Magic: The Gathering‘s Universes Beyond collections take Magic cards to all kinds of exciting new worlds. We’ve loved the adventures that Magic has cooked up for us via this format, which have included traveling through time and space in the Tardis with Magic‘s Doctor Who collection and meeting dinos with its brilliant Jurassic Park collection. Of course, we eagerly anticipate entering Magic: The Gathering‘s version of the Marvel multiverse sometime soon. But, more immediately, we’re taking a Leap of Faith into a brand-new destination. Yes, the Animus is ready to transport us into a universe we know and love. Magic: The Gathering‘s latest Universes Beyond collection is bringing us Assassin’s Creed decks. Below, we reveal four brand new Assassin’s Creed Magic cards for you to get excited about.

Nerdist Exclusively Reveals 4 New Cards From Magic: The Gathering‘s Assassin’s Creed Collection

We’re excited to exclusively share four new Magic cards that you’ll be able to find in the Assassin’s Creed Universes Beyond collection. These four cards are The Capitoline Triad, Hookblade, Restart Sequence, and Bleeding Effect. You can check out their Main Set forms below.

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Assassin’s Creed true hearts will recognize these four features of the game, now in Magic card form. It’s always fun to see one version of a game translated into another. For example, Assassin’s Creed‘s “scientific” Bleeding Effect phenomenon becomes an enchantment. We also enjoy seeing quotes and other Assassin’s Creed Easter eggs pop up on these Magic cards.

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Of course, these cool cards also come in Foil-Etched versions, which the sly assassin will be able to snatch up from the pile.

Finally, you can check out The Capitoline Triad in its unique Borderless form. We wouldn’t want these scientists-turned-gods, seen through a Magic: The Gathering lens as “God Artificers” staring down… or up from a table… at us.

More About Magic: The Gathering‘s Assassin’s Creed Decks

Of course, there are many more than just four cards coming to Magic: The Gathering‘s Assassin’s Creed collection.

A release shares:

The Animus has a new destination: Magic: The Gathering. Take a Leap of Faith into a new format of the game you love and find the weapons, characters, and real-world locations waiting on the battlefield. The only way to uncover the secrets of the past is to follow in the footsteps of the assassins who came before, and if you’ve learned anything, it’s that you must be swift, precise, and never show your hand.

Here are some of the product highlights you can look forward to as you build your new order.

COLLECTOR BOOSTERS: Get decked out like a master Assassin with Collector Boosters full of Rares, shining foils, and exclusive special treatments. Every pack contains 2 Foil-Etched cards!

BEYOND BOOSTERS: These 7-card boosters provide a curated opening experience for fans, including a Borderless card and shining foil in every pack. The past is yours to explore!

BUNDLE: Leap into history with a box full of Assassin’s Creed-themed cards and accessories, including 9 Beyond Boosters, a special alt-art promo card, 40 Lands, and more.

STARTER KIT: Your Assassin training starts here. Gear up for your first games of Magic with two Assassin’s Creed-themed decks and learn the ropes with the included guide.

When Will Magic: The Gathering‘s Assassin’s Creed Decks and Cards Release?

So, when will you be able to don your hood, grab your dagger, and enter the world of Assassin’s Creed via the vision of Magic: The Gathering? The Magic: The Gathering Assassin’s Creed collection will be released on July 5.

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The upcoming Modern Horizons 3 release will have many Magic: The Gathering fans itching to know more. But happily, as summer approaches, we’re getting a ton of new information to consider about this next big release. Recently, we learned a lot of interesting information about Modern Horizons 3, including its 40 returning mechanics, Commander Deck options, and more. Let’s take a look at some of what’s being teased for avid Magic gamers.

Magic: The Gathering Modern Horizons 3 Reveals 40 Returning Mechanics

Hold onto your hats, players. Magic: The Gathering Modern Horizons 3 is bringing back 40 mechanics to the game. We’ve highlighted some of them below and listed the rest. 40 shouldn’t be too many to remember, should it?

Returning Mechanics:

• Energy: Energy counters can be used to pay the costs of activated and triggered abilities that require energy as payment.
• Bestow: When a player has a card with bestow in their hand, they can either choose to cast it normally for its mana cost or cast it for its bestow cost. A creature with bestow gives you the option to cast it as an Aura that enchants a creature, granting the enchanted creature the power, toughness, and abilities of the creature with bestow. 
• Modify: Several cards in the set refer to modified creatures. A creature you control is modified if it has one or more counters on it, if it’s equipped, and/or if it’s enchanted by an aura.

The full list of Magic: The Gathering Modern Horizons 3 includes: dapt, Annihilator, Affinity, Afterlife, Ascend, Bestow, Collect Evidence, Connive, Cycling, Devoid, Devotion, Dredge, Emerge, Energy, Entwine, Escalate, Eternalize, Evoke, Evolve, Extort, Fabricate, Flashback, Kicker, Kindred, Living Weapon, Madness, Mentor, Modified, Morbid, Outlast, Overload, Proliferate, Prototype, Flashback, Reconfigure, Reinforce, Shield Counters, Spelunking, Storm, Support, Umbra Armor, and Unearth.

Magic: The Gathering Modern Horizons 3 Will Have Four Commander Decks

In addition to Collector boosters and Play boosters, Magic: The Gathering Modern Horizons 3 will have four different Commander Decks. Here’s what we know about them.

The Modern Horizons 3 Commander Decks celebrate the powerful mechanics and themes found across the set, including:

• “Tricky Terrain,” a green-blue deck that ramps lands for value
•  “Graveyard Overdrive,” a black-red-green deck focused on graveyard recursion
•  “Creative Energy,” a blue-red-white deck that uses energy for powerful payoffs
• “Eldrazi Incursion, a five-color Eldrazi deck that devours all opposition

The Collector’s Edition of these Commander Decks “feature an exclusive brand-new Ripple Foil treatment on all 100 cards, and each deck includes two Borderless Profile versions of legendary creatures.”

You can have a look at some Commander Face Cards below, as well.

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Magic: The Gathering Modern Horizons 3 Release Dates, Pre-Order Links, and More

In addition to all of the above, Magic: The Gathering Modern Horizons 3 teases a deep dive into familiar and expanding lore. Emrakul, Ulamog and Kozilek will all return in this game. And a release notes that fans will be able to dive into origin stories of Magic’s “most iconic characters.” As an example, “Planeswalker Tamiyo transforms from an Inquisitive Student to a Seasoned Scholar, with all new abilities and strategies to use.”

Additionally, 42 reprints will come to the Modern format for the very first time, these include the cycle of Medallions, Urza’s Incubator, and others. Additionally, Retro Frame Cards appear as a tribute to Magic‘s earliest form.

You can also keep track of all newly released Modern Horizons 3 Magic cards here.

Important Dates and Links

When will Magic: The Gathering Modern Horizons 3 release? Here are some dates for you:

• Prerelease: June 7 
• MTG Arena Launch: June 11 
• Global Tabletop Launch: June 14

You can pre-order your cards from Amazon here and from your local store here.

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If there’s one thing users of Tarot or Oracle decks know, it’s that you can never have just one. The most recent temptation for your collection comes from Magic: The Gathering. Already known for making gorgeous cards, it’s not surprising that a Magic: The Gathering Oracle Deck is simply divine. And not only is it divine, but it can also help you divine your future path or quest. Combining imagery and lore from Magic‘s Greek-inspired plane Theros with the frame of an Oracle deck, the Magic: The Gathering Oracle Deck will help users find the answers they seek in a stylish and mythical way. To tease a little bit of what’s inside, we at Nerdist are pleased to exclusively reveal some of the gorgeous cart art you’ll find within this Magic: The Gathering Oracle deck… And the meaning these cards will hold if they turn up in your reading.

Explore the Art of These Magic: The Gathering Oracle Cards and Learn Their True Meaning

Web of Drama: Arasta of the Endless Web

The first Magic: The Gathering Oracle Deck card art we can reveal is for the card “Web of Drama: Arasta of the Endless Web.” In Magic‘s world, Arasta was a dryad, a beautiful nymph, who was tricked into becoming a monstrous spider. If Arasta turns up in your reading, she’s urging you to find some perspective and not get too caught up in the webs of drama around you.

You can take a closer look at the art from this Magic: The Gathering Oracle card below.

Transitions: Athreos

Next up is the art and card meaning from the Magic: The Gathering Oracle card “Transitions: Athreos.” If Athreos turns up while you’re using your Magic: The Gathering Oracle Deck, he’s here to tell you that transitions are inevitable in life. Though they can be difficult, the choices we make help us to thrive when they are happening. Athreos represents passing between worlds in Magic: The Gathering‘s universe. His ability to look into your soul reminds you that, sometimes, a little soul searching is a good thing.

Take a closer look at the “Transitions: Athreos” Magic: The Gathering Oracle card below.

Face Your Fear: Polukranos

Oracle decks can go very deep with their readings, and the Magic: The Gathering Oracle Deck is no different. The card “Face Your Fear: Polukranos” is not a light-hearted one, but it is incredibly important. Like Magic: The Gathering‘s Polukranos, who faces a legendary Hydra in his Oracle card art, we all face fear in our lives. When fear finds us, we can become frozen, but we can also prevail. At times, fear is just a shadow on the wall. If you draw this card from the Magic: The Gathering Oracle Deck, remember to take stock of what you should really be afraid of and what lessons you can learn from your fear.

Check out this beautiful Magic: The Gathering Oracle card below.

Check Out Even More Art From the Magic: The Gathering Oracle Deck

In addition to the above, we are also happy to share art for two more cards from the Magic: The Gathering Oracle Deck. However, to unlock their meanings, you’ll need to get a copy of the deck yourself. These cards are “Focus: Chimera,” and “Resourcefulness: Phenax.” Looking at the art of these the Magic: The Gathering Oracle Deck cards, we can glean a little bit about what they might mean for a seeker. But we’ll leave you to your own interpretations.

The Magic: The Gathering Oracle Deck‘s Release Date, Price, and More

If you’re ready to have a full reading using the Magic: The Gathering Oracle Deck, here’s how you can add it to your deck hoard. The Magic: The Gathering Oracle Deck releases on May 21, 2024, but you can pre-order it today for $24.99.

Its official description shares:

From the team behind The Dungeons & Dragons Tarot Deck comes this officially licensed oracle deck comprising 52 all-new illustrations that celebrate the characters, creatures, and lore of the world’s largest trading card game. Inspired by Theros, the plane where monsters prevail, mortals endure, and heroes ascend, this Magic: The Gathering-themed deck features exclusive art of Jace, the Planeswalker; Hythonia, the legendary gorgon; and well-known creatures such as the Pegasus, Chimera, Sirens, and more.

With stunning illustrations, The Magic: The Gathering Oracle Deck also features a guidebook that introduces readers to the practice of oracle cards, including instructions on how to use and interpret the cards and descriptions of each card image. Both denizens of Theros and practitioners of oracle cards hold belief as a powerful tool that we can use to create our reality, and with this deck you’ll be inspired to explore new realms of meaning.

Happy divining!

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Usually, it’s a bad thing when new characters turn your favorite fantasy world into a dystopian wasteland. This is not one of those times. In fact, this is one of the very rare occasions when that will be a good thing. Magic: The Gathering revealed its much-anticipated crossover will bring a beloved post-apocalyptic video game world to tabletops. The trading card game has partnered with Fallout for a big S.P.E.C.I.A.L. new collection.

Load up your Pip-Boy with plenty of mana (you figure out how!) because Magic: The Gathering – Fallout is here to combine your favorite franchises. This collaboration didn’t just show up with a few fun cards like some other Magic: The Gathering collaborations, either. This is a considerable union of two very popular games. Here’s how Wizards of the Coast describes its Fallout collection:

Magic: The Gathering – Fallout celebrates elements of all Fallout games since 1997 and represents the first “modern view” of some of the classic Fallout games, including updates to characters and settings from Fallout and Fallout 2. We hope to pay homage to Fallout‘s high-energy, high-action, post-nuclear RPG roots. Whether you join the side of some of Fallout‘s most infamous characters or choose to play as a Vault survivor fighting gangs of raiders, super-mutants, irradiated monsters, and pre-war robots, life in the wastes won’t be easy!

The Fallout collection features four Commander decks, each with its own theme. This includes the Dogmeat-centered Scrappy Survivors deck, Mutant Menace, Hail, Caesar, and Science! They are sold individually and as a bundle.

These are supplemented by Collector Boosters with Booster Fun. Collector Boosters come in both traditional foil and surge foil cards. They’re also where fans can find non-foil, full-art basic lands that depict five “isometric environments like those seen in the classic Fallout games.” And Magic: The Gathering – Fallout Collector Boosters see the return of extended-art cards in non-foil, traditional foil, and surge foil.

As if all of that wasn’t enough, the collection also includes cards for Bobbleheads, which are getting the “serialized treatment.” This includes seven cards with serialization on 500 copies each. They’ll look too good for a wasteland, too. These cards are getting the double rainbow foil treatment.

