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Return to Ravnica

Revision as of 15:07, 18 November 2017 by Tezzeretofcarmot21 (talk | contribs) (→‎Reprinted cards: Idk)
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For other uses, see Ravnica (disambiguation).

Return to Ravnica
Set Information
Set symbol
Themes and mechanics Gates,
Guilds,
Hybrid mana
Keywords/​ability words Detain,
Overload,
Populate,
Scavenge,
Unleash
Set size 274 cards
(25 basic lands, 101 commons, 80 uncommons, 53 rares, 15 mythic rares)
Expansion code RTR[2]
Development codename Hook

Return to Ravnica is the first set in the Return to Ravnica block. It is the 59th Magic expansion and was released on October 5, 2012. [3] [4]

Set details

Return to Ravnica contains 274 cards (25 basic lands, 101 commons, 80 uncommons, 53 rares, 15 mythic rares), including randomly inserted premium versions of all cards in the set. As was the case with the original Ravnica block, Return to Ravnica focuses on the guild system and multicolor cards. [5] [6] Five guilds — the Azorius Senate, Golgari Swarm, Izzet League, Cult of Rakdos, and Selesnya Conclave — are featured in Return to Ravnica; the other five guilds appear in the following expansion, Gatecrash. [7] Because R&D had to fit in five guilds, rather than four, the set contained more uncommon cards than usual. [8] It it is unknown what the expansion symbol of this is set is meant to represent, though some people think it is a stylized Orzhov Mitre.

As Gatecrash would not feature any basic lands, despite being a large expansion, Return to Ravnica featured 25 basic lands, 5 more than the usual 20. [9] For the first time basic lands were printed in an expert expansion with reused artwork: one of each basic land type featured artwork previously used in the Ravnica block. [10] Return to Ravnica also marked the return of the shock lands. [11]

Richard Whitters was the Return to Ravnica Lead Concept Artist. He, alongside Aleksi Briclot, Pete Mohrbacher, Wayne Reynolds, Sam Burley, Jeremy Jarvis, created the Return to Ravnica motif sheets and style guide. [12]

Flavor and storyline

Main article: Return to Ravnica: The Secretist, Part One
“  Choose Your Guild  ”

As the name of the expansion implies, Return to Ravnica is set in Ravnica, a plane comprising a singular megalopolis or ecumenopolis, [13] in which a vast and diverse variety of inhabitants co-exist. [14] [15] [16] Once, the law of city and plane of Ravnica was dictated by the Guildpact and was controlled in relative harmony by the ten guilds, each of which representing a color pairing of the five colors of Magic. In Dissension, however, the Guildpact had been broken. [17] Faced with a magical code that is built into the very foundations of the city-world itself, Jace Beleren marches into the numinous depths of Ravnica’s underbelly in search of the promise of powerful magic. Once buried in past, the code resurfaces as Ravnica’s power-hungry mage guilds, unbound by the Guildpact that had once maintained order, struggle for control of the plane.

Marketing

RTR Jace and Niv-Mizzet

Jace and Niv-Mizzet

RTR 6 card booster

Return to Ravnica 6-card booster

Return to Ravnica was sold in 16-card boosters, 6-card boosters, five intro packs, two event decks and a fat pack. As a first for an expert-level set, it also featured a Booster Battle Pack [18]. The 16-card boosters featured artwork from Korozda Guildmage, New Prahv Guildmage, Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius, Rix Maadi Guildmage and Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage. [19] The small booster featured artwork from Vraska the Unseen.

An early preview picture of the set showed Niv-Mizzet, the leader of the Izzet League, adjacent to planeswalker Jace Beleren. [3] Wizards of the Coast created a "Choose Your Guild" interactive quiz and Planeswalker Points Web page for the expansion, allowing Magic players to choose their guild. At the expansion's prerelease events on September 29–30, 2012, players chose their guild [20] [21]; a choice that affected gameplay, as, in addition to receiving five Return to Ravnica boosters, players received a guild-specific sticker, an acceptance letter from their guild leader [22], a spindown life counter, a promotional prerelease card, an achievement/challenge card, and an additional guild-specific booster. [23][24] The launch party was October 5–7, 2012 [25] and Game Day was October 27–28, 2012.

In September 2012, Mark Rosewater confirmed that Magic novels would return as e-books, with Doug Beyer writing them. [26] On November 28, 2012, Doug Beyer introduced the novel written for Return to Ravnica as The Secretist, with the first part being available from then onwards as an e-book. [27] The novel is centered around Jace Beleren.

