iKoria Spoilers: Godzilla is a creature type now

The day is here! The day we learn how Maro has killed magic this time. Will it be just be mechanics ported from silver sets? Will it be with power overwhelming? Find out today with iKoria Spoilers!

Quick facts:
Mutate is Bestow, but worse.
Godzilla and pals are in the set as altered-arts for those of you who'd rather cast Godzilla instead of A Big Creature Named Zzzydothxy
Ability counters work like you think they would.
Cycling is back, baby!
Companion is commander for non-edh play. You get a companion, and you can cast them once from the command zone, but they come with deck building restrictions.

https://magic.wizards.com/en/article...ews-2020-03-31
Schedule

Love this absolute nonsense countdown right now. Seriously.

The godzilla card is real? Gotta be some silver border thing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FourDogsinaHorseSuit

The godzilla card is real? Gotta be some silver border thing.

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Didn't look like it.

Also:
https://i.imgur.com/gWAj9k8.png
https://i.imgur.com/x2QYtl2.png
https://i.imgur.com/6Gw4WcM.png

Mutate:
https://i.imgur.com/52nH3zw.png

Also missed capturing it, but the Godzilla things seem to just be other cards by different names?

My inner child absolutley loves all of this.
100% will be building at least 1 theme deck.

Yep, Godzilla stuff is just creatures with "different names" but still the same name for deck-build purposes:
https://i.imgur.com/i2oj5OF.png

Showing the ability counters and Godzilla theme:
https://i.imgur.com/4unA5KE.png?1

So I think nightmares are a tribe in this set. I saw the Nightmare Pangolin (a 1/4 draft fodder)

Another companion card:
https://i.imgur.com/wSSEKKt.png?1

Probably irrelevant but more creatures with Cycling now:
https://i.imgur.com/3MhV37r.png

But there are Godzilla versions of uncommons too, apparently:
https://i.imgur.com/QR0Pg6e.png

Sort of like Lightning Rift, but kind of worse and kind of better (ok, strictly worse, but at least they appear to be remotely trying)
https://media.wizards.com/2020/iko/en_pRbcJ7BDPK.png

Any rules aficionados want to speculate on how Companion and Mutate work?

Mutate looks like you start with any non-human creature, then add mutate cards too it. I'm guessing the P/T on the underlaying cards are ignored and the creature has it's base states and abilities plus all the abilities on the cards shown under it?

Companion is completely beyond me though... Do you reveal your entire deck before the start of the game to prove the Companion condition is true?

Edit - As of right now, hybrid mana symbols only appear in the casting cost of Companions and the mutate cost of some creatures. I wonder if that will remain true.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ace/Homebrew

Any rules aficionados want to speculate on how Companion and Mutate work?

Mutate looks like you start with any non-human creature, then add mutate cards too it. I'm guessing the P/T on the underlaying cards are ignored and the creature has it's base states and abilities plus all the abilities on the cards shown under it?

Companion is completely beyond me though... Do you reveal your entire deck before the start of the game to prove the Companion condition is true?

Edit - As of right now, hybrid mana symbols only appear in the casting cost of Companions and the mutate cost of some creatures. I wonder if that will remain true.

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Mechanics Article goes over Mutate pretty well, but you have the basics right. As for Companion, Matt Tabak is doing a Reddit AMA thing tomorrow that will probably answer that.

This actually doesn't look like too terrible a card:
https://i.imgur.com/NIns6y5.jpg

Neat, but 6 mana is too much I think:
https://i.imgur.com/qtPx3vq.jpg

Not terrible impressed with the art direction or flavor right now. Elemental Dinosaur Cat? That shit looks like an Elder Dragon from Monster Hunter.

Mechanics are kinda meh. Not surprised they're cashing in on the popularity of Commander. Let's see if any of the cards don't have enough restrictions to be actually playable.

As for the power level, let's wait and see what kind of bullshit WotC has pushed this time as a set seller, just to be banned a few months later.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by H

Mechanics Article goes over Mutate pretty well, but you have the basics right. As for Companion, Matt Tabak is doing a Reddit AMA thing tomorrow that will probably answer that.