In addition to providing a look at many cards in the set, Magic: The Gathering also went deep with a video on what fans can expect.

Magic: The Gathering – Fallout released on March 8, 2024 and is now available to order.

While you wait for your set to arrive, we recommend playing both Magic: The Gathering and Fallout as much as you can. Preferably at the same time. That way it won’t be jarring to realize it’s a good thing your favorite fantasy world has become a post-nuclear dystopia.

Originally published on October 20, 2023.

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Magic: The Gathering creating an oracle deck just seems right. After all, what carries more magic with it than Magic cards? The immersive and fantastical world of the trading card game has that perfectly witchy energy that lends itself well to symbolic cards of the oracle or tarot variety. Magic: The Gathering has its own unique realms, nuanced symbolism, and true mythology. It feels only right it should decorate cards meant to help users find their way in the world. And we bet Magic: The Gathering‘s fans will feel very guided by an oracle deck themed to their favorite fandom. Not to mention, odds are, the art will be just incredible. Here’s what we know about The Magic: The Gathering Oracle Deck.

The official description of these Magic: The Gathering oracle cards shares:

From the team behind The Dungeons & Dragons Tarot Deck comes this officially licensed oracle deck comprising 52 all-new illustrations that celebrate the characters, creatures, and lore of the world’s largest trading card game. Inspired by Theros, the plane where monsters prevail, mortals endure, and heroes ascend, this Magic: The Gathering-themed deck features exclusive art of Jace, the Planeswalker; Hythonia, the legendary gorgon; and well-known creatures such as the Pegasus, Chimera, Sirens, and more.

In addition, The Magic: The Gathering Oracle Deck will feature a guidebook to help fans begin to understand the practice of oracle cards. This includes “instructions on how to use and interpret the cards and descriptions of each card image.” Like oracle deck practitioners, the deities of Theros value belief as a true power that can be used to change the world. These oracle cards will invite their users to explore meaning within and without.

We also especially love that these Magic: The Gathering oracle cards are drawing from a Greek-inspired plane. It really brings to mind the many prophecies and ideas of fate prevalent in Greek mythology.

Finally, to state the obvious, one can never have too many pretty decks of cards. That’s the first rule of tarot and oracle decks. We haven’t gotten to see too many illustrations from The Magic: The Gathering Oracle Deck yet, but we feel like once we do, we’ll just have to have it.

The Magic: The Gathering Oracle Deck releases on May 21, 2024. It will cost $24.99. You can pre-order it today.

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Doctor Who is back in full force. The TV show just celebrated 60 years of time and space adventures with a trio of wonderful anniversary specials. There’s a new Doctor in the TARDIS and he’s ready to give us more action in the next era. To celebrate all of this goodness, Magic: The Gathering is giving fans a slate of new Doctor Who cards to add to their existing ones. Secret Lair x Doctor Who: Regeneration celebrates the show’s most recent Doctors as well as other characters with a new deck. 

After releasing several decks in late Fall 2023, players noticed that David Tennant’s Fourteen and Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteen were not a part of the lineup. It was only a matter of time (and perfect timing) that they would get their own cards. Secret Lair x Doctor Who: Regeneration features the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Doctors, Rose Noble, the Beep of all the Meeps, and the Toymaker. Of course, the artwork is absolutely stunning and captures the essence of everyone. Well, sort of. The Meep looks adorable but we all know he’s not above showing sharp teeth and shooting his enemies. He is truly a villainous cutie and we love him. Get a closer look at the cards below:

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The Doctor Who Magic: The Gathering regeneration deck comes with two options: foil cards for $49.99 or non-foil cards for $39.99. Right now, both decks are available for preorder. But fans will have to wait a while before they can add these cards into the mix. Secret Lair x Doctor Who: Regeneration will not release until April 2, 2024. Hmmm.

We know that the next season of Doctor Who is coming sometime in 2024. Perhaps this means that Fifteen and Ruby Sunday’s first season will land sometime in April, too. Either way, it’s time to bring these legendary creatures into your gaming fun. 

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“They were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think If they should.” Those were the immortal words of Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) in the classic blockbuster Jurassic Park. Well, we would usually agree with the good doctor, except in this case. Because Wizards of the Coast making Jurassic Park-themed Magic: The Gathering cards? We’re of the opinion if you can make them, then you totally should. Because the newly revealed Jurassic Park cards, part of their Universes Beyond crossovers, are pretty darn cool. They’ll be a part of The Lost Caverns Of Ixalan, revealed at the 2023 Las Vegas MagicCon. You can check out images of the new cards below:

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Among the cards included within the Lost Caverns Of Ixalan packs are ones featuring characters and creatures from the beloved ’90s film and its many sequels. These arrive just in time for the Steven Spielberg classic’s 30th anniversary. At a MagicCon panel, Wizards revealed three new cards from the Jurassic Park line, together with a new “stamped” variant with the Jurassic World logo embossed over the card. The three revealed cards were Dr. Ian Malcom/Chaotician, listed as a “Legendary Creature.” (We agree, he’s a pretty legendary creature). Then there’s the Indominus Rex/Alpha from Jurassic World, and a “Welcome To…/Jurassic Park” double-sided Saga card.

These Jurassic Park/Jurassic World cards are the beginning of an overall partnership between Wizards of the Coast and NBC Universal. Does this mean we’ve got Fast & Furious and Minions cards coming our way too? Who knows, who ever saw these Jurassic Park cards coming? Stranger things have happened. You can learn more about The Lost Caverns of Ixalan and the Jurassic Park Magic cards in the video below.

The Lost Caverns Of Ixalan launched on November 17, with the Jurassic World cards contained in booster packs, collectors booster packs, and bundles.

Secret Lair x Jurassic World: Dr. Ian Malcolm Collection

As if that wasn’t enough Jurassic World fun, Dr. Ian Malcolm is also getting his very own collection as part of Secret Lair’s Secretversary 2023. Yes, this collection is all Dr. Malcolm all the time. The description for the set shares, “Dr. Ian Malcolm is here to sweep you off your feet and slip into your collection. Whether the magnetic mathematician is scolding a megalomaniacal millionaire, recovering from a dinosaur attack, or slowly dripping water on your hand while explaining the intricacies of entropy, he’s got charisma to spare. And with art like this, chaos has never been so beautiful.”

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This Secret Drop Jurassic World collection features four Magic cards and an egg token all reimagined to feature Dr. Ian Malcom. They are as follows:

• 1x Laboratory Maniac as “Chaotic Chaotician”
• 1x Tasha’s Hideous Laughter as “Malcolm’s Mercurial Mirth”
• 1x Tasigur, the Golden Fang as “Ian, Convalescent Charmer”
• 1x Atla Palani, Nest Tender as “Dr. Ian Malcolm”
• 1x Egg token

We can’t wait to see what other kinds of Jurassic World mayhem Magic: The Gathering will dream up next.

Originally published on September 22, 2023.

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If you’re lucky enough to have a tabletop gamer to buy for this holiday season, we’ve found the perfect presents for them—including the most popular new games, incredible gifts for Dungeon Masters and Dungeon & Dragons players, and even a game designed to get you outside to literally touch grass.

And if you’re the tabletop gamer? Give someone one of these picks from our Holiday Gift Guide and you’ll immediately have someone to play with! Win-win.

The Deck of Many Things

The Deck of Many Things is a D&D magic item so legendary that most Dungeon Masters shudder when they hear its name. (Or they cackle, which is much worse.) Just in time for the holiday season, The Deck of Many Things is now available as a gorgeous gift set with updated rules, a 66-card deck (which includes the 22 classic cards), its own supplement guide for incorporating the reimagined deck into your game, and more.

Dungeon Masters will love its ability to create adventures on the fly complete with traps and puzzles; D&D players will find new character backgrounds, spells, and star-signs inside. ($99.99, available digitally on November 14 with the physical copy release date TBD)

Disney Lorcana

Lorcana is a Disney-themed trading card game that’s taking the tabletop by storm! While the first starter sets quickly sold out, more are on the way to stores everywhere. Rise of the Floodborn, the second chapter of the game, is due out in December.

In Lorcana, players take the role of Illumineers and use character and item cards to collect 20 lore and win the game. This trading card game is easier to learn than most, but still encourages thought-out strategy and card collecting. And have you seen some of the art? Pick this up for the Disney or TCG fan in your life, and be sure to grab a starter pack for yourself while you’re at it. (2 players, Ages 8+, $5.99-$49.99)

Linkee

Part trivia, part lateral thinking, and part party game, Linkee is the perfect gift for the social butterfly in your life. (It also has two-player rules if your gift recipient prefers to cocoon at home.) Each Linkee card features four short trivia questions. Players remember the trivia answers as they’re revealed, and once they see the connection between them, they shout, “Linkee!” The first team to successfully find the common link for the answers wins the card.

Work together as a team to find the connection and earn bragging rights for eternity. Well, maybe until the next game night. (2+ players, Ages 12+, $8.45)

Magic: The Gathering – Doctor Who

All we really have to say is “Doctor Who Magic cards” and you’ll know immediately who to give this to for the holidays. But, if you need a little more info, we have you covered. The new official “Universes Beyond” set features gorgeous art of 13 Doctors and their companions. These cards with Doctor Who-themed mechanics are now available to join the Magic lineup.

Choose your gift recipient’s favorite Doctor to find the perfect 100 card Magic: The Gathering – Doctor Who Commander Deck, and allons-y! (2 players, Ages 13+, $59.99)

Nine Arches

Nine Arches might be designed like a tabletop card game, but it’s intended to take you and your friends and family away from the table. The game includes a 54-card deck similar to tarot cards that are used to choose your next adventure. Cards feature activities like “dance party,” “caravan,” and “ghost.” With the drawn cards and input from each player, the group adventure’s is talked out. Will you do the activities all at once? One at a time? It’s up to you and the group. Then you’re all off on a real-life journey based on the prompts on the cards!

If your recipient is the type who appreciates experiences instead of plain gifts, you’ll wow them with this one. (1-5 players, Ages 13+, $34.99)

Potion Pack – Cantrip Candles

Whether your lucky gift recipient is a fan of tabletop role-playing games or video game RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3, this three-candle set from Cantrip Candles will be met with delight when it’s unwrapped. The Potion Pack comes as a lovely gift set of 10 ounce soy wax candles in decorated glass containers.

The Health Potion, Stamina Potion, and Magicka Potion candles are sure to heal and reenergize any weary adventurers (or office workers) who lights them. And how can you pass up the opportunity to give someone a container labeled “Dragon’s Blood”? ($80.00)

The Practically Complete Guide to Dragons

Do you remember being a kid and re-reading your favorite book so many times you had every page memorized? This is your chance to give the youngest Dungeons & Dragons or fantasy fan in your life that same experience!

The Practically Complete Guide to Dragons is exactly what it says on the cover: an imaginative, in-depth look at the dragons that populate the D&D setting of Dragonlance. Written in-character by the kender Sindri Suncatcher, this guide to dragons is packed with personality—along with, you guessed it, lots of dragons. Dragon facts, dragon stories, dragon lair maps, it’s all here. Your lucky gift recipient will spend hours staring at the gorgeous art alone. ($39.95)

Sea Salt & Paper

The stocking stuffer-sized card game Sea Salt & Paper is a delightful set collecting game with a dash of luck to keep things exciting. Collect and play pairs of cards to score points and use their effects to earn even more points. If the player thinks they have enough points in hand, they can call for the end of the round or give everyone one last chance to try to beat them for bonus points. Reach the necessary number of victory points to win the game!

Not only does each card feature charming and original origami art, Sea Salt & Paper includes bold icons so that colorblind players aren’t excluded from the fun. (2-4 players, Ages 8+, $14.95)

Pop Culture Monopoly

Looking to ease someone on your shopping list into tabletop games with a tried-and-true title? Monopoly has been a favorite for ages, and these days you have a plethora of Monopoly versions to choose from. It seems like every pop culture franchise you can imagine has its own edition. Maybe Ted Lasso Monopoly (2-6 players, Ages 8+, $49.95) or Curbed Your Enthusiasm Monopoly (2-6 players, $49.95) is right for someone in your life.

Kelly Knox is a pop culture writer and the author of Star Wars Conversation Cards, Be More Obi-Wan, and the upcoming Star Wars Dad Jokes. You can still find her on Twitter at @kelly_knox.

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A lot is happening in the entertainment world every day, and it can be hard to keep track of. But from a huge Avatar: The Last Airbender concert tour to a Pixar-themed hotel coming soon, here are some of our favorite pop-culture news odds & ends that you don’t want to miss.

