Born of the Gods

Born of the Gods
Set Information
Set symbol
Themes and mechanics	Gods. Heroes, Monsters, Enchantment creatures
Keywords/​ability words	Inspired, Tribute, Bestow, Devotion, Heroic and Scry
Set size	165 cards (60 commons, 60 uncommons, 35 rares, 10 mythic rares)
Expansion code	BNG
Development codename	Romans

Born of the Gods is the second set in the Theros block. It is the 63^rd Magic expansion and was released on February 7, 2014. Born of the Gods will be followed up by the third expansion in the block, Journey into Nyx.

Set details

“

Awaken the Myth

”

Like its predecessor, Born of the Gods has a ancient Greek themed top-down design, making use of many mythological tropes. The set contains 165 cards (60 Common, 60 Uncommon, 35 Rare, 10 Mythic) and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards. The set contained the planeswalker card for Kiora, anticpated since her introduction in Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012.

Flavor and storyline

No longer content to walk the planes of the Multiverse seeking pleasure, the planeswalker Xenagos returns to Theros to become the god of revels. The boundaries that separate everyday existence from Nyx are growing dangerously thin. Strange creatures of enchantment, called Nyxborn or Born of the Gods, are pouring into the mortal world as Xenagos threatens to disrupt the very nature of the plane. Mogis, the god of slaughter sends hordes of mortal and Nyxborn minotaurs against the human cities Akros, Meletis and Setessa. Elspeth Tirel leads an army of heroes to break the minotaur siege at Akros. The humans were victorious, but the victory celebration after the battle becomes the ultimate ritual to launch Xenagos into Nyx as a god. Elspeth is blamed for his ascension and driven away in disgrace.

Marketing

Born of the Gods was sold in 16-card boosters (one card being a marketing card), five intro packs, one event deck and a fat pack. The boosters feature artwork from Mogis, God of Slaughter, Ephara, God of the Polis and Phenax, God of Deception. The set features the continuation of the Hero's Path.

Prerelease

Quest 4 on the Hero's Path takes place at the Born of the Gods Prerelease events, February 1 and 2, 2014. As with Theros, players will choose their destiny based on a favorite mana color and receive a Seeded Prerelease Pack based on that color (Destined to Lead , Outwit , Dominate , Conquer or Thrive ). The Prerelease Pack contains a Spindown™ Life Counter, one of five Hero Cards (respectively The General, The Savant, The Tyrant, The Warmonger and The Provider), one of five quiz activity cards, two Born of the God boosters, three Theros boosters, and a seeded booster featuring cards appropriate for that player's chosen path—including one of the five Prerelease promo cards.

Launch Weekend

Born of the Gods launched February 7, 2014 and the month's first Friday Night Magic started off the festivities. Players on the Hero's Path came to their stores to "Venture into the Wilds" and solved a puzzle hidden within the poster included in the Born of the Gods Launch Weekend kit. Players who solved the puzzle received a copy of the Quest 5 Hero Card (The Provider).

Game Day

On March 1st and 2nd Born of the Gods Game Day players can use their Standard decks for the sixth quest on the Hero's Path: Battle the Horde, a special Challenge Deck provided to the retailer. By winning against the Challenge deck, players win a sixth Hero card (The Vanquisher).

Promotional Cards

• Prerelease, one of five according to the chosen destiny: Silent Sentinel, Arbiter of the Ideal, Eater of Hope, Forgestoker Dragon, Nessian Wilds Ravager.
• Launch promo: Tromokratis
• Game Day: full-art Kiora's Follower
• Game Day (Top 8): full-art foil Pain Seer
• Buy-a-Box: Fated Conflagration

Tokens / Emblem

A sixteenth card in the boosters can be a token creature card or an emblem, with advertisements on the back side:

1. 1/1 Bird for Ornitharch
2. 1/1 Cat for Brimaz, King of Oreskos and Vanguard of Brimaz
3. 1/1 Soldier enchantment creature for God-Favored General
4. 2/2 Bird enchantment creature for Aerie Worshippers
5. 9/9 Kraken for Kiora, the Crashing Wave
6. 2/2 Zombie enchantment creature for Forlorn Pseudamma
7. 3/1 Elemental enchantment creature for Satyr Nyx-Smith
8. 3/3 Centaur enchantment creature for Fated Intervention and Pheres-Band Raiders
9. 2/2 Wolf for Raised by Wolves
10. artifact token named Gold for Gild (this is the first ever non-creature token)
11. Emblem for Kiora, the Crashing Wave

Themes and mechanics

See also: Theros block/Trivia.

