GRAND PRIX OTTAWA 2014

TOP 8 COVERAGE

Saturday morning, 1345 players came to Ottawa with hopes of being crowned Grand Prix Ottawa Champion. After nine rounds of Khans of Tarkir Sealed Deck, the field was reduced to just 150 players.

The remaining players returned for six rounds of Khans of Tarkir Draft. The Khans of Tarkir Draft format continues to cement itself as one of the most skill-intensive Limited formats in quite some time. The dust settled and only eight remained: (16) Shahar Shenhar, (14) Sam Black, Jessica Buchanan, Seth Manfield, Neal Oliver, Xavier Allegrucci, Lucas Siow, and Pascal Maynard were the last eight standing.

Seth Manfield won a tight three games against Jessica Buchanan in the quarterfinals, steamrolled Lucas Siow in the semifinals, and made short work of Neil Oliver in the finals. Trumpet Blast, Jeering Instigator, and Barrage of Boulders allowed Manfield to win games seemingly out of nowhere time after time. Seth Manfield is your Grand Prix Ottawa Champion!

Article

November 23 2014

TOP 5 CARDS by Event Coverage Staff

Here's a look at the cards that defined Grand Prix Ottawa. 5. Sagu Mauler In Khans of Tarkir sealed, you're looking to stretch your mana to get your most powerful effects without giving up...

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November 23 2014

FINALS: SETH MANFIELD VS. NEAL OLIVER by Josh Bennett

One match for all the marbles. Both players have been here before and emerged victorious. Who will be the Champion? Neal Oliver, Team USA member and winner of the largest Grand Prix ever? Or will...

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November 23 2014

TOP 8 DECKLISTS by Wizards of the Coast

Here are the Top 8 decklists from Grand Prix Ottawa! Shahar Shenhar ...

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Nov 23 2014

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SEMIFINALS: NEAL OLIVER VS. XAVIER ALLEGRUCCI

by Jacob Van Lunen

Neal Oliver is armed with a Secret Plans deck while his opponent, Xavier Allegrucci, had an aggressive Temur tempo strategy. In the first game, both players developed their boards, but Allegrucci...

Nov 24 2014

Article

SEMIFINALS: SETH MANFIELD VS. LUCAS SIOW

by Jacob Van Lunen

Lucas Siow is armed with a powerful midrange strategy that features a lot of board sweepers like Death Frenzy and Duneblast. His opponent, Seth Manfield, has a brutal Mardu token strategy that has...

Nov 24 2014

Article

QUARTERFINALS ROUNDUP

by Josh Bennett

The Top 8 draft was a wild affair, with a variety of strong, focused decks. Here's a look at two of the quarterfinal matches. Quarterfinal 1: Xavier Allegrucci vs Pascal Maynard An all-Quebec...

Nov 24 2014

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QUARTERFINALS: LUCAS SIOW VS. SHAHAR SHENHAR

by Jacob Van Lunen

Shahar Shenhar is the reigning world champion. Currently ranked 16th in the world, Shenhar already has two Grand Prix victories and another Top 8 to his name. Shenhar enters this Top 8 as the...

Nov 24 2014

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QUARTERFINALS: SAM BLACK VS. NEAL OLIVER

by Jacob Van Lunen

Samuel Black is currently ranked fourteenth in the world in the Pro Player Power Rankings. Black has a staggering nine Grand Prix Top 8s to his name and two Pro Tour Top 8s on top of that. Black...

Nov 23 2014

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TOP 8 PROFILES

by Wizards of the Coast

After many rounds of Swiss and some great games of Magic, the Top 8 for Grand Prix Ottawa is set! Learn more about this event’s Top 8 competitors, their history at the top tables, and more by...

DAY 2 COVERAGE

Welcome back to Grand Prix Ottawa. Yesterday, 1345 players battled their way through nine rounds of Khans of Tarkir Sealed Deck. Of those, 150 performed well enough to return for the second day of competition. Today, players will be playing six rounds of Khans of Tarkir Draft before we cut to the Top 8 Draft elimination rounds. Leading the pack are (14) Sam Black, Matt Costa, Vincent Thibeault, and Cedrick Tremblay with 9-0 records. Stay tuned for continuing coverage of Grand Prix Ottawa!

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November 23 2014

ROUND 15: STEVE RUBIN VS. PASCAL MAYNARD by Josh Bennett

The last round of swiss is brutal. You've been playing all weekend and the mental fatigue is starting to build up. The excitement of the run at the Top 8 has been climbing too, slowly, with each...

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November 23 2014

ROUND 12: LUCAS SIOW VS. PASCAL MAYNARD by Jacob Van Lunen

The Canadian Magic community has experienced a renaissance of sorts over the last few years. The success of players like Jon Stern, Shaun McLaren, and Alexander Hayne has sparked a surge in the...

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November 23 2014

ROUND 11: SETH MANFIELD VS. DAVID OCHOA by Josh Bennett

There's no room left for error for these two players. Already saddled with two lossses each, another would put the Top 8 out of reach. The Players Azorius Food Justicar and moustache enthusiast...

