Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Debut Stream

This afternoon, January 27, Wizards of the Coast kicked off the preview season for Magic: The Gathering’s next expansion set, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. At 9:00 am Pacific, the company went live on both Twitch and YouTube with Light It Up: a debut stream that revealed a score of card spoilers along with art, story info, and the set’s core mechanics.

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty is slated for a release next month on February 18, available on MTG Arena February 10. We’ve got no shortage of new information about MTG’s return to a longtime fan-favorite setting, so let’s get into it!

We’ve already got a ton of other content based on Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty – check out these links for more:

• Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Set Guide: Release Date, Spoilers, and More
• Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Spoilers
• Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Leaks
• MaRo’s Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Teaser Has Arrived

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Announcement Stream

You can watch the Light it Up stream, hosted by Becca Scott and B. Dave Walters, in its entirety over on the Magic: The Gathering YouTube channel:

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Mechanics

Ninjutsu

• Card Name: Silver-Fur Master
• Mana Cost: {U}{B}
• Card Type: Creature – Rat Ninja
• Rarity: Uncommon
• Card Text:
  Ninjutsu {U}{B}({U}{B}, Return an unblocked attack you control to hand: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand tapped and attacking.)
  Ninjutsu abilities you activate cost {1} less to activate.
  Other Ninja and Rogue creatures you control get +1/+1.
• Power/Toughness: 2/2

We already knew that Ninjas would be returning, and now Wizards has given us a preview of a card featuring the return of the creature type’s classic Ninjustsu mechanic. Ninjutsu appears on creatures and allows the creature to be put into play for a special activation cost in exchange for returning an unblocked attacker to your hand.

The rules text for Ninjutsu reads: “Ninjutsu {cost} ({cost}, Return an unblocked attack you control to hand: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand tapped and attacking.)“

Channel

• Card Name: Boseiju, Who Endures
• Card Type: Legendary Land
• Rarity: Rare
• Card Text:
  {T}: Add {G}.
  Channel – {1}{G}, Discard Boseiju, Who Endures: Destroy target artifact, enchantment, or nonbasic land an opponent controls. That player may search their library for a land card with a basic land type, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. This ability costs {1} less to activate for each legendary creature you control.

Another mechanic that’s returning from the original Kamigawa block, Channel is a keyword that allows a card to be discarded from hand for some kind of effect. In the case of the example card Wizards showed off today, Boseiju, Who Endures, Boseiju is a Legendary Land that may be discarded for {1}{G} (say, if you already have one copy in play) to destroy an artifact, enchantment, or nonbasic land an opponent controls.

Double-Faced Sagas

• Card Name: The Kami War
• Mana Cost: {1}{W}{U}{B}{R}{G}
• Card Type: Enchantment – Saga
• Rarity: Mythic
• Card Text:
  {I}: Exile target nonland permanent an opponent controls.
  {II}: Return up to one other target nonland permanent to its owner’s hand. Then each opponent discards a card.
  {III}: Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control.

• Card Name: O-Kagachi Made Manifest
• Card Type: Enchantment Creature – Dragon Spirit
• Card Text:
  O-Kagachi Made Manifest is all colors.
  Flying, trample
  Whenever O-Kagachi Made Manifest attacks, defending player chooses a nonland card in your graveyard. Return that card to your hand. O-Kagachi Made Manifest gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the mana value of that card.
• Power/Toughness: 6/6

Sagas are a card type that we’ve been seeing intermittently since back in Dominaria, but now we’ve got sagas with a new twist: transforming double-faced cards! The Kami War is one of the examples of these that Wizards gave us today, and you’ll note that after the saga reaches its third lore counter, it transforms itself to the backside – in this case a five-color, 6/6, flying, trampling dragon.

Modified

• Card Name: Goro-Goro, Disciple of Ryusei
• Mana Cost: {1}{R}
• Card Type: Legendary Creature – Goblin Samurai
• Rarity: Rare
• Card Text:
  {R}: Creatures you control gain haste until end of turn.
  {3}{R}{R}: Create a 5/5 red Dragon Spirit creature token with flying. Activate only if you control an attacking modified creature. (Equipment, Auras you control, and counters are modifications.)
• Power/Toughness: 2/2

The first of Neon Dynasty’s two new mechanics (at least those that have been revealed so far), modified is a new keyword that indicates if a creature has been altered by Equipment, Auras, or counters of any kind. Goro-Goro has the ability to create 5/5 Dragon tokens, but it cannot be activated unless you control an attacking modified creature.

