Previews for Wilds of Eldraine, Magic: The Gathering’s the next expansion set, have begun! The set will see Magic return to the Arthurian and fairy tale-inspired plane full of epic quests, fantastical beasts, and incredibly overpowered cards for the first time October 2019’s Throne of Eldraine.
The 97th Magic expansion promises a darker look at Eldraine. It takes place after the devastating multi-planar invasion by New Phyrexia much has changed in the multiverse and on Eldraine. The motif of the plane follows traditional Arthurian legends and those based on the Grimm Fairy Tales, with major upheavals to the power dynamics that were established in the first set.
We got our first look at Wilds of Eldraine at MagicCon Minneapolis but got to see the first cards from the set today MagicCon Barcelona. Let’s dive in!
Don’t miss our coverage of the Doctor Who previews and the latest The Lost Caverns of Ixalan info!
Wilds of Eldraine Card Previews
First up is Talion, the Kindly Lord, the ruler of the fae on Eldraine. They joined forces with three witches to cast the Wicked Slumber, which helped Eldraine defeat the invading Phyrexians.
But the Wicked Slumber didn’t stop with the Phyrexians—it got out of control and has begun putting the entire plane to sleep. Ashiok, Wicked Manipulator who couldn’t resist a plane that is falling asleep has arrived to take advantage of the situation.
Adventure, the marquee mechanic from Throne of Eldraine, returns in Wilds of Edlraine on cards like Cruel Somnophage.
Wilds of Eldraine will see the return of a creature land cycle for the five enemy color pairs. Check out Restless Fortress:
There will also be a set of showcase, full art lands:
One of the more interesting previews from today’s panel was Moonshaker Cavalry — “the White Craterhoof Behemoth.” Not only will it jump all of your creatures into the air and give them a massive power boost…but it will have a textless promo!
Enchanting Tales Bonus Sheet
Wilds of Eldraine will also have a bonus sheet called “Enchanting Tales.” This bonus sheet will feature 63 powerful enchantments—eight of which were previewed today—that will not be Standard-legal with storybook-inspired artwork and a special frame.
20 of these Enchanting Tales will also have special borderless anime variants!
Smothering Tithe
Greater Auramancy
Rhystic Study
Necropotence
Aggravated Assault
Doubling Season
Curiosity and Prismatic Omen were also previewed, but do not appear to have anime variants.
Wilds of Eldraine Plot
The settled lands of Eldraine are in turmoil as the King and Queen of Eldraine, High King Kenrith, and Queen Linden, were killed in the battle against the Phyrexians. As the plane begins to rebuild, the young, former planeswalker Will Kenrith has taken the throne to try and restore peace to the realms. His twin sister, Rowan, is seeking a magic strong enough to return the world to the way it was before the invasion.
Working against them is the witch Eriette, who—alongside Talion, the Kindly Lord,—unleashed a sleeping curse upon the land to help defeat the Phyrexians. Unfortunately, that curse is now devastating all of the people in Eldraine. Also working against them is Ashiok, Wicked Manipulator, one of a few planeswalkers that retained their spark, as they use the curse to further their own designs.
Wilds of Eldraine Mechanics
We don’t know all of the mechanics that will be featured in Wilds of Eldraine but we do know that Adventure is returning. The extremely flavorful mechanic gives you an alternate spell, always an instant or sorcery, and is attached to creature and artifact cards. There’s nothing saying that Wilds of Eldraine can’t push this mechanic further by adding adventures to other permanents like enchantments or even battles.
The other mechanic that debuted in Throne of Eldraine was adamant. This ability triggers when you spend three mana of a single color towards the casting cost of a spell. Doing so gives that spell additional or alternative effects. It’s a fairly safe mechanic that rewards single or two-color deck building, especially in Limited formats so it would be safe to say this mechanic is likely returning as well. Will Adamant also return in Wilds of Eldraine? We’ll find out!
Wilds of Eldraine Products
Like most main Magic: The Gathering expansions, there are a few different products releasing when the set drops. You’ll be able to pick up Draft Boosters, Set Boosters, Jumpstart Boosters, Collector Boosters, Prerelease Kits, a Bundle, and two Commander preconstructed decks.
The fancy storybook showcase frames will be making a return to Wilds of Eldraine while the Enchanting Tales frame will make its debut in the set.
The two Commander precon decks are the green and white Virtue and Valor, and the blue and black Fae Dominion. Not much is known about these decks yet, but the Virtue and Valor box describes the deck as ‘Buff your creatures. Crush your foes.’ While the Fae Dominion box describes it as ‘Summon flocks of Faeries. Play tricks.’
Wilds of Eldraine Preview and Release Dates
- First look: July 28
- Previews begin: August 15
- Prerelease events: September 1-7
- Digital Launch on MTG Arena/MTGO: September 5
- Global Tabletop Launch: September 8
The set code for Wilds of Eldraine is WOE, with the Commander set code being WOC. The symbol is that of an open storybook with a diamond in the middle of the pages.
MagicCon Barcelona is started today, July 28, and will have even more information on what to expect from the set. Keep an eye out on Hipsters of the Coast for even more Magic: the Gathering news, decks, and more!