Some interesting Innistrad facts and info:
- It is the biggest set in recent history, with 264 cards.
- Innistrad is not a multi-color focused set.
- It has a classic horror theme with tribes in each color (Ghouls, Vampires, Werewolves, Humans, etc.).
- Flashback returns as mechanic.
- A completely new card type, which is double-faced (you can flip it on its back for a “nighttime version” of the card. This allows one card to transform into another (e.g., a human into a werewolf) by flipping it onto the night side. The ability is called transform, and cards with transform do not have a regular Magic back.
- Garruk and Liliana are back, and one of them comes with five (!) loyalty abilities distributed between two sides.
- Curses that enchant the opponent and cause bad things to happen to him.
- A new ability word called morbid that checks if a creature died this turn.
- The Core Set duals make a reappearance but this time with enemy color combinations.
- Not all transform cards can transform back.
Find more information and a few nice examples of transform cards here on the Wizards of the Coast page, and for rules and clarifications how those new mechanics work in constructed and limited play check here.
Let me know what you think of the new set and how you like the theme in the comments!
Enemy colored m10 lands is a beautiful beautiful thing!
Here’s to hopin we get a set of 10 in m13!!!
-orvn
Flip mechanic is going to be a bit weird for drafting, the rules changes they made for them are also a bit strange but I guess we’ll see how it plays out.
Wow, the double-sided cards are really surprising to me. Despite draft weirdness, I’m very excited for them.
It’ll be interesting to see how drafting will work on MTGO. Is there a way to see the flip side of card when drafting? I guess same goes for when they are on the battlefield. I suppose, you can hover over the card and read the text pop-up box, but there has to be a more elegant way, right?
Rosewater wanted to do a set with a “fantasy whore?”
Haven’t decided if I like this set yet. While the transformation cards seem neat, I’m wondering if they missed the mark on horror. Horror just doesn’t equal a creature that has a creature type vampire. It’s grotesque or makes one feel eerie. I’m thinking of cards like “Disembowel” where the name and picture is disturbing and retains a visceral sense of what the card does. There’s nothing tragic here that depicts a horror story element— sadly it’s almost like as if someone randomly made a fictitious set.
Another thing I feel that’s missing is that architecture is a big part of classic horror stories… the dark brooding castle, etc. I’m sure they could have found a way to make a game mechanic that dealt with Magic: The Gathering playing differently in Innistrad. Not unlike planechase, but with a more permanent feature of the landscape. Just look at the wiki page on horror fiction and you’re likely to find other creative applications to Magic–http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_horror.
Also, aside from the werewolf mechanics, I’m not seeing anything that really adds to game mechanics without being clunky. Olivia is a neat idea for a legendary vampire, but she’s not constructed playable. I know it’s only 20% of the set spoiled so far, but here’s hoping to more inspired design.
@MOBZ: That’s what I heard, too. Fortunately I know what he actually said, or I would have been very confused
@Academy/Plejades: Did you get a spoiler this time, or were you skipped over again?
@Deathcloud9: They’re probably reprinting Gargoyle Castle, but I’m afraid that’s as much as you’re getting :p
Magic still has to be Magic, they can’t make it a whole different game just because this theme is pretty awesome. All they have to play with are the mechanics, and I think they did pretty well making those fit what designs of a horror theme set require.
Anyway I look forward to the set a great deal, and think they have some very flavorful designs. Wooden stake killing Vampires, that legend taking over vampires after biting them, Werewolves, the ‘test subject’ turning into a monster, I like a lot about it.