November 2 2015
Top 5 Cards by Chapman Sim#5: Knight of the Reliquary It might seem like Knight of the Reliquary is past her heyday, but she's beginning to see some play again! As demonstrated by Grand Prix Porto Alegre Champion Marcos...
Marcos Paulo De Jesus Freitas of Rio de Janeiro lifts the silverware at Porto Alegre! After being denied a title by Pascal Maynard in the finals of Grand Prix Buenos Aires, he emerged victorious without ever dropping a match the entire weekend, his only loss being a concession! All hail Naya Zoo!
TOP 8 COVERAGE
789 players arrived in Porto Alegre in the hopes of becoming a Grand Prix Champion. After the first wave of eliminations, only 84 hopefuls remained. And then, it was down to the final 8.
The diversity of Modern is hardly exaggerated, with nearly 30 archetypes represented in the Day 2 alone. Surprisingly, a large amount of Naya variants broke into the Top 8 with SIXTEEN copies of Wild Nacatl (and Lightning Bolt) in the Top 4.
Surrounded by aggro decks, Platinum Pro Thiago Saporito armed with Slippery Bogles and Daybreak Coronets seemed to be in a great position to take it all home. However, mulligan troubles forced his prompt exit but he should be glad to pick up his very first Grand Prix Top 8 and a bunch of Pro Points.
A few months ago, Marco Paulo De Jesus Freitas was denied the honor of becoming a Grand Prix Champion when Pascal Maynard defeated him in the finals of Grand Prix Buenos Aires. When the dust settled, it was De Jesus Freitas from Rio de Janeiro who lifted the silverware. As a matter of fact, he did it without ever dropping a match the entire weekend, his only loss being a concession to Saporito!
To secure his title, De Jesus Freitas had to first defeat Diego Marquez's Green-Red Tron deck in the quarterfinals in an intense match by topdecking a timely Path to Exile, before surviving yet another close shave against Alejandro Cesa when he was on the verge of being burnt out! In the finals, his opponent Vagner William Casatti was equally hungry for the trophy, but in the end it was the fatter creatures which triumphed.
Rounding out the Top 8 were Caio Amaral with his unique Bant Zoo concoction (which included a sprinkle of Retreat to Coralhelm), Grand Prix Sao Paulo 2014 Champion Guilherme Merjam with Living End and World Magic Cup Top 8 Competitor Gabriel Fehr with Splinter Twin, all very accomplished players in their own right!
The eight have demonstrated that they know a thing or two about Modern Constructed, and will put their skills to the test at Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch which they are now all qualified for!
Congratulations once again to Marco Paulo De Jesus Freitas, for the well-deserved win and the flawless weekend!
November 2 2015
Top 5 Cards by Chapman Sim#5: Knight of the Reliquary It might seem like Knight of the Reliquary is past her heyday, but she's beginning to see some play again! As demonstrated by Grand Prix Porto Alegre Champion Marcos...
November 2 2015
Finals: Marcos Paulo De Jesus Freitas (Naya Zoo) VS. Vagner William Casatti (Naya Burn) by Chapman SimThe elimination rounds proceeded at blistering speed, largely due to the fact that there were 16 copies of Wild Nacatl in the Top 8. In under an hour and a half, Marcos Paulo De Jesus Freitas and...
November 1 2015
Top 8 Decklists by Chapman SimWhat were the weapons of choice for the final eight players at Porto Alegre? ...
DAY 2 COVERAGE
789 players arrived in Porto Alegre to play some Modern, but only a fraction have earned the right to return today. With only 84 aspirants left in the content, each of them had a 1.2% chance of winning the whole thing. Mathematically.
Only two players enter Day 2 with unblemished records, Marcelo Rodrigues Cavalcante and Grand Prix Buenos Aires finalist Marcos Paulo De Jesus Freitas. Naturally, they'll be faced off in Round 10 today and are fighting to become the sole undefeated 10-0 player.
Gabriel Fehr is also technically undefeated, coming in at 8-0-1. On their heels, seventeen players sit at 8-1, including the bubbly Platinum Pro, Thiago Saporito. Many others lurk closely behind, including Artur Villela, Guilherme Merjam, Paulo Ricardo Cortez, Pedro Carvalho, Mariano Cartechini, Lucas Esper Berthoud, all at 7-2 records and all equipped with Grand Prix Top 8 experience!
Only 6 more rounds will ensue before the Top 8 cut. With an excellent performance today, anyone could be crowned the Grand Prix Porto Alegre Champion!
May the best man win!
November 1 2015
Day 1 Undefeated Decklists by Chapman SimOut of 789 players, only two players entered Day 2 with unblemished records, Marcelo Rodrigues Cavalcante and Grand Prix Buenos Aires finalist Marcos Paulo De Jesus Freitas. Gabriel Fehr is also...
