The $500,000 Marvel Gauntlet: Inside Modern's Most Unpredictable Pro Tour
## From a 15-year-first all-draft Top 8 to the spiciest Modern decks since the Marvel invasion, here's everything you need to know about Magic's superhero showdown in Amsterdam.
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## Introduction: When Superheroes Stormed Modern
They said Marvel cards would break Modern. They said the $500,000 Pro Tour would be a chaotic mess. And for 362 of the world's best players at MagicCon: Amsterdam, they weren't entirely wrong.
Pro Tour Magic: The Gathering® | Marvel Super Heroes—the first major tournament featuring the full Marvel crossover set—delivered exactly what the hype promised: broken combos, eye-watering singles prices, and a Top 8 format that hasn't been seen in *fifteen years*.
The stakes were massive: $500,000 in prizes, invitations to the World Championship, and the chance to become Magic's next Pro Tour champion. The format was a grueling hybrid: Marvel Super Heroes Booster Draft on Friday and Saturday mornings, followed by five rounds of Modern each afternoon. The Modern metagame came in split down the middle. And the Top 8? For the first time since Pro Tour Nagoya in 2011, the elimination rounds were *all draft*—eight players cracking Marvel Super Heroes boosters with the title on the line.
By Sunday, the dust had settled. The Top 8 was locked. The decks were spiking. And the Magic world had a new champion.
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## The Top 8: A Field of Veterans and Rising Stars
After six rounds of Limited and ten rounds of Modern, the Swiss rounds delivered a Top 8 that blended seasoned veterans with breakout contenders.
| Player | Points | Notable Achievement |
|--------|--------|---------------------|
| **Eduardo Sajgalik** | 43 | Leads the field; 5th career Top 8 |
| **Bernardo Torres** | 42 | First Pro Tour Top 8 |
| **Alex Rohan** | 39 | Innovative deckbuilder; recent strong finishes |
| **Ken Yukuhiro** | 39 | 2025 Player of the Year; former Pro Tour champion |
| **Lorenzo Gruppi** | 39 | Reached Day Two for first time; Worlds invite secured |
| **Timo Bertram** | 37 | Day 1's 7-0-1 man |
| **Mattia Oneto** | 36 | Significant competitive experience |
| **Yuuki Ichikawa** | 36 | Diverse and powerful decklist |
Eduardo Sajgalik, a seasoned competitor with multiple Pro Tour Top Finishes, finished atop the field at 43 points. He entered his fifth career Top 8, showcasing his deep expertise in Limited formats.
Bernardo Torres made his first Pro Tour Top 8 appearance after consistent strong performances in Magic Online events, building his Limited preparation with Team Brazilian Storm.
Ken Yukuhiro—the 2025 Player of the Year and a former Pro Tour champion—continued his dominant run, finishing at 39 points. Lorenzo Gruppi reached Day Two for the first time and secured a spot at Magic World Championship 32.
**The agony of tiebreakers:** Nick Talbot and Alex Kans finished at 36 points but were agonizingly left on the outside, with tiebreakers deciding the final seats.
**The Day 1 headliner who fell:** Martin Juza was the only player to finish Day 1 at a perfect 8-0. Saturday was brutal: a string of losses knocked him all the way out of contention.
> *"That's Modern for you!"*
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## The Modern Metagame: Where the Top Decks Stacked Up
With 362 decklists submitted, the Modern metagame revealed a format in flux—Marvel cards were everywhere, but established archetypes still ruled the day.
