Hans Höh is your 2011 World of Warcraft TCG World Champion!
While the story of the first two days of competition was that of Team Ooga Booga's dominance, with the eleven-man team taking six of the Top 16 spots, in the final reckoning the title has fallen to Germany. Jim Fleckenstein, the last of Team Ooga Booga to fall, made it all the way to the Final, agonizingly short of a dream second World Championship title.
With five members battling in the same half of the Top 16 bracket, it was never going to be an all-Ooga Booga affair. As it was, only Fleckenstein made it as far as the Semi Finals after victories over Wilfred Lau and Joe Demestrio. That Semi Final served up an even more dangerous opponent, Brad Watson, but Fleckenstein barely slowed, taking the match 2-0. Hans didn't have it easy either, taking down Dan Clark in the round of 16, then Fabian Gauthier in the Quarter Final. His match against James Kandziolka in the Semi Final was over in the blink of an eye, setting up a truly epic Final matchup. On one side Jim Fleckenstein, a former World Champion with a string of Top 8s, on the other Hans Höh, looking to avenge his loss in the Quarter Finals last year.
Over in the Darkmoon Faire, one of the largest in the game's history, it was an all-European affair, as France's Matthieu Laguerre took down Scotland's Duncan Tang in a brutal Final match that featured, in its final turn, 21 points of damage from a single ally! Congratulations too to Oliver Gehrmann and Krzysztof Morzyc for their Top 4 finishes, and to Emanuele Lolla, Fredrik Johannesson, Oliwier Krol, and Erik Kaleta for making the Top 8.
Things are winding down here in Rotterdam, but it's been an incredible weekend, with some great stories along the way. Our players have battled for iPods, Pets, Mounts and more, and we have crowned two worthy Champions. The new Dungeon Decks got an outing in the Cryptozoic League, with players able to borrow the new decks and do battle. We even had all-new Crafted cards available for the very first time (For more on those, check the announcement tomorrow on the front page of this very website)! But of course, the greatest story of all belongs to Hans Höh, your 2011 World Champion!
Andrew Farrell
James Kandziolka
Hans Höh
Fabian Gauthier
Jim Fleckenstein
Joe Demestrio
Brad Watson
Jorg Hopfner
James Kandziolka
Hans Höh
Jim Fleckenstein
Brad Watson
Hans Höh
Jim Fleckenstein
Hans Höh
Main Event:
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; Round 8: Pairings, Standings; Round 9: Pairings, Standings; Round 10: Pairings, Standings; Round 11: Pairings, Standings; Round 12: Pairings, Standings; Round 13: Pairings, Standings; Round 14: Pairings, Standings; Round 15: Pairings, Standings; Round 16: Pairings, Standings;
Darkmoon Faire Rotterdam
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; Round 8: Pairings, Standings; Round 9: Pairings, Standings;
Quarter Finals:
Duncan Tang defeated Emanuele Lolla
Krzysztof Morzyc defeated Fredrik Johannesson
Matthieu Laguerre defeated Oliwier Krol
Oliver Gehrmann defeated Erik Kaleta
Semi Finals:
Matthieu Laguerre defeated Krzysztof Morzyc
Duncan Tang defeated Oliver Gehrmann
Finals:
Matthieu Laguerre defeated Duncan Tang
Matthieu Laguerre is the DMF Rotterdam champion!
Photo Coverage: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4
World of Warcraft Trading Card Game Facebook Page
Discuss the 2011 World Championship in our forums
Sunday Coverage
WoW Worlds Radio Episode 7 - A Grand Finale
The Final. Simply spectacular. Play by play, moment by moment, the full tale as Jim Fleckenstein and Hans Hoh delivered monumental entertainment to a large crowd at the closing of the 2011 World Championship. Hear the winner in his own words just moments after completing victory. A stunning ending to a stunning weekend.
The Return of the Pepper Challenge!
Fresh-a-pepper! Cryptozoic's Kyle Heuer continues his newfound tradition from DMF Philly, offering up contests to teams of players willing to compete where the circumstances are...unusual! Today, Kyle's got two teams playing some Worldbreaker Team Sealed. The catch? The packs are in Japanese, and players aren't allowed to to ask what the cards do (unless of course, they ask in Japanese!). Game on!
Final - Jim Fleckenstein vs Hans Höh
Three days, nineteen rounds, and a vast amount of experience with the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game: that’s what had brought American Jim Fleckenstein and Hans Höh of Germany to this point.
Semi Final - Brad Watson vs Jim Fleckenstein
Fleckenstein is the last Team Ooga Booga member left in the World Championship. On Friday there were eleven, just two rounds ago there were six. Now one: Jim Fleckenstein. The former World Champ was closing in on reclaiming the title, but the Semi Final had given him a tough opponent in Brad Watson, who was looking to add World Champion to his resume – just about the only title he hasn’t won to date.
Semi Final - Hans Höh vs James Kandziolka
We're down to only four now, and this match could be a quick one. Hans Höh and James Kandziolka are both playing speedy Horde decks, with the German's twist on Rohashu, Zealot of the Sun up against the American's Gaxtro, Bilgewater Marksman.
WoW Worlds Radio Episode 6 - Race To The Finals
Kandziolka and Hoh, Fleckenstein and Watson. At least $10,000 riding on the outcome of each match. Find out what happens in the arena of champions here at Worlds 2011. Who will reach the Final?
Quarter Final - Jörg Höpfner vs Brad Watson
Jörg Höpfner came to Rotterdam needing a qualification for Worlds. He won in his Last Chance Qualifier, and made it all the way to the Sunday stage. However, American juggernaut Brad Watson was standing between him and a World Champion trophy. Would the German player be able to blast his way through to the semi finals, or would Brad shut down the Breathstone-Hunter player with his Samaku Shaman?
WoW Worlds Radio Episode 5 - And Then There Were Eight
Andrew Farrell against James Kandziolka, Hans Hoh against Fabian Gauthier, Jim Fleckenstein against Joe Demestrio, and Brad Watson against Jorg Hopfner. Hear it all in this whirlwind 45 minutes, during which the top 4 were decided in epic fashion.
DMF Rotterdam Final - Matthieu Laguerre vs Duncan Tang
Fresh from his Hunter-Empowered demolition of Krzysztof Morzyc, Matthieu Laguerre now faces Scotland's Duncan Tang, a former Realm Champion.
DMF Rotterdam Semi Final - Matthieu Laguerre vs Krzysztof Morzyc
What's better than one Grumdak, Herald of the Hunt? More Grumdaks. At least, if you're the one who is playing with three copies of the Empower Hunter. Matthieu Laguerre has that many Grumdaks. Can Krzysztof Morzyc stave them off to get into the finals, or will his board - and hero - succumb to Matthieu's hard-hitting Alliance deck?
WoW Worlds Radio Episode 4 - Top 16 As It Happens
Join Rich Hagon for more than an hour of audio coverage from the top 16 as it happens. All the drama of some terrific matches, with Brad Watson against Charles McArthur a real highlight. Hear the top 8 come together minute by minute, including winner interviews moments after the final card has turned sideways in anger. The tension, the excitement, the passion, and the glory, as it happens, right here.
DMF Rotterdam Quarter Final - Oliver Gehrmann vs Erik Kaleta
Oliver Gehrmann, packing a powerful Horde Warlock deck, is up against Erik Kaleta's Paladin. Will Erik's Limited representation of Rohashu, Zealot of the Sun hold up to the hero's reputation in Constructed, or will Oliver triumph with his collection of board control effects?
Top 16 Feature Match - Wilfred Lau vs Jim Fleckenstein
While Jim Fleckenstein represented the Ooga Booga Paladin, Wilfred Lau was playing a Hammer-Shaman deck built more on theory-crafting than testing. Will the Singapore superstar be able to punch through Rohashu the boogey man?
