Today Magic: the Gathering dropped a video on YouTube for The Zendikar Adventuring Party. Hosted by Jimmy Wong and Becca Scott, the 40:40 video opens with Zendikar trivia, segueing into an awesome animated sequence, and then follows our hosts around Zendikar revealing the secrets of the set. Strap on your Trailblazer’s Boots and let’s begin our trek.
Plotwise, the Eldrazi are gone. However, the Roil continues to be an ever present threat to the people of Zendikar and Nahiri, well, she’s got a plan to stop it. Of course, planeswalkers are deep in the middle of it. We are rejoined by Nahiri, Heir of the Ancients, Jace, Mirror Mage, and Nissa, the yet unrevealed! Watch out for web fiction covering all three as we get closer to release.
On the game play front, two mechanics are returning to Zendikar; Kicker and Landfall. Kickers let you power up a cheap early game card for powerful late game effects. The example given is Bloodchief’s Thirst. While Landfall triggers whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control. The iconic Lotus Cobra returns while Omnath get even bigger as Omnath, Locus of Creation.
What would a new set be without new mechanics? Zendikar Rising gives us Party and Modal Double Face Cards or Modal DFCs for short. A Party is composed of the creatures on the battlefield, up to one each of Warrior, Wizard, Rogue, and Cleric and will trigger a variety of effects for creatures and other spells. Previews include Shepherd of Heroes, Acquisitions Expert, Tazri, Beacon of Unity, and Spoils of Adventure. Meanwhile, Modal DFCs display lands on one side and later game spells on the reverse. You’ll get to decide which is cast as you play it. Check out Valakut Stoneforge and Valakut Awakening. This flexibility is extended to dual lands with a cycle of pathways. Each of these lands give you the choice of 2 differnet mana types with no drawbacks. The Clearwater Pathway – Murkwater Pathway shows it in Blue – Black. There is a Modal DFC in each booster of all types.
In addition to full art basic lands, Expeditions are returning! They will appear as box toppers. Set and Draft displays will each hold a non-foil expedition card. Collector displays will have two non-foil expeditions. The only way to discover foil expeditions will be in a collector booster as part of the random draw. There are 30 expeditions in all with 10 of them are allied and enemy fetch lands. Wasteland is in the mix.
There is a brief over view of the Zendikar Set Booster which was covered on Game Talk Network earlier.
In the last segment, our hosts and Mark Heggen took us through sneak peeks at the 2021 year of Magic: the Gathering. The releases include 7 full sets,
Q1 – Kaldheim – a Viking themed M:tG plane
Q2 – Strixhaven, School of Mages – five colleges in the most elite magical university in the entire multiverse.
Q3 – Dungeons & Dragons, Adventures in the Forgotten Realms – the long awaited and never expected to be released D&D set for Magic: the Gathering. We’ve only been jonesing for this for decades! This will get the full standard legal black-border treatment!
Q4 – Innistrad, Werewolves and Innistrad, Vampires – two full sized sets, each focusing on the iconic monsters of Innistrad.
Between Quarters 1 and 2 Time Spiral, Remastered arrives. This will take the three sets of the Time Sprial block and distill into an unique draft experience. Including a single card in each pack with the original border and art.
Meanwhile between Quarters 3 and 4 we’ll get Modern Horizons 2. In addition to the fun and energy of the original Modern Masters, this set will have the five enemy fetches
New Secret Lairs! September 3rd will celebrate Yargle Day with a drop featuring the greatest and hungriest frog spirit of them all. The second Secret Lair will cross over M:tG with The Walking Dead. All we got at the moment is the Bicycle Girl token, but more will shamble out of the shadows.
And wait, there’s still more. K-Swiss and M:tG are teaming up for an exclusive Jace themed, glow in the dark, shoes.
Not enough? Magic: the Gathering Arena will be coming soon on mobile.
Watch the entire video, the M:tG crew gave a stellar performance and there are outtakes.
Preorders for Zendikar Rising are still available at CMO Games.
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