• As a Saga enters the battlefield, its controller puts a lore counter on it. As your precombat main phase begins (immediately after your draw step), you put another lore counter on each Saga you control. Putting a lore counter on a Saga in either of these ways doesn't use the stack.
• Each symbol on the left of a Saga's text box represents a chapter ability. A chapter ability is a triggered ability that triggers when a lore counter that is put on the Saga causes the number of lore counters on the Saga to become equal to or greater than the ability's chapter number. Chapter abilities are put onto the stack and may be responded to.
• A chapter ability doesn't trigger if a lore counter is put on a Saga that already had a number of lore counters greater than or equal to that chapter's number. For example, the third lore counter put on a Saga causes the III chapter ability to trigger, but I and II won't trigger again.
• Once a chapter ability has triggered, the ability on the stack won't be affected if the Saga gains or loses counters, or if it leaves the battlefield.
• If multiple chapter abilities trigger at the same time, their controller puts them on the stack in any order. If any of them require targets, those targets are chosen as you put the abilities on the stack, before any of those abilities resolve.
• If counters are removed from a Saga, the appropriate chapter abilities will trigger again when the Saga receives lore counters. Removing lore counters won't cause a previous chapter ability to trigger.
• Once the number of lore counters on a Saga is greater than or equal to the greatest number among its chapter abilities—in the Dominaria set, this is always three—the Saga's controller sacrifices it as soon as its chapter ability has left the stack, most likely by resolving or being countered. This state-based action doesn't use the stack.
Each Saga will look very unique from each other. The art styles vary wildly.
The watermark could be smaller. Other than that I quite like it. Doesn't look as disconnected as Aftermath cards did at first glance.
edit: All sagas looking different from each other I find a worrysome idea. Let's wait and see. Oh, the art styles look different, not the frames, that's what I thought. Even more curious ...
Wow! That's stunning! I'm impressed by the aesthetics here. The card looks mechanically solid as well. With, say, Power Conduit, you could just destroy all nonartifact creatures over and over.
What happens if you turn it into a creature and equip it with Assault Suit? Does it just keep adding counters and doing nothing?
Kinda bummed to hear that they're moving back the preview date, as I was looking forward to seeing some of the new cards today. Even if they've already released the text of some of the cards, I'm pumped for the art and flavor text as well. That said, I can understand the sentiment of not giving each of these cards that they will preview their own time to breathe. I've waited this long to go back home, I can wait another 9 days.
Sagas look... interesting, I guess? The art is perfect, although I would rather have seen a compleated claw holding it rather than a human hand. The watermark is a nice touch too, but that frame just feels funky. Also, I wonder why these sagas are not legendary?
Arkham, the 1920's. Investigators battle horrors from beyond time and space, risking life and sanity while conspiracies of cultists and malign servitors seek gateways for their outer gods to return...
Soon, the stars will be right! Great Cthulhu shall rise!
I was really looking forward to the mechanics article and more pictures :/ But well...
While I don't quite like that every set apparently has to have its own 'new frame' gimmick now, the Saga frame/layout definitely looks better than the one on aftermath cards. The watermark looks a bit stretched though?
Expected a magic card, got something right out of a boardgame instead.
I don't really know what makes this a mythic, it can't exactly be due to power reasons. It's a minimal boost, followed by delayed boardclear that might net you a built-in creature advantage of 1. Clearing opponents grave is just irrelevant after three turns, lets face it. Sure, it's a complex card, but I guess we'll also get sagas at lower rarities.
I'm also pretty surprised by that wording, is this a new thing that they type such abrupt explanations? 'Add a lore counter' shouldn't it be 'Add a lore counter on it or CARDNAME'? Sacrifice After III. III what, effect, trigger, counter? I get how the card works, but this seems pretty drastic compared to previous wordings. In all fairness, though, this layout is clean, unique and readable, so they got that part right.
That is one amazing-looking card. Please hold your questions, and hold tight in general—we'll be back on March 21 with the Dominaria hype train in full gear.
God bless their incredible confidence and enthusiasm.
I'm SO SICK of the "too strong for Standard" argument. It's the new "Dies to removal". We can have a two mana 4/4 with a zillion abilities, but we can't just have Accumulated Knowledge. Makes sense.
I kinda like it, to be honest. We still get a half-card's worth or art and the text isn't super cramped. Looking forward to next week for more articles.
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The "Crazy One", playing casual magic and occasionally dipping his toes into regular play since 1994.
Currently focusing on Pre-Modern (Mono-Black Discard Control) and Modern (Azorious Control, Temur Rhinos).
