Kevin Yap
@kevinyap.ca
Software engineer at @relay.app. Previously: Google, Riot Games, and MLSE Digital Labs. I made @zeal.gg and post about code, games, and baseball. Aspiring MTG tournament grinder. 🇨🇦
See kevinyap.ca for more.
See kevinyap.ca for more.
Barring any last-minute changes tomorrow, I'm going to run this Ruby Storm list at RC Calgary this weekend!
Heavily considered pure Boros, but I figure over 9+ rounds, I want to feel like I have some sort of counterplay to other combo decks to preserve my mental throughout the tournament.
Heavily considered pure Boros, but I figure over 9+ rounds, I want to feel like I have some sort of counterplay to other combo decks to preserve my mental throughout the tournament.
November 20, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Barring any last-minute changes tomorrow, I'm going to run this Ruby Storm list at RC Calgary this weekend!
Heavily considered pure Boros, but I figure over 9+ rounds, I want to feel like I have some sort of counterplay to other combo decks to preserve my mental throughout the tournament.
Heavily considered pure Boros, but I figure over 9+ rounds, I want to feel like I have some sort of counterplay to other combo decks to preserve my mental throughout the tournament.
Took a break from Ruby Storm to practice Eldrazi Ramp in case I need to play a different deck at the RC, but saw this wild list with 3 maindeck Surgical Extractions (www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/7394296) and *had* to test it out myself — of course I randomly trophied the first League I tried it 😅
October 16, 2025 at 5:46 AM
Took a break from Ruby Storm to practice Eldrazi Ramp in case I need to play a different deck at the RC, but saw this wild list with 3 maindeck Surgical Extractions (www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/7394296) and *had* to test it out myself — of course I randomly trophied the first League I tried it 😅
Grinded to Platinum in 2XKO over the weekend! The ranked population definitely isn't representative due to it being a closed beta, but still really happy considering it's my first traditional fighting game and I've only been playing for a week!
Some initial thoughts on the game in this thread.🧵
Some initial thoughts on the game in this thread.🧵
September 22, 2025 at 4:14 AM
Grinded to Platinum in 2XKO over the weekend! The ranked population definitely isn't representative due to it being a closed beta, but still really happy considering it's my first traditional fighting game and I've only been playing for a week!
Some initial thoughts on the game in this thread.🧵
Some initial thoughts on the game in this thread.🧵
Another 5-0 League on Ruby Storm! 🏆 Still feeling really comfortable on the Izzet version of the deck even though most top players on MTGO have gone back to Boros.
Might try adding one more Strix Serenade to the sideboard to help hit all the evoke elementals floating around online.
Might try adding one more Strix Serenade to the sideboard to help hit all the evoke elementals floating around online.
August 1, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Another 5-0 League on Ruby Storm! 🏆 Still feeling really comfortable on the Izzet version of the deck even though most top players on MTGO have gone back to Boros.
Might try adding one more Strix Serenade to the sideboard to help hit all the evoke elementals floating around online.
Might try adding one more Strix Serenade to the sideboard to help hit all the evoke elementals floating around online.
Played UR Ruby Storm in the Face to Face Modern RCQ today and got Top 4 for my first ever RC invite! 🎉
R1: Jeskai Affinity 🌩️❌
R2: Boros Burn 🌩️❌🌩️
R3: Ruby Storm 🌩️🌩️
R4: Simic Brew 🌩️🌩️
R5: ID
QF: Broodscale Combo 🌩️🌩️
SF: Dimir Mill ❌🌩️❌
R1: Jeskai Affinity 🌩️❌
R2: Boros Burn 🌩️❌🌩️
R3: Ruby Storm 🌩️🌩️
R4: Simic Brew 🌩️🌩️
R5: ID
QF: Broodscale Combo 🌩️🌩️
SF: Dimir Mill ❌🌩️❌
June 22, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Played UR Ruby Storm in the Face to Face Modern RCQ today and got Top 4 for my first ever RC invite! 🎉
R1: Jeskai Affinity 🌩️❌
R2: Boros Burn 🌩️❌🌩️
R3: Ruby Storm 🌩️🌩️
R4: Simic Brew 🌩️🌩️
R5: ID
QF: Broodscale Combo 🌩️🌩️
SF: Dimir Mill ❌🌩️❌
R1: Jeskai Affinity 🌩️❌
R2: Boros Burn 🌩️❌🌩️
R3: Ruby Storm 🌩️🌩️
R4: Simic Brew 🌩️🌩️
R5: ID
QF: Broodscale Combo 🌩️🌩️
SF: Dimir Mill ❌🌩️❌
5-0'd another Modern League with Ruby Storm! ⛈🏆
I feel quite confident with the stock list now, so I've been playing around with a few "interesting" modifications, some of which are almost certainly suboptimal, but are fun nonetheless. 🦦
Decklist in the alt-text and thoughts in the thread!
