Eternal Weekend in Prague: An Incredible Experience! Detailed Tournament and Match Report
Hello everyone!
I’m writing this post during my flight back to Brazil, reflecting on the incredible moments I experienced at Eternal Weekend. Now, I’m here to share everything with you.
This was my first time in Prague, and the journey from Brazil takes almost 24 hours by plane. Because of that, I planned to spend the previous week exploring the city and playing Magic in local game stores, bars, and even restaurants.
Legacy Night at Najada Games, Prague
In the days leading up to the event, I met several players from the international Magic community. On Friday, the day before the main event, I played a “Legacy Challenge”—a casual three-round tournament with 140 players. It was a fun warm-up for the next day!
Between rounds, I watched Gunnar Már dismantling UB Reanimator using my exact decklist and sideboard guide:
Reanimator, who?
A Key Realization Before the Main Event
This was my first major tournament since creating my YouTube channel earlier this year, and my first time traveling internationally for an event. Before arriving in Prague, I had a vague idea that some people might recognize me—perhaps some of my patrons attending the event—but I definitely underestimated the extent of my online presence.
To my surprise, I was recognized everywhere! Fellow players greeted me while registering, judges and almost all of my opponents knew who I was before our matches began. At one point, players at nearby tables even called out: “Are you the Dredge Guy?”
Given the current meta packed with main-deck graveyard hate, being targeted as a known Dredge player certainly impacted my final results. Even so, every match was a thrill, and I’m grateful for the whole experience.
Below, you’ll find my detailed report based on my memory of each match. I couldn’t take notes immediately after games because I was always engrossed in interesting conversations with other players and friends.
Round 1: The Epic Gamble, 0-2
My opponent had already seen me play earlier in the week at Najada Games, a local game store in Prague. He was extremely friendly, and we had a great conversation during the match. He mentioned upfront that he knew he’d need a fast hand against me.
I lost the die roll, and he started with a long turn 1 sequence that involved connecting three Echo of Eons, eventually finding his win.
After sideboarding, I mulled to five since my earlier hands contained no lands. I couldn’t find Leyline of the Void or Consign to Memory, but I did keep a hand with Otherworldly Gaze, Scalding Tarn, Lion's Eye Diamond (LED), Cabal Therapy, and Volcanic Island.
My opponent kept seven on the draw, so I started with a blind Cabal Therapy, naming LED. I missed, but their hand turned out to be slow, with Gamble, Burning Wish, Brainstorm, and some other random cards—no fast mana.
My next turn looked promising as Gaze being cast twice with flashback found everything I needed to win in one more turn. However, their Brainstorm left them with all the mana in the world to tutor Peer Into the Abyss and close out the game before I could.
Mental Note: Win the die roll against Storm players who know my deck. 😁
Onward to the next round!
Round 2: Mono-Black Helm Combo (8-Void), 1-2
My opponent didn’t recognize me (thank God) and kept a hand with Vexing Bauble but no Leyline of the Void or Dauthi Voidwalker. I had a Turn 2 hand and managed to win game 1 with a horde of angry zombies.
Game 2 was swift, as my opponent mulliganed aggressively to find a Turn 1 Voidwalker, locking me out completely.
Game 3 was a fantastic battle! I kept a hand with Cephalid Coliseum, Lion's Eye Diamond (LED), Faithless Looting, Golgari Troll, Poxwalkers, and two Cabal Therapies. My opponent didn’t have Leyline, so I led with Coliseum, discarded my hand for three red mana, and cast Faithless Looting, finding one Narcomoeba and my third Cabal Therapy.
I cast the first Therapy, naming Voidwalker, and saw their hand: Dauthi Voidwalker, Swamp, Dark Ritual, Chrome Mox, Orcish Bowmasters, Barrowgoyf, and Fell the Profane. I stripped all three creatures, leaving my opponent with a weak setup. I passed the turn with Poxwalkers and Narcomoeba in play.
On their first turn, they played a land, Chrome Mox (exiling a card from their hand), and passed. On my turn, I dredged six cards, finding Anger and Ox of Agonas, but no lands. I attacked for four damage.
Their Turn 2 brought a tapped Fell Mire, and they passed. My next Dredge 5 didn’t yield anything useful, but I attacked for another four damage.
On their Turn 3, they cast Dark Ritual into Leyline of the Void, locking me out of my graveyard engine. I could only draw a card (nothing impactful) and attack for another four damage, leaving them at 8 life.
On their Turn 4, they played Swamp and Helm of Obedience, but they didn’t have the mana to activate it immediately.
The Miracle That Almost Was
I desperately needed a miracle. I drew Lion's Eye Diamond and played it. I then cast Ox of Agonas using escape, drawing three cards, hoping to hit a fetch land, Volcanic Island, or Mountain to enable haste for all creatures thanks to Anger in my graveyard.
