Team Players at Pro Tour Lorwyn Eclipsed
As a new season of Magic: The Gathering begins, many players are joining one of the sixteen teams formed for Pro Tour Lorwyn Eclipsed. These teams range from structured and goal-oriented assemblages to squishy amalgamations of friends and local players. Let's take a closer look at some of the notable teams and their aspirations for the upcoming Pro Tour.
Team TCGplayer
Captained by Hall of Famer Reid Duke, Team TCGplayer boasts an impressive roster including four Hall of Famers, the reigning World Champion, and a recent Pro Tour champion. Their mission is to support all their members and help them flourish, regardless of their individual goals and circumstances. Their ambitious goal is to have ten of their sixteen players qualify for the World Championship.
The team's strengths include skillful deck selection, metagame prediction, and cultivating strong gameplay skills like sideboarding and attention to detail. They are also focusing on improving their Booster Draft preparation, as each set presents a unique challenge to master.
Team Moriyama Japan
Team Moriyama Japan, captained by Shuhei Nakamura and Masahide Moriyama, aims to ensure as many teammates as possible can continue competing on the Pro Tour. The team's roster includes multiple players with premier play Top 8 appearances, including 2025 Player of the Year, Ken Yukuhiro.
While the team's camaraderie is a strength, Nakamura acknowledges that as the team has grown slightly larger, the communication overhead has increased, presenting a challenge to maintain their cohesion.
Team Cosmos Heavy Play
Captained by Anthony Lee, Team Cosmos Heavy Play includes two-time World Champion Javier Dominguez and other players with proven competitive records. Their goal is to strike a balance between taking the game seriously and having fun. The team's strengths lie in their ability to tune decks and identify potential in new ideas, as evidenced by their success with the Omniscience combo and Vivi Cauldron decks.
As they head into the new season, Team Cosmos Heavy Play is focusing on developing a more cohesive Limited strategy, while also selecting players with an eye towards future potential.
Team Sanctum of All
Team Sanctum of All, captained by Jason Ye and Ryan Condon, aims to provide a welcoming home for players of marginalized genders at the Pro Tour level. Their goal is to increase their Top 8 representation, with a target of having a team member reach the Top 8 at every Pro Tour.
Sanctum's strength lies in its diversity, as the team members approach the game in unique ways. The challenge is maintaining a collaborative culture where newer players feel comfortable contributing, as the team often integrates brand-new members for each tournament.
Team Baguette Sirop d'Érable
Team Baguette Sirop d'Érable, captained by two-time World Champion Jean-Emmanuel Depraz, is an experiment in bringing together a mostly French-speaking team. While the team's organization and competitive drive are strengths, Depraz acknowledges that the team may not exist or look entirely different for the next Pro Tour, as many of the members are new or returning to the game.
Other Notable Teams
Additional teams include Team Scrapheap, captained by Joseph Puglisi Clark, which focuses on maintaining their Constructed strengths while improving their Limited preparation; Team Worldly Counsel Heavy Play, captained by Zen Miyaji-Thorne, which aims to convert their consistent appearances into deeper tournament runs by improving their Constructed approach; and Team Rampant Growth Heavy Play, captained by Adam Edelson, which emphasizes a collaborative testing process and a growth mindset.
These teams, each with their unique composition and strategies, are working hard to prepare for the challenges of Pro Tour Lorwyn Eclipsed. By combining the strengths of their members, they hope to achieve consistent high-level performances and secure their places on the Pro Tour for seasons to come.