
GRAND PRIX KOBE
AUGUST 22-24, 201
Tournament Location
Kōbe International Exhibition Hall
6-11-1 Minatojima Naka-machi,
Chūō-ku
Kōbe-shi, Hyōgo-ken
Official hashtag#gpkobe
GENERAL INFORMATION
Entry into the Grand Prix event venue is free of charge.
Participation Fee: ¥4,500
Register online at BIG MAGIC for ¥4,500 (no playmat) until August 11 (wire transfer payments) or August 20 (credit card payments).
Register on-site August 22 from 12:00-20:00 for ¥5,500.
There will be no on-site registration on Saturday.
Many Grand Prix offer additional services to participants, such as Sleep-In Specials and VIP packages. Sleep-In Specials allow players with byes to skip the player meeting on Saturday and arrive shortly before their first round begins. VIP packages provide various perks such as complimentary bottled water, special seating, and exclusive artist signings. Details of these services vary from event to event; please check the organizer's side for specifics.
Kōbe is a city rich with Magic history, having hosted the first Pro Tour to be won by a Japanese player (Masashiro Kuroda, 2004) and the first tournament in the world to break one thousand players (1350 players, 2001). This will be the sixth Grand Prix to be held in Kōbe.
With a population of about 1.5 million, Kōbe is the fifth-largest city in Japan. One of the first cities to open for trade with the West following the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1868, Kōbe has long been known as a cosmopolitan port city. The city is the point of origin and namesake of Kōbe beef as well as the home of one of Japan's most famous hot spring resorts, the Arima Onsen. Other well-known locations in the city include the Ikuta Shrine, the Kōbe Port Tower, and its large Chinatown.
GRAND PRIX KŌBEPROMO CARD AND PLAYMAT
Get your promo card by playing in the Grand Prix (while supplies last).

GRAND PRIX KŌBELIVE STREAMING VIDEO
Follow live streaming video coverage of Grand Prix Kōbe at DailyMTG.com and Nicovideo.jp.
FORMAT AND SCHEDULE
Format: Modern
Participation Fee: ¥4,500
- Register online until August 20
- Friday, August 22: Registration onsite 12:00 - 20:00
- Saturday, August 23: Grand Prix Kōbe begins at 09:00
- Sunday, August 24: Day Two begins at 09:00
Registration to the Grand Prix main event closes Friday night at 20:00. There will be no Saturday registration.
The main tournament at Grand Prix Kōbe is open to Magic players of all ages.
Players must have a signed waiver and consent form to compete at Grand Prix Kōbe. Forms can be downloaded here and will be available onsite. Minors must have a parent or guardian’s signature on these forms. Minors will not be able to register or play unless we receive a waiver signed by a parent or guardian. No exceptions.
- Modern Constructed
- Visit this page to see a list of cards banned in Modern tournaments.
- Deck lists are required.
- Players must use the same deck on Day Two that they used on Day One.
- Modified Swiss-style (50-minute rounds).
- Day One will consist of 9 Swiss rounds. Day Two will consist of 6 Swiss rounds and the Top 8 single-elimination finals.
- All players with an X-2-0 record (or better) or the top 64 players — whichever is greater — advance to the second day of competition for prizes and invitations.
- The Top 8 players after the final Swiss round on Day Two will advance to the Top 8 single-elimination playoff.
- Top 8 playoff matches will be best 2 of 3.
- Top 8 playoff matches will have no time limit. (Players are still expected to play at a normal pace and complete playoff matches in a reasonable amount of time.)
- Standings after the Swiss rounds will be used to determine final order in the standings for losing players in the quarterfinal and semifinal playoff rounds.
- For the first game of each match in the Top 8, the player that finished higher in the Swiss rounds chooses either to play first or to play second. For subsequent games in each Top 8 match, the usual Play/Draw rule applies (loser of the previous game decides whether to play first in the next game).
Judges
The head judges for Grand Prix Kōbe will be Riccardo Tessitori and Riki Hayashi. Judges wishing to apply for this event should do so through the Judge Center.
Notes
- Planeswalker Points multiplier 8x, Rules Enforcement Level (REL) is Competitive on Day One and Professional on Day Two.
- The Magic: The Gathering Tournament Rules and the Magic: The Gathering Infraction Procedure Guide are in effect for this event unless specifically overruled by information in this Format Document. Rules documents can be found in the Magic Document Center .
- Players are responsible for bringing their own method of tracking life totals, card sleeves, and appropriate counters or tokens.
- In the event that a player who wins an invitation to a Pro Tour stop at a Grand Prix has already qualified for an invitation, the invitation does not pass down under any circumstances. Previous qualification may be through a Qualifier tournament, through performance at a professional tournament, or by being an invited DCI player (valid upon the date of the official rank announcement for the appropriate professional tournament).
PRIZE STRUCTURE
Place | Prize Money | |
1 | $4,000 | |
2 | $2,700 | |
3-4 | $1,500 | |
5-8 | $1,000 | |
9-12 | $600 | |
13-16 | $550 | |
17-23 | $500 | |
24-32 | $400 | |
33-64 | $300 | |
65-100 | $250* | |
101-230 | $200* | |
*If Grand Prix attendance is 1,200-2,399 participants, prize money will be paid out to 100th place. If Grand Prix attendance is 2,400-3,599 participants, prize money will be paid out to 150th place. If Grand Prix attendance is 3,600 or more participants, prize money will be paid out to 230th place. Top 8 finishers also earn invitations and airfare to Pro Tour Khans of Tarkir. All players with 39 match points or greater earn invitations to Pro Tour Khans of Tarkir. Attendance at a Grand Prix is calculated on participation not preregistration. The Tournament Organizer will announce GP attendance as soon as this is confirmed. All prizes displayed in U.S. dollars. Prizes subject to change. |
Place | Pro Point |
1 | 8 |
2 | 6 |
3-4 | 5 |
5-8 | 4 |
Top 8 players receive Pro Points based on rank. All other players receive Pro Points based on their match point total at the end of the event. | |
Match Points | Pro Points |
39+ | 3 |
36-38 | 2 |
33-35 | 1 |
0-32 | 0 |
TOURNAMENT BYES
Byes earned through Planeswalker Points are calculated using the Planeswalker Point totals from all reported events as of the Wednesday immediately before the Grand Prix. (For Grand Prix Kōbe, the cutoff date will be August 20.) Points earned in tournaments held at the Grand Prix event site do not count toward earned byes at that Grand Prix.