Reconfigure

• Card Name: The Reality Chip
• Mana Cost: {1}{U}
• Card Type: Legendary Artifact Creature – Equipment Jellyfish
• Rarity: Rare
• Card Text:
  You may look at the top card of your library any time.
  As long as The Reality Chip is attached to a creature, you may play lands and cast spells from the top of your library.
  Reconfigure {2}{U} ({2}{U}: Attach to target creature you control; or unattach from a creature. Reconfigure only as a sorcery. While attached, this isn’t a creature.)
• Power/Toughness: 0/4

Neon Dynasty’s other new mechanic will be Reconfigure, an ability that causes a permanent to attach itself to another creature. This is a weird one – the only example we have so far is The Reality Chip, an Artifact Creature – Equipment Jellyfish (wild, right?) that is played as a creature and must activate its Reconfigure ability to attach to another creature and function as an equipment. It can then be unattached and become its own creature by activating the Reconfigure ability again.

Compleated (Phyrexian Mana)

• Card Name: Tamiyo, Compleated Sage
• Mana Cost: {2}{G}{G/U/P}{U}
• Card Type: Legendary Planeswalker – Tamiyo
• Rarity: Mythic
• Card Text:
  Compleated ({G/U/P} can be paid with {G}, {U}, or 2 life. If life was paid, this planeswalker enters with two fewer loyalty counters.)
  {+1}: Tap up to one target artifact or creature. It doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step.
  {-X}: Exile target nonland permanent card with mana value X from your graveyard. Create a token that’s a copy of that card.
  {-7}: Create Tamiyo’s Notebook, a legendary colorless artifact token with “Spells you cast cost {2} less to cast” and “{T}: Draw a card.”
• Starting Loyalty: 5

Lastly, we will apparently be seeing the return of Phyrexian mana, cost pips which can either be satisfied by paying the indicated color or paying two life. It’s a bit more complicated this time though, and there’s a new keyword involved: Compleated. It appears that cards using the Phyrexian mana will now come with some form of downside if life is paid instead of mana. Tamiyo, Compleated Sage is the example we’ve been given thus far, and the reminder text from her Compleated keyword reads like this: “Compleated ({G/U/P} can be paid with {G}, {U}, or 2 life. If life was paid, this planeswalker enters with two fewer loyalty counters.)“

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Card Previews

The main feature of today’s stream was a ton of card previews, so let’s check them out!

Ao, the Dawn Sky

• Card Name: Ao, the Dawn Sky
• Mana Cost: {3}{W}{W}
• Card Type: Legendary Creature – Dragon Spirit
• Rarity: Mythic
• Card Text:
  Flying, vigilance
  When Ao, the Dawn Sky dies, choose one –
  • Look at the top seven cards of your library. Put any number of nonland permanent cards with total mana value 4 or less from among them onto the battlefield. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
  • Put two +1/+1 counters on each permanent you control that’s a creature or Vehicle.
• Power/Toughness: 5/4

Kairi, the Swirling Sky

• Card Name: Kairi, the Swirling Sky
• Mana Cost: {4}{U}{U}
• Card Type: Legendary Creature – Dragon Spirit
• Rarity: Mythic
• Card Text:
  Flying, ward {3}
  When Kairi, the Swirling Sky dies, choose one –
  • Return any number of target nonland permanents with total mana value 6 or less to their owner’s hands.
  • Mill six cards, then return up to two instant and/or sorcery cards from your graveyard to your hand.
• Power/Toughness: 6/6

Go-Shintai of Shared Purpose

• Card Name: Go-Shintai of Shared Purpose
• Mana Cost: {3}{W}
• Card Type: Legendary Enchantment Creature – Shrine
• Rarity: Uncommon
• Card Text:
  Vigilance
  At the beginning of your end step, you may pay {1}. If you do, create a 1/1 colorless Spirit creature token for each Shrine you control.
• Power/Toughness: 1/3