Recent Odds & Ends in the News:

• Lost and Avatar: The Last Airbender Concerts Coming Soon
• EA Motive’s Iron Man Game Gets Much-Anticipated Updates
• Magic: The Gathering‘s The Lord of the Rings Collection Expands with Four New Scene Boxes
• NYC Transit App Becomes Pokémon Go of Rats and Informs You About the Rattiness of a Station
• Get Up to Some Mischief with BoxLunch’s Loki Collection
• Disneyland Resort Announces Pixar Place Hotel, the First Fully Pixar-Themed US Hotel
• Goldfish Elf Maple Syrup Flavored Grahams Are Swimming in for the Holidays
• Buy a Tiny Elf Home on Zillow
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Actor Wants Spidey-Pool in a Future Game

Lost and Avatar: The Last Airbender Concerts Coming Soon

In need of some fun geeky outings to attend? Well, two iconic franchises are about to bring you fun in concert form. Avatar: The Last Airbender and Lost are both promising concerts that will transport you.

The official website for Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert shares, “Immerse yourself in an over two-hour show with a live orchestra bringing the show’s iconic musical score to life, in perfect harmony with highlights and favorite moments from the series. Taiko and erhu will share the spotlight with violins and clarinets, while the series’ most beloved scenes play out on screen, bringing viewers into the Avatar world to experience the series’ most memorable moments with Aang, Katara, Toph, Sokka, Zuko and more.”

Four dates were originally announced across Europe and the United States, but now the tour has expanded well beyond that. The Avatar: The Last Airbender concert will be arriving in 100 cities.

Meanwhile, Lost‘s Michael Giacchino offers us a concert poster and little else. We guess it’s the Lost way to be mysterious. We do know we’ll see this Dharma Initiative concert in 2024.

If you need more Avatar: The Last Airbender in your life, check out everything we know about the live-action series.

EA Motive’s Iron Man Game Gets Much-Anticipated Updates

Last September, Marvel Entertainment and EA’s Motive Studios announced they were teaming up for a brand new Iron Man game. This “all-new single-player, third-person, action-adventure” will “feature an original narrative that taps into the rich history of Iron Man, channeling the complexity, charisma, and creative genius of Tony Stark and enabling players to feel what it’s like to truly play as Iron Man.”

We haven’t heard too much about it since, but recently, the game received a few exciting updates. First, EA Motive shared that while the game was still in early pre-production, it had selected Unreal Engine 5 as its game engine. Additionally, a Community Council of Iron Man and Marvel fans has been selected to offer feedback on the game’s creation. And finally, Marvel Comics’ own Ryan North has joined the Iron Man game’s writing team, bringing his passion and expertise to the table. All of that sounds incredibly promising.

For more fun Avengers adventures, check out the trailer for LEGO Marvel Avengers: Code Red.

Magic: The Gathering‘s The Lord of the Rings Collection Expands with Four New Scene Boxes

Magic: The Gathering‘s The Lord of the Rings collection is really something spectacular. And now, its gorgeous offerings continue to expand with four special Tales of Middle-Earth Scene Boxes. These special sets offer fans and collectors “6 foil Borderless cards with art that combine to showcase one of the most epic scenes from The Lord of the Rings” as well as “6 Art Cards featuring the same art without any game text obscuring the view” and three booster packs which contain 12 cards each, “including 1–4 cards of rarity Rare or higher.”

The four scenes depicted in these special The Lord of the Rings Magic card box sets are Gandalf in Pelennor Fields, The Might of Galadriel, Flight of the Witch-King, and Aragorn at Helm’s Deep. Each set costs around $41, or all four are available for purchase for $144. All of these incredible box sets go on sale on November 3. We first saw these on GameSpot.

To explore more about Magic: The Gathering‘s The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth set, check out our deep dive into the set, here.

NYC Transit App Becomes Pokémon Go of Rats and Informs You About the Rattiness of a Station

Catching a glimpse of a rat in NYC is kind of like playing Pokémon Go in real life, right? To help the vision along, an app called Transit, which we first saw on Kotaku, is helping to detect rat-levels across NYC’s many different subway stops. Transit shares, “We enlisted thousands of rodent spotters across the five boroughs to rank the rattiest stations.” And in the end, Transit created the “NYC Subway Rat Detector.” Rats, it turns out, are everywhere, but in some places more than others. Those who actually download the Transit app can get updated reports on the state of their favorite station and check-in regularly on the rat situation. No word yet on what happens if you throw a Poké Ball in the direction of an NYC rat… But we’ll have to suggest that you don’t.

Did you know that rats can play video games too? Take a look at these rats playing Doom II.

Get Up to Some Mischief with BoxLunch’s Loki Collection

Ready to embrace some extra mischief in your life? BoxLunch’s Loki collection is here to help you celebrate Loki, Sylvie, Mobius, Miss Minutes, and the TVA. Even though Loki and co. are probably going to bring down some multiversal mayhem on us all, it doesn’t mean we can’t look stylish while they do. And what could we possibly need more in our lives than an Alligator Loki plush? Ask yourselves.

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The full BoxLunch Loki collection is available here.

To catch up with Loki season two check out our latest write-up.

Disneyland Resort Announces Pixar Place Hotel, the First Fully Pixar-Themed US Hotel

Disneyland + Pixar + fully-themed hotel? Sounds like a match made in heaven to us. We honestly can’t believe the United States didn’t have a full Pixar hotel already, but we guess it didn’t. Disneyland Resort recently announced the Pixar Place Hotel, which will give you an excellent new place to stay while celebrating all things Pixar.

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A release shares, “Pixar Place Hotel will evoke the inspiration and humor that goes into every Pixar film, while celebrating the artistic process. Showcasing early sketches to finished design, the art and decor will highlight vibrant Pixar stories, revealing some never-before-seen artwork.” From the iconic Pixar Lamp to The Incredibles to Toy Story 3 and beyond this new hotel will have it all. It will even include a Finding Nemo pool complete with “Crush’s Surfin’ Slide, a 186-foot-long water slide inspired by the coolest sea turtle in the ocean.” That’s cool, dude. You can check out more facets and concepts for Pixar Place above.

As if that’s not enough, a Haunted Mansion bar is coming to Disney’s next cruise ship.

Goldfish Elf Maple Syrup Flavored Grahams Are Swimming in for the Holidays

Celebrate this holiday season with something sweet, Buddy the Elf style. In honor of Elf and everyone’s favorite elf, Goldfish is putting on their holiday best and offering us some maple syrup-flavored snacks. The official description of these treats notes, “MAPLE SYRUP FLAVORED GRAHAMS: Inspired by syrup – one of elves’ four main food groups. Enjoy delicious flavors of sweet brown sugar and butter, with the taste of caramel and vanilla. Inspired by Buddy the Elf!” Count us in. We also plan to greatly enjoy the different shapes these treats come in, which include Buddy’s hat, a maple syrup jar, and, of course, the traditional goldfish.

Elf turns 20 this year, and we couldn’t think of a finer way to welcome Buddy and the gang into double digits.

Need something else sweet in your life? Stranger Things‘ Scoops Ahoy ice cream is now available at Walmart.

Buy a Tiny Elf Home on Zillow

Okay, so you can’t actually buy a tiny elf home on Zillow. But who doesn’t love a miniature? And if you get in contact with your elf realtor, you might just take home this little house and $10,000 courtesy of Icelandic Provisions Skyr. All you have to do is make an offering… probably not of your soul. But watch out, the fae folk are tricky. Just keep in mind that heating is wool sweaters, this home has been available for 1,000 years, and the price per square foot is a quarter leg of lamb. Can we please get Netflix on Selling Fairyland, stat?

For more fairies and mythology, check out the Ahsoka series connecton to folklore and myth.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Actor Wants Spidey-Pool in a Future Game

Let’s face it, the people love to see Spider-Man and Deadpool interacting together in a relationship affectionately known as Spidey-Pool. Maybe someday the stars will align, and we’ll even get to see them on the big screen. But another excellent option would be for Spider-Man and Deadpool to meet up in Marvel’s Spider-Man games series.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 recently released to much praise and love. We bet a Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 will become a reality sooner rather than later. But what will it entail? Well, Peter Parker/Spider-Man’s actor Yuri Lowenthal has an idea. He’d like Peter Parker and Deadpool to meet up.

Speaking to ComicBook.com, Lowenthal shared:

I mean, there are so many ways they could go with a third game. I’m assuming, at this point nobody’s had me sign a contract for a third game, but I’m assuming there will be a third game… Look, here’s something I’ve been pitching for a long time, and I don’t know if they’re going to do it, but I love the Spidey-Pool relationship. I love Deadpool and Spider-Man. As much as I talk about Moon Knight in this universe, and Bryan Intihar is tired of me talking about that, I’ve been hard-pitching, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if Nolan North and I got to play in that?” And so I would love to see that. I’d love to see Deadpool and Spidey in this. Is it going to happen? Probably not. Do they listen to me? Mostly not. But that is a relationship I would love to see explored in games.

It would, indeed, be great.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 also has its very own artbook. Check out our write-up, here.

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Lately, it feels like every major franchise is getting the Magic card treatment. Magic: The Gathering has collaborated with The Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park, Doctor Who, Fallout, and more to bring fans cards that speak to their favorite fictional worlds via their Universes Beyond arm. But now, it feels like the biggest collaboration yet has just been announced. Marvel and Magic: The Gathering will come together to bring Marvel’s greatest heroes, worlds, and more into the world of Magic cards. And although we don’t have any official card art, or really any details yet, we feel the excitement already.

A release shares that this Marvel and Magic collaboration is a “multi-year, multi-set deal.” So fans can look forward to many Marvel Magic cards in the future. The release further notes, “The first tentpole Magic set based on Marvel’s fan-favorite characters and epic stories will appear globally in 2025, with additional all-new exciting sets for multi-generational fans to collect and play.”

2025 feels like a long way off, but we guess there is a lot of Marvel to distill down into one set. We can already imagine the “Captain America’s Shield” card in our mind’s eye. But we hope there will be some deep cuts and Easter eggs we didn’t see coming in this upcoming Marvel Magic card sit. One thing is for sure, though, this collaboration will be beautiful. If Magic: The Gathering’s The Lord of the Rings cards were anything to judge by, then these Marvel sets will totally floor us. We can’t wait to see our favorite heroes reimagined in this whole new way.

“Trading cards have always been a part of Marvel’s DNA, so this collaboration takes that experience to a whole new level,” Dan Buckley, President of Marvel Comics and Franchise noted about this team-up. “With the depth that our storytelling and characters bring to the table, we can’t wait for fans to see how the Marvel Universe translates seamlessly into gameplay within these Magic: The Gathering products and sets for years to come.”

And so, the multiverse expands. There’s no official release date for the Marvel Magic card sets, but we’re sure we’ll get more looks and news about the collaboration way before 2025.

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Sixty years of time and space travel, 15 Doctors (plus a few more), and hundreds of episodes have all led to this. The culmination of everything Doctor Who has been about since 1963. I only slightly jest, but it is pretty rad that fans of perennial deck building game Magic: The Gathering can now enjoy it in terms of their favorite sci-fi show (probably). As part of MTG‘s Universes Beyond imprint, which also recently announced Jurassic Park Magic cards, the various Time Lord incarnations, and their companions and villains are now playable cards. These Doctor Who Magic cards look pretty damn gorgeous, have to say.

Available for preorder October 13, Magic: The Gathering‘s Doctor Who line will have four separate, 100-card decks. Each will have 50 unique cards with brand new original Who artwork. The Blast from the Past Magic card set will feature all of the classic series Doctors and companions. Timey Wimey will have Doctors Nine, Ten, and Eleven. Meanwhile, the Paradox Power Doctor Who Magic card set will have the Twelfth and Thirteenth Doctors. And Masters of Evil will, of course, have all the baddies you could hope for. As part of WeeklyMTG on YouTube, the Magic team revealed a number of new Doctor Who cards and their abilities. Check out some of them in our gallery below, and watch the whole livestream on their channel.

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I’m not a Magic: The Gathering player personally, but I definitely am a Doctor Who fan. These cards are absolutely gorgeous, and I might just have to pick some up just to have them. Plus, it’s beyond awesome that the game calls the Doctors “Legendary Creatures.” Too right, MTG. Too right.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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It’s been an exciting week to say the least. The WGA strike happily came to an end, Pokémon announced its full Van Gogh Museum collaboration, and we even got to see a very exciting familiar face on Ahsoka. But in the mix with all that, there were some other exciting annoucements and releases that might have gotten lost in the shuffle. But never fear, we’re ready to catch you up on it all.

Here are some of our favorite pop-culture news odds & ends that you don’t want to miss reading about.

