PRO TOUR OATH OF THE GATEWATCH

Jiachen Tao piloted Team East West Bowl’s Blue-Red Eldrazi, the new titan of the Modern format, and smashed through multiple Hall of Famers and Pro Tour winners to become the Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch champion!

Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch

SUNDAY COVERAGE

While many eyes were on ChannelFireball and Face-to-Face Games, as Hall of Famers and Pro Tour winners smashed through the top tables all weekend with Modern’s new titan on the block, the story of the weekend shifted to the team that bested the titans of professional Magic.

The real winners of the weekend was Team East West Bowl, and Jiachen Tao, who conquered not only the format, but the two biggest teams of the Pro Tour with a very different take on the Eldrazi strategy with Blue-Red. Utilizing Eye of Ugin to fuel perilous starts with Booster Draft all-stars such as Eldrazi Skyspawner and Vile Aggregate, Tao emerged as one of the two undefeated players at the end of Friday with a deck that turned heads and over-performed, with the team’s pilots earning a combined 19-1 record with the deck by the end of the first day. Saturday caused a bit of a sweat for Tao, who was left hoping for solid tiebreakers after suffering a loss against Hall of Famer Shuhei Nakamura in the last round of Swiss.

But fortune favored Tao, who emerged as the eighth seed in the Top 8 and was able to achieve vengeance in the quarterfinals against Nakamura. His path to the title was perilous, as he fought through Nakamura as well as Hall of Famer Luis-Scott Vargas and Pro Tour winner Ivan Floch. But despite ChannelFireball and Face-to-Face Games’ great show this weekend, Tao proved that he and his team truly broke the format wide open, outclassing the two titanic teams and their Colorless Eldrazi deck one match after another.

Tao walked into the Pro Tour this weekend with an idea, and emerged on Sunday qualified for the 2016 Magic: The Gathering World Championship, $40,000 richer, and the title of Pro Tour champion. Congratulations to him and the rest of Team East West Bowl for a brilliant performance.

Article

February 7 2016

Top 5 Moments of Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch by Event Coverage Staff

With three days of tournament action, intense plays, big swings, and momentous celebrations, Pro Tours create a number of thrilling moments that etch out a place in our memories. This weekend,...

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February 7 2016

Finals: Ivan Floch (Colorless Eldrazi) vs. Jiachen Tao (Blue-Red Eldrazi) by Marc Calderaro

Jiachen Tao, or "JC" is a drafter. Always has been. Twice now he's qualified for a Pro Tour and had to learn the Constructed formats from scratch. Perhaps that's how he broke Modern. Rather than...

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February 7 2016

TOP 8 DECKLISTS by Event Coverage Staff

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

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Feb 07 2016

Article

Semifinals: Patrick Dickmann (Affinity) vs. Ivan Floch (Colorless Eldrazi)

by Jacob Van Lunen

Patrick Dickmann already overcame one Eldrazi opponent in the quarterfinals here at Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch, as Dickmann's army of robotic threats overwhelmed Andrew Brown in three quick...

Feb 07 2016

Article

24-28 Point Modern Decklists

by Event Coverage Staff

Twenty players earned 24 point or more from their Modern rounds at Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch. Eleven hit exactly 24 points (8-2), three got to 25 points (8-1-1), four players received 27...

Feb 07 2016

Article

21-23 Point Modern Decklists

by Event Coverage Staff

A total of 40 players earned 21 or 22 points in the Modern rounds of Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch. There were 38 players who earned 21 points (7-3) from Modern and two who earned 22 points...

Feb 07 2016

Article

18-20 Point Modern Decklists

by Event Coverage Staff

A total of 50 players earned 18 or 19 points in the Modern rounds of Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch. There were 49 players who earned 18 points (6-4) from Modern and just one who earned 19 points...

Feb 07 2016

Article

Semifinals: Luis Scott-Vargas (Colorless Eldrazi) vs. Jiachen Tao (Bue-Red Eldrazi)

by Corbin Hosler

Jiachen Tao's run to the Top 4 was the Cinderella story of Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch. Entering the tournament with an Eldrazi deck the majority of his teammates on East West Bowl weren't...

Feb 07 2016

Article

Quarterfinals: Frank Lepore (Eldrazi) vs. Ivan Floch (Eldrazi)

by Blake Rasmussen

Making the Top 8 of a Pro Tour is pretty close to the ultimate individual accomplishment in Magic: The Gathering. Earning your first often takes years of practice, close calls, and near...

Feb 07 2016

Article

Quarterfinals: Andrew Brown (Blue-Red Eldrazi) vs. Patrick Dickmann (Affinity)

by Jacob Van Lunen

German Patrick Dickmann is known for his Modern prowess. Dickmann brought a 75.4% Modern win percentage into this weekend, the best of anyone here at Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch. Impressively,...

Feb 07 2016

Article

Quarterfinals: Pascal Maynard (Affinity) vs. Luis Scott-Vargas (Colorless Eldrazi)

by Marc Calderaro

This is an historic Top 8 for both players in the upcoming match. Both have something to prove. For Pro Tour Hall of Fame member Luis Scott-Vargas, or LSV, today he's shown that he's still got it....

