Saddle up and sling some spells with MTG’s western extravaganza, uniting dastardly villains in a quest to strike it rich.
It’s been some time in the making, but Magic: The Gathering is finally putting its own spin on the Wild West. MTG’s first stab at the Western genre sees renegade Planeswalkers and villains from across Magic’s multiverse converge on Thunder Junction for the ultimate heist.
Following Thunder Junction’s substantial reveals at Magic Con Chicago – giving players a clearer idea of the direction the set is heading in – we’ll round up the most important details you need to know ahead of MTG’s next premier set release on April 19.
MTG’s Oko rounds up the gang
In designing this step into the frontier plane of Thunder Junction, the MTG team has brought together a laundry list of Magic’s ne’er-do-wells, under the shady, watchful eye of Oko. These scheming villains have all banded together in order to crack their way into a vault containing untold riches. What awaits inside could be the score of a lifetime, or it could have dire ramifications for Magic’s future…
Crucially, nobody on this team is so remorseless that MTG players cannot have great fun with their misadventures. Oko – the one-time scourge of Standard – is in much more agreeable form here, aided by his semi-abandoned son Kellan. That’s right, Kellan has finally tracked the old man down and fallen in with his devious bad influence band.
Other members of Oko’s plane-hopping posse include Ravnica’s Vraska and Rakdos, taking a leave of absence from guild duties. The skeleton pickpocket Littlebones is on board and sure to delight many MTG fans. Finally, Annie Flash a new character premiering in Thunder Junction, rounds out the gang.
Will we see Kellan’s ongoing story in MTG brought to a close now that he has found his father and fallen in with the wrong crowd? Or will this interplanar wanderer have a bigger role beyond this initial Omenpath arc?
Interaction is a Crime in Outlaws of Thunder Junction
While many of the new and returning themes featured in Outlaws of Thunder Junction have yet to be revealed, one has caught fans’ attention immediately. The card Oko, The Ringleader includes the card text “if you have committed a crime this turn”, a new conditional ability similar to The Lost Caverns of Ixalan’s Descend.
It has been confirmed that ‘committing a crime’ for the purposes of this ability counts as casting a spell or activating an ability that targets an opponent or the cards they control. Aka: trespassing and taking things that don’t belong to you
While so far only Oko, The Ringleader, and Duelist of the Mind have been confirmed to interact with the Commit a Crime ability, we’re certain it will be a centerpiece of Outlaws of Thunder Junction’s design. Committing a crime may penalize some cards and reward others, with lawless characters and those attempting to stop them come into conflict.
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Thunder Junction’s most-wanted cards
It’s always a treat to see what Magic’s art team has cooked up for a plane-specific theme, and Thunder Junction is no different.
Several key figures in the set and its story will have typical borderless variants, but will additionally come with a wanted poster-style treatment.
As well as the Wanted cards, Breaking News features in Thunder Junction as a unique new bonus sheet. Breaking News foregrounds impactful spells reported on as if they were newsworthy crimes. We’re sure to see some of Magic’s imaginative effects gain new prominence and the spotlight they deserve.
Strixhaven’s Mystical Archive is one of the most memorable and well-received MTG bonus sheets of all time, and Breaking News could well serve as a spiritual successor.
Outlaws of Thunder Junction extra bonus sheet: The Big Score
While Outlaws of Thunder Junction was originally planned to be followed up by an Epilogue set similar to March of the Machine: Aftermath, that set’s tepid reception has caused plans to change. The cards that were intended to be included in this Epilogue set have been folded into the main Thunder Junction release as an additional bonus sheet: The Big Score.
The Big Score will feature incredible treasure acquired as part of the main set’s heist, including a brand-new member of the Mirran Sword subtheme: Sword of Wealth and Power.
Outlaws of Thunder Junction is winning more and more fans as reveals continue at a steady pace. As long as Magic continues to take big swings and expand into imaginative new sets, its fans will be along for the ride.
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