In addition to interactive online activities and promotional cards, after widespread interest expressed on the part of the people on Twitter, Wizards of the Coast paired up with licensing partner Araca to produce guild t-shirts[28] and baseball caps.[29]

Promotional cards

For the first time, there were five promotional prerelease cards, with the card received dependent on the guild chosen. Another novel feature of the Return to Ravnica prerelease was the fact that the card could be played in decks at the prerelease itself, unlike previous promotional prerelease cards, [21] were:

These cards were also available in the intro packs as foils, albeit without the alternate art and prerelease date. [30]

Other alternate-art promotional cards were: [31]

Tokens

RTR Korozda Guildmage

Korozda Guildmage, a gold-mage and a producer of green 1/1 Saproling creature tokens.

The sixteenth card in the boosters is a token creature card. Although there are advertising cards on them, one of which featuring Gideon Jura on its front face, there are no "Tips & Tricks" cards associated with Return to Ravnica. [32]

The Return to Ravnica tokens, in the order in which they are listed, are: [33]

  1. {W} 1/1 Bird with flying produced by Eyes in the Skies and Seller of Songbirds
  2. {W} 2/2 Knight with vigilance produced by Knightly Valor, Security Blockade, and Selesnya Charm
  3. {W} 1/1 Soldier produced by Precinct Captain
  4. {B} 1/1 Assassin with "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, that player loses the game." produced by Vraska the Unseen
  5. {R} 6/6 Dragon with flying produced by Utvara Hellkite
  6. {R} 1/1 Goblin produced by Goblin Rally and Survey the Wreckage
  7. {G} 3/3 Centaur produced by Call of the Conclave, Centaur's Herald, Coursers' Accord and Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage
  8. {G} X/X Ooze produced by Slime Molding
  9. {G} 4/4 Rhino with trample produced by Horncaller's Chant
  10. {G} 1/1 Saproling produced by Korozda Guildmage
  11. {G} 5/5 Wurm with trample produced by Armada Wurm and Worldspine Wurm[34]
  12. {G/W} 8/8 Elemental with vigilance produced by Grove of the Guardian

Themes and mechanics

Return to Ravnica revisits five of the ten Ravnica block bicolored guilds, each of which with its own keyword or ability word that is similar but not identical to the original one. [35] [36] [37] As a returning mechanic, the set also featured hybrid mana. [38] Development focused efforts on building a 'slow' and 'fast' strategy into each guild. [39]

Guild Colors Crest Legendary guild members Keyword or ability word Notes
Azorius Senate {W/U} {Azorius Logo} Isperia,
Lavinia 		Detain [40] "Control" theme (tapping effects, "bounce" effects, counterspells, "taxation" effects)
Combat abilities, particularly "Flying" and "Vigilance", and effects subtheme
Golgari Swarm {B/G} {Golgari Logo} Jarad,
Varolz 		Scavenge "Graveyard matters" subtheme
Izzet League {U/R} {Izzet Logo} Niv-Mizzet,
Melek 		Overload Spells subtheme
Cult of Rakdos {B/R} {Rakdos Logo} Rakdos,
Exava 		Unleash [41] "+1/+1 counters matters" subtheme
Selesnya Conclave {G/W} {Selesnya Logo} Trostani,
Emmara Tandris 		Populate Weenie token and, more broadly, creature token subthemes

Other themes and mechanics include:

Creature types

No novel creature types were introduced in this expansion.

Cycles

Cycle name Description and notes {W} {U} {B} {R} {G}
Land Auras Each of these Auras enchants a land and grant that land an activated ability with a {T} in its cost, an triggered ability which triggers when that land is tapped, or lets it untap during each other player's untap step. Security Blockade Chronic Flooding Underworld Connections Racecourse Fury Urban Burgeoning

Guild cycles

For cycles that are part of the guild mega cycles, see Return to Ravnica block#Mega cycles.

Guild cycles in Return to Ravnica each comprise of five members, one for each guild featured in the expansion. Along with many of the Gatecrash guild cycles, many of the Return to Ravnica guild cycles form Return to Ravnica block mega cycles.

Cycle name Description and notes Azorius
{W/U} 		Golgari
{B/G} 		Izzet
{U/R} 		Rakdos
{B/R} 		Selesnya
{G/W}
Uncounterable spells Each of these rare multicolored spells with the ability to not be (conventionally) countered.[43][note 1] Supreme Verdict Abrupt Decay Counterflux Slaughter Games Loxodon Smiter

Pairs

Matched pairs

Return to Ravnica has one matched pair.

