Magic The Gathering - Malaysia

2011 Malaysian Champion - Lee Eing Yung


2011 Malaysian National Championships Top 8 (L-R): Tommy Cheaw, Au Yong Wai Kin, Chye Yian Hsiang, Hiew Chee Choong, Joe Soh, Rick Lee, Lee Eing Yung, Nico Surinindran

Valakut made a huge resurgence to the top of the metagame but it was 'Penang-Kia' Lim Eing Yung's unique Valakut variant: putting the Exarch-Twin combo in the good ol' Primeval Titans and Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle shell that took the title, crushing Hiew Chee Choong's White Weenie chance to taking down the title with a rogue deck.

It was a good weekend for Hiew however, with this 2nd place finish he is now assured of a back to back Pro Tour appearance after recently being qualified for Pro Tour Philadelphia.

The Top 8 consisted of 3 Valakut, 2 Tempered Steel, 1 Valakut-Twin, 1 White Weenie and 1 UG Cobra deck.

Meanwhile, Rick Lee relegated 4-time National Team member Au Yong Wai Kin to just alternate status in the 3rd place playoff to book his spot as the 3rd member of the National team in a Valakut mirror match.


Top 4, L-R: Au Yong Wai Kin, Hiew Chee Choong, Lee Eing Yung, Rick Lee

2-time champion Joe Soh barely missed the mark to make the Top-4 3 years in a row when he was knocked out by Rick Lee in the quarters, piloting another unique rogue deck to the top of the national competition, a blue green Cobra concoction.

Notable players Tommy Cheaw, Chye Yian Hsiang, both piloting Tempered Steel decks, Nico Surinindran with Valakut fills out the rest of the top 8.

Top 8 Decklists

Quarterfinals - Hiew Chee Choong vs Nico Surinindran - Coverage Report

Semifinals - Hiew Chee Choong vs Au Yong Wai Kin - Coverage Report

Finals - Lee Eing Yung vs Hiew Chee Choong - Coverage Report

Photo Gallery

End of Report

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2011 Malaysian Nationals Finals
Lee Eing Yung (Valakut-Twin) vs Hiew Chee Choong (White Weenie)

Game 1



Lee had a rocky start as he mulligan twice while Hiew led off with a turn 2 Lynx along with a Marsh Flats. Hiew's Lynx punched in for 4 as he cracked his Marsh Flats before summoning a Gideon’s Lawkeeper.

Lee then summoned an Oracle of Mul Data to see a Deceiver Exarch on top of his library as Hiew’s Lynx punched in for another 4 before a Hero of Bladehold joined Hiew's board. Lee’s Oracle then revealed a Misty Rainforest which got played, revealing Deceiver Exarch on top, which led Lee to crack the Rainforest for an Island. He then found a Terramorphic Expanse to play on top, which gave way to a Harrow.

As Hiew tried to attack, Lee cast Harrow sacrificing the Expanse to summon a Deceiver Exarch to hold back the Hero of Bladehold, leaving an Overgrown Battlement on top. Hiew then exiled the Exarch an Oblivion Ring but Lee then summoned Primeval Titan to threaten to put the game out of Hiew’s reach.

Hiew then summoned Student of Warfare and used his Tectonic Edge on Lee’s Valakut. Misty Rainforest was revealed and played after Lee drew the revealed Exarch to see Avenger of Zendikar on top. Before he could attack with his Primeval Titan, Hiew tapped it down.

Lee then Explore-d to draw his revealed Avenger to reveal a Valakut that got played which then revealed a Primeval Titan which eventually got summoned on the following turn. The Titan killed off Hiew’s Hero of Bladehold and Gideon’s Lawkeeper with the help of his Valakut triggers.

The writing was on the wall for Hiew but it took an Avenger of Zendikar to get 12 plant tokens before he was finally willing throw in the towel.

Hiew Chee Choong 0 – Lee Eing Yung 1

Game 2

Hiew’s first turn Steppe Lynx and 2nd turn Student of Warfare delivered some quick beats on Lee as he Explore-d into a Misty Rainforest. Lee however then played Harrow into a Deceiver Exarch to put Hiew’s offense to a screeching halt as he tapped down the Lynx and blocked the 3/3 Student.

Primeval Titan was then summoned and along with Harrow, quickly made short work of Hiew and his title challenge, and with that, Lee Eing Yung is 2011 Malaysian National Champion!

Hiew Chee Choong 0 – Lee Eing Yung 2
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2011 Malaysian Nationals Semifinals
Au Yong Wai Kin (Valakut) vs Hiew Chee Choong (White Weenie)

Game 1


Au Yong Wai Kin

Hiew started off with a first turn Steppe Lynx which was quickly followed by a levelled Student of Warfare on the 2nd turn before a 3rd turn Honor of the Pure quickly put the pressure on Au Yong who only had Rampant Growth and Cultivate to show.

Hiew then played Tectonic Edge to destroy a Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle and added Gideon’s Lawkeeper to his team. Au Yong tried to find some breathing space with Obstinate Baloth, but that plan got Dismember-ed as the players pack the cards in for game 2.

Au Yong Wai Kin 0 – Hiew Chee Choong 1

Game 2

Hiew played a first turn Student of Warfare, thought hard before levelling twice, shaking his head as he does, and as he expected, a Lightning Bolt came thundering down.

Au Yong's Overgrown Battlement is followed by another Student of Warfare and Gideon’s Lawkeeper from Hiew. Au Yong’s Harrow fetched two Mountains before he Pyroclasm-ed Hiew’s team away before Primeval Titan and Harrow quickly closed the game away in Au Yong’s favour to split the match.

