Magic The Gathering - Malaysia

The writer can be contacted for feedback at qj.wong@gmail.com or here.

GPT Singapore @ Decards January 11 2009 – Finals
Alex Kuan vs Ong Joe Lin



Alex is playing All-In Red, a deck to be feared for the ability to produce a really frightening board on the first or second turn. Not many decks can deal with a first turn Deus of Calamity – most decks are better off to simply concede the game rather than to reveal the contents of the deck.

Meanwhile Joe Lin’s Elves have been tearing up the metagame in the storm which was Pro Tour Berlin, a massively successful creature-combo deck is probably the fastest combo deck in the format today, relying on Heritage Druid or Birchlore Ranger and Nettle Sentinel to generate vast amounts of mana to keep churning out elves while being fueled by Glimpse of Nature which would more likely than not provide the player with even more elves to play, ultimately finishing players off with a Grapeshot or a similar storm spell riding on the number of spells casted, Predator Dragon to make a huge attack in one go, or Mirror Entity to make the player’s army grow into the size big enough for a lethal combat step.

Game 1


Ong Joe Lin

Alex won the crucial dice roll for the format and chose to start first with his All-In Red playing against Joe Lin's Elves.

Both players checked out their opening hands with trepidation – as whichever deck to ‘go off’ first are more likely to win, when both decks’ nature are put into consideration. Alex is unhappy with his first 2 opening hands but decided to keep his 5-card hand. Joe Lin cringed as he took mulligan to go down to 4 cards settling with a Forest, Glimpse of Nature, Cord of Calling and Elvish Visionary.

As Alex played his 2nd land, Joe Lin shouted out “Chotto!” which meant 'wait' or 'slow down' in Japanese, begging Alex in jest to not ‘go off’ just yet, which fortunately for Joe Lin, was the case.

Alex himself shouted out the same word as well as Joe Lin played his second land, a Horizon Canopy, before playing an Elvish Visionary who drew him a card.


Alex Kuan

A 3rd turn Blood Moon from Alex rendered Joe Lin's Horizon Canopy useless as Joe Lin played a Nettle Sentinel before attacking Alex for 1 with his Visionary. Alex however has nothing for this 4th turn except another Mountain, but a Glimpse of Nature fueled turn allowed Joe Lin to churn out a long chain of elves all while drawing a card with a Heritage Druid, Wirewood Hivemaster, Llanowar Elves, Birchlore Rangers, got Insect tokens through the Hivemaster, before he played Chord of Calling to get a Wirewood Symbiote, which was used immediately to return the Elvish Visionary into his hand while untapping another elf to do more mana generating with the Heritage Druid and drawing more cards.



A second Glimpse of Nature is played and Joe Lin then draws 3 cards off the Visionary with the 2 Glimpse effects and from the Visionary itself, before another Birchlore Ranger hits play for more cards for Joe Lin. A Summoner's Pact searched up another Wirewood Symbiote which is played to draw another more cards and more return into hand and replayed for more cards shenanigans.

Joe Lin then however ended his chain of spells, mana burned for 1 before attacking for 2 with Nettle Sentinel while Alex quickly played a Arc-Slogger before passing his turn.



Joe Lin untaps his massive army of elves and insect tokens, made sure that he paid for the Summoner's Pact mana he 'owed' earlier before untapping his elves, played a Mirror Entity, attacked with almost all his creatures, made all of his creatures 1/1 elves with his Mirror Entity before making them 6/6 with the Entity along with many of the now elves insect tokens contributing mana via Heritage Druid's ability.



Ong Joe Lin 1 – Alex Kuan 0

Game 2

Alex, choosing to go first, started off the game with 2 mountains in a row without doing anything, which gave Joe Lin quite a surprise as he led off with a Llanowar Elves and a Burrenton Forge-Tender. A Wirewood Symbiote from Joe Lin is quickly killed off with a Dead // Gone, using the Dead part of the card from Alex. The Llanowar Elves and Forge-Tender hits in for 2 before an Elvish Visionary entered play for Joe Lin drawing him a card, while Alex had nothing for his following turn. Right after that however, Joe Lin attacked with all 3 of his 1/1 creatures, taking Alex down another 3 before playing an Wirewood Hivemaster, followed by a Nettle Sentinel.