  • Chemister's Trick and Teleportal are both multicolored non-permanent spells costing {U}{R} and have Overload {3}{U}{R}. Whereas Chemister's Trick shrinks opponents' creatures until end of turn and forces them to attack, Teleportal pumps your creatures and makes them unblockable until end of turn.

Mirrored pairs

Return to Ravnica has one mirrored pair.

  • Downsize and Dynacharge are both multicolored spells that cost M and have Overload {2}M. Whereas Downsize shrinks opponents' creatures, Dynacharge pumps your creatures. Both are spells costing one mana with Overload at three mana each.

Although Rakdos' Return and Sphinx's Revelation are an apparent mirrored pair, with their similar, but opposite, effects and similar, but non-identical, casting costs, Mark Rosewater has stated they are not in fact a mirrored pair, neither intentionally nor unintentionally, on multiple occasions.[44] [45] Furthermore, the sphinx referred to in Sphinx's Revelation is not, or at least not necessarily, Isperia, the guildmaster of the Azorius Senate in the Return to Ravnica block. [46] Rosewater has, however, said that Magic players, being who they are, will invariably think that the two cards are a mirrored pair, and that they are what people see them to be; either a mirrored pair or not. [47]

Reprinted cards

The following cards have been reprinted from previous sets and included in Return to Ravnica:

Functional reprints

Strictly better

Strictly worse

Preconstructed decks

Intro packs

Main article: Return to Ravnica/Intro packs

Return to Ravnica has five bicolored guild-centric intro packs.[30]

Intro pack name Colors Included Foil rare
{W} {U} {B} {R} {G}
Azorius Advance W U Archon of the Triumvirate
Izzet Ingenuity U R Hypersonic Dragon
Rakdos Raid B R Carnival Hellsteed
Golgari Growth B G Corpsejack Menace
Selesnya Surge W G Grove of the Guardian

Event decks

Main article: Return to Ravnica/Event decks

Return to Ravnica has two bicolored event decks.[49][50]

Event
deck name 		Colors Included
{W} {U} {B} {R} {G}
Creep and Conquer B G
Wrack and Rage B R

Gallery

Notes

  1. ↑ These uncounterable spells can be "countered" by removal from the stack by cards such as Mindbreak Trap and Time Stop, for example, or, in the case of spells with targets, by causing the spell to "fizzle" due to a lack of legal targets.

References

  1. ↑ Product page
  2. ↑ [1]
  3. ↑ a b Template:NewRef
  4. ↑ Template:NewRef
  5. ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (April 8, 2012). "". Tumblr.
  6. ↑ Template:NewRef
  7. ↑ Template:NewRef
  8. ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (November 17, 2012). "". Tumblr.
  9. ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (August 21, 2012). "". Tumblr.
  10. ↑ Template:NewRef
  11. ↑ Template:NewRef
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  18. ↑ Template:NewRef
  19. ↑ Template:NewRef
  20. ↑ Template:NewRef
  21. ↑ a b Template:NewRef
  22. ↑ Template:NewRef
  23. ↑ Devon Rule. (July 16, 2012.) "SDCC Panel: Return to Ravnica and More!", gatheringmagic.com.
  24. ↑ Wizards of the Coast. (2012.) "Worldwide Prerelease Tournaments" — Wizards of the Coast
  25. ↑ Return to Ravnica FAQ — The Wizards Community
  26. ↑ Mark Rosewater confirms return of Magic: The Gathering novels — Examiner.com
  27. ↑ Template:NewRef
  28. ↑ Template:NewRef
  29. ↑ Template:NewRef
  30. ↑ a b Template:NewRef
  31. ↑ Template:NewRef
  32. ↑ Template:MTGSRef
  33. ↑ Template:NewRef
  34. ↑ Template:NewRef
  35. ↑ Template:NewRef
  36. ↑ Template:NewRef
  37. ↑ Template:NewRef
  38. ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (September 5, 2012). "". Tumblr.
  39. ↑ Template:NewRef
  40. ↑ Template:NewRef
  41. ↑ Template:NewRef
  42. ↑ Template:NewRef
  43. ↑ Template:NewRef
  44. ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (November 4, 2012). "". Tumblr.
  45. ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (November 4, 2012). "". Tumblr.
  46. ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specified. Tumblr (November 2, 2012).
  47. ↑ Error on call to {{WebRef}}: Parameters url and title must be specifiedMark Rosewater (November 6, 2012). "". Tumblr.
  48. ↑ Template:NewRef
  49. ↑ Template:NewRef
  50. ↑ Template:NewRef

External links

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