Saviors of Kamigawa

← Betrayers of Kamigawa 9th Edition →
Saviors of Kamigawa
lantern
Released	June 3, 2005
Size	165 (55 rares, 55 uncommons, 55 commons)
Keywords	Epic
Mechanics	Channel, Sweep, Hand size (wisdom)
Designers	Brian Tinsman (lead), Brandon Bozzi, Devin Low, and Brian Schneider
Developers	Randy Buehler Jr. (lead), Mons Johnson, Brian Schneider, Justin Webb, and Worth Wollpert
Dev. code	Fire
Exp. code	SOK
Third set in the Kamigawa block
Champions of Kamigawa Betrayers of Kamigawa Saviors of Kamigawa

Saviors of Kamigawa (also Saviors or SoK) is a Magic: The Gathering set, third and last in the Kamigawa block. Saviors of Kamigawa was released on June 3, 2005 (prerelease on May 21, 2005). Its expansion symbol is a Japanese lantern.

Mechanics

Saviors of Kamigawa introduces several new mechanics to the game.

• Epic spells are powerful cards that prevent their controller from playing spells for the rest of the game. In exchange, that player gets a copy of the spell again for free during each of his or her upkeeps.
• Channel represents the fading barrier between the spirit world and reality. Spirits now have the ability to concentrate their physical form into a one-shot instant-effect. Channel is an activated ability not unlike cycling; a cost is played and the card is discarded, producing an effect.
• Sweep spells, allow players to determine how powerful they want the spell to be, in exchange for returning lands of a required type to their owner's hand.
• Five new flip cards introduced in Saviors are different from previous flips. Once their conditions are met, these cards change into Legendary enchantments, symbolizing that creature's Essence.
• Wisdom isn't a keyword mechanic, but a Saviors of Kamigawa theme. Cards with wisdom get better depending on the number of cards in players' hands. Typically, the magic number is seven.

Saviors also features the first intentionally (see Alpha's Cyclopean Tomb) uncastable spell, Evermind, which has no mana cost. Its effect can only be achieved through the use of the Splice mechanic introduced in Champions of Kamigawa. However, new rules from Time Spiral now allow cards without mana costs to be cast, as long as the player can bypass paying the non-existent mana cost.

External links

• Wizards' Official page for Saviors of Kamigawa
• Visual card list at gatherer.wizards.com