I drew two irrelevant cards and a Careful Study. I tapped Cephalid Coliseum for blue and cast Careful Study, but I still didn’t find a land and conceded. For fun, I looked at the top card of my deck—it was Scalding Tarn!
I didn’t win, but I left the table smiling, knowing I was a single card away from victory in such a dreadful matchup. Variance happens!
Reflection
At this point, I considered whether it was worth continuing in the tournament. Facing two brutal pairings in a row had left me frustrated, but I reminded myself that I had crossed the ocean to play in this event. I decided to keep going.
Round 3: Tempo Doomsday, 2-0
Before the match began, my friendly opponent Fabian introduced himself as adorno666 on Magic Online, mentioning that we had played against each other multiple times. The moment he said it, I remembered—he plays Doomsday.
Fabian "adorno666" after our match
I don’t recall all the details of the games, but I believe I won the die roll and found very strong opening hands with diverse enablers and Cephalid Coliseum—exactly what I hope for when facing Doomsday.
The quick victory boosted my confidence, helping me push forward in the tournament!
Round 4: UB Tempo, 2-0
If memory serves me right, in Game 1, my opponent countered my first enabler, flipped a Tamiyo, Collector of Tales on turn 2, and destroyed one of my lands with Wasteland. However, they didn’t find much else—perhaps getting locked after a Brainstorm. I had additional lands and enablers and managed to secure the win with Satoru and Thassa’s Oracle, one turn before Tamiyo could flip again.
Sideboard Changes:
+3 Nihil Spellbomb
+1 Shenanigans
-1 Anger
-1 Satoru
-1 Dread Return
-1 Breakthrough
In Game 2, my opening hand featured Leyline of Sanctity and Shenanigans, setting me up well. My opponent played a Nihil Spellbomb with a dejected look and passed the turn. I played an Island and resolved Otherworldly Gaze, sending dredgers to the graveyard while leaving a Mountain on top.
On turn 2, they resolved Brainstorm, dropped Wasteland, and played Grafdigger’s Cage. I was thrilled, recalling the extensive online testing that inspired modifications to my sideboard for exactly this matchup. My opponent didn’t counter Shenanigans—and even if they had, my two basic lands would have let me recast it the following turn.
From there, the game was smooth sailing, and I clinched the win with ease.
Between rounds... time to make new friends!
Round 5: Tempo Doomsday, 1-2
This match was incredibly educational.
Game 1:
I won the die roll and started with Faithless Looting, discarding a Stinkweed Imp and another card, resolving Lion’s Eye Diamond (LED) and passing with Cephalid Coliseum and Otherworldly Gaze in hand. My opponent cast Doomsday on turn 1, played a Lotus Petal, and passed. Examining their exiled cards, I noticed 4 Force of Will, 4 Daze, and no Thassa’s Oracle.
On turn 2, my dredging revealed nothing significant. I played Cephalid Coliseum and resolved Otherworldly Gaze, finding no additional dredgers but revealing a second Coliseum on top. At this point, I faced a decision: try to win immediately or hold back. With only one dredger in the graveyard, the chances of fizzling with Coliseum were significant. I speculated that my opponent’s pile involved two Oracles to win over two turns. Knowing they couldn’t win without Devotion = 3, I decided to pass, confident I could counter their plan with double Coliseum and LED next turn.
On their turn 2, my opponent resolved a cantrip, played LED, cycled a card, discarded their hand to LED, and cast... Jace, Wielder of Mysteries, with three cards left in their library! I wasn't expecting that. They cycled one more card and won by activating Jace.
Game 2:
I learned my lesson. Once again, my opponent assembled the combo on turn 1 and passed. On my turn 2, I cracked Cephalid Coliseum, targeting myself, and won with Satoru and Thassa’s Oracle, denying them another turn.
Game 3:
Both of us kept seven cards. My hand included LED, Looting, a dredger, and Cephalid Coliseum, but my opponent kept a more defensive hand. They countered LED with Force of Will and Looting with Daze. On turn 2, I played Coliseum and attempted Otherworldly Gaze, which was met by another counterspell. On turn 3, they cast Doomsday and won shortly after.
Key Takeaway:
Some newer Doomsday builds run Jace, Wielder of Mysteries in the maindeck, presenting an unexpected win condition. This way, relying on Coliseum to target the opponent may not be as effective against these builds as it was in the past. Adjusting strategy to apply more immediate pressure is essential when playing against Tempo Doomsday.
