Conflux | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Set Information | |||||
Set symbol | |||||
Symbol description | 5 shards joining together | ||||
Design |
Bill Rose (lead), Mark Globus, Mark Gottlieb, Kenneth Nagle | ||||
Development |
Mike Turian (lead), Graeme Hopkins, Erik Lauer, Devin Low | ||||
Art direction | Jeremy Jarvis | ||||
Release date | February 6, 2009 | ||||
Plane | Alara | ||||
Keywords/ability words | Cycling, Devour, Domain, Exalted, Unearth | ||||
Set size |
145 cards (60 commons, 40 uncommons, 35 rares, 10 mythic rares) | ||||
Expansion code | CON[1] | ||||
Development codename | Paper | ||||
Alara block | |||||
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Magic: The Gathering Chronology | |||||
|
- For the event in the storyline, see Conflux (event).
Conflux is the second set in the Alara block and is the forty-eighth Magic expansion. The prerelease events for this set were held January 31-February 1, 2009.[2] Launch parties were held February 6–8, 2009.[3] The set went on sale February 6, 2009.
Set details[ | ]
Conflux was the first small set to be reduced in size and to contain the new mythic rarity The set contains 145 black-bordered cards (60 commons, 40 uncommons, 35 rares, 10 mythic rares). Conflux continues the Shards of Alara 's multicolor theme, expanding on it by introducing five-colored cards. Aside from the multicolor theme the set makes use of the mechanics introduced in the previous set.[4][5] The set featured the return of Nicol Bolas, via the card Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker. The expansion symbol of the set is a representation of the five converging shards. The set was accompanied by the first Planeswalker novel: Agents of Artifice, written by Ari Marmell.
On September 29, 2008, the entire Conflux card list was leaked on MTG Salvation, thanks to mjmj.info.[6]
Flavor and storyline[ | ]
A powerful and infinitely sinister force is conspiring to reunite the Shards of Alara. This reunification will come with a deadly price – sheer chaos, as realities begin to overlap. Thus begins the Conflux.[7]
Storyline sources[ | ]
Title | Author | Publishing date | Setting (plane) | Featuring |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alara Unbroken, second part | Doug Beyer | May 2009 | Alara | Nicol Bolas, Malfegor, Gwafa Hazid, Rafiq, Mubin, Sarkhan Vol, Kresh, Rakka Mar, Jazal Goldmane, Ajani Goldmane, Marisi, Tenoch, Chimamatl, Elspeth Tirel, Mayael, Karrthus, Zaliki |
Story Comics[ | ]
The Seeker's Fall is a webcomic about Tezzeret's origins on Esper and his first contact with Nicol Bolas. It was published in three parts in January and February 2009.
Title | Author | Release Date | Setting (plane) | Featuring |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Seeker's Fall, Part 1 | Jenna Helland | 2009-01-20 | Esper | Silas Renn, Tezzeret |
The Seeker's Fall, Part 2 | Jenna Helland | 2009-01-27 | Esper, Grixis | Silas Renn, Tezzeret |
The Seeker's Fall, Part 3 | Jenna Helland | 2009-02-04 | Grixis | Tezzeret, Nicol Bolas |
Savor the Flavor[ | ]
Title | Author | Release Date | Setting (plane) | Featuring |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Soul of the World | Jenna Helland | January 21, 2009 | Naya | Progenitus, Mayael, Cylia |
Marketing[ | ]
Conflux was sold in 16-card boosters, five intro packs and a fat pack.[8][9][10] Conflux was also the first set to be sold in 6-card booster packs containing a tips/token card, 1 land, 3 commons, 1 uncommon, and 1 slot that has an equal chance of being rare/mythic, uncommon, or common. These packs were exclusively available from Gravity Feeds at large mass-market stores.[11]
The promotional card given to players at the pre-release was the demon-dragon Malfegor.[12] The set's sub-theme of all five colors converging was demonstrated in the release card, Obelisk of Alara, an artifact with five tap abilities, each one costing 1M and producing a common effect found in that color.[13]
The 16-card boosters featured artwork from Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker, Maelstrom Archangel and Nyxathid, the small booster featured artwork from Apocalypse Hydra. An all-foil booster pack containing cards from Conflux and the other two sets of the block was released on January 8, 2010.[14]
The regular boosters of Conflux come with a bonus sixteenth card that is either a "tips & tricks card" or a creature token from Conflux. One face of the Conflux bonus card has one of four different rules tips or is one of 2 different creature tokens. The other face has one of 13 advertisements for organized play programs, Alara Reborn, Duels of the Planeswalkers for Xbox Live, Magic Online, fat packs, A Planeswalker's Guide to Alara and Ultra Pro products for Magic.
