April 2016: Shadows over Innistrad
Spoilers, Rumors, and Speculation forum
Posted on Oct. 31, 2015, 6:42 p.m. by JWiley129
Announced during GP Indy, the Spring 2016 set is Shadows over Innistrad!
Edits for FAQ:
- Here is Mark Rosewater on why we're getting two returns in a row.
The new toad is on the new chapter of Uncharted Realms
March 23, 2016 1:15 p.m.
New image with an overlay is interesting... tiny dot on the type line lines up perfectly for 'Shapeshifter'.
Casting cost now seems to be 
(some number)
...
Probably 
March 23, 2016 1:18 p.m.
Or, perhaps, or It's been a time since a golden two-of-the-same-drop card, isn't it?
March 23, 2016 1:22 p.m.
The thread is on board preemptively calling this card alter ego, right?
March 23, 2016 1:26 p.m.
'Alter Ego' is a safe bet... it fits in the Name text line, and the name has to start with the letter 'A'. (It has card #241, and #242 is Anguished Unmaking)
March 23, 2016 1:29 p.m.
Its a shapeshifter that can't be countered.
https://twitter.com/tobyelliott
March 23, 2016 1:34 p.m.
EverythingIsK says... #9
Rip my dreams of UG illusions with this card and Collected Company. ;_;
March 23, 2016 1:38 p.m.
Cant be coutered. ... copy of... except... +1/+1 counter...
March 23, 2016 1:41 p.m.
I think it enters the battlefield as a copy of target creature and gets X +1/+1 counters. Cost
March 23, 2016 1:43 p.m.
nope... the 'tered' is not "Cannot be countered"
The name is 'Altered' not 'Alter'... it ligns up right beside 'Ego'.
Note: It still may be 'cannot be countered'... but this 'tered' is not a part of that text.
March 23, 2016 1:52 p.m. Edited.
There's not enough room for five mana symbols. That's why there's the crossfade. It's mostly like .
I feel like it has a first ability that can't be deciphered. Most likely something like "Alter Ego has flash." (makes sense for blue green). Maybe hexproof.
The second ability would be "You may have Alter Ego enter the battlefield as a copy of a creature on the battlefield except it enters with X additional +1/+1 counters on it."
March 23, 2016 1:59 p.m.
I think that you have shown that 'Altered Ego' is its name. I'd be surprised if you turned out to be incorrect here. If the '...t be c...' part is not "cannot be countered", I don't know what it could be.
March 23, 2016 2:02 p.m.
GoldGhost012 says... #16
We now have its mana cost.
So it seems to be panning out as:
Altered Ego
Creature - Shapeshifter
Rare
~ can't be countered.
You may have ~ enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield, except it enters with an additional X +1/+1 counters on it.
0/0
March 23, 2016 2:09 p.m.
I'm fairly certain:
Altered Ego -
Rare
Creature - Shapeshifter
Altered Ego cannot be countered.
You may have Altered Ego enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature except it enters with an additional X +1/+1 counters.
0/0
I think I might be putting this into my gimmicky Bant Mirrorweave deck. :)
March 23, 2016 2:09 p.m. Edited.
Well.... I've had my fun. Wizards can go ahead and post the full card now.
March 23, 2016 2:11 p.m.
I hope they spoil other cards in this manner. That was interesting.
March 23, 2016 2:15 p.m.
With this type of involvement in the reveal, I was expecting it to be one of the remaining Mythics... until I saw the Rare symbol, of course.
Still 2 Mythics to go, and we usually see all of them the day before the final spoiler dump, which should be on Friday.
March 23, 2016 2:18 p.m.
EverythingIsK says... #22
Well a 4x mana copy machine seems fine to play with. Not great though.
March 23, 2016 2:25 p.m.
secondwhiteline says... #23
That would've been killer during Khans block, but it still could have its uses now. I could see it being solid anti-Eldrazi sideboard (or anti-Dragonlord, if any of those are still going to see play). Copying a Reality Smasher for one less mana sounds more than worth it, or getting a 6/6 Smasher for five and outclassing theirs.
Also, if you could check my logic, better-at-rules-guys: if you copy Smasher with AE, you wouldn't have to discard a card, because AE's uncounterable?
March 23, 2016 2:31 p.m.
TheFoilAjani says... #24
secondwhiteline It's an ability (enter the ability), so you wouldn't have to discard (Reality Smasher only says spells).
