Tag: kaldheim

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Tyson Fraleigh - February 15, 2021

Kaldheim in Review: Top Five Cards

With the release of Kaldheim behind us, it is time to look at the cards that have (so far) affected the game in major ways. While some of these need a specific synergy to get going, a lot of these cards can be added to any deck for a win condition. Just make sure you have enough specific mana to be able to cast them in the first place!

So, without further ado…

Cosima, The God of Voyage

Cosima, God of the Voyage holds a lot of possibility. With a low mana buy in, you have a lot of potential to exile Cosmina early, then bring her in later as a heavy hitter. If you are also running vehicles in the deck, The Omenkeel on the reverse of Cosima can also be a handy for getting your opponent to exile more and more of their deck. This could be especially useful in a Dimir Rogue deck for more mill capability.

Koma, Cosmos Serpent

A very underrated card, Koma, Cosmos Serpent can be a big contender. While having a seven mana buy in is a big set back, it is also a spell can’t be countered coming into the field. Add in the endless swarms of Koma Coil’s that get added at the beginning of your upkeep, and you will be swarming the board. Do you want to overwhelm your opponent or control their effects? Up to you.

Tibalt, Cosmic Imposter

This surprises no one. Tibalt, Cosmic Imposter is widely considered the best card in the Kaldheim release. Getting Tibalt on the field can be a bit of pain, but it has an immediate payoff. Being able to exile cards from both your deck and your opponent’s decks to cast them later within one turn is a huge advantage. Add in the fact you can eventually target and exile your opponents big bad to cast it on your side of the field, and you are nearly unstoppable.

Want to make a big splash in any game? Throw this puppy into the mix.

Goldspan Dragon

The big bad of red/white dwarf decks. Flying, haste, and massive mana recursion, Goldspan Dragon does it all. Since it isn’t a legendary creature, throw as many as you want into the deck, and you are going to be swimming in treasure tokens and mana. This is card is especially aided by Magda, Brazen Outlaw. If you’re having difficulty drawing into a Goldspan, just sacrifice some treasure with Magda to search for it.  You can’t go wrong with a winning combo like that.

The Trickster-God Heist

The win all and be all of control Saga’s, The Trickster-God’s Heist is a great addition to any blue/black/multi-mana deck. This card is especially useful when you are playing numerous low tier creatures, such as zombies or shapeshifters. Switching out your low grade creatures for your opponents win condition creature can be a huge advantage. Don’t underestimate the power of this card, or the strategy around it – this clutch piece could win you the whole game if you play it right.

Do you know any Kaldheim cards here that deserve to be in the top five? Let us know in the comments below!

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Tyson Fraleigh - February 1, 2021

Kaldheim – Some Early Draft Decks

With the official release of Kaldheim in less than a week, the pre-release drafting game has begun! But before you hop on TCGPlayer to buy the hottest cards on the market, here are some generally accessible decks that will give you a lot of versatility right out of the box. Of course, every pre-release pack has their own luck with cards, but these three decks should be a solid option for anyone looking to build a deck without paying extra online.

Draugr (Blue/Black)

Blue-black is here to stay baby! As opposed to Rogues this time, Kaldheim focuses more on the undead side of things. There is a wide range of zombie creatures in both black and blue cards, which make it real easy to work together. One key favourtie is Narfi, The Betrayer King who is able to both boost your other zombies and also bring himself back from the graveyard (as long as you have snow lands untapped). Another big help is the newest addition to the rogue collection, Draugr Thought-Thief is able to look at the top card of your deck, choosing to either keep it there or send it to the graveyard. Add some counterspells, along with some creature removal spells, and you have a strong deck that can negate most things coming into play.

Just make sure to hold onto Annul in your side deck. They can be handy against a red-white deck that is playing more artifacts than you would like.

Kaldheim

Dwarves (Red/White)

Aggression with power ups is hard to beat. Red-white has a lot to offer in the realm of the new Kaldheim set. You can channel your focus towards humans, dwarves, or angels through this deck, but the best synergy has got to go to Dwarves. Start developing treasure tokens with Seize the Spoils and Forging the Tyrite Sword, then spend them to search your deck for key creatures and artifacts with Magda, Brazen Outlaw. Pull a creature from your deck to your hand, such as a Goldspan Dragon if you need mana, or straight to Halvar, God of Battle to start swinging with big numbers. Mix Koll, The Forgemaster in there for a damage and toughness bump, along with some card return if someone dies, and bam – that’s going to be a tricky deck to beat.

Shapeshifter (Green/Blue/Black)

Blue and green cards have taken a big boost in new set. If you are able to build big monsters AND have control over the board… well, you see where this is going.

