Following the recent, epic arc that wrapped up in Magic The Gathering’s March Of The Machines, players begin a new chapter by returning to the fairytale-inspired realm of Eldraine.
Coming at an interesting time considering Disney has recently launched their fairytale collectible card game Lorcana, Wizards benefits from returning to a world already brimming with fantasy and adventure tropes where nary a beautiful apple can be trusted.
One of the favourite additions of this set that has been par the course for Magic lately is the inclusion of Borderless Storybook cards which spill Magic’s notably gorgeous art out beyond the half-card frame to make the card blossom with its visuals.
We have had an opportunity to sit down with Wilds of Eldraine’s two new Commander decks focused on fairies and enchantments, fitting for this theme. As expected from Magic’s commitment to thematic flair reflected in card abilities and art, sagas make a return while also introducing the new mechanics of roles and bargains. Roles see otherwise ordinary creatures morphed with special abilities that add mystical, enchanting twists to their properties while bargains have players burn cards for powerful abilities.
Swans, gingerbread warriors, and woodland warriors all come together to make for a wonderfully thematic deck of fairytale inversions and familiar fables given a shake-up. While I praised the humorous themeing behind littering the table with food tokens in the previous Lord Of The Rings conversion for Magic, this set will have Planeswalkers playing with their snacks courtesy of food creatures such as Syr Ginger. You are likely to see this biscuit brawler on this set’s advertising, while WellPlayed was treated to an edible depiction of this creature courtesy of MissMollyMakes.
This writer celebrates any tabletop game that can marry mechanics and themes in a way that crafts an emergent storytelling experience between players. While the historied terminology of Magic can be daunting to newcomers, sacrificing my food minions for increased life doesn’t take much imagination to draw a devious smile.
Last but not least, keep an eye out for the sexy new anime-flavoured cards that have snuck into Wilds of Eldraine. Check out Omniscience above. We were tickled to pull a couple of these ourselves, full of that goofy colourful splendour that dominates the art.
Feeling like cracking into your own world of fables, folklore, and fae, then check out your local EB Games or JB Hi-Fi. While this set doesn’t seem to have the WellPlayed-favourite format of Jumpstart, all the usual suspects are present. Whether your flavour is the social smackdown Commander, or any of the various set, collector, and draft boosters as well as a new starter kit, WoE is pulling no punches.
Will you be making the journey into this beautiful, twisted, dark fantasy? Let us know in the comments or on social media.
