Dan Clark is your Darkmoon Faire Chicago champion!
After battling through World Cup champion Ben Isgur and Darkmoon Faire juggernaut Brad Watson, veteran gamer Dan Clark from Michigan found himself playing against Peter Beckfield, the first seed player from Saturday in his first ever Darkmoon Faire. While Peter had some potentially aggressive plays available with his Alliance Death Knight deck, Dan came out on top in three speedy games.
As the events wind down here at Darkmoon Faire Chicago, we can safely say that players are excited for the new War of the Elements expansion. The new set's heroes and cards have proved to be very effective in limited, giving familiar Worldbreaker heroes some amazing new cards to work with while opening up the format with new hero archetypes.
World of Warcraft Trading Card Game events were not the only thing going on this weekend either! On the other side of the room, Epic Con made its big premiere. Players could play a variety of other trading card games and board games. They could even check out board games from Chicagoland Games for free. For players that were willing to donate money in order to check out something from their extensive library of board games, the proceeds would go to the Child's Play charity.
It's been an absolute blast this weekend. The Darkmoon Faire will be heading overseas in May to Germany, where the format will be Classic Constructed. After that, it's Continental Championship season, where the best players will be fighting for their right to compete in the World Championship that will be taking place in Amsterdam this November.
Thanks again to all those who attended the Darkmoon Faire this weekend, and we hope to see you again!
See our Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 pictures on Facebook, and follow the event on Twitter.
Peter Beckfield
Rob Jenson
Andrew Trebing
Ray Tautic
Dan Clark
Ben Isgur
Brad Watson
Eric Buckendorf
Peter Beckfield
Andrew Trebing
Dan Clark
Brad Watson
Peter Beckfield
Dan Clark
Dan Clark
Day One Pairings and Standings:
Round 1: Pairings, Standings; Round 2: Pairings, Standings; Round 3: Pairings, Standings; Round 4: Pairings, Standings; Round 5: Pairings, Standings; Round 6: Pairings, Standings; Round 7: Pairings, Standings; Round 8: Pairings, Standings
Sunday Coverage
Final - Peter Beckfield vs Dan Clark
Three games. Two players. One title. Peter Beckfield and Dan Clark have reached the Final of Darkmoon Faire Chicago, and it's time to find out which of them will live to tell the tale!
Semi-Final - Brad Watson vs Dan Clark
With a place in the Final up for grabs, we bring you a match between two players who need no introduction - Brad Watson has gone in on the Elemental plan with Goblin Shaman Tazrik Crankrust, while Dan Clark is kicking it old-school with Warlock Victor Baltus.
Darkmoon Faire Chicago Top 8 Draft Decklists
Here are the eight decks drafted for the Sunday morning DMF playoff.
Semi-Final - Andrew Trebing vs Peter Beckfield
Semi-Final time here in Chicago, and Peter Beckfield is looking to continue an incredible streak that has sent this relative novice to the top of the swiss and, now, a Top 4 showdown with Andrew Trebing. Peter’s hero is the Ghoul-making machine Aric Stonejack, while Andrew Trebing is packing the Horde Mage Suvok Frozeneye.
Quarter-Final - Peter Beckfield vs Rob Jenson
With Rob Jenson piloting the Paladin deck that Peter Beckfield wished he'd switched for his own Death Knight, this would be a tough match for both players. Who would survive to reach the Semi-Final?
Quarter-Final - Ben Isgur vs Dan Clark
This round featured two of the perennially strong finishers here at the Darkmoon Faire. Dan Clark is running the Alliance Warlock Victor Baltus, while Ben Isgur has chosen the new Goblin Warrior Fraznak the Furious. Who was destined to advance to the Semi-Final, and who would fall where they stood?
Top 8 Draft Feature - Peter Beckfield
Day 1's top seed, Peter Beckfield, has only been playing the World of Warcraft TCG for a few short months. That didn't stop him dominating yesterday, and now Mike Rosenberg follows his picks in the Top 8 Booster Draft.
