Has it been a while? Yes? No? Spending so long in the clutches of the gangs of New Capenna makes you lose track of these things…
Welcome to the latest Pre-Release, this time dripping with noir, early 1900’s aesthetic, as we visit a brand new plane in the world of Magic: the Gathering, as we (carefully) roam the Streets of New Capenna.
This set introduces us to the 5 gangs conniving for control over the territories of New Capenna. Each of these is represented by a 3-colour combination and boasts a unique mechanic, new to this set. In this article we’ll be taking a closer look at each of these mechanics so you can be as ready as you can be to take on the sealed events taking place on the 22nd and 23rd of April. Make sure to book your ticket early to avoid disappointment here!
Alliance:
First of all we have the unique mechanic for the Cabaretti gang (Naya-White/Red/Green). Alliance is a reminder keyword existing on permanents, and triggers whenever another creature enters the battlefield under your control.
You can take a look at some examples of this here:
Blitz:
No, we aren’t talking about the Flesh & Blood format (though you should check it out anyway), this is the signpost mechanic for the Riveteers (Jund, Black/Red/Green).
This keyword exists on creatures as an alternate casting cost. You may cast creatures with this keyword for their regular casting cost as you would any other creature. But that’s too boring for the Riveteers! You may instead pay the Blitz cost, to cast the creature, which will grant it haste, and the added effect of drawing a card once it dies, for the low-low price of having to be sacrificed at the end of the turn. You can see how making this choice can be beneficial when you want to get in the red-zone quickly and pose quite interesting choices for you opponent and their life-total/board-state.
Casualty:
This time we are referring to the Maestros gang (Grixis, Blue/Black/Red), and not to Mr. Wilson nor to the state the Gatekeeper will be in by the end of the weekend. Whenever you encounter this keyword, it is going to be followed by a number. When you cast a spell with Casualty, you may sacrifice a creature with power equal to or greater than this number. If you do, you copy the spell just cast. Every self-respecting crime boss needs a slew of sacrificial lambs associates to fight for the cause. Here are some of the projects they can give their lives for help with:
Connive:
The Obscura gang (Esper, White/Blue/Black) is sneaky and dastardly and… conniving. What an appropriate name for their mechanic then! Whenever you connive, you draw a card then discard a card (or loot for you veterans out there). The added bonus is that if you discard a non-land card from this effect, you get to place a +1/+1 counter on the creature that connived!
Shield Counters:
Finally we have the Brokers (Bant, White/Blue/Green) who swear they didn’t steal this from Hearthstone, as they dawn on some protective gear that prevents them from dying when destroyed or dealt damage equal to or greater than their toughness. Instead you remove a shield counter from these creatures and they stick around. If they would be destroyed when they have no more shield counters on them, they still perish as per normal. The Brokers have good gear, but it can’t protect their operatives forever.
Hideaway:
The only returning mechanic for this set is Hideaway, which now has been slightly updated. Whenever a permanent with Hideaway comes into play, you look at the top X cards of your library, X being the number following the keyword, and exile a card from among them face down. Whenever the condition on the permanent card is met, you can play the card exiled in this manner without paying its mana cost. This mechanic only shows up on five cards in the set, but do be aware of it and how it works in case you come across it during our events. Here is a quick example.
Once again, we can't wait to see you at the store for some great fun and shenanigans, as we bust open together for the first time packs from Streets of New Capenna. Reserve your place in our events here!