 What an ending! Gerry Thompson made history in Pittsburgh this weekend claiming both the Standard and Legacy Open championships piloting Caw-Blade in the former and a BUG brew in the latter with Echoes of Team America. He sliced through both Top 8s sustaining one loss in every Swiss round but persevering each time. Going a collective 21-2 in matches on the weekend Gerry won both trophies. Edgar Flores better watch out—as Alex Bertoncini said at the finals conclusion "The Spanish Inquisition is over!" Ringer Ben Hayes took down the second Draft Open while Brian Braun-Duin went straight from the Standard Open Top 4 into the first Draft open winning the whole thing outright. U.S. Nationals is at GenCon this weekend and we'll see you in Richmond for the next Open weekend with commentators Brad Nelson and Jacob Van Lunen!  Loading Event Photos...
 Gerry Thompson
 By Event StaffTop 16 Legacy DecklistsCheck out the decks used by the top competitors at StarCityGames.com Legacy Open: Pittsburgh.  By Glenn JonesFinals: Gerry Thompson vs. Dan MusserSeeking to make a legend and strike the fear of God into the heart of Edgar Flores Gerry Thompson sat on the edge of history in the Legacy Open finals.  By Glenn JonesSemifinals: Felix Lapan vs. Dan MusserDan's Zoo deck is a Legacy staple but his opponent in the semifinals piloted something a bit different today. Hulk Rebirth a combo deck based around sacrificing Protean Hulk after cheating it into play for a combo kill wasn't a member of Dan's testing gauntlet.  By Glenn JonesQuarterfinals: Gerry Thompson vs. Josh BatesGerry Thompson fresh off his Standard Open victory entered the Legacy Open Top 8 in the hunt for his second trophy in as many tournaments. His BUG brew faced one of its worst possible pairings in the quarterfinals: Josh Bates with his Merfolk build.  By Glenn JonesRound 8: James Rynkiewicz vs. Alexander JohnPlaying for a tiebreaker-dependent shot at the Top 8 Grand Prix champ Jim Rynkiewicz and Alexander John squared off in the final round of the Legacy Open. By Glenn JonesRound 7: Gerry Thompson vs. Chris RennerThreatening to repeat not just a Top 8 finish but a win Gerry Thompson entered Round 7 playing for Top 8 with a single loss to his name. Piloting a BUG deck of his own design it appeared to be Gerry's weekend. Looking to spoil that run Chris Renner entered the round on the same record with a white and blue aggro-control build based on Weathered Wayfarer and Wasteland.  By Glenn JonesQuick Question: Will You Be Attending The StarCityGames.com Open Weekend In Las Vegas?StarCityGames.com Open Los Angeles has been replaced by a stop in Las Vegas! Who's up for a road trip?  By Glenn JonesDeck Tech: Hive Mind With Chris VanMeterHive Mind has been doing well enough in the Legacy Opens of late that it has warranted significant attention. With players around the country working to beat the deck—or training to be the best with it—I sat down with a player who has seen both sides of that fight. By Glenn JonesRound 6: Eli Kassis vs. Ben FriedmanOn undefeated Ben Friedman found himself fighting to Top 8 his second Open in two days after a Top 4 finish in the Standard Open yesterday. Once again piloting U/W one win against Eli Kassis and his unique Reanimator build would lock Ben for the Top 8. By Glenn JonesQuick Question: Do You Have A Favorite Archetype In Magic 2012 Draft?The M12 draft format is still pretty fresh; what are people's initial impressions? By Glenn JonesDeck Tech: NO RUG With Geoff SmelskiThe Jupiter Games crew tends to hit up all the StarCityGames.com Open Series events in their neck of the woods and they attended Pittsburgh en masse. This weekend most members of the group such as James Rynkiewicz and Ryan McKinney are piloting a NO RUG list designed by Geoff Smelski and performing well with it. By Glenn JonesQuick Question: Does Any Card In Legacy Deserve A Look Come The Next B&R Update?What do players think about the Banned and Restricted list in Legacy? By Glenn JonesQuick Question: How Should Players Adapt To Defeat The Threat Of Hive Mind In Legacy?Hive Mind is a force to be reckoned with in Legacy after a string of consistent performances in the Legacy Open Series. How should players prepare?
