THE OFFICIAL Philly Open 4 T.O. Report - Decklists, Metagame, & More!

[Iron_Chef]

The Philly Open 4 is done!

With a standard event having 173 players, a vintage event having 68 players (and it would have broken 70 had a few friends agreed not to play in order to help me deal with such a great turnout), this was an event that you were unfortunate if you missed.  I want to extend a HUGE thank you to the Vintage players who made the trip to participate and show people that we all still know how to have fun.  Below you will find Top 8 decklists from each tournament, and a Metagame breakdown for the Vintage Tournament.

CLICK FOR PICTURES!

Vintage Metagame:

"Other" (Detailed at the bottom): 16 players
Classic Tezzeret: 13 players
5c Stax: 7 players
Oath of Druids: 7 players
Vault Key (no Tez): 5 players
TPS: 4 players
Dredge: 4 players
Null Rod BUG: 3 players
Noble Fish: 3 players
CB Top: 2 players
GW Beats: 2 players

2 decklists were harmed in the making of this tournament.

Other archetypes represented by a lone pilot:
Elves!
Goblins
Workshop Aggro
Landstill
ETW Tezzeret
Drain Tendrils
Mono Red Blood Moon
MUD
Travis Laplante had sex with Monkey Cage.dec (aka 5c stax)
MUC
Mono Red Stax
StifleNought
UBr Brew
RGb Beatz
UB Rootwater Thief Aggro
Hexmage Depths
Belcher (aka Nat "Puntalicious" Moes serious homebrew)

Vintage Results

Top 8:
Mykie Noble (Shop Aggro) defeated Paul Mastriano (Oath)
Mark Hornung (Dredge) defeated Jeff Folinus (Tezzeret)
Sam Best (ETW Tez) defeated Sam Berse (Dredge)
Stephen Houdlette (Tez) defeated Stephen Nowakowski (TPS)

Top 4:
Mark Hornung defeated Mykie Noble
Stephen Houdlette defeated Sam Best

Finals:
Mark Hornung defeated Stephen Houdlette

Mark Hornung is the Philly Open 4 Champion!  Congratulations Mark!

Vintage Top 8 Decklists

Mark Hornung - 1st Place - Dredge

4 Bloodghast
4 Narcomoeba
4 Golgari-Grave Troll
4 Stinkweed Imp
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Bridge from Below
4 Careful Study
4 Breakthrough
4 Bazaar of Baghdad
3 Ichorid
3 Undiscovered Paradise
3 Cephalid Coliseum
3 City of Brass
3 Dread Return
2 Golgari Thug
1 Angel of Despair
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Flame-Kin Zealot
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Dakmar Salvage
1 Life from the Loam

SB:
2 Contagion
4 Chain of Vapor
4 Force of Will
4 Unmask
1 Wispmare

Stephen Houdlette - 2nd Place - Tezzeret

1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Brainstorm
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Time Walk
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Tinker
2 Sensei's Divining Top
3 Dark Confidant
1 Time Vault
1 Voltaic Key
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain
2 Duress
2 Thoughtseize
1 Annul
1 Ponder
1 Fire//Ice
1 Repeal
1 Rebuild
1 Sol Ring
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
3 Polluted Delta
3 Flooded Strand
2 Island
1 Snow-Covered Island
3 Underground Sea
3 Volcanic Island
1 Tolarian Academy

SB:
3 Ingot Chewer
3 Mystic Remora
2 Pyroclasm
1 Massacre
1 Red Elemental Blast
1 Yixlid Jailer
1 Pithing Needle
1 Annul
1 Greater Gargadon
1 Dead//Gone

Sam Best - 3rd Place - ETW Tezzeret

3 Polluted Delta
3 Flooded Strand
2 Volcanic Island
2 Underground Sea
3 Island
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Lotus Petal
4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Voltaic Key
1 Recoup
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Ponder
1 Tinker
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Rebuild
2 Repeal
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Timetwister
1 Tezzeret
2 Duress
1 Time Vault
1 Fire//Ice
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Time Walk
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Brainstorm
1 Gifts Ungiven

