It's been a short while since Bochum and even longer since Challenge Chicago. Store Championships have begun, Shimmering Skies spoilers are in full swing and Bucky has had a huge overhaul. Let's take a look at the top 4 decks and where they ended up.

4th place belonged to Hadrien and a very familiar sight. As always the combination of Emerald/Steel offers so much power. This is the same list that Brian Courtade used to take down Chicago last month. The power of Beast - Tragic Hero, Robin Hood - Champion of Sherwood, Diablo - Devoted Herald and Ursula - Deceiver of All is just too much for most decks to handle. I suspect we'll see this out in full force at Bologna with it being the last chance to run our Bucky before the errata. 

3rd place sees the return of Sapphire/Steel to the top 4. We didn't see any in the Chicago top 4, but Justin has piloted it to the latter stages of the knockout rounds. It's the classic item based deck with a touch of ramp to get you to the top end. Tamatoa - So Shiny!, Ariel - Treasure Collector, Hiram Flaversham - Toymaker and Scuttle - Expert on Humans all work so well with the likes of Fishbone Quill or Pawpsicle. Other parts of the deck offer a touch of ramp and control to keep on top of the game. With Lucky Dime and Belle - Strange but Special offering the best way to finish out games. 


1st and 2nd both played the ever popular Ruby/Amethyst Control to keep the board as clear as possible. Both decks were nearly identical with Theotime running 2 copies of Peter Pan - Shadow Finder to easily deal with cards like Diablo whereas Ruben opted for Lady Tremaine - Imperious Queen. The rest of the deck is the usual suspects. Full of sweepers, a few rush cards and what's becoming a very popular location in The Queen's Castle. There are more than enough ways to finish games out once you have control.


August 3rd & 4th sees the last Lorcana Challenge before Shimmering Skies is released. Will Bologna offer some answers to the Ruby/Amethyst Control decks and will Bucky get a big send off before the errata? We'll be back in a few weeks with the aftermath of Bologna.