StarCity's Featured Writers!

StarCity's Featured Writers!
	Abe Sargent Calling all of West Virginia his home town, Abe has a severe man-crush for the land of his birth. That didn't stop him from going to Michigan for a job, where he worked for eleven years before calling it a day and heading off to Seminary in the North Phily suburbs, where he can still be found today. If you get a duel, just be prepared to face his notorious work of art, Abe's Deck of Happiness and Joy, a 2500 and growing highlander 5-color monstrosity. Click Here To See Abe Sargent's Archives!

	Above The Curve Above The Curve is a show produced by StarCityGames.com hosted by Glenn Jones and featuring guests such as Gerry Thompson and Brad Nelson. Every week, they discuss the latest tournament results, their opinions on hot topics, and Magic strategy. Click Here To See Above The Curve's Archives!

	Adam Prosak Adam Prosak is one of the most versatile card gamers around, putting up outstanding finishes on the Vs. System Pro Circuit while grinding away on the Magic Pro Tour as well. He has made Top 8 of three SCG Invitationals. Click Here To See Adam Prosak's Archives!

	Adrian Sullivan Adrian Sullivan's creative and competitive decks have been played in the Top 8s of major Magic events for over ten years. His unique insights into the game have led him to numerous money finishes in his 19 Pro Tour appearances, and his writing has appeared in nearly every major Magic magazine since the Dojo. Click Here To See Adrian Sullivan's Archives!

	AJ Kerrigan While he might look young, AJ Kerrigan already plays like a seasoned veteran. Don't be at all surprised if you see AJ cleaning up at StarCityGames.com Opens, Grand Prix, and Pro Tours in the near future. Click Here To See AJ Kerrigan's Archives!

	AJ Sacher AJ Sacher is a Pro Tour player who has multiple Grand Prix Top 8s and StarCityGames.com Open Series Top 8s, with a Legacy Open win in Charlotte. He's also one of the most acclaimed writers in the game. Click Here To See AJ Sacher's Archives!

	Alex Ullman Alex Ullman is a competitive Pauper enthusiast who was a part of the Community Team that won the 2009 Community Cup Challenge. Click Here To See Alex Ullman's Archives!

	Ali Aintrazi Ali Aintrazi is the 2011 US National Champion and a Pro Tour competitor. He is best known for his original deck designs and unique card choices - most notably breaking out the Turboland archetype at the 2010 SCG Open: Philadelphia. Click Here To See Ali Aintrazi's Archives!

	Ari Lax Ari Lax is a pro player who has made the Top 8 of four GPs (including second at GP Nashville 2010). He placed in the Top 16 of his first Pro Tour in Kyoto in 2009. Click Here To See Ari Lax's Archives!

	Ben Bleiweiss Ben is one of the foremost Magic: The Gathering financial experts in the world. His accomplishments over his 15+ year involvement with Magic include two tenures as a weekly columnist for Wizards of the Coast, global travel as both a Pro Tour player and reporter, and his position as General Manager for StarCityGames.com. Click Here To See Ben Bleiweiss's Archives!

	Bennie Smith Bennie has been playing Magic since opening Force of Nature in his first Unlimited starter deck. While casual multiplayer games were his first love, he also enjoys competitive Magic and has made quite a few Top 8 appearances in the Virginia Champs tournaments, winning the title one year. Bennie has written for StarCityGames.com since its inception and has also written for MagicTheGathering.com, Scrye, and Beckett Magic magazines. He pioneered writing about Commander strategy and continues to write about his casual and competitive Magic adventures. Click Here To See Bennie Smith's Archives!

	Brad Nelson 2010 Player of the Year Brad Nelson started his Pro Tour career as FffreaK on Magic Online and quickly catapulted to the top of international Magic success. He won GP DC and was 2nd at PT Amsterdam and now lives in Roanoke, producing top-notch video and article content. Click Here To See Brad Nelson's Archives!

	Brian Braun-Duin Brian Braun-Duin has been playing Magic on and off since Time Spiral block. His notable successes include two SCG Invitational Top 8s, some SCG Open Top 8s, and two PTQ wins. He strives to make Squire a respected card in Legacy and Modern. Click Here To See Brian Braun-Duin's Archives!

