One of the public events at GP Okayama this past weekend was a Super Grand Prix Trial for GP Kobe — the 2009 GP schedule can be found here — which offered the winner three byes, entry, and transportation to the event. (I would imagine the organizers were happy none of the Austalian or Europeans in attendance won the Trial.) The format was Extended and provides one of our first peeks at the post-Berlin metagame. It was a pretty small event considering the prize — most of the public event thunder on Sunday was stolen by what was essentially a five-slot qualifier for Kyoto — that only had 17 players. Nonetheless it was something I was eager to look at as I am sure you are too.

It sounds like these lists will show up on the Mothership sometime in the next week or so. Both Mike and I are off this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday so they won’t be appearing there. In the meanwhile I figured I would post them here. Before you continued reading below the fold…  How many Elves decks were in the Top 8? Read the rest of this entry »

“Goblins?!?” said an incredulous Martin Juza after Johan Sadeghpour followed up his first turn Fanatic with another and a Goblin Sledder to start Round 15. Martin could not see it but Johan was holding Fecundity as well.

Despite the loss of Goblin Matron, Dirty Kitty was alive and well needing only one more win to potentially draw into the Top 8.

Considering how many elves were threatening to overrun that Top 8 Johan would be in good shape since he claims to be advantaged in that matchup. He would have to put his money where his mouth was since that was the deck Juza has been frontrunning with all weekend.

Juza fought through the pair of Fanatics and combo’d into Predator Dragon game one. Sharpshooter was providing cover fire in game two until Juza Chord of Calling’d up a Burrenton Forge Tender and tossed it a Jitte.

With four losses it was still possible to make the Top 8 but pretty unlikely.