Kyodai, Soul of Kamigawa

• Card Name: Kyodai, Soul of Kamigawa
• Mana Cost: {3}{W}
• Card Type: Legendary Creature – Dragon Spirit
• Rarity: Mythic
• Card Text:
  Flash
  Flying
  When Kyodai, Soul of Kamigawa enters the battleefield, another target permanent gains indestructible for as long as you control Kyodai.
  {W}{U}{B}{R}{G}: Kyodai gets +5/+5 until end of turn.
• Power/Toughness: 3/3

The Wandering Emperor

• Card Name: The Wandering Emperor
• Mana Cost: {2}{W}{W}
• Card Type: Legendary Planeswalker
• Rarity: Mythic
• Card Text:
  Flash
  As long as The Wandering Emperor entered the battlefield this turn, you may activate her loyalty abilities any time you could cast an instant.
  {+1}: Put a +1/+1 counter on up to one target creature. It gains first strike until end of turn.
  {-1}: Create a 2/2 white Samurai creature token with vigilance.
  {-2}: Exile target tapped creature. You gain 2 life.
• Starting Loyalty: 3

Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh

• Card Name: Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh
• Mana Cost: {2}{U}{U}
• Card Type: Legendary Planeswalker – Tezzeret
• Rarity: Mythic
• Card Text:
  The first activated ability of an artifact you activate each turn costs {2} less to activate.
  {+1}: Draw two cards. Then discard two cards unless you discard an artifact card.
  {-2}: Target artifact becomes an artifact creature. If it isn’t a Vehicle, it has base power and toughness 4/4.
  {-6}: You get an emblem with “Whenever an artifact you control becomes tapped, draw a card.”
• Starting Loyalty: 4

Jin-Gitaxias, Progess Tyrant

• Card Name: Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant
• Mana Cost: {5}{U}{U}
• Card Type: Legendary Creature – Phyrexian Praetor
• Rarity: Mythic
• Card Text:
  Whenever you cast an artifact, instant, or sorcery spell, copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy. This ability triggers only once each turn. (A copy of a permanent spell becomes a token.)
  Whenever an opponent casts an artifact, instant, or sorcery spell, counter that spell. This ability triggers only once each turn.
• Power/Toughness: 5/5

Enthusiastic Mechanaut

• Card Name: Enthusiastic Mechanaut
• Mana Cost: {U}{R}
• Card Type: Artifact Creature – Goblin Artificer
• Rarity: Uncommon
• Card Text:
  Flying
  Artifact spells you cast cost {1} less to cast.
• Power/Toughness: 2/2

Surgehacker Mech

• Card Name: Surgehacker Mech
• Mana Cost: {4}
• Card Type: Artifact – Vehicle
• Rarity: Rare
• Card Text:
  Menace
  When Surgehacker Mech enters the battlefield, it deals damage equal to twice the number of Vehicles you control to target creature or planeswalker an opponent controls.
  Crew 4
• Power/Toughness: 5/5

Tamiyo’s Compleation

• Card Name: Tamiyo’s Compleation
• Mana Cost: {3}{U}
• Card Type: Enchantment – Aura
• Rarity: Common
• Card Text:
  Flash
  Enchant artifact, creature, or planeswalker
  When Tamiyo’s Compleation enters the battlefield, tap enchanted permanent. If it’s an equipment, unattach it.
  Enchanted permanent loses all abilities and doesn’t untap during its controller’s untap step.

Era of Enlightenment // Hand of Enlightenment

• Card Name: Era of Enlightenment
• Mana Cost: {1}{W}
• Card Type: Enchantment – Saga
• Rarity: Common
• Card Text:
  {I}: Scry 2.
  {II}: You gain 2 life.
  {III}: Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control.

• Card Name: Hand of Enlightenment
• Card Type: Enchantment Creature – Human Monk
• Card Text:
  First Strike
• Power/Toughness: 2/2

Michiko’s Reign of Truth // Portrait of Michiko

• Card Name: Michiko’s Reign of Truth
• Mana Cost: {1}{W}
• Card Type: Enchantment – Saga
• Rarity: Uncommon
• Card Text:
  {I}{II}: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each artifact and/or enchantment you control.
  {III}: Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control.

