| Brian M. Kibler | |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | "The Dragonmaster", BFK |
| Born | 7 September 1980 Hampstead, New Hampshire |
| Residence | Carmel Valley, California, USA |
| Nationality | USA |
| Pro Tour debut | Pro Tour New York 1996 (junior) Pro Tour Chicago 1998 (senior)[1] |
| Winnings | $72,437 (as of April 2006)[2] |
| Pro Tour wins (Top 8) | 1 (4)[3] |
| Grand Prix wins (Top 8) | 3 (11)[4] |
| Lifetime Pro Points | 260[5] |
| Matches played | 1,517[5] |
| Planeswalker Level | 48 (Archmage) |
Brian M. Kibler (born 7 September 1980) is an American game designer currently working with Gamer Entertainment, a gaming consultancy. In 2010 Kibler designed Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer with Justin Gary, Rob Dougherty, and John Fiorillo.[6] Previously he worked on Chaotic and was the lead designer of the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game.[7][8] In the World of Warcraft video game there is a non-player character bearing the name "Kibler" as well as quests and items.[9]
Kibler is also a professional card player and has had great success at Magic the Gathering with four Pro Tour Top 8s, winning Pro Tour Austin in 2009.[10] He also has 10 Grand Prix Top 8s, winning three of them including the first one held in the 1997–98 season and most recently Grand Prix Sendai.[11] In August 2004 he won the inaugural VS System Pro Circuit event taking home $40,000 and a spot in history as the game's first champion.[12]
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Kibler began his Magic: The Gathering career at the age of fifteen, placing 30th in the Junior Division of the first-ever Pro Tour, Pro Tour New York 1996.[8] Kibler would not qualify for the senior Pro Tour until Pro Tour Chicago 1998, which he qualified for by winning Grand Prix Toronto 1997. Kibler notes that all his opponents in the Top 8 of Grand Prix Toronto went on to work at Wizards of the Coast, including Mike Turian, Matt Place and Erik Lauer.[1] Kibler would also attend Pro Tour Los Angeles in the 1997-1998 season, placing within the Top 64, however he would not return to the Pro Tour until the 1999-2000 season.[1]
Kibler made his first Pro Tour Top 8 at Pro Tour Chicago 2000. This was also the tournament where Kibler would earn the nickname of The Dragonmaster, after beating Jon Finkel in the swiss rounds and Zvi Mowshowitz in the quarterfinals with a combination of Rith, the Awakener and Armadillo Cloak.[1] He would go on to lose to Kai Budde in the semi-finals, taking third place in the overall standings.[13] This would be Brian's best Pro Tour performance before he retired from the game at the end of the 2004 season. In 2005, Brian was one of a small number of players commemorated by Wizards of the Coast with a "Pro Player" collectible reference card.[14][15]
After taking several years away from Magic (while working at Wizards direct competitor Upper Deck) he returned in 2009.[8] Kibler claims that a major motivating factor for his return was his desire to enter the Pro Tour Hall of Fame, which was created the year following his retirement.[1] Kibler would make consecutive Pro Tour Top 8s upon his return, making Top 8 at Pro Tour Honolulu before going on to win his first Pro Tour at Pro Tour Austin, defeating Tsuyoshi Ikeda in the tournament finals.[16] By the end of the year he placed in the top 10 of the year's best performers on the Magic Pro Tour achieving enough points to guarantee him invites to major championships, free air travel, and a guaranteed appearance fee for attending all 2010 events.[17] Additionally, he was tied for 6th among player committee votes of the possible entrants for the 2009 Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame carrying around 20% of their vote.[18] In 2010, Kibler's high performance continued, granting him his third Grand Prix title, another Pro Tour Top 8 and finally induction into the Hall of Fame. Kibler was inducted in the Hall of Fame Class of 2010 alongside Gabriel Nassif and Bram Snepvangers.[19]
| Season | Event type | Location | Format | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | Grand Prix | Toronto | Block Constructed | 30–31 August 1997 | 1 |
| 2000–01 | Pro Tour | Chicago | Standard | 1–3 December 2000 | 3 |
| 2001–02 | Grand Prix | Houston | Extended | 5–6 January 2002 | 2 |
| 2001–02 | Grand Prix | Tampa | Sealed and Booster Draft | 23–24 February 2002 | 6 |
| 2001–02 | Grand Prix | Milwaukee | Standard | 11–12 May 2002 | 6 |
| 2002–03 | Invitational | Seattle | Special | 18–20 October 2002 | 5 |
| 2002–03 | Grand Prix | Boston | Sealed and Booster Draft | 22–23 February 2003 | 1 |
| 2002–03 | Masters | Yokohama | Extended | 9–11 May 2003 | 7 |
| 2002–03 | Nationals | San Diego | Special | 27–29 June 2003 | 6 |
| 2003–04 | Grand Prix | Kansas City | Rochester Draft | 18–19 October 2003 | 4 |
| 2003–04 | Grand Prix | Washington D.C. | Team Limited | 17–18 April 2004 | 4 |
| 2003–04 | Nationals | Kansas City | Special | 18–20 June 2004 | 6 |
| 2003–04 | Grand Prix | New Jersey | Block Constructed | 14–15 August 2004 | 2 |
| 2009 | Pro Tour | Honolulu | Block Constructed and Booster Draft | 5–7 June 2009 | 6 |
| 2009 | Pro Tour | Austin, Texas | Extended and Booster Draft | 16–18 October 2009 | 1 |
| 2009 | Grand Prix | Minneapolis | Sealed and Booster Draft | 14–15 November 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | Grand Prix | Sendai | Standard | 5–6 June 2010 | 1 |
| 2010 | Pro Tour | Amsterdam | Extended and Booster Draft | 3–5 September 2010 | 6 |
| 2011 | Grand Prix | Denver | Sealed and Booster Draft | 19–20 February 2011 | 8 |
Last updated: 5 September 2010
Source: Wizards.com
Other accomplishments
Kibler grew up in Hampstead, New Hampshire and attended boarding school at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.[8] Kibler would later attend Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, majoring in Philosophy and Religion.[20]