Welcome back to Ben’s Corner! This week’s column is dedicated to the upcoming Grand Prix: Richmond tournament, being run by Star City Events. The Grand Prix will run on Saturday, February 4th and Sunday, February 5th at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia. The site will also be open on Friday, February 3rd for preregistration, the Grand Prix: Richmond Trial, and the release of the Guildpact expansion!
Without further ado, here are fifteen reasons to attend Grand Prix: Richmond!
Reason #1: The Grand Prix itself
Grand Prix: Richmond will be a Ravnica/Guildpact sealed-deck tournament on the first day. Each player receives one Ravnica tournament deck and two Guildpact booster packs from which to build their decks. The top sixty-four players (or one-hundred and twenty-eight,
if attendance reaches over 800) reach the second day of competition, which will be Ravnica/Ravnica/Guildpact booster draft.
The prizes?
$17,500 to 1st through 32nd place, and $7,500 to the top sixteen finishing amateurs (those who have zero lifetime pro points). In addition, the top
sixteen players earn invitations to Pro Tour: Prague.
The Grand Prix is open for anybody to enter, and this event will be the debut of Ravnica/Guildpact sealed deck at the Grand Prix/Pro Tour Qualifier level.
Reason #2: The Return of the Star City “Duel for Duals” Legacy Tournament Series!
The Star City “Duel for Duals” Legacy Tournament Series returns, and makes its first stop of the 2006 season at Grand Prix: Richmond! This tournament will take place on Sunday, February 5th and features a prize pool of one-hundred (yes, 100!) Revised dual lands!
Reason #3: Pro Tour Prague Qualifier
Grand Prix: Richmond isn’t your only chance to qualify for Pro Tour: Prague – we’ll also be holding a Pro Tour:Prague Qualifier on Sunday, February 5th. The
format will be Ravnica/Guildpact sealed deck, with a T8 booster draft for the coveted Pro Tour slot.
Reason #4: The Grand Prix: Richmond Trial
On Friday, February 3rd, players receive one last shot at winning byes for Grand Prix: Richmond. This Trial also marks the first opportunity to “officially” play Ravnica/Guildpact sealed deck since the Guildpact Prerelease! Stop by on Friday night and give the Trial a whirl!
Reason #5: Great Deals on Guildpact at the StarCityGames.com Booth!
Friday, February 3rd is the official release date for Guildpact, and StarCityGames.com will have ample amounts of Guildpact booster boxes, theme decks, fat packs, sets and singles on-hand at fantastic prices!
Guildpact Booster Box – $79.00
Guildpact Booster Case (Six Booster Boxes) – $466.00
Guildpact Booster Pack – $3.00
Guildpact Fat Pack – $26.00
Guildpact Theme Decks (Set of Three) – $24.00
Guildpact Theme Decks (Code of the Orzhov, Gruul Wilding, or Izzet Gizmometry) – $9.00
Guildpact Complete Set (165 cards) – $131.00
4x Guildpact Complete Set – $494.00
Ravnica/Guildpact Draft Box (24 Ravnica packs, 12 Guildpact packs, and 200 NM
Ravnica basic lands) – $84.00
These are basically the same Guildpact pre-order prices you now see listed on this site (plus Virginia sales tax) rounded up to the next dollar, and StarCityGames.com will be accepting all major credit cards for purchases made at the StarCityGames.com Sales Booth.
Reason #6: Special Guest: Artist Rob Alexander!
Star City Events is proud to welcome artist Rob Alexander to Grand Prix: Richmond! Rob will be on-hand to sign cards on both Saturday the 4th and Sunday
the 5th! Below is a list of Magic cards illustrated by Rob.
