Texas is Still a Red State!

TOP 8 COVERAGE

It was Kevin Mackie's weekend. Only a few weeks ago he started testing with a deck he'd thought of as nothing more than a joke. But that "joke" turned into love quicker than he imagined And the relationship blossomed into a Grand Prix win—defeating two blue-based control decks and the World Champion Brian Braun-Duin in the Top 8 to do so.

But that wasn't the only story here in Texas this weekend. Corey Burkhart scored his fourth Grand Prix Top 8, and made it to the finals with his pet Grixis Control deck. Along with MTGO standout, Alex Mitas piloting his traditional Wafo-Tapa–style Jeskai Control, there were eight copies of Cryptic Command in the Semifinals. In Modern! That really fast format!

And though Braun-Duin ensured that Dredge had some Top 8 representation, its presence was less felt than expected at the top tables. Perhaps people saw it coming. Watching Skred Red utterly dismantle Dredge in the quarterfinals made it clear that Mackie saw it a mile away.

From all of us here in Texas—the 2,019 Grand Prix main event players, all the judges, broadcasters,tournament staff,and everyone else who makes these things happen—have a great night! And extra special thanks to Mike Guptil at PES for his contributions to the Grand Prix scene throughout the years.

DAY 2 COVERAGE

More than 2,000 players came to Grand Prix Dallas-Fort Worth to compete in the largest Grand Prix Texas has ever seen. Entering Day 2, 590 of them returned to battle for a chance the chance to advance to the Top 8.

Of those 590, just seven finished Day 1 with an undefeated record. Zach Voss, Neal Oliver, Kyle Skelton, Jon Stern, Corey Burkhart, Brian Braun-Duin, and Michael Sellers sit at the top of the standings, but lurking just behind them are a number of notable players, including Craig Wescoe, Matt Sperling and third-ranked Owen Turtenwald, who are just a match back as the suns shines on a new day in Dallas.

Kaladesh has left an indelible mark on Modern, with its introduction of enemy-colored fast lands (Blooming Marsh and friends), Cathartic Reunion, Blossoming Defense, Inventors’ Fair and more making an immediate impact on Modern in their Grand Prix debut. Many of the top decks after Day 1 play at least one of those cards, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them still standing when the dust settles on the Top 8.

But first we have to get there. It’s going to be a wild ride in Dallas, and you can follow along for updates both here and at twitch.tv/channelfireball.

DAY 1 COVERAGE

Zach Voss, Neal Oliver, Kyle Skelton, Jon Stern, Corey Burkhart, Brian Braun-Duin, and Michael Sellers are at the top of the standings after the first day!

Blurb: It was a record-breaking first day in Dallas-Fort Worth. 2,019 people showed up for Modern making this the largest Grand Prix in Texas history!

Though that number is large, a more important number is “7.” That’s how many players left the arena with a perfect record. There are some familiar names in Jon Stern, Corey Burkhart, Neal Oliver, and the World Champion Brian Braun-Duin, and a few of the others might be unfamiliar. But Zach Voss, Kyle Skelton, and Michael Sellers are hanging with the cool kids tonight. And boy are they sitting pretty for tomorrow.

The inaugural day of the first Modern Grand Prix with Kaladesh has already shown some great adjustments to the format. Lantern Control has gotten even better, and so has Dredge. But, remember, this is Modern. It’s not like there have been cataclysmic shifts. Most players are still finding success with the decks they love. Just now you have more reason to love Lantern and Dredge. I mean, who doesn’t?

Tomorrow will be the largest Day 2 in Texas history, and we’ll be back slightly later than usual because it’s Daylight Saving Time. So get some rest everybody, and we’ll be back tomorrow, both here and a twitch.tv/channelfireball.

See you soon!