Anthousa, Setessan Hero - Magic the Gathering

So, are the minotaurs supposed to be animated lands?

Anthousa is the ruler of Setessa, in that she manages everything for their patron goddess, Karametra. The Setessans are the Theros equivalent of the Amazons, an empire lead mostly by female warriors. Anthousa's other great claim to fame is that she decapitated a rock titan. Seriously, it's in the Planeswalker Guide.

So what ability does the leader of a group of female warriors get? She can make manlands. Seriously, what is the flavor here? Anthousa apparently has ties with the goddess of the earth, but when exactly and where exactly that Anthousa has the power to command the earth. At least Anax and Cymede had an ability that made them feel like leaders of a military empire, this is just weak though.

I have no idea how to judge the power of this card, since I don't know how to judge this type of effect. Turning your lands into an army can be a great finisher, but it also makes them all more vulnerable to removal. There is more creature removal and sweepers than there is land destruction. Kamahl, Fist of Krosa had a similar ability, but he also had an overrun like effect that was more dangerous and any lands you're lucky to animate actually become a threat thanks to it. This gives us none of that.

I'm still wondering about heroic. The two cards we've seen it on were both rare and legendary, so I have no idea if my theories about the mechanic are correct.

Ember Swallower - Magic the Gathering

Masticore Elemental?

This is a freakin Masticore! Not an elemental. It looks almost exactly the same as Molten-Tail Masticore. Is this leftover art from Scars block? My only other guess is that the art description for this guy was supposed to be a Manticore, but either the description had a typo or the artist misread it, resulting in this masticore. Masticores only exist in the Magic universe. There is nothing ancient Greek about them. So they changed the card to an elemental to cover their rears. This is pure speculation. I really would like someone from Wizards to give an official explanation, because I swear this isn't a coincidence.

Regarding the card itself, it's rather bleh. The ability doesn't excite me, and I have no idea how favorable turn seven land destruction is, especially since you're nuking yourself as well. Could be annoying in multiplayer though. Not necessarily fun, but annoying. Other than that, the stats are good, especially for red, whose creatures have a tendency to be glass cannons. The name also feels pretty generic. If my theory's correct, that could be because they had to scramble for it at the last minute.

Abhorrent Overlord - Magic the Gathering

Fly my pretties! Fly!

Hey, Chroma is back! For those too young to remember, chroma was a tagged keyword mechanic from Eventide. They were effects that counted the number of a certain mana symbol among a certain set of cards. Since Eventide was part of Shadowmoor block, it got in on the hybrid madness. And hybrid mana counted as both of its mana symbols, making it play nicely with chroma. This is a much more limited version of chroma, counting only mana symbols among permanents you control. However, among the nine chroma cards, four of them used the version that devotion went with: Heartlash Cinder, Outrage Shaman, Primalcrux, and Springjack Shephered.

I love the idea of Harpy tokens! I know they're just the Theros equivalent of Bat tokens, but it's just so flavorful and fits the setting perfectly. Plus, it adds more Harpy creatures to Magic. Current number of Harpies in Magic? Three. And they weren't even types as Harpies on their printed cards, and none of their cards have been reprinted. Theros seems to be the set centered on resurrecting seldom used creature types.

Other creature types in need of love that would fit perfectly in this set? Chimeras. Manticores. Sirens. (I already know they're getting support from the Planeswalker Guide) Cerberus. (Closest we've seem to have come is Hound of Griselbrand.)

Shipbreaker Kraken - Magic the Gathering

RELEASE THE KRAKEN!

We have another monstrous creature, and this one's a kraken! I'm starting to get the impression Theros Limited is going to be a lot slower. The bestow costs we have seen are huge, and the monstrosity costs are equally huge. Neither mechanic will be any good if the game ends on turn five. Since the cost is big, the effects are equally big. Eight mana turns this guy into a 10/10 and taps down four creatures for as long as you got the kraken. That is some huge board advantage right there. That said, this won't see much constructed play. If a Standard game lasts long enough that you can cast this guy, odds are you're already doomed.

I really like the artistic design of this guy. Most of the time there is very little that distinguishes a kraken from a giant octopus. This though is really unique. This kraken has a bunch of claws and crab-like appendages. It's a blending of other marine life into a giant monster. It's certainly more interesting than the design that appeared in the film I quoted in the caption. A lot more colorful too. The pink claws and tentacles compliment the blue shell and exterior really nicely. It also helps it stand out in a background that's mostly blue.

One quick side note. If Gatherer is to be believed, this will be the seventh Kraken in Magic history (excluding any decommissioned krakens), just like how Celestial Archon is going to be the seventh Archon. Coincidence? Yes, but that doesn't make it any less neat. 

Celestial Archon - Magic the Gathering

Lucky Archon number 7!

