The June 21 ForgeWatch Invitational Qualifier (FWIQ) was run on Challonge with a field of 68 players. A big thanks to The Noetherian for making sure the tournament ran smoothly and commentators Kit and Table1 for keeping things interesting during their live coverage of the Top 16.

The decklists for the Top 16 are listed by finish below including a brief summary of their main features.

Tarsus shows off its relevance in the current landscape, appearing in four of the top eight decklists. Kababesh summarizes the 5-2 or better field: “2 Yetis, 7 NU variants, 2 Drawvatar, 2 AU Flex, 2 AN Flex, 3 NT.”

Hans makes full use of his clock and wins this qualifier in two matches on NU LeafWeaver over NU Grow-wide piloted by Tetrarain.

Top 8

1st – Hans – NU LeafWeaver

Hans brought down the field with a mix of Tarsus, Nuada, and some massive plants! Congrats Hans!

3 Scatterspore Eidolon

3 Tarsus Deathweaver

3 Weirwood Patriarch

3 Stygian Lotus

3 Nuada, Faith’s Flourish

2 Leafkin Progenitor

2 Chrogias

3 Ferocious Roar

3 Varna’s Pact

3 Epidemic

2 Shallow Grave

2nd – Tetrarain – NU Grow-wide

A mix of grow-wide with control. GGD and Thundersaur as pressure threats, Zimus as a late game win condition, and both creatures and spells to handle a variety of threats.

3 Thundersaur

3 Weirwood Patriarch

3 Ebonskull Knight

3 Oros, Deepwood’s Chosen

2 Chistlehearth Archer

2 Echowisp

2 Zimus, The Undying

2 Grimgaunt Devourer

2 Cercee, Hand of Varna

1 Scatterspore Eidolon

3 Ferocious Roar

3 Epidemic

1 Cull the Weak

Top 4 – CarlChu – AN Varna Bots

CarlChu ran bots and Tarsus and made great use of Cercee to keep his opponents’ threats from growing out of control.

3 Alloyin Strategist

3 Brightsteel Gargoyle

3 Cercee, Hand of Varna

3 Tarsus Deathweaver

2 Brightsteel Sentinel

2 Battle Techtician

2 Ebonskull Knight

2 Oreian Justicar

1 Ionic Warcharger

1 Matrix Warden

3 Varna’s Pact

3 Epidemic

2 Overwhelming Force

Top 4 – Derk – Mono A Drix

Ten cards, three copies of each, mostly Metaminds.

3 Alloyin Strategist

3 Battle Techtician

3 Drix, The Mindwelder

3 Ghox, Metamind Paragon

3 Metamind Adept

3 Metamind Operator

3 Metamind Overseer

3 Oreian Justicar

3 Steelforged Avatar

3 Jet Pack

Top 8 – Jabor – NT Removal

NT control for steady damage to the face and some late game win conditions.

3 Storm Caller

3 Byzerak Spitemage

3 Uranti Warlord

3 Ebonskull Knight

3 Scorchmane Dragon

3 Zimus, the Undying

3 Everflame Phoenix

3 Epidemic

3 Vyric’s embrace

2 Cull the Weak

1 Dreadbolt

Top 8 – STILLHADALLDEEZ – NU LotusWeaver

Stygian Lotus making waves immediately after its release appearing here with Tarsus and Varna’s Pact.

3 Zimus, The Undying

3 Ebonskull Knight

3 Tarsus Deathweaver

3 Oros, Deepwood’s Chosen

3 Stygian Lotus

2 Grimgaunt Devourer

3 Ferocious Roar

3 Varna’s Pact

3 Epidemic

2 Cull the Weak

2 Shallow Grave

Top 8 – Zecrus – NU GrowWide

3 Tarsus Deathweaver

3 Echowisp

3 Scatterspore Eidolon

3 Lifeblood Dryad

2 Ebonskull Knight

2 Branchweaver Druid

2 Solstice Reveler

1 Grimgaunt Devourer

1 Zimus, the Undying

1 Stygian Lotus

3 Varna’s Pact

2 Epidemic

2 Ferocious Roar

2 Shallow Grave

Top 8 – Hectares – AU Flex

AU Flex featuring Nexus Tech for keeping the board alive and eight dinosaurs.

