In the event you’re the type of one that prepares for spooky season the identical day the pumpkin spice latte hits cafes, you in all probability need to have Magic: The Gathering Duskmourn in your radar–and it is nothing like the sport’s tremendous cute Bloomburrow set.
Duskmourn is the upcoming spooky set for Wizards of the Coast’s largest buying and selling card sport, and it is impressed by trendy horror from the ’80s and past. Whereas that is apparent in its artwork and card frames, arguably my favourite thematic ingredient is one in all its new mechanics: Manifest Dread.
There are a couple of different mechanics and particulars that Wizards revealed right now at a PAX West panel, and I am going to go over a few of these particulars right here as effectively. However first, let’s manifest some dread.
Manifest Dread Is a Tricker’s Dream
Longtime Magic: The Gathering gamers would possibly keep in mind the Manifest mechanic, which additionally appeared just lately in Trendy Horizons 3. Manifest Dread is a variant that shall be launched in Duskmourn.
Manifest Dread permits you to take the highest two playing cards of your deck and select one to place face down as a 2/2 colorless, typeless creature. The opposite will get put face up in your graveyard. That face-down card may be revealed by paying its mana price, if it is a creature.
It is easy on its face, however the magnificence is within the thriller it creates. If I pull a 6/6 creature and a land, I would in all probability put the 6/6 creature face right down to reveal it later. That looks like the simple reply for optimum viability.
However what if I put that 6/6 creature within the graveyard face up? Clearly, that face down card needs to be one thing insane, proper? And to my opponent, that is a scary move–one which may manifest some dread, even.
I really like this mechanic due to how a lot it performs into the horror tropes that Duskmourn is all about. It builds anticipation and rigidity to your opponents, who do not know should you’re bluffing or preparing for a game-winning transfer.
Beforehand, Wizards shared the Impending mechanic that is a part of Duskmourn, which equally ties into the theme. You may play a card at a decrease price, but it surely will not actually be lively till a sure variety of turns have handed.
It is one other strategy to construct anticipation, but it surely’s the concern of one thing the opponent is aware of. A spell solid with Impending is solid face up. However when it is available in face down? I imply, each horror fan is aware of how terrifying the concern of the unknown is.
Magic: The Gathering Duskmourn Is an Countless Haunted Home
Within the first look article that Wizards posted, they revealed that the Home of Horror is certainly only one house–a home that spans the whole aircraft. To carry that home to life, a brand new Enchantment sort is coming to Magic: The Gathering: Rooms.
Room playing cards are break up playing cards (those which can be horizontal and have two playing cards in a single), and once you solid it, you select which aspect to pay for. Then when it enters on the sector, the opposite aspect is “locked.” You may open the door by paying the opposite aspect’s mana price (as a sorcery).
Room playing cards present ongoing results and virtually act as two enchantments in a single. The artwork on them can also be fairly scary, with the “break up” promising to function some scary hidden easter eggs.
Enchantments have been an enormous concept in Duskmourn, in response to Head Designer Mark Rosewater. It simply felt thematically on level to deal with them, making a form of “enchanted,” spooky theme. There are much more Enchantment Creatures, too.
So as to add to the ambiance, Eerie is a brand new impact coming to some playing cards, which set off at any time when an Enchantment enters the sector. This consists of Enchantment Creatures, typical Enchantments, and even Rooms–which can set off twice.
Enchantment Creatures play one other large position, synergizing with the return of the Delirium mechanic. Delirium triggers when you’ve 4 or extra card sorts in your graveyard, which can doubtless occur fairly shortly with the Duskmourn playing cards.
And at last, a brand new mechanic that is coming to this set is Survival, which triggers when a card is tapped throughout your second principal part. Once more, very like most of what is in Duskmourn, it is a thematically related mechanic that particularly matches the characters who’re making an attempt to outlive within the haunted aircraft.
Magic: The Gathering Duskmourn‘s Commanders Revealed
We even have new particulars on the 4 pre-constructed Commander decks in Duskmourn. The Commander leads are:
- Amanatou, Veil Piercer (White-Blue-Black)
- Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls (Black-Purple)
- Winter, Cynical Opportunist (Black-Inexperienced)
- Zimone, Thriller Unraveler (Inexperienced-Blue)
As you may see, Zimone might be the one I am going to have my eye on probably the most, along with her capability synergizing very strongly with the Manifest Dread mechanic. Nonetheless, my Asterion-loving coronary heart has an actual delicate spot for Winter’s complete vibe.
The very last thing I did need to share with you, as a last hurrah, is the Double Publicity playing cards Wizards shared with us. Kaito, who you would possibly keep in mind from Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, returns as a Planeswalker, however his Double Publicity therapy seems to be lovely.
That is all now we have to share about Magic: The Gathering Duskmourn from right now’s panel, however keep tuned right here for extra concerning the upcoming horror-inspired set!
Wizards of the Coast invited TechRaptor to a media occasion to preview the upcoming particulars on Magic: The Gathering Duskmourn.