TOP 8 COVERAGE

Tyler Blum is your Grand Prix Chicago 2014 Champion! Black Devotion is back, and it's better than ever. Five of eight players that made it to the elimination rounds were armed with some flavor of the archetype. Adrian Sullivan was the only non-Black Devotion player to penetrate into the semifinals, but Jadine Klomparens, a Black Devotion specialist, made quick work of him on her way to the finals. Veteran professional Yuuta Takahashi was pitted against Tyler Blum in an intense Black Devotion mirror, but Blum's Bile Blight proved crucial and forced Takahashi into an unwinnable position. Klomparens had her hand and library stripped to pieces in the finals, and Blum's Erebos, God of the Dead was able to crash in for lethal damage.

2049 players came to The Second City with dreams of being first. Coming into the event, players expected red strategies to be a dominant force. After nine rounds of swiss on the first day of competition, it was clear that something very different was afoot.

Blue Devotion made a big splash this weekend as the weapon of choice for most professionals in the room. Blue/White Control decks were fully realized as the best control strategy in Standard. When the dust settled after another six rounds of swiss and a top 8, though, it was clear that Black Devotion was the new top dog.