:symtap:: Target Crab, Fish, Octopus, or Whale gains cloak until end of turn.
Bloodsport Pen
Artifact Land [RARE]
Bloodsport Pen enters the battlefield tapped.
:symtap:: Add to your mana pool.
:symtap:: Target Boar, Goat, Horse, or Ox gains first strike until end of turn.
Reptile Enclave
Artifact Land [RARE]
Reptile Enclave enters the battlefield tapped.
:symtap:: Add to your mana pool.
:symtap:: Target Crocodile, Lizard, Snake, or Turtle gains deathtouch until end of turn.
A few points of fact:
This is the set's one and only rare land cycle.
Taken in conjunction with the one common triland and the uncommon dual cycle, this indicates the trend for the block as a whole - a tricolor common that's part of a block cycle, an uncommon dual cycle that is unique to the set, and a rare mono cycle that is unique to the set.
Why artifact lands? Because this is an artifact set. Why animal creature types? Because they feature extensively in the set.
What's is this Menagerie? Who is this Padishah? Please see the set page for the most up-to-date flavor information.
"Cloak" means trollshroud. Don't get worked up about it - just call it trollshroud if it makes you happy.
Haha, nice idea of having zoo cages as lands. Really bursting with flavour here. Goats involved in blood sports is something I'd like to see!
WotC has frequently bemoaned their decision to make artifact lands. Yes, it was partially due to affinity, but it was also because they quickly become degenerate in multiple formats. It was part of the reason why the Lorwyn tribal lands weren't given creature types.
Remove the artifact from these and they're great to go.
Private Mod Note
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Gaymer
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.
Remove the artifact from these and they're great to go.
Yeah, I'm really struggling with this issue.
On the one hand, these are more universal and still make perfect flavor sense if they're not artifact lands.
On the other hand, this is an artifact set, my storyline would have them be artifact lands, and I don't think that anybody would run these in any format where the original artifact lands are legal (because they ETBT and provide nothing additional of value to affinity decks and their brethren). But, I might be wrong on that last point, and that's what worries me. I don't really know.
So, Spikes... would you pack these into your affinity decks? Or does the ETBT make them untouchable, when the six Mirrodin-block artifact lands are available?
Artifact Land [RARE]
Vast Aquarium enters the battlefield tapped.
:symtap:: Add to your mana pool.
:symtap:: Target Crab, Fish, Octopus, or Whale gains cloak until end of turn.
Artifact Land [RARE]
Bloodsport Pen enters the battlefield tapped.
:symtap:: Add to your mana pool.
:symtap:: Target Boar, Goat, Horse, or Ox gains first strike until end of turn.
Artifact Land [RARE]
Reptile Enclave enters the battlefield tapped.
:symtap:: Add to your mana pool.
:symtap:: Target Crocodile, Lizard, Snake, or Turtle gains deathtouch until end of turn.
WotC has frequently bemoaned their decision to make artifact lands. Yes, it was partially due to affinity, but it was also because they quickly become degenerate in multiple formats. It was part of the reason why the Lorwyn tribal lands weren't given creature types.
Remove the artifact from these and they're great to go.
Custom Card / Set Reviewer
When reviewing custom cards / sets, I look for (a) flavour, (b) function, and (c) cohesiveness, generally through a risk focus.
Yeah, I'm really struggling with this issue.
On the one hand, these are more universal and still make perfect flavor sense if they're not artifact lands.
On the other hand, this is an artifact set, my storyline would have them be artifact lands, and I don't think that anybody would run these in any format where the original artifact lands are legal (because they ETBT and provide nothing additional of value to affinity decks and their brethren). But, I might be wrong on that last point, and that's what worries me. I don't really know.
So, Spikes... would you pack these into your affinity decks? Or does the ETBT make them untouchable, when the six Mirrodin-block artifact lands are available?