MARK “HEEZY” HERBERHOLTZ

It would be difficult to overstate Mark Herberholz’s  importance in the history of professional Magic: the Gathering. Heezy is known as one of the best all-around “deck builder / high caliber player” packages to ever shuffle up, and a dominant force during his era of professional play, 2003 – 2009.

In Mark’s six year career as a MTG Pro Player he racked up an astounding four Grand Prix Top 8s and four Pro Tour Top 8s, including his signature Pro Tour Honolulu title in 2006. 

Some bios don’t need to be long to get a point across. Herberholz is one of the best deck builder players in the history of MTG and he’s also the one who began Team RIW’s tradition of bringing home hardware for the trophy shelf. 

“A few years ago, Gavin Verhey visited RIW and asked ‘What’s the coolest item you have in the store?’ Probably expecting to see a Black Lotus or other rare card. I went to the safe and brought out Mark’s 2006 PT Honolulu winning deck that I’ve saved all these years.

There are so many special players and memories… Mike’s National Championships, watching Kyle win his trophy in Cincinnati, but Mark’s title was unique because it was Team RIW’s first big accomplishment and on such a big stage. I’ll never forget he dropped by the store unannounced after returning home from Hawaii. I was restocking games and Mark waited quietly with the trophy in hand for me to notice it was him by the counter. When I finally did, he flashed a huge smile and handed me the trophy; it has been proudly displayed here at the store ever since.” –PAM WILLOUGHBY, RIW HOBBIES OWNER

PATRICK “THE INNOVATOR” CHAPIN

In terms of “innovating,” influencing, and ultimately enhancing how others around the world enjoy Magic, one would be hard pressed to name an individual with a greater impact than Patrick Chapin. 

The Innovator was inducted into the Magic: the Gathering Hall of Fame in 2012. His professional MTG accomplishments include four Grand Prix Top 8 and six Pro Tour Top 8s (including a Pro Tour Championship in Atlanta, 2013). 

Patrick is perhaps even better known for his distinctly authentic MTG writing, including two strategy books: Next-Level Magic & Next-Level Deckbuilding. 

“As my career was starting to decline, Patrick’s second coming was starting to rise. It was wonderful to see Patrick take the RIW torch and represent the store and help the RIW community at such a high level. Patrick actually gave me a ton of advice and playtesting help very early in my career (before RIW) and that was another huge contributor to my success.” –MARK HERBERHOLZ 

MICHAEL JACOB

Michael Jacob is an elite  deck builder and tournament player both on the tabletop and online. He’s enjoyed recent online tournament success with a MTG Arena Player’s Championship Top 8 and a 2020 Magic Online Championship title. 

Michael is also a highly accomplished cardboard tournament player, with four Grand Prix Top 8s and a Pro Tour Top 8 on his resume. 

What’s more than being an incredible online & tournament player? His most impressive accomplishment reflects his unparalleled skill as an incredible teammate, when as captain of Team U.S.A. he led the way to a World Championship title in 2008. 

“When I first showed up at RIW, M.J. was the best player at the store. The competitive nature in me made me play him hard, even in casual settings. Mike played me hard too and I really respected that. He has a great mind for Limited and I always thought he was better at drafting and building sealed decks–I just had the edge on playing. The result was that our games were really fun and high level.” –MARK HERBERHOLZ 

COREY BURKHART

Corey Burkhart holds the distinction of the Team RIW member with the most Grand Prix Top 8s (ten Top 8s!) including a Team Limited GP Win in Providence, 2017. 

Burkhart also recently added a Player’s Championship title to his illustrious tournament credentials in Phoenix, 2020. 

On top of all those tournament accomplishments, Corey also has a reputation as one of the all around friendliest players and best teammates to be found in the game. He’s a shining example of how one player’s positive attitude makes all players better by proximity. 

“Corey came after my time in terms of his top finishes but I really loved that despite living on the opposite side of the country Corey always represented RIW and carried the torch well. We’ve hung out a bit at tournaments since and he’s a great ambassador for the store and the game. It makes me wish our careers overlapped so we could have hung out more.” –MARK HERBERHOLZ 

ARI LAX

Ari Lax is known throughout the MTG community as an all around tournament specialist. A reputation backed up by winning… a lot. 

Ari has a whopping nine Grand Prix Top 8s (including a GP title in Toronto, 2014). 

Lax is also known to enjoy Eternal formats, especially Legacy, and claimed an Eternal Weekend Legacy Championship in 2013. Amid a career of high profile tournament finishes, spread across every possible format of tournament play, Ari’s signature accomplishment is a Pro Tour Championship title in Hawaii, 2014. 

Ari’s MTG career is a slow burn of tournament consistency over time, and to boot he’s shared his experiences, insights, and expertise with players and fans through his MTG articles for over a decade. He’s a prime example of a player who, despite reaching the pinnacle of high level play, continues to work to improve and raise the bar for what excellence in tournament Magic is in the present tense. 