Top 8 Drafting with Krzysztof Morzyc
Krzysztof Morzyc of Team <Problem?> is an instantly recognizable figure at World of Warcraft TCG tournaments, even if just for the awesome team shirt. A second title is riding on his performance in this draft, so let's crack on!
DMF Rotterdam Top 8 Profiles
Check out who is playing on Sunday here at Darkmoon Faire Rotterdam!
WoW Worlds Radio Episode 3 - And So It Begins
Join Rich Hagon as he sits down and talks to the players before they get underway with their Sunday matches. How do they feel about their chances today? How prepared are they for their first matches? Learn all this and more in episode 3 of this weekend's podcast!
Saturday Coverage
A Token Gesture
Some players love to express themselves. Whether it is with rare playmats, custom playmats, and - you guessed it - tokens. In fact, some players are known for the tokens they use!
World of Warcraft TCG 2011 World Championship Top 16 Profiles
Profiles for the Top 16 players after two days of competition! Who will win it all?
World of Warcraft TCG 2011 World Championship Top 16 Decklists
The Top 16 decklists for the World of Warcraft TCG 2011 World Championship are now up!
Bubble-Match Round Up!
It's all come down to this. The last round before top cut. Sixteen players will move on to Sunday play with their Core decks from Friday. The rest will be left on the sidelines. Who will make it in, and who will be shut out?
Round 15 Feature Match - Glenn Jones vs Jan Palys
Whoever said "Those who can't play, write" must never have played against coverage superstar Glenn Jones. Hoping for a Top 16 finish, the Star City Games coverage manager is up against former Elite Minion of the year Jan Palys, who is also in a race for the Sunday stage. Who will survive for another round in contention, and who will be left playing for Top 32?
Round 14 Feature Match - Jim Fleckenstein vs Davide Rizzi
"Grglbrglglmrrrrgl!" That's what Jim Fleckenstein is hoping his Monster hero Grglmrgl will say each game as it flips. While Jim's more controlling Monster Hunter was his weapon of choice for the final draft, Davide Rizzi is going into battle with an Alliance Death Knight. Will the fishy superstar take down the match, or will Davide trump for the Alliance?
Mrglbrlgglmrgl???
Monster hero? Most definitely! Jim Fleckenstein takes a dive into the deep end with Grglmrgl, the Monster Hunter with the even more monstrous flip power!
Monstrous Picks with Fabian Gauthier
Monster Hero? Not quite. Monster allies? More than a few. Thomas Reeve sat down to cover and talk about Fabian Gauthier's draft.
Wow Worlds Radio Episode 2 - Building In The Last Draft
The second and final Booster Draft has taken place. What do the players fighting for a Sunday slot think of their decks, as well as their chances?
WoW Worlds Radio Episode 1 - Pod 1 Talks
RIch Hagon kicks off his podcasts this weekend with episode 1 of WoW Worlds Radio!
Pod 1 - The Results Are In!
The results of the first draft are now in! Who from Pod 1 finished on top, and who got the rough end of the faction split?
Round 13 Feature Match - Brad Watson vs Andy Farrell
Brad Waton's Death Knight deck, featuring plenty of Empower and Bottle popping action, is 2-0 going into the third round of the first draft for today's Limited action. However, one more player was standing in his way for a 3-0 record: Andy Farrell, who navigated past his first two opponents with a Horde Warlock deck (alongside from assistance from Gnash and pals). Would Brad's deck, packed with hard-hitting combos, be enough to overcome brute force?
Empowered Drafting with Brad Watson
It's Draft time here at the World Championships! Throne of the Tides is the set, and a lot of players have talked the set up as one of the best ever for Limited play. Well, 96 of the best in the world are here to put that to the test, and one of them is Brad Watson.
World Championship Draft 1 - The Number Crunch
The first Draft rounds of the World Championship are underway here in Rotterdam, and we've crunched the numbers to bring you some serious data on the new Throne of the Tides draft format.
