Orzhov and Rakdos Mechanics

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Happy Tuesday MTG peeps,

Ravnica Allegiance Mechanics - Part I is now up on the Wizards of the Coast mothersite.  It appears that the remaining three mechanics for Simic, Gruul, and Azorius are to be previewed on seperate days (Wednesday / Thursday / Friday)

Afterlife (Orzhov Syndicate - White / Black)

A keyword ability found on creatures. When the creature dies it creates a number of 1/1 black and white Spirit creature token with flying.  New cards with this mechanic include a human soldier creature Tithe Take, and the human cleric Imperious Oligarch. 

Spectacle (Cult of Rakdos - Black / Red)

A keyword ability that gives spells an alternative cost. You can cast a spell for its spectacle cost if an opponent lost life during the turn.  New cards with this mechanic include human shaman Rix Maadi Reveler and Rafter Demon.

In other news, MTG fans were treated to all the Ravnica Allegiance Promos as well as the packaging.  From these revelations, we now know the following characters are likely to see print in this set :

• Lavinia
• Kaya
• Domri
• Dovin

The Rakdos and Simic booster pack arts are yet unconfirmed at this time.  Do pop on over to the WotC Ravnica Allegiance card image gallery linked here as new  cards are now being posted / previewed.

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Guilds of Ravnica Mechanics

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Happy Wednesday MTG peeps,

We hope all have returned safe and well rested after the Labour Day long weekend and were ready for the start of official Magic: the Gathering previews which kicked off at PAX West and drew into Matt Tabak's Guilds of Ravnica Mechanics article yesterday.  

We recommend that you click on over to MTG Realm on Tumblr (now over 17,000 followers!), where we provide frequent updates / posts during the preview season, including 'within the hour' updates during the PAX West Magic Panel.  Also of note over at the Tumblr pages, we did post all the very lovely Guilds of Ravnica gaming accessories from Ultra PRO which appears to have the game's fans very excited about.

Anywhoos, back on topic - as some consider 'seeing is believing' or hold to the school of thought that things are more easily understood and assimilated visually, we do want to draw your attention to the great 'Spotlight' videos that Wizards of the Coast provide to orientate you with the mechanics associated with each new set - here they are now conveniently linked below - Just click the image ::

Guilds of Ravnica Spotlight: Undergrowth

The Golgari believe that nothing dies forever, so put the dead to good use with Undergrowth.

Guilds of Ravnica Spotlight: Mentor

The Boros are training up their finest warriors for the coming conflict. Mentor your army up to an elite fighting force - For the Legion.

Guilds of Ravnica Spotlight: Convoke

The harmonious Selesnya Conclave is working together in Guilds of Ravnica with Convoke. Grow stronger by combining your creatures to make something massive.

Guilds of Ravnica Spotlight: Jump-Start

Get a jump-start on your next zany invention with the new Izzet mechanics, well, Jump-Start.

Guilds of Ravnica Spotlight: Surveil

What are the Dimir up to in Guilds of Ravnica? Find out how they're spying on everyone with Surveil.

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Ixalan Previews 8-28

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Happy Monday MTG peeps,

Magic: the Gathering fans should direct their attention to the Wizards of the Coast Magic: the Gathering daily articles posted today.  Of particular note is this article linked here from Scott Kelly and Blake Rasmussen, which addresses the very unfortunate leak of an entire sheet of Ixalan which was spoiled very early.  

MTG Realm does love an MTG spoiler - in very minute doses - perhaps just one or two cards per set.  This gives us fodder to multiple posts to discuss the flavour, possible themes and loads of our typically incorrect but very fun speculation.  The volume of cards which was released prematurely just kinda ruined it for us.  We really wanted several Magic Stories and wondrous card arts before seeing the first previewed card.

Scott Kelly does promise fans a special 'preview season' none the less and we love what we are hearing.  For now, do check out all the great cards - about 45 officially previewed today - as well as the Ixalan Mechanics / Themes from Matt Tabak with the very handy accompanying videos.

As always, expect a good volume of posts to MTG Realm on Tumblr where we have collected a number of beautiful Ixalan card arts. Here is our rather poor summary of the new tech to expect with this set - 

ENRAGE (video)
Ability word that encompasses abilities that trigger whenever the Dinosaurs with this ability are dealt damage. 

