2025 Spanish Super Cup: A Tournament of Team Spirit and Innovation

The 2025 Spanish Super Cup took place in Madrid on January 11, 2025, bringing together 48 players from 12 teams in a thrilling Premodern competition. Each team comprised four players, with the best three performances contributing to the team’s score. The event featured the innovative Top 7.2 system, which incentivized competitive play in the final Swiss round and added a new strategic layer to the tournament.

The Top 7.2 System in Action

The Top 7.2 system, invented by one of the participants (myself), grants the first-place player in the Swiss standings a bye into the playoffs, but only if they win their final two Swiss rounds. This system is designed to discourage intentional draws that would occur under the typical top 8 system, particularly in the final two Swiss rounds at Table 1. This not only discourages draws but also ensures that consistent performance throughout the Swiss phase is appropriately rewarded, reducing the impact of variance in the playoffs.

In this event, the system worked perfectly. In the last Swiss round, Pablo Suárez (team Valencia) and Jesús Palo (team Hispanosfera) faced off at table 1. Both players had 13 points, and winning the match was critical for securing the bye. The stakes added tension and excitement, as a victory by either Pablo or Jesús would have created a Top 7 instead of 8. This meant that a teammate finishing in 8th place could potentially be eliminated—a scenario that came true when José Ribes (Valencia) finished 8th and missed the cut.

Tournament Highlights

The final Swiss standings saw Jesús Palo secure the top spot with 16 points, earning the coveted bye into the playoffs. The standings also included strong performances from Odei Torres (15 points), Pablo Suárez (13 points), Víctor Santos (13 points), Paco Pérez (13 points), Pablo Marcos (13 points), Alberto Loriente (13 points), and José Ribes (13 points). Unfortunately, José Ribes’s 8th-place finish meant elimination despite his solid showing.

Top 7 players: Alberto Loriente (Hispanosfera), Pablo Marcos (Hispanosfera), Jesús Palo (Hispanosfera), Pablo Suárez (Valencia), Víctor Santos (Madrid), Paco Pérez (Murcia), Odei Torres (Gasteiz).

The playoffs featured intense matches: Pablo Marcos defeated Pablo Suárez in the quarterfinals, Víctor Santos overcame Paco Pérez, and Odei Torres bested Alberto Loriente. In the semifinals, Jesús Palo and Pablo Marcos advanced, with Pablo ultimately defeating Jesús in the finals.

Team Rankings and Prizes

The team competition added an exciting layer to the event. Hispanosfera claimed the top spot with 57 points, followed by Gasteiz with 39 points, and Valencia with 38 points. Representing one’s community brought a unique sense of pride and camaraderie to the competition.

Team Standings

Prizes included store credit for the top eight players, distributed as follows: €150 for first place, €100 for second, €75 each for third and fourth, and €25 each for fifth through eighth. Additionally, there were donations from the community. MTG Old Frame also donated a playmat, 4 foil copies of Accumulated Knowledge, each awarded to a member of the winning team, and 1 English foil Fact or Fiction, while Andrés Ramón Martínez contributed a foil Japanese Fact or Fiction. The first- and second-place players were each awarded a Fact or Fiction, with the first-place player choosing between the foil Japanese version and the English foil version. Each member of the winning team received a foil Accumulated Knowledge.

Personal Experience

Participating in this event was truly an honour for me. This was the Premodern event I most wanted to play in, even more than the Nationals or the European Championship, because I was representing Valencia and not just playing for myself. Playing for my team added a unique sense of purpose and pride, making this event more meaningful than any other I’ve competed in.

As a player, part of team Valencia, I piloted a Parallax Replenish deck to a 4-2 finish, ending 12th overall. Despite a loss to eventual champion Pablo Marcos in a streamed round 3 match, the event was highly enjoyable. Several misplays in round 4 against Adrián Recio’s Stompy deck cost me the round and my playoff chances. Avoiding even one of them would have secured my victory, emphasizing the importance of focus.

My deck, copied from Danny de Rooij. It’s a pity there’s no most-pimp deck prize.

Community and Atmosphere

The event’s atmosphere was outstanding, marked by camaraderie and sportsmanship. No judge calls were required throughout the day, a testament to the players’ integrity, as well as their deep knowledge of the rules and cards, which ensured smooth gameplay throughout the event. Representing a team added a unique dimension to the competition, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose.

Special thanks to Nacho Barrachina, who organized this fantastic event while also competing as part of team Valencia. Nacho’s efforts ensured the tournament ran smoothly, and he also had a strong performance, finishing 13th with a 4-2 record. The event was hosted at Tempest Store, providing an excellent venue for this prestigious tournament.

Top 16 Decklists

If you’re curious about the strategies and decks that made it to the top, check out the Top 16 decklists here: Top 16 Decklists.

Looking Ahead

The success of the Spanish Super Cup has inspired plans for future events. The Top 7.2 system will continue to be used in Valencia’s monthly Premodern events, and there’s hope that other organizers will adopt this innovative system. With 16 teams potentially competing next year, the Spanish Super Cup is poised to grow into an even more prestigious and exciting tournament.

The 2025 Spanish Super Cup was a resounding success, streamed live by Karn Academy on YouTube, where it garnered many viewers (Watch here), showcasing the power of team spirit and creative tournament design. This event set a high bar for future Magic: The Gathering competitions. Maybe we could even have a World Cup event with teams from different countries? Such an event could unite the global Premodern community, bringing unparalleled excitement and further popularizing the format on an international stage.