Modern Coverage MKM Series Frankfurt 2017

Event Coverage of the MKM Series Hamburg

Legacy Coverage of the MKM Series Frankfurt 2017
Modern Coverage
Standard Coverage of the MKM Series Frankfurt 2017
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The endless diversity of Modern was beloved by many and hated by others. Almost 30% of the 386 competitors did not bring a deck which belonged in any of the main categories, but in the end consistency paid off as Affinity and Jonas Nieke prevailed.

After nine rounds of Swiss, there were almost no fringe decks standing and multiple Death's Shadow variations made it to the play-offs alongside Eldrazi Tron, Titan Breach and Kiki-Chord. Our outlier was Merfolk, an archetype which was on the brink of becoming a big player in Modern since the format's inception. It was apparent that experimentation would rarely be successful in this format.

With the bracket falling the way it did, it became clear very fast that we would have a Shadow player in the finals. Having two of these competitors being Esper-flavored meant that it would be a tough one for Affinity. But Jonas Nieke did not care for all the Sideboard cards in the world and overcame Karl Oskar Persson in three tight games.

Congratulations to Jonas Nieke, the Modern Champion of MKM Series Hamburg 2017!

Krull, Nicklas
(Kiki Chord)
1

Kohn, Michel
(Esper Shadow)
2

Persson, Karl Oskar
(Esper Shadow)
2

Zens, Dennis
(Jund Shadow)
1

Nieke, Jonas
(Affinity)
2

Brown, Jason
(Eldrazi Tron)
0

Gudehus, Jan
(Merfolk)
0

Bühlbecker, Lukas
(Titan Breach)
2

Kohn, Michel
(Esper Shadow)
1

Persson, Karl Oskar
(Esper Shadow)
2

Nieke, Jonas
(Affinity)
2

Bühlbecker, Lukas
(Titan Breach)
0

Persson, Karl Oskar
(Esper Shadow)
1

Nieke, Jonas
(Affinity)
2

Nieke, Jonas
(Affinity)

Top 8 Decklists

Michel Kohn – Esper Shadow

Michel Kohn – Esper Shadow

Main Deck:
  • 3 Liliana of the Veil
  • 2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
  • 2 Gurmag Angler
  • 3 Street Wraith
  • 3 Snapcaster Mage
  • 2 Lingering Souls
  • 2 Path to Exile
  • 2 Inquisition of Kozilek
  • 4 Thoughtseize
  • 4 Death's Shadow
  • 4 Fatal Push
  • 2 Stubborn Denial
  • 4 Thought Scour
  • 4 Serum Visions
  • 2 Watery Grave
  • 2 Godless Shrine
  • 1 Hallowed Fountain
  • 4 Flooded Strand
  • 4 Marsh Flats
  • 4 Polluted Delta
  • 1 Island
  • 1 Swamp
Sideboard:
  • 2 Lingering Souls
  • 1 Disenchant
  • 1 Liliana, the Last Hope
  • 2 Flaying Tendrils
  • 2 Surgical Extraction
  • 2 Collective Brutality
  • 3 Ceremonious Rejection
  • 1 Stubborn Denial
  • 1 Disdainful Stroke
txt version

Michel Kohn – Esper Shadow
Main Deck:
3 Liliana of the Veil
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
2 Gurmag Angler
3 Street Wraith
3 Snapcaster Mage
2 Lingering Souls
2 Path to Exile
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Thoughtseize
4 Death's Shadow
4 Fatal Push
2 Stubborn Denial
4 Thought Scour
4 Serum Visions
2 Watery Grave
2 Godless Shrine
1 Hallowed Fountain
4 Flooded Strand
4 Marsh Flats
4 Polluted Delta
1 Island
1 Swamp
Sideboard:
2 Lingering Souls
1 Disenchant
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
2 Flaying Tendrils
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Collective Brutality
3 Ceremonious Rejection
1 Stubborn Denial
1 Disdainful Stroke

