Urza, Academy Headmaster

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Happy Wednesday MTG peeps,

With the much anticipated whacky fun 'Unstable' 'Un'-set being released December 9th, 2017, there is a whole lot of information to relish (no, it is a turn of phrase, not prepared pickle condiment).  There are five feuding factions, contraptions to assemble, mangling of DNA with Host and Augment, a chittering gang of squirrels to contend with, and of course, the Bid Daddy of old-skool Planeswalkers, Urza himself.

The card - Urza, Academy Headmaster, has been (almost) fully revealed, BUT there is a very cool catch.  The three planeswalker abilities of +1  /  -1  /  -6 is to be just as random, fun and unpredictable as we expect the Unstable set to be.  To determine just what the ability is when you cast this and in later turns activate Urza's abilities, one would drop on over to "AskUrza.com" and click away at the ability.

For the moment, Urza is getting powered up when Unstable is released on December 8th, his head will be fully loaded to deliver a plethora of whimsical nonsense.  For now, here is Magic: the Gathering nutter Mark Rosewater with some notes on this card.  Other card specific notes may be found over at this linky.

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What's going on with this card?

Urza, Academy Headmaster is just like any other planeswalker, except you're never quite sure what his abilities are going to do. Urza is very unpredictable. To find out what happens, head to AskUrza.com. There you will find three buttons: +1, -1, and -6. Click the button for the loyalty ability that's resolving, and follow whatever instructions appear.

Can players respond after they see what's going to happen?

Nope. It's all part of the effect. Urza is very unpredictable.

What if I don't like the effect? Can I change my mind and un-activate the ability?

Nope. The effects are all good for you or bad for your opponents, although in some cases you may not be able to take advantage. For example, if it ends up that creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn, but you don't control any, you're out of luck. Urza is very unpredictable.

How many possibilities are there for each ability?

We're not saying. Oh, and the possibilities can change at any time. Urza is very unpredictable. But generally speaking, the +1 will produce minor results, the -1 will yield more impressive ones, and the -6 should nicely shake up your game.

Can I play this card if I don't have access to AskUrza.com?

Technically yes, but you'll probably be unhappy with how it plays. Urza's not that unpredictable.
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We are leaving off with the very awesome card illustration for Urza, Academy Headmaster from artist Terese Nielsen.

Looking closer at the book titles, there is more fun to be had -
• Managing Clutter 
• Live in the Now 
• Sibling Rivalry 

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Urza's Hot Tub

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Happy Monday MTG peeps,

As it is the first Monday in February, it's time for some Magic the Gathering randomness. Sorry - no cool Mirrodin Besieged game combos or awe-inspiring ideas to share with fellow playrs for you today - instead, it's a bit of a trip backwards in time . . . we'll start by taking a soak in Urza's Hot Tub.

First off, let's have a look at the card -

Urza's Hot Tub, 2

Artifact, Unhinged Common

{2}, Discard a card: Search your library for a card that shares a complete word in its name with the discarded card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.

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Something of interest -

Wizards of the Coast also developed a web page when this card was rolled out with Unhinged, a humorous parody set released in 2004 and illegal to play in almost any format.

The website wizards.com/hottub comes from the card Urza's Hot Tub printed in Unhinged. Like the card says, you are basically tutoring by discarding one card and searching your library for a card that contains an exact word from the discarded card. This can be any word in the discarded card's name. This website helps you to search through a database for cards with a single word from as many words as you type in. The results are displayed and from there selecting a card takes you to the Gatherer, the official Magic: The Gathering card database.

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Also of interest -

The creature from the card, AWOL appears not to have been relegated to the missing panel on a carton of milk but has found its way into Urza's Hot Tub where it looks like he's having an absolutely lovely evening.

Righto -

Moving along with the randomness of this post -

We rather like the milk carton shown on the AWOL carton, so let's investigate this a bit further . . .


















Yeah -

MTG Weirdness - and we love it - Thanks Wizards !

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Lastly,

MTG Mint Card has Knights vs. Dragons Duel Deck Box for the upcoming Duel Deck. This most excellent product from UltraPro has 1 full colour duel deck box, 2 full colour deck boxes, 2 full colour dividers, and a Write-on Strip to ensure your name is on it and prevent it from being claimed by your envious friends.

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