More than 200 competitors from across the globe. Inspiring stories of individual and team performances, dominant draft decks that no one saw coming, and Standard surprises played out through eighteen rounds of Magic over the last three days. Pro Tour Thunder Junction was a celebration of the Pro Tour's return to Magic's home in Seattle—and it all led to this:
Yuta Takahashi versus Yoshihiko Ikawa. Two Pro Tour veterans and stalwarts of the Japanese Magic community with nine Top Finishes between them, and of course the Magic World Championship XXVII title Takahashi holds. Two teammates on the Moriyama Japan team that dominated the Top 8 of this tournament.
As the friends settled in for the last match of the weekend, Moriyama Japan was already guaranteed a trophy would be heading home with them, thanks either to Takahashi's Azorius Control deck or Ikawa's Domain Ramp.
The only question? Which of these players would hold it.
The Games
They traded resources and land drops for the first six turns of the game, with removal and ramp running into countermagic and removal. As Marshall Sutcliffe accurately pointed out in a previous round of Ikawa's, if the opposing deck couldn't apply enough pressure to force his hand, the game didn't really begin until turn seven—or seven mana, anyway—when Ikawa could start casting
That's exactly what happened in the first game. Ikawa cast the Phyrexian precisely on time, and the flurries of the first few turns transformed into an avalanche of interaction and card advantage from both sides. Ikawa would cast Atraxa; Takahashi would remove her. Takahashi would reload with
Back and forth it went, until each player had well upwards of 10 lands in play. As the mana counts and life totals inflated and deck sizes decreased, Takahashi tried to hold on and wait out Ikawa's threats. But while removal is great against many things, it doesn't do much against direct damage—and with a final burst of burn, Ikawa seized Game 1.
The second game looked like the first. Neither player could stick a threat, and the game wound on into the later turns again—but on the play and with no Atraxa in sight to worry about, Takahashi got on the scoreboard and evened things up at one game apiece.
With things tied up at one game apiece and sideboards introduced, Ikawa had two copies of one of his best early-turn plays:
But the second copy resolved a turn later, and once it was in play, every turn of "nothing" happening would actually benefit the Domain Ramp player. That's why Takahashi removed it as soon as he could with
Or it would have, if not for the clutch
With his back up against the wall despite his heroic save, Takahashi went into the tank to try and find a way out against Ikawa's 45 life and lethal board. When he came back out of that tank, it was to concede to Ikawa's boardstate and take the pair into what could be the deciding game of the match.
Yoshihiko Ikawa had been dominant all weekend; now he was just one game away from winning the title at Pro Tour Thunder Junction.
The fourth game started promisingly: Ikawa used an early
Takahashi had a plan: tap mostly out for
That's what the world champ did—and Ikawa instantly showed his teammate the
After the victory, Ikawa credited his entire team—after they had mobbed him to celebrate the stunning victory.
Finished 2nd.
— Yuta Takahashi (@Vendilion) April 29, 2024
We both have been touring ptq and gp since their 20ages.
It was deeply emotive to play the final with my old friend.
Huge cograts to @WanderingOnes
20代の頃から、共に練習した井川さんとの決勝は感慨深い。おめでとう🎉
#PTThunder
🏆Congratulations to Yoshihiko Ikawa, winner of Pro Tour Thunder Junction!🏆
— PlayMTG (@PlayMTG) April 29, 2024
This is the first Pro Tour win for the longtime player, who piloted Domain Ramp to victory with only a single match loss over the entire weekend!
井川さんおめでとうございます！ pic.twitter.com/on7fXKt3ks
