March 16 2014
TOP 5 CARDS by Nate Price5. Brimaz, King of Oreskos One of the most aggresively costed cards in Born of the Gods, it was only a matter of time before the big kitty found a home. Fighting against a tide of Monoblue...
Philippe Monlevade's Jund Monsters crushed its competition all weekend, leading to a victory in a rivalry-fueled final match between Brazil and Argentina.
TOP 8 COVERAGE
This isn't the first time that Brazil and Argentina have gone head-to-head in the finals of a Grand Prix. This rivalry has been alive in sports for decades, and it is no surprise to see the same fervor and excitement over a match-up between a Brazilian and an Argentinian culminate in the Finals of Grand Prix Buenos Aires 2014. However, despite Buenos Aires resident Demian Tejo's best efforts to keep the trophy at home, it was ultimately Philippe Monlevade, from Rio de Janeiro, who took home the trophy.
Philippe Monlevade's Jund Monsters deck went on a rampage through the Top 8, where he first dispatched Mateus Dos Anjos and his Mono-Blue Devotion in the Quarterfinals. After that, he battled his way past Hall of Famer and fellow countryman Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa and his Esper Control deck in the Semifinals. It was then that he was paired against Tejo in an electric final match, with Monlevade's Miscutter Hydras leaving Tejo's Mono-Blue Devotion deck out to dry. Monlevade's victory in Buenos Aires marks the second time that Brazil has taken the trophy home from an Argentinian Grand Prix, further fueling this long-standing rivalry between two great nations.
Grand Prix Buenos Aires 2014 was the stage for showing just how passionate the South American Magic community can be. From country rivalries, to team support and a wide representation of South America's finest Magic players, to the record-breaking attendance of 884, it has been an incredible weekend. While it is Monlevade and Brazil that celebrates today, the community in South America continues to expand, and as it does, so does the competition and the chance for Argentina and the rest of South America to shine.
March 16 2014
TOP 5 CARDS by Nate Price5. Brimaz, King of Oreskos One of the most aggresively costed cards in Born of the Gods, it was only a matter of time before the big kitty found a home. Fighting against a tide of Monoblue...
March 16 2014
FINALS: PHILIPPE MONLEVADE VS. DEMIAN TEJO by Mike RosenbergIt's here. The rivalry. This long-time feud is beginning to bubble to the surface. On one side, the Brazilian flag, and many of Philippe Monlevade's buddies and Brazilian compatriots are...
March 16 2014
SEMIFINALS: PAULO VITOR DAMO DA ROSA VS. PHILIPPE MONLEVADE by Nate PriceBrazil has always been the dominant force in South American Magic, and it has always had a particular stranglehold on events in Buenos Aires. This Semifinal match between Paulo Vitor Damo da...
DAY 2 COVERAGE
It's the start of Day Two here at Grand Prix Buenos Aires! 128 players have returned today for six more rounds of swiss with their Standard decks.
Among those returning are undefeated players Sergio Ramadan, Mateus Dos Anjos, and the reigning King of the Hill player, Axel Rodriguez, who has not lost a match since earning his place at the King of the Hill table yesterday with his Esper Mid-Range deck. Right behind these players is Hall of Famer Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa, who has made an impressive run in Day One with his Esper Control deck.
The highlights from yesterday appear to be the prevalence of Blue Devotion strategies as well as the Esper colors (white-blue-black), but we'll have a more in-depth analysis of the Standard metagame here in Argentina later today to see how the format is shaping up.
Will one of these archetypes remain at the top at the end of the day? Who will take home the trophy from Argentina's largest Grand Prix? Find out today!
March 16 2014
VIEW FROM THE TOP: PICTURE EDITION! by Nate PriceThere are only two rounds of play remaining before the cut to the Top 8 here in Buenos Aires, and we're starting to get a very clear picture of the decks that we are going to be seeing battling it...
March 16 2014
A MINI-PHOTO ESSAY by Mike RosenbergOver the course of the weekend, we have seen some great things in or around the tournament venue for Grand Prix Buenos Aires. It seemed only appropriate to archive these sights in a little...