EXPLORE (video)
Reveal the top card of your library. Put that card into your hand if it's a land. Otherwise, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature, then put the card back on top or into your graveyard.

RETURNING TECH

RAID (video)
Ability that provides a stated advantageous effect if you had attacked with a creature the same turn.

VEHICLE / CREW (video)
Ability that enables vehicles (artifact subtype) to become an artifact creature until end of turn.  To activate the crew ability on these cards, tap any number of creatures you control with total power equal to or greater than the crew number. Because the crew ability doesn't use the tap symbol, you can tap any untapped creature you control, even one that just entered the battlefield. 

DOUBLE-FACED CARDS (video)

Double-sided cards enter the battlefield with their front 'day' or sunny side up, and in the case of Ixalan, represented by a compass. To switch between the two card faces, the keyword action transform is used. When the permanent transforms, all counters, Auras, and Equipment stay on the card, as the card neither enters nor leaves the battlefield.

Rowdy Crew

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Hour of Devastation Previews 6-19

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Happy Monday MTG peeps,

There was a wonderful volume of Hour of Devastation previews throughout the weekend during the Grand Prix Los Vegas event.  To catch up on the latest Magic: the Gathering previews and spoilers stay tuned to the official Wizards of the Coast Hour of Devastation page, linked here, or our sister station at MTG Realm on Tumblr, linked right over here.

You may be well served by popping on over to the Wizards of the Coast site to review the Hour of Devastation Mechanics, linked here.

NEW - Afflict.  Afflict is focused in red and black.  Whenever a creature with this ability becomes blocked, defending player loses life equal to the Afflict value.

NEW - Eternalize.  Eternalize is centered in white and blue and similar to Amonkhet's Embalm.  The eternalize ability can only be activated if the creature is in your graveyard. When activated, the card is exiled but it creates a token copy of that creature. This creature token changes its Power and Toughness to 4/4, has no mana cost, is a zombie in addition to its other creature types, and it becomes a monocolored black creature.

Returning - Exert. Exert is focused in white, red and green.  When a creature with the exert ability is exerted, there ia an ability that triggers and the creature doesn't untap at the beginning of it's controller's next untap step

Returing - Cycling is a keyword ability that allows a player to pay a cost that includes discarding the card. When the activated ability resolves, that player draws a card.


Returning - Aftermath.  A keyword ability that lets a player cast one half of a split card only from his or her graveyard.

In today's post, we hope to focus on today's official Hour of Devastation previews, but before we get into that, we had posted earlier our deep appreciation to the Wizards of the Coast art team in creating a stunning graphical apposition of the extent of world-rending cataclysmic that Nicol Bolas, the so-called god-pharaoh had wrought upon the Plane of Amonkhet.  Here are the comparatives we had posted to Tumblr earlier here and here. 

Righto ! Onto today's previews -

Oketra's Last Mercy, 1WW
Sorcery, Rare
Your life total becomes your starting life total, Lands you control don't untap during your next untap phase

Pride Sovereign, 2G
Creature - Cat
Pride Sovereign gets +1/+1 for each
other Cat you control.
W, T, Exert Pride Sovereign: Create
two 1/1 white Cat creature tokens
with lifelink.
2/2

Mirage Mirror, 3
Artifact, Rare
2: Mirage Mirror becomes a copy of target artifact, creature or enchantment, or land until end of turn.

Some previously revealed cards - 

Accursed Horde

Angel of the God-Pharoh

Carrion Screecher

Defiant Khenra

Desert of the Fervent

Desert of the Glorified

Desert of the Indomitable

Desert of the Mindful

Desert of the True

Desert's Hold

Dreamstealer

Gilded Cerodon

Grind // Dust

Hour of Revelation

Inferno Jet

Khenra Eternal

Khenra Scrapper

Maurauding Boneslasher
Mirage Mirror

Oasis Ritualist

Oketra's Last Mercy

Open Fire

Pride Sovereign

Sand Strangler

Sidewinder Naga

Steadfast Sentinel

Sunset Pyramid

Supreme Will

The Scorpion God

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Amonkhet Mechanics

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Happy Monday MTG peeps,

We have already posted today (see our post on the Amonkhet trailer here) but as the first day of official Magic: the Gathering previews delivered so much information, we need to split things up a bit.  In this post, we have for you a brief summary of mechanics / themes to expect in this new set.  

