[STX] MaRo's Teasers

[Guardman]

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Maro's Strixhaven Teaser
Before previews for Strixhaven officially begin, I thought it would be fun to do another of my Duelist-style teasers where I give tiny hints of things to come. Note that I'm only giving you partial information.

First up, here are some things you can expect:

• a white card with the rules text "draw three cards"

• a planeswalker you know, but not as you know them

• a card featuring Paula Vito Damo da Rosa's likeness (for winning the World Championship)

• a spell with three X's in its mana cost

• introduction of a new evergreen keyword

• a red sorcery that you can have as many copies in your deck as you want

• a futureshifted card (appearing for the first time in a premier set other than Future Sight)

• an MDFC with the same card type on both sides that hasn't been printed before

• a card sharing something never shared before

• a cycle of enemy dual lands finishing off a ten-card cycle

Here are some snippets from rules text that appear in the set:

• "Search your library and graveyard for up to four creature cards with different names"

• "Otherwise, put a study counter on it."

• "Whenever a permanent entering the battlefield causes a triggered ability to trigger"

• "untap each creature you control, then tap any number of creatures you control"

• "Pay 10 life:"

• "Repeat this process six more times."

• "Pests, Bats, Insects, Snakes, and Spiders"

• "Each mode must target a different player."

• "Whenever an opponent activates an ability that isn't a mana ability"

• "where X is the number of cards in your library"

And finally, here are some creature type lines from the set:

• Creature – Turtle Druid

• Creature – Bird Warlock

• Creature – Frog Wizard

• Creature – Spirit Dwarf

• Creature – Troll Druid

• Creature – Eye Bat

• Legendary Creature – Vampire Warlock

• Legendary Creature – Orc Shaman

• Legendary Creature – Dryad Druid

• Legendary Artifact Creature – Construct

Find out the answers to (some) of these clues and other Strixhaven news on March 25th at 9:00 AM PT. Tune in either on twitch.tv/Magic or on our official YouTube channel.

Lot's of interesting tid-bits. I am especially interested in the complete dual land cycle. Doing a quick search, the only allied colored dual land without an enemy cycle are the Bad Fetch Lands, Filter Lands, Battle Lands, Reveal Lands, and Bicycle Lands. I personally hope that its the Bad Fetch Lands, which I have been waiting for them to complete the cycle for a long time now. But more likely it is either Battle Lands or Reveal Lands. But it could be the Bicycles. The only reason I question that is it seems too soon from Ikoria for another set featuring cycling.

I am also excited to see the new evergreen keyword (and hopefully it is for Blue/Red since that is the color pair missing an evergreen).

[BeneTleilax]

I'm hoping for the battle lands. I think the futurshifted card is Bonded Fetch, and I think we'll have some sort of new artifact token akin to food or clues.

[Krishnath]

You know what would be hilarious? If the "Pay 10 life" and "Repeat this process six more times" were on the same card. It's not going to happen though, but it would be hilarious.

As for the lands, it really depends on whether or not cycling is in the set. If cycling is in the set, the Bicycle lands are a given, if not, the most likely are the Battle Lands or Reveal Lands, but like @Guardman I really, really, hope it's the fetches. Sadly with a fully cycle of fetchable duals in Kaldheim, that is unlikely. Also, really interested in that red sorcery. I can only hope it's a Kindle variant.

[void_nothing]

• a white card with the rules text "draw three cards"

Could be preceded by "If an opponent has drawn N or more cards this turn..." as a new variant of the white everybody-draws effect.

• a planeswalker you know, but not as you know them

This is vague. Someone in... disguise?

• a card featuring Paula Vito Damo da Rosa's likeness (for winning the World Championship)

About time this happened again!

• a spell with three X's in its mana cost

Obvious answers: Hydra or Fireball variant. Trolling answer: It's an Astral Cornucopia reprint.

• introduction of a new evergreen keyword

...For UB perhaps?

• a red sorcery that you can have as many copies in your deck as you want

I'll grin very wide if this is a Kindle takeoff.

