It's our last East Coast Open Series for 2012, and it promises to be quite the show. We're heading back to Baltimore this weekend! This will be among the last opportunities for players on this side of the United States to qualify for the Los Angeles Invitational in a couple weeks...and that's besides the $20,000 prize pool.

Our hosts for the weekend will once again be the fine folks at the Baltimore Convention Center on One West Pratt, just west of the Inner Harbor. We'll be setting up shop in rooms 307-310, so here's a handy map to help you find us.

One of my favorite things about this site is its location within Baltimore proper, making food easily accessible in virtually every direction. In addition to the options listed below, you can find plenty of others by taking a quick walk east or west. Finding food between rounds should be very easy!

If you're heading to Baltimore this weekend and want to ensure your cards are on-site and available, you should preorder them ahead of time. If you select Baltimore among the "Event Pickup" options for shipping, we'll pack your order and bring it with us to the site with no additional charges. We can only offer this option for orders placed before noon on Thursday, so get while the getting's good!

Three alterists will join our show for the weekend, with a variety of styles and offerings available for your customized Magic needs.

Jacksonville's Chris King is known for some very unique gaming accessories using a variety of themes. You can see examples of Chris King's alters and place custom orders at his website!

Joe Lechner of VB 3-D Cards will be selling and creating his own brand of 3-D cards and tokens! You can check out his work and contact him for custom orders on his Facebook page, on his website, or by email at Vb3dcards@gmail.com.

Lindsay Burley will be selling and creating her unique brand of 3-D cards and tokens as well as custom playmats! Check out her work on her site, then stop by and check out these awesome cards! For special commissions before the event, you can contact Lindsay at 3Dalters@gmail.com. Don't forget to stop by her YouTube channel for a peek into the creative process!

Baltimore will be offering additional treats for enthusiasts of Magic art and related works. We've recruited not one, not two, but three bona fide Magic illustrators for this Open Series! These guys (and gal) will help us close out the year in style, offering prints, proofs, signatures, and even playmats.

Magic: The Gathering artist Cynthia Sheppard will join us this weekend; see her artwork at her homepage.

Magic artist rk post is making a grand tour of Open Series events to end the year, including a stop in Baltimore! The creator of some truly iconic pieces—like Avatar of Woe, Ichorid, Lightning Angel, and Morphling—you won't want to miss him. Come have some cards signed or have rk draw a stunning playmat for you! His Facebook page is right here.

Noah Bradley will also be in attendance. You may know him from his work on the L5R game's beautiful Strongholds. Noah's art began appearing on Magic cards in M13, and his strong work continues in Return to Ravnica on Mizzium Mortars, Izzet Guildgate, Transguild Promenade, and the Giant Growth reprint. For more information about Noah and examples of his pieces, check out his Facebook page.

Whew—that's a lot of guests. Even @SCGLive is getting a specialty third commentator for the weekend!

Matthias Hunt will be holding down the booth all weekend, with Joey Pasco joining him on Saturday to cover the Standard Open. On Sunday, special guest Riki Hayashi will be in the booth to cover our Legacy broadcast! Riki's a top-notch judge and no slouch on the battlefield—enjoy his insights as we close out the weekend.

I'll be in the Sideboard and on written coverage for the whole tournament, and I'm looking forward to a fantastic farewell to the East Coast for 2012. If you've got any hot tips or fun features, tweet them to us with the #SCGBalt tag for our consideration.

Glenn Jones

@SecludedGlenn

Event Coverage Coordinator