Ninety-four came, and in the end only one was left standing. The British players of 'Team Brad Watson' have been on fire all weekend, placing all three players into the Top 16. Whilst Mark McKiernan fell at the first hurdle, Duncan Tang and Stuart Wright wrangled their way past the rest of the players to meet each other in the final. In the end, Stuart claimed his fifth Darkmoon Faire win off the back of a solid curve of Mage allies and some deadly Warrior equipment cards, and is the proud owner of a brand new travel voucher and iPad! It's an incredible fifth Darkmoon Faire title for Stuart, only one more great performance away from Brad's haul of six. Duncan may have missed out on the Championship title, but he has a lot to be proud of with a second visit to the Final in as many Darkmoon Faires.
Congratulations also go to the rest of our Top 16, and to the players who've won some of the events from our loaded public events schedule this weekend, including V.I.P.-loaded 'The Squirrels', winners of the Friday Team Sealed event and Michal Uchman-Lach, winner of Sunday's Realm Qualifier.
The Darkmoon Faire's next European stop is Madrid in May, but Darkmoon Faire Baltimore and Chengdu are on the horizon. And of course, at the end of April it's time for Stuart and the rest of our V.I.P.s to defend their titles at the Realm Championships! Join us again as we travel the length and breadth of the globe as the Aftermath sets in!
Also, be sure to check out the photo coverage on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!
Darkmoon Faire Cannes Top 16
Pod 1 Quarter-Finals:
Hans Höh defeats Wouter de Koning, 2-1
Stuart Wright defeats Jorg Hopfner, 2-0
Pierre Malherbaud defeats Matthieu Laguerre, 2-1
Orian Gissler defeats Manuel Alvisi, 2-1
Pod 2 Quarter-Finals:
Henriette Kauntz defeats Anssi Alkio, 2-0
Oliver Gehrmann defeats Mark McKiernan, 2-1
Tomas Kuchta defeats Massimo Fischetti, 2-1
Duncan Tang defeats Jeffrey Verwoerd, 2-0
Darkmoon Faire Top 8 Bracket:
Hans Höh
Stuart Wright
Pierre Malherbaud
Orian Gissler
Henriette Kauntz
Oliver Gehrmann
Tomas Kuchta
Duncan Tang
Stuart Wright
Orian Gissler
Oliver Gehrmann
Duncan Tang
Stuart Wright
Duncan Tang
Stuart Wright
Darkmoon Faire Cannes 2012 Event Information
Darkmoon Faire Cannes 2012 Public Events Schedule
Round 1: Pairings, Standings; Round 2: Pairings, Standings; Round 3: Pairings, Standings; Round 4: Pairings, Standings; Round 5: Pairings, Standings; Round 6: Pairings, Standings; Round 7: Pairings, Standings
Sunday Coverage
Final - Stuart Wright vs. Duncan Tang
'Team Brad Watson' has had a very good weekend. After placing all three of their members into the Top 16, the sudden loss of Mark McKiernan at the start of the elimination rounds hasn’t slowed Duncan and Stuart's march to the Final. Duncan makes it back-to-back Darkmoon Faire Finals after a great performance in Rotterdam, but is still seeking his first win. Stuart? Well he'd like to win today in order to catch up with the British team’s namesake, currently trailing with 'only' four Darkmoon Faire wins to Brad’s six.
Semi-Final - Oliver Gehrmann vs. Duncan Tang
So close, and yet potentially so far. Stuart Wright is currently paired against Orian Gissler for the honour of representing his pod in the Final, so whoever wins this Semi Final will have a fight on their hands. Oliver Gehrmann has Ghoulmaster Kalisa and a deck packed with token shenanigans, while Duncan Tang has High Priestess Neeri with some nasty toys to work with. Duncan and Oliver come into this match good friends, but only one of them can make it through to the Final!
Darkmoon Faire Cannes Top 4 Draft Decklists
While it was their Sealed Decks that brought them here to play on Sunday, it was Aftermath Block Draft that would be the final test. So what did our top finishers draft today?
