One of the lures of a massive event like a Grand Prix or Pro Tour is the huge array of public events going on. Here at Worlds in Chiba, that entire idea is taken to the next level.
Everything you see (apart from the feature match area in the far distance) is public events, directly next to the World Championships itself. Players can go from watching some of the top names on the planet to playing themselves for some fabulous prizes.
What prizes you ask? Well, there's a huge variety of rewards on offer for different events. On top of pick up drafts aplenty, and Pro Tour Qualifiers for those aspiring to compete at Worlds themselves one day, there are plenty of other events offering more than just boosters.
For those that want to make it clear which side they support in the Phyrexian Mirran war, there are t-shirts on offer that are pretty snazzy (personally I'm all Phyrexian all the time, but I'm sure that not everyone wants to be part of the evil empire).
It being Japan, there is certainly a fair bit of gadgetery on offer as prizes, but there was one thing that attracted my attention more than anything else. Check it out.
Yes, that's an uncut foil sheet. But wait, doesn't it only have two cards on it. That's kind of weird isn't it? Well, perhaps a close up will mean it makes a little more sense. Let me introduce you to anime Jace, and his long term rival, anime Chandra.
In all their foily goodness, they look pretty spectacular. On Saturday, the manga artist responsible for these awesome new imaginings of Jace and Chandra, along with the comic they now appear in, will be here in Chiba to do signings for the public. Given the number of people here already on Friday, it is likely to be Huge. I for one cannot wait.
