PRO TOUR KALADESH

Pro Tour Hall of Famer Shota Yasooka cements himself as the undisputed master of blue control, winning $50,000 and his second Pro Tour title!

Pro Tour Kaladesh

Sunday Coverage

There are few players in any given Magic tournament where even the most tenured Pro Tour Hall of Famers sit down and assume that they are likely an underdog, even despite a good match-up. Shota Yasooka is one such player, and his longtime mastery of working alone on control decks and consistently piloting his way deep into most Pro Tours he competes in has earned him the respect of nearly every regular player in professional Magic.

This weekend, Yasooka has reminded the world why he is in the Pro Tour Hall of Fame, commanding a beloved Grixis Control deck to the top of the standings at the end of sixteen rounds of Swiss. On Sunday, he navigated past the aggression of Pro Tour first-timer Ben Hull, and then piloted the deck brilliantly in a finals against 2002 World Champion Carlos Romão to take home $50,000 and his second Pro Tour title.

Pro Tour Kaladesh cemented itself as a Standard and Limited format for inventors, and there are no inventors more skilled at constantly rebuilding and refining blue control than Shota Yasooka. Congratulations to him on his second Pro Tour win!

Article

October 16 2016

Top 5 Moments of Pro Tour Kaladesh by Melissa DeTora

Pro Tour Kaladesh was full of action, with epic plays and big inventions. Here are five moments to remember from this fantastic show. 5. Combo Returns to Standard There was a time when combo...

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Article

October 16 2016

Finals: Carlos Romão (Jeskai Control) vs. [7] Shota Yasooka (Grixis Control) by Corbin Hosler

It began as the largest Pro Tour in history, but it ended with two players intimately familiar with a seat in the finals of the Pro Tour with a title on the line. Hall of Famer Shota Yasooka was...

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Oct 15 2016

Article

TOP 8 DECKLISTS

by Blake Rasmussen

Want to see what rose to the top of Pro Tour Kaladesh? Then take a look at the Top 8 competitors' decklists! ...

Oct 15 2016

Article

TOP 8 PROFILES

by Blake Rasmussen

Learn more about Pro Tour Kaladesh's Top 8 competitors—including who they are, what they’ve done in the game, and more—by taking a look through their profiles! Name: Ben Hull Age:...

Oct 16 2016

Article

Semifinals: Ben Hull (Red-White Vehicles) vs. [7] Shota Yasooka (Grixis Control)

by Adam Styborski

Ben Hull's tear through to the semifinals of Pro Tour Kaladesh was a dream unfolding. Arriving and playing ill, without testing, at one's first Pro Tour isn't supposed to end well. Instead,...

Oct 17 2016

Article

Semifinals: Carlos Romao (Jeskai Control) vs. Makis Matsoukas (R/W Tokens)

by Melissa DeTora

Makis Matsoukas was competing in his very first Pro Tour this weekend in Honolulu. The student from Athens worked with local friends who helped him come up with his Standard deck. He never thought...

Oct 16 2016

Article

Quarterfinals Stage 2: Matthew Nass (Temur Aetherworks) vs. Carlos Romao (Jeskai Control)

by Corbin Hosler

Neither Matthew Nass nor Carlos Romao are strangers to big matches, but while this was Nass' first Pro Tour Top 8 appearance and was his first time on the Sunday stage, it felt much more like a...

Oct 16 2016

Article

Quarterfinals Stage 2: Pierre Dagen (Blue-Red Spells) vs. Ben Hull (Red-White Vehicles)

by Blake Rasmussen

On one side, we have a mad scientist, holed up in his Dynavolt Tower, storing up epic amounts of energy, ready to unleash it at a moment's notice, whenever his wild and whimsical mind desires it....

Oct 16 2016

Article

Quarterfinals Stage 1: Joey Manner (White-Blue Flash) vs. Carlos Romao (Jeskai Control)

by Melissa DeTora

It's been nearly fifteen years since Carlos Romao made it to the Sunday Stage. With a World Championship title back in 2002, Romao was no stranger to high level play. Despite his long gap in...

Oct 16 2016

Article

Quarterfinals Stage 1: Ben Hull (Red-White Vehicles) vs. Lee Shi Tian (Mardu Vehicles)

by Adam Styborski

Earning his invitation from a Regional Pro Tour Qualifier, Ben Hull found himself in his first Top 8 at his first Pro Tour. From the outside, it appeared like a dream: Visit an exotic locale and...

Oct 16 2016

Article

24-27 Point Standard Decklists

by Wizards of the Coast

Twenty-Four players earned 24 point or more from their Standard rounds at Pro Tour Kaladesh. Seventeen of those players hit exactly 24 points (8-2), two players received 25 points (8-1-1), one...

