TOP 8 COVERAGE
1,235 players arrived for Khans of Tarkir Sealed Deck, giving way to 148 to draft on the second day and a star-studded Top 8 to cap it all off. In his second Grand Prix Top 8 in the calendar year, Gerard Fabiano again found victory in Limited, earning the title of Grand Prix Baltimore champion.
Entering Day 2 needing to win out both of his drafts, Fabiano found his footing with a powerful Sultai deck to close out his finals against David Foster, finalist at his second Grand Prix ever. Along the way, Fabiano stopped the hyper-aggressive deck Pro Tour Dragon’s Maze winner Craig Wescoe as well as twenty-second-ranked Ben Stark’s white-black Warriors (who had to hurdle past twentieth-ranked Josh Utter-Leyton’s Temur deck). With the era of Khans of Tarkir Limited closing – Fate Reforged is coming up quickly – the game’s greats continue to power out victory in what many call the greatest Limited format in years.
The 2014 year is closing out but the first Grand Prix season of 2015 is just heating up. Join us in the first weekend of the new year for a double Standard weekend at Grand Prix Denver and Grand Prix Manila!
December 15 2014
TOP 5 CARDS by Event Coverage StaffEvery event has its shining moments. For Grand Prix Baltimore, these are the five cards that filled our memory jars the most. 5. Mystic of the Hidden Way Better than flying, sneakier than...
December 15 2014
FINALS: GERARD FABIANO VS. DAVID FOSTER by Peter RawlingsGrand Prix Baltimore marked David Foster's first Day 2, his first Top 8, and now his first finals appearance. His Abzan deck, featuring strong clan rares in Abzan Ascendancy and Anafenza, the...
DAY 2 COVERAGE
Draft!
From the 1,235 attendees that battled through nine rounds of Khans of Tarkir Sealed Deck, just 148 have returned to pick their way to destiny at Grand Prix Baltimore. While the forty-card count of the decks will remain the same, the contents shift to what players choose for themselves.
The echoes of “Draft!” will ring twice before the Top 8 is determined.
Leading the way entering the day are five undefeated players from Day 1: fifth-ranked Reid Duke, fresh off his rallying performance at the World Championship; Craig Wescoe, champion of Pro Tour Dragon’s Maze; Andrew Cuneo and Chris Pikula, long-time players finding their resurgence; and David Foster. Whoever emerges from their first draft pod with a 3-0 record will find points, and positioning, for the Top 8.
Join us at 10:30 AM Eastern at Twitch.tv/ggslive with Marshall Sutcliffe, Randy Buehler, and Gabe Carlton-Barnes to watch Khans of Tarkir Draft unfold in the race to another Grand Prix champion!
December 14 2014
ROUND 13: REID DUKE VS. JASON KIM by Adam Styborski"I redeemed myself." For fifth-ranked Reid Duke, Platinum player, Pro Tour Top 8 contender, Grand Prix champion, and three-peat World Championship competitor, the pun 'Reidemption' had been used...
December 14 2014
ROUND 11: REID DUKE VS. DAVID FOSTER by Peter RawlingsAfter 10 rounds of Khans of Tarkir Limited, two players had climbed to the top of the heap and stood alone as the sole remaining undefeated players at Grand Prix Baltimore: No. 5 Reid Duke and...
December 14 2014
ROUND 10: DAVID FOSTER VS. CHRIS PIKULA by Adam StyborskiIt's a trend that started years ago, but does really have a starting point. Perhaps it was Jon Finkel's victory at Pro Tour Kuala Lumpur, after his induction into the Pro Tour Hall of fame....
DAY 1 COVERAGE
The end of the 2014 Grand Prix line in North America is here at the heart of the Chesapeake Bay in Baltimore, Maryland. 1,235 players arrived to battle in Khans of Tarkir Sealed Deck, looking to unlock Day 2 achievements and return for Draft. Mana bases were made. Tricks were played. The knowledge and skill of competitors was put to the test.
148 players made that cut for Day 2 and will pick their way to destiny tomorrow.
