Oklahoma States Top 8 discussed in Sanchez's article!

Straight copy from the article:

Oklahoma

Gerald Sixkiller, 1st

2 Vivid Grove
2 Flooded Grove
2 Vivid Marsh
4 Gilt-Leaf Palace
4 Llanowar Wastes
4 Treetop Village
3 Twilight Mire
2 Swamp
1 Forest

2 Garruk Wildspeaker
4 Kitchen Finks
2 Primal Command
3 Thoughtseize
3 Profane Command
4 Murderous Redcap
4 Quillspike
2 Shriekmaw
2 Glen Elendra Archmage
2 Loxodon Warhammer
4 Devoted Druid
2 Nantuko Husk
2 Makeshift Mannequin

Sideboard
2 Mind Shatter
2 Liliana Vess
2 Relic of Progenitors
1 Loxodon Warhammer
3 Cloudthresher
2 Naturalize
3 Infest

Here we go, a hearty Sixkiller concoction mixed to perfection. Honestly, I'm not a big fan of all the 2-ofs running around since there’s no realistic way to consistently draw them. I dunno, but I think a Liliana or two maindeck would go a long way in a deck like this. For one it facilitates the Quillspike combo, but on top of that there are all kinds of crazy dudes to get back from the yard if you want to go the other route.

The sideboard is another of the aforementioned hodgepodges, but I'd expect to see him fill out more of the two ofs that he has main deck to solidify specific match ups, but instead he throws Liliana Vess in, which does basically the same thing. I'm not sure if it was intended to pan out like that, but adding in some tutors can cover a lot of ground and provides a lot of options to out play the opponents.

James Sanford, 2nd

4 Demigod of Revenge
4 Ashenmoor Gouger
4 Figure of Destiny
3 Stigma Lasher
3 Mogg Fanatic
3 Hell's Thunder
3 Boggart Ram-Gang
2 Magma Spray
4 Flame Javelin
4 Incinerate
2 Shock

3 Ghitu Encampment
2 Auntie's Hovel
4 Sulfurous Springs
2 Graven Cairns
13 Mountains

Sideboard
3 Everlasting Torment
3 Vexing Shusher
3 Thoughtseize
2 Magma Spray
2 Unwilling Recruit
2 Guttural Response

Red deck loses in finals! Everything looks pretty standard here, except I'd probably want to have four Magma Spray rather than bothering with Shock. It feels like a wasted sideboard slot to include something so marginal like Spray when it could just be maindecked. Vexing Shusher is another dude that I'm not sure has very much value, however it definitely shines here compared to any Gruul aggro decks that I've previously seen it in. The danger with Shusher is that if your using him to just resolve more creatures you'll get taken every time by board sweepers. In here, you can make a realistic argument that he pushes through unopposed burn damage, so he could do some good.

Everlasting Torment is another card that has a ton of random utility and will be a card you can expect to see until it rotates out in the Red dudes sideboard.

Jeremy Bright, 3rd-4th

2 Faerie Conclave
4 Underground River
4 Arcane Sanctum
4 Wanderwine Hub
4 Mutavault
3 Island
1 Mystic Gate
2 Sunken Ruins

2 Sygg, River Guide
4 Stonybrook Banneret
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Wake Thrasher
4 Merrow Reejerey
3 Sower of Temptation
4 Sage's Dousing
4 Cryptic Command
3 Esper Charm
4 Agony Warp

Sideboard
3 Negate
2 Jace Beleren
1 Sower of Temptation
3 Reveillark
3 Wispmare
3 Condemn

I'm not too keen on these Merfolk decks and their crazy splashes. Agony Warp is an awesome addition since this deck is more poised to get the 2 for 1 out of it than Faeries, and Esper Charm is nice too, but where does it end? Is Condemn realistic in a deck that can only cast it for 1 mana eight ways?

I do like this build more than similar Knight of Meadowgrain builds though, this one just feels better than the rest. I think I'd rather go with the Vivid mana in here, that’s purely speculative and completely untested, but it just looks like it'd work better. You'd have to cut the Conclave, and at that point you'd only have to add a couple CIPT Vivids to make Pool worth it. From there you have more ways to support Condemn out of the board while keeping the turn 2 mana requirements in check.

Ryan Morlock, 3rd-4th

3 Reveillark
4 Mulldrifter
2 Fulminator Mage
4 Tidehollow Sculler
3 River Kelpie
4 Agony Warp
3 Raven's Crime
4 Wrath of God
4 Cryptic Command
2 Esper Charm
2 Makeshift Mannequin

3 Vivid Creek
2 Mystic Gate
2 Underground River
1 Vivid Marsh
4 Reflecting Pool
3 Sunken Ruins
2 Swamp
2 Island
2 Fetid Heath
4 Arcane Sanctum

Sideboard
2 Infest
1 Oblivion Ring
2 Faerie Macabre
2 Fulminator Mage
2 Remove Soul
2 Negate
2 Runed Halo
2 Shriekmaw

The first of two Morlocks in the Top 8, this one sleeved up a Kelpie deck featuring Reveillark. Reve Kelpie! Tidehollow benefits both five mana engine's by protecting them, however I'd really like to see more Fulminator Mage maindeck.

