Aetherdrift First Look

Pioneer Masters may be out with Innistrad Remastered right around the corner as well, but there's no stopping on the preview season hype train! Wizards brought us their first look at the next Standard release of Aetherdrift during this week's Weekly MTG stream, albeit in a somewhat different manner than in the past. While normal for first look streams most of the time, this one opted to not show any preview cards. Instead, we got a fairly in-depth worldbuilding overview of the set, as well as initial product images.

These early tidbits of information provided tons for players to discuss. Not only did we find out the three planes the set would take place on - including the long-awaited Muraganda - but we found out more about each of them. In addition to the Weekly MTG stream, two separate planeswalker guides (part one and part two) were released which went into even more depth about the planes, as well as the racing teams, providing some outstanding insight into the flavor the set will bring with it.

Perhaps most notably of all of this information was the announcement that the plane of Kaladesh was being renamed to Avishkar. This was both done to account for a potential negative real world connotation with a certain pronunciation. Additionally, an in-story reasoning was provided, utilizing the uprising that happened in the Aether Revolt story changing the ruling people of the plane. Full details regarding this change can be found in this announcement here.

If you're looking to get some early preorders in on Aetherdrift products, make sure to check out the set page right here on CoolStuffInc.com.

Pioneer Masters Releases On MTG Arena

After years in the works, Pioneer Masters has finally come to MTG Arena! This set brings with it several cards that make popular decks like Niv to Light and Lotus Field Combo work on the client as they do in paper, and fills in important role players for other decks. It also helps that the Limited format is pretty great as well! You can play over the next three weeks, with the bonus sheet changing each week. Log in now to get your free packs, check out Pioneer (still currently labeled as Explorer), and check out a cool Limited format!

Find all the details about the Pioneer Masters experience in this Collecting Pioneer Masters article or check out the official image gallery.

Banned and Restricted Announcement Monday

This upcoming Monday Wizards of the Coast is releasing an all-new Banned and Restricted update. In the words of Blake Rasmussen, host of the Weekly MTG stream, this one is "going to be a doozy." Given the state of many formats at this time, many players are expecting bans for at the very least both Modern and Legacy. Modern has been plagued by The One Ring as well as powerful Energy decks, leading many to anticipate bans in this direction. Additionally, Legacy has also been feeling a need for a ban, with many players calling for the likes of Psychic Frog, Vexing Bauble, and Nadu, Winged Wisdom (among others) to be banned.

All of this leads to this upcoming announcement to be one of the most hotly anticipated in some time, particularly because it will impact testing for the upcoming Modern RCs. The announcement is expected to go live somewhere between 10AM and 11AM EST on Monday, with a follow-up Weekly MTG stream discussing the decision on Tuesday.

New Japan Exclusive Promos

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As has become customary, the MTG Japan accounts have revealed some new exclusive Japanese promos. These two cards will be given out as promos for the Japan Standard Cup for Aetherdrift. These promos include both Brotherhood's End for all participants while Tishana's Tidebinder will be given to a certain number of top finishers. These promos are highly coveted and will be awesome for players able to get their hands on copies.

Decklist of the Week

Bant Tempo | FDN Standard | _TOP_G, 3rd Place MTGO Standard Challenge

• Creatures (8)
• 4 Eddymurk Crab
• 4 Tolarian Terror

• Instants (16)
• 4 Cache Grab
• 4 Seed of Hope
• 4 This Town Ain't Big Enough
• 4 Unsummon

• Sorceries (10)
• 2 Analyze the Pollen
• 4 Bushwhack
• 4 Sleight of Hand

• Enchantments (9)
• 1 Sheltered by Ghosts
• 4 Stormchaser's Talent
• 4 Up the Beanstalk

• Lands (17)
• 1 Forest
• 2 Island
• 3 Hedge Maze
• 3 Yavimaya Coast
• 4 Botanical Sanctum
• 4 Floodfarm Verge

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Pawpatch Formation
• 1 Plains
• 2 Ghost Vacuum
• 2 Negate
• 2 Pick Your Poison
• 2 Sheltered by Ghosts
• 2 Temporary Lockdown
• 3 Monastery Mentor

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Looking for something fun and new to take to your local Standard events? Try this list out! As stated with the name, this deck plays a tempo game to hold off opponents' plays while setting up for big plays with Tolarian Terror and Eddymurk Crab. You can even get some early hits in with a well-timed Stormchaser's Talent thanks to the token it generates. This deck takes a bit after the Temur Otter Combo deck, but without the complex combo and challenging piloting the deck requires. It's quite affordable, and well worth your time to take for a spin!