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While there wasn't a ton of fanfare (seriously Wizards of the Coast, please promote your professional level events more!), a little over a week ago Japan's Shinya Saito took down the Arena Championship to the tune of $30,000 in prize money as well as a trip to the World Championship next year!
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And he did it with one of the most powerful and consistent decks in all Historic, Izzet Wizards!
Time Stamps:
03:10 - Match 1
20:34 - Match 2
38:04 - Match 3
Izzet Wizards | Historic | Shinya Saito, 1st Place MTG Arena Championship
- Companion (1)
- 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring
- Creatures (15)
- 3 Balmor, Battlemage Captain
- 4 Dreadhorde Arcanist
- 4 Soul-Scar Mage
- 4 Symmetry Sage
- Instants (12)
- 1 Reckless Rage
- 1 Spikefield Hazard // Spikefield Cavern
- 2 Play with Fire
- 4 Flame of Anor
- 4 Wizard's Lightning
- Sorceries (13)
- 1 Strangle
- 4 Expressive Iteration
- 4 Reckless Charge
- 4 Sleight of Hand
Izzet Wizards is one of the most aggressive decks in Historic, capable of putting together combinations of Wizard's Lightning and Reckless Charge that will provide for some crazy turn three kills, but also has the wonderful ability to play longer into a game as well.
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Dreadhorde Arcanist is a card that is surprisingly banned in Legacy, but actually perhaps even more potent here thanks to the numerous ways to increase its power to cast bigger spells. Dreadhorde Arcanist and Reckless Charge are like peanut butter and jelly. But for those folks who keep killing your creatures and slowing the game down, you've got the one-two punch of Expressive Iteration and the recent Flame of Anor, both of which can provide outstanding card advantage at a very low cost.
As seen in the games, this deck is capable of taking on all comers and is a wonderful first Historic deck; there's no surprise it was able to take down the championship!
