A mega cycle is a cycle with its member cards distributed across separate sets in a block. When these sets are spread across multiple blocks, this is sometimes referred to as a mega-mega cycle. However, since blocks are now obsolete, normal mega cycles are much rarer, showing up in pseudo-blocks such as the Guilds of Ravnica block. Thus, cycles distributed across sets in the present day are termed as mega-mega cycles by default or supercycles.[1][2]
List of mega cycles[]
Three-card mega cycles[]
One card per set within one block.
Cycle name | 1st Set | 2nd Set | 3rd Set |
---|---|---|---|
Land Kavus | Slimy Kavu (Invasion) | Kavu Recluse (Planeshift) | Tundra Kavu (Apocalypse) |
Each of these Kavu is a red 2/2 creature with a mana cost of | |||
Kaldra | Sword of Kaldra (Mirrodin) | Shield of Kaldra (Darksteel) | Helm of Kaldra (Fifth Dawn) |
Each of these three rare legendary Equipment is a constituent required to put the legendary Kaldra creature token onto the battlefield. Each of these cards was its set's prerelease promotional card. | |||
Ezrith destroy | Premature Burial (Time Spiral) | Cradle to Grave (Planar Chaos) | Grave Peril (Future Sight) |
Each of these black cards costs |
Four-card mega cycles[]
Cycle name | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Gold counterspells | Absorb (Invasion) (Healing Salve) |
Undermine (Invasion) (Bump in the Night) |
Suffocating Blast (Apocalypse) (Lightning Strike) |
Mystic Snake (Apocalypse) (Grizzly Bears) |
Each of these multicolored spells has | ||||
Cycle name | ||||
Mutations | Aura Mutation (Invasion) (Enchantments) |
Aether Mutation (Apocalypse) (Creatures - bounce) |
Death Mutation (Apocalypse) (Creatures - destroy) |
Artifact Mutation (Invasion) (Artifacts) |
Each of these multicolored spells has |
Five-card mega cycles[]
Guild mega cycles[]
Ravnica's design is based upon the use of all ten two-color combinations in the forms of guild, and its popularity has resulted in multiple set revisits. As such, mega cycles are prevalent, even after the shift to leave small sets and yearly blocks behind.
List of mega-mega cycles/supercycles[]
A mega-mega cycle or supercycle is a cycle with its member cards distributed across separate sets; unlike a mega cycle, however, these sets are not all within a single block.[2][4]
Two-card mega-mega cycles[]
Mirrored pair | Description | |
---|---|---|
Platinum Angel (Mirrodin) | Abyssal Persecutor (Worldwake) | An angel that makes it impossible for you to lose the game and your opponents to win and a demon that does the opposite. |
Chief Engineer (Magic 2015) | Inspiring Statuary (Aether Revolt) | A creature that grants Convoke to artifacts and an artifact that grants Improvise to non-artifacts. |
Druid of the Anima (Shards of Alara) | Urborg Elf (Apocalypse) | Two 1/1 green Elf Druids with mana cost |
Noble Hierarch (Conflux) | Ignoble Hierarch (Modern Horizