Worlds Top 8 decks and profiles

Top 8

Kotaro Otsuka

Hometown: Kanagawa
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour: 12
How many Worlds have you played in?4
How did you qualify for 2007 Worlds? Pro points
Number of GP/PT Top 8s:GP 4 / PT 0
Other Previous Magic accomplishments:
2003 Japanese National Champion

Standard Record: 4-1
What Standard deck did you play and why did you play it?
U/B Mannequin because it always won on Magic Online

Main Deck
4 Faerie Conclave
2 Mouth of Ronom
4 River of Tears
5 Snow-Covered Island
4 Snow-Covered Swamp
4 Underground River
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Epochrasite
4 Mulldrifter
3 Phyrexian Ironfoot
4 Riftwing Cloudskate
4 Shadowmage Infiltrator
4 Shriekmaw
3 Cryptic Command
2 Damnation
1 Loxodon Warhammer
4 Makeshift Mannequin
3 Mind Stone
Sideboard
2 Damnation
2 Liliana Vess
3 Nameless Inversion
2 Persuasion
2 Pithing Needle
4 Thoughtseize

Booster Draft Record: 5-1
What was your draft strategy?
Kithkin. I was taught my strategy by Shota Yasooka

Legacy Record: 3-2
What Legacy deck did you play and why did you play it?
2 Land Belcher, because it's easy to play!

How did you prepare for the event? Who did you prepare with?
Practiced on Magic Online and with many friends who live in Kobuchi


Patrick Chapin

Hometown: Detroit, Michigan USA
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour: Oodles
How many Worlds have you played in?Several
How did you qualify for 2007 Worlds? Rating
Number of GP/PT Top 8s:3 PT Top 8s, 1 GP Finals
Other Previous Magic accomplishments:
Former Vintage champion, two-time state champion, regional champion

Standard Record: 4-1
What Standard deck did you play and why did you play it?
Dragonstorm. It is very strong and I didn't think most people would be prepared for combo.

Main Deck 
4 Fungal Reaches
4 Molten Slagheap
12 Snow-Covered Mountain
4 Spinerock Knoll
4 Bogardan Hellkite
4 creatures
4 Dragonstorm
4 Grapeshot
4 Incinerate
4 Lotus Bloom
3 Pyromancer's Swath
3 Rift Bolt
4 Rite of Flame
4 Shock
2 Tarfire
Sideboard
2 Ancient Grudge
4 Dodecapod
2 Empty the Warrens
2 Ignite Memories
3 Sulfurous Blast
2 Wheel of Fate

Booster Draft Record: 5-1
What was your draft strategy?
I didn't try to force anything this time and my drafts worked out much better. I ended up R/G giants and B/G elves, so I am glad that I was willing to be flexible. Thank you Herberholz, Rich Hoaen and Gabe Walls for advice.

Legacy Record: 3-1-1
What Legacy deck did you play and why did you play it?
Four-color threshold with Counterbalance, Sensei's Divining Top, Dark Confidant and Thoughtseize. It is just so consistent and my build is well equipped for the mirror.

How did you prepare for the event? Who did you prepare with?
I mostly worked with Mark Herberholz and Gabriel Nassif, as well as Paul Nizolo, Josh Wludyka and DJ Katsner.


Uri Peleg

Hometown: Mevasseret, Israel
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour: 8
How many Worlds have you played in?5
How did you qualify for 2007 Worlds? National Team
Number of GP/PT Top 8s:0
Other Previous Magic accomplishments:
31st PT Philadelphia, 37th Worlds 2000

Standard Record: 4-1
What Standard deck did you play and why did you play it?
BGw agro splashing white for Doran the fat Siege Tower. ("He who shelters the wild")


Main Deck
1 Brushland
3 Caves of Koilos
1 Forest
2 Gemstone Mine
4 Gilt-Leaf Palace
1 Horizon Canopy
4 Llanowar Wastes
1 Pendelhaven
4 Treetop Village
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Doran, the Siege Tower
1 Hypnotic Specter
3 Llanowar Elves
4 Ohran Viper
3 Shriekmaw
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Eyeblight's Ending
3 Garruk Wildspeaker
1 Liliana Vess
2 Nameless Inversion
2 Profane Command
4 Thoughtseize
Sideboard
2 Cloudthresher
2 Loxodon Warhammer
2 Nath of the Gilt-Leaf
1 Oblivion Ring
3 Riftsweeper
2 Serrated Arrows
1 Shriekmaw
2 Stupor

Booster Draft Record: 5-1
What was your draft strategy?
One draft I got lucky, and the other I opened Profane Command and Dread.

