Wizards of the Coast are back at it again with their latest Universe Beyond set, this time taking the plunge from the top of a clock tower into the hay bale that is the Assassin’s Creed franchise.
To my horror, it’s now been 17 years since the first Assassin’s Creed was released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Apparently, something has to be 20 years old to be considered vintage, so at least we can’t refer to it as vintage yet – but we aren’t far away…
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Since that first iconic release, the franchise has seen many releases across a broad range of platforms and an even wider variety of settings. Whether you want to play as Altaïr during the Crusades, Edward during the Golden Age of Piracy, or Lydia during World War I, the games have explored settings ranging from late-BC to the 20th-century. And there are more to come, with Assassin’s Creed Shadows due out in November 2024 – this time set in 16th-century Japan.
But before players jump off pagoda’s into hay bales to the sound a screeching eagle, they have a chance to dive into an equally exciting game of Magic with cards taking inspiration from the entire franchise.
What’s new in the MTG Assassin’s Creed set?
As is tradition, a new Magic set means some new mechanics to keep game veterans on their toes, and provide newbies a slightly steeper cliff to get up to speed.
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Assassin’s Creed sees the introduction of the Freerunning mechanic, offering players a way to cast spells for an alternate cost: provided an Assassin they control (or their Commander) has dealt combat damage to a player in that same turn. It’s interesting that they included Commanders in this mechanic, given the set didn’t release with any Commander decks – but always good to see love being given to all formats of the game.
In terms of bling, there are Memory Corridor Frames which looks to be this sets equivalent of Showcase cards. Featuring artists’ interpretations of iconic characters from across multiple games in the franchise, some of the more die hard fans of the series will no doubt be chasing these ones:
What’s does the latest MTG set offer?
Well first off, there are no Commander decks. Colour me surprised! With the recent Universes Beyond sets (Dr Who, Fallout) being exclusively Commander deck releases (plus Collector Boosters of course), it’s a bit of a change to not see any here. Instead, you’re able to get a Starter Kit, priced from $34.95 AUD, that includes two pre-constructed, 60 card decks to get you going with some Standard format games.
Additionally, and fresh off the back of releasing their new Play Boosters a few months ago, Wizard’s have decided to throw another spanner in the mix with their product line up Assassin’s Creed. Anything to keep us on their toes.
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Now available are brand new Beyond Boosters. These boosters, priced from $9.95 AUD, include a seven cards. There’s a guaranteed Borderless card and shining foil in every pack. Personally, I found these a tiny bit underwhelming to open up. Seven cards just doesn’t quite feel like that many when you’re opening up a pack, the rush is over just as it begins. In saying that, the guaranteed borderless card definitely helps as you will always have some nice extended art to look at for your last card in the pack, but I personally find Play Boosters to be just that little bit more satisfying to open.
Collector Boosters see a similar treatment, priced from $49.95 AUD, with a reduction in number of cards from 15 to 10 (excluding tokens). Collector Boosters have the benefit of always being fairly satisfying to open, given the guarantee of foils, etched foils, full art lands, and then the chance for Rares or Mythics in multiple slots.
It looks like the Beyond Boosters will become a staple inclusion for future Universes Beyond sets, so maybe WotC are looking to offset licensing costs by reducing the included cards? I’m not sure, but it feels a bit bad, given that the product is printed cardboard and they’re developing the art regardless of the number of cards in the pack.
Maybe I’m just being cynical, as I’m sure that licensing for these collaborations can be expensive and to date, they’ve always been of a high quality. But given that these Universes Beyond boosters look like they’ll retail for the same (or even more) than the ‘regular’ set booster it’s definitely a feels bad man situation for the average consumer.
When is the Assassin’s Creed MTG set available?
Magic: The Gathering Universes Beyond: Assassin’s Creed is available right now. Fans of the games rejoice, you’re able to unlock the secrets of Animus right now.
You can pick up Starter Kits, Bundles, Collector Boosters and Beyond Boosters at your local card shop!
Quest Daily was supplied with a starter set and boosters of the Assassin’s Creed Universes Beyond set for the purpose of this article.
