MTG: Get a Clue with the ‘Murders at Karlov Manor’ First Look
The game is afoot, and the final mystery of the grisly Ravnican murders is about to be revealed in the Murders at Karlov Manor!
The full release of the next MTG set, Murders at Karlov Manor, is right around the corner. This return to Ravnica sees old favorites team up with new friends to solve a series of murders that threaten to tear the Guildpact apart. But in a city where a demon runs a sacrificial cult, the dead rise under the sewer grates, and even the law is unreliable, who can be trusted? That’s for you, Ravnica’s crack young detective, to figure out!
This set looks incredible, with several of the greatest heroes of Ravnica’s past returning in a brilliant new form. New mechanics, deadly scenarios, and the return of a long-forgotten keyword from the land of Shadowmoor all combine to make a fabulous set. This is a mystery you’ll want to dive into.
Old Friends and New Heroes
One of my favorite things about Ravnica was the individuals that made up the guilds. Golgari was only as cool as Savra or Izoni, and Izzet would be nothing without Niv-Mizzet. Murders at Karlov Manor is an excellent return to form.
Familiar faces like Judith join newcomers, among them Kylox and Alquist Proft, to solve the murders at Teysa’s opulent manor. These heroes (and villains) make Ravnica great; I can’t wait to see all the pieces moving once the final clue is revealed.
Returning Mechanics
It wouldn’t be a murder mystery without Clues, and this set is full of investigative mechanics. Several cards provide benefits whenever you make or sacrifice a Clue; it feels like Eldraine’s food focus. In addition, older mechanics are back in force, like Wither, a personal favorite. But it isn’t just the old that’s back with a vengeance in the City of Guilds…
New Ways To Win
It wouldn’t be a mystery set without a few new keywords, and Murders blows it away with three detective-themed abilities. The first is “disguise,” a variation on the old Morph mechanic. It allows you to play a card face down for three colorless mana as a 2/2 creature with Ward 2. You can turn it face-up at any time, ignoring the stack. This is a great way to get powerful or important creatures around blockers or kill spells, sneaking in an Angel or Assassin under the guise of an innocent 2/2.
If you want to solve a mystery, you’ll need to collect evidence. To do this, you exile cards from your graveyard with a mana value equal to the collect evidence value. This may give you a unique benefit, or it could be a way to protect your creatures.
Once you have all the clues, you must name a suspect. Suspected is a new keyword that can be given to a creature, giving them menace but removing their ability to block. This can be a great way to provide some evasion for your heavy hitters or to open a hole in your opponent’s defenses.
Solve the Case
The last new addition to Magic is the Case subtype for enchantments. Like Sagas and Classes, they have an escalating series of abilities and effects. The Filced Falcon, for example, gives you a Clue upon ETB. To solve it, you need to have a specific board state or perform an action. In this case, you need to control at least three artifacts. Once you’ve solved it, you get the final effect; in this case, turning a humble artifact into a Clockwork Bird.
For the full debut video, check out the DailyMTG site here.
Happy Hunting, Sleuths!
