The champion Desso Alastor with Ben Peal of Black Chantry.

Reported by Felipe Gianni:

On Sunday, October 11, the South American Championship (S.A.C.) took place, with 30 players in attendance.

First of all, I would like to thank every player who left home and traveled long distances to be with us in Brasília. The vast majority of the players were Brazilian, but we also had international visitors, including Ben Peal, Black Chantry's Product Director, and the distinguished presence of Rick from RickStock.

The weekend got off to a great start with a pre-South American Championship constructed tournament, which was won by Ben Peal himself, playing a Ravnos deck (a borrowed deck he picked up right there on the spot!). This was followed by a 1v1 tournament, won by Osny Moreira, a local player representing Brasília, piloting a Gangrel deck. Congratulations, Ben! Congratulations, Osny!

The entire concept and planning of the S.A.C. were carefully developed with one goal in mind: to deliver an organized, enjoyable, and memorable event, while also making it a great celebration, worthy of the Brazilian spirit of festivity.

On the second day of the event, we started early. After two very exciting rounds, we took a break for a brief presentation by Ben Peal about Black Chantry's projects for 2027, followed by a few minutes dedicated to questions and answers. The S.A.C. recap video can be watched, as does the full BCP presentation.

After the third round, we reached the grand final. We had the opportunity to watch high-level players compete fiercely for the win while, above all, showing great respect for one another.

The standings before the final were:
1. Desso Alastor (Brazil) — 2 GW / 8,5 VP
2. Cláudio Cruz (Brazil) — 2 GW / 6 VP
3. Kleber Martins (Brazil) — 2 GW / 5,5 VP
4. Osny Moreira (Brazil) — 2 GW / 5 VP
5. Breno Toledo (Brazil) — 1 GW / 6 VP



Throughout the entire game, all five players demonstrated tremendous resistance and resilience. Whenever it seemed that the game was tipping in one direction, the situation would change completely, favoring another player. And so the game went on, with twists and turns and fierce competition right up to the final moments.

When time ran out, no player had been ousted from the table. Desso claimed the title through the tiebreaker, in a difficult, intense game worthy of all five finalists.

And in the words of the S.A.C. champion himself:

"Since I qualified in first place, I was the last one to choose my seat at the final table. I was unsure because of the Gangrel, Nephandus, and Hecata decks, as I hadn't faced any of them in the previous rounds. I chose to sit behind the Hecata player because I really didn't know how his system worked; the others became clearer after the crypts were revealed.

What I hadn't expected was that none of the decks at that table would be as aggressive as the ones I had faced before. It was an entirely new battle: three hours of play, with practically every deck playing pure control. With very little time left, I saw an opportunity to win and attacked my prey with everything I had. They survived with only 1 pool remaining. As the turns went by, nobody could oust their opponent, and the game came to a standstill. In the end, the Shieldmaidens of Kattegat survived and heroically secured this unprecedented title in my journey.

Nobody gave the game away. Everyone played to win and fairly allowed the best player at that moment to emerge as champion. But let me make this clear: everyone at that table deserves the glory. We played the purest and truest JYHAD, down to the last drop of blood."

The tournament-winning deck: "As Escudeiras de Kattegat" by Desso Alastor 

Crypt (12 cards)
3x Brunhilde (ADV)   8 ANI FOR PRO pre   baron   Gangrel:3
9x Valkyrie          4 for pre pro               Gangrel:3

Library (75 cards)
Master (28; 9 trifle)
1x Archon Investigation
9x Ashur Tablets
1x Backways
2x Dreams of the Sphinx
1x Frontal Assault
1x Gangrel Revel
2x Information Highway
2x Parthenon, The
8x Villein
1x Wider View

Action (12)
1x Aranthebes, The Immortal
2x Rewilding
9x Thing

Ally (1)
1x Double Deuce

Action Modifier (15)
7x Enchanting Gaze
3x Freak Drive
5x Revelation of the Serpent

Action Modifier/Reaction (3)
3x Form of the Bat

Combat (4)
4x Earth Meld

Reaction (11)
4x Bait and Switch
2x Delaying Tactics
5x Eyes of the Wild

Event (1)
1x Bitter and Sweet Story, The

It was an honor to welcome so many high-level players to our city.

And what was the best part of it all? Without a doubt, sharing this victory with Desso; meeting in person friends I had only known online; seeing so many other friends again; and, above all, having the opportunity to bring Black Chantry even closer to South American players through Ben Peal's visit. It was a memorable experience that will stay with me forever! (at least in my memory).

Thank you to all the players who came to Brasília. Thank you to Black Chantry and Ben for being there. Thank you to Luiz Paulo and Gabriel Góes for the artwork featured on our playmats.

Thank you also to Jean from VTESStore, Gabriel from JoeStock, Toca do Yeti, and Utopia for helping turn ideas into reality.

And I would like to give a very special thank you to everyone who stood by my side and helped make this event happen. Without you, the organizers from the Brasília Playgroup, this dream would never have become a reality.

Thanks for this report Felipe, and thanks to you for organising, thanks to all other helper, sponsors and players!