• Card Name: Portrait of Michiko
• Card Type: Enchantment Creature – Human Noble
• Card Text:
  Portrait of Michiko gets +1/+1 for each artifact and/or enchantment you control.
• Power/Toughness: 0/0

The Modern Age // Vector Glider

• Card Name: The Modern Age
• Mana Cost: {1}{U}
• Card Type: Enchantment – Saga
• Rarity: Common
• Card Text:
  {I}{II}: Draw a card, then discard a card.
  {III}: Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control.

• Card Name: Vector Glider
• Card Type: Enchantment Creature – Spirit
• Card Text:
  Flying
• Power/Toughness: 2/3

Life of Toshiro Umezawa //Memory of Toshiro

• Card Name: Life of Toshiro Umezawa
• Mana Cost: {1}{B}
• Card Type: Enchantment – Saga
• Rarity: Common
• Card Text:
  {I}{II}: Choose one –
  • Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
  • Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
  • You gain 2 life.
  {III}: Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control.

• Card Name: Memory of Toshiro
• Card Type: Enchantment Creature – Human Samurai
• Card Text:
  {T}, Pay 1 life: Add {B}. Spend this mana only to cast an instant or sorcery spell.
• Power/Toughness: 2/3

The Shattered States Era // Nameless Conqueror

• Card Name: The Shattered States Era
• Mana Cost: {4}{R}
• Card Type: Enchantment – Saga
• Rarity: Common
• Card Text:
  {I}: Gain control of target creature until end of turn. Untap it. It gains haste until end of turn.
  {II}: Creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn.
  {III}: Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control.

• Card Name: Nameless Conqueror
• Card Type: Enchantment Creature – Human Samurai
• Card Text:
  Trample, Haste
• Power/Toughness: 3/3

Azusa’s Many Journeys // Likeness of the Seeker

• Card Name: Azusa’s Many Journeys
• Mana Cost: {1}{G}
• Card Type: Enchantment – Saga
• Rarity: Uncommon
• Card Text:
  {I}: You may play an additional land this turn.
  {II}: You gain 3 life.
  {III}: Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control.

• Card Name: Likeness of the Seeker
• Card Type: Enchantment Creature – Human Monk
• Card Text:
  Whenever Likeness of the Seeker becomes blocked, untap up to three lands you control.
• Power/Toughness: 3/3

Boseiju Reaches Skyward // Branch of Boseiju

• Card Name: Boseiju Reaches Skyward
• Mana Cost: {3}{G}
• Card Type: Enchantment – Saga
• Rarity: Uncommon
• Card Text:
  {I}: Search your library for up to two basic Forest cards, reveal them, put them into your hand, then shuffle.
  {II}: Put up to one target land card from your graveyard on top of your library.
  {III}: Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control.

• Card Name: Branch of Boseiju
• Card Type: Enchantment Creature – Plant
• Card Text:
  Reach
  Branch of Boseiju gets +1/+1 for each land you control.
• Power/Toughness: 0/0

Teachings of the Kirin // Kirin-Touched Orochi

• Card Name: Teachings of the Kirin
• Mana Cost: {1}{G}
• Card Type: Enchantment – Saga
• Rarity: Rare
• Card Text:
  {I}: Mill three cards. Create a 1/1 colorless Spirit creature token.
  {II}: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control.
  {III}: Exile this Saga, then return it to the battlefield transformed under your control.

• Card Name: Kirin-Touched Orochi
• Card Type: Enchantment Creature -Snake Monk
• Card Text:
  Whenever Kirin-Touched Orochi attacks, choose one –
  • Exile target creature card from a graveyard. When you do, create a 1/1 colorless Spirit creature token.
  • Exile target noncreature card from a graveyard. When you do, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control.
• Power/Toughness: 1/1

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Themes and Art

Ninja, Samurai, Soft Glow and Borderless

Wizards took the opportunity of the stream to show off some of the showcase and borderless card styles. In Neon Dynasty, there are a few different showcase frames based on the card, including different styles for ninjas, samurai, and the tech-focused border which is being called Soft Glow.

Phyrexian Cards

There are at least two cards in the set that come in a special version with text written in Magic’s Phyrexian language:

The Neon Dynasty Commander Decks

Wizards also revealed the face commanders for the two commander decks that will be released with Neon Dynasty.

Promotional and Card Art

To bring things to a close, the Light It Up was also packed full of art, presumably from cards in the set that will be revealed later. You can check out some of that art below, and there was even more to see if you watch the full stream.