SDCC’13: Magic: the Gathering

Some of the earlier news from the Magic: the Gathering panel has made itself available. Not everything is out yet, but there is plenty to share right now. So, take the jump to see some Theros spoilers, another card from From the Vault: 20, and information about the two fall products, Duel Decks and Commander.

• Theros block will be Large set, small set, small set, and the theme of the block will be enchantments and Greek Mythology.

• There will be three major facets of Greek Mythology that the sets will focus on, and each of these facets will have a mechanic they call their own. Gods, heroes, and monsters will each be represented in the sets of Theros block. Confirmed types of monsters in the block are Hydras, Gorgons, and Minotaurs. Each color of magic has a god that represents it, and three of the names of these gods were revealed. Heliod represents white, Erebos represents black, and Nylea represents green.

• The set will be designed much like Innistrad was, playing off of well-traversed tropes and using top-down resonant designs. What is the mood and tone of Greek myth? Adventure, achievement, accomplishment. Hero’s journey. Monsters are another theme. Heroes need something to fight. Awesome monsters

• The enchantment theme is not just enchantment matters. The way Theros treats enchantments will help bring enchantments and gods ‘to life’. Previous speculation pointed at a ‘legends matter’ theme, but the panel put that rumor to rest by stating the number of legends is more than usual, but nothing close to Kamigawa’s levels. There will be “a handful” of gold cards in Theros block.

• The Prerelease experience for Theros block will involve several unique card types exclusive to the event. Heroes act like Vanguard cards, which start in the command zone and are active during your entire match. The event will be held in three steps: Prerelease, release events, and Theros Game Day.















• Story: Elspeth doesn’t want to be a hero. Elspeth does not believe she will be called on to be a leader in a world of gods. Gods can take multiple forms and walk among mortals. Elspeth is also one of three Planeswalkers in the set, the other two will be brand new characters.

That is all I’ve found for Theros spoilers so far. But I did promise a bit more didn’t I? First off, three new cards for From the Vault: Twenty. Powerful cards, one each from each year Magic has been around.

Next up, a new Commander product. Only one card has been announced as of yet, but she’s quite the interesting piece. New Commander product due out … November 1st, 2013. Five new decks. 15 new cards in each deck. 51 new cards. And we get three-color shard decks this time around.

And one more bit of spoilery goodness before we finish. Two cards from the Duel Decks Heroes vs. Monsters set to come out September 6. As is normal for the fall Duel Decks, one of the promos (soon to be seen here) is actually from Theros. So let’s take a look at the two promos, huh?