	Brian DeMars Brian DeMars is a respected Magic deckbuilder, theorist, and Eternal expert. He won Grand Prix Boston-Worcester and made Top 4 of Grand Prix Indianapolis in 2012. He is also a member of Team R.I.W. and Team Meandeck. Click Here To See Brian DeMars's Archives!

	Brian Kibler Affectionately nicknamed "The Dragonmaster," Brian Kibler has five Pro Tour 8s including 2 wins at PT Austin and PT Dark Ascension, 11 Grand Prix Top 8s with 3 wins, and was voted into the Magic Pro Tour Hall of Fame in 2010. Click Here To See Brian Kibler's Archives!

	Carsten Kotter Carsten is a Magic player from Germany and what people call an "Eternal specialist." He's a member of Team CAB and has won several pieces of Power playing Vintage and has pioneered Meandeck Gifts and Control Slaver. He also enjoys Legacy! Click Here To See Carsten Kotter's Archives!

	Cassidy McAuliffe Cassidy got his start playing Magic in 1994 just after the release of Antiquities. Over the years, he has touched on just about every format before settling on Commander as a primary home for his creative focus. He is an active blogger and avid deckbuilder who lives in New Hampshire with his wife Nina and son Declan. Click Here To See Cassidy McAuliffe's Archives!

	Cedric Phillips Pro Tour Kyoto Top 8 competitor and former Pro Tour mainstay, Cedric Phillips is back after a sabbatical away from the competitive scene, and he is ready to be better than he ever was. Click Here To See Cedric Phillips's Archives!

	Chas Andres Chas Andres is a Los Angeles-based screenwriter who has, at times, supported himself exclusively on income gained by buying, selling, and trading Magic cards. He also traded a pack of Zendikar up to an Alpha Mox Sapphire, which he thinks was pretty freaking sweet. Aside from his undying love of Magic, Chas is an avid fan of rock and roll music, the great game of baseball, and all of those cult TV shows that got cancelled before their time. Click Here To See Chas Andres's Archives!

	Chris VanMeter Chris VanMeter recently relocated to majestic Roanoke, VA, and is now working for StarCityGames.com. He is one of the six original Level 8s on the SCG Open Series and is back to grinding Magic in addition to doing media content. Click Here To See Chris VanMeter's Archives!

	Dan Barrett Dan Barrett is a Magic player of 3.5 years, from London, England. His questionable tournament “successes” include finishing 77/166 and 170/172 at GB Nationals, a PTQ 9th place, winning a 23 player Game Day, getting match wins in one of the three vintage tournaments he has played in, and conceding the finals of a drinking competition. While he clearly won’t be your go-to guy for deep strategy and hot tech, he more than makes up for this with strong opinions on all aspects of the game Click Here To See Dan Barrett's Archives!

	Daniel Unwin Daniel Unwin is an Australian Magic player, described by his good friend Jeremy Neeman as a “resident genius deckbuilder.” He is responsible for numerous decks that have done well at the Pro Tour: Fish at PT San Juan, Esper Control at 2011 Worlds, G/W Tokens and U/B Control at GP Brisbane 2011, RUG Control at Pro Tour Paris 2011, just to name a few. As a player his best achievements are 10th at GP Sydney 2010, 9th at Australian Nationals 2011, 7th at GP Brisbane 2011, 6th at GP Melbourne 2012, and 5th at GP Sydney 2013. Click Here To See Daniel Unwin's Archives!

	Drew Levin Drew Levin is a Legacy specialist who made a name for himself on the StarCityGames.com Open Series. He racked up half a dozen Top 8s, finished 10th at Grand Prix: Providence, and works with many of the brightest minds in the Legacy community to bring you the newest and hottest decks in the format every week. Click Here To See Drew Levin's Archives!

	Evan Erwin Evan Erwin is a long-time cardboard slinger who lives and breathes collectable cards. This includes contract game design and development, penning strategy articles, getting way too excited over broken cards and new mechanics and producing The Magic Show. In the time of chimpanzees, he's a gorilla. Click Here To See Evan Erwin's Archives!

	Gene Richtsmeier Gene Richtsmeier has been a frequent competitor at the top tables on the SCG Open circuit and made sixth place at the 2010 SCG Legacy Open in Kansas City. Click Here To See Gene Richtsmeier's Archives!