Jason Brown – Eldrazi Tron

Jason Brown – Eldrazi Tron

Main Deck:
  • 4 Matter Reshaper
  • 4 Thought-Knot Seer
  • 4 Reality Smasher
  • 3 Endbringer
  • 4 Walking Ballista
  • 1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
  • 3 Dismember
  • 2 All Is Dust
  • 4 Expedition Map
  • 2 Mind Stone
  • 1 Basilisk Collar
  • 4 Chalice of the Void
  • 4 Eldrazi Temple
  • 4 Ghost Quarter
  • 1 Cavern of Souls
  • 1 Sea Gate Wreckage
  • 2 Wastes
  • 4 Urza's Mine
  • 4 Urza's Power Plant
  • 4 Urza's Tower
Sideboard:
  • 1 Basilisk Collar
  • 2 Hangarback Walker
  • 1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
  • 2 Warping Wail
  • 2 Ratchet Bomb
  • 1 Crucible of Worlds
  • 1 Grafdigger's Cage
  • 3 Relic of Progenitus
  • 2 Pithing Needle
txt version

Jason Brown – Eldrazi Tron
Main Deck:
4 Matter Reshaper
4 Thought-Knot Seer
4 Reality Smasher
3 Endbringer
4 Walking Ballista
1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
3 Dismember
2 All Is Dust
4 Expedition Map
2 Mind Stone
1 Basilisk Collar
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Eldrazi Temple
4 Ghost Quarter
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Sea Gate Wreckage
2 Wastes
4 Urza's Mine
4 Urza's Power Plant
4 Urza's Tower
Sideboard:
1 Basilisk Collar
2 Hangarback Walker
1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
2 Warping Wail
2 Ratchet Bomb
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Grafdigger's Cage
3 Relic of Progenitus
2 Pithing Needle

Jan Gudehus – Merfolk

Jan Gudehus – Merfolk

Main Deck:
  • 1 Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
  • 1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
  • 4 Mutavault
  • 2 Cavern of Souls
  • 12 Island
  • 4 Cursecatcher
  • 4 Silvergill Adept
  • 4 Lord of Atlantis
  • 4 Master of the Pearl Trident
  • 4 Harbinger of the Tides
  • 3 Phantasmal Image
  • 3 Merrow Reejerey
  • 3 Master of Waves
  • 4 Aether Vial
  • 4 Spreading Seas
  • 3 Dismember
Sideboard:
  • 2 Vendilion Clique
  • 2 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
  • 3 Relic of Progenitus
  • 4 Dispel
  • 4 Ceremonious Rejection
txt version

Jan Gudehus – Merfolk
Main Deck:
1 Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
4 Mutavault
2 Cavern of Souls
12 Island
4 Cursecatcher
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
4 Harbinger of the Tides
3 Phantasmal Image
3 Merrow Reejerey
3 Master of Waves
4 Aether Vial
4 Spreading Seas
3 Dismember
Sideboard:
2 Vendilion Clique
2 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
3 Relic of Progenitus
4 Dispel
4 Ceremonious Rejection

Jonas Nieke – Affinity

Jonas Nieke – Affinity

Main Deck:
  • 4 Darksteel Citadel
  • 4 Inkmoth Nexus
  • 4 Blinkmoth Nexus
  • 2 Spire of Industry
  • 2 Glimmervoid
  • 1 Mountain
  • 4 Ornithopter
  • 3 Memnite
  • 1 Bomat Courier
  • 4 Signal Pest
  • 4 Steel Overseer
  • 4 Vault Skirge
  • 4 Arcbound Ravager
  • 2 Etched Champion
  • 2 Master of Etherium
  • 4 Mox Opal
  • 4 Springleaf Drum
  • 4 Cranial Plating
  • 3 Galvanic Blast
Sideboard:
  • 1 Hangarback Walker
  • 2 Etched Champion
  • 1 Grafdigger's Cage
  • 2 Ghirapur Aether Grid
  • 1 Dispatch
  • 2 Stubborn Denial
  • 2 Ancient Grudge
  • 2 Thoughtseize
  • 2 Whipflare
txt version

Jonas Nieke – Affinity
Main Deck:
4 Darksteel Citadel
4 Inkmoth Nexus
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
2 Spire of Industry
2 Glimmervoid
1 Mountain
4 Ornithopter
3 Memnite
1 Bomat Courier
4 Signal Pest
4 Steel Overseer
4 Vault Skirge
4 Arcbound Ravager
2 Etched Champion
2 Master of Etherium
4 Mox Opal
4 Springleaf Drum
4 Cranial Plating
3 Galvanic Blast
Sideboard:
1 Hangarback Walker
2 Etched Champion
1 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Ghirapur Aether Grid
1 Dispatch
2 Stubborn Denial
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Thoughtseize
2 Whipflare

