
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
National Team Finals

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 Oguraby Ted Knutson
- Team Finals: Three-Headed Giants
Japan vs. the Netherlandsby 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 Oguraby Scott Johns
- Semifinals: Hard-Knock Life
Gabriel Nassif vs. Makihito Miharaby Tim Willoughby
- Quarterfinals: Life Is Life
Gabriel Nassif - Tiago Chanby Hanno Terbuyken
- Quarterfinals: One Big Turn
Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa vs. Makihito Miharaby Ray "blisterguy" Walkinshaw
- Quarterfinals: Mori no More
Nick Lovett vs. Katsuhiro Moriby Tim Willoughby
- Quarterfinals: Bad Beats
Paulo Carvalho vs. Ryo Oguraby 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. Portugalby Ray "blisterguy" Walkinshaw
- Team Round 3: Champing at the Bit
Japan vs. Netherlandsby Hanno Terbuyken
- Feature: Your Extended PTQ Metagame Bomb
by Ted Knutson
- Team Round 2: Tilting at Windmills
China vs. The Netherlandsby Ted Knutson
- Team Round 1: A Gauntlet of Power
Japan vs. Brazilby 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 |