Glicerio Garcia and Richard Badlon splits a huge cardpool

Sorry for the late result posting here. Everyone was busy commenting on our facebook photos (Titan Hobby Shop) that we forgot all about our blog.

117 players joined the event and it was Glicerio Garcia and Richard Badlon who were facing each other at the finals of JTQ Manila. Before playing the finals, they decided to split the cardpool (people will always find a way to split - DJ), 2 cards each, and draft the mythic rares; winner of the match gets priority.

Glicerio Garcia (aka Surge) was the eventual winner and JTQ Manila champion.

Champion: Glicerio Garcia - Boros

4 Goblin Guide
4 Steppe Lynx
4 Plated Geopede
3 Kor Firewalker
2 Hellspark Elemental
4 Ranger of Eos
2 Goblin Bushwhacker

4 Lightning Bolt
3 Path to Exile
3 Burst Lightning
3 Earthquake

4 Arid Mesa
4 Marsh Flats
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Terramorphic Expanse
5 Mountain
5 Plains

SB
2 Day of Judgment
2 Journey to Nowhere
1 Elspeth
4 Hell's Thunder
2 White Knight
3 Celestial Purge
1 Hellspark Elemental

2nd: Richard Badlon - Boros

4 Arid Mesa
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Marsh Flats
3 Terramorphic Expanse
5 Plains
4 Mountains

4 Steppe Lynx
1 Elite Vanguard
4 Ranger of Eos
4 Goblin Guide
4 Hellspark Elemental
4 Plated Geopede
2 Boros Bushwhacker (sic)

4 Lightning Bolt
3 Burst Lightning
3 Path to Exile
3 Earthquake

SB
2 Elspeth Knight Errant
3 Hell's Thunder
3 Journey to Nowhere
2 Celestial Purge
2 DOJ
3 Kor Skyfisher

3rd: Rudi Asinas - Jund

3 Putrid Leech
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Sprouting Thrinax
2 Siege-Gang Commander
2 Broodmate Dragon
1 Thornling
1 Borderland Ranger
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Blightning
3 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Bituminous Blast
3 Terminate
1 Bestial Menace

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

SB
3 Shadowfeed
3 Mind Rot
2 Deathmark
2 Doom Blade
1 Burst Lightning
2 Master of the Wild Hunt
1 Basilisk Collar
1 Maelstrom Pulse

4th: Thons Galano - BR

4 Hell's Thunder
4 Goblin Guide
4 Ball Lightning
4 Hellspark Elemental
1 Plated Geopede
2 Earthquake
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Blightning
2 Quenchable Fire
4 Searing Blaze
3 Burst Lightning

4 Arid Mesa
4 Lavaclaw Reaches
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Dragonskull Summit
8 Mountain

SB
2 Pithing Needle
1 Quenchable Fire
4 Goblin Ruinblaster
2 Doom Blade
4 Deathmark
2 Unstable Footing

5th: Ricky Perez - Mono-white

4 White Knight
4 Kor Firewalker
4 Steppe Lynx
4 Knight of the White Orchid
3 Honor of the Pure
1 Basilisk Collar
3 Conqueror's Pledge
1 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Oblivion Ring
3 Path to Exile
1 Sigil of Distinction
2 Elspeth Knight Errant
4 Kor Skyfisher
1 Brave the Elements

4 Arid Mesa
4 Marsh Flats
1 Dread Statuary
1 Gargoyle Castle
13 Plains

SB
1 Brave the Elements
2 Wall of Reverce (sic)
2 Day of Judgment
2 Oblivon Ring
3 Devout Lightcaster
3 Celestial Purge
2 Journey to Nowhere

6th: Charles Cunanan - BR

4 Searing Blaze
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Burst Lightning
4 Goblin Guide
4 Hellspark Elemental
4 Hell's Thunder
4 Ball Lightning
2 Doom Blade
2 Quenchable Fire
4 Goblin Bushwhacker
2 Earthquake

