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The new Magic: The Gathering (MTG) set brings us back to the oriental aesthetic of Kamigawa, except one that is now futuristic and neon-drenched. Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty is not just an artistic overhaul of a classic MTG setting, it also introduces thematic mechanics and keywords that give players room to create innovative decks.
We have previously looked at a new card from the set, and now it’s time to check out the mechanics this set has to offer.
Modifications
One of the perennial themes of cyberpunk is transhumanism, and in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, the idea of modifying oneself has become a mechanic that can make creatures more powerful.
A creature is considered modified if it has an Equipment, Aura, or Counter attached to it. This thus makes Artifacts and Enchantments more valuable, as beyond their immediate effects, those cards can now be used to activate effects that require modified creatures.
Reconfigure
A keyword found on Artifact creatures, Reconfigure allows those creatures to behave like an Equipment or like a creature. Reconfigure allows players to attach the Artifact creature to another creature, and also allows them to be unequipped when necessary.
This adds flavour to the cards, fitting right into the cyberpunk aesthetic. However, from a gameplay perspective, it can be seen as an additional condition before the card’s full effect can be activated. This allows for cards like The Reality Chip which has quite the impressive effect of letting the player play lands and spells off the top of their library.
Sagas
Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty features elements that clearly have long histories in its world. Some of these old stories are made into Saga cards, a distinct and returning subtype of Enchantments. Each Saga enters the field with a lore counter on it, and with each passing turn, a lore counter is added, moving the Saga into its next chapter, activating specific effects.
In this set, all Saga cards are double-faced cards that transform and are turned around as they reach their last chapter. It’ll be interesting to see how ambitious deckbuilders make these Sagas work.
Ninjutsu
Kamigawa may have changed a lot, but some things stay the same. Ninjutsu is a mechanic introduced back during the original Kamigawa trilogy, and now it’s back. It injects an element of unpredictability and dynamism into the attacking phase.
Ninjutsu allows a creature from your hand to be substituted in when you have an attacking creature that’s going unblocked. The original attacker returns to hand, and the creature that enters will be tapped and attacking the same player or planeswalker. This is a way for players to sneak in more damage, replay a creature to activate its effect a second time, or just to make opponents second-guess at every turn.
Channel
Channel is also a returning mechanic, and allows players to discard the card with the Channel ability for some mana cost in exchange for an effect. It essentially allows for certain permanents to double as spell cards, giving them versatility so they can be useful in a wider range of situations.
Seems like Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty ( Amazon | Shopee) is making cards versatile, bringing back popular mechanics, and opening up interesting space for deckbuilders while sticking to the cyberpunk theme. We are excited to see how this set will shake up the meta.
Brandon shapeshifts between being a nerd and a geek like Mystique, but with fewer options. He reads an unhealthy amount of comics and manga, while playing a healthy amount of board games and video games.
Ted Chen
