MTG MagicCon attendees get fantastical preview of Wilds of Eldraine

MTG’s return to its storybook-themed world with Wild of Eldraine features a much heavier emphasis on those classic fairytales.

Mark Rosewater, lead developer of MTG kicked off the preview of Wilds of Eldraine by “highlighting the recurrence of visiting” the world after a “major story moment“.

A vast majority of the preview was focused on art and lore, as with Ixalan. Wizards are focusing on the wider world of Eldraine after the first set was mostly focused on the kingdom aspect.

They also mention that the draft and sealed element of the set is themed around ten two-color archetypes. It’ll also heavily feature Enchantments.

A new dual land cycle was introduced, with this focusing on “creature lands” or “manlands”. Essentially, the ability on top of it being a land allows it to become a creature.

We saw Restless Fortress, which can turn into a 1/4 nightmare creature and whenever it attacks, the defending player loses 2 life and you gain 2.

Alongside this, the new full-art basic lands now feature a heavier emphasis on that storybook theme.

Fans at the preview also got their first glimpses of cards coming to the set. Talion, the Kindly Lord, is a 2UB legendary creature. When she enters the field, you choose a number between 1 and 10.

This comes into effect whenever a player casts a spell with mana value, power or toughness equal to the number and the opponent then loses 2 life, and you get to draw a card.

Talion is also based on the villain from Sleeping Beauty.

New Ashiok MTG card looks devastating – again

Ashiok returns, with the Planeswalker still holding onto his abilities. It seems like a gnarly card, with it reading:

Ashiok, Wicked Manipulator (3BB):

• If you would pay life while your library has at least that many cards in it, exile that many cards from the top of your library instead.
• +1: Look at the top two cards of your library. Exile one of them and put the other into your hand.
• -2: Create two 1/1 black Nightmare creature tokens with “At the beginning of combat on your turn, if a card was put into exile this turn, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.”
• -7: Target player exiles the top X cards of their library, where X is the total mana value of cards you own in exile.

Returning desparked Planeswalkers include Will and Rowan, who Wizards says are going their separate paths.

More Food themes for MTG Wilds of Eldraine

Food, which was introduced in the first Eldraine set, is getting a new Food Golem creature in Tough Cookie. This card creates a food token on the way to the battlefield.

For 2G you can turn a non-creature artifact card into a 4/4 artifact creature until the end of the turn.

And, of course, you can pay 2 to sacrifice it and gain three life. Tasty.

Adventures make a return to Magic

There’s also the return of the Adventure cards. These split a card into two, with the Adventure part being either an instant or sorcery. After you’ve cast the Adventure, you exile it and then can cast the creature attached for its own price.

Cruel Somnophage is a 1B creature, with a 1 and a blue sorcery adventure attached. The Adventure part forces a player to mill four cards. The creature’s ability itself is that the toughness and power are equal to cards in all graveyards.

Alongside this, Moonshaker Cavalry has been revealed. A mythic Spirit Knight 6/6 creature, it costs 5WWW. As it enters the battlefield, creatures you control get flying and +X/+X until the end of the turn, with X being the number of creatures you control.

Sleight of Hand, a Modern staple, is also being reprinted for the set at common.

Wizards to release exclusive Japanese art for Wilds of Eldraine

Wilds of Eldraine will also be getting exclusive Japanese art, which will require you to import packs from Japan.

There will also be a bonus sheet of cards for Eldraine. The preview does feature some enchantments, including the recently reprinted Doubling Season. Rhystic Study, Smothering Tithe, and other staples from Commander and non-rotating sets are also being featured.

Rosewater states that each draft booster pack will have one of the 63 cards in them.

MTG Wilds of Eldraine’s fairytale draft archetypes

Wilds of Eldraine is also focusing more on the fairytale aspect of the set’s theme. We have a Little Red Riding Hood archetype in red and green, with Ruby, Daring Tracker being shown off.

Black and White’s archetype is based on Snow White, while Black and Green is about Hansel and Gretel.

Greta is an homage to Gretel, and a Jack and the Beanstalk card, Troyan, Gutsy Explorer will also be coming.

We also got some insight into white/blue, based around the Snow Queen, which also features Hylda of the Icy Crown, one of three witch sisters.

Wizards of the Coast also showed off new Doctor Who cards, as well as a peek at the upcoming The Lost Caverns of Ixalan too.

Wilds of Eldraine launches September 8, 2023, and is available for preorder:

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