Quarter-Final - Henriette Kauntz vs. Oliver Gehrmann
We’ve whittled down ninety- four players to only eight of the finest limited players in Europe, and with one victory each in this Aftermath Block Draft Top 16 they’re one step closer to that highly coveted Darkmoon Faire Championship title. Oliver eliminated Mark McKiernan with Ghoulmaster Kalisa, whilst Henriette’s faith in High Magus Olvek was rewarded with a victory over Anssi Alkio. One more win will earn a place in the final match of the pod, and from there, maybe on to the Final of the whole event!
Core Realm Qualifier
There was something of a surprise for us in the Core Format Realm Qualifier. Well, two surprises. Leading the standings was not a Paladin, not a Priest, not a Mage but two… Hunters! And more exciting, one of those two is a Monster Hunter, with a deck packed with new cards and new allies.
Top 16 - Stuart Wright vs. Jorg Hopfner
Stuart Wright managed to dodge the Feature Match table yesterday, but ploughed through the Swiss rounds with a tasty deck featuring Sorrow’s End, setting himself up for yet another centre-stage Sunday performance. He’s opted for Jak the Bilgewater Bruiser today, whilst Jorg has gone with Skodis the Nethertwister once more.
Top 16 Draft Feature - Mark McKiernan
Mark McKiernan is no stranger to the Sunday stage, and a fantastic 2011 that saw him win the European Continental Championship, defeating Jan Palys to avenge his defeat to the former Hero of the Year at Darkmoon Faire Turin. Can he add a Darkmoon Faire title to his résumé?
Top 16 Draft Feature - Manuel Alvisi
One of two Italians in the Top 8, Manuel Alvisi is the more experienced of the two. With both a World Championship and Darkmoon Faire Top 8 to his name, his experience will stand him in good stead in the Top 16 of Darkmoon Faire Cannes. Let's see how he handles the Aftermath Block Draft, now that Crown of the Heavens is in the mix!
Saturday Coverage
Darkmoon Faire Cannes Top 16 Profiles
Your Top 16 has been decided, and now it's time to meet them! Of course, there are a couple of familiar faces waiting for the drafts tomorrow...
Darkmoon Faire Cannes Top 16 Decklists
Our Top 16 is decided! And if you want to know what kind of deck can make it to the top in Aftermath block Sealed Deck, read on...
Loot Hunters
There is a particular kind of Hunter that you can find wandering around a Darkmoon Faire. Are you thinking about the Class? Wrong. I’m talking about players, with a very specific thing on their mind. Loot. For the last few hours, you could find these intrepid fellows in the Lootapalooza tournament, battling with Class Starter Decks for a chance at a range of Loot, all the way up to a Corrupted Hippogryph door prize!
Round 7 - Jeffrey Verwoerd vs. Duncan Tang
It’s the final round of the Swiss, and the last chance to pick up a last vital win. Two top limited players both on 5-1 who are looking to guarantee a place in tomorrow’s Top 16 drafts. Duncan has just out-Sorrowed Stuart Wright with his Ghoulmaster Kalisa deck, while Jeffrey ploughed through Petri Kovanen’s Yertle on the back of some very good cards, led by Rohashu, Zealot of the Sun.
Round 6 – Hans Joachim Höh vs. Mark McKiernan
It doesn’t get much bigger than this. Both Mark and Hans have perfect records of 5-0 going into the sixth round, but it’s a rare opportunity that sees the reigning European and World Champion paired against one another with two very different styles of deck. Time to find out who will pick up a 6th win and lock up Top 16!
Roll Out The Red Carpet
While everyone who joins us at a Darkmoon Faire, or any other event, is an honoured guest, there are a very few players who have earned a special welcome. They are Very Important Players. They are the stars of the tournament circuit. And fittingly, at the entrance of this building there is a red carpet, all set up for a big paparazzi welcome for our 2011 Realm Champions!