Another interesting feature is the unconventional two-of sideboard plan. Usually I wouldn't condone this, but given how many cards this deck can accumulate as quickly as it can I think it's fine in here. You'll be able to go through a good portion of the deck each game if you get something going, and all the sideboard options are cheap enough to be used whenever you want. If you’re going to the extent to include Negate I think I'd rather have more Makeshift Mannequin to compliment Scully, Mulls, n' Fulminator.

Charles Ketchum, 5-8th

4 Spellstutter Sprite
4 Scion of Oona
4 Mistbind Clique
2 Sower of Temptation
3 Thoughtseize
4 Bitterblossom
4 Agony Warp
2 Remove Soul
2 Jace Beleren
1 Oona's Grace
1 Loxodon Warhammer
4 Cryptic Command
5 Island
3 Swamp
3 Secluded Glen
4 Mutavault
4 Sunken Ruins
4 Underground River
2 Faerie Conclave

Sideboard
4 Infest
2 Oona, Queen of the Fae
2 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Thoughtseize
1 Oona's Grace
1 Loxodon Warhammer
2 Flashfreeze
1 Negate
1 Jace Beleren

It's about time Faeries started playing Oona's Grace. It makes perfect sense, as the deck can consistently get to the late game but is lacking a late game engine to keep the gas pumping. Grace works so well in theory that it could actually make Faeries even better than it already is, giving it even further reach in the control matches while enabling one-ofs like Warhammer... it is a much more desirable engine than Jace.

It's hard to take much more than that from this build, since it's relatively mainstream otherwise, but the Oona's Grace has really opened my eyes for this archetype and forces me to rethink my plans opposite Faeries if people pick up on it.

Kyle Morlock 5-8th

4 Spectral Procession
4 Unmake
4 Goldmeadow Stalwart
4 Wizened Cenn
4 Cloudgoat Ranger
4 Figure of Destiny
4 Knight of Meadowgrain
1 Elspeth, Knight Errant
2 Ajani Goldmane
2 Knight of the White Orchid
2 Akrasan Squire
1 Mirrorweave
15 Plains
4 Windbrisk Heights
3 Rustic Clachan
2 Mutavault

Sideboard
3 Burrenton Forge Tender
3 Oblivion Ring
3 Moonglove Extract
2 Surge of Thoughtweft
2 Wispmare
2 Relic of Progenitus

The other Morlock brother, this one favoring the aggro side of the spectrum. It's sort of a Kithkin/Exalted hybrid featuring a full complement of Cloudgoat Ranger as a follow up to the devastating board sweeper's.

I'm not sure when you'd want to board in Surge of Thoughtweft, perhaps the mirror? But I'd rather have more Elspeth or a Ranger of Eos package over it. The Eos package in particular has been extremely effective from my viewpoint on the weekend. It gives the Kithkin/Exalted decks a way to power past the Red decks by fetching a pair of Forge-Tender while also being strong against control players to fetch a pair of Figures.

Ben Jackson 5-8th

4 Spellstutter Sprite
4 Scion of Oona
4 Mistbind Clique
2 Sower of Temptation
3 Thoughtseize
4 Bitterblossom
4 Agony Warp
2 Remove Soul
2 Jace Beleren
1 Oona's Grace
1 Loxodon Warhammer
4 Cryptic Command
4 Secluded Glen
4 Sunken Ruins
4 Mutavault
4 Underground River
7 Island
2 Swamp

Sideboard
4 Infest
2 Oona, Queen of the Fae
3 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Thoughtseize
1 Oona's Grace
1 Loxodon Warhammer
2 Flashfreeze
1 Jace Beleren

An exact copy of Ketchum's list, and it appears these two were in cahoots and both made the breakthrough in the 48 player field.

Tony Menzer 5-8th

4 Vivid Creek
4 Vivid Meadow
2 Vivid Marsh
1 Vivid Grove
4 Reflecting Pool
2 Mystic Gate
2 Sunken Ruins
2 Flooded Grove
1 Cascade Bluffs
2 Yavimaya Coast
1 Adarkar Wastes
1 Island
4 Kitchen Finks
4 Mulldrifter
2 Cloudthresher
4 Condemn
3 Resounding Thunder
3 Wrath of God
4 Esper Charm
4 Cryptic Command
2 Remove Soul
2 Negate

Sideboard
2 Oblivion Ring
1 Wrath of God
1 Oona, Queen of the Fae
2 Primal Command
3 Twincast
1 Resounding Scream
1 Jace Beleren
1 Negate
1 Remove Soul
2 Cloudthresher

Tony Menzer is an accomplished Okie who would be the odds-on favorite to take this one down, but unfortunately couldn't get past the first elimination round with his Resounding 5C control. Gerry and I talked about this strategy a couple weeks back and we both came to the same conclusion that Thunder is how decks like this want to end the game against control decks as it also offers an excellent spot removal card for the other matches and the dream response to a Figure activation into a 4/4.

Twincast from the board is going to be better than Negate a lot of the times when combating Cryptic Commands, so I wonder how long it will take before that trend picks up. There’s really not too much to say about this deck that hasn't been said. I'm not a fan of Cloudthresher, but it was a good choice for States all things considered.

Woot, my name in lights! Good thing Ben stole the tech from me or he might not have even been mentioned! He somehow forgot to mention however, that 5 of the top 8 are all members of this website..

think that was the best part 5 tulsa players in the top 8

Don't worry I filled in all the details in the forums.