Normally, this is where I’d be crowing over WotC confirming my predictions article – but I don’t think anybody’s impressed that I guessed the “Dungeons & Dragons set” would have dungeons in it! People searching for information about Adventures in the Forgotten Realms are going to expect two things, and since Dragons show up in every Magic product, the dungeons …
Amplify – MTG Keywords Explained
This week, we’re digging up a mechanic from Magic‘s past that will help you power up your creature-based decks. What is Amplify? Amplify is a mechanic from Legions, a set that only contained creature cards. The set demanded mechanics that rewarded players for filling their decks with creatures of a single type, and amplify certainly fit the bill. Amplify is …
Buyback – MTG Keywords Explained
Do you ever wish you could cast your favorite cards over and over again? Then buyback may be right for you! What is Buyback? Buyback is an optional, additional cost that appears on some instant and sorcery cards. It’s pretty self-explanatory: If you pay the buyback cost, the spell goes back to your hand after it resolves instead of going …
Horsemanship – MTG Keywords Explained
We’ve covered all sorts of Magic mechanics here — from the most common and straightforward to the most obscure and complex. Today, we’ll be covering a mechanic that’s incredibly rare, but that’s been responsible for a surprising number of wins in Commander. Saddle up — it’s time to talk about horsemanship. What is Horsemanship? Horsemanship isn’t that complex a mechanic; …
Eternalize – MTG Keywords Explained
Modern Horizons sets breathe new life into the characters and mechanical themes of Magic‘s past. It’s only fitting, then, that Modern Horizons 2 includes a mechanic that gives creatures in the graveyard a new lease on life. Today, we’re explaining the nuances of Hour of Devastation‘s graveyard mechanic eternalize! What is Eternalize? Eternalize is an activated ability that appears on …
Evoke – MTG Keywords Explained
Creatures with “enter the battlefield” abilities are great, but what if you don’t have enough mana to pay for them? Thankfully, there’s a mechanic that lets you take advantage of the creature’s ability at a fraction of the mana cost. What is Evoke? Evoke is an alternative cost that appears on creatures which is typically lower than that creature’s mana …
Morph – MTG Keywords Explained
Modal double-faced cards have become incredibly popular in Magic due to their flexibility. But did you know that MDFC’s aren’t the first cards of this kind? Before MDFC’s — and even before the “transform” cards from Innistrad — there was a mechanic that allowed you to play creature cards face-down and pay a cost to turn them face up. Meet …
Madness – MTG Keywords Explained
Discarding cards can be a pain, but it doesn’t have to be. Today, we cover an alternate-cost mechanic that makes your cards cheaper to cast if you discard them. If that sounds like madness, that’s because it is! What is Madness? Here’s how madness works: If you would discard a card with madness from your hand, you may choose to …
Echo – MTG Keywords Explained
Creatures in Magic are much more powerful than they used to be. Their stats tend to be higher for their mana value, and they tend to have more abilities. But as mana fixing has improved and more enablers have been printed, creatures simply have fewer downsides than they used to. Of course, downsides aren’t always a bad thing, either! You …
Demonstrate – MTG Keywords Explained
In many cases, Magic is a zero-sum game: one player wins and the other loses. But that isn’t always so in multiplayer formats like Commander. When several people play together, it’s often advantageous for players to work together for mutual benefit. And in Magic‘s latest Commander decks, there are many cards that encourage and even reward cooperation. Today, we’re going …