Magic: The Gathering will soon enter the Viking age with Kaldheim. The next set puts Planeswalkers in a winter world of bloody battle and sagas worthy of song. Those sagas will actually be a new mechanic, allowing players to reap rewards for completing a series of deeds. But Kaldheim will also bring back an older mechanic from MTG past: Snow.
On the surface, snow simply reimagines classic magic lands with a more powdery look. This allows them to still work with the aesthetic of Kaldheim, a place where the traditional swamps and plains wouldn't be found. But these snow-covered lands actually count as a different type of mana. Certain cards get additional abilities when snow mana is spent to cast them, giving the snow lands more purpose than just being a thematic art alternative.
Wizards of the Coast was kind enough to give TheGamer a chance to preview two Kaldheim cards in advance of the set's release. The first of these takes advantage of Snow. Meet Spirit of the Aldergard.
The idea here is pretty straightforward, and made for Snow-themed decks. Being able to search your deck for more land is always nice, although the four mana cost stops it from being as efficient as other cards with similar abilities. This spirit does come in at 0/4 with the ability to power up, though, so it lends some decent bulk to your side.
What's truly interesting about Spirit of the Aldergard, however, is that it's a Snow Creature. This confirms the existence of "snow" being a keyword outside of lands. Combined with its ability to get +1/+0 for each other snow permanent, our wheels are already turning for what a Snow deck could do.
Next up is an Instant called Broken Wings.
Again, the effect is upfront. Flying can be annoying when you're not running it, so here's a counter. It could help out Spirit of the Aldergard up there, as that bulky ghost bear can't fly.
Kaldheim is set to launch on January 28 for Magic: The Gathering Online and Arena. Prerelease events will start the next day, leading up to the February 5 physical release. Pre-orders can made at your local game store, or check the Kaldheim site for digital info.
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