Round 4 – Top Table Lowdown
This round we’re doing something a little bit different. With twelve players still fighting at perfect records of 3-0, Jack Fejer kept tabs on all six matches so I could bring you the highs and lows of every match.
Crafting, for Great Justice!
Crafting is one of the most reliable ways to pick up some of the most powerful items in the World of Warcraft online game. So what would the TCG be without the chance to do the same? Players at Darkmoon Faire Cannes have the chance to pick up not only the most recent Crafting Redemption cards, but an all-new batch of Justice Redemption cards! Want to get a look at the new cards? We've got them right here!
Core Movers and Shakers
Sealed Darkmoon Faires are more often than not a quiet affair for the traders, as there is no last minute rush for the latest tech on Friday night and Saturday morning. That said, players are taking full advantage of the three vendors on site (Firestorm Cards, Warcraft Gaming Center and The MetaMart) to pick up cards ahead of the Realm Championships on the weekend of April 28/29.
Darkmoon Faire Cannes Hero Breakdown
Darkmoon Faire Cannes is the first major Sealed Deck event to make use of Crown of the Heavens. So what does this addition to the Aftermath block mean for our players? Which classes are on top, and are the Alliance and Horde keeping the Monster heroes at bay?
Vindicating Vanessa
Alexstrasza is recovering from her injuries in the Wyrmrest Temple, and you can’t find her wandering the tables, or sitting on her throne awaiting brave players that want to challenge her.
Her place has taken by Vanessa VanCleef, the famous assassin and thief, current leader of the Defias Brotherhood, portrayed in Europe by the marvelous Svetlana Quindt!
Round 2 - Remi Lacorre vs. Jeffrey Verwoerd
The tournament moves into round two, and this time it’s table one carrying the coverage flag. Ok, so we had to drag Jeffrey Verwoerd away from his V.I.P. table and into the Feature Match area, but he’s used to the pressure, as is his opponent, Remi Lacorre. Jeffrey is piloting Rohashu, Zealot of the Sun with the odd nasty trick up its sleeve, whilst Remi has put his faith in Voidbringer Jindal’an.
The League of Extraordinary Players
The Cryptozoic League is in full swing here in Cannes, and even the most hardened tournament veterans can be spotted battling between rounds for some of the sweet prizes to be found in those mysterious sleeves. Why not join them?
Darkmoon Faire Cannes Country Breakdown
It's a truly international affair here in Cannes! Although our host nation of France is, as expected, the most well represented, players have come to fight for the Darkmoon Faire title from all over Europe, with two players making the trip all the way across the Atlantic from the USA!
Round 1 - Ozzy Ward vs. Oliver Gehrmann
We're underway here in Cannes, and our first Feature Match combatants are getting ready for battle. Germany's Oliver Gehrmann faces off against the UK's Ozzy Ward. Who will start the day off on sure footing, and who will stumble?
Building Aftermath Sealed - With Duncan Tang
Scotland's Duncan Tang is a veteran of many TCGs, and he closed out 2012 with a bang, coming second in Darkmoon Faire Rotterdam. He's aiming for Top 16 here in Cannes, so what tools does he have to work with?
Building Aftermath Sealed - With Luca Magni
Deckbuilding is underway here in Cannes, and we’re going to follow along with V.I.P. player Luca Magni, who has already shown his skills in Limited formats with a win at Darkmoon Faire Paris 2011. He is also well known in his native Italy as a columnist for some big community sites. So what will this strong Limited player make of his Sealed Deck here in Cannes?
Team Sealed - V.I.P.s Triumphant!
In times past, Friday used to be a quiet day for the Darkmoon Faire. These days? Quiet is the last word to use! Friday here at Darkmoon Faire Cannes saw the always-popular Spectral Safari, along with plenty of play in the Cryptozoic League. The main attraction, however, was the Team Sealed event. So who came out on top? Read on and find out!