The Alex has a big turn that he started off by removing Simian Spirit Guide from the game for an extra red mana, tapped his 2 mountains, played two Seething Songs, followed by a Flamebreak which Joe Lin responded by sacrificing and using his Forge-Tender's ability to prevent the Flamebreak's damage ability, but Alex has a second Flamebreak to kill off all of Joe Lin's creatures.



Joe Lin attempted to rebuild with another Burrenton Forge-Tender and a Nettle Sentinel before another Dead // Gone from Alex killed off the Sentinel. Alex followed up with a Chalice of the Void for 1 before Joe Lin sacrificed his Horizon Canopy to draw a card before attacking Alex with the Forge-Tender setting up a 9-turn clock that threatens to kill off Alex 1 damage by 1.



Meanwhile, Alex, unhappy with the cards he's drawing, showing the audience a Rites of Flames from his hand. The Forge-Tender kept chipping Alex's life totals down point by point before he finally drew another land to hit 4 mana to play his Empty the Warrens for 2 1/1 Goblin tokens before an Arc-Slogger showed up the turn after as Alex found his 5th land.

Alex attacked with his army, making Joe Lin take 6 before playing a Chrome Mox, imprinting a Rites of Flame with it, storming out an extra 2 1/1 tokens with his Empty the Warrens.



With a Chord of Calling, Joe Lin managed to sneak in a Nettle Sentinel under the Chalice of the Void's effect before playing a Summoner's Pact to search and play a Viridian Shaman, destroying the Chalice of the Void which allowed him to play a Wirewood Symbiote. Alex hits Joe Lin for 2 with his Arc-Slogger's ability, removing the top 10 cards of his library from the game before attacking with all this creatures and despite all the creatures Joe Lin has to block the tokens, Alex has enough cards left in his library and the mana to finish off Joe Lin with the Arc-Slogger.



Ong Joe Lin 1 – Alex Kuan 1

Game 3

Joe Lin, opting to go first, cringed at his opening 7 before settling on 6 but Alex is also unhappy with his opening 7, and had to settle for his 6 card hand.

A Birchlore Ranger led off the game for Joe Lin followed by a Wirewood Symbiote who gets killed off by a Dead // Gone immediately, using the Dead side of the card. Alex drew for his turn, and after spending some time thinking about his options, which was surprising, as for almost the entire match it has always been his opponent who spent a lot of time thinking between taking action.

The reason became clear as Alex was considering whether or not to go 'All-In' on that very turn as he played out his entire hand with a Rites of Flame, Seething Song, Chrome Mox and a Chalice of the Void for zero, setting up for 10 1/1 Goblin tokens with Empty the Warrens.



Undaunted, Joe Lin played a glimpse, draws some cards with with a bunch of elves and Burrenton Forge-Tenders before ending the streak. Alex then attacked Joe Lin to just 4 life left before Joe Lin played a Chord of Calling for a Mirror Entity at the end of Alex's turn.

The Mirror Entity proved would then be Alex's undoing as the following turn, Joe Lin attacks with his creatures, hesitating as Alex Kuan paused and thought before moving into the damage step, but makes all of his creatures large anyway which Alex could do nothing about, giving Joe Lin the game and match win and the 3-round byes for GP Singapore.



Ong Joe Lin 2 – Alex Kuan 1

Ong Joe Lin wins the GPT, defeating Alex Kuan 2 - 1!Read more!

The writer can be contacted for feedback at qj.wong@gmail.com or here.

It's GPT Singapore fever in Malaysia as stores ran GPTs week after week to provide the opportunity and the incentive to play at the nearest GP to Malaysia for the 2009 season. With the upcoming PTQ Honolulu season also in the same format, it was a great opportunity for the players to polish their Extended skills.



The Kuan brothers demonstrating how you should be having fun, even if you are battling at a top 8 single-elimination round.

For those who are new to Grand Prix (GP) and Grand Prix Trials (GPT) - Grand Prix are great huge tournaments that offers over USD$25,000 in prize money including USD$3,500 for the winner as well as invites to the feeding Pro Tour for the top 16 players but unlike the Pro Tour which is by invite-only, the GP is a open tournament where anyone in good standing with the DCI (as long as you're not banned or anything like that) may enter and play.

Established players are awarded byes, or free wins for up to 3 rounds in the GP and so does players who prove themselves in Grand Prix Trials, who will get 3 byes each.

And that is exactly what the players have been fighting for early Sunday morning on the 11th of January 2009 at Decards Enterprise at the Summit, USJ.

