The Colour of Mana

Happy Friday MTG peeps,

We can accurately prognosticate exactly what every Magic: the Gathering player will be talking about tonight while we are at OMG! Games here in Barrie, Ontario, Canada-Land for Friday Night Magic - the groundbreaking game-warping spoilers allegedly from the next set, Oath of the Gatewatch.  Before we get on with today's article, we will want to again repeat to only refer to the official Wizards of the Coast Magic: the Gathering website for official card previews.

Kozilek, the Great Distortion, Mirrorpool, and what appears to be a 'colourless' basic land 'Wastes' took the entire MTG gaming community by surprise.  One rather odd thing about these three spoilers were that all three were related in that they each appear to support the validity of the others - which have caused some gamers to suspect that these were no spoilers but carefully leaked previews from Wizards of the Coast.

In every corner of the internet where MTG fans congregate is on fire with discussions on these new cards.  First and foremost in these discussions is the introduction to the game of a new basic 'colourless' land.  Fortunately, some of the discussions have been cleaned up regarding validity of these spoilers when a 'trusted source' in communication with MTG Salvation Forum Moderators had essentially confirmed the cards real.  Furthermore, today, the same source confirmed that some significant rules changes were being introduced with this new land.  For reference, here are excerpts of the Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules, effective as of November 13, 2015. 

105. Colors 105.1. There are five colors in the Magic game: white, blue, black, red, and green. 105.2. An object can be one or more of the five colors, or it can be no color at all. An object is the color or colors of the mana symbols in its mana cost, regardless of the color of its frame. An object’s color or colors may also be defined by a color indicator or a characteristic-defining ability. See rule 202.2. 

106. Mana 106.1. Mana is the primary resource in the game. Players spend mana to pay costs, usually when casting spells and activating abilities. 106.1a There are five colors of mana: white, blue, black, red, and green. 106.1b There are six types of mana: white, blue, black, red, green, and colorless. 

For years (and years) we have been able to pay any colour of mana, including colourless mana to pay for a spell which had a colourless mana cost.  Contrariwise, one is not able to pay a colourless mana (from a 'mana rock' for example) to pay for a spell which had one or more defined colours within the mana cost.  Inequality some will shout.

IF the new colourless 'diamond' mana thing is true, which we now personally beleive it is, our sympathies are presented to Mr. Matt Tabak, the Magic: the Gathering Rules Manager who had to amend the Comprehensive Rules, a herculean task for this.  We did roll through his tweets and other online submissions to glean when he had a nervous breakdown as a result of this major rules modification but it appears he either kept it together very well or has been replaced by an artificial doppelgänger.

Anywhoos, as for this new Oath of the Gatewatch 'mechanic', we can only speculate at the moment just how exactly the new colourless diamond may work.  A card with the 'diamond' mana symbol in its mana cost or activated ability may only be paid with that new basic land type.  After this, things get increasingly more intricate and complex.  
Does this affect 'devoid' spells? 
Can you use diamond mana to cast a colourless spell (like an artifact)?
How will this affect Commander rules (General Karn)?

We don't have any answers nor can we present any intelligent questions until we know more.  For now, we will simply say that from a storyline / vorthos point of view, this may be the most brilliant thing we've seen.  The Eldrazi Processors have ingested everything in their path essentially stripping the land and life from every last drop of mana energy, leaving a waste devoid of any colour.
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Friday Post Potpourri

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Happy Friday MTG peeps,

Today, being Friday, MTG Realm brings to you another ad-hoc collection of updates for you the Magic the Gathering Player. Right off the hop, don't miss out on the opportunity to rub shoulders with like-minded geeks 'n' gamers of every variety at the Toronto Comic Con 2011 / Wizard World Convention this weekend March 18 / 19 /20. If you get any Magic-related pics from the show, eMail us and we'll post 'em. Make sure, if you have not, review this week's posts to ensure you've not missed anything -

• Japan in Crisis (Mar 17, 2011) and what MTG Mint Card is doing to help,
  
• CCG House Interview (Mar 16, 2011) we find Shane is a stand-up decent store owner and online retailer,
  
• Action Packed (Mar 15, 2011) images of Mirrodin Pure / New Phyrexia packaging, and
  
• Innistrad Announcement (Mar 14, 2011) a name and an art for the first set of the next block leaves us to speculate players may see vampires, werewolves and monsters in future games.

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Time now for some sweet Magic the Gathering wallpaper from the next set 'Acation' to refresh your stale electronic background . ..

Brutalizer Exarch Wallpaper
illustrated by Mark Zug

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Ravarshi from the forums pointed out that the staff being used by this toothy lil' munster appears similar to that of Chimeric Staff (an artifact / construct from Tenth Edition) - good call. Still just an art.
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Alloy Myr Wallpaper
illustrated by Matt Cavotta

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!! Cuteness Overload !! We can imagine Veruca Salt of Willy Wonka fame shouting 'Daddy, I want that Myr right NOW!'. Anywhoos - loads going on with the art - check out the multitude of colours - we're hoping for an Etched Champion / Myr hybrid here.
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Darksteel Relic (wallpaper)
illustrated by Daniel Ljunggren

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Flavour text from site :

It is said that once a trinket was created by a curious man of silver, come into the fullness of his powers and beginning to refine his craft. Though the least of his treasures it was among his most valued. Held close to his chest it had a centering influence on his thoughts, and in the eternal play of light around it and the whirring sound that followed he found a useful meditation. No more constant companion did he have. But in due course he faced another wielding powers like unto his, and in the exchange of terrible magic that followed it slipped by the wayside. There among the razorgrass it lay hidden for a time, ever whirring softly.

Another man of silver rose to prominence, though this one was much unlike the first. While fleeing from the forces he sent to level her home a frightened young leonine stumbled upon it, kicking it with her foot. No omen so unusual could be ignored. Taken in hand, it exerted a calming influence. Everything was going to be okay. The world was not going to end, not today – surely this ancient thing had endured worse. That girl would grow and become a brave warrior, and then a kha among her kind, ever certain in purpose and unyielding in courage. She would not break before a mere trinket would. In this way her clan became famous, and the trinket was handed down – mother to daughter, daughter to son, until its wielder was pulled from the world entirely and it dropped to the ground to roll into a hole. There it nestled in the earth for a time, ever whirring softly.

A dark blight now slips its coils about the shining world, and the hope and strength its erstwhile masters once cherished begins to wither. But now another has found it, another holds it, another hears the comfortable hum cradling their mind. Ages it has endured, and still it is untarnished, still the ring of light orbits close about it. The world has not ended yet, or the trinket would not be here. And in that its wielder can draw strength, inspired by a symbol, ever whirring softly.
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And finally - from Wizards - a minor update to the Comprehensive rules :

As of April 1, 2HG teams get poison counters as a team, rather than individually, and the number of poison counters required for you to lose in 2HG is bumped Effective April 1, the rules for poison counters in Two-Headed Giant games are changing. Players will no longer get poison counters individually. Rather, teams will get poison counters. In addition, a team loses the game when it has 15, not 10, poison counters. The Comprehensive Rules will be updated to reflect these changes.

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