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Innistrad

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Innistrad
common expansion symbol
ReleasedSeptember 30, 2011
Size264 cards (16 Mythic Rare, 59 Rare, 67 Uncommon, 107 Common, 15 Basic Land)
MechanicsCurse, Fight, Flashback, Morbid, Transform
DesignersMark Rosewater (lead), Richard Garfield, Jenna Helland, Graeme Hopkins, Tom LaPille
DevelopersErik Lauer (lead), Mark L. Gottlieb, David Humpherys, Tom LaPille, Adam Lee, Kenneth Nagle
Development codeShake
Expansion codeISD
First set in the Innistrad block
Innistrad Dark Ascension "Roll"
From the Vault: Legends Dark Ascension

Innistrad is a Magic: The Gathering expansion set scheduled to be released September 30, 2011. It is the first set of the Innistrad block.[1] Innistrad is a top-down set designed around a horror theme. The set combines graveyard with tribal themes. The tagline for the set is "Horror Lurks Within". It has 264 cards.[1]

Innistrad is notable for being the first set to feature double-faced cards, meaning the cards do not feature the Magic card back design that has been in use since the first set, Alpha. Every double-faced card features the new transform mechanic.[2] This is the first set since Ravnica: City of Guilds to have Magic creator Richard Garfield on the design team.

Tribes

In Innistrad there are five tribes, major creature types that also play a role mechanically. Each tribe is linked to an allied colour combination.[3]

  • Humans: humans occur in all colours but dominantly in white and green. Humans represent the victims of the other tribes and monster hunters. Humans and white are isolated from the other tribes and colours in terms of mechanics and cycles. This is the first set in which humans are treated as a tribe.
  • Spirits: spirits occur in white and blue, and sporadically in the other colours. White spirits represent guardian spirits and blue spirits are ghosts.
  • Zombies: zombies occur in black and blue. Blue zombies are tied to mad scientists, while black zombies are more oriented to graveyard recursion.
  • Vampires: vampires occur in black and red. Some black creatures are double-faced cards, but many others have the "Slith" ability: they get a +1/+1 counter when they deal combat damage to a players.
  • Werewolves: werewolves occur in red and green. Every werewolf is a double-faced card with the transform mechanic. One side of each of the werewolf cards is a human werewolf.

Mechanics

Innistrad introduces four new mechanics and reintroduces one old mechanic.

  • Curse - Curse is a new Aura subtype that enchants a player.[2]
  • Fight - "Fight" is a new term to refer to two creatures dealing damage to each other equal to their power at the same time.[2]
  • Flashback - Cards with Flashback can be played from the graveyard for their Flashback cost. When they leave the stack, they are removed from the game instead of being put anywhere else. Flashback was last seen in the Odyssey and Time Spiral blocks.[2]
  • Morbid - Morbid abilities are triggered when a creature dies that turn.[2]
  • Transform - The Transform mechanic allows certain creatures to turn into different creatures once certain conditions specified on the card are met. Each card that can Transform is a double-faced card.[2]

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b Ashley, Monty (14 March 2011). "Announcing Innistrad". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Innistrad Mechanics". Wizards of the Coast. August 28, 2011. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  3. ^ Mark Rosewater (September 5, 2011). "C'mon Innistrad, Part 1". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved September 21, 2011.