November 1 2015
Day 2 Metagame Breakdown by Chapman SimIt's a big world out there. The world of Modern, that is. Despite having only 84 players in Day 2, they collectively represent nearly thirty archetypes and variants. To further represent the data,...
November 1 2015
Retreating to Coralhelm with Eduardo Borges by Chapman SimCan It Be? Just a couple of days ago, Melissa DeTora put a Legacy deck in the spotlight, a creation made possible by a very important addition from Battle for Zendikar. Christened “Reliquary...
DAY 1 COVERAGE
789 players arrived in Porto Alegre to play some Modern, but only a fraction have earned the right to return tomorrow. If they wanted a good shot at the trophy tomorrow, the 84 aspirants would have to turn away some parties and rest well for yet another tough day ahead.
Only two players enter Day 2 with unblemished records, Marcelo Rodrigues Cavalcante and Grand Prix Buenos Aires finalist Marcos Paulo De Jesus Freitas. Gabriel Fehr is also technically undefeated, coming in at 8-0-1, 3rd in Swiss at the moment.
Seventeen players should be quite happy with their 8-1 result including the bubbly Thiago Saporito. He charged into Day 2 with a 7-0 record, before stumbling a little and then picking himself up. The other Platinum Pros in the room weren't that lucky though. Hall of Famers Paulo Vitor Damo Da Rosa and Willy Edel quickly picked up two losses right after their byes and were on the bubble even before Round 6 began.
Rounding of the pack are Artur Villela, Guilherme Merjam, Paulo Ricardo Cortez, Pedro Carvalho, Mariano Cartechini, Lucas Esper Berthoud, all at 7-2 records and all equipped with Grand Prix Top 8 experience!
For the Magic fanatics who haven't quite got enough of coverage, do take note that Grand Prix Lyon (Limited) and Grand Prix Indianapolis (Standard) are also taking place this weekend.
Alternatively, put on a swanky costume and go trick-o-treating! Happy Halloween!
October 31 2015
Round 9 Feature Match: Joaquim Damasceno (Merfolk) VS Willy Edel (Jund) by Chapman SimCrawling back from a 0-2 start, newly-inducted Hall of Famer Willy Edel had preferred not to be in this predicament in the first place. However, rattling off three straight wins with his trusty...
October 31 2015
Round 8 Feature Match: Marcelo Rodrigues Cavalcante (Grixis Twin) VS Ertom Acres Teixeira (Amulet Bloom) by Chapman SimA lot of the big names have fallen on the wayside. For example, Willy Edel and Paulo Damo Da Rosa went 0-2 right after their three byes and were on the bubble even before Round 6 had begun. The...
October 31 2015
Deck Tech with Luis Salvatto and Sebastian Pozzo: Grixis Control by Chapman SimA very familiar name caught my eye (and perhaps maybe yours too!) while perusing through the extensive list of Grand Prix Trial winners. As a matter of the fact, the very first Grand Prix Trial...
Note: final standings reflect the number of players participating in the event, not the number of preregistered players.
article GRAND PRIX PORTO ALEGRE 2015 November 2, 2015
by Chapman Sim#5: Knight of the Reliquary It might seem like Knight of the Reliquary is past her heyday, but she's beginning to see some play again! As demonstrated by Grand Prix Porto Alegre Champion Marcos...
article GRAND PRIX PORTO ALEGRE 2015 November 2, 2015
Finals: Marcos Paulo De Jesus Freitas (Naya Zoo) VS. Vagner William Casatti (Naya Burn)
by Chapman SimThe elimination rounds proceeded at blistering speed, largely due to the fact that there were 16 copies of Wild Nacatl in the Top 8. In under an hour and a half, Marcos Paulo De Jesus Freitas and...
article GRAND PRIX PORTO ALEGRE November 1, 2015
by Chapman SimWhat were the weapons of choice for the final eight players at Porto Alegre? ...
article GRAND PRIX PORTO ALEGRE 2015 November 2, 2015
by Chapman SimAllison Nakazora Abe's Amulet Bloom - 9th ...
article GRAND PRIX PORTO ALEGRE 2015 November 1, 2015
Semifinals: Caio Amaral (Bant Zoo) VS. Vagner William Casatti (Naya Burn)
by Chapman SimAfter winning his quarterfinals, Caio Amaral remains the lone existing Blue player in the entire tournament. To say that might sound a little misleading, considering that he is also really playing...
