Ray Moore
9/11/2009 9:00:00 AM

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Autumn is a special time for Magic. Right around the beginning of fall there's a … well, magical … feeling in the air. Formats that have been discussed, dissected, and mastered are about to be turned upside down and inside out. Cards that have been dominating the metagame are about to become a distant memory. But what's this? Right around the corner, can you smell it? That new card smell?

Get ready for the mad scramble of set reviews, scraps of paper with hastily-written decklists, and a brand new metagame to tackle. The latest set is about to be revealed. The world of Zendikar is generating a lot of buzz and if the previews are any indication, players are in for a wild ride. The set's catch phrase is “Deadly Perils, Priceless Treasures”, but just what does that mean?

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“Zendikar is a wild, untamed world fabled among planeswalkers. Ancient forests conceal trapped ruins. Catacombs leak poisonous vapors into the sky. Magma bursts unexpectedly from a placid lake. The landscapes are breathtaking—if you can survive the dangers. Zendikar hides treasures beyond imagining, but only an elite few can survive long enough to find them.”

- From http://wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/stf/55

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Zendikar, for all the previews and flavor reveals, is still quite a mystery. We do know that the land of Zendikar is mostly wilderness, but it's mana sources are very rich - “more intense, more powerful, more desired by those who know how to wield it.” The Landfall mechanic reflects this (as explained in Mark's article cited above.) Because of it's potential, Zendikar is favored by the planeswalkers. (Also, a close look at the set distribution makes it look like the set could have a higher than usual number of land cards.)



Within the landscape of Zendikar, distinct obelisks are found floating, buried or in pieces. These 'hedrons' are reminants of an ancient civilization, and look to be a key piece of the puzzle in decoding Zendikar. (Just look at how the set symbols evolve from Zendikar to Worldwake.)

The inhabitants of this world are just beginning to be revealed, and seem to follow the color pie of Magic. Vampires for black, Merfolk for blue, Kor for white, Goblins for red, and Elves for green. Just how they fit into the history of the land is yet to be known.

As far as mechanics and themes within Zendikar, we've already mentioned Landfall, which embodies just how powerful the plane and its landscapes are. So far we also know that the Kicker mechanic is back, enemy fetchlands are finally here, and that a new cycle of 'quest' enchanments show a huge amount of potential. There's also a new instant subtype, traps, that can be played for a reduced mana cost when certain criteria are met. But there's also one last theme that seems to be just starting to build...



The Ally creature class is a new group of creatures that look to work together and amplify upon each other. Much like the Lorwyn tribes or slivers, these creatures look to swarm the board together, creating huge effects when in multiples.

So far we have a psuedo-Flametongue Kavu, a grow-bear, a +1/+1 counter distributor and a Coersion on a stick. What else can we expect for the Allies?




Today's preview card creates almost as many questions as it answers.

First off, the previously revealed allies were from three different colors, and now we have an ally from blue. How does this fit in with the ally theme? How will allies across the colors be able to interact?

Second, it looks like allies are a touch overcosted. What could have factored into their design to make this so? Are there ally token generators? Casting cost reducers? Or, gasp, an ally land cycle?

And last, what synergistic abilities will be found in this ally theme? For Sea Gate Loremaster specifically, it'd be great if there was a haste enabler or untap abilities.

It is hard to evaluate the power level of this card in such a vaccuum. As printed, it doesn't seem to match up to the available cards in Standard such as Jace, or even Arcanis the Ominpotent. But it's hard to say just how Sea Gate Loremaster will end up in a deck, or even if it was even designed with the Standard format in mind (for example, it could end up being a Limited powerhouse.)

It seems that with each and every card preview, the anticipation for Zendikar seems to keep growing. Players are excited by what they've seen so far, and there's tons more yet to be revealed. You won't want to miss out, so be sure to get yourself out to a Zendikar prerelease September 26th - 27th. Don't be that guy who wasn't there.