I feel quite confident with the stock list now, so I've been playing around with a few "interesting" modifications, some of which are almost certainly suboptimal, but are fun nonetheless. 🦦
Decklist in the alt-text and thoughts in the thread!
June 3, 2025 at 3:16 AM
5-0'd another Modern League with Ruby Storm! ⛈🏆
I feel quite confident with the stock list now, so I've been playing around with a few "interesting" modifications, some of which are almost certainly suboptimal, but are fun nonetheless. 🦦
Decklist in the alt-text and thoughts in the thread!
I feel quite confident with the stock list now, so I've been playing around with a few "interesting" modifications, some of which are almost certainly suboptimal, but are fun nonetheless. 🦦
Decklist in the alt-text and thoughts in the thread!
Trophied my first MTGO League playing UR Ruby Storm! 🌩🏆
Spell Pierce was clutch against Living End, and I'm liking maindeck Stormscale Scion as a Grapeshot replacement since it can activate Ritual-heavy hands.
2-1 Eldrazi Tron
2-0 Eldrazi Aggro
2-0 UR Prowess
2-0 Boros Energy
2-0 Living End
Spell Pierce was clutch against Living End, and I'm liking maindeck Stormscale Scion as a Grapeshot replacement since it can activate Ritual-heavy hands.
2-1 Eldrazi Tron
2-0 Eldrazi Aggro
2-0 UR Prowess
2-0 Boros Energy
2-0 Living End
![Moxfield screenshot of a Modern decklist titled "[UR] Ruby Storm ⛈". The decklist is as follows:
Maindeck:
2 Artist's Talent
3 Bloodstained Mire
4 Desperate Ritual
1 Fiery Islet
2 Flame of Anor
1 Gemstone Caverns
4 Manamorphose
5 Mountain
3 Past in Flames
4 Pyretic Ritual
4 Ral, Monsoon Mage
4 Reckless Impulse
4 Ruby Medallion
3 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
1 Stormscale Scion
2 Strike It Rich
2 Thundering Falls
1 Valakut Awakening
2 Wish
2 Wooded Foothills
4 Wrenn's Resolve
Sideboard:
2 Brotherhood's End
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Grapeshot
2 Hurkyl's Recall
4 Into the Flood Maw
1 Past in Flames
4 Spell Pierce](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:kewhcp362af66czceva4dhrl/bafkreie25femtl6hzdcwx4qwhdwd2qvd4xemuplxtcafivfqkoyvep2ccy@jpeg)
May 28, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Trophied my first MTGO League playing UR Ruby Storm! 🌩🏆
Spell Pierce was clutch against Living End, and I'm liking maindeck Stormscale Scion as a Grapeshot replacement since it can activate Ritual-heavy hands.
2-1 Eldrazi Tron
2-0 Eldrazi Aggro
2-0 UR Prowess
2-0 Boros Energy
2-0 Living End
Spell Pierce was clutch against Living End, and I'm liking maindeck Stormscale Scion as a Grapeshot replacement since it can activate Ritual-heavy hands.
2-1 Eldrazi Tron
2-0 Eldrazi Aggro
2-0 UR Prowess
2-0 Boros Energy
2-0 Living End
Also... I had no idea that I was playing against @domhrv.bsky.social in the finals! 😱
May 12, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Also... I had no idea that I was playing against @domhrv.bsky.social in the finals! 😱
Since I didn't get my invite, I stubbornly decided to queue for an MTGO Challenge tonight to prove to myself I'm capable of playing Magic *decently*, and unexpectedly took 1st place out of 63 people! (And didn't drop a single game in top 8 to boot!) 🏆🎉
www.mtgo.com/decklist/mod...
www.mtgo.com/decklist/mod...
May 12, 2025 at 8:09 AM
Since I didn't get my invite, I stubbornly decided to queue for an MTGO Challenge tonight to prove to myself I'm capable of playing Magic *decently*, and unexpectedly took 1st place out of 63 people! (And didn't drop a single game in top 8 to boot!) 🏆🎉
www.mtgo.com/decklist/mod...
www.mtgo.com/decklist/mod...
