Jean-Emmanuel Depraz won World Championship XXIX with Esper Legends, defeating Kazune Kosaka’s Esper Midrange deck in the finals three games to zero.
The Top 8 bracket of World Championship XXIX
Kosaka played the most popular deck at World Championship XXIX—Esper Midrange, which made up 19% of the field. It was followed by Mono-Red at 9.5%, then Depraz’s Esper Legends and Domain Ramp, which placed two players (Reid Duke and Willy Edel) into the Top 8, tied for third at an 8.6% share of the metagame.
Depraz’s victory was his sixth top finish, two of which have come at previous World Championships. In fact, he was the runner-up at the 2020-21 World Championship, losing to Yuta Takahashi in the finals.
World Championship XXIX Top 8 Deck Lists
Standard Esper Legends by Jean-Emmanuel Depraz (1st Place)
Standard Esper Midrange by Kazune Kosaka (2nd Place)
| Creatures (13) 3 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse 4 Raffine, Scheming Seer 2 Lord Skitter, Sewer King 4 Dennick, Pious Apprentice Planeswalkers (3) 3 The Wandering Emperor Enchantments (8) 4 Virtue of Loyalty 4 Wedding Announcement Instants (10) 4 Go for the Throat 4 Make Disappear 2 Cut Down Land (26) 2 Restless Fortress 3 Underground River 4 Darkslick Shores 2 Adarkar Wastes 1 Plains 2 Seachrome Coast 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire 1 Otawara, Soaring City 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire 2 Raffine’s Tower 2 Deserted Beach 4 Shattered Sanctum 1 Plaza of Heroes | Sideboard (15) 2 Kaito Shizuki 1 Farewell 2 Destroy Evil 1 Anoint with Affliction 3 Disdainful Stroke 2 Negate 2 Elspeth’s Smite 2 Cut Down |
Standard Azorius Soldiers by Simon Nielsen (3rd-4th Place)
| Creatures (28) 4 Knight-Errant of Eos 1 Werefox Bodyguard 4 Resolute Reinforcements 4 Zephyr Sentinel 3 Harbin, Vanguard Aviator 2 Regal Bunnicorn 2 Yotian Frontliner 4 Lunarch Veteran 4 Recruitment Officer Enchantments (4) 4 Wedding Announcement Instants (4) 4 Make Disappear Land (24) 4 Seachrome Coast 2 Mirrex 2 Otawara, Soaring City 4 Fortified Beachhead 1 Deserted Beach 4 Adarkar Wastes 2 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire 4 Plains 1 Secluded Courtyard | Sideboard (15) 2 The Wandering Emperor 1 Regal Bunnicorn 2 Destroy Evil 3 Protect the Negotiators 2 Lantern Flare 2 Elspeth’s Smite 3 Tocasia’s Welcome |
Standard Golrgari Midrance by Anthony Lee (3rd-4th Place)
| Creatures (19) 3 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse 3 Blossoming Tortoise 3 Glissa Sunslayer 1 Sentinel of Lost Lore 2 Graveyard Trespasser 1 Bramble Familiar 1 Tenacious Underdog 1 Misery’s Shadow 4 Mosswood Dreadknight Planeswalkers (4) 1 Nissa, Ascended Animist 3 Liliana of the Veil Instants (6) 3 Go for the Throat 1 Tear Asunder 2 Cut Down Sorceries (3) 1 Gix’s Command 2 Duress Enchantments (2) 2 Virtue of Persistence Land (26) 2 Mishra’s Foundry 6 Swamp 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire 1 Boseiju, Who Endures 4 Deathcap Glade 4 Llanowar Wastes 4 Restless Cottage 4 Forest | Sideboard (15) 1 Nissa, Ascended Animist 1 Ashiok, Wicked Manipulator 1 Obstinate Baloth 1 Gix’s Command 1 Rankle’s Prank 2 Path of Peril 2 Duress 1 Tear Asunder 1 Go for the Throat 2 Cut Down 2 Phyrexian Arena |
