This thread is to be used as a reference tool before posting anything concerning Innistrad in the rumor mill, and also to keep track of the progression of information on the set thus far. The first post will be kept updated until it’s time for the partial spoiler to take over.
Horror Lurks Within
Logo
Symbol
Release
Set Name:Innistrad Block: Set 1 of 3 in the Innistrad block Three-Letter Abbreviation: ISD Twitter Hashtag: #MTGINN Number of Cards: 264 Rarity Distribution: 107 Common, 67 Uncommon, 59 Rare, 16 Mythic and 15 Basic Lands Release Date: September 30, 2011 Prerelease Events: September 24-25, 2011 Launch Parties: September 30-October 3, 2011 Magic Online Release Date: October 17, 2011 Game Day: October 29-30, 2011 Start Previews on Daily MTG: August 29, 2011
Characteristics
This large set consists of 264 cards, while the latest large sets (Shards of Alara, Zendikar and Scars of Mirrodin all had 249.
Innistrad's distribution is: 229 normal cards, like other big sets before, plus 20 double-faced cards, plus 15 basic lands instead of usual 20.
This set has the most top-down design that has ever been.
Classic horror is the theme, with a tribal component. There are many different horror tropes to be found.
Innistrad is not a multicolor block. There will be a handful of multicolor cards like almost all blocks but this block is not about multicolored cards.
Innistrad features Vampires in and , Zombies in and :symu:, Werewolves in and , Humans primarly in and , Ghosts (Spirits) primarly in and :symw:.
Werewolves are a key part of this set, and get their own subtype (Werewolf)
Black zombies are the normal kind that we usually see, blue zombies are Frankenstein-type creations of science.
Humans will show up in all five colors but will be centered primarily in white, secondarily in green. Humans may be victims or slayers.
Spirits will show up in all five colors but will be centered primarily in blue. Blue made a lot of sense as it played into many ghosts tropes: flying, unblockable, invisible (hexproof), etc.
Other creature types include demons, devils and birds, knights, shamans and advisors
The set features graveyard and tribal mechanics
Returning mechanic: Flashback
There are two planeswalker cards in the set, one of which is a new Liliana, the other is a new Garruk.
Some cards have a and b versions. These cards are doublesided. For example: Mayor of Avenbruck is a human by day, and a werewolf named Howlpack Alpha by night.
Garruk has five loyalty abilities, divided over two card sides.
A double-faced card has no regular Magic back.
Its front face, which is marked with a sun symbol and has a mana cost, is the default. A double-faced card always enters the battlefield with its front face up. This is true whether it enters the battlefield from the stack as the result of being cast, or from anywhere else, such as your graveyard (due to a card like Zombify, for example).
The back face of a double-faced card is marked with a moon symbol, lacks a mana cost, and has a color indicator—that's the dot on its type line—that tells you what color it is. The two faces of a double-faced card are often the same color, but not always. The back face's characteristics matter only if the card is on the battlefield and its back face is showing. Otherwise, only the front face's characteristics count. (For example, Gatstaf Shepherd's converted mana cost when it's in your deck is 2, not zero.)
Each double-faced card has at least one ability that causes it to transform. To transform a double-faced card, you turn it over so that its other face is showing.
To put a double-faced card into your deck, you have two options: You can put your entire deck in opaque card sleeves, as many players already do, or you can use the checklist card provided in many Innistrad packs. If you're using checklist cards to represent any of the double-faced cards in your deck, you must use checklist cards to represent all of them.
After a double-faced card transforms, it's still the same card, so any Auras, counters, or other effects stay right where they are.
The word "transform" applies no matter which side is currently showing, but not all double-faced cards transform in both directions.
All of the Green and Red double-faced cards are Werewolves.
There is exactly one double-faced card in each Innistrad booster pack. This can be of any rarity, so it is possible to get a normal rare and a double-faced rare in the same pack (and even a third foil rare card as well).
The new morbid ability word indicates an ability that checks whether a creature died this turn.
A Curse is an Aura that enchants a player and does something nasty to them. There aren't any special rules for Curses—they follow all the normal rules for Auras that enchant players—but there are some cards in Innistrad that refer to the Curse subtype.
In addition to its block mechanics, Innistrad introduces a new evergreen rules term, fight. For a creature to fight another creature, each deals damage equal to its power to the other.
There will be a theme of the number 13.
There is 1 mythic for each of the 'monsters' (Vampires, Zombies, Werewolves, Ghosts)
Flavor
The known landmass of Innistrad is divided into four regions called provinces.
The province of Gavony is where humanity remains safest and strongest. It is home to Thraben, largest city in the known world, which houses the mighty Cathedral of Avacyn. Gavony is more plagued by the undead than other provinces, and geists are more common as well.
Innistrad's vast, wooded hinterland is called Kessig, a province in a state of perpetual autumn and plagued by werewolves.
Vampires control the province of Stensia, which covers the darkest and most mountainous parts of the plane.
There are 4 vampire bloodlines, Markov is one of them.
The misty coastal province of Nephalia is populated mainly by humans, geists, and vampires.
Demons and Devils are the newest foes, they are wordsipped by Skirsdag Cultists.
