The final Magic: The Gathering MH3 Pro Tour in Amsterdam was packed with drama, format-defining cards, and accolade-heavy players competing in the top eight.
Heading into the final MTG Pro Tour of the year, Modern Horizons 3 cards like Nadu, Winged Wisdom defined the Modern Constructed meta through Bant Nadu. Of the 243 competitors at Pro Tour Amsterdam, 62 had brought either Bant Nadu or Four-Color Nadu as their Modern Constructed deck. Five Nadu MTG decks made it to the top eight at the MH3 Pro Tour, piloted by players Eli Kassis, Sam Pardee, Jason Ye, Simon Nielsen, and Daniel Goetschel. Nielsen and Pardee earned a spot at the final match with Bant Nadu, with Nielsen claiming the Pro Tour title.
Despite the dominance of MTG decks like Bant Nadu, Noah Ma and Seth Manfield were able to pilot Mono-Black Necro to the top eight. Ma was the first player at the MH3 Pro Tour to lock a top eight slot, running a 12-1 record during the Swiss rounds. Also joining the top eight was former World Champion Javier Dominguez on Jeskai Control.
Dominguez almost didn’t make the playoffs when his opponent, Bart Van Etten cheated during a game-changing game-two play in round 13. The round win was reversed, though, as Dominguez went on to win round 14 and earn another top-eight finish.
The MH3 Pro Tour in Amsterdam also featured a moving ceremony for MTG Hall of Fame player Kai Budde, getting his name permanently etched into Magic history through the Player of the Year award. Nielsen, a previous winner of the prestigious award, is seeking his second this year. Only three Pro Tours are in a season, with Nielsen winning Amsterdam and finishing second in Chicago.
Competitive MTG play continues following the MH3 Pro Tour, as players get ready for the 2023-2024 Magic World Championship in Las Vegas, scheduled to run from Oct. 25 to 27.
