Viva Las Vegas!
The StarCityGames.com Open Series is making a trip out to the deserts of Sin City this weekend for our first event in one of America’s favorite cities! Having left a few things in Vegas over the years, I’m very excited to be returning with an Open weekend in tow. Expect bleary-eyed opponents on Saturday and Sunday morning!
After Baltimore’s double-Dungrove finale, many players were worried that Standard would become pretty stale. Fortunately, the Kanas City Standard Open proved those doubters wrong. With the Top 4 featuring two very different U/W decks, Mono-Black Infect, and Solar Flare, it’s safe to say that Standard is far from “solved.” One of the first players on the Dungrove train, Martin Juza, even won Grand Prix Hiroshima piloting another archetype: G/W Tokens. variety abounds in Standard, and I expect both the Vegas locals and players traveling from abroad to show us something exciting this weekend.
Speaking of exciting, Solar Flare pilot David Thomas dusted off his hands after an early exit in the Standard Open’s elimination rounds prior to running it back in Legacy and winning the whole shebang. Delver of Secrets is the real deal, ladies and gents! RUG tempo decks have proven to be a powerful shell for the “blue Wild Nacatl,” taking advantage of aggressive starts backed by versatile disruption, ranging from Stifle to Force of Will to Lightning Bolt and back. There have been several different flavors of RUG popping up, and there are plenty of decisions to be made. Do you run Nimble Mongoose? Counterbalance? Snapcaster Mage? Basic lands? Hard to say for sure at this point, but Tropical Island is definitely on the rise in Legacy, so be prepared!
The Las Vegas Open also has a special treat in store: Daarken! One of Magic’s top artists, Daarken’s style is grim and unique. You can see his work on some of the best cards of Standards old and new. Bloodghast, Birthing Pod, Korlash, Heir to Blackblade–all Daarken, and all awesome. He’ll have a booth at our event, selling prints and signing cards, so be sure to stop by and say hi!
SCGLive waved goodbye to Gavin Verhey in Kansas City last weekend, and we’ll miss him dearly. Taking his place at the helm of the Las Vegas Open Series, Jacob Van Lunen will join Patrick Chapin to commentate the event! Two very unique Magic perspectives, I’m expecting JVL and Patrick to bring the heat all weekend. Patrick’s last show was in Denver several months ago–if you missed him then, don’t make the same mistake again! Follow along on Twitter with @SCGLive, using the hashtag #SCGVegas to keep up with the conversation. Patrick and Jacob will be answering questions posed all weekend, so don’t be shy!
The Player of the Year race is really starting to heat up, with Gerry Thompson and Alex Bertoncini both pulling forward while frontrunner Edgar Flores stagnates. It’s still anybody’s race, with Vegas, St.Louis, and the Charlotte Invitational to go. Edgar used the Indianapolis Invitational in the summer to post some major points–will he repeat the feat in Charlotte and make a last-minute grab for the points? The Rookie of the Year race is a two-man affair between Drew Levin and Chris VanMeter, which has also been interesting to keep an eye on. All of these guys are on Twitter–you can show your support to @G3RRYT, @amentalmisstep, @edgarfloresftw, @drew_levin, and @Chris_VanMeter!
Of course, I’ll be in Las Vegas as well checking out the hottest tech and newest decks. If you’ve got a lead on a sweet build, be sure to let me know–if you’re at the event, just drop by and give me a heads-up!
–Glenn Jones
Coverage Content Manager
@SecludedGlenn