SB:
2 Tormod's Crypt
2 Red Elemental Blast
2 Pyroclasm
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Hurkyl's Recall
2 Mystic Remora
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
1 Ravenous Trap
1 Yixlid Jailer

Mike Noble (D3G) - 4th Place - Mono Red Shop Aggro

4 Goblin Welder
4 Gorilla Shaman
4 Juggernaut
4 Magus of the Moon
4 Solemn Simulacrum
2 Triskelion
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Thorn of Amethyst
3 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Trinisphere
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
5 Moxen
6 Mountain
4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Wasteland
2 Ancient Tomb
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy

SB:
4 Red Elemental Blast
3 Grater Gargadon
3 Viashino Heretic
2 Pithing Needle
2 Tormod's Crypt
1 Relic of Progenitus

Paul Mastriano (Meandeck) - 5th Place - Oath of Druids

5 Moxen
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mana Crypt
4 Forbidden Orchard
4 Misty Rainforest
2 Underground Sea
1 Forest
1 Tropical Island
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Island
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Regrowth
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Timetwister
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Iona, the Shield of Emeria
1 Imperial Seal
1 Voltaic Key
1 Time Vault
1 Ponder
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Tezzeret
1 Krosan Reclamation
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Time Walk
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Brainstorm
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Rebuild
1 Vampiric Tutor
3 Spell Pierce
4 Oath of Druids
4 Force of Will
3 Mana Drain

SB:
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Pernicious Deed
1 Balance
1 Swords to Plowshares
3 Leyline of the Void
3 Ravenous Trap
1 Pithing Needle
1 Akroma, Angel of Wrath
1 Progenitus
1 Strip Mine
1 Sacred Ground

Jeff Folinus (D3G) - 6th Place - Tezzeret

4 Polluted Delta
1 Flooded Strand
3 Island
1 Swamp
3 Underground Sea
2 Volcanic Island
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
4 Force of Will
3 Duress
1 Thoughtseize
4 Mana Drain
1 Misdirection
1 Hurkyl’s Recall
1 Fire/Ice
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
1 Ponder
1 Time Walk
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Yawgmoth’s Will
3 Dark Confidant
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Tezzeret, the Seeker
1 Tinker
1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Time Vault
1 Voltaic Key
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Sensei’s Divining Top

SB:
2 Red Elemental Blast
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
2 Diabolic Edict
2 Leyline of the Void
1 Ravenous Trap
1 Tormod’s Crypt
1 Yixlid Jailer
1 Relic of Progenitus
2 Rack and Ruin
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Hurkyl’s Recall

Sam Berse - 7th Place - Dredge

4x Bloodghast
4x Narcomoeba
4x Golgari Thug
4x Golgari-Grave Troll
4x Stinkweed Imp
4x Cabal Therapy
4x Bridge from Below
4x Serum Powder
4x Fatestitcher
3x Dread Return
3x Sharuum, the Hegemon
1x Altar of Dementia
1x Possessed Portal
4x Bazaar of Baghdad
4x Undiscovered Paradise
4x Cephalid Coliseum
1x Black Lotus
1x Lion's Eye Diamond
1x Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
1x Seat of the Synod

SB:
4x Chain of Vapor
4x Force of Will
4x Unmask
3x Echoing Truth

Stephen Nowakowski (D3G) - 8th Place - TPS

1 Black Lotus
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Memory Jar
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
2 Cabal Ritual
4 Dark Ritual
1 Demonic Tutor
4 Duress
1 Grim Tutor
1 Necropotence
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Bargain
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
1 Chain of Vapor
4 Force of Will
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Darksteel Colossus
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mind's Desire
1 Misdirection
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Ponder
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Time Walk
1 Timetwister
1 Tinker
1 Flooded Strand
2 Island
4 Polluted Delta
2 Swamp
1 Tolarian Academy
3 Underground Sea

SB:
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Engineered Plague
1 Repeal
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Island
1 Leyline of the Void
1 Ravenous Trap
1 Rebuild
1 Slaughter Pact
1 Swamp
2 Thoughtseize
2 Tormod's Crypt
1 Yixlid Jailer

Standard Top 8
(173 players!)

