After the Kami War ravaged the plane of Kamigawa, its denizens struggle with the aftermath. Many had hoped for a return to normalcy after a peace was achieved with the spirit world. Resuming worship of gods who had been trying to kill you isn't easy, though. After generations, some have managed to make peace and return to their old ways, while others refuse, resentful of being made victims of a crime they didn't commit.
The people of Kamigawa are fractured. The Ktisune-bito have formed new communities in the Araba, attempting to redeem themselves in the kami's eyes. The Soratami, in an attempt to reestablish trust with other denizens, have formed the Kamitaki Academy at the ruins of Minamo, though few trust their intent, even their own students and staff. The Nezumi-bito conduct their dark rituals to perverse kami and oni, secretly gathering forces for another war. The Akki's tricks have become more aggressive, to the point of torture. Many of the Orochi-bito have become dark and twisted, much like sections of the Jukai after the ravages of war.
But the humans of Kamigawa have become the most segmented. In the absence of Lord Konda's empire, no great leader has risen. Until just a year ago, when three separate warlords began to vie for power:
-Isamu Gawa, claiming to be a direct descendent of Ichiro Gawa, the first daimyo of Towabara, seeks to restore a traditional class-based, kami-worshiping regime.
-Hoshiko Hotaru, a warlord of Sokenzen, has gathered an army of ronin and bandits and looks to free the peoples of Kamigawa from what he perceives as the kami's tyranny, or plunge the world into chaos trying.
-Sato Tai, master jushi of the Kamitaki Academy, who wishes to enlighten all of Kamigawa with the teachings and understanding of the kami, and ultimately merge the spirit world of the Kakuriyo with the physical world of the Utsushiyo.
Mechanics
Bushido- Bushido makes its return as the samurai mechanic of choice. Bushido appears exclusively in red and white.
Araba Border Guard1W
Creature- Fox Samurai (C)
Bushido 1 (When this blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn.) "My father's fathers served all of the tyrant Konda. I shall redeem our name and defend my people."
1/1
Ruthless Ronin2R
Creature- Human Samurai (U)
Trample, bushido 2 (When this blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +2/+2 until end of turn.) "Honor is for the civilized and weak. If you can't fight, you die."
3/1
Isamu's Elite Guard2WW
Creature- Human Samurai (R)
Isamu’s Elite Guard’s power and toughness are each equal to the number of Samurai you control.
Isamu’s Elite Guard has bushido X, where X is equal to the number of Samurai you control. (When this blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +X/+X until end of turn.)
*/*
Ninjutsu- Much like bushido, the ninjutsu mechanic returns to the plane where it makes the most sense. Like before, ninjas will appear in blue and black as the silent hand of leaders throughout Kamigawa.
Fist of Shadows3B
Creature- Human Ninja (C)
Ninjutsu 1B(1B, Return an unblocked attacker you control to hand: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand tapped and attacking.) Trained in stealth by the Nezumi. Trained in brutality by the ogres.
3/3
Ninja of Forged Scrolls2U
Creature- Human Ninja (U)
Ninjutsu U(UB, Return an unblocked attacker you control to hand: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand tapped and attacking.)
Whenever Ninja of Forged Scrolls deals combat damage to a player, look at the top three cards of your library, then put them back in any order.
1/1
Mindstab Shinobi2UB
Creature- Human Ninja (R)
Ninjutsu 1UB(UB, Return an unblocked attacker you control to hand: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand tapped and attacking.)
Whenever Mindstab Shinobi deals combat damage to a player, you may search that player’s library for that many cards and exile them. Then that player shuffles his or her library.
2/2
Kami magic- The Sisters of Flesh and Spirit changed the way magic works on Kamigawa, thankfully ridding us of Arcane. The kami still hold a special place in the magic of Kamigawa, though. Now, the divine spirits of nature manifest themselves through the very mana of the plane, showing up on spells of all sorts.
Gift of SolitudeU
Tribal Instant- Spirit (C)
Target creature gains flying until end of turn.
Might of Moss5G
Tribal Sorcery- Spirit (U)
Target creatures gets +5/+5 and gains trample until end of turn.
Glass Glamer of Kira1U
Tribal Enchantment- Spirit Aura (R)
Enchant creature
Whenever enchanted creature becomes the target of a spell or ability for the first time in a turn, counter that spell or ability.
But that seems rather boring, doesn't it? While the Tribal type will appear throughout all five colors...
Rebirth- ...Rebirth does not. Rebirth, appearing mainly in white, black, and green, represents the eternal nature of the kami. Rebirth's reminder text is:
Rebirth (When this dies, you may exile a card that shares a creature type with it from your graveyard. Until end of turn, you may cast the exiled card.)
Kami of Ancestors Remembered4G
Creature- Spirit (C)
Rebirth (When this dies, you may exile a card that shares a creature type with it from your graveyard. Until end of turn, you may cast the exiled card.)
