Jon Finkel
Age: 29
Hometown: New York, New York, USA
Occupation: Self-employed
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour: many
How did you qualify for Pro Tour-Kuala Lumpur? Hall of Fame
Number of GP/PT Top 8s: I think like 12
Other previous Magic accomplishments: World champion, PT champion (NY 97-98)
What was your record by draft?
Draft 1: 2-1
Draft 2: 3-0
Draft 3: 3-0
Draft 4: 3-0
Draft 5: 2-0-1
What is your draft strategy?
Islands
How did you prepare for Pro Tour-Kuala Lumpur? Who did you prepare with? Drafting with New Yorkers—OMSs, BDM, Sadin, Matt Wang, Zvi, Hashim Bello, Tony Tsai, Josh Ravitz, etc.
What are your three favorite commons in Lorwyn and Morningtide?
Lorwyn: Nameless Inversion, Silvergill Douser, Mulldrifter.
Morningtide: Burrenton Bombardier, Violet Pall, Latchkey Faerie
Interesting non-Magic facts about you:
I like single malt whiskey
I want Obama to win the election
Guillaume Wafo-Tapa
Age: 26
Hometown: Nantes, France
Occupation: Pro Magic Player
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour: around 12
How did you qualify for Pro Tour-Kuala Lumpur? Pro Club level
Number of GP/PT Top 8s: Three GP Top 8s, two PT Top 8s
Other previous Magic accomplishments: Won PT Yokohama
What was your record by draft?
Draft 1: 3-0
Draft 2: 2-1
Draft 3: 3-0
Draft 4: 2-1
Draft 5: 2-1
What is your draft strategy?
Avoid green and red if you can. Blue-white or blue-black are what you're looking for (Merfolk and/or Wizards)
How did you prepare for Pro Tour-Kuala Lumpur? Who did you prepare with?
I rested the previous week with the other French pros. We rented two apartments in Penang so we could enjoy the country and prepare at the same time. Testing partners were the Ruel brothers, Amiel Tenenbaum, Gabriel Nassif, Maxime Hermes, and Pierre Baussaron.
What are your three favorite commons in Lorwyn and Morningtide?
Lorwyn: Mulldrifter, Silvergill Douser, Nameless Inversion, Peppersmoke.
Morningtide: Stonybrook Schoolmaster, Stream of Unconsciousness
Interesting non-Magic facts about you:
(According to the Ruels and Pierre Canali)
Young French man VVWM looking for a GF
If interested please contact guillaume@wafo-tapa.com
I love pasta, particularly since winning 40k in Yokohama allowed me to buy cheese.
Mike Hron
Age: 28
Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Occupation: Magic player, Computer programmer
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour: a lot
How did you qualify for Pro Tour-Kuala Lumpur? Level 5
Number of GP/PT Top 8s: Two GP Top 8s, 1 PT Top 8
Other previous Magic accomplishments: 9th in PT NY, two-time state champion
What was your record by draft?
Draft 1: 1-2
Draft 2: 3-0
Draft 3: 3-0
Draft 4: 2-1
Draft 5: 3-0
What is your draft strategy?
Draft the colors/tribes that are coming.
How did you prepare for Pro Tour-Kuala Lumpur? Who did you prepare with? Drafted with the Madisonites 1-2 times a day since the prerelease.
What are your three favorite commons in Lorwyn and Morningtide? Lorwyn: Silvergill Douser, Nameless Inversion, Mulldrifter.
Morningtide: Latchkey Faerie, Violet Pall, Burrenton Bombardier
Interesting non-Magic fact about you:
I play piano
Joel Calafell
Age: 19
Hometown: Barcelona
Occupation: Student
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour: 5
How did you qualify for Pro Tour-Kuala Lumpur? Grand Prix-Stuttgart Top 8
Number of GP/PT Top 8s: 5
Other previous Magic accomplishments: Top 8 Grand Prix-Stuttgart 2007, Top 16 Grand Prix-Bilbao 2005. . .that's pretty much it.
What was your record by draft?
Draft 1: 3-0
Draft 2: 2-1
Draft 3: 3-1
Draft 4: 2-1
Draft 5: 1-1-1
What is your draft strategy?
You take whatever you get passed most of the time, but I have some preferences, like blue-black Rogue-Faeries.
