Gencon by the Numbers: Sorcery Contested Realm’s First Official Tournament

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Erik's Curiosa

GenCon’s 2023 Sorcery Tournament: A Diverse Battlefield


With the spotlight on the main tournament at Sorcerey: Contested Realm’s Gencon 2023, 28 players battled for supremacy at North America’s largest gaming convention. Immediately noticeable was the array of decks that graced the battlefield, piloted by dedicated Sorcerers, many of whom had flown in from across the US, Canada, and even as far as Japan. The wide range of players brought with them a variety of approaches to Sorcery. From seasoned veterans of the online discord league wielding meticulously honed decks, to newcomers armed with pre-constructed decks bolstered by booster packs gained from earlier draft games, a wide variety of Sorcerers took to the field.


Given the limited player pool, it is important to interpret the data gathered from Sorcerey’s first official event within that context. Nevertheless, the Sorcery design team found encouragement and validation as they observed the event.

Let's take a look...


Deck Diversity

A notable aspect of the tournament was the extensive variety of avatars and decks that players chose to showcase. The inclusion of players relying on more humble decks highlighted the accessibility of Sorcery: Contested Realm, ensuring that everyone could participate in the event. Impressively, 65% of Sorcery's cards saw play. Notably, the absence of a sideboard prompted players to exclude matchup-dependent cards like Exorcism or Extinguish. Almost 92% of all sites were utilized, with basic air sites making a strong showing as a splash element in decks.

Avatar Representation

Nine of the eleven possible avatars were represented in the tournament. While a Deathspeaker ultimately emerged as the winner, the avatar with the highest win rate was the Enchantress. This avatar featured in two decks that played dramatically differently, yet both boasted a remarkable 70% win rate. Notably, neither deck made it to the finals. The Enchantress, known for its challenging nature in terms of piloting and deck-building, showcased players' finely tuned decks and deep game knowledge.

In contrast, the Sorcerer appeared as the second most represented avatar, appearing in both more modest and developed decks. The only two avatars absent from the board were the Avatar of Water, typically seen in mono-water decks, and the Avatar of Air.

A Gust of Air

Upon analyzing the event spread, it becomes immediately apparent that Air had strong representation, particularly with regard to sites. The ordinary Air sites - Dark Tower, Gothic Tower, and Lone Tower - were amongst the highest-represented sites. This can be attributed largely to Air’s current popularity as the go-to splash element in other decks. While there are numerous strong air cards, most players approached Air as a means of supporting their primary element.

Among the seven Deathspeaker decks, all featured an Air component, although there were some noticeable variations in their approaches. For example, Jarrett Messing’s Deathspeaker deck deliberately dropped earth sites to ensure a more favorable match-up against opponents running the Avatar of Earth. Predictably, dual threshold sites were desirable, assisting players in reaching their elemental thresholds more rapidly.


A Trickle of Water

Water saw the least representation among the elements in the Gencon 2023 tournament. Out of the 28 players, there were three mono-water decks and one Earth-Water Grey wolves deck. Since many of Water’s more potent cards rely on synergies within the element, it requires a more refined approach to deck building.

However, there were certainly some water decks worth mentioning -a special shoutout to TJ Nennich for his Tufted Turtles and Rolling Boulder combo!

Final Thoughts

While Gencon’s data assists in creating an overview of the event, an essential element not captured is the camaraderie and positive energy that attendees brought to the play area. Although Sorcerey’s accessibility, strategic depth, and diverse gameplay are well-known, it is the community’s support that has propelled Sorcery into the TCG world.


We are definitely looking forward to what the future holds for Sorcery and its community! Be sure to connect with us on the Official Sorcery Contested Realm Facebook group and best of luck in contesting the realm!

You can find the full field of Sorcery: Contested Realm Tournament decks here:

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