Alex Aleshinskiy v. Kevin Jones - Alex Aleshinskiy wins
Anthony Conta v. Russell Amoriello - Russell Amoriello wins
Ron Witkowski v. Rick Krattenmaker - Rick Krattenmaker wins
Chris Lachmann v. Tim Turner - Tim Turner wins

Semis
Alex Aleshinskiy v. Russell Amoriello - Alex Aleshinskiy wins
Tim Turner v. Rick Krattenmaker - Rick Krattenmaker wins

Finals
Rick Krattenmaker v Alex Aleshinskiy - Alex Aleshinskiy wins

1st - Alex Aleshinskiy

4 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
2 Gargoyle Castle
15 Forest
1 Verdant Catacombs
3 Elvish Archdruid
3 Master of the Wild Hunt
4 Llanowar Elves
2 Noble Hierarch
4 Elvish Visionary
4 Nissa's Chosen
2 Ant Queen
2 Oracle of Mul Daya
1 Great Sable Stag
3 Garruk Wildspeaker
4 Nissa Revane
4 Eldrazi Monument
2 Vines of Vastwood

Sideboard:
2 Pithing Needle
2 Fog
3 Great Sable Stag
2 Vines of Vastwood
2 Naturalize
2 Acidic Slime
1 Mold Shambler
1 Relic of Progenitus

2nd - Rick Krattenmaker

4 Savage Lands
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Dragonskull Summit
3 Mountain
3 Swamp
3 Forest
3 Siege-Gang Commander
4 Sprouting Thrinax
4 Broodmate Dragon
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Bituminous Blast
3 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Rampant Growth
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Terminate
4 Blightning

Sideboard:
2 Terminate*
4 Mind Rot*
4 Goblin Ruinblaster
2 Jund Charm
2 Pyroclasm
1 Maelstrom Pulse

3rd - Tim Turner

4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Savage Lands
3 Dragonskull Summit
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Swamp
4 Forest
2 Mountain
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Sprouting Thrinax
4 Putrid Leech
3 Broodmate Dragon
4 Blightning
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Resounding Thunder
3 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Terminate
3 Bituminous Blast
2 Garruk Wildspeaker

Sideboard:
3 Great Sable Stag
4 Duress
2 Pyroclasm
3 Jund Charm
3 Thought Hemorrhage

 4th - Russell Amoriello

4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Savage Lands
4 Dragonskull Summit
4 Rootbound Crag
3 Swamp
3 Forest
3 Mountain
2 Ob Nixilis, the Fallen
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Sprouting Thrinax
4 Putrid Leech
2 Broodmate Dragon
4 Blightning
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Resounding Thunder
3 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Terminate
2 Bituminous Blast
1 Resounding Thunder
2 Garruk Wildspeaker

Sideboard:
1 Great Sable Stag
4 Goblin Ruinblaster
4 Jund Charm
4 Thought Hemorrhage
2 Caldera Hellion

5th - Ron Witkowski

3 Broodmate dragon
4 rampant growth
3 siege-gang commander
4 sprouting Thrinax
3 terminate
3 maelstrom pulse
4 blightning
3 bituminous blast
4 lightning bolt
3 dragonskull summit
4 savage lands
2 oran-rief, the Vastwood
4 verdant catacombs
4 rootbound crag
3 swamp
3 forest
2 mountain
4 bloodbraid elf