Went 3-1-1 at a Standard RCQ playing Temur Otters in paper for the first time ever. Sadly, my tiebreakers were awful so I finished 9th, just missing top 8 (4th–9th were all 3-1-1).
Still my best comp event yet which I'm super stoked about!
Still my best comp event yet which I'm super stoked about!
March 16, 2025 at 4:29 AM
Went 3-1-1 at a Standard RCQ playing Temur Otters in paper for the first time ever. Sadly, my tiebreakers were awful so I finished 9th, just missing top 8 (4th–9th were all 3-1-1).
Still my best comp event yet which I'm super stoked about!
Still my best comp event yet which I'm super stoked about!
Someone built a site that lets you explore #AdventOfCode leaderboard data from all 10 years of the event! You can really see my decline over time as more people started participating and I got rustier from doing less day-to-day coding 😅
caderek.github.io/elfvsmachine
caderek.github.io/elfvsmachine
December 27, 2024 at 11:06 PM
Someone built a site that lets you explore #AdventOfCode leaderboard data from all 10 years of the event! You can really see my decline over time as more people started participating and I got rustier from doing less day-to-day coding 😅
caderek.github.io/elfvsmachine
caderek.github.io/elfvsmachine
Another Christmas, another #AdventOfCode in the books (and 500 total stars)! Thank you to @was.tl for another delightful month of holiday puzzles! 🎄
I'll include some of my thoughts in this thread.
I'll include some of my thoughts in this thread.
December 26, 2024 at 1:09 AM
Another Christmas, another #AdventOfCode in the books (and 500 total stars)! Thank you to @was.tl for another delightful month of holiday puzzles! 🎄
I'll include some of my thoughts in this thread.
I'll include some of my thoughts in this thread.
Redesigned my personal site again! Got inspired by a bunch of different blogs I've come across recently to make it even more minimalist (the sticky sidebar had to go).
I found that monospace fonts are hard to visually process for longer pieces of writing, so it's back to `system-ui`.
I found that monospace fonts are hard to visually process for longer pieces of writing, so it's back to `system-ui`.
December 23, 2024 at 7:12 PM
Redesigned my personal site again! Got inspired by a bunch of different blogs I've come across recently to make it even more minimalist (the sticky sidebar had to go).
I found that monospace fonts are hard to visually process for longer pieces of writing, so it's back to `system-ui`.
I found that monospace fonts are hard to visually process for longer pieces of writing, so it's back to `system-ui`.
Just to be explicit, I did this:
- Changed my "squatting" account to a different handle.
- Changed this account's handle to @ikeviny.bsky.social, then back to @kevinyap.ca (immediately).
- Confirmed handle was reserved by attempting to swap the "squatting" account back to @ikeviny.bsky.social.
- Changed my "squatting" account to a different handle.
- Changed this account's handle to @ikeviny.bsky.social, then back to @kevinyap.ca (immediately).
- Confirmed handle was reserved by attempting to swap the "squatting" account back to @ikeviny.bsky.social.
December 17, 2024 at 6:43 PM
Just to be explicit, I did this:
- Changed my "squatting" account to a different handle.
- Changed this account's handle to @ikeviny.bsky.social, then back to @kevinyap.ca (immediately).
- Confirmed handle was reserved by attempting to swap the "squatting" account back to @ikeviny.bsky.social.
- Changed my "squatting" account to a different handle.
- Changed this account's handle to @ikeviny.bsky.social, then back to @kevinyap.ca (immediately).
- Confirmed handle was reserved by attempting to swap the "squatting" account back to @ikeviny.bsky.social.
I didn't want to go on about more #AdventOfCode drama, but yesterday @hyperneutrino.xyz shared a conversation she had with @was.tl on the topic of LLM usage on the global leaderboard, and I was shocked at what he was experiencing.
Reddit thread: www.reddit.com/r/adventofco...
Reddit thread: www.reddit.com/r/adventofco...
December 8, 2024 at 4:19 PM
I didn't want to go on about more #AdventOfCode drama, but yesterday @hyperneutrino.xyz shared a conversation she had with @was.tl on the topic of LLM usage on the global leaderboard, and I was shocked at what he was experiencing.
Reddit thread: www.reddit.com/r/adventofco...
Reddit thread: www.reddit.com/r/adventofco...
See for example this post I made mentioning my own handle. Looking at the metadata on pdsls.dev, you can see the DID for my profile annotated as a "mention" on the substring "@kevinyap.ca" in the body of the post.
December 3, 2024 at 2:45 AM
See for example this post I made mentioning my own handle. Looking at the metadata on pdsls.dev, you can see the DID for my profile annotated as a "mention" on the substring "@kevinyap.ca" in the body of the post.