The top 8 players who made the single elimination rounds are (in no particular order):

Shamsul Bahrin Zainuddin - B/W Discard
Arif b Kamaruddin - Swans
Adrian Kuan - Elves
Alex Kuan - All-In Red
Mohamad Nazim - Affinity
Ong Joe Lin - Elves
Yin Zhen Yao - Zoo
Wong Qin Jin [that's me! :D] - Dredge

Read on for more pictures and match-ups. Finals write-up to be published as soon as possible.

The Top 8 Players


Shamsul Bahrin Zainuddin


Arif b Kamaruddin


Alex Kuan


Adrian Kuan


Mohamad Nazim


Ong Joe Lin


Yin Zhen Yao

And, finally, me - Wong Qin Jin, who I didn't bother taking a picture of.

Heh.

Quarterfinals

Wong Qin Jin (won) vs Shamsul Bahrin Zainuddin

Mohamad Nazim vs Ong Joe Lin (won)

Yin Zhen Yao vs Adrian Kuan (won)

Alex Kuan (won) vs Arif b Kamaruddin

Semifinals

Wong Qin Jin vs Ong Joe Lin (won)

Alex Kuan (won) vs Adrian Kuan (drop)

Finals

Alex Kuan vs Ong Joe Lin
Read more!

Nicol Bolas is an incredibly ancient and powerful dragon planeswalker with an almost limitless hunger for knowledge and power. He's the combination of genius-level intelligence, archmage-level magical aptitude, multiverse-spanning resources of lore and mana, and diabolical cruelty and power-lust.

When it comes down to it, Bolas's goals are simple. He desires only two things: omniscience and omnipotence. His methods are equally simple: do whatever it takes.

Nicol Bolas has come to Alara at the time of the Conflux, when the five shards converge once again into a single world.

Welcome to Conflux previews.

Mark Rosewater and Doug Beyer kicks off the official previews for Conflux on MagicTheGathering.com with the preview of Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker and a short background about him and the introduction of the Conflux design team and Bloodhall Ooze.

When Worlds Collide, Part I - Mark Rosewater

Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker - Doug Beyer

The Seeker's Fall, Part 1 - Planeswalker Webcomic

Cards Say the Darnedest Things - Kelly Digges

Be sure to visit MagicTheGathering.com for daily updates and more previews or just go to DailyMTG.com to access the daily content directly.

What's that you say? You say you can't decide if you want to go to the Conflux Prerelease? Even though there are not only events all over the world but also thirty large Prereleases for people who want to experience a big event?

Well, it's your decision, of course. We wouldn't want to influence you in any way. We just thought we’d mention (in a casual, offhand manner) that everyone who plays in a Prerelease will get one of these:

You know. If that's the kind of thing you're into.

Oh! And it comes in six different languages. For collecting.

The shards form a shrinking ring of worlds, and in the center, a spark composed of all five types of mana flares to life. As mana floods across the planar boundaries and the long-separated cultures come into contact with one another, something else flares to life — the threat of global war.

CCEGAMES presents...

CONFLUX PRE-RELEASE TOURNAMENT

Yes, CCEGAMES is running their own pre-release event, not in some fancy hotel, but right at their store....

We have TWO sessions in one day so come along for full day of fun gaming with us......

CCE CONFLUX PRE-RELEASE TOURNAMENT
WHEN: 31st January (Saturday)
WHERE: Our Store at Old Klang Road
TIMES:
Session 1 - 10am Start (Registration begins at 9:30am)
Session 2 - 3pm Start

The shards form a shrinking ring of worlds, and in the center, a spark composed of all five types of mana flares to life. As mana floods across the planar boundaries and the long-separated cultures come into contact with one another, something else flares to life — the threat of global war.

The Comics Corner is once again proud to associate itself with Magic the Gathering with the staging of the....

Conflux Prerelease

Date: 1st February 2009 (Sunday) ~ 2 SESSIONS

Time: 1st Session ~ 10.00am (Doors Open at 9.15am)
2nd Session ~ 3.00pm

What better way to get ready for the cool new cards of the latest upcoming set than winning a couple of free sessions to Michael Toh's Pre-release for Conflux?

A tournament will be held on the 18th of January for the chance to win free sessions for the Pre-release to be held on the 31st of January and 1st of February 2009 at Cititel Hotel!