Sideboard:
4 goblin ruinblasters
4 jund charm
3 great sable stag
2 resounding thunder
2 mind rot


6th - Anthony Conta

6 Plains
4 Mountain
2 Teetering Peaks
4 Marsh Flats
4 Arid Mesa
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Goblin Bushwhacker
4 Steppe Lynx
3 Elite Vanguard
4 Goblin Guide
4 Plated Geopede
3 Kor Skyfisher
4 Ranger of Eos
2 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
2 Burst Lightning
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Path to Exile

Sideboard:
3 Earthquake
3 Harm's Way
3 Celestial Purge
3 Oblivion Ring
3 Manabarbs


7th - Chris Lachmann

16 Swamp
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Marsh Flats
3 Malakir Bloodwitch
4 Gatekeeper of Malakir
3 Bloodghast
4 Vampire Hexmage
4 Vampire Nocturnus
4 Vampire Nighthawk
2 Mind Sludge
4 Tendrils of Corruption
3 Disfigure
1 Eldrazi Monument
4 Sign in Blood

Sideboard:
1 Disfigure
1 Haunting Echoes
2 Mind Sludge
3 Deathmark
3 Marsh Casualties
4 Duress
1 Malakir Bloodwitch

8th - Kevin Jones

4 Sejiri Refuge
6 Plains
4 Glacial Fortress
2 Arcane Sanctum
2 Island
3 Marsh Flats
1 Sphinx of Jwar Isle
4 Baneslayer Angel
4 White Knight
4 Knight of the White Orchid
3 Day of Judgment
4 Path to Exile
4 Fieldmist Borderpost
3 Negate
3 Harm's Way
3 Jace Beleren
2 Mind Control
2 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Mind Spring
1 Kiss of the Amesha

Sideboard:
4 Celestial Purge
3 Luminarch Ascension
3 Spell Pierce
3 Meddling Mage
1 Harm's Way
1 Day of Judgment

[A.-1.]

Another awesome tourney Nick Coss. The venue was conveniently located, there was plenty of elbow room, the turnout was impressive, the judges were helpful, I could go on and on.

Congrats to the top 8 and the Blue Bell regulars who put up a good showing.  I'll see everybody at AU on the 5th.

[daveshotme]

Thanks again nick for another great event! I couldn't stress this enought... Seriously. I just wish I would have done a little better but I still had alot of fun. Great tour and I can't wait for the next one.

[The Atog Lord]

Nick, thank you for a very well-run and fun event.

[GrandpaBelcher]

Nick, this event was awesome.  Thanks for everything.

It's possible that one of the damaged decklists was mine, RUGBurn Belcher.  I played that.  And I punted.

[Iron_Chef]

Indeed it was Nat; I'll amend that.

[Will]

Nick as everyone else has said it was a great event and lots of fun.  I only wish that I wouldn't missed Top8 after starting 4-0 and that I could have seen those final standings before they were stolen. 

[Tha Gunslinga]

Congratulations to Nick for running such a big event.  Great job to everyone who showed up.  I wish I could have made it.

[metalhead666]

it was a good tournament despite the ridiculously long drive to a tournament titled "The Philly Open".  At least the drive was worth it and the location held everyone Iwith enough space to be comfortable.

[Marske]

@Nick,
This looks like an awesome event. I hope the "big" event you're planning (for the power and all) makes it in the planning as I would actually make the trip to it just to play (and obviously hang out with all my US friends).

Having 68 players for Vintage is just amazing and it shows Vintage is far from dead in the NYC / Philly area. Keep up the very good work and I hope to attend one of these events some day.

[Grand Inquisitor]

shows Vintage is far from dead in the NYC / Philly area

QFT.

The stellar prize support convinced us to make the trip and it was impressive to see what you guys have going down here.  As for the tourney itself, almost everyone I met was good people and knew their Vintage.  Team Hadley/Car took our Tez list from GenCon and updated it for a heavier oath and stax meta.  We made a last minute decision to lose to dredge and beat everything else.  Besides a play mistake against Stax in the swiss and finally meeting up with dredge in the finals it worked.  The guy who won the lotus I think got his first big win and was a hell-of-a-nice guy; gratz to him.