	Gerard Fabiano Gerard Fabiano is a Pro Tour mainstay with a number of high-profile finishes under his belt, and he's been on the Gravy Train since 2001. He made Top 4 of Pro Tour: Boston, and has placed in four Grand Prix Top 8s, including a Grand Prix win. Above all this, he is a fine ambassador for the game, and his anecdotes are stuff of legend. Click Here To See Gerard Fabiano's Archives!

	Gerry Thompson GerryT has nine Grand Prix Top 8s, including wins in Denver and Nashville. He made his first Pro Tour Top 8 at Pro Tour Gatecrash and has made the Top 8 of half of the SCG Invitationals he's played in, with wins in Richmond and Atlanta. Click Here To See Gerry Thompson's Archives!

	Glenn Jones Glenn Jones is the Coverage Manager at StarCityGames.com. Click Here To See Glenn Jones's Archives!

	Guess Who?! Guess Who?! is a weekly column written by a face from the past or a current well-known player. You never know who the author is until you click on it! Click Here To See Guess Who?!'s Archives!

	In Contention In Contention is a competitive-minded Magic: The Gathering podcast, hosted by Matt Kranstuber, Reuben Bresler, and Joey Pasco. Every other week, they discuss the latest tournament results and Magic news. Click Here To See In Contention's Archives!

	Jason Ford Jason Ford won GP Atlanta 2011 and Top 8ed GP Columbus in 2010. He's new to the Pro Tour scene but quickly making his way through the ranks. Click Here To See Jason Ford's Archives!

	Jesse and Alix Hatfield Jesse and Alix Hatfield are brothers who tore open the Legacy Open Series scene with High Tide in 2011. Their long experience with Legacy and love of number-crunching make them perfect contributors to the Too Much Information series. Click Here To See Jesse and Alix Hatfield's Archives!

	Jim Davis Jim Davis is a veteran of the game with accomplishments at every level of organized play: 24th at Pro Tour Prague 2006, 8th at Grand Prix Dallas 2007, 2nd at SCG Invitational Indianapolis 2011, 1st at New York States 2007, and more. He is also an avid cube designer. Click Here To See Jim Davis's Archives!

	John Dale Beety John Dale Beety is a writer-editor who lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Local players know him as the "Guy in the Tie" for his tournament-day attire. He writes about Magic from sides you rarely see! Click Here To See John Dale Beety's Archives!

	Jon Agley Jon Agley works full time as a researcher/faculty member of a Midwestern university – he has been playing Magic since 1994, and though he doesn’t frequently have time to play in larger tournaments, he follows the game closely by playing at local game stores, reading online content, and queuing on Magic Online. One time he accidentally qualified for the Pro Tour. Click Here To See Jon Agley's Archives!

	Jonathan Sukenik Jonathan Sukenik is an under-the-radar New England Magic Player who has cashed a number of StarCityGames.com events. He is also known as Watchwolf92 and is in the Top 20 of the 2011 Magic Online Player of the Year race and Top 4 in Scars of Mirrodin Block Constructed. Click Here To See Jonathan Sukenik's Archives!

	Joshua Cho Joshua Cho made Top 4 at his very first Pro Tour, Avacyn Restored. He placed 2nd and 3rd in the same Open Weekend at DC, made Top 4 in Standard Opens in Richmond, Nashville, and DC, and won the Classic in Richmond and Legacy Open in Buffalo. Click Here To See Joshua Cho's Archives!

	Justin Parnell Justin is a cube drafting enthusiast from North Carolina. He travels to as many StarCityGames.com Open Weekends as he can manage, with cube always in tow. Click Here To See Justin Parnell's Archives!

	Kai Budde "The German Juggernaut" ... Winner of five individual Pro Tours and two Team Pro Tours, four more titles than any other player ... Four-time Player of the Year ... All-time leader in lifetime Pro Points and career money winnings ... Formed legendary Phoenix Foundation team with Dirk Baberowski and Marco Blume ... Won 2001 Magic Invitational, crafting Voidmage Prodigy. Click Here To See Kai Budde's Archives!

