Magic The Gathering - Malaysia

68 best players of the country descended upon the tournament hall in Cititel Mid Valley Hotel on 16th and 17th of August, 2008, for the chance to take home part of the 7,000 US Dollars in cash prizes, the chance to represent the country to the World Championships and the title, Malaysia’s best Magic player in 2008 – but only one will prevail.



After 12 grueling rounds of Standard Constructed and two different formats of Booster Drafts and almost 2 tiring days of play, only 8 remain as the dust settles – and what a great representation of the best Magic players in Malaysia it is.



Stars and established veterans of the game headlines the top 8 players who made it to the elimination rounds, with the most famous Malaysian player ever, Magic Invitational 2005 winner, Terry Soh. Thanks to multiple Pro Tour and Grand Prix top 8 finishes, Terry is the undisputed biggest star ever in Malaysian Magic community and the country’s leader in lifetime pro points with over 100 pro points.



Not far behind is one of the most respected players in the country, Au Yong Wai Kin, although sadly never made many headlines except for a 3rd place at GP KL, 2000 and a unfortunate 9th place at the 2005 World Championships, the respect he gets from his peers are the testament to his playing skills. A seasoned veteran who had played on the highest level of the game for years, Au Yong will also be seeking his 2nd Malaysian National Champion title.



Also making the top 8 is PTQ maestro Jason Yap. Although never making a splash on the international scene, and therefore, a virtual unknown outside of the country, it is by no means an indicator of his playing skills and capabilities. Top finishes at continuous PTQs solidifies Jason as one of the country’s best players but despite his recent PTQ Hollywood win Jason never was quite willing to make the investment required to make the trip to the Pro Tour.



Adrian Kuan has been in the Magic: The Gathering scene for a very long time now and he is no stranger to the spotlight. A member of the 2007 National Team, Adrian’s 2007 World Championships campaign is sadly not very successful. Nonetheless Adrian is eager to make amends and he is now ready to take another shot at glory in the World Championship, hoping for a back to back appearance.



Plucky Nico Surinindran doesn’t want to just beat the rest; he wants to be National Champion in style. So while everyone one picks up the best decks in the format that’s already proven their worth in Nationals after Nationals, Nico decided to play a different tune. It has served him very well so far, only time will tell whether or not is it good enough to take him all the way.



Chong Kin Leong is one of the earliest players to qualify for the Nationals, right behind the automatic invitations given to the previous year’s National Team, thanks to a stunning performance in the country’s first City Champs almost half a year ago in March. After another breakthrough performance during the Swiss rounds, this young upstart is ready to pull off an upset in his challenge to snatch the crown from his more experienced and established peers in the Top 8.



Season veteran Kok Kim Yin has several PTQ wins to his name, but unfortunately nothing majorly significant beyond that. He will be seeking a breakout performance in today’s Nationals, after a stunning 2nd placing after the 12 Swiss rounds.



Last but not least, rounding up the top 8 is Ng Wei San, another seasoned veteran players without any major significant achievements. He is however a force to be reckon with as he has 3 Nationals top 8 to his name. It has been another brilliant tournament for him, making 4th after the 12 Swiss rounds.


For decklists, results and metagame statistics, please visit the link provided here -> http://mtg-malaysia.com/smf2/index.php?topic=342.0

Stay tuned for more coverage on the 2008 Malaysian Nationals Top 8 Elimination Rounds.

Complaints and feedback will be very greatly appreciated and can be sent to qj.wong@gmail.com or posted at mtg-malaysia.com's forums.