Alpha/Beta/Unlimited/Revised/4th Edition
Badlands
Lance
Savannah
Taiga
Underground Sea
Twiddle
Web
5th Edition
Brassclaw Orcs
Icatian Scout
Twiddle
6th Edition
Armageddon
Exile
7th Edition
Forest #329
Island #333
Mountain #338
Mountain #339
Plains #342
Plains #343
Sulfurous Springs
Swamp #347
Verduran Enchatnress
Wind Dancer
8th Edition
Evacuation
Lesser Gargadon
Mountain #346
Plow Under
Rain of Blades
Shivan Oasis
Verduran Enchantress
Wall of Stone
9th Edition
Creeping Mold
Elvish Bard
Evacuation
Kavu Climber
Llanowar Wastes
Mountain #346
Shivan Reef
Sulfurous Springs
Verduran Enchantress
Will-o’-the-Wisp
Alliances
Exile
Fyndhorn Druid (both pictures)
Lim-Dul’s Vault
Sheltered Valley
Winter’s Night
APAC/Euro Lands
Island (APAC Clear: Singapore)
Apocalypse
Ana Sanctuary
Llanowar Wastes
Shivan Reef
Arabian Nights
Elephant Graveyard
Singing Tree
Battle Royale
Hurricane
Mountain
Subversion
Beatdown
Mountain
Betrayers of Kamigawa
Tendo Ice Bridge
Champions of Kamigawa
Forest #303
Forest #304
Forest #305
Forest #306
Heartbeat of Spring
Honden of Life’s Web
Serpent Skin
Thoughtbind
Chronicles
Rubinia Soulsinger
Darksteel
Reap and Sow
Deckmasters
Soul Burn
Exodus
Welkin Hawk
Fallen Empires
Brassclaw Orcs (two pictures)
Dwarven Soldier (one picture)
Feral Thallid
Icatian Scout (one picture)
Tidal Flats (two pictures)
Fifth Dawn
Beacon of Immortality
Channel the Suns
Fangren Pathcutter
Guildpact
Absolver Thrull
Godless Shrine
Steam Vents
Stomping Ground
Homelands
Dark Maze (both pictures)
Koskun Falls
Primal Order
Ice Age
Brand of Ill Omen
Demonic Consultation
Fyndhorn Bow
Illusionary Terrain
Sea Spirit
Soul Burn
Invasion
Harrow
Irrigation Ditch
Kavu Climber
Shivan Oasis
Swamp #340
Swamp #341
Tectonic Instability
Tinder Farm
Tranquility
Judgment
Nantuko Monastery
Soulcatchers’ Aerie
Legends
Crevasse
Floral Spuzzem
Rubinia Soulsinger
Spectral Cloak
Mercadian Masques
Forest #348
Forest #349
Mountain #346
Remote Farm
Swamp #340
Swamp #341
Mirrodin
Ancient Den
Forest #304
Great Furnace
Island #292
Mountain #300
Plains #288
Swamp #296
Vault of Whispers
Odyssey
Deserted Temple
Forest #348
Island #338
Lava Blister
Mountain #345
Plains #334
Skycloud Expanse
Swamp #341
Onslaught
Bloodstained Mire
Flooded Strand
Plains #331
Polluted Delta
Wooded Foothills
Portal II
Ancient Craving
Armageddon
Hurricane
Mountain (three pictures)
Wildfire
Promo Cards
Arena (Book Promo)
Exalted Angel (Judge Foil)
Forest (2003 Arena)
Island (2003 Arena)
Mountain (2003 Arena)
Plains (Arena Foil – Urza’s Saga)
Plains (2003 Arena)
Swamp (2003 Arena)
Prophecy
Lesser Gargadon
Rhystic Cave
Ravnica
Overgrown Tomb
Sacred Foundry
Scatter the Seeds
Selesnya Evangel
Temple Garden
Watery Grave
Saviors of Kamigawa
Descendant of Masumaro
Miren, the Moaning Well
Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
Oboro Envoy
Scourge
Divergent Growth
Rain of Blades
Starter 1999
Ancient Craving
Armageddon
Stronghold
Evacuation
Overgrowth
Volrath’s Gardens
The Dark
Hidden Path
Tangle Kelp
Torment
Cephalid Aristocrat
Tainted Wood
Urza’s Legacy
Silk Net
Spawning Pool
Subversion
Urza’s Saga
Plains #331
Plains #332
Plains #333
Plains #334
Reason #7: Special Guest: Artist Ron Spears!
Star City Events is proud to welcome fan-favorite artist Ron Spears back to Richmond! Like Rob, Ron will also be on-hand to sign cards on both Saturday the 4th and Sunday the 5th.
Below is a list of Magic cards ilustrated by Ron.
