Gencon’s Inaugural Championship Tournament brought together a wide variety of players. However, after an intense five-round event two players emerged at the top of the pack. Let’s take a look at the top two players and their decks from the event!
Gencon 2023 Runner-Up - Adam “Zalem” Ray
A fixture within the Sorcery: Contested Realm online community is Adam Ray, known by the moniker "Zalem." Ray stands out as one of a handful of promising and accomplished competitive players in the realm of Sorcery, having found great success in the ongoing TTS league hosted on the official Sorcery Discord server.
Despite a late entry into the Gencon 2023 tournament, as his participation was initially uncertain due to prior commitments, his arrival added an element of anticipation and excitement to the event. Renowned for his exceptional tactical prowess, cunning strategies, and keen sense of humor, Ray's presence set a formidable standard for competitive play in the inaugural Sorcery: Contested Realm tournament.
Ray's list centers around the Alpha Avatar of Earth, found in the Alpha preconstructed decks. You can find a copy of Adam’s 2023 finalist list here.
Gencon 2023 Champion - Jarrett “Anger Worm” Messing
A longtime fixture of the Sorcery community, Jarrett Messing brought his depth of knowledge of Sorcery, as well as experience with competitive play through tabletop wargaming events to Sorcery's inaugural championship. In a stunning display of skill and strategy, Messing's Deathspeaker deck, known as the "Imp Storm," rose victorious, securing an impressive 5-0 record against a lineup of formidable opponents. Among those vanquished were none other than the esteemed Game Developer Ira Fay - no small feat in and of itself!
One particularly shrewd aspect of Messing's approach involved forgoing splashing in Earth as a third element, a calculated maneuver designed to neutralize the power of adversaries fielding the imposing 'Avatar of Earth’ - with no earth sites in his deck, Messing noted the Avatar of Earth receives no additional benefits for taking the fight onto his half of the realm.
Messing's tactical skills were matched only by his sportsmanship, which was on full display during his championship match. You can watch the finals match here.
For enthusiasts and aspiring tacticians eager to glean insights from a mastermind, Jarrett Messing provides a post-event analysis that sheds light on the intricacies of his winning strategy with his "Imp Storm" deck.
You can also find a copy of the Gencon 2023 Winning List here, be sure to check out Jarrett's how-to-play premiere notes as well. With a bit of practice, you too, could be playing like a champion of the realm!