A new week and five new preview cards, thank you Wizards. These are the Enchantment Creatures they have been teasing. Love the card frame by the way, so sparkly! The mechanic is one that's been sitting in the Magic pipeline for awhile, creatures that can enchant creatures. It was only a matter of time before this mechanic was fully released, it was only waiting for the right set. Several things I like already. The enchantment creature actually feels like both an enchantment and a creature. The first one we got from Future Sight, Lucent Liminid, was just a flyer with the type slapped on. This though actually has an enchantment like effect to justify the typing.

Another thing. I'm not certain I'm reading this correctly, but it seems that when the creature this is attached to is destroyed, this just becomes its creature form instead. This is a very good move. This will make people not afraid of using the bestow effect only for the enchanted creature to get nerfed, since the Aura will just become another creature.

I wonder if the mechanic could even be used to cheat high cost creatures into play. Design a creature with a lower bestow cost than its creature cost, so it comes into play attached to a creature. Then if the enchanted creature gets killed, your enchantment creature will become the high cost creature, with you spending less mana to get it. I can tell though that if there are plans to use the mechanic like that, it won't be in this set. Similar to bloodrush, the enchant effect seems to be gaining the creatures power and toughness and all effects they have. An Aura that gives say +5/+5 won't be a cheap card, so I doubt with this formula we'll be seeing high cost creatures with lower bestow costs, but we'll see.

I also wonder if the five gods of Theros are going to have bestow effects. Then again, I wonder if all the enchantment creatures will have bestow effects. My answers: Probably yes on both counts. The gods are definitely going to be mythic rare though, so we might see some more unique executions in their bestow effects. Also, will their weapons be enchantment artifacts? How will that work? So many questions, I can't wait!

Satyr Hedonist - Magic the Gathering

Please tell me he's wearing pants.

In the same way that Innistrad added a bunch of new Werewolves for the neglected creature type, Theros is adding a bunch of new satyrs. A search on Gatherer reveals two Satyrs in Magic history, Lumbering Satyr from Mercadian Masques (who looks nothing like a satyr), and Willow Satyr all the way back from Legends. Now we're getting a bunch more, and they seem to be green red and to have the mentality of goblins.

His flavor text sounds like something you would see on a Rakdos card, since Rakdos parties usually end with all the attendees dead. This makes me wince at the thought of what satyr parties will be like. And I do not want to know what he is doing sitting there. I'm pretty sure the art's meant to innocent, but given the reputation satyrs have, his pose seems rather suggestive. At least its not as bad as the new art for Skyknight Legionnaire. And it's a Satyr in a Greek mythology block, so points for style.

I seriously doubt this guy will see any play in any format. Red mana acceleration is weird in power level. When Seething Song was printed, it was really good. This guy... isn't. This type of mana acceleration has become severely weak. Burning-Tree Emissary was a nice nod to this type of effect, but it was good because it wasn't this effect. This guy will only see Limited play if your deck doesn't have enough good creatures and you need any body to hold things down. Again, this is pure speculation though. Maybe there are cards in the format that will make a drafting strategy where this can be good. Going on past experience though, expect to end up with a pile of this guys from last picks.

Destructive Revelry - Magic the Gathering

Only you can prevent satyr fires.

Okay, so I've actually read the first installment of the Planeswalker's Guide to Theros. Some new things I've learned. Cymede is the queen. I could have figured that out if I bothered to red the flavor text on Calvary Pegasus. There are at least five gods on the plane, each one aligned to a different color. It is said the gods are living enchantments, implying that Theros has an enchantment theme, which explains several cards from M14, and that there will either be enchantment creature, or enchantments that can animate into creatures.

If enchantments turns out to be a major theme, and if there are a bunch of creatures who are also enchantments, this card can be really good in limited. It would act the same way artifact removal behaved in both Mirrodin blocks. Until I actually see one of this enchantment creatures though, this card is going to be stuck in a sideboard.

Let's review what we can actually see. The art is a bunch of satyrs gathered around a fire and hurling a shield into it. It appears satyrs will be this plane's equivalent of goblins, not to bright beings who like to burn things. The card's multicolored, because the blocks that dovetail next to multicolor blocks tend to have some additional multicolor support. We also have a quote from Xenagos, the Reveler, a title that becomes much less impressive if you replace reveler with party animal.

One minor detail I'd like to point out is how this red green card actually aligns pretty well with the philosophy and practices of the red and green gods, Purphoros and Nylea. Purphoros likes to melt stuff down so he can forge it into something new, so the ability works with him. Nylea dislikes any man or anything man-made disturbing her natural order, so she also would support scrapping this junk. It's just a little flavor thing that works really well. Odds are, this card is part of an allied colors cycle, so we'll see if the other cards join the philosophies of their two gods.

Ordeal of Purphoros - Magic the Gathering

THIS... IS... THEROS!