[Marske]

@GI,
Well this is the type event I've seen you guys talking about not having on these boards for some time now, so seeing that Nick pulled it off is awesome

[Katzby]

I was on the judge staff for this event and have a copy of the final standings including drops because one player who had to leave early wanted to know where he was going to stand after Swiss.  If anybody needs info from it, feel free to ask on this thread.

[Mr. Type 4]

This tournament was the best Philly Open yet.  @Nick - I LOVED that this place had FREE PARKING!! Not only was the parking free, it wasn't 4 blocks away so I had easy access to my car.  Little things like that really take a great event like this to another level. 

Congrats to Mark on his victory.  I certainly had a blast at this one and will be back for the next one...

[voltron00x]

I was on the judge staff for this event and have a copy of the final standings including drops because one player who had to leave early wanted to know where he was going to stand after Swiss.  If anybody needs info from it, feel free to ask on this thread.

If you can send it to me, it'd help me with my article on the tournament... voltron00x@gmail.com

Also big thanks to the judge staff and everyone else that worked or helped with the event.  I thought it went very, very smoothly considering we were WAY above expected attendance for the Standard portion.  And also thanks to the Vintage community for showing up and being awesome as always, especially those that traveled a long way to participate.  This event would've cracked 70 players if Ed Carey and I had played, but the player volume was so high that we ended up helping Nick instead.

[GrandpaBelcher]

Actually, the other damaged decklist would have been Menendian-grade Confidant Control, unless you counted that in another category.  Another Northern Virginian, Doug Azzano, played that.

[Iron_Chef]

I lumped the Confidant Control in with the two other BUG decks, some my consider it a slight oversight, but i see trops and undergrounds and bobs and goyfs and make a call.  dunno what happened to the last decklist (probably sitting in the pile with the rest of them).

[Ummmyeh13]

This tournament was a blast even though my deck didn't like me. Smoothly ran and everyone was having fun. Once again thanks for running these tournaments Nick. Good independant TOs are hard to come by and you are definitely a level above the rest. Looking forward to the next Open and that special project no one is supposed to know abo whatever events you plan for the future.

[FAVO!!!!1]

The Vintage event would have broke 70 if my buddy didn't get into a car accident with a drunk driver ;-; At least no one got hurt and the idiot got locked up.

Congrats to Mark for winning the whole shebang! I know you worked your ass off to get a faster variant of dredge working, and it obviously worked from your results. Glad that I could have a helping hand in the development of your deck ^.^ Mad props yo! I hope you don't continue this trend of playing your friends in the semi-finals though lol. You house us all!

Congrats to Mykie as well! Two straight top 8s is pretty good man. Keep up the good work.

[ra_2_soldier]

Great tourament! I cant wait to attend the next one........ and yea congrats to mykie for knocking me out of another top 8....  he def has my number!

[Twaun007]

Vintage Results

Top 8:
Mykie Noble (Shop Aggro) defeated Paul Mastriano (Oath)
Mark Hornung (Dredge) defeated Jeff Folinus (Tezzeret)
Sam Best (ETW Tez) defeated Sam Berse (Dredge)
Stephen Houdlette (Tez) defeated Stephen Nowakowski (TPS)

Folinus and Nowakowski in another top 8! Something tells me that these guys are good.

Nowakaowski has to be the best TPS player in the country right now and Folinus's technical play is unmatched by all. Congratulations on the top 8 guys.

EDIT:At least Stephen didn't get dominated by Ichorid this time. 

