One of the mechanics first introduced almost two years ago could be coming back to Magic: The Gathering soon. That is, depending on what your definition of “soon” is.
2023’s March of the Machine was a big event, with the Phyrexians invading every plane in the multiverse. To best represent that, the set introduced the first new card type in over a decade: battles. Despite being well-received, they’ve not made an appearance since their debut – something that could change in the (relatively) near future.
More Battles Are On The Way
Battles were introduced in March of the Machine with a number of Siege cards. These are double-faced cards that your opponents are required to defend from you, lest they flip into their stronger back faces. There were a whopping 36 SIeges in March of the Machine, and were a significant part of the set’s limited environment. Some were fantastic, with cards like Invasion of Zendikar, Invasion of Ikoria, and Invasion of Tarkir still being played to this day.
Speaking on his Blogatog blog, Magic’s head designer Mark Rosewater answered a question about the return of battles. His answer was short, simple, and uncharacteristically def9initive: “they are currently in at least one set in design”.
Every set released since March of the Machine has come with players asking whether this would be the one Sieges would return in. The Lord of the RIngs, with its focus on large-scale battles against Sauron, was a popular request, as was this month’s Tarkir: Dragonstorm for the warring between its five clans. It wasn’t to be, though, and battles have languished in March of the Machine ever since
The reason for this is simple: battles were easily the largest new mechanic a set has introduced since Planeswalkers in 2007. A whole new card type is something Wizards would prefer to go slowly on, checking the response for their singular outing before committing to more.
New Battles Could Still Be A Long Way Off
Though it’s nice to know new battles are definitely in the pipeline, the wait to see them could be longer than persistent battle-enjoyers may like. The design process for a Magic set is multiple years, and the return of battles could be anywhere in that process. This means we might not see battles until as late as 2028.
It’s also worth remembering that a mechanic being in design doesn’t mean it will definitely be there once the set hits shelves. Mechanics are removed from sets constantly to fit not just the needs of its own release, but its surrounding ones – like how cleave was moved from Streets of New Capenna to Innistrad: Crimson Vow.
This also doesn’t necessarily mean the battles we see are more Sieges. Sieges are just one potential subtype of battles, and those in the works may explore different design spaces, and may not even be double-sided. All battles are attackable, but beyond that exactly how they work is still very much up in the air.
Magic: The Gathering
- Franchise
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Magic: The Gathering
- Original Release Date
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August 5, 1993
- Player Count
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2+
- Age Recommendation
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13+
- Length per Game
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Variable