This Week’s Odds & Ends in News:

• A Reboot of The Office Is Reportedly in the Works From Greg Daniels
• Newest The Lord of the Rings Release Will Be a Cozy Game Featuring Hobbits and the Shire
• Get Ready for the Holidays with LEGO’s Marvel Avengers Advent Calendar
• A Rick & Morty Movie Could Be Heading Our Way
• Enjoy Magic: The Gathering Themed Pancakes a IHOP
• Spirit Halloween Movie Coming to Stream on Shudder
• Skittles Littles Invites You to Taste a Mini Rainbow

A Reboot of The Office Is Reportedly in the Works From Greg Daniels

That’s right folks, it might be time to head back to work… Or whatever it is they do in The Office. According to The Wrap, The Office series co-creator Greg Daniels is reportedly working on a reboot of the show’s US version. This news is still tenuous for now. It comes from Puck News‘ Matthew Belloni. As the WGA strike came to a close, Belloni shared in his newsletter, “We’re also about to see a firehose of announcements of projects and castings that have been held back for fear of bad optics or violating guild rules. Greg Daniels is set to do a reboot of ‘The Office,’ for instance.”

Of course, we’ve seen conversations surrounding a reboot or spinoff of The Office before. In fact, Parks and Recreation started life as a spinoff of The Office. In this age of media, everything old can become new again. And The Office remains an immensely popular show. So if Greg Daniels really was helming a The Office reboot, it would not surprise us. But we would be equally unsurprised if it did not come to pass. Only time will tell.

Check out news of the latest remake of The Office, here:

Newest The Lord of the Rings Release Will Be a Cozy Game Featuring Hobbits and the Shire

Ready for some truly exciting news for fall? A new The Lord of the Rings video game is coming our way and this one will be a cozy outing dedicated to Hobbits and the Shire. Honestly, we could not imagine a better idea to make into reality. We don’t know too much about the game yet, but a teaser trailer for Tales of the Shire sets up with just the right vibes.

Your cosy Hobbit life awaits in Tales of the Shire, a heart-warming new The Lord of the Rings™ game by Wētā Workshop and Private Division. Coming 2024. pic.twitter.com/CvDnRXyMQN

— talesoftheshire (@talesoftheshire) September 21, 2023

A little watercolor, a little humming, and a few leaves blowing in the wind, you say? That’s a real mood right there. The only explanation we get so far notes, “Your cosy Hobbit life awaits in Tales of the Shire, a heart-warming new The Lord of the Ring game by Wētā Workshop and Private Division. Coming 2024.” In the video, we do see references to the Green Dragon, Ivy Bush, and Bywater. But those are about our only clues.

Wētā Workshop, of course, is known for its gorgeous creations and work on The Lord of the Rings movies. We’re hoping for the best and expecting the best with Tales of the Shire.

Check out some gorgeous The Lord of the Rings collectible items, here:

Get Ready for the Holidays with LEGO’s Marvel Avengers Advent Calendar

If you’re like us, you don’t really want to get ready for the holidays yet. It feels early. But nevertheless, the holiday season is incoming whether we like it or not. But least it’s bringing with it some excellent gifting ideas. High on our list is this LEGO Marvel Avengers Advent Calendar. Whether this is your first LEGO Marvel Advent calendar or your hundredth, opening 24 days of superhero surprises make for a lot of fun.

This year the calendar will bring you LEGO Minifigures of your favorite Avengers like Okoye, Doctor Strange, Captain America, Spider-Man, Wong, Iron Man, and Black Widow alongside mini builds and accessories. Additionally, “Buildable play experiences include a Quinjet, jetpack, ice hockey kit, the Hydra Train and lots more items inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe.” Basically, you get to create a LEGO Avengers winter wonderland. And what could be better than that? We especially love Okoye playing a game of hockey.

The LEGO Marvel Avengers Advent Calander is available now and costs $44.99.

For more LEGO Marvel fun, check out this advanced Captain America shield set, here:

A Rick and Morty Movie Could Be Heading Our Way

Rick and Morty season season seven premieres in October. But a recent profile with creator Dan Harmon by The Hollywood Reporter indicates even more Rick and Morty could be on the way in movie form. The publication notes “Pre-strike, Harmon even had a serious conversation with executives at Warner Bros. about a Rick and Morty feature. He says they were all aligned on a kind of ‘“’super episode’”’ conceit, the way that Matt Stone and Trey Parker approached the South Park movie years ago. He has plenty more percolating in development, too, including a musical and a multicam.”

Whether these Rick and Morty movie conversations return post-strike remains to be seen. But it feels like one way or another, we’ll get a whole lot more Rick and Morty on our screens sooner rather than later. A “super episode” seems to only make sense.

Check out Rick and Morty‘s full season seven trailer, here:

Enjoy Magic: The Gathering Themed Pancakes a IHOP

Need more Magic: The Gathering in your life? How about in pancake form? Well, if so, you’re in luck. IHOP and Magic: The Gathering are collaborating on a Magic-themed menu that will be available for a limited time. In addition to being able to redeem IHOP loyalty points for Magic: The Gathering Arena in-game rewards, “Guests can also order from a custom Magic: The Gathering Arena menu featuring five specially themed pancakes at participating IHOPs.”

Here’s what the menu consists of:

• Ajani’s Purr-fect Pancakes: Original Buttermilk – classic original buttermilk keeping the Multiverse at peace. 
• Jace’s Illusion-Berry Pancakes: Double Blueberry – double blueberry pancakes conjured specially for magic lovers. 
• Liliana’s Chocolate Corruption Pancakes: Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Chocolate pancakes – chocolate chips & chocolate syrup – irresistible for mere mortals. 
• Chandra’s Pyroblast Pancakes: Strawberry Banana – a delicious combination of banana-filled pancakes topped with fiery red strawberries, more bananas & strawberry syrup. Consume with haste. 
• Vivien’s Heroic Protein Pancakes: Protein Power – protein-packed pancakes that are in tune with nature & in tune with your stomach.

Sounds magical to us!

Check out Magic: The Gathering‘s latest cool collaboration cards, here:

Spirit Halloween Movie Coming to Stream on Shudder

Remember the Spirit Halloween movie? Maybe you do, probably you don’t. But if you want to watch your favorite Halloween store transform into a horror movie you can now do so at any time. The Spirit Halloween movie will start streaming on Shudder beginning on October 2. This movie might not be what you call good, but it could be what you call a good time. Not to mention, according to Variety, it was shot in abandoned Toys R Us location in Georgia.

Relive the magic of the Spirit Halloween movie’s trailer, here:

Skittles Littles Invites You to Taste a Mini Rainbow

Admit it! Things are better when they’re teeny tiny. Just look at mini M&Ms! Well, Skittles wants to get into the fun now with Skittles Littles. These small candies are exactly what they sound like, Skittles but shrunk down to cute-size. We love it. A release shares, “Bursting with the five iconic fruity flavors of SKITTLES fans love, now in a tiny and more poppable form, SKITTLES Littles make it even easier to enjoy SKITTLES on-the-go.”

We can’t wait to taste the tiny rainbow. Skittles Littles are available now in stores and online.

If you’re looking for more adorable treats, take a look at this Girl Scout Cookie collaboration with Skippy P.B. Bites

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Magic: The Gathering is once again hitting the trail to become Magic: The Galloping. The popular tabletop trading card game is making a return to trip to a very different fantasy world for another highly unlikely, highly adorable collection. For the second time, a Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair drop will drop in on My Little Pony. And just like before it’s going to saddle up for a very good cause.

Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro have announced a follow-up to their original 2019 My Little Pony Magic card release with Ponies: The Galloping 2. The new set includes cards for four popular colorful cuties: Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash. They come from illustrators Rudy Siswanto, John Thacker, and Anna Steinbauer. And although they “are not tournament-legal,” each card boasts “unique mechanics.”

The set of My Little Pony Magic: the Gathering cards is already available to pre-order exclusively at the Secret Lair website. The regular collection can be yours for $39.99, and there’s a special Foil Edition for $49.99. Both versions will be sold from September 18 through November 6 (at 11:59 p.m. PT).

Besides looking good, there’s a good reason to opt for the foil set. That extra ten dollars will also do some extra special good. While Ponies: The Galloping 2 will make Bronies who also love Magic: The Gathering particularly excited, this My Little Pony collaboration is all about raising money for a good cause. Wizards of the Coast is once again turning Little Ponies into a donation to Extra Life, “a charity program in support of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the Seattle Children’s Autism Center.”

Fifty percent of all proceeds from this collection will go straight to Extra Life in support of the center. Even better? Wizards of the Coast says this is “just the beginning” of their 2023 campaign for Extra Life.

It’s hard to imagine the next part will be as sweet and colorful.

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Recently, The Lord of the Rings arrived in the world of Magic: The Gathering. The Magic card collection, titled Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, brought to life many epic moments and characters from The Lord of the Rings. But Magic also took the set one step further. The company created a special version of “The One Ring” card that was serialized as one of one. Yes, there was only one card made of this Ring of Power, and it was hidden throughout all The Lord of the Rings Magic cards released. Of course, this started a frenzied search to find the One Ring that was not dissimilar to the one we saw in The Lord of the Rings movies—my precious, etc. But now Magic‘s One Ring has officially been discovered. Does that many evil wins? We guess only if the card isn’t destroyed.

We’ll have to see what comes next. Rare cards can often sell for quite a bit of money, and this one is as rare as they come. We also don’t yet know who found this special One Ring Magic card. But we hope they’re a Hobbit, ready to travel to the depths of the fiery Mount Doom. Or, we hope they’re having a good day, anyway.

As is the case with Rings of Power, we’re sure we’ll hear more about the fate of this ring/Lord of the Rings Magic card very soon. Or maybe Sauron will take over, and we’ll know for sure what has gone down.

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Realms of fantasy collide sometimes, and the meeting of The Lord of the Rings and Magic: The Gathering makes for quite the mash-up. As part of Magic‘s Universes Beyond Our Own line, which brings in characters and settings from outside Magic‘s Multiverse, Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth puts a J.R.R. Tolkien-inspired coat of paint on the beloved trading card game. Nerdist joined Wizards of the Coast and other outlets for a virtual preview of Tales of Middle-earth with senior art director Ovidio Cartagena. He took us through the gorgeous set of The Lord of the Rings Magic cards, sharing insight into the design and gameplay. We’ll take a closer look at some Lands, a special Legendary Creature, and Starter Kit cards.

Magic: The Gathering‘s The Lord of the Rings Land Cards

First, let’s look at the basic lands. In Magic: The Gathering, lands represent locations under the player’s control.

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You’ll notice all of Magic‘s land cards feature characters in this The Lord of the Rings collection—well, the silhouettes of them. Cartagena explained it’s to represent the different paths the characters in The Lord of the Rings have to traverse. Here, the land serves Magic‘s gameplay, but it also represents the journey at the heart of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. The cards are meant to show the epic nature of Frodo’s quest to destroy the ring.

Character and Creature Cards in Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth

The design team wanted to incorporate familiar characters and creatures into Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth. Beyond the names and creatures you’d expect, this extends to creatures such as Bill the Pony. The loyal and brave steed is a Legendary Creature, so you could have Bill the Pony as a Commander if you so choose. Cartagena made sure to point out the pans that are part of Bill the Pony’s pack; it’s a nod to Samwise’s cooking and one of the many Easter eggs in the set.

With Tales of Middle-earth, players can join the fellowship and fight on the forces of good, or they can serve the Dark Lord Sauron and spread shadow across Middle-earth. The Magic cards featuring The Lord of the Rings characters we know so well have different spins on them, though. Sauron is one of the cards in the Starter Kit, and though someone asked Cartagena how he was going to illustrate Sauron’s eye, he said he understands the eye as more of a metaphoric thing. So, his team designed a unique look for Sauron. And with Frodo, they wanted a more heroic look, something that reflects the many years that pass between him inheriting the ring and embarking on the journey to destroy it.

The Starter Kit has two pre-constructed 60-card decks. Get a preview of some of those cards, including Sauron and Frodo, below.

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Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Release Date and Magic Card Offerings

Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth has two launch windows in 2023, June and November. The June 2023 release (prerelease June 16-22, available everywhere on June 23) includes a starter kit, jumpstart boosters, regular boosters, a prerelease pack, a bundle to get your journey going, and more. And on June 26, a special Secret Lair release will feature a drop based on Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 The Lord of the Rings animated film.

We’re not the only ones who got to preview these The Lord of the Rings Magic cards, though. Frodo Baggins himself, Elijah Wood, took a look at the deck. And his expressions say it all.

But they aren’t the only people we met with. We traveled to Middle-earth, to talk to one very special fan… #MTGxLOTR pic.twitter.com/reUw7PfGWY

— Magic: The Gathering (@wizards_magic) May 30, 2023

Finally, no, they didn’t forget about the importance of food in this story.

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Original reporting by Melissa Miller.

Middle-earth seems to be all around us these days. We’re still waiting on fresh news from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power‘s season two, but other Tolkien adventures are giving us plenty of things to feel excited about. Recently, Wizards of the Coast announced the newest Magic: The Gathering collection’s Tolkien tie-in. The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth collection comes out on June 23, 2023. The artwork for the first revealed cards is a stunning addition to the already rich tapestry of Middle-earth, and we can’t wait to see even more. Not to mention, Magic has created a very special surprise regarding its “Rings” cards. Here’s what we know about this The Lord of the Rings collaboration with Magic cards.

Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Reveals First Magic Cards

Recently, we got a good look at the first revealed cards from The Lord of the Rings‘ collaboration with Magic. Magic: The Gathering revealed many of Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth‘s offerings. From Frodo to Sam to Tom Bombadil to Arwen, the Shire, and more, here is some of what you can look forward to:

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Of course, Magic will create some special cards to serve as Middle-earth’s magical rings. These rare cards’ availability will be based on Tolkien’s iconic poem detailing how many of each kind of ring were made. (Three rings for the elven kings means 300 or 3,000 versions of that card, etc.) And, in the end, that, of course, leaves us with just one ring. Yes. There will be a special version of the One Ring of Power Magic card that will be serialized as only one of one. Happy hunting for this precious…

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Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Comes to Magic: The Gathering

The initial news was from a slate of announcements Wizards of the Coast made about both Magic and Dungeons & Dragons offerings coming up in 2023 as Magic celebrates its 30th anniversary. We’ll also see a Doctor Who set coming soon. For both, alchemy sets will also be available for digital players of Magic: The Gathering Arena.

The Lord of the Rings Magic Cards Release Date and Product Information

A release for Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth shares more about what we can expect. It notes:

The Lord of the Rings has come to Magic: The Gathering, and it’s time to take familiar favorites on a whole new journey there and back again. In the upcoming set The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth™, players have the chance to join the Fellowship in adventures filled with valor, courage, and second breakfast. Play your favorite moments of the third age or turn Middle-earth on its head and surrender to the temptation of the Precious. Either way; Middle-earth is in your hands.

The set has two primary launch windows—June 2023 and a holiday launch in November 2023—and is the first full set release as part of Universes Beyond, bringing the iconic world of J.R.R. Tolkien to life within the Magic frame. The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth is modern legal and comprised of Draft, Set, Collector, and Jumpstart Boosters, four Commander decks, a Starter Kit, a Bundle and Gift Bundle, Scene Boxes, and Secret Lair drops.

More Looks at the Art of This Collection

You can check out more product artwork from The Lord of the Rings Magic set below:

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Other Nerdy Sets

Even though scientists declared Magic: The Gathering the world’s most complex game, it’s clear that it offers something for everyone. There’s My Little Pony cards after all. Other recent crossovers include Stranger Things, FortNite, and Street Fighter. But no mashup has ever made me want to own a set more than the Bob Ross painting “Happy Little Gathering” landscapes collection. Maybe it’s not too late to get into Magic. 

If the game still doesn’t seem like quite your thing, you can always watch other people play. Like this delightful video of Joseph Gordon-Levitt opening his boxes of Magic cards for the first time since he was a kid. Or the Netflix animated series starring Brandon Routh, allegedly coming soon.

Originally published on August 18, 2022.

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In August 1993, Magic: The Gathering became the first modern trading card game. It has stayed relevant over the intervening decades with crossovers like Fortnite, Street Fighter, and Stranger Things. But the classic cards also hold a lot of nostalgia. Knowing this, Wizards of the Coast is releasing the 30th Anniversary Edition beginning November 28, 2022. The set, modeled after the Limited Edition Beta cards, will sell for $999. And even though the cards can’t be used in sanctioned tournaments, the image gallery of artwork is enough to tempt any Magic fan.  

According to the publisher: “Each display of 30th Anniversary Edition will contain four packs of pure nostalgia reimagined in a modern context. Each pack contains 15 cards, 13 cards in the modern frame—1 rare, 3 uncommons, 7 commons, and 2 basic lands—plus one basic land in the retro frame, one additional retro frame card, and a token.” 

The set will also be a limited edition, like the early releases with black borders and pointed edges that are coveted by collectors. Black Lotus cards may continue their reign as the ultimate find. Each of the 30th Anniversary cards has that special artwork on the back at least.

Wizards of the Coast are planning lots of other sets and special releases in the next year to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Magic: The Gathering, including a Lord of the Rings mashup. Proving it’s never too late to get into Magic, there’s even Bob Ross paintings on some cards. Netlfix also announced an animated series coming soon. Thirty years later and the magic of Magic is still going strong. 

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth. 

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Wordle is an amazing game. Most of us are greatly enjoying our once-a-day, guess a word, brain teaser. And like all great things, Wordle is even better with a side of fandom. If there’s one thing fandoms know how to do expediently, it’s incorporate the latest trends into their fannish lives. And why not add a twist of your favorite franchise into the mix. From The Lord of the Rings to Taylor Swift Wordle version, we’ve collected some fun nerdy Wordles that have come out of the recent Wordle craze.

Lordle of the Rings: A Lord of the Rings Nerdy Wordle

Clever, very clever. We see you The Lord of the Rings fans. But be warned. Just as one does not simply walk into Mordor… One does not simply play Lordle of the Rings. The One Game comes with a little twist. While you could see words like “Bilbo” or “Shire,” you could also see ones like “sword” or “brook.” Because this nerdy Wordle “uses only five-letter words (including names) in the main text of Lord of the Rings.”

But when you stop to think about that, the main text of Lord of the Rings has a lot of words. Good luck fellow Fellowship members. May the eagles fly in your favor.

SWordle: A Star Wars Nerdy Wordle

Yes, the Star Wars fandom needed a Wordle. And may the Force be with you as you try to crack the code on this nerdy Wordle. The instructions share, “Guess the Star Wars word in 6 tries. Each guess has to be 5 letters, think plurals too! The keyboard includes numbers and dashes, think of your favorite droids and more! The color of the letter indicates its status.” A little twist on this Star Wars wordle. Dashes and numbers are in play. But never easy is a Jedi’s life.

This fun Wordle also includes a specially-themed background. Nerds to love an aesthetic. You can also play using Aurebesh Characters if you desire even more nerdy excellence.

Taylordle and Wordle-BTS: Taylor Swift and BTS Nerdy Wordles

Bandom is fandom too! And Taylor has one of the most devoted around. It’s no wonder a Taylor Swift-themed Wordle popped up. It belongs with the rest of the nerdy Wordles out there. The instructions simply share, “This is a Taylor Swift-themed clone of the game.” But if you’re a T-Swift stan, we have no doubt you’ll know exactly what words to play. (Or you’ll taste the bitter sting of defeat, which we know… All too well.”

Of course, we can’t forget Bandom royalty, the BTS ARMY. If you ask any ARMY, they’ll tell you the BTS wordle variant was one of the first nerdy Wordles around. Because the ARMY is always on top of things. They even got featured in India’s Rolling Stone. The BTS wordle shares, “This is a game of word guessing with BTS-related words.” And it cleverly demonstrates with the word, “Armys.” That’s smooth like butter, for sure.

Moxel: A Magic: The Gathering Nerdy Wordle 

If you’re more of a tabletop-game-playing-nerd, this Magic: The Gathering wordle is just for you. Although you’ll need to make a Moxfield log-in to play, once you’re in this M:TG wordle awaits you. Alas, “Magic” is not today’s word. But that would probably too easy, wouldn’t it? We’ll have to try “spell” or “swamp,” next. Moxel doesn’t offer too much description except to say the game is like Wordle but “adapted for Magic: the Gathering.”

May the cards and squares fall in your favor.

Squirdle: A Pokémon Nerdy Wordle 

Of all the nerdy Wordles, we think this Pokémon wordle has the best name. Although it functions on similar lines, this game actually works a bit differently than the traditional Wordle. Squirdle first thinks of a Pokémon. Then you guess a Pokémon name and receive Wordle-esque insights on the attributes that you’ve guessed correctly. It actually feels quite tricky. But die-hard fans will probably enjoy testing themselves in this way.

Can you catch all the Pokémon Wordle responses?

Other Nerdy Wordles: Star Trek Wordle, Supernatural Wordle, Mads Mikkelsen Wordle, Disney Wordle, and More to Come

We’re sure other nerdy Wordles will pop up soon. In fact, since we first wrote this article, a Fortnite Wordle, a Disney Wordle, a Star Trek Wordle, a Supernatural Wordle, and a Mads Mikkelsen Wordle have already popped up. So keep an eye out for more. We actually feel a bit disappointed we don’t have an MCU Wordle yet. Or an anime one. Personally, I would love a Doctor Who version. Let’s go fandoms!

Originally published on February 3, 2022. 

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Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast has announced what it calls its “most chilling superdrop yet!” Magic the Gathering is partnering with Netflix’s smash-hit ’80s horror series for a “mind melting” union. Stranger Things Magic cards are the next Secret Lair drop. Secret Lair is responsible for some of Magic‘s best cards. Artists get to bring their own style to the game with different art or unique cards. Now players will get to use ones featuring Chief Hopper, Will, Eleven, and more. From the drop’s official announcement:

“The mysteries of Hawkins and the Upside Down have come to Magic: The Gathering! This drop features eight brand-new cards and a unique Clue token. Call upon some of your favorite characters from the show and apply their unique talents in unforgettable games. Whether you view them as Commanders or collectables, this drop is perfect for the biggest Stranger Things and/or Magic fan in your life—especially if that fan is you!”

Wizards of the Coast

The Secret Lair x Stranger Things collaboration will be available in traditional foil ($49.99) and non-foil ($39.99) packs. It comes with cards for:

–Chief Jim Hopper
–Dustin, Gadget Genius
–Eleven, the Mage
–Lucas, the Sharpshooter
–Max, the Daredevil
–Mike, the Dungeon Master
–Mind Flayer, the Shadow
–Will the Wise
–Clue Token

If you want to nab a pack of Stranger Things Magic cards, head to secretlair.wizards.com between 9 a.m. PT October 18 and 9 a.m. PT November 15 to preorder yours. Or you can hope to steal one from the monster that lures you into a dark mirror dimension. We’re not trained Mind Flayer fighters. But preordering seems like the much safer option.

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Who doesn’t love a good crossover? Now Magic: The Gathering fans can plan to add Fortnite Magic cards and Street Fighter Magic cards to their decks. While there is no release date yet, these crossover cards, which we first saw on Polygon, sound very exciting.

This announcement came as part of Magic: The Gathering‘s ‘Magic Showcase 2021‘ panel. Here’s what we learned about the Fortnite Magic cards:

Sometimes we’re looking to do something quicker, or lighter or experimental…We’re huge fans [of Fortnite], they do so much interesting stuff over there. So we are doing two drops that are the flavor and character and world and kind of vibe of Fortnite brought over to Magic cards. We’re going to do this one with reprints, so these are cards you might already be playing in your deck. But now if you want to, you can upgrade them into the Fortnite version.

Wizards of the Coast

The hosts also commented on how colorful the Fortnite Magic cards were, sharing that they are a fun departure from the usual Magic: The Gathering visuals. For now, the company hasn’t shared which cards will get new looks. But it’s never too early for fans of both franchises to start speculating.

On the Street Fighter Magic cards front, all new cards are in the works:

Additionally, coming next year we have a Stree Fighter drop. These are characters that I fell in love with in the arcade as a child… They’ve been part of gaming for so long and now they’re making the jump to Magic. So these are some iconic Street Fighter characters. We’ve built cards for them. These will be in the drop.

The panel revealed art of a Chun-Li card that will be part of the Street Fighter Magic drop. The beautiful card highlights Chun-Li’s incredible kicking abilities.  The hosts further revealed that Chun-Li’s card would have the ‘Multikicker’ ability. Translated to Magic, this means that a player can pay an additional cost any number of times when casting the spell to increase its effects.

Wizards of the Coast

The company shared that the Fortnite and Street Fighter collections are both a part of Magic‘s Secret Lair collection. According to the official website: “The Secret Lair Drop Series contains specially curated cards that feature some of the most exciting artists around. But act fast-each drop is available for a very limited amount of time.”

If you’re interested in these crossovers, it sounds like you’d better ready yourself to snag them whenever they finally land.

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Netflix’s Magic: The Gathering animated series has found its lead. Announced back in 2019, the series originally had Joe and Anthony Russo of Marvel fame involved as executive producers. They recently excited the series, leaving Jeff Kline to lead the show’s creative team. Steve Melching will co-executive produce. But as for that leading role: Variety reports Brandon Routh will voice Gideon Jura.

Details about the plot are still under wraps, but we do know it’s an all new storyline. Netflix said in a press release, “[It will] expand on the stories of the Planeswalkers, which are Magic’s unique magic-wielding heroes and villains as they contend with stakes larger than any one world can hold.” Planeswalker cards were first introduced to Magic in 2007 in the Lorwyn set, and they are among the most powerful characters in the game.

Wizards of the Coast shared the news about Routh in their Magic Showcase 2021 stream. Routh’s character, Gideon Jura, is a planeswalker, and also a hieromancer (a white mage who uses protective power to enforce order or suppress the abilities of others). Jura’s had quite the history in the card game.

And the character will also figure into an accompanying novel from Del Rey Books. Django Wexler is writing the prequel novel that will release with the Magic: The Gathering series. That novel will feature Gideon Jura and Jace Beleren adventuring together.

