the Flood Maw in hand and Lier, Disciple of the Drowned in the command zone.
Mount Doom came up huge. I’d sat on Pyroblast and pinged four times. I had Boggart Trawler and Party Thrasher on board and Kroxa and Detective's Phoenix in the graveyard. I escape Kroxa and bestow the phoenix on it; before moving to combat my opponent sends Kroxa Into the Floodmaw. I attack him to 1 life and sweat a draw step — it's blank and we’re onto round 6.
Tournament Record: 4-0-1 (8-2 in games)
Round Six: Malcolm, The Eyes | Stephen
At this point, I can draw into Top 8. There were 63 people playing six rounds of Swiss. The Judge politely asked that we meet at the black stage Sunday morning at 11:30am for a prompt Top 8.
Tournament Record: 4-0-2 (8-2 in games)
Quarterfinals: Deadpool, Trading Card | Jer
Good news, no more die-rolls to lose. I’m fifth seed so my opponent takes the play. Game 1 is super grindy. Neither of us commit the cardinal sin of Orcish Bowmastering first; I mean playing Deadpool.
I Animate Dead their Magus of the Moon as Jer had no basic Swamps. Jer cycles Troll of Khazad-dûm to solve that problem. The game is close and ends when Jer