March 23, 2016 2:35 p.m.
TheFoilAjani says... #25
secondwhiteline It's an ability (enter the battlefield), so you wouldn't have to discard (Reality Smasher only says spells).
March 23, 2016 2:36 p.m.
EverythingIsK says... #26
Abilities that target (like activated abilities or etb effects) aren't spells, so you don't need to discard or worry about your ability getting countered.
Side note: copy their endless one for your own really bad endless one!
March 23, 2016 2:38 p.m.
secondwhiteline says... #29
Hah! I was wondering that too, but I wasn't sure how that works with clone-style creatures. Even better.
March 23, 2016 2:49 p.m.
Regardless of this being an ability and not a spell... it doesn't 'target' so it wouldn't be countered any way.
Same would be true for something like Deflecting Palm. - It doesn't 'target', so no discard would be needed.
March 23, 2016 2:59 p.m.
MurderHood says... #31
Does anyone have any good ideas for a "The Gitrog Monster" decks in standard? I like the idea of a G/B/w ramp deck with stuff like it and Sigarda, Heron's Grace, Greenwarden of Murasa, and Ob Nixilis Reignited at the top to really smash your opponent with card advantage.
March 23, 2016 3 p.m.
Gitrog + Drownyard Temple and landfall.
The temple essentially turns the Upkeep into '
and draw a card'. Seems like a fair upkeep for a 6/6 Deathtouch that lets you play an extra land each turn.
March 23, 2016 3:02 p.m. Edited.
Vessels.... order from best to worst:
But that can all be great in Limited and useful in Standard.
March 23, 2016 3:25 p.m.
FAMOUSWATERMELON says... #35
Holy shit. This set. This set is incredible. Some playable cards, some VERY playable cards, and so much flavor. And a toad. Did I mention the fucking toad?
March 23, 2016 3:31 p.m. Edited.
A Toad that both eats and poops land... and you get smarter as it does.
March 23, 2016 3:32 p.m.
It seems they've made some breakthroughs regarding the clue token and flavor text references pointing to Emrakul in Eldritch Moon.
March 23, 2016 3:35 p.m.
Im just imaging some veteran who had an MI job in Language for the Military, or some 50+ year old college professor of languages, being hired by WotC to create this mystery while not being told why it was so important.
March 23, 2016 3:57 p.m.
I would actually argue that the and Vessels are the most efficient since they tick up. The is great too because that leaves you with two mana to use on turn 2. I don't like the equal activation costs on the and ones. Too messy for efficient play. Puts their value in the late game.
I think these cards will be great tools towards Delirium however.
March 23, 2016 4 p.m.
EverythingIsK says... #42
Wait, where's the Red one? I've only seen the 4 so far posted.
March 23, 2016 4:01 p.m.
Dang, I really need [Invocation of Saint Traft] to be added to the site. I need to brew! :P
March 23, 2016 4:07 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #46
Damnit, here I was trying to get out of Standard. Now this stupid toad makes me want to brew something around it. And just everything in this set.
Note the synergy with the Blighted lands, and somewhat with World Breaker. Mirrorpool as well.
Greenwarden of Murasa can get lands back, as can Den Protector. Pulse of Murasa does the job but pretty meh. Could be sideboard tech against aggro.
March 23, 2016 4:11 p.m. Edited.
Dang, I really wanted the black one to be better. If you could target yourself, and activate it at the speed of the other four, I feel like it would be infinitely more playable.
March 23, 2016 4:11 p.m.
Lol ducttapedeckbox: Did you mean to link the deck named "Worldbreaker"?
March 23, 2016 4:13 p.m.
See... is just value all around and has no downside.
is good on most turns, but is a crap shoot as you might just be milling the land you could have played the next turns.
is a great turn 2 play to activate on turn 4 or 5 and hopefully catch that bomb they've been saving.
is an OK investment return that might let you get your bomb out a turn early.
is too expensive IMO...5 CMC (essentially turn 2 and 3 doing nothing, hopefully you did something turn 1) for 2 1/1 flyers.
March 23, 2016 4:14 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #50
...what are you talking about, GotCubes? I did no such thing... o.o
EverythingIsK says... #1
I want this to be an illusion so I could have a reason to splash green for my illusion tribal deck. It would be Phantasmal Image 5-8.
March 23, 2016 1:15 p.m.