Another MTG World Championship has come and gone – and with it, one player has managed to put the ANZ MTG scene onto the global map: Anthony Lee! Learn more about his MTG Worlds experience, such as how he prepared, as well as the people he met, in this exclusive interview!
”My name is Anthony Lee and I am writing a little about the Magic World Championship experience as I make my way back from Las Vegas. I was fortunate enough to win one of the first ANZ Regional Championship Qualifiers at Good Games Morley in Western Australia, then to win the first ANZ Regional Championship in Sydney, and this weekend I made it to the semifinals of World Championship XXIX in Las Vegas.”
Anthony at the Day 2 Draft Table
“At first I was taken aback by the sights and sounds of Las Vegas, but quickly gained an appreciation as I’ve never been anywhere quite like it in how entirely unashamed it is in its revelry and how relentlessly it offers to entertain you, determined that you should never be bored. I’ve travelled to so many places because of competitive Magic and they have been so different from each other, from the quiet and respectful atmosphere of Kyoto to the rampaging party in Las Vegas. That’s one of the great appeals to playing in these top level tournaments – to be able to visit a diverse variety of places in the world with people sharing a common interest and purpose – and it’s something in which I really think most Magic players would greatly enjoy fully engaging should they get the opportunity.“
Anthony's Standard Decklist - Golgari Midrange
“I prepared for the event with my teammates who make up the strongest competitive Magic team in the world, Team Handshake. I have been part of many teams across my time playing Magic, and you definitely don’t have to be on a powerhouse team with absolute top-tier players like Nathan Steuer, Javier Dominguez, and Paulo Vitor Damo Da Rosa to have an amazing time preparing for the event (though it doesn’t hurt). Most testing teams for serious events adopt a mixed approach where they start their preparation online on Magic Arena or Magic Online, then rent a large house or mansion where they meet up and playtest in person in the days leading up to the main event. This is an integral part of the Pro Tour & World Championship circuit experience and many competitive players consistently consider it to be the highlight of their trip.
It’s simply a lot of fun to meet up with people from incredibly different walks of life that yet share a common goal that has you working together, forming strong bonds with others, and sharing in success. Of course, not everyone can commit to the testing houses, but they are absolutely a huge part of what makes competing at the highest level such a wonderful experience for many players and I couldn’t recommend that strongly enough.”
The Top 8 Players at MTG Worlds XXIX
Lee was undefeated all of Day 1 with a fantastic 3-0 Draft run, also beating the legendary Gabriel Nassif in the Constructed rounds. We also got to see Anthony in abundance on Day 2, where he was the featured drafter. Making it to the Top 8 cut, Lee managed to defeat Hall of Famer Reid Duke, cementing his status as a truly great Magic player. While he lost to Jean-Emmanuel Depraz (the current World Champion), he went further than any Australian had before – a truly commendable result.
“None of the rounds at the World Championship are easy – but the very hardest rounds are the most exciting because you can never experience that level of competition elsewhere in Magic. You get to face the biggest names in Magic – for me in this event, those were Gabriel Nassif and Reid Duke – when they really, really want to beat you on their path to become the World Champion. It’s an entirely different experience to interacting with these people on social media or matching against them on Magic Online. Part of that is that personal touch of literally sitting across from them – it makes it feel all the more real for obvious reasons – but truly competing against them lets you interact with them on another level, and for that match at least you are something of a peer to them, two players with one goal which involves besting the other. The World Championship brings together the most elite competitors in a concentrated field, and those of you who love the rush of competition may very well never experience anything else like it.
I received so many supportive messages and saw many similar comments during and after the event. I truly appreciate those. One common theme is that many Australians were happy and proud to see another Australian doing well at the World Championship. It was just me this time for Australia, and just Zen Takahashi for New Zealand as the third Regional Champion couldn’t make it, but there are another three places at the 2024 World Championship for another three champions – and after all, perhaps another of us will find enough fortune on the Pro Tour to secure another seat there.
Whether you’re looking to travel to new places you’ve never seen, to compete at the very highest level of the game we really love to play, to hang out with a crowd of like minded yet diverse people, or to represent your community on the global stage, the Magic World Championship is a very special way to do all of that and I highly encourage all competitive players to try!”
Inspired by Lee’s rise to fame and also want to travel the world playing Magic? Your path to the Pro Tour also begins at the ANZ Magic Super Series! Look to Store Qualifiers and the upcoming City Qualifiers, as well as the Last Chance Qualifiers that are held at the ANZ Super Series Weekends. For more information and events, click here!