Au Yong Wai Kin 1 – Hiew Chee Choong 1

Game 3


Hiew Chee Choong

Hiew summoned a couple of Steppe Lynx to set a very quick clock as Au Yong received a Slow Play Warning from the Head Judge as he agonized over his options before he settled on a Rampant Growth. Student of Warfare was summoned and gained a level, with Hiew once again conspicuously leaving a single white mana source untapped since the last couple of turns while Au Yong then summoned a pair of Overgrown Battlements.

Hiew’s Marsh Flats however spelt bad news for Au Yong, and with the Student gaining a 2nd level, Hiew sent them all into the red zone. Another long moment spent by Au Yong to organize his defense against the onslaught led to another Slow Play Warning which prompted Au Yong to block the Student with his Battlement, while taking 8 damage from the cats.

Au Yong then summoned an Avenger of Zendikar who made 4 2/3 Plant tokens through a fetchland, but a fully levelled Student of Warfare and a Brave the Elements was enough to push Hiew through to the finals!

Au Yong Wai Kin 1 – Hiew Chee Choong 2
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2011 Malaysian Nationals Quarterfinals
Nico Surinindran (Valakut) vs Hiew Chee Choong (White Weenie)

Game 1



Hiew started off the game with a Gideon’s Lawkeeper as Nico summoned a Birds of Paradise. Hiew denied Nico mana acceleration by tapping the bird with his Lawkeeper on the following turn but Nico could land an Overgrown Battlement anyway.

A Hero of Bladehold was summoned onto Hiew’s side of the battlefield before Nico summoned a 2nd Battlement to enable the first to tap for a Rampant Growth. Gideon’s Lawkeeper tapped the untapped Battlement and attacked with his Hero to take 7 from Nico before a 2nd Hero of Bladehold entered the battlefield for Hiew.

A Slagstorm cleared the board of soldiers, and along with an Avenger of Zendikar - Nico established a foothold on the game with 5 2/3s Plant tokens thanks to a Verdant Catacombs. An Oblivion Ring prevented the plants from getting any bigger, but Nico’s Plant token army kills off both Hero of Bladeholds as Hiew pushed Nico’s lifetotals to 2. Hiew then summoned a Mirran Crusader who threatened to close the game for him but a Lightning Bolt was enough to put that plan on hold.

Both players played draw-go for a while as Hiew added a Steppe Lynx and Gideon’s Lawkeeper to his side of the battlefield, while Nico found lands with Cultivate. Steppe Lynx killed off a Battlement through an Arid Mesa before Nico summoned an Oracle of Mul Daya to reveal a Slagstorm off the top of the library. Oblivion Ring took the Oracle away as Nico Slagstorms away Hiew’s team.

Nico’s reprieve was short lived however, as Hiew summoned a couple of Squadron Hawks to send the match to game 2.



Hiew Chee Choong 1 – Nico Surinindran 0

Game 2

Hiew’s turn 1 Steppe Lynx gets Lightning Bolt-ed while his 2nd turn Student of Warfare gets Pyroclasm-ed. His 3rd turn Gideon’s Lawkeeper managed to stick around however along with a 4th turn Hero of Bladehold while all Nico could do was to cast Green Sun’s Zenith for 4 to fetch an Oracle of Mul Daya, revealing a Mountain on top.

Hiew’s soldiers and knight slams in for 9 points off Nico before Hiew chose to Tectonic Edge Nico’s Valakut and sent the Oracle to oblivion through an Oblivion Ring. Nico then summoned Primeval Titan but it was all for naught as Hiew tapped the titan with his Lawkeeper before he cast Honor of the Pure and sent his team to kill off Nico’s shot for a spot on the 2011 Malaysian national team.

Hiew Chee Choong 2 – Nico Surinindran 0
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2011 Malaysian National Championships Top 8 (L-R): Tommy Cheaw, Au Yong Wai Kin, Chye Yian Hsiang, Hiew Chee Choong, Joe Soh, Rick Lee, Lee Eing Yung, Nico Surinindran

Top 8 Decklists below :-

Champion - Lee Eing Yung
Deck Name - RUGkutwin
Deck Designer - [Left blank]

10 Mountain
4 Forest
1 Island
2 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Evolving Wilds
4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
4 Misty Rainforest

4 Lotus Cobra
4 Overgrown Battlement
4 Explore
1 Oracle of Mul Daya
3 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Primeval Titan
4 Deceiver Exarch
1 Acidic Slime
1 Avenger of Zendikar
3 Harrow
3 Splinter Twin
1 Summoning Trap

Sideboard

2 Creeping Corrosion
3 Naturalize
3 Slagstorm
2 Obstinate Baloth
1 Acidic Slime
1 Back to Nature
2 Summoning Trap
1 Terastodon

Finalist - Hiew Chee Choong
Deck Name - White Weenie
Deck Designer - Hiew Chee Choong

4 Student of Warfare
4 Gideon's Lawkeeper
4 Steppe Lynx
4 Honor of the Pure
4 Squadron Hawk
4 Mirran Crusader
4 Hero of Bladehold
3 Dismember
3 Oblivion Ring
2 Leonin Relic-Warder
13 Plains
3 Tectonic Edge
4 Marsh Flats
4 Arid Mesa

