Before Magic World Championship XXVI arrives this February, another set of the best players in the world will face off for a 2019 title. The conclusion of the 2019 Mythic Championship Team Series features two incredible teams battling for the title and their share of $150,000 in prizes.
Watch Theros Beyond Death Draft Early
Theros Beyond Death Prerelease weekend begins January 18, with the set joining MTG Arena on January 16. The Team Series Final will be your second look at the new Limited format—the first being Loading Ready Run's Pre-Prerelease on January 10—just in time to prepare.
Here's the broadcast schedule:
- Saturday, Jan. 11: 9 AM CST – Modern Day One of Grand Prix Austin
- Sunday, Jan. 12: 9 AM CST – 2019 Mythic Championship Team Series Final (Theros Beyond Death Team Draft) followed by Modern Day Two and the Top 8 of Grand Prix Austin
You can look forward to watching it live with some of your favorite casters, including Marshall Sutcliffe, Maria Bartholdi, Ashlen Rose, and the debut of Caleb Durward for the coverage stream all weekend.
Tune in next weekend for live video coverage from #MTGAustin! Coverage starts at 9am CST on Saturday (Modern GP) & Sunday (Team Series Finals + Modern GP).
— ChannelFireball (@ChannelFireball) January 2, 2020
In the booth: @Marshall_LR, @MissMariapants, @CalebDMTG & a surprise guest TBA
Floor reporter: @AshlenRose pic.twitter.com/WQXbV5NPbA
Everything happens live on twitch.tv/channelfireball!
Who's Playing to Win $100,000?
Two teams earned their way to the final, each filled with fantastic competitors.
Ultimate Guard Pro Team
The reigning Team Series champions return to the final again, looking to close out the series as repeat winners of Magic's most prestigious team event.
Reid Duke wrapped 2019 as a stellar season. With a Magic Hall of Fame induction, invitation to stay in the Magic Pro League, and sixth Top Finish at Mythic Championship I, Duke is both among the most consistent and competitive players in Magic—and the last you'd want to play against in a showdown.
William "Huey" Jensen is similarly a Magic Hall of Fame member who added another Top Finish in 2019, this one at Mythic Championship V. His teamwork with Duke, and performance to be invited to the MPL to start 2020, puts a fearsome former Magic World Champion in the mix in Austin.
Andrew Cuneo made it a three-peat for MPL players on team Ultimate Guard making a Top Finish in 2019: Cuneo earned his at Mythic Championship VI in Richmond in addition to invitation back to the MPL for 2020. With two decades of experience, Cuneo's seen almost everything Magic has to offer.
Jon Finkel is a player who needs little introduction. The legendary Magic Hall of Fame member earned an astonished 17 Top Finishes in his 20-year career, and the colloquial title of "Greatest Magic Player in History" from the game's best—becoming a favorite in every event he plays in.
Paul Rietzl is another Magic Hall of Fame member with a storied career. With five Top Finishes and a mastery of aggressive decks, Rietzl is a fearsome competitor who can never be counted out of contention.
Matt Sperling joined Ultimate Guard Pro Team and came out of the gates storming this season by adding his third lifetime Top Finish at Mythic Championship II in London—and putting his competitive stats into elite territory.
Something I'm pretty excited about, for obvious reasons, just got announced. Team @UltimateGuard and Team @hareruyaEnglish Sword get 2 days to prep for an early access 3v3 team drafts of Theros Beyond Death for $100k/$50k prizes. One of the coolest things I've been invited to. pic.twitter.com/I1BABPPja3
— Matt Sperling (@sickofit) December 17, 2019
Hareruya Sword
While it was team Hareruya Latin made it to the Team Series finals for 2018, team Hareruya Sword cut through the 2019 competition thanks to hard work from some of the game's best competitors.
Javier Dominguez is one of the hottest Magic players in the world. As winner of Mythic Championship V and reigning Magic World Champion, Domginuez came close to winning his second event of the 2019 season at Mythic Championship VII where he earned his sixth lifetime Top Finish—all on top of dominating the inaugural season of the Magic Pro League.
Lee Shi Tian is a titan of Magic, a member of the Magic Hall of Fame who earned his sixth Top Finish at Mythic Championship V. His 2019 goal to stay in the MPL was achieved with his invitation to return in 2020, and notching a Team Series win would put 2020 off to an even better start.
Andrea Mengucci closed 2019 as a banner year for his career. Winning the Mythic Invitational and earning two Top Finishes—six total lifetime—at Mythic Championship V and VII puts Mengucci into the same stratosphere as fellow MPL member and teammate Dominguez.
Grzegorz Kowalski, 2018 Magic World Championship finalist, entered 2019 as a member of the MPL. Supporting Hareruya Sword, Kowalski earned invitation to the Magic Rivals League and the right to battle at the Team Series Final.
Jérémy Dezani kicked off the season with a Top Finish at Pro Tour Guilds of Ravnica, returning to the Sunday stage and lifting Hareruya Sword to a great start for the season. Now he can help close out one last win for the team.
Kelvin Chew rounds out the formidable Hareruya Sword team, returning for his first major playoff after his thrilling Top Finish at the 2017 Magic World Championship.
How is it all Going Down?
The December 2019 Esports Update covered all the details:
- Each team will split into two sub-teams of three players each. One sub-team will draft and play against one of the sub-teams from the other team, following by the remaining sub-teams drafting and playing against each other.
- If one team wins both of the sub-team matches then they will be the Team Finals Champion. If teams each win one of the sub-team matches, then the two winning sub-teams will draft and play against each other and the winner of that third match will be the Team Final Champion.
It's Theros Beyond Death Draft—team versus team—all the way through for the $100,000 winning team prize. Don't miss the action all next weekend—January 11 and 12— at twitch.tv/channelfireball.