From the Vault: Relics Spoiler

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We just got around to perusing a post over at our buddies at Gathering Magic which reminded us we were again lagging behind MTG news and spoilers. This special set was announced way back in January, but we had an update just last week via a packaging image posted to a Chinese MTG / Gaming forum.

Quick Blurb if you have no idea what we are talking about . .
All powerful. All famous. All incredibly rare. These are some of the mightiest weapons of the Planeswalkers. From the Vault: Relics contains fifteen battle-tested artifacts, culled from throughout the history of Magic: The Gathering


Anywhoos - here are the 15 Premium foil cards to be expected in this set :

AEther Vial
Black Vise
Isochron Scepter
Ivory Tower
Jester's Cap
Karn, Silver Golem
Masticore
Memory Jar
Mirari
Mox Diamond
Nevinyrral's Disk
Sol Ring
Sundering Titan
Sword of Body and Mind
(Sword is the mythic rare from the October Magic set Scars of Mirrodin)
Zuran Orb

The cards receiving new art are:
AEther Vial, Black Vise, Isochron Scepter, Ivory Tower, Masticore, Mox Diamond, Nevinyrral’s Disk, Sol Ring, and Zuran Orb

Here is the corporate blurb from the Mothership ->
Contents
* 15 Premium foil cards, including 9 with new art
* An exclusive spindown life counter
* A collector’s guide
* Each card has been printed using a foil process unique to the “From the Vault” series.
* The 15 cards are all printed in the current card frame – for several, it is for the first time.
* From the Vault: Relics will be available world-wide in English only, and will have an extremely limited print run.
* All cards are black-bordered and tournament legal. This means that these cards are legal for use in any tournaments where the original printings are still legal.

Product Concept and Development Team: Mark Rosewater, Tom LaPille Release Date: August 27th, 2010 MSRP: $34.99

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Where to get your paws on this ? - Try the upcoming GEN CON Indy event . . .

From the Vault: Relics Convention Promotion
Gen Con Indy 2010 - August 5-8

Wizards of the Coast will once again be selling the popular From the Vault series at Gen Con 2010. A limited quantity of the new set Magic: The Gathering From the Vault: Relics card boxes will be sold at Gen Con Indy 2010.

* Only 400 units are for sale for the duration of the show, 100 boxes will be sold each day.
* Attendees wishing to purchase From the Vault: Relics are required obtain a ticket. The ticket card allows you to purchase From the Vault: Relics.
* 100 tickets will be handed out each day from 10 - 11 a.m.
* Limit one (1) ticket per person.
* Tickets can be obtained from any one of 4 Wizards of the Coast representatives wearing a red FTV t-shirt. Representatives can be found in and around the TCG Hall/Hall G
* Tickets can be redeemed for From the Vault: Relics at the Wizards of the Coast Booth 1721 beginning at 1 p.m. and ending at the close of the exhibit hall each day. You must turn in your ticket in order to purchase your copy of From the Vault: Relics. No Ticket, No Purchase, No Exceptions
* Tickets must be redeemed the day they are issued. Tickets will not be allowed to roll over to the following day.
* The limit for From the Vault: Relics is one per person for the duration of the show. Attendee badges will be marked to verify purchase. Badges should be presented out of the badge holder to help in this process.
* From the Vault: Relics will retail for MSRP ($34.99) plus applicable IN state sales tax.
* All retail exclusives are available in limited quantities, while supplies last.
* All sales are debit or credit card only; and all sales are final.

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Zendikar Advice

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Good Day my peeps, wherever you may be. Today here on MTG Realm, we hope to provide you with some timely advice in advance of the Magic the Gathering release of the next expansion, Zendikar.

You may recall our recent post regarding the anticipated Zendikar mechanic, 'Lanfall'. This is the new hotness that provides a bonus 'whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control'. The only Zendikar spoiler to date that has this is Rampaging Baloths which generates 4/4 green beast tokens whenever you drop a land.

Right - now that was prefaced for you, our timely advice . . . Do Not Trade away your Knight of the Reliquarys just yet - in fact, you may even want to pick up a deckset now while the price is right. While you are at it, you may want to consider holding onto that Terramorphic Expanse and those Alara panoramas which will accelerate the tech in your new Zendikar Landfall deck.


Speaking of Knight of the Reliquary prices, do you remember when this card was going for around $9.00 (U.S.) back in February ? Dang ! Man did that price fall like a prom skirt. Knight is now going for just over $1.60 and we anticipate that it will only go up from here.

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In other news, just a few notes about the recent GenCon Indy 2009. Wizards of the Coast had a strong showing at the convention with lots of very decent Magic the Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons events / side events going on . . . including several 'learn to play Magic' games with oversized cards.