Sideboard

2 Leonin Relic-Warder
3 Timely Reinforcements
3 Celestial Purge
3 Leonin Arbiter
1 Revoke Existance
3 Brave the Elements

3rd Place - Rick Lee Hup Beng
Deck Name - Valakut Bug
Deck Designer - MTGBug.com

10 Mountain
5 Forest
3 Terramorphic Expanse
3 Evolving Wilds
4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
2 Verdant Catacombs
1 Raging Ravine

4 Rampant Growth
4 Overgrown Battlement
1 Birds of Paradise
3 Explore
2 Oracle of Mul Daya
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Primeval Titan
4 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Avenger of Zendikar
2 Wurmcoil Engine
3 Beast Within

Sideboard

1 Creeping Corrosion
3 Nature's Claim
3 Memoricide
4 Pyroclasm
1 Swamp
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Gaea’s Revenge
1 Obsinate Baloth

4th Place - Au Yong Wai Kin
Deck Name - [Left blank]
Deck Designer - [Left blank]

11 Mountain
5 Forest
4 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Evolving Wilds
4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
2 Verdant Catacombs

4 Rampant Growth
4 Overgrown Battlement
1 Birds of Paradise
2 Explore
2 Harrow
1 Oracle of Mul Daya
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Primeval Titan
2 Avenger of Zendikar
3 Lightning Bolt
3 Cultivate
1 Obstinate Baloth
1 Summoning Trap

Sideboard

2 Creeping Corrosion
2 Nature's Claim
3 Memoricide
4 Pyroclasm
1 Swamp
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Gaea’s Revenge
1 Obsinate Baloth

Quarterfinalist - Nico Surinindran
Deck Name - Vala-Good
Deck Designer - [Left blank]

10 Mountain
5 Forest
4 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Evolving Wilds
4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
2 Verdant Catacombs
1 Raging Ravine

4 Rampant Growth
4 Cultivate
3 Overgrown Battlement
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Explore
1 Acidic Slime
4 Oracle of Mul Daya
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Primeval Titan
2 Slagstorm
2 Lightning Bolt
2 Avenger of Zendikar

Sideboard

3 Creeping Corrosion
3 Nature's Claim
3 Memoricide
3 Pyroclasm
1 Swamp
1 Back to Nature
1 Thrun, the Last Troll

Quarterfinalist - Chye Yian Hsiang
Deck Name - U/W Aggro
Deck Designer - [Left blank]

4 Inkmoth Nexus
9 Plains
4 Seachrome Coast
3 Glacial Fortress

2 Hero of Bladehold
4 Memnite
4 Ornithopher
4 Signal Pest
4 Steel Overseer
4 Vault Skirge

4 Dispatch
4 Glint Hawk Idol
3 Mox Opal
4 Tempered Steel
3 Preordain

Sideboard

3 Journey to Nowhere
3 Spellskite
3 Leonin Relic-Warder
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Timely Reinforcements
2 Hero of Bladehold
2 Mana Leak

Quarterfinalist - Tommy Cheaw Chung Sung
Deck Name - [Left blank]
Deck Designer - [Left blank]

2 Contested War Zone
4 Inkmoth Nexus
12 Plains

4 Glint Hawk
2 Hero of Bladehold
4 Memnite
3 Ornithopher
3 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Signal Pest
4 Steel Overseer
4 Vault Skirge

4 Dispatch
3 Glint Hawk Idol
3 Mox Opal
4 Tempered Steel

Sideboard

2 Celestial Purge
2 Mental Misstep
2 Refraction Trap
3 Revoke Existance
3 Shrine of Loyal Legions
3 Spellskite

Quarterfinalist - Joe Soh
Deck Name - [Left blank]
Deck Designer - [Left blank]

4 Lotus Cobra
3 Birds of Paradise
2 Solemn Simulacrum
2 Consecrated Sphinx
1 Primeval Titan
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Obstinate Baloth
1 Acidic Slime
1 Slyvan Ranger
4 Sword of Feast and Famine
4 Mana Leak
2 Beast Within
2 Dismember
2 Rampant Growth
3 Garruk, Primal Hunter
2 Green Sun's Zenith

4 Misty Rainforest
2 Verdant Catacombs
2 Island
4 Tectonic Edge
2 Inkmoth Nexus
4 Khalni Garden
7 Forest

Sideboard

2 Wurmcoil Engine
2 Acidic Slime
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
3 Creeping Corrosion
3 Nature's Claim
2 Obstinate Baloth
2 Surgical Extraction



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Tune in to http:/twitter.com/qjwong now and follow the #MYSNATS hashtag to get the latest developments of the top 8 live!

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Watch the nation's best play at Cititel Mid Valley Hotel, Matahari III, IV & V – Level 5 on July 23-24, 2011!

Held each year, National Championships are the highest level competition for a particular country. In 2011, players from 69 countries will compete in Magic: The Gathering National Championships for the right to represent their countries at the 2011 World Championships held in San Francisco, USA on November 17-20, 2011.

Prizes
1 USD1500
2 USD1100
3 USD700
4 USD500
5-6 USD350
7-8 USD250
9-10 36 Boosters
11-12 18 Boosters
13-16 9 Boosters

As usual MagicMalaysia.net will strive to bring you as much coverage from the National Championships as possible.

Head down for a recap of previous MagicMalaysia.net coverage of Nationals and take a trip revisiting the history of Malaysian Magic!

2010 Malaysian Nationals Coverage
2009 Malaysian Nationals Coverage
2008 Malaysian Nationals Coverage - Intro
2008 Malaysian Nationals Coverage - Finals
2008 Malaysian Nationals Coverage - Semifinals
2008 Malaysian Nationals Coverage - Quarterfinals
Read more!

