Graphic by the author
EDHREC's March Commandness Bracket Tournament continues in round two! In this article, we'll look at who won the matchups from round one in the West conference, and then kick off the voting for round two.
But first, in case you missed the announcement article explaining what this all is, head here to get the lowdown. TL;DR, we're doing a bracket system tournament, but instead of college basketball teams, we're battling the top 64 new commanders from the last five years.
And you decide the winner by voting.
We're well into the tournament now, but if you still want to grab your bracket to print and fill out, head here. If you wanna share your bracket picks or chat with other people on socials about the tournament, use hasthtag #RECMadness.
West Conference - Round One Winners
Before we get into round two for the West conference, let's take a look at the winners of round one.
Match One - Lathril, Blade of the ElvesLathril, Blade of the Elves (1) vs Choco, Seeker of ParadiseChoco, Seeker of Paradise (16)
Winner: Lathril (63.9%)
This was always gonna go Lathril. The most powerful Elf typal vs the (probably) most powerful Bird typal had no way to go but Elves.
Match Two - Aragorn, the UniterAragorn, the Uniter (8) vs Glarb, Calamity's AugurGlarb, Calamity's Augur (9)
Winner: Glarb (54.6%)
The battle of the Nobles went to the Sultai Frog. I had Aragorn picked to win, but Glarb's top-deck advantage was just too strong.
Match Three - Esika, God of the TreeEsika, God of the Tree (5) vs Atraxa, Grand UnifierAtraxa, Grand Unifier (12)
Winner: Atraxa (53.6%)
This is easily one of the biggest shockers of the tournament. Esika is immensely popular, while Atraxa, though also popular, pales in comparison to her earlier version.
Match Four - Fire Lord AzulaFire Lord Azula (4) vs Helga, Skittish SeerHelga, Skittish Seer (13)
Winner: Azula (55.7%)
No surprises here, as Fire Lord Azula has been skyrocketing up the charts since her release in Avatar: The Last Airbender. But will she keep climbing in this tournament?
Match Five - Frodo, Adventurous HobbitFrodo, Adventurous Hobbit + Sam, Loyal AttendantSam, Loyal Attendant (6) vs Ezio Auditore da FirenzeEzio Auditore da Firenze (11)
Winner: Frodo + Sam (77.9%)
The biggest spanking we've seen so far in this tournament. The five-color Assassin barely showed up against the Food-loving Halfling heroes.
Match Six - Miirym, Sentinel WyrmMiirym, Sentinel Wyrm (3) vs Zurgo StormrenderZurgo Stormrender (14)
Winner: Miirym (57.9%)
An army of Dragon clones vs an army of 1/1 Warriors. This one was easy to predict.
Match Seven - Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIERSephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER (7) vs Voja, Jaws of the ConclaveVoja, Jaws of the Conclave (10)
Winner: Sephiroth (55.2%)
I had this one going to Voja, but Sephiroth, the most popular mono-black commander, is full of surprises.
Match Eight - Jodah, the UnifierJodah, the Unifier (2) vs Kotis, the FangkeeperKotis, the Fangkeeper (15)
Winner: Kotis (53.5%)
Another huge upset, and a rather shocking loss for Jodah. I don't know anyone who picked Kotis to win this match. Will Kotis keep the Cinderalla story going into the next round?
West Conference - Round Two Matchups
Now on to the second round of matches for the West conference. Voting goes for two days, so this round will end on Wednesday the 18th at 8:00 am EST. (If you're having trouble seeing the polls below, try reloading the page.)
Match One - Lathril, Blade of the ElvesLathril, Blade of the Elves (1) vs Glarb, Calamity's AugurGlarb, Calamity's Augur (9)
Match Two - Atraxa, Grand UnifierAtraxa, Grand Unifier (12) vs Fire Lord AzulaFire Lord Azula (4)
Match Three - Frodo, Adventurous HobbitFrodo, Adventurous Hobbit + Sam, Loyal AttendantSam, Loyal Attendant (6) vs Miirym, Sentinel WyrmMiirym, Sentinel Wyrm (3)
Match Four - Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIERSephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER (7) vs Kotis, the FangkeeperKotis, the Fangkeeper (15)
Remember, you have until 8:00 am EST on Wednesday the 18th to get your votes in for this set of matches. Then check in on March 18th to see the winners and vote for the matches in round three.
And don't miss the rest of the voting!
Andy Zupke
Andy's the editor in chief for the EDHREC blog content. He's been playing Magic on and off since Fallen Empires. He loves to travel, drink, eat, and spend time with family and friends.
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