Pod 1, The Draft, and the Outcome
Curious on what the players at Pod 1 ending up as in terms of faction? Rich Hagon got a chance to watch the draft take place with the players at the first pod. Which factions did these players ally themselves with? Alliance, Horde, or Monster?
A Throne of the Tides Draft Primer
It's hard to argue with the hours that both Jim Fleckenstein and Paul Graham have put into preparing for the draft portion of the World Championship. Dave Sutcliffe sits down to talk with both players on what their preferences are going in to today's Booster Drafts.
The Inside Track on Draft
Dan Clark and Andrew Berke both have plenty of experience not only with this game, but also with drafting Throne of the Tides. What do the two players have to say about this format?
Round 11 Feature Match - Brad Watson vs Wouter de Koning
In a battle between Ghouls and Treants, who will come out on top?
Famous Faces in the Booster Draft
With all the buzz about Throne of the Tides being one of the best Limited sets ever released, Dave Sutcliffe walked around to see what some of the game's top players had to say on the format. Their answers? All different! It seems that even day two's competitors haven't figured out what the best strategies are for this new set's Draft format!
Undefeated Classic Decklists
For the Classic devotees among you, here is a selection of the different decks that made it to 4-0 in the first day of Worlds!
Friday Coverage
Round 10 Round-Up
Dave Sutcliffe brings you the highlights of four matches, featuring eight players that want to secure their spot into day two with a win rather than leave their chances up to hope and tiebreakers. Who will come out on top?
Round 8 Feature Match - Pawel Kedra vs Jim Fleckenstein
Pawel Kedra is playing Spider Solitaire, while his round 8 opponent Jim Fleckenstein is playing Mage...but with a twist! Something fishy is going on here! What's Jim got up his sleeve? And what's with all the crab tokens?
One Step Ahead
They've delivered their slice of drama, they've delivered their playsets to their customers, and those playsets are now listed on final decklists, sleeved up in brand new shiny-ness...but the trader's work is not over. Not if you listen to Damien Dufresne. Rich Hagon sat down with the talkative trader to find out what the rest of the weekend has in store.
Classic Constructed Metagame Breakdown
With the decklists of all 330 players tallied, checked and totted up by my long-suffering partners in coverage, it's time to bring you the Classic Constructed Metagame Breakdown from the 2011 World Championship!
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Deck Recon - Something Smells Fishy
“Hogger’s flip is almost useless to me, but Rawrbrgle’s flip is even worse. So I played Rawrbrgle.” That may not sound like great thinking, but the Italian Realm Champion Luca Magni has been thinking outside the box again, and he came up with a cunning plan for the Core portion of today.
Deck Recon - Leisha Lashes Out
When it comes to the top Core Constructed decks here at the World Championship, one deck stands out. In almost every way.
The Transition - From Core to Classic
With the transition from Core to Classic underway, Rich Hagon takes a look at how some of the game's name players are doing. Who is moving into Classic with an edge, and who needs to make up for their lackluster Core performance?
Round 7 Feature Match - Dan Clark vs Wouter de Koning
Round 7, and the Core decks were packed away into bags with players hoping they would be needed again in Sunday’s Top 8. In the place of Core comes Classic, the grandstand format of the World of Warcraft TCG that sees all cards legal from the game’s history.
Day 1 Undefeated Core Constructed Decks
Want to see some undefeated Core Constructed decks? Better yet, how about an Alliance Druid deck that is running no face-up resources? You can find all this (and more!) by checking out what finished above the rest in today's Core portion of the World Championship!
Worlds 2011 Core Metagame Breakdown
The prediction going into the main event was that that Paladin would be public enemy #1. Were those predictions correct? Rich Hagon has done the number crunching, and he's got hero, class, and faction beakdowns for you to see!
Round 6 VIP Updates
The Core Constructed rounds are finished, and as the dust settles, which Realm Championships will remain at the top?
