Fate Reforged

Fate Reforged
Set Information
Set symbol
Design	Ken Nagle (lead) Jennifer Clarke Wilkes Ethan Fleischer David Humpherys Mark Rosewater Gavin Verhey
Development	David Humpherys (lead) Ian Duke Mark L. Gottlieb Ben Hayes Ryan Spain contributions from Matt Tabak
Release date	January 23, 2015
Plane	Tarkir
Themes and mechanics	wedge clans, Hybrid mana, Dragon broods, Modal, Choice
Keywords/​ability words	Manifest, Bolster, Dash, Ferocious, Prowess, Delve
Set size	185 cards 70 Commons, 60 Uncommons, 35 Rares, 10 Mythic Rares, 10 Basic Land
Expansion code	FRF
Development codename	Dewey
Khans of Tarkir block
[[Khans of Tarkir]] '''Fate Reforged''' [[Dragons of Tarkir]]
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
[[Duel Decks Anthology]] Fate Reforged [[Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Kiora]]

Fate Reforged is the 66th Magic expansion, and the second in the Khans of Tarkir block. It was released on January 23, 2015. Fate Reforged is a small expansion.

Set details

Fate Reforged was announced at the Wizards of the Coast panel at PAX Prime on August 31, 2014. It contains 185 cards (10 basic lands, 70 commons, 60 uncommons, 35 rares, 10 mythic rares) and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards. The expansion symbol of the set is a stylized representation of two opposing planes or realities because the large sets of the block represent alternative timelines. This middle set, representing the past, is the precursor to both. The set had to be designed so it worked mechanically with both Khans of Tarkir and Dragons of Tarkir. It is designed to be drafted with both large sets, while the large sets are never drafted together. Fate Reforged draft is one pack of Fate Reforged and then two packs of Khans of Tarkir.

Because the clans of Fate Reforged are less defined, the set does not contain three-color gold cards. The color identity of the cards is instead marked by the use of hybrid ability activation costs (for example a Temur card with green mana cost, and blue/red hybrid ability cost). This allows for these cards to be played in two-color decks (in this example either green/blue or green/red). Like in Khans of Tarkir watermarks are used on the cards for the different clans, while adding slightly altered watermarks for the related dragon broods. The foil versions of the cycle of Sieges and Crux of Fate (all of which present a choice between Khans and Dragons) have a special overlay and finish which transitions seamlessly between the expansions symbols of Khans of Tarkir and Dragons of Tarkir.

Because mana fixing is very important in multicolor blocks, the basic land slot of Fate Reforged booster packs contains nonbasic lands instead. These are reprints of the ten common Khans of Tarkir taplands. They have new artwork and the Fate Reforged expansion symbol. Boosters may also include Khans of Tarkir fetch lands (in the same slot at a low frequency) which will have the Khans of Tarkir expansion symbol. The 10 Fate Reforged basic land cards can only be found in Ugin's Fate boosters, Fate Reforged Intro Pack decks and Fate Reforged Fat Pack's land pack (apart from Korean, Portuguese, Chinese (Traditional), and Russian).

The set features the colorless planeswalker Ugin, the Spirit Dragon.

Storyline

Sarkhan Vol travels 1,280 years back in time, to change the moment that sealed Tarkir's fate: the battle between Nicol Bolas and Ugin, the demise of the latter and all dragons of Tarkir (Crux of Fate). The clans still exist back in the time; they are not fighting each other but are constantly fending off the legion hordes of dragons that are terrorizing their world. Sarkhan meets khans of the past, like Yasova Dragonclaw. The history of Tarkir is rewritten.

