Season 12 Top 8 Player Showcase
It’s the final week of the VML! 128 players entered and this week we’ll see a single winner. This week is different from others, as players have to play up to three matches in a week, and will have to account for all other opponents in the top 8 instead of just preparing for a single match against a single opponent.
Jason Ye
Anyone who knows Jason knows it loves playing Slogurk, and that stays true for this week, this time bringing the 5 Color version
Which cards are you happiest to see rotate?
The SNC fetchlands – Analyst is a great, fun deck, but also has some questionable paper play patterns and has had its time in the sun in Standard.
How has the VML helped you improve as a player?
VML was my introduction to competitive constructed! My first experience playing constructed was signing up for season 8 on a whim, and I improved quickly while testing with a team, learning how constructed differed from limited. I really liked the experience of working on a constructed testing team, so I continued doing that with Sanctum, and now here we are
What are your goals after this season?
My biggest goal is winning Player of the Year by doing well at Worlds – or, at least getting a solid 2nd place to Simon
Mythic Mikaela
Mikaela is the only player in top 8 on Esper Midrange, which is surprising as the deck has a reputation for being a safe choice that’s good against everything.
How does your testing process change given you’ll play against three opponents this week?
For deck decision not really. I tried to have a better idea of what I thought the top 8 meta would be overall and make a solid deck choice based on that but mostly just wanted to go with what I was comfortable with playing most matchups. Just playing extra games during the week for some practice.
How has the VML helped you improve?
It forces me to actually play magic each week which helps but I like being able to think about the specific matches and grow that way instead of needing to just adapt to what’s in front of me on ladder. Also great to be able to chat with other VML players and get their thoughts and improve through learning that way.
What are your goals after this season?
I’d like to put in the effort to prepare for the RC and try to at least make day 2.
Ashley Fairchild
In the division play, Ashley primarily played Boros Convoke, but she played Analyst every week in playoffs. She’s sticking to Analyst this week, on a 4 color variant that splashes Black for Duress.
What was your hardest match this season?
My hardest match this season was against Talia in the round of sixteen. Fae is the best control player I know of.
Which cards are you happiest to see rotate?
After playing Analyst a lot and pulling wins out of nowhere, I’m kind of glad it won’t exist in this iteration anymore.
How has the VML helped you improve?
I am not very good at preparing for a tournament. Weekly decision making gave me the time and space to think more critically about how I approached the league, as well as more insight into preparation in general.
TexasRangerMTG
TexasRangerMTG played Temur Analyst for most of the season, but is switching to Boros Convoke for the finals, a deck they haven’t played at all this season.
Which cards are you happiest to see rotate?
Honestly, none. This standard has been extremely fun and diverse. I’m optimistic for next season but will hold post OTJ standard in very high regard.
How has the VML helped you improve?
It’s helped me approach deck choices more fluidly. Needing to reevaluate my options every week really made me look at all the decks at my disposal rather than just my comfort zone.
What are your goals after this season?
To make the Pro Tour! I had a string of 3 back to back to back RC day 2s but couldn’t convert any of them. Hoping to change that in DC.
CliffBoyardee
Cliff is the only player from last season’s top 8 to also top 8 this season. They finished second place last season, and are looking to win this one with Azorius Control.
How does your testing process change this week?
I wanted to pick something safe for the top 8. Given my success playing control in the past I figured that would be my best option.
How do you feel about your matches?
I feel fairly good about the bracket. I’ve been doing pretty well against analyst on control and know how to navigate the mirror decently well. The only decks I’m really worried about are toxic and Legends on the other side of the bracket.
What are your goals after this season?
My big goals right now are winning VML champs, making it to NRG champs, and top 8-ing a Pro Tour
Nora Martin
Nora is on Bant Toxic this week, opting to play an aggressive deck instead of Dimir or Golgari Midrange, which she’s mostly played in the past.
What was your hardest match this season?
Definitely my top 16 match against Amy Altman. We were in game 3 with me at 6 and she had 2 Warleader’s Call in play and an empty board, so I had to fade multiple draw steps getting through 16 life or so with just creature lands and mirrex tokens.
How has the VML helped you improve?
Confidence! Competitive Magic felt like an impenetrable wall before I started playing in the VML, but having access to great players in testing teams and great opponents in the tournament proper has helped me keep the imposter syndrome at bay.
What are your goals after the season?
I’m always just looking to grow as a player! I try not to attach myself too much to the specific results of a given event.
Worldwaker2
In their first VML Season, Worldwaker2 is the other Analyst player in top 8, playing the stock Temur version.
What was your hardest match this season?
There were a couple doozies, but the one week that stands out in my memory is my week 6 match, where I was on UG Cookies and my opponent was on toxic. The matchup was super even and super skill intensive, and I practiced a ton leading up to the match (huge shoutout to my teammate Amy, who helped me practice that matchup a ton, and whose toxic expertise I heavily leaned on). The match itself showcased this dynamic, and was a nail-biter start to finish.
How does your testing process change this week?
Having to pick a deck for the entire top 8 definitely heavily influenced how I went about deck selection. I was pretty certain that my quarterfinals opponent would be on UW control, and as that was the first match in front of me, I wanted to make sure I chose a deck I was comfortable going into that matchup. Beyond that, looking at the top 8 I was able to make some assumptions, but the potential deck spread was wide enough that it didn’t feel like there was a single pick that would give me a massive edge. With that in mind, I decided to pick Temur Analyst, the deck I’m most comfortable with in this format, and one I felt comfortable enough piloting into just about any matchup that I expected to see.
As for practice, I mostly focused on practicing against my quarterfinals opponent’s list, since out of the top 8 that was the match I was most nervous about, and the most certain matchup I’d have to play.
Also, I have to give a huge shoutout to my close friend and MtG soulmate Ryan, who I worked with closely at every point in the process. I don’t think I would have made it this far without their help and support.
How has the VML helped you improve?
I could honestly gush for hours on how much I love the structure of VML. I think the biggest takeaways for me have been:
- Learning how to effectively metagame – being able to focus on one opponent and their deck history at a time was a lot more manageable to approach than an entire metagame. I really enjoyed diving in to try and figure out patterns in my opponents deck choices, and then finding a deck that was well positioned against whatever they could feasibly bring. After doing that every week this season, I feel like approaching a larger metagame is a lot less intimidating.
- Getting back into the flow of learning an entire constructed format – Most of the magic I play is limited, so I rarely get too deep into any given constructed format. A long-running league like VML really forces a wide and continued engagement with the format of choice in order to succeed. By the end of it, I feel like I have a good understanding of the breadth of the format, and would be comfortable learning and playing any deck in the format relatively quickly. Being on a really active team really helped push me towards that end, huge shoutout to team 5555555555!
Aspi
Aspi is playing Azorius Control, a deck she played the past two weeks in playoffs. She’s the only undefeated player this season, and would be one of few players to win a season without losing a match.
How do you feel about your matches?
I’m more worried about being very sleepy during top4 than the actual games. It starts at 2am!! As for the matchups I know my baby well, I’ve been piloting it at comp events for all this standard season.
How has the VML helped you improve?
The VML was a great gateway to meet people from sanctum of all and join the team. I’ve been lucky to not need the RC invite but it’s also a very good way to get more fruity folk at the RCs.
What are your goals after this season?
Being queued for the RC in November means this summer magic will be kind of empty. There’s always season 13 and the various Arena Opens/Qualifiers but I don’t think I’ll be playing with paper cards before the modern RCQ season.