Normally, when a new set is being released, I'd take a day and write out an article talking about the previews that we've gotten for that set. I did this for Universes Beyond: Doctor Who, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, and Murders at Karlov Manor. I originally intended to do this for Universes Beyond: Fallout as well, but then Wizards went and did the unthinkable at MagicCon Chicago and showed off cards not only from Fallout, but from four additional sets releasing through August! That's a whole ton of content to cover, so rather than doing a whole piece on Fallout, I'm covering a little bit of everything this time around.

Let's kick it right off with the obvious one that's right around the corner:

Universes Beyond: Fallout

Universes Beyond: Fallout was previewed in full over the course of the previous week, showcasing all kinds of new cards from throughout the entire series. Fans of the Fallout games were excitedly losing their minds over seeing their favorite events, characters, and settings being brought to life in the form of Magic: the Gathering. These previews began last Tuesday and finished at MagicCon Chicago. Even if you're not a huge Fallout fan, there's still plenty of cool cards to be had here, such as the first ever non-judge foil reprint of Ravages of War.

You can find the full card image gallery for the set on Wizards' page, or you can check out our page right here on CoolStuffInc.com for all that the set has to offer.

Outlaws of Thunder Junction

Moving away from non-Magic IPs, we go into something that many players have been clamoring to get for years: a western-inspired MTG release! Outlaws of Thunder Junction is the next premier set to come out in just a few months and sees a huge focus on the villains of the multiverse all on one plane. We got only a small handful of cards from the main set, chief among them a pair of high-profile mythics:

Both Oko and Tinybones have proven to be tremendously popular characters ever since their first iterations in the game. Given that, their inclusion here was practically a lock for a villain-heavy set. The team on the Preview Panel were quick to note the line on Oko, the Ringleader that says "If you've committed a crime this turn," as much like his initial outing we have no frame of reference to what this means. Unlike food with Oko, Thief of Crowns, they were quick to tell us what committing a crime means!

Here's an example of a new card that commits a 'crime' for #MTGThunder - Any spell or ability that targets an opponent, or their stuff (spells, permanents, hand, library) - That is committing a 'crime.' pic.twitter.com/DT5HHeSm8m

— Magic: The Gathering (@wizards_magic) February 23, 2024

To help highlight this new unique gameplay element, Wizards has also added in an additional bonus sheet of cards similar to what we got in Wilds of Eldraine and March of the Machine. This sheet is made up entirely of cards that commit crimes, and is headlined by the previewing of Thoughtseize and Crime // Punishment.

Finally, in the lead up to March of the Machine: The Aftermath last year, Wizards had planned additional sets to utilize the Epilogue Booster style. One of these was a follow-up release to Outlaws of Thunder Junction titled The Big Score. After MOM: The Aftermath crashed and burned, however, Wizards instead made the decision to put the cards directly into Outlaws boosters in The List slot, thereby allowing the cards to still enter players' hands without demanding the additional product.

We've only seen two cards thus far, but they're admittedly pretty sweet ones. Nexus of Becoming allows you to cheat creatures onto the battlefield in a fairly unique way, making for a fun and inventive way to utilize your creatures. The other is Sword of Wealth and Power, a truly unexpected twist on the classic Sword of X and Y formula that provides protection from instants and sorceries as opposed to the traditional color pairs.

Previews for Outlaws at Thunder Junction and its subsets begin in just a few weeks on March 26, so you won't have to wait long to find out more!

Modern Horizons 3

Wizards additionally showed off several cards from the upcoming Modern Horizons 3 set release that's coming out this summer! Like previous Modern Horizons releases, this one will no doubt have quite a substantial impact on the format, with cards like Emrakul, the World Anew being a tell for Tron decks or Priest of Titania potentially offering Elves some juice! Wizards did confirm that like the last two Modern Horizons sets, we'll be seeing a new set of free spells. The one initially previewed - Flare of Cultivation - reads like a fairly tame option outside of, say, Nic Fit decks in Legacy, but it'll be interesting to see where this cycle ends up landing.