4/4
Kami of Gnawing Shadows1BB
Creature Spirit (U) B, Sacrifice Kami of Gnawing Shadows: Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.
Rebirth (When this dies, you may exile a card that shares a creature type with it from your graveyard. Until end of turn, you may cast the exiled card.)
2/2
Kodama of the West Tree3GG
Legendary Creature- Spirit (M)
Rebirth (When this dies, you may exile a card that shares a creature type with it from your graveyard. Until end of turn, you may cast the exiled card.)
When Kodama of the West Tree dies, shuffle it into your library.
5/5
Misc.
In an attempt to help shape my vision for the set, here are a few additional assorted cards from the set.
Swirling-Wind Zubera1U
Creature- Zubera Spirit (U)
When Swirling-Wind Zubera dies, tap or untap X target permanents, where X is equal to the number of Zubera that died this turn.
1/2
Kami of War's Memory2RRR
Creature- Spirit (M)
Haste, trample
Whenever damage is dealt, put a +1/+1 counter on Kami of War's Memory. "Though the Kami War is over, the pain and devastation it caused will never die."
—The Future of Kamigawa, Tamiyo
3/3
Soratami Droughtmage2U
Creature- Moonfolk Wizard (U)
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, exile target land you control. Return it to the battlefield at the end of your turn.
3/3
@ yewlas: I'm confused why you think this is overpowered. It doesn't really give a counterspell to every deck since you have to build around it to make it quite good. It's also 3 mana, which is on par (albeit colorless) with cancel. It's essentially a 2/1 creature with a situational Cancel attached to it. Good, but not OP as you described. Mental misstep was a mistake because it really did fit into every deck and obsoleted a good number of decks that relied on 1 drops. Not griping, just curious where the OP mindset comes from.
@ yewlas: I'm confused why you think this is overpowered. It doesn't really give a counterspell to every deck since you have to build around it to make it quite good. It's also 3 mana, which is on par (albeit colorless) with cancel. It's essentially a 2/1 creature with a situational Cancel attached to it. Good, but not OP as you described. Mental misstep was a mistake because it really did fit into every deck and obsoleted a good number of decks that relied on 1 drops. Not griping, just curious where the OP mindset comes from.
It's true you have to build around it, but the resulting deck will be more than quite good. Aggressive artifact decks will gain access to a colorless three-drop artifact Mystic Snake. These decks already tend to be :symw::symu:, so start adding a couple of blink effects and the card quickly becomes degenerate. I think it may have been borderline printable with zero power, but not as a 2/1.
Likewise, it seems.
The people of Kamigawa are fractured. The Ktisune-bito have formed new communities in the Araba, attempting to redeem themselves in the kami's eyes. The Soratami, in an attempt to reestablish trust with other denizens, have formed the Kamitaki Academy at the ruins of Minamo, though few trust their intent, even their own students and staff. The Nezumi-bito conduct their dark rituals to perverse kami and oni, secretly gathering forces for another war. The Akki's tricks have become more aggressive, to the point of torture. Many of the Orochi-bito have become dark and twisted, much like sections of the Jukai after the ravages of war.
But the humans of Kamigawa have become the most segmented. In the absence of Lord Konda's empire, no great leader has risen. Until just a year ago, when three separate warlords began to vie for power:
-Isamu Gawa, claiming to be a direct descendent of Ichiro Gawa, the first daimyo of Towabara, seeks to restore a traditional class-based, kami-worshiping regime.
-Hoshiko Hotaru, a warlord of Sokenzen, has gathered an army of ronin and bandits and looks to free the peoples of Kamigawa from what he perceives as the kami's tyranny, or plunge the world into chaos trying.
-Sato Tai, master jushi of the Kamitaki Academy, who wishes to enlighten all of Kamigawa with the teachings and understanding of the kami, and ultimately merge the spirit world of the Kakuriyo with the physical world of the Utsushiyo.
Mechanics
Bushido- Bushido makes its return as the samurai mechanic of choice. Bushido appears exclusively in red and white.
Araba Border Guard 1W
Creature- Fox Samurai (C)
Bushido 1 (When this blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
"My father's fathers served all of the tyrant Konda. I shall redeem our name and defend my people."
1/1
Ruthless Ronin 2R
Creature- Human Samurai (U)
Trample, bushido 2 (When this blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +2/+2 until end of turn.)
"Honor is for the civilized and weak. If you can't fight, you die."
3/1
Isamu's Elite Guard 2WW
Creature- Human Samurai (R)
Isamu’s Elite Guard’s power and toughness are each equal to the number of Samurai you control.
Isamu’s Elite Guard has bushido X, where X is equal to the number of Samurai you control. (When this blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +X/+X until end of turn.)
*/*
Ninjutsu- Much like bushido, the ninjutsu mechanic returns to the plane where it makes the most sense. Like before, ninjas will appear in blue and black as the silent hand of leaders throughout Kamigawa.
