Kaldheim

Kaldheim is the 86th Magic expansion. It is set on the plane of the same name. It was released on February 5, 2021.

Set details
Raise Your Axe This set is a top-down Norse mythology-inspired set; Magic's take on what a world inspired by Vikings might look like. This set contains 285 regular cards and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards. The number of regular cards include snow basic lands (#276-285). Each type has two different pieces of art. Alternate card frames have another card number than the original version. Borderless planeswalkers are numbered #286-289, borderless pathways are #290-293, borderless Foretell mythics are #294-298, Viking showcase cards are numbered #299-332, the showcase Vorinclex with Phyrexian text is #333 and extended artwork cards are numbered #334-373. Unique cards in Set- and Theme Boosters are numbered #374–393. The basic land cards from the Bundle are numbered #394-398. The Buy-a-Box card is #399 and the Bundle promo is #400. The FNM-treatment cards from the Universal promo pack are numbered #401-405.

The Showcase cards are all Legendary Vikings. Their card frame features geometric patterns reminiscent of chiseled stone Viking art with "metal" artwork.

Storyline
The planeswalker Kaya visits a world of prophecy and legend, mortals and monsters. A world of many realms, epic sagas, bound by one truth. Viking or Valkyrie, Elf or Dwarf, all belong to the World Tree, all are supplicant to the gods. Gods who travel between the realms to do their bidding for peace, for bloodshed, or for their own amusement. But what if there was a way to harness this power? A weapon with the ability to protect all. A weapon of pure strength. Forged for a god. Or... in more creative hands, a weapon of unimaginable chaos.

The World Tree is the origin of all life on Kaldheim, and you can see the branches in the sky in all ten realms. However, they look different in each realm. The Ten Realms are constantly shifting and moving around the World Tree and can even collide. Such an epic event is called a "doomskar" and causes earthquakes, destabilization, and total chaos.

The cards that represent the Story Spotlights in Kaldheim are:
 * Battle for Bretagard
 * Dogged Pursuit
 * Doomskar
 * Fall of the Impostor
 * Forging the Tyrite Sword
 * Invasion of the Giants
 * Kaya's Onslaught
 * King Harald's Revenge
 * Open the Omenpaths</c>
 * Rise of the Dread Marn</c>
 * Starnheim Unleashed</c>
 * Struggle for Skemfar</c>
 * The Trickster-God's Heist</c>

Marketing
Kaldheim is sold in regular 16-card Draft Boosters (one card being a marketing card), Theme Boosters, Collector Boosters, Set Boosters, the Kaldheim Bundle, and two Commander decks. For Kaldheim, the production of Welcome Boosters was put on hold for North America and Europe. The Draft Boosters feature artwork from Niko, Kaya, Tibalt and Tyvar. The Theme Boosters feature art from Fynn, The Fangbearer</c> (Vikings), Starnheim Aspirant</c>, Littjara Kinseekers</c> , Thornmantle Striker</c> , Surtland Flinger</c> , and Canopy Tactician</c>. The Collector Boosters feature art of. The Set Boosters feature unique art.

The marketing had a "Viking metal" theme, with cards spoiled by Heavy metal bands, and the Collector Booster sporting a metal inspired logo.

With the release of Kaldheim, 48 cards were rotated into The List, many of which were thematically or mechanically linked to the set.

Events

 * Magic Online and MTG Arena release: January 28, 2021
 * Tabletop Prerelease: January 29–February 4
 * Launch party: February 6–February 7
 * Friday Night Magic: February 5–April 9
 * Commander Nights (a weekly Commander league with rotating rules and achievement-based prizes): February 8–April 15

Promotional cards

 * Prerelease: a stamped card that can be any rare or mythic rare of Kaldheim.
 * Other events: cards from the Kaldheim universal promo pack.
 * The seasonal dark-frame promos are:, , , , and.
 * Buy-a-Box: foil alternate art
 * Bundle promo: foil alternate art
 * Bring-a-Friend:

