Renton, WA -- According to a source inside Wizards of the Coast, the re-designed card face is just one of many sweeping changes to be introduced with Eighth Edition and Magic’s ten-year anniversary.

First, WotC has decided to implement sound effects into certain cards, a feature many employees believe Magic has lacked for too long. “I hear about the ‘Windmill Slam’ all the time, and I can do that,” says Rockville, MD gamer Eugene Crate, “but sometimes I feel like I should be trash-talking as well when I play certain cards.”

A new cycle of powerful creatures to be released in the next block, inspired by Onslaught’s Pit Fighter Legends, will be designed to do the trash-talking for you. Each card is pressure-sensitive to perceive when it is hitting the in-play zone, at which point the opponent will hear “EAT SHIT!”, adding much insult to injury.

Another planned feature to be appearing in Eighth Edition is before-and-after art, allowing the player to see the true effect certain spells would have. Says Dustin Simspon, another Rockville-area gamer, “I’ve always thought the art for Mutilate was cool, with the affected person’s body parts mutating and contorting and what not. But, I mean, what happens after that? Does the chick just continue to mutate until she becomes some twisted, gnarled likeness of her former self? Or does the power of the spell eventually cause her to spontaneously explode, projecting limbs and organs about the area? I mean, I’d kinda like to know.”

With this in mind, certain cards will be designed to portray the effect of a spell in action. For instance, the art for Lightning Blast that will appear in Eighth Edition will show the “before”—a Llanowar Elf minding his own business, tapping for green, etc.; and the “after”—a jolt of electricity hitting the elf, causing jagged lines of energy to surround him, revealing the elf’s cartoonish skeleton.

Finally, the most revolutionary addition to Magic is an add-on device to be called Magic Xtreme™, which will be included with tournament packs and booster boxes. Each player will be hooked up to this device, which will administer physical pain as the players lose life during the course of the game. Taking a standard attack for two will give the player a small electric shock. Receiving a six-point hit from a Spiritmonger will cause a sensation similar to getting hit in the face with a basketball. Losing twenty life to being unable to pay the cumulative upkeep on Illusions of Grandeur will render the player unconscious for two to three minutes.

“We want players to start to think twice about not blocking a face-down creature,” says the source from WotC. “I mean, sure, it might just be a Daru Healer. But if it’s a Blistering Firecat, well…that could leave a mark.”

These new features are expected to cause a slight increase in the retail price of booster packs, from the current $3.29 US to approximately $24.99 US.

Discuss this article in the Magic: the Gathering Forums!

Renton, WA -- According to a source inside Wizards of the Coast, the re-designed card face is just one of many sweeping changes to be introduced with Eighth Edition and Magic’s ten-year anniversary.

First, WotC has decided to implement sound effects into certain cards, a feature many employees believe Magic has lacked for too long. “I hear about the ‘Windmill Slam’ all the time, and I can do that,” says Rockville, MD gamer Eugene Crate, “but sometimes I feel like I should be trash-talking as well when I play certain cards.”

A new cycle of powerful creatures to be released in the next block, inspired by Onslaught’s Pit Fighter Legends, will be designed to do the trash-talking for you. Each card is pressure-sensitive to perceive when it is hitting the in-play zone, at which point the opponent will hear “EAT SHIT!”, adding much insult to injury.

Another planned feature to be appearing in Eighth Edition is before-and-after art, allowing the player to see the true effect certain spells would have. Says Dustin Simspon, another Rockville-area gamer, “I’ve always thought the art for Mutilate was cool, with the affected person’s body parts mutating and contorting and what not. But, I mean, what happens after that? Does the chick just continue to mutate until she becomes some twisted, gnarled likeness of her former self? Or does the power of the spell eventually cause her to spontaneously explode, projecting limbs and organs about the area? I mean, I’d kinda like to know.”

With this in mind, certain cards will be designed to portray the effect of a spell in action. For instance, the art for Lightning Blast that will appear in Eighth Edition will show the “before”—a Llanowar Elf minding his own business, tapping for green, etc.; and the “after”—a jolt of electricity hitting the elf, causing jagged lines of energy to surround him, revealing the elf’s cartoonish skeleton.

Finally, the most revolutionary addition to Magic is an add-on device to be called Magic Xtreme™, which will be included with tournament packs and booster boxes. Each player will be hooked up to this device, which will administer physical pain as the players lose life during the course of the game. Taking a standard attack for two will give the player a small electric shock. Receiving a six-point hit from a Spiritmonger will cause a sensation similar to getting hit in the face with a basketball. Losing twenty life to being unable to pay the cumulative upkeep on Illusions of Grandeur will render the player unconscious for two to three minutes.

“We want players to start to think twice about not blocking a face-down creature,” says the source from WotC. “I mean, sure, it might just be a Daru Healer. But if it’s a Blistering Firecat, well…that could leave a mark.”

These new features are expected to cause a slight increase in the retail price of booster packs, from the current $3.29 US to approximately $24.99 US.

Discuss this article in the Magic: the Gathering Forums!