	Kenny Castor Kenny Castor made the finals of Grand Prix Indianapolis in 2012 with Legacy RUG, qualifying for Pro Tour Avacyn Restored. Click Here To See Kenny Castor's Archives!

	Lauren Lee Lauren Lee (aka Mulldrifting) is StarCityGames.com's Online Content Coordinator. She manages front-page content, handles both SCG Newsletters, oversees the deck database, and works daily behind the scenes to improve SCG. Click Here To See Lauren Lee's Archives!

	Matt Costa Matt Costa is a college student from Massachusetts. He's been playing PTQs since 2008 and played his first Pro Tour in San Juan in 2010. He has 2 GP Top 8s, 1 GP win at Baltimore in 2012, and a Top 8 at Pro Tour Dark Ascension. Click Here To See Matt Costa's Archives!

	Matt Higgs An unquenchable brewer, Matt Higgs designs fun-first, competitive-second decks for Standard and other formats. He was a Cincinnati SCG Draft Open semifinalist, and he’s been known to take down local FNMs with some crazy homebrews. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky with his lovely wife Beth and their lovable cats. Click Here To See Matt Higgs's Archives!

	Matt Kranstuber Kranny is the co-host of the In Contention podcast, the official podcast of the StarCityGames.com Open Series, and has been playing Magic for over 15 years. Kranny has been a vocal advocate of the Cube format and active member of the Magic community. He has written a number of articles detailing various strategies and cube building principles from cube basics to more unconventional cube builds including his ever-popular Artifact, Momir, and Combo cubes. Click Here To See Matt Kranstuber's Archives!

	Matthew Pratser Matthew Pratser has been playing Magic since the release of Revised, discovering competitive play in 2006 just after the release of Ravnica. His most recent Magical success is making the Top 8 of Grand Prix San Antonio 2012. When not playing Magic, Matthew can be found discussing and contemplating Magic or at his full-time job as a computer engineer in Denver, Colorado. Click Here To See Matthew Pratser's Archives!

	Matthias Hunt Matthias Hunt is one of the best upcoming deck designers; he designed U/G Scapeshift which won GP Atlanta and the Vampire-Pox deck for GP Oakland in 2010. He won two PTQs in a row, the second with his U/G Scapeshift list. Click Here To See Matthias Hunt's Archives!

	Michael Martin Michael Martin is a grinder from Northern Virginia. He's finished near the top at StarCityGames.com Opens and made first place in Regionals. Click Here To See Michael Martin's Archives!

	Mike Flores Mike has written for The Duelist, The Sideboard, and MagicTheGathering.com and has returned to StarCityGames.com to continue his legacy. He is a championship deck designer and Magic theory pioneer. Click Here To See Mike Flores's Archives!

	Nick Spagnolo Nick Spagnolo is a dedicated StarCityGames.com grinder who reached level 8 and was the first person to win a Standard, Legacy, and Draft Open. After playing on a handful of Pro Tours, he moved to Roanoke, Virginia to work in the SCG Acquisitions Department. Most recently, he made the finals of the first 2012 SCG Invitational. Click Here To See Nick Spagnolo's Archives!

	Patrick Chapin Patrick Chapin, "The Innovator," is a member of the Hall of Fame class of 2012. He is a four-time Pro Tour Top 8 competitor, renowned deckbuilder, author of "Next Level Magic," and the first player to Top 8 Pro Tours in three different decades. Click Here To See Patrick Chapin's Archives!

	Patrick Sullivan Patrick Sullivan is a professional SCG commentator and Open Series ringer. His resume boasts 3 Grand Prix Top 8s, a slew of SCG Open Top 8s, and an SCG Invitational Top 8 in Indianapolis. He works full time in game design and development. Click Here To See Patrick Sullivan's Archives!

	Pedro Carvalho Pedro Carvalho or _megafone_ is a 25-year-old Brazilian student and a long-time Magic Online grinder, known for his love of beatdown decks and fiery personality. He recently burst onto the professional scene with a Top 8 at Pro Tour Return to Ravnica. Click Here To See Pedro Carvalho's Archives!

