Magic has many so-called “super cycles,” and one of them is the long and illustrious history of cards with the word “Charm” in them. Every Charm in Magic (except for the rebellious Freyalise’s Charm) lets you choose between one of three modes, and that versatility is what makes them so valuable. Many of them, like Dawn Charm, Esper Charm, and Emerald Charm, have even been parts of major tournament-winning decks. Return to Ravnica block has introduced ten new Charms to the mix—one for each guild!
Which brings us to the Charm City!
I’d anticipate many an Azorius Charm, Izzet Charm, and Golgari Charm this weekend as StarCityGames.com heads to Baltimore, Maryland for Standard and Legacy, and you can choose one or both events to play in (how Charming!) at StarCityGames.com Open Series: Baltimore. The winners of our Opens will receive their trophies at the The Baltimore Convention Center in Rooms 307-310:
The Baltimore Convention Center is a wonderful place for a tournament; Max Tietze is particularly a big fan of the site since he won his Invitational there! And since it’s located right smack dab in the center of Baltimore, down the street from the world famous Phillips Seafood and in Baltimore’s Harbor District, there is a plethora of eateries nearby. You should have no trouble finding food and libations.
Should you lose out early, there is always the National Aquarium half a block away for an afternoon visit. It features the world’s largest indoor waterfall in the Australia exhibit, an enourmous Ray pool, and a rainforest exhibit on the top floor that has, among other things, a sloth! Who doesn’t love sloths? C’mon, WotC, let’s get some Creature – Sloths going in the future.
From lethargists to lyricists, Baltimore is also known for being the hometown of poet Edgar Allen Poe, who is the famed author of several iconic pieces like “The Raven,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and “The Pit and the Pendulum.” Baltimore has always welcomed great artists of all stripes, which is good for us because three wonderful Magic alterists are joining the Open Series in Baltimore for the weekend!
Lindsay Burley will be selling and creating her unique brand of 3-D cards and tokens as well as custom playmats! Check out her work here, then stop by and check out these awesome cards! For special commissions before the event, you can contact Lindsay at [email protected].
Based in Baltimore, Maryland, Ashley Jordan, the artist behind Alternate Dimensions Card Alters and Designs, features hand-painted Magic: The Gathering partial and full art card alters. Visit her website or check out her Facebook page.
Up and coming artist Jaclyn Foglia will be painting and selling her custom card alterations at this event! You can find her collection of work here and visit Facebook for more information.
A talented group of notable streamers (even a Stream Team, you might say) will be the @SCGLive team this weekend: Cedric Phillips, AJ Sacher, and Glenn Jones. Tune in for all of the action, and follow along on Twitter using hashtag #SCGBALT. The Facebook album for the weekend will be updated on Saturday and Sunday with photos from the Open Series, and if you feel inclined to stay on top of the pairings and standings, you can follow @SCGOpenPairings for up-to-the-round updates on the event.
For more information about SCG Open Series: Baltimore, check out the fact sheet here.
Good luck, have fun, and may your weekend be charmed!
Video and Coverage Content Associate and Social Media Sherriff for StarCityGames.com
Listen to the @InContention podcast! It’s the official podcast of the StarCityGames.com Open Series with@kstube, @affinityforblue, and myself. Our most recent episode, Magic Mullet, can be found here.