Forget White Weenie, if you’re playing Modern there are only three things that are certain in life: Death, Taxes and Mono-Green Tron.

This past weekend when the FacetoFaceGames.com Open Series traveled to Moncton, New Brunswick and Travis Benedict proved that once again by taking down the entire event with the powerful big mana strategy.

As I’m sure you already know, Tron has been around as long as Modern’s existed. But, Mono-Green Tron specifically has really put up strong results as of late. Even with the utter dominance of [Card]Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis[/Card] the deck has been able to compete and even took down the most recent Mythic Championship and the SCG Modern Open in Columbus in the hands of Face to Face Toronto local Dominic Harvey.

Benedict defeated Bobby Leblanc and his Urza Sword deck in the finals to take down the trophy. This new Urza deck has really come onto the scene strong since the release of Modern Horizons. It’s quite unique in that it looks on paper like a combo deck, but can play also play a strong attrition game, and that’s lead to a lot of success for the deck at the competitive level.

The rest of our Top 8 featured Jeremy Cameron on Hogaak, Matthew Mcgee-Herritt playing Izzet Phoenix, Mattieu Robichaud with a sweet Goblins brew, Bailey Macausland burning up a storm, Adam Joyce who also played Hogaak and Devin Watts who played the often forgotten Orzhov Eldrazi archetype.

Now, I know what’s on all of your minds — the possibility of that Hogaak ban at the end of the month. Modern is in a bit of standstill right now due to the impending announcement, and we of course did have multiple copies of Hogaak in our Top 8 this weekend. With that said, it in no way dominated this event. In fact decks like this Eldrazi deck that is able to take advantage of its maindeck [Card]Relic of Progrenitus[/Card]’ with cards like [Card]Wasteland Strangler[/Card] were able to effectively combat the deck. Whether or not you’re a fan of the Hogaak deck existing in Modern I think we can all look at the Top 8 here and see some awesome deckbuilding that paid off for these players in response to how popular graveyard decks are right now. Even Benedict himself had three copies of Relic in his maindeck.

In addition to all the action in the main event, we had players on site all day long playing side events, firing up Commander games and buying and selling cards at the Face to Face Games booth. Thanks to Moncton for such a warm response!

Before I leave you for the week I want to make sure to remind you of Face to Games’ upcoming Mythic Championship Qualifiers (MCQ). First on Saturday August 24, we’ll be hosting a Modern MCQ in Montreal and just a few weeks later on September 14, we’ll have our Toronto Modern MCQ. These events will definitely fill up quick, so make sure to sign up if you’re interested!

Congratulations again to our champion Travis Benedict from everyone at Face to Face Games! Additionally, we’d like to extend our thanks to our amazing judge staff who ran a smooth event all day long! The next stop on the series is coming up on the weekend of August 31 when we’ll be traveling to St. John’s, Newfoundland for our first EVER Magic Weekend! This will be the Open Series’ first ever two day event, and will feature a ton of side events to fill your time all weekend long. So, make sure to pre-register and we can’t wait to see you in St. John’s!

[Deck Title= First Place, Mono-Green Tron – Travis Benedict]
[Creatures]
3 Walking Ballista
4 Wurmcoil Engine
2 Ulamog The Ceasless Hunger
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Karn Liberated
2 Ugin, The Spirit Dragon
4 Ancient Stirrings
4 Sylvan Scrying
1 All Is Dust
3 Chromatic Sphere
4 Chromatic Star
4 Expedition Map
3 Relic Of Progenitus
3 Oblivion Stone
[/Spells]
[Lands]
1 Blast Zone
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Sanctum Of Ugin
4 Forest
4 Urza’s Mine
4 Urza’s Power Plant
4 Urza’s Tower
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
2 Nature’s Claim
1 Veil Of Summer
1 Spatial Contortion
1 Warping Wail
2 Dismember
4 Leyline Of The Void
3 Thragtusk
1 Emrakul, the Promised End
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

[Deck Title= Second Place, Urza Sword – Bobby Leblanc]
[Creatures]
3 Goblin Engineer
4 Urza, Lord High Artificer
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
3 Serum Visions
3 Whir Of Invention
1 Ghirapur Aether Grid
4 Mox Opal
4 Mishra’s Baulble
4 Arcum’s Astrolabe
4 Thopter Foundry
2 Pentad Prism
1 Grafdigger’s Cage
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
1 Pithing Needle
1 Sword Of The Meek
1 Ichor Wellspring
1 Damping Sphere
1 Ensnaring Bridge
[/Spells]
[Lands]
3 Prismatic Vista
3 Flooded Stand
4 Polluted Delta
1 Inventor’s Fair
1 Watery Grave
1 Steam Vets
1 Snow-Covered Swamp
1 Snow-Covered Mountain
5 Snow-Covered Island
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
3 Thoughtseize
2 Dead Of Winter
2 Fatal Push
2 Blood Moon
2 Tezzeret, Agent Of Bolas
1 Withcbane Orb
1 Grafdigger’s Cage
2 Sai, Master Thopterist
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