“Ari was such a fun player to watch progress through the tournament circuit because it’s obvious how much he enjoys playing the game. I remember watching him ‘go off’ with Mind’s Desire combo at an old Extended PTQ long before I ever tested with him, and being so impressed with not only his remarkable inherent skill for the game but his pure excitement for making the cards do powerful things.”–BRIAN DeMARS

KYLE BOGGEMES

Kyle Boggemes is an accomplished tournament player and MTG strategy columnist. His MTG accolades include three Grand Prix Top 8s (including a Grand Prix Title in Cincinnati, 2014). Additionally, Kyle was a finalist at Pro Tour San Diego, 2010. 

Kyle is especially appreciated by MTG players and fans in Michigan because he’s a fixture of large and LGS events throughout the midwest and has an incredible knack for writing about how Magic is played in our region.

As a teammate, Boggemes’ ability to apply his vast knowledge of MTG theory to critique and refine teammates’ ideas, decks, and sideboard choices is unparalleled as it is tangible: the average finish of everybody in the car goes up whenever Kyle travels to an event. 

“Kyle is a world-class deck tuner and the thing that sets him apart even within that highest tier is the ability to make the solution seem obvious. It isn’t just about the right list to play or the right way to sideboard, with Kyle it’s all about having a clear plan to base that all on. From there, it’s easy for him or anyone else to play the games that go as planned and adapt when the opponent is doing things a bit differently than usual. From all the way back when we were attacking each other with Lightning Angels at FNM to more recent times playing Uro mirror matches, I’ve looked at how Kyle approaches the best decks as a template for what I should be doing.” –ARI LAX 

BRIAN DeMARS

Brian DeMars is an Eternal Magic enthusiast with six Vintage SCG Power 9 Top 8s (one Win) and four Vintage World Championship Top 8s. In addition to Eternal formats, DeMars has four Grand Prix Top 8s (with a title in Boston, 2013) and an SCG Open Championship in 2015.

DeMars is best known for his MTG writing (covering a wide spectrum of formats) as well as his Danger Room / Battle Box format. 

“Over the many years we have known each other, Brain has always been digging into the next level of the game of Magic beyond the pieces in front of him. Whether it’s a tournament format, Danger Room, or Vintage Welder mirrors, he’s looking for some deeper truth to explain what is happening in the game and to bring something better to the table the next time around. When you talk to him and read what he writes about the game, all that insight comes from constantly mining those pockets of knowledge that appear through the cards on the table.” –ARI LAX 

MAX MCVETY

Max Mcvety has established himself as a strong Michigan tournament player. He’s emerged as a double threat, putting up consistent finishes in both online and tabletop tournaments.

Max has 3 Grand Prix Top 8s as well as a signature SCG Invitational Championship title and has wasted no time recently adding a NRG Top 8 to his resume. 

You may also recognize his likeness on the SCG series Clue token: 

There’s a reason every Michigan grinder knows the tagline “Max is great!”  and that reason is:  it’s true. 

“If you’ve followed Max’s tournament results, it’s clear he has a type. With years of results with aggro decks, there’s a reason it’s ‘Max Attacks!’ The impressive part of that resume, beyond the trophies, is how wide a range of proactive decks Max has won with. There are players who are known for burn-heavy red decks, for white-heavy creature decks, for aggressive combo decks like infect, and they all require their own set of skills to play effectively. Max effortlessly switches between them and crushes events.”—ARI LAX 

RAJA SULIAMAN

Raja Sulaiman is known as one of the strongest deck builders and tournament players in the midwestern United States. He has experienced success in Magic on every major tournament circuit he’s played, including the Pro Tour, SCG, and NRG tournaments. 

Sulaiman has three SCG Open Top 8s, as well as an additional three SCG Sunday Challenge Top 8s (with two 1st place finishes). Additionally, he has a Grand Prix Top 8 and a career high 13th place Pro Tour finish.

Raja has wasted no time making his tournament acumen known with a pair of Top 8s on the NRG circuit. 

It’s also worth noting that while Raja has relatively recently established himself as a force to be reckoned with on the larger tournament circuits, he has been a defining player at RIW Hobbies’ LGS events for a very long time. Sulaiman likely holds the distinction of all time most MTG matches won at RIW Hobbies, which given the caliber of players is a uniquely incredible stat. 

“Watching Raja win tournaments is fun for me because it’s always happening the exact opposite way I approach the game. When I play control or midrange decks, I’m always looking for paths to end the game. Raja takes the opposite approach, trying to maximize every card he puts in his deck and every turn he plays for small margins. He will drive five hours to an event, slog through close matches that use every minute of the round, and come out the other side playing the Top 8 as sharply as he played Round 1. Raja is the epitome of a Magic tournament grinder, never gives up on a game, and you should always be prepared for a barn burner of a match when you play against him.” –ARI LAX 

CONCLUSION // WRAP UP

One element of playing LGS Magic at RIW Hobbies is that it is a space where pros and local players and fans gather to game together. This unique amalgamation sets RIW apart as a premiere gaming destination. 

“The store is really unique and unparalleled on this entire side of the country in terms of being a great place to play. It was always the perfect overlap of people who were willing to chat and help each other improve.”–ARI LAX 

Magic is a game where on any given day a player can get hot and have a strong tournament finish, but when we work together with friends and teammates, we all win.