Stronghold (Magic: The Gathering)
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| Stronghold | ||
|---|---|---|
| Expansion symbol |  |
|
| Release date | February 1998 | |
| Mechanics | Spikes | |
| Keywords | None new | |
| Size | 143 cards | |
| Expansion code | STH | |
| Development codename | Rachimulot | |
| Sets in Rath Cycle | ||
| Tempest | Stronghold | Exodus |
| Magic: The Gathering Chronology |
||
| Tempest | Stronghold | Exodus |
Stronghold is the second set in the Tempest block of expansions, including Tempest and Exodus. It contains 143 cards and was released in March 1998. Its expansion symbol is the closed portcullis of Volrath's stronghold.
Contents |
[edit] Storyline
The crew of Weatherlight approaches Volrath's Stronghold in search for Sisay and the missing pieces of the Legacy. Deep in the Dream Halls, Gerrard learns that Volrath was his former blood brother Vuel and the one who stole the Legacy. What appears to be a final conflict between Gerrard and Volrath ends instead with the death of an imposter shapeshifter.
[edit] Set History
Stronghold was the last set in which multi-colored cards appeared until the 2000 expansion Invasion.
[edit] Mechanics
A prominent creature type in Stronghold are the Spikes. While first introduced in Tempest, Stronghold greatly expanded on this creature type that can make other creatures larger.
The En-Kor are creatures that can redirect damaged they suffer to other creatures, thus making them almost invulnerable to damage. These cards enabled a combination that led to infinite life, and were mainly used for this unpredicted feature.
Stronghold used many of the same mechanics as Tempest, including buyback, licids, and shadow.
[edit] Notable Cards
- Dream Halls: a blue enchantment that allowed spells to be played for free, Dream Halls was banned in various formats.
- Ensnaring Bridge: this artifact was used often in combo and Sligh decks because it could prevent larger creatures from attacking.
- Hermit Druid: with the ability to put large amounts of its controller's deck into the graveyard, Hermit Druid became a key component of some reanimator decks.
- Megrim: an enchantment that damaged opponents whenever they discarded, Megrim became an alternate win condition for discard decks.
- Mox Diamond: at the cost of discarding a land card when played, the versatile Mox Diamond gave a powerful mana boost to most decks.
- Wall of Blossoms: a 0/4 Wall for 2, Wall of Blossoms allows its owner to draw a card when it comes into play. As a "free card" and inexpensive defensive creature, Wall of Blossoms is both very powerful and atypical of green creatures printed at the time.
- Sliver Queen - The 7/7 Legendary Sliver matriarch, Sliver Queen was the first five-colored card printed in a mainstream set. Once in play, Sliver Queen is an inexpensive means of generating token creatures, making it a popular target for reanimator decks that seek ways to cheat the awkward mana cost. Paired with Heartstone and Ashnod's Altar, Sliver Queen was capable of generating infinite colorless mana for a player, an infinite supply of 1/1 sliver tokens, or both.
