Oath of the Gatewatch

Oath of the Gatewatch

 

Card comparisons

 

Intro packs

 

Oath of the Gatewatch
[[File:{{#setmainimage:OGW Logo.png}}|250px]]
Set Information
Set symbol
Symbol description	Hedrons or the blades floating above Kozilek's head
Design	Ethan Fleischer (lead) Graeme Hopkins Ari Levitch Ken Nagle Adam Prosak Mark Rosewater
Development	Ian Duke (lead) Dave Humpherys Jackie Lee Adam Prosak Gavin Verhey
Art direction	Jeremy Jarvis
Release date	January 22, 2016
Plane	Zendikar
Themes and mechanics	Colorless matters, teaming up, planeswalker matters.
Keywords/​ability words	Cohort, Devoid, Landfall, Support, Surge
Set size	184 cards (70 commons, 60 uncommons, 42 rares, 12 mythic rares) +2 regular-art Wastes
Expansion code	OGW
Development codename	Sweat
Battle for Zendikar block
Battle for Zendikar Oath of the Gatewatch N/A
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
Legendary Cube Oath of the Gatewatch Duel Decks: Blessed vs. Cursed

Oath of the Gatewatch is the 69th Magic expansion, and the second and last in the Battle for Zendikar block. It was released in January 22, 2016. Oath of the Gatewatch is a small expansion.

Set details

Oath of the Gatewatch contains 184 cards (70 Common, 60 Uncommon, 42 Rare, 12 Mythic) but only 183 functionally different cards. However, because of the full-art and regular versions of the Wastes (twice), collectors view this as an 186-card set. Small sets are now enlarged to facilitate the new draft structure (2 boosters of the second set / 1 of the first set). The set includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards. The expansion symbol of the set seems to be a stylized representation of Kozilek's brood, but it also has similarities with hedrons, usually for Zendikar sets. The set features two Planeswalker cards Chandra, Flamecaller and Nissa, Voice of Zendikar.

Oath of the Gatewatch is all about teamwork. It was designed to support Two-Headed Giant better than any other set in Magic history at the time. The name Fall of the Eldrazi was considered for Oath of the Gatewatch.

Storyline

Four planeswalkers (Gideon Jura, Jace Beleren, Chandra Nalaar and Nissa Revane) join forces in their battle against the Eldrazi titans Ulamog and Kozilek and the demonic planeswalker Ob Nixilis. They become the Gatewatch, a team with a lasting commitment to protect the people of the Multiverse from threats that no one else can handle. The six cards that represent the pivotal moments in the storyline are: Kozilek's Return, Remorseless Punishment, Call the Gatewatch, Bonds of Mortality, Fall of the Titans and Zendikar Resurgent.

Magic Story

Title	Author	Release Date	Setting (plane)	Featuring
The Rise of Kozilek	Kelly Digges	2015-12-09	Zendikar	Kiora, Shen, Yesha, Tola, Inash, Runari, Lorthos, Ulamog, Kozilek
Retaliation of Ob Nixilis	Kimberly J. Kreines & Nik Davidson	2015-12-30	Zendikar	Gideon Jura, Nissa Revane, Ulamog, Jace Beleren, Ashaya, Ob Nixilis, Kozilek
Reclamation	Mel Li	2016-01-06	Zendikar	Mina and Denn, Tenru, Nisede
The Blight We Were Born For	Ken Troop	2016-01-13	Zendikar	Tazri, Gideon Jura, Ulamog, Kozilek, Mahir, Golamin, Rillem, Romoe, Vorik, Munda, Noyan Dar, Drana
Up in Flames	Doug Beyer	2016-01-20	Zendikar	Chandra Nalaar, Kozilek, Ulamog, Tazri, Ob Nixilis, Jace Beleren, Gideon Jura, Nissa Revane
Beneath the Surface	Ari Levitch	2016-01-27	Zendikar	Jori En, Lorthos, Kozilek, Ulamog, Kiora
Oath of the Gatewatch	James Wyatt	2016-02-03	Zendikar	Kozilek, Ulamog, the Gatewatch (Gideon Jura, Jace Beleren, Chandra Nalaar and Nissa Revane)
Brink of Extinction	Kelly Digges	2016-02-10	Zendikar	The Gatewatch, Tazri, Munda, Jori En, Kiora
Zendikar's Last Stand	Doug Beyer	2016-02-17	Zendikar	The Gatewatch, Kiora, Ulamog, Kozilek, Tazri, Noyan Dar, Drana, Jori En
Zendikar Resurgent	Ari Levitch, Doug Beyer, Kelly Digges, & Kimberly J. Kreines	2016-02-24	Zendikar	The Gatewatch, Tazri, Ugin

