Hey everyone, I'm Alessandro Buccola, aka lillo6 on MTGO, and today I want to share the journey that led me to qualifying for the Regional Championship in Ghent, Belgium, coming up at the end of October 2026.
My competitive expirince started in February 2025. After my son was born in November 2024, I felt the need to carve out a little personal space in my life as a father, husband, and worker. I've always been an athlete, craving competition since I was a kid. I had missed that feeling of being challenged for far too long.
My first choice was UB Oculus. I gathered the missing cards and started playtesting with friends. In the meantime, I also put together Boros Energy, an archetype completely opposite to my playstyle. During a testing session, I played it almost by accident… and from that moment on, I couldn't put it down. I immediately realized I was piloting an archetype with no rivals in the format.
Boros Energy
- 4 × Ajani, Nacatl Pariah
- 4 × Guide of Souls
- 4 × Ocelot Pride
- 4 × Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury
- 4 × Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
- 3 × Seasoned Pyromancer
- 2 × Ranger-Captain of Eos
- 2 × Voice of Victory
- 4 × Galvanic Discharge
- 2 × Thraben Charm
- 3 × Goblin Bombardment
- 4 × Arid Mesa
- 4 × Flooded Strand
- 4 × Marsh Flats
- 3 × Arena of Glory
- 3 × Sacred Foundry
- 2 × Dalkovan Encampment
- 2 × Elegant Parlor
- 2 × Plains
- 2 × Containment Priest
- 2 × Obsidian Charmaw
- 2 × Orim's Chant
- 2 × Wear
- 2 × Wrath of the Skies
- 1 × Blood Moon
- 1 × Celestial Purge
- 1 × Clarion Conqueror
- 1 × Surgical Extraction
- 1 × The Legend of Roku
Modern RCQs – The First Attempts
1st Attempt – Livorno
14 players. I finish third in the Swiss, but hit a wall in the Top 4.
2nd Attempt – Cogoleto (at Melis's shop)
18 players. Once again third in the Swiss, but I fizzle out in the Top 8. However, my friend Fabio Delli Compagni wins it all with Esper Goryo, so we still head home victorious.
Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury
Legendary Creature — Elder Giant
Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury
Legendary Creature — Elder Giant
When Phlage enters, sacrifice it unless it escaped.
Whenever Phlage enters or attacks, it deals 3 damage to any target and you gain 3 life.
Escape—, Exile five other cards from your graveyard. (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its escape cost.)
Then comes the Phlage ban and the unban of Violent Outburst. I immediately realize Boros has lost its inevitability; Phlage was the card that allowed you to turn lost games around. I replace Phlage with Luna, Voice of Victory, Roku, and Ranger. The deck gets better against combo, so I head to my third attempt hoping to dodge midrange/control and run into more combo.
Boros Energy
- 4 × Ajani, Nacatl Pariah
- 4 × Guide of Souls
- 4 × Ocelot Pride
- 4 × Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
- 3 × Ranger-Captain of Eos
- 3 × Seasoned Pyromancer
- 3 × Voice of Victory
- 4 × Galvanic Discharge
- 3 × Thraben Charm
- 3 × Goblin Bombardment
- 2 × The Legend of Roku
- 4 × Arid Mesa
- 4 × Flooded Strand
- 4 × Marsh Flats
- 3 × Sacred Foundry
- 2 × Dalkovan Encampment
- 2 × Elegant Parlor
- 2 × Plains
- 1 × Arena of Glory
- 1 × Mountain
- 2 × Blood Moon
- 2 × High Noon
- 2 × Obsidian Charmaw
- 2 × Orim's Chant
- 2 × Vexing Bauble
- 2 × Wear
- 2 × Wrath of the Skies
- 1 × Clarion Conqueror
Versione post ban di Phlage
3rd Attempt – Ovada
Only 6 players. I make the Top 4, losing to Azorius Blink in an incredibly long match. Quantum Riddler gives UW the kind of inevitability that Boros lost. The Azorius player goes on to win the tournament.
The Deck Change
Back home, I dive deep into the Azorius Blink archetype: I look at lists, watch gameplay, and chat with excellent pilots (including Joe Leo). I start testing: a league with UW, a league with Boros, then some adjustments, then back to UW and Boros.
After many leagues, I reach a few conclusions:
- Boros has zero inevitability past turn five (without Phlage).
