Magic: The Gathering‘s latest standard set is due to introduce a new land cycle into the game which could well prove to be one of the most powerful yet.
For those unaware, rare (or nonbasic) lands, unlike those that make up the bulk of a deck’s mana pool, are notable for their various secondary effects that themselves require mana to activate. Land cycle refers to a block of said cards introduced with a new set which, in Ikoria‘s case, are tri-coloured. Raugrin, Zaoth, Savai, Ketria and Idantha Triome can all be tapped to add one of three different mana types to cast sorceries and creature spells, making them extremely versatile.
You can check all five of them out for yourselves via the gallery below:
As is to be expected, Triomes come into play tapped (owing to their increased power over basic lands) and all feature the ‘Cycling’ keyword. By paying the required cost of three colorless mana, players are able to discard the triggered Triome in return for a single draw from their deck. That might sound like an unfavourable deal on paper, but as any longtime player can assuredly attest to, card draw is an extremely powerful tool.
Especially so in the late game, where drawing lands with an empty hand can often lead to defeat on the spot, the ability to recycle any Triome for a potential answer with excess mana is a potent effect indeed. It’s worth noting, too, that existing cards that target specific color lands to draw will apply for any of the above, assuming they share at least one type in common.
Fans can get their hands on all the new cards coming with Magic: The Gathering – Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths on April 16th for digital formats and May 15th for tabletop.