Remember the Expedition cycle from Zendikar. This reminds me of it a lot, an enchantment you accumulate three counters for it to go off, unless you enchant it to a monstrous creature or something with more counters on it, in which case you can sac it the turn you play. I am fairly positive this is a cycle, the naming alone suggests its a cycle. It's not a cycle I'm particularly excited about, and its a cycle I doubt will see constructed play. It feels really complicated, and the ability forces you to sack it. I would have preferred an optional sack, that way you can keep it on to add even more counters. Predictions. Blue one will draw cards. Green one will fetch a land, probably Rampant Growth style. We'll see.

Concept wise, I like the idea of the card. Heroes go on epic journeys that make them stronger. That's part of why it reminds me of the Expeditions, it's another attempt at quest cards. The execution again though isn't exciting. I understand why this is set up the way it is though. Heroes need to fight monsters on their journeys, so the card makes you attack. And the sack ability also encourages you to take up the quest, since it rewards you in the end. Despite all that that flavor, I still don't like it.

Polukranos, World Eater - Magic the Gathering

The Ancient Greek Galactus.

In the same way that Innistrad had humans and monsters, Theros has heroes and monsters. So what's the monster mechanic this time. Monstrosity. First off, this uses +1/+1 counters, meaning another year without -1/-1 counters. This reminds me of unleash in terms of the concept. You can give your monster +1/+1 counters at the cost of giving them some negative trait. Unleash made them unable to block, while monstrosity makes them monstrous. Odds are, there are gonna be a lot of cards that interact with and/or punish monstrous creatures. I bet you there is going to be a white spell that kills monstrous creatures, and a black spell that kills non-monstrous ones. There will probably also be a white knight who's a monster slayer. Then again, with all the Innistrad parallels, maybe they'll tone it down.

And our preview is a hydra. I love hydras! This was probably an inevitable inclusion, this being the Greek myth block. Hydras use a bunch of +1/+1 counters, ever since Rock Hydra, and this one allows it to pseudo-fight a creature, multiple if you wish, since this guy has multiple heads. And again with the aggressive costing. The only downside is that its monstrous ability is very mana intensive. 3 mana makes a 6/6 and deals 1 damage. 5 mana a 7/7 and 2 damage. 7 mana an 8/8 and 3 damage. It won't stop me from playing it, but it will make people wait awhile before they trigger the monstrous effect, since they want to get real value. Also, can you technically pay G just to make it monstrous and nothing else? I think you can. I'm not sure why you'd want to, but you can. Maybe, probably, they'll be a monster lord of some sort.

By the way, I like the name of this guy. It sounds like they are taking real Greek names and words and then twisting them to make them more Magicky. Polu is similar to poly, which means many. And Kranos is one off from Kronos, the father of the gods who swallowed his own children. And Polukranos has the title of world eater.

Anax and Cymede - Magic the Gathering

And we return to multicolor with no guild symbols.

I was going to do the rare color hoser cycle from M14, but then Wizards dropped a bombshell, and by that I mean they did something everyone already expected them to do, Theros previews.

Theros is Greco-Roman inspired, and what is Greek mythology without some wise king and queen. At least, that's my assumption. For all I know they're just brother and sister. Also, which is Anax and which is Cymede. My gut instinct is Anax is the guy and Cymede the girl, just because they sound more masculine and feminine to me. The art however has the girl before the guy, so maybe its supposed to be the other way. It's like those movie posters where the picture shows the actors from left to right yet reading the top bill like you normally would, the names don't match the actors.

And heroic, the new pseudo-keyword. Because its psuedo, I'm not certain what it's meant to do. My future self will read this and laugh at me. It seems to be "Whenever you cast a spell that targets ~, this happens." Several questions though. The effect in the preview card benefits all creatures. Will all heroic effects be universal? That would match the idea of somebody doing something heroic, inspiring everyone else to do something, but universal effects can be narrow. Second, will heroic only be on legendary cards? I like it flavor wise if it does, the legends being the heroes after all. The heroic effect would then encourage players to use they're legendaries, and to target their legendaries with their spells. But that just opens up problems. Legendaries don't appear too much at lower rarities, partially because it feels weird. Meaning the effect you just tagged won't be showing up at common, which is very important for your set mechanic to do. Odds are, there will be non-legendary creatures with heroic. Still, I like this ability because it actually encourages you to play your instants, sorceries, and auras. Even if the ability isn't that good, it can still create a good upswing.

Design wise, this feels like a very aggressive costed card, and the effect makes them feel like rulers. The only things I find weird are very nitpicky. One is the heroic effect grants trample. Trample is in red, meaning its perfectly within colors to do, but giving an army of creatures trample feels more green than red or white. My other nitpick is that despite the card depicting two characters, the effect doesn't feel like two characters. I like the design of Sisters of Stone Death. That card depicts three separate characters, yet its effects make it feel like each sister is doing something individually. Tibor and Lumia does the same thing. This one doesn't.

Still, this card looks good and powerful, so who am I to complain.