This is an initiative in collaboration with Wizards of the Coast.
We have been with our Magic Chronicles and, despite all the joys received, I cannot avoid living in constant fear in case one day the magic ends. In essence, I find it difficult to maintain the enthusiasm for life with the new expansions, but it is no less true that then I begin to see things of Kamigawa: Neon Dinasty, and it happens to me.
I come from playing with the medieval fantasy of Dungeons and Dragons, from freaking out with the Bloodborne art of Innistrad’s werewolves and from doing the same shortly after with the gothic of its second expansion dedicated to vampires. At a certain point you think that, well, they’ve already given you two cups of everything you’re crazy about, so with the next expansion it’s going to be low. And then, boom… ninjas cyberpunk and Japanese aesthetics.
The change seemed radical enough to me not to square it too much, but as I see new cards and learn more about what awaits us in Kamigawa: Neon Dinasty, any fear you might have about not connecting with the new expansion disappears.
If you also want to know the one that is coming to us in Magic: The Gathering with their latest madness, there they go All the details (no spoilers) that I’ve come across so far, and a good helping of ideas and mechanics to look forward to.
Kamigawa’s Rich Past
What has surprised me most about this new expansion is that it is not the first time that Magic travel to the plane of Kamigawa. In fact, there are three expansions focused on Kamigawa released between 2004 and 2005, all of them focused on a more classic style of feudal Japan, halfway between katana fights between samurais and the mystique of yokai and demons.
On this occasion, however, the trip to Kamigawa jumps 1,200 years in time to take us to a world that, without forgetting its roots and showing the evolution of some of its characters and monsters, plants an overdose of neon lights and cyberpunk ninjas.
I still have to get my act together with all the lore behind it, but it seems that this mammoth leap into the future has to do with the arrival of a mysterious emperor who, they say from Wizards of the Coast, we all know.
The key dates of Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
Below you have a list of dates with everything that is to come from Kamigawa: Neon Dinasty, from the first card reveals to the long-awaited releases in MTG Arena and physically. From the outset, write down a date: February 11, when the events and the sale in stores begin.
- Presentation video and first card previews : January 27th
- all cards Submitted: February 4
- Commander First Previews: February 7
- All commander cards Submitted: February 8
- Launch in MTG Arena and Magic Online: February 10
- Pre-Launch Events: February 11
- Launch World Cup: February 18
- weekend of draft in stores: February 19 and 20
The Kamigawa Letters: Neon Dynasty
There’s still not a lot of meat among the revealed cards, but at least we can get an idea of what’s to come with examples like the ones below. First of all a Planeswalker, Kaito Shizuki, which promises to wreak havoc if we manage to raise it to seven counters to get an emblem that reads:
When a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, search your library for a blue or black creature card and put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle.
As a gift we will also have the return of the dragon, Atsushi, and the ogre turned into a demon Hidetsugu. The former allows us to play around with discards or create three treasure tokens on death – a nice prize for a 4/4 with fly and trample. The second allows us to sacrifice and exile creatures in favor of scrying or damage based on the cost of the cards.
Kamigawa mechanics that could return
Among all the novelties that you could see in Kamigawa: Neon Dinasty, one of the most desired is the return of the ninjas and their ninjutsu skills. One of those mechanics capable of turning the game around with a devastating surprise attack.
Through the ninjutsu, appeared in Betrayers of Kamigawa, if a creature has that ability you can cast it tapped and attacking – for one point less than its normal cost – if you return an unblocked creature to the hand. A kind of instant capable of turning around any attack by switching, for example a small creature that the opponent has decided to let pass.
In addition to the foreseeable ninjas, the dragons are also expected to return from Kamigawa, legendary creatures like that Atsushi that we have already been able to see, as well as the double cards that, presumably, this time will arrive in the form of double-sided cards instead of the double-sided ones that were released back in the day. Understandable because they are easier to play without causing problems, but I hope they give the concept a twist because the art on those was great.
Some beautiful lands to rage
And speaking of spectacular arts, we close this review of what we know about Kamigawa: Neon Dinasty, with the crown jewel of this expansion. A collection of lands that will put us in a position when choosing between these and the beauties launched in Innistrad. They are pretty to rage. With them we leave you until Magic Chronicles Of the next week.
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