Preparing for GP Kyoto: 5th/6th Oct

Played in 2 more prereleases over the weekend to mediocre results (2-2 in both).

The lack of good mana really stung over the 2 events while trying to play 3 colors.

I would consider streamlining into 2 colors unless I have good mana.

There were some mistakes here and there. I guess it's not easy to conceptualize how the bestowed creatures work even though I understand it offhand.

The 7 mana bestow abilities are slightly too expensive and the 4/4 flying first strike enchantment creature was surprisingly quite lackluster (hard for me to comprehend).

Slowly getting a feel for what is good and what is not in the format.

Preparing for GP Kyoto: 4th Oct

Played in a prerelease with the blue prerelease card. It was so insane with its inbuilt blinding beam. Also, 10 power clears up the games very quickly. It was easily the best card I had in the deck. I made some mistakes along the way but stuff like that happens. I knew in my head what the ug creature does but my head registered it as a Seedborn Muse in my conscious decision making, which effectively ended up as me forgetting the 'creatures have flash' ability. It's one of those what you know does not align with what you think moments. I split the finals (paxwise) and cleaned it up. The picture log is for my review.

GP Kyoto 2013 Info (side events updated 19/11)

UPDATED: 19 Nov 2013

Official page:
http://www.wizards.com/Magic/TCG/Events.aspx?x=mtg/event/grandprix/kyoto13
Organizer page:
http://nekoyan.net/gpkyoto/

Everything you need to know:

Preregistration link: https://ez-entry.jp/osa-mtg/entry/
You will need this form too for registration.
Read the tournament rules (for the format), the tournament structure and payout at the official page.

Registration notes:
- Registration is completed onsite.
- Playmats will be given for teams who complete the on-site registration. (Get it early on fri or forget it)

GP Kyoto 2013: Nov 22 - 24, 2013
Format: Theros Team sealed
Location:
Pulse Plaza 
5 Takeda Tobadono-chō, 
Fushimi-ku Kyōto-shi 
Kyōto-fu 
www.pulseplaza.jp/

My advice to all:
Do not try to understand the Japanese maps provided by shops etc.
I assure you that you would have a tough time finding your way with some information taken out to simplify their maps. Go prepared with a proper street map. It's A on the below map.

Registration:

Nov 22 (Fri): 14.30-20.30 ￥15,000 per team
Nov 23 (Sat): 08.00-08.30 ￥18,000 per team (only for preregistered teams)

GP Kyoto Event Timing:

Day 1: Nov 23 (Sat) 09.00
Day 2: Nov 24 (Sun) 09.00

How to go (friendly pix):

Walking from Subway
Bus from kyoto station

GP Promo: All is Dust
GP: Playmat: Mistcutter Hydra (Ryan Pancoast)

Artists:
Tyler Jacobson (Aetherling, Domri Rade, Promo Sneak attack)
Ryan Pancoast (Playmat, Leyline of Sanctity and Master of Pearl Trident)
Matt Stewart (has 2 planechase cards in addition to his cards: Cliffside Market and Feeding Grounds)

Side Events (UPDATED 19 Nov 2013, additional prizes info):

Fri

Trio Sealed Challenge (there are two).
Format: Team Sealed, 4 rounds swiss.
Registration: 12.00-12.30 and 15.00-15.30
Entry:￥4,500 per team
Payout: Teams with 9pts and above get packs.

Eternal Party Trial.
Format: Legacy, 5 rounds swiss
Registration: 13.00-13.30
Entry:￥1,500
Payout: Players with 15 pts get a 1 round bye at Sunday's Eternal Party.
Players with 12 pts and above get packs.

Standard Sponsored by Card Shop Serra
Format: Standard, 5 rounds swiss
Registration: 14.00-14.30
Entry:￥1,500
Payout:
Winner gets a set of Commander 2013
Players with 15 pts get a FTV: Legends.
Players with 10 pts and above get packs.

Foil Again Sealed
Format: Theros Sealed, 4 rounds swiss
Registration: 16.00-16.30
Entry:￥2,500
Payout: Not updated (Previously: Get a promo + 1 per match win over 4 rounds). 

Sat

Bazaar of Moxen 9 Trial. Format: Legacy, Registration: 12.00-13.45

Commander2013 Legacy
Format: Legacy, Swiss
Registration: 12.00-12.30
Entry:￥2,500 (Up to 226 players)
Payout: Top 4 players at the end of the tournament get 1 set of commander 2013.

Team Mint Standard.
Format: Standard, Swiss
Registration: 13.00-13.45
Entry:￥2,500 (Up to 128 players)
Payout: Winner gets 1 set of foil Theros and runner up gets 1 set of non-foil Theros.
Top 2 get pro gamer album.
Top 4 get gold leather deck case.
Top 8 get MTG duel deck box.
Top 32 get MTG deck box.
First 128 players get sleeves.

Yellow Submarine 2HG Sealed.
Format: 2HG Sealed, Swiss
Registration: 14.00-14.45
Entry:￥4,000 per team
Payout: Top 4 teams at the end of the tournament get a GP Kyoto playmat.

Rebound Event.
Format: Theros Sealed, 5 rounds swiss
Registration: 15.00-15-45.
Entry:￥3,000 (GP participants pay ￥2,000)
Payout: Players with 15 pts get free entry into the Super Sunday Series tournament (sealed/standard)
Players with 10 pts and above get packs.