Tokens, emblems and markers
The sixteenth card in the boosters is a token creature card, an emblem or a marker, with advertisements on the back side. It can also be a helper card with a standard card back. There are a total of 23 tokens and emblems:
 * 1) Shard, for Niko Aris</c>.
 * 2) 4/4 Angel Warrior creature with flying and vigilance, for Great Hall of Starnheim</c>, Firja's Retribution</c>, Starnheim Unleashed</c>, and Valkyrie's Sword</c>.
 * 3) 1/1 Human Warrior creature, for <c>Battle for Bretagard</c>, <c>Beskir Shieldmate</c>, <c>Maja, Bretagard Protector</c>, and <c>Usher of the Fallen</c>.
 * 4) 1/1 Spirit creature with flying, for <c>Clarion Spirit</c>, <c>Kaya the Inexorable</c>, and <c>Valor of the Worthy</c>.
 * 5) 1/1 Bird creature with flying, for <c>Alrund's Epiphany</c>, <c>Ravenform</c> and <c>The Raven's Warning</c>.
 * 6) 4/4 Giant Wizard creature, for <c>Giant's Amulet</c>.
 * , a 3/3 Serpent creature, for <c>Koma, Cosmos Serpent</c>.
 * 1) 2/2 Shapeshifter creature with changeling, for <c>Maskwood Nexus</c> and <c>The Bears of Littjara</c>.
 * 2) 2/2 Zombie Berserker creature, for <c>Deathknell Berserker</c>, <c>Draugr's Helm</c>, and <c>Rise of the Dread Marn</c>.
 * 3) 2/3 Demon Berserker creature with menace, for <c>The Bloodsky Massacre</c>.
 * 4) 5/5 Dragon creature with flying, for <c>Dragonkin Berserker</c>.
 * 5) 2/1 Dwarf Berserker creature, for <c>Dwarven Hammer</c>, <c>Dwarven Reinforcements</c>, <c>Fearless Liberator</c>, <c>Reckless Crew</c> and <c>Warchanter Skald</c>.
 * 6) 2/2 Bear creature, for <c>Path to the World Tree</c>.
 * 7) 2/2 Cat creature, for <c>Esika's Chariot</c>.
 * 8) 1/1 Elf Warrior creature, for <c>Battle for Bretagard</c>, <c>Elderleaf Mentor</c>, <c>Elven Ambush</c>, <c>Elven Bow</c>, <c>Elvish Warmaster</c>, <c>Return Upon the Tide</c>, <c>Skemfar Elderhall</c>, and <c>Tyvar Kell</c>.
 * 9) 4/4 Troll Warrior creature with trample, for <c>Gnottvold Slumbermound</c>, <c>Old-Growth Troll</c>, and <c>Waking the Trolls</c>.
 * , a snow artifact with "undefined: Add one mana of any color.", for <c>Svella, Ice Shaper</c>.
 * , a snow artifact with "undefined: Add one mana of any color.", for <c>Replicating Ring</c>.
 * 1) Treasure, for <c>Forging the Tyrite Sword</c>, <c>Goldspan Dragon</c>, <c>Magda, Brazen Outlaw</c>, <c>Seize the Spoils</c>, <c>Smashing Success</c>, and <c>Vault Robber</c>.
 * 2) Foretell marker.
 * 1) Foretell marker.
 * 1) Foretell marker.
 * 1) Foretell marker.

Themes and mechanics
Kaldheim has a tribal theme. Each Realm is associated with two colors of magic and one creature type, with a particular strategy associated:


 * Spirits, foretell control
 * Zombies, snow midrange
 * Demons and Berserkers, boast aggro
 * Trolls, ramp
 * Humans, tokens
 * Angels, "pseudo-surge"
 * Giants, "spells matter" and Giant tribal
 * Elves, self-mill and Elf tribal
 * Dwarves, Vehicles and Equipment
 * Shapeshifters, changeling / "choose a creature type" tribal

In lieu of the abandoned block model, R&D has found a new way to tie together the three non-core premier sets in a single Magic "year" (aka the fall, winter, and spring sets—using northern hemisphere seasons): they share a common mechanic. For Zendikar Rising, Kaldheim and Strixhaven: School of Mages that is modal double-faced cards. Modal double-faced cards have two faces, one on each side. When you play a modal double-faced card, you choose the face you're playing. The nonland MDFC's of Kaldheim all feature a legendary God creature on one side and a legendary permanent on the other.

