Final 12 months we had a homicide thriller growth for Magic: The Gathering, adopted by a Wild West one. Because the cynics put it, they have been “Magic in detective hats” and “Magic in cowboy hats”. Now, with the Aetherdrift set principally being themed round Pace Racer and Twisted Steel, the cynics say that is “Magic in a racing helmet,” when what the folks actually need (for “the folks” learn “cranky Redditbros”) is extra trad fantasy.
This rings false to me. For starters, we simply had Foundations, a set that went again to the sport’s unique inspirations and in some circumstances the unique playing cards, a set with loads of dragons and angels and swords being become ploughshares. If it is trad fantasy you are after, you may eat effectively on the Foundations desk. Aetherdrift is for many who crave selection, who do not need to eat the identical excessive fantasy meal each evening of the week.
And, as somebody who solely acquired significantly into amassing Magic slightly than simply taking part in the digital variations with Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty—a completely cyberpunk set with mechs and playing cards like Born to Drive—the concept of magical Carmageddon would not appear too far on the market. Magic’s multiverse clearly is not stuffed with worlds that conveniently stopped advancing on the medieval interval (New Capenna is blatantly the Twenties with demons), so carry on the Wacky Wheels, I say, and the wackier the higher.
I went to a prerelease occasion at considered one of my native gaming shops, Loads of Video games in Melbourne, to take Aetherdrift for a check drive. The advantage of these prerelease occasions is how informal they’re. Whereas the hosts do name time so you may finish your first match and play another person, my desk cheerfully ignored that and as an alternative performed a four-player recreation that lasted the whole night, which felt extra on-theme for a race than a collection of one-on-one duels would.
Enjoying sealed meant opening a choice of boosters and constructing decks from what was obtainable. I used to be tempted to construct a black deck round Pactdoll Terror, a toy automotive piloted by a killer doll, which supplies you a degree of life and takes one from all of your opponents if you play an artifact. There are many artifact playing cards in Aetherdrift, principally automobiles, however as an alternative I made a decision to construct a deck to check out the brand new pace mechanic.
Once you play a card with “Begin your engines!” on it you acquire a pace of 1, and it will increase one level per flip for those who harm an opponent. At max pace, which is 4, varied card-dependent results set off. My deck’s Strolling Sarcophagus went from a 2/1 to a 3/3 for example, and my Aether Syphon compelled everybody else to mill two playing cards at any time when I drew one. One of many different gamers went for the same tactic, Aether Syphon and all, however as a result of I hit max pace earlier than them I used to be assured I would mill everybody else to dying first.
(Picture credit score: Wizards of the Coast/Devin Elle Kurtz)
I hadn’t counted on the participant sat throughout from me having Push the Restrict, a card that returns all of your automobiles and mounts from the discard pile to the desk, and lets them assault with out crew that flip. We would been filling his discard pile for a number of turns, helpfully loading bullets right into a gun he then circled and fired at the remainder of us. The playing cards you get again with Push the Restrict should be discarded once more on the finish of the flip, however that one huge swing worn out one participant and lowered the remainder of us to our previous couple of life factors.
It did not win him the sport, although. The participant sitting within the far nook had not lengthy earlier than performed Pactdoll Terror, after which she effectively drained everybody else’s remaining life factors by following it with a handful of artifacts in a row. I may solely applaud. It was a basic tortoise-and-hare scenario, with the least assuming racer crossing the end line whereas everybody else had their engines betray them on the house stretch. An ideal marriage of theme and mechanics.
(Aetherdrift has a surprisingly in-depth connection to the lore as effectively, with narrative designer Miguel Lopez actually going to city on the worldbuilding facet of issues.)
(Picture credit score: Wizards of the Coast/Neo.G)
Aetherdrift will likely be out in Enviornment from February 11, and in paper Magic from February 14. You could find in-store occasions at your native taking part retailer.
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