Round 6: 8-Cast / Patchwork Stompy, 1-2
Game 1:
Before the match began, my opponent mentioned how much they loved Legacy, emphasizing that they build their own lists with cards they have rather than following the current metagame. They won the die roll and opened with Chalice of the Void for 1 on turn 1. My hand of seven cards included 2 Cephalid Coliseum, Volcanic Island, a Golgari Grave-Troll, and one-mana enablers. With no immediate plays, I passed, discarding Troll at the end of the turn.
On turn 2, my opponent played Urza’s Saga and passed. I dredged into another Troll, played my first Coliseum, and passed. They played a land and Mishra’s Bauble, cracking it to check my top card before passing back. On my following turn, I activated Coliseum, which fueled a win with Angry Zombies before their Saga could tutor Soul-Guide Lantern.
Game 2:
Here, my opponent came prepared with a mix of graveyard hate: Faerie Macabre, Ghost Vacuum, and Soul-Guide Lantern in their opening hand. Despite their strong disruption, they kept a single-land hand, prolonging the game. By turn 8 or 9, I resolved Cabal Therapy to gain information, seeing two Simulacrum Synthesizers. Soon after, they found their second land, and I conceded.
Game 3:
I kept an explosive hand: 2 LED, Volcanic Island, Breakthrough, Faithless Looting, Troll, and Otherworldly Gaze—a near-perfect turn 1 setup. However, my opponent started the game with... Leyline of the Void!
Their customized mix of graveyard hate, including Leyline, caught me completely off guard. Unable to interact effectively, I lost the match.
On to the next round!
Round 7: Grixis Delver, 1-1
Game 1 went well for me, and I secured the win easily. The second game was quite lengthy. My opponent played very carefully and managed to disrupt my graveyard several times. Despite my efforts, they eventually took the win after a hard-fought battle.
The deciding game started with my opponent playing Grafdigger’s Cage on turn 1. However, I had Shenanigans in my deck and 3 mana, including access to black mana, so I felt like I could find a way out.
On turn 2, my opponent cast Psychic Frog and passed. I responded on turn 3 by casting Stinkweed Imp and passing. The game dragged on for more than 10 turns from that point, with my opponent playing cautiously and finding Wastelands to destroy my non-basic lands. I had another land in hand, which I kept in reserve in case I found Shenanigans to deal with their graveyard hate.
The match went into the extra 5 turns, but there was no time left for us to finish the game. We ended up in a draw.
Round 8: RG Initiative, 2-1
When I arrived at the table and greeted my opponent, he said: "Have we played before? I think we have." I dodged the question, looked down, and said it was my first EW. "But weren’t you here last year?" he said. "No," I replied...
...and while we were deciding on the Mulligan, he said: "I know where I know you from!" By that point in the tournament, I had already given up hope of staying incognito.
My opponent won the die roll, mulliganed to 6, and cast Chalice of the Void =1.
My 7-card hand couldn’t have been more perfect: Golgari Grave-Troll, Cephalid Coliseum, Cephalid Coliseum, Breakthrough, LED, and something else. I played Coliseum, LED, and passed. If he did something drastic like Magus of the Moon, I could discard my hand and activate Coliseum in response. If not, I’d win on turn 2.
On turn 2, he cast Caves of Chaos Adventurer and passed. I won on my turn with Breakthrough, finding a Satoru and enough Poxwalkers to dredge until the end of the deck, winning with Oracle.
In game 2, my opponent mulliganed to five, and I kept an all-in hand that was hard to refuse: LED, LED, fetch land, Gaze, Dredger, and something else. However, he found Faerie Macabre, and my flashbacked Gaze didn’t find anything on top.
Sideboard for game 3: +1 Shenanigans, +3 Silent Gravestone, -2 Dread Return, -1 Oracle, -1 Satoru.
I remember little of this game as it was relatively fast. My opponent didn’t have Faerie Macabre this time, but he had 2 graveyard hate artifacts (Vacuum and Grafdigger’s Cage, I believe), and I had Shenanigans in my opening hand with two lands. The rest of his hand was slow, and I won on turn 3.
At the end, my opponent gave me this die as a gift. Does anyone know his store? It’s in Hamburg, Germany.
Round 9: Esper Control, 1-2
At this point, the event organizers announced a change in the prize distribution. Originally, players with 19 points would receive a prize, but now the minimum was set at 22 points. This meant my upcoming games were just for testing my deck and having fun!
Game 1:
I lost the die roll, but managed to win the first game quite easily. My opponent's answers didn’t come into play soon enough, and I was able to execute my whole strategy smoothly.
Game 2:
The second game was much tougher. My opponent came prepared with a mix of graveyard hate, including Ghost Vacuum, Spellbomb, Grafdigger’s Cage, and possibly Surgical Extraction. They were able to control the game for a long time with white removals and graveyard hate, but without a win condition of their own for quite a while. Eventually, I lost this game as they slowly ground me out.
