GRAND PRIX KOBE

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.

• 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).

• 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.

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.

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