Isaac Krauss—CEO of the animation studio Octopie, which will oversee production of the show—said in a press release, “This series will cross the genres of suspenseful thriller, horror, and drama with deeply developed characters the likes of which are not often seen in animation.”

This is the first ever series based on Magic: The Gathering, which first came to stores in 1993. With millions of fans around the world (it’s published in 11 languages in over 70 countries), there’s already a huge built in audience.

Featured Image: Netflix

Originally published on June 3, 2019.

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Now that D&D Live on G4 has wrapped up, we have the Dungeons & Dragons news you might have missed in all the excitement! The rest of 2021 will see three new books from Wizards of the Coast set in worlds that might sound familiar to TTRPG veterans. Whether you want to head to the Feywild, get a taste of Dragonlance, or enter the world of Magic: The Gathering—or all three!—you’ll find a book you’ll want to explore in your next D&D campaign. Let’s roll.

The Wild Beyond the Witchlight (September 2021)

Wizards of the Coast/Katerina Ladon

A trip to the Feywild! What could possibly go wrong? Rife with Something Wicked This Way Comes vibes, The Wild Beyond the Witchlight takes adventurers to a colorful carnival unlike any other:

Once every eight years, the fantastic Witchlight Carnival touches down on your world, bringing joy to one settlement after the next. Its owners, Mister Witch and Mister Light, know how to put on a good show. But there’s more to this magical extravaganza than meets the eye!

Renowned Wizard of the Coast Chris Perkins took the lead on the first official adventure set primarily in the Feywild. Two new player races, faeries and rabbit folk, and new character backgrounds just might entice you to enter the carnival. Longtime fans of D&D will also be delighted by the return of Warduke, Strongheart, Kelek, and other classic D&D characters from the 1980s. Look for the Witchlight Carnival to magically appear on September 21, 2021.

Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons (October 2021)

Wizards of the Coast/David Auden Nash

Yes, that Fizban! While Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons isn’t a Dragonlance setting or campaign book, there are some hints of Krynn to be found in this monster manual:

What is the difference between a red dragon and a gold dragon? What is dragonsight? How does the magic that suffuses dragons impact the world around them? Here is your comprehensive guide to dragons, filled with the tips and tools Dungeon Masters and players need for their encounters with these dangerous magical creatures.

New dragons. Dragon character options. Dragon lairs. Dragon bestiary. If it’s got dragons, it’s in this book. This dragon hoard can be opened at your friendly local game store on October 19, 2021.

Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos (November 2021)

Wizards of the Coast/Zoltan Boros

Enroll now in the Strixhaven school of magic! Described as “YA meets D&D” and drawn from the multiverse of Magic: The Gathering, adventurers are all chosen ones in this adventure book:

The greatest minds in the multiverse meet at Strixhaven University. Professors convey fantastic secrets to eager students, and life on campus is frenetic. But danger lurks even here. Campus hijinks mix with mishaps and sinister plots, and it’s up to you to save the day.

Four adventures, even more player options including a new race of owlfolk, and so much more are waiting for new students to discover. Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos begins the school year on November 16, 2021.

For these exciting announcements and so much more, re-visit D&D Live now on the G4 YouTube channel for deep dives, actual plays, and much more.

Wizards of the Coast/Crystal Sully

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her book Marvel Monsters is out now from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for bad puns, pop culture coverage, and more.

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Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast and the late artist’s estate have teamed up for a very special set. The newest Magic: the Gathering Secret Lair drop (which was first officially reported by Vice) will come adorned with works from the man(a) himself, Bob Ross. The “Happy Little Gathering” collection will feature ten different pieces by the beloved artist. Each will represent the game’s five different land types: plains, forest, mountains, swamps, and islands. Each land will get two different Bob Ross designs.

The set also come with a powerful, Bob Ross-inspired Evolving Wilds card. Players can sacrifice it and replace it with another basic land. That might not make for a happy little opponent, but a Bob Ross landscape is a mighty thing. Hopefully seeing his art will keep them from getting too angry. Also, the set includes a TG Arena Redemption, one “single-use code for a Magic the Gathering Arena “Happy Little Gathering” Themed Sleeve. It may also be available later as a separate purchase in Magic the Gathering Arena.

Wizards of the Coast

The collection will be available in both foil and non-foil. It’s just one of the newly announced Secret Lair sets, Magic the Gathering‘s luxury set of limited edition printed-to-order cards that feature work from well-known artists. The Bob Ross set is part of the company’s new “Secretversary Superdrop.” Seb McKinnon’s work will appear on another new secret Lair collection.

Pre-orders begin November 30 until December 14. However, the site won’t be live until the 25. If you’re anxious to order yours though, we know just the old painting show to help keep you calm.

Featured Image: Wizards of the Coast

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VIZ Media

The book contains art carefully chosen from more than two decades of Magic: The Gathering. It focuses on Nicol Bolas, an Elder Dragon, Planeswalker, and God-Pharaoh in the game. The art and text reveal Nicol’s plans as well as details of each plane. We have a look at three exclusive spreads. Let’s start with the fierce countenance of the God-Emperor of Madara.

VIZ Media

Next: a vampire and a lithomancer. Specifically Sorin Markov and Nahiri the Lithomancer.

“The ancient vampire Sorin Markov was one of the three Planeswalkers who bound the Eldrazi on Zendikar thousands of years ago. Sorin and Nahrir met when Nahrir’s Planeswalker spark first ignited, and they forged an unlikely friendship. Viewing her almost as a daughter, Sorin taught Nahiri about the Multiverse and introduced her to many new planes. Together, they discovered the Eldrazi, witnessing Ulamong’s destruction of a long-forgotten plane. They met Ugin soon after, and the three Planeswalkers concocted the plan that bound the Eldrazi in Zenikar for millennia.”

VIZ Media

Finally, here’s a peek at an exploration image for Project Handlebar. Codenames are common for Magic: The Gathering. That’s a codename for the Bolas arc of the story, which ran through ten sets from “Kaladesh” to “War of the Spark.”

VIZ Media

The Art of Magic: The Gathering- War of the Spark is available now from wherever you buy books.

Featured Image: VIZ Media

Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of The Jedi Mind, available for pre-order now. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

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Becca Scott is back again with Magic: The Gathering Arena! Join us on Save Point as Becca goes through some of the new and most popular decks she owns while adding new and improved cards at every step of the way. All building up to Becca destroying her enemies with fire and magic with a smile on her face!

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This week on Save Point, Becca Scott plays one of her favorite games, Magic: The Gathering Arena! Watch Becca open new packs and build her Magic deck to conquer her opponents!

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If you love giant monsters and collectible fantasy card games then you’re in luck! Today we learned that the newest Magic: The Gathering pack Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths will feature some of the classic kaiju including the King of Monsters himself, Godzilla.

Wizards of the Coast

As you can see from the rad examples above, the Godzilla characters will feature on legitimate, usable, and powerful Magic cards. They would make solid additions to any deck. In an exclusive pre-release interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Wizards of the Coast product architect Mark Heggen explained why the massive monster was a natural addition to the sprawling card game.”We grew up watching Godzilla and for years we’d wanted to create a set that captures the scale and excitement of those classic giant monster movies. All Magic sets have monsters of some variety, but we wanted to dial things all the way up and express that building-smashing, shake-the-ground, “run!” type of drama that those movies do so well.”

Wizards of the Coast, by Antonio Jose Manzanedo

Heggen explained Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths will focus on “a brand-new world called Ikoria” which will act as “a playground for our own new batch of gigantic monsters.”

“…at some point we decided to just invite the biggest, baddest monster of all to join us. We’ve never done anything like this before, but for this set the idea of having Godzilla and his friends crash the party just felt natural,” Heggen added.

Wizards of the Coast says the set “introduces players to Lukka, a proud member of the Coppercoats, the military unit that protects the city of Drannith from Ikoria’s savage monsters. Lukka’s world is forever changed when he forms a mystical connection with a ferocious, winged cat.”

Wizards of the Coast

One of our favorite parts about the series (which will feature 16 Godzilla cards in North America and 19 in Japan) is that they’ve gotten some incredible artists including one of our comic book faves, Daniel Warren Johnson to create the images. The complete card list is:

• Anguirus, Armored Killer
• Babygodzilla, Ruin Reborn
• Biollante, Plant Beast Form
• Bio-Quartz Spacegodzilla
• Destoroyah, Perfect Lifeform
• Dorat, the Perfect Pet
• Ghidorah, King of the Cosmos
• Gigan, Cyberclaw Terror
• Godzilla, Doom Inevitable
• Godzilla, King of the Monsters
• Godzilla, Primeval Champion
• King Caesar, Ancient Guardian
• King Caesar, Awoken Titan
• Mothra, Supersonic Queen
• Rodan, Titan of Winged Fury
• Spacegodzilla, Void Invader
• 決戦兵器、メカゴジラ (Crystalline Giant – Japanese only)
• 暗黒破壊獣、バトラ (Dirge Bat – Japanese only)
• モスラの巨大な繭 (Mothra’s Great Cocoon – Japanese only)

Toho

Fans will only be able to obtain Godzilla, King of the Monsters (while supplies last) by purchasing a draft booster pack display through a Wizards Play Network store. Each sealed draft booster pack display will contain a random Godzilla Series Monster card. Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths Collector Boosters will also contain two random Godzilla Series Monster cards. The Godzilla Series Monster cards will not appear in draft booster packs.

You can pre-order this  super cool addition to the world of Magic: The Gathering right now! Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths releases April 16, 2020 on Magic: The Gathering Arena, with full retail store worldwide release on May 15, 2020. We cannot wait to wield the powers of Godzilla and his buds.

Featured Image: Wizards of the Coast, by Antonio Jose Manzanedo

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Magic: The Gathering’s is calling all monsters in their latest set, IKORIA, and it looks like players could be summoning one of the most famous of them all. In a surprise crossover, the King of the Monsters himelf, Godzilla, and some of his iconic costars will be appearing as part of the new set. Dan breaks it all down in today’s episode of Nerdist News!

What other monsters do you hope they reveal? Let us know in the comments!

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Kyle discusses the impossibilities of Magic: The Gathering, responds to your comments, and more!

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Magic: The Gathering is famously complicated, but did you know it is complicated enough to make a computer inside of? Witness a world first in this week’s episode!

The post I Built a Computer in Magic: The Gathering appeared first on Nerdist.

In a special team-up to benefit the children’s charity Extra Life, Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast are releasing a limited edition Magic: The Gathering set called Ponies: The Galloping. Magic fans in North America will find the highly collectible three-card set and play mat set available on Hasbro Pulse from October 22 – November 5, and a donation of $30 per card set will be made to Extra Life benefitting Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Hasbro

Celebrating the October 12 series finale of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and Magic: The Gathering’s Extra Life event on November 2, the jewel-toned trading card set features three silver-bordered cards with Princess Luna/Nightmare Moon, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and Rarity. (The cards are not legal in tournament play.) The artwork by Andrea Radek, Jennifer L. Meyer, and John Thacker expertly blends the painterly Magic style with the colorful whimsy of My Little Pony.

You’ll also find a Ponies: The Galloping playmat set by Ultra PRO at Hasbro Pulse at a retail price of $100, with $80 of each purchase donated to Extra Life.

Hasbro

Magic: The Gathering Arena players can also join in the magic with the purchase of digital Ponies: The Galloping sleeves, also available for a limited time in the in-game online store.

Wizards of the Coast is encouraging content creators to join in the friendship and fun and raise funds for Extra Life now, all leading up to the November 2 livestream event featuring both Wizards employees and influencers from the Magic community.

Visit the official Magic: The Gathering Extra Life website for even more information about how you can donate to help kids and show off your love of My Little Pony for a great cause!

Featured Image: Hasbro

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Magic the Gathering: Arena plays a bigger role in qualifying for tournament play than ever before, with three Mythic Invitationals planned alongside more opportunities to qualify, plus some of the biggest broadcasts and streamed play. As for tabletop players, Wizards has announced a new Players Tour, “a regional tournament system that will increase global play and qualification opportunities.”

The MPL also returns but with a twist as a new Rivals League joins the fray. Aimed at supporting “up-and-coming talent and provide these high-level competitors a clear path to pro,” the Rivals League is intended as a training ground for the next generation of pro players.

At the end of the season, the best players from across digital and tabletop play will come together to compete for the Magic World Championship. Curious what that actually looks like? Re-visit the 2019 championship below to see what it’s like to play for the title of the best Magic player in the world.

If you’re ready to play alongside the pros for your chance to win incredible prizes, stay tuned to the Magic: The Gathering website and social media for all of the tournament updates and information about the upcoming season.

If you could play any tabletop game for a big prize, which one would you pick? Tell us in the comments.

All Images: Wizards of the Coast

The post Are You the Best MAGIC: THE GATHERING Player in the World? appeared first on Nerdist.

