Following the Draft: Tsuyoshi Doyama

Keita Mori

Defending Champion Tsuyoshi Doyama of Team Aqua Soul showing off his team shirt

Although Team Aqua Soul was formed only weeks before last year's Nationals, it dominated the tournament, with founding members Tsuyoshi Doyama and Tadayoshi Komiya taking first and second place, respectively. This year, Aqua Soul is out in force again, with an expanded membership as well as spiffy team shirts.

Doyama began the day at a seven-person table with other well-known Japanese players and Pro Tour veterans, including Jun Nobushita and Masato Nakamura.

1st Pack: Invasion

Pack A:
Atalya, Samite Master
Rampant Elephant

Pack B: (opened by Doyama)
Harrow
Rampant Elephant

Pack C:
Quirion Sentinel
Prohibit

Pack D:
Strength of Unity
Traveler's Cloak

Pack E:
Nomadic Elf
Frenzied Chilling

Pack F:
Thornscape Apprentice
Strength of Unity

Pack G:
Exclude
Capashen Unicorn

Doyama is known for his love of control-style decks, and he favors UW in both Constructed and Limited formats. He clearly established his preference for the Treva colors in the first pack.

2nd Pack: Invasion

Pack A:
Llanowar Knight
Might Weaver

Pack B:
Aggressive Urge
Wing of Hope

Pack C:
Pincer Spider
Opt

Pack D:
Benalish Trapper
Vigorous Charge

Pack E:
Galina's Knight
Worldly Counsel

Pack F: (opened by Doyama)
Armadillo Cloak
Reivng Dose

Pack G:
Sunscape Apprentice
Restrain

None of the packs at Doyama's table were particularly strong. The Exclude and Armadillo Cloak that he picked were the only ones opened, and there were no Probes or Agonizing Demise. Doyama's determination in staking out UGW in the first pack certainly paid off.

Last Pack: Planeshift

Pack A:
Silver Drake
Darling Leap

Pack B: (opened by Doyama)
Sunscape Battlemage
Mana Cylix

Pack C:
Samite Pilgrim
Stone Kavu

Pack D:
Stone Kavu
Pollen Remedy

Pack E:
Thornscape Battlemage
Gaea's Might

Pack F:
Gerrard's Command
Guard Dog

Pack G:
Sunscape Battlemage
Honorable Scout

The Planeshift packs were also short on UBR power cards like Terminate and Magma Burst.

When asked about his deck, Doyama replied "While there aren't any real power cards, and the deck isn't too flashy, given what was opened at the table I think it's a pretty decent deck. If I can win the first match, I bet I can go 3-0 with this deck."

7 Forest
4 Island
1 Mountain
6 Plains

1 Galina's Knight
1 Llanowar Knight
1 Atalya,Samite Master
1 Benalish Trapper
1 Rampant Elephant
1 Sunscape Apprentice
1 Pincer Spider
1 Thornscape Apprentice
1 Nomadic Elf
1 Might Weaver
1 Samite Pilgrim
2 Sunscape Battlemage
1 Thornscape Battlemage
1 Stone Kavu
1 Silver Drake

1 Armadillo Cloak
1 Exclude
1 Aggressive Urge
1 Harrow
1 Pollen Remedy
1 Gaea's Might
1 Gerrard's Command