PTQ: Kyoto at Manawerx, 9th November 2008

Read on for further details from Michael Toh himself.

CONFLUX Pre Release Mania – Sunday 18th January 2009
(by Michael Toh)


Entry Fee : RM 20.00
Format : STANDARD TYPE II Deck Constructed
SWISS ROUNDS + ONE MORE ROUND (NO TOP 8 PLAYOFF)
(10th Ed, Lorwyn, Morningtide, Shadowmoor, Eventide and Shards of Alara Permitted)
Time : 10.00 AM (Registration opens at 9.30 AM)

Prizes :

1st - 4th Place: 2 Sessions of Conflux Pre-Release *

5th - 8th Place: 1 Session of Conflux Pre-Release *

9th - 16th Place: 2 Shards of Alara boosters

17th - 32nd Place: 1 Shards of Alara booster

* NON REDEEMABLE for CASH
* TERMS and CONDITIONS APPLIED

Long ago Alara was one plane, but it was drained of its mana and shattered into five shards. Over centuries, each shard recovered its own mana, but only three of the five colors flourished on each shard, creating five distinct worlds, each with its own unique identity.

The creatures native to each shard have forgotten Alara, their mother world. But Alara's shards have drifted back toward one another through the chaotic void of the Blind Eternities. For years now, the shards have been on a collision course with one another. For years now, the five shards' destinies have been on the verge of a great fusion.

The Conflux.

If one could see it from afar, the Conflux of the five shards might look strangely beautiful, a ring of five miniature universes just beginning to overlap like pools of colored light. But to the denizens of the shards, it is disaster. The edges of their worlds shred one another, terrain tearing through terrain in a reconvergence that's anything but picturesque.

The shards merge slowly, their frontiers erupting through one another in a reality-bending tectonic ballet. As the worlds overlap one another, each world gains two new frontiers with formerly separate worlds. Naya fuses with Bant on one front and Jund on the other. Bant collides with both Naya and Esper. Esper connects with both Bant and Grixis, Grixis touches Esper and Jund, and Jund breaches both Grixis and Naya. Each world has two new realities impinging on it—and two new foes.

The shards form a shrinking ring of worlds, and in the center, a spark composed of all five types of mana flares to life. As mana floods across the planar boundaries and the long-separated cultures come into contact with one another, something else flares to life—the threat of global war.

- "The Shards Collide", Conflux Minisite.

There will be a Grand Prix Trial at CCEGAMES this coming Sunday on the 18th of January 2009 where you can win 3 round byes for GP Singapore!

Grand Prix are easily the biggest open events the DCI offers. They're high-energy and held around the world. Plus, no invitation is necessary—anyone can attend. No pro points? No problem. Playing a good game is all that matters, and with Pro Tour invitations down to 16th place and a cash prize pool of $30,000 that goes all the way down to 64th place, one thing is certain: a Grand Prix is a sure-fire great time. Plus each participant gets an alternate art Chrome Mox!

Millennia ago, great cataclysmic event now called the Sundering which cause lost to time broke it into the five distinct worlds called Shards: Bant, Esper, Grixis, Jund and Naya, each world vastly different, having lost some of their mana and its' influence.

But a period of great uncertainty are coming as all signs points towards a converging of the Shards as a powerful figure shows up in the midst of it all, and drew the attention and caught into a conflict with the planeswalkers of Alara.


Conflux Fat Pack Mural wallpaper on Wizards.com's website, which can be found here.

After being missing for Shards of Alara where stores ran Pre-release events instead of the traditional 'large' Pre-release tournaments ran by Michael Toh, it is back for Conflux along with regular store Pre-releases with the usual 4 sessions, two days, tonnes of giveaways and more Magic!

And what better way to get ready for the cool new cards than winning a couple of free sessions to the Pre-release event for Conflux?

A tournament will be held on the 18th of January for the chance to win free sessions for the Pre-release to be held on the 31st of January and 1st of February 2009 at Cititel Hotel!

Read on for further details from Michael Toh himself.

CONFLUX Pre Release Mania – Sunday 18th January 2009
(by Michael Toh)

Excitement is running high as Conflux release date creeps closer and closer. Long time fans of the world behind the game are hotly anticipating the appearance of one of the most iconic and powerful being in the Magic The Gathering multiverse - Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker.



Already news are appearing about the Pre-release events!

After being missing for Shards of Alara where stores ran Pre-release events instead of the traditional 'large' Pre-release tournaments ran by Michael Toh, it is back for Conflux along with regular store Pre-releases with the usual 4 sessions, two days, tonnes of giveaways and more Magic!

Read on for further details from Michael Toh himself!

CONFLUX PRE RELEASE
(by Michael Toh)

***ATTENTION***
For those players that is driving PLEASE PARK your car at the MIDVALLEY
MEGA MALL… There will be a FLAT RATE of RM5.00…

Magic Pre - release will be again TWO DAYS that means FOUR SESSIONS of
Magic, Magic, Magic and Magic… AND all this will be happening in Kuala
Lumpur Shopping Paradise that is Mid Valley… CITITEL HOTEL MIDVALLEY

Details for the PRE RELEASE is as follows…

So WHERE and WHEN is CONFLUX Pre release going to be held???

Details for the CONFLUX Pre Release is as follows:

CONFLUX PRE RELEASE

Venue:
Cititel Hotel Mid Valley
Mid Valley Mega Mall
Lingkaran Syed Putra
Kuala Lumpur
Function Room: Matahari III 5th Floor

Date:
31st JANUARY 2009 (Saturday)

Time:
9.00AM (Session ONE) (Registration starts at 8.00am)
2.00PM – 3.00PM LUNCH BREAK
3.00PM (Session TWO) (Registration starts at 2.00pm)

Date:
1st FEBRUARY 2009 (Sunday)

Time:
9.00AM (Session THREE) (Registration starts at 8.00am)
2.00PM – 3.00PM LUNCH BREAK
3.00PM (Session FOUR) (Registration starts at 2.00pm)

Format:
Seal Deck Tournament
ONE SHARDS OF ALARA Tournament Starter and THREE CONFLUX Boosters
FOUR ROUNDS of SWISS for EACH SESSION

Entry Fee:
ONE (1) SESSION - RM70.00
SPECIAL OFFER:
Join all FOUR (4) SESSIONS for RM260.00 - a DISCOUNT of RM20.00
SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE CONFLUX FOIL CARD FOR EACH PARTICIPANT (while stocks
last).

PRIZE STRUCTURE
4 WINS – 6 CONFLUX BOOSTERS
3 WINS – 4 CONFLUX BOOSTERS
2 WINS – 2 CONFLUX BOOSTERS
0 – 1 WIN – 1 CONFLUX BOOSTER

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DAY

.. GRAND DRAW
1. Simply sign up for TWO (2) or MORE SESSIONS at CONFLUX PRE RELEASE, and
you will stand a chance of winning the GRAND DRAW during each day of the
event.
2. TWO (2) LUCKY WINNERS will be picked at each GRAND DRAW and they will
each walkhome with EIGHTEEN (18) CONFLUX Boosters!
- DRAWS will be conducted at the SECOND FLIGHT of each day.
- Winners of the DRAW must be present at the event venue to receive the
PRIZE when the draw is conducted.
- Every eligible participant is entitled to both draws, once they have
been drawn and receive their PRIZE they will not be eligible for any
subsequent draws of the GRAND DRAW during the event.

.. Fun & Games
.. Lots of CONFLUX Boosters to be given away
.. Single Card Shops

Please email me at ccgorganizer@myjaring.net or SMS me (012 260 8438) if
there are any questions.

Michael Toh
KL TO

Smalltalk: Happy 2009! It's been a hectic and depressing end of 2008 for me, and hopes are high for a better 2009! I've already sadly missed 2 GPTs over the last 2 weekends and I really look forward to the end of my final examinations so that I will be able to bring you more coverage of the rest of the GP: Singapore Trials season in Malaysia as well as the upcoming PTQ season. Anyways, it's GP Singapore madness here in Malaysia as we kick off the new year with MORE GP Trials for Grand Prix Singapore!

There will be a Grand Prix Trial at Decards Enterprise this coming Sunday on the 11th of January 2009 where you can win 3 round byes for GP Singapore!

Grand Prix are easily the biggest open events the DCI offers. They're high-energy and held around the world. Plus, no invitation is necessary—anyone can attend. No pro points? No problem. Playing a good game is all that matters, and with Pro Tour invitations down to 16th place and a cash prize pool of $30,000 that goes all the way down to 64th place, one thing is certain: a Grand Prix is a sure-fire great time. Plus each participant gets an alternate art Chrome Mox!