MTG: Phyrexia: All Will Be One Unfolds With New Mechanics, Planeswalkers & Dual Lands
Phyrexian Atlas
Wizards of the Coast/Artist: Illustranesia
The Fair Basilica is where Elesh Norn has built her palace. That’s the layer of the Phyrexian Atlas second from the bottom, not counting the giant spiky tentacles. As the team from Magic: The Gathering detailed the world building involved in the Phyrexia: All Will Be One expansion, they used the Atlas a guide for art and story. Each layer of the Atlas from The Glorious Façade at the top, to the Seedcore at the bottom, represents a group of cards and their intentions, functionality, and art.
The last several days have seen Magic: The Gathering continue the Phyrexia: All Will Be One story with episode three, four, and five of Assault on New Phyrexia, a series that continues to expand the lore of the new expansion. That story is about to culminate, as the cards are soon to be released, and MTG has the next expansion to begin to promote.
Planeswalkers and Dual Lands
As we saw in previews, there is going to be some amazing art and new types of foil cards in the Phyrexia: All Will Be One expansion. Last time we looked at some of the alternate version of Elesh Norn and lands, with some powerful new creatures sprinkled in. This time we’re checking out Planeswalkers, dual lands and some new mechanics, highlighting the compleated world of Phyrexia. Some familiar faces appear rebuilt, as exemplified with the Legendary Planeswalkers in their compleated state.
Compleated Planeswalkers doing battle in Phyrexia
Wizards of the Coast
Here we have Tamiyo, Compleated Sage; Ajani, Sleeper Agent; Nahiri, the Unforgiving; Lukka, Bound to Ruin; Nissa, Ascended Animist; Vraska, Betrayal’s Sting; and Jace, the Perfected Mind. All have reached a stage of compleat that makes them perfect warriors for the twisted world of Phyrexia, as Elesh Norn sits atop her throne, altering what once was Mirrodin.
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Before we check out the new game mechanics, let’s take a look at some of the battlegrounds. Five new dual lands with borderless extended versions appear in Phyrexia, all with slightly ominous sounding names, representing a good mix of mana types. Blackcleave Cliffs sit between the mountains and the swamp, Copperline Gorge touches the mountains and forest, Darkslick Shores meshes swampland and islands, Razorverge Thicket spreads from the forest to the plains, and Seachrome Coast extends from the plains to the islands.
Phyrexia Dual Lands
Wizards of the Coast
New Game Mechanics in Phyrexia: All Will Be One
Poison makes a return in Phyrexia gameplay as Toxic. The Poison mechanic was introduced in Magic: The Gathering Legends, but never really gained popularity as a game mechanic. Morphing it to Toxic and supporting it with other game mechanics might help it gain some popularity. Toxic hands out poison counters to the player, as well as dealing combat damage. Toxic is supported by the Corrupted game mechanic, which grants extra abilities based on the opponents poison counters. A player with 10 poison counters loses the game.
Oil Counters highlight Phyrexian Oil as a story element, having different effects based on the card. This effectively replaces the +1/+1 or -1/-1 type counters, as there are none of those found in Phyrexia: All Will Be One. To fully take advantage of all the counters, there are Proliferate mechanics that vary depending on the type of counter and card.
Finally, there is For Mirrodin!, a mechanic that mimics the Living Weapon mechanic found in Mirrodin Besieged. Mostly affecting red or white cards (though there is a blue one), this mechanic offers a 2/2 creature token for the rebellion. Creature tokens are nothing new in the world of Magic: The Gathering, but the rebellion against Elesh Norn is.
Naturally, these mechanics are better illustrated with pictures, so here’s some of the cards featuring the new mechanics, as well as some additional notable cards as examples of the art and world building found in Phyrexia.
New cards and mechanics found in Phyrexia
Wizards of the Coast
Experimental Augury (art by Donoato Giancola) and Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres (show off the Proliferate mechanic while Mondrak, Glory Dominus shows off amazing Ichor art by Jason A. Engle. Urabrask’s Forge (art by Lie Setiawan) is a prime example of oil counters, Venser, Corpse Puppet is another Proliferate example with a few options and White Sun’s Twilight is Elesh Norn’s monument on the Glorious Façade level of the Atlas. This monument is a beautiful art piece by Julian Kok Joon Wen, as well as a functional piece of sorcery.
The next set of Phyrexian horrors is punctuated by Black Sun’s Twilight (art by Jonas De Ro), this is Sheoldred’s Monument on the Glorious Façade level of the Atlas. Blade of Shared Souls is the blue example of the For Mirrodin! mechanic, with its 2/2 Rebel creature tokens. Not to be left out of this rundown, the basic Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines card (art by Martina Façková) reminds us she’s the primary protagonist here. Paladin of Predation shows off the new Toxic mechanic, while Skrelv’s Hive and The Seedcore (art by Kasia ‘ Kafis’ Zielińska) use the new Corrupted mechanic.
More cards highlighting the new mechanics and art in Phyrexia
Wizards of the Coast
Commander Decks and Bundle
There are two new Commander decks coming to the world of Phyrexia. They represent both sides of the coming battle, which should make for some exciting game play. Corrupting Influence features Ixhel, Scion of Atraxa, a brutal Phyrexian Angel using both the toxic and corrupted mechanics. This deck runs white, black and green and is centered around that poison mechanic.
The leaders of the new Commander decks in Phyrexia
Wizards of the Coast
Neyali, Suns’ Vanguard rules the Rebellion Rising Commander deck, a red and white rebel-focused set. It features a go-wide creature stack, with very a agressive play style. The rest of the cards found within these Commander decks will be revealed in the coming days. As with previous expansions, there will be a bundle, in this case the Phyrexia: All Will Be One Compleat Edition bundle.
Phyrexia: All Will Be One Compleat Edition Bundle
Wizards of the Coast
Along with everything else, the Commander decks and Phyrexia: All Will Be One Compleat Edition bundle will release on February 10th, with a week of prerelease events leading up to full release. Elesh Norn is waiting for you on her throne of compleated Mirrodins.
