Tom Martell
American Magic: The Gathering player (born 1982)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tom Martell (born May 7, 1982) is an American Magic: The Gathering player. He won Pro Tour Gatecrash in 2013.[5] His other notable finishes include another Pro Tour top 8 at Pro Tour Paris 2011, as well as three Grand Prix wins.
| Tom Martell | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 7, 1982 |
| Nationality | American |
| Pro Tour debut | Pro Tour Chicago 2000 |
| Winnings | $151,125[1] |
| Pro Tour wins (Top 8) | 1 (2)[2] |
| Grand Prix wins (Top 8) | 3 (9)[3] |
| Lifetime Pro Points | 284[4] |
| Planeswalker Level | 47 (Archmage) |
Career
Martell qualified for a few Pro Tours in the early 2000s, but without putting up any major finishes; he disappeared from the professional scene, and quit playing Magic for some time. However, after finishing college and moving to New York, Martell was invited to play at Jon Finkel's apartment,[6] where many of the best players in the area came to play. Martell's first Pro Tour after returning to the game was Pro Tour San Juan 2010,[7] which he qualified for via the Last Chance Qualifier.[8] Martell finished 32nd in the event,[9] qualifying himself for the next Pro Tour. A couple of months later, Martell got his first Grand Prix top 8 by finishing 2nd at Grand Prix Columbus, losing to Tomoharu Saito in the final.[10] He joined Team ChannelFireball prior to Pro Tour Amsterdam. Martell ended the 2010 Pro Tour season on 25 points,[11] earning him invitations to all the Pro Tours in 2011.
The 2011 Pro Season started well for Martell, with him earning his first Pro Tour top 8 at Pro Tour Paris.[12] Like the rest of the ChannelFireball team members, he played 'Caw-Blade', losing to teammate Ben Stark in the quarterfinals. Martell failed to make the top 8 of any more professional events in 2011, and finished the season on 29 points,[13] one shy of level 6 in the Pro Players Club.
In the following seasons, Tom Martell established himself as one of the top professional players. He won his first Grand Prix at GP Indianapolis 2012,[14] and in 2013, he went on to win Pro Tour Gatecrash. His win qualified him for the 2013 World Championship, where he finished 12th.[15] In 2014, he won his second Grand Prix event, in Sacramento,[16] earning much praise from the commentators for his play and his decisions during the top 8 booster draft. He finished the season with enough points to qualify for the World Championship for the second year in a row, where he finished 16th.[17]
The 2014–15 season was a disappointing one for Martell. He did finish in the top 8 of two Grand Prix, at GP Nashville and GP Vancouver, but his Pro Tour finishes were unspectacular, his best result being a 57th-place finish at Pro Tour Dragons of Tarkir. As a result, he didn't finish the year with enough points to reach Platinum status in the Pro Players Club for another season, but he did get enough for Gold.[18]
Since his departure from the Magic: The Gathering scene, he has worked at Riot Games' esports division.[19]
Achievements
| Season | Event type | Location | Format | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Grand Prix | Columbus | Legacy | July 31–August 1, 2010 | 2 |
| 2011 | Pro Tour | Paris | Standard and Booster Draft | February 11–13, 2011 | 7 |
| 2012 | Grand Prix | Indianapolis | Legacy | March 10–11, 2012 | 1 |
| 2012 | Grand Prix | Salt Lake City | Standard | March 31–April 1, 2012 | 3 |
| 2012–13 | Grand Prix | Indianapolis | Limited | December 22–23, 2012 | 7 |
| 2012–13 | Pro Tour | Montreal | Standard and Booster Draft | February 15–17, 2013 | 1 |
| 2013–14 | Grand Prix | Sacramento | Limited | January 18–19, 2014 | 1 |
| 2014–15 | Grand Prix | Nashville | Team Limited | November 1–2, 2014 | 2 |
| 2014–15 | Grand Prix | Vancouver | Modern | February 21–22, 2015 | 5 |
| 2015–16 | Grand Prix | Atlanta | Limited | November 14–15, 2015 | 1 |
| 2015–16 | Grand Prix | Washington, D.C. | Team Limited | 12–13 March 2016 | 2 |
Last updated: March 14, 2016
Source: Wizards.com