Mirrodin Besieged Mechanics

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Happy Monday MTG Peeps,

Welcome to the beginning of Mirrodin Besieged previews. From now until the pre-release on January 29th, we can enjoy about three weeks filled with new cards Magic the Gathering players will excitedly review and evaluate to pimp their game whether is is casual kitchen table fun, constructed Friday Night Magic games or sealed pool action.

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The meat from today's post is derived from the this article on the mothership. We have a three returning mechanics (from Scars of Mirrodin) as well as three new mechanics (or more properly two new and one modifier) for Mirrodin Besiged.


Returning Mechanics -

Metalcraft - Metalcraft is an ability word introduced in Scars of Mirrodin and gives a bonus to a permanent or a spell if its controller also controls three or more artifacts. It was the mechanic to replace Affinity.

Infect - Infect is a keyword that was introduced in Scars of Mirrodin. It is centered in black and green with some artifacts having the keyword.

Proliferate - Proliferate is a keyword action introduced in Scars of Mirrodin. It is only seen in the color blue and in artifacts. When a player proliferates, he or she chooses any number of players and/or permanents with a counter on them, then puts another of those counters on these players or permanents.

New Mechanics -

Battle Cry - Battle cry is a triggered ability introduced in Mirrodin Besieged and gives a +1/+0 bonus to each other attacking creature, thus being more or less an inversion of Exalted.

Living Weapon - Living weapon is a keyword for equipment cards introduced in Mirrodin Besieged. When a card with Living weapon enters the battlefield, it puts a 0/0 black Germ creature token into play and attaches itself to it. Thus Living weapons are themselves creatures until their controller chooses to upgrade a different creature, with the detaching of the equipment killing the Germ as it is now a 0/0 creature and is put into the graveyard due to having 0 or less toughness.

"Poisoned" - poisoned is a new rules term introduced in Mirrodin Besieged. A player is poisoned as long as he or she has at least one poison counter. It doesn't matter how many poison counters that player has; a player either is poisoned or isn't. Certain Phyrexian creatures gain bonuses if an opponent is poisoned.

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There was of course several new cards provided in today's article at Wizards to assist in the description of the new key word abilities / mechanics - Let's have a look.

Accorder Paladin, 1w
Creature - Human Knight, Uncommon
Battle cry (Whenever this creature attacks, each other attacking creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.)


Priests of Norn, 2w
Creature - Cleric, Common
Vigilance
Infect (This creature deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.)
1/4


Septic Rats, 1bb
Creature - Rat, Uncommon
Infect (This creature deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.)
Whenever Septic Rats attacks, if defending player is poisoned, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
2/2


Spread the Sickness, 4b
Sorcery, Common
Destroy target creature, then proliferate. (You choose any number of permanents and/or players with counters on them, then give each another counter of a kind already there.)


Flayer Husk, 1
Artifact - Equipment, Common
Living weapon (When this Equipment enters the battlefield, put a 0/0 black Germ creature token onto the battlefield, then attach this to it.)
Equipped creature gets +1/+1.
Equip 2










Razorfield Rhino, 6
Artifact Creature - Rhino, Common
Metalcraft - Razorfield Rhino gets +2/+2 as long as you control three or more artifacts.
4/4

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Finally another reminder of the top ten selling cards from December. This list, from MTG Mint Card may provide clues as to where the meta-game may evolve to.

1. Koth of the Hammer
2. Blackcleave Cliffs
3. Copperline Gorge
4. Seachrome Coast
5. Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
6. Ezuri, Renegade Leader
7. Elspeth Tirel
8. Sword of Body and Mind
9. Molten-Tail Masticore
10. Mox Opal
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