Grixis Cat Pact By Chris Botelho - Magic Daily Update 08-15 (Standard)

Like this isn't going to be the same deck that everyone features today. Sure, Bant Company had a heck of a weekend (taking six of the Top 8 spots in Grand Prix Rimini and another three in Portland), but no one had a better weekend than Chris Botelho.

Botelho came with that deck your buddy went 3-1 with at FNM that one time, tuned it, souped it up, and wrecked the field at Grand Prix Portland, where he was the first overall seed in the Top 8 before falling in the quarterfinals. The deck? Lovingly called "Cat Pact," it's a Demonic Pact-Harmless Offering deck.

The deck is essentially a Grixis control deck that looks to use Demonic Pact as both an advantage engine and a combo finish. Once Demonic Pact has only one option left, donating it to your opponent with Harmless Offering causes them to lose the game on their next upkeep. The deck also plays a suite of Oaths—Jace's and Chandra's—to protect Demonic Pact from Dromoka's Command, but the rest of the deck is made up of control elements, ways to mitigate Demonic Pact, and some tutors to find the combo elements.

The deck looks to be the real deal (I took it for a spin on Magic Online while the Top 8 was going on), so don't be surprised if more people than your funny friend decide to bring this or something like it to an FNM near you.