The archangel Avacyn is the protector of humankind, but has disappeared.
The great demon Griselbrand disappeared around the same time that Avacyn did.
A year knows three seasons: Harvest Moon, Hunter's Moon and New Moon.
Two event decks are going to be released three weeks after the set. Each Event Deck is 60 cards, plus a 15-card sideboard. Also included: a Spindown life counter and strategy guide.
Decks are $25 and there will be no mythic rares.
Each deck will contain 7 rares and will have powerful commons and uncommons
The two ISD event decks will be available on October 21, 2011, just in time for Game Day
Remarks
The Standard format after the release of Innistrad will consist of Scars of Mirrodin Block, Magic 2012, and Innistrad.
Extended rotates at the same time, and Lorwyn-Shadowmoor Block will rotate out on the release of Innistrad.
So excited for ISD, the art looks just incredible, especially, wreath of geists, which makes me hopeful the humans will have some kind of Van Helsing-ish hunter theme:D Can't wait!
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"It appears that RED DECK doesn't always WIN." -Some random guy at my local tourney.
The two Tribes (I know tribal theme is minor) I want to play also happen to me in my favorite color combinations W/G and R/G
And Richard Friggin Garfield is on the Design team. I mean hello, that in itself is awesome.
Cannot wait for this set.
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"Some call it a Habit, Cardboard Crack Addict
Tried to pull away, but now I'm Back At it
Love is Emphatic, cards need to be played
Hailing from the BA, accumulating CA"
Yea, those are MTG Bars. What can I say, I am a dork
I wasn't a big fan of Mirrodin or the redux to be honest. Just not my style.
However, ISD looks completely awesome. The flavour looks great and the artwork looks incredible. Also, I am a big fan of tribal so there should be some fun tribal cards in the set.
Top down designs seem to bring the best blocks in my opinion.
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Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. ~Albert Einstein
Now that we know that the tribes are allied colored, what do people think the multi-color will be, gold or hybrid?
I almost want to say hybrid, for two reasons:
- The frames look nicer, hybrid translates the cards colors better, and this block may or may not involve color-matters sub-theme (this is based on intimidate on that white spectral night card, and the eventual push WOTC will do for that ability). It's also been a while since straight up hybrid (SHA), though it seems WOTC isn't that interested in leap-frogging tropes.
- If the block after ISD truly is a return to Ravnica, ISD with hybrid cards will help create a visual distinction between it and the (presumably) gold frames of RAV2. I'd assume as well that WOTC would be saving the idea of "gold-matters" for this RAV2.
I will admit that since there isn't that much multi-color in standard at the moment, there's no need for the easy-pay aspect of hybrid. But on the flip side, its easier to throw hybrid cards into current decks than it is for new gold cards. Another block with gold cards would force people to change their mana base in a more intentional way, from the designer's perspective.
I'm really excited after seeing the werewolfs, I've never been this excited about anything, except when I got my liscense. Does the Red/Green mean they will be gold cards or some for the seperate colors? Either way I really excited:D This will also be my first set release since starting, besides M12.:)
I'm calling it right now- worst rare in the set. Even good limited players will find better bombs at common and uncommon no sweat. Worst. Episode. Ever.
I really do predict this to be our worst rare in set award winner. I'd be happier opening a jar of eyeballs, so I think anything worse is highly unlikely. This card wont just have zero constructed potential, but not be significantly better than a mass of ghouls in a draft.
"Top down" means the design process for the card starts with a creative concept, and then the mechanics of the card are made to fit that concept. One of the most extreme examples of this is Form of the Dragon, which was built entirely around the concept of turning its controller into a dragon. Another example would be Bloodshot Trainee, which has mechanics expressing the idea of a goblin which can throw big rocks only after it has gotten strong enough to do so. This is contrary to the majority of designs which are made mechanically and then given flavor afterwards.
So, in Innistrad we should expect to see numerous cards with mechanics made to express the ideas of various horror tropes, such as "Creepy Doll" and things like Ghosts and Werewolves.
Well just one thing bothers me about the whole tribal thing why would they print the phantasmals and the lord in m12 when the last ones were printed years ago unless the ghosts are phantasmals/illusions or there is a Trina theme with everything having sub types such as goblin/zombies or human/knight
"Top down" means the design process for the card starts with a creative concept, and then the mechanics of the card are made to fit that concept. One of the most extreme examples of this is Form of the Dragon, which was built entirely around the concept of turning its controller into a dragon. Another example would be Bloodshot Trainee, which has mechanics expressing the idea of a goblin which can throw big rocks only after it has gotten strong enough to do so. This is contrary to the majority of designs which are made mechanically and then given flavor afterwards.
So, in Innistrad we should expect to see numerous cards with mechanics made to express the ideas of various horror tropes, such as "Creepy Doll" and things like Ghosts and Werewolves.
So, no one can enlighten me as to what the symbol represents?
There's no official explanation, but some possibilities are that it represents a throne (like the one Liliana is sitting on in one of the pieces of preview artwork we have) and/or contains elements of Liliana's headband, turned upside down. Set symbols are often a bit ambiguous, though, so there might not be one true explanation.
