Hot on the heels of his finals appearance at PC: Atlanta, TAWC member and Metagame writer Shane Wiggans is once again looking to make a Day 3 appearance, compiling an impressive 4-1 record during draft after a 6-4 Day 1. I caught up with Shane in the players’ lounge and got a chance to pick his brain about his recent success—success he says would be impossible were it not for his team, Team Alternate Win Condition (TAWC).

Shane is quick to attribute his growth as a Vs. player to his teammates and their intense preparation for Pro Circuit events. Despite the distance between them (Shane only gets a chance to play against Tim regularly), TAWC has posted an impressive performance this PC, with Shane and Tim still in the running for a Top 8 appearance. While some players might criticize the value of teams in preparing for professional events, Shane’s has been indispensable, helping him work on his Draft skills to the point where he can compete with the best. That’s a long way away from his 0-X performance PC: Indianapolis, when he was a one-man show. For Draft, the distance between his teammates has been more boon than bane, as it prevented them from becoming too dependent on understanding each other as opposed to the format; a tendency which can be helpful only when you’re seated in a pod with teammates at the PC itself. Geographic separation provided the team with a good general survey of the way other players drafted and helped prepare them to draft against strangers, not just each other. This flexibility has yet to lead Shane astray.

Yesterday, Shane played the same deck as the rest of the members of TAWC, a location-based Checkmate/Villains United team-up deck with silver bullets equipped to combat the super-aggressive Squadron decks as well as the prolific Killing Joke decks. While Threat Neutralized provided a natural way for the deck to combat the recursive tricks of Dr. Light, Master of Holograms that appeared in many decks, Ahmed Samsarra provides the true power of the deck, searching for any number of additional bullet locations, including Phantom Zone, The Science Spire (outside-of-combat bounce to stop Deadshot), and the true gem, Latverian Embassy. Their bullets proved effective throughout the day, vaulting a handful of TAWC members well into Day 2. With Day 2 ending and many of the remaining Top 8 contenders sporting off-curve or Killing Joke decks, it’s a good bet they’re not rooting for the TAWC creation to rear its head again tomorrow.