4 Dragonskull Summit
4 Lavaclaw Reaches
14 Mountain

SB:
4 Death Shadow
4 Needle Bite Trap
4 Deathmark
3 Unstable Footing

7th: Ray Rivas - Jund

4 Putrid Leech
4 Sprouting Thrinax
4 Bloodbraid Elf
2 Siege-Gang Commander
2 Broodmate Dragon

4 Lightning Blot
1 Doom Blade
2 Terminate
3 Explore
3 Maelstrom Pulse
4 Blightning
2 Bituminous Blast

3 Forest
3 Mountain
3 Swamp
2 Rootbound Crag
3 Raging Ravine
4 Dragonskull Summit
4 Verdant Catacomb
4 Savage Lands

SB
2 Deathmark
1 Doom Blade
1 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Jund Charm
4 Goblin Ruinblaster
2 Master of the Wild Hunt
3 Malakir Bloodwitch

8th: Ralph Santos - Mythic

* Decklists to follow, naiwan kay head judge DJ, waiting for him to send them.

JTQ Manila updates

The JTQ series is a Magic the Gathering tournament series which aims to bring good Filipino Magic players into a larger stage. Last February 2010, we gave away round trip airfares and hotel accomodations to the winners of our JTQ Kuala Lumpur event; Richard Badlon and Rainier Santiago. The next Southeast Asian GP however, will be held here in Manila this coming June. Giving away airfares would not make any sense and so we came up with this; a huge cardpool to help support the player who will win this event.

JTQ Manila poster

JTQ Manila prize pool, booster packs consolation prize for other top finishers

Local stores run satellite tournaments which gives away byes for our JTQ events. The rationale behind this is similar to our main goal. We would like to bring the good players from all local stores into a bigger stage.

If you would like your local store to run satellites for our future events, please do not hesitate to contact us. There is no charge for running these satellite events, everything is free. We just need to coordinate with your local tournament organizer to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

List of players with byes for JTQ Manila (as of 3/26/2010)

Gamer's Lounge

Buado Rossinni x2
Manliclic, Christian x2
Paul Barlisan




Zuran Gaming Center
Zax Ozaki x2
James Coloma x2
Edward Malasaga x2
Ray Rivas
Dalton Terible

Ongkeco's Hobby Shop
Lei Co
Bong Encinas
JL Guevarra
Ray Rivas
Rainier Santiago
Rudi Asinas
Celsus Kintanar


BCI Greenhills
Mon Quimson
Aldrin Cacho
Lloyd Tan
Dheuz Relacion
Pong Deriquito
Mikko Rodas

Perez, Ricky
Santos, Ralf
Gloton, Bert
Banaag, Alfredo
Legaspi, KRISTIAN
Nicolas, Elmerando jr
Rivas, Raynand


Please contact your local tournament organizer if there are any discrepancies.

Charles Basilio and Kurt Porter wins ZZW drafts

Charles Basilio wins pod 1

Charles and his twin brother both drafted BR in the 1st pod. Charles was playing a more aggresive build compared to his brother though, and he piloted it to a 3-0 finish. Nevertheless, Jo Basilio was still the big winner of the draft having opened a Jace, TMS in his Worldwake pack.

Kurt Porter wins pod 2

No he was not playing Jund. Kurt drafted a tempo-based UB deck which featured the Zendikar MVP; Vampire Nighthawk and powerful tempo cards like Permafrost Trap and Whiplash Trap. He was watching draft veteran Chester Sy during the 1st draft and applied a few techniques that he just learned. So yes, he knew how to play his blue cards with maximum efficiency.

Padawan in Training?

I'm sure that the Filipino Magic community (if not the global community) is aware of how much noise our very own 8-year old kid; Kurt Porter generated. Kurt piloted his Jund deck to the 2nd day of the Grand Prix and finished 92nd overall. It was not enough to qualify him for a Pro Tour or win him some money, but it is a monumental feat for an 8-year old who started off with zero byes.