Please see these two posts over at Wizards of the Coast from Mark Rosewater (Making Magic) and from Rules Guru Matt Tabak (Amonkhet Mechanics), to get the full details.

Amonkhet appears to have a strong graveyard component and gives fans three new named mechanics.

Embalm
The embalm ability can only be activated if the creature is in the graveyard. When activated, the card is exiled and creates a token copy of itself. This creature token is a copy of the embalmed creature, except that it is a zombie in addition to its other creature types and mono-colored white.

Exert
When you declare an attacker with this ability, you make the decision whether to exert it. If you choose to exert, the creature gains a bonus. If you did, the creature won't untap as normal during your next untap phase.

Aftermath
Split cardhalves with aftermath may only be cast from your graveyard. They are exiled after casting.

There is also a new twist on Auras.  Some the Amonkhet enchantments will have a sub-type of 'Cartouche', and although just the same as normal auras, some cards in the set will make specific reference to these.

Returning mechanics include:
• Cycling
The set makes use of brick counters and -1/-1 counters, and the returns the creatures type ‘god’, previously seen in Theros.  

The Amonkhet gods (the example provided today is the red god 'Hazoret the Fervent') are all Mythic Rares, mono-coloured and have the following characteristics -
* Indestructible
• Can only attack / block with condition(s).
• Has an activated ability
 
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Amonkhet Info Dump

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Happy Monday MTG peeps,

This is our second post for today.  Our earlier post which may be linked over here provided news of 4 Amonkhet spoilers.  We need a second post to talk about today's post on the WotC website titled 'So Much Amonkhet News', by staffer Blake Rasmussen.  We suggest you put your beverage down and read that now before going on, before you do pop on over, here is the very lovley Ultra PRO playmat for Amonkhet Game Day -

Are ya back ? Good.
Let's go over the new Amonkhet mechanics revealed today:
• Exert
• Embalm 

As we have no info previewed on Exert, other than what was provided in the article, we will turn our attention to what was relayed for 'Embalm' -

Embalm is an activated ability you can activate if the creature card with embalm is in your graveyard. Notably you're not casting the card from the graveyard, so things that counter spells won't work against the embalm ability. The original creature spell can be countered, of course, but that just puts the card in the graveyard.

To activate an embalm ability, simply pay the embalm cost and exile the card. You do this any time you could cast a sorcery, meaning during your main phase when nothing else is happening. When the ability resolves, you create a token copy of the card, but as you'd expect, going through the process of mummification causes some changes. It's got that whole undead thing going on, so it's a Zombie in addition to whatever creature types it used to have

This goes a bit to explain the interesting Amonkhet 'Punch Card', (with a 'brick' counter!) and the token format card.  Embalm looks to be juicy and delicious and we can't wait until official Amaonkhet previews beginning next week to find out what 'Exert' may be.  Here is a round-up of all the cards previewed whether is is from the Amonkhet set, welcome decks or the Planeswalker decks.

Graceful Cat
Impeccable Timing
Mighty Leap
Ancient Crab
Angler Drake
Cursed Minotaur
Dune Beetle
Gravedigger
Tattered Mummy
Fling
Glorybringer
Hyena Pack
Giant Spider
Sixth Sense
Spidery Grasp
Amonkhet Punch Card *
Trueheart Duelist *
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Aether Revolt Trailer & Tech

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Happy Tuesday MTG peeps,

A Happy New Year to all as well - we hope you had a great year-end with family, friends and perhaps a few Magic: the Gathering games to boot.  With the first few days of 2017, we are now kicking off official Aether Revolt previews.  There is a bit of catching up to do with new spoilers but for this post, we will draw your attention to the Aether Revolt Trailer and Mechanics.  First, here's that awesome trailer.