Spotted on the updated Nationals info page on Wizards.com is some notable dates Malaysian players should take note of!

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=events/magic/nationals

The Malaysian Nationals 2011 will be held on July 23-24, a week after the Launch of Magic Core Set 2012! Top 75 rated players in the country will receive invites on June 1 2011, but it will be based on ratings published on May 18 2011!

Held each year, National Championships are the highest level competition for a particular country. In 2011, players from 69 countries will compete in Magic: The Gathering National Championships for the right to represent their countries at the 2011 World Championships held in San Francisco, USA on November 17-20, 2011.

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Jason Ng is your 2010 Malaysian National Champion!


Top 4 - (L-R) Kong Chong Teng, Jason Ng, Joe Soh, Ben Chio


Top 8 - (L-R) Jason Ng, Ken Lim, Justin Lim, Wesley Ng, Terry Soh, Joe Soh, Ben Chio, Kong Chong Teng

Jason on his very first National Championships rode his winning streak all the way into the top, defeating two big names, GP Manila 2008 Top 8 competitor Ken Lim in the Quarterfinals and defending and 2-time National Champion Joe Soh in the Semifinals to set up a Finals between him and Kong Chong Teng whom he eventually overcame en route to be come Malaysian National Champion 2010.

After 12 grueling rounds, the top 8 players of the 2010 Malaysian National Championships has been revealed! Leading the top of the standings is defending champion, Joe Soh, 2010 National Champion.

He is tightly followed by Kong Chong Teng, Ben Chio, Jason Ng, Wesley Ng, Justin Lim and Terry Soh, who beat out 5 others with same points by tiebreakers.

Twitter coverage can be found at http://twitter.com/qjwong !

Decklists, pictures and coverage report to follow.

Final Top 8 Standings

1. Jason Ng (Jund)
2. Kong Chong Teng (Jund)
3. Ben Chio (RG Elves / Vengevine)
4. Joe Soh (RG Ramp)
5. Ken Lim (Jund)
6. Wesley Ng (UG Ramp)
7. Justin Lim (Naya)
8. Terry Soh (UW Control)

Quarterfinals

Ken Lim (Jund) vs Jason Ng (Jund)[Won][0-2] [Coverage Report]
Joe Soh (RG Ramp) [Won] vs Terry Soh (UW Control) [2-0]
Wesley Ng (UG Ramp) vs Ben Chio (RG Elves/Vengevine) [1-2]
Justin Lim (Naya) vs Kong Chong Teng (Jund) [1-2]

Semifinals

Joe Soh (RG Ramp) vs Jason Ng (Jund) [Won] [1-2] [Coverage Report]
Ben Chio (RG Elves/Vengevine) vs Kong Chong Teng (Jund) [Won] [0-2]

3rd Place Playoff

Joe Soh (RG Ramp) vs Ben Chio (RG Elves/Vengevine) [Won] [1-2]

Finals

Kong Chong Teng (Jund) vs Jason Ng (Jund) [Won] [1-2] [Coverage Report]

Top 16 standings after the 12 swiss rounds

1. Soh, Joe
2. Kong, Chong Teng
3. Chio, Ben
4. Ng, Jason
5. Lim, Ken
6. Ng, "Wei San, Wesley"
7. Lim, Justin
8. Terry Soh
9. Muralitheran, Hari
10. Wei Han, Chin
11. Teh, Soon Leong
12. Tan, Ian
13. Hussein, Rudy
14. Shee, Dexter
15. Chee Yoong, Goh
16. Yap, Teng Fong

Faceboook Photo Gallery - here

Top 8 Decklists - here

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2010 Malaysian National Championships – Quarterfinals
Jason Ng vs Ken Lim


L - Ken Lim R - Jason Ng



Game 1

Jason won the dice roll and elected to go first but he had a rough start as he took a mulligan twice to settle down on a 5 card hand. Missing a land drop, Justin was happy to draw a Forest on his 4th turn to summon a Sprouting Thrinax, only to have it sent to the graveyard thanks to a Lightning Bolt from Ken.

Ken’s Bloodbraid Elf cascaded into a Lightning Bolt to send Jason to 16 (after a fetch-land activation), and Ken chose to let the elf stay on the defense. Jason drew and played a Raging Ravine before he cast a Lightning Bolt on Ken’s 3/2 elf to knock down Ken’s defenses as his Saproling token army sent Ken’s life totals to 16. A Maelstrom Pulse made quick work of that small army however, while Jason followed it up with a Bloodbraid Elf of his own, revealing cards off the top in trepidation, and his worst fear became true as he revealed a Terminate to his disgust.

Ken slammed down a Broodmate Dragon the turn after but the cascade was in Jason’s favor this time as the dragons got killed by a Bituminous Blast that cascaded into a Maelstrom Pulse. Ken was not done pushing yet however as a Sylvan Ranger fetched a Swamp with a Sarkhan the Mad turning her into a 5/5 dragon. Another timely Pulse dealt with Sarkhan but the 5/5 dragon token threat still loam in the skies.

Ken attacked with his animated Raging Ravine and Dragon to send Jason to 11 as the Ravine met a Lightning Bolt. A meager defense in the form of a Putrid Leech is dealt with by a Pulse of Ken’s while the dragon’s existence got Terminate-d but an animated Lavaclaw Reaches sent Jason to 9. A Bituminous Blast cascaded into Blighting on Ken’s Lavaclaw Reaches emptied Ken’s hand and board but not before Ken fired a Lightning Bolt at Jason to send him to 6. Jason’s Raging Ravine took large chunks of Ken’s life totals before a Terminate of Ken’s put an end to that but a Bloodbraid Elf from Jason was more than enough to put him through game 2 with a win.