Magic Story

Title	Author	Release Date	Setting (plane)	Featuring
A New Tarkir of Old	Kimberly J. Kreines	2014-12-31	Tarkir	Sarkhan, Yasova, Atarka
Unwritten	Kelly Digges	2015-01-14	Tarkir	Sarkhan, Yasova
The Reforged Chain	Doug Beyer	2015-01-21	Tarkir	Sarkhan, Ugin, Nicol Bolas
The Truth of Names	James Wyatt	2015-01-28	Tarkir	Alesha, Battle Brawler
The Doom of the Golden Fang	James Wyatt	2015-02-04	Tarkir	Tasigur, Khudal
No End and No Beginning	Nik Davidson	2015-02-11	Tarkir	Daghatar, Dromoka
Khanfall	Kelly Digges	2015-02-18	Tarkir	Alesha, Reyhan, Ojutai, Shu Yun, Silumgar, Tasigur, Yasova

Marketing

Fate Reforged is sold in 16-card boosters (the 16th card being a marketing card), five intro packs, a clash pack and a fat pack. The boosters feature artwork from Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, Temporal Trespass and Vaultbreaker. Korean, Portuguese, Chinese (Traditional), and Russian boosters contain basic lands at a high frequency alongside nonbasic lands, as Fate Reforged basic lands were not otherwise printed in those languages. Those languages do not have Intro Pack releases and Fat Pack releases which is where these basic lands predominantly appear in other languages.

Prerelease

Special "Ugin's Fate" booster pack

At the Fate Reforged prerelease on January 17/18, 2015, players chose their clan. While they completed three achievements, they follow in Sarkhan's footsteps to attempt to alter fate; they get to "Heal Ugin" and "Gain a glimpse of the future". The latter comes in the form of a special "Ugin's Fate" booster pack containing two alternate art cards that show how the world has changed in the new timeline, a Manifest token (with a different advert back than regular manifest tokens found in Fate Reforged booster packs) and one of 10 Fate Reforged basic land cards. There's a pool of 26 alternate art cards - 13 from Khans of Tarkir and 13 from Fate Reforged - all with a holofoil stamp. Art on the reprints from Khans of Tarkir were dragonified in order to show off the alternative timeline where Ugin was saved by Sarkhan Vol. Art on the "reprints" from Fate Reforged were Ugin-ified by featuring Ugin in some form in their artwork. A comparison of the normal and promo cards can be seen here.

Fate Reforged

Rare & Mythic Rare	Uncommon	Common
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon Mastery of the Unseen Jeskai Infiltrator Wildcall	Reality Shift Arashin War Beast Hewed Stone Retainers Ugin's Construct	Soul Summons Write into Being Sultai Emissary Fierce Invocation Formless Nurturing

Khans of Tarkir

Rare	Uncommon	Common
Jeering Instigator Grim Haruspex Altar of the Brood Ghostfire Blade	Watcher of the Roost Ruthless Ripper Arc Lightning Briber's Purse	Smite the Monstrous Mystic of the Hidden Way Debilitating Injury Ainok Tracker Dragonscale Boon

Promotional cards

• Launch promo: Sandsteppe Mastodon
• Game Day: full-art Mardu Shadowspear
• Game Day (Top 8): full-art Supplant Form
• Buy-a-Box: Shamanic Revelation
• Prerelease, one of thirty according to the chosen clan:

Abzan

Daghatar the Adamant Dromoka, the Eternal Dragonscale General Rally the Ancestors Sandsteppe Mastodon Warden of the First Tree

Jeskai

Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest Ojutai, Soul of Winter Jeskai Infiltrator Mastery of the Unseen Sage-Eye Avengers Soulfire Grand Master

Sultai

Tasigur, the Golden Fang Silumgar, the Drifting Death Archfiend of Depravity Soulflayer Supplant Form Torrent Elemental

Mardu

Alesha, Who Smiles at Death Kolaghan, the Storm’s Fury Brutal Hordechief Flamerush Rider Arcbond Mardu Strike leader

Temur

Yasova Dragonclaw Atarka, World Render Flamewake Phoenix Shaman of the Great Hunt Shamanic Revelation Wildcall

Tokens / Overlay

The sixteenth card in the boosters can be a token or overlay card, with an advertisement on the back side. The overlay card can be used on face-down Manifest cards to remind players of their power and toughness and that it can be turned face-up for its casting cost, or Morph cost if it is a Morph creature.