Kalle Persson – Esper Shadow

Kalle Persson – Esper Shadow

Main Deck:
  • 4 Marsh Flats
  • 4 Polluted Delta
  • 3 Flooded Strand
  • 2 Godless Shrine
  • 2 Watery Grave
  • 1 Hallowed Fountain
  • 1 Island
  • 1 Swamp
  • 1 Liliana of the Veil
  • 1 Liliana, the Last Hope
  • 4 Death's Shadow
  • 3 Snapcaster Mage
  • 1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
  • 2 Gurmag Angler
  • 1 Tombstalker
  • 4 Thought Scour
  • 3 Fatal Push
  • 3 Path to Exile
  • 3 Stubborn Denial
  • 2 Inquisition of Kozilek
  • 4 Serum Visions
  • 1 Sleight of Hand
  • 2 Lingering Souls
  • 4 Thoughtseize
  • 3 Street Wraith
Sideboard:
  • 3 Nihil Spellbomb
  • 3 Ceremonious Rejection
  • 1 Countersquall
  • 1 Disdainful Stroke
  • 1 Blessed Alliance
  • 1 Disenchant
  • 1 Zealous Persecution
  • 1 Anguished Unmaking
  • 1 Flaying Tendrils
txt version

Kalle Persson – Esper Shadow
Main Deck:
4 Marsh Flats
4 Polluted Delta
3 Flooded Strand
2 Godless Shrine
2 Watery Grave
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Island
1 Swamp
1 Liliana of the Veil
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
4 Death's Shadow
3 Snapcaster Mage
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
2 Gurmag Angler
1 Tombstalker
4 Thought Scour
3 Fatal Push
3 Path to Exile
3 Stubborn Denial
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Serum Visions
1 Sleight of Hand
2 Lingering Souls
4 Thoughtseize
3 Street Wraith
Sideboard:
3 Nihil Spellbomb
3 Ceremonious Rejection
1 Countersquall
1 Disdainful Stroke
1 Blessed Alliance
1 Disenchant
1 Zealous Persecution
1 Anguished Unmaking
1 Flaying Tendrils

Nicklas Krull – Kiki Chord

Nicklas Krull – Kiki Chord

Main Deck:
  • 1 Gavony Township
  • 2 Horizon Canopy
  • 4 Windswept Heath
  • 4 Wooded Foothills
  • 2 Stomping Ground
  • 1 Overgrown Tomb
  • 1 Sacred Foundry
  • 1 Temple Garden
  • 1 Breeding Pool
  • 1 Blood Crypt
  • 1 Fire-Lit Thicket
  • 2 Snow-Covered Forest
  • 1 Snow-Covered Mountain
  • 1 Snow-Covered Plains
  • 4 Birds of Paradise
  • 3 Wall of Roots
  • 2 Voice of Resurgence
  • 1 Scavenging Ooze
  • 1 Spellskite
  • 1 Selfless Spirit
  • 3 Eternal Witness
  • 3 Kitchen Finks
  • 2 Renegade Rallier
  • 1 Orzhov Pontiff
  • 1 Reclamation Sage
  • 1 Aven Mindcensor
  • 1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
  • 3 Restoration Angel
  • 1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
  • 4 Lightning Bolt
  • 4 Chord of Calling
  • 2 Eldritch Evolution
Sideboard:
  • 1 Sin Collector
  • 1 Izzet Staticaster
  • 1 Magus of the Moon
  • 1 Eidolon of Rhetoric
  • 1 Glen Elendra Archmage
  • 1 Archangel of Tithes
  • 1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
  • 1 Sigarda, Host of Herons
  • 2 Engineered Explosives
  • 2 Stony Silence
  • 2 Lightning Helix
  • 1 Slaughter Games
txt version

Nicklas Krull – Kiki Chord
Main Deck:
1 Gavony Township
2 Horizon Canopy
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Stomping Ground
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Temple Garden
1 Breeding Pool
1 Blood Crypt
1 Fire-Lit Thicket
2 Snow-Covered Forest
1 Snow-Covered Mountain
1 Snow-Covered Plains
4 Birds of Paradise
3 Wall of Roots
2 Voice of Resurgence
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Spellskite
1 Selfless Spirit
3 Eternal Witness
3 Kitchen Finks
2 Renegade Rallier
1 Orzhov Pontiff
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Aven Mindcensor
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
3 Restoration Angel
1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Chord of Calling
2 Eldritch Evolution
Sideboard:
1 Sin Collector
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Magus of the Moon
1 Eidolon of Rhetoric
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Archangel of Tithes
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
1 Sigarda, Host of Herons
2 Engineered Explosives
2 Stony Silence
2 Lightning Helix
1 Slaughter Games

