87 players followed in the footsteps of the Disciples of Pain last weekend in Hong Kong!
Taking each other on in a Blitz beatdown to decide who would go home with the Gold Foil, PTI, and largest cut of $2,000 USD, the field was a whirlwind of Ninjas, Runeblades and Brutes galore.
Things got chilly on Sunday with an Ice dominated field in the Classic Constructed PTI event, and a certain Elemental Runeblade came painstakingly close to achieving Living Legend, but was overtaken at the last second...
Battle Hardened
Ira, Kassai, and Chane continue to be piping hot in the current metagame, but the Battle Hardened wasn't without its Brute diehards. Unfortunately the apex predator didn't quite make it to the top this time, with the Top 8 bracket stacked to the brim with Runeblades of the Shadow variety.
Artfully slicing through the pesky Kano pair, the deadly Ira duo, and the lone wolf Kassai, a triple threat of Chane made it their mission to kick everyone else out of the party, simmering down to an explosive mirror match between two masters of sword and sorcery.
After putting his opponent Bun Ar on the back foot early in the game, Shing Tsang closed things out with a brutal Plunder Run turn, claiming glory for the Demonastery once again.
Congratulations to Shing, and to the rest of our Top 8 competitors!
Top 8
1st: Shing Tsang - Chane
2nd: Bun Ar - Chane
3rd-4th: Allen Lau - Chane
3rd-4th: Hochun Lai - Kano
5th-8th: Kelvin Law - Kano
5th-8th: Ka Chun Chan - Kassai, Cintari Sellsword
5th-8th: Pudding Tam - Ira, Crimson Haze
5th-8th: Tsz Lung Wu - Ira, Crimson Haze
PTI Event
But the story wasn't over yet for Bun Ar, nor half of the Battle Hardened Top 8. Proving they were here to win big, four players from Saturday's top bracket fought their way through several rounds of Classic Constructed to claim another Top 8 spot. If that doesn't put your name on the map, what does?
The chills were multiplying as the recent uptick in Iyslander's popularity really came to the forefront. Close behind were Lexi and Bravo, each a different flavour of disruption. It seems that a great way to survive your opponents turns is to stop them having any in the first place.
Excitement filled the room as a lone Briar squeezed into the Top 8 bracket. Could this be the moment? Audiences watched the stream with baited breath as Briar took out an Iyslander, then a Dash. With only 2 points needed to retire, everyone was on the edge of their seats as the Elemental Runeblade that has plagued the metagame for so long faced off against a final Dash.
But it simply wasn't meant to be. Dash took home the bacon, letting Briar live to fight another day (again). However, it's heartwarming to see the whole community come together in times like these with a single mindset - "Please Briar, just win already!"
Congratulations to Bun Ar for winning the event, and to the rest of our Top 8 competitors!
Top 8
1st: Bun Ar - Dash, Inventor Extraordinaire
2nd: Nova Chan - Briar, Warden of Thorns
3rd-4th: Kelvin Law - Dash, Inventor Extraordinaire
3rd-4th: Kaiser Wong - Iyslander, Stormbind
5th-8th: Tsz Lung Wu - Bravo, Showstopper
5th-8th: Peng Joon - Lexi, Livewire
5th-8th: Shing Tsang - Iyslander, Stormbind
5th-8th: Marcus Mok - Dorinthea Ironsong