1. 1/1 Monk with prowess for Monastery Mentor
2. 1/1 Spirit with flying for Sandsteppe Outcast
3. 2/1 Warrior for Mardu Strike Leader
4. Manifest overlay card

Themes and mechanics

Fate Reforged manifest overlay card.

Choice is a major theme of Fate Reforged. That's why there are three cycles of modal cards in the set. The choice theme plays up the crossroads-of-history feel of the set. At higher rarities, abilities of choice are preceded by anchor words (namely, "Khans" and "Dragons") that give them a bit of flavor.

Fate Reforged sees the return of the wedge clans of Tarkir, in an altered form. Hybrid mana makes a return and appears in the cost of some card effects, notably the khans. Although morph does not return, a new, similar mechanic, manifest, can put into play any card as a face-down 2/2 creature. An overlay card may be used as an reminder.

Two of the clans from Khans of Tarkir receive a new mechanic (which will also be featured in Dragons of Tarkir ):

• Abzan - Bolster N - Choose a creature with the least toughness among creatures you control. Put N +1/+1 counters on it.
• Mardu - Dash - You may cast this spell for its dash cost. If you do, it gains haste, and it's returned from the battlefield to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.

The other three clans retain their original mechanic:

• Jeskai - Prowess
• Sultai - Delve
• Temur - Ferocious

The clans are juxtaposed with 5 dragon broods, which feature their own watermarks.

Cycles

Fate Reforged has twelve cycles and one mini-cycle.

• Enemy color activation creatures: a mega cycle divided into two subcycle where creatures have activated abilities of one enemy color pair within their clan.
  • Hybrid-mana activation creatures : five monocolored mythic rare creatures in each clan's allied color which have activated abilities costing and two hybrid mana of the clan's primary and enemy colors . —Soulfire Grand Master, Torrent Elemental, Brutal Hordechief, Shaman of the Great Hunt, and Warden of the First Tree
  • Khans: five rare legendary creatures with an activated ability that has a hybrid mana of the allied and enemy colors of the wedge in its cost. — Daghatar the Adamant, Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest, Tasigur, the Golden Fang, Alesha, Who Smiles at Death, and Yasova Dragonclaw
• Allied-colored dragons: five rare legendary dragons in each allied color pair, all of which have an ability that triggers whenever a dragon you control attacks. — Ojutai, Soul of Winter, Silumgar, the Drifting Death, Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury, Atarka, World Render, and Dromoka, the Eternal.
• Sieges: five rare enchantments with a continuous modal ability. — Citadel Siege, Monastery Siege, Palace Siege, Outpost Siege, and Frontier Siege.
• Monocolored dragons: five uncommon 4/4 dragons that cost MM, have flying and an additional in-color ability. — Wardscale Dragon, Mindscour Dragon, Noxious Dragon, Shockmaw Dragon, and Destructor Dragon
• Clan matters creatures: five monocolored uncommon creatures which have abilities that become active if you control a permanent of an allied or enemy color within the clan wedge. — Wandering Champion, Marang River Prowler, Battle Brawler, Hungering Yeti, and Abzan Kin-Guard.
• Common manifest cards: five monocolored common spells with increasing mana cost that each manifest a card from the top of the library. — Soul Summons, Write into Being, Sultai Emissary, Fierce Invocation, and Formless Nurturing.
• Common enemy-colored instants: five common instants, one of each enemy color pair. — War Flare, Harsh Sustenance, Grim Contest, Cunning Strike, and Ethereal Ambush
• Modal creatures: five common creatures with a modal enter-the-battlefield ability that either puts a +1/+1 counter on it, or has another effect. — Sandsteppe Outcast, Aven Surveyor, Hooded Assassin, Defiant Ogre, and Ainok Guide
• Runemarks: five common auras that each cost M and gives +2/+2, as well as a relevant ability if you also control a permanent of one other clan color — Abzan Runemark, Jeskai Runemark, Sultai Runemark, Mardu Runemark, and Temur Runemark
• Modal spells: five uncommon or rare modal spells. — Valorous Stance, Fascination, Crux of Fate, Mob Rule, and Ruthless Instincts
• Manifest Form mini-cycle: three uncommon auras in the Jeskai colors that manifest the top card of your library and attach themselves to them when they come into play, and then grant the enchanted creature one or two relevant abilities. — Lightform, Cloudform, and Rageform
• Life-gain Taplands: ten common lands that enter the battlefield tapped, gain the controller one life and can tap for 2 different colors of mana. Reprints of the ten-card tapland cycle from Khans of Tarkir, with new artwork.

Mirrored pairs

• Jeskai Instants: a pair of common instants that either tap or untap a creature and draw a card. — Pressure Point, Refocus.

Reprinted cards

The following cards have been reprinted from previous sets:

• Douse in Gloom, first seen in Guildpact
• Gainlands, first printed in Khans of Tarkir
  • Bloodfell Caves
  • Blossoming Sands
  • Dismal Backwater
  • Jungle Hollow
  • Rugged Highlands
  • Scoured Barrens
  • Swiftwater Cliffs
  • Thornwood Falls
  • Tranquil Cove
  • Wind-Scarred Crag
• Hunt the Weak, first printed in Magic 2014 and last seen in Magic 2015 and for the first time in an expert-level expansion
• Pyrotechnics, first printed in Legends and last seen in Planechase
• Typhoid Rats, first printed in Innistrad and last seen in Magic 2015

Note about fetchlands

As the fetchlands that appear in Fate Reforged boosters feature a Khans of Tarkir expansion symbol, they are technically not reprints.

Functional reprints

• Arashin Cleric is a functional reprint of Temple Acolyte.
• Aven Skirmisher is a functional reprint of Lantern Kami and Suntail Hawk save for creature types.
• Feral Krushok is a functional reprint of Spined Wurm save for creature types.
• Gore Swine is a functional reprint of Regathan Firecat save for creature types.
• Great-Horn Krushok is a functional reprint of Siege Mastodon and Thraben Purebloods save for creature types.
• Merciless Executioner is a functional reprint of Fleshbag Marauder save for creature types.
• Smoldering Efreet is a functional reprint of Sell-Sword Brute save for creature types.
• Sultai Skullkeeper is a functional reprint of Screeching Skaab save for creature types.

Notable cards

• Ugin, the Spirit Dragon is the second colorless planeswalker after Karn Liberated and it is a powerful finisher in Tron decks in Modern. Its first ability is a reference to Ghostfire, that refers to Ugin in its flavor text.
• Gurmag Angler and Tasigur, the Golden Fang are two staples in several formats thanks to the delve ability that lets cast them for few mana.
• Monastery Mentor saw tournament play in control decks (for example miracle decks) thanks to its ability to do a powerful board advantage. He also became a powerful finisher in Vintage, ultimately becoming restricted in August 2017.
• Warden of the First Tree is inspired by Figure of Destiny.

Preconstructed decks

Intro packs

Fate Reforged has five bicolored intro packs:

Intro pack name	Colors Included					Foil rare
Unflinching Assault	W		B			Dragonscale General
Cunning Plan		U		R		Sage-Eye Avengers
Grave Advantage			B		G	Archfiend of Depravity
Stampeding Hordes	W			R		Flamerush Rider
Surprise Attack		U			G	Temur War Shaman

Clash pack

Fate Reforged comes with a clash pack which contains a wedge-colored and a bicolored deck.

Clash pack deck name	Colors Included
Power		U	B		G
Profit			B		G

External links

• Fate Reforged official productpage