The phrase "Warning: Contains Spoilers" is used by many internet writers. We love being the first to post something and usually waiting until a card is "official" is too slow. I had once posted the Hypergenesis deck idea and thought I was going to be the first only to see a link that posted 2 hours before me.

Today is different for me.

I am not just writing about spoilers. I get to do the spoiling. That's right. The card that I'm about to show you has only been seen by Wizards, Trick, and myself. That's pretty awesome. I am honestly on a Magic high about it. I can't stop grinning.

So of course I am going to make you wait to see it.

A little backstory

I've been a Magic internet user since Onslaught. It started with reading the Mothership and grew from there. I found several sites via search engines, other players, and random links in forums. But I found ManaNation.com because of spoilers. Since Wizards started hand picking sites to spoil cards they have done a 'Previewed Cards' page on the main hub. On that page they posted links to the source of where the card was spoiled.

It was Kederekt Parasite that helped me find ManaNation. For some of you reading this, it might very well be your first visit to ManaNation via the link under LoP. What is LoP? Keep reading to find out but I can assure you now it isn't Llamas of Paradise.

My Preview Theory

Hopefully you know about the FFL. If you don't, it's a league inside of Wizards that playtests cards as they are being designed. Right now, at work, they are playing with cards we won't see for another year or more. Most of these cards will be altered and changed before we ever see them. This is Wizards way of building a balanced and playable environment. But in their testing of every card, they learn that certain cards will be "cooler" than others.

I honestly believe that websites that get to preview cards are given cards based on how much Wizards likes them and how their audience will appreciate the card. Better writer/site means better card. I know the in house writers for Magic get to handpick the cards they write about and we get the leftovers. Look at ManaNations growth in this respect.

Shadowmoor – Isleback Spawn and Flourishing Defenses. - We had to start somewhere.

Eventide – Selkie Hedge-Mage - A little step up. If it didn't say "tapped" in the second ability it could have been a combo piece.

Shards of Alara – Skullmulcher - I currently play this card in my "I'm Hungry" deck. The card advantage you can generate from Spawn tokens is rather huge. I've had games where I've been able to restock my whole hand and gain an 8/8 on the field. Not a tournament card but getting there.

Conflux - Kederekt Parasite - I really wanted to break this guy but he was just too fragile. Make it an enchantment and it's a game player with Everlasting Torment and Spiteful Visions. Maybe throw in Howling Mine (or Temple Bell) for extra fun.

Alara Reborn – Filigree Angel - When first revealed it was considered lame but when it started seeing play in Open the Vaults decks we were there.

M10 – Vampire Aristocrat - While the rest of the infinite sacrifice pieces never came to fruition it is a solid limited card in its own right. We're moving up.

Zendikar – Vampire Nighthawk & Goblin Ruinblaster - This is the point where Mananation started adding articles with weekly writers (like me) and look what we got. A limited first pick bomb and a solid addition to many black decks and an awesome land destruction dude.

Worldwake – Kor Firewalker. This card almost single handedly put Red decks out of the Top 8. Only by splashing Black for extra removal did a RDW ever hope of winning against this guy. While mostly in sideboards this card became a format staple.

Rise of the Eldrazi – Realms Uncharted. Still waiting to see on this one. It feels like it should be breaking something but we just need a land with recursion or something else. Maybe they gave it to us because of how cool it is in Vintage formats.

M11 – L***** Of P*********. It's almost ironic how this card interacts with one of our previous Previews. Will this little wonder make the cut? Keep reading and find out.

Becoming the Cool Kid

I am not the "cool kid". Never was. As a teacher I notice this more than when I was a student. I was always happy in school but ultimately I was never invited to "the party". From a teachers perspective I see students chat about some social event only to go silent when some students come within earshot.

I just got my invitation to the cool kids table. And only just barely.

Right now I am crazy busy. For 3 weeks of every summer I work for a pretty large Fireworks company setting up and supplying tents. It can be a 16 hour a day job. During Fireworks I almost never get to sit in front of a computer screen. I was resigned to the fact that the M11 Spoilers would go by and I wouldn't see the cards for real until Prerelease. Also, I had just informed Trick that he would have to dig into the Archives for my usual Friday spot for a couple of weeks.