Fist of Shadows 3B
Creature- Human Ninja (C)
Ninjutsu 1B (1B, Return an unblocked attacker you control to hand: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand tapped and attacking.)
Trained in stealth by the Nezumi. Trained in brutality by the ogres.
3/3
Ninja of Forged Scrolls 2U
Creature- Human Ninja (U)
Ninjutsu U (UB, Return an unblocked attacker you control to hand: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand tapped and attacking.)
Whenever Ninja of Forged Scrolls deals combat damage to a player, look at the top three cards of your library, then put them back in any order.
1/1
Mindstab Shinobi 2UB
Creature- Human Ninja (R)
Ninjutsu 1UB (UB, Return an unblocked attacker you control to hand: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand tapped and attacking.)
Whenever Mindstab Shinobi deals combat damage to a player, you may search that player’s library for that many cards and exile them. Then that player shuffles his or her library.
2/2
Kami magic- The Sisters of Flesh and Spirit changed the way magic works on Kamigawa, thankfully ridding us of Arcane. The kami still hold a special place in the magic of Kamigawa, though. Now, the divine spirits of nature manifest themselves through the very mana of the plane, showing up on spells of all sorts.
Gift of Solitude U
Tribal Instant- Spirit (C)
Target creature gains flying until end of turn.
Might of Moss 5G
Tribal Sorcery- Spirit (U)
Target creatures gets +5/+5 and gains trample until end of turn.
Glass Glamer of Kira 1U
Tribal Enchantment- Spirit Aura (R)
Enchant creature
Whenever enchanted creature becomes the target of a spell or ability for the first time in a turn, counter that spell or ability.
But that seems rather boring, doesn't it? While the Tribal type will appear throughout all five colors...
Rebirth- ...Rebirth does not. Rebirth, appearing mainly in white, black, and green, represents the eternal nature of the kami. Rebirth's reminder text is:
Rebirth (When this dies, you may exile a card that shares a creature type with it from your graveyard. Until end of turn, you may cast the exiled card.)
Kami of Ancestors Remembered 4G
Creature- Spirit (C)
Rebirth (When this dies, you may exile a card that shares a creature type with it from your graveyard. Until end of turn, you may cast the exiled card.)
4/4
Kami of Gnawing Shadows 1BB
Creature Spirit (U)
B, Sacrifice Kami of Gnawing Shadows: Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.
Rebirth (When this dies, you may exile a card that shares a creature type with it from your graveyard. Until end of turn, you may cast the exiled card.)
2/2
Kodama of the West Tree 3GG
Legendary Creature- Spirit (M)
Rebirth (When this dies, you may exile a card that shares a creature type with it from your graveyard. Until end of turn, you may cast the exiled card.)
When Kodama of the West Tree dies, shuffle it into your library.
5/5
Misc.
In an attempt to help shape my vision for the set, here are a few additional assorted cards from the set.
Swirling-Wind Zubera 1U
Creature- Zubera Spirit (U)
When Swirling-Wind Zubera dies, tap or untap X target permanents, where X is equal to the number of Zubera that died this turn.
1/2
Kami of War's Memory 2RRR
Creature- Spirit (M)
Haste, trample
Whenever damage is dealt, put a +1/+1 counter on Kami of War's Memory.
"Though the Kami War is over, the pain and devastation it caused will never die."
—The Future of Kamigawa, Tamiyo
3/3
Soratami Droughtmage 2U
Creature- Moonfolk Wizard (U)
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, exile target land you control. Return it to the battlefield at the end of your turn.
3/3
Mechanic Creator's Contest III- Winner
[Clan Flamingo]
(CubeTutor & MTGS)
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I read that as "turn on Megiddo". Is a rebellion also on the tables?
[Clan Flamingo] Tier Archivist
[15:21] <@CC> Remember, if you argue, you are an idiot.
Untrophied Wins:
Perfect MCC Scores: 2
---------------------------------------------------------------
I read that as ""turn on" Megiddo". qeygagjkgalaer.
You got 99 attackers but I'm blocking with 1.
The Winner is Judge | 7
This Winner is Also Judge | 6
Club Flamingo | Lots
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probably not
Given the way I'm handling everything this time around (that is to say ???), it would throw a wrench into the works to do this.
unfortunately I have to say "no," sorry.
If anybody has more R4 entries coming, do it soon.
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My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
It's true you have to build around it, but the resulting deck will be more than quite good. Aggressive artifact decks will gain access to a colorless three-drop artifact Mystic Snake. These decks already tend to be :symw::symu:, so start adding a couple of blink effects and the card quickly becomes degenerate. I think it may have been borderline printable with zero power, but not as a 2/1.
U Twinsanity
WUBRG Reaper King
UBG Dredge
UR Howling Owl
GBU Thief of Time
Soooo.. Lanxal. I think it's time to bring out that eageranticipation.png.
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