Magic The Gathering - Malaysia

Held six days before each new Magic card set goes on sale, Prereleases provide an excellent way to experience the grandeur of a worldwide event in a low-stress environment. At Prerelease events, you will be able to play with cards from the new set before you can buy them, receive special promotional cards for attending, and have the opportunity to win even more cards by playing. So have fun!

Get a chance to play with Magic 2010 Core Set cards before they go on sale! 4 sessions full of Magic: The Gathering fun and exictement awaits!

Session 1 - Saturday 10 July 2010 10AM
Session 2 - Saturday 10 July 2010 3PM

Format: Sealed Deck (You will be provided with 6 M11 Boosters - build a minimum 40-card deck out of the cards from the 6 bosoters, basic lands are provided)

Tournament Structure: 4 Swiss Rounds

Entry Fee: RM70 / session

Prizes:

4 Wins - 6 M11 Boosters
3 Wins - 4 M11 Boosters
2 Wins - 2 M11 Boosters
0 - 1 Wins - 1 M11 Booster

Each player will receive a copy of the M11 Pre-release participation promo - (while stock lasts)



Pre-reigster now to avoid dissapointment! Very limited slots available!

Grand Prix Manila 2010 Top 32 finisher, Arif Kamaruddin won the PTQ last Sunday with Conscription Bant, defeating a mirror matchup in the finals against Kenneth Wong. The rest of the top 8 consisted of a RUG Land-Destruction deck by Qu, Hsueh M, a RW Control deck by Kelvin Tan, Lim Teng Howe's UW Control, RDW by Razif Rosdin, another UW Control by Eddy Ng and lastly, Au Yong Wai Kin's RG Monument.

This writer ended up at a heartbreaking 9th place, missing out the top 8 by 1.11% in tie breaks. :(

Top 16 Final Standings

1. Han, Kelvin Tan Choon 15
2. Kenneth, Wong 14
3. Rosdin, Razif 14
4. Kamaruddin, Arif b 13
5. Au Yong, Wai Kin 13
6. Ng, Eddy 13
7. Lim, Teng Howe 13
8. Qu, Hsueh M 12
9. Wong, Qin Jin 12
10. Neo, Alvin 12
11. Yang, Joshua 12
12. Luo, Ryan 10
13. Soon Yong, Yeap 9
14. Chye, Yian Hsiang 9
15. Chong, Kin Leong 9
16. Karfatt, Calson C 9

Full matchups, decklists (Top 8, including some interesting top finishers) below!

Top 8 Pairings

Han, Kelvin Tan Choon vs Qu, Hsueh M (Qu won)
Au Yong, Wai Kin vs Kamaruddin, Arif b (Arif won)
Rosdin, Razif vs Ng, Eddy (Eddy won)
Kenneth, Wong vs Lim, Teng Howe (Kenneth won)

Top 4 Pairings
Qu, Hsueh M vs Kamaruddin, Arif b (Arif won)
Kenneth, Wong vs Ng, Eddy (Kenneth won)

Finals Pairings
Kenneth, Wong vs Kamaruddin, Arif b (Arif won)


Arif defeated Kenneth to win the Pro Tour Qualifier Amsterdam!!!



Top8 decklist as below:



Name : Qu, Hsueh M
Deck Name : Land-D
Deck Designer : Qu, Hsueh M

Main Board
4 Jace, the Mind Sculpter
4 Spreading Seas
4 Lotus Cobra
4 Nest Invader
4 Acidic Slime
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Roiling Terrain
3 Golbin Ruinblaster
4 Lightning Bolt

4 Scalding Torn
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Raging Ravine
3 Island
3 Forest
3 Mountain

Side Board
1 Burst Lighting
4 Basilisk Collan
4 Cunning Sparkmage
2 Mold Shambler
2 Oracle of Mul Oaya
2 Spellbreaker Behemoth

 
Name : Han, Kelvin Tan Choon
Deck Name :
Deck Designer : Han, Kelvin Tan Choon

Main Board
3 Ajani Vangeant
1 Elspeth, Knight Errant
3 Siege-Gang Commander
2 Chandra Nallar
1 Baneslayer Angel
3 Earthquake
4 Kor Firewalker
4 Wall of Omens

4 Lightning Bolt
4 Path to Exile
4 Volcanic Fallout
1 Oblivian Ring
4 Terramorphic Expanse
4 Arid Mesa
2 Tectonic Edge
8 Mountain
8 Plains