Oct 16 2016

Article

21-23 Point Standard Decklists

by Wizards of the Coast

Forty-six players earned 21-23 points from their Standard rounds at Pro Tour Kaladesh. Forty-Three of those players hit exactly 21 points (7-3), three got to 22 points (7-2-1), and precisely zero...

Oct 16 2016

Article

18-20 Point Standard Decklists

by Wizards of the Coast

Seventy-eight players earned 18-20 points from their Standard rounds at Pro Tour Kaladesh. Seventy—yes, 70—of those players hit exactly 18 points (6-4), eight got to 19 points (6-3-1), and not...

Saturday Coverage

The Top 8 for Pro Tour Kaladesh is set, featuring seasoned veterans Shota Yasooka, Lee Shi Tian, Pierre Dagen, and Carlos Romao as well as brand new faces such as Matthew Nass, Joey Manner, and finally Ben Hull and Makis Matsoukas, both of whom found Top 8 success at their very first Pro Tour!

Who will be crowned the Pro Tour champion and win the $50,000 first place prize? Tune in to twitch.tv/magic Sunday starting at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET/7 p.m. UTC to find out!

Article

October 15 2016

TOP 8 DECKLISTS by Blake Rasmussen

Want to see what rose to the top of Pro Tour Kaladesh? Then take a look at the Top 8 competitors' decklists! ...

Learn More

Article

October 15 2016

TOP 8 PROFILES by Blake Rasmussen

Learn more about Pro Tour Kaladesh's Top 8 competitors—including who they are, what they’ve done in the game, and more—by taking a look through their profiles! Name: Ben Hull Age:...

Learn More

Oct 16 2016

Article

Round 16: Jun Ishihara (Temur Emerge) vs. Joey Manner (White-Blue Flash)

by Corbin Hosler

The final round before the Top 8 cut at a Pro Tour is one of the most tense moments in all of Magic, even for the seasoned pros who make a habit of playing in Round 16 with everything on the...

Oct 15 2016

Article

Round 15: Tyler Hill (Black-Green Delirium) vs. Jun Ishihara (Temur Emerge)

by Adam Styborski

Neither Jun Ishihara nor Tyler Hill had found their breakout moment, but their match at 11-3 could tip either's career into the spotlight. For Hill, his recent string of Pro Tour appearances...

Oct 15 2016

Article

Round 14: Rich Hoaen (Temur Aetherworks) vs. [7] Shota Yasooka (Grixis Control)

by Melissa DeTora

Shota Yasooka was sitting at 11-2, and a win here would mean that he would be one match win away from his fourth Pro Tour Top 8. His opponent was longtime pro Rich Hoaen, known for being a master...

Oct 15 2016

Article

Video Deck Tech with Matt Nass: Temur Aetherworks

by Event Coverage Staff

Matt Nass made the Top 8 of Pro Tour Kaladesh with this Aetherworks Marvel deck. See how he did it as he walks you through the deck, his card choices, and why he thinks the deck is powerful.

Oct 15 2016

Article

Round 13: [6] Reid Duke (Red-White Vehicles) vs. Kenji Tsumura (Black-Green Delirium)

by Corbin Hosler

Eight Pro Tour Top 8 appearances sat down for the Round 13 feature match. Thirty-one Grand Prix Top 8s and six Grand Prix titles. One Player of the Year title. One Hall of Fame member, and the...

Oct 15 2016

Article

Single Card Spotlight: Cathartic Reunion

by Adam Styborski

It's pretty great to discard two cards just to cast a spell. Cathartic Reunion is a bittersweet moment in the Kaladesh story. While the heartwarming moment of Chandra reuniting with her mother...

Oct 15 2016

Article

The 6-0 Drafters of Pro Tour Kaladesh

by Melissa DeTora

Of the 57 players who achieved a 3-0 limited record on Day 1, only six players managed to duplicate the act. Four-time Grand Prix Champion Martin Jůza, Pro Tour Hall of Famer Raphaël Lévy,...

Oct 15 2016

Article

Video Deck Tech with Frank Karsten: Mardu Vehicles

by Event Coverage Staff

Come for the hat, stay for the expert analysis of the Mardu Vehicles deck that has been driving all over the top of the standings at Pro Tour Kaladesh.

Oct 15 2016

Article

Round 12: Rich Hoaen (Temur Aetherworks) vs. Makis Matsoukas (Red-White Tokens)

by Adam Styborski

Rich Hoaen was known as a Limited master. Having cut his teeth—finding premier event success—over a decade ago, he came back to the game in full force with the return of Team Limited Grand...

Oct 16 2016

Article

Single Card Spotlight: Metalwork Colossus

by Corbin Hosler

When Prophetic Prism gets cast on the second turn at Pro Tour Kaladesh, players may understandably think they're playing a game of Limited, not Standard. When that Prism is followed up by...