3 Gemhide Basher

3 Oros, Deepwood’s Chosen

3 Brightsteel Gargoyle

3 Weirwood Patriarch

3 Thundersaur

3 Alloyin Strategist

2 Swampmoss Lurker

2 Nexus Techtician

3 Ferocious Roar

3 Warmonger Mod

2 Jet Pack

Top 16

Top 16 – cmustewart – UT Yeti

Yetis! High consistency Yeti list with Hellion for pressure.

3 Uranti Warlord

3 Wallbreaker Yeti

3 Uranti Icemage

3 Rageborn Hellion

3 Thundersaur

3 Everflame Phoenix

3 Weirwood Patriarch

3 Uranti Bolt

3 Glacial Crush

3 Ferocious Roar

Top 16 – Aze101 – AU GrowBots

Growbots with both Nexus Tech + Knight and Warmonger Mod, an interesting selection of the most competitive AU cards.

3 Alloyin Strategist

3 Brightsteel Gargoyle

3 Brightsteel Sentinel

3 Weirwood Patriarch

3 Thundersaur

2 Matrix Warden

2 Nexus Techtician

2 Oros, Deepwood’s Chosen

2 Gemhide Basher

1 Aegis Knight

3 Ferocious Roar

2 Warmonger Mod

1 Jet Pack

Top 16 – Brakara – AN Varna Bots

Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology.

3 Brightsteel Gargoyle

3 Alloyin Strategist

3 Cercee, Hand of Varna

3 Tarsus Deathweaver

2 Brightsteel Sentinel

2 Battle Techtician

2 Ionic Warcharger

2 Ebonskull Knight

1 Oreian Justicar

3 Varna’s Pact

3 Epidemic

2 Overwhelming Force

1 Warmonger Mod

Top 16 – xLeitix – NT Tarsus Pact

NT Removal with the Tarsus Pact Shallow Grave package for duping Zimus.

3 Zimus, the Undying

3 Master of Elements

3 Byzerak Spitemage

3 Ebonskull Knight

3 Everflame Phoenix

3 Tarsus Deathweaver

3 Vyric’s Embrace

3 Epidemic

3 Varna’s Pact

3 Shallow Grave

Top 16 – jayelk1 – NT Tarsus Pact

A more defensive NT Tarsus Pact list.

3 Everflame Phoenix

3 Tarsus Deathweaver

3 Byzerak Spitemage

3 Ebonskull Knight

2 Zimus, the Undying

2 Storm Caller

3 Varna’s Pact

3 Dreadbolt

3 Flame Lance

3 Epidemic

2 Shallow Grave

Top 16 – ResidualSteam – NU Grow-wide

A late-game grow-wide deck with six creatures that kill with combat damage.

3 Zimus, the Undying

3 Thundersaur

3 Solstice Reveler

3 Cercee, Hand of Varna

3 Weirwood Patriarch

3 Ebonskull Knight

3 Blight Walker

1 Grimgaunt Devourer

3 Ferocious Roar

3 Vyric’s Embrace

2 Group Meal

Top 16 – jmo101 – NU LotusWeaver

Tarsus and Lotus sitting in a tree… P-A-C-T-I-N-G!

3 Cercee, Hand of Varna

3 Ebonskull Knight

3 Stygian Lotus

3 Tarsus Deathweaver

3 Zimus, the Undying

2 Grimgaunt Devourer

2 Oros, Deepwood’s Chosen

3 Ferocious Roar

3 Epidemic

3 Varna’s Pact

2 Shallow Grave

Top 16 – Kleematisse – NU LotusWeaver

Similar to Hans’ deck, this LeafWeaver list is all-in on flooding the board with giant plants.

3 Nuada, Faith’s Flourish

3 Tarsus Deathweaver

3 Weirwood Patriarch

2 Leafkin Progenitor

2 Scatterspore Eidolon

2 Chrogias

2 Cercee, Hand of Varna

2 Grimgaunt Devourer

1 Heart Tree

1 Stygian Lotus

3 Ferocious Roar

3 Epidemic

2 Varna’s Pact

1 Phytobomb

Great job to all competitors!