Magic: The Gathering returns to the world of deep jungles and dinosaurs with the upcoming The Lost Caverns of Ixalan set. Plus, the set opens the doors to Jurassic World, with Universes Beyond cards depicting characters, locations, and events from the film franchise.
While Wizards of the Coast (and parent company Hasbro) has had a series of negative press from questionable decisions, including the OGL 1.1 and Pinkerton incidents, profits from Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons remain strong. With the release of The Lost Caverns of Ixalan set, WotC is aiming to close out the 30th anniversary of Magic: The Gathering on a high note.
The announcement and first look at cards from The Lost Caverns of Ixalan was posted on the official Wizards of the Coast MTG website. The link was later shared via the company’s social media channels such as X (formerly Twitter).
An hour-long promotional video was also posted on YouTube. Titled “Adventure at The Core”, Blake Rasmussen, Miguel Lopez and Andrew Brown discussed details about the new set. These included the returning and newly introduced mechanics, as well as the real-world cultural influences that inspired the lore and artwork of The Lost Caverns of Ixalan.
The new mechanics added to the expansion are Craft, Descended, and Discover. Cards with the Craft activated ability can lead to powerful effects in exchange for exiling the required materials.
Meanwhile, Descended is a two-fold mechanic, with one checking a permanent card has put into the graveyard from anywhere; the other is a specific set of Descend X activators (Descend 4, Descend 8, and Fathomless Descent) that check how many of certain card types are in the graveyard.
The final new MTG mechanic is Discover. Some cards in The Lost Caverns of Ixalan will have Discover X as a keyword activator. For instance, if the card has Discover 2 when it enters the battlefield, the player can exile the top of their library until a nonland card with mana value of 2 or less is found. That player can then cast that card without paying the mana cost.
On the other hand, an old mechanic that is returning in The Lost Caverns of Ixalan is Explore. This was introduced in the original Ixalan set back in 2017 and was revisited in the Doctor Who Universes Beyond crossover. More information about the game mechanics in the upcoming expansion can be found at this link.
Aside from the new and returning game mechanics, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan will feature several variants of the artwork and presentation, including Showcase cards, Borderless cards, Special Guests (borderless reprints of classic MTG cards with new Ixalan-themed art), and Neon Ink cards (similar to the ones from the recent cyberpunk Kamigawa expansions).
But perhaps the biggest draw for pop culture fans and collectors in The Lost Caverns of Ixalan release is the Universes Beyond crossover cards based on Jurassic World. These will come in the form of booster inserts included in The Lost Cavern of Ixalan set and Collector Boosters.
The Jurassic World tie-in will feature 26 cards depicting characters, events, and locations from the films, beginning with Jurassic Park from 1993 and up to the most recent film Jurassic World Dominion last 2022. Fan-favorites like archaeologists Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler, Jurassic Park CEO John Hammond, and Dr. Ian Malcolm, to name a few that have so far been revealed.
With other popular franchises like Fallout and the Marvel Universe crossing over to Magic: The Gathering, which fanboy fantasy could be up next? Perhaps The Matrix, G.I. Joe, or Star Wars? And what do you think of the new mechanics being introduced? Do you think it will change the meta in tournament MTG?
The Lost Caverns of Ixalan will have the Magic: The Gathering Set Code of LCI and is available for pre-order via Wizards of the Coast partner stores and through Amazon. The set will be officially released on November 12, 2023 of both the physical cards and the digital Magic: The Gathering Arena game.
