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SCG Open Series: Night Falls In Nashville

The StarCityGames.com Open Series moves onto Nashville for another weekend with Innistrad, continuing to shape Standard in preparation for The 2011’s!

The StarCityGames.com Open Series is on its way to Nashville, Tennessee! After hitting Memphis earlier this year, we’ll be returning to Tennessee for an Open Weekend in the state capital. It’s not our first time to Music City—last year saw the debut of Scars of Mirrodin during the Nashville Open Weekend. The Standard format was still in considerable flux back then, but Legacy was beginning to feel the chains of Survival of the Fittest. After all, it was the release of Necrotic Ooze that made the Phyrexian Devourer combo possible!

Mental Misstep placed its own leash on the Legacy format over the past few months, but this time the reaction from Wizards was far swifter. Indianapolis saw the return of many Legacy decks we knew and loved, in addition to the return of a few we hated. Players should be better prepared for storm combo and Reanimator in Nashville than they were last weekend. I wouldn’t expect Islands to disappear, either—thanks to Snapcaster Mage, it’s still better to be blue!

Nashville may also become the site of another Gerry Thompson triumph. Fighting a tight battle for Open Series Player of the Year against Alex Bertoncini and Edgar Flores, Gerry is looking to post a couple solid finishes at the end of the season in order to lock up the win. With Nashville the site of his Grand Prix victory last year—shortly preceding an Invitational win in Richmond—it’s possible that we’ll see Gerry claiming another Nashville trophy. After all, the city has been good to him before!

The big story of the weekend, of course, will be the Innistrad Standard format. The 2011’s are approaching, and this weekend will feature the last major Standard event prior to the State Championships. Indianapolis has promised an aggressive metagame, but Nashville may very well flip that on its ear as an overreaction to the dominance of aggro strategies. If you’d like a little more information on your state’s 2011 championship, check out this website.

The Nashville Convention Center on Commerce Street will play host to our players in Rooms 204-206, with a couple of strong hotel options nearby. The Best Western is your best bet, at 711 Union Street and only half a mile from the venue, but the Knights Inn at 99 Spring Street is considerably cheaper and less than two miles. Be sure to mention “Star City Games” when booking your reservation in order to get the best possible rate!

We’re very happy to welcome a new alterist to our circuit: Meghan Mishelle! Meghan has been posting her alters to her DeviantArt gallery here for some time, and now you’ll be able to see her work in person. Her work blends gamer culture with traditional alterations like elements extension and full art work—Cookie Monster Psychatog is my personal favorite, but her Pan’s Labyrinth Maze of Ith is also very cool. If you’re interested in setting up a commission or discussing her pricing, drop Meghan a line using the email address [email protected]!

Nashville will feature a special SCGLive treat: Mike Flores! Joining veteran commentator and podcaster Joey Pasco, Mike Flores will bring his own Constructed insight to bear on the Standard and Legacy Opens during his SCGLive debut. If you’ve got a burning inquiry that only a deckbuilding genius can answer, be sure to follow @SCGLive and tweet it during the broadcast! We’ll be using the hashtag #SCGTN this weekend, so flag your posts appropriately.

The city of Nashville is a major music center for the United States, best known for its links to country music. In fact, the Country Music Hall of Fame is one of the city’s major draws, and the CMA awards take place in Nashville every year. There’s also the Grand Ole Opry, one of the longest-running radio programs in the world, which honors country music and hosts a number of performances for live audiences. If you’re even a minor fan of country music, then a visit to Nashville is well worth your while.

I missed out on visiting Nashville last year, as I was busy moving from Florida to Virginia when Gerry took down that particular trophy. I’m looking forward to this year’s trip—hopefully, I’ll see you there!

Glenn Jones

@SecludedGlenn
Coverage Content Manager