Two Magic Online grinders battled it out at the March of the Machine Pro Tour final table, with Nathan Steuer and his team’s Rakdos Midrange deck winning the Magic: The Gathering tournament.
The March of the Machine Pro Tour began with over 250 of the best MTG players from around the globe. Both MOM Draft and Standard Constructed formats featured during days one and two, with eight players advancing to the day three playoffs. Four of the top eight players were piloting a Rakdos Midrange deck, all on team Handshake.
Results were grim for team Handshake and Rakdos Midrange following the quarterfinals, with only Steuer advancing to the semifinals. Also advancing were David Olsen, Cain Rianhard, and Autumn Burchett.
Steuer has been playing Magic competitively before he could drive a car, winning his first World Championship at Las Vegas during the 2021-2022 season. Throughout the 2022-2023 season, Steuer has been putting up winning results that compare to Magic Hall of Famers like Kai Budde, Jon Finkel, and Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa.
Steuer made the top eight at Pro Tour Phyrexia, finishing sixth. He also placed first at two Magic Online Championship Showcase tournaments, qualifying for the 2022-2023 World Championship multiple times.
Facing off against Steuer at the March of the Machine Pro Tour finals was Cain Rianhard, playing Rakdos Reanimator. Similar to Steuer, Rianhard has been grinding top placements and wins on Magic Online for almost a decade. Rianhard defeated Steuer’s teammate Karl Sarap in the quarterfinals while winning 3-2 over Autumn Burchett and their Orzhov Midrange deck to reach the final match with Rakdos Reanimator.Â
Games one and two went in favor of Steuer with Rianhard bouncing back with a win during game three. But game four didn’t go Rianhard’s way as Steuer claimed his first Pro Tour title at MagicCon Minneapolis.
The next MTG Pro Tour will take place in Barcelona, from July 28 to 30, featuring Lord of the Rings gameplay.