Jason Ng 1 – Ken Lim 0

Game 2

Ken led off the game with a bumpy start as he missed land drops while Jason had a Sprouting Thrinax which was followed up by an Obstinate Baloth. Animated Raging Ravine joined the attackers soon after as Ken crumbles to the pressure, not being able to put up any form of a defense. Ken later revealed his hand filled with multiple Thrinaxes and lots of gas, and all it was missing was the crucial 3rd land.

Jason Ng 2 – Ken Lim 0

Jason Ng advanced to the Semifinals beating Ken Lim 2-0!
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2010 Malaysian National Championships – Semifinals
Jason Ng vs Joe Soh


Joe Soh


Jason Ng

Game 1

Joe won the dice roll and elected to start first but both players started off with a mulligan to 6. Joe led off with a Khalni Heart Expedition while a Bloodbraid Elf brought a Sprouting Thrinax for Jason. The Thrinax died to a Lightning Bolt while Cultivate ramp Joe’s mana. A Blightning forced Joe to discard a Forest and an Oracle of Mul Daya while the Thrinax sent Joe to 14.

An Avenger of Zendikar created a 7 Plant tokens shaped roadblock for Jason as a plant token sacrificed himself to block a Thrinax valiantly while a 2nd Blightning killed off the rest of Joe’s hand. A Forest off the top gave them all +1/+1 counters and did 11 damage in an attack, but a Maelstrom Pulse put an end to that and Joe had another Sprouting Thrinax to worry about.

The 2 Thrinaxes went all the way unopposed as Joe’s deck didn’t not offer any form of defense and an end of turn Bituminous Blast on his own Thrinax that cascaded into a Lightning Bolt ended the game in Jason’s favor.

Jason Ng 1 – Joe Soh 0

Game 2

A first turn Duress from Jason revealed a hand of an Obstinate Baloth, Cultivate, 2 Mountains, a Forest and a Lightning Bolt off Joe’s hand. The Cultivate was sent off Joe’s hand but a top deck’ed Rampant Growth allowed Joe to summon an Obstinate Baloth the following turn to put Joe to 24 although it was Terminate-d soon after.

Bloodbraid Elf hit an empty cascade with Jason revealing a Doom Blade as Joe went on the offence with a Raging Ravine which survived to knock 4 life points off Jason. Jason then cast a Master of the Wild Hunt while Joe summoned a Siege-Gang Commander.

Jason tried to kill the Commander with the Master’s activated ability but Joe killed the wolf token in response, ensuring the 2 damage does not go through to the Commander. Jason then played a Maelstrom Pulse to finish off the rest of the goblin tokens a tad bit too late and added a Putrid Leech to his side of the board.

An Avenger of Zendikar made 7 plant tokens and they became 2/3s with the help of a Terramorphic Expanse. Bloodbraid Elf brought along a Sprouting Thrinax and not the Pulse Jason eagerly wanted but a Terminate made sure the plant tokens does not become any bigger.



Joe animated a Ravine and attacked with his whole army. A big blood bath later and thanks to Siege-Gang Commander activation and a Mountain triggering off the Valakut, Jason’s game 2 is over.

Jason Ng 1 – Joe Soh 1

After some amount of discussion between Jason and the judges, Jason is made to replace his foil Sprouting Thrinax copies that were really bent, and before long the game soon continued.

Game 3

Jason quickly chose to take a mulligan while Joe thought long and hard before choosing to mulligan as well. Joe started off with a Khalni Heart Expedition while Jason had a Sprouting Thrinax as his first play. Joe had a Cultivate while Jason summoned Bloodbraid Elf who cascaded into a Putrid Leech as his Thrinax and elf swung in for 6. An Obstinate Baloth helped shift Joe’s life to 18. Jason attacked Joe with his Leech and Thrinax and elf which saw the Baloth going up against the Leech who died to a Lightning Bolt when Jason tried to pump him.

A second Thrinax joined the fray as a Siege-Gang Commander entered the battlefield for Joe. A late Duress revealed that Joe only had a Rampant Growth and a Forest in hand, the Growth being sent off the hand as Jason’s army thrashed in. While the Commander helped to delay Joe’s impending doom, his deck offered no help as Jason’s Sarkhan the Mad turned the battle into an even more 1-sided affair as Jason crashed his way through Joe to book his place in the Finals.

Jason Ng 2 – Joe Soh 1

Jason Ng advanced to the Finals defeating Joe Soh 2-1!
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2010 Malaysian National Championships – Finals
Jason Ng vs Kong Chong Teng


Kong Chong Teng


Jason Ng

Game 1

Jason’s Putrid Leech hit in for 4 in 2 attacks as both players added Sprouting Thrinax to their board, who traded with each other as the pumped Leech took an additional 4 life points off Kong in the absence of open red mana sources. Jason’s Master of the Wild Hunt quickly died to a Maelstrom Pulse but Jason’s Bloodbraid Elf cascaded into a Blightning caused Kong to discard an Eldrazi Monument and Blighting as Jason’s army attacked, and although Kong survived the initial assault, he couldn’t stop the second wave as Jason’s animated Raging Ravine joined the fray to hit for lethal.

