Final yr we had a homicide thriller enlargement for Magic: The Gathering, adopted by a Wild West one. Because the cynics put it, they have been “Magic in detective hats” and “Magic in cowboy hats”. Now, with the Aetherdrift set principally being themed round Pace Racer and Twisted Metallic, the cynics say that is “Magic in a racing helmet,” when what the folks really need (for “the folks” learn “cranky Redditbros”) is extra trad fantasy.
This rings false to me. For starters, we simply had Foundations, a set that went again to the sport’s authentic inspirations and in some circumstances the unique playing cards, a set with loads of dragons and angels and swords being was ploughshares. If it is trad fantasy you are after, you will eat nicely on the Foundations desk. Aetherdrift is for individuals who crave selection, who do not wish to eat the identical excessive fantasy meal each night time of the week.
And, as somebody who solely obtained severely into amassing Magic quite than simply taking part in the digital variations with Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty—a completely cyberpunk set with mechs and playing cards like Born to Drive—the thought of magical Carmageddon does not appear too far on the market. Magic’s multiverse clearly is not stuffed with worlds that conveniently stopped advancing on the medieval interval (New Capenna is blatantly the Nineteen Twenties with demons), so carry on the Wacky Wheels, I say, and the wackier the higher.
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Magic’s loss of life race set Aetherdrift provides us the goblins we deserve: ones who appear to be a psychobilly album cowl
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Tokyo Xtreme Racer brings coronary heart, soul, and candy handbrake turns again to the style simply when it wanted them most
I went to a prerelease occasion at one in every of my native gaming shops, Loads of Video games in Melbourne, to take Aetherdrift for a take a look at drive. The benefit of these prerelease occasions is how informal they’re. Whereas the hosts do name time so you’ll be able to finish your first match and play another person, my desk cheerfully ignored that and as a substitute performed a four-player sport that lasted your entire night, which felt extra on-theme for a race than a sequence of one-on-one duels would.
Enjoying sealed meant opening a number of boosters and constructing decks from what was obtainable. I used to be tempted to construct a black deck round Pactdoll Terror, a toy automobile piloted by a killer doll, which provides you a degree of life and takes one from all of your opponents once you play an artifact. There are many artifact playing cards in Aetherdrift, largely autos, however as a substitute I made a decision to construct a deck to check out the brand new velocity mechanic.
While you play a card with “Begin your engines!” on it you acquire a velocity of 1, and it will increase one level per flip in case you harm an opponent. At max velocity, which is 4, numerous card-dependent results set off. My deck’s Strolling Sarcophagus went from a 2/1 to a 3/3 for example, and my Aether Syphon pressured everybody else to mill two playing cards every time I drew one. One of many different gamers went for the same tactic, Aether Syphon and all, however as a result of I hit max velocity earlier than them I used to be assured I would mill everybody else to loss of life first.
I hadn’t counted on the participant sat throughout from me having Push the Restrict, a card that returns all of your autos and mounts from the discard pile to the desk, and lets them assault with out crew that flip. We would been filling his discard pile for a number of turns, helpfully loading bullets right into a gun he then circled and fired at the remainder of us. The playing cards you get again with Push the Restrict should be discarded once more on the finish of the flip, however that one huge swing worn out one participant and diminished the remainder of us to our previous couple of life factors.
It did not win him the sport, although. The participant sitting within the far nook had not lengthy earlier than performed Pactdoll Terror, after which she effectively drained everybody else’s remaining life factors by following it with a handful of artifacts in a row. I may solely applaud. It was a traditional tortoise-and-hare state of affairs, with the least assuming racer crossing the end line whereas everybody else had their engines betray them on the house stretch. An ideal marriage of theme and mechanics.
(Aetherdrift has a surprisingly in-depth connection to the lore as nicely, with narrative designer Miguel Lopez actually going to city on the worldbuilding facet of issues.)
Aetherdrift might be out in Area from February 11, and in paper Magic from February 14. You’ll find in-store occasions at your native taking part retailer.