So how did he do it? We have been asking ourselves the same question for months now. Yes, months.

Early gaming background:
1. Kurt started playing real-time strategy games on PC when he was 3 years old. Warcraft 3, Command and Conquer: Generals, and Warhammer: Dawn of War were among his favorites. He was later prohibited from playing these games because he was starting to exhibit violent tendencies.
2. Kurt then shifted to handheld consoles. He played emulated Pokemon games on his PSP and plays Monster Hunter up to this day.
3. He was introduced to Monopoly early 2009. He has been beating his aunts, uncles, and Grandparents in the game ever since. He also likes playing banker whenever he plays.

I think his story is all about exposure. Yes, he is an 8 year old but we never allowed him to play or bring his cards to school. We did this so that he would focus on his studies and not just play Magic. He has never played a game against his classmates. In tournaments, we would tell him who the good players are; he would watch them and learn a few moves. Kurt then emulates those players when he plays. He requires very minimal verbal instructions, just a few reminders on some keypoints.

MTG exposure prior to tournament play:

Kurt first played the Jund deck when he was practicing with the 2009 Philippine National Team in Rome. The team had no alternate and he was the only person that was with the team who knows how to play Magic.

2009 Philippine Team

Kurt clearing the challenges in Duels of the Planeswalkers

Watching Antonino De Rosa in gunslinging

Gunslinging against Antonino De Rosa...

... and Mike Turian...

... and Tom Lapille...

... and Olle Rade.

Fun times with Schuyler Garfield...

... and Terry Garfield

Tournament milestones as of today:
1. Dec 20, 2009 - 1st tournament. Played Dredge and finished 13th out of 14 players at a local Vintage tourney
2. Dec 27, 2009 - Played Jund and finished 1st out of over 100 players at a local Standard tourney
3. He has consistently piloted Jund on local Standard tourneys last January, 4W-3L being his worst record.
4. Kurt decided to change his deck for the Feb 13 JTQ Kuala Lumpur. He piloted a Summoning Trap deck to a 4W-3L finish.
5. He again decides to try a different deck for the Feb 21 JTQ Kuala Lumpur. He played Pat Chapin's UW control deck and went 1W-4L-1D-drop in the tourney, winning only the mirror match. Yes he cannot play control yet, just like 90% of the MTG population.
6. With very little time to practice due to school (final exams was March 8-11), Kurt picked up a Jund deck again for Grand Prix Kuala Lumpur and placed 92nd overall out of over 500 players.
7. Mar 20, 2010 - Finished 5-0-2 in the swiss rounds of GPT Manila but lost the top 8 match for 3 byes.
8. Mar 23, 2010 - Played and won his 1st booster draft (ZZW)

Kurt is now enjoying his summer vacation and practicing everyday for the upcoming GP Manila in June. He will also be doing summer sports to give him better resistance against fatigue; which was the main reason he did not do well in day 2 of GP KL. Let us not forget that he is just 8 years old, he gets tired much quicker than the older players.

Celsus gets a little help from 2 golems

Celsus Kintanar

It has been a while since we wrote draft reports but this one sure deserves reporting.

Celsus started off with a low curve BW deck with a Vampire Nighthawk as his main man during the Zendikar portion of the draft. He opened a Lodestone Golem in his Worldwake pack and got passed a 2nd copy of the card by Franz Costales. (OT: Celsus got a 3rd golem in one of his prize packs). His high quality low cost creatures were all he needed to go 3-0 in this draft.

Nick Ortega finished 2nd playing a "Low EQ" ally deck. He had allies in 4 colors but was too greedy to drop Iona's Judgement and so he played all 5. His deck was nice to him though and it gladly fed him his color requirements in most of his games.

Final standings:
1. Kintanar, Celsus
2. Ortega, Dominic
3. Hron, Mike
4. Ascalon, Jason
5. Tan, Morris,
6. Bunao, Jem
7. Sy, Manchester
8. Costales, Franz

JTQ Manila