Noah Ma Brings Bant to the Next Level
It's the rush of excitement after a win that keeps Noah Ma coming back to Magic: The Gathering. Ma, a veteran of nearly every level of competitive Magic, has found success at every step of his journey, and his latest triumph is a testament to his skill and adaptability.
Ma's big breakthrough came at Pro Tour Modern Horizons 3 in 2024, where he advanced to the Top 8 with a bold choice of Mono-Black Necro. He followed that up with an even better finish: a 1st-place victory at the Champions Cup Final in Chiba in 2025 with Boros Energy.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago, and Ma was looking to bounce back after a "pedestrian year" on the Pro Tour. At the 2026 Champions Cup Final in Kyoto, Ma turned to his Bant Rhythm deck, a deck he had been testing extensively with his team. Despite a disappointing performance with the deck at the previous Pro Tour, Ma felt confident that he could tune it to the current meta.
Ma's updated Bant Rhythm deck proved to be a force to be reckoned with, as he dropped only a single game in the Top 8 en route to his second career Regional Championship victory.
🏆Congratulations to Ma Noah, who took down the Champions Cup Final in Kyoto Japan with Bant Rhythm!🏆
— PlayMTG (@PlayMTG) March 15, 2026
After finishing first in the Swiss rounds, he blazed through the Top 8 to win the entire tournament - well done Noah! pic.twitter.com/buTcQ4lUOf
While the win was another major accomplishment in Ma's illustrious career, the 33-year-old player revealed that it felt different from his previous successes. With his goals now shifting towards doing well at the World Championship, Ma is hungry to continue his ascent to the top of the Magic competitive landscape.
The next opportunity for Ma to showcase his skills will be at Pro Tour Secrets of Strixhaven, to be held on May 1–3 at MagicCon: Las Vegas. With the return of top players like Mike Sigrist, Andrew Cuneo, and Nathan Steuer, Ma is eager to test his mettle against the best of the best and take another step towards his ultimate goal of World Championship glory.
Noah is awesome. Tested with him in the CFB/TCG testing house for Philly. He came into the house with 2 massive suitcases he could barely carry. Day two he comes down with one of the suitcases, opens it, reveals the entire thing is filled with Korean snacks for the team.
— Michael Sigrist (@MSigrist83) March 15, 2026
As Ma continues his pursuit of Magic's highest accolades, his unwavering passion for the game and his dedication to honing his skills have positioned him as one of the true rising stars in the competitive Magic landscape.