On June 14, 2019, a new set for Magic the Gathering called “Modern Horizons” will be released. In collaboration with Wizards of the Coast, we present to you for the first time worldwide a new preview card from the upcoming set.
What kind of card is this? The card is named “Geist der Zwischenwelt” and is known in English as “Nether Spirit”. Here is the card:
What is special about the card? Old Magic veterans might think that this card seems familiar. This feeling is not wrong.
“Geist der Zwischenwelt” is a reprint from the set Mercadian Masques from 1999. In the tournament format “Modern”, this set is currently not legal. It can only be played in Legacy tournaments. With the reprint of “Geist der Zwischenwelt”, it will now be legal in Modern tournaments.
What does that mean? Since Magic is a very old game, there are many sets and therefore many cards that can be combined into a deck. To avoid overwhelming newcomers, there are different tournament formats that limit deck construction accordingly:
- Standard: always only includes the current sets released in the last two years. This means that when a set becomes too old, it is removed from the tournament format.
- Modern: includes all cards since the 8th Edition. Building decks from this format is very expensive, as many cards are quite old and since they are not reprinted, they also increase in price.
- Legacy: includes all Magic cards since the very first set. Building decks for this format is almost unaffordable and costs several thousand euros, as individual cards have become incredibly expensive.
Modern Horizons is a new set, but starting from its release, it cannot be played in Standard; it is only relevant for Modern and Legacy. Thus, the “Geist der Zwischenwelt” enters the Modern tournament format.
Here you can take a look at the old version of “Geist der Zwischenwelt”:
The abilities of “Geist der Zwischenwelt”
What can the card do? The description of “Geist der Zwischenwelt” reads:
“At the beginning of your upkeep, if Nether Spirit is the only creature card in your graveyard, you may return Nether Spirit to the battlefield.”
How does the ability of the card affect the game? The creature has the ability to come back to the game repeatedly when it dies or is destroyed. In the past, it was played in a deck that made the opponent defenseless by destroying lands. Now, players struck mercilessly with the “Geist der Zwischenwelt” since it is not easily destroyed due to its ability.
This deck type is called “Nether-Go”. With the reprint of the card, this is a possibility that we might see this deck type again in Modern tournament formats. Those who want to learn more about the “Nether-Go” deck can read this forum post on mtgsalvation.com by user ForceKin.
What you need to know about Modern Horizons
When is the release of the set? Modern Horizons will be released on June 14.
What does the set contain? In total, there are 254 cards. The set includes 209 new cards that will provide new impulses in the Modern format. Additionally, there are reprints of cards that were only legal in the Legacy format.
How to get the set early: You can participate in a pre-release event for Modern Horizons. The pre-release weekend runs from June 8 to 9, with events taking place in numerous local game stores. There, you can participate in tournaments and purchase special booster packs that contain cards from the new set.
Watch a live analysis of the card today on MAX
What happens in the live stream? Every Tuesday at 7 PM, there is the show “Magic Nights” on our streaming channel MAX (Monsters and Explosions). Here, especially the Commander mode of Magic is played. Multiple players can compete against each other, and the mode has its own rules.
Today, Stefan Seiler is a guest, who has been actively participating in tournaments and helped create this post. Stefan is a colleague you might know from our sister site GameStar.de. At the beginning of the stream, there will be an analysis of “Geist der Zwischenwelt”. It’s worth tuning in!
When is the stream? Today, May 28, at 7 PM.
Watch live video of MONSTERSANDEXPLOSIONS on www.twitch.tv
