Friday Night Magic: May 13, 2016 Modern Winner's Interview

What's your name?
Dan Pietrangelo. 

What deck did you play today?

Abzan CoCo.

Why did you play this deck in particular?

I played this deck because I’ve always liked combo decks in Modern. It’s in my two favourite colours and it’s a combo deck, so I tried to figure out a reason not to play it, and I couldn’t. It has a lot of good matchups and only a few bad ones (like Tron), and I think I’ve played the deck long enough to know the matchups and play well enough to win. This deck always gives you a chance.

How do you feel about Modern right know?

I feel like everyone knows that Abzan Company is the deck to beat now, taking the place of Twin and more recently Eldrazi. Other than that, Modern is obviously as diverse as it gets between combo wins and straight beatdown decks, but it’s really weird without Twin involved anymore. Everyone’s still brewing to find the next best deck, but the format feels like it’s missing something. I still enjoy Modern though, and it’s my favourite.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to new Magic players looking to improve?

Practice makes perfect. You can’t just expect to spend money on a Tier 1 deck and win without knowing its intricacies and the way the format plays out. The best thing I can say is just to keep practicing, especially in Modern.

What’s your favourite card in Modern?

Collected Company. It’s just an insane value generator that a lot of decks are forced to keep up with on my terms. Basically it’s just insane for value, especially in Modern where combo decks can just cast a card and cause their opponents to gasp with anticipation or dread.

Which card to you, is the most broken or over-powered you’ve ever played with in a specific format?

Treasure Cruise. When U/R Delver was the most broken deck in Modern, the value of naturally fetching, playing one-drops, and cantripping with drawing three cards by turn 4 was just absurd. It’s the most ban-worthy card I’ve ever seen in Modern. I’m glad it’s gone, even though I played U/R Delver at its peak power. 

Tell us one random fact about yourself that people might not know.

I guess it’s just the fact that I absolutely love the Magic community at Top 8. I started out a few years ago with just a couple of buddies and no idea how to play, and I was immediately welcome and taught with patience and respect. I love it here, and it’s heart-warming to see the Magic community come together in places like this and make new players feel welcome and respected.