I remember when I first got into Magic:the Gathering back in 1994 (more years ago than I care to recount) and my friends at the time described it to me loosely as Dungeons and Dragons with cards. As a fantasy enthusiast (books, board games, D&D) I simply HAD to give it a try. After one game I was hooked and a quarter century later here I am still playing, supporting and talking about MTG.
To see Wizards of the Coast incorporate ACTUAL Dungeons & Dragons material into a full set is AMAZING and something that I would guess most of us have been wanting for a very long time. We finally get to see the First and most popular RPG melded and incorporated into the First and most popular TCG.
These two games gave rise to their respective genres (Role Playing Games for D&D and Trading Card Games for MTG) becoming not only the first of their kind but the standard by which all other games in these categories were weighed and measured. They have survived the test of time staying viable and relevant for decades making them legends in fantasy gaming.
This collaboration is already proving to be nothing short of LEGENDARY! With a scheduled release date of July 23, 2021 we have already encountered some savory tidbits that have been spoiled and I must say that they are spectacular! Lets teake a look.
Baleful Beholder
Even missing all associated text and stats, just seeing a Beholder on a magic card gives me chills and has me drooling for more. The power of these beasts was nothing to scoff at. It makes me wonder if they will get their own sub-archetype or just be a heavy hitting boss monster that is nigh impossible to defeat. I can’t wait to see if the possibility of a Beholder deck exists.
Tiamat
Next up we have our signature Five-Headed Dragon God… Tiamat. This creature has become just as Iconic in Dungeons & Dragons as have the elves and the dwarves, wizards and warriors.
This will be a SOLID add to any EDH deck using a 5 color dragon theme (Scion of Ur-Dragon & Ur-Dragon decks). This card is already seeing demand on the secondary market and it is no wonder, a 7/7 for 7 mana that when summoned lets you SEARCH for 5 other Dragon creatures from your deck and add them to your hand. WTF!!! Scion/Ur-Dragon decks are already tool box monstrosities with answers for almost
anything that is thrown at them. This just turned that basic tool box into an Inspector Gadget level toolbox.
This is still not the most impressive card to be spoiled so far however. The next card is already banworthy in multiple formats given its power and ability. Another iconic reference to D&D and it is the…
Vorpal Sword
Vorpal Weapons in D&D are a well known and well established piece of equipment. These are deadly weapons that give their wielder the advantage in any battle.
Well, MTG’s imaging of this weapon is nothing less than EPIC in its application. 1 mana to cast, 2 mana to equip and 8 mana to win the game. WAIT!! WHAT!!!
8 mana to activate: “Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, that player loses the game.” This is an absolute amazing ability and will most likely lead to abuse of this card and lead to its being banned.
EVERY Black deck will play this card attempting to cash in on this INSANE win condition. With all the ways to slip a creature past an opponent’s defenses, or simply trample over them, this will become a primary win condition highly sought by a vast majority of the playerbase. It would not surprise me to see this card show up during a grand prix (if it lasts that long, LOL).
There are ways to deal with this card. Given that it is an artifact the colors green, red and white all have a multitude of artifact destruction and removal at their disposal. Blue can of course simply counter the casting of the spell and black will simply remove the creature it is attached to (unless it possesses “shroud” or “hexproof” that is).
A powerful and abusable card to be sure but not an instant I WIN button when played.
As you can plainly see Dwarves and Elves will be making their presence felt in this set (as will halflings). I fully expect to see orcs, angels (celestials), demons (infernals), wizards, liches, elementals and plethora of other creatures from the monster manuals show themselves in this expansion.
Classic spells and magical artifacts are also making a good showing with “Portable Hole” and “Power Word Kill.” Both seem to contain moderate situational power which allows for a well balanced card and mechanic to be incorporated into the appropriate strategies.
Honestly it wouldn’t surprise me to see either card used in some ingenious ways depending on what
the rest of the set has to offer.
All-in-all I am already sold on this set from both a players perspective and from a collectors perspective. Owning a full portfolio/binder full of a set of Forbidden Realms would be one hell of a jewel for any aficionado of fantasy gaming. And as far as game mechanics go, Wizards of the Coast have spoiled some VERY strong cards with some amazing abilities and we are quite literally at the tip of the iceberg. I will be waiting with eager anticipation for more cards to be revealed and see what is in store for the future of MTG.
As Always, stay safe out there. Keep brewing and theory crafting.