 Gerry Thompson
By Event StaffTop 16 Standard DecklistsCheck out the decks used by the top competitors at StarCityGames.com Standard Open: Pittsburgh. By Glenn JonesFinals: Gerry Thompson vs. Maximilian StaudacherMax's Goblins deck has been one of the tournament's major talking points showcasing a way for red to beat past Timely Reinforcements while also threatening explosive reach backed by Goblin Bushwhacker and Goblin Grenade. Would Gerry complete an incredible run from 0-1 to 11-1 in pursuit of a trophy finish? By Glenn JonesSemifinals: Gerry Thompson vs. Brian Braun-DuinBack in action after a brief hiatus Gerry had rallied from a Round 1 loss in the Swiss to claim a Top 4 berth with Caw-Blade a list very similar to the same one Edgar and Nick had used in Seattle. Here he faced a friend Brian Braun-Duin piloting a list much closer to Tim Pskowski's winning deck from the Cincinnati Standard Open. By Glenn JonesQuarterfinals: Jonathan Sukenik vs. Ben FriedmanAfter fighting his way into the Top 8 Jonathan Sukenik's Night Shift a pet deck in U/B/W that combines Squadron Hawks with Gravitational Shift and black discard spells faced an appropriate challenge. Ben Friedman Cincinnati Standard Open Top 8 competitor once again made the elimination rounds with Blade Splicers and Hero of Bladeholds.  By Glenn JonesStandard Open Top 8 ProfilesMeet the Top 8 competitors in the StarCityGames.com Standard Open in Pittsburgh. By Glenn JonesRound 9: Jonathan Sukenik vs. Jacob ShapiroPiloting his own Squadron Hawk brew Night Shift Jonathan Sukenik has found himself on the brink of the Top 8 with a single loss. Standing in his path this round is Mono Red player Jacob Shapiro gamely blazing his way through a field of Timely Reinforcements and various green decks also in contention for the elimination rounds. By Glenn JonesQuick Question: Which Magic 2012 Rare Do You Think Deserves More Play?Is there a rare from Magic 2012 not getting enough love from players? By Glenn JonesQuick Question: Considering The Popularity Of Timely Reinforcements Do You Think Mono Red Remains A Contender?Is Mono Red done for given the prevalence of Timely Reinforcements? Or is still a force to be reckoned with? By Glenn JonesRound 7: Edgar Flores vs. Nathan JohnsonEdgar Flores took a Round 1 draw in Seattle prior to his undefeated run into the Standard open finals—he'd challenged himself slightly harder with a Round 1 loss in Pittsburgh but Edgar hadn't lost a match since. Now he found himself paired against Nathan Johnson piloting a new version of Eldrazi Green and also on the bubble with one loss. By Glenn JonesDeck Tech: Bant Pod With Ben IsgurOlivier Ruel rolled into French Nationals with a Bant Birthing Pod list and carved his way through the Swiss into the elimination rounds losing in Top 8 to eventual champion Armel Primot. Upon seeing the deck Ben Isgur immediately took a shine to it. By Glenn JonesQuick Question: Do You Anticipate Seeing Something New At Nationals Next Weekend?Where will the metagame take us at Nationals? Do the players anticipate any new breakthroughs? By Glenn JonesRound 6: Khyler Fields vs. Jordan BarlowThis round saw two players on the bubble fighting to remain in contention. Jordan Barlow's U/W Control deck went against Khyler's mono-green deck. By Glenn JonesDeck Tech: Night Shift With Jonathan SukenikFor Jonathan the Pittsburgh Open wasn't quite the debut of his newest take on Gravitational Shift. By Glenn JonesQuick Question: Why Did Edgar Flores's Caw-Blade Deck Dominate The Seattle Standard Open?Caw-Blade seems to be gaining ground in Standard but this time with a new face. What did Edgar get right in Seattle? |
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