Feb 07 2016

Article

Quarterfinals: Shuhei Nakamura (Colorless Eldrazi) vs. Jiachen Tao (Blue-Red Eldrazi)

by Corbin Hosler

In a Top 8 loaded with big names, Jiachen Tao was the exception. He had never made it to the elimination rounds of a Grand Prix or Pro Tour before, and even though his deck had taken Pro Tour Oath...

Feb 07 2016

Article

WMC AND WMCQ CHANGES ANNOUNCED AT PT OATH OF THE GATEWATCH

by Wizards of the Coast

Feb 07 2016

Article

TOP 8 PROFILES

by Event Coverage Staff

Learn more about Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch's Top 8 competitors by taking a look through their profiles! Andrew Brown Age: 23 Hometown: Los Angeles, California Occupation: Game...

SATURDAY COVERAGE

The Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch Top 8 features prominent teams and players, including Hall of Famers Shuhei Nakamura and Luis Scott-Vargas. They are joined by veterans Ivan Floch and Patrick Dickmann, along with four players who battled their way to their first Top 8: Andrew Brown, Pascal Maynard, Frank Lepore, and Jiachen Tao.

The Modern Pro Tour has introduced a new titan into the metagame as well: Eldrazi, in three different varieties. The Eldrazi players are joined by two Affinity pilots, and they will battle it out to see which colorless deck reigns supreme! Who will become the Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch champion? Tune in to twitch.tv/magic on Sunday at 9 a.m. local time (ET)/6 a.m. PT/2 p.m. UTC to find out!

Article

February 7 2016

Round 16: Frank Lepore (Processor Eldrazi) vs. Bart Lewandowski (Abzan Company) by Jacob Van Lunen

Bart Lewandowski is still fairly new to the Pro Tour. This young Polish player put up a tremendous 11-4-1 record at Pro Tour Magic Origins, his first big event. Lewandowski secured Silver status...

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February 6 2016

Round 15: Patrick Dickmann (Affinity) vs. Luis Scott-Vargas (Eldrazi) by Corbin Hosler

As Day Two of Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch neared its end, tensions across the room grew higher and higher. Nowhere was that more true than the feature match area, where Patrick Dickmann sat...

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February 6 2016

Round 14: Ivan Floch (Eldrazi) vs. Oliver Polak-Rottmann (Infect) by Marc Calderaro

Oliver Polak-Rottmann is a rising European player on Team EUreka. With four Grand Prix Top 8s, including a win in Utrecht, this Austrian has been making a name for himself on that side of the...

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Feb 06 2016

Article

Round 13: Andrew Cuneo (Infect) vs. Mike Sigrist (Eldrazi)

by Jacob Van Lunen

Mike Sigrist has been on quite the tear recently. He just had twin daughters, and he even won player of the year. After a solid Limited performance this weekend, Sigrist is also currently tied for...

Feb 06 2016

Article

The Eldrazi Overlords

by Jacob Van Lunen

The big story of Modern this weekend is the success of Eldrazi decks that accelerate into powerful cards like Thought-Knot Seer and Reality Smasher using Eye of Ugin and Eldrazi Temple. The deck...

Feb 06 2016

Article

The 6-0 Oath of the Gatewatch Drafters

by Marc Calderaro

"Oh, this format is very easy," Pro Tour Dragons of Tarkir finalist Shota Yasooka told me, while talking about his 6-0 Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch draft performance. He was being glib, of...

Feb 06 2016

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Round 12: Frank Karsten (Affinity) vs. (1) Owen Turtenwald (Infect)

by Corbin Hosler

As the Constructed rounds of Day Two began, Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch was heating up. The path to the Top 8 was far from clear, but a picture was beginning to form. For the pair of legends...

Feb 06 2016

Article

Evolving Oath of the Gatewatch Draft

by Corbin Hosler

In the week leading up to every Pro Tour, players gather from across the world. They split into teams and convene somewhere—sometimes on the other side of the world—to bunker down for a week....

Feb 06 2016

Article

The Modern Masters in a Brave New World

by Marc Calderaro

Though most people are enamored with marquee cards that have been breaking out this weekend—like Death's Shadow, Eldrazi Mimic, and, incredibly, Eldrazi Skyspawner—two cards' specters are...

Feb 06 2016

Article

Day Two Modern Metagame Breakdown

by Jacob Van Lunen

Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch features a new and exciting Modern format. With Splinter Twin and Summer Bloom out of the picture, players were forced to explore new strategies as they prepared for...

Feb 06 2016

Article

Draft Viewer: Day Two - Pod 1

by Wizards of the Coast

FRIDAY COVERAGE

The world’s best Magic players travel to Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch in Atlanta, Georgia to compete for their share of a massive $250,000 prize pool and seats in the 2016 Magic: The Gathering World Championship. Tune in NOW to see all the action!