- Azorius lacks an inevitable finisher (Ajani + Bombardment).
Overall, however, Azorius performs better: several 4-1 league finishes, while Boros just can't keep up anymore. (Even if the overall data still shows a devastatingly high winrate for Boros in the Modern meta).
Azorius Blink
- 4 × Guide of Souls
- 4 × Ocelot Pride
- 4 × Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd
- 4 × Quantum Riddler
- 4 × Solitude
- 4 × White Orchid Phantom
- 4 × Witch Enchanter
- 2 × Starfield Shepherd
- 2 × Teferi, Time Raveler
- 3 × Ephemerate
- 2 × Consign to Memory
- 2 × Erode
- 2 × March of Otherworldly Light
- 4 × Hallowed Fountain
- 4 × Windswept Heath
- 3 × Flagstones of Trokair
- 3 × Marsh Flats
- 3 × Plains
- 2 × Meticulous Archive
- 2 × Clarion Conqueror
- 2 × Deafening Silence
- 2 × Mystical Dispute
- 2 × Rest in Peace
- 2 × Spell Pierce
- 2 × Vexing Bauble
- 2 × Wrath of the Skies
- 1 × Consign to Memory
4th Attempt – Cogoleto
I show up with Azorius Blink. I lose the win-and-in in round five and finish tenth. The tournament is won by Lorenzo Pollone playing Boros Energy… with a list virtually identical to mine (71 cards in common). The result sends me into an existential crisis: "What if I had just registered Boros?"
Ovada and the RCQ Victory
After that defeat, I go back to testing. I pick up Boros again, but the results just aren't there.
5th Attempt – MTGO RC Super Qualifier (410 players, 4 slots)
I bring Boros, start off strong, but fizzle out early. Meanwhile, Ashame wins a Challenge with a unique version of UW Blink (resembling the Standard UW Momo style). I try it out: the primary game plan is incredibly strong, but it feels too fragile and clunky. I shelve it and build a sturdier version:
- I cut Springleaf Drum and the standard package.
- I cut March of Otherworldly Light.
- I add Prismatic Ending.
- I add Sacred Foundry (a choice that would prove decisive).
After plenty of testing, I arrive at my final list, featuring a much sturdier sideboard against combo, Affinity, Goryo, Persist, and Yawgmoth.
Azorius Blink
- 4 × Guide of Souls
- 4 × Ocelot Pride
- 4 × Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd
- 4 × Quantum Riddler
- 4 × Solitude
- 4 × White Orchid Phantom
- 3 × Witch Enchanter
- 2 × Ranger-Captain of Eos
- 1 × Mockingbird
- 1 × Starfield Shepherd
- 1 × Teferi, Time Raveler
- 4 × Ephemerate
- 2 × Consign to Memory
- 3 × Prismatic Ending
- 4 × Flagstones of Trokair
- 3 × Hallowed Fountain
- 3 × Plains
- 2 × Arid Mesa
- 2 × Flooded Strand
- 2 × Marsh Flats
- 2 × Meticulous Archive
- 1 × Sacred Foundry
- 2 × Consign to Memory
- 2 × High Noon
- 2 × Mystical Dispute
- 2 × Rest in Peace
- 2 × Vexing Bauble
- 2 × Wrath of the Skies
- 1 × Lavinia, Azorius Renegade
- 1 × Sanctifier en-Vec
- 1 × Teferi, Time Raveler
Versione Finale
With the list locked in, I set off for my sixth attempt in Ovada, alongside Luca Garbarini (playing WR Land Destruction) and Matteo Cecconi (on Eldrazi Tron).
We have 17 players: 5 rounds of Swiss followed by a Top 8.
Round 1 – vs Boros Energy
G1: I win the die roll. We both mulligan to 5. I start aggressively with White Orchid Phantom + Phelia, but he finds back-to-back copies of Guide of Souls + 2 Voice of Victory to completely turn the game around. I lose.
G2: I open an explosive hand with Guide + Ocelot. Solitude + Ephemerate close things out in short order.
G3: A longer game, but always under control. Wrath of the Skies crushes his hopes and Quantum Riddler seals the deal.
Round 2 – vs Affinity
G1: I win the die roll. He starts incredibly slow. I immediately exile Weapons Manufacturing with Prismatic Ending. Phelia + Riddler get the engine online, and I win with an army of flying cats buffed by Guide of Souls.