Jason Ng 1 – Kong Chong Teng 0

Game 2

Kong led off with a Putrid Leech that went unopposed, single handedly taking Jason to 13 before Jason summoned a Sprouting Thrinax followed by a Master of the Wild Hunt. Kong had a Thrinax of his own and it attacked the following turn along with the Leech. Jason’s Thrinax blocked the leech, made Kong pay 2 life points to kill off the Thrinax while his own Thrinax took Jason to 10. Master of the Wild Hunt then died to a Lightning Bolt while the Saproling Tokens died to Maelstrom Pulse. A Blightning ripped Kong’s hand off a Leech and Bloodbraid Elf but Kong’s offense is still relentless as Jason couldn’t find the means to muster a defense to Kong’s attacks. Another Bolt and Terminate delayed his demise, but when Jason had to rely on the cascade on his Bituminous Blast to reveal another removal, it didn’t and Kong handily won the game.

Jason Ng 1 – Kong Chong Teng 1

Game 3

Things look bleak for Kong as he kept a 5 card hand after Jason kept a 6. Kong’s Putrid Leech met a Terminate as Jason summoned an Obstinate Baloth to go to 24 but it died to a Maelstrom Pulse. A Sarkhan the Mad from Jason dug out a Sprouting Thrinax but died soon after to a Maelstrom Pulse. Jason then played a Blightning to Kong’s surprise, and ripped him off a Grave Titan and Maelstrom Pulse, to gasps from the on-looking audience. When Jason summoned multiple Thrinaxes while all Kong could muster was lands off the top of his deck, the writing was on the wall.

Jason Ng 2 – Kong Chong Teng 1

Jason Ng is your 2010 Malaysian National Champion!
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Special thanks goes out to the top 8 players who provided the writer with the decklists after the lost of the original decklists!

The 2010 Magic Malaysian National Championships Event Coverage - Top 8 Decklists


Top 8 - (L-R) Jason Ng, Ken Lim, Justin Lim, Wesley Ng, Terry Soh, Joe Soh, Ben Chio, Kong Chong Teng

Please email qj.wong@gmail.com for any mistakes or typo to be fixed as soon as possible. Thank you!

Champion - Jason Ng
Deck - Jund



4 Savage Lands
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Raging Ravine
2 Rootbound Crag
2 Dragonskull Summit
1 Lavaclaw Reaches
3 Forest
3 Swamp
3 Mountain

4 Putrid Leech
4 Sprouting Thrinax
4 Bloodbraid Elf
2 Master of the Wild Hunt

4 Lightning Bolt
4 Blightning
4 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Terminate
4 Bituminous Blast
2 Sarkhan the Mad

Sideboard

2 Prophetic Prism
4 Duress
3 Obstinate Baloth
2 Doomblade
2 Jund Charm
2 Malakir Bloodwitch

Finalist - Kong Chong Teng
Deck - Jund



4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Raging Ravine
2 Lavaclaw Reaches
2 Dragonskull Summit
4 Savage Lands
4 Forest
3 Swamp
3 Mountain

4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Putrid Leech
4 Sprouting Thrinax
2 Grave Titan

4 Maelstorm Pulse
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Bituminous Blast
3 Terminate
4 Blightning
2 Eldrazi Monument

Sideboard

3 Doom Blade
4 Duress
4 Goblin Ruinblaster
4 Obstinate Baloth

First Runner-Up - Ben Chio
Deck - RG Elfvine



4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Elvish Archdruid
4 Fauna Shaman
4 Llanowar Elves
2 Birds of Paradise
3 Vengevine
1 Obstinate Baloth
2 Garruk Wildspeaker
2 Sarkhan Vol
3 Lightning Bolt
3 Ember Hauler
2 Eldrazi Monument
1 Master of the Wild Hunt
1 Inferno Titan
1 Ant Queen

2 Tectonic Edge
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Raging Ravine
4 Mountain
9 Forest

Sideboard

3 Acidic Slime
3 Combust
3 Manabarbs
2 Triskelion
2 Cunning Sparkmage
2 Obstinate Baloth

2nd Runner-up - Joe Soh
Deck - RG Ramp



4 Primeval Titan
3 Siege-Gang Commander
3 Oracle of Mul Daya
3 Avenger of Zendikar

4 Khalni Heart Expedition
4 Explore
4 Cultivate
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Comet Storm
2 Rampant Growth

4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
4 Raging Ravine
2 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Evolving Wilds
4 Forest
11 Mountain

Sideboard

4 Obstinate Baloth
2 Pelakka Wurm
3 Ricochet Trap
1 All is Dust
3 Cunning Sparkmage
2 Combust

Top 8 Finalist - Terry Soh
Deck - UW Control

3 Tectonic Edge
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Celestial Colonnade
4 Plains
5 Island
3 Sejiri Refuge
2 Arid Mesa

4 Wall of Omens
3 Cancel

1 Gideon Jura
3 Elspeth Knight-Errant
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

2 Day of Judgment
1 Martial Coup
2 Path to Exile
3 Condemn

2 Jace’s Ingenuity
3 Everflowing Chalice
4 Baneslayer Angel
4 Mana Leak


Sideboard

3 Oblivion Ring
4 Negate
3 Wall of Denial
1 Sphinx of Lost Truth
1 Martial Coup
1 Day of Judgment
1 Celestial Purge
1 Mind Control

Top 8 Finalist - Wesley Ng
Deck - UG Ramp

Unavailable

Top 8 Finalist - Ken Lim
Deck - Jund

4 Sylvan Ranger
4 Thrinax
4 Bloodbraid
3 Siege-Gang
3 Broodmate Dragon

4 Lightning Bolt
3 Terminate
2 Bituminous Blast

4 Blightning
3 Maelstrom Pulse

1 Sarkhan the Mad

3 Forest
3 Swamp
2 Mountain
4 Savage Lands
4 Raging Ravine
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Oran-rief, the vastwood
1 Rootbound Crag
2 Dragonskull Summit
1 Lavaclaw Reaches

