On Friday, May 1, over 300 of Magic's best and brightest scholars sat down for Pro Tour Secrets of Strixhaven. Their curriculum consisted of Secrets of Strixhaven Draft and Standard Constructed, making for an especially memorable weekend of competitive Magic. After sixteen rounds of high-stakes spellcasting, we have our Top 8! These students will face off on Sunday, May 3, and compete for the title of Pro Tour champion and a place in Magic history.

Rui Zhang

6 Island 4 Gran-Gran 2 Three Steps Ahead 3 Consult the Star Charts 2 Agna Qel'a 2 Boomerang Basics 4 Combustion Technique 2 Mountain 2 Iroh's Demonstration 4 Firebending Lesson 4 Monument to Endurance 1 Spell Pierce 2 Abandon Attachments 4 Accumulate Wisdom 2 It'll Quench Ya! 4 Riverpyre Verge 4 Artist's Talent 4 Steam Vents 4 Spirebluff Canal 2 Stormchaser's Talent 2 Negate 1 Boomerang Basics 2 Ral, Crackling Wit 2 Quantum Riddler 3 Flashfreeze 1 Spell Pierce 1 Spell Snare 1 Broadside Barrage

Rui Zhang is many things: a superstar Magic player, a deck-building icon, and the first player to make the Top 8 at Pro Tour Secrets of Strixhaven! They're a prominent face in competitive Magic, having made the Top 8 of Magic Spotlight: Foundations, Pro Tour Thunder Junction, and multiple Regional Championships. They started the season with a solid 8-8 finish at Pro Tour Lorwyn Eclipsed, then took the Las Vegas field by storm over the last two days. While their team, Sanctum of All, is known for off-meta decks, Zhang applied their skills to one of the weekend's top archetypes: Izzet Lessons. Armed with a deck filled with efficient interaction and card-draw spells, they're prepared to teach their opponents a lesson in the Top 8.

Matt Nass

4 Hushwood Verge 4 Sage of the Skies 2 Meltstrider's Resolve 4 Starting Town 4 Abandoned Air Temple 4 Keen-Eyed Curator 4 Pawpatch Recruit 4 Temple Garden 2 Plains 3 Seam Rip 4 Llanowar Elves 6 Forest 1 Nurturing Pixie 3 Gene Pollinator 4 Badgermole Cub 3 Brightglass Gearhulk 4 Ouroboroid 3 Erode 1 Craterhoof Behemoth 1 Focus Fire 1 Insidious Fungus 3 Rest in Peace 2 Spider Manifestation 4 Nature's Rhythm

The champion of Pro Tour Aetherdrift cruised into the Top 8, with the renowned deckbuilder adding another prestigious Top Finish to his Magic résumé. Apart from his aforementioned Pro Tour win, Nass also appeared in the Top 8 of Pro Tour Kaladesh, the 2020 Mythic Invitational, and Arena Championship 10—not to mention his staggering thirteen Grand Prix Top 8 appearances and several format-breaking builds in that time. This weekend, Nass is behind the wheel of Selesnya Ouroboroid. Fueled by +1/+1 counters, gym shorts and a dream, he's hoping to drift back into the finals and take home the title of Pro Tour champion.

Maxx Kominowski

4 Sunderflock 5 Island 4 Eddymurk Crab 4 Opt 3 Burst Lightning 4 Prismari Charm 3 Winternight Stories 2 Impractical Joke 3 Spell Snare 3 Flow State 4 Hearth Elemental 4 Riverpyre Verge 4 Steam Vents 4 Spirebluff Canal 4 Sleight of Hand 2 Multiversal Passage 1 Get Out 1 Spell Pierce 1 Heroes' Hangout 1 Abrade 1 Annul 1 Disdainful Stroke 2 Ral, Crackling Wit 1 Ghost Vacuum 2 Pit of Offerings 1 Get Out 2 Hexing Squelcher 1 Skycrash 1 Broadside Barrage 2 Hydro-Man, Fluid Felon

The spotlight is shining bright on Maxx Kominowski—in more ways than one, as he earned his seat in Vegas after making the Top 8 of Magic Spotlight: The Avatar in Atlanta. Kominowski is a longtime Nerd Raging Gaming events veteran of the US's Midwest tournament circuit and has plenty of experience at Magic's highest level, having previously competed in Pro Tour Thunder Junction and Pro Tour Aetherdrift. This marks his first Pro Tour Top 8, and it could be his first Pro Tour title if his Izzet Spellementals deck brings him the trophy. Kominowski, like a true Prismari mage, explained his deck choice confidently: "I win a lot more with Steam Vents in my deck."

Christoffer Larsen

2 Surrak, Elusive Hunter 2 Plains 4 Earthbender Ascension 4 Mightform Harmonizer 2 Temple Garden 3 Escape Tunnel 2 Lumbering Worldwagon 4 Sazh's Chocobo 3 Ba Sing Se 4 Llanowar Elves 1 Keen-Eyed Curator 4 Badgermole Cub 4 Fabled Passage 7 Forest 2 Bushwhack 4 Erode 4 Hushwood Verge 2 Dyadrine, Synthesis Amalgam 1 Mossborn Hydra 1 Icetill Explorer 3 Mossborn Hydra 4 Sheltered by Ghosts 3 Rest in Peace 3 Snakeskin Veil 1 Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar 1 Surrak, Elusive Hunter

The reigning Pro Tour champion has reminded the field that he's a force to be reckoned with, whether he's on Lorwyn-Shadowmoor or attending Strixhaven University. Fresh off his victory at Pro Tour Lorwyn Eclipsed, Larsen is prepared to add another title to his ever-growing list. The Dane has seen and done it all, from the Magic Online Championship Series to Grands Prix—all with a big smile on his face–and shows no signs of slowing down. His deck of choice—Selesnya Landfall—is a far cry from the Dimir list he brought to Richmond, and it may land him the trophy on Sunday.

