Modern was on full display at Grand Prix Vancouver. Almost 1,600 players came out to test their hand at the format after Gitaxian Probe and Golgari Grave Troll were banned. Three players decided to cast their shadow on Modern as Sam Black, Gerry Thompson, and Josh Utter-Leyton all took a new take on Death's Shadow Aggro to the Top 8. Five people played the deck and three of them made it to the Semifinals. In the final four Thompson fell to Utter-Leyton in a mirror and Black fell to Jonathon Zaczek on Merfolk.

Josh Utter-Leyton took a quick game one in the finals with three copies of his deck's namesake while Zaczek stumbled on mana. Game Two saw Zaczek fall behind early before stabilizing with Spreading Seas and a bevy of bolstering Merfolk. The final game of Modern in Vancouver began with Utter-Leyton dropping himself to nine points of life on turn two before playing a Tarmogoyf and following it up with two Death's Shadow on the third turn. Zaczek could not recover and Josh Utter-Leyton sealed the deal.

It was a massive victory for Utter-Leyton as the long time pro and Hall of Fame hopeful needed a strong finish to qualify for Pro Tour Amonkeht. A middling season last year left Josh at Silver status and this finish means he can go to Nashville and help the cause for his team ChannelFireball Fire.

Death's Shadow ? Modern | Josh Utter-Leyton, Winner Grand Prix Vancouver

• Creatures (13)
• 1 Ghor-Clan Rampager
• 4 Death's Shadow
• 4 Street Wraith
• 4 Tarmogoyf

• Planeswalkers (2)
• 2 Liliana of the Veil

• Instants (11)
• 1 Collective Brutality
• 2 Kolaghan's Command
• 2 Temur Battle Rage
• 3 Fatal Push
• 3 Tarfire

• Sorceries (12)
• 4 Traverse the Ulvenwald
• 4 Inquisition of Kozilek
• 4 Thoughtseize

• Artifacts (4)
• 4 Mishra's Bauble

• Lands (18)
• 1 Swamp
• 1 Forest
• 1 Godless Shrine
• 1 Stomping Ground
• 1 Blood Crypt
• 1 Overgrown Tomb
• 1 Marsh Flats
• 1 Polluted Delta
• 2 Wooded Foothills
• 4 Bloodstained Mire
• 4 Verdant Catacombs

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Collective Brutality
• 1 Ethersworn Canonist
• 1 Kataki, War's Wage
• 1 Ranger of Eos
• 1 Liliana, the Last Hope
• 2 Ancient Grudge
• 2 Grafdigger's Cage
• 3 Fulminator Mage
• 3 Lingering Souls

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Merfolk ? Modern | Jonathon Zackzek, Finalist Grand Prix Vancouver

• Creatures (29)
• 1 Tidebinder Mage
• 2 Vendilion Clique
• 3 Harbinger of the Tides
• 3 Merrow Reejerey
• 4 Cursecatcher
• 4 Master of the Pearl Trident
• 4 Lord of Atlantis
• 4 Silvergill Adept
• 4 Master of Waves

• Instants (3)
• 3 Dismember

• Enchantments (4)
• 4 Spreading Seas

• Artifacts (4)
• 4 Aether Vial

• Lands (20)
• 12 Island
• 1 Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
• 1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
• 2 Cavern of Souls
• 4 Mutavault

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Tidebinder Mage
• 2 Relic of Progenitus
• 3 Dispel
• 4 Tectonic Edge
• 4 Unified Will

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