Made it to Mythic for the first time! Usually I don't play enough Arena in a given month to ever climb higher than Diamond, but I've been trying to play more than normal to get a better feel for the meta and tune my sideboard in preparation for the RC season.
November 25, 2024 at 6:19 AM
Made it to Mythic for the first time! Usually I don't play enough Arena in a given month to ever climb higher than Diamond, but I've been trying to play more than normal to get a better feel for the meta and tune my sideboard in preparation for the RC season.
I did have a theory at that point, but had to confirm it. I went through the players' past streams and read through Twitch chat. Finally, I found what I was looking for, and it matched my theory exactly!
![Twitch chat from one of twitch.tv/alfrea's VODs. The messages in order:
- woodenfish0923: !rank
- Nightbot: げまげまの現在のレート [グラフ] https://zeal.gg/pde3wLx [deeplol] https://www.deeplol.gg/event
However, Nightbot's links are not hyperlinked, and just render as text.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:kewhcp362af66czceva4dhrl/bafkreiadeuudtt6kubjyy2gdwbqp2onbqc2awu3tuu7ehg7mfbxx3xaxhe@jpeg)
November 20, 2024 at 3:21 AM
I did have a theory at that point, but had to confirm it. I went through the players' past streams and read through Twitch chat. Finally, I found what I was looking for, and it matched my theory exactly!
Then I noticed that some of the paths people were reaching contained the string "deeplol.gg/event" instead (this wasn't linked anywhere on the home page), so I went to that page.
Aha!
Aha!
November 20, 2024 at 3:21 AM
Then I noticed that some of the paths people were reaching contained the string "deeplol.gg/event" instead (this wasn't linked anywhere on the home page), so I went to that page.
Aha!
Aha!
Like I usually do, I went to the most-visited page, and saw a leaderboard for 4 players on the KR server. Kind of odd, since all of the traffic appears to be coming from Japan, not Korea.
I also didn't recognize any of the names of the players, and quickly Googling didn't give me any hints.
I also didn't recognize any of the names of the players, and quickly Googling didn't give me any hints.
November 20, 2024 at 3:21 AM
Like I usually do, I went to the most-visited page, and saw a leaderboard for 4 players on the KR server. Kind of odd, since all of the traffic appears to be coming from Japan, not Korea.
I also didn't recognize any of the names of the players, and quickly Googling didn't give me any hints.
I also didn't recognize any of the names of the players, and quickly Googling didn't give me any hints.
The vast majority of the traffic was going to a single leaderboard (as usually happens), but the other most-common paths looked really odd. There was the string "[deeplol]" in a lot of them, and also HTML-escaped spaces ("%20").
November 20, 2024 at 3:21 AM
The vast majority of the traffic was going to a single leaderboard (as usually happens), but the other most-common paths looked really odd. There was the string "[deeplol]" in a lot of them, and also HTML-escaped spaces ("%20").
Usually when I see a spike in traffic, it's because some streamer discovered the site and is using it to track some sort of ranked climb challenge, and their viewers are the ones clicking through to follow along.
In this case, though, my referrer traffic looked like this:
In this case, though, my referrer traffic looked like this:
November 20, 2024 at 3:21 AM
Usually when I see a spike in traffic, it's because some streamer discovered the site and is using it to track some sort of ranked climb challenge, and their viewers are the ones clicking through to follow along.
In this case, though, my referrer traffic looked like this:
In this case, though, my referrer traffic looked like this:
However, I randomly decided to open PostHog, and was greeted with the dashboard telling me I had over 23k uniques over the last 30 days, which is 2 orders of magnitude more than I'm used to!
November 20, 2024 at 3:21 AM
However, I randomly decided to open PostHog, and was greeted with the dashboard telling me I had over 23k uniques over the last 30 days, which is 2 orders of magnitude more than I'm used to!
So an emoji proposal for what is effectively the "FLUSH" BetterTTV emote is currently poised to be included in Unicode 17.0 as "Distorted Face". This must've been a hilarious one to draft up.
Proposal link: www.unicode.org/L2/L2024/242...
Proposal link: www.unicode.org/L2/L2024/242...
November 18, 2024 at 5:15 PM
So an emoji proposal for what is effectively the "FLUSH" BetterTTV emote is currently poised to be included in Unicode 17.0 as "Distorted Face". This must've been a hilarious one to draft up.
Proposal link: www.unicode.org/L2/L2024/242...
Proposal link: www.unicode.org/L2/L2024/242...