Tips & Tricks[ | ]
The tips & tricks cards are
- Theme: Cards
- Rules Tip: Domain
- A Threat to Alara: Nicol Bolas
- Fun Format: Pack Wars
Tokens[ | ]
The Conflux tokens are:[15]
- 4/4 Angel with flying produced by Sigil of the Empty Throne
- 3/1 Elemental produced by Rakka Mar
The following tokens could also be found in Conflux packs.
- 1/1 Soldier produced by Martial Coup (Shards of Alara token)
- 2/2 Zombie produced by Grixis Slavedriver (Shards of Alara token)
- 1/1 Saproling produced by Spore Burst, Tukatongue Thallid (Shards of Alara token)
Mechanics[ | ]
All the shard keywords were back. Colored artifact creatures were still there. Bant still had their exalted ability. Jund still devour. Grixis raised their dead by unearth and Naya's "power 5 or greater" theme continued. In many ways, Conflux was a big continuation of Shards of Alara, except that there was no room for color hate because the shards had become aware of each other.[16]
In Conflux, Domain became an ability word.[17] The set also introduced basic land cycling for which there is a cycle of common cards (also regular cycling appears on two cards). Progenitus was the first to have "protection from everything" as an actual card effect. There was also a five-color theme, notably Fusion Elemental at uncommon.
Cycles[ | ]
Conflux has 8 cycles:
Cycle name | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basic landcyclers | Gleam of Resistance | Traumatic Visions | Absorb Vis | Fiery Fall | Sylvan Bounty |
These common instants and sorceries have one effect that is relatively overcosted, and basic landcycling for M. | |||||
Creatures with shard-colored activated abilities | Aerie Mystics | Scornful Æther-Lich | Dreadwing | Viashino Slaughtermaster | Sacellum Archers |
Each of these uncommon creatures has an activated ability which costs both allied-colored mana. | |||||
Enemy-color hosers | Celestial Purge | Controlled Instincts | Corrupted Roots | Ignite Disorder | Filigree Fracture |
Each of these uncommon spells hampers both of their enemy colors at a low mana cost. | |||||
Cycle name | |||||
Common allied-colored spells | Esper Cormorants | Vectis Agents | Suicidal Charge | Exploding Borders | Rhox Bodyguard |
Each of these common spells has a mana cost that includes two allied-colored mana. | |||||
Uncommon allied-colored spells | Jhessian Balmgiver | Countersquall | Shambling Remains | Hellkite Hatchling | Vagrant Plowbeasts |
Each of these uncommon spells has a mana cost that includes two allied-colored mana. | |||||
Outlanders | Vedalken Outlander | Zombie Outlander | Goblin Outlander | Nacatl Outlander | Valeron Outlander |
These common 2/2 allied-colored scout creatures each have protection from their enemy color. These are functional reprints of a cycle from Invasion | |||||
Cycle name | |||||
Uncommon shard-colored spells | Skyward Eye Prophets | Sludge Strider | Elder Mastery | Scarland Thrinax | Knotvine Mystic |
Each of these uncommon spells has a mana cost that includes MNO. | |||||
Rare shard-colored creatures | Giltspire Avenger | Magister Sphinx | Blood Tyrant | Charnelhoard Wurm | Meglonoth |
Each of these rare creatures has a mana cost that includes MNO. |
Mini-cycles[ | ]
Conflux has three cycles of three cards:
Cycle name | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Esper artifact-enhanced creatures | Court Homunculus | Faerie Mechanist | Salvage Slasher | |
Each of these common artifact creatures gets better the more artifacts you play. | ||||
Esper scepters | Scepter of Dominance | Scepter of Insight | Scepter of Fugue | |
Each of these rare artifacts is a colored version of an artifact from Alpha | ||||
Cycle name | ||||
Uncommon creatures | Paragon of the Amesha | Fleshformer | Dragonsoul Knight[18] | |
Each of these uncommon 2/2 creatures has a mana cost of M and an ability that gives them bonuses for . |
Mega cycle[ | ]
Cycle name | Bant |
Esper |
Grixis |
Jund |
Naya |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Planeswalkers | Elspeth, Knight-Errant (Shards of Alara) | Tezzeret the Seeker (Shards of Alara) | Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker (Conflux)[19] | Sarkhan Vol (Shards of Alara) | Ajani Vengeant (Shards of Alara) |
Each shard has a corresponding Planeswalker. |
Reprinted cards[ | ]
- Mana Cylix — last seen in Planeshift. It changed rarity from an uncommon to a common.