March 16 2014
ROUND 13 FEATURE MATCH: PAULO VITOR DAMO DA ROSA VS. MATEUS DOS ANJOS by Mike RosenbergHall of Famer Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa has been putting up a very impressive showing with Esper Control all weekend, his deck far from unfamiliar to those following Standard right now. If you need...
DAY 1 COVERAGE
884 players has been whittled down to 128 here at Grand Prix Buenos Aires. Sergio Ramadan, Axel Rodriguez, Mateus Dos Anjos stand above the rest with 9-0 records, and are prime to make a showing in Day Two of competition.
However, not far behind them is Hall of Famer Paulo Vito Damo da Rosa, who is still going strong with an 8-1 record. No. 10 Ranked Player Willy Edel will also be making a showing in Day Two despite a loss in the ninth round, squeaking in at 117th place. Tomorrow will feature many clashes between Latin America's top players, much like we saw taking place today.
Who will be crowned the champion at Argentina's largest ever Grand Prix? Find out tomorrow as we bring you the latest updates from the tournament floor!
March 15 2014
ROUND 9 FEATURE MATCH: ALEJANDRO BETSCHART VS. WILLY EDEL by Mike RosenbergThe final round of Day One of a Grand Prix has a tendency to show some pretty insane bubble-matches, also known as players on the cusp of elimination from a tournament. In this case, it was two...
March 15 2014
EL CUENTO DEL GOLEADOR DEL TORNEO by Nate PriceEl Goleador del Torneo. The King of the Hill. The top name on the standings sheet. It's the most coveted position on the first day of the tournament, as it gives players the best chance of...
March 16 2014
ROUND 8 TOP-TABLE RUN-DOWN by Mike RosenbergWe're just getting underway with Round 8 as I write this, and before we move into our bubble-matches for Round 9, this feels like a good time to give you a glimpse at what the top tables are...
(1)Fernando Pietragallo
(8)Demian Tejo, 2-1
(4)Eduardo Castro
(5)José Echeverría, 2-0
(2)Mateus Dos Anjos
(7)Philippe Monlevade, 2-1
(3)Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa, 2-0
(6)Sebastian Martinez
(8)Demian Tejo, 2-0
(5)José Echeverría
(7)Philippe Monlevade, 2-1
(3)Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa
(8)Demian Tejo
(7)Philippe Monlevade, 2-1
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 16, 2014
by Nate Price5. Brimaz, King of Oreskos One of the most aggresively costed cards in Born of the Gods, it was only a matter of time before the big kitty found a home. Fighting against a tide of Monoblue...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 16, 2014
FINALS: PHILIPPE MONLEVADE VS. DEMIAN TEJO
by Mike RosenbergIt's here. The rivalry. This long-time feud is beginning to bubble to the surface. On one side, the Brazilian flag, and many of Philippe Monlevade's buddies and Brazilian compatriots are...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 16, 2014
SEMIFINALS: PAULO VITOR DAMO DA ROSA VS. PHILIPPE MONLEVADE
by Nate PriceBrazil has always been the dominant force in South American Magic, and it has always had a particular stranglehold on events in Buenos Aires. This Semifinal match between Paulo Vitor Damo da...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 16, 2014
by Mike RosenbergWhile Nate Price has the full story on the match between Hall of Famer Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa and Sebastian Martinez, here is a recap of what went on in the other Quarterfinal matches. ...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 16, 2014
QUARTERFINALS: PAULO VITOR DAMO DA ROSA VS. SEBASTIAN MARTINEZ
by Nate PriceConsidering the way Brazilian Hall of Famer Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa has been running lately, this Top 8 had to mean a lot to him. He has had quite a rough streak as of late, something which...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 17, 2014
by Wizards of the CoastSebastián Martinez Hometown: MontevideoOccupation: Business administrator Previous Magic accomplishments: 2014 Montevideo’s PTQ What deck are you playing this weekend and...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 16, 2014
VIEW FROM THE TOP: PICTURE EDITION!
