Mihara, Dutch Crowned World Champions!

Hunted Dragon … Hunted Dragon … Bogardan Hellkite … Bogardan Hellkite …and after the storm of dragons had cleared, Japan's Makihito Mihara claimed the title of 2006 Magic: The Gathering World Champion!

The stage here in Paris had been set for a different sort of immortality with Gabriel Nassif and Katsuhiro Mori each chasing legendary goals, but it is Mihara who can now add his name to the list of Magic World Champions. After lurking near the top of the standings for the last few major events, Mihara broke through with a Dragonstorm deck that regularly grabbed victory when crushing defeat seemed imminent.

Mihara took down Player of the Year hopeful Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa in the quarterfinals, shocked native son Gabriel Nassif in the semifinals, and then swept aside countryman Ryo Ogura to win his first title and give Japan back-to-back World Champions. Shouta Yasooka could also breathe a sign of relief after the quarterfinal losses of da Rosa and Tiago Chan, which gave Yasooka the 2006 Player of the Year title.

Japan's stranglehold on the major titles was not complete like last year, however. The Netherlands brought two Pro Tour champions to Paris in Kamiel Cornelissen and Julien Nuijten, but it was relative unknown Robert van Medevoort who sealed the deal for the Dutchies by dispatching Shouhei Yamamoto to send the team title back to Europe.

Five days in Paris showcased the best the game has to offer - thousands of players and fans packing the fantastic location at the Louvre, five new Hall of Famers inducted, nail-biting Sunday play, thrilling comebacks, timely topdecks, stunning new deck tech, and so much more. Congratulations to all the 2006 champions, and we'll see you at Pro Tour-Geneva in 2007!

top 8 bracket

Quaterfinals

(1) Paulo Carvalho

(8) Ryo Ogura

(4) Nick Lovett

(5) Katsuhiro Mori

(2) Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa

(7) Makihito Mihara

(3) Tiago Chan

(6) Gabriel Nassif

Semi-finals

Ryo Ogura, 3-0

Nick Lovett, 3-1

Makihito Mihara, 3-2

Gabriel Nassif, 3-2

Finals

Ryo Ogura, 3-2

Makihito Mihara, 3-2

Champion

Makihito Mihara, 3-0

National Team Finals

Finals

Team Japan

Team The Netherlands, 2-0

Champion

Team The Netherlands

EVENT COVERAGE

Feature: Sebastian Thaler, Rookie of the Year
by Hanno Terbuyken
Feature: Shouta Yasooka, Player of the Year
by Hanno Terbuyken
Finals: Mihara Rides Storm to Victory
Makihito Mihara vs. Ryo Ogura

by Ted Knutson
Team Finals: Three-Headed Giants
Japan vs. the Netherlands

by Event Coverage Staff
Decklists: The Top 2 Team Decks
by Event Coverage Staff
Finals Team Draft Report: Drawing Battle Lines
by Ted Knutson
Semifinals: Fire and Water
Nick Lovett vs. Ryo Ogura

by Scott Johns
Semifinals: Hard-Knock Life
Gabriel Nassif vs. Makihito Mihara

by Tim Willoughby
Quarterfinals: Life Is Life
Gabriel Nassif - Tiago Chan

by Hanno Terbuyken
Quarterfinals: One Big Turn
Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa vs. Makihito Mihara

by Ray "blisterguy" Walkinshaw
Quarterfinals: Mori no More
Nick Lovett vs. Katsuhiro Mori

by Tim Willoughby
Quarterfinals: Bad Beats
Paulo Carvalho vs. Ryo Ogura

by Ted Knutson
Feature: European Junior Finals
by Event Coverage Staff
Feature: Thanks to all the Judges
by Senior Judging Staff
Team Profiles: Japan and the Netherlands
by Ted Knutson and Scott Johns
Team Round 4: "In With A Win!"
The Netherlands vs. Portugal

by Ray "blisterguy" Walkinshaw
Team Round 3: Champing at the Bit
Japan vs. Netherlands

by Hanno Terbuyken
Feature: Your Extended PTQ Metagame Bomb
by Ted Knutson
Team Round 2: Tilting at Windmills
China vs. The Netherlands

by Ted Knutson
Team Round 1: A Gauntlet of Power
Japan vs. Brazil

by Scott Johns
Feature: Rochester Draft Observations
by Event Coverage Staff
Feature: The Top 8 Player Profiles
by Event Coverage Staff
Decklists: The Top 8 Decks
by Event Coverage Staff
Decklists: The Top Extended Decks
by Event Coverage Staff
Feature: Pro Players Blog
by Craig Jones
Round 18: Fan the Flames
Paulo Carvalho (POR) vs. Christian Flaaten (NOR)

by Tim Willoughby
Round 18: Keep Your Eyes on the Top
Gabriel Nassif (FRA) vs. Jonathan Rispal (FRA)

