In a recent article on how high-level design choices made for The Hobbit, Mark Rosewater discussed which aspects of The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth were worth carrying over to this new set. There were several mechanical wins deemed “must re-use” for how well they captured the feeling of Tolkien’s world on the tabletop. Others were put in …
Time to Remaster Your Black Flag Commander Deck with Edward Kenway
The remaster of Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag was released last week for current platforms, marking the most love this landmark pirate simulator has gotten since the franchise’s Universes Beyond tie-in. In hindsight, that Assassin’s Creed set flew slightly under the Magic community’s radar. Certainly not for a lack of power, but perhaps in part because it was so narrow in …
Marvel Super Heroes Draft Guide
When you think about it, Draft plays an important role for Universes Beyond sets. Only a handful of the cards in Marvel Super Heroes are destined to find a lasting place in the metagame of Standard, Commander, or other Constructed formats. Even then, they will typically be just one or two Marvel cards playing a role alongside cards from other …
Competitive Brawl Debuts as Closest Thing to Officially Sanctioned cEDH
Wizards of the Coast have launched their first-ever sanctioned competitive format to utilize Commander rules, with the debut of “Competitive Brawl” on MTG Arena last week. The decision to enforce an official competitive-casual split in Brawl (Arena’s equivalent to Commander) was officially announced on June 1st, but the new format did not become playable until the 26th. Competitive Brawl is …
Wizards Announces New Targeted Bans – But Leaves Standard Untouched
Wizards of the Coast has announced the latest Banned and Restricted list changes for Constructed formats, posted to wizards.com on June 30th. This time there were no changes made to the premier formats of Standard, Pioneer or Modern, though Pauper and Legacy saw individual cards banned to counteract unhealthy metagame trends. Compared to the sweeping, historic changes of the prior …
Marvel Super Heroes: Making a Scene
Some among you may have noticed this already, but Marvel Super Heroes is an awesome-looking set! It’s vital for any Universes Beyond set to have card treatments and art styles that evoke the associated IP, and make the cards more exciting for fans to collect. And between the main Standard set, Project Booster Fun add-ins, four Commander precons, a Jumpstart …
Marvel Super Heroes Super-Team Synergies
Marvel Super Heroes is the biggest crossover yet under the Universes Beyond banner… not only in terms of hype, but in the sheer number of beloved and awesome characters making their first appearance on Magic cards! From Earth’s Mightiest Heroes down to some of the deep cuts and cult classics of the Marvel roster, there’s a good chance your favorite …
Marvel Super Heroes Prerelease Guide
Planeswalkers and Avengers alike – assemble now for the biggest blockbuster release on this year’s Magic calendar! Marvel Super Heroes has finally arrived, bringing the star-studded superhero roster of Marvel’s comics and movies to the tabletop arena. Your first opportunity to get in on this multiverse-shattering debut is also one of the best ones: attending an official prerelease event at …
Marvel’s Super Heroes Avengers Assemble Commander Deck Upgrade Guide
“You think you’re the only superhero in the world? Mr. Stark, you’ve become part of a bigger universe; you just don’t know it yet.” “Who the hell are you?” “Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D..” “Oh.” “I’m here to talk to you about Universes Beyond… uh, I mean the Avengers Initiative.” That’s right, it’s finally time: after many months of anticipation …
“Commander Adjacent”: Alternative Formats for Commander Players to Try
It is the year 2026. Commander has become more or less synonymous with Magic as a whole, and a great many players exclusively learn and experience the game through that format. Yet when we talk about the game and its sub-communities, Commander still feels isolated. That’s easy to understand. The things fans love about it – commander rules, multiplayer politics …