Gen-eral Admission
It’s almost that time again, kids. The time when people of all ages, genders, races, religions, and even species descend on the city I call home. It’s almost Gen Con time! And here at Darkmoon Faire Chicago, 77 players are battling it out for 4-day passes, travel awards, and a host of loot and other prizes!
Taking a Fresh Look
With War of the Elements set to shake up the Constructed world, Nate Price takes a look at some cards that could give fresh vigor to a couple of underused classes...
Cataclysmic Combinations
There has been plenty of Limited discussion regarding the cards and heroes fromWar of the Elements, but what about their Constructed applications?Saturday Coverage
Darkmoon Faire Chicago - Top 8 Profiles
Ladies and Gentlemen, your Darkmoon Faire Chicago Top 8! They've made it to the top after 8 rounds of Sealed Pack play, be sure to check back tomorrow for full coverage of the Top 8 Booster Draft.
Final Round Roundup!
The standings before the final round of the swiss proved to be interesting. Based on how things were looking, there was a chance for two X-2 records to make it into Sunday play. Some X-2 tiebreakers were so good that if they won their match, they would potentially finish higher than some of the X-1s if they tripped in this final, critical round.
Who would come out on top? Let's find out.
Round 8 - Joshua Spieker vs Harrison Fisk
We're down to the final round now, and neither of our featured players can afford a single slip - a loss will see them out of contention, and even a win may not be enough! All they can do now is brace themselves for the final round...
Darkmoon Faire Chicago Top 8 Swiss Decklists
These are the Top 8 decks that put their respective pilots into the Sunday Booster Draft playoff.
Baby Got Rap-tors!
On a tour of the Sir Packs-a-lot tables, Nate Price spied a curious sight. A mysterious, be-hatted stranger moving from table to table, sowing joy in his wake. Who was this mystery man, and what was his game?
Round 7 - David Bodimer vs Brian Wilson
“It was only a matter of time before I covered one of these” I said, pointing at David Bodimer's copy of Arturius Hathrow. David shrugged. “It's not bad. Unfortunately it's the only good card in my deck,” he said. I call lies. His opponent, Brian Wilson, had a couple of good cards in his Alliance Huntsman Gorwal deck. Plenty of solid commons and uncommons.
Oh, and an Aspect of the Wild. I hear that's pretty good in Limited.
Round 6 - Peter Beckfield vs Rob Jensen
As the undefeated field narows, Peter Beckfield and Rob Jenson meet in Round 6, both players hungry to lock up that Top 8 berth tomorrow!
Bronze or Azure - What's Your Flavor?
And here I thought Ruby Enforcer was an ally that created explosive draws. Some of the new Dragonkin have been making a big impact, and they have been responsible for more than their fair share of big turns for some of the players that I have been watching. In particular? One innocuous little 2-drop...
Round 5 - Norvic Santos vs Joshua Spieker
Norvic Santos and Joshua Spieker, both 4-0 going into this round, are playing classic Worldbreaker heroes. While Novic is piloting Caleb Pavish, Joshua is rocking the rarely seen Jaenel. The new Paladin cards in War of the Elements have made the class far more popular in this Limited format than before, which has led to something of a resurgence of the righteous today!
It's a Numbers Game
Looking for hero numbers? Faction numbers? Expansion numbers? Fear not. After going through many decklists filled with poorly written handwriting valuable data, Mike Rosenberg has what you need!
Round 4 - Tim Rivera vs Andrew Trebing
To say there was a bit of banter between these two DailyMetagame.com writers before the match would be like saying the Sears Tower is ‘a bit tall’. Tim Rivera has chosen the Dwarf Mage Kadus Frosthand, while Andrew Trebing is represented by the Human Hunter Amaria Kelsur. It’s an all-Worldbreaker showdown!