	Reid Duke Reid Duke, aka reiderrabbit, made a name for himself on Magic Online by winning the Magic Online Championships at Worlds in 2011. He won Grand Prix Nashville, made Top 8 at GP Providence, Montreal, Charleston, San Antonio, and Quebec City, and won a SCG Inviational. Click Here To See Reid Duke's Archives!

	Reuben Bresler Reuben Bresler is a Coverage Coordinator for SCGLive who lives in Roanoke, VA. When he's not doing coverage, he works on various video projects for StarCityGames.com, like The Newsening. Click Here To See Reuben Bresler's Archives!

	Sam Black Sam Black was a member of Team USA 2008, taking home the Team World Championship crown in Memphis. He also placed in the Top 8 of GP Barcelona and GP Singapore 2009, GP Gothenburg 2010, GP Atlanta 2012, and GP Yokohama in 2013 and made Top 4 of PT Phildalphia 2011. Click Here To See Sam Black's Archives!

	Sean McKeown Sean McKeown is renowned for his ability to take existing archetypes and improve them. His articles often end up influencing constructed metagames from States and Regionals to the Pro Tour itself. Click Here To See Sean McKeown's Archives!

	Shaheen Soorani Shaheen Soorani is a renowned deckbuilder and Pro Tour competitor. His finishes include 9th at Worlds 2006, Top 8 U.S. Nationals 2008, Top 32 Pro Tour Amsterdam as well as participating in 11 PTs over the last few years. He's made Top 8 of four SCG Invitationals. Click Here To See Shaheen Soorani's Archives!

	Sheldon Menery Judge Emeritus Sheldon Menery is one of the most influential judges in the history of the game. He popularized Magic Q&A here on SCG with "Ask the Judge" and was a leading force in redefining fair play at the professional level. He pioneered Commander and is the public face of the format. He has Head Judged countless Pro Tours, World Championships, and Grand Prix and has played in five National Championships. He lives in Tampa, Florida with his wife Gretchyn and their five cats: Dasher, Cupid, Comet, Vito, and Vixen. Click Here To See Sheldon Menery's Archives!

	Stanislav Cifka Stanislav Cifka is a 25-year-old Magic player who recently won Pro Tour Return to Ravnica, putting him to Platinum status for the season. He's also made Top 8 of three Czech Nationals and achieved Top 4 at GP San Jose 2012. Click Here To See Stanislav Cifka's Archives!

	Todd Anderson Todd Anderson's accomplishments are many. He is the current record holder for SCG Open Top 8s and won a SCG Invitational in 2012. He also made the finals of GP Nashville (Limited) and placed 3rd at GP Houston (Extended). Click Here To See Todd Anderson's Archives!

	Tom Martell Tom Martell is a Platinum level pro player and a team captain of Team StarCityGames.com. He won Pro Tour Gatecrash, made Top 8 of PT Paris, 1st at GP Indianapolis 2012, 2nd at GP Columbus 2010, and multiple strong finishes at the Pro Tour. He's known for his Legacy prowess and his love of streaming. Click Here To See Tom Martell's Archives!

	Usman Jamil Usman Jamil has been playing Magic since Revised and Fallen Empires. Usman spends most of his Magic time thinking about, writing about, podcasting about, tinkering with and playing Cube, theorizing about its various aspects and going on his soapbox. Click Here To See Usman Jamil's Archives!

	Valeriy Shunkov Valeriy Shunkov is a 26 year-old research engineer from Moscow, Russia. Since starting out with Shards of Alara, he's used Magic to "play the game, see the world." He is the winner of the SCG Talent Search and has a new article every Monday. Click Here To See Valeriy Shunkov's Archives!

	Zac Hill Zac Hill is a former member of Wizards of the Coast R&D. He worked there for three full years before deciding to move onto The Future Project as Chief Operating Officer in NYC. He also teaches, writes for the Huffington Post and The Believer, was a Luce Scholar in Malaysia, and authors poetry and short stories. Click Here To See Zac Hill's Archives!

	Zvi Mowshowitz Hall of Famer Zvi Mowshowitz is widely considered one of the world's best deckbuilders and players, a rare combination. He Top 8ed four Pro Tours, winning two, and eight Grand Prix, winning two. He tests with Team SCG when he's not busy with his day job. Click Here To See Zvi Mowshowitz's Archives!