Live Coverage of StarCityGames.com Open: Denver

Congratulations to Constantine Vigderman, the 2010 StarCityGames.com Legacy Open Denver champion!

It was a Top 8 starring newcomers and big names alike. Team Meandeck was represented by Bob Yu playing T.E.S., the legendary Legacy/Vintage team adding to its lengthy resume of accomplishments. Joining him as a member of the resume’d guard was Adam Prosak who was so confident in his chances he predicted he would win the event during the Saturday portion of play.

But both those players met early ends, Yu to Constantine Vigderman in the Quarterfinals and Prosak to Kyle Miller in the Semis. It would be their vanquishers who would meet one another in the Finals, with Constantine’s Merfolk deck hoping to take down Kyle’s Burn deck. For the blue mage it wasn’t a favorable matchup but he had managed to beat a Goblins deck on his way to the Finals. That was no small accomplishment considering he had started the weekend with no intention of even playing the Legacy portion of the tournament. Without a deck, a complete stranger, who he played and had a lengthy judge call against on Saturday, volunteered to lend him almost all 75 cards simply to help out! The good will carried Constantine over Kyle as Miller’s burn spells just refused to pitch in to give him the juice he needed to defeat the Merfolk player.

Finals: Constantine Vigderman vs. Kyle Miller	By Bill Stark
Despite a Top 8 that had included some tough Legacy names like Adam Prosak and Bob Yu, it was relative newcomers Kyle Miller and Constantine Vigderman who found themselves playing the final match of the day.

Top 16 Legacy Decklists	By Event Coverage
The Top 16 finishers’ decklists from the StarCityGames.com Legacy Open in Denver!

Semifinals: Adam Prosak vs. Kyle Miller	By Bill Stark
Adam Prosak had proclaimed on Saturday that he would win the StarCityGames.com Legacy Open in Denver. His Esper Counterbalance Control deck was well on its way to doing so but Kyle Miller was standing in the way as they squared off for the Semifinals.

Quarterfinals: Bob Yu vs. Constantine Vigderman	By Bill Stark
Bob Yu had a legion of fans watching him as he kicked off the Quarterfinals of the StarCityGames.com Legacy Open in Denver

Quarterfinals: Kyle Miller vs. Stephen Oxford	By Bill Stark
It was a battle of red decks for Kyle Miller and Stephen Oxford’s Quarterfinals match, but the two were playing decidedly different strategies.

Round 7: Hans Feng vs. Charles Mukhar	By Bill Stark
“This is my first competitive REL event!” Hans Feng pointed out to his opponent as they sat down to battle in the final round of Swiss play at the StarCityGames.com Legacy Open in Denver.

5:56 – Judgement Day	By Bill Stark
They are the grease in the machine of the Magic tournament world, the gears that keep things flowing smoothly.

Round 5: Zach Benck vs. Bob Yu	By Bill Stark
Zach Benck sat down to the fifth round for his second feature match of the day. His opponent? Bob Yu, a member of the prominent Legacy and Vintage team Meandeck.

Deck Tech: Esper Counterbalance	By Bill Stark
For players in the know, Adam Prosak is a competitor to keep an eye out for.

On Camera: Chris Higashi’s 4-Color Control	By Evan Erwin
Four of the Top 8 competitors from Saturday’s Standard Open returned to play in Sunday’s Legacy Open. We checked in with the sleep-deprived competitors to see what they went with to try for repeat Top 8 performances.

1:46 – The Morning After	By Bill Stark
Four of the Top 8 competitors from Saturday’s Standard Open returned to play in Sunday’s Legacy Open. We checked in with the sleep-deprived competitors to see what they went with to try for repeat Top 8 performances.

Round 2: Alexander Kiracofe vs. Adam Prosak	By Bill Stark
Adam Prosak pledged to win the Legacy Open in Denver after a dismal showing during the Standard portion on Saturday.

Josh Napper Conquers the Mile High City!	By Bill Stark
The StarCityGames.com Standard Open: Denver is one for the record books!

Top 16 Standard Decklists	By Event Coverage
The Top 16 finishers’ decklists from the StarCityGames.com Standard Open in Denver!

Finals: Chris Higashi vs. Josh Napper	By Bill Stark
With no split for the Finals, Chris Higashi and Josh Napper sat down for what amounted to a $1,400 ante match.

Semifinals: Shiloh Hertz vs. Josh Napper	By Bill Stark
Josh Napper had battled against a fellow Josh in the Quarterfinals of the StarCityGames.com Standard Open in Denver, but had emerged victorious.

Quarterfinals: Chris Higashi vs. Travis Spero	By Bill Stark
With one of the most talked about decks of the tournament, Chris Higashi sat down to the Quarterfinals in his second StarCityGames.com Open.

Quarterfinals: Shiloh Hertz vs. Jake Lehmkuhl	By Bill Stark
Shiloh Hertz brought Allies to the table, ready to face off against the deck of the weekend in Jake Lehmkuhl’s hands, Soul Sisters.

Round 9: Ron Xidea vs. Daniel Bonner	By Bill Stark
It was potentially the final battle for the two, one of two matches with a shot at stealing a slot in the Top 8.

9:20 – The Young Gun	By Bill Stark
As I scanned the hall for something interesting to write about, I was pleased to get an urgent motion from StarCityGames.com Events Manager Jared Sylva. “Bill, there’s a 12-year-old who’s X-1!” He said as I walked over to see what he needed.

8:50 – Getting the Read	By Bill Stark
What is the Gazette? Consider it an extension of the StarCityGames.com Premium and Select content from the website, complete with special deals and articles from the very best players in the game.

Deck Tech: Off the Beaten Path	By Bill Stark
Magic 2011 has had a profound impact on the world of Standard, and as we transition to a world in which Magic 2010 is no longer legal, the pressure is on to find the new decks that will survive and thrive with that rotation.

Round 5: Ben Wienburg vs. Constantine Vigderman	By Bill Stark
Traveling across the country for the StarCityGames.com Open Series is on Ben Wienburg schedule for the next few months. Why? Because he’s in 2nd place in the StarCityGames.com Open Series Player of the Year race.

Deck Tech: Soul Sisters	By Bill Stark
Early this past week, former StarCityGames.com columnist Kyle Sanchez posted a tweet on Twitter highlighting a monowhite lifegain deck he claimed he just couldn’t lose with.

12:22 – Big Names in Denver	By Bill Stark
I took a walk around the room to scope out some of the bigger names from the area, and this is who I found battling in Standard.

Round 2: Nate Heiss vs. Nick White	By Bill Stark
A former member of Team CMU, one of the most prolific names in Magic history, Nate Heiss sat down to the second round of Standard competition in Denver with a win.