Live Coverage of StarCityGames.com Open: Minneapolis

With nearly 170 competitors, the StarCityGames.com Legacy Open in Minneapolis marks one of the largest Legacy tournaments EVER held in the state of Minnesota. And the stars came out for it! StarCityGames.com Open champion Tom Ross was in the house, looking to put together a finish after a lackluster performance on Saturday. Minnesota’s legendary golden boy (and StarCityGames.com columnist) Gerry Thompson was also competing, in high spirits after a Finals finish from Saturday.

But it would be a different player from Saturday’s Top 8 who would tell a tale on Sunday. Blake Patraw followed up his Quarterfinals appearance at the StarCityGames.com Standard Open by repeating and making it back to the Top 8. He was joined by repeat Top 8’er Jason Schousboe, who previously had a Semifinals exit on the Open Series earlier in the season. And Sarah Brennecke became the first woman to make the Top 8 of a StarCityGames.com Open!

But ultimately the tale wound down to just two names: Ken Adams and Alex Olson. Backing Aggro Loam, which already claimed one StarCityGames.com Legacy Open title, Alex sat down on a hot streak. Ken Adams, a former member of the StarCityGames.com team, was bringing Bomberman back. Ultimately his powerful Painter’s Servant/Grindstone proved too much for Olson’s Life from the Loam and fat creatures.

Ken Adams is the 2010 StarCityGames.com Legacy Open champion in Minneapolis!

Top 16 Legacy Decklists	By Event Staff
Check out the Top 16 decks from the StarCityGames.com Legacy Open in Minneapolis!

Finals: Ken Adams vs. Alex Olson	By Bill Stark
A former StarCityGames.com card buyer, Ken Adams found himself in the finals for the first time at the StarCityGames.com Open Series.

Semifinals: Ken Adams vs. Jonathan Watry	By Bill Stark
Jonathan Watry and his Goblin deck would have to get some lucky draws if they were going to take down Ken Adam’s Painter’s Servant deck and make it to the Finals.

Quarterfinals: Sarah Brennecke vs. Alex Olson	By Bill Stark
Sarah Brennecke made her debut in the StarCityGames.com Open, the first woman to play in the Top 8 of the Open Series. Her opponent for the Quarterfinals was Alex Olson, like Sarah a Minneapolis resident.

Quarterfinals: Blake Patraw vs. Sam Krohlow	By Bill Stark
Blake Patraw made his first StarCityGames.com Open Top 8 Saturday playing Standard. His second? Twenty-four hours later playing Legacy.

Round 8: Chris Nighbor vs. Corey Baumeister	By Bill Stark
It was the final match of the day, and Chris Nighbor and Corey Baumeister had it all on the line. To make the Top 8 they’d need to win, and hope the percentages broke in their favor.

Deck Tech: Sneak Attack with Gerry Thompson	By Bill Stark
Sneak Attack has been around for years, and each time it has seen play it has been a combo engine plopping fatties onto the battlefield well ahead of when they would normally have been cast.

4:47 – What You’re Missing	By Bill Stark
Weren’t able to make it to the StarCityGames.com Open in Minneapolis this weekend? Here are just a few of the things you’ve missed over the past few days.

Deck Tech: Legacy Jund with Matt Landstrom	By Bill Stark
He added Tarmogoyf, Sensei’s Divining Top, and dual lands in addition to some Legacy staple sideboard slots but otherwise his deck is pretty, well, Standard.

Deck Tech: Legacy Allies with Audrey Yanyuk	By Bill Stark
I wasn’t entirely surprised to be directed to Andrey when floor judge Matt Danner informed me someone was mopping things up in Legacy with what looked like a Standard Allies deck.

Round 4: Brad Stryczek vs. Sarah Brennecke	By Bill Stark
The undefeated table featured a matchup between Sarah Brennecke’s Zoo and Brad Stryczek’s Fish.

Quick Hits: Is Legacy Fun and Balanced?	By Bill Stark
We asked some of the recognizable faces in the room what they think about Legacy.

Jund Strikes Back	By Bill Stark
Ian Ellis is the 2010 StarCityGames.com Standard Open champion in Minneapolis!

Top 16 Standard Decklists	By Event Staff
Check out the Top 16 decks from the StarCityGames.com Standard Open in Minneapolis!

Finals: Gerry Thompson vs. Ian Ellis	By Bill Stark
Ian Ellis met StarCityGames.com Premium writer Gerry Thompson in the finals of the Standard Open in Minneapolis.

Semifinals: Gerry Thompson vs. Dana Kinsella	By Bill Stark
Gerry Thompson, the state’s golden child, had managed to sneak into the Top 8 in the very last spot after some fortunate pairings. His opponent, Dana Kinsella, had had a smoother ride with his Jund deck letting him draw in through the final rounds.

Quarterfinals: Zee Shan Baber vs. Ian Ellis	By Bill Stark
Zee Shan Babar had an easy path to the Top 8 after ripping off a 7-0 run to begin the day: he simply took two intentional draws.

Quarterfinals: Blake Patraw vs. Dana Kinsella	By Bill Stark
Blake Patraw piloted Soul Sisters agains Dana Kinsella’s Jund deck in a fresh Top 8 battle.

Round 9: Corey Baumeister vs. Allisa Munson	By Bill Stark
The two players were playing for Top 16, hoping to pick up some cash and a few extra Open points in an effort to qualify for the StarCityGames.com Invitational in Richmond to be held in December.

Deck Tech: RUGVine with Ryan Paul	By Bill Stark
The Minneapolis native had managed to crank off a 7-0 run that meant he could double draw into the Top 8. The deck he was using? A red, blue, and green concoction he referred to as “RUGVine.”

Round 6: Gerry Thompson vs. Adam Gunderson	By Bill Stark
The two players had known each other for quite some time, and Gerry pointed out Adam had actually first taught Gerry how to play the game.

Deck Tech: Dredge-Uh-Vine with Gerry Thompson	By Bill Stark
This weekend he’s battling with a four-color graveyard combo deck that first debuted at U.S. Nationals and is affectionately named “Dredge-uh-Vine.” I sat down with Gerry to ask him about the deck’s construction and how it plays.

Standard Open Metagame Breakdown	By Bill Stark & Jared Sylva
Thanks to help from Event Manager Jared Sylva, we have a complete metagame breakdown of the Minneapolis Standard Open.

Round 3: Brent Stearns vs. Joe Bernal	By Bill Stark
When the StarCityGames.com Open Series returned to St. Louis back in June, Joe Bernal was one of the last players standing. He finished 2nd there and this weekend in Minneapolis he’s hoping lightning will strike again.

12:43 – Faces in the Crowd	By Bill Stark
Here’s a quick look from around the hall at some of the names and sites as we sit down for nine rounds of Standard action on Saturday.