Ben Stark
Age: 29Hometown: Tamarac, FL
Occupation: None
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour:
36
Lifetime Pro Points:
262
Grand Prix Top 8s:
8
Pro Tour Top 8s:
3
Other Magic Accomplishments:
None.
How did you qualify for Pro Tour Gatecrash?
Gold Pro
What was your record by format?
Standard:
7-1-2
Booster Draft:
5-1
What guild are you? Why did you choose that guild?
Azorius, I’ll play whichever but I am a control player at heart.
How did you prepare for Pro Tour Gatecrash? Who did you prepare with?
Team ChannelFireball:
LSV, Wrapter, Kibler, Efro, Gerry T, Ochoa, PV, Shuuhei, Martin Juza, Huey, Brock, Conley.
What Standard deck are you playing and why?
Esper. LSV said it was good and I love me some Drownyards.
How many Gatecrash drafts did you do on Magic Online this week?
20ish
What is Magic to you? Why do you play?
The best game in the world. Games are sweet.
Owen Turtenwald
Age: 23Hometown: West Allis
Occupation: Writer for ChannelFireball.com
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour:
17
Lifetime Pro Points:
174
Grand Prix Top 8s:
12
Pro Tour Top 8s:
0
Other Magic Accomplishments:
Player of the Year 2011, 2nd GP Columbus 2007, 2nd GP Washington DC 2010.
How did you qualify for Pro Tour Gatecrash?
Platinum
What was your record by format?
Standard:
7-1-2
Booster Draft:
5-1
What guild are you? Why did you choose that guild?
Gruul. After my success at the prerelease and my choice of Jund I made the switch from Izzet to Gruul.
How did you prepare for Pro Tour Gatecrash? Who did you prepare with?
Tested with StarCityGames.com. Played for hours upon hours with Reid Duke testing Jund against everything. Stayed at Jon Finkel’s Apartment.
What Standard deck are you playing and why?
Jund. Played countless games with it and it has no bad matchups. With a deck like this you give yourself a good chance to win any matchup you play.
How many Gatecrash drafts did you do on Magic Online this week?
One.
What is Magic to you? Why do you play?
This.
Melissa DeTora
Age:Hometown: Providence, RI
Occupation: Magic Player + Writer
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour:
12
Lifetime Pro Points:
55
Grand Prix Top 8s:
1
Pro Tour Top 8s:
0
Other Magic Accomplishments:
None
How did you qualify for Pro Tour Gatecrash?
Special Invite
What was your record by format?
Standard:
7-2-1
Booster Draft:
5-1
What guild are you? Why did you choose that guild?
Simic. I like to bash with creatures and draw cards.
How did you prepare for Pro Tour Gatecrash? Who did you prepare with?
Did around twenty-five drafts with local pro players from Rhode Island and I tested with Raphael Levy and the French Team for constructed. Also tested with James Searles.
What Standard deck are you playing and why?
Wolf Run Bant. It’s great against agro and Midrange and UWR and I expected a lot of that.
How many Gatecrash drafts did you do on Magic Online this week?
Twelve
What is Magic to you? Why do you play?
I like to travel the world and see friends I’ve made through Magic over the years.
Joel Larsson
Age: 21Hometown: Stockholm
Occupation: Administrator & Receptionist at a small doctor’s clinic
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour:
7
Lifetime Pro Points:
53
Grand Prix Top 8s:
3
Pro Tour Top 8s:
0
Other Magic Accomplishments:
On 2011 Swedish national team
How did you qualify for Pro Tour Gatecrash?
Gold Pro
What was your record by format?
Standard:
7-2-1
Booster Draft:
5-1
What guild are you? Why did you choose that guild?
Simic, because I like drawing cards while playing value creatures.
How did you prepare for Pro Tour Gatecrash? Who did you prepare with?
With the Swedish team since Tuesday, and discussing from home on Skype.
What Standard deck are you playing and why?
White-Blue-Red 10 Charms, because it’s a deck that really fits my play style and can both be controlling the game and be explosive.
How many Gatecrash drafts did you do on Magic Online this week?