Worlds 2011 Country Breakdown
We've reached the part of the day where numerous numbers have been crunched, and assorted facts have come to light. Like, for instance, the country breakdown for this year's main event!
The Poker Faces of France
Which Frenchmen are crusing to a Day 2 berth? You can't tell by their po-po-po-poker face.
Round 6 Feature Match - Anssi Alkio vs Christian Pfeiffer
While Christian Pfeiffer, German juggernaut and member of Bootcamp LE. is no slouch, neither is his round 6 opponent: Finnish superstar Anssi Alkio. With Christian playing an aggressive Paladin deck against Anssi's Shaman strategy, who will come out on top in the last round of Core for the day?
A Quick Look At The VIPs
The fourth of six Core Constructed rounds has finished here at the World Championship, so how about an update on our Realm Champions! With a few months of benefits to enjoy before being forced to defend their Realm Champ prize status, are our 17 VIPs justifying their titles?
You Don't Mess With The Zoran
Sitting down in the Feature Match area for Round 3 against Tim Rivera, Zoran Mrklic of Croatia was in good spirits. And who could blame him? Rohashu, Zealot of the Sun was treating him well.
Round 4 Feature Match - Dan Clark vs Neil Rigby
With only a few more rounds of Core to go, players wanted to maximize their wins before they leapt into the unknown Classic format. Who would win between the American Dan Clark and the UK's Neil Rigby?
Warriors From a World Away
Asia is growing by leaps and bounds in players and support for the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game. Come meet two players from China and Korea respectively who have put in their bid to become World Champion!
Round 2 Feature Match - Yi-Nan Liao vs David Szabados
Each up 1-0, Taiwanese Realm Champion Yi Nan Liao takes on Hungarian David Szabados.
Round 1 Feature Match - Jonas Skali Lami vs. Remi Lacorre
Jonas won it all last year with his namesake hero Jonas the Red. Could he start the day on the right foot against Top 8 mainstay Remi Lacorre?
USA! USA! USA!
If you're cheering for the stars and stripes, these are the players to look for.
2012 Organized Play Schedule
Save the dates! We have our entire Organized Play schedule for 2012 right here.
Thursday Coverage
Hanging With The Queen's Warcraft Regiment
Neil Rigby and Matt Light, two of the bigger personalities on the UK scene, teamed up with Mark McKiernan to brawl their way to a 6-1 record in the massive Team Sealed event that's been running since lunchtime. With a Wasteland Tallstrider and iPod Nano each to show for their efforts, how were they set up for tomorrow, and what did they think of Throne of the Tides for Limited play?
Revisiting the Bootcamp
This is the team that delivered a World Championship title for Jonas Skali last year, then went skinny-dipping in a fountain at the EUCC in Rimini. It's Bootcamp L.E., and Dave Sutcliffe got a chance to sit down with a few of these team members to catch up on how they have been doing this year.
Last Chance Qualifiers - Sealed - The Results
The Throne of the Tides Sealed Qualifier has reached its inevitable conclusion, and five plucky souls have managed that crucial 3-0 record.
I Got a <Problem?> For You
2011 has been a Polish year, with the team coming together to make the Top 8 at the World Cup in Paris, then going from strength to strength through the year and claiming two Darkmoon Faire titles. If the World Championship title goes to the player who is best-prepared, then you would need to look hard to find a more deserving winner than one of the Poles.
Last Chance Qualifiers - Sealed - Pierre Malherbaud
As coverage reporter Thomas Reeve stalked the tables of the Throne of the Tides Sealed World Championship Qualifier, he couldn't help but notice an unexpected face. Pierre Malherbaud, a man with two Darkmoon Faire titles and a Miniatures World Championship Top 8 to his name, was playing for his chance to compete in the main event tomorrow. Thomas sat down with Pierre after he won his second round to talk about his return from hiatus.
Last Chance Qualifiers - Classic - Undefeated Decks
Looking for Classic decklists? Then Rich has what you want! These Last Chance Qualifier decklists are a great starting point for anyone looking at the format right now.