A returning mechanic is changeling, which is used to make a cohesive set (like it was used in Lorwyn and Modern Horizons previously). Changeling is a characteristic-defining ability that grants the object it’s on every creature type. The mechanic is again tied to shapeshifters.

A new mechanic is foretell. During your turn, you may pay and exile a card with foretell from your hand face down. You may cast it on a later turn for its foretell cost. Each card with foretell has a raven watermark, alluding to Hakka.

Another new mechanic is boast. Boast adds a drawback to an activated ability which is referred as the boast ability. The drawback is as follows: a player can only activate the boast ability after the creature with the ability attacks and at most once each turn.

Poison counters appear for the first time since the Scars of Mirrodin block as a one-off, on <c>Fynn, the Fangbearer</c>. Similarly, keyword counters reappear since their introduction in Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, specifically flying counters (<c>Ascendant Spirit</c>, <c>Ascent of the Worthy</c>) and indestructible counters (<c>Tyrite Sanctum</c>).

An unnamed mechanic, dubbed "Cremate", uses creature cards in the graveyard as a resource. Another theme is that several cards have triggered abilities that trigger whenever you cast your second spell in a turn.

Card types
Kaldheim sees the second return of the Saga enchantment subtype, after appearances in Dominaria and Theros Beyond Death. They are multicolored for the first time.

The supertype Snow also returns, and this time on non-permanents. Snow doesn't really do anything by itself, but it can be referred to by other cards in various ways. Snow cards now have their own recognizable snow frame. Each Draft Booster will include a Snow basic land slot and has a chance to be foil. There is a chance for one of the dual snow lands to take the Snow land slot.

The set introduces the Rune and Shard enchantment types.

Additionally, the set introduces the Niko and Tyvar planeswalker types, and the Phyrexian creature type on a surprise appearance of Vorinclex.

Coward finally appears as a creature type on the card, <c>Craven Hulk</c>.

Viking was considered as a creature type, but R&D decided against it. Instead, Viking-esque creatures have the creature type Warrior or Berserker. Supporting party from the previous set, classes represented are either Berserker or one of the party, and appear more on usually classless races like Angels, Demons, Zombies and Trolls.

Reprinted cards

 * <c>Annul</c>, first printed in Urza's Saga, last seen in Theros.
 * <c>Broken Wings</c>, first printed in Zendikar Rising.
 * <c>Disdainful Stroke</c>, first printed in Khans of Tarkir, last seen in Guilds of Ravnica.
 * <c>Invoke the Divine</c>, first printed in Dominaria, last seen in Core Set 2019.
 * <c>Revitalize</c>, first printed in Core Set 2019, last seen in Core Set 2021.
 * <c>Run Amok</c>, first printed in Dominaria, last seen in Mystery Booster.
 * <c>Strategic Planning</c>, first printed in Portal Three Kingdoms, last seen in Commander Legends.
 * <c>Village Rites</c>, first printed in Core Set 2021.
 * The snow basic lands (e.g. <c>Snow-Covered Plains</c>), first printed in Ice Age, last seen in Modern Horizons.

Functional reprints

 * <c>Elderfang Disciple</c> is a functional reprint of <c>Burglar Rat</c>, except for creature types.
 * <c>Grizzled Outrider</c> is a functional reprint of <c>Colossapede</c>, except for creature types.
 * <c>Immersturm Raider</c> is a functional reprint of <c>Fissure Wizard</c>, except for creature types.
 * <c>Ravenous Lindwurm</c> is a functional reprint of <c>Honey Mammoth</c>, except for creature types.
 * <c>Story Seeker</c> is a functional reprint of <c>Bishop's Soldier</c> and <c>Mesa Unicorn</c>, except for creature types.

Misprints

 * <c>Alrund, God of the Cosmos</c> was accidentally printed without the words "revealed this way."
 * <c>Rampage of the Valkyries</c> is missing the word "creature" in its first ability.
 * Both <c>Valkyrie Harbinger</c> and <c>Rampage of the Valkyries</c> create regular non-Warrior Angel tokens.

Preconstructed decks
Kaldheim features two Commander decks that are released as a regular part of a set's product line.