Marketing

The colorless mana symbol

Oath of the Gatewatch is sold in 16-card boosters (the 16th card being a marketing card), five intro packs and a fat pack. The series of clash packs is discontinued. This is the first small set to feature four different pieces of art on the boosters. These depict the four members of the Gatewatch as featured on the partial Oath cycle: Gideon, Jace, Chandra, and Nissa.

The set features the full-art lands from Battle for Zendikar (complete with the original expansion symbol). The Oath of the Gatewatch fat packs also have full art basic lands. Like the other non-full-art basics, non-full-art Wastes are featured in the intro packs.

Zendikar Expeditions

Zendikar Expeditions are all premium foil cards with a special Zendikari frame and a separate expansion symbol. Thus, they are not part of the set. Zendikar Expeditions include all new art set on Zendikar and appear slightly more often than premium mythic rares. These cards are playable in limited and formats where they're already legal. 25 Expedition cards appeared with Battle for Zendikar (the 5 new battle lands, 10 shock lands and 10 fetch lands) and 20 more cards in Oath of the Gatewatch (10 filter lands and 10 assorted lands with resonant flavor for Zendikar).

Prerelease

OGW Prerelease pack

Two-Headed Giant was central to the prerelease experience. Prerelease events took place on January 16–17, 2016. The Prerelease format was Sealed (4 Oath of the Gatewatch/2 Battle for Zendikar). Each pair of players received two prerelease packs that they could use after the event as a take-home deck box. Inside each Prerelease box, there are four Oath of the Gatewatch booster packs and two Battle for Zendikar booster packs, a spindown life counter, and a randomized, date-stamped premium promo card, drawn from any rare or mythic rare in the set.

Promotional cards

• Prerelease: a stamped card that can be any rare or mythic rare from the set.
• Launch promo: Endbringer
• Game Day: full-art Immolating Glare
• Game Day (Top 8): full-art Jori En, Ruin Diver
• Buy-a-Box: Goblin Dark-Dwellers

Tokens

1. 1/1 Eldrazi Scion with "Sacrifice this creature: Add ." for Abstruse Interference, Birthing Hulk, Scion Summoner, Sifter of Skulls, Vile Redeemer, and Warping Wail
2. 1/1 Eldrazi Scion with "Sacrifice this creature: Add ."
3. 1/1 Eldrazi Scion with "Sacrifice this creature: Add ."
4. 1/1 Eldrazi Scion with "Sacrifice this creature: Add ." reprint from Battle for Zendikar
5. 1/1 Eldrazi Scion with "Sacrifice this creature: Add ." reprint from Battle for Zendikar
6. 1/1 Eldrazi Scion with "Sacrifice this creature: Add ." reprint from Battle for Zendikar
7. 3/3 Angel with flying for Linvala, the Preserver
8. 2/2 Zombie for Drana's Chosen, Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet and Null Caller
9. 3/1 Elemental with haste for Chandra, Flamecaller (The token card has no Haste keyword however.)
10. X/X Elemental for Seed Guardian
11. 0/1 Plant for Nissa, Voice of Zendikar

The following named tokens were released with Battle for Zendikar:

1. 2/2 Knight Ally for Allied Reinforcements
2. 1/1 Kor Ally for Captain's Claws and Oath of Gideon
3. 8/8 Octopus for Crush of Tentacles

Themes and mechanics

Wastes (left produced by Kozilek, right by Ulamog)

The set introduces the colorless mana symbol . It is used for cards that depict Kozilek's brood lineage of Eldrazi. With Wastes, the set also introduces the first typeless basic lands. Wastes are twice as common as a normal common in boosters. The colorless mana symbol is found, together with generic mana symbols, in the mana cost of some spells, such as Endbringer (unlike generic mana costs, it cannot be paid with colored mana), and also replaces numbered colorless mana symbols such as in abilities that produce mana in Oracle text for all cards (for example, Ashnod's Altar now produces rather than ).

There are three new named mechanics:

• Surge [cost] (You may cast this spell for its surge cost if you or a teammate has cast another spell this turn)
• Support N (Put a +1/+1 counter on each of up to N target creatures.)
• Cohort, an ability word for activated abilities requiring tapping the ally creature and another ally.