How did you prepare for Pro Tour-Kuala Lumpur? Who did you prepare with? Made two drafts before leaving (it worked for me at GP Stuttgart)
What are your three favorite commons in Lorwyn and Morningtide? Lorwyn: Nameless Inversion, Silvergill Douser, Dreamspoiler Witches.
Morningtide: Violet Pall, Pack's Disdain, Latchkey Faerie.
Marcio Carvalho
Age: 22
Hometown: Lisbon, Portugal
Occupation: Student
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour: Nine or ten
How did you qualify for Pro Tour-Kuala Lumpur? PTQ
Number of GP/PT Top 8s: 4 GP, 1 PT
Other previous Magic accomplishments: Top 8 Worlds 2005, Won GP Lisbon
What was your record by draft?
Draft 1: 2-1
Draft 2: 3-0
Draft 3: 2-1
Draft 4: 3-0
Draft 5: 1-1-1
What is your draft strategy?
Well, I like blue, but I opened no Mulldrifters, so I drafted Treefolk four times and Wizards once.
How did you prepare for Pro Tour-Kuala Lumpur? Who did you prepare with? Magic Online. And drafting Fridays with my friends.
What are your three favorite commons in Lorwyn and Morningtide? Mulldrifter, Nameless Inversion, Lash Out
Interesting non-Magic facts about you:
Soccer
Anime/TV Series
Nicolai Herzog
Age: 30
Hometown: Oslo, Norway
Occupation: Translator for TV
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour: Who knows
How did you qualify for Pro Tour-Kuala Lumpur? Hall of Fame
Number of GP/PT Top 8s: Two GP Top 8s, four PT Top 8s
Other previous Magic accomplishments: Won PT Amsterdam and San Diego in 2004, second at PT Chicago in 2003, won Euro Champs in 1999 and 2003
What was your record by draft?
Draft 1: 2-1
Draft 2: 3-0
Draft 3: 2-1
Draft 4: 2-1
Draft 5: 2-0-1
What is your draft strategy?
I dislike blue and red. I will draft anything, though. I like aggro white and green white.
How did you prepare for Pro Tour-Kuala Lumpur? Who did you prepare with? The rest of the qualified Norwegians and some old stars, like 10-15 test drafts.
What are your three favorite commons in Lorwyn and Morningtide? Oblivion Ring, Burrenton Bombardiers, Mulldrifter
Interesting non-Magic facts about you:
Recently got a "real" job
Might finally start studying this fall
Enjoy fine dining and traveling
Ming Xu
Age: 25
Hometown: Shenzhen, China
Occupation:
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour: 1
How did you qualify for Pro Tour-Kuala Lumpur? DCI Rating
Number of GP/PT Top 8s: 0
Other previous Magic accomplishments: 2004 GP Hong Kong Amateur Status #3
What was your record by draft?
Draft 1: 3-0
Draft 2: 2-1
Draft 3: 2-1
Draft 4: 2-1
Draft 5: 2-0-1
What is your draft strategy?
Focus on one single race
How did you prepare for Pro Tour-Kuala Lumpur? Who did you prepare with? I played with my friends and practiced on Magic Online.
What are your three favorite commons in Lorwyn and Morningtide? Mulldrifter, Oblivion Ring, Lash Out
Mario Pascoli
Age: 27
Hometown: Rome, Italy
Occupation: Lawyer
Number of Times Playing on the Pro Tour: Maybe 15
How did you qualify for Pro Tour-Kuala Lumpur? PTQ
Number of GP/PT Top 8s: 2 GP Top 8s, 1 PT Top8
Other previous Magic accomplishments: Two-time Italian National Champion, many money finishes in GPs and PTs
What was your record by draft?
Draft 1: 2-1
Draft 2: 2-1
Draft 3: 3-0
Draft 4: 3-0
Draft 5: 1-1-1
What is your draft strategy?
I choose the best card, and I try to draft that tribe.
How did you prepare for Pro Tour-Kuala Lumpur? Who did you prepare with?
I play a lot on Magic Online, and I did some drafts with other Italians.
What are your three favorite commons in Lorwyn and Morningtide? Mulldrifter, Nameless Inversion, and Lash Out.
Interesting non-Magic facts about you:
Only Magic