The second day of the current Pro Tour Journey into Nyx has just been concluded earlier and with the last of the rounds wrapped up, four of the Channel Fireball team emerged to be part of the final top eight that will be playing on Sunday (Atlanta time).

Here are the top eight Theros Block Constructed decks of the Pro Tour.

Leading the pack is Patrick Chapin’s Junk Midrange which went undefeated on Day One.

Patrick Chapin – Junk Midrange
Theros Block

Maindeck
4 Mana Confluence
4 Temple of Malady
4 Temple of Plenty
4 Temple of Silence
4 Forest
3 Swamp
2 Plains

4 Sylvan Caryatid
4 Fleecemane Lion
4 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
4 Courser of Kruphix
2 Polukranos, World Eater

4 Hero’s Downfall
3 Thoughtseize
1 Banishing Light
4 Silence the Believers
1 Read the Bones
4 Elspeth, Sun’s Champion

Sideboard
2 Glare of Heresy
2 Deicide
1 Gods Willing
2 Boon Satyr
2 Arbor Colossus
2 Drown in Sorrow
1 Read the Bones
1 Thoughtseize
1 Feast of Dreams
1 Bile Blight

The complete Top 8 Decklists can be found here.

The furry planeswalker is back, this time in the plane of Theros. I think he will be the walker to wrap up the count in this block. There is not much introduction of him at the mothership site when he was previewed earlier today. I am not sure why but it seems to be the recent trend today for the planeswalker to just be revealed instantly and not slow rolled. Anyhow, here is his new form:

His five-mana casting cost makes it reasonable for the two +1 abilities, and no minus loyalty drawbacks. The +3/+3 counter pump make me consider hexproof critters like Witchstalker in the main deck if ever they go in the same list. With that in mind, here is a rough draft of a Green White Midrange deck with the new Ajani.

Lands
7 Plains
7 Forest
2 Mutavault
4 Temple of Plenty
4 Temple Garden

Creatures
2 Banisher Priest
4 Boon Satyr
3 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
4 Elvish Mystic
2 Mistcutter Hydra
3 Polukranos, World Eater
3 Witchstalker
4 Voice of Resurgence

Spells
1 Angelic Edict
3 Ajani, Mentor of Heroes
3 Elspeth, Sun’s Champion
4 Selesnya Charm

Elvish is your only mana guys to ramp into an early Ajani or Elspeth, but the deck can also curve out well from VoR into Brimaz into Polukranos. We are somewhat clogged into the three drops but Boon Satyr at most times is being played as an Aura so he is a five-drop.

I have chosen Polukranos, World Eater over Advent of the Wurm for the four drop as the latter cannot be fetched by Ajani. Polukranos has also proved to be a walking removal with its monstrous fight ability.

The only six-drop, Elspeth, Sun’s Champion, can generate Soldier tokens to benefit Ajani’s +1/+1 counter and is already a late game bomb on its own.

Selesnya Charm is the standard choice for these colors in terms of combat tricks and pseudo removals. I’ve also considered Banisher Priest and a lone Angelic Edict (which can also deal with spheres and connections) for additional spot removals. The priest might look weak on this build but it is the best critter removal White has to currently offer, plus it can also be pumped by Ajani.

My next plan is to have Ajani, Mentor of Heroes in a Naya version of a midrange deck, though I think I have to wait for the entire cards in the set to be revealed so as to have more choices.

That is a wrap. Until the next post.

The Journey to Nyx Card Previews officially starts today and the mothership site gave us some spicy new cards and mechanics in this coming third and last set of the Theros block. The new mechanics in the set are Constellation and Strive. The former is an enchantress type of trigger whenever that card or another enchantment comes into the battlefield, whereas the latter is a pseudo-Fireball effect wherein you pay additional mana for second or third target.

One card that caught my attention though is the new ‘anthem’ card that the aggro decks really need. The card is Hall of Triump.

This Legendary artifact is so flexible in almost the entire current creature decks as most of the builds are mono colored. In addition to the pump effect, this protects you from over committing your board into a Supreme Verdict and at times even lessens your critters’ vulnerability to Drown in Sorrow.

I am pretty sure Hall of Triump can get at least two slots in the list of most creature decks in the current meta. I can’t wait to see my opponent’s face frown as I bash him/her with a 3/3 Rakdos Cackler.

For the Journey to Nyx cards of today’s previews, click here.