Also new will be a continuation of the Magic Origins style of so-called "flip-walkers." These are creature versions of planeswalkers before their spark ignites that flip into planeswalkers, thereby noting their ignitions. Thus far we've seen Ajani, Nacatl Pariah which flips into Ajani, Nacatl Avenger. We've also seen two arts for a Tamiyo card, though we have yet to see the card itself.

The big announcement of the event was the reveal of the five allied fetch lands coming to Modern Horizons 3. This is a fairly expected follow-up after the enemy fetches appeared in Modern Horizons 2. Given how pricey and difficult to these have become to acquire, this is a highly welcome addition to the set by many players.

While not initially revealed at the Chicago panel or the First Look article, some outlets also received and revealed a Special Guest version of Solitude and a Snow-Covered Wastes card. Both of these intriguing tidbits were later added to the Card Image Gallery, but it's safe to say that all of this is going to lead to Modern Horizons 3 to be a truly marquee set for 2024.

Universes Beyond: Assassin's Creed

As we round out our current run of previews on one Universes Beyond release, we get our first proper look at the second major UB release this year: Universes Beyond: Assassin's Creed. This is going to be the first release utilizing a new booster type called "Beyond Boosters" that are deeper and more expanded versions of the Epilogue Boosters from March of the Machine: The Aftermath. We got our first look at a couple new cards, including some familiar faces and settings.

For many of these new cards, we saw a number of stellar alternate treatments to give the cards that are sure to excite many an Assassin's Creed fan. Even if you're - like me - not a huge fan of the series as a whole, there's still plenty of great Magic goodies to be had here. This includes a number of awesome reprints, such as these:

Each one of these has been sorely needing a reprint for some time now, with Temporal Trespass seeing tons of Constructed play and Cover of Darkness being a casual staple. Both have only seen one previous printing, so having more out in the world will be a huge boon for players wanting to get their hands on the cards, even if they may not be the first choice in version.

Lastly, one of the more interesting things about the set was the reveal of certain real life historical figures coming to Magic courtesy of their relevance to the games' canon. To mark this unique occasion, these historical figures will be released in special serialized versions utilizing their home country's language. In this case, we get Leonardo da Vinci in Italian and Cleopatra in Greek, both of which are exceptional choices. We'll undoubtedly see more yet to come, and it'll be interesting to see which historical figures are brought to life in this manner.

Find out all the details on the first look article here!

Bloomburrow

The last set to discuss is the one coming latest in the year: Bloomburrow. Most of what we got were a small handful of cards as well as art and story tidbits. The main cards shown and that got people talking were the various versions of Mabel, Heir to Cragflame.

This card is clearly meant to be Magic's analogue to the Redwall character, and one of the showcase arts is illustrated by David Petersen. You may know him as the artist for the Mouse Guard comic series, which clearly has similar inspirations in the form of heroic anthropomorphic animals, and is extremely fitting for the setting.

Among the cards shown, the mythic Lumra, Bellow of the Woods also got some attention. Not necessarily for its mechanics, though, but rather for the artist of its borderless showcase variant. This one is done by Matsuhiro Arita, who you may know as a particularly famous illustrator for the Pokemon Trading Card Game. He's done art dating all the way back to the original Base Set with cards like Pikachu, the three starters, and the famous Charizard, so seeing him come into Magic - and with such a strikingly intense style - turned many heads during the previews.

The last thing that got players talking were two particular pieces of art that showed Ral Zarek and Jace as anthropomorphic animals rather than traditional human planeswalkers.

The Ral Zarek seems to have been suggested to be a canon part of the set, however the Jace is going to be a showcase treatment - likely a bonus sheet of sorts - showcasing a "what if?" scenario. This will showcase various planeswalkers and creatures as animals if they were to visit the plane of Bloomburrow, but doesn't necessarily suggest that the depictions will be canon.

It's been a lot to cover this week with previews hitting us left and right, but we've got quite a bit to chew on now until Outlaws of Thunder Junction rides on in. What's got you most excited? I know I personally can't wait to get my hands on more copies of Priest of Titania to try out in Modern, for better or worse!

Paige Smith

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