This weekend, Season Two of the 2018 SCG Tour kicks off in style at SCG Atlanta. Modern is the name of the game and it will be interesting to see if Magic’s most polarizing format will continue the diversity that players know and love. Decks based around Ancient Stirrings have been leading the pack recently, with Ironworks and Tron putting up dominant performances at Grand Prix Las Vegas. But if the Season One Invitational Champion, Aaron Barich, has any sway in the Magic community after his big win at SCG CON, we’ll be seeing quite a few more Glistener Elves and Blighted Agents this weekend in A-Town.
But before we get Season Two underway, we’ve got plenty of success to celebrate from Season One of the 2018 SCG Tour. And there’s no better way to get things started than crowning our Season One Points Leader, one half of the Storm Bros and the 2016 Players’ Championship runner-up, Caleb Scherer.
1st Place: Caleb Scherer
Caleb has been a dominant player on the SCG Tour for years now. The 2015 Las Vegas Invitational champion and our resident Storm counter is well known for killing his opponents with Grapeshot, and he did that more than enough times in the first half of 2018 to earn the following:
- Seasonal Point Leader Trophy
- Free round-trip airfare to the next Invitational Weekend
- Up to four (4) hotel room nights for the next Invitational Weekend
- Three (3) byes at all Opens in the following Season
- Free entry into all Opens in the following Season
- Free entry into one (1) Classic per weekend in the following Season
- $1000 StarCityGames.com gift card
- Customized gaming chair
2nd Place: Benjamin Nikolich
For Benjamin Nikolich, it was his win over Kevin Jones in the finals of SCG Columbus that made his name on the SCG Tour. Now synonymous with Jeskai Control in Modern after that huge win, the Oakton, Virginia native’s second-place finish in Season One of the 2018 SCG Tour netted him the following:
- Two (2) byes at all Opens in the following Season
- Free entry into all Opens in the following Season
- Free entry into one (1) Classic per weekend in the following Season
- $500 StarCityGames.com gift card
3rd and 4th Place: Austin Collins and Brennan DeCandio
Though only fifteen years old, Austin Collins has shown a deep understanding of one of the world’s most complex card games. Most would expect someone of his age to simply copy and paste simple-looking decklists, but Collins not only plays decision-laden aggressive decks well, he isn’t afraid to innovate upon industry standards – his addition of Ancient Stirrings and Karn, Scion of Urza to Affinity being a great demonstration of that.
Like Collins, Brennan DeCandio has also been known to play a brew or two on the SCG Tour. Now a member of Dire Wolf Digital, the Florida native and SCG Select columnist may have a severe disdain for Modern, but his win at SCG Indianapolis with Death’s Shadow in February showed that even a hater like DeCandio is willing to put his money where his mouth is when it matters most.
To the winners go the spoils, and for these two SCG Tour stalwarts, the spoils are plentiful.
- Two (2) byes at all Opens in the following Season
- Free entry into one (1) Classic per weekend in the following Season
- $250 StarCityGames.com gift card
5th Through 8th Place: Jonathan Rosum, Todd Stevens, Zan Syed, Jim Davis
Speaking of SCG Tour stalwarts, I’ve got four right here for you, but what makes then great is how unique they are. Starting with Jonathan Rosum – which, as you know, rhymes with awesome – only makes sense because he’s the youngest of the four. But being young means one thing: a very bright future lies ahead and I cannot wait to see what Rosum’s future holds on the SCG Tour.
For 2017 SCG Tour Player of the Year, Todd Stevens, only one thing comes to mind: value. No one pilots G/W Company in Modern better, and if you’re looking for a dominant teammate in Team Constructed on the SCG Tour, look no further than the SCG Tour’s best-dressed.
Zan Syed may not have that signature SCG Tour win yet, but it doesn’t appear to be a matter of if, but when. Syed’s consistency has been impressive but his willing to innovate is what has gotten my attention. When he does eventually hoist that trophy, I’ve got a feeling it will be with something no one saw coming.
Last but certainly not least, is the 2015 Players’ Champion and new home owner, Jim Davis. Magic is a labor of love for Davis, who went all-in on the game after his big victory in 2015, and while he’s currently tearing down walls in South Carolina, it’s a safe bet that he’ll be tearing up tournaments in the second half of 2018.
For their work in Season One of the 2018 SCG Tour, these four got to walk away with the following:
- Two (2) byes at all Opens in the following Season
- $100 StarCityGames.com gift card
The Top 16
Though making Top 8 of the SCG Tour Leaderboard was the goal of many, coming up short isn’t the end of the world for these eight players…
|
Place |
Player |
|
9th |
Paul Muller |
|
10th |
Dylan Hand |
|
11th |
Dylan Donegan |
|
12th |
Julian John |
|
13th |
Ross Merriam |
|
14th |
Kazu Negri |
|
15th |
Danny Jessup |
|
16th |
John Whetstone |
They earned themselves a few byes and a couple bucks to make things easier in Season Two:
- Two (2) byes at all Opens in the following Season
- $50 StarCityGames.com gift card
The Top 32
As for 17th through 32nd place? I imagine we’ll see at least one of these players crack through to the upper echelon during Season Two of the 2018 SCG Tour:
|
Place |
Player |
|
17th |
Michael Hamilton |
|
18th |
Pieter Tubergen |
|
19th |
Tannon Grace |
|
20th |
Kevin Jones |
|
21st |
Aaron Barich |
|
22nd |
Ben Ragan |
|
23rd |
Gerard Fabiano |
|
24th |
Joseph Stempo |
|
25th |
Rio Winslow-Trevathan |
|
26th |
Brandon Dollaway |
|
27th |
Dylan Kirkpatrick |
|
28th |
Jadine Klomparens |
|
29th |
Eli Kassis |
|
30th |
Devin Beaston |
|
31st |
Andrew Jessup |
|
32nd |
Jody Keith |
Their efforts in Season One netted them one (1) bye at all Opens for Season Two.
Want to earn yourself sweet rewards like these 32 players did? Season Two of the 2018 SCG Tour starts this weekend at SCG Atlanta. Step into the spotlight!