To express the theme of "Planeswalkers forming a team" with game mechanics, R&D also created cards that encourage the player to use multiple planeswalker cards.

Landfall is reused, but in a very minor capacity. It only appears on Embodiment of Fury and Embodiment of Insight, originally envisioned as a cycle. Likewise, white and blue each have an uncommon creature (Wall of Resurgence, Cyclone Sire) that essentially has the awaken mechanic. Technically the mechanic only works on instants and sorceries, so it had to be spelled out in the rules text.

Cycles

Oath of the Gatewatch has three complete cycles and two partial cycles:

Cycle name
Allied color taplands	Meandering River	Submerged Boneyard	Cinder Barrens	Timber Gorge	Tranquil Expanse
	Five uncommon dual lands that enter the battlefield tapped
3 mana allied uncommons	Reflector Mage	Mindmelter	Flayer Drone	Relentless Hunter	Joraga Auxiliary
	Five uncommon creatures that each cost 1MN, where M and N are allied colors. They define the limited archetype for those colors
Cycle name
Enemy color uncommons	Cliffhaven Vampire	Stormchaser Mage	Baloth Null	Weapons Trainer	Void Grafter
	Five uncommon creatures in enemy colors that define the limited archetype for those colors

Mega cycles

Cycle name
Enemy colored Tapland Manlands	Shambling Vent (Battle for Zendikar)	Wandering Fumarole (Oath of the Gatewatch)	Hissing Quagmire (Oath of the Gatewatch)	Needle Spires (Oath of the Gatewatch)	Lumbering Falls (Battle for Zendikar)
	Five lands that can turn into creatures until end of turn. One rare for each enemy color pair, able to produce either color and enters the battlefield tapped. This cycle completes the enemy color megacycle of tapped manlands that started in Battle for Zendikar as well as the larger Mega-Mega Cycle stared in Worldwake.

Mega-Mega cycles

Horizontal cycles

Cycle name
Oaths	Oath of Gideon (Oath of the Gatewatch)	Oath of Jace (Oath of the Gatewatch)	Oath of Liliana (Eldritch Moon)	Oath of Chandra (Oath of the Gatewatch)	Oath of Nissa (Oath of the Gatewatch)
	A multi-block cycle representing a planeswalker's participation in The Gatewatch, in form of legendary enchantments that interact with planeswalker. A black oath, a green-white oath, a white-blue oath, and a white-black oath were added later, in Eldritch Moon, Aether Revolt, Dominaria and War of the Spark respectively.

Cycle name
Eldrazi Titans	Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger (Battle for Zendikar)	Kozilek, the Great Distortion (Oath of the Gatewatch)	Emrakul, the Promised End (Eldritch Moon)
	Kozilek, the Great Distortion is the second card in the Eldrazi Titan triplet started in Battle for Zendikar

Pairs

Oath of the Gatewatch has one mirrored pair.

Mirrored Pairs		Description
Embodiment of Fury ()	Embodiment of Insight ()	Uncommon Elemental creatures which give a keyword ability to land creatures and itself. They also have a landfall effect that can turn Lands until the end of turn into 3/3 Elemental.

Reprinted cards

• Bone Saw, first printed in Conflux
• Mighty Leap, first printed in Magic 2011 and last seen in Magic Origins and for the first time in an expert-level expansion.
• Negate, first printed in Morningtide and last seen in Magic Origins.
• Netcaster Spider, first printed in Magic 2015 and last seen in Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Kiora and for the first time in an expert-level expansion.
• Unknown Shores, first printed in Theros.

Common to Uncommon

• Grasp of Darkness, first printed in Scars of Mirrodin.
• Strider Harness, first printed in Scars of Mirrodin.

Functional reprints

The allied color taplands are functional reprints of the taplands which appeared in Invasion and were reprinted in 8th Edition. The reason behind this was that the original cycle mentions locations in Dominaria, and the more generic name meant that these cards could be reprinted in any other set.

• Meandering River is a functional reprint of Coastal Tower.
• Submerged Boneyard is a functional reprint of Salt Marsh.
• Cinder Barrens is a functional reprint of Urborg Volcano.
• Timber Gorge is a functional reprint of Shivan Oasis.
• Tranquil Expanse is a functional reprint of Elfhame Palace.