G2: I open Guide + Ocelot, but he drops a turn-two Kappa Cannoneer. Thanks to the lifegain, I survive long enough to pressure his life total. The game is decided by a tiny detail: his only mana sources are Fiery Islet + Mox Opal. To prevent him from cracking Islet to draw, I cast Prismatic Ending on the Mox. He fails to draw any artifacts and I take the game.
Round 3 – vs Eldrazi Tron
G1: He wins the die roll. Starts with a Tron land + Expedition Map and assembles Tron quickly. I manage Devourer of Destiny with Solitude and build up a board with Ranger. Then, a fatal mistake: I fail to sacrifice Ranger during his upkeep and get blown out by All is Dust. I lose.
G2: I keep a hand with White Orchid Phantom + Phelia + Ephemerate. I completely dismantle his big mana setup, leaving him with nothing but a single Swamp in no time. Easy win.
G3: I mulligan to 5: Fetchland, 2 Consign to Memory, Guide of Souls, Ephemerate. He gets Tron, but I counter Devourer and Ugin, then resolve Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd, blinking Riddler to pull me back into the game. I draw Phantom, he draws two lands in a row. GG.
Round 4 – Intentional Draw
We are the only players at 9 points. We ID. My opponent is Francesco "Koe" Alacca, founder of Novo Team—the Italian team from Pro Tour Amsterdam. A super nice and helpful guy, we ended up chatting for quite a while. He was piloting WR Belcher.
Round 5 – Intentional Draw
I remain in the top 4. We ID here as well. My opponent would have been Esper Blink. A real shame for Cecco, who loses his win-and-in against Grixis Persist.
TOP 8
- RG Broodscale – 12 pts
- WR Land Destruction – 11 pts (Luca)
- Azorius Blink – 11 pts (me)
- Esper Blink – 11 pts
- RW Belcher – 11 pts
- Eldrazi Tron – 9 pts
- Eldrazi Tron – 9 pts
- Grixis Persist – 9 pts
Quarterfinals – vs Eldrazi Tron
Both Luca and I pair into Eldrazi Tron, and we are both on the play.
G1: White Orchid Phantom + Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd on the play = a completely one-sided game.
G2: He starts Tron land + Map. I respond with Prismatic Ending. He finds his second Tron land, then the third, then a massive Eldrazi. I have Consign to Memory. He resolves a Chalice of the Void on 1. I flash in Phelia on his end step, then drop Phantom, blinking it to strip away his lands. Phelia then blinks his Chalice, causing it to re-enter with 0 charge counters, clearing the way for my core engine of Guide of Souls + Ocelot Pride. I wrap it up quickly.
Semifinals – vs RG Broodscale
G1: A long, drawn-out game. He walls me off with Writhing Chrysalis. I find Teferi, Time Raveler, bounce his Chrysalis, and pass with an army of cats. When he tries to equip a Sword, I exile it with Prismatic Ending at instant speed thanks to Teferi. Riddler + Ephemerate seal the win.
G2: Another long game stalled by Chrysalis. I resolve Wrath of the Skies, followed by Rest in Peace, which prevents him from casting the Emrakul, the Promised End he had sitting in hand. My board goes completely wide: 2 Ocelots + Mockingbird (cloning a third Ocelot), Guide of Souls, Phantom, 16 tokens, 24 energy, and around 40 life. He extends his hand. GG.
Finals – vs Luca (WR Land Destruction)
Luca, my Magic road-trip companion since 2011 (if you're reading this, Verona right after Gatecrash released during Return to Ravnica block surely comes to mind), concedes the qualification to me. He claims the prize vouchers on his new Contea del Nerd account to treat himself to his beloved graded Pokemon cards!
I head to the bathroom, close the door, and let out a yell. I finally did it. We're going to Ghent.
Conclusion
Four of us from our local group have already qualified, and the season isn't over yet: there's still a month left for more of the crew to join the adventure.
Looking back, the deck choice was absolutely correct: with five Eldrazi-based decks in the room, the only truly nightmare matchups were Izzet Prowess, WR Belcher, WR Land Destruction, and the Azorius Blink mirror (the Drum version).
White Orchid Phantom
Creature — Spirit Knight
White Orchid Phantom
Creature — Spirit Knight
Flying, first strike
When this creature enters, destroy up to one target nonbasic land. Its controller may search their library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
White Orchid Phantom was the absolute MVP of the tournament.
Until next time, Alessandro.