Cue the Vuvuzelas because we’re headed back to Ixalan, the land of pirates, dinosaurs, and Aztec gods. You’d better hope the power holds out.
Welcome in, Praetors and Planeswalkers! We’re only a few short weeks away from the release of Lost Caverns of Ixalan, and it’s already shaping up to be an incredible set. Between brand-new power pieces, legendary heroes, and even the return of a long-running staple, LCI is definitely a product to watch. While we still have a little while to wait for spoiler season, MagicCon attendees got an early sneak peek at some of the big things to look forward to. I was lucky enough to have front-row seats for the reveal. Take it from me; you’ll want to snag as much of this set as you can.
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New Takes on Old Favorites
Ixalan had a lot of mighty heroes, terrible villains, and stompy dinos, and several of those characters are making their way back in a big way. Huatli, the raptor-riding Planeswalker, is here without her spark. She’s still no slouch, though, and can now be included as your commander. Her transformed side is a powerful Red and White Saga that loads up your field with dinosaurs. When you hit the final chapter, you’ll have a nasty army. Ghalta, the king of Green stompy, is also making a triumphant return, and he isn’t coming alone. When he hits the battlefield, he empties your hand of creatures. If you want to play a deck of expensive dinos but don’t want to wait to cast them, this Elder is the Rex for you. Finally, we have Breeches, the lovable Monkey Goblin, and he’s happy to be king of the pirates. Luffy who?
The Return of the Black Lotus! (Sort of)
That’s not a joke! Look right there next to the Indominus Rex’s text box!
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In all seriousness, though, these Jurassic Park cards are incredible pieces. Following in the footsteps of the Brother’s War Transformers seeds, these cards will be randomly inserted into boosters. I’m a huge fan of the Rex, since it slots perfectly into a Sultai counter deck. All of these cards are incredible, though, and if there isn’t an alter of Ian in THAT pose by release time, I’ll be very disappointed. I promise, if you’ve seen the movie, you know the one.
Incredible Reprints
No, your eyes do not deceive you; that’s Mana Crypt over there. Ixalan is bringing back some powerful staples, and they’re getting gorgeous art treatments. While LoA and Crypt are box toppers, making them SUPER hard to pull, Cavern of Souls will be in full rotation. Cavern has been a staple in almost every format, so its return is very exciting. Also, look at these prismatic art prints.
That’s pretty much all for the preview…well, except for one thing. I’ll leave you with this image of one of the gods from Ixalan’s core. I can’t wait to see what the rest of them do.
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Originally from North Carolina, Clint comes to Austin as the latest in a long list of haunts of a wandering actor. An avid gamer, writer, actor, pyrotechnician, and general nerd, he primarily writes on Magic: the Gathering and other CCGs, though he dabbles in Age of Sigmar. When not busy being a clueless cowboy, Winterfell Bannermen, or whatever else acting life throws at him, he enjoys reading folklore from around the world, writing narratives for his Wargaming armies, or running D&D 5e games as a professional DM. Look for his storytelling podcast, By the Dancing Fire, or find him on Twitch at FeybornPhyrexian, where he produces MTG content.
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