by Hanno Terbuyken
Round 18: The Path is Clear
Willy Edel (BRA) vs. Ryou Ogura (JPN)

by Ray "blisterguy" Walkinshaw
Feature: Welcome to the New Extended, Not Quite the Same As the Old
by Ted Knutson
Deck Tech: "Dirty Kitty" - (Goblins/ Fecundity )
by Scott Johns
Feature: Secret Force
by Tim Willoughby
Deck Tech: Take A Walk On The Sunny Side
by Hanno Terbuyken
Round 17: Keeping on Top of Tings
Gabriel Nassif (FRA) vs. Ryuuchi Arita (JPN)

by Tim Willoughby
Round 16: Drawn Together
Katsuhiro Mori (JPN) vs. Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa (BRA)

by Ray "blisterguy" Walkinshaw
Round 15: Grueling Beats
Nicholas Lovett [WAL] vs. Øyvind Andersen [NOR]

by Scott Johns
Round 14: In Soviet France, Eggs Eat You!
Tiago Chan (PRT) vs. Jonathan Rispal (FRA)

by Hanno Terbuyken
Round 13: The Champ and His Millions
Olle Råde [SWE] vs. Paul Cheon [USA]

by Ted Knutson
Feature: Exploring Extended
by Hanno Terbuyken and Tim Willoughby
Column: Lessons at the Louvre
by Randy Buehler
Column: The Last Word
by Gary Wise
Info: National Team Members
by Event Coverage Staff
News: Update on Disqualifications
by Scott Johns
Round 12: The Lord and the Looter
Julien Nuijten (NLD) vs. Katsuhiro Mori (JPN)

by Hanno Terbuyken
Feature: Not Your Standard Decklist
by Brian David-Marshall
Round 11: Big O
Olle Råde (SWE) vs. Osyp Lebedowicz (USA)

by Scott Johns
Round 10: Breakfast of Champions
Katsuhiro Mori (JPN) vs. Raphael Levy (FRA)

by Brian David-Marshall
Draft Viewer: Time Spiral Draft 2, Pod 1
by Event Coverage Staff
Round 10: Pods
Round 9: Eight… Oh!
Tsuyoshi Fujita [JPN] vs. Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa [BRA]

by Scott Johns
Round 8: Blasting Out The Warrens
Jan-Moritz Merkel (DEU) vs. Guillaume Wafo-Tapa (FRA)

by Hanno Terbuyken
Round 7: Brazil Nuts
Willy Edel (BRA) vs. Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa (BRA)

by Brian David-Marshall
Draft Notes: I See A Red Deck And I Want It Painted Black
by Hanno Terbuyken
Draft Report: Setting Up the Christmas Season for Willy Edel
by Hanno Terbuyken
Round 7: Pods
Column: Swimming in the Seine
by Brian David-Marshall
Decklists: The Top Standard Decks
by Event Coverage Staff
News: Two Players Disqualified in One Match
by Scott Johns
Feature: Dealer Talk
by Hanno Terbuyken
Round 6: The Mirror and the Throne
Shuuhei Nakamura (JPN) vs. Takuya Oosawa (JPN)

by Scott Johns
Round 5: Memories Ignited, Visions Burst
Gabriel Nassif (FRA) vs. Olle Råde (SWE)

by Hanno Terbuyken
Round 4: "Pretty Much Just Like That"
Osyp Lebedowicz (USA) vs. Paulo Vitor Damo de Rosa (BRA)

by Scott Johns
Round 3: Gargadon Gobbles Elephants
Wesimo Al-Bacha (GER) vs Tomohiro Kaji (JPN)

by Hanno Terbuyken
Round 2: Izzet Time for an Izzet Pun Already?
Antonino De Rosa (USA) vs. Johan Sadeghpour (SWE)

by Scott Johns
Round 1: French Persecution
Pierre Canali (FRA) vs. Raphael Levy (FRA)

by Hanno Terbuyken
Hall of Fame Profile: Bob Maher
by Brian David-Marshall
Hall of Fame Profile: Dave Humpherys
by Brian David-Marshall
Hall of Fame Profile: Raphael Levy
by Brian David-Marshall
Hall of Fame Profile: Gary Wise
by Brian David-Marshall
Hall of Fame Profile: Rob Dougherty
by Brian David-Marshall
Info: Day 1 Country Breakdown
by Event Coverage Staff
Info: Day 1 Player List
by Event Coverage Staff
Info: Fact Sheet
by Event Coverage Staff

INFO


1. Makihito Mihara	$50,000
2. Ryo Ogura	$25,000
3. Nick Lovett	$17,750
4. Gabriel Nassif	$15,000
5. Paulo Carvalho	$13,500
6. Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa	$13,500
7. Tiago Chan	$10,500
8. Katsuhiro Mori	$15,000