- Maniacal Rage — first seen in Exodus, last seen in Invasion.
- Unsummon — last seen in 10th Edition.
- Worldly Counsel — last seen in Invasion.
Functional reprints[ | ]
Conflux has 7 functional reprints:
- Canyon Minotaur is a functional reprint of Hill Giant from 10th Edition, Tor Giant from Ice Age, Ogre Warrior from Starter 1999, Barbarian Horde from Portal Three Kingdoms and Wild Jhovall from Mercadian Masques, save for creature type.
- Might of Alara is a functional reprint of Gaea's Might from Planeshift.
- Nacatl Savage is a functional reprint of Tel-Jilad Chosen from Mirrodin, save for creature type.
- The multicolored protection Bears cycle is a functional reprint of a cycle in Invasion, save for Vedalken Outlander, which is an artifact, while Galina's Knight is not, the others only differ in creature types. They are:
- Zombie Outlander is a functional reprint of Vodalian Zombie.
- Goblin Outlander is a functional reprint of Shivan Zombie.
- Nacatl Outlander is a functional reprint of Yavimaya Barbarian.
- Valeron Outlander is a functional reprint of Llanowar Knight.
Card comparisons[ | ]
Notable Cards[ | ]
- Knight of the Reliquary — heavily played in Standard, Extended and Legacy midrange decks.
- Maelstrom Archangel — a very popular Mythic rare which allows its controller to play a free spell whenever it does damage. In Standard Five-Color-Control decks, this was typically the engine by which players could play Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker [20]
- Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker — a highly sought-after card when it first came out; has since shown to have little competitive-play value, due to its unruly mana cost, but is still valued reasonably as a noteworthy and flavorful card; a favorite of Timmy and Vorthos. Notable for being the first tri-colored Planeswalker.
- Noble Hierarch — often used in various formats mostly for mana fixing and acceleration.
- Path to Exile — considered the successor Swords to Plowshares, and is run in many decks in Legacy, Modern, Extended, and Standard.
- Progenitus — One of the most powerful, and arguably most difficult to hardcast, creatures, often played in combo decks in Standard, Extended and Legacy.
- Exotic Orchard is a particularly effective mana-fixing land for multiplayer formats
- Countersquall has seen sporadic play in blue-black control decks in Modern
- Banefire was played in many Standard aggro decks as both a removal spell and a finisher that could not be stopped by control decks
- Ancient Ziggurat has helped aggro decks such as Humans in Modern play spells that heavily restrictive mana costs
- Lapse of Certainty is one of only a few non-restrictive white counterspells, and close to a colorshifted Memory Lapse
- Conflux is one of only a few cards to be named after the set in which they are printed
Intro packs[ | ]
The intro packs are:[21]
Intro pack name | Colors Included | Foil rare | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bant on the March | W | U | G | Giltspire Avenger | ||
Esper Air Assault | W | U | B | Magister Sphinx | ||
Grixis Shambling Army | U | B | R | Blood Tyrant | ||
Jund Appetite for War | B | R | G | Charnelhoard Wurm | ||
Naya Domain | W | R | G | Paleoloth |
References[ | ]
- ↑ set symbol URL on Gatherer
- ↑ Tim Willoughby (January 26, 2009). "Conflux Prerelease Primer". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (July 30, 2008). "Announcing Conflux". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 19, 2009). "When Worlds Collide, Part I". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 26, 2009). "When Worlds Collide, Part II". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ "[CON] Complete Conflux Card Names (List)" — MTG Salvation
- ↑ Doug Beyer (January 19, 2009). "Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (December 16, 2008). "Conflux Booster Packs". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (January 29, 2009). "Conflux Intro Pack Contents". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (December 17, 2008). "Conflux Fat Pack". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (February 05, 2009). "The Gravity Feed". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (January 15, 2009). "Conflux Prerelease Card". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (February 02, 2009). "Conflux Launch Party Card". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (September 29, 2009). "The All-Foil Booster". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (January 19, 2009). "Conflux Tokens". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Ken Nagle (February 09, 2009). "Conflux Design Feature Article". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Tom LaPille (January 23, 2009). "Developing a New Domain". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (February 17, 2009). "Five-Color Cues". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Doug Beyer (Wednesday, April 08, 2009). "The One, The Only, Nicol Bolas". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (April 06, 2009). "If I Had a Nicol...". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (December 18, 2008). "Conflux Intro Packs". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.