Magic the Gathering: Arena plays a bigger role in qualifying for tournament play than ever before, with three Mythic Invitationals planned alongside more opportunities to qualify, plus some of the biggest broadcasts and streamed play. As for tabletop players, Wizards has announced a new Players Tour, “a regional tournament system that will increase global play and qualification opportunities.”

The MPL also returns but with a twist as a new Rivals League joins the fray. Aimed at supporting “up-and-coming talent and provide these high-level competitors a clear path to pro,” the Rivals League is intended as a training ground for the next generation of pro players.

At the end of the season, the best players from across digital and tabletop play will come together to compete for the Magic World Championship. Curious what that actually looks like? Re-visit the 2019 championship below to see what it’s like to play for the title of the best Magic player in the world.

If you’re ready to play alongside the pros for your chance to win incredible prizes, stay tuned to the Magic: The Gathering website and social media for all of the tournament updates and information about the upcoming season.

If you could play any tabletop game for a big prize, which one would you pick? Tell us in the comments.

All Images: Wizards of the Coast

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Detective Pikachu, where are you? A hugely expensive Pokémon collectible card has “disappeared” in the mail, and we could really use your help! Watch as Jessica scrounges for clues in today’s Nerdist News!

How much would you pay for a Pokémon card? Let us know in the comments!

The post $60,000 Pokémon Card Goes “Missing” in the Mail… appeared first on Nerdist.

Fresh off their record-smashing success with Avengers: Endgame, the Russo Brothers are setting their sites on the small screen! They’re teaming up with Wizards of the Coast and Netflix for a Magic: The Gathering animated series, and we’ve tapped Jessica to tutor us in the details on today’s Nerdist News!

Are you looking forward to an MTG animated series? Let us know in the comments!

The post Endgame Directors Are Taking on Magic: The Gathering for Netflix! appeared first on Nerdist.

Challenging. Epic. Competitive. There are a lot of adjectives you could use to talk about Magic: The Gathering, but thanks to an international group of researchers, we can add one more official description to the list: the world’s most complex game.

Anyone who has ever tapped a Magic card might tell you that’s stating the obvious. But the three researchers and scientists, who recently published their findings, theorized and proved that the winner of a Magic game cannot be determined by an algorithm. The group of researchers, Alex Churchill, Stella Biderman, Austin Herrick, didn’t use anecdotal evidence to reach the conclusion, but intensive research and computations on a Turing machine.

Some games, like chess, can easily be used in computations to determine a winner because of the limited size game board and similar finite factors. But with tens of thousands of Magic cards arranged in 60 card decks customized by players, the numbers start to get a lot harder to crunch.

Alex, Stella, and Austin developed a way for the card game to be played by a computer or Turing machine in order to obtain data and results for their theory. For example, “Whenever a Basilisk dies, create a 2/2 green Elf,” and other similar instructions were created.

Here’s what the research team concluded:

… This construction establishes that Magic: The Gathering is the most computationally complex real-world game known in the literature. In addition to showing that optimal strategic play in Magic is non-computable, it also shows that merely evaluating the deterministic consequences of past moves in Magic is non-computable.

In fact, the study speculates, “[T]his conjecture would imply that Magic: The Gathering is as hard as it is possible for a real-world game to be.”

If you love numbers, Turing machine testing, and game theory yourself, take a look at the breakdown of the study now on Technology Review.

Have you ever felt bad that you can’t quite get the hang of Magic: The Gathering? Maybe now you won’t be too hard on yourself about it. And if you are a veteran Magic player, hopefully every victory from this point forward will feel even sweeter.

All Images: Wizards of the Coast

The post MAGIC: THE GATHERING Is the World’s Most Complex Game appeared first on Nerdist.

Challenging. Epic. Competitive. There are a lot of adjectives you could use to talk about Magic: The Gathering, but thanks to an international group of researchers, we can add one more official description to the list: the world’s most complex game.

Anyone who has ever tapped a Magic card might tell you that’s stating the obvious. But the three researchers and scientists, who recently published their findings, theorized and proved that the winner of a Magic game cannot be determined by an algorithm. The group of researchers, Alex Churchill, Stella Biderman, Austin Herrick, didn’t use anecdotal evidence to reach the conclusion, but intensive research and computations on a Turing machine.

Some games, like chess, can easily be used in computations to determine a winner because of the limited size game board and similar finite factors. But with tens of thousands of Magic cards arranged in 60 card decks customized by players, the numbers start to get a lot harder to crunch.

Alex, Stella, and Austin developed a way for the card game to be played by a computer or Turing machine in order to obtain data and results for their theory. For example, “Whenever a Basilisk dies, create a 2/2 green Elf,” and other similar instructions were created.

Here’s what the research team concluded:

… This construction establishes that Magic: The Gathering is the most computationally complex real-world game known in the literature. In addition to showing that optimal strategic play in Magic is non-computable, it also shows that merely evaluating the deterministic consequences of past moves in Magic is non-computable.

In fact, the study speculates, “[T]his conjecture would imply that Magic: The Gathering is as hard as it is possible for a real-world game to be.”

If you love numbers, Turing machine testing, and game theory yourself, take a look at the breakdown of the study now on Technology Review.

Have you ever felt bad that you can’t quite get the hang of Magic: The Gathering? Maybe now you won’t be too hard on yourself about it. And if you are a veteran Magic player, hopefully every victory from this point forward will feel even sweeter.

All Images: Wizards of the Coast

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Step into The Dragon & Meeple and you’ll immediately feel the love that’s gone into co-owner Chris Buskirk’s passion project. From the big, game-friendly tables and comfortable chairs, to over a dozen taps serving local craft beers, The Dragon & Meeple is a love letter to gamers, nearly 8,000 square-feet of gaming space designed with the local community in mind.

“After a 20-year career in I.T., I wanted to do something more creative,” Buskirk said, recalling the time he went back to school to design video games and took his first class in analog game design. “I got introduced to modern board games and it was a big revelation. I then found the L.A. Strategicon convention and was blown away.”

After Buskirk discovered modern board gaming he connected with a local gaming meetup in the Westside. As the group changed locations over the last seven years, whether due to homes being sold or restaurants being closed, an idea was born: a premium gaming space in the heart of Los Angeles.

Premium not only in the food and beverage but also in details like the larger-sized tables suitable for gaming and comfortable chairs made for longer play-time games. “The chairs were a top priority for me,” he said. “We want our guests to sit here and play. Those gaming experiences are not always going to last 30 minutes or an hour; they could last two or three hours.”

With business partner Alex Tune, Buskirk looked to add experienced members to The Dragon & Meeple team, from veteran gamer Aaron Harris as Games Manager to Josh Wolf as General Manager, a sommelier who’s opened restaurants in Las Vegas.

Along with the gaming space, full bar, and restaurant, The Dragon & Meeple offers a broad selection of tabletop fare, from popular board games to Games Workshop miniatures. “We hope to have the largest game selection in L.A.,” he said, “as well as sell used games on consignment.”

As the opening date to his dream approaches, Burskirk reflected on his journey and how the annual GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association) convention and talking to other store owners was a real eye-opener. “This is a tough industry,” he said, “but GAMA offers plenty of resources [for business owners]. And one of the first things I did after meeting with [local government] was reach out to their business development coordinator and work on hiring people primarily from this neighborhood.”

“We’re going to draw people in from all over L.A., but we really want to be a part of this neighborhood,” he said. “We want locals enjoying our food and shopping here.”

Of course, gaming will be the featured attraction. Daily events will fill the calendar, along with special events such as trivia nights and long-time industry favorites like Friday Night Magic. “We don’t just want a bunch of games on the shelves,” he said. “We want to have people interact with each other and bring people together through organized play.”

Buskirk hopes to appeal to gamers and non-gamers alike, and looks to draw people from all walks of life into The Dragon & Meeple via events like art shows and a gaming and book club.

“Customer service has always been my focus throughout my career and it’s always what I’ve prided myself on,” he said. “I want people to be immersed in nerd and geek culture in an inclusive way.”

 For more information visit their Facebook page. 

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Wizards of the Coast has announced your path to Magic: The Gathering glory! The new Magic Esports program offers players worldwide the opportunity to win $1 million through multi-platform tournament play. Wizards of the Coast is planning seven tournaments, called Mythic Championships, which kick off this month. Here’s Director of Esports, Bear Schmiedicker, to lay out the points changes and what the year has in store for players.

Championships are held both in real life in Ohio, England, Spain, and Virginia, and online in three different MTG Arena tournaments later this year. With a Magic World Championship in December with 16 players battling it out for a prize of $1 million in the grand finale, that’s an incredible total of $10 million waiting to be won in this year’s prize pot.

One slot in the World Championship goes to Javier Dominguez, the 2018 Magic World Champion. The remaining spots are given to the winners of each of the seven 2019 Mythic Championships (four tabletop and three MTG Arena), the top four spots with the most Mythic Points in the Magic Pro League (MPL), and the top four non-MPL challengers with the most Mythic Points.

Mythic Points are earned through competitive play at Mythic Championships both online through MTG Arena and the tabletop game. (Wizards of the Coast lays out the points on their website so you can start your planning for Magic domination now.) This year’s events are the culmination of efforts by Wizards of the Coast to make Magic: The Gathering competitive play more open and available to players worldwide.

The first Mythic Championship is being held the weekend of February 22 – 24 in Cleveland, OH! Tune into twitch.tv/magic starting on February 22 at 9 AM Eastern to catch all of the action firsthand if you can’t be there in person.

If you could win prize money by playing any game of your choice, which one would you pick? Tell us in the comments.

Images: Wizards of the Coast

The post You Can Compete to Be the Next MAGIC: THE GATHERING World Champion appeared first on Nerdist.

Wizards of the Coast has announced your path to Magic: The Gathering glory! The new Magic Esports program offers players worldwide the opportunity to win $1 million through multi-platform tournament play. Wizards of the Coast is planning seven tournaments, called Mythic Championships, which kick off this month. Here’s Director of Esports, Bear Schmiedicker, to lay out the points changes and what the year has in store for players.

Championships are held both in real life in Ohio, England, Spain, and Virginia, and online in three different MTG Arena tournaments later this year. With a Magic World Championship in December with 16 players battling it out for a prize of $1 million in the grand finale, that’s an incredible total of $10 million waiting to be won in this year’s prize pot.

One slot in the World Championship goes to Javier Dominguez, the 2018 Magic World Champion. The remaining spots are given to the winners of each of the seven 2019 Mythic Championships (four tabletop and three MTG Arena), the top four spots with the most Mythic Points in the Magic Pro League (MPL), and the top four non-MPL challengers with the most Mythic Points.

Mythic Points are earned through competitive play at Mythic Championships both online through MTG Arena and the tabletop game. (Wizards of the Coast lays out the points on their website so you can start your planning for Magic domination now.) This year’s events are the culmination of efforts by Wizards of the Coast to make Magic: The Gathering competitive play more open and available to players worldwide.

The first Mythic Championship is being held the weekend of February 22 – 24 in Cleveland, OH! Tune into twitch.tv/magic starting on February 22 at 9 AM Eastern to catch all of the action firsthand if you can’t be there in person.

Images: Wizards of the Coast

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This week the official Dungeons & Dragons Twitch channel hosted a first of its kind livestream when it teamed up with band The Mountain Goats for an exclusive mini-concert and album announcement! In front of actual Wizards and a dragon at the Wizards of the Coast office in Seattle, lead vocalist and songwriter John Darnielle played two new songs off the upcoming album In League With Dragons. Here’s the first released track from the album, “Younger.”

John is an avid tabletop player, from indie role-playing games to just getting into Magic: The Gathering recently, he told Geek & Sundry before the concert began. His fascination with wizards sparked much of his imagination for the songs on the album and its overall theme of getting older. Wizards grow in wisdom and power the older they get, he says, as their bodies get weaker—a challenge we all face as we age, magic or not.

“The title ‘In League With Dragons’ had been [written] in a notebook for several years,” John says. “I really liked this title and I was waiting. When I get a title I like the look of, that’s what I do, I keep it… Here’s one that was going to be in this album and I didn’t get to: Blank Sorcerer. Right?

“I had these anchor songs that struck me as good, and I especially liked the ‘In League With Dragons’ song. I flinch when I say, we’re kind of talking about aging here, because you don’t like that as you’re getting older. But dragons like wizards are generally old… There’s young dragons, but a young dragon is a novelty. A dragon is old and strong. But the ‘in league’ part was important to me because you always wonder when people lose their way and become villainous. You wonder when that choice happened. And it was a look at that.”

He’s an avid gamer himself, playing role-playing games weekly with friends, titles like Night Witches from Bully Pulpit Games and Fall of Magic. John also lists Noumenon (the first game he ran) and Tunnels & Trolls in his stable of RPGs. All of these RPGs reveal John’s love of collaborative storytelling, which he feels gaming has in common with songwriting and performing.