One suggestion to Wizards from MTG Realm . . . if you have a great space like this and oversized cards, arrange a special 'full contact' MTG . . . I'm thinking something along the line of a Jerry Springer show gone south of cheese.

The highlight - using n00bs from the crowd as Zombie creature tokens . . . just WIN !

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Also of note, while we are on WoTC events . . .

If you are anywhere near Seattle on September 4th to 6th, MTG Realm directs you to attend the PAX (Pennyn Arcade Expo) 2009 event. Wizards promises to be there showcasing the XBLA title Duels of the Planeswalkers and a Magic Online tournament.

The best part of the weekend will occur afterhours at Trinity Nightclub . . .

This year Magic will be hosting a party that is sure to be the highlight of the weekend. On Saturday, September 5 from 7-9 p.m., hundreds of lucky players will behold "The Sights of Zendikar" at Trinity Nightclub in downtown Seattle. We'll be showing a ton of exclusive spoiler cards and new art from the upcoming set, as well as previewing the new Duels of the Planeswalkers downloadable content. We'll also have an interactive puzzle to test your wits, with the savvy winner taking home a big prize (along with smaller door prizes for everyone). Free food and drinks will be served while guests mingle with artists Jeremy Jarvis, Richard Whitters, Mark Tedin and Todd Lockwood, along with R&D designers and developers who make the game what it is.

Unless I get a 'press pass' from the host Starfish Events or the Wizards PR folks at Porter Novelli, I will be unable to attend so please Email ME ! all the pics you get of this and we will post.

Zendikar Art Spoiler 5

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Another interesting day for Magic the Gathering Zendikar spoilers. As I had imbibed excessively last night at a chapter meeting, I will relinquish any lengthy speculation at this time and simply provide the arts.

First up . . .
These two lovely Zendikar Play Mat arts from an on-line retailer :








We are led to beleive that these are unfinished playmats which still require additional work-up such as logo, mana symbols or the like. The angel is HUGE as well as the lotus bloom. If you click to enlarge the image, one can see the same dude either in the foreground or on the floating rock bit . . . apparently he gets around.

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The second set of images have been obtained from another retailer who was able to sneak this Zendikar spoiler loot out of GenCon 2009.

As the art clearly is digital in nature, we are uncertain as to how exactly the fellow may have come by them. The images and themes do look real and believable however.

A close relative to the flying spaghetti monster ?

An airborne Kor. The FAA would never allow
those dangerous looking hooks in the air.

This customer requested the extra-hot sauce
with his chicken wings.

We've seen these guys before, but
just not with this resolution.

Anywho, please provide comments on these amazing Zendikar arts and stay tuned for the next MTG Realm post as we have more Planechase goodness coming up next.


~ Happy & Safe gaming everyone.

Zendikar Art Spoiler 4

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Hello again my peeps. I did indicate in yesterday's post that I would be away from the blog for a few days. Well, very sorry I lied - I had to drop just one more post on for fresh Zendikar image collected from Gen Con Indy 2009.

Here is a promotional Magic the GAthering Zendikar poster / advertisement from the Gen Con Catalog sent in by vatechguy from the forums. Artist is Jaime Jones.


w0w - that's cool. Apparently on the plane of Zendikar, they are very fond of outdoor sports such as climbing. This image has a Prince of Persia / Indiana Jones feel to it. For some unknown reason, I have a feeling that this particular art will not be making it onto a card - it was just a promotional art. I'm certain we'll see in September.


Speaking of mountain climbing, we have Zendikar Mountains ! If you, the blog reader, anticipated another full frame Zendikar art spoiler, good on you! More specifically, if you anticipated seeing two full art swamps from the upcomming Magic the Gathering expansion set today, give yourself a star. If this comes as a complete surprise (after seeing the Plains and Islands on Monday and Tuesday), perhaps you should reevaluate your medication dosage.

Recap from the two previous posts . . . Apparently, within Zendikar Booster Packs (from Booster Display boxes and Fatpacks), one may expect to pull full art basic lands ! Quite a few people I know now are thinking of picking up a fatpack specifically for the 40-card land pack (8 of each land), just so they can get their paws on the full frame arts. If one were to get just a Zendikar Intro Pack however, expect to pull the traditional half-art basic land card - which in my opinion is still very kewl.

Watch your keyboard for drool as you check out these Zendikar Mountains by John Avon and Véronique Meignaud.

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We will get a Zenikar Forest tomorrow, but since I'm stepping away from the blog, I will need you to check it out on Magic Arcana or one of my buddies blog. Alternatively, go outside and play - it's probally summer where you are.