Kaldheim is coming and I couldn't be more excited, and for several big reasons. The first is that I absolutely loved Zendikar Rising, and I think the more liberal use of modal double-faced cards was one of the best design decisions in years, so I have high hopes for Kaldheim. Another reason is that Kaldheim is not only bringing back MDFC's, but taking them a little further! As someone who dislikes using checklist cards - I'm a very visual person, and it takes me longer to process what a card is or what it does when the art isn't present - I feel like the need for opaque sleeves is going to be much more prevalent in the future, if this is the direction Magic is going. (Which I'm totally fine with.)

We have a few pre-holiday examples of the cards we're going to see, and today we're going to go over all 11 of them!

Realmwalker

So, changelings are back for the first time since Lorwyn block, or I suppose the few cards in Modern Horizons. I'm not super excited for this particular card, but this does indicate that this is going to be a more tribal set, and it could also indicate the return of other card types with creature types, such as Bitterblossom or Nameless Inversion.

This card reminds me a bit of Vizier of the Menagerie where you can look at the top card of your library, and cast creatures from it. Unfortunately, you can only cast creatures of a specific type and Vizier of the Menagerie saw basically no play, so I don't have high hopes for this card, but it does give us an idea of what to expect from Kaldheim.

Magda, Brazen Outlaw

While I don't have any affinity for dwarves in Magic, or in fantasy in general, this is a pretty decent Red card even without other dwarves. Whenever you attack with this, you get a free treasure token, similar to something like Captain Lannery Storm. The fact that you can sacrifice five treasures made from any card to search for any artifact or any dragon and put it directly on the battlefield is pretty huge.

This card has a lot going on, and it's all good. I don't even like Red cards that much and I think this is a very good one.

Pyre of Heroes

Boy, Birthing Pod, how far you've fallen. As we can all tell, this is a "fixed" Birthing Pod that is just so much worse. The only improvement I would say is the casting cost here. Birthing Pod originally cost 3-4 mana. This costs 2 mana. Birthing Pod costs 1-2 mana to activate, this always costs 2 mana to activate. Unlike Pod, however, not only does the creature have to cost one more mana, it also has to share a creature type. No more turning a Thragtusk into an Inferno Titan. No, now we'll be turning a Kithkin into a different, more expensive Kithkin... or whatever Kaldheim has to offer.

That's not to say a powerful deck can't be built around this, but the available creature types are the real restriction here, and it's a big one. I don't foresee this making it into many older formats where either a) Birthing Pod already exists, or b) there isn't already a lot of strong tribal archetypes.

Showdown of the Skalds

This has a real Escape to the Wilds feel to it. (Oh yeah, and sagas are back again!) Unlike Escape netting your five new cards, this nets you four and costs four mana instead of five. Unlike Escape, when you cast your cards in the next turn (and the turn after that) you get to put +1/+1 counters on creatures you control.

While I didn't think much of this card when I first saw it, the fact that it seems to compare so closely with Escape to the Wilds, a card that was banned in Standard, does give me pause. Instead of being able to play a second land, however, you get to add +1/+1 counters on the next couple turns. Whether this is better or worse, we'll have to see, but this is definitely a card worth keeping an eye on.

Sarulf, Realm Eater

This is a really interesting creature, and R&D loves creating 3/3s that cost . This is one of the most skill testing cards I've ever seen. If the opponent has a 3-drop you want to remove, and they crack a fetch, do you use two removal spells on creatures to give Sarulf two more counters so you can remove three in your upkeep? What if they have a way to remove a fourth permanent of theirs? What if you have a 3-drop you don't want to lose?

There's a lot going on with this card, and it feels like, while you can definitely engineer situations that get rid of the cards you want, a lot of times this is going to be easily manipulated by both players, especially since a) adding the counters isn't a may ability, b) you can't remove them once they're on, and c) when you do remove them, you always have to remove all of them.

All that being said, even if you're just playing this guy as a potential 5/5 or 6/6 for 3 mana, it's still a great value that can occasionally kill specific permanents when needed.

Halvar, God of Battle / Sword of the Realms

This card is wild, and as you can probably imagine, I'm super stoked that they not only kept using MDFCs, but also expanded their use to include creature/equipment. I would argue that the creation of MDFCs is some of the biggest design space that's been opened in the game since planeswalkers.

It's a nice touch that we finally have gods that aren't some form of indestructible. Truth be told, every time we have a format with gods that you either can't kill or have to keep killing, at least one of them ends up being excruciatingly dominating.

Halvar is pretty average as a 4/4 for four mana, but he does give enchanted/equipped creatures double strike, including himself. He can also take auras and equipment that are attached to one creature you control and attach them to another. While it's unfortunate that the equipment has to be attached to be moved, this could still provide a lot of strategic benefit and mana savings, while potentially being a little too strong the other way.

Excitingly, on the other side we have the Sword of Realms. This grants a simple +2/+0 and vigilance, but the real treat is that when the wielder of the Sword of Realms dies, they come right back to you hand!

While neither side is overpowered or broken, both sides are useful, and having this kind of versatility is actually more valuable and better for the game than having a single broken mythic. One additional perk to these cards is that they aren't just dead when you draw multiples, like traditional legendaries. If you draw a second Halvar, then you have no reason not to play Sword of Realms. It's actually quite elegant.

Kaya the Inexorable

This is for sure one of my favorite cards spoiled, if not at the top of the list. I love a five-mana planeswalker that provides both card advantage and removal (think Ob Nixilis Reignited), and Kaya does both wonderfully. Unlike the typical five-mana planeswalker mold, her +1 is extremely unique, and acts a bit like Luminous Broodmoth in a way, returning creatures that die to your hand and still giving you a replacement body on board, which can prove to be extremely obnoxious, especially since Kaya doesn't have to still be in play when they die.

Her -3 ability not only gets rid of any nonland permanent, but it exiles that permanent which is also big game.

Staring at five loyalty, it also only takes her two turns to hit her -7 ultimate, which lets your cast Emrakul, the Aeons Torn from your sideboard. This is a super cool ultimate and it seems pretty realistic to hit, and also really fun to build around. Do you add a cool legendary creature or two to your sideboard? Do you pack more in your deck? Keep in mind, you can ultimate Kaya, then immediately cast her again from your graveyard on the next turn if necessary. I love this design and every one of her abilities seems really sweet and unique.

Pathways

Finally, the moment we've all been waiting for. While it seemed really weird that a random six pathways were included in Zendikar RIsing, I'm really glad to see the remaining four in Kaldheim. Those include the following:

Hengegate Pathway // Mistgate Pathway = W/U

Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway = B/R

Darkbore Pathway // Slitherbore Pathway = B/G

Barkchannel Pathway // Tidechannel Pathway = G/U

So now we have the full set! That's great, because my Cube was really feeling incomplete with only having the initial six in there. These lands are all amazing, and there's not a ton I could say about them that hasn't been said or that we don't already know. While it would be great if they had basic land types, that doesn't really affect their quality level. Now if only we could get the remaining five Triomes...

Well folks, that's about this! This'll be the last time you hear from me before Christmas, but I'll be back next week before New Years, as usual! Lemme know what you think about Kaldheim so far, and what you hope to see from the set. What's your favorite card that's been spoiled so far? Tell me your new set thoughts!

Thank you so much for reading, I love you guys, I hope you have a safe and happy holiday, and I'll see you next week!

Frank Lepore

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