Common Threads
Nate Price has been prowling the tournament floor, and he's come back with an intelligence report. Which are the common allies that everyone has tried to fit in? What do the top decks have in common? And how many vanilla creatures can fit into one article?
Heroic Impressions
We've crossed the halfway point on Day 1 of this Darkmoon Faire, and Mike Rosenberg takes a minute to examine some of the heroes of War of the Elements. Could the next Arturius Hathrow be lurking in the new set?
Round 3 – Niles Rowland vs Matt Walsh
While War of the Elements has plenty of new heroes running around in this event, it's hard to beat some of the classic Worldbreaker flips. For Matt Walsh and Niles Rowland, they chose to stick with the Alliance heroes from Worldbreaker for this event, as the two players were running Victor Baltus and Peter Hottelet respectively.
Round 2 – Matt Markoff vs Ben Isgur
It's round 2, and Matt Markoff and Ben Isgur face off in a battle of Elementals, Dragonkin and... animal crackers?
A New Challenger Approaches!
War of the Elements is notable for many things, and Nate is here to talk about one of them - the plethora of neutral allies on offer - the Bronze and Blue Dragonflight join their Red and Green brethren, while the Elemental Lords have brought their minions into the fray!
War of the Elements - Sealed Pack Impressions
Players were happy to give their reactions to the War of the Elements previews yesterday. Today, they have seen many of the cards from the set after sealed deck registration and the first round. Has their excitement for the set changed? Of course not!
Round 1 – Rob Victory vs Jason Newill
Darkmoon Faire Chicago is on! Round 1 sees a battle of Darkmoon Faire veterans, with the aptly named Rob Victory facing off against Jason Newill. With so much about this format unknown, who will have pulled together the best plan?
Sealed Pack with Rob Victory
Darkmoon Faire stalwart Rob Victory is here today, and Nate Price sat in as he assembled the deck that he hopes will carry him to his fourth Limited Darkmoon Faire Top 8!
War of the Elements - All the Heroes!
With the Darkmoon Faire underway around us, this seems like as good a time as any to show you the new hero cards that the main event players have to choose from!
Friday iTournament Top 8 Decklists
After regaling you with tales of Matt Spreadbury's Chaigon Steelsight deck yesterday, it seems only right to bring you the Top 8 decklists from the tournament! For all those looking for a dash of Constructed at their Sealed Pack Darkmoon Faire, look no further...
Common Knowledge 4 - Peerless Guard
In the last of Nate's snapshots of War of the Elements Limited play, he's saved his favorite for last. And where else to finish but with the Warrior?
To Arms
This is the future. We’re going to +5 ATK.
Common Knowledge 3 - Infiltrate
With the Darkmoon Faire Championship raging here in Chicago, Nate Price has another common treat for you - this time for all the sneaky, backstabbing, low-down dirty Rogues. We mean all of that in the good way, of course. (Please don't stab us.)
New Worgen!
Yesterday Mike Rosenberg brought you some of the new Goblin allies from War of the Elements, and today it's the turn of the Worgen to go under the spotlight!
Friday Coverage
First Time's the Charm
During Nate Price's adventures in the Beginner Tournament earlier today, one opponent particularly stood out. Jim Picardo might be due some kind of award, as he's flown out all the way from Connecticut to the Darkmoon Faire... to play in his first ever sanctioned tournament!
In Defense of the Realm!
Welcome to the Midwest! Out here, we’re known for our hospitality, and here at the Darkmoon Faire, it really shows. Nate Price had a chance to catch up with three Midwest play groups from Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Elgin, all out in force this weekend!
Yes. A Hunter.
In a surprise round 5 feature match from the iTournament taking place today, Matt Spreadbury blew through Jim Fleckenstein with his Hunter deck.
Yes. With his Hunter deck. Take a look!
iTournament Round 5 Feature Match - Jim Fleckenstein vs. Matt Spreadbury
At table 1, Matt Spreadbury is playing against Jim Fleckenstein. Let my clarify that for you: Chaigon Steelsight is playing against Recklessness.
