Sets (NEO) Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Previews

[TrainmasterGT]

Starting a new thread because the other one is 4 pages of debate about the set's theme. If you want to have a debate about the set's aesthetic or cyberpunk theme, do so in this linked thread. This new thread is for conversation about the new cards and mechanics.

Here's Kaito. Quite good, decent enabler for ninja decks. I'm not 100% sure how to evaluate this card. Free protection for his first turn is really strong since you don't need to hold up counters or removal right away. I think it is probably playable, especially if you support discard or Ninjas.

More to come...

 

[blacksmithy]

so that’s a 3 mana, UB walker with 4 abilities? yeah, it’s probably pretty playable

 

[shamizy]

Wait what? Just continue in the other thread. We don't need 3 whole threads on a set two months away.

 

[TrainmasterGT]

Very playable new 4-drop dragon. What a lovely Baneslayer! I think I will be playing this card if it's not a $30, because it is a dragon with relevant abilities for Aggro and Midrange decks alike. Perhaps this is a playable card in Izzet Dragons or Mardu Midrange/Aristocrats/Reanimator. I'm excited for this one!

Also, Atsushi is the descendent of Ryusei, the Falling Star. She is part of a new cycle of Dragon Descendants!

Heartless Hidetsugu is back! This is the same character, but now as an Aristocrat! Also shows off the new frame. Apparently he ate the Oni he worships and that's why he's an immortal ogre demon now. What a lovely card!

Neon Ink treatment, only for Hidetsugu for some reason. Not sure why it's only for this one, but it's cool. This has a new foiling process.

There is one more preview today... Hopefully it's a new mechanic!

 

[TrainmasterGT]

Two full art land cycles! One for the Feudal Japan side of the world and one for the new Cyberpunk big cities! These will be in roughly 1/3rd of set and draft boosters, and one foil copy will be in every collector booster.

 

[MilesOfficial]

Will probably play Atsushi, because I've been sorely tempted by other 4 MV dragons in the past like these, in this order:



As much as I like what Manaform Hellkite does, I think Atsushi is generally better. The trample makes a big difference, and I love both of the potential death triggers. The upside is higher on the Hellkite, and it signposts an archetype better......but critically, Atsushi's art is just absolutely outstanding.

 

[blacksmithy]

Two full art land cycles! One for the Feudal Japan side of the world and one for the new Cyberpunk big cities! These will be in roughly 1/3rd of set and draft boosters, and one foil copy will be in every collector booster.

ok take my money wotc, i need sets of these to cube with

 

[TrainmasterGT]

Will probably play Atsushi, because I've been sorely tempted by other 4 MV dragons in the past like these, in this order:



As much as I like what Manaform Hellkite does, I think Atsushi is generally better. The trample makes a big difference, and I love both of the potential death triggers. The upside is higher on the Hellkite, and it signposts an archetype better......but critically, Atsushi's art is just absolutely outstanding.

Yeah for sure! Atsushi seems like a strong card that can slot into a lot of decks without being particularly broken. I think she is very playable.

 

[Zoss]

Two full art land cycles! One for the Feudal Japan side of the world and one for the new Cyberpunk big cities! These will be in roughly 1/3rd of set and draft boosters, and one foil copy will be in every collector booster.

If you want to have a debate about the set's aesthetic or cyberpunk theme, do so in this linked thread.

Talking about the set's aesthetics, this one has got to be absolutely top-tier between these lands and everything else. The super duper rare neon foil variants are cool but can go &@^$ themselves. (Found in less than 1% of boosters? And with three subtiers of rarity?? Seriously?!?) But regardless, these lands are a home run and are absolutely playable in all cubes of every type, unless they aren't playable in your cube.

Kaito looks like fun because I like ninjas, and the protection feels like a great way to ensure that you get your value out of him. I'm a big fan of them looming into this design space, but I'm curious about the other alt-art for him. The ninja frame treatment is pretty nifty, though.

Atsushi looks like a sweet balance between Baneslayer and Mulldrifter, and I do love slamming a chunky dragon.

Overall, I'm a fan so far! Set looks sweet!

 

[blacksmithy]

i have to admit there’s PROBABLY very little that will make it into my paper cube, except that i somehow have to find 250 full art basics. i can’t not use those. my gosh

 

[japahn]

Hidetsugu is such a disappointment. Original one had a cool "I swing my club at everyone equally and don't give a fuck" ability:



New one is just a generic pushed card that sacrifices creatures because it's black, deals damage because it's red, and draws cards because the fun can never stop. Ugh. It's a bland design that seems like it came from the low-quality commander designs. It's a lot of words to say "this is good, and can be your BR Commander."