Lukas Bühlbecker – Titan Breach

Lukas Bühlbecker – Titan Breach

Main Deck:
  • 4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
  • 4 Wooded Foothills
  • 3 Windswept Heath
  • 4 Stomping Ground
  • 1 Sacred Foundry
  • 2 Cinder Glade
  • 5 Mountain
  • 2 Forest
  • 1 Nahiri, the Harbinger
  • 1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
  • 4 Sakura-Tribe Elder
  • 1 Wood Elves
  • 2 Simian Spirit Guide
  • 4 Primeval Titan
  • 1 Emrakul, the Aeon's Torn
  • 2 Prismatic Omen
  • 3 Summoner's Pact
  • 2 Lightning Bolt
  • 4 Through the Breach
  • 3 Farseek
  • 4 Search for Tomorrow
  • 1 Sweltering Suns
  • 2 Hour of Promise
Sideboard:
  • 1 Reclamation Sage
  • 1 Chameleon Colossus
  • 1 Woodfall Primus
  • 2 Relic of Progenitus
  • 1 Grafdigger's Cage
  • 2 Angel's Grace
  • 1 Silence
  • 2 Ancient Grudge
  • 1 Puls of Murasa
  • 1 Crumble to Dust
  • 2 Anger of the Gods
txt version

Lukas Bühlbecker – Titan Breach
Main Deck:
4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
4 Wooded Foothills
3 Windswept Heath
4 Stomping Ground
1 Sacred Foundry
2 Cinder Glade
5 Mountain
2 Forest
1 Nahiri, the Harbinger
1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
4 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Wood Elves
2 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Primeval Titan
1 Emrakul, the Aeon's Torn
2 Prismatic Omen
3 Summoner's Pact
2 Lightning Bolt
4 Through the Breach
3 Farseek
4 Search for Tomorrow
1 Sweltering Suns
2 Hour of Promise
Sideboard:
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Chameleon Colossus
1 Woodfall Primus
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Angel's Grace
1 Silence
2 Ancient Grudge
1 Puls of Murasa
1 Crumble to Dust
2 Anger of the Gods

Dennis Zens – Jund Shadow

Dennis Zens – Jund Shadow

Main Deck:
  • 4 Verdant Catacombs
  • 4 Blodstained Mire
  • 2 Wooded Foothills
  • 1 Polluted Delta
  • 1 Marsh Flats
  • 1 Overgrown Tomb
  • 1 Blood Crypt
  • 1 Stomping Ground
  • 1 Swamp
  • 1 Forest
  • 2 Liliana of the Veil
  • 4 Death's Shadow
  • 4 Tarmogoyf
  • 4 Street Wraith
  • 4 Mishra's Bauble
  • 3 Fatal Push
  • 2 Lightning Bolt
  • 2 Abrupt Decay
  • 1 Dismember
  • 2 Temur Battle Rage
  • 2 Kolaghan's Command
  • 4 Inquisition of Kozilek
  • 4 Thoughtseize
  • 4 Traverse the Ulvenwald
Sideboard:
  • 1 Liliana, the Last Hope
  • 2 Fulminator Mage
  • 1 Ranger of Eos
  • 1 Grafdigger's Cage
  • 1 Nihil Spellbomb
  • 1 Surgical Extraction
  • 1 Ancient Grudge
  • 2 Kozilek's Return
  • 2 Collective Brutality
  • 3 Lingering Souls
txt version

Dennis Zens – Jund Shadow
Main Deck:
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Blodstained Mire
2 Wooded Foothills
1 Polluted Delta
1 Marsh Flats
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Blood Crypt
1 Stomping Ground
1 Swamp
1 Forest
2 Liliana of the Veil
4 Death's Shadow
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Street Wraith
4 Mishra's Bauble
3 Fatal Push
2 Lightning Bolt
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Dismember
2 Temur Battle Rage
2 Kolaghan's Command
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Thoughtseize
4 Traverse the Ulvenwald
Sideboard:
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
2 Fulminator Mage
1 Ranger of Eos
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Ancient Grudge
2 Kozilek's Return
2 Collective Brutality
3 Lingering Souls

Articles

Video Feature Match: Final – Jonas Nieke vs. Karl Oscar Persson

Video Feature Match: Final – Jonas Nieke vs. Karl Oscar Persson

by | Sep 20, 2017 | 0 Comments

On his way to the final Karl Oscar Persson had defeated both a Jund and an Esper variant of Death Shadow, the later of which he was piloting himself as well. On the other side of the bracket Jonas Nieke had dispatched the other important part of the metagame - the big...