Side Board
4 Luminarch Ascension
3 Celestial Purge
3 White Knight
4 Goblin Ruinblaster
1 Oblivion Ring


 
Name : Lim, Teng Howe
Deck Name : UW Control
Deck Designer :

Main Board
4 Wall of Omens
3 Baneslayer Angel
1 Sphinx of Jwar Isle
2 Emeria Angel

3 Path to Exile
4 Spreading Seas
3 Everflowing Chalice
3 Elspeth, Knight Errant
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Day of Judgement
1 Gideon Jura
2 Deprive
2 Mind Spring
1 Journey to Nowhere
6 Plains
5 Island
4 Celestial Colonnade
4 Glacial Fortress
3 Sejiri Refuge
3 Tectonic Edge
1 Scalding Tarn

Side Board
3 Negate
1 Emeria Angel
1 Path to Exile
1 Kor Firewalker
1 Jace Beleren
2 Celestial Purge
2 Kor Sanctifiers
2 Oust
2 Day of Judgement


Name : Rosdin, Razif
Deck Name :
Deck Designer :

Main Board
2 Quenchable Fire
4 Golbin Guide
4 Blightning
4 Hellspark Elemental
4 Hells Thunder
4 Ball Lightning
4 Searing Blaze
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Burst Lightning
3 Earthquake
4 Arid Mesa
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Dragonskull Summit
4 Lavaclaw Reaches
8 Mountain


Side Board
2 Cunning Sparkmage
3 Golbin Ruinblaster
2 Manabarbs
2 Quenchable FIre
2 Deathmark
2 Doomblade
 

Name : Eddy, Ng
Deck Name :
Deck Designer :

Main Board
4 Sea Gate Oracle
4 Wall of Omens
4 Path to Exile
4 Spreading Seas
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
3 Elspeth, Knight Errant
3 Day of Judgement
3 Oblivion Ring
2 Gideon Jura
2 Deprive
1 Mind Spring
1 Martial Coup
4 Celestial Colonnade
4 Glacial Fortress
2 Sejiri Refuge
2 Tectonic Edge
2 Arid Mesa
7 Island
5 Plains

Side Board
3 Baneslayer Angel
3 Kor Firewalker
3 Negate
2 Flashfreeze
2 Celestial Purge
1 Sphinx of Jwar Isle
1 Sphinx of Lost Truths

 
Name : Kenneth, Wong
Deck Name : Bant is the Best !!!@!
Deck Designer :

Main Board
2 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
2 Gideon Jura
3 Baneslayer Angel
3 Soveriegns of Lost Alara
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Eldrazi Conscription
4 Rhox War Monk
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Lotus Cobra
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Noble Hierarch

2 Sunpetal Groove
3 Celestial Colonnade
2 Sejiri Steppe
1 Stirring Wildwood
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Verdant Catacombs
1 Evolving Wilds
2 Plains
4 Forest
3 Island

Side Board
2 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
3 Celestial Purge
2 Bant Charm
2 Oblivion Ring
1 Rampaging Baloths
1 Sphinx of Jwar Isle
4 Negate


Name : Kamaruddin, Arif
Deck Name :
Deck Designer :

Main Board
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Dauntless Esort
4 Baneslayer Angel
4 Soveriegns of Lost Alara
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Gideon Jura
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
4 Lotus Cobra
2 Eldrazi Conscription
4 Birds of Paradise

4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Celestial Colonnade
2 Sunpetal Groove
1 Stirring Wildwood
2 Sejiri Steppe
4 Forest
2 Plains
2 Island

Side Board
2 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
2 Negate
2 Deprive
2 Path to Exile
2 Bant Charm
2 Sphinx of Jwar Isle
2 Mold Shambler
1 Vines of Vastwood

 
Name : Au Yong, Wai King
Deck Name :
Deck Designer :

Main Board
4 Noble Hierarch
2 Birds of Paradise
4 Lotus Cobra
4 Nest Invader
2 Borderland Ranger
4 Vengevine
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Siege-Gang Commander
2 Garruk Wildspeaker
2 Kozilek’s Predator
4 Eldrazi Monument
1 Overrun

4 Misty Rainforest
3 Scalding Tarn
2 Raging Ravine
2 Khalni Garden
4 Rootbound Crag
5 Forest
3 Mountain

Side Board
4 Cunning Sparkmage
1 Island
2 Basilisk Collar
2 Forked Bolt
3 Manabarbs
3 Vapor Snare



Some other interesting decks that did quite well from the weekend:

Name : Ryan, Luo
Deck Name :
Deck Designer :

Main Board
4 Siege-Gang Commander
4 Eldrazi Monument
4 Noble Hierarch
2 Birds of Paradise
4 Vengevine
4 Seagate Oracle
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Nest Invader
4 Bloodbraid Elf
2 Lotus Cobra
2 Leatherback Baloth

2 Tectonic Edge
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Scalding Tarn
4 Forest
3 Island
2 Mountain
4 Raging Ravine
3 Rootbound Crag

Side Board
3 Flame Slash
2 Into the Roil
3 Basilisk Collar
2 Sphinx of Jwar Isle
4 Cunning Sparkmage
1 Leatherback Baloth
 

Name : Wong, Qin Jin
Deck Name : Dredgevine
Deck Designer : The Internet!

Main Board
4 Sedraxis Alchemist
4 Extractor Demon
4 Enclave Cryptologist
4 Hedron Crab
2 Grim Discovery
4 Renegade Doppelganger
2 Eldrazi Monument
4 Bloodghast
4 Vengevine

2 Mistvein Borderpost
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Scalding Tarn
4 Creeping Tar Pit
6 Island
2 Swamp


Side Board
4 Doom Blade
4 Calcite Snapper
4 Deprive
3 Inquisition of Kozilek


Source - Bananafish at 1mtg.netRead more!

Amsterdam, Netherlands - Image from "Amsterdam, is it real?" a Amsterdam Travel Page by ATLC

Qualifier tournaments are where the game really gets serious. The excitement level is high and the stakes are even higher. Players the world over converge with a common goal in mind -- an invitation to the Pro Tour, which could include an airplane ticket to the next Pro Tour location.

Win an invite to Pro Tour Amsterdam 2010 for the chance to win a piece of the US$230,000 prize pool AND the flight ticket to Amsterdam this Sunday at Eternal Magic!

Details below!

PRO TOUR QUALIFIER AMSTERDAM
6th JUNE and 27th JUNE 2010

Venue:
Eternal Magic
Lot 1-038 1st Floor, Millenium Square,
Dataran Millenium PJ,
98 Jalan 14/1,
46100 Petaling Jaya.

Date:
27th JUNE 2010

Time:
10.30AM STARTS (Registration starts at 9.30am)

Entry Fee:
RM50.00

Format:
STANDARD TYPE II Deck Constructed
(10th Ed., Shards of Alara, Conflux. Alara Reborn, Zendikar, World Wake and Rise of the Eldrazi Permitted)

***PRIZE STRUCTURE ***UPDATED***
TOP 8 STANDING
1st place Invitation + Return Airline Ticket to AMSTERDAM or USD 375.00
2nd place 12 RISE of the ELDRAZI Boosters
3rd – 4th place 6 RISE of the ELDRAZI Boosters
5th – 8th place 4 RISE of the ELDRAZI Boosters

SWISS STANDING
1st place 12 RISE of the ELDRAZI Boosters
2nd place 8 RISE of the ELDRAZI Boosters
3rd – 4th place 6 RISE of the ELDRAZI Boosters
5th – 8th place 4 RISE of the ELDRAZI Boosters
9th – 16th place 3 RISE of the ELDRAZI Boosters
17th – 32nd place 2 RISE of the ELDRAZI Boosters

If U have any questions please call me 012 2608438 or U can email me at ccgorganizer@yahoo.com

This EVENT is ORGANIZED by MICHAEL TOH, Kuala Lumpur Tournament Organizer...


Michael Toh
KL TO

Source
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The Magic 2011 Product Section is here, and it contains an unprecedented eighty-nine cards from the upcoming set! And over the next couple of weeks, more and more cards will be revealed until you can see every single card there.

But there's also Magic 2011 wallpapers and set information. It's everything you need to know about the next core set as we count down to the Magic 2011 Prerelease on July 10-11.

Wizards of the Coast dropped a bombshell of an announcement today as they revealed the new state of Extended, where they shrunk it to just 4 years worth of cards instead of the previous 7. That effectively made an additional 3 years of sets rotate out of the extended format come June 18, 2010.

Only Time Spiral onwards will be in the Extended format, leading off what seems to be a "double-Standard" with Standard being consisted of card sets within 2 years.

In addition, Hypergenesis and Sword of the Meek are banned, killing off both archetypes which had been dominating the Extended scene last season, paving the way open for a more wide-open Extended format.

Full announcement and the full list of legal cards below!


Announcement Date: June 18, 2010
Effective Date: July 1, 2010
Magic Online Effective Date: July 14, 2010 (after the scheduled downtime)

Magic: The Gathering Tournament Rules Change: Extended
On July 1, 2010, the following sets will leave the Extended format: Ninth Edition, Mirrodin, Darksteel, Fifth Dawn, Champions of Kamigawa, Betrayers of Kamigawa, Saviors of Kamigawa, Ravnica: City of Guilds, Guildpact, Dissension, and Coldsnap. From that point forward, the Extended format will include approximately four years of Magic sets instead of seven.

At that time, the following sets will be legal in the Extended format: Time Spiral, Planar Chaos, Future Sight, Tenth Edition, Lorwyn, Morningtide, Shadowmoor, Eventide, Shards of Alara, Conflux, Alara Reborn, Magic 2010, Zendikar, Worldwake, and Rise of the Eldrazi.

With the upcoming release of Scars of Mirrodin, the following sets will leave the Extended format: Time Spiral, Planar Chaos, Future Sight, and Tenth Edition. One year's worth of releases will leave Extended with every subsequent fall Magic set.

Extended
Sword of the Meek is banned.
Hypergenesis is banned.

Note: The four cards previously on the banned list (Æther Vial, Disciple of the Vault, Sensei's Divining Top, and Skullclamp) are in sets that are no longer in the Extended format.

Legacy
Mystical Tutor is banned.
Grim Monolith is no longer banned.
Illusionary Mask is no longer banned.

Zendikar Block Constructed, Standard, Vintage
No changes

Changes to Magic Online–only formats are now announced monthly in the Magic Online Community Group blog.

For an explanation of this announcement, read The Week That Was column today and the Latest Developments column next Friday, June 26. For the complete list of all banned and restricted cards by format, click here.

Source - hereRead more!

Thank you Wizards of the Coast and Ray "blisterguy" Walkinshaw for the opportunity to grace the pages of Wizards official coverage once again in Grand Prix Manila 2010 by covering a Quarterfinals and a Semifinals match! To be able to sit in the top 8 matches area and write is one of the most awesome things in Magic I've ever done (second being doing the exact same thing in Grand Prix KL 2010).


Grand Prix Manila 2010 Top 4 competitors - L-R: Yuuya Watanabe, Naoki Nakada, Taufik Indrakesuma, Gerald Camangon

My apologies for the amateur level work, but I hope some of you at least had enjoyed reading the coverage reports as much as I had writing them. :)

Covering the matches had really brighten up my disastrous performance at the Grand Prix, ending up 92nd, despite the highlight of my performance being playing at table 1 against Shouta Yasooka (yup, lost that one) late into day 1.

My coverage work will be reposted below, originally appearing on the official coverage here.

Once again, thank you very much Wizards of the Coast and Ray "blisterguy" Walkinshaw!

(Now, time to work harder on being the person in the coverage, instead of being the person doing the coverage.)

Quarterfinals - Taufik Indrakesuma vs Yuuta Takahashi
by QJ Wong

Takahashi won the dice roll but quickly sent his opening 7 for a fresh 6, while Indrakesuma kept his opening hand. Takahashi led off the match with a Putrid Leech while Indrakesuma spent his time setting up his combo with a Halimar Depths and a Khalni Garden. Takahashi attempted to take 4 off Indrakesuma as he gave his Putrid Leech +2/+2 but it was returned into his hand by Indrakesuma's Into the Roil, forcing Takahashi to re-summon it.

Indrakesuma then followed it up with a Jace, the Mind Sculptor, which allowed him to Brainstorm for free. Not taking any chances, Takahashi killed Indrakesuma's Plant token with a Lightning Bolt while his pumped Putrid Leech killed off Jace, before summoning a second Putrid Leech.

Indrakesuma had a second Jace however, and after another virtual Brainstorm, he played a Khalni Garden that gave him another Plant token. Takahashi killed off the Plant with a Maelstrom Pulse this time, and once again, killed Indrakesuma's Jace with a pumped Putrid Leech while the second Putrid Leech was also pumped to take 4 off Indrakesuma.

A 3rd Khalni Garden however, spelled doom for Takahashi as Indrakesuma cast Polymorph on his Plant token, which brought in an Emrakul, the Aeons Torn into the battlefield, and all Takahashi could do was scoop up his cards and start side-boarding.

Indrakesuma 1 – Takahashi 0

Takahashi quickly chose to keep his opening 7 while Indrakesuma had to take a mulligan. Takahashi went first but Indrakesuma got the game going with a Ponder as he chose to shuffle his library before drawing from the spell. A second turn Duress from Takahashi revealed Indrakesuma's hand of

2x Into the Roil,

Awakening Zone,

Flashfreeze,

Island and

Misty Rainforest.