Those basics look amazing, though.

 

[TrainmasterGT]

New one is just a generic pushed card that sacrifices creatures because it's black, deals damage because it's red, and draws cards because the fun can never stop. Ugh. It's a bland design that seems like it came from the low-quality commander designs. It's a lot of words to say "this is good, and can be your BR Commander."

The bad design is because he has indigestion from eating his former Oni-master.

 

[Brad]

This art looks like MtG art, so that's a win.

 

[Velrun]

3 mana planeswalker with the normal three abilities + an additional passive ability!! They are pushing it.

At least the passive is pretty cool, probably feels good to play and doesn’t feel oppressive to play against. And -2 to create a 1/1 with evasion is nothing to celebrate. For that reason I think the card is very playable but won’t wreck Standard, older formats or cube.

Is it worth a gold slot though? What themes do you run i your cube to put this card into your Dimir?

——

The red dragon seems pretty cool. I really like it when cards have several options when dying (like Shambling Ghast) because they create interesting and puzzly board states.

I truly dislike everything else but I see a large player base who wants it. Manga, hentai, anime etc not for me. Cyberpunk also not for me. But I do appreciate this exist in MtG <3 I grew fond of Kaladesh after its release as well.

 

[Velrun]

Also I’m looking forward to seeing what they meant when they said Kamigawa was an 8 on the Rabiah scale. That means “It’s unlikely but possible if the stars align.”

Show is that star alignment!

 

[shamizy]

Manga, hentai, anime etc not for me. Cyberpunk also not for me.

One of these is uhhh very much not like the others.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Those lands are absolutely beautiful!

 

[Mown]

One of these is uhhh very much not like the others.

Cyberpunk you mean?
I think I'll just ignore anything related to the theme or I'll just spend all my posts seething. Well, I'll still be doing that, just less visibly.

PW looks mechanically solid. The whole line of text that just boils down to "you can't attack me on the first turn" is kind of ugly, but he can very reliably make a 1/1 and draw a card, which isn't a terrible floor, and the ceiling is a phyrexian arena that pings your opponent instead. Fits into several archetypes. Ultimate is kind of weird.

The dragon is good, I guess. It's powerful, but not very interesting, it's not like you'll go out of your way to sac it for treasures to power your artifact synergies.

Hidetsugu, uh, has abilities. If you untap with him and you have red mana you'll probably win. It largely overshadows his ability to serve as a mediocre mana-intensive sac outlet.

The lands would make nice bookmarks if you punched a hole and threaded a ribbon through them. Don't think I care for them as lands until wotc makes enough japanese mystical archives to make a cube out of. Which would be entirely in japanese, so I guess I still wouldn't care, but it'd look pretty.

 

[Jason Waddell]

Ping me when they release Hidetsugu's Third Rite.

 

[ravnic]

I like the lands. Even the "modern" version look pretty traditional to me. The dragon's full art version also looks cool. I guess the spoiler season will boil down to me having some card's with good art/style and a few cards I'd like mechanically, and than me being sad when those don't align.

 

[Brad]

a few cards I'd like mechanically, and than me being sad when those don't align.

Kawaii Ninjutsu is going to give me a real internal struggle.

 

[TrainmasterGT]

Kawaii Ninjutsu is going to give me a real internal struggle.

That sounds like a strong enough theme for a whole block .

Unfortunately, it looks like our ninjas are going to look like this...

Not quite as cool as Kawaii, but pretty awesome nonetheless .

Remind me why people had an issue with this set, again?

 

[shamizy]

Remind me why people had an issue with this set, again?

Because some of us don't like blending two genres we might otherwise enjoy separately.

I'm fine with Cyberpunk and futuristic sci-fi, just not a fan of it being embedded into the traditional Japanese mythology that defined original Kamigawa. It loses sight of what made Kamigawa interesting and memorable to many of us that enjoyed it the first time around and why so many fans wanted to revisit. It definitely wasn't because we were pining for Shadowrun in a Japanese skin.

 

[blacksmithy]

whoever said the alt Kaito looks like a JoJo character was right on the money, it keeps getting me… every time i see the art my head fills with memes

 

[shamizy]

whoever said the alt Kaito looks like a JoJo character was right on the money, it keeps getting me… every time i see the art my head fills with memes

It's definitely got vibes, but I'd say more Fist of the North Star which was a huge influence on early Jojo. Also the most testosterone fueled manga I've ever read. It's like a Schwarzenegger film brought to manga: