Coldsnap'd

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Happy Friday MTG peeps,

Whatever that uninformed individual Scott Pruitt (American EPA Administrator) says about Climate Change, this winter here in Canada has been a wild one, and atmospheric carbon dioxide is the hard science behind it.  Should you find yourself in Central Ontario, Canada this evening, stop by OMG! Games in Barrie and warm yourself up to some Commander of Standard Friday Night Magic.

With long-standing weather records being continually made, we've been in shorts and a tee one day followed by a cold snap the next.  As this is a Magic: the Gathering fan blog, we should probaly get down to business with some content.  Speaking of cold snap, tooday's post is all about the set 'Coldsnap', which was released waaay back on July 21, 2006.  Yes - the summer, and not during the winter.  We don't know what sort of backwards frackin' pageantry from Wizards of the Coast this date was about, perhaps to give some minor relief with those without an air-conditioner on a hot summer's day back in 2006.

First a bit of backstory / vorthos about this set, which we've borrowed from former Wizards staffer John Tynes, who also by-the-way has a very excellent write-up about the genesis of Wizards of the Coast. Should you wish a great summary of this or other sets, we suggest you would be well served to pop on over to Kissama Yatsu's website, linked over here.  Keeping the Cold was a great short story by Jeff Grubb, which one could find in the Fat Pack (Bundle) of this set.

Wizards of the Coast

Fat Pack Player's Guide 

The beginning of the Ice Age started with detonation of the Golgothian Sylex which had the ended the Brothers' War, shattered the multiverse and threw Dominaria in for a rather long chill. 

Snow-Covered Island, illustrated by Franz Vohwinkel

Several hundred years after the end of the Brothers' War, a severe ice age has descended over the land, reducing mighty civilizations to scattered tribes and changing the very face of the landscape. The slow creep of glaciers, the mighty gales of blizzards, and the numbing cold of lengthy winters have all combined to make Dominia a tough place to live.

Thrumming Stone, illustrated by Rob Alexander

Things are especially tough in Kjeldor. Founded several hundred years ago by the great hero Kjeld, this kingdom began with a handful of tribes clustered around a group of hot springs. Thanks to the heat of the springs and the resourcefulness of its people, Kjeldor has grown even in the thick of the ice and snow. Spring and summer bring only short relief before fall becomes winter and the snows come again. Even in mighty Kjeldor, you must be strong, clever, and resourceful to survive.

As if the ice age weren't bad enough, recent events have brought more gloom to the inhabitants of the kingdom. A mighty necromancer, Lim-Dûl, has risen beyond the mountains. With the aid of the demon lords Leshrac and Tevash Szat, Lim-Dûl has created an army of undead followers who are destroying village after village. The knightly orders of Kjeldor have fought hard, but against undead foes even their vaunted prowess may not be sufficient.

Grim Harvest, illustrated bu Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai

Onyx Talisman Kjeldor isn't alone in this fight, however. To the north, the scattered barbarian tribes of Balduvia have aid to lend. To the south, the elves and druids of Fyndhorn forest can bring the will of the goddess Freyalise to bear against the necromantic hordes. To the west, machinists and archaeologists excavate the ruined city of Soldev, uncovering mysterious and dangerous relics of the long-ago Brothers' War. And somewhere, a secret school of illusionists holds strange powers of its own.

Ronom Hulk, illustrated by Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai

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Moving off from the vorthos side, one of the best ways to explore this new set is look at the cars of the set with the Coldsnap Theme Decks.

Kjeldoran Cunning (White / Blue)
The noble Kjeldoran Soldiers have teamed up with the crafty Zuran Wizards to build an army that can outfight and outthink any foes. With the “Kjeldoran Cunning” deck, you’re the general of that army. You’ll need all your wits about you to win the fight.

Snowscape (Blue / Black)
Grab your mittens and a shovel, because it’s hip-deep in snow in here! With the “Snowscape” deck, you’ll harness the powerful magic of the ice to freeze out your opponents. The deck is filled with snow permanents and cards that get more powerful with snow permanents around. Get a few of them working together, and the cold won’t be the only reason your opponent will be shivering.

Beyond The Grave (Black / Red)
To a necromancer, death is the most delicious part of life—and when playing the “Beyond the Grave” deck, you’re the necromancer. Don’t hesitate to send your minions to their doom, because each death increases your dark powers. The more corpses you produce, the more zombie fodder you’ll have, and the more spells you’ll return from your graveyard to your hand.

Aurochs Stampede (Red / Green)
The Ice Age card Aurochs is a creature with trample that, when it attacks, gets a bonus for each other attacking Aurochs. At the time, there was only one question: What other Aurochs? The “Aurochs Stampede” deck finally answers that question, as three new Aurochs show up to really get the herd rumbling.
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