Oct 15 2016

Article

Pro Tour Kaladesh Deck Tech with Zac Elsik: Jeskai Control

by Event Coverage Staff

Ever Nahiri out a Torrential Gearhulk? Zac Elsik has, and he's here to show you how to do it with Jeskai Control at Pro Tour Kaladesh.

Oct 16 2016

Article

Single Card Spotlight: Torrential Gearhulk

by Adam Styborski

Control was dead. In a sea of Vehicles and aggression, where Fumigate and Radiant Flames weren't enough to stop opponents, many players jumped at the chance to play an all-in combo deck. (See...

Oct 15 2016

Article

Single Card Spotlight: Electrostatic Pummeler

by Melissa DeTora

Kaladesh Standard is all about single card build-around combos, and Electrostatic Pummeler is one of these new build-around artifacts that many pro players chose to bring to Hawaii this...

Oct 15 2016

Article

Pro Tour Kaladesh Day 2 Standard Metagame Breakdown

by Adam Styborski

The Day 1 metagame breakdown at Pro Tour Kaladesh revealed a field led by Aetherworks Marvel decks and a wide selection of aggressive strategies. After eight rounds of play, the field cut from 466...

Oct 15 2016

Article

Draft Viewer: Day Two Pod 1

by Wizards of the Coast

Friday Coverage

Pro Tour Hall of Fame Class of 2015 members Eric Froehlich and Shota Yasooka have emerged as the two remaining undefeated players at the end of Day 1 here at Pro Tour Kaladesh. With solid starts and over a decade of experience each, will Froehlich and Yasooka launch themselves deep into this Pro Tour’s Top 8 with this tremendous opener? Find out by tuning in to twitch.tv/magic for Day 2 of Pro Tour Kaladesh coverage, starting Saturday morning at 9 a.m. Hawaii time (12 p.m PT/3 p.m. ET/7 p.m. UTC).

Article

October 15 2016

Pro Tour Kaladesh Day 1 Standard Metagame Breakdown by Adam Styborski

Pro Tour Kaladesh is big, and we're not just talking about the player count. With only a few days of Kaladesh availability on Magic Online, and just one major weekend tournament way back during...

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Article

October 14 2016

Round 8: [7] Shota Yasooka (Grixis Control) vs. Valentin Mackl (Black-Red Madness) by Adam Styborski

Going undefeated on the first day of a Pro Tour is more than an incredible feat of skill. Going undefeated means better tiebreakers, ensuring later losses leave you closer to the top of the scrum...

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Oct 14 2016

Article

Single Card Spotlight: Dynavolt Tower

by Melissa DeTora

We've never seen anything like energy before Kaladesh. Magic is a game about resource management. To win, we have to manage our lands, cards in hand, and life total in the most optimal way. These...

Oct 15 2016

Article

Tiu's Rise to the Top

by Corbin Hosler

Oliver Tiu needed help. He was finding success at Grand Prix Providence, heading into Day 2 in a strong position and with a shot at the Top 8 of the tournament. With a few more wins, he would at...

Oct 14 2016

Article

Video Deck Tech with Christian Calcano: White-Blue Flash

by Event Coverage Staff

Christian Calcano details his White-Blue Flash deck, a list specifically created to battle the Aetherworks Marvel deck at Pro Tour Kaladesh!

Oct 14 2016

Article

Video Deck Tech with Raphaël Lévy: Blue-Red Emerge

by Event Coverage Staff

Pro Tour Hall of Famer Raphaël Lévy shows off his crazy Blue-Red Emerge deck that doesn't play Magic the way we're used to.

Oct 14 2016

Article

Video Deck Tech with Chris Botelho: Jeskai Control

by Event Coverage Staff

Chris Botelho, purveyor of the Cat Pact deck, shows off his innovative take on Jeskai Control with Fevered Visions and Dynavolt Tower at Pro Tour Kaladesh.

Oct 14 2016

Article

Video Deck Tech with Willy Edel: Red-Green Energy

by Event Coverage Staff

Want to attack your opponent for 40 damage on turn 4? This deck can do it. Hall of Fame Pro Willy Edel shows off his Red-Green based Pummeler deck.

Oct 15 2016

Article

Round 7: Ari Lax (Temur Aetherworks) vs. Kentaro Yamamoto (Grixis Emerge)

by Corbin Hosler

Ari Lax's last trip to Honolulu worked out pretty well. The Pro Tour Khans of Tarkir champion won an epic Top 8 here in 2014, forever etching his name into history and on the new and perpetual...

Oct 14 2016

Article

Round 6: Zac Elsik (Jeskai Control) vs. Yuuya Watanabe (Bant Aetherworks)

by Melissa DeTora

Zac Elsik is a deck brewer mostly known for popularizing the Modern Lantern Control deck last year. Today, he's playing a unique Jeskai Control deck with lots of reactive spells, Dynavolt Tower,...

