So – here I am again… sorry it’s been a while.. you might understand why.. if not.. we need to turn back time a bit..

2nd of April, 2017 – Hotel room in Paris

I’m feeling great! Last night I played my way into the finals of the 2017 European Legacy Championship! My finals opponent is my friend Thomas Mechin and we’re both wielding my favorite deck, Miracles. We decided to play the finals out today, the day after, since Thomas was tired. I feel invincible, eat some breakfast, and go to the site where I lose 2 quick games – congratulate Thomas, take my prizes, receive many congratulations myself, go back home to Denmark and start looking at GP Vegas!

(Anders’ Tournament Report)

(Thomas’ Tournament Report)

18th of April 2017 – Roskilde, Denmark

I just booked my plane ticket for Vegas, Miracles is great and I think I have an actual shot at top 8’ing this thing, what can possibly go wrong?

24th of April 2017 – Holbaek Hospital, Denmark

The B&R announcement is today.. I’m at work, checking the Miracles chat as much as I can, thinking they will be as fast in conveying any news as I can get them myself. I don’t really think anything is going to change – Miracles is great, but it’s not that dominant and why would they ban it now? But I am nervous.. and then disaster strikes as someone sends a screenshot that reads in part ”Legacy: Sensei’s Divining Top is banned” I don’t believe it until someone sends the link, I’m in the first stage of grief: Denial. It lasts until I open the link and read the announcement myself. Christ… they actually did it… and they didn’t pull any punches they went for the full scale attack in banning top.. well the deck is dead now.. ggs friends. Legacy is crap.. the last control deck in Magic is dead, thanks for all the fun Island.. too bad you can’t do anything anymore.

I’m quick to write a calm, collected and constructive response:

So.. yeah.. that happened. Enter stage two of grief: Anger . I am very angry, not only am I some unknown pile of money down the drain – I’ve also just booked a Vegas trip and what am I going to play? Miracles was part of my identity as a Legacy player, no as a Magic Player, the only deck I ever really played. I was the Miracles guy in my local scene. The notorious Miracles Cabal is filled with despair and a feeling of having accomplished a mission we didn’t really want to complete. Thomas and I apologize to the others since we feel a bit of responsibility after giving the last big event before the announcement a Miracles mirror final. My Facebook wall is filling up with compassionate thoughtful posts.. Wait.. I mean gloating posts… You know pictures of magic cards like ”Abandon Hope” and “Rain of Salt” The owner of my LGS posts in their magic group that ”Anders Thiesen got Top banned”. I can’t really take much responsibility.. everything is due to the Miracle Cabal so we can’t pinpoint a single person, but a lot of players all gave their little inputs and now we are… not disbanding, but heading in different directions. The chat isn’t deleted out of respect for what we achieved.

Some of the members turn to Storm, some turn to Delver strategies, few turn to other Combo decks. I take a week off from Magic. I turn to Hans Jacob Goddik for advice. He has a spare BUG Delver deck I could trade into which I do. I also buy the deck on MTGO (Thanks Cardhoarder! ❤) and I start playing it. I enjoy the non-Delver matches, but Delver matches seem to be decided by Deathrite Shaman too often.

26th of April 2017 – Roskilde, Denmark

”Addendum to the B&R announcement” NICE! They must have realized their mistake and reversed the top ban it was all a joke! Stage three of grief: Bargaining… ”What!? Some dumb emergency ban in standard.. WotC have lost it..” Now the plan is to just jam BUG Delver until I master the deck. I now enter a period where Magic just makes me sad, I don’t enjoy BUG Delver and control seems unplayable… Stage four: Depression. That lasts until a few members of the Miracles Cabal lure me into trying all sorts of StoneBlade piles, namely Minhajul Hoq has a dream of making Tundra great again. I’m filled with a bit of careful optimism as these piles are at least on the controlling end of midrange, but nothing really feels great… until “Miracles” lists with Unexpectedly Absent start popping up. The old miracles cabal is back at it and the wheels are in motion: Let’s make Tundra great again! We discuss red splashes, the history of old Miracles, the power of Unexpectedly Absent. How to approach combo decks, Nicklas Lallo and Callum “Whitefaces” Smith are really productive and deserve a shoutout. Testing is great, we are very optimistic.

11th of June – Hotel room in Las Vegas, Nevada

In Vegas some days before the GP for an intense testing session with some Danes, I’m finishing up this piece while playing in the Legacy Challenge with the following list

Miracles

We’re still early in testing but I think I’ve found something I like. The fifth stage of grief: Acceptance

Farewell…

That would have been the end of my article, but I have some news. I’ve been offered a writing gig for another site that was too good to turn down so while I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity Tom has offered me here it’s time to move on. I’ve had a blast writing here and I look forward to my new gig. I wish Tom the best with the Library and hope to see it strive in the future. Thank you to everyone who has ever offered me feedback or stopped by my stream (which will continue after Vegas of course) I appreciate every one of you

For now

❤ Thiesen

Editor’s Note: It has been an absolute blast working with Anders for these last few months and I will be really sad to see him go. I am, however, incredibly proud of the opportunity he has been offered and I can’t wait to read and watch all the Legacy content he makes in the coming years. Hopefully we will be able to welcome him back in the future, but until then, thank you Anders for all your hard work and wonderful articles. Tom

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