1,047 players came to Louisville to battle Standard in the wake of Pro Tour Theros. Going into the event, everyone knew that devotion decks of various flavors would be a force to be reckoned with. If you liked the trend of mono-colored decks performing well, you won't be disappointed by the results of Louisville!

After fifteen rounds, the Top 8 featured two Esper control decks, one Gruul Beats deck, and a full five Mono-colored Devotion decks: two Blue, and three Black. The real story of the tournament was the Mono-Black Devotion deck built by the StarCityGames crew coming up from Roanoke. Todd Anderson, Brad Nelson, and Brian Braun-Duin all put up a Top 8 performance with incredibly similar lists; a dominating performance by such a small, talented group.

Speaking of the Top 8, this one was absolutely stacked with talent. Brad Nelson, Todd Anderson, and Brian Braun-Duin are just the beginning. We've also got Grand Prix Atlantic City champion Jon Stern as well as recently inducted Hall of Famer William Jensen and Pro Tour Theros Semifinalist Sam Black. In the end, it was Brian Braun-Duin who battled his way through Brad Nelson, Andrew Sittner, and Jon Stern to earn the trophy.

Congratulations to Grand Prix Louisville Champion, Brian Braun-Duin.

For more coverage of the event, including Top 16 decklists, head over to the official coverage page on DailyMTG.com.

Mono-Black Devotion - Standard | Brian Braun-Duin, Champion Grand Prix Louisville

• Lands (25)
• 4 Mutavault
• 19 Swamp
• 2 Temple of Deceit

• Creatures (15)
• 4 Desecration Demon
• 1 Erebos, God of the Dead
• 4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
• 4 Nightveil Specter
• 2 Pack Rat

• Spells (20)
• 2 Devour Flesh
• 2 Doom Blade
• 4 Hero's Downfall
• 4 Thoughtseize
• 2 Ultimate Price
• 4 Underworld Connections
• 2 Whip of Erebos

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Dark Betrayal
• 2 Devour Flesh
• 2 Doom Blade
• 3 Duress
• 1 Erebos, God of the Dead
• 3 Lifebane Zombie
• 2 Pack Rat
• 1 Pithing Needle

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Gruul Beats - Standard | Jon Stern, 2nd Grand Prix Louisville

• Lands (24)
• 10 Forest
• 6 Mountain
• 4 Stomping Ground
• 4 Temple of Abandon

• Creatures (27)
• 4 Boon Satyr
• 4 Elvish Mystic
• 4 Kalonian Tusker
• 2 Mistcutter Hydra
• 4 Polukranos, World Eater
• 2 Scavenging Ooze
• 4 Stormbreath Dragon
• 3 Sylvan Caryatid

• Spells (3)
• 3 Mizzium Mortars

• Planeswalkers (6)
• 4 Domri Rade
• 2 Xenagos, the Reveler

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Arbor Colossus
• 1 Burning Earth
• 2 Fade Into Antiquity
• 2 Mistcutter Hydra
• 2 Plummet
• 1 Ratchet Bomb
• 1 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
• 2 Shock
• 2 Time to Feed

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Esper Control - Standard | Alex Sittner, Top 4 Grand Prix Louisville

• Lands (27)
• 4 Godless Shrine
• 4 Hallowed Fountain
• 4 Island
• 2 Plains
• 1 Swamp
• 4 Temple of Deceit
• 4 Temple of Silence
• 4 Watery Grave

• Creatures (1)
• 1 Aetherling

• Spells (26)
• 4 Azorius Charm
• 2 Detention Sphere
• 3 Dissolve
• 3 Doom Blade
• 2 Far // Away
• 4 Hero's Downfall
• 3 Sphinx's Revelation
• 4 Supreme Verdict
• 1 Ultimate Price

• Planeswalkers (6)
• 2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
• 4 Jace, Architect of Thought

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Aetherling
• 2 Blood Baron of Vizkopa
• 1 Devour Flesh
• 3 Gainsay
• 3 Negate
• 2 Pithing Needle
• 3 Thoughtseize

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Mono-Blue Devotion - Standard | Andrew Baeckstrom, Top 4 Grand Prix Louisville

• Lands (24)
• 20 Island
• 3 Mutavault
• 1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx

• Creatures (30)
• 4 Cloudfin Raptor
• 4 Frostburn Weird
• 4 Judge's Familiar
• 4 Master of Waves
• 4 Nightveil Specter
• 2 Omenspeaker
• 4 Thassa, God of the Sea
• 4 Tidebinder Mage

• Spells (4)
• 1 Bident of Thassa
• 2 Cyclonic Rift
• 1 Rapid Hybridization

• Planeswalkers (2)
• 2 Jace, Architect of Thought

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Aetherling
• 2 Domestication
• 2 Gainsay
• 1 Jace, Architect of Thought
• 1 Mizzium Skin
• 1 Mutavault
• 2 Negate
• 2 Rapid Hybridization
• 1 Ratchet Bomb
• 1 Triton Tactics
• 1 Wall of Frost

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Mono-Blue Devotion - Standard | Sam Black, Top 8 Grand Prix Louisville

• Lands (51)
• 20 Island
• 4 Mutavault
• 1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
• 4 Cloudfin Raptor
• 4 Frostburn Weird
• 2 Judge's Familiar
• 4 Master of Waves
• 4 Nightveil Specter
• 4 Thassa, God of the Sea
• 4 Tidebinder Mage

• Spells (7)
• 2 Bident of Thassa
• 2 Cyclonic Rift
• 3 Rapid Hybridization

• Planeswalkers (2)
• 2 Jace, Architect of Thought

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Aetherling
• 1 Bident of Thassa
• 1 Cyclonic Rift
• 1 Dissolve
• 1 Domestication
• 4 Gainsay
• 2 Jace, Architect of Thought
• 2 Judge's Familiar
• 1 Negate
• 1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx

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[Cardlist title=Mono-Black Devotion - Standard | Brad Nelson, Top 8 Grand Prix Louisville]

• Lands (25)
• 3 Mutavault
• 1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
• 19 Swamp
• 2 Temple of Deceit

• Creatures (15)
• 4 Desecration Demon
• 1 Erebos, God of the Dead
• 4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
• 4 Nightveil Specter
• 2 Pack Rat

• Spells (20)
• 2 Devour Flesh
• 2 Doom Blade
• 4 Hero's Downfall
• 4 Thoughtseize
• 2 Ultimate Price
• 4 Underworld Connections
• 2 Whip of Erebos

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Dark Betrayal
• 2 Devour Flesh
• 2 Doom Blade
• 3 Duress
• 1 Erebos, God of the Dead
• 3 Lifebane Zombie
• 2 Pack Rat
• 1 Pithing Needle

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[Cardlist title=Esper Control -Standard - William Jensen, Top 8 Grand Prix Louisville]

• Lands (27)
• 4 Godless Shrine
• 4 Hallowed Fountain
• 4 Island
• 3 Plains
• 4 Temple of Deceit
• 4 Temple of Silence
• 4 Watery Grave

• Creatures (1)
• 1 Aetherling

• Spells (26)
• 3 Azorius Charm
• 4 Detention Sphere
• 3 Dissolve
• 2 Divination
• 2 Doom Blade
• 1 Far // Away
• 2 Hero's Downfall
• 4 Sphinx's Revelation
• 4 Supreme Verdict
• 1 Thoughtseize

• Planeswalkers (6)
• 2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
• 4 Jace, Architect of Thought

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
• 3 Blood Baron of Vizkopa
• 4 Gainsay
• 1 Glare of Heresy
• 1 Jace, Memory Adept
• 1 Negate
• 2 Soldier of the Pantheon
• 2 Thoughtseize

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Mono-Black Devotion - Standard | Todd Anderson, Top 8 Grand Prix Louisville

• Lands (25)
• 3 Mutavault
• 1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
• 19 Swamp
• 2 Temple of Deceit

• Creatures (15)
• 4 Desecration Demon
• 1 Erebos, God of the Dead
• 4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
• 4 Nightveil Specter
• 2 Pack Rat

• Spells (20)
• 2 Devour Flesh
• 2 Doom Blade
• 4 Hero's Downfall
• 4 Thoughtseize
• 2 Ultimate Price
• 4 Underworld Connections
• 2 Whip of Erebos

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Dark Betrayal
• 2 Devour Flesh
• 2 Doom Blade
• 3 Duress
• 1 Erebos, God of the Dead
• 3 Lifebane Zombie
• 2 Pack Rat
• 1 Pithing Needle

Buy This Deck