• Enchantment creatures, bestow, devotion, heroic and scry return from the previous set.
• Inspired (ability word) — Whenever ~ becomes untapped, do something. Creatures with inspired abilities represent the divine inspiration that comes from the world of dreams. A creature's inspired ability triggers every time the creature becomes untapped.
• Tribute (static ability) — A creature with a tribute ability offers an opponent a choice: either it becomes even larger, or it does something nasty to your opponent when it enters the battlefield. E.g. Tribute 6 (As this creature enters the battlefield, an opponent of your choice may put 6 +1/+1 counters on it.) When ~ enters the battlefield, if its tribute wasn't paid, you may have ~ fight another target creature. It is said that Tribute replaced Monstrosity in this set, but wasn't said if Monstrosity will make a return in the 3rd set of the block.

Cycles

Born of the Gods has nine cycles. Some cards are part of a Theros block mega cycle.

• Gods: five multicolored mythic rare legendary enchantment creatures that each embody one of the gods of Theros. Each card has a low casting cost, but is not a creature until your Devotion to their two colors is 7 or more. They are all indestructible and have one static ability — Ephara, God of the Polis, Mogis, God of Slaughter, Xenagos, God of Revels, Karametra, God of Harvests and Phenax, God of Deception.
• Archetypes: five uncommon enchantment creatures, one of each color. Each Archetype has two abilities: one that grants a keyword ability to all of your creatures, including itself, and one that makes your opponents' creatures lose that same keyword. — Archetype of Courage, Archetype of Imagination, Archetype of Finality, Archetype of Aggression and Archetype of Endurance
• Fated spells: five rare instant spells with a cost that includes MMM. These spells let you scry 2 when you play them in your own turn. — Fated Retribution, Fated Infatuation, Fated Return, Fated Conflagration and Fated Intervention
• Inspired creatures: five uncommon creatures with the inspired mechanic, creating creature enchantment tokens for M when untapping. — God-Favored General, Aerie Worshippers, Forlorn Pseudamma, Satyr Nyx-Smith and Pheres-Band Raiders
• Nyxborn: five common creatures with the bestow mechanic and no additional abilities. — Nyxborn Shieldmate, Nyxborn Triton, Nyxborn Eidolon, Nyxborn Rollicker and Nyxborn Wolf
• Devotion X Spells: five uncommon cards that scales according to your devotion to that color. — Acolyte's Reward, Thassa's Rebuff, Sanguimancy, Thunderous Might and Skyreaping
• Uncommon Tribute: five uncommon creatures with the tribute mechanic. — Ornitharch, Siren of the Fanged Coast, Shrike Harpy, Thunder Brute and Nessian Demolok
• Gold uncommons: A cycle of five uncommon allied-colored gold cards with colors matching the gods of the set. — Ephara's Enlightenment, Fanatic of Xenagos, Ragemonger, Reap what is Sown, and Siren of the Silent Song
• Tapping Auras: five common auras that grant ability with in its cost. — Ephara's Radiance, Evanescent Intellect, Claim of Erebos, Epiphany Storm and Karametra's Favor.
• Enemy colored uncommons: An incomplete cycle of uncommon cards that have an ability that requires an enemy color. The cycle goes in the opposite direction from the similar cycle of commons from Theros. The cycle misses its member (a spot taken instead by Kiora's Follower, the sixth gold uncommon card). — Akroan Phalanx, Odunos River Trawler, Stormcaller of Keranos and Graverobber Spider

Reprinted cards

• Divination from Magic 2010 and last seen in Magic 2014.
• Eternity Snare was last seen in Time Spiral.
• Necrobite was last seen in Avacyn Restored.
• Revoke Existence from Scars of Mirrodin and last seen in Duel Decks: Venser vs. Koth.
• Springleaf Drum was last seen in Lorwyn.

Functional reprints

• Charging Badger is a functional reprint of Defiant Elf, save for creature type.
• Great Hart is a functional reprint of Pillarfield Ox, save for creature type.
• Reckless Reveler is a functional reprint of Torch Fiend from Dark Ascension, save for creature type.
• Retraction Helix is a functional reprint of Banishing Knack from Eventide.
• Rise to the Challenge is a functional reprint of Thunder Strike from Magic 2011 and Magic 2014.
• Unravel the Æther is a functional reprint of Deglamer from Morningtide.

Strictly better

• Astral Cornucopia is strictly better than Manalith.
• Chorus of the Tides is strictly better than Snapping Drake.
• Drown in Sorrow is strictly better than Infest.
• Everflame Eidolon is strictly better than Pygmy Pyrosaur, Pyric Salamander and Spitfire Handler .
• Fall of the Hammer is strictly better than Crush Underfoot (except that the latter doesn't target the creature you control, so it may have shroud).

Strictly worse

• Culling Mark is strictly worse than Hunt Down.
• Felhide Brawler is strictly worse than Gutter Skulk (but strictly better than Spineless thug).
• Gorgon's Head is strictly worse than Basilisk Collar.

Preconstructed decks

Intro packs

Born of the Gods has five bicolored intro packs: Template:Intro packs

Event deck

Born of the Gods has one event deck. Template:Event deck

External links

• Born of the Gods product information page — Wizards of the Coast
• Trick Jarrett (January 13, 2014). "Born of the Gods Trailer". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.