Takahashi forced Indrakesuma to discard his Awakening Zone while a second Duress the turn after revealed a freshly drawn Deprive in addition to the cards before, with the Deprive being the card discarded this time.

Indrakesuma then cast a top-decked Awakening Zone, which drew a cringe from Takahashi. After considering his options Takahashi cast a Mind Rot, which forced Indrakesuma to discard 2 copies of his Into the Roil and played a land that entered the battlefield tapped, which left him with no untapped mana sources. Knowing that there's nothing Takahashi could do to stop his combo, Indrakesuma could only grin widely as he showed Takahashi the Polymorph he just drew off the top of the deck that forced Takahashi to scoop up his cards in clear frustration.

Indrakesuma 2 – Takahashi 0

Semifinals - Naoki Nakada vs Yuuya Watanabe
by QJ Wong

Watanabe won the dice roll and after some consideration, chose to keep his opening 7, while Nakada took a mulligan to a hand of 6. Watanabe summoned a Noble Hierarch on his second turn off his first turn Seaside Citadel as Nakada summoned a mana accelerator of his own in the form of Lotus Cobra. An Elspeth, Knight-Errant gave Watanabe a Soldier token while Nakada summoned a Knight of the Reliquary.

Another Noble Hierarch helped Watanabe's Soldier token attack for 6 with the help of Elspeth's +3/+3 and flying ability. Watanabe then cast an Oblivion Ring to exile Nakada's Cobra. An Elspeth of Nakada's own sent both Planewalkers into the graveyard but Watanabe had another Elspeth on his following turn to help take another 6 off Nakada as Watanabe emptied his hand as he summoned a Birds of Paradise.

Nakada made his knight of Reliquary grow bigger as he searched up lands but the Knight could do little as Watanabe animated his Celestial Colonnade, pumped his soldier token with his Elspeth, and then attacked with his team. All Nakada could do was to animate his own Celestial Colonnade to trade Watanabe's, but he had to take another 4 from the Soldier token in the process. Nakada drew no answer as all he could do was watch as Watanabe animated his second Colonnade and pumped his Soldier token again to attack for the win.

Nakada 0 – Watanabe 1

Nakada promptly chose to keep his opening 7 while Watanabe chose to send his back after he mulled over it for a while. Watanabe then agonized over his 6-card hand before he chose to take another mulligan to begrudgingly settle on a 5-card hand.

A first turn Birds of Paradise led to a 2nd turn Knight of Reliquary from Nakada but Watanabe exiled it with a Path to Exile. Nakada then summoned a second Birds of Paradise which Watanabe attempted to Oust but Nakada had a Negate to counter that spell. A Baneslayer Angel from Nakada presented a threat to Watanabe but a Journey to Nowhere dealt with it before Nakada exiled the enchantment with an Oblivion Ring to get his Baneslayer back into the battlefield along with a newly summoned Lotus Cobra.

Nakada's team of Baneslayer Angel and Lotus Cobra hit Watanabe for 7 but an Elspeth, Knight-Errant from Nakada met Watanabe's Negate. Watanabe tried to stay alive with an Oblivion Ring to exile Nakada's Baneslayer, but with the help of Lotus Cobra, Nakada cast an Eldrazi Conscription on his Lotus Cobra to attack for the win.

Nakada 1 – Watanabe 1

Watanabe chose to send his opening hand back twice and ended up with a 5-card hand to start his game again as Nakada chose to kept his opening 7. Nakada's first turn Hierarch led him to a second turn Knight of Reliquary while Watanabe played his own Noble Hierarch after Nakada's.

A late Master of the Wild Hunt was summoned to Watanabe's side of the battlefield but Nakada was ready for the threat, as he calmly put it away with an Oblivion Ring. Watanabe attempted to get his Master of the Wild Hunt back with an Oblivion Ring of his own, but Nakada's Negate made sure that it didn't. Nakada then summoned a Baneslayer Angel and along with his 8/8 Knight of Reliquary, the game seemed to be quickly slipping away from Watanabe's grip.

Watanabe chose to cast Jace, the Mind Sculptor, using the second ability to return the Knight back into Nakada's hand to stay alive but as Nakada's Baneslayer Angel killed Jace handily, and Nakada followed it up with double Knight of Reliquary which was enough to make Watanabe extend his hand to Nakada.

Nakada 2 – Watanabe 1
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