Magic: The Gatheringanother set of cards titled Outlaws Thunder connector, is a departure from the collectible card game in many ways. Set in a Western setting, a group of ambitious villains find themselves at the center of a high-profile robbery. It also adds a ton of new mechanics and several subsets of cards that fans will eagerly pursue – both for their unique approach to graphics and their impact on the larger meta of the game. But damn, is there always a lot to unpack here.

“Last year we had a big event called March of the Machine, which was the end of a four-year story in which one of our main villains, the Phyrexians, invaded the entire multiverse,” lead designer Mark Rosewater explained during a recent conference call with the press. “As a result of this event, the cosmology of the multiverse changed. […] One of the things that has allowed us to do from a design standpoint is that we can create sets that we couldn’t do before. So that’s the first kind of our new set: we’re doing something that we just couldn’t do a year ago.

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This involves placing the Eye belly front and center. magicThe most ripped (and previously banned) shapeshifter introduced by Throne of Eldraine, plays the role of the leader of this band of bandits. He’s joined by Dominaria’s mischievous skeleton, Tinybones, Eldraine’s Kellan, fan-favorite Gorgon assassin Vraska, the fiery Rakdos, and the all-new Thunder Junction native Annie Flash, who scored the final point.

Apparently each of these is also available as a wanted poster, although if you’re keen on the one featuring Vraska, you’ll apparently have to wait for previews, which start later today.

Organizing a heist means there’s something worth stealing, and this particular dimension… magic the multiverse offers quite a bit – relics hidden in a vault by the mysterious Fomori, a group introduced for the first time The Lost Caves of Ixalan. These items include Grand Score, the first subset of cards included in this set. Each of them is standard compliant, meaning they are part of the main game format. Each of the 40 Big Score cards is completely new magicand will appear in Play Boosters and Collector Boosters, where they will also be available with a special convex foil.

Note that they also have a different symbol and three-letter set code – BIG – which suggests we’ll likely see them again in future sets.

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To add some power to these five treasure thieves, the gang from Wizards of the Coast is adding a new term to the game – outlaw. From now on, every assassin, mercenary, pirate, rogue and sorcerer in the game is also considered an outlaw. This type of grouping, as they call it, new and old cards under one new term allows designers to streamline the effects in the future and, if you’re lucky, maybe give you a new take on your favorite existing deck.

What are the bandits doing? Of course it’s a crime. IN magic Under this term, any spell or ability targeting an opponent, a spell or ability controlled by an opponent, a permanent controlled by an opponent, or a card in the opponent’s graveyard is now considered a crime. In short, harming someone or otherwise touching their belongings. Cards such as Eye and Leader regularly check whether you have committed a crime and strengthen or weaken actions based on this.

Breaking news cards with another subset introduced Thunder connector, there are all crimes. Like The Big Score cards, you’ll find them in both Play and Collector Boosters, with the increased foil variants only available in the more expensive Collector Boosters. They also have their own symbol and set code – OTP.

New keywords in Thunder connector includes a storyline that allows you to exile and recast spells without paying their mana cost. The plot basically allows you to pay in advance for future, more explosive moves in later turns. This is a very flexible mechanic and we’ll be watching closely to see how it impacts the game in the future.

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  Image: Wizards of the Coast
  

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  Image: Wizards of the Coast
  

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  Image: Wizards of the Coast
  

On the other hand, the new madness mechanic gives players additional opportunities to add effects when playing specific cards. Of course, the craziness doesn’t go that far, as each option requires mana and can only be selected once.

Image: Wizards of the Coast

Image: Wizards of the Coast

Finally, the new saddle keyword empowers certain creatures, allowing characters to ride them during combat. Currently, they only apply to a new type of creature called mounts. The designers note that they are analogous to existing vehicle cards that have been in the game for many years, but offer great power even when they have no crew because they have their own attack and defense values ​​and other special abilities.

Image: Wizards of the Coast

Image: Wizards of the Coast

At last, Thunder connectorthe four commander decks will introduce a new mechanic called bounties. Bounties are an optional mini-game that ups the ante with a shared bounty deck that places achievement-like goals in the game, adding to the chaos in multiplayer. Players will need to purchase all four Commander decks in the store Thunder connector to collect all 12 prizes available in the set.

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Magic: The Gathering – Outlaws of Thunder Junction arrives digitally for Magic: The Gathering – Arena on April 16, and the physical premiere on April 19. Pre-orders are now available online and at friendly local game stores.