Live Tournament Updates
Welcome to our live tournament coverage! This post will be updated throughout the day as rounds complete and results come in.
Tournament Information
- Date: January 27, 2025
- Format: Best of 5, Single Elimination
Round Updates
Round 1 - Matt Dodds (1st Seed) vs. James Hale (8th Seed)
Result: Matt Dodds wins 3-0
Game 1
Right off the bat, the 1st seed player leads with a Burnout Bashtronought and a Razor Kinin Needlehead . The ever patient James has answers but decides to wait to answer the developing board by No More Lies on a Warped Nova Hellkite into a Pinnacle Starcage for a clear board state.
Matt then responds with a Scalding Viper and another Burnout Bashtronought . He didn’t have a source so didn’t even have the option to go on adventure, not that it would have been beneficial at this point. James Lightning Helix es a Burnout Bashtronought , trading the life gain for the one damage loss from the Scalding Viper .
Matt then develops a Hired Claw and passes. James continues to one-for-one Matt, responding with Inevitable Defeat into threat into the Hired Claw . Matt responds with an Ojer , which meets an Inevitable Defeat again. Matt still has his Scalding Viper on the board and then develops a Nova Hellkite .
The game looks close with James Lightning Helix ing the Scalding Viper with the resolution being James at 4 life. After the resolution, James stares at the Nova Hellkite , looks at his life, looks at the tapped lands, and then concedes.
Game 2
Game two was much more of the similar pre-boarded play patterns. James constantly one-for-oneing the threats that Matt Dodds was playing. A very close back and forth with James floating around 1-2 life for several turns and spiking up to 4-5 after Inevitable Defeats and Lightning Helix . The game entered a board state where James had to be very careful for Soulstone Sanctuaries and hasting Hired Claws with Rockface Villages .
Game 3 - Sideboard Changes
Going into sideboard, James decided to remove:
- 3 No More Lies
- 1 Marang
- 1 Ultima
Matt Dodds decides to almost have an entire transformation board, removing:
- All Scalding Vipers
- All Nova Hellkites
- Emberheart Challengers
- And more…
Matt Dodds starts off explosive. While on the draw, he presents tons of damage with Burnout , Razorkin Needlehead , and Hired Claw . James Consults , taking some damage from the draw but then starts his turn with a Day of Judgment . He has a Consult in board from a previous turn and passes.
Matt Dodds takes advantage of this tapped mana to play a Screaming Nemesis tapped down with an Authority and uses this moment to Burst Lightning his nemesis to make it so James can’t gain life anymore. James then responds with a Decadent Dragon and passes.
Matt Dodds then attacks with a Screaming Nemesis , James takes it as the dragon is too much damage. Matt then Lightning Strikes James, sending him down to 3. James then swings with the dragon on his turn and creates a treasure. He then uses the treasure to resolve a Marang bouncing the nemesis.
A glimmer of hope comes across James’ face as he passes the turn. Things are starting to look up. He has two big bodies on board, an Authority of the Consuls , and although while not possessing black mana he has a full grip of cards. Then Matt Dodds Burst Lightning kicked James. James then offers the handshake.
The round is over. Matt proceeds to the next round.
Round 2 - Matt Dodds (1st Seed) vs. Tre Gray (5th Seed)
Result: Matt Dodds wins 3-2
🔥 Game 1: All Gas, No Brakes
As the 1st Seed, Matt Dodds kicked things off with another explosive opening — back-to-back Burnout Bashtronauts hitting the field. Tre opened on Cecil , trading early blows as life totals plummeted on both sides.
But when Matt tapped out for a Warped Hellkite , Tre struck back with Floodpit Drowner , seizing a massive tempo advantage. Tre stabilized long enough to flip Cecil , but Matt had the answer — a Stream Clean adventure bounced it cleanly back to hand.
That tempo swing kept the pressure on, and soon Screaming Nemesis joined the assault. Even with Enduring Curiosity resolved on Tre’s side, it wasn’t enough to stave off the relentless red onslaught.
Matt takes Game 1.
🌊 Game 2: Dimir Strikes Back
Tre came ready for the rematch, opening with the quintessential Spyglass Siren into map token setup. Matt held his hand, planning ahead, but Tre’s Floodpit Drowner tempo plays started to gain traction fast.
When Tre fully tapped out to remove Scalding Viper , Matt saw his window — Screaming Nemesis hit the board, connecting for three. Tre answered with precision, layering Curiosity and Tragic Trajectory to turn the race in his favor.
The board exploded with action — Floodpit Drowners , Spyglass Sirens , and life totals swinging wildly. A late Nova Hellkite from Matt looked like hope, but Tre’s instant-speed Floodpit Drowner neutralized it.
Tre ties the match, 1-1.
⚡ Game 3: Down to the Wire
After a mulligan, Matt’s hand lacked pressure, while Tre sculpted his perfect Dimir curve. Spyglass Siren into Qarsi Revenant built early advantage, while Matt’s Razorkin Needleheads chipped away turn after turn.
The board stayed tense — Scalding Viper , Screaming Nemesis , Preacher of the Mire all traded resources in a tight race. Despite Tre’s strong board presence, Matt fought tooth-and-nail with every topdeck — Warped Hellkite , Burnout Bashtronaut , and Razorkin all keeping him barely afloat.
