WeeklyMTG – Magic: the Gathering x Fallout First Look
War never changes — but you can lower its casting cost with a few mana rocks all thanks to this Fallout x Magic team-up.
Welcome in, Praetors and Planeswalkers! It isn’t often that the lovely folks at Wizards gift us with a second WeeklyMTG, but this is a bit of a special case. The next Universes Beyond set is on the horizon, and it’s taking a bit of a…nuclear turn.
For those not in the know, the world of MTG is headed to the dystopian American dreamland that is Fallout! Packed with violence and war tempered with some cheeky humor and 1950s values, this set looks great. While we don’t know much yet, Blake Rasmussen sat down with Card Designer Chris Mooney and Bethesda’s Pete Hines to give us a sneak peek at what’s headed our way. Strap in and grab a Nuka-Cola, because this release could make a Super Mutant blush.
Commander Decks
Like the Doctor Who set that released earlier this year, the Fallout release will include four thematic Commander Decks, each with an iconic leader. The Sultai “Mutant Menace” deck, led by The Wise Mothman, features heavily on counters, specifically the new “rad counter”. This mechanic will drain your opponent’s deck and life at the same time, and the more they mill, the stronger Mothman gets.
If fighting is more your thing, try “Hail Caesar”, the Mardu deck with the titular Caesar at the helm. This deck wants to make as many tokens as possible, and then sacrifice them for the greater good.
Of course, some folks would rather fight with their brain, and that’s where the Jeskai “Science” deck comes in. Led by Dr. Madison Li, this deck sees the return of energy counters and focuses on energy generation and artifacts, specifically robots. Finally, if you want a team of well-armed friends, the “Scrappy Survivors” deck in Naya is the way to go. Led by the absolute bestest boy, Dogmeat, this deck focuses on Auras and Equipment, as well as a new type of token, Junk. These tokens allow you to exile the top card of your library and play it later in the same turn. While that’s a bit more risky than standard draw, it’s still card advantage.
Pip-Boy Treatment
As you might have noticed in the center picture of each Commander, several cards in the set are getting a “Pip-Boy” treatment. This emulated the layout of the game, showing you what their data might look like as viewed on the Fallout games’ legendary artifact. These special treatments will be available in Collector boosters, which will be released alongside the Commander Decks.
Bobblehead Cards
Another iconic piece of Fallout lore is the Bobbleheads. Found throughout the game, these boost one of your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats. In Magic, they look to be mana rocks that will each have a unique ability depending on how many you have. They are also being released as serialized cards, found in Collector Boosters.
And That’s Not All!
There was so much in the release, but you’ll have to check it out for yourself! You can find the video here. Fallout x Magic releases in February 2024, with the preview season beginning in January.
Will you be picking this set up?
