Modern Masters is finally out! As I’m going through the set, I’m starting to realize that there are a lot of keywords that are unfamiliar to me. Since I began playing Magic around the release of Innistrad, my keyword knowledge is limited to that block and later, with an occasional exposure experienced during the modern PTQ season or cube draft. By this point, I’ve seen all of the evergreen keywords (flying, vigilance, trample, landwalk, flash, etc.) and most of the keyword actions (counter, sacrifice, exile, tap, etc.).
Evergreen keywords can appear in any set, particularly the core set where they are usually the only keyword used (with exceptions) while keyword actions aren’t abilities, but rather specialized verbs which are used to describe common game actions. Ability words (battalion, bloodrush, morbid, etc.), which are depicted in italics followed by an em dash, are words that are used to tie together cards with similar abilities. This article will be focusing on the keywords (mechanics) (extort, cipher, flashback, etc.) that are featured in Modern Masters.
Modern Masters hosts 19 returning keywords:
Affinity for Artifacts: This spell costs less to cast for each artifact you control
Basic landcycling: Discard this card: Search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library
Changeling: This card is every creature type at all times
Cycling: Discard this card: Draw a card
Delve: You may exile any number of cards from your graveyard as you cast this spell. It costs less to cast for each card exiled this way.
Dredge: If you would draw a card, instead you may put exactly the indicated number of cards from your library into your graveyard. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, draw a card
Echo: At the beginning of your upkeep, if this came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep, sacrifice it unless you pay its echo cost
Entwine: Choose both if you pay the entwine cost
Evoke: You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it’s sacrificed when it enters the battlefield
Kicker: You may pay an additional cost as you cast this spell
Modular: This enters the battlefield with the indicated amount of +1/+1 counters on it. When it dies, you may put its +1/+1 counters on target artifact creature
Modular- Sunburst: This enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it for each color of mana spent to cast it. When it dies, you may put its +1/+1 counters on target artifact creature
Persist: When this creature dies, if it had no -1/-1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a -1/-1 counter on it
Prowl: You may cast this for its prowl cost if you dealt combat damage to a player this turn with a specified creature type
Retrace: You may cast this card from your graveyard by discarding a land card in addition to paying its other costs
Splice onto Arcane: As you cast an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card’s effects to that spell
Split Second: As long as this spell is on the stack, players can’t cast spells or activate abilities that aren’t mana abilitie
Storm: When you cast this spell, copy it for each spell cast before it this turn.
Sunburst: This enters the battlefield with a charge counter on it for each color of mana spent to cast it
Suspend: Rather than cast this card from your hand, you may pay the indicated cost and exile it with the indicated # of time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When the last is removed, cast it without paying its mana cost. It has haste
I have compiled a list of these keywords and their associated cards along with all of the instants and flash creatures that you may come across while playing Modern Masters limited. With GP Las Vegas in the near future, I hope these PDFs provide you with a little extra knowledge on what to expect from this highly anticipated set!
Keywords—Download the PDF
Bonus tech! Modern Masters Instants and Flash Creatures—Download the PDF
Monique Garraud is a Brooklyn native who started playing Magic in 2011. “Grinding It Out” is her weekly take on the trials, tribulations, and joys of being a competitive tournament player.