Late to the party: I guess I’m a Premodern guy now.

Fellow Roc, Herb Wilson and I have been playing/grinding eternal formats regularly together for 15 or so years. Honestly, we really both just enjoy dumb old cards, and constructed formats with whimsey. We’ve both been quite active in the Middle School (EC) format since early 2022, but it was not until recently that either of us really turned our attention to the growing pre-modern format.

I’m a bit ashamed to say it took this long to turn attention to Premodern, but given my recent “dad speed” in MtG (no shame), better late than never. The culture I’ve felt in premodern is reminiscent of the hype and vibe I felt surrounding 93/94 in its early years, which is exciting to me and hopefully the future of the format.

Given our kindred nostalgia and play history, Herb and I were sorely overdue for our first PM event. We managed to coordinate our schedules and head to Full Grip Games in Akron Ohio for their second ever “quarterly” Premodern event. Full Grip was a new venue for us both. We were pleasantly surprised by welcoming staff, and an associated full service boardgame bar above the shop! (The Green Dragon Inn – check it out!)

For me, choosing a maiden voyage PM deck was easy, as I have had some success (and confidence) running Elves in the Middle School format. Green is a favorite, and I wanted to run a list that wasn’t survival centric and offbeat. I landed on the below deck, modeled heavily after my own successful MS lists in the past.

The plan is as always – get there before they get there. Resource denial.

Herb has (ironically) been a classic elves player in Legacy for years. I don’t know if it was the friendly rivalry or just the variance, but his go-to deck has been Goblins in MS. He also chose a similar list (RG) as he previously found success with in the middle school format. I’ll circle back to Herb’s experience in a bit.

Tournament Report

Game 1: Enchantress (2-0)

My pointy eared friends made quite an entrance. Game one was a hot start for me that involved a lucky mulligan into the perfect ramp-to-geddeon lineup. Unfortunately, my opponent had a tough mulligan game 2 and this matchup was over very quickly. Sideboard: +3 Naturalize, +1 Nantuko Vigilante. -3 Lords, -1 force mage

Game 2: Processor Combo (2-1)

Being as fresh as I was in the format, this was a new deck design for me to figure out on the fly. I was actually incorrect to think game 1 that I was against a more traditional survival matchup, as I didn’t get much information prior to winning game 1. Game 2, hermit druid got me good and I was able to visualize the deck. This wasn’t a great matchup for me to try to count to 20 against, and game 3 felt a bit perilous, but elves were able to emerge victorious with the help of a timely swords to plowshares and an early deranged hermit (the cooler hermit). Sideboard: +3 Naturalize, +1 Swords to Plowshares. (game 2 I had also boarded in 2 crypts – game 3; +1 wellwisher, +1 caller). -4 Armageddon, -2 Plow under

Game 3: U/G Mongrel madness (2-0)

This game opened with my opponent playing a new-to-me version of mongrel that felt appropriate for the matchup. Despite an early Wonder in the graveyard, this match felt like I was in the most control. Speed, forestwalk, following a gush with a plow under and turning cards sideways worked as expected here. My green army dodged through a couple counterspells, but cruised. Sideboard: +1 Swords to plowshares, Biorhythm out (probably could have just rolled with the swords addition and nothing out)

Game 4: Stiflenaught

(my 9 points were obtained for top 8, so we agreed to draw before playing, 2-1 in exhibition)

Stiflenaught has been one of my more difficult matchups in MS and often feels like it just comes down to duck-and-cover luck. My memory of game 1 is not great, but it was a bit more of a grind than I expected. With more counterspells than 12/12s to deal with, I was able to nickel and dime a win. Game 2 I lost in glorious dreadnaught fashion. Game three was interesting. I had added meekstone to my board for this matchup particularly, only to see it countered, but just good old-fashioned aggro got me there in game 3. Sideboard: +3 Naturalize, +1 Swords, +2 Meekstone, -2 Plow under, -2 Armageddon, -1 Sylvan messenger, -1 elvish champion.

Game 5: Enchantress – (friendly draw)

The opportunity was taken to explore the Green Dragon Inn as the remainder of the top 8 was formulated. Famous local Butcher + Brewer Albino stout on draft, and a 40 min break, this definitely counted as a win.