• a futureshifted card (appearing for the first time in a premier set other than Future Sight)

Thunderblade Charge could be the one given the presumptive instorcery theme.

• an MDFC with the same card type on both sides that hasn't been printed before

Lots of possibilities again.

• a card sharing something never shared before

This really depends on what is meant by sharing.

• a cycle of enemy dual lands finishing off a ten-card cycle

This means the allied cycle already exists of course. Again, could be... well, not anything but a lot of different cycles.

[Krishnath]

@void_nothing

Regarding the planeswalker, it would not surprise me if it was Lili in her new identity.

As for the new evergreen, UB already has flash, it doesn't need another. It'll likely be the new UR overlap.

[void_nothing]

As for the new evergreen, UB already has flash, it doesn't need another. It'll likely be the new UR overlap.

That's not strictly true, is it? Flash does exist but it has two problems: It does nothing over time - it just affects when you can cast the creature - and it's in every other color as well, either in GW as a combat trick type ability or in red for effects that need to be instant speed (like Dualcaster Mage).

[Krishnath]

As for the new evergreen, UB already has flash, it doesn't need another. It'll likely be the new UR overlap.

That's not strictly true, is it? Flash does exist but it has two problems: It does nothing over time - it just affects when you can cast the creature - and it's in every other color as well, either in GW as a combat trick type ability or in red for effects that need to be instant speed (like Dualcaster Mage).

And it is the keyword they settled on for Black/Blue, which is why it has shown up a lot on blue and black creatures over the last two years. The other colors can still use it, but black and blue are primary in it. It's like with Flying, it is primary in blue and white, but other colors can use it as well. And so on. The only two color combination that doesn't have an evergreen keyword overlap is blue/red.

[ConstantMists]

The new evergreen keyword must finally be the red/blue keyword Maro has said they have been searching for.

Could the planeswalker they mention as "them" refer to Ashiok? They have mentioned several times before that Ashiok's gender hasn't been revealed, or if Ashiok's race even has genders. Using that pronoun could imply that Ashiok is appearing as a being of a specific gender, or revealing their gender.

I also have to believe that the MDFC he is referring to is a Will/Rowan dual faced card..

[Guardman]

As for the new evergreen, UB already has flash, it doesn't need another. It'll likely be the new UR overlap.

That's not strictly true, is it? Flash does exist but it has two problems: It does nothing over time - it just affects when you can cast the creature - and it's in every other color as well, either in GW as a combat trick type ability or in red for effects that need to be instant speed (like Dualcaster Mage).

And it is the keyword they settled on for Black/Blue, which is why it has shown up a lot on blue and black creatures over the last two years. The other colors can still use it, but black and blue are primary in it. It's like with Flying, it is primary in blue and white, but other colors can use it as well. And so on. The only two color combination that doesn't have an evergreen keyword overlap is blue/red.

It looks like we were wrong. MaRo just confirmed the new evergreen keyword is not the U/R keyword.

[Daylit]

The new evergreen keyword must finally be the red/blue keyword Maro has said they have been searching for.

Could the planeswalker they mention as "them" refer to Ashiok? They have mentioned several times before that Ashiok's gender hasn't been revealed, or if Ashiok's race even has genders. Using that pronoun could imply that Ashiok is appearing as a being of a specific gender, or revealing their gender.

I also have to believe that the MDFC he is referring to is a Will/Rowan dual faced card..

I believe in this case "them" just means he doesn't want to reveal the gender of this particular planeswalker yet. But that doesn't mean its not Ashiok.
Also Will/Rowan mdfc is cool and i think that is what he is talking about.

[Krishnath]

That's not strictly true, is it? Flash does exist but it has two problems: It does nothing over time - it just affects when you can cast the creature - and it's in every other color as well, either in GW as a combat trick type ability or in red for effects that need to be instant speed (like Dualcaster Mage).

