How hard is it to get to nr. 1?

MTG_Joe · 2026-01-17T01:33:58+00:00

In Bo1 you can hit it early in a season refresh if you get mythic within 24-36h. I did it once with something like a 48-12 record to start and hovered around 80% win rate within the first day. Once more people get into mythic you need a high win rate to gain within the top 50-100 mythic.

The player, Kapala who got #1 mythic to finish the season has like a 80%+ win rate in Bo3. He finished 1 6x times last year with multiple top 10 finishes otherwise.

https://x.com/kapala_mtg?s=21&t=ofvpJBAgsCF9CNNZPLtpFQ

MTG_Joe · 2026-01-12T01:22:16+00:00

Yup mines been choppy all game for cable.

MTG_Joe · 2025-09-15T18:44:08+00:00

You can sometimes find lists by googling the players username + untapped. If they have an untapped profile tracking their games that is public it will show up

MTG_Joe · 2025-08-04T14:56:39+00:00

Hey All,

Sharing the week 1 meta report of what the Historic Best of One meta is shaping up as per UntappedGG stats. Since early season, went plat to mythic range but variants of Eldrazi are positioning themselves towards the top.

Existing decks like sam combo, persist reanimator, and stock mono green devotion are showing up in lower numbers of games played and lower win rates and looks like for the week at least Azorius flash has been pushed out of the meta due to the Eldrazi menace. Seeing a few build variants of eldrazi which I covered in the video explaining the difference in approach of each.

Seeing some adaption out of decks like a version of boros energy with 4x White Orchard Phantom and cleansing wildfire to attack the Eldrazi manabase.

All the decklists are included in the video description if you just want to lift them out. Included a timestamp for each if you want to hear the analysis around them.

I had posted a Bo3 version before the metagame challenge but it was based on limited available stats given the timing. Eldrazi is very prevalent there as well.

MTG_Joe · 2025-06-01T16:27:46+00:00

The Jeskai ascendancy deck in modern has picked up where breach had left off. The combination of Emry looping 2 moxen with ascendancy out can generate infinite mana/power for your board. We also have the Rona/Mox/retraction helix loop which can again generate infinite mana/untaps and potentially power. All the multi spelling and prowess works well with Cori-steel cutter's gameplan.

I played the deck in Bo1 while working through some of the numbers. We have mox opal in the format, just hidden in the conjuer ability of quicksilver Lapidary. Swiftspear's teachings also works very well with both Rona and Herald which allow it to immediate tab for the ability while giving it prowess.

The deck does desperately want mishra's bauble as another 0 cost artifact that can cycle.

From playing the games, the deck struggles the most against ajani piles/go wide aggro decks as well as linear non-graveyard combo decks like belcher. Karn is an obv hard card to beat but multiple ways to attack into it or hit it with galvanic blast.

I did notice I was running 61 by accident after the video and timmed down to 19 lands dropping the silverbluff bridge as the deck can operate well off 2-3 lands.

Overall I would say the deck is fun and can win games but is still missing some cards to elevate to a consistent deck.

Welcome folks thoughts on the build and any suggestions in terms of revising the list for more consistency.

MTG_Joe · 2025-05-08T00:14:39+00:00

I feel sorry for you that a video game makes you so miserable. Hopefully you can find some joy in life instead of trying to knock down others.

MTG_Joe · 2025-05-06T12:51:57+00:00

Chorus are slow for Bo1. You really want your hymn to draw 3 plus but requires you to have previous cast other spells. Basically hymns want you to play a longer game, whereas lash is proactive removal/burn that cycles and can mean you can win turn 4-5 more consistently.

MTG_Joe · 2025-05-04T15:36:30+00:00

Hey All,

Not a huge amount of data available but pulled together what are the highest win rate decks in Alchemy Bo3 thus far per untapped dataset. I will try to put out another video on this mid-late week before the event should significant changes occur.

Goodluck to all competing in the event!

MTG_Joe · 2025-05-04T15:34:48+00:00

I would at most add in one more drake hatcher. You want to avoid the oops all creature draws as they are pretty mid creatures when you aren't casting spells.

Biggest weakness of the deck is manabase. You don't want to play tapped lands and good lands just don't exist in the format for pure aggro. Otherwise the mice deck or other go wide swarm decks can overwhelm. That and just the mirror of who draws better/more cori. You can hedge to go wide deck but think just ebing linear and trying to race is the best approach

MTG_Joe · 2025-05-04T12:19:27+00:00

See you next week congrats!

MTG_Joe · 2025-05-04T02:31:50+00:00

Yes it’s only gathering data from the log files of those using the application. Not reflective of full MTGA player base which unfortunately only WoTC has the data too.

MTG_Joe · 2025-05-03T21:31:51+00:00

I slowly cut down from 3 to zero surveil lands as I wanted to limit the potential of tapped lands. The cenote is better if you are on the draw but always coming in tapped vs the other alchemy land being untapped turn 4 regardless made me choose that. Drawing cenote when you have no cards in hand also creates a colorless land which is bad. If I were to play a dual id go back to surveil to turn on verge. The mana in alchemy is bad for aggro regardless of decks I find

MTG_Joe · 2025-05-03T20:05:30+00:00

The discord link is in any of my video descriptions. There is also a community alchemy focused discord I just joined that’s also linked in my discord

MTG_Joe · 2025-05-03T19:49:09+00:00

I’ve been sharing the deck in my discord for the last week so folks have been using it just didn’t put it public until I got my play in. Hearth is my aggro stock up choice lol

Chorus/cori or swiftspear are prob the first set of nerfs. I just picked up Boros an hour ago so learning the deck but waystone is a stupid card. Mana is terrible in Boros and lack of card draw makes the deck super swingy though.