Find me at the Wizard's Tower in Ottawa every second Saturday afternoons.
It is interesting to note that the counter is placed after the draw step vs upkeep. I guess to get around paradox horizon? Lol also to abuse things that remove a counter during upkeep.
Kinda bummed that they are dialing back on what they said when the leak happened, I was really looking forward to the spoilers. Well, I can handle another week of waiting...
Sagas look great. Trying to squeeze the abilities into normal text box would be awkward and this is an elegant solution. I hope they won't be a one-off thing, they can fit in any return set and a lot of first visits as well.
The only thing I hate is the stretched Phyrexian watermark. It should just be centered near the second event of this Saga card. As is, it looks like a bad job in Paintshop Pro.
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"The essence of every world, every spell and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
Well, if they had to do an all-new special frame, this isn't the worst they could've come up with. Looks unique, but clean and readable. The art makes nice use of the upright format too.
I don't really see why this couldn't be handled similar to the Level up layout though.
I really like the art and the layout. It looks like a textless promo card (and I love it). What I feel bad about is the wording of the reminder text. Shouldn't it be "enters the battlefield"??? Anyway, outside of that and the wierd "ultimate", it's a good and awsome-looking card. 8/10
Edit: I just noticed the Apocalypse symbol in the art... just AMAZING!
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Playing since FRF
Modern:
Grixis Shadow
Jeskai Delver
Standard:
Temur Energy
EDH:
Roon of the Hidden Realm
We get used to most things given enough time, but this one is a stretch. (badam, boom, ding!)
As other have noted, why not reuse the PW layout? Why not use the upkeep like the game intended? I'm not a fan of the vertical art. To me, this design is closer to the Kamigawa flip cards. That is: ugly and cramped.
Edit: "As this enters"??? Are they revising templating to shorten them?
I praised how WOTC handled the leak after reading Blake's post. This time around, I can't say the same. This pendulum of saying they'll kick off Dominaria today and letting us wait and get excited, just to find out the plans have changed AGAIN is just ridiculous. I'm not a fan of this system at all. Bad move.
What happens if you turn it into a creature and equip it with Assault Suit? Does it just keep adding counters and doing nothing?
From the FAQ leak:
"Each symbol on the left of a Saga's text box represents a chapter ability. A chapter ability is a triggered ability that triggers when a lore counter that is put on the Saga causes the number of lore counters on the Saga to become equal to or greater than the ability's chapter number. Chapter abilities are put onto the stack and may be responded to.
A chapter ability doesn't trigger if a lore counter is put on a Saga that already had a number of lore counters greater than or equal to that chapter's number. For example, the third lore counter put on a Saga causes the III chapter ability to trigger, but I and II won't trigger again.
"
I'm kinda puzzled at the timing. "After your draw step" leads to your main phase, eight? Nothing really gains priority during draw as it's a special game action, or am I wrong here? Does this halt the game during Draw after you've drawn?
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The "Crazy One", playing casual magic and occasionally dipping his toes into regular play since 1994.
Currently focusing on Pre-Modern (Mono-Black Discard Control) and Modern (Azorious Control, Temur Rhinos).
Find me at the Wizard's Tower in Ottawa every second Saturday afternoons.
I have no idea who that is, but Mark Winters on twitter says that, "Each Saga will look very unique from each other. The art styles vary wildly."
Edit: he's an artist involved in Magic, of course
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• Each symbol on the left of a Saga's text box represents a chapter ability. A chapter ability is a triggered ability that triggers when a lore counter that is put on the Saga causes the number of lore counters on the Saga to become equal to or greater than the ability's chapter number. Chapter abilities are put onto the stack and may be responded to.
• A chapter ability doesn't trigger if a lore counter is put on a Saga that already had a number of lore counters greater than or equal to that chapter's number. For example, the third lore counter put on a Saga causes the III chapter ability to trigger, but I and II won't trigger again.
• Once a chapter ability has triggered, the ability on the stack won't be affected if the Saga gains or loses counters, or if it leaves the battlefield.
• If multiple chapter abilities trigger at the same time, their controller puts them on the stack in any order. If any of them require targets, those targets are chosen as you put the abilities on the stack, before any of those abilities resolve.
• If counters are removed from a Saga, the appropriate chapter abilities will trigger again when the Saga receives lore counters. Removing lore counters won't cause a previous chapter ability to trigger.
• Once the number of lore counters on a Saga is greater than or equal to the greatest number among its chapter abilities—in the Dominaria set, this is always three—the Saga's controller sacrifices it as soon as its chapter ability has left the stack, most likely by resolving or being countered. This state-based action doesn't use the stack.