And it is the keyword they settled on for Black/Blue, which is why it has shown up a lot on blue and black creatures over the last two years. The other colors can still use it, but black and blue are primary in it. It's like with Flying, it is primary in blue and white, but other colors can use it as well. And so on. The only two color combination that doesn't have an evergreen keyword overlap is blue/red.

It looks like we were wrong. MaRo just confirmed the new evergreen keyword is not the U/R keyword.

In that case it is going to be doubly interesting to see what it is.

[Guardman]

More clues from MaRo about the keyword.



As to what it could be, the first that comes to mind is "Can't be blocked by creatures with power two or less."

[Krishnath]

More clues from MaRo about the keyword.



As to what it could be, the first that comes to mind is "Can't be blocked by creatures with power two or less."

They finally decided to keyword "Dauntless" then.

[CommanderMaster999]

More clues from MaRo about the keyword.



As to what it could be, the first that comes to mind is "Can't be blocked by creatures with power two or less."

It's actually potentially so simple "Unblockable" or a new word for "ETB"

[Krishnath]

More clues from MaRo about the keyword.



As to what it could be, the first that comes to mind is "Can't be blocked by creatures with power two or less."

It's actually potentially so simple "Unblockable" or a new word for "ETB"

Unblockable is unlikely, as they have worded it so many different ways of the years that function slightly different in the rules. It would basically mean a lot of functional errata would need to be done, and they are very loathe to do functional errata unless it is something utterly broken (such as how Companion originally worked), they learned that lesson the hard way with the Sixth edition rules update (that among other things broke Regeneration).

[CommanderMaster999]

More clues from MaRo about the keyword.



As to what it could be, the first that comes to mind is "Can't be blocked by creatures with power two or less."

It's actually potentially so simple "Unblockable" or a new word for "ETB"

Unblockable is unlikely, as they have worded it so many different ways of the years that function slightly different in the rules. It would basically mean a lot of functional errata would need to be done, and they are very loathe to do functional errata unless it is something utterly broken (such as how Companion originally worked), they learned that lesson the hard way with the Sixth edition rules update (that among other things broke Regeneration).

I guess that's true

Here's another one



If he said the name we could figure out what it is.

My next guess is treasure token related I'm having a hard time finding a set to yet not have treasure token makers

Third could be for "doesn't untap at the beginning of the next untap step" like maybe give it "Freeze" or something

[Krishnath]

@void_nothing

Regarding the planeswalker, it would not surprise me if it was Lili in her new identity.

As for the new evergreen, UB already has flash, it doesn't need another. It'll likely be the new UR overlap.

I guess I was right about Lily.

[Sporegorger_Dragon]

Another tidbit; Rosewater confirmed that all five founders will appear in card form, meaning we have a cycle of enemy-colored Elder Dragons to compliment the ally-colored cycle in Dragons of Tarkir.

[Lorn Asbord Schutta]

a futureshifted card (appearing for the first time in a premier set other than Future Sight)

What if it is Ghostfire? We know that houses were founded by elder dragons, which in turn could be related to Ugin.

I would even propose that the houses already resemble the transition clans of Tarkir went through in dragon timeline. Let us imagine that at the beginning there were five shard factions, that were seized and forced by a dragonlord to drop some of their teachings.

-Lorehold are archeologists with more proactive stance towards recovery of past.

-Quandrix are dealing with math, a branch of science that constitutes of strong, non-condracting set of rules upon which everything is build.

-Silverquill value the written word and their magic is based on writings.

-Prismari are artists that are bent on self-expression.

-Witherbloom deal with natural order of both living and dead variety, which requires predation to change from one state to another.

While some of them are more stretched then the others, the truth is, that all of the houses could easily slot additional color without changing their core philosophy, only expanding it. Just like clans in old timeline.

[Krishnath]

After looking over the cards from future sight there has yet to be reprinted, only a handful are really feasible. If there in turn is not Cycling in the set, that number is further reduced.

My personal top 2 possible reprints: Arcanum Wings and Patrician's Scorn. But we will see.