Lukas Blohon has an impressive Magic: The Gathering record with 5 Grand Prix Top 8s, including a win at Grand Prix Brussels 2015, and 2 Pro Tour Top 16s including a Top 8 finish at Pro Tour Dark Ascension. Lukas lives in Prague.
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First Set
Tempest
Favorite Set
Ravnica: City of Guilds
Favorite Card
Vendilion Clique
Early Challenge
Limited.
Lukas is good at playing one deck over and over again and getting very familiar with it. Limited was his weak spot early on.
Level Up Moment
Training with Channel Fireball helped Lukas grow a lot because he was able to play with some of the best players in the world. This culminated in Lukas making the Top 8 of a Pro Tour.
Proudest Magic Moment
Top 8 of Pro Tour Dark Ascension
Best Format
Standard
How to Choose a Standard Deck
Play all the big decks and see which works for you. Then play that one over and over again.
Biggest Mistake Players Make
Mentally checking out. Whether you're winning or losing, stay engaged in the game and consider what you need to do to win.
Sealed & Draft Tips
Sealed: Synergies are always strong, but in Sealed you don't always get enough of what you need to make the synergy work. In that case, play cards that affect the board
Draft: Keep track of what's going on by noting the next picks behind yours. This gives you an idea of what the people to your left are doing. However, it's more important to track what's going on to your right. Do this by noting what is and is not being passed to you.
How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event
Use Magic Online to play anytime. You can put a few hours to good use without wasting time in transit.
Play the same deck as a trusted friend and share the insights.
What's in Your Tournament Bag
Water
Snacks (Bananas)
Deck
Pen
Notepad
Improvement Suggestions
Constructed: Build a tier 2 deck (or whatever you can afford) and play over and over again. Also, find someone who has a similar goal as you and work together to improve and advance.
Magic Resource
Star City Games
Channel Fireball
(The best people write for these sites.)
Connect With Lukas Blohon
Twitter: @LukasBlohon
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Nicolas Beland is making a name for himself at the Pro Tour and has so far Top 32’d Star City Games Open Worcester, made the Top 8 at Grand Prix Quebec City and competed in Pro Tour Theros. He lives in Canada.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Nicolas Beland when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep60
First Set
Ravnica: City of Guilds
Favorite Set
Ravnica: City of Guilds
Favorite Card
Siege Rhino
What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you?
Interaction with other people. Going to Grand Prix and competing with others is a huge draw for Nicolas.
Early Challenge
Forgetting triggers. It wasn't until Nicolas started playing competitively that he learned the hard way to remember his triggers.
Level Up Moment
After his first Pro Tour, Nicolas had a bit of a big head, but he humbled himself and learned from others and experienced the most growth at this time.
Proudest Magic Moment
Top 8 at Grand Prix Quebec 2015
Best Format
Modern
Modern Focus
Start with a style you already know and watch streams on the internet to learn how that deck plays out.
Biggest Mistake Players Make
Playing the deck that won last week's tournament is a big mistake. Everyone will be gunning for that deck and will be ready for it.
Card Evaluation Tips
Lands define a set. Pay attention to what the mana base can support. Also, familiarize yourself with the removal.
Sealed & Draft Tips
Separate creatures and spells and then organize them by converted mana cost to see what's playable.
Sealed is about tempo. Curve out and have removal to push through to the end.
Draft: Don't be afraid to switch colors if you are cut off. It's hard to recognize sometimes but important to know you can and should switch if the colors aren't coming.
How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event
Play all the big decks, pick the one you feel the best with and practice, practice, practice.
Proxying is a great way to do this.
Take one deck with you and do the best you can with that deck.
What's in Your Tournament Bag
Clothes
Deck
Improvement Suggestions
Make friends and share card pools. Don't be afraid to submit a deck that is similar to the big decks but has substitute cards for the cards you don't have.
Magic Resource
Daily MTG (Wizards of the Coasts)
Connect With Nicolas Beland
Twitter: @NicolasBeland11
Like What You Hear?
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I read every single one and look forward to your feedback.
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Jarvis Yu enjoys formats with deeper card pools (especially Legacy). Having made one Grand Prix Top 8 in Legacy, as well as going 13-2 in Grand Prix New Jersey, he has also managed to win his only Top 8. Jarvis lives outside Washington.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Jarvis Yu when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep59
First Set
Revised (this is not the official symbol as set symbols were not around at this time)
Favorite Set
Ravnica City of Guilds
Favorite Card
Rishadan Port
What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you?
Infinite diversity.
Early Challenge
Starting out, Jarvis thought that a 1/2 for one mana was good - because it was "more efficient" than a 1/1 for one. He quickly learned that cards with abilities, like Eternal Witness, even though they don't have the best power/toughness/mana ratio are much better.
Level Up Moment
Zigging when everyone else zagged helped Jarvis grow. He saw (with the help of a friend) a strategy that wasn't explicitly supported in Ravnica City of Guilds. This opened his eyes to how to look at future sets.
Proudest Magic Moment
Winning Grand Prix Seattle Tacoma 2015.
Best Format
Legacy
Biggest Mistake Players Make
Mulliganing when they shouldn't or not mulliganing when they should.
Know the match up and what you need to be effective in the early game. If you don't have that in your opening hand then ship it back.
