Announcing Magic: the Gathering: Conspiracy?!
Earlier today, Wizards of the Coast posted a completely encrypted update, announcing a set called GVYJTHQXGR.
Less earlier today, a Reddit user named stumpyraccoon used a cipher tool to break the code and reveal the actual announcement. Magic the Gathering: Conspiracy, an upcoming, black-bordered set that’s based on drafting and multiplayer mayhem. So far, revealed cards include Cogwork Librarian, an artifact creature that can be traded for additional cards mid-draft and Magister of Worth, an angel who lets the entire table vote on the fate of every creature, living and dead.
Below, you’ll find stumpyraccoon’s fully deciphered translation of the Wizards MTG announcement. Get ready for a conspiracy!
Decoded Magic the Gathering Conspiracy announcement
Pick. Plot. Play.
Experience a Magic format where the intrigues begin long before the first spells are cast! Revolutionary new abilities impact every part of the play experience, starting with the draft itself.
The first-ever multiplayer-focused booster set has new Magic cards with new mechanics that enhance multiplayer play. Returning favorites from throughout Magic’s history round out the set and cultivate an environment of deception and treachery. The Magic: The Gathering–Conspiracy set is designed to be drafted with six to eight players who then split into groups of three or four players for free-for-all multiplayer games.
Number of Cards: 210
Release Date: June 6, 2014
Three-letter abbreviation: CNS
Twitter Hashtag: #MTGCNS
Initial Concept and Game Design: Shawn Main (lead), Dan Helland, David Humpherys, Kenneth Nagle, and Matt Tabak
Final Game Design and Development: David Humpherys (lead), Dan Emmons, K. Joseph Huber, Sam Stoddard, and Gavin Verhey, with contributions from Matt Tabak
Languages: English, Japanese, Chinese Simplified
Available in: Booster Packs
Key Points:
- Multiplayer Booster Draft Format
- 15 Card Booster Packs (MSRP $3.99)
- 36 Packs per Display
- Black-Bordered Cards
I would strongly have expected at least the format-specific cards to be silver-bordered. Then again, I suppose it’s one or the other, and the legal cards need to be black. I’m not even sure what about it disturbs me that much; The “rule-breaking” cards are obviously too weak to make any impact in constructed play, and the rest is just another case of “If a card and the rules disagree, go with the card.”
Just one thing: Since condemnation triggers on ties, in a duel, Magister of Worth will always have an “everything but this” Wrath stuck to it. On ETB. On a Bolt-proof body, that flies. Good thing no tournament decks play anything above cmc 3 then.
I want to see a Will of the Council card that does something smaller. “Will of the Council – When ~ ETB, choose target creature. Starting with you, each player (except that creature’s controller?) votes for A or B. If A gets more votes, destroy ~ and that creature. (Optional B effect.)”
Not sure why there are so many comments about “silver bordered” whenever Conspiracy comes up. There is nothing funny about the set… the mechanics are unconventional, but so were the “wish” cards.
Also similar cards have been done before. The war/peace angel had a similar mechanic. And in some ways this drafting mechanic is similar to many early ante cards that allowed you to “waste” a card to alter the out-of-game state.
True, there was the angel, though that was each player choosing an effect for himself.
It’s just an intuitive reaction to cards that break the rules without there even being a game in progress, or some form of interaction with it. There are the Gemstone Caverns, the Chancellors, and the Wishes (I swear, if I see ONE MORE complaint about Wishes no longer fetching exiled cards, I am going to break a face), but all of those seem natural because they interact with the game as it goes. The draft cards (I expect there will be a fair few) go further than any black border ever has.
At least there is now a solution to the old problem of Foil Elspeth + Elspeth in a booster. I know it happened. I’m not sure when or where, but an Elspeth got passed in favour of the foil.
Thinking about it, the Librarian fixes an ancient problem of boosters containing bugger-all, allowing you to store a pick for a pack that’s less terrible. And in cycling itself possibly many times through (it’s common on top of all), it smooths everybody’s game. I like it. Though I doubt we’ll be able to convince our game stores to add a few Librarians to random boosters in non-Conspiracy drafts.
Well it’s only legal in Eternal, and yes, the curve there tops out at 3. You are allowed to do broken things in Eternal. (See also: True Name Nemesis).
Let me put my cards on the table (no pun etc). I hate Magic multiplayer. Magic is one of the best games ever devised…but it just doesn’t do multiplayer well. Games devolve into a shoddy version of diplomatic wrangling over who gets attacked first, except one guy can have a combo that kills the table at instant speed.
In short, board games do it much, much better.
However, the draft mechanics are very interesting. If it goes well, I wonder if a card like the Librarian will make it into a proper set. It would be super interesting. I have in fact been passed an Elspeth before :)