by Nate PriceThere are only two rounds of play remaining before the cut to the Top 8 here in Buenos Aires, and we're starting to get a very clear picture of the decks that we are going to be seeing battling it...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 16, 2014
by Mike RosenbergOver the course of the weekend, we have seen some great things in or around the tournament venue for Grand Prix Buenos Aires. It seemed only appropriate to archive these sights in a little...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 16, 2014
ROUND 13 FEATURE MATCH: PAULO VITOR DAMO DA ROSA VS. MATEUS DOS ANJOS
by Mike RosenbergHall of Famer Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa has been putting up a very impressive showing with Esper Control all weekend, his deck far from unfamiliar to those following Standard right now. If you need...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 16, 2014
ROUND 12 FEATURE MATCH: PAULO VITOR DAMO DA ROSA VS. SERGIO RAMADAN
by Mike RosenbergHall of Famer Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa has maintained his momentum from yesterday's 8-1 finish today with wins in the first two rounds of Day Two. His opponent, Ramadan, has also performed...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 16, 2014
ROUND 11 FEATURE MATCH: MAURO CAPELLO VS. SEBASTIAN MARTINEZ
by Nate PriceWith two losses, Mauro Capello and Sebastian Martinez found themselves in a tight spot heading into this Round 11 Feature Match. While a third loss is not a guarantee that they will fall out of...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 16, 2014
ROUND 10 FEATURE MATCH: IVAN ARGIMON VS. AXEL RODRIGUEZ
by Mike RosenbergIvan Argimon and Axel Rodriguez both smashed through their nine rounds yesterday in brilliant fashion, with both players securing undefeated records at the end of Day One. Rodriguez specifically...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 15, 2014
ROUND 9 FEATURE MATCH: ALEJANDRO BETSCHART VS. WILLY EDEL
by Mike RosenbergThe final round of Day One of a Grand Prix has a tendency to show some pretty insane bubble-matches, also known as players on the cusp of elimination from a tournament. In this case, it was two...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 15, 2014
EL CUENTO DEL GOLEADOR DEL TORNEO
by Nate PriceEl Goleador del Torneo. The King of the Hill. The top name on the standings sheet. It's the most coveted position on the first day of the tournament, as it gives players the best chance of...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 16, 2014
by Mike RosenbergWe're just getting underway with Round 8 as I write this, and before we move into our bubble-matches for Round 9, this feels like a good time to give you a glimpse at what the top tables are...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 15, 2014
by Nate PriceProper deck selection is key to success in any Constructed format, yet is consistently one of the hardest tasks in Magic. As the variety in a format increases, deck selection somehow manages to...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 15, 2014
ROUND 7 FEATURE MATCH: PAULO VITOR DAMO DA ROSA VS. MATTIAS URBAN
by Mike RosenbergWhen it was announced that 2012 Hall of Famer Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa would be at the feature match area, it did not take long for a small crowd to begin flooding around the table. Players lined...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 15, 2014
by Nate PriceA couple of weeks ago, at Pro Tour Born of the Gods, we started doing something incredibly cool with the feature match area. We reserved one of the four matches on the big stage for the player...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 15, 2014
ROUND 5 FEATURE MATCH: LUIS NAVAS VS. SEBASTIAN POZZO
by Nate PriceRound 5 featured a perfect opportunity to display both the old and the new in Latin American Magic. Well, relatively speaking. Back in 2008, when Sebastian Pozzo made the Top 8 of the last Grand...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 15, 2014
by Nate PriceWith Round 4 underway, and all of the players with three byes thrown into the mix, it was time to check around the room to see what people were playing, and, more importantly, what was doing...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 15, 2014
ROUND 4 FEATURE MATCH: MATTIAS LEVERATTO VS. ANDRES MONSALVE
by Mike RosenbergAs Mattias Leveratto approached the feature match area, Grand Prix Santiago 2009 Finalist Andres Monsalve shook his head. "We always play against each other in every event," said Monsalve about...
article GRAND PRIX BUENOS AIRES 2014 March 15, 2014
by Nate PriceWhile the 884 players may be a far cry from the 4,303 from last weekend's Grand Prix Richmond, or even the concurrently-running Grand Prix Montreal's 1,622, it still stands as a record for...