Release
Set Name: Innistrad
Block: Set 1 of 3 in the Innistrad block
Three-Letter Abbreviation: ISD
Twitter Hashtag: #MTGINN
Number of Cards: 264
Rarity Distribution: 107 Common, 67 Uncommon, 59 Rare, 16 Mythic and 15 Basic Lands
Release Date: September 30, 2011
Prerelease Events: September 24-25, 2011
Launch Parties: September 30-October 3, 2011
Magic Online Release Date: October 17, 2011
Game Day: October 29-30, 2011
Start Previews on Daily MTG: August 29, 2011
Characteristics
Flavor
Partial Spoiler
Event decks
Remarks
Design and Development
Design Team:
Small product shot - one Intro Pack is UR
Art
Lilliana Vess, booster box art
Creepy Doll
Werewolves
Mob attacking werewolf
Human Cathars (holy warriors)
The cathedral of Avacyn
Gavony
Garruk Relentless and his other side
Lilliana of the Veil
Heraldy
Kessig
Stensia
Nephalia
Skirsdag Cultist
"Within blood is life. Within life is fire. Within fire is the path to our master's glory!"
Demon Cult Priest
Murder of Crows
Even more than carrion, they crave the last words of the dying.
Spectral Rider
Never a word. Never a warning. Only the sound of hoofbeats along the crossways, and the screams of the avenged.
Wreath of Geists
Before you travel the woods of Kessig, get permission from those who died trying.
Moan of the Unhallowed
For a ghoul, every village is a buffet and every disaster is a reunion.
Bloodgift Demon
He relishes the devotion of his Skirsdag puppets and their belief that it will earn them immortality.
The church of Avacyn
Mikaeus, the Lunarch
Avacyn cleric bearing the collar
Yet More Art
HERE and HERE
Innistrad looks to be a lot of awesome.
The two Tribes (I know tribal theme is minor) I want to play also happen to me in my favorite color combinations W/G and R/G
And Richard Friggin Garfield is on the Design team. I mean hello, that in itself is awesome.
Cannot wait for this set.
Tried to pull away, but now I'm Back At it
Love is Emphatic, cards need to be played
Hailing from the BA, accumulating CA"
The art for everything looks amazing so far, this set is going to be awesome.
He seemed less than thrilled but I'm stoked.
Modern:
URG Tarmo-Twin Deck URG
UU Merfolk Deck UU
WBG Melira-Pod Deck (RIP) WBG
WUBRG Cube [WIP] WUBRG
Casual Decks:
WUG Bant Humans WUG
WUB Esper Tokens WUB
WUB Esper Artifacts WUB
UG WallsOfProgenitus UG
WWEquipment KnightsWW
UR Izzet Chimera UR
Casual EDH/Commander Deck:
UG Momir Vig: Combo UG
WB Athreos: Shadowborn Apostle WB
URG Animar: Fatties URG
UBR Marchesa: Sacrifice UBR
However, ISD looks completely awesome. The flavour looks great and the artwork looks incredible. Also, I am a big fan of tribal so there should be some fun tribal cards in the set.
Top down designs seem to bring the best blocks in my opinion.
Join the Worzel and Thomil Fan Club:
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com showthread.php?t=303442
I almost want to say hybrid, for two reasons:
- The frames look nicer, hybrid translates the cards colors better, and this block may or may not involve color-matters sub-theme (this is based on intimidate on that white spectral night card, and the eventual push WOTC will do for that ability). It's also been a while since straight up hybrid (SHA), though it seems WOTC isn't that interested in leap-frogging tropes.
- If the block after ISD truly is a return to Ravnica, ISD with hybrid cards will help create a visual distinction between it and the (presumably) gold frames of RAV2. I'd assume as well that WOTC would be saving the idea of "gold-matters" for this RAV2.
I will admit that since there isn't that much multi-color in standard at the moment, there's no need for the easy-pay aspect of hybrid. But on the flip side, its easier to throw hybrid cards into current decks than it is for new gold cards. Another block with gold cards would force people to change their mana base in a more intentional way, from the designer's perspective.
Standard
WBGWBGABZAN AGGROWBGWBG
You best be trollin'.
Zombie Mill (Standard)
:symr::symw: Humans (Standard)
:symb::symr: Vampires (Modern)
:symw::symb: Orzhov Control (Modern)
:symu::symr: Noggles (Modern)
Goblins (Modern)
Nope, no troll...I'm honestly not sure what the symbol represents.
Also, I'd say Garruk is more than confirmed at this point and no speculation matter.
Live tweets from the Comic Con panel were quite explicit about the set having two planeswalkers.
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
So, in Innistrad we should expect to see numerous cards with mechanics made to express the ideas of various horror tropes, such as "Creepy Doll" and things like Ghosts and Werewolves.
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
Thank you Luminum.
There's no official explanation, but some possibilities are that it represents a throne (like the one Liliana is sitting on in one of the pieces of preview artwork we have) and/or contains elements of Liliana's headband, turned upside down. Set symbols are often a bit ambiguous, though, so there might not be one true explanation.
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)