What you’re reading started out as another takedown of Universes Beyond.
Maybe not a takedown, but definitely something fueled by fatigue.
After Magic: The Gathering‘s The secret of Strixhaven set, I rode high. The original Arcavios visit – Strixhaven: School of Mages — was the very first MtG pack I ever opened, and I instantly fell in love with the world and art (the cute Mystical Archive cards definitely helped, too). Last year I even ran a short Dungeons and Dragons campaign in Strixhaven. That’s how much I loved the cards.
This return, now as a five-plus-year veteran, was delightful. Thanks to Wizards of the Coast, I had been sent several packs to open and experience the set a little early, and I also dropped in on a few prerelease events, and just like the original set, the world felt so alive. The exuberant Elder Dragon cards really do feel like ancient masters of magic—my friend’s Prismari deck proved just that with a turn 4 win the other night, and Lorehold has been a serious upgrade to my Quintorious commander deck—and the paradigm mechanic really captures the feeling of freedom and immense joy when your final project is finished.
Prepared was also a big hit, both for limited play and several of my constructed decks.
Then I turned my attention to the next thing and I cleared my air. Reality break is our last in-universe set of the year, surrounded by three external IP: The Hobbit (after which lord of the rings, I’m actually quite excited about) Star Trek (I’m not a Trekkie and it doesn’t feel quite right Magic‘s fantastic worlds), and on June 26, Marvel Super Heroes.
Urgh.
Analysis/Subhead Section
As a comics reader and for a long time MCU fan (I think I’m one of the few people left who still watches everything Marvel puts out), this MtG The Marvel collaboration should be a slam dunk. But after Magic‘s Spider-Man set flopped (another set that should have easily won me over but was plagued by development issues I don’t have time to explain), my desire to return to Earth-616 was non-existent.
Then I heard Mark Rosewater talking about the cards.
A little inside baseball: Before big set releases, the press and influencers get a sneak peek at the set. We’re tuning in to a stream hosted by the set’s leads — which for Marvel included Magic: The Gathering Head Designer – to see a few maps showing the set’s mechanics, art treatments and the overall vibe of what’s to come. This is how articles and videos are published seconds after the debut stream goes live.
I’ve attended quite a few now, and I’ve yet to hear anyone speak with as much palpable excitement as Rosewater had for Marvel. It was contagious.
Rosewater explained that for Marvel he was the SME or subject matter expert. The person at WotC who deeply understands the external IP they’re working with and who wants to make sure the maps reflect the characters, moments and worlds they portray. And Rosewater is clearly a Marvel expert.
Each card that was shown, he couldn’t help but come up with explanations for why each one had the effect it did – of course Tony Stark can improvise – or why the exact wording of new abilities was what it was – such as Worthy’s definition, which was written to allow Thor and Captain America to lift Mjolnir but not the Kingpin – and how he helped fine-tune his original effects, which haven’t quite worked. grow stronger, despite anger fueling his savagery in the comics.
This exuberance was a joy to behold and I realized not long into the presentation that it had rubbed off on me. I was excited for Marvel. In fact, I was excited for everything that comes down MtG pipeline.
Now there are some unresolved issues with the game’s set pace. For starters, Standard is a nightmare to stay on top of. I love playing it on Arena (The magic digital client), but it’s so incredibly expensive in paper, and with such a wealth of cards at our disposal, the format is more unwieldy than it should be.
Second, six or seven standard sets per year leave no room for others. I love alternative draft formats like Battle bonds take on Two-Headed Giant or any Commander draft. I want them back, but there doesn’t seem to be room for them in the middle of the noise.
In the same way that I see the joy of Rosewater, I get the appeal of introducing so many external worlds into this game so that newcomers and longtime fans of both franchises can play with and as characters they know and love.
Of course it’s not always for me, but the excitement I had for it Strixhaven is clearly matched by others with a love for Marvel Super Heroes, The Hobbitand Star Trek (and whatever comes next).
Ahead of its debut on June 26, there will be several prerelease events in the weeks leading up to it, including a new Avengers Academy to get new players up to speed. I’ve already signed up for my local prerelease Sealed, and I plan to enjoy the atmosphere, focus on the fun, and maybe brew a Daredevil, Man Without Fear deck (Born Again season 3 can’t come fast enough).
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews and opinions in your feeds.