Vendor Feature: Stefan Urban

Vendor Feature: Stefan Urban

by | Sep 17, 2017 | 0 Comments

A short time ago Stefan Urban and Pascal Wagner formed the new vendor team FKTRD. They have been selling cards in record numbers on MKM recently, and they joined us here in Hamburg with large amounts of both Old School cards (Alpha/Beta/Unlimited and more) and...

Semifinal: Jonas Nieke vs. Lukas Bühlbecker

Semifinal: Jonas Nieke vs. Lukas Bühlbecker

by | Sep 17, 2017 | 0 Comments

"I don't mind either way. I'm just happy to be here," said Lukas Bühlbecker, who was playing in his first big tournament this weekend and had already secured several hundred Euros in MKM credit with his Top 4 finish. What got Bühlbecker so far was a red-green...

Quarterfinal: Nicklas Krull vs. Michel Kohn

Quarterfinal: Nicklas Krull vs. Michel Kohn

by | Sep 16, 2017 | 0 Comments

As Krull came in at first place, he wisely chose to play first, hoping that the prowess he displayed in the Swiss rounds would carry on here. His Kiki-Chord deck granted him a stellar 8-0-1 record. Game 1 Things went according to plan when Krull immediately kept his...

Quick Question: Ixalan in Modern?

Quick Question: Ixalan in Modern?

by | Sep 16, 2017 | 0 Comments

Ixalan wasn't a factor at MKM Series Hamburg 2017, as the set wasn't even released yet. But it was of course one of the most discussed topics among players. We asked a number of notable players whether they had seen any cards in the upcoming expansion which might have...

Video Interview: Modern Deck Tech with Niklas Holtmann

Video Interview: Modern Deck Tech with Niklas Holtmann

by | Sep 15, 2017 | 0 Comments

Niklas Holtmann is a regular at the MKM Series. He made Top8 in one of our largest Legacy events in Frankfurt last year, but today he was happy to talk about Modern because he is planning to bring a really fun deck to tomorrow's Modern main event here in Hamburg....

Previously at the MKM Series: Modern in Prague

Previously at the MKM Series: Modern in Prague

by | Sep 14, 2017 | 0 Comments

On the eve of MKM Series Hamburg, it was time for us to once again take a step back and review what happened so far … Just seven weeks ago, players from all over Europe gathered in Prague for the third stop of the MKM Series in 2017, including 296 masters of Modern....

Metagame Breakdown

It's Modern time! The format, where everything is possible and each and every player can play whatever they want to has lured almost 400 competitors to the event hall to battle in what some pros called the format with the highest variance. Nevertheless it has been a fan favorite since its inception and thus rose very fast to have the biggest Main Events in our MKM Series.

Diversity is king and it was no different in Hamburg as you can clearly see in our metagame breakdown. Grixis Shadow still reigned on top for but only a small margin as Burn (be it with or without Wild Nacatl) was on its heels. Collected Company is a heck of a Magic card in with such power it was no surprise to see all different kinds of lists abusing said power. The instant, which dominated Standard just two years ago, supported the Vizier of Remedies combo, the Retreat to Coralhelm combo besides all other kinds of strategies, ranging from tool boxes to beatdown Humans. Blue Control strategies also gained in popularity and showed up in all various ends of the tempo spectrum, sometimes wanting to win just with a planeswalker after the dust had settled, sometimes attacking with a Geist of Saint Traft.

But of course the most interesting part came when looking into the Others category. There were actually a lot of decks just lurking beneath the surface with some copies representing them barely enough to make it into their own category. Dredge, Living End, WR Blood Moon, Elves, Merfolk, and Ad Nauseam all had seven or eight pilots in the race and were close to making our graphic. Also, some really innovating strategies were represented more than once like the HollowVine deck or variances of the Legacy SneaknShow idea and we are certain that we will see these ideas get developed in the future.

Legend

  • 41 Death's Shadow
  • 35 Burn
  • 33 Company Variants
  • 31 U/x Control Variants
  • 27 Abzan Midrange
  • 25 Eldrazi Tron
  • 19 Hatebears
  • 15 Titan Shift
  • 13 Affinity
  • 11 Storm
  • 11 Other Tron Variants
  • 10 Faeries
  • 115 Others

Event Photos

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