Legacy Record: 3-1-1
What Legacy deck did you play and why did you play it?
Landstill designed by Gabriel Nassif, because Antonino De Rosa were nice enough to give me a list (thank you!!!)

How did you prepare for the event? Who did you prepare with?
Playtested some standard with Eviatar Olpiner, Elisha Amiv and Orr Bilduer (from my nats top 8). Also tested Legacy with them but when I got Nassif's list I switched.


Katsuhiro Mori

Hometown: Osaka, Japan
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour: (not listed)
How many Worlds have you played in?5
How did you qualify for 2007 Worlds? Level 4 Pro
Number of GP/PT Top 8s:GP: 12, PT: 3
Other Previous Magic accomplishments:
A lot

Standard Record: 5-0
What Standard deck did you play and why did you play it?
I like black Command.

Main Deck
5 Forest
4 Gilt-Leaf Palace
4 Llanowar Wastes
1 Pendelhaven
4 Swamp
4 Treetop Village
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Boreal Druid
1 Civic Wayfinder
4 Imperious Perfect
4 Llanowar Elves
2 Masked Admirers
1 Mirri the Cursed
3 Tarmogoyf
3 Troll Ascetic
4 Wren's Run Vanquisher
2 Eyeblight's Ending
2 Garruk Wildspeaker
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Nameless Inversion
4 Profane Command
4 Thoughtseize
Sideboard
2 Cloudthresher
1 Krosan Grip
3 Liliana Vess
1 Loxodon Warhammer
2 Phyrexian Totem
2 Razormane Masticore
2 Slaughter Pact
2 Viridian Shaman

Booster Draft Record: 3-1-2
What was your draft strategy?
Pick all removal.

Legacy Record: 4-1
What Legacy deck did you play and why did you play it?
3cBlack designed by Saito Tomoharu

How did you prepare for the event? Who did you prepare with?
Magic: Online and with Osawa Takuya, Masahiko Morita, and Kenji Tsumura


Yoshitaka Nakano

Hometown: Osaka, Japan
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour: 4
How many Worlds have you played in?2
How did you qualify for 2007 Worlds? Rating
Number of GP/PT Top 8s:1
Other Previous Magic accomplishments:
(none listed)

Standard Record: 5-0
What Standard deck did you play and why did you play it?
BG Elves

Main Deck 
5 Forest
4 Gilt-Leaf Palace
4 Llanowar Wastes
1 Pendelhaven
4 Swamp
4 Treetop Village
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Boreal Druid
2 Civic Wayfinder
3 Imperious Perfect
4 Llanowar Elves
3 Masked Admirers
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Troll Ascetic
4 Wren's Run Vanquisher 
3 Eyeblight's Ending
2 Garruk Wildspeaker
1 Nameless Inversion
4 Profane Command
3 Thoughtseize
Sideboard
2 Cloudthresher
1 Krosan Grip
3 Liliana Vess
2 Loxodon Warhammer
2 Nekrataal
2 Slaughter Pact
1 Thoughtseize
2 Viridian Shaman

Booster Draft Record: 5-1
What was your draft strategy?
UB Faerie (3-0)
BGW (2-1)

Legacy Record: 2-1-2
What Legacy deck did you play and why did you play it?
Charbelcher

How did you prepare for the event? Who did you prepare with?
Masahiko Morita, Tsuyoshi Fujita, Kenji Tsumura, Takuya Osawa, and more.


Gabriel Nassif

Hometown: Paris, France
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour: (not listed)
How many Worlds have you played in?6-7
How did you qualify for 2007 Worlds? Level 4
Number of GP/PT Top 8s:Grand Prix: 3, Pro Tour: 8
Other Previous Magic accomplishments:
2004 Player of the Year

Standard Record: 4-1
What Standard deck did you play and why did you play it?
Dragonstorm because I thought it was the best deck by far.