Sealed & Draft Tips
Sealed: Jarvis runs 18 lands and looks for card advantage, big creatures and removal.
How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event
Play different decks, then settle on one and play against a lot of decks.
What's in Your Tournament Bag
Extra cards
Snacks
Water
Pens
Paper
Improvement Suggestions
Build and play a pauper cube.
Magic Resource
Jarvis mentioned a [card]Battle of Wits[/card] deck from Grand Prix Milwaukee 2002.
Connect With Jarvis Yu
Twitter: @jkyu06
Like What You Hear?
If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review.
Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content.
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Florian Reiter is a writer and editor from Munich, Germany. He has been writing articles about Magic for various German Magic sites has been active in the tournament scene since 2009. He has one Grand Prix Top 8 from GP Lyon 2015.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Florian Reiter when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep58
First Set
Urza'a Saga
Favorite Set
Time Spiral
Favorite Card
Horned Turtle
Cryptic Command
What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you?
The diversity of cards and strategies and the mental challenge.
The people he's meet and the friends he's made have kept Florian around.
Early Challenge
Combat.
Concentrating and keeping track of combat tricks was hard at first. Practice slowing down and thinking through each combat phase is how to improve.
Level Up Moment
Florian improved the most when he surrounded himself with a group of really motivated Magic players, all striving to get better. If everyone is trying to win a Grand Prix then the collective knowledge will raise everyone's level.
Proudest Magic Moment
Grand Prix Prague 2015 (Standard). Even though Florian only got Top 64 he feels like he really executed his game plan well. He approached the meta game from a different angle and brought an unknown deck that performed well.
Best Format
Standard - Lower power level means more cards are playable
Biggest Mistake Players Make
Not being introspective enough. Talking about luck is not a useful way to spend your time. Focus on what you can control and how you can play better.
If you really focus your energy on Magic you will improve.
Sealed & Draft Tips
Sealed: Sort out the unplayables. Lay out the rest by color. Determine what your really good cards are and build combinations that take advantage of the strengths
Improvement Suggestions
Watch streams and listen to podcasts. Magic content is largely free, so consume as much as you can.
There is no substitute for playing but there are lots of free things you can do to get better.
Magic Resource
Florian's articles can be found on MTG Mint Card
Connect With Florian Reiter
Twitter: @HandsomeMUC
Like What You Hear?
If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review.
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Magnus Lantto is an online grinder turned pro. He’s a member of the European pro team Team Eureka. Magnus finished 5th place in the 2015 Magic World Championship, is the MOCS 2014 champion, and has 3 Grand Prix Top 8s which include 1 win in Grand Prix Milan. To top it off, Magnus Lantto has the distinguished honor of being the first guest on MTG Pro Tutor in 2016! He lives in Sweden.
Click to Tweet: I got a ton of value from Magnus Lantto when he shared his story on #MTGProTutor today! Click here: http://bit.ly/mtgprotutor-ep57
First Set
Fourth Edition (This set did not have an official symbol.)
Favorite Set
Magnus feels Magic gets better and better every year. His favorite set is the most recent one.
Favorite Card
Survival of the Fittest
Birthing Pod
What makes Magic: The Gathering fun for you?
Magnus has never seen a game that is as intricate as Magic. It changes every year and he loves how it stays fresh. There is a lot to think about. He loves how deep it is.
Early Challenge
Magnus was really bad at the start of tournaments. The first round of an event he has made really bad mistakes. By focusing on the psychological aspect of the game you can identify problems and adjust. Magnus learned to slow down at the beginning of tournaments so he could improve on this weakness.
Level Up Moment
Playing Magic Online has really upped Magnus' game.
Proudest Magic Moment
Winning Grand Prix Milan.
Best Format
Modern
How to Choose a Standard Deck
Rely on team mates to test and identify the best decks.
Biggest Mistake Players Make
Blaming losses on bad luck. YOU did something wrong. Slow down and think about what you did through out the game. If you make a mistake in the middle of a game, don't give up. Stay focused and bounce back. Adjust your plan accordingly and stay in it.
Card Evaluation Tips
Look for cards that create new archetypes. Is there a new mechanic that can be built around?
Sealed & Draft Tips
Sealed: Identify a clear win condition that exists in you pool.
Draft: What your being passed is more important than what you're passing. Prepare ahead of time by reading what others think about cards. Set reviews are a great way to do this.
Deck construction, specifically mana curve, is very important in draft.
How to Effectively Prepare for a Big Event
Play regularly leading up to the event. Play with a group so you can get feedback. Join groups on FB and ask questions.
What's in Your Tournament Bag
Deck
New sleeves (Dragon Shield or from MTG Mint Card)
Deck box
Improvement Suggestions
Find a way you can contribute to your friends / team. Be the driver, take people out, be a friend. You can make good connections and if you are helpful you can borrow cards or a deck.
Magic Resource
LSV set reviews on Channel Fireball
Twitter - track what Magnus and others in the Magic community are up to
Connect With Magnus Lantto
Twitter: @MagnusLantto
Like What You Hear?
If you like the show, head on over to iTunes and leave an honest Rating & Review.
Let me know what you like and what I can do better so I can make the show the best it can be and continue bringing you valuable content.
I read every single one and look forward to your feedback.
Sponsors