Standard Domain Ramp by Reid Duke (5th-8th Place)
| Creatures (11) 3 Atraxa, Grand Unifier 4 Archangel of Wrath 4 Topiary Stomper Battles (4) 4 Invasion of Zendikar Instants (1) 1 Go for the Throat Sorceries (8) 4 Herd Migration 4 Sunfall Artifacts (2) 2 Courier’s Briefcase Enchantments (9) 3 Virtue of Persistence 4 Leyline Binding 2 Up the Beanstalk Land (25) 4 Ziatora’s Proving Ground 4 Jetmir’s Garden 1 Boseiju, Who Endures 3 Swamp 2 Mirrex 1 Island 2 Plains 4 Spara’s Headquarters 4 Forest | Sideboard (15) 1 Obstinate Baloth 1 Chrome Host Seedshark 2 Duress 2 Knockout Blow 3 Disdainful Stroke 1 Negate 1 Destroy Evil 2 Anoint with Affliction 1 Elspeth’s Smite 1 Up the Beanstalk |
Standard Bant Control by Gregory Orange (5th-8th Place)
| Creatures (3) 3 Horned Loch-Whale Planeswalkers (4) 4 The Wandering Emperor Instants (11) 1 Memory Deluge 1 Brokers Charm 1 Dissipate 1 Negate 2 Make Disappear 2 March of Otherworldly Light 3 Syncopate Sorceries (7) 3 Sunfall 4 Lay Down Arms Enchantments (8) 4 Leyline Binding 4 Up the Beanstalk Land (27) 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire 2 Jetmir’s Garden 1 Boseiju, Who Endures 3 Dreamroot Cascade 4 Yavimaya Coast 3 Raffine’s Tower 1 Mirrex 1 Island 6 Plains 1 Otawara, Soaring City 4 Spara’s Headquarters | Sideboard (15) 1 The Eternal Wanderer 1 Hullbreaker Horror 3 Chrome Host Seedshark 1 Sunset Revelry 1 Memory Deluge 2 Knockout Blow 2 Negate 2 Disdainful Stroke 1 Destroy Evil 1 Elspeth’s Smite |
Standard Domain Ramp by Willy Edel (5th-8th Place)
| Creatures (15) 2 Atraxa, Grand Unifier 4 Archangel of Wrath 4 Topiary Stomper 2 Chrome Host Seedshark 3 Invasion of Zendikar Planeswalker (1) 1 Nissa, Ascended Animist Sorceries (7) 3 Herd Migration 4 Sunfall Artifacts (4) 4 Courier’s Briefcase Enchantments (8) 2 Virtue of Persistence 4 Leyline Binding 2 Ossification Land (25) 1 Boseiju, Who Endures 4 Spara’s Headquarters 4 Forest 3 Jetmir’s Garden 3 Plains 1 Raffine’s Tower 1 Swamp 1 Island 1 Mountain 1 Mirrex 4 Ziatora’s Proving Ground 1 Brushland | Sideboard (15) 2 The Wandering Emperor 2 Tyrranax Rex 2 Tranquil Frillback 1 Depopulate 2 Sunset Revelry 2 Negate 3 Disdainful Stroke 1 Go for the Throat |
Standard Esper Midrange by Lorenzo Teralizzi (5th-8th Place)
| Creatures (16) 1 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse 2 Ertai Resurrected 1 Lord Skitter, Sewer King 4 Raffine, Scheming Seer 4 Faerie Mastermind 4 Dennick, Pious Apprentice Planeswalkers (3) 3 The Wandering Emperor Enchantments (5) 1 Virtue of Loyalty 4 Wedding Announcement Instants (10) 4 Go for the Throat 3 Make Disappear 3 Cut Down Land (26) 4 Darkslick Shores 2 Caves of Koilos 1 Otawara, Soaring City 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire 4 Shattered Sanctum 1 Island 2 Underground River 3 Seachrome Coast 2 Restless Fortress 3 Raffine’s Tower 2 Adarkar Wastes | Sideboard (15) 1 Kaito Shizuki 1 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse 2 Razorlash Transmogrant 1 Gix’s Command 2 Duress 1 Knockout Blow 1 Negate 2 Disdainful Stroke 1 Anoint with Affliction 2 Destroy Evil 1 Cut Down |