Stefan Schütz

1 Cavern of Souls 4 Earthbender Ascension 3 Mightform Harmonizer 4 Esper Origins 4 Meltstrider's Resolve 4 Escape Tunnel 1 Dragon Sniper 4 Ba Sing Se 4 Sazh's Chocobo 2 Edge Rover 4 Icetill Explorer 4 Llanowar Elves 4 Badgermole Cub 4 Fabled Passage 13 Forest 1 Mightform Harmonizer 2 Pawpatch Formation 2 Royal Treatment 1 Cavern of Souls 3 Soul-Guide Lantern 4 Mossborn Hydra 2 Sapling Nursery

This weekend marks Stefan Schütz's first Pro Tour Top 8, and he's put on quite the debut performance! He's proven his mettle with multiple Top Finishes, including a win at the Magic Online Championship Series in 2024. Now, Schütz has honed his Standard skills alongside his Team Handshake Moxfield teammates. Mono-Green Landfall is his deck, and the archetype's raw power has brought him to the Sunday stage and put the title of Pro Tour champion within his grasp.

Nathan Steuer

4 Erode 1 Surrak, Elusive Hunter 2 Lumbering Worldwagon 2 Bushwhack 4 Earthbender Ascension 2 Temple Garden 7 Forest 4 Sazh's Chocobo 2 Icetill Explorer 1 Keen-Eyed Curator 4 Llanowar Elves 4 Badgermole Cub 4 Fabled Passage 2 Dyadrine, Synthesis Amalgam 4 Hushwood Verge 4 Mightform Harmonizer 3 Escape Tunnel 2 Plains 3 Ba Sing Se 1 Mossborn Hydra 2 Surrak, Elusive Hunter 3 Sheltered by Ghosts 1 Restoration Magic 1 Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar 2 Mossborn Hydra 3 Rest in Peace 2 Snakeskin Veil 1 Voice of Victory

There's a new chapter in the greatest Steuer ever told. Famous for his unforgettable, Kai Budde-like run from 2021 to 2023, which included his monumental victory at World Championship XXVIII, Nathan's return to the Pro Tour has been equal parts impressive as it is expected for a player of his caliber. After qualifying through a PTQ in Richmond and going undefeated on Day One, the Duelist of the Mind earned his seat at the Top 8 with Selesnya Landfall. Since Steuer has already reached his initial goal of qualifying for the next Pro Tour—not to mention already locking up an invitation to the 2027 Limited Championship—the only thing that remains is to take home the weekend.

Matthew Stefansson

1 Promising Vein 1 Bushwhack 4 Earthbender Ascension 3 Mightform Harmonizer 4 Escape Tunnel 3 Meltstrider's Resolve 4 Keen-Eyed Curator 3 Sapling Nursery 4 Sazh's Chocobo 3 Ba Sing Se 4 Icetill Explorer 4 Llanowar Elves 4 Badgermole Cub 4 Fabled Passage 14 Forest 2 Origin of Metalbending 2 Surrak, Elusive Hunter 1 Leatherhead, Swamp Stalker 1 Meltstrider's Resolve 2 Pawpatch Formation 2 Torpor Orb 3 Mossborn Hydra 1 Sandman, Shifting Scoundrel 1 Sapling Nursery

This weekend, Matthew Stefansson made landfall at his very first Pro Tour. He earned his ticket to Las Vegas at a Regional Championship in Vancouver, where he played a Mono-Green Landfall list similar to the one he's piloting this weekend. He entered the field with a very humble goal: win at least one match. Now that he's qualified for the next Pro Tour and has a very real chance at winning this one, his teammates on Team Lava Leaper will be cheering him on come Sunday morning.

Zevin Faust

4 High Noon 4 Floodpits Drowner 1 Restless Anchorage 4 Aang, Swift Savior 2 Avatar's Wrath 4 Starting Town 4 Aven Interrupter 2 Get Lost 4 Floodfarm Verge 4 Hallowed Fountain 4 Skycoach Conductor 4 Island 4 Voice of Victory 2 Spell Snare 2 Multiversal Passage 1 Beza, the Bounding Spring 1 Airbender Ascension 2 Abandoned Air Temple 4 Plains 3 Quantum Riddler 2 Disdainful Stroke 2 Seam Rip 1 Pyrrhic Strike 2 Ghost Vacuum 1 Beza, the Bounding Spring 1 Spectacular Tactics 2 Annul 2 Flashfreeze 1 Quantum Riddler 1 Petrified Hamlet

Zevin Faust started 2026 with a solid 11-5 run at Pro Tour Lorwyn Eclipsed, but this veteran of competitive Magic knew he could go further. With a Top 8 at Pro Tour Aetherdraft and a Top 16 at Pro Tour Edge of Eternities to his name, Faust went to work practicing with Team Handshake Moxfield. His training and choice of deck—Azorius Tempo—paid off yet again; the deck that took him to a 9-1 record at Lorwyn Eclipsed now has a chance to earn him a trophy as well. He's earned his second Pro Tour Top 8 and is well on his way to earning his first victory.