### The Top Contenders
| Archetype | Players | % of Field |
|-----------|---------|------------|
| **Boros Energy** | 46 | 12.7% |
| **Izzet Affinity** | 46 | 12.7% |
| **Broodscale Combo** | 42 | 11.6% |
| **Eldrazi Tron** | 35 | 9.7% |
| **Esper Goryo's** | 33 | 9.1% |
| **Amulet Titan** | 25 | 6.9% |
| **Izzet Prowess** | 25 | 6.9% |
| **Ruby Storm** | 16 | 4.4% |
| **Simic Neoform** | 14 | 3.9% |
| **Eldrazi Ramp** | 12 | 3.3% |
*Source: Official metagame breakdown*
Boros Energy and Izzet Affinity tied for the top share with 46 pilots each—12.7% of the field apiece. Broodscale Combo checked in just behind at 42 players. Eldrazi Tron brought 35, Esper Goryo's fielded 33, and Amulet Titan and Izzet Prowess each brought 25.
### The Spiciest Decks of the Tournament
While the top decks dominated the numbers, the real story was the innovative brews that pushed the boundaries of what Modern could do.
**Jund Cosmogoyf** (Tooru Horie, Yuya Hosokawa, Marco Orellana) – Three players brought one of the Pro Tour's most unexpected archetypes, capable of consistently threatening a turn-three kill by exiling 20 cards as quickly as possible.
**Samwise Gamgee Combo** (Jake Bailey) – The only player to register this deck, qualifying by finishing 3rd at a United States Regional Championship. The deck combines Samwise Gamgee, Cauldron Familiar, and Goblin Bombardment in a spicy sacrifice loop.
**Azorius Loki** (Gaëtan Bossy) – The only player in the tournament to register Loki, God of Mischief. The deck uses a Grinding Station loop with Emry, Mox Amber, and Sewer-veillance Cam to mill opponents infinitely.
**Bant Control** (Rui Zhang) – Fresh off a Top 8 at Pro Tour Secrets of Strixhaven, Zhang was the only player to register Wilderness Reclamation alongside Consult the Star Charts and Wrath of the Skies.
**Devoted Druid Combo** (Thomas Feller) – The only player to register Devoted Druid with Vizier of Remedies and Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler.
**Song of Creation** (Rasmus Enegren) – The reigning Regional Champion for Europe broke from the norm with a wild Song of Creation combo deck featuring Mox Amber and Bruce Banner.
**Mono-Blue Metalcraft** (Gabriel Nassif) – Hall of Famer Gabriel Nassif presented a fresh take on blue artifact strategies, combining Quantum Riddler, Subtlety, and Force of Negation without splashing red.
**Hollow One** (Nick Talbot, Adrià Martín) – Only two competitors brought Hollow One. Talbot has enjoyed an excellent Pro Tour season with a 10-6 at Lorwyn Eclipsed and 11-5 at Secrets of Strixhaven.
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## The Marvel Invasion: Cards Spiking and Shaking Modern
The Marvel Super Heroes set didn't just change the Pro Tour format—it changed bank accounts.
### The Numbers Don't Lie
| Card | Pre-Release Price | Current Price | Increase |
|------|-------------------|---------------|----------|
| **Hex Magic** | $0.33 | ~$1.90 | **+280%** |
| **Namor the Sub-Mariner** | ~$3.20 | $11.73 | **+267%** |
| **Iron Man, Modern Marvel** | ~$30 | $56+ | **+87%** |
**Hex Magic**, a two-mana red sorcery that exiles your hand, draws you that many cards, and splices onto other Arcane spells, was the most-played new card in the building: 63 copies across the field, every one of them maindeck. That's exactly the kind of number that ends up in ban discussions.
**Avengers Disassembled** added 23 copies powering a Boros Land Destruction build.
**Superior Spider-Man** turned up in Jody Keith's Living End list, which went 4-1 through Friday's Modern rounds.
**Namor the Sub-Mariner** jumped 267% to $11.73 on the strength of a mono-blue Merfolk list stacking up Magic Online results.
**Iron Man, Modern Marvel** spiked north of $56 after opening the month around $30. The twist? The card sees basically zero play in this tournament—it lives in the set's Welcome decks, which are delayed in both the US and Europe, so short supply is doing the pushing.