Top 8 Landstill (2-0)

Landstill is a difficult opponent for Elves in MS in my experience, but thanks to endless RtS leagues and the popularity of the deck, I felt I had a knowledge advantage here I hadn’t quite felt yet this tournament. Game 1 the elves did their elf things. A well landed ‘geddon and resolved elvish champion made for a smooth match. Game 2, I played through 2 wrath of gods, but was able to sneak out an unanswered exalted angel to clinch a top 4 spot. Sideboard: +2 Exalted angel, +1 wellwisher, +3 Naturalize, -2 plow under, -2 deranged hermit, -1 tribal forcemage, -1 sylvan messenger

Top 4 Goblins (1-2)

I said I’d return to Herb’s progress, and he and his goblins were on a warpath up until this point. He had a lost round 1 versus enchantress, but easily made top 8 as well. Herb and I notoriously are paired, no matter what event, so this classic Goblins vs Elves bloodbath felt inevitable. Goblins is a dice roll matchup for me, and I lost that, and game one quickly to lackeys and a less elegant army. I have a heavy board versus goblins, and game 2 I managed to take relatively easily (despite seeing 0 board cards). Game three was looking good for me. I was able to get a quick start and exchange many 1-for-1s. with low hand sizes, I was able to land an Armageddon with 4 little guys left on board to do the whittling. 1 turn away, Herb rips a pyrokinesis, casts it with 0 lands out, and gets the perfect 4-for-1. Lackey followed the next turn, and I was history. Sideboard: +2 Absolute Law, +1 Swords to plowshares, +1 caller of the Claw, +1 Wellwisher, -2 plow under, -2 Armageddon, -1 biorhythm, -1 city of brass

Finals

Herb (2) vs Connor (1) on Stiflenaught

Herb ‘s choice of R/G (over R/B) had a great payoff today. A grueling match against Stiflenaught (my round 4 opponent) was in store for the finals. This match ultimately belonged to some well placed goblin tinkerers and that classic lackey pressure in the early game. Running Naturalize main board was a great choice for this meta (although I think it was tinkerer that ultimately delivered the “kill” shot) and Herb emerged victorious as the first Full Grip premodern champ of 2026!

As this is as much of a personal blurb on PM as a quick tournament report, humor me short elaboration on my own upbringing in MtG and why PM/MS feels so special… It’s well known that I have a love for 93/94 OS and adjacent playstyles. PM/MS would be more considered my “generational format”, as I first picked up the game in 2001. I really fell in love with Magic during the Onslaught block. As an immersion junkie, it took me years to move past that era. In ~2003 my buddy’s sister “needed” a few bucks for cigarettes. She knew I enjoyed MtG and offered up a very potent shoebox of ’93-‘98 era cards (her ex had left behind) in exchange for just a few dollars. This turned out to be probably the best exchange of my life.

As a teenager, I kept up with current MtG, but I really did not care for the “new” Mirrodin block at the time. It took me until Lorwyn (2007) to fully turn my attention to anything more competitive or focused. Instead, I found solace in that fateful shoebox I had balanced on my lap as I biked home, mixed with my early collection, and some tactful trading to create my own little world. Endless brewing, back in time, even for the time. Simply, and to use the words of the (in)famous Blake Rasmussen: that’s the magic “for me”.

Post mortem

This was a longer writeup – if you made it this far, thanks for humoring me. A couple changes I might make to my deck: more swords to plowshares. I felt like Nantuko vigilante didn’t pull weight off the side and while exciting, caller of the claw feels real heavy. Mainboard, City of brass could potentially be a different weird non-basic. Gemstone mine potentially or undiscovered paradise. I’ll be back to Full Grip, if for no other reason than to get some more of that awesome albino stout. The TLDR of it is, premodern is fun and feels like a great part of the future. I think it fits well in the vibe of the “gentleman’s formats” of the last decade, and I’ll continue to cover events as able.

Here is the deck list at mtgtop8 (for whatever reason a naturalize is listed mainboard for me, this is incorrect)

Until next time. (RIP Kai Budde)