article GRAND PRIX PORTO ALEGRE 2015 November 1, 2015
Semifinals: Marcos Paulo De Jesus Freitas (Naya Zoo) VS. Alejandro Cesa (Naya Burn)
by Chapman SimBoth players are piloting Naya-colored decks with Wild Nacatl, but have slightly different takes. De Jesus Freitas is playing slower, but more powerful, threats such as Voice of Resurgence,...
article GRAND PRIX PORTO ALEGRE 2015 November 1, 2015
by Chapman SimWith so many aggro decks in the Top 8 here at Porto Alegre, the elimination rounds proceeded pretty quickly! Regardless, we don't want you to miss out on any of the action! Here's a quick summary...
article GRAND PRIX PORTO ALEGRE 2015 November 1, 2015
by Chapman SimAfter many rounds of Swiss and some great games of Magic, the Top 8 for Grand Prix Alegre is set! Learn more about this event’s Top 8 competitors, their history at the top tables, and more by...
article GRAND PRIX PORTO ALEGRE 2015 November 1, 2015
by Chapman SimOut of 789 players, only two players entered Day 2 with unblemished records, Marcelo Rodrigues Cavalcante and Grand Prix Buenos Aires finalist Marcos Paulo De Jesus Freitas. Gabriel Fehr is also...
article GRAND PRIX PORTO ALEGRE November 1, 2015
by Chapman SimIt's a big world out there. The world of Modern, that is. Despite having only 84 players in Day 2, they collectively represent nearly thirty archetypes and variants. To further represent the data,...
article GRAND PRIX PORTO ALEGRE 2015 November 1, 2015
Retreating to Coralhelm with Eduardo Borges
by Chapman SimCan It Be? Just a couple of days ago, Melissa DeTora put a Legacy deck in the spotlight, a creation made possible by a very important addition from Battle for Zendikar. Christened “Reliquary...
article GRAND PRIX PORTO ALEGRE 2015 November 1, 2015
Round 11 Feature Match: Marcos Paulo De Jesus Freitas (Naya Zoo) VS Caua Roca (Pyromancer Ascension)
by Chapman SimThis is a matchup that hasn't been witnessed for a long time. Owing to “Blue-Red Storm”'s vulnerability to Black-Green deck, it has fallen out of disrepute in recent time. However, judging...
article GRAND PRIX PORTO ALEGRE 2015 October 31, 2015
Round 9 Feature Match: Joaquim Damasceno (Merfolk) VS Willy Edel (Jund)
by Chapman SimCrawling back from a 0-2 start, newly-inducted Hall of Famer Willy Edel had preferred not to be in this predicament in the first place. However, rattling off three straight wins with his trusty...
article GRAND PRIX PORTO ALEGRE 2015 October 31, 2015
by Chapman SimA lot of the big names have fallen on the wayside. For example, Willy Edel and Paulo Damo Da Rosa went 0-2 right after their three byes and were on the bubble even before Round 6 had begun. The...
article GRAND PRIX PORTO ALEGRE 2015 October 31, 2015
Deck Tech with Luis Salvatto and Sebastian Pozzo: Grixis Control
by Chapman SimA very familiar name caught my eye (and perhaps maybe yours too!) while perusing through the extensive list of Grand Prix Trial winners. As a matter of the fact, the very first Grand Prix Trial...
article GRAND PRIX PORTO ALEGRE 2015 October 31, 2015
Round 5 Feature Match: Muhammad Aqel (Affinity) VS Thiago Saporito (White-Green Auras)
by Chapman SimPlatinum Pro Thiago Saporito has a confession. “I haven't played any Modern since the World Championship and I don't like Abzan anymore! Because of that, I'm choosing the easiest deck to...
article GRAND PRIX PORTO ALEGRE 2015 October 31, 2015
Deck Tech with Pedro Carvalho: Blue-Green Infect
by Chapman SimDoes the alias “_megafone_” ring a bell? But of course, that guy is a menace on Magic Online. And on paper too! Pedro Carvalho in real life, “_megafone_” on Magic Online. With Grand Prix...
article GRAND PRIX PORTO ALEGRE 2015 October 31, 2015
by Chapman SimPorto Alegre is home to a very esteemed player. A household name to most non-Mugglefolk, if you will. Of course, I'm referring to Hall of Famer, Paulo Vitor Damo Da Rosa. How can coverage be...
article GRAND PRIX PORTO ALEGRE 2015 October 31, 2015
Grand Prix Trial Winning Decklists
by Chapman SimThe Magic community in Latin America might not be as large as North America and Europe, but they certainly aren't any less enthusiastic! Yesterday, a whopping SIXTEEN Modern Grand Prix Trials took...
SOCIAL MEDIA
TWITTER
The hashtag for Grand Prix Porto Alegre is #gppoa. Join the conversation!
TWITTER: #gppoa