The watermark could be smaller. Other than that I quite like it. Doesn't look as disconnected as Aftermath cards did at first glance.
edit:
All sagas looking different from each other I find a worrysome idea. Let's wait and see.Oh, the art styles look different, not the frames, that's what I thought. Even more curious ...What happens if you turn it into a creature and equip it with Assault Suit? Does it just keep adding counters and doing nothing?
“I once had an entire race killed just to listen to the rattling of their dried bones as I waded through them.”
—Volrath
Sagas look... interesting, I guess? The art is perfect, although I would rather have seen a compleated claw holding it rather than a human hand. The watermark is a nice touch too, but that frame just feels funky. Also, I wonder why these sagas are not legendary?
• Call of Cthulhu CCG Servitor for the Netherlands!
Arkham, the 1920's. Investigators battle horrors from beyond time and space, risking life and sanity while conspiracies of cultists and malign servitors seek gateways for their outer gods to return...
Soon, the stars will be right! Great Cthulhu shall rise!
While I don't quite like that every set apparently has to have its own 'new frame' gimmick now, the Saga frame/layout definitely looks better than the one on aftermath cards. The watermark looks a bit stretched though?
I don't really know what makes this a mythic, it can't exactly be due to power reasons. It's a minimal boost, followed by delayed boardclear that might net you a built-in creature advantage of 1. Clearing opponents grave is just irrelevant after three turns, lets face it. Sure, it's a complex card, but I guess we'll also get sagas at lower rarities.
I'm also pretty surprised by that wording, is this a new thing that they type such abrupt explanations? 'Add a lore counter' shouldn't it be 'Add a lore counter on it or CARDNAME'? Sacrifice After III. III what, effect, trigger, counter? I get how the card works, but this seems pretty drastic compared to previous wordings. In all fairness, though, this layout is clean, unique and readable, so they got that part right.
God bless their incredible confidence and enthusiasm.
Oh boy, I was wrong.
Currently focusing on Pre-Modern (Mono-Black Discard Control) and Modern (Azorious Control, Temur Rhinos).
Find me at the Wizard's Tower in Ottawa every second Saturday afternoons.
Standard:
UR Ral Combo
Modern:
U Merfolk
R Goblins
Commander
RB Grenzo, Dungeon Warden
R Feldon of the Third Path
Sagas look great. Trying to squeeze the abilities into normal text box would be awkward and this is an elegant solution. I hope they won't be a one-off thing, they can fit in any return set and a lot of first visits as well.
I don't really see why this couldn't be handled similar to the Level up layout though.
W(W/U)U Ephara - Flash & Taxes W(W/U)U || B(B/G)G Meren - Circle of Life B(B/G)G
RGW Marath - Ever shifting Wilds RGW || (U/R)C(W/B) Breya - Artificial Dominion (U/R)C(W/B)
UBR Becket Brass - take what you can, give nothing back UBR
Edit: I just noticed the Apocalypse symbol in the art... just AMAZING!
Modern:
Grixis Shadow
Jeskai Delver
Standard:
Temur Energy
EDH:
Roon of the Hidden Realm
You mean yawgmoth's symbol ?
As other have noted, why not reuse the PW layout? Why not use the upkeep like the game intended? I'm not a fan of the vertical art. To me, this design is closer to the Kamigawa flip cards. That is: ugly and cramped.
Edit: "As this enters"??? Are they revising templating to shorten them?
On topic - this layout is weird.
From the FAQ leak:
"Each symbol on the left of a Saga's text box represents a chapter ability. A chapter ability is a triggered ability that triggers when a lore counter that is put on the Saga causes the number of lore counters on the Saga to become equal to or greater than the ability's chapter number. Chapter abilities are put onto the stack and may be responded to.
A chapter ability doesn't trigger if a lore counter is put on a Saga that already had a number of lore counters greater than or equal to that chapter's number. For example, the third lore counter put on a Saga causes the III chapter ability to trigger, but I and II won't trigger again.
"
Currently focusing on Pre-Modern (Mono-Black Discard Control) and Modern (Azorious Control, Temur Rhinos).
Find me at the Wizard's Tower in Ottawa every second Saturday afternoons.
GXTronGX
RWxBurnRWx
Modern - Cheeri0s (building), Belcher (building), Lantern (building), UW Control (building)
RIP Magic Duels. Wizards will regret what they did to you.
Edit: he's an artist involved in Magic, of course