MTG: 3 Reasons to Get Excited for “Phyrexia – All Will Be One”
War is on the horizon in MTG, but regardless of who loses, New Phyrexia will win.
The Brother’s War set is right around the corner, heading to tabletops on November 18th. However, as has been the trend recently, fans are already looking forward to the next set, All Will Be One. Set on the plane of New Phyrexia, this set will show the aftereffects of Sheoldred’s attack on Dominaria, and what schemes the Mother of Machines has been up to. Elspeth has certainly not been idle; she’s figured out a nasty new way to spread the glorious perfection of completion. There’s a lot to be psyched for in this set.
Return to New Phyrexia
Back in 2010, the glorious vision of Karn was infiltrated by a silent assassin; Phyrexian oil. Though Karn ignored the threat at first, it wasn’t long before the ancient threat of Phyrexia rose again, finding the perfect breeding ground in the metallic realm of Mirrodin. Even the Silver Golem himself succumbed, and it was only through the sacrifice of the planeswalker Venser that he was able to return. Now, Elesh Norn has taken control, and her Flesh Singularity is almost complete. Fans of both Phyrexia and the old Mirrodin will find something to love in the new set. Plucky resistance fighters stand against impossible odds, as the majority of New Phyrexia is under Norn’s control. Whatever happens, the continuation of this plane-spanning story is sure to be explosive.
New Mechanics
On the gaming side of the new set, Elesh Norn’s newest plan manifests as a series of new rules. While we don’t know much about the new set just yet, we have a clue about two new keywords; Toxic and Corrupted. Toxic is shown with a number next to it, making me think it will probably be something similar to Infect or Poisonous. Poison counters are a big part of Phyrexian cards and playstyles, so something that adds more makes sense. Corruption counts the number of poison counters your opponent has, giving you amplified effects if they have a certain threshold. In modern Infect or poison decks, this is going to add some powerhouse cards.
Old Heroes (and Villains)
Of course, it wouldn’t be a new Magic set without new Praetors, and All Will Be One doesn’t disappoint. The Machine Queen herself is getting a new card, buffing your cards as you play creatures, and punishing your opponents for doing the same. While we don’t have a card for her yet, eagle-eyed fans have also noticed Atraxa in the box art, meaning we’re either going to get a reprint or a brand-new form. Personally, I’d love to see something new, as Atraxa is one of the most powerful and sought-after cards in MTG, and a simple rehash would trivialize her a bit. I’m also hoping we see some of the other heavy hitters of Mirrodin lore, like Glissa, Koth, or maybe even Geth, but even if no one else returns, the new heroes that rise against Norn will be awesome.
Are you excited for the new set?