Some managed to find perfect in the cozy field of contenders. Fifth-ranked Reid Duke got wealthy, in the most Villainous of ways, to achieve a perfect 9-0 record. Longtime players Andrew Cuneo and Chris Pikula were back in form with 9-0 moves to Day 2, as was Pro Tour Dragon’s Maze champion Craig Wescoe. David Foster rounded out the 9-0 undefeated players. Others, such as first-ranked Owen Turtenwald, Grand Prix New Jersey winner Brian Braun-Duin, Jamie Parke, and Pro Tour Khans of Tarkir Top 8 contendor Mike Sigrist scrapped through the final round to make the cut for Day 2.
Join us at 10:30 AM Eastern at Twitch.tv/ggslive with Marshall Sutcliffe, Randy Buehler, and Gabe Carlton-Barnes to watch Khans of Tarkir Draft unfold in the race to another Grand Prix champion!
December 14 2014
DAY 1 UNDEFEATED ROUNDUP by Adam StyborskiFrom 1,235 players, a surprising total of eleven had hung on for the fight to undefeated in Round 9 at Grand Prix Baltimore. Earning the best tiebreakers available, and a seat in the first draft...
December 14 2014
ROUND 9 BUBBLE MATCH ROUNDUP by Peter RawlingsAfter a long, grinding day of Khans of Tarkir Sealed matches, 133 players found themselves on the bubble going into the final round of Day 1, needing one more win to reach the 21-point threshold...
December 14 2014
ROUND 6: BEN FRIEDMAN VS. JADINE KLOMPARENS by Adam Styborski"This would have been a monster Grand Prix back in the day." Ben Friedman said to his opponent, Jadine Klomparens. While 1,235 players certainly wasn't tiny by any stretch, compared to the...
(1) Christopher Fennel
(5) David Foster, 2-0
(7) Timothy Wu
(3) Harry Bradford, 2-0
(4) Ben Stark, 2-0
(8) Josh Utter-Leyton
(6) Gerard Fabiano, 2-1
(2) Craig Wescoe
(5) David Foster, 2-1
(3) Harry Bradford
(4) Ben Stark
(6) Gerard Fabiano, 2-0
(5) David Foster
(6) Gerard Fabiano, 2-1
Note: final standings reflect the number of players participating in the event, not the number of preregistered players.
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 15, 2014
by Event Coverage StaffEvery event has its shining moments. For Grand Prix Baltimore, these are the five cards that filled our memory jars the most. 5. Mystic of the Hidden Way Better than flying, sneakier than...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 15, 2014
FINALS: GERARD FABIANO VS. DAVID FOSTER
by Peter RawlingsGrand Prix Baltimore marked David Foster's first Day 2, his first Top 8, and now his first finals appearance. His Abzan deck, featuring strong clan rares in Abzan Ascendancy and Anafenza, the...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 15, 2014
by Wizards of the CoastHarry Bradford - Blue-Green ...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 15, 2014
SEMIFINALS: BEN STARK VS. GERARD FABIANO
by Adam StyborskiAfter fending off a fast assault in his semifinal match, Gerard Fabiano was ready to face down another face from his past. Reminiscing about times at Nationals and their early careers, Fabiano was...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 15, 2014
SEMIFINALS: DAVID FOSTER VS. HARRY BRADFORD
by Adam StyborskiDavid Foster, in his second Grand Prix attended, had already surpassed the expectations most players bring to the event. With his invitation to Grand Prix Dragons of Tarkir already earned,...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 15, 2014
QUARTERFINALS: JOSH UTTER-LEYTON VS. BEN STARK
by Adam StyborskiHow do you introduce arguably the biggest faceoff in the Top 8 of Grand Prix Baltimore? On one side sat twentieth-ranked Josh Utter-Leyton, former Player of the Year, multiple Pro Tour Top 8...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 15, 2014
QUARTERFINALS: CRAIG WESCOE VS. GERARD FABIANO
by Adam StyborskiIt was a different format when Gerard Fabiano last won a Limited Grand Prix. In Montreal, Theros was the dominant set and a double helping of Celestial Archon that led him to rise as champion....
