Legends: Round of 32 & Sweet Sixteen
Series Preview
Ground rules for this tournament.
Round of 64 results here.
In the previous round, with the quality of the field at least getting somewhat better, we finally got to see some epic legend confrontations, Let’s hope to see more of the same as this tournament goes deeper.
As for who’s been making the case as the favorite so far, I can’t say anybody really stands out – except for one Angus Mackenzie, whose unfair combat-stifling ability combined with its top seed could very well lead him to the promised land. Besides him, the trio of classic legends – Dakkon, Sol’Kanar, and Rubinia – are still going strong; while some of the Kobold lords with their Oracle-aided relevant creature types are also making a nice push.
Who’ll scrap their way to the Top 8 in this famously terrible creature set? Time to find out!
Note: Hover over the names to see card images.
Round of 32
(1)
That combat-stopping ability of old Angus just keeps rolling.
(2)
Cheap, evasive damage quickly kills Torsten before the second one can even be cast.
(35)
The swarm of 1/1 Sprites is (barely) too fast for the Green Legend. And with that, the triple-digit seed is onto the Sweet Sixteen.
(29)
The Bats get a good chunk of damage in early. And when the Phoenix finally comes down, its two toughness means a pathetic trade with the one-drop.
Make that two triple-digit seeds in the Sweet Sixteen.
(28)
Time Elemental has survived up until now, as a creature with zero power, by using its four-mana ability to bounce creatures that cost more than four mana. But what happens when it runs into a creature that costs exactly four?
First of all, that means Time Elemental needs to keep up with Manticore in terms of lands played. Problem is, while it’s playing a land every turn, Time Elemental needs to cast a new creature every fourth turn.
By Turn 28, this is where we stand: 28 lands each, Manticore has cast seven creatures; Time Elemental only drew six more cards beyond the lands, so it only has six creatures. As a result, one of the Manticores is left un-bounced.
This advantage accumulates every turn from thereon, as the Manticore slowly grows in numbers and eventually takes down the powerless Elemental.
(38)
Clergy is just too fast, and Rubinia’s blocking and taking control just comes too late.
Make that three triple-digit seeds in the Sweet Sixteen. Never though I’d see the day, but that’s Legends for you!
(26)
Whether Ragnar tries casting a creature every turn and trading (until they can do both on Turn 6), or sticks one one regenerating creature in play (until Turn 6), the Taskmaster’s exponential power growth is just too much.
Soon enough, too many unblocked Taskmasters lead to Ragnar’s demise.
(8)
It’s a wonder how the seven-mana Sir Shandlar made it this far. But here, the aggressively-costed (again, for its time) Umezawa takes him down before anything can be cast.
(41)
The cheaper Tuknir flies over Ramirez and takes him down with a few turns to spare.
(51)
Wow, that was an impressive victory. The growing power of the Dervish allows it to do the full complement off 21 damage before the first Guardians can enter the battlefield. We may have a legit contender on our hands here!
(11)
Everyone’s favorite legend finally falls, as four pumped Bee strikes of 4, 5, 6, and 7 in air are enough to knock him out before he can get his own lethal shot in.
(12) Kobold Overlord defeats (108) Beasts of Bogardan
Literally as close as a game could be. The little 1/2 Kobold does exactly 20 damage before the Beasts take over the board.
(45) Johan defeats (77) The Lady of the Mountain
I love that we’re still seeing overpriced legend battles this deep into the tournament. Here they trade, so Johan wins by default.
(110) Tobias Andrion defeated by (143) Cyclopean Mummy
A fourth triple-digit seed in the Sweet Sixteen no matter what. And here, the “horrible” mummy outspeeds Tobias to clinch a berth.
(15)
The unblockable Swamp King romps through easily.
(17)
Make it five (!) triple-digit seeds. Legends is wild.
Sweet Sixteen
(1)
Was a nice run for the super-low seed Dragonfly, but Angus and his combat-stopping ability prevail again. At least this one got to do 1 damage to him before falling.
(2)
A real heavyweight fight between two of the most iconic creatures in the set. The fast, evasive Thunder Spirit takes this one.
(133)
A highly-unexpected match-up in the Sweet Sixteen. The Sprites and the Mummy cost the same and trade, so the Sprites – which somehow ended up as a high seed this late in the tournament – win by default.
And so, it is a miraculous Elite Eight appearance for those tiny faeries!
(45)
Not to be outdone, the aggressive Bats roll over Johan (and rather easily too) into the Elite Eight.
(12)
The Overlord finally meets an opponent cheap enough to stop its (lame) 1-power assault. And with that, the 2/2 Manticore for four also somehow backs its way into the hallowed quarter-final round.
(55)
Well, that promising start by the Dervish went up in flames pretty quickly.
There will always be a 1/2 Taskmaster plus blocking a 1/1 Dervish, so there’s no way Dervish can win by attacking.
In time, the Taskmasters will be able to assemble a huge army and mass-attack. The Dervish has to pretty much chump block every single one of them, losing literally every single creature they have. The Taskmater proceeds to end it next turn with like 400 damage or something.
(8)
Costing one mana less than Tuknir makes all the difference in the world for Umezawa here. She’s able to get her offense off the ground a full turn earlier and take down Tuknir before she can establish any kind of stable defense.
Umezawa thus joins Angus Mackenzie as the only legendary creatures from Legends to make it into the Elite Eight.
Onto the Elite Eight…