WotC Check out Magic: the Gathering's Tiamat

We've known for a while that WotC is releasing D&D-themed Magic: the Gathering cards, as a set called Adventures in the Forgotten Realms. Artist Chis Rahn has shared his Tiamat.

"Been looking forward to sharing this one for what seems like forever! Tiamat, for Mtg's D&D: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms set. This was one of those assignments that I felt incredibly lucky to get. I hope you enjoy it half as much as I enjoyed painting it!"

The MtG set comes out on July 23rd, 2021. The collector's sets have a beholder on the front. ICv2 has more information on the various set configurations. Bell of Lost Souls has some card images.

 

[Vael]

Oh I didn't realize that both sides of an MDFCs count as seperate cards is that true of TDFCs too?

Aside from the Dungeon cards what makes you think AFR has MDFCs? Just the amount of cards in the set?

Any DFC is considered a single card for all in-game purposes, but from a design and development standpoint, it is literally double the work. Heck, I've been playing MTG on Tabletop Simulator and DFCs are implemented as 2 cards there.

There probably won't be any DFCs in this set, although this is the year of them. MDFCs have been in the last 3 sets: Zendikar Rising, Kaldheim and Strixhaven. And after this set, the next two are Innistrad set, which will almost certainly have TDFCs. So I'd expect a break from them in this set.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Yup, because both "sides" take up a database slot.

Yeah, the large size of the Set, larger than most that don't have double sided cards, suggests there will be some level of double sided cards. And, yeah, since they said they are giving out double-sided cards with the Prereleases, I assume that means some double-sided cards play a part, as that is otherwise abnormal.

I just checked the card galleries on WotC's own site for both Zendikar Rising and Kaldheim, the both sides of the MDFCs share the same number. Halvar for example is 015 on both sides for example.

And Gathering adds a letter to the number to seperate sides, so Embrose us 158a and Shaile is 158b.

Embrose, Dean of Shadow (Strixhaven: School of Mages) - Gatherer - Magic: The Gathering

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Any DFC is considered a single card for all in-game purposes, but from a design and development standpoint, it is literally double the work. Heck, I've been playing MTG on Tabletop Simulator and DFCs are implemented as 2 cards there.

There probably won't be any DFCs in this set, although this is the year of them. MDFCs have been in the last 3 sets: Zendikar Rising, Kaldheim and Strixhaven. And after this set, the next two are Innistrad set, which will almost certainly have TDFCs. So I'd expect a break from them in this set.

Well there appear to be 3 MDFC Dungeons you get for buying AFR Pretelease Pack, so that is what is making some folks think that maybe AFR has other double sided cards.

 

[Parmandur]

I just checked the card galleries on WotC's own site for both Zendikar Rising and Kaldheim, the both sides of the MDFCs share the same number. Halvar for example is 015 on both sides for example.

And Gathering adds a letter to the number to seperate sides, so Embrose us 158a and Shaile is 158b.

Embrose, Dean of Shadow (Strixhaven: School of Mages) - Gatherer - Magic: The Gathering

I was passing on what I had heard, but I may be mistaken. Doing an Advanced Search for Standard legal cards from Kaldheim gives a result of 321 hits, which would include the 285 cards in Standard, the 20 cards unique to Theme and Set boosters, and the reverse faces of the MDFC's (which are separate cards in Gatherer):

https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?format=[%22Standard%22]&set=[%22Kaldheim%22]

 

[Parmandur]

Well there appear to be 3 MDFC Dungeons you get for buying AFR Pretelease Pack, so that is what is making some folks think that maybe AFR has other double sided cards.

Well, the Dungeons are double sided, but they are not necessarily MDFC's: MDFC designs are not the only sort of dual-faced cards in Magic history.

 

[Ibrandul]

Well, it generates zero negativity on a forum dedicated to D&D. In more MtG centric corners of the internet, the reaction is comparable to the reaction here to MtG settings in D&D.

I’m a hardcore D&D fan who doesn’t like (at all) the “meta” or the tournament culture or the lore of MTG but who is excited by the prospect of another collectible game based on his favorite IP. Another after Dice Masters, that is, which I treated the same way I plan to treat this: the D&D-themed sets are a complete game for home play, and the rest doesn’t exist.

As for MTG settings in D&D books, my reaction is the mirror image of the above: they’re fun little trifles with some good mechanics and a few ideas I can raid for my 5e games, but they don’t exist in the D&D multiverse—and as soon as canonical D&D-multiverse products start crossing over with them in a significant way, I’ll be a very grumpy fellow. So I do have some sympathy for those poor MTG lore fans when they read WotC’s statements that the Forgotten Realms or the D&D multiverse in general—which is based on superficially similar but ultimately quite different cosmological and metaphysical and arcanalogical principles from MTG—might merge with the MTG multiverse “if it makes sense to do so” (read: if WotC thinks it will be even slightly more profitable to do so). I don’t want that, it seems most MTG fans don’t want that, and I hope WotC never does that.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

It does seem odd that Tiamat doesn't have indestructable given that her stats in D&D includes the D&D version, discorperate. I chalk it up to a desire for Tyrite Sanctum to be useful with her.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Well, the Dungeons are double sided, but they are not necessarily MDFC's: MDFC designs are not the only sort of dual-faced cards in Magic history.

What other none DFC dual faced cards has MtG had?

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I’m a hardcore D&D fan who doesn’t like (at all) the “meta” or the tournament culture or the lore of MTG but who is excited by the prospect of another collectible game based on his favorite IP. Another after Dice Masters, that is, which I treated the same way I plan to treat this: the D&D-themed sets are a complete game for home play, and the rest doesn’t exist.

As for MTG settings in D&D books, my reaction is the mirror image of the above: they’re fun little trifles with some good mechanics and a few ideas I can raid for my 5e games, but they don’t exist in the D&D multiverse—and as soon as canonical D&D-multiverse products start crossing over with them in a significant way, I’ll be a very grumpy fellow. So I do have some sympathy for those poor MTG lore fans when they read WotC’s statements that the Forgotten Realms or the D&D multiverse in general—which is based on superficially similar but ultimately quite different cosmological and metaphysical and arcanalogical principles from MTG—might merge with the MTG multiverse “if it makes sense to do so” (read: if WotC thinks it will be even slightly more profitable to do so). I don’t want that, it seems most MTG fans don’t want that, and I hope WotC never does that.

Its more Universes Beyond that riled up MtG fans, D&D was largely seen as semi connected to begin with.

 

[ProfessorDetective]

This made me crack up, because actually, uh...I do. I'm debating grabbing Explorers of Ixalan because I really dig the setting, but I don't play any in-person magic. But that's just me; I'm the exception that proves your rule. Point well made though; I'm really hoping we see legitimate stuff to bridge the gap between D&D-only and M:TG-only interest levesl.

For me it was Kaladesh, I love artifact decks and tried to build a Colorless one a few times. Man I wish Wastes would get a proper reprint.