A big aspect of Kaldheim’s green plays are Shapeshifter creatures. Maskwood Nexus makes this especially powerful, making all of your creatures every creature type. This means any board wipe cards like Crippling Fear are useless against you. Maskwood Nexus also allows you to go into an endless stream of 2/2 Shapeshifter creatures as long as you have three mana to spend each turn. Throw in a The Trickster-God’s Heist and you have control over what creatures you have from both sides of the board. Add some additional snow lands and some Faceless Haven‘s to get a nice 4/4 you can throw at your opponent as extra measure.

Not a bad way to play, eh?

Did you create an interesting deck out of your pre-release that you want to show the world? Leave it down below in the comments!

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Tyson Fraleigh - January 21, 2021

Kaldheim: The Spoiler’s Guide to Hope

With the coming Magic release of Kaldheim, there is a lot of potential, especially with the overt references of Norse myth in the flavour text and advertising material. While there are plenty of characters and events that take place in Norse myth, there are some especially interesting and niche characters that are amazing to see in the pre-release spoilers.

SPOILER ALERT AHEAD! If you don’t want to know any of the coming cards in the release of Kaldheim, leave now!

The Children of Loki

I touched on the children of Loki a little bit in the last article about Kaldheim’s Norse inspirations. Jormungandr is the first child of Loki, with Hel being the second, and Fenrir being the last.

Jormungandr may be familiar as the World Serpent, the snake that has wrapped around the Earth, stuck with its tail in its mouth. This hulking creature is more than likely represented by Koma, Cosmos Serpent, an absolute control beast coming into the meta as a blue-green. Similar to his brother in colour, Fenrir appears to be Sarulf, Realm Eater, a green-black mana legendary creature. The only one of the siblings that I haven’t been able to find is Hel, which I can only assume would become a black mana creature.

While all of these creatures operate on their own well enough, it would be something to behold if these cards were able to find a synergy together. This might be possible if Hel is a black or black-blue mana card, making a blue-green-black deck between the three of the demi-gods.

The Wild Hunt

If you have ever heard of The Witcher, you probably already know about the Wild Hunt. This traveling caravan of doom roams the skies, bringing omen and potential destruction with them. The Wild Hunt is led by a single rider, followed by a single woman and an army of spirits. Different stories tell different versions of the tale, suggesting that the leader of the Hunt could be Odin himself, ghosts, or a legion of demons, similar to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Thus far, the closest group I could find that could be a reference to the Wild Hunt would be the Bloodsky. The archetype is a black mana focus as demons. This would synergize well with the coming Dread Carn, able to create their legion of undead following behind the lead horsemen, absolutely filling the board with zombies and spirits. There is still more to learn about the Bloodsky through their flavour text, but it seems likely that we should keep our eye out for a Wild Hunt – Tibalt mix coming to the meta pretty soon.

Mimir

The Gods have made themselves known in the pre-release spoilers. Valki taking on the mantle of Loki, Alrund taking on the mantle of Odin – the list goes on and on. However, I have yet to find a representation of Mimir.

Mimir is one of the wisest deities in Norse myth. Odin cut off Mimir’s head, carrying it around if Odin was ever in need of assistance or knowledge throughout his travels. This would be a great card for any kind of blue deck, especially to help introduce the ‘foretell’ ability. Chain that with some of the exile abilities that are popping up with the Planeswalkers, such as Kaya and Tibalt, and you have a strong combo deck waiting to happen.

 

I could go on and on about other hopes I have for this set, and all the exciting things that have already been announced, but I want to hear what you think – leave a comment down below about what cards you are excited for coming into the Kaldheim release!

Want to pre-order your own Kaldheim pre-release set? Order now in the link down below!
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Tyson Fraleigh - January 13, 2021

Kaldheim and Norse Myth: To Valhalla and Beyond!

Welcome to Kaldheim

With Kaldheim coming out in February, there is lots to be excited about in the world of Magic. Inspired by Norse mythology, Kaldheim mentions the World Tree, Valkyries, and planeshifting Gods. But what exactly do these references mean?

Let’s go over the basics so you can enjoy the mythological splendours ahead.

The World Tree

In Norse myth, the World Tree (also known as Yggdrasil) is the holder all of the planes of existence. It is prophesied to exist until Ragnarök, the Apocalypse, that shall end the reign of Gods, and all of humanity.

Across the World Tree, there are a total of nine realms that exist –

  • Asgard, the land of the Aesir (The Gods)
  • Alfheim, the land of the Bright Elves
  • Jotunheim, the land of Giants
  • Nidavellir, the land of Dwarves
  • Nilfheim, a land of ice and mist
  • Svartalfheim, the land of Dark Elves
  • Vanaheim, the land of the Vanir (More Gods)

To Valhalla!

Valhalla is not a plane of existence, but instead a mead hall in Asgard, where slain warriors go if they die in battle. The alternative to Valhalla, dying from sickness or any other non-violent, is going to Hel.