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On to the mechanics now.  Two mechanics are being drawn from the previous set of Kaladesh - 

Vehicles 
Vehicle is an artifact subtype easiliy identified with a special bronze and grey blocked card frame.  Artifacts with this subtype have the crew keyword, which allows them to temporarily become artifact creatures. Creatures with the Pilot type have an ability that somehow cares about crewing Vehicles.

Energy counters
An energy counter is a counter that, unlike most other counters, is placed on players rather than objects. Energy counters are used to pay the cost to activate abilities.  Energy counters don't evaporate as phases or steps end, or as the turn ends but rather when you spend them.
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Now for the two new mechanics for Aether Revolt - 

Improvise — a keyword ability that enables you to pay generic mana cost with the help of your artifacts. Each artifact you tap after you're done activating mana abilities pays for 1 colourless mana.

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Revolt — an ability word that checks if a permanent you controlled left the battlefield this turn.

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Also - WotC Staff Michael Yichao has this short vid going over the bascis of playing in an MTG PreRelease event.  If you have never treated yourself by playing in one of these events, you are missing a ton of fun.  Check out where an Aether Revolt PreRelease event is taking place near you (lnky right here), and just bring yourself, and some Ultra PRO deck protector sleeves.

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Commander 2016 Previews 10-24

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Happy Monday MTG peeps,

The day that we, and most other Magic: the Gathering Commander fans have been waiting for has finally arrived ! The start of previews for this year's Commander set.  Please pop on over to the mothersite (linky here) for four different articles today on Commander 2016.

Releasing in just 18 days from today (on November 11, 2016), gamers will have access to, for the very first time ever, four-coloured preconstructed theme decks.  For the first time, Commander 2016 introduces 5 new four-colored preconstructed theme decks that take casual Magic to the next level. There are 56 new cards legal in Vintage and Legacy. Each of the five preconstructed decks will include the following -
• A 100-card Commander deck
• 4 Foil Legendary Commander cards
• One oversized Foil Commander card for each deck
• 10 double-sided tokens
• Deck storage box
• Strategy insert and rules reference card
• 15 new Magic cards (56 for the set in total)

MECHANICS 

PARTNER - 
• Two creatures with partner can serve as a deck's commander only if both have partner. 
• The two commanders are treated individually for all other Commander rules. 
• Combat damage dealt by each commander 'partner' is tracked individually.
• Any card refering to your commander (or commanders), it means either one of the two partners.

UNDAUNTED -
• Spell reduction cost of 1 (colourless only) less to cast for each opponent.

RETURNING MECHANICS

BASIC LANDCYCLING -
• Allows a player to pay a cost that includes discarding the card. 

• When the activated ability resolves, that player draws a card.

DOMAIN
• Each domain ability has a different effect.
• Ability counts the number of basic land types among lands you control.
• Appearing as an instant, sorcery, or activated ability which checks the number of basic land types you control.

The following themes are presented with each of the four coloured preconstructed decklists - 

• Invent Superiority (WUBR) - Artifice
This deck utilizes a variety of "artifacts matter" cards from all four of its colors, along with a selection of colored and colorless artifacts. This is for players who want to build an intricate machine and use it to gain advantage over time.

• Entropic Uprising (UBRG) - Chaos
This deck embraces variance, playing cards sight-unseen from the top of the deck, flipping coins, and otherwise injecting additional randomness into the game. This deck is for players who prefer to "just see what happens" than to carefully plan each move.

• Open Hostility (BRGW) - Aggression
The aggro deck is unconcerned with politics; it simply wants to kill everyone at the table as quickly as possible. This deck is ideal for players who hate to durdle and prefer a play style more akin to Limited than the usual Commander fare.

• Stalwart Unity (RGWU) - Altruism
The pilot of this deck wants everyone at the table to have a good time and is eager to see what everyone's deck can do. That's why it's going to help everyone out with mana, cards, and some tokens here and there. Of course, some people are suspicious of gifts, so this deck must contain a few things to make attacking its pilot difficult.

• Breed Lethality (GWUB) - Growth
This deck features a heavy counters (especially +1/+1 counters) theme. Any of its creatures has the potential to grow into a huge threat, given enough time. This deck is for every player who is thrilled at the idea of a 64/64 Hydra.