- Players who have accumulated at least 1,500 Planeswalker Points in the 2014 Seasonal Award Season #2 (March 10, 2014 – June 1, 2014)
- Players who have accumulated at least 1,500 Planeswalker Points in the 2014 Seasonal Award Season #3 (June 2, 2014 – August 24, 2014)
- Players with a Pro Tour Players Club level of Gold or Platinum
- Members of the Pro Tour Hall of Fame
- Winners of Grand Prix Kōbe Trial tournaments.
- Players who have accumulated at least 750 Planeswalker Points in the 2014 Seasonal Award Season #2 (March 10, 2014 – June 1, 2014).
- Players who have accumulated at least 750 Planeswalker Points in the 2014 Seasonal Award Season #3 (June 2, 2014 – August 24, 2014).
- Players with a Pro Tour Players Club level of Silver.
- Players who have accumulated at least 400 Planeswalker Points in the 2014 Seasonal Award Season #2 (March 10, 2014 – June 1, 2014)
- Players who have accumulated at least 400 Planeswalker Points in the 2014 Seasonal Award Season #3 (June 2, 2014 – August 24, 2014)
Winners of a Trial tournament are awarded two byes in the Grand Prix that it feeds. Trial byes are not cumulative with other byes and do not pass down. Byes are not cumulative throughout the season or year. Byes do not pass down under any circumstances. Players who accumulate multiple byes to a particular Grand Prix tournament receive only the bye for the greatest number of rounds. For complete information about Grand Prix byes and their corresponding competitive season, please check the Magic Premier Event Invitation Policy.
SIDE EVENTS
Along with the main event, there are additional side-event tournaments to play in at a Grand Prix. Listed below are the side events offered at all Grand Prix on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Additional events and a full schedule can be found on the BIG MAGIC Grand Prix Kōbe website. All side events (except casual events) will have a Planeswalker Points multiplier of 3x.
Last-Chance Trials
Earn a valuable Two-Round bye by winning one of the Last-Chance Trials. Last-Chance Trials are 32-person single-elimination events, starting as soon as 32 players register. For more info, check out the Byes section of this page.
"Foiled Again"
A straight Swiss tournament lasting three or four rounds. Participants get one past promo card for playing, then one additional promo card per match win. Format varies by event.
Value Drafts
Enjoy a special discount on pick-up drafts on Saturday. Actual times and prices vary by event.
"Rebound" Event
Format at organizer's discretion. The winner(s) earn free entry into the "Super Sunday Series" (see Sunday Side Events). Players who also played in the main Grand Prix tournament will get a discount for entry.
Super Sunday Series
Qualifier tournaments for the Super Sunday Series will be held at each Grand Prix. The Top 8 players in the Super Sunday Series qualifier will each be awarded a commemorative Grand Prix water bottle. The winner of the Super Sunday Series qualifier will earn an invitation and travel award for the Super Sunday Series Championship 2015, expected to be held in January 2015 in Seattle. The Super Sunday Series Championship experience also includes a tour of Wizards of the Coast, dinner with Wizards employees, and more.
ARTIST INFORMATION
JASON CHAN
Jason Chan is a freelance illustrator and a senior concept artist with Massive Black. Besides his work with Magic: The Gathering, Jason is also a book cover illustrator for fantasy and young adult novels and a concept artist for video games. He has worked on various video games such as League of Legends, Mass Effect 3, and Dragon Age: Origins. Jason has a BFA from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and is still based out of the SF Bay Area.
ROB ALEXANDER
Some of the hottest and most famous artists in Magic will be joining us at Grand Prix Kōbe. All artists will be available to sign cards, playmats, and more. In addition, all will be selling prints, artist proofs, original art/sketches, and doing custom alterations of mats and cards!
HOTEL AND TRAVEL INFORMATION
Kōbe is located southwest of Ōsaka, and is reachable by train, bus, and water taxi from Kansai International Airport. The city itself has a highly developed public transportation network, making it easy to get around. The tournament venue is a short monorail ride from Sannomiya, the business and entertainment center of Kōbe.
From Kansai International to Sannomiya: app. 70 minutes by Limousine Bus
From Itami Airport to Sannomiya: app. 40 minutes by Limosuine Bus
From Sannomiya to Shimin Hiroba: 10 minutes by Port Liner
From JR Shin-Kōbe: 20 minutes by taxi, or 2 minutes to Sannomiya by municipal subway, 10 minutes by Port Liner to Sannomiya
From Ōsaka:
Take the Hanshin Kōsoku No. 3 to the Ikutagawa I.C., from there app. 5 minutes to Port Island OR take Hanshin Kōsoku No. 5 Wangan-sen to the Sumiyoshi-hama I.C., then take the Harbor Highway/Port Island exit
From Okayama/Himeji:
Take the Hanshin Kōsoku No. 3 Kōbe-sen to the Kyōbashi I.C., then app. 5 minutes to Port Island
GRAND PRIX KŌBE CONTACT INFORMATION
Tournament Organizer: BIG MAGIC
Email: gp@bigmagic.net