With “Kaldheim,” Magic’s next big expansion is just around the corner. But what makes the Viking set so special?
Vikings are all over pop culture right now. Whether as a series, in games, or in what is probably the world’s most popular trading card game. “Kaldheim” places Magic players on the plane of the same name with a total of 10 different worlds, which are connected by the world tree.
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In each of these worlds there is a type of creature that is particularly present. Elves, humans, dwarves, giants, demons, ghosts, trolls will get many new cards, in addition to the new types Draugr and Valkyrie.
MtG Arena | Kaldheim: Recurring Mechanic
“Kaldheim” is based on Norse mythology around Thor, Odin, and the known gods. The Magic version of Loki already shows one of the recurring mechanics: the MDFC, “Double-Sided Modal Cards”:
Because Valki can be played as a creature or as Tibalt, a well-known planeswalker. In the story, he poses as the god of lies. In the latest edition, this mechanic is experimented with even more than in “Zendikar Rising”, as there are even creatures, for example, that can also be used as equipment.
Another recurring specialty is the type of snow. There have been a few cards in Magic history that were or interacted with this type of super type. With Kaldheim there are not only normal countries that even have a special card frame, but also double countries that come into play tapped:
Last but not least, Norse mythology is full of stories about wars, battles and gods, so, as in “Theros: Beyond Death”, the sayings will be part of the whole:
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MtG Arena | Kaldheim: new mechanics
However, there will also be two new features to differentiate “Kaldheim” from other ensembles. The first one rewards you for following aggressive strategies:
“Show off” lets you activate a powerful effect after an attack with a corresponding creature for a small mana investment. For example, with Varragoth you can search for the best cards in the deck directly.
The second mechanic could prove particularly insidious for your opponents: With “Predict” you place a card in a zone separated by only two mana, face down so your opponent doesn’t know what it is. At a later date, you can play them for your “Forecast” costs. Until now we know that creatures, sorcery and instants can have this ability; the latter in particular will always keep your opponents under pressure:
Especially the focus on different types of creatures will make “Kaldheim” popular outside of the standard or historical format. Dwarves, for example, have long been a wish of many Commander players. The new MDFCs will certainly influence many good decks today. We are definitely looking forward to the January 28 release.