Article

February 6 2016

Round 8: Marco Cammilluzzi (Naya Zoo) vs. Andrew Cuneo (Infect) by Corbin Hosler

As players entered Friday's final round of Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch, there was plenty on the line for nearly all of the players in the main event, and none moreso than two-time Pro Tour Top...

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February 6 2016

Round 7: Frank Karsten (Affinity) vs. Ben Stark (Mardu) by Jacob Van Lunen

Ben Stark and Frank Karsten are established forces in the Magic world. The two Hall of Famers both enter the sixth round of competition today with only a single loss. Frank Karsten is a...

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February 5 2016

Welcome to your First Pro Tour by Corbin Hosler

At the beginning of every Pro Tour, there's a long-held tradition that may come as a surprise to first-time competitors: They're asked to stand up so the rest of the field can welcome them. For...

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Feb 05 2016

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Round 6: Antonino De Rosa (Jeskai Control) vs. Jon Stern (Affinity)

by Marc Calderaro

Antonino De Rosa is a name many know and love, but newer players might not know the man well enough. De Rosa used to dominate the game, with his jovial boisterous personality, and his razor-sharp...

Feb 05 2016

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Round 5: Eric Froehlich (Kiki-Chord) vs. Luis Scott-Vargas (Eldrazi)

by Jacob Van Lunen

Eric Froehlich and Luis Scott-Vargas need little introduction. Luis Scott-Vargas, affectionately known as LSV to his legions of fans, is one of the most beloved figures on the Pro Tour....

Feb 05 2016

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Round 4: Shota Yasooka (Affinity) vs. Matej Zatlkaj (Death’s Shadow Aggro)

by Corbin Hosler

Quite a few Pro Tour Top 8 appearances were down in the feature match area for Round 4 of Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch. Between Matej Zatlkaj's two Top 8s—at Pro Tour Berlin in 2008 and Pro...

Feb 05 2016

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Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch Modern Metagame Breakdown

by Jacob Van Lunen and Corbin Hosler

Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch reintroduces a revitalized Modern format. Modern has undergone some huge changes with the banning of Summer Bloom and Splinter Twin. There's huge opportunity for...

Feb 05 2016

Article

Team Introductions

by Marc Calderaro

There are some great teams of players here at Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch. Many of the names may be familiar—Ultra PRO, The Pantheon, ChannelFireball, Face to Face, DEX Army—and many of the...

Feb 05 2016

Article

Draft Viewer: Day One - Pod 5

by Wizards of the Coast

Pre-Show Coverage

Live video coverage of Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch begins Friday at 9 a.m. local time (ET)/6 a.m. PT/2 p.m. UTC.

Article

February 4 2016

Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch FAQ and Teams Roster by Mike Rosenberg

Grab your friends and mark your calendars, because Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch begins tomorrow! This Pro Tour will be showcasing the massively popular Modern Constructed format as well as the...

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December 22 2016

An Oral History of the First Pro Tour by Brian David-Marshall

In early 1996, Magic: The Gathering was just under three years old, but Organized Play was just taking its first wobbly steps. There had been a couple of World Championships, a US Nationals, and...

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February 1 2016

Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch Preview by Rich Hagon

So here we are, 2016, and ready for the second Pro Tour of the season and the first of the calendar year. The traveling circus stops this week in Atlanta, Georgia, where a new set and an old...

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Jan 25 2016

Article

Digging Deeper into Team Ultra PRO

by Adam Styborski

The world is a big place. Regional Pro Tour Qualifiers take place around the globe to bring hundreds of players together for the chance to play Magic with the highest stakes around: the Pro Tour....

Feb 01 2016

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Faces of the Pro Tour: The Old Pro, the Grinder, the Rookie

by Corbin Hosler

More than 350 players will descend on Atlanta in a matter of days. From every corner of the world, they gather every few months for a chance to play the game at its highest level. They come for...

Jan 13 2016

Article

Fact Sheet

by Wizards of the Coast

TOP 8 DECKLISTS

Select a Deck

Jiachen Tao: Blue-Red Eldrazi

PRO TOUR OATH OF THE GATEWATCH

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Creature (33)

4 Drowner of Hope 4 Eldrazi Mimic 3 Eldrazi Obligator 4 Eldrazi Skyspawner 4 Endless One 4 Reality Smasher 2 Ruination Guide 4 Thought-Knot Seer 4 Vile Aggregate

Instant (3)

3 Dismember

Land (24)

3 Cavern of Souls 4 Eldrazi Temple 4 Eye of Ugin 1 Gemstone Caverns 2 Island 4 Scalding Tarn 4 Shivan Reef 2 Steam Vents

60 Cards

Sideboard (15)

1 Spellskite 2 Chalice of the Void 2 Gut Shot 3 Hurkyl's Recall 1 Ratchet Bomb 2 Relic of Progenitus 3 Stubborn Denial 1 Tomb of the Spirit Dragon

Deal Another Hand

Ivan Floch: Colorless Eldrazi