7th Edition
Goblin King
Throne of Bone
8th Edition
Goblin King
Silverback Ape
9th Edition
Biorhythm
Dancing Scimitar
Goblin King
Thran Golem
APAC/Euro Lands
Plains (APAC Red: Japan)
Swamp (APAC Blue: Taiwan)
Swamp (APAC Clear: Australia)
Battle Royale
Opportunity
Betrayers of Kamigawa
Empty-Shrine Kannushi
Psychic Spear
Tallowisp
Terashi’s Verdict
Champions of Kamigawa
Brothers Yamazaki (both pictures)
Cut the Tethers
Hold the Line
Kodama of the South Tree
Sideswipe
Soratami Mirror-Mage
Fifth Dawn
Condescend
Disruption Aura
Engineered Explosives
Eyes of the Watcher
Guildpact
Dryad Sophisticate
Feral Animist
Withstand
Invasion
Addle
Divine Presence
Phyrexian Altar
Judgment
Hapless Researcher
Lightning Surge
Spurnmage Advocate
Legions
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Brood Sliver
Elvish Soultiller
Krosan Cloudscraper
Master of the Veil
Phage the Untouchable
Mercadian Masques
Crooked Scales
Deepwood Drummer
Rootwater Thief
Stampede Driver
Odyssey
Aegis of Honor
Atogatog
Barbarian Lunatic
Entomb
Ferentic Ogre
Krosan Archer
Onslaught
Animal Magnetism
Aphetto Alchemist
Astral Slide
Biorhythm
Dream Chisel
Frightshroud Courier
Naturalize
Overwhelming Instinct
Spy Network
Syphon Soul
Trade Secrets
Tribal Unity
Planeshift
Arctic Merfolk
Quirion Explorer
Prerelease Cards
Beast of Burden (Urza’s Legacy Prerelease)
Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni (Betrayers of Kamigawa Prerelease)
Prophecy
Chilling Apparition
Verdant Field
Ravnica
Dark Confidant
Flickerform
Lurking Informant
Ribbons of Night
Starter 1999
Loyal Sentry
Silverback Ape
Tokens (Player Rewards)
Goblin/Soldier (Apocalypse)
Torment
Balthor the Stout
Cleansing Meditation
Crazed Firecat
Unhinged
________
Urza’s Destiny
Aura Thief
Reckless Abandon
Thran Dynamo
Urza’s Legacy
Beast of Burden
Erase
Opportunity
Urza’s Saga
Veiled Sentry
Reason #8: Junior Super Series Challenge
At 8am on Sunday, Grand Prix: Richmond will offer a Standard format Junior Super Series Challenge tournament. If you’re fifteen or under, the Junior Super Series Challenge is a great way to win prizes, and the top two finishers will also win invitations to the 2006 Super Series Championship!
Reason #9: Two-Headed Giant Tournament!
On Saturday the 4th (at 2pm), we’ll be offering a Ravnica/Guildpact sealed deck Two-Headed Giant tournament! Get together with a friend, and try your hand at the most popular of multi-player formats!
Reason #10: Huge Selection of Singles Available For Sale
StarCityGames.com is the largest Magic retailer in the world, and we will be bringing an unprecedented number of singles to Grand Prix: Richmond! Whether
you’re looking for Standard, Legacy, Vintage, Extended, or casual cards, you will likely find what you need at the StarCityGames.com sales booth. However, if you have any special requests, please feel free to e-mail me before noon on Thursday, and let me know what you’d like to have us bring.
Reason #11: Turn Your Cards Into Cash
StarCityGames.com will have not one, not two, but THREE buyers on hand to make you an offer for any cards you’d like to sell! We will be buying everything from bulk commons/uncommons ($6/1,000) to large collections, and everything in between! Turn your extra cards into cash all weekend long, as our buyers will be available from opening on Friday until closing on Sunday.
Reason #12: Win a Piece of Original Magic: the Gathering Artwork!
All weekend long, we will be running tons of side events, and anyone who enters one will receive a raffle ticket. On Sunday, we will randomly select one ticket, and whoever has the matching number will walk away with the original artwork for the 7th Edition Scavenger Folk!
Reason #13: Gunslinging with Bennie Smith!
Star City Events is proud to have MagicTheGathering.com columnist Bennie Smith on-hand and gunslinging all weekend long! Bring your favorite Standard, Legacy, Casual or Extended deck, then challenge Bennie to a match! Beat him 2-out-of-3 and win a free Guildpact booster pack, courtesy of StarCityGames.com! Heck, you can even bring your Ravnica/Guildpact sealed deck from the Grand Prix, as Bennie will have one of those in his arsenal as well!
Reason #14: Judge Certification
Are you interested in becoming a judge? Contact Level 3 Judge Matt Villamaino and arrange to take the judge certification test at Grand Prix: Richmond.
Reason #15: Caricature Artist Josh Swartz
For a small fee, Josh will draw you as a caricature of your favorite Magic card! Josh was a big hit at our Ravnica Prerelease, and we are happy
to have him joining us at Grand Prix: Richmond.
I will be at Grand Prix: Richmond at weekend long, so stop by the StarCityGames.com Sales Booth and say hello!
Until next week (and I have three weeks of product news to catch up on next week),
Ben Bleiweiss
General Manager, StarCityGames.com