Sideboard

3 Ruinblaster
3 Doomblade
3 Duress
3 Obstinate Baloth
2 Garruk, Wildspeaker
1 Pithing Needle

Top 8 Finalist - Justin Lim
Deck - Naya

4 Noble Hierarch
1 Birds of Paradise
3 Cunning Sparkmage
4 Lotus Cobra
3 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Vengevine
4 Bloodbraid Elf
2 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Fauna Shaman
1 Realm Razer

1 Basilisk Collar
1 Whispersilk Cloak
2 Eldrazi Monument

2 Ajani Vengeant
2 Elspeth, Knight Errant

4 Arid Mesa
4 Forest
3 Verdant Catacombs
1 Misty Rainforest
2 Mountain
2 Plains
1 Raging Ravine
1 Jungle Shrine
1 Sejiri Steppe
2 Stirring Wildwood
2 Sunpetal Grove
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Evolving Wilds

Sideboard

2 Qasali Pridemage
3 Path to Exile
1 Basilisk Collar
1 Cunning Sparkmage
3 Luminarch Ascension
3 Dauntless Escort
2 Oblivion Ring
Read more!

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

Update - Top 8 decklists added!

Former National Champion Joe Soh returns to become the 2009 Malaysian National Champion!


Joe Soh receiving his trophy from Head Judge Wearn Chong

The stage was set for a grand battle between champions for the crown and title as the two former National Champions fought it out for the honor to become returning champions as Joe Soh faces off against Wong Weng Sheng.

After 12 long exhausting rounds, the top 8 finally emerged from the field of 84 hopefuls, and what an amazing top 8 it is.

Pro Tour Honolulu 5th placed Zac Hill is looking forward to hoist the Malaysian flag in Rome at the World Championships this year made it along with the lone player who went undefeated on Day 1, Yin Zhen Yao. He would have stood on top of the standings yet again, if it wasn't for Sam Eng who took the lead on the standings as the one who only dropped a single match and picked up a draw throughout the whole 12 rounds of Swiss. 3 former National Champions also joined the line-up with Joe Soh, Wong Weng Sheng and Michael Tan within the top ranks. Rounding the rest of the top 8 is PT Yokohama contender Ong Whey Whey and competitive level tournament regular Bryan Chen.

In the finals, Joe Soh's RG Aggro deck is too fast for Wong Weng Sheng's BW Tokens as he fell in 3 quick games. Joe stopped Zac Hill and his 5CB from advancing into the finals on his semifinals match but not before he dispatched Sam and his Swans Combo on his quarterfinals.

Meanwhile Wong Weng Sheng met his teammate Ong Whey Whey who was also playing BW Tokens on his quarterfinals match who conceded his spot to his friend who really wanted to play in the World Championships later this year at Rome, before fighting off Bryan Chen and his GW Tokens for a place in the final 2 during the semifinals.

Bryan Chen then had to play against Zac Hill for a 3rd place playoff to see who gets to be on the final slot on the national team which Bryan managed to defeat Zac in 4 games. Bryan sent off Yin Zhen Yao and his BW Tokens in the quarterfinals to advance into the semifinals while Zac Hill defeated Michael Tan in a full set of 5 games against his RG Aggro.


The 2009 Malaysian National Top 4! (From L-R: Zac Hill [4th], Wong Weng Sheng [2nd], Bryan Chen [3rd], Joe Soh [1st])

Final Top 16 Standings

[1st] USD1800 – Joe Soh
[2nd] USD1400 – Wong Weng Sheng
[3rd] USD900 – Bryan Chen
[4th] USD700 – Zac Hill
[5th] USD350 – Sam Eng
[6th] USD350 – Yin Zhen Yao
[7th] USD250 – Michael Tan
[8th] USD250 – Ong Whey Whey

[9th] Wong Qin Jin (QJ Wong)
[10th] Mohd Hafiz Mokhtaruddin
[11th] Jason Yap
[12th] James Lau
[13th] Vincent Gan
[14th] Nico Surinindran
[15th] Chen Tze Kang
[16th] Mohd Ikmal Mohd Nasir (Icky)

Full Standings – click here

Standard Decks Breakdown and Analysis - click here

Top 8 Decklists – click here

Top 8 Single Elimination Rounds

Quarterfinals

Sam Eng vs Joe Soh (won) [2-3]

Michael Tan vs Zac Hill (won) [2-3] [Coverage Report]

Wong Weng Sheng (won) vs Ong Whey Whey [3-2]

Bryan Chen (won) vs Yin Zhen Yao [3-1]

Semifinals

Joe Soh (won) vs Zac Hill [3-1] [Coverage Report]

Wong Weng Sheng (won) vs Bryan Chen [3-0]

3rd / 4th Place Playoff

Zac Hill vs Bryan Chen (won) [1-3]

Finals

Joe Soh (won) vs Wong Weng Sheng [3-0] [Coverage Report]

Photos from the event below!

A full photo gallery can be found here - click here


2009 Malaysian National Champion Trophy


The sign outside the tournament venue


The top 8, ready to begin!