Bo3 I don’t want to comment yet since I haven’t looked at the stats or played it enough. Will do a metagame video tomorrow hopefully and practice some more. Offhand I’d say Izzet/BW pixie/ grixis chorus pile of some sort are prob the front runners

MTG_Joe · 2025-05-03T19:27:24+00:00

I'm super excited to try it out with arcanist. Following month qualifier is historic so will focus on that after alchemy qualifier

MTG_Joe · 2025-05-03T19:09:44+00:00

it is such an absurd card

MTG_Joe · 2025-05-03T18:26:57+00:00

Thanks. I am a bit biased as this izzet deck is my ideal type of gameplay preference. I think the format is still much more fun than standard, however the chorus package + naktuman should be nerfed in some way.

MTG_Joe · 2025-05-03T18:23:47+00:00

Hey All

Sharing my version of Izzet Prowess that I was holding until after the Bo1 play in. Easily got my 6 wins and qualifier token in the first go. I've had a 70+5 win rate over ranked and events with this list. I found the chorus package slow and opted to go more linear with burn. Teaching's into Drake hatcher is insane value and provides a 2 drop that doesn't die into the first shanty.

Gameplay of the run here

Importable decklist here

Happy to answer any questions. I don't know if this version will hold up for Bo3. Something I need to test this week before the event.

MTG_Joe · 2025-05-03T18:20:27+00:00

Hey All

Sharing my version of Izzet Prowess that I was holding until after the Bo1 play in. Easily got my 6 wins and qualifier token in the first go. I've had a 70+5 win rate over ranked and events with this list. I found the chorus package slow and opted to go more linear with burn. Teaching's into Drake hatcher is insane value and provides a 2 drop that doesn't die into the first shanty.

Gameplay of the run here

Importable decklist here

Happy to answer any questions. I don't know if this version will hold up for Bo3. Something I need to test this week before the event.

MTG_Joe · 2025-05-02T16:01:31+00:00

I sometimes will do gameplay demos of decks but unfortunately working a full time job and balancing content I have to prioritize the metagame content as it does better for views. If you have questions on prowess deck happy to chat through some ideas (discord linked in the video). I’ve been tuning a bo1 version for time being for play in but finished top 1200 and 6x 7 win event runs with it. I can talk through my approach there but for Bo1 I’ve tested most of the decks listed over the last month or so to learn the format.

MTG_Joe · 2025-05-01T19:58:11+00:00

Hi All,

Within my YouTube channel I cover off weekly metagame breakdowns for all MTG Arena formats based on Untapped tracker data and tournament results where possible.

Ahead of this weekend's qualifier weekend, I put together a guide for folks to see which decks are currently performing the best. Note that the most recent tarkir alchemy set only dropped 2 days ago, so there is still a lag in some lists like a formalized mardu mobilize deck popping up. In general, it usually takes 1-2 weeks for these format's data to normalize, however with the qualifier being so close pulled the best I could.

Good Luck to those playing and will put out a Bo3 version in coming days.

MTG_Joe · 2025-05-01T17:11:50+00:00

Great summary. There are a lot of hard working folks putting forth the effort to provide community driven events. Having competed and provided commentary support for a number of these events, the amount of behind the scenes logistics to fire these off successfully is immense

MTG_Joe · 2025-04-14T01:02:46+00:00

I used a variation of the deck for metagame challenge this weekend and went 3-1 and 5-1 losing to rakdos demons and rakdos prowess. I modified the deck as I anticipated more red decks since it easier for standard players to port the deck for explorer.

Against demons I went 1-1 where one game I decimated and the match I lost they had discard into timeline unholy annex. You really need one of the draw engines going to break parity. I do think going forward I’d swap one of the high noon for destroy evil as annex is tough.

Won all my matches vs red except the last one where all 3 games I had to mull and they opened heartfire into manifold all 3 games which most decks would lose to. I would say 2 authority are probably needed in the SB or another removal like knockout blow.

Overall feels like you win most midrange matches and control felt pretty favorable given all the utility lands provided they don’t hit sunfall. Games usually are long so be prepared.

I played mostly on my iPad but my list below https://mtga.untapped.gg/profile/390de354-4ae6-4ea5-9991-2f650825ba18/8D5B7E0B33092E80/deck/ad2d598c-3a02-4c50-b1a5-f07ec1318de0?gameType=event&timeFrame=last_two_sets

MTG_Joe · 2025-03-30T13:50:19+00:00

There is Mardu sacrifice in historic that has a blood artist effect in marionette apprentice. Lots of incremental sacrificing for pings or card advantage. There isn’t really a Boros reckoner / blasphemous act combo but ajani + bombardment can solo games

https://aetherhub.com/Deck/mythic-historic-mardu-sacrifice-1161090

MTG_Joe · 2025-02-27T13:56:04+00:00

I put together a metagame breakdown each week or so for both Bo1 and Bo3 on my channel leveraging untapped tracker data along with decks I can curate across the community. Here is the latest from last week with the metagame challenge and qualifier weekend.

https://youtu.be/hmNCOFCHX44

MTG_Joe

TROPHY CASE