Magic: The Gatheringhas been previewing its upcomingTarkir: Dragonstormset recently. As is expected, Wizards of the Coast gave the privilege of spoiling some upcoming cards to content creators or other prominent figures in theMagiccommunity. While mainstays like The Command Zone showing off new cards was no surprise, an unexpected previewer now has me excited thatMagic: The Gatheringcould be getting a newUniverses Beyondset that would be perfect for it.
Originally, I wasn’t sure I liked the idea ofUniverses Beyondsets being Standard legal, and making up half ofMagic’s yearly releases. However,I’m starting to see the potential in the dramatic increase ofUniverses Beyondsets. It feels like more IPs are now on the table as possibilities for crossover sets, and ifMagic’sFinal Fantasypreviewsor theFalloutCommander decks are any indication, I will likely be pleased with the results. It’s also exciting to see possible hints at whereMagiccould go next withUniverses Beyond, and I hope I’m right about this one.
Brandon Sanderson Previewed A New Magic Card
Brandon Sanderson Previewed The Card Flamehold Grappler From Tarkir: Dragonstorm
I was pleasantly surprised when I saw Brandon Sanderson previewing a newMagic: The Gatheringcard on hisYouTubechannel. Sanderson was showing off thenewTarkir: Dragonstormcard, Flamehold Grappler, a Jeskai Monk that is capable of copying one of your spells on the same turn that this creature enters play. Jeskai is a good color combination for spellslinger decks, so this card feels like a perfect fit. White and blue also have a fair number of flicker effects that can let you reuse this card’s effect. However,it wasn’t the card itself that made me most excited.
Magic: The Gathering Tarkir: Dragonstorm - Release Date, Pricing, Sets, & Cards Info
Magic: The Gathering’s upcoming set, Tarkir: Dragonstorm, will be released soon, and it will take us back to one of Magic’s most exciting locations.
Brandon Sanderson is a prolific author, so seeing him collaborating withMagic: The Gatheringimmediately got me wondering if we could seefutureUniverses Beyondsets based on his work. More specifically, I would love to see a full set, or at least Commander decks, based on Sanderson’s ongoingStormlight Archiveseries. Not only am I a fan of the books, but I also think they would be well-suited to aMagic: The Gatheringadaptation.
Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive Would Be Perfect For Universes Beyond
The Stormlight Archive’s Magic System Would Translate Well To Magic: The Gathering
One thing Brandon Sanderson is known for is creating what are known as hard magic systems in his books. The term refers to the idea that magic in books like theStormlight Archiveseries has a strict set of understandable rules. This is different from a soft magic system like the Force inStar Wars, which is more nebulous in how it works.A hard magic system is much easier to translate into a card game likeMagic: The Gathering, because its strict rules can be used to shape card mechanics.
What’s nice is thattheStormlight Archive’s magic system is somewhat reminiscent ofMagic’s. While there are some major differences, characters channeling Stormlight to perform magical feats is more analogous toMagic: The Gathering’s mana system than any magic systems from other Universes Beyond properties. It’s easy to imagine charged gems being a form of mana-production in the set, while things like Shardplate and Shardblades being powerful equipment cards.
Magic: The Gathering Tarkir Dragonstorm Is Revitalizing My Favorite Card Type, And I Couldn’t Be Happier
Previews for the upcoming Magic: The Gathering set, Tarkir: Dragonstorm, have revealed powerful new additions to my favorite type of card.
The world of Roshar is also a very visually distinct fantasy location, making it perfect for a card game adaptation.Magic: The Gatheringartists would get a chance to create strange creatures like santhid, skyeels, or the many crab-like species. This would help the set have a strong personality that sets it apart from otherMagicsettings, which I think makes for some of thebestUniverses Beyondcrossovers.
Sanderson Has Worked With Wizards Of The Coast Before
Sanderson Wrote The Magic: The Gathering Novel Children Of The Nameless
It wouldn’t be completely unheard of for Sanderson to work with Wizards of the Coast on aMagic: The Gatheringproject. Apart from his recent card preview,Sanderson also wrote a novel forMagic: The GatheringtitledChildren of the Nameless, which introduced the Planeswalker Davriel Cane. The story was originally released as a free ebook, but has since become unavailable through its original page, similar to many ofMagic’s old story articles.
Initially, I was unsure if Sanderson would want to work with Wizards of the Coast again, as I didn’t know what his opinions were onChildren of the Namelessbeing taken down. Sanderson has since come out and said on hisIntentionally Blankpodcast that, while he wishes the ebook was still up,he had a great experience working with Wizards of the Coast. It doesn’t seem like he bears any ill-will towards the company, and he is obviously open to working with them at least enough to do a card preview.
Magic: The Gathering’s Upcoming Set Could Solve Its Story Problems, But It Might Be Too Late
Magic: The Gathering’s upcoming Tarkir: Dragonstorm set looks promising after several gimmicky set themes, but it might be too late to save the IP.
According toStar City Games, Sanderson has even talked to Wizards of the Coast about potentially doing a set based on his fiction. Although nothing official has been announced, I’m hopeful that seeing Sanderson working withMagic: The Gatheringagain, even in a small capacity, means something could be coming soon. Sanderson is clearly still in communication with the company, and he seems willing to work on aUniverses Beyondset, so hopefully Wizards of the Coast is on board as well.