[Deck Title= Third Place, Hogaak – Jeremy Cameron]
[Creatures]
4 Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis
2 Lotleth Troll
4 Bloodghast
4 Carrion Feeder
2 Cryptbreaker
4 Gravecrawler
4 Satyr Wayfinder
4 Stitcher’s Supplier
4 Vengevine
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
2 Lightning Axe
4 Faithless Looting
3 Assassin’s Trophy
[/Spells]
[Lands]
2 Blackcleave Cliffs
2 Blood Crypt
2 Bloodstained Mire
1 Blooming Marsh
2 Marsh Flats
1 Nurturing Peatland
2 Overgrown Tomb
3 Polluted Delta
2 Swamp
2 Verdant Catacombs
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Ancient Grudge
3 Force of Vigor
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Nature’s Claim
2 Plague Engineer
1 Collector Ouphe
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

[Deck Title= Fourth Place, Izzet Phoenix – Matthew McGee-Herritt]
[Creatures]
4 Arclight Phoenix
4 Thing In The Ice
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Serum Visions
4 Thought Scour
2 Opt
2 Sleight Of Hand
1 Magmatic Sinkhole
1 Lava Dart
1 Flame Slash
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Finale Of Promise
1 Surgical Extraction
4 Manamorphose
2 Aria Of Flame
1 Pyromancer Ascension
4 Faithless Looting
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Spirebluff Canal
3 Steam Vents
2 Flooded Strand
1 Fiery Islet
3 Island
2 Mountain
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
2 Abrade
1 Narset, Parter Of Veils
2 Blood Moon
1 Aria Of Flame
1 Saheeli, Sublime Artificer
2 Spell Pierce
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Force of Negation
1 Chandra, Torch Of Defiance
1 Fry
1 Ceremonious Rejection
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

[Deck Title= Fifth Place, Goblins – Mattieu Robichaud]
[Creatures]
1 Mogg Fanatic
4 Skirk Prospector
1 Knucklebone Witch
4 Mogg War Marshal
4 Munitions Expert
3 Goblin Piledriver
4 Goblin Warchief
4 Goblin Matron
1 Pashalik Mons
4 Goblin Ringleader
2 Sling-Gang Lieutnant
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Aether Vial
1 Tarfire
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Field of Ruin
4 Bloodstained Mire
2 Blood Crypt
2 Auntie’s Hovel
3 Blackcleave Cliffs
4 Mountain
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
4 Relic of Progenitus
3 Thoughtseize
1 Warren Weirding
2 Goblin Cratermaker
1 Pashalik Mons
1 Goblin Chainwhirler
1 Goblin Trashmaster
2 Earwig Squad
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

[Deck Title= Sixth Place, Burn – Bailey Macausland]
[Creatures]
4 Eidolon Of The Great Revel
4 Goblin Guide
1 Grim Lavamancer
4 Monastery Swiftspear
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Boros Charm
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lightning Helix
3 Searing Blaze
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt
4 Skewer The Critics
[/Spells]
[Lands]
4 Bloodstained Mire
3 Inspiring Vantage
3 Mountain
3 Sacred Foundry
2 Scalding Tarn
3 Sunbaked Canyon
2 Wooded Foothills
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
2 Deflecting Palm
2 Kor Firewalker
2 Path To Exile
2 Rest In Peace
4 Skullcrck
3 Wear // Tear
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

[Deck Title= Seventh Place, Hogaak – Adam Joyce]
[Creatures]
4 Stitcher’s Supplier
4 Gravecrawler
4 Hedron Crab
4 Satyr Wayfinder
4 Bloodghast
4 Vengevine
4 Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis
4 Carrion Feeder
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Faithless Looting
2 Assassin’s Trophy
2 Fatal Push
[/Spells]
[Lands]
2 Overgrown Tomb
1 Blood Crypt
1 Watery Grave
1 Swamp
4 Gemstone Mine
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Polluted Delta
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Marsh Flats
1 Mana Confluence
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
2 Thoughtseize
4 Leyline Of The Void
3 Force Of Vigor
1 Fatal Push
1 Nature’s Claim
1 Assassin’s Trophy
3 Collective Brutality
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]

[Deck Title= Eighth Place, Orzhov Eldrazi – Devin Watts]
[Creatures]
4 Matter Reshaper
4 Wasteland Strangler
4 Tidehollow Sculler
4 Thought-Knot Seer
4 Eldrazi Displacer
2 Reality Smasher
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Path To Exile
2 Fatal Push
1 Thoughtseize
1 Kaya’s Guile
4 Inquisition Of Kozilek
4 Relic Of Progenitus
[/Spells]
[Lands]
1 Plains
2 Swamp
1 Godless Shrine
4 Caves Of Koilos
2 Shambling Vent
4 Concealed Courtyard
4 Ghost Quarter
4 Eldrazi Temple
[/Lands]
[Sideboard]
1 Grafdigger’s Cage
1 Kor Firewalker
1 Kambal, Consul Of Allocation
2 Celestial Purge
2 Disenchant
2 Rest In Peace
2 Stony Silence
2 Zealous Persecution
2 Settle The Wreckage
[/Sideboard]
[/Deck]