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 15, 2014
QUARTERFINALS: CHRIS FENNELL VS. DAVID FOSTER
by Peter RawlingsMaryland native David Foster streamrolled his way into his first ever Grand Prix Day 2 on the back of a strong Sealed pool featuring two of the best rares in Khans of Tarkir Limited in Crater's...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 15, 2014
QUARTERFINALS: HARRY BRADFORD VS. TIM WU
by Peter RawlingsHarry Bradford started the tournament on a high note after opening a stacked Sealed pool, replete with a Sorin, Solemn Visitor and Siege Rhino—a high note which immediately sunk low after he...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 15, 2014
by Wizards of the CoastLearn more about Grand Prix New Baltimore's Top 8 competitors by taking a look through their profiles! Josh Utter-Leyton Age: 29Hometown: Rohnert ParkOccupation: Software...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 14, 2014
ROUND 13: REID DUKE VS. JASON KIM
by Adam Styborski"I redeemed myself." For fifth-ranked Reid Duke, Platinum player, Pro Tour Top 8 contender, Grand Prix champion, and three-peat World Championship competitor, the pun 'Reidemption' had been used...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 14, 2014
ROUND 11: REID DUKE VS. DAVID FOSTER
by Peter RawlingsAfter 10 rounds of Khans of Tarkir Limited, two players had climbed to the top of the heap and stood alone as the sole remaining undefeated players at Grand Prix Baltimore: No. 5 Reid Duke and...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 14, 2014
ROUND 10: DAVID FOSTER VS. CHRIS PIKULA
by Adam StyborskiIt's a trend that started years ago, but does really have a starting point. Perhaps it was Jon Finkel's victory at Pro Tour Kuala Lumpur, after his induction into the Pro Tour Hall of fame....
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 15, 2014
by Peter RawlingsHall of Famer Ben Stark has made a career out of mastering Limited formats, with a preference for remaining open to a variety of archetypes for as many picks as possible and an uncanny ability to...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 14, 2014
by Event Coverage StaffAfter nine rounds of Khans of Tarkir Sealed on Day 1, five players had emerged unscathed from the field of 1,235 that came to battle in Grand Prix Baltimore. The pool of undefeated players...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 14, 2014
by Adam StyborskiFrom 1,235 players, a surprising total of eleven had hung on for the fight to undefeated in Round 9 at Grand Prix Baltimore. Earning the best tiebreakers available, and a seat in the first draft...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 14, 2014
by Peter RawlingsAfter a long, grinding day of Khans of Tarkir Sealed matches, 133 players found themselves on the bubble going into the final round of Day 1, needing one more win to reach the 21-point threshold...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 14, 2014
ROUND 6: BEN FRIEDMAN VS. JADINE KLOMPARENS
by Adam Styborski"This would have been a monster Grand Prix back in the day." Ben Friedman said to his opponent, Jadine Klomparens. While 1,235 players certainly wasn't tiny by any stretch, compared to the...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 14, 2014
ROUND 5: NEAL OLIVER VS. SHAHEEN SOORANI
by Peter RawlingsNeal Oliver arrived in Baltimore Thursday straight from a whirlwind two weeks of testing, traveling and competing in Nice, France, where he helped lead Team USA to a Top 4 finish in the 2014 World...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 13, 2014
BUILDING SEALED POOL #2 WITH DAVID OCHOA
by Peter RawlingsAfter a quick skim through the pool, ChannelFireball's David Ochoa began by sorting each color by its playable creatures and assessing which color combinations his nonbasic lands would best...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 13, 2014
BUILDING SEALED POOL #1 WITH JOSH UTTER-LEYTON
by Adam StyborskiThe mysteries of Khans of Tarkir Limited have given way to strategies and maps. Players know what they want to find in Sealed pools, and they know how to make the most of what they open. Our...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 13, 2014
by Peter RawlingsIn the months since Khans of Tarkir's release players have taken a number of divergent approaches to building their sealed pools. In this multicolor-heavy format, some look first to their...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 13, 2014
by Adam StyborskiThe secrets to be found in Khans of Tarkir have been discovered. There's no secret technology or insider information left for explore. The power and potential synergies of cards is well...
article GRAND PRIX BALTIMORE 2015 December 13, 2014
by Event Coverage StaffAs before ever Grand Prix, there are Grand Prix Trial events where players can earn byes for the main event. These are the winners, and their decklists, for Grand Prix Baltimore. ...
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