Main Deck 
4 Fungal Reaches
4 Molten Slagheap
12 Snow-Covered Mountain
4 Spinerock Knoll
4 Bogardan Hellkite
4 Dragonstorm
4 Grapeshot
4 Incinerate
4 Lotus Bloom
4 Pyromancer's Swath
4 Rift Bolt
4 Rite of Flame
4 Shock
Sideboard
1 Akroma, Angel of Fury
4 Dodecapod
2 Ignite Memories
2 Ingot Chewer
2 Martyr of Ashes
1 Pithing Needle
2 Wheel of Fate
1 Wild Ricochet

Booster Draft Record: 5-1
What was your draft strategy?
Pick the best card in the first pack and go from there. Try to avoid Kithkin.

Legacy Record: 3-0-2
What Legacy deck did you play and why did you play it?
Landstill because I thought it had a good/ok matchup against Gro, Goblins, and Breakfast and an overall solid deck that had made its proofs.

How did you prepare for the event? Who did you prepare with?
Going to East Lansing, Michigan to hang out with Herberheezy, go out drinking, learning Kingpin punch lines and mising decklists from random GP side events.


Roel van Heeswijk

Hometown: Utrecht, Netherlands
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour: 14
How many Worlds have you played in?3
How did you qualify for 2007 Worlds? Level 3
Number of GP/PT Top 8s:0/2
Other Previous Magic accomplishments:
Dutch Masters 2006

Standard Record: 4-1
What Standard deck did you play and why did you play it?
GB without the Elves, by Rogier Maaten and me.

Main Deck 
7 Forest
3 Gilt-Leaf Palace
4 Llanowar Wastes
1 Pendelhaven
3 Swamp
4 Treetop Village
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Llanowar Elves
1 Nath of the Gilt-Leaf
4 Ohran Viper
2 Shriekmaw
4 Tarmogoyf
1 Tombstalker
3 Troll Ascetic
3 Eyeblight's Ending
4 Garruk Wildspeaker
2 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Nameless Inversion
4 Thoughtseize
Sideboard
1 Cloudthresher
1 Damnation
1 Eyeblight's Ending
2 Eyes of the Wisent
2 Krosan Grip
2 Liliana Vess
1 Profane Command
2 Shriekmaw
1 Swamp
1 Tombstalker
1 Troll Ascetic

Booster Draft Record: 4-2
What was your draft strategy?
Draft Merfolk, 4cTreefolk, Elves, or Elementals.

Legacy Record: 4-0-1
What Legacy deck did you play and why did you play it?
PT Junk

How did you prepare for the event? Who did you prepare with?
Draft a lot for manamaze.com and played Grand Prix-Krakow for Standard. Got a good deck from Wessel Oomens for Legacy.


Christoph Huber

Hometown: Aaran, Switzerland
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour: 8
How many Worlds have you played in?2
How did you qualify for 2007 Worlds? National team
Number of GP/PT Top 8s:0/1
Standard Record: 5-0
What Standard deck did you play and why did you play it?
GB Midrange. Nico Bohny tested Standard and told me it's good, he gave me the list.

Main Deck
5 Forest
4 Gilt-Leaf Palace
1 Horizon Canopy
4 Llanowar Wastes
1 Pendelhaven
3 Snow-Covered Swamp
4 Treetop Village
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
2 Birds of Paradise
4 Llanowar Elves
2 Masked Admirers
4 Ohran Viper
3 Shriekmaw
4 Tarmogoyf 
1 Eyeblight's Ending
3 Garruk Wildspeaker
3 Liliana Vess
1 Loxodon Warhammer
3 Nameless Inversion
3 Profane Command
4 Thoughtseize
Sideboard
1 Damnation
1 Extirpate
4 Eyes of the Wisent
2 Graveborn Muse
1 Nameless Inversion
1 Pithing Needle
1 Riftsweeper
1 Shriekmaw
3 Viridian Shaman

Booster Draft Record: 5-0-1
What was your draft strategy?
Merfolk, merfolk, merfolk!

Legacy Record: 2-2-1
What Legacy deck did you play and why did you play it?
Mono-white Stax. Manuel Bucher, also on the Swiss team, did a little bit of Legacy testing and gave me the list.

How did you prepare for the event? Who did you prepare with?
I've made a couple of online drafts and tried to prepare as good as possible in Constructed during the days before the event started in NY.