Future Sight
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Future Sight is an expansion set, codenamed "Pop," from the trading card game Magic: The Gathering. The set was released worldwide on May 4, 2007. The pre-release events for this set were held on April 21-22, 2007.[1]
| Future Sight | ||
|---|---|---|
| Release date | May 4, 2007 | |
| Mechanics | Scry[1] | |
| Keywords | Poisonous,[2] Delve,[2] Suspend,[2] Vanishing,[2] Transfigure[3] Gravestorm | |
| Size | 180 (60 rares, 60 uncommons, 60 commons) | |
| Expansion code | FUT | |
| Development codename | Pop | |
| Designer | Mark Rosewater (lead) | |
| Developer | Mike Turian (lead) | |
| Sets in Time Spiral Block | ||
| Time Spiral | Planar Chaos | Future Sight |
| Magic: The Gathering Chronology |
||
| Planar Chaos | Future Sight | 10th Edition |
Contents |
[edit] Storyline
Teferi, Jhoira and Venser continue their battle to heal the time rifts that plague Dominaria. The rift in Tolaria is so severe that it cannot be healed in the present day. In order to remedy it, Karn travels back in time. He manages to close the time rift, but in the process is lost.
The planeswalker Jeska returns to Dominaria. Finding her friend Karn gone, she becomes angry and is manipulated by the planeswalker Leshrac into using Radha as a kind of mana focuser to close the time rifts without using up her planeswalker spark. She sets out to continue her mentor's work, and seals both the Zhalfirin and Yavimayan rifts, respectively losing Zhalfir proper and Multani in the process. It is revealed later on that Leshrac was using Jeska to gain the dark power of one of her former selves, Phage. Having gained that power, Leshrac then challenges the powerful planeswalker Nicol Bolas to a duel, only to be defeated by him. Bolas then uses what remains of Leshrac to seal the Madaran rift.
Once again in charge of her own actions, Jeska enters the Otarian rift to try and seal it with the help of both Venser and Radha. During their efforts, they merge to form an alternate version of Karona. At the final stage, Jeska teleports both Venser and Radha to a safe location, sacrificing herself to seal the final rift.[4]
[edit] Set Details
Future Sight contains 180 cards.[1] The expansion symbol is an eye looking through a rift portal.[5] The designers of the set are Mark Rosewater (lead), Matt Cavotta, Devin Low, Mark Gottlieb, Ryan Miller, and Zvi Mowshowitz.[1] The developers of the set are Mike Turian (lead), Matt Cavotta, Matt Place, and Brian Schneider.[1]
The set has "Timeshifted" cards, as first confirmed by Mark Rosewater.[6] Unlike Time Spiral, the Timeshifted cards are not direct reprints of older Magic cards but rather are cards that may appear in future sets.[2][3] These cards have normal rarity symbols as opposed to purple, and are considered a part of the expansion, not a separate sub-set. Also, the Timeshifted cards in Future Sight have been given a new frame. Another difference is that Future Sight has many mechanics spread among many cards, instead of several focused mechanics in many cards.[3]
Another Magus cycle--creature cards that refer to cards from the past--made its appearance as well; the cycle in Future Sight echoes enchantments from past sets.[7][2] For example, the card Magus of the Moat has the same ability as the enchantment Moat.
Future Sight also introduced a new supertype for non-creature permanents – tribal. Tribal cards utilize a subtype that matches a creature type. The tribal supertype had been planned for the Lorwyn set, and was timeshifted into future in the card Bound in Silence, a "Rebel Enchantment".
[edit] Mechanics
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This list may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please help improve this list. It may be poorly defined, unverified or indiscriminate. (January 2008) |
The following are mechanics released in this set:[8][9]
- Absorb - This ability has a number, such as Absorb 2. A creature with absorb has the listed number of damage prevented if it would take damage from a given source.
- Delve[2] - Reduces the playing cost by 1 colorless mana for every card in your graveyard that you remove from the game as you play it.
- Frenzy - If a creature with Frenzy attacks and isn't blocked, it gets +X/+0, where X is the frenzy number.
- Grandeur[10] - This ability on a legendary creature in play allows its controller to discard a card that has the same name for certain special effects.
- Gravestorm - Similar to the Storm ability also seen in many cards from the Time Spiral block, it copies the spell for each permanent put into a graveyard from play this turn, rather than for each spell played.
- Lifelink - This means gaining life equal to a creature's damage dealt, an ability long present but only now a keyword.
- Poisonous - The ability for creatures to give X number of poison counters to an opponent by dealing combat damage to them, where X is the poisonous number. Ten of said counters will cause a player to lose the game. The ability has been used before in past sets, but this is the first time it has been assigned a keyword.[11]
- Aura Swap - Allows you to exchange the Aura card in play with swap for another Aura card in your hand by paying the Aura Swap cost.
