Wilds of Eldraine is Magic’s first set mainline since New Phyrexia’s invasion of the multiverse in March of the Machine. The set returns to Eldraine, which was first seen in 2019’s Throne of Eldraine, one of the few planes that seemed to have successfully fought off the Phyrexian invaders—though not without their own casualties.
Don’t miss our coverage of the mechanics and Commander decks of Wilds of Eldraine, plus Universes Within versions of The Walking Dead cards and six cards from the Enchanting Tales bonus sheet will be banned in Historic.
Rowan and Will Kenrith, Twin Monarchs
In the aftermath of the Phyrexian invasion, we found out that Eldraine’s monarchs, High King Kenrith and Queen Linden, were both killed while defending Castle Ardenvale from the invaders. Their deaths sent the realms into turmoil—without a monarch to unite the plane, the Wilds (the world of fae creatures like Elves, Witches, Trolls, and Faeries) have begun to expand.
Not wanting to put their father’s legacy to shame, twins Rowan and Will Kenrith—who both lost their Planeswalker sparks at the conclusion of March of the Machine—work to keep the five realms united, though they work in different ways. Will believes that a firm sword and negotiations can bring the realms back under a common goal, while Rowan puts more faith in magic to restore the world to how it was.
Working against them is Ashiok, one of the few Planswalkers to keep their spark in the wake of the destruction of the Realmbreaker. When the Phyrexians invaded, the denizens of Eldraine cast a curse over them called the Wicked Slumber to put them all to sleep. Initially, the spell seemed to have kept the plane safe—but even after the defeat of the Phyrexians, the curse still runs rampant, putting the people of Eldraine into a deep sleep from where there is no waking. Ashiok feeds off nightmares, making the curse the perfect place for them to gather their power.
The Wicked Witches of The Wilds
With the borders of the world blurring, powerful entities are making themselves known to the realms of Eldraine. Three powerful wicked witches Warlocks debut in Wilds of Eldraine, Agatha of the Vile Cauldron, Eriette of the Charmed Apple, and Hylda of the Icy Crown.
Waiting just beyond the border of the five realms of Eldraine—Ardenvale, Vantress, Locthwain, Embereth, and Garenbrig—are the Wilds. There the fair folk live (faeries, trolls, dragons, elves, and more) in a tenuous peace with humanity. There are even more monsters deep in the woods that are emboldened the farther humanity falls under the curse of the Wicked Slumber.
The Goose Mother, possibly the origin of all Geese on Eldraine (or maybe just a fun monster Wizards of the Coast wanted to throw in as a play on Mother Goose), is a silly new creature can Simic decks will likely put forward as one of the better cards in the set.
Quests and Adventures
Not to be left behind, Knights once again take a primary role in Wilds of Eldraine, traveling on noble adventures while seeking fame and honor in the weird world of the fae.
This time around though, mono-colored Knights aren’t the only creatures headed on adventures. There are now multi-color creatures with the Adventure mechanic—and even an enchantment with an adventure attached to it! The powerful enchantment Virtue of Knowledge doubles your enter the battlefield triggers, but also has an Adventure that lets you copy a single trigger for a much lower cost.
Even the land seems bewitched in Wilds of Eldraine, as represented by a new cycle of creature lands premiering in the set. We only have one so far, the green and black Restless Cottage, which can be transformed into a 4/4 Horror creature for just four mana that creates a Food token and exiles a card from any graveyard when it attacks.
Enchanted Evenings
One of the major themes of Wilds of Eldraine is enchantments, as seen in both the new Role mechanic (explained above) and the “Enchanting Tales” bonus sheet filled with powerful enchantments.
The Enchanting Tales bonus sheet will feature 63 powerful enchantments with storybook-inspired artwork and a special frame. This bonus sheet is also found across Set, Draft, and Collector Boosters, and includes cards like Necropotence, Sneak Attack, and the goose-themed Doubling Season.
20 of these Enchanting Tales will also have special borderless anime variants, which come in a unique confetti foiling process and can only be found in Collector Boosters.
Wilds of Eldraine on MTG Arena
Since Wilds of Eldraine is a premiere set, Magic: The Gathering Arena is getting all sorts of treats for players to enjoy. New sleeves based on major characters from the set are coming, including those featuring Agatha of the Vile Cauldron, Eriette of the Charmed Apple, and Hylda of the Icy Crown.
There is even a new battlefield to play on—a very fitting storybook displaying some of the fantastical themes in the set. There are little storybook surprises on the field, like a tag at the bottom left corner that you can pull to change the scene.
More information about the Wilds of Eldraine will be coming as the set gets closer to its September 8 release. Prerelease events start September 1 and the set will have a digital launch on September 5.
Don’t miss our coverage of the mechanics and Commander decks of Wilds of Eldraine.