A Collection of Memories from 2025 – European Unity League

The year has been nothing but a blessing for me, for which I can only thank the community around me as well as the Tournament Organizers. You all are more valuable than you may ever realize.

FIRST CONTACT

I was introduced to the EUL during Spotlight Series Utrecht in March of 2025. I had travelled there together with my close friend Erik Sjöström, and after performing poorly in the Modern Main Event, we got some free tokens from a guy walking around. He spoke about a new initiative to bring together European Magic players through a league of sorts, where earning points could qualify you for bigger events. I didn't think much of it at first, but luckily my Local Game Store, Alara Games, became a part of the League in April/May. Seeing that I had earned points via the Spotlight and at the most recent Regional Championship, I wanted to do as well as possible. Heck, maybe even qualify for the European Magic Cup, but it would need time and dedication...

THE GRIND BEGINS

After playing for Team Alara Games during the annual Modern Swedish Championship, I managed to top 4 the 130-player event. With that plus some extra points from weekly events, it suddenly hit me that I had the opportunity to finish 1st on the national leaderboard, automatically qualifying me for the Cup. Some friends from the LGS also wanted to maximize their points, so as a collective we travelled across the country (and across the border into Norway) all in the name of points. I even "accidentally" won a Modern event at the Norwegian Championship, defeating the great Stian Aspholm (Norway's #1 in the EUL) in the finals. GGs, nabo :)

After the dust had settled, the 2025 season ended and I stood tall with an invite to the Cup. The wisest thing would probably have been to be content at that point, but I wanted more. My sights were set on the Swedish EUL Nationals, being crowned "National Champion" and getting the trophy would be a dream come true. But in the meantime, I spent my time preparing for upcoming events: RC Antwerp, Spotlight Liverpool, as well as some local high-stakes events. After months, the time had finally come...

After the dust had settled, the 2025 season ended and I stood tall with an invite to the Cup. The wisest thing would probably have been to be content at that point, but I wanted more. My sights were set on the Swedish EUL Nationals, being crowned "National Champion" and getting the trophy would be a dream come true. But in the meantime, I spent my time preparing for upcoming events: RC Antwerp, Spotlight Liverpool, as well as some local high-stakes events. After months, the time had finally come...

SWEDISH NATIONALS

At this point in time, I wasn't sure about what deck to play. I chose Boros Energy since I knew how to play it from previous events, and after Andrea Piemonti won the Italian EUL Nationals with it, I had made up my mind.

After 6 rounds of Swiss, I finished 4-1-1. Unfortunately, I faced Erik Sjöström in the win-and-in to the Top 8. It never feels good to knock out your friend, but that is how the game is played. I entered the Top 8 in the 3rd seat, and after 3 more rounds I emerged victorious! I'm not exaggerating when I say that it was one of the best experiences of my life thus far: having an entire group watching the stream and rooting for me, winning the spectacular Tropical Island altered by ShivanAlters, but primarily getting the title. All the time I had devoted hadn't been for nothing.

But since I already had an invite, there had to be a passdown. What none of us knew at the time was that the passdown would happen on the leaderboard. This meant that Erik Sjöström had qualified. I don't know if he or I was more excited about it...

PLAY THE GAME, SEE THE WORLD

What makes Magic such a great game? For me, it isn't just the complex situations and the thrill of winning; no, being with people you like and doing what you love the most is what Magic really is about. You may be the person who deals the last point of damage in the finals, but in reality, it is the community and the teamwork which accumulate into the win. I found my closest friends through Magic, and I'm not alone in that.

Playing competitive Magic: The Gathering is something all players should experience at least once. Playing Spotlights and RCs has been a privilege, and hopefully, I'll even make it to the Pro Tour one day. I look forward to visiting more places in Europe in the coming year, and hopefully I'll sit face-to-face with some of you.

EUROPEAN MAGIC CUP

Some may be thinking, "Why should I care about the Cup if I'm not qualified?" I can't force you to do anything, but I highly recommend keeping up with what is happening even if you didn't get invited. This is the top of European Magic, but it can only be driven by your support! So cheer for your countrymen, for your friends and community. Make it so that competitive Magic can prosper.

I will try to update those intrigued on my X (@Holmis08) before and during the event. It will be a great opportunity for those who are curious about what travelling and playing in larger tournaments is like, so I highly encourage it. With that being said, I can now present my team for the Cup:

ERIK SJÖSTRÖM - "MrMagic"

I've mentioned Erik a few times up until this. As mentioned, he is a great friend of mine, even outside of Magic. He dedicates a lot of time each week to the game, playing almost all formats with good results. Getting to go to Italy with him is more or less the perfect scenario, and he's ready to crush anyone who dares stand in his way.

JONATAN LARSSON

Jonatan is the current best Legacy player in Sweden, but his expertise extends to all formats he plays. He is a force to be reckoned with, always sure of his plays and finding his mistakes may take a lifetime. He brings experience to the team, and I'm more than glad to work with him for this!

FINAL THOUGHTS

I would like to spend the last part of this article by giving out some thanks. To begin with, thank you to the Unity League team for bringing together so many people. My gratitude also goes out to my local community, without your support I would never have been here in a million years. I truly am blessed.

And finally, thank you for reading. Your support for the EUL is what keeps all this going. Keep up with the Cup, as well as other events to come!

But for now, I'm Gustav Holmberg: EUL National Champion 2025 Sweden. If you see me, be sure to come say Hi. It would mean the world to me.