This weekend I was lucky enough to actually check my email and I find a message from Trick. It said that ManaNation was getting two Preview cards and he wanted me to do one if I could find the time. I jumped and said yes sir. As I've told the readers before Trick doesn't demand much from his writers but when he "asks" for something, there is usually a solid reason.

It took awhile for me to realize something. I had just been invited to the cool party. I had to brag. So I started texting all of my Magic friends and got some interesting responses. Here are a few:

I of course answered none of these questions. I just told them they'd see on Friday. I will tell you this now: Fireworks is a hint. Not too subtle of a hint but "Fire Works." In fact when I build a deck with this card I will call it "Fire Works."

The Cool Card

What makes a card cool? Every player probably has a different answer to this question. Ultimately though for me a cool card does something to bend the standard rules of Magic. Some general example would be:

• Getting more than one card per turn
• Getting more than one land per turn
• Denying your opponent from their resources
• Denying your opponent from doing an action
• Making your spells cost less mana
• Making your opponents spells cost more mana
• Playing a spell for free

My little gem of a card does two of these. It prevents your opponent from an action and it can be played for free. Unfortunately the coolness level of these two things is situational.

I can give you just the first word of the card and you will understand. As I did when I saw the name of the attachment Trick sent me. "Leyline o….pdf."

The Possibilities

With that word alone anyone who played in Ravnica Block knows a major part of the card.

It's an Enchantment that can be played for free if you have it in your opener. That alone is cool but will its effect be cool? What about the other Leylines? It has to be a cycle right? These are the things that we can chew on for the next week or so. [Note: Dan wrote this prior to the release of Leyline of Anticipation.]

The Situation

I just said that the coolness factor of the card depends on the situation. That's obviously true for the free casting since it has to be in you opening hand but it is also true for the effect. Imagine we are playing a pure Red Deck Wins and our opponent plays a Kor Firewalker. Many players are half way to scoop phase once they see ManaNation's Firewalker. Most RDW players skewed their build to include Black to handle it. I've seen players run with Unstable Footing even. It was a sad state for RDW. But it's not anymore. Sure they brought KFW from their board but we brought LoP from ours. It's a Firewalker hoser because it stops some of the things that the walker does against us.

Now KFW can be killed in combat if they block with it. Now they can gain no life from a red spell so a Bolt is still a Bolt. And now cards like Volcanic Fallout can wipe the White mages board and do full damage. Those are some powerful actions that can completely shut down RDW and now we have access to a card that counteracts our worse fears.

I really wish that I could reveal another line that says "At the beginning of each player's up keep Leyline of _________ deals 2 damage to that player". But alas it doesn't say that. If it did then this would be a chase rare and not just a good rare.

The Missing Pieces

The most significant parts of the card have been revealed.

Leyline of Punishment is a card that helps a known archetype. Red Decks everywhere should rejoice at its single handed defeat of many of the cards they hate. Will it make Main deck status? Probably not. I would put in the sideboard in place of Dragon's Claw (if it is in 2011.) With Leyline of Punishment the Claw isn't really mirror match tech anymore. Don't get me wrong. The card is significant because it puts a defeated deck back to the forefront. It's a good card but it isn't Vengevine or Baneslayer level of cool.

Theory Time

For those of you who are reading my articles for the first time. Hello and welcome. I write mostly about fundamentals and casual decks. My audience is mostly beginner and mid level players that play for enjoyment. I'm not really for Spikes. But I like to give my readers some "homework" at the end of my articles. Post your work in the comments and I try to respond. During Fireworks season I'm a little busy but every other Friday article will find me waiting for you comments. I would love to hear from you as well.

The homework this week is to be speculative. What do you think the other Leylines will do? No fair posting after they are spoiled. I would like to see this from the Green one. Leyline of Paradise – all lands tap for any color of mana. It's not broken but it's fun. Remember that was just speculation. They only thing I know for sure is Leyline of Punishment.

Thanks for reading. Class dismissed. Have fun at the Prerelease and may your opponent never gain life they don't deserve.