Finally, with Tre at 3 life and a Qarsi Revenant looping Soulstone Sanctuary , Matt pushed everything into the red zone. A final Inevitable Death line combined with his Razorkin triggers sealed it.
Matt edges out Game 3 to lead 2-1.
🩸 Game 4: Kaito’s Counterattack
Tre steadied himself and played patient Magic. After a quiet start, Qarsi Revenant hit the board, followed by a surprise Kaito via ninjutsu — a brutal tempo swing that caught Matt off guard.
Matt’s Magebane Lizard and Scalding Viper kept some pressure on, but Tre’s removal suite — Phantom Interference , Bitter Triumph , and Long Goodbye — proved devastating. Each attack was calculated, each exchange in Tre’s favor.
With Kaito generating relentless value and another Preacher hitting the board, the writing was on the wall. Matt conceded, sending this slugfest to a decisive Game 5.
🧨 Game 5: Fire Prevails
With everything on the line, both players kept clean openers — no mulligans, no mercy. Matt led with Razorkin Needlehead , Tre answered with Floodpit Drowner and Tragic Trajectory .
The tension built turn by turn. Scalding Viper traded blows with Preacher , Burst Lightning answered tempo, and each player tried to read the other’s next move.
Then, the final flurry: Tre attempted to lock down the board with Floodpit Drowner and Tishana's Tidebinder , but Matt navigated perfectly — Burst Lightning to clear the blocker, Screaming Nemesis to apply lethal pressure, and the burn sealed it.
Tre realized there was no out — any line would result in his defeat to Scalding Viper damage or Nemesis triggers.
He offered the handshake.
Matt Dodds wins 3–2 in an absolute barnburner.
Round 3 - Matt Dodds (1st Seed) vs. Kaleb Stevens (2nd Seed)
Result: Kaleb Stevens wins 3-2 - SOVA Top Cut Champion!
🔥 Game 1 — Trading Blows Early
Kaleb, on the draw, took a mulligan to start, while Matt opened cleanly on the play with a simple Mountain → go.
Kaleb broke the silence with Kelen , following up the next turn with Stadium Headliner and Hired Claw to put the pressure on. Matt struck back with Razorkin Needlehead into Emberheart Challenger , and both players traded attacks in a flurry of early aggression.
A mid-game Steam Clean from Matt bounced key threats, buying breathing room — but Kaleb immediately redeployed, chaining Slickshot Show-Off into Might of the Meek for a huge swing. Despite multiple Steam Clean s and a Screaming Nemesis attempt to stabilize, Callous Sellsword delivered the finishing blow.
Kaleb takes Game 1.
⚡ Game 2 — Matt Strikes Back
Matt led with Hired Claw to start, trading early with Kaleb’s own. After a few exchanges, Matt warped in Nova Hellkite mid-combat, eating a Stadium Headliner and seizing control of the board.
Kaleb fired back with an Emberheart Challenger and Slickshot Show-Off , but Matt answered with raw power — Ojer joining the field and triggering Hired Claw for bonus damage.
Kaleb forced one final full swing, barely dropping Matt to one life, but the counter-attack was lethal. Matt recast Nova Hellkite from exile and closed it out with style.
Match tied 1–1.
🩸 Game 3 — Manifesting Momentum
Kaleb opened fast with Stadium Headliner into Emberheart Challenger , while Matt mirrored with Hired Claw and Razorkin Needlehead . The game turned scrappy — Full Bore pumped the Challenger into a trade, and Kaleb’s Turn Inside Out manifested Dread , keeping the board wide.
Matt tried to stabilize behind Nova Hellkite , clearing the Headliner, but Kaleb’s tempo was relentless. After several combat exchanges and a surprise Callous Sellsword , Kaleb finished the job, cutting through with exact lethal.
Kaleb leads 2–1.
🧨 Game 4 — Matt Fights Back
Down but not out, Matt stayed composed. Kaleb started with a pre-game Leyline of the Guildpact and Hired Claw , but Matt immediately bounced the Leyline with Steam Clean to blunt the momentum.
The mid-game devolved into an attrition battle: Qarsi Revenant met Razorkin Needlehead , Turn Inside Out created more Manifest Dread s, and Nova Hellkite once again cleaned house.
Matt’s Soulstone Sanctuary came alive as an animated 3/3, swinging the tempo in his favor. After a flurry of trades, Matt unleashed a Burst Lightning (kicked) to finish Kaleb off, forcing a deciding Game 5.
Series tied 2–2.
🥇 Game 5 — All the Milk and Cookies
The final game. Everything on the line. Kaleb, now on the play, kept six after a mulligan and opened with Leyline of the Guildpact into Stadium Headliner . Matt followed with Hired Claw — and the tension was immediate.
Kaleb attacked, then Turn Inside Out his Headliner, double-triggering Manifest Dread thanks to the Leyline synergy. Matt tried to hold on with Soulstone Sanctuary , shocking both tokens to stay alive, but the damage was piling up fast.
Kaleb, low on lands but rich in aggression, untapped, played Fanatical Firebrand , and used Turn Inside Out once more — closing out the match in a blaze of red-white fury.
Kaleb Stevens wins 3–2, claiming the SOVA Top Cut Championship!
Last updated: [3:03pm, October 5th, 2025]