Last Chance Qualifiers - Classic - Snapshots
Nothing quite says Classic Constructed like, "Interrupt that card," and "Death Wish, Greaves, you're dead". want to relive all the memories through the players participating in this Last Chance Qualifier? Get a chance to see those Scourgewar cards in action with a little preview of the Classic Last Chance Qualifier.
Getting to the Core with Corey
2009 North American Continental Champion Corey Burkhart has been busy since getting into college. So busy that he has not often found time to travel like he used to. However, he is here today, hungry for another win. Rich Hagon sits down to talk about Corey's adventures in the World of Warcraft TCG.
Last Chance Qualifiers - Sealed - For The Horde
The third format for the Last Chance Qualifiers is Sealed Pack. With 40 players competing in this Limited format, which faction and class was getting the preferred treatment?
Last Chance Qualifiers - Core - Undefeated Decks
Three rounds of Swiss gave us 10 lucky players who had qualified for the World Championships tomorrow morning. You’ll find a selection of their decklists below, from Shamans and Hunters to the inevitable Paladins – and even then from Etched Dragonbone Girdle to 20 Murloc Coastrunners!
Team Challenge - Star Line-Ups
With qualification for the main event already secure for many of the players arriving here in Rotterdam, day one was a chance to have some fun, and the undoubted star of the day one show was the Team Challenge.
Last Chance Qualifiers - Core - The Final Round
The Core Constructed Last Chance Qualifier is coming to a close. What were the big winners in this small glimpse at what's to come for tomorrow? Dave Sutcliffe breaks down the numbers, and also checks back in with a player he has been following through the event.
Last Chance Qualifiers - Core - Getting Gnashty
After that exciting back-and-forth game I grabbed the winner for a chat, and it turned out that he had come a long way before getting so close to qualifying for Worlds…
Last Chance Qualifiers - Core - Making A Return
As coverage reporter Dave Sutcliffe talked to players in the Core Constructed Last Chance Qualifier event after they finished their matches, he ran into a familiar face. Fabian Gaulthier, who finished in 2nd at Darkmoon Faire Cologne back in 2009, is playing in a qualifier event after a hiatus from the game. What does he think of the latest set, and what is he playing today?
Last Chance Qualifiers - Classic - Familiar Faces
While over 70 players face off in Core Constructed for one Las Chance Qualifier, 35 players have chosen to do battle in the Best-Of-Three Classic Constructed format. Familiar faces ranging from "Black Ice" Fizzlefreeze to the former Core star Sepirion the Poised are given their respects in this event, as players battle their way towards a potential 3-0 record and qualification into Friday's main event.
Last Chance Qualifiers - Core - Getting Started
Thursday plays host to three World Championship Qualifier events spanned over three different formats for players looking to qualify for the World Championship at the last minute. Three wins, and you're in. Lose one, and you're done. Strike through all three without acheiving at least a 3-0 record, and you're out! David Sutcliffe is here to bring you the latest updates from the Core Constructed qualifier that is taking place today.
Wheeling, Dealing, Mazu'kons Fleeing
On the eve of any large tournament, strange things happen to cards. Hot cards go cold, cold cards start boiling, and the very hottest cards burn up entirely. The traders at the World of Warcraft TCG World Championship can bear witness to a prime example of this occurring right now.
J!nxapa...what?!?!
Whether or not you're starting the weekend in the main event, the chances are that your time is going to run out, and your attention will turn to the numerous side events on offer. In total, there are fifteen types of different events being run. That's not 'fifteen events' you understand, that's fifteen types of events. Unreal.
Loot, Glorious Loot!
There's nothing quite like it. Whether you're cracking a pack or battling in the last round of a tournament, few things spur on a World of Warcraft TCG player like the promise of Loot cards.
Mekkatorque Wants YOU!
Are you ready to serve, soldier? If so, then great! See you on the venue. If not, then Mekkatorque wants YOU to come down to Rotterdam to take part in the 2011 World Championship festivities!
