Onslaught (Magic: The Gathering)
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| Onslaught | ||
|---|---|---|
| Expansion symbol |  |
|
| Release date | October 2002 | |
| Mechanics | Creature types | |
| Keywords | Morph, Cycling | |
| Cycles | {{{Cycles}}} | |
| Size | 350 cards | |
| Expansion code | ONS | |
| Development codename | Manny | |
| Sets in Onslaught Block | ||
| Onslaught | Legions | Scourge |
| Magic: The Gathering Chronology |
||
| Judgment | Onslaught | Legions |
Onslaught is the 28th Magic: The Gathering expert-level expansion set. It was released in October 2002. The set's main theme is creature types (for example, Clerics and Goblins), and much of the gameplay concerns interactions between these "tribes". The story continues the saga of the Mirari from the previous block of expansion sets. The expansion symbol is an artist's rendition of a "morphed" creature (see Mechanics below).
Contents |
[edit] Story setting
The story of Onslaught mainly concerns characters introduced in the Odyssey block. Kamahl the Barbarian has relocated to the Krosan Forest with the Mirari and becomes a druid of Krosa. The power of the Mirari begins to work on the forest, mutating its residents and growing some of them to gigantic proportions.
Meanwhile, Kamahl's sister Jeska is transformed by foul Cabal healing magic, into Phage, a pit fighter whose touch brings death. Phage then allies herself with the Cabal.
Ixidor, an illusionist, fights in the pits with his partner, a beautiful sorceress named Nivea, who ends up being killed off by Phage. Ixidor then wanders the desert in grief, and discovers his new powers of reality sculpting. Ixidor uses his new power to create a palace in the desert, where he creates an angel based on Nivea named Akroma, who is sworn to his service. He resolves to avenge Nivea's slaying by attacking the Cabal and Phage with Akroma. The escalating struggle between Phage and Akroma leads Kamahl into an uneasy alliance with the Cabal against the destructive power of Ixidor and Akroma.
[edit] Set history
Onslaught Block marked the end of many traditional elements of Magic: The Gathering. It was the last block to feature the old-style card faces or a storyline set in Dominaria until the release of the Time Spiral block. However, this was not apparent in October 2002 when the set was released. Some players see Onslaught Block as the end of a "Bronze Age" of classic gameplay, which began in Invasion Block. Onslaught also saw the printing of many aggresively designed Goblins, that reached a critical mass of efficient goblin cards in the game. All of which together made a nearly unstoppable aggro deck in Legacy, and required bannings in non-eternal formats.
[edit] Mechanics
Onslaught introduced a number of major mechanics and featured the first return of a keyword from abeyance.
- Creature types - Many effects in Onslaught (Known as "Tribal" effects) depended on a creature's types, i.e. its species, role, etc. These included type-specific creature removal, power boosts, and abilities which grew stronger based on the number of creatures of a certain type which a player controlled.
- 'Mistform' Illusions - A race of creatures who could temporarily change their creature types to any type.
- Cycling - A repeat of the same mechanic from the Urza Block. It lets a player pay a mana cost and discard the Cycling card from his or her hand in order to draw a card. Onslaught expanded on the Cycling mechanic by using more varied mana costs than Urza's Block Cycling cards and by including abilities that are triggered by the use of Cycling cards.
- Morph - The most radical new mechanic in Onslaught, this allows players to play creatures as "face-down" creatures with no special abilities, except the ability to turn face-up for a cost. This added an element of guesswork to the game which was greater than any previously present.
[edit] Notable cards
- Rorix Bladewing - The most famous of a cycle of powerful, Legendary creatures, designed to encourage players to consider using high-cost creatures in competitive play. The other "Pit Fighters" as they were called are Visara The Dreadful, Jareth, Leonine Titan, Arcanis the Omnipotent and Silvos, Rogue Elemental.
- Patriarch's Bidding - the last of the cards to portray The First. It was also a staple in reanimation decks like 'Goblin Bidding'.
- Voidmage Prodigy - A wizard pit-fighter made in the guise of the then Invitational Winner Kai Budde. The card was later given an alternate art, as the original art was rather poor and made Kai look extremely obese.
- Astral Slide - This enchantment, which temporarily removed creatures from the game whenever a card's Cycling ability was used, became the backbone of a powerful Onslaught tournament deck.
- Exalted Angel - Perhaps the most efficient large white creature ever printed, the Angel's ability to provide huge life-total swings (based on its ability to gain life for each damage it deals) combined with its ability to start attacking on the fourth turn (thanks to its ability to be played face-down and then Morph to its full form) made it very popular in both tournaments and casual play tables.
- The Fetchlands: Windswept Heath, Flooded Strand, Polluted Delta, Bloodstained Mire, and Wooded Foothills - These lands are popular despite their lack of mana production and draw back of 1 life for their ability to fix mana instantly by retriving other mana producing basic lands or dual lands with types found on basic lands. The lands have the added ability to thin the users deck, making it less likely to draw a land and gain card advantage. Many clamor for their reprinting, along with printing of enemy-color fetchlands. These were also the last non-mana producing lands prior to Cold Snap.
