Return to Ravnica Cycles

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Happy Friday MTG peeps,

As it is Friday, why not take in a Friday Night Magic event at your local gaming store (LGS).  We'll be trying out a few ideas at OMG! Games, here in Barrie, Ontario latter tonight.  If you're not near an LGS, get some friends over.  Should you not have any friends, just catch-up with some of our previous posts.

Anywhoos - as indicated with today's post title, we wanted to cover off some cycles in the newest Magic: the Gathering set - Return to Ravnica.  What is a cycle you ask ? - We're glad you asked - a cycle is a number of cards that has one or more relationships with one another card.  These may share a particular set converted mana cost (CMC), or perhaps a name but most likely it will share a common theme.  The cycles in Return to Ravnica are all about the Guilds - Azorius, Izzet, Rakdos, Golgari and Selesnya.  Each of the cycles (thre are quite a few) consist of five cards each corresponding to each guild.  Let's have a look at some select cycles now . . .
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Keyrunes : Each of these uncommon artifacts can tap to produce one mana of either color of the guild to which they are aligned and can be activated to become a creature until end of turn.  These include Azorius Keyrune, Golgari Keyrune, Izzet Keyrune, Rakdos Keyrune, and  Selesnya Keyrune.

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Guild charms : Each of these uncommon instant spells costs two colored mana, one for each guild color, and allow their controller to choose one of three thematically relevant effects.  These include Azorius Charm, Golgari Charm, Izzet Charm, Rakdos Charm, and Selesnya Charm.

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Gold guildmages or gold-mages : Each of these uncommon 2/2 creatures costs two colored mana, one of each of its guild's colors. Each gold-mage has two activated abilities that cost both colors of its guild and are thematically related to both of the colors of the guild.  These include New Prahv Guildmage, Korozda Guildmage, Nivix Guildmage, Rix Maadi Guildmage, and Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage.

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Uncommon 1-CMC hybrid creatures : Each of these uncommon creatures have a converted mana cost of 1.  These include Judge's Familiar, Slitherhead, Blistercoil Weird, Rakdos Cackler, and Dryad Militant.

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Off-color activation cards : Each of these permanent cards have an activated ability costing mana of other color of the guild to which they are aligned.  These include Tower Drake, Stonefare Crocodile, Pursuit of Flight, Deviant Glee, and Selesnya Sentry.

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Guildgates : Each of these common nonbasic lands enter the battlefield tapped and produce one of either of the guild's colors.     These include Azorius Guildgate, Golgari Guildgate, Izzet Guildgate, Rakdos Guildgate, and Selesnya Guildgate.

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