Using different subtypes

• Affa Protector is a functional reprint of Standing Troops.
• Canopy Gorger is a functional reprint of Alpha Tyrranax and Tusked Colossodon.
• Makindi Aeronaut is a functional reprint of Concordia Pegasus and Territorial Roc.

Notable cards

• Bonds of Mortality and Fall of the Titans depict the same scene. In the first card, Nissa and Jace weaken the Eldrazi Titans, Ulamog, and Kozilek. In the second one Chandra and Gideon take them both out.
• General Tazri is a legendary ally creature with a color identity of all five colors, very well suited for Commander players.
• Hedron Alignment is an alternate-win card. Ken Nagle designed it in the very first Great Designer Search and it took eight years to make it to print.
• Jori En, Ruin Diver is the first Red (and Blue) Merfolk since Razorfin Hunter in Apocalypse.
• Stone Haven Outfitter is the first card to refer to “equipped creatures” without being equipment itself or being the creature that is equipped too, while the term “enchanted creatures” was used since Legends.
• Wastes is the first and only basic land without a subtype.
• Warping Wail is a flexible and colorless answer, making it a perfect fit for UrzaTron decks in Modern that would struggle to play other types of interaction with colored requirements.
• Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet is a powerful value engine combined with a hate piece that dominated Standard while it was legal and continues to hold a presence in Pioneer black decks.
• Sylvan Advocate was a staple for green decks in Standard thanks to its good stats that could grow even better with time, in addition to synergies with creature lands that most decks played.
• Pulse of Murasa is played in many Pauper combo deck sideboards to make the deck resilient against countermagic, removal, and burn.
• Goblin Dark-Dwellers plays a traditional role in Rakdos Aggro decks in Pioneer but is particularly interesting in Modern decks built around Glimpse of Tomorrow, as the goblins can flashback the eponymous spell to get even more value.

Modern Eldrazi Decks

Thought-Knot Seer, Eldrazi Displacer, World Breaker, Eldrazi Mimic, Matter Reshaper, Endless One and Reality Smasher are seven powerful cards with the Eldrazi creature type. Combined with previous cards from Battle for Zendikar (Eldrazi Skyspawner, Drowner of Hope, Eldrazi Obligator and Wasteland Strangler) as well as the two Eldrazi tribal lands (Eye of Ugin and Eldrazi Temple) these cards created were the foundation for a strong deck archetype. This archetype dominated the Modern metagame at Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch and led to the event known as "Eldrazi Winter" which ended with the ban of the Eye of Ugin.

Even with Eye of Ugin's ban, the majority of these cards are still played in the decks' Bant and Tron Eldrazi. The backbone of the deck is also present in Legacy and Vintage formats, due to the addition of two more double-colourless lands in City of Traitors and Ancient Tomb and powerful artifact lock spells.

Banned and Restricted cards

• Reflector Mage was a tempo card for the draft archetype that had a minor upside compared to a standard Man-o-War effect, but when ported into constructed it became much more frustrating to play against, especially within the Collected Company shells. Despite not being a dominant force in the Pro Tour after the rotation, it was banned in January 2017.
• Oath of Nissa is a cheap green permanent that smoothed draws, making it a low investment gain in devotion. It was marked for an early Pioneer ban, used to temper the Green Devotion strategies that were powerful at the outset. It was unbanned seven months later in July 2020, as more powerful decks had formed in the interim.
• Inverter of Truth was a Mythic Rare playing in unusual design space but received little attention as to its application. While combinations with Laboratory Maniac were possible, Modern was far too fast to have such a strategy succeed. However, with Pioneer keeping the blue Delve spells and War of the Spark and Theros Beyond Death bringing two Maniac effects in Jace, Wielder of Mysteries and Thassa's Oracle, the combo kill was now very consistent. It was also backed by a strong control shell. Inverter was banned in August 2020 after several months of dominance.
• Spatial Contortion is technically banned in Pauper on Magic Online due to only being available on the client as a common promotional card.

Preconstructed decks

Oath of the Gatewatch has five intro packs. There are no clash packs or event decks.

Intro pack name	Colors Included					Foil rare
Twisted Reality		U				Deepfathom Skulker
Desperate Stand	W		B			Munda's Vanguard
Surge of Resistance		U		R		Tyrant of Valakut
Vicious Cycle			B		G	Dread Defiler
Concerted Effort	W				G	Gladehart Cavalry