Rebirth of Zendikar - Preview of the new expansion of Magic The Gathering

We have already got to know the setting of Zendikar, a dangerous dimensional plane known in the lore of Magic: The Gathering, where the most powerful mana it is almost uncontrollable, and surrounds landscapes full of treasures that are undoubtedly the favorite destination of many travelers. The new expansion of the card game takes up these themes: let's talk about Rebirth of Zendikar, update created to bring numerous innovations to the card game, including new mechanics and unexpected returns, which when combined inevitably create a sea of ​​possibilities that will soon become part of the meta, after about 5 years from the release of the update Expedition for Zendikar. As usual, the client of Magic: The Gathering Arena has already been prepared for the update, and thanks to the latter we have in fact had the opportunity to test the new features and the interesting setting. Without getting lost in small talk, so let's find out all the news of Zendikar Rebirth!

New mechanics in the Zendikar Rebirth universe

The wild and scary setting does not just want to appear as a mere pretext for the arrival of a new expansion, as its themes influence the arrival of the new cards with criteria. Many mechanics are in fact based on lands, always the main resource for casting spells in Magic, but which now turns out to be a real activator and presents more possibilities than ever. The skill Terraferma paves the way for this path, certainly echoing previous Zendikar expansions. This activates whenever a land is brought under the control of the player controlling a land effect, which creates combinations and possibilities more varied than ever, and allows you to get value even when the top of your deck offers a card not particularly desired in the later stages of the game.

Precisely these cards now present significant innovations. The classics two-faced spells, which generally can be played differently to activate effects depending on the situation, this time they acquire a second side which is a real land. Often you can then decide whether to mulligan based on the interactions that normal cards can provide in both situations, even when mana drought is felt. The effects of the two-faced spells are not particularly powerful, of course, as their strength lies mainly in the versatility, as well as in the activations of the previous mechanic described. Some of the new lands even have this possibility, and when they are played you can decide what color of mana they will provide as long as they remain on the playing field.

Then comes a novelty linked in particular to creatures, or rather to their types. Recalling the classic exploration companies, which again brings us back to the themes of the expansion, i Warriors, Scoundrels, Maghi e Clerics they can now provide additional effects, based on the type of permanents these types of creatures are on the battlefield with. From discounted costs to increasingly stronger effects - from 1 to 4 times based on how many of these types of creatures are in the game - there is really something for all colors with the new effect that takes the name of Company! There are also many combinations with the mechanical note of the Strengthening, which when a card is played allows you to pay an additional sum of mana to obtain a further effect. In the Zendikar Rebirth, the + 1 + 1 counters, which offer thanks to various chain effects further possibilities beyond the mere enhancement of statistics.

Ready to debut!

By analyzing the various mechanics proposed in the eighty-fifth expansion of Magic: the Gathering, we were able to ascertain that these will surely find their place in the meta. In fact, there are some unmissable combos, especially as regards the lands. The power level presented is quite high and all the news are good or bad easily coupled through the effects already present in the expansions available in standard mode. We therefore hope that - in addition to improvements for existing decks that will now be able to climb the top more easily - Rebirth of Zendikar will end up showing us some new interesting archetypes, which take advantage of the available resources but rely on abilities as a Fellowship. We can already experience the update in the online client, which will instead appear in paper format starting from the day of September 25th.