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## The Unprecedented Top 8: All-Draft for the First Time in 15 Years
Perhaps the most talked-about element of this Pro Tour wasn't the Modern decks—it was how the champion would be crowned.
For the first time since Pro Tour Nagoya in 2011, the Top 8 elimination rounds were *exclusively* draft. Eight players cracked Marvel Super Heroes boosters with the title on the line.
**Why this matters:** Unlike recent Pro Tours where the Top 8 played Modern, this format rewarded complete players who could excel in both Constructed and Limited. To win the tournament, a player had to navigate nine total rounds of Limited and ten rounds of Modern.
The elimination matches were played in a best-of-five format (MD5), with the winner being the first to claim three games.
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## The Ban Watch: August 10th Looms
Wizards of the Coast has an August 10th ban checkpoint on the calendar, and this weekend is the loudest data point yet on whether the Marvel cards keep their Modern homes.
The 63 maindeck copies of Hex Magic—a $2 uncommon—is exactly the kind of number that ends up in that conversation.
Whether Hex Magic, Iron Man, or other Marvel cards survive the ban hammer will depend on how they perform in the Top 8 and beyond. But one thing is certain: the Marvel invasion has permanently changed Modern.
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## Frequently Asked Questions
**Q: Who won Pro Tour Marvel Super Heroes?**
The Top 8 draft took place on Sunday, July 19, 2026. Results are being finalized as the draft concludes. Check magic.gg for the final champion announcement.
**Q: What was the format of the Pro Tour?**
The tournament featured six rounds of Marvel Super Heroes Booster Draft and ten rounds of Modern Constructed over Friday and Saturday. The Top 8 was a single-elimination Marvel Super Heroes Booster Draft—a format not used in a Pro Tour Top 8 since 2011.
**Q: What was the most played Modern deck?**
Boros Energy and Izzet Affinity tied for the top share with 46 pilots each, representing 12.7% of the field apiece.
**Q: Which Marvel cards saw the most play?**
Hex Magic was the most-played new card with 63 copies across the field, every one of them maindeck. Avengers Disassembled added 23 copies, and Superior Spider-Man appeared in Living End.
**Q: How much was the prize pool?**
The total prize pool was **$500,000**, with every competitor guaranteed at least $500.
**Q: What's the ban watch situation?**
Wizards has an August 10th ban checkpoint on the calendar. The performance of Marvel cards—particularly Hex Magic with 63 copies—could influence whether any cards are banned.
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## Conclusion: A New Era for Modern
The Pro Tour Magic: The Gathering® | Marvel Super Heroes delivered exactly what the Magic community wanted: chaos, innovation, and unforgettable moments. From the 15-year-first all-draft Top 8 to the spiciest Modern decks since the Marvel invasion, Amsterdam proved that Magic's oldest competitive format still has plenty of surprises.
The Marvel cards are here to stay—for now. The singles market is spiking. The ban watch is on. And 362 of the world's best players just proved that superheroes belong in Modern.
Whether you're a competitive grinder, a casual brewer, or just here for the price spikes, one thing is certain: the Marvel Super Heroes Pro Tour will be remembered as the moment Modern changed forever.
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## Disclaimer
**IMPORTANT:** This article is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Card prices are based on market data at the time of the tournament and are subject to rapid change. Ban decisions are made by Wizards of the Coast and are not guaranteed. Always consult official sources for the most current Pro Tour results, decklists, and ban announcements. Magic: The Gathering is a registered trademark of Wizards of the Coast LLC.
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*Published: July 20, 2026*
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**Tags:** Pro Tour Magic, Marvel Super Heroes, Modern, Top 8, Eduardo Sajgalik, Ken Yukuhiro, Boros Energy, Izzet Affinity, Hex Magic, MagicCon Amsterdam, MTG Modern, Marvel MTG, Pro Tour 2026, MTG decklists, MTG ban watch
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