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Tanks. Mutate seems overly complicated and they jumped through a bunch of hoops to keep it from having the 'Enchant Creature' problems... I'm sure it'll be fine.

Companion's Commander rules annoy me. No one should ever sit down with more than 100 total cards. Partner commanders mean a deck size of 98... Why does Companion get a pass? /bitching

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Barook

Not terrible impressed with the art direction or flavor right now. Elemental Dinosaur Cat? That shit looks like an Elder Dragon from Monster Hunter.

Mechanics are kinda meh. Not surprised they're cashing in on the popularity of Commander. Let's see if any of the cards don't have enough restrictions to be actually playable.

As for the power level, let's wait and see what kind of bullshit WotC has pushed this time as a set seller, just to be banned a few months later.

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I pretty much agree on all counts there. I do think Mutate is kind of interesting, since it is like Bestow, but minus the blow-out potential. I actually think this set might usher in another low-power phase, but we, of course, will have to wait and see.

Frankly, Vadrok seems almost close to playable, so who knows...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ace/Homebrew

Any rules aficionados want to speculate on how Companion and Mutate work?

Mutate looks like you start with any non-human creature, then add mutate cards too it. I'm guessing the P/T on the underlaying cards are ignored and the creature has it's base states and abilities plus all the abilities on the cards shown under it?

Companion is completely beyond me though... Do you reveal your entire deck before the start of the game to prove the Companion condition is true?

Edit - As of right now, hybrid mana symbols only appear in the casting cost of Companions and the mutate cost of some creatures. I wonder if that will remain true.

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You have mutate essentially correct.


Think of companion but for standard: Before each game (So g1, 2 and 3) you decide if you want to reveal a (singular) companion. The companion lives in your SB (the only "outside the game" that's legal in constructed play. Casual is your binder) and you can cast it from there using otherwise normal rules. It's now te 61st card in your deck.
Now; between games you can sideboard your deck in such a way as to make the companion illegal. If you do you just don't reveal it before that game.
I assume this also means if you wanted to switch companions between games you could.

From what we've seen of Companion so far, I'm guessing they're all competitively unplayable and intended solely for kitchen table players. Which I'm 100% fine with. The last thing MTG needs to repeat the Genn/Baku debacle from Hearthstone.

Mutate looks like the sets draft mechanic that is going to have a max of two-five cards playable in standard, if that.

Some more:
https://i.imgur.com/euABGDP.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/yApkLOt.png

Quote:

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Originally Posted by H

This actually doesn't look like too terrible a card:
https://i.imgur.com/NIns6y5.jpg

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This should be able to cast Ancestral Vision and the other 0 mana Suspend cards, if I'm not mistaken.

I've read the mutate rules article three times and I still don't get it. Seems like an overly complicated shit just to appease kitchen table kids who are most likely just as happy with simple 12/12 trample dinosaurs anyway.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kage

I've read the mutate rules article three times and I still don't get it. Seems like an overly complicated shit just to appease kitchen table kids who are most likely just as happy with simple 12/12 trample dinosaurs anyway.

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Agreed. This mechanic is a complete clusterfuck.

I had to read up Matt Tabak's Twitter to learn that if you blink a mutated creature, they come back as seperate creatures.

Edit: Since you can mutate creatures with extra copies of themselves, does Vadrox bring back two cards if you mutate it with itself? :really:

Well, this one looks good:
http://mythicspoiler.com/iko/cards/d...perfectpet.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Barook

Well, this one looks good:

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I agree, UR Delver is an underpowered deck

I wonder if we get any Mutate creature that put counters onto itself upon dealing damage for a cheaper 2-card combo with Ballista than Heliod is.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Barook

Edit: Since you can mutate creatures with extra copies of themselves, does Vadrox bring back two cards if you mutate it with itself? :really:

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Yup. You'll end up with a creature that has two identically worded triggered abilities and each one will trigger seperately.