The Top 8


Michael Tan


Zac Hill


Wong Weng Sheng


Ong Whey Whey


Bryan Chen


Yin Zhen Yao


Sam Eng


Joe Soh


Quarterfinals - Michael Tan vs Zac Hill


Quarterfinals - Ong Whey Whey vs Wong Weng Sheng


Quarterfinals - Yin Zhen Yao vs Bryan Chen


Quarterfinals - Joe Soh vs Sam Eng


Semifinals - Joe Soh vs Zac Hill


Semifinals - Wong Weng Sheng vs Bryan Chen


3rd Place Playoffs - Zac Hill vs Bryan Chen


Finals - Joe Soh vs Wong Weng Sheng

Read more!

The 2009 Malaysian Nationals Coverage Report - Finals
Wong Weng Sheng vs Joe Soh


Joe Soh vs Wong Weng Sheng

Game 1

Joe won the dice roll and chose to go first and with both players happy with their opening hand, Joe started off the game quickly with a 1st turn Figure of Destiny, while Weng Sheng had Windbrisk Heights for his 1st turn play. Joe made his figure a 2/2 and attacked for 2 to bring Wong to 18 before playing a Treetop Village while Wong had a 2nd turn Bitterblossom off a painland, taking him to 17. Things look bleak for Wong as Joe played a Boggart Ram-Gang and attacked with it, taking 5 points of damage off Wong to12 while his Bitterblossom took him to 11. A Kitchen Finks tried to bring some relief for Wong but a Magma Spray dashed those hopes and with another Boggart Ram-Gang joining the fray, all Wong could do was to scoop up all of his cards for game 2.


Wong Weng Sheng

Joe Soh 1 – Wong Weng Sheng 0

Game 2

The players spent little time delving into their sideboard and shuffled up for game 2. Wong chose to go first, and chose to take a mulligan his opening 7 but was disgusted with his 6, before settling his 5 while Joe was happy to keep his opening 7. A first turn Arcane Sanctum was met with a first turn Figure of Destiny off a painland, taking Joe down to 18 after pumping it to become a 2/2. Meanwhile Wong had a Soul Warden followed by a Tidehollow Sculler which took a Kitchen Finks from a hand of a Mountain, a Forest, Snakeform, Puncture Blast, and Pithing Needle before sending his Soul Warden in to chip in for 1 after gaining a life from the warden.



Joe quickly killed off the Sculler with a Puncture Blast, taking back his Kitchen Finks before attacking another 2 life with his Figure. Wong had another Tidehollow Sculler and this time he chose to take the Magma Spray from a hand that contained a Pithing Needle, Snakeform Kitchen Finks and Forest, gaining a life from the warden and chipping off a point from Joe with her yet again.

The Figure of Destiny went into the red zone again and with Wong declaring no blocks, Joe did nothing despite having plenty of mana and just made Wong take 2 damage. On his following turn, Wong then activated his Mutavault, and before he could declare attackers, Joe decided to cast Incinerate on Wong's Tidehollow Sculler to take back his Magma Spray which was immediately used on Wong's Mutavault, effectively destroying Wong’s attack plans.


Joe Soh

The Soul Warden chipped in for another 1 nonetheless while Joe's Kithkin Spirit too attacked back for 2 points of damage before Joe played a Kitchen Finks to gain Joe 2 life. A Pithing Needle named Windbrisk Heights stopped it from giving Wong card advantage, after which he played a Kitchen Finks to himself up 3 thanks to the Soul Warden, before taking 5 damage from the attacking opposing Figure and Finks.

Joe made his Figure a 4/4, taking 1 from his Karplusan Forest before sending his army of Finks, Figure of Destiny and an animated Village into the red zone. The 4/4 Kithkin Spirit Warrior is blocked by Wong's Finks but a Snakeform made Finks nothing but a 1/1 snake and it was enough to convince Wong to pack it in for the 3rd game.



Joe Soh 2 – Wong Weng Sheng 0

Game 3



Both players kept their opening hands and Wong started but Joe made the first play with a 1st turn Figure of Destiny while a 2nd turn Noble Hierarch allowed the Kithkin, freshly turned into a Spirit to attack for 3 while Wong had a Tidehollow Sculler to see to his horror a hand of 3 Boggart Ram-Gang, a Pithing Needle and a Magma Spray which was taken away by Wong.



Joe chose not to let loose the horde of Ram-Gangs however to play the Kitchen Finks he had but not before attacking for another 3 with his Kithkin Spirit with the help of Noble Hierarch. Wong passed his turn without having a land to play and when Joe pushed in with the newly made 4/4 Figure of Destiny Wong sent it on a Path to Exile but Joe kept piling the pressure on his opponent with a Bloodbraid Elf that gave Joe a free Snakeform which turned Wong's Sculler into a 1/1 snake before attacking with his 2 3/2s who both went unblocked.

Wong managed to put a Kitchen Finks into play to gain 2 life and hopefully stop the bleeding but Joe’s 2nd Snakeform made it lose it's persist abilities as it died in combat on Joe’s following turn. Joe then added another Figure to his board while Wong had a Spectral Procession to show on his following turn.

Joe, relentless, sent an army of a newly cast Boggart Ram-Gang, Bloodbraid Elf, his 2/2 Figure of Destiny and Kitchen Finks as Wong blocked desperately to stay alive and what seemed to be an hopeless board situation for Wong. His mind was not quite in the game anymore as he accidentally took out his surviving spirit token from play and had to be reminded by Joe to put it back into play.



Wong took a look at the top card of his library as Joe passed his turn and extended his hand in congratulations as he conceded the fight to become returning National Champion.

Joe Soh 3 – Wong Weng Sheng 0

Joe Soh is the 2009 Malaysian National Champion!


Read more!