- Transfigure[3] - Somewhat similar to the Transmute ability from Ravnica: City of Guilds, a creature in play with this ability can be sacrificed with a cost to let its controller search for another creature with the same converted mana cost as the creature, then put the searched creature directly into play.
- Reach - Creatures with this can block creatures with flying. Used many times before, only now having a name to relate to its many representations.
- Deathtouch - Whenever a creature that has this deals damage to a creature, they destroy that creature. Another effect seen before but not named until now.
- Fateseal - Similar to the Scry ability from Fifth Dawn, this version lets you look at the top X cards of your opponent's library as opposed to your own library like the mechanic Scry and place the cards either at the bottom or the top of your opponent's library in any order you choose, where X is the fateseal number.
- Assemble & Contraption - An ability and related new type that are hinted at on the card Steamflogger Boss, but do not actually appear on any of the set's cards. This card along with its abilities was printed as a joke and parody.[12]
- Fortification & Fortify - A new type of artifact, the land equivalent of Equipment.
- Shroud - Recently keyworded, shroud is the new version of "This cannot be the target of spell or abilities." Both players and permanents can have shroud.
Also reprinted in the set are the following previously used keyword abilities:[13]
- from Mirage block:
- from Tempest block:
- from Urza's Saga block:
- Echo - now with cards that have different echo costs instead that of the original casting cost of the card; While Planar Chaos has started this, the echo costs of cards now can include off-colored mana costs or non-mana costs[9]
- Cycling - now with cards whose cycling cost is not mana cost
- from Invasion block:
- from Torment set:
- from Onslaught block:
- Morph - now with cards that have off-color morph costs, as well as non-creature cards with Morph
- Typecycling
- from Fifth Dawn set:
- Scry - now with cards that have different Scry numbers as well as cards which require a player to Scry before an ability takes place[14]
- from Ravnica block:
- from Time Spiral block:
- Suspend - now with cards that can re-suspend themselves
- Split Second - now with sorceries and enchantments that have split second
- Vanishing
- Flash[14]
[edit] Notable Cards
- The Pact cycle: Intervention Pact, Pact of Negation, Slaughter Pact, Pact of the Titan, and Summoner's Pact - Instants with a mana cost of 0 but a cost that must be paid during the caster's next upkeep to avoid a game loss. Interestingly, the Unhinged set featured a very similar card in the Rocket-Powered Turbo Slug.[2]
- Tarmogoyf - Arguably the best card in both Standard and Extended formats. It made more top 8 appearances in the 2008 Pro Tour Qualifier season than any other card.[15] Due to its power and large cost in the secondary market, many have argued for its banning.
[edit] Timeshifted Card Frame Design
With Future Sight, the frame design of the timeshifted cards is entirely new. On timeshifted cards in Future Sight, the card's mana cost appears in bubbles curving down the left side of the card right next to the picture, appearing in the traditional order of colorless mana, white, blue, black, red and green from top the bottom. In the top left corner of each card is a symbol that tells the card type; for example, a symbol of claw marks represent a creature card. This design is to be a Future Sight timeshifted feature only, and is used to give the new cards a futuristic feel.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Announcing Future Sight by 'Magic Arcana', MTG.com, June 12, 2006. Accessed September 27, 2006
- ^ a b c d e f g h "More 'Future Sight'" (April 5, 2007), InQuest Gamer - Mark Rosewater Q&A
- ^ a b c d e The Future is Now Part 1, by Mark Rosewater, MTG.com, April 9, 2007.
- ^ Future Sight expansion page MTG.com, May 2007
- ^ Future Sight Logo and Symbol by Magic Arcana, MTG.com, February 14, 2007
- ^ Purple Reign, by Mark Rosewater, MTG.com, September 25, 2006
- ^ The Timeshifts They Are a Changing, by Mark Rosewater, MTG.com, January 30, 2007
- ^ Magic, Now With G5-27 Attachment!, by Matt Cavotta, MTG.com, April 30, 2007
- ^ a b Are you from the Future? by Aaron Forsythe, MTG.com, May 4, 2007.
- ^ Grandeur, No Illusion, by Aaron Forsythe, MTG.com, April 13, 2007.
- ^ Comprehensive Rules 502.69a
- ^ Are You From the Future by Aaron Forsythe, MTG.com, May 4, 2007
- ^ Future Sight FAQ, by Mark L. Gottlieb, MTG.com, April 23, 2007
- ^ a b The Future is Now Part III, by Mark Rosewater, MTG.com, April 23, 2007.
- ^ David-Marshal, Brian (2008-04-04). Top 8 from the Top 8s. Wizards of the Coast.
[edit] External links
- Official Future Sight Minisite
- Future Sight Product Information Page
- Official Future Sight Theme Decks
- Future Sight Cardlist