Sun
Super Sunday Series.
Format: Sealed, Swiss
Registration: 08.30-09.00
Entry:￥4,000 (Up to 226 players)
Payout: Top 4 get SSS Final invites (See SSS Finals below)

Super Sunday Series.
Format: Standard, Swiss
Registration: 09.15-10.00
Entry:￥3,000 (Up to 226 players)
Payout: Top 4 get SSS Final invites (See SSS Finals below)
Winner gets 40 pieces of shocklands. (10 of each I would think)

Big Magic Eternal Party in GP Kyoto.
Format: Legacy, Swiss with top 8 single elim (the info page says standard T.T)
Registration: Sat 13.00-21.00, Sun 08.30-09.00
Entry:￥3,000 (For preregistered players on the website by 18 Nov ), ￥3,500 for onsite registration
Register online HERE (name - dci - e-mail - contact no)

Mix Ravnica Limited.
Format: Sealed with RGD+(the 3 new ravnica sets) 1 pack each, swiss
Registration: 11.00-11.45
Entry:￥4,000

Standard Sponsored by Card Shop Serra
Format: Standard, Swiss
Registration: 13.00-13.45
Entry:￥2,500 (Up to 128 players)
Payout: Winner gets 1 set of foil Theros and runner up gets 1 set of non-foil Theros.
Top 2 get Ftv: 20.

Super Sunday Series - Finals
Time: about 18.30
Entry: Free, Invite only (top 4 of SSS standard and sealed events)
Format: Theros booster draft 8 man, single elimination
Payout: Winner gets a invite and return airfare to "Super Sunday Series" at Wotc on 8/9 Feb 2014.
Top 4 get special messenger bag.

All day events:

Fri 12.30-17.00
Sat 09.30-18.00
Sun 09.00-18.00
Booster Draft ￥1,500
Constructed (Standard, modern, legacy, vintage) ￥1,500

Commander ￥500

Preparing for GP Kyoto: 3rd Oct

Today, I'm almost through white for C&U in the LR podcast. I'm not sure why I'm taking so long to go through one podcast.
Prerelease should start tonight if I am not mistaken so I would try to get into one if it does not start too late.

Today's reads:

http://www.starcitygames.com/article/27069_Things-To-Be-Excited-About.html
http://www.starcitygames.com/article/27028_Rise-Of-The-Minotaur.html
http://www.starcitygames.com/article/27001_Theros-Team-Sealed.html
http://www.starcitygames.com/article/26264_Team-Tips-For-GPProv.htm
http://www.starcitygames.com/article/26990_Untapped-Theros-Prerelease.html
http://www.starcitygames.com/article/26977_First-Glance-At-Theros-Limited-Tempo.html
http://www.starcitygames.com/article/27050_Team-Sealed-With-Team-Straight-Brick.html
http://www.starcitygames.com/article/26264_Team-Tips-For-GPProv.htm

Really struggling to decide if I should get SCG premium. Maybe I should get 1 month to end just before/at the GP and backread for 1/2 a month.

http://puremtgo.com/articles/theros-prerelease-survival-guide
http://puremtgo.com/articles/sealed-success-7

Hmm... Going into the prerelease, I should evaluate which of the 5 promos I would want to use.
http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/other/09162013

10-4-1 looks very crappy for payout. -_-"
However, the entry looks lower from my impressions.
(4x6=24 vs 25 tix to enter.)
Maybe it's some sort of scheme to make it more difficult to go "infinite".
I recall prerelease events to be very value losing. I guess it's about going 3-0 and splitting with the opponent 7-7. Gonna be tough.

Looks like Theros sealed should be a rather slow format. I will draw first given that impression.
Hope to learn more cards before the event.

Preparing for GP Kyoto: 2nd Oct

For day 2 of preparations, I listened through to the green C&U so I'm done for black and red at the moment.

I read a nice article on channelfireball which introduced the heroic draft archetype.
The archetype sounds strong to play unless your opponent has cheap removal to gun down targets which does not seem to likely at this point in time. I am under the impression that 1 damage and -1/-1 effects would not be popular to play early on.

I look forward to drafting the archetype during my preparations. I prefer going into drafts looking to draft a deck than to have a group of cards.

Also, triple set draft is very good for fringe draft archetypes. In the old Ravnica, there was the aura deck with the drake that bounced auras. In Kamigawa there was an arcane mill deck. I hope to find something similar in Theros so that I can get through the team draft portion without heavy resistance. That sort of archetype would probably show itself at the later part of my testing.

To get into a "study Magic" mode is surprisingly difficult after such a long time of not having had to do so.
Constructed is much easier on that front. I guess I might have to get fewer foil promo Underground Seas than expected to fund testing. =(

Preparing for GP Kyoto: 1st Oct

I have decided to go to GP Kyoto which would be 23-24 Nov which is a team limited event which showcases "friends" otherwise known as Theros.
It has been a long while since I've prepared for a limited event or even played in one.
The last was probably a release event on MTGO for one of the Return to Ravnica sets. I don't have much of an impression on it.
I do recall playing a random FNM draft but bombed out in that so doesn't count for anything.

Anyway, there are quite a few things to take care of:
-Air tickets (found some, yet to confirm)
-Leaves (taken)
-Accommodation (tough)
-How to get around (not yet)
-Players in team (still not confirmed)
-My Theros knowledge (which is minimal)
-Money (I'm going to sell some MTGO cards to fund the trip and that might eat up some time)

There is approximately 1.5 months for me to prepare for the event itself.

Last night, I started by downloading the Limited Resources podcast for the set,
episodes 201 and 202. I am still in black C&U as of now.
I looked through the visual spoiler and also went to Channelfireball and Starcitygames to try to get some first impressions of the set for limited in general. Considering getting premium for SCG but it doesn't seem like there is a limited specialist column like they did years ago (or maybe I just missed it).
It looks like a tough set to play and evaluate because of how many expensive effects there are.

I did not expect the set to be so complicated for what the cards offer for constructed play.
Anyway, I will probably have to start practicing from the MTGO prerelease.
Until then, I will be trying to absorb what the cards actually do.

Day 1