WotC Strixhaven sounds like it'd be a nice mini-setting for D&D

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

So, I don't play MTG, just Hearthstone, so I apologize for what may well be a dumb question:

Are there multiple modes of play for MTG? Is that what the magic sport shown in the first video is for? Otherwise, that seems like a lot of development and art for a background detail, unless they intend to use it elsewhere. (And it looks less implausible than Quidditch, which is good.)

 

[Rikka66]

So, I don't play MTG, just Hearthstone, so I apologize for what may well be a dumb question:

Are there multiple modes of play for MTG? Is that what the magic sport shown in the first video is for? Otherwise, that seems like a lot of development and art for a background detail, unless they intend to use it elsewhere. (And it looks less implausible than Quidditch, which is good.)

There are a lot of "modes" (they call them formats) in MTG. But the magic sport is just a background detail (that presumably will be represented on some cards).

Edit: I just realized what you're thinking of. MTG doesn't have single player modes like Hearthstone does.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Mage Tower would also be very easy to adjudicate in D&D. Much easier than Quidditch, for one, even leaving aside the insane scoring system in Quidditch.

 

[Parmandur]

So, I don't play MTG, just Hearthstone, so I apologize for what may well be a dumb question:

Are there multiple modes of play for MTG? Is that what the magic sport shown in the first video is for? Otherwise, that seems like a lot of development and art for a background detail, unless they intend to use it elsewhere. (And it looks less implausible than Quidditch, which is good.)

There are no dumb questions.

There are not different "modes" in Magic, though different cards can radically change the game. Mage tower has not shown up in any previewed cards yet (those will dribble out over the next few weeks, until the Set releases next month), so all I've seen is that video with the art bits. I would not be surprised if there is a cycle of cards which you could use as the center of a deck design.

They are putting a lot of work into world building for this intellectual property, which is fairly normal for Magic. I wouldn't have thought too much of it, but all those Owlfolk ...

 

[Parmandur]

Out of curiosity, I did a little digging about how Monks and Rangers have appeared in Magic over the years. Ranger is not a Class in Magic, with characters called "Rangers" Beign all over the place: Soldiers, Knights, Druids, Scouts, Archers, and so on.

However, Monks are a Class type used in Magic, and there are some interesting elements in another setting including Elder Dragon masters, Tarkir, where the Elder Dragon Ojutai has created an order of dedicated Kung Fu Monks similar to what appeared in the UA article:

Spoiler: Pictures!

 

[Parmandur]

Seen a couple incidental Owlfolk in a couple cards, but here's a good one:

 

[Parmandur]

Previews still unfolding, as they shall for a couple weeks, but we got another Owlfolk today (like half a dozen Owlfolk starring on cards, so far) and a couple other anthropomorphic animals (including a Hall Monitor...who is a Monitor Lizard):

 

[Parmandur]

Nothing Hobgoblinish or Faerie related, nor Rabbits, but the Owlfolk train continues:

 

[Parmandur]

So, I don't play MTG, just Hearthstone, so I apologize for what may well be a dumb question:

Are there multiple modes of play for MTG? Is that what the magic sport shown in the first video is for? Otherwise, that seems like a lot of development and art for a background detail, unless they intend to use it elsewhere. (And it looks less implausible than Quidditch, which is good.)

So, to answer this question, this is a potentially pretty good ticking time bomb card:

 

[bedir than]

So, to answer this question, this is a potentially pretty good ticking time bomb card:

I've been having trouble parsing it. Artifacts aren't played on your opponent, so why would I want to destroy myself?