Hey everyone! Get ready to dive deep into the heart of competitive Magic: The Gathering with a comprehensive look at the top-performing decklists from Eternal Weekend 2024. This article is your one-stop shop for all things Legacy and Vintage, providing detailed analyses and insights into the strategies that dominated the event. Whether you're a seasoned player or just getting started, understanding these decklists is crucial for staying ahead in the ever-evolving world of MTG. So, grab your favorite beverage, settle in, and let's explore the winning strategies from Eternal Weekend 2024!

What is Eternal Weekend?

Before we jump into the nitty-gritty of decklists, let's quickly recap what Eternal Weekend is all about. Eternal Weekend is the premier tournament series for Magic: The Gathering's oldest and most powerful formats: Legacy and Vintage. These formats allow the use of nearly every card ever printed, leading to incredibly diverse and strategic gameplay. Eternal Weekend is not just a tournament; it's a celebration of MTG's rich history and a proving ground for innovative deckbuilding. Players from around the globe gather to compete for glory, prizes, and the chance to etch their names into MTG history. The event typically features multiple days of competition, including both Legacy and Vintage championships, as well as side events and opportunities to meet fellow enthusiasts. Eternal Weekend is also a fantastic place to witness some of the most skilled players in the world piloting intricate and powerful decks. The atmosphere is electric, filled with excitement and a shared love for the game. Winning at Eternal Weekend is a significant achievement, and the decklists that rise to the top often set the trends for the formats in the months that follow. For anyone serious about Legacy or Vintage, Eternal Weekend is an event to watch and aspire to participate in. Each year brings new surprises, new strategies, and unforgettable moments. So, whether you're a player, a spectator, or simply a fan, Eternal Weekend offers something for everyone who appreciates the depth and complexity of Magic: The Gathering.

Legacy Decklists Analysis

Alright, let's get into the heart of the matter: the Legacy decklists that made waves at Eternal Weekend 2024. Legacy is known for its fast-paced, high-powered gameplay, and this year's event was no exception. We saw a diverse range of archetypes represented, from classic control decks to aggressive strategies and intricate combo decks. Analyzing these lists provides valuable insights into the current metagame and the cards that are shaping the format.

The Rise of Initiative Decks

One of the most significant trends at Eternal Weekend 2024 was the strong showing of Initiative decks. These decks leverage cards like White Plume Adventurer and Seasoned Dungeoneer to quickly establish a board presence and overwhelm opponents. The Initiative mechanic allows these decks to consistently generate value and apply pressure, making them a formidable force in the Legacy metagame. Key cards in these decks often include:

• White Plume Adventurer: A crucial card for establishing early board presence and gaining the initiative.
• Seasoned Dungeoneer: Provides card advantage and resilience, making it difficult for opponents to disrupt the strategy.
• Swords to Plowshares: Essential for dealing with opposing threats and clearing the way for attacks.
• Ancient Tomb and City of Traitors: Mana acceleration to deploy threats quickly.

The success of Initiative decks highlights the importance of speed and efficiency in Legacy. These decks are capable of winning games quickly and decisively, putting opponents on the back foot from the very beginning. Playing against these decks requires careful planning and the ability to disrupt their game plan effectively. Sideboard strategies often include cards that can remove creatures quickly or prevent the Initiative from being taken in the first place.

Control Strategies Adapt

Control decks have always been a staple of Legacy, and Eternal Weekend 2024 saw a resurgence of various control strategies. These decks aim to disrupt opponents' plans, control the board, and eventually win with powerful late-game threats. One of the most popular control archetypes was Blue-White Control, which leverages counterspells, removal, and card advantage to grind out opponents.

Key cards in these decks include:

• Brainstorm and Ponder: Provide crucial card selection and consistency.
• Counterspell and Force of Will: Essential for disrupting opponents' spells and protecting your own threats.
• Swords to Plowshares and Prismatic Ending: Versatile removal spells for dealing with a wide range of threats.
• Teferi, Time Raveler: A powerful planeswalker that provides card advantage and control.

The key to success with control decks in the current metagame is adaptability. Players must be able to adjust their strategies based on the matchup and the evolving board state. Sideboard options are crucial for addressing specific threats and shoring up weaknesses against certain archetypes. For example, cards like Flusterstorm and Hydroblast can be effective against combo decks, while Wear // Tear can deal with troublesome artifacts and enchantments.

Combo Decks Still a Threat

Despite the prevalence of Initiative and control decks, combo strategies remain a significant force in Legacy. These decks aim to assemble a specific combination of cards to win the game outright, often in a single turn. One of the most popular combo decks at Eternal Weekend 2024 was Doomsday, which uses the card Doomsday to set up a game-winning sequence of spells.