“Starting to play games has had a massive effect on the way I write things,” John says. “Because the games we play especially are so improvisational that you learn these improv techniques. You ask, why not. You ask, what next. You say, yes, and… It’s kind of central to the notion of storytelling. It is game playing, that’s what a story is.

“A song is a narrative, too. It’s a game with a series of decisions and bifurcating paths that eventually, hopefully, in a song, lead to some satisfying resolution that you got a sense of what’s going on with the characters in it there, or got scared, or got inspired. That’s game playing itself.”

John took the chance to reach out to Wizards of the Coast for a unique announcement for the new album, and it paid off. “You get ready to announce a record, and you don’t just want to do the same old thing,” he says. If you missed the concert, you can find it on demand on the D&D Twitch channel now. In League With Dragons, which has twelve new songs from The Mountain Goats, is set for release on April 26, 2019.

More Geeky Music Awesomeness!

• Watch: Catch Up On Callisto 6’s First Season With This Music Video
• Dael Kingsmill’s Dumb Ways To Die: A Musical Recounting of Deaths on Critical Role
• Syrinscape Review – A Great Soundtrack App for Tabletop RPGs

Photos: Kelly Knox

Album Artwork: The Mountain Goats / Elton D’Souza

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Wizkids’ Heroes of Dominaria is an entirely different entry into the tabletop market, however. This a proper board game with cards, chunky wooden components, and of course a board. Players take on the role of a familiar hero in a Euro-style adventure game of travel and discovery. It’s a blend of genres that features resource management as you gather and spend mana turn to turn.

This is a competitive game which makes it a bit of a race. You push into different regions of Dominaria with the intent to amass specific mixtures of resources so that you may complete quests and construct Manaliths. There’s some engine building going on as you remove components from your playmat and place them on the board. You are rewarded for doing so with an escalating set of point values and boons.

Much of what you build will aid in the gathering of mana. Elongated wooden planks can be placed to connect locations, allowing you to build routes of sorts that you may reap from. Manaliths generate the precious power on their own, acting as massive energy sinks to gather your strength. Both of these minimize your reliance on moving your adventurers about the board and instead allows you a strategic vector framed around infrastructure.

All of this is performed in service of quests. There are straightforward and steady ways to earn points–such as throwing out leylines–but the quests offer the big swings. They take the form of cards held privately in your hand. When you attain new ones you will draw two and choose one to keep, allowing you to tailor your objectives around strategic choices you’ve already committed to. Occasionally you can even luck into two of the same quest, which can feel a little dirty as you scoop up big pointage due to sheer luck.

The experience sums up to a light efficiency game about maximizing actions and securing points as fast as possible. Pressure is applied from fellow players racing the clock. There is very little interaction in the game, solely existing through scooping up the randomly placed mana before an opponent can grab it.

Heroes of Dominaria as a whole lacks teeth. This may be a disappointment for those seeking conflict or negotiation, but it’s a boon for the crowd that desires a pleasant adventure of gathering power and executing an unobstructed strategic plan.

It also clocks in at a strong 90 minutes. It doesn’t overstay its welcome or become repetitive too quickly. At a count of two you may even be lucky enough to finish within an hour, offering a brisk calculated exercise of cognitive challenge.

The game as a whole feels a bit like a less dramatic Catan with a dash of Euro-style adventure bolted on. As such a blend it’s pretty smooth and is easy to grok immediately upon explanation. There’s a heavy sense of streamlining as the heroes are symmetrical and all of the actions revolve around the mechanic of very basic spending of different resource types. This dedication to straightforward gameplay results in any sharp edge of personality sanded off, but it also is responsible for the ease of use and rapidity of the affair.

It’s about time is all I can say in terms of Magic: The Gathering finally receiving a suitable board game. Heroes of Dominaria succeeds in presenting a streamlined offering that would appeal to a wide range of gamers. It’s not overly complicated or bogged down in excess, and it’s sure to appeal to the Magic die-hards looking for another glimpse into this magical world.

Are you excited for Magic The Gathering: Heroes of Dominaria? Let us know in the comments!  

More Magic Goodness!

• Turn Your Magic The Gathering Collection into a Great Game Night
• New To Magic The Gathering? The Magic Open House Is For You
• WATCH: Day[9] vs. Allison Scagliotti | Magic: The Gathering: Spellslingers | Season 5, Episode 5

Image Credits: Charlie Theel

Editor’s note: A sample of the game was provided by the publisher.

In addition to Geek & Sundry, Charlie Theel writes for Ars Technica, Tabletop Gaming, Player Elimination, and co-hosts the gaming podcast Ding & Dent. You can find him on Twitter @CharlieTheel.

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The new year brings a gorgeous new Magic: The Gathering art book from VIZ Media and Wizards of the Coast! Inside the 240-page tome, you’ll find artwork featuring the menacing creatures, henchmen, and magic of Ravnica. The Art of Magic: The Gathering – Ravnica is packed not only with the breathtaking illustrations you’ve come to expect from Magic, but also lore about the ten guilds of the city and the conflicts for power they’re embroiled in.Not only does the huge hardcover feature spread after spread of stunning landscapes and shifty characters, it also contains art from some of the most striking Magic cards in the latest release. We’ve got five of the complete cards to debut right here. Take your first look at Angelic Exaltation, Burning-Tree Vandal, Grasping Thrull, Quench, and Titanic Brawl.“We continue our return to what is arguably our fans’ favorite plane with the Ravnica Allegiance release,” says Dawn Murin, Senior Art Director at Wizards of the Coast. “This set features the remaining five guilds: Azorius, Rakdos, Gruul, Simic, and Orzhov. The through-line of ‘Autumn on Ravnica’ continues in the environment, and fans will notice some exciting costuming updates for Gruul, Rakdos, and Simic that double down on the guild’s role on Ravnica.”If you often catch yourself staring at the artwork on your Magic cards, this is the book for you. The Art of Magic: The Gathering – Ravnica is now available at a suggested price of $39.99 at bookstores and game stores everywhere.

All Images: VIZ Media / Wizards of the Coast

The post See New MAGIC Cards from THE ART OF MAGIC: THE GATHERING – RAVNICA (EXCLUSIVE) appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s time to open the vault! In this week’s Game the Game, our players are taking on KeyForge by Fantasy Flight Games! In this deck game Becca Scott, Kate Elliott, and Ruel Gaviola become Archons using unique sets of cards to craft the keys that open the vault.

Thanks to Asmodee for partnering with us on this video. Unlock KeyForge here: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/keyforge/

Tabletop games are super fun, but learning the complicated directions and rules can be a challenge. Becca Scott is your game tutor, explaining the game mechanics in an easy to follow way, so you can get to playing the games faster.

Visit us on http://geekandsundry.com
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#GameTheGame #KeyForge #GeekAndSundry

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It’s time to open the vault! In this week’s How to Play, host Becca Scott teaches KeyForge by Fantasy Flight Games! In this deck game, players become an Archon using a unique set of cards to craft keys to open the vault.

Thanks to Asmodee for partnering with us on this video. Unlock KeyForge here: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/keyforge/

Tabletop games are super fun, but learning the complicated directions and rules can be a challenge. Becca Scott is your game tutor, explaining the game mechanics in an easy to follow way, so you can get to playing the games faster.

Visit us on http://geekandsundry.com
Subscribe to Geek and Sundry: http://goo.gl/B62jl
Join our community at: http://geekandsundry.com/community
Twitter: http://twitter.com/geekandsundry
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#HowToPlay #KeyForge #GeekAndSundry

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Can you imagine being offered a $75,000 contract to stream and play Magic: The Gathering? It could actually happen in 2019. During The Game Awards on Thursday night, Wizards of the Coast announced a new esports initiative in 2019 that offers $10 million in a combined prize pool, a new competitive league, and new events beginning with an invitational million dollar tournament at PAX East.The new Magic Pro League (MPL) will not only boast 32 of the top ranked Magic players from around the world, but incredible contracts for streamers and players alike will be available for its members. League members will also play in weekly Magic: The Gathering Arena digital match-ups and eventually in the new major Mythic Championship events.

The Mythic Championships can be anyone’s time to shine. Challengers from around the world can battle it out against those elite MPL members for their own chances at competitive card game glory. (Cue an ’80s movie training montage.)Over 35 million people play Magic in 70 countries around the world, and they all have a shot at entering and winning in the new esports league. If you think you have what it takes, start getting that deck ready, and stay tuned to the new Magic esports website and the Wizards of the Coast social channels. They’ll begin releasing more information early next year about how to earn your chance to go up against the pros.Is “Professional Magic Player” your dream job? Tell us why in the comments.

All Images: Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro

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Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt joins Geek & Sundry host Erika Ishii in this extended interview to recount his history with Magic: The Gathering. Follow them as they discuss playing the game in his younger years, the origins of hitRECord, and playing Dungeons & Dragons.

To learn more about Magic: The Gathering, check out their latest release Guilds of Ravnica at: https://magic.wizards.com/en/products/guilds-ravnica

Visit us on http://geekandsundry.com
Subscribe to Geek and Sundry: http://goo.gl/B62jl
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#MagicMoment #MTG #Ravnica

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One of the best things about shopping for a Magic: The Gathering player during the holidays is that it’s hard to go wrong when buying them a gift. From the smallest of treasures such as dice to big boxes of boosters packs, the Planeswalker in your life can easily make use of whatever gifts you give.

Guild Kits

The new Guild Kits came out in early November 2018 and are themed around the five guilds (2-color combinations) from the first set in the newest Ravnica card block. They incorporate cards from the newest Ravnica set to older sets and are not legal for standard play, but are fun and thematic while containing a variety of potentially interesting or valuable cards depending on one’s favored formats. One of my favorite aspects of these products is that Wizards of the Coast often creates alternate art for 1-2 of the cards so that you can have variety.

Holiday Gift Boxes & Boosters

Gift Boxes have the word holiday right in the title and are always a decent choice come this time of year. They’ve just gotten better and better over the years. They come with a nice storage box, a number of boosters (ranging 3-5 depending on year) and a series of exclusive foil cards. Beyond this, they have come with spindown life counters and some basic lands to build decks. They’ve been a great gift to give to new players for all of these reasons and they’re just cool and reasonably priced.

Whether it is one booster of a whole box, if you know someone who plays Magic then they’ll be excited to crack open a new pack and see what goodies are inside. While a few boosters are great to give as small gifts (and stocking stuffers) and have a low cost associated, a box can provide other options such as allowing that person to draft, begin building a cube (a format of set cards created by someone), or simply create a mess of trash with countless packages ripped open and littered across the space.

Accessories

Over time, people and companies have created a wide variety of accessories to help people keep track of what is going on in their games or make gameplay that much easier. Fans of Magic are no different and we see this from playmats to dice towers. You can get card sleeves, deck boxes, storage containers, or notepads for keeping track of other information.

Dice are a great multi-faceted gift for any occasion, but as many have said “you can never have too many dice” and that holds true here. They’re great for keeping track of life, putting counters on creatures, rolling to see who goes first, or used in any of the other lovely hobbies that one might have beyond just Magic.

That’s just the kind of stuff for the game in particular. Funko has made a number of Planeswalkers in their line to other companies making coffee mugs or clocks. The wealth of possibilities are as endless as the planes of the Magic multiverse itself. No matter what gift you intend to get someone, the most important thing to consider is that it is a gift that you put some thought into getting.

What is your prized Magic: The Gathering possession? Share in the comments!

Want more Magic: The Gathering Goodness?

• Getting into Magic: The Gathering –  Color Profiles and Archetypes for Decks
• Get To Know Even More Planes of Magic: The Gathering (Part 3)
• Playing Magic: The Gathering: How and Where to Get Started

Image Credits: Wizards of the Coast, Chessex, Funko, Ultra-Pro

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Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt joins Geek & Sundry host Erika Ishii to play a game of Magic: The Gathering. Follow them as they dive into his personal collection for the first time in almost 14 years, recount their history with the game, and play some kitchen table Magic.

To learn more about Magic: The Gathering, check out their latest release, Guilds of Ravnica, on the Wizards of the Coast site.

This post originally appeared on Geek & Sundry. This video is sponsored by Wizards of the Coast.

The post Watch Joseph Gordon-Levitt Play MAGIC: THE GATHERING appeared first on Nerdist.

Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt joins Geek & Sundry host Erika Ishii to play a game of Magic: The Gathering. Follow them as they dive into his personal collection for the first time in almost 14 years, recount their history with the game, and play some kitchen table Magic.

To learn more about Magic: The Gathering, check out their latest release Guilds of Ravnica at: https://magic.wizards.com/en/products/guilds-ravnica

Visit us on http://geekandsundry.com
Subscribe to Geek and Sundry: http://goo.gl/B62jl
Join our community at: http://geekandsundry.com/community
Twitter: http://twitter.com/geekandsundry
Facebook: http://facebook.com/geekandsundry
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#MagicMoment #MTG #Ravnica

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