Eventide
Eventide is the forty-sixth Magic: The Gathering expansion and was released July 25, 2008, as the second set, of two, in the Shadowmoor block. Prerelease Events were held July 12–13, 2008. Release events were held July 26–27, 2008.
Set details
Eventide contains 180 cards (60 rare, 60 uncommon, and 60 commons). Its expansion symbol is a reflection of the expansion symbol from Morningtide. It suggests a mostly eclipsed sun. Eventide continues with setting and themes already established in Shadowmoor except that the hybrid spells used in this set are enemy-colored as opposed to Shadowmoor's ally-colored. A large quantity of Mega Cycles are embedded in the two sets, with ten cards total, five allied-colored in Shadowmoor and five enemy-colored in Eventide. Eventide added the new creature type "Noggle" to the list. The set was accompanied by the novel of the same name, written by Cory J. Herndon and Scott McGough.
Flavor and storyline
As the gloom deepens over the world of Shadowmoor, the plane's eerie transformation is complete. Selkies, duergar, hobgoblins, and other creatures from the macabre fringes of folklore thrive in the permanent night. Their mix of mischief and malice drives the wholesome elves and the xenophobic kithkin back into their strongholds, opening the door for sinister forces to reign.
Storyline sources
Magic Story
The Hunter and the Veil is a webcomic about Garruk and Liliana. It was published in three parts in July and August 2008. Although this story does not feature Lorwyn-Shadowmoor as a plane, it does feature two of the planeswalkers that were released with the original Lorwyn set, nicknamed "The Lorwyn Five".
Marketing
Eventide was sold in 16-card boosters, four preconstructed theme decks and a fat pack. It was the last set that supplied a Pro Tour Player Card with the decks and the fat pack. The booster packs featured artwork from Archon of Justice, Cold-Eyed Selkie and Overbeing of Myth. The promotional prerelease card for Eventide was a foil Overbeing of Myth with alternate art, a card that emphasizes hybrid mana. The release card was Figure of Destiny.
Like Shadowmoor boosters before them, boosters of Eventide come with a bonus sixteenth card that is either a "rules card" or a creature token from Eventide. One face of the Eventide bonus card has one of eight different rules tips or is one of 9 different creature tokens. The other face has one of 12 advertisements for organized play programs, the Eventide novel, From the Vault: Dragons, Gleemax, fat packs and Shards of Alara.
Tips & Tricks
The tips & tricks cards are
- Rules Tip: Retrace
- Rules Tip: Hybrid mana Symbols
- Rules Tip: Chroma
- Rules Tip:
is the Untap Symbol - Rules Tip: Persist
- Rules Tip: Wither
- Rules Tip: +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters
- Fun Format: Two-Headed Giant
Tokens
The Eventide tokens are:
0/1 Goat produced by Springjack Pasture and Springjack Shepherd
1/1 Bird with flying produced by Fable of Wolf and Owl- 3/3 Beast produced by Savage Conception
- 1/1 Spirit with flying produced by Beckon Apparition
- 5/5 Elemental with flying produced by Call the Skybreaker
- 1/1 Worm produced by Creakwood Liege and Worm Harvest
- 1/1 Goblin Soldier produced by Rise of the Hobgoblins
"Kithkin Soldier" produced by Cenn's Enlistment, Gwyllion Hedge-Mage, Patrol Signaler and "Wolf" produced by Fable of Wolf and Owl have been reprinted from Shadowmoor with their original art and expansion symbol.
Mechanics
Mechanically, Eventide continues what Shadowmoor began with the reuse of the heavy use of -1/-1 counters, Wither, Persist and the untap symbol .
Further, Eventide introduces the following keywords:
- Chroma — an ability word associated with abilities that count mana symbols of a certain color.
- Retrace — a keyword meaning "You may play this card from your graveyard by discarding a land card in addition to paying its other costs."
Cycles
Eventide has 15 cycles. Seven of them are part of Shadowmoor block mega cycles. The remaining eight are:
Mega Cycles
Eventide has seven mega cycles as part of the Shadowmoor block mega cycles. The enemy colored set in Eventide are:
Reprinted cards
- Phosphorescent Feast — was last seen in Future Sight as a futureshifted card. It is a chroma type card before the chroma word was introduced.
Notable Cards
- Bloom Tender is a 1/1 Elf for which can potentially tap for . It has multiple infinite mana combos with various untap effects.
- Figure of Destiny saw plenty of competitive play as a 2/2 that could attack on Turn 2 and grow beyond that. It later became the inspiration for Level up and its mechanical implementation.
- Gilder Bairn is one of the few cards that can double any type of counter on any permanent.
- Glen Elendra Archmage was a strong control card which is both a passive threat and a cheap means to stop opposing spells. It remains a Vintage Cube card to this day.
- Hallowed Burial is now, with the printing of cards such as Kaya's Ghostform and Ashnod's Intervention, the most undefendable of board wipes.
- Nettle Sentinel was abused with Heritage Druid as a mana combo, as two Sentinels and Druid ensured that every Elf played could become another three green mana to play more elves. In conjunction with Glimpse of Nature, this formed the backbone of Legacy and Extended Elves.
- Stigma Lasher is one of the few "rest of the game" effects, notably one that doesn't use emblems.
- Slippery Bogle, an innocuous 1/1 Hexproof, named the entire Hexproof-Aura archetype going forward, being one of two (the other being Gladecover Scout) that only cost one mana.
- Stillmoon Cavalier references the Pump-Knights of Ice Age and the follow-up Jump-Knights in Coldsnap; it is also notable for having Protection from both of its colors rather than enemy ones.
- Flickerwisp has seen heavy play in Legacy Death & Taxes, where it can be put onto the battlefield at instant speed with Aether Vial to combo with numerous other cards
Preconstructed decks
Eventide features five two-colored, enemy-colored theme decks.
References
External links
- Mark Rosewater (March 21, 2023). "Lesson Learned, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.