Congratulations to Erik Manoushian our Richmond Legacy Open champion! Playing in his first major Legacy event Erik piloted a Through the Breach/Show and Tell deck of his own devising deep into the event triumphing over all comers en route to the final match against Tim Pskowski. Squaring off with the trophy on the line Tim managed to win a mull to five on the play in game 1 but fell shy despite excellent starting hands in the following games. Unsurprisingly the StarCityGames.com store has been burning through those Breaches! Shaheen Soorani managed to make Open Series history with his fourth Draft Open win while William Fitchko took down the second one of the day. Invitational champ Pat Cox had a profitable weekend as well outdoing Shaheen by racking up Top 8s in both Constructed Opens and even winning the Standard. Our next stop is Boston this weekend featuring commentators Joey Pasco and Adrian Sullivan—same time same channel. 
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 Erik Manoushian
 By Glenn JonesTop 16 Legacy DecklistsCheck out the decks used by the top competitors at StarCityGames.com Legacy Open Richmond.  By Glenn JonesFinals: Erik Manoushian vs. Tim PskowskiTim seemed very reluctant to be facing Erik in the finals. Playing a known archetype against a rogue homebrew is always worrisome especially when the homebrew has performed as well as Erik's.  By Glenn JonesSemifinals: Jonathan Sukenik vs. Tim PskowskiIn a bout between two friends Jonathan Sukenik found himself facing off against Cincinnati Standard Open champion Tim Pskowski.  By Glenn JonesQuarterfinals: Chris Cornwell-Shiel vs. Jonathan SukenikChris Cornwell-Shiel is playing one of the scariest decks in the Top 8—a brutal Show and Tell/Sneak Attack deck that eschews the newest Legacy Staple Mental Misstep.  By Glenn JonesLegacy Open Top 8 ProfilesMeet the Top 8 competitors in the StarCityGames.com Legacy Open in Richmond.  By Glenn JonesRound 8: James Pogue vs. Jeff DarranJames Pogue an occasional Legacy battler came into this round in need of a win for Top 8 with his Stoneforge Bant deck. Merfolk opponent Jeff Darran was in an identical position and both players knew the matchup tended to favor James.  By Glenn JonesQuick Question: How Do You Pass The Time On A Tournament Road Trip?Many long hours are spent on the road if you're an Open Series grinder so how do they pass the time? By Glenn JonesRound 7: Josh Cho vs. Chris Cornwell-ShielPlaying in his first Legacy event Josh Cho was hoping to grind out a Top 8 finish with Zoo. He'd spent most of the rounds preying on Merfolk and a win in the last round would put him in position to draw. By Glenn JonesRound 6: Pat Cox vs. Tim FrankStandard Open champion Pat Cox had made an early decision to win the Legacy Open as well and after a 5-0 start he was looking good to make it happen.  By Glenn JonesDeck Tech: Grove Zoo with Brandon LeonhardtBrandon's Zoo list combines the power of Grove of the Burnwillows and Punishing Fire for a long game and also utilizes several other synergies. By Glenn JonesQuick Question: Reanimator Is Back In Business—Have You Adapted Your Deck For It?Reanimator is a usual suspect in Legacy and lately it's been on another upswing. We asked players if they're worried and what preparations they're taking. By Glenn JonesDeck Tech: Turboland with Ali AintraziHis win at US Nationals put the newly-minted Pro Player on Level 4 in the Pro Player's Club but he's been a Star City menace for years. By Glenn JonesQuick Question: Is Hive Mind gone Or Are The Last Two Weekends Flukes?The Metagame is constantly changing in Legacy but is Hive Mind gone or just lurking in the shadows and waiting to strike?
 Pat Cox
By Glenn JonesFinals: Pat Cox vs. Kyle RoseKyle frowned a bit as he looked over Pat's decklist contemplating the matchup. Pat noted that Kyle's maindeck looked sweet against a couple other decks in the Top 8 but seemed ill-prepared for Valakut. By Glenn JonesSemifinals: Ben Friedman vs. Pat CoxBen didn't mind seeing the Valakut pairing in the Top 4 of this event; he knew Hero-Blade had the goods to take it home against Valakut largely thanks to its namesake four-drop. By Glenn JonesStandard Open Top 8 ProfilesMeet the Top 8 competitors in the StarCityGames.com Standard Open in Richmond. By Glenn JonesTop 16 Standard DecklistsCheck out the decks used by the top competitors at StarCityGames.com Standard Open Richmond. By Glenn JonesQuarterfinals: Pat Cox vs. Thomas ColeInvitational champion and PT Nagoya Top 8 competitor Pat Cox returned to Valakut this weekend and it paid off with a Top 8 finish in Standard. His opponent this round Boros pilot Thomas Cole threatened to stomp him out of the Top 8 with a fast start. By Glenn JonesQuick Question: Will A Starcitygames.Com Standard Open Top 8 In The Next Year Feature Zero Dismembers?Dismember gives every color a little taste of black thanks to Phyrexian mana but will it continue to be a staple in the format? By Glenn JonesRound 9: Shaheen Soorani vs. Mike WardThe last round pitted friends Shaheen Soorani and Mike Ward against one another in a match to the death. By Glenn JonesRound 8: Pat Cox vs. Brian Braun-DuinOnce again piloting his trusty Valakut Invitational champion and Pro Tour Nagoya Top 8 competitor Pat Cox sat on the cusp of the Top 8. By Glenn JonesQuick Question: What's The Modern Deck You're Most Interested In Trying Out?People are itching to brew for the new wide-open format so we wanted to know which decks people are specifically excited about. By Glenn JonesRound 7: Jordan Herchelroach vs. Orrin BeasleyWith Top 8 on the horizon Jordan found himself facing Grand Prix Dallas finalist Orrin Beasley and his RUG Pod list an archetype with a lot of play to it. By Glenn JonesRound 6: Chris VanMeter vs. Calosso FuentesPlayer's Club grinder Chris VanMeter found himself paired in a Caw-Blade mirror against friend and local endboss Calosso Fuentes. By Glenn JonesQuick Question: What Gave Ali Aintrazi's U/B List Its Edge Against Caw-Blade?Ali Aintrazi took down nationals with a U/B control brew but what was its secret? By Glenn JonesDeck Tech: Dredgevine with Jordan HerchelroathUtilizing many of the same core cards from the initial engine Jordan has added a few new pieces to the mix to fill in the gaps. By Glenn JonesQuick Question: Should Birthing Pod Be Rug Bug Or Bant?Which setup does the powerful New Phyrexia card belong in? By Glenn JonesQuick Question: Which Standard Deck Is Being Underestimated At The Moment?The Standard Field has gotten shaken up with the recent Nationals events but which deck are people not giving enough credit? |
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