The StarCityGames.com Open Series has been sent to another new venue: Worcester, Massachusetts! It’s my first trip to this particular city, so I’m looking forward to exploring the scene myself, but I imagine most of you guys will be focused on the metagame—let’s talk Magic: The Gathering.
Standard’s entering the Summer of Secrets, with Delver of Secrets posting the best win percentages in the format by far. Team SCG Blue broke it open in Nashville with Restoration Angel, and the format hasn’t been the same since. Whether you’re playing Delver or playing to beat it, not a single decision should be made without factoring how it will affect your matchup against Standard’s most popular strategy—come prepared.
Michael Belfatto came prepared last weekend in Columbus, piloting his Esper Control list through a field filled with Delver before clinching the trophy. His entire list is structured to maximize Sun Titan, with Dead Weight, Ratchet Bomb, and the staple Phantasmal Image all-important inclusions, plus Lingering Souls to function as defense against Delver and offense against other control decks.
In fact, Michael’s weekend didn’t end in Standard—he went on to Top 8 the Legacy Open with another archetype sure to start showing up in Legacy gauntlets: the miracle-based U/W Control deck. The remainder of the Top 8 was a diverse affair (even featuring yours truly), but the talk of the tournament was Top 8 finisher Todd Anderson, piloting the Hypergenesis list Gerry Thompson built for Kaitlin Lindburg. Todd, struck by how incredible the deck looked, promptly built it on Saturday and ran undefeated into the Top 8 before falling to MUD, but the deck taught the world a lesson. Shardless Agent isn’t "just another Planechase card" as many surmised, and it’s everything Ardent Plea wished it was in cascade combo thanks to an easier casting cost and the warm body to protect your creature from Liliana of the Veil and the like.
Show and Tell is still legal—watch out for falling fatties if you’re planning on playing the Legacy Open in Worcester. Gilded Drake, Sower of Temptation, and the like are worth looking at for your sideboard.
The DCU Center on Foster Street will play host to this weekend’s festivities, while the Hampton Inn on Summer Street will be our sponsored hotel. They offer free breakfast and parking walking distance from the venue, so give them a call and be sure to mention "StarCityGames" when making your reservation. Here’s the fact sheet with all of our tournament and location information!
Our alterists are returning this weekend in Worcester, with two Open Series regulars on the sideline. Mike Fairservice will be creating 3-D alterations, and he’s available to create custom orders through his website. If you make an order ahead of time, you’ll often be able to pick it up at the event! Check out his work and contact him for custom orders using his Facebook group.
Also on alter duty is Pennsylvania’s Lindsay Burley! She’s got a unique style to her own 3-D alters, featuring plenty of original artwork and all the legends you love…plus custom playmats! Check out her work on her own website, and for special commissions before the event you can contact Lindsay at [email protected]. Don’t forget to stop by YouTube for a peek into the creative process!
I’ll be on coverage duty alongside @SCGLive, featuring Adrian Sullivan and Zack Hall as the weekend’s commentators! With a true villain in Standard and a turbulent Legacy metagame with plenty of powerful decks at its core, SCG Open Series: Worcester promises to be an event you won’t want to miss. If you’re going, RSVP via Facebook. If you aren’t, then check out the live feed and follow all the goings and comings on Twitter using the hashtag #SCGMA!
Event Coverage Coordinator