Tempest (Magic: The Gathering)
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| Tempest | ||
|---|---|---|
| Expansion symbol |  |
|
| Release date | October 1997 | |
| Mechanics | Slivers, Licids | |
| Keywords | Buyback, Shadow | |
| Size | 350 cards | |
| Expansion code | TMP | |
| Development codename | Bogavhati | |
| Sets in Rath Cycle | ||
| Tempest | Stronghold | Exodus |
| Magic: The Gathering Chronology |
||
| Weatherlight | Tempest | Stronghold |
Tempest was released in October 1997 as the twelfth expansion for Magic: The Gathering and the first set in the Rath Block. The release of Tempest represented a large jump in the power level of the card set, compared to the previous Mirage block. Many cards from Tempest instantly became (and still are) tournament staples. Its expansion symbol is a cloud, with a lightning bolt erupting out.
Contents |
[edit] Set history
Tempest was the second set and the first standalone in the Weatherlight Saga, a continuous storyline for over four years' worth of Magic expansions.
[edit] Mechanics
Tempest introduced two new keyworded mechanics to Magic: Buyback and Shadow. If the buyback cost was paid, spells with Buyback returned to their owner's hand after being cast instead of being placed in the graveyard. Shadow was a creature ability that prevented creatures that had it from blocking or being blocked by creatures without it. The Shadow ability only appeared on certain blue, black or white creatures (with the exception of the red/white Soltari Guerrillas), and Shadow creatures were all relatively small.
Several non-keyworded mechanics were also introduced. Licids were a creature type that had the ability to become creature enchantments. This caused numerous rules complications.
The Slivers were also introduced in Tempest. These were creatures that shared their abilities with their kin. Slivers continued into Stronghold, and appeared in Legions, and in Time Spiral.
The Medallions were a very popular cycle of artifacts, one for each color, that reduced the cost of spells of the appropriate color. Slower monocolor decks (mainly blue) saw them as first pick.
The stuck lands were also a cycle of 5 lands that add mana of two allied colors, but when you use them, they don't untap on your next turn, which made them not so popular as the Ice Age pain lands.
[edit] Notable cards
- Aluren: This card allowing creatures with low costs to be played with no mana cost has led to numerous "infinite" combos with cards such as Squee, Goblin Nabob and Goblin Bombardment.
- Cursed Scroll: This cheap artifact was originally intended to bring a measure of 'bluffing' to Magic, but instead provided a cheap, reusable source of damage and removal for any aggressive deck. As an interesting side note, Cursed Scroll was misprinted in a foreign language with an even cheaper cost to activate.
- Dregs of Sorrow: Never a powerful tournament card, Dregs of Sorrow is mostly memorable because the set's designers considered it to be one of its most potent.
- Diabolic Edict: This cheap removal spell has been a popular card in every format it has been legal in, since it targeted players instead of creatures, making it one of the few answers to many difficult creatures.
- Capsize: A popular card in "Draw-Go" decks, Capsize (and Whispers of the Muse) allowed their caster to gain an advantage by casting them and buying them back at the end of the opponent's turn.
- Intuition: Though it took some time to catch on, Intuition has become one of the most powerful "tutoring" spells ever printed, allowing its caster to search for any card with three or more copies remaining in the deck. [1] This gave blue the ability to tutor with little drawback, an ability normally reserved for black. The card became even more potent when combined with cards that would benefit from being in your graveyard, such as Kindle and Accumulated Knowledge.
- Tradewind Rider: A very popular control card in its day, this creature provided excellent defense while returning your opponent's most dangerous threats to their hand.
- Earthcraft: Combined with cards that increase the mana production of basic lands and recurring creature producers like Sacred Mesa and Goblin Warrens, Earthcraft enabled a deck to create infinite numbers of creatures or mana without much difficulty, and was eventually banned along with many of the powerful cards from Urza block. The card Squirrel Nest, printed much later, created an even more potent combo with Earthcraft, however Night of Souls' Betrayal would kill this combo today, leading to its banning in Legacy.
- Verdant Force: A universally popular creature despite its hefty cost, Verdant Force quickly produces a large swarm of creatures for its controller. Verdant Force has been an occasional target for decks that can bring creatures into play without casting them directly.
- Humility: A simple concept that has caused more rules complications than possibly any other card ever printed, in some situations actually opening up downright rules paradoxes. The interaction of Humility and two copies of Opalescence encouraged the creation of the "time stamp" rule.
- Lotus Petal: Made as a toned down version of Black Lotus, the most expensive and iconic of all Magic cards, Lotus Petal was also eventually banned and restricted in any formats it was still legal in because, even with one third the effect of Black Lotus, it still allowed for dangerously fast games.
- Wasteland: Another "fixed" version of a powerful card, Strip Mine in this case, Wasteland has become a tournament staple in its legal formats, providing a cheap, universal answer to problematic non-basic lands.
- Perish: A green hoser, Perish destroyed all green creatures in play. It was later reprinted in 6th Edition.