Key cards in Doomsday decks include:

• Doomsday: The namesake card that sets up the combo.
• Brainstorm and Ponder: Used to manipulate the top of the library and find the necessary cards.
• Dark Ritual and Lotus Petal: Mana acceleration to cast Doomsday quickly.
• Street Wraith and Gitaxian Probe: Used to draw cards and sculpt the hand.

Playing against combo decks requires a proactive approach and the ability to disrupt their plans before they can assemble their combo. Hand disruption spells like Thoughtseize and Duress can be effective at removing key combo pieces, while counterspells can prevent them from resolving crucial spells. Sideboard options often include cards that can hate out specific strategies, such as Leyline of the Void against graveyard-based combos.

Vintage Decklists Analysis

Now, let's shift our focus to Vintage, the wildest and most powerful format in Magic: The Gathering. Vintage allows the use of nearly every card ever printed, including the infamous Power Nine. This leads to incredibly fast-paced and explosive gameplay, where games can be won or lost in a matter of turns. Eternal Weekend 2024 showcased the incredible diversity and strategic depth of Vintage, with a wide range of archetypes vying for the top spot.

The Dominance of Ragavan

One of the biggest stories coming out of Eternal Weekend 2024 Vintage was the overwhelming presence of Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer. This one-mana creature has quickly become a staple in Vintage, thanks to its ability to generate mana, steal cards from opponents, and apply early pressure. Decks built around Ragavan were incredibly successful at the event, showcasing the card's power and versatility.

Key cards in Ragavan decks often include:

• Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer: The star of the show, providing mana acceleration and card advantage.
• Moxes (Mox Pearl, Mox Sapphire, etc.): Fast mana to deploy threats quickly.
• Treasure Cruise and Dig Through Time: Card draw spells to maintain momentum.
• Lightning Bolt and Brainstorm: Efficient removal and card selection.

The success of Ragavan decks highlights the importance of speed and efficiency in Vintage. These decks are capable of winning games quickly and decisively, putting opponents on the back foot from the very beginning. Playing against these decks requires careful planning and the ability to disrupt their game plan effectively. Sideboard strategies often include cards that can remove Ragavan quickly or prevent it from generating value.

Blue Control Still Strong

Despite the rise of Ragavan decks, Blue-based control strategies remain a dominant force in Vintage. These decks leverage counterspells, removal, and card advantage to control the board and eventually win with powerful late-game threats. One of the most popular control archetypes was Blue-Red Control, which combines the power of counterspells with the reach of burn spells.

Key cards in these decks include:

• Brainstorm and Ponder: Provide crucial card selection and consistency.
• Force of Will and Mental Misstep: Essential for disrupting opponents' spells and protecting your own threats.
• Lightning Bolt and Pyroclasm: Efficient removal spells for dealing with a wide range of threats.
• Time Walk and Ancestral Recall: The Power Nine cards that provide unparalleled card advantage and tempo.

The key to success with control decks in the current Vintage metagame is adaptability. Players must be able to adjust their strategies based on the matchup and the evolving board state. Sideboard options are crucial for addressing specific threats and shoring up weaknesses against certain archetypes. For example, cards like Grafdigger's Cage can be effective against graveyard-based strategies, while Null Rod can shut down artifact-heavy decks.

The Resurgence of Dredge

One of the most surprising developments at Eternal Weekend 2024 was the resurgence of Dredge. This graveyard-based combo deck aims to quickly fill its graveyard with cards and then use cards like Dread Return and Narcomoeba to overwhelm opponents with a flood of creatures. Dredge had fallen out of favor in recent years, but it made a strong comeback at this year's event.

Key cards in Dredge decks include:

• Dread Return: Reanimates powerful creatures from the graveyard.
• Narcomoeba: A free creature that triggers when it enters the graveyard.
• Bridge from Below: Creates Zombie tokens when creatures enter the graveyard.
• Faithless Looting and Careful Study: Used to discard cards and fill the graveyard.

Playing against Dredge requires a proactive approach and the ability to disrupt their graveyard. Cards like Leyline of the Void and Rest in Peace can completely shut down the Dredge strategy, while Surgical Extraction can remove key cards from their graveyard. Sideboard options are crucial for addressing the Dredge matchup, as it can be difficult to beat without specific hate cards.

Conclusion

Eternal Weekend 2024 was a thrilling event that showcased the incredible depth and diversity of Legacy and Vintage. The decklists that emerged from the tournament provide valuable insights into the current metagame and the strategies that are most effective. Whether you're a seasoned player or just getting started, studying these lists can help you improve your game and stay ahead of the competition. From the rise of Initiative decks in Legacy to the dominance of Ragavan in Vintage, there were plenty of surprises and exciting developments to unpack. As the metagame continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how these strategies adapt and how new decks emerge to challenge the established order. So, keep practicing, keep experimenting, and keep exploring the endless possibilities of Magic: The Gathering! And don't forget to check back for more updates and analysis as the year progresses. Good luck, and happy brewing!