Invitational Top 8 Profiles

Joe Stempo

Age: 31

Hometown:
Catasauqha, PA

Archetype:
Mardu Pyromancer | R/B Aggro

Notable Finishes
0-4 into a Double bye at IQ last weekend.

Why did you choose to go with the decks you played this weekend?
Mardu is very powerful and interactive with game against most of the format. Owen + Reid's 75 from PT DOM looked like the best deck and I saw no reason to change a thing. Looting is the new Brainstorm!

Aaron Barich

Age: 21

Hometown:
Gulfport, MS

Archetype:
Infect | Mono-Red Aggro

Notable Finishes
5 Open Top 8's. GP Memphis Finalist.

Why did you choose to go with the decks you played this weekend?
Red because it's good in the R(x) mirror and better against control. Infect because it's what I do.

Michael Hamilton

Age: 23

Hometown:
Brownsburg, IN

Archetype:
Esper Control | B/R Hollow One

Notable Finishes
1 Invi top 8, 2 Open top 8, 1 Open win.

Why did you choose to go with the decks you played this weekend?
Hollow One is strong and seemed well positioned. I love control decks in standard, and even thought I think my deck was a few cards off, I thought I could beat up red.

Austin Collins

Age: 15

Hometown:
Kansas City, MO

Archetype:
Affinity | Mono-Red Aggro

Notable Finishes
1x Invi Top 4, 2x Open top 8, 2x Classic top 8

Why did you choose to go with the decks you played this weekend?
I thought they were good and I enjoyed playing them.

Hunter Krot

Age: 20

Hometown:
Brighton, MI

Archetype:
G/W Hexproof | R/B Aggro

Notable Finishes
This Top 8

Why did you choose to go with the decks you played this weekend?
For Modern, Bogles just plays a game most decks can't deal with. In standard I just figured if it can top 8 a PT, it should be fine for the Invitational.

Gerard Fabiano

Age: 34

Hometown:
Belleville, NJ

Archetype:
Jeskai Control | Esper Control

Notable Finishes
PT top 4, 3 GP Wins, 5 Open Wins, 3 Invi Top 8.

Why did you choose to go with the decks you played this weekend?
I like playing control but just because I wanted to. Magic is a fun game pick and deck you like and practice if you choose.

Anthony Skrzypczak

Age: 27

Hometown:
Chicago, IL

Archetype:
Mono-Green Devotion | U/W Historic

Notable Finishes
Top 8 Classic, Top 16 Modern Open.

Why did you choose to go with the decks you played this weekend?
I know green the best, it's a good deck that is unknown, that gives me an edge, but I just like the deck too. U/W Historic is an exact 75 net deck that I had almost no reps in ahead of time. I just picked a deck that could beat red.

Zac Elsik

Age: 30

Hometown:
Dallas, TX

Archetype:
KCI (Ironworks Combo | U/W Gift

Notable Finishes
Managed to win a game on the draw against Tron after they played (in order): Relic, Karn, Worldbreaker, Karn.

Why did you choose to go with the decks you played this weekend?
My freind Micah told me KCI is busted and I should play it if I wanted to win. He wasn't wrong.