[psyburat]

I was the Shop Aggro player in the Top 8 (and apparently the entire tournament, for that matter).  Here is how my swiss pairings went:

Rd 1 - Landstill (1-0, he started the round with a game loss)
Rd 2 - CB Top (2-0)
Rd 3 - Tezz (1-2)
(5 Hour Energy was consumed at this point.  Bad Idea.)
Rd 4 - GW (2-1)
Rd 5 - TPS (0-2)
Rd 6 - Tezz (2-0)
Rd 7 - 5C Stax (2-1)

Props
Nick Coss, for holding amazing tournaments
D3G, especially Steve and Jeff, for our presence in the Top 8
Mark Hornung, for making the trip with me, and for winning the whole thing!
Craig Berry, who needs all the props he can get

Slops
The Dewey Decimal System

[personalbackfire]

Vintage Results

Top 8:
Mykie Noble (Shop Aggro) defeated Paul Mastriano (Oath)
Mark Hornung (Dredge) defeated Jeff Folinus (Tezzeret)
Sam Best (ETW Tez) defeated Sam Berse (Dredge)
Stephen Houdlette (Tez) defeated Stephen Nowakowski (TPS)

Folinus and Nowakowski in another top 8! Something tells me that these guys are good.

Nowakaowski has to be the best TPS player in the country right now and Folinus's technical play is unmatched by all. Congratulations on the top 8 guys.

EDIT:At least Stephen didn't get dominated by Ichorid this time. 

Thanks Twaun!  Hopefully there is some big tournament sometime soon that we will all be at again, Pitt was a great time meeting you.

Luckily I didn't lose to Ichorid this time, I left that task up to Jeff. He did not disappoint...

Congrads on everyone who top 8ed and played, it was a great tournament

[Womba]

Luckily I didn't lose to Ichorid this time, I left that task up to Jeff. He did not disappoint...

I am currently attempting to beat the whole D3G team with Ichorid in top 8 action.


Another amazing event put on by Nick Coss successfully by the amazing vintage community on the east coast here. Congrats to the top 8.

[voltron00x]

I've never lost to Ichorid in Vintage, so you have your work cut out for you sir 

Congrats again on your win, if someone from D3G wasn't going to take it down, I'm glad we kept it in the Philly / Blue Bell family.

[Will]

 Mykie you did give props to Craig for not coming to the tournament? Was it that or did he earn those props by shedding his remaining dignity and drinking some Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce?   

[KingSquee]

Despite the fact I didn't win a match all day (0-2 drop in Vintage, prompt elimination from the EDH event, no trivia game) I still had a great time. It's not often I can say that. In all honesty the fact I had a Saturday off from work to attend had much to do with it.

Looking forward to the next one Nick, and the accompanying Saturday off that comes with it!

[psyburat]

Mykie you did give props to Craig for not coming to the tournament? Was it that or did he earn those props by shedding his remaining dignity and drinking some Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce?   

I do it because it boils your blood better than a Bhut Jolokia pepper would.

[TrueUVGP]

I totally had a ride there and everything, then the night before we got in a near fatal car crash, otherwise, I would have been so all over that bitch!

[Red Irish]

I was the Shop Aggro player in the Top 8 (and apparently the entire tournament, for that matter).  Here is how my swiss pairings went:

Rd 1 - Landstill (1-0, he started the round with a game loss)
Rd 2 - CB Top (2-0)
Rd 3 - Tezz (1-2)
(5 Hour Energy was consumed at this point.  Bad Idea.)
Rd 4 - GW (2-1)
Rd 5 - TPS (0-2)
Rd 6 - Tezz (2-0)
Rd 7 - 5C Stax (2-1)

Props
Nick Coss, for holding amazing tournaments
D3G, especially Steve and Jeff, for our presence in the Top 8
Mark Hornung, for making the trip with me, and for winning the whole thing!
Craig Berry, who needs all the props he can get

Slops
The Dewey Decimal System

Well done, sir! It's good to see that mono-red shop can still make it, even if things have become increasingly difficult in the current metagame.