One
What is Magic to you? Why do you play?
This is! And the traveling too.
Gerry Thompson
Age:Hometown: Roanoke, VA
Occupation: Writer for StarCityGames.com
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour:
33
Lifetime Pro Points:
191
Grand Prix Top 8s:
9
Pro Tour Top 8s:
0
Other Magic Accomplishments:
Won Grand Prix Denver in 2008 and Grand Prix Nashville in 2010
How did you qualify for Pro Tour Gatecrash?
Gold Pro
What was your record by format?
Standard:
7-2-1
Booster Draft:
5-1
What guild are you? Why did you choose that guild?
Izzet, I do lots of research.
How did you prepare for Pro Tour Gatecrash? Who did you prepare with?
Tested with Team ChannelFireball & Top 8ed my first Pro Tour. Weird…
What Standard deck are you playing and why?
Blue-White-Red Flash because I know it well. It’s solid, Revelation/Reckoner are too good and Harvest Pyre is Sweet.
How many Gatecrash drafts did you do on Magic Online this week?
20?
What is Magic to you? Why do you play?
The competition & camaraderie, plus it’s the best game.
Tom Martell
Age: 30Hometown: San Leandro, CA
Occupation: Lawyer / Entrepreneur
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour:
12
Lifetime Pro Points:
118
Grand Prix Top 8s:
4
Pro Tour Top 8s:
1
Other Magic Accomplishments:
Won GP Indianapolis 2012
How did you qualify for Pro Tour Gatecrash?
Platinum Pro
What was your record by format?
Standard:
6-3-1
Booster Draft:
6-0
What guild are you? Why did you choose that guild?
Azorius – as a lawyer I feel I should uphold the law of Ravnica.
How did you prepare for Pro Tour Gatecrash? Who did you prepare with?
Team StarCityGames.com – We got together for roughly two weeks in New York City to test before the Pro Tour.
What Standard deck are you playing and why?
The Aristocrats – Good creature matchups, resiliency to sweepers & challenging/tricky lines allowing me to outplay opponents.
How many Gatecrash drafts did you do on Magic Online this week?
5-10. We were drafting a lot in real life.
What is Magic to you? Why do you play?
The ultimate intellectual competition; I love the challenge. I keep playing because of the great community & friends I’ve made through the game.
Eric Froehlich
Age: 29Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Occupation: Poker Player
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour:
32
Lifetime Pro Points:
189
Grand Prix Top 8s:
7
Pro Tour Top 8s:
3
Other Magic Accomplishments:
None
How did you qualify for Pro Tour Gatecrash?
Sponsor’s Exemption
What was your record by format?
Standard:
7-3
Booster Draft:
5-1
What guild are you? Why did you choose that guild?
Azorius, I like control.
How did you prepare for Pro Tour Gatecrash? Who did you prepare with?
Team ChannelFireball stayed at my Vegas mansion for two weeks.
What Standard deck are you playing and why?
Gyro Ball Naya – Was aggressive like Mono-Red but with some staying power. Wanted to feature Gatecrash cards.
How many Gatecrash drafts did you do on Magic Online this week?
None, but many in person.
What is Magic to you? Why do you play?
My favorite game, my childhood, where I’ve met all my lifetime friends and Magic is a huge part of my life – my passion.
Stephen Mann
Age: 29Hometown: Tampa, FL
Occupation: Magic Enthusiast
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour:
4
Lifetime Pro Points:
13
Grand Prix Top 8s:
0
Pro Tour Top 8s:
0
Other Magic Accomplishments:
None
How did you qualify for Pro Tour Gatecrash?
PTQ
What was your record by format?
Standard:
6-4
Booster Draft:
6-0
What guild are you? Why did you choose that guild?
Dimir. Blue is the best color, Black is the best complement to it.
How did you prepare for Pro Tour Gatecrash? Who did you prepare with?
Drafted on MTGO a half a dozen times. Played with a group of ringers from Armada Games.
What Standard deck are you playing and why?
Jund. Couldn’t find a suitable Sphinx’s Revelation deck.
How many Gatecrash drafts did you do on Magic Online this week?
Six