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Nov 23 2014

Article

BACK AGAINST THE WALL

by Jacob Van Lunen

Matthew Costa has been a fixture of the Pro Tour since 2011. Last year, Costa was unable to attend a Pro Tour and now he finds himself in an unfamiliar position. Costa is, for the first time in a...

Nov 23 2014

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DRAFTING WITH SHAHAR SHENHAR

by Josh Bennett

For a year Shahar Shenhar has been known simply as The Champ. He's worn the title well, being a fixture in the Top 25 Rankings. The World Championship looms on the horizon, offering him a chance...

Nov 23 2014

Article

DAY 1 UNDEFEATED DECKLISTS

by Wizards of the Coast

After nine rounds of swiss, only four players managed to escape with completely unscathed records! ...

DAY 1 COVERAGE

This morning, 1345 players came to The Great White North with dreams of being crowned Grand Prix Ottawa Champion. After nine rounds of Khans of Tarkir Sealed Deck, ponly 150 remain. Leading the pack are Matt Costa, (14) Samuel Black, Vincent Thibeault, and Cedric Tremblay. Will these players continue their dominance in the second day Khans of Tarkir Draft portion of the tournament, or will a new hero emerge victorious? Stay tuned to continuing coverage of Grand Prix Ottawa!

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November 22 2014

ROUND 9: VINCENT THIBEAULT VS. COLBY WARKENTIN by Josh Bennett

There's nothing quite like sitting 8-0 heading into the final round of Day 1. You know you're into Day 2, and even if you lose you still have good position to Top 8. What should be the most...

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November 22 2014

ROUND 7: DANIEL VS THE GOLIATH by Alex Anderson

One of the great things about Grand Prix tournaments is the opportunity for relatively new players to face off against established pros. Round Seven gave us just such a match-up as Daniel Higgs,...

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November 22 2014

A LOOK AT THE TOP by Josh Bennett

I spent the seventh round haunting the Top Tables in hopes of getting a feel for what was winning. Looking over twenty matches, the picture was clearer than I expected. The most populous decks...

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Nov 22 2014

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THE MAGIC COMMUNITY ARRIVES

by Alex Anderson

Looking around the room at more than 1300 players, all slinging spells in the largest tournament ever held in this city, Dave Tellier got a feeling that mixed satisfaction and vindication....

Nov 22 2014

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THE NEW KING

by Jacob Van Lunen

Owen Turtenwald has been playing high-profile Magic events for the better part of the last decade. Turtenwald first broke onto the competitive scene with a Top 8 at Grand Prix Columbus in 2007....

Nov 22 2014

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GIVING IT EVERYTHING

by Jacob Van Lunen

Jacob Wilson, currently ranked 11th in the world, has quickly risen up from obscurity to be one of the most impressive Magic players in the world. In just a few years of competitive play, Wilson...

Nov 23 2014

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ROUND 4: SAM BLACK VS. DAN LANTHIER

by Josh Bennett

Even in this modern era of super-sized Grand Prix, there's no guarantee of an easy road to start the day. Take this match. On one side, hometown hero and 2008 Canadian National Champion Dan...

Nov 22 2014

Article

AN ESTABLISHED PERSPECTIVE

by Jacob Van Lunen

At this point, we've had well over a month to draft and play Sealed Deck with Khans of Tarkir. I sat down with some players that have a ton of experience playing or watching the new Limited format...

Nov 23 2014

Article

SEALED DECK SAMPLER

by Josh Bennett

In a limited format as wide-open as Khans of Tarkir, the question of what makes a winning sealed deck is not an easy one to answer. In an attempt to cast some light on the subject, we've gone...

Nov 23 2014

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TRIAL WINNING DECKLISTS

by Wizards of the Coast

Stephen Whelan - Boss Sligh ...

TOP 8 DECKLISTS

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SETH MANFIELD - TOP 8, GRAND PRIX OTTAWA 2014

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Creature (14)

1 Ainok Bond-Kin 1 Watcher of the Roost 1 Ainok Tracker 1 Bloodfire Expert 1 Canyon Lurkers 1 Jeering Instigator 4 Leaping Master 1 Mardu Warshrieker 1 Highspire Mantis 2 Ponyback Brigade

Sorcery (5)

1 Rush of Battle 1 Arrow Storm 1 Barrage of Boulders 2 Hordeling Outburst

Instant (4)

1 Defiant Strike 2 Trumpet Blast 1 Utter End

Land (17)

9 Mountain 4 Plains 2 Swamp 1 Scoured Barrens 1 Wind-Scarred Crag

40 Cards

Sideboard (17)

1 Defiant Strike 1 Barrage of Boulders 1 Opulent Palace 1 Rugged Highlands 1 Salt Road Patrol 1 Embodiment of Spring 1 Icy Blast 1 Mystic of the Hidden Way 1 Singing Bell Strike 1 Wetland Sambar 1 Whirlwind Adept 2 Kheru Dreadmaw 1 Unyielding Krumar 1 Mindswipe 1 Shatter 1 Feed the Clan

Deal Another Hand

NEAL OLIVER - TOP 8, GRAND PRIX OTTAWA 2014

Decklist Stats Sample Hand