Quote:

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Well, this one looks good:
http://mythicspoiler.com/iko/cards/d...perfectpet.jpg

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I dunno if Modern phoenix wants it but the Pioneer version of the deck is deperate for oomf and this provides a lot of that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by H

Showing the ability counters and Godzilla theme:
https://i.imgur.com/4unA5KE.png?1

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This one turns any undying/persist creature unkillable, making it very playable in modern. Probably not in legacy, you'll have to ask the DnT players if they want a Wrath Freebie.

This beauty combos with Cataclysm.

Mutate might lead to some interesting limited games. Being able to mutate onto any non-Human creature might give it applications in constructed, but we'll have to wait and see. Companion seems... idiotic. At the very least, I'm excited about new cycling cards.

Companions -
The Otter, Kraken and the Hippo are both blue hybrid mana costed so in terms of casting cost those are certainly playable, although the restriction on at least the Otter is pretty tough. The Hippo could be manageable, after all both FoW and FoN are 3+ cc. Note that Lutri's enter play ability is restricted to on cast, but Keruga's is not. That doesn't really make Keruga playable but idk maybe in some sort of blue Superfriends concept? The Kraken has an easier restriction to work around (fine with a Chalice deck) but the restriction kills both FoW and FoN. Lutri is somewhat less restrictive in Vintage since... in Vintage you have the restricted list. You can still play 3 extra copies of FoW in your sb.

There seems to be some cheaper mutate costs i.e. 2cc, 3cc. Since Nimble Mongoose is one of my top 10 favorite cards, I'm keeping an eye on this mechanic. Also note that Mutate saves the mutate creature if the target creature fizzles. This could be a really great mechanic that will be popular for a long time. Although true it's very Yugi-Oh.

Also it seems like there will be Japanese art variants again?

https://mtg-jp.com/reading/kochima/0033907/

Rules question:

If an opponent controls Archetype of Imagination, then the flying counter is still placed, but does nothing, so you could still infinite sac under Mothra? Not that this is ever going to happen, but it's an interesting interaction.

Companion mechanic has no text in legacy right? This seems like you’d have to reveal deck at the end of every game for opponent to verify that you’re following construction rules.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Barook

Rules question:

If an opponent controls Archetype of Imagination, then the flying counter is still placed, but does nothing, so you could still infinite sac under Mothra? Not that this is ever going to happen, but it's an interesting interaction.

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That would be my understanding: Can't beats can, the creature doesn't have flying, and you can recur again and again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fox

Companion mechanic has no text in legacy right? This seems like you’d have to reveal deck at the end of every game for opponent to verify that you’re following construction rules.

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It still has text in legacy, but because you have to reveal your companion before every game it would (based on the current revealed restrictions) be pretty obvious when you break the rules, and I'm sure if your opponent catches you doing so the results are game loss (bad sideboarding) to immediate disqualification (including brainstorm in you evens-only deck G1).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FourDogsinaHorseSuit

It still has text in legacy, but because you have to reveal your companion before every game it would (based on the current revealed restrictions) be pretty obvious when you break the rules, and I'm sure if your opponent catches you doing so the results are game loss (bad sideboarding) to immediate disqualification (including brainstorm in you evens-only deck G1).

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Yeah, I mean, we'll find out more later today after Tabek does the Reddit AMA on the rules, but it isn't as if you reveal your deck to prove you don't have 5 Scalding Tarns, or 5 Brainstorms right now, so this hardly seems like a big deal.

This a bad Cataclysm version:
https://i.imgur.com/noATr8I.png

However, this one is more interesting:
https://i.imgur.com/uyEB9Ji.png

While it does mean you have to be in BGWx, that isn't a terrible place to be at the moment.

Much as I hate tie-ins, I could totally go for one of those Biollante things.

EDIT: The spoiler I saw was in Japanese, so I have no idea what it does.

https://mythicspoiler.com/iko/cards/...magistrate.jpg

Weenie for the Weenie God!
Hatebear for the Hatebear Throne!