Should you’re the sort of one that prepares for spooky season the identical day the pumpkin spice latte hits cafes, you in all probability wish 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 recreation, and it is impressed by fashionable horror from the ’80s and past. Whereas that is apparent in its artwork and card frames, arguably my favourite thematic component is certainly one of its new mechanics: Manifest Dread.
There are a number of different mechanics and particulars that Wizards revealed immediately at a PAX West panel, and I will go over a few of these particulars right here as properly. However first, let’s manifest some dread.
Manifest Dread Is a Tricker’s Dream
Longtime Magic: The Gathering gamers may keep in mind the Manifest mechanic, which additionally appeared lately in Fashionable Horizons 3. Manifest Dread is a variant that will probably be launched in Duskmourn.
Manifest Dread helps 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 could be revealed by paying its mana value, 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 might in all probability put the 6/6 creature face all the way down to reveal it later. That looks like the straightforward 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 that 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 stress in your opponents, who do not know in case 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 value, nevertheless it will not actually be energetic till a sure variety of turns have handed.
It is one other method to construct anticipation, nevertheless it’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 Limitless 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 your entire airplane. To convey that home to life, a brand new Enchantment kind is coming to Magic: The Gathering: Rooms.
Room playing cards are cut up playing cards (those which are horizontal and have two playing cards in a single), and if you solid it, you select which aspect to pay for. Then when it enters on the sphere, the opposite aspect is “locked.” You may open the door by paying the opposite aspect’s mana value (as a sorcery).
Room playing cards present ongoing results and virtually act as two enchantments in a single. The artwork on them can be fairly scary, with the “cut up” promising to function some scary hidden easter eggs.
Enchantments have been an enormous thought in Duskmourn, in accordance with Head Designer Mark Rosewater. It simply felt thematically on level to deal with them, making a type 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 sphere. This contains 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 may have 4 or extra card sorts in your graveyard, which can doubtless occur fairly shortly with the Duskmourn playing cards.
And eventually, a brand new mechanic that is coming to this set is Survival, which triggers when a card is tapped throughout your second important section. 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 airplane.
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-Pink)
Winter, Cynical Opportunist (Black-Inexperienced)
Zimone, Thriller Unraveler (Inexperienced-Blue)
As you possibly can see, Zimone might be the one I will have my eye on probably the most, together with her skill synergizing very strongly with the Manifest Dread mechanic. Nevertheless, my Asterion-loving coronary heart has an actual smooth spot for Winter’s entire vibe.
The very last thing I did wish to share with you, as a last hurrah, is the Double Publicity playing cards Wizards shared with us. Kaito, who you may keep in mind from Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, returns as a Planeswalker, however his Double Publicity therapy seems to be lovely.
That is all we’ve got to share about Magic: The Gathering Duskmourn from immediately’s panel, however keep tuned right here for extra in regards to 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.