Game 3:
I had a moment where I was certain I was about to win. My opponent had only Ghost Vacuum on the battlefield, and I was controlling the game with Gazes, filling my graveyard and forcing them to discard key cards. I had revealed Dread Return and Satoru, and I just needed one more creature (even something like a Thug) to win the next turn.
However, in their turn, my opponent drew Spellbomb, and with that, they sealed the deal and took the game.
Round 10: Sultai Cradle Control, 2-1
My opponent was very friendly, and we had great conversations throughout the match. Their deck was an older version of Sultai, featuring Leovold, Scavenging Ooze, Abrupt Decay, and several green creatures as a toolbox.
Game 1:
The first game was a bit of a challenge, but I was able to secure the victory. The game was long, and while my opponent had some solid answers like Endurance, I managed to keep the pressure on and eventually win.
Game 2:
The second game went much longer. My opponent found multiple answers to my strategies, and it became a battle of attrition. I went through my entire deck trying to close the game, but Endurance, Scavenging Ooze, and Cradle controlled the board and shut me down. Despite my best efforts, I lost this one.
Game 3:
In the final game, my opponent mulliganed to five cards, likely trying to find some key answers. I kept a solid hand of six cards, which included LED, 2 Gaze, and Looting. I decided to take the more cautious approach, playing slowly to test my opponent’s hand against the potential Endurance. When I noticed my opponent had not drawn answers, I shifted gears and played to win, closing the game quickly.
Round 11: Bant Nadu, 1-2
This was my first time playing against Nadu IRL, and I must say, it was a miserable experience. I really hope that card gets banned on Monday. That said, let’s break down the games:
Game 1:
I won the first game, as expected. My deck performed well, and the match progressed smoothly.
Game 2:
The second game started slower after my opponent used Force of Will on my first play. However, by turn 2, I started to build up my board. The crucial moment came on turn 3, when my opponent cast Brainstorm during their main phase and passed the turn with no creatures on the board, two lands tapped, and a fetch land open. I took this as a sign they were trying to find graveyard hate and failed, as they allowed me to dredge during my draw step. At that point, I had two Poxwalkers and two Cabal Therapy in the graveyard, but no Bridges.
On my first Therapy, I named Swords to Plowshares, and my opponent revealed a hand with a land, Nadu, and Nomads En-Kor. The second Therapy was pivotal, and I chose Nadu, thinking I could stop the combo. However, my opponent had a second Nadu on top of their deck, and by turn 4, they played it along with Nomads En-Kor and started to combo. They drew 8 cards during their turn and my upkeep, including Endurance, and eventually won from there.
Game 3:
In the third game, I had Leyline of Sanctity in play, and I was ahead for several turns after clearing my opponent’s hand with all my Cabal Therapy. They had only a Bristly Bill and possibly a Dryad Arbor left. I was attacking with 3 Poxwalkers, bringing my opponent down to 4 life. But then, my opponent found Nadu and started going off. It took them several minutes to combo with their creatures, likely drawing 25+ cards over two turns. They placed numerous +1/+1 counters on Nadu, exiling my Narcomoebas in the process.
At this point, I had to be extremely careful about the triggers. The combo wasn’t deterministic, so there was still a chance it could fail, but I had to stay vigilant. A single extra +1/+1 counter on Nadu could be lethal, and the tension was high as my opponent continued their combo, trying to finish me off. At the end, it was too much to handle.
Epilogue
At the end of it all, I was really tired! 11 rounds of paper MTG, with no breaks, and many long games decided in the third match, can be pretty exhausting. I had woken up at 6 AM and left the tournament at 10:40 PM, getting to the hotel just before midnight. But I was so happy and fulfilled with the entire experience that I couldn’t sleep right away. I logged into Magic Online to relax, played a league with the same deck from the day, and went 5-0 before going to bed. Dredge was still alive (or undead?), and I went to sleep satisfied.
I couldn't sleep after losing to Nadu... so I stayed up instead.
....................
It was a long report, folks! If you made it this far, I hope you enjoyed reading it.
This Monday we’ll have the ban announcement. My guesses are the same as most players: Psychic Frog (or Entomb), Vexing Bauble, and Nadu. And what will happen to Dredge if that happens?
If they ban something strong from Reanimator, there will be less graveyard hate in the main deck, and Dredge will get stronger.
If they ban Vexing Bauble, control decks will get stronger, and so will Dredge. In any meta where control is strong, Dredge also thrives.
If they ban Nadu, it will be divine justice. All the other decks will get stronger, and the world will become a better place for all of us!
Keep dredging!