Here is the list of new (and returning) cards previewed today -

• Atraxa, Praetors' Voice

• Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder

• Grave Upheaval

• Kraum, Ludevic's Opus

• Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix
• Primeval Protector

• Prismatic Geoscope

• Sidar Kondo of Jamurra

• Silas Renn, Seeker Adept

• Sublime Exhalation

• Sylvan Reclamation

• Vial Smasher the Fierce

Confirmed reprints

• Command Tower

• Commander's Sphere

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Kaladesh Mechanics Preview

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Happy Friday (afternoon) MTG peeps,

The floodgates have opened and new content is spilling out from the Wizards of the Coast panels at PAX West in Seattle, where the next Magic: the Gathering set, Kaladesh, is the order of the day.  We're quite certain that all the Friday Night Magic players at OMG! Games here in Barrie, Ontario will be yattering about nothing else.

We've attempted to keep up with all the previews over at our sister site MTG Realm on Tumblr but that is a pretty Herculean task.  Here is a more organised summary -

First - the Kaladesh trailer -

The new themes / keyword abilities / mechanics next -

'Energy'
Energy. You get (E), which is an energy counter. Energy counters persist on you until removed/spent.

'Fabricate'
Fabricate N (When this creature enters the battlefield, put N +1/+1 counters on it or create N colorless Servo artifact creature tokens.)

'Vehicles'
Vehicles: Crew N (Tap any number of creatures you control with total power N: This Vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.)

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Eldritch Moon Spoilers 6-27

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Happy Monday MTG peeps,

Big day today for Magic: the Gathering players as Wizards of the Coast kick off with the first day of official Eldritch Moon previews.  For your 'to do' list today - 

• Watch the second episode of Access Magic
'Twisted Innistrad' with host Jimmy Wong has guest Jeremy Jarvis and Jenna Helland on to speak on to the story and art side to Eldritch Moon.  The big preview card delivered by Community Manager Dan Barrett (who looks absolutely dead tired?) delivers a whopping EMN preview, which we've covered below.

• Eldritch Moon Mechanics
MTG Rules Guru Matt Tabak goes over the new mechanics / themes in this post linked here for the new set which also include demonstrative previews of the set's cards (again summarised below).  MTG Realm will have a separate post tomorrow hopefully with comments on the new mechanics.  The new tech to expect are as follows - 

New mechanics - Meld, Emerge, Escalate

Returning mechanics - Double-faced Cards, Madness, Delirium

• Over the Moon, part 1
Mark Rosewater in his regular column of 'Making Magic' goes over the concept and design team details as well as delivering a preview.

On to today's Eldritch Moon previews !

Unsubstantiate
Cemetery Recruitment
Blessed Alliance 

Brisela, Voice of Nightmares

Bruna, the Fading Light

Gisela, the Broken Blade

Dawn Gryff

Wretched Gryff

Long Road Home

Hanweir, the Writhing Township

Hanweir Garrison

Hanweir Battlements

Midnight Scavengers

Graf Rats

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Shadows Over Innistrad Sealed

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Happy Tuesday MTG peeps,

Countdown is on now to the Shadows Over Innistrad PreRelease this WEEKEND !!!  To find a gamery shoppe near you hosting a prerelease event, pop on over to the Wizards Locator page.

To get a bird's eye overview of all the fun 'n' excitement of what to expect at a Magic: the Gathering PreRelease, we suggest watching WotC staffer Michael Yichao in this finely produced video -

To get a sense of the flavour in this set, here is a short vid from MTG EU Danny B. - 

 

To get to the nitty gritty on playing with the new key word abilities and set features, you may be very well served with watching the following very nice instructional videos -

Double-Faced Cards
Investigate
Delirium
Madness
Investigate

The Shadows over Innistrad Prerelease Pack gives players their first opportunity to play with Shadows over Innistrad cards at your Prerelease events. Inside each Prerelease box, players will find

• six Shadows over Innistrad Booster packs,
• a spindown life counter, and
• a randomized, date-stamped, premium promo card, drawn from any rare or mythic rare in the set.

You can also get some get practice in using the very awesome Shadows Over Innistrad sealed deck generator over at our buddy Cam's site -

 http://mtgen.net/soi/

Good Luck and God Speed. 

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