Yes. At table 1. You did, in fact, read that correctly. It's why you're getting a feature match from today's iTournament. There is no way I could live with myself as a coverage writer if I did not bring this little treat to you all.
Judge the Game, See the World!
A handful of our community travels the world, hopping from one tournament to the next – not as players, but as staff. They’re the volunteers and judges who make everything happen for the players. Without them, there would be no one to register players, pair rounds, set up the stage, or even make a ruling. What is the judge and volunteer experience like? We were able to sit with William Zobac, Ferrier13 on the WoWTCG.com forums.
NOOB!
Nate Price has a confession to make. While he's been doing sterling work covering World of Warcraft TCG events, he's very much a beginner when it comes to playing the game. Follow his adventures as he signs up for his Cryptozoic Membership Card and hits one of the Darkmoon Faire's Beginner Tournaments!
So Reckless!
“So reckless!”
Every time I walk by and see that ongoing ability in play now, Jim Fleckenstein looks up and says those two words with a big grin on his face. Today, the former World Champion is playing version two of his Top 8 deck from Darkmoon Faire Orlando in the iTournament, hoping to win some Apple electronics. Take a look!
War of the Elements - First Thoughts
With War of the Elements seeing its first play tomorrow here in the Darkmoon Faire Chicago main event, we've been finding out what some of the players here think of the previews so far. With hot picks for Constructed, and a wish-list for tomorrow's Sealed Pack Championship, read on!
Long Time Player, First Time Fairegoer
Long-time gamer, first time Darkmoon Faire attendee, Peter Kamoske is here at Darkmoon Faire Chicago today with his fiancée Lynn Rice, and together they are looking to see what the Faire is all about!
Common Knowledge 2 - Inquisition
Nate has some more words of wisdom for you this time, and it's Paladin time! Fed up of Aberration allies ruining your fun? Looking for a cheap answer to even the biggest aggressive allies? The answer is something that, well, you just might not expect...
Common Knowledge 1 - Dread Touch
In the first of a series of articles examining some of the commons of War of the Elements, Draft addict Nate Price has some tips and tricks for all the Warlock fans out there.
New Goblins!
Worldbreaker introduced Goblins to the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, and now War of the Elements introduces some new Limited staples with potential Constructed value
Thursday Coverage
Darkmoon Faire Chicago 2011 Sunday Introduction
Ready for some more War of the Elements? The eight players in today's Top 8 Booster Draft playoff will be using one pack of Worldbreaker and two packs of War of the Elements as they fight it out for the Championship title. First seed from yesterday, Peter Beckfield, will be playing against Rob Jenson. The winner earns the right to face off against either Raymond Tautic or veteran Andrew Trebing.
Darkmoon Faire Chicago 2011 Saturday Closing
Day 2 of Darkmoon Faire Chicago is in the books, and we have a Top 8 for the Sunday playoffs! Warlock, Hunter, Druid, and Warrior were all represented in the Top 8 Sealed Pack decks from today's competition, and plenty of new War of the Elements cards were used to power many of these players through to the Sunday booster draft, with some of these decks featuring as many as 25 cards from the new set in their decks.
Darkmoon Faire Chicago 2011 Saturday Introduction
Ready for some War of the Elements sealed pack? The 168 players who showed up today for the Darkmoon Faire Championship sure are!
Darkmoon Faire Chicago 2011 Friday Closing
Players from far and wide, including a handful of overseas players, converged upon Chicago for the first day of the Darkmoon Faire. Today, Alexstrasza finished undefeated, a Hunter gunned down nearly all of the Core Constructed competition, and a few more Spectral Tigers are waiting for the cold scratch of a silver coin!
Darkmoon Faire Chicago 2011 Friday Introduction
It's a War of the Elements Sneak Preview! The set doesn't release until April 26th, but players here at the Darkmoon Faire will get to see and play with the set this weekend.