No, not Hell. The child of Loki one.

Let me explain.

Hel is one of the three children of Loki. In the movie Thor: Ragnarok, Cate Blanchett plays the Marvel interpretation, Hela. However, instead of being an Australian warrior woman in black and green spandex, Hel is a giant woman. She has a head and torso of her natural form, but her legs are nothing but bones and rotting flesh. Being banished from Asgard by Odin, Hel tends to those who died outside of battle.

Instead, if you want to make it to that mead hall in Asgard to drink your cares away, you have to die in battle. Only then will you be visited by a Valkyrie.

The Valkyries are, simply put, the most badass angels in mythological history. Loyal servants to Odin, these warrior maidens fly down to capture the souls of those who died in battle in full battle regalia. They are known to smite warriors that they do not favour with ease, and guard heroes and vessels that were important to them.

So, you may be wondering – who else lives in Asgard? Who would you be able to be drinking buddies with after you have your over dramatic, super cool action movie death in the midst of battle?

The Gods

Norse gods are placed into two different factions – the Aesir and the Vanir. The Aesir are warriors naturally, able to strike down waves of enemies with ease. The Vanir are innate magical casters, using subtly instead of brute strength.

This distinction means little in the later myths of the Gods but is significant in the beginning. The Aesir and the Vanir began as foes, erupting into full war. Eventually, the Aesir and Vanir grew wary and called for peace. In doing so, each God spat in a cauldron, and thus the God Kvasir was born, the God of Knowledge.

The most famous Gods in Norse mythology will be familiar from the Marvel universe – Thor, Loki, and Odin, the three Gods who would find themselves in trouble the most often in Norse myth.

Some other notable figures include Freya, a witch goddess; Tyr, the god of Justice who lost his right arm to bind the demigod Fenrir; and Hoenir, who was the Odin’s loyal little screw up. He doesn’t have any real divine powers, but always gets himself pulled into Odin’s schemes or adventures. He never does anything or saves anyone – he is  there to be captured, or to mess up a plan.

So, if you are ever having a rough go of it, just remember – you’re doing better than Hoenir.

The Rich World of the Gods, Elves, and Valkyries

There is so much left to say about Norse mythology – Ragnarok, the gods travelling to different planes, the apples of Iun – the list is endless. And from this expansive world, Kaldheim is going to give you a taste and explore this endless and beautiful tradition, reminding the world of the magic of the Norse.

So go forth, warrior – seize your weapons, your magics, and claim your seat in Valhalla!

Are there other aspects of Norse myth that I missed in the article that you have spotted in the preview cards? Make sure to comment below your thoughts!

For more articles like this in the future, make sure to follow The Bag of Loot! https://www.thebagofloot.com/

Want to get a hold of your own Kaldheim pre-release set? Pre-order now with the link!
https://www.threekingsloot.com/catalog/magic_sealed_products-mtg_prerelease_kits/kaldheim_prerelease_pack__2_kaldheim_prize_boosters/778970

References:

https://www.ancient.eu/article/1305/nine-realms-of-norse-cosmology/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Valkyrie-Norse-mythology

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Gregoire Thibault - December 19, 2020

MTG Kaldheim set release notes

MTG Kaldheim Release notes

MTG Kaldheim a visit to the plane of the Vikings. Magic the Gathering is kicking off 2021 with a Norse mythology-inspired set; Magic’s take on what a world inspired by Vikings might look like. Kaldheim feels like another great set like Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths was.

Set symbol:

Number of Cards: 285

Prerelease Events: January 29th – 31st, 2021

Release Date: February 5th, 2021

Official Three-Letter Code KHM

Kaldheim Storyline

The planeswalker Kaya visits a world of prophecy and legend, mortals and monsters. A world of many realms, epic sagas, bound by one truth. Viking or Valkyrie, Elf or Dwarf, all belong to the World Tree, all are supplicants to the gods. Gods who travel between the realms to their bidding for peace, for bloodshed, or for their own amusement. But what if there was a way to harness this power? A weapon with the ability to protect all. A weapon of pure strength. Forged for a god. Or … in more creative hands, a weapon of unimaginable chaos.

Prerelease Kit – Release January 29th

Draft Booster – Release January 29th

MTG Kaldheim Draft Booster

Collector booster – Release February 5th

MTG Kaldheim Collector booster

MTG Kaldheim Bundle and content – Release February 5th

MTG Kaldheim Bundle

 

MTG Kaldheim Set Booster – Release February 5th

 

Two sets of Commander decks

MTG Kaldheim Commander deck MTG Kaldheim Commander deck

Six Theme Booster to choose from

MTG Kaldheim Theme booster

MTG Kaldheim Banner