Oct 15 2016

Article

Single Card Spotlight: Aetherworks Marvel

by Adam Styborski

"I think it's really cool there are these combo cards to go exploring with in the set. Flavorfully it feels like an Inventors' Fair since there are these weird, cool things you can do in the...

Oct 14 2016

Article

Round 5: Eric Froehlich (Black-Green Delirium) vs. [6] Reid Duke (Red-White Vehicles)

by Adam Styborski

Pro Tours are full of amazing battles. Sixth-ranked Reid Duke and Pro Tour Hall of Famer Eric Froehlich found themselves in one such showdown early at Pro Tour Kaladesh. Both were among the...

Oct 15 2016

Article

Round 4: Oliver Tiu (Temur Aetherworks) vs. Marc Tobiasch (Grixis Colossus)

by Corbin Hosler

Marc Tobiasch is a skilled player and Pro Tour regular from Germany. He has one career Grand Prix Top 8 courtesy of an eighth-place finish at Grand Prix Boston-Worcester in 2014 and has achieved...

Oct 15 2016

Article

Pro Tour Kaladesh 3-0 Drafters

by Melissa DeTora

Welcome to Pro Tour Kaladesh in Honolulu, Hawaii! We've just finished three rounds of Kaladesh Draft and out of a field of 466 players, only 57 players have achieved an undefeated draft record to...

Oct 15 2016

Article

2016 Pro Tour Hall of Fame: Yuuya Watanabe

by Wizards of the Coast

Oct 15 2016

Article

2016 Pro Tour Hall of Fame: Owen Turtenwald

by Wizards of the Coast

Oct 15 2016

Article

Single Card Spotlight: Smuggler's Copter

by Corbin Hosler

We knew vehicles would be good in Standard. We knew they offered advantages traditional equipment did not, and we knew that Smuggler's Copter would be good. We didn't know it would be this...

Oct 14 2016

Article

Draft Viewer: Day One Pod 56

by Wizards of the Coast

Pre-Show Coverage

Live video coverage of Pro Tour Kaladesh on twitch.tv/magic begins Friday, October 14 at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET/7 p.m. UTC.

Article

October 14 2016

Standard Pro Tour Preview by Luis Scott-Vargas

What can we expect to see during the Standard rounds at Pro Tour Kaladesh? As an embedded journalist on one of the Pro Tour testing teams (Team ChannelFireball and associates), I was able to...

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Article

October 13 2016

Pro Tour Kaladesh FAQ by Mike Rosenberg

Get ready to see three days of 40-card mastery and the finest inventions to emerge from the Standard format as Pro Tour Kaladesh kicks off on Friday, October 14, and features some of the world's...

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Oct 11 2016

Article

Digging Deeper into Hareruya Pros

by Adam Styborski

"My personal goal is becoming the 'King of getting people excited about Magic!'" Some teams are a legacy: a consistent core surrounded dozens of different members over the years that consistently...

Oct 11 2016

Article

King of the Grinders

by Maria Bartholdi

"So, now that you've won the World Championship, what are you gonna do?" "I'm gonna go to my room and take a nap." Brian Braun-Duin has been playing Magic ever since he was in college. And...

Oct 10 2016

Article

Pro Tour Kaladesh Preview

by Rich Hagon

And so our journey through 2016 continues. If we look in our rearview mirrors, we can dimly glimpse the end of the 2015–16 season—a season that came to a head in Sydney, Australia, with the...

Oct 05 2016

Article

Fact Sheet

by Wizards of the Coast

PRO TOUR KALADESH TOP 8 DECKLISTS

Select a Deck

Shota Yasooka - Grixis Control

PRO TOUR KALADESH

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Planeswalker (1)

1 Jace, Unraveler of Secrets

Creature (6)

2 Torrential Gearhulk 4 Thing in the Ice

Sorcery (6)

2 Radiant Flames 3 Painful Truths 1 Transgress the Mind

Instant (21)

2 Unlicensed Disintegration 3 Harnessed Lightning 3 Void Shatter 2 Glimmer of Genius 1 Ceremonious Rejection 2 Negate 4 Galvanic Bombardment 1 Essence Extraction 3 Anticipate

Land (26)

4 Spirebluff Canal 2 Wandering Fumarole 4 Evolving Wilds 4 Sunken Hollow 3 Smoldering Marsh 2 Mountain 2 Swamp 5 Island

60 Cards

Sideboard (15)

2 Ceremonious Rejection 1 Negate 1 Radiant Flames 1 Jace, Unraveler of Secrets 1 Transgress the Mind 2 To the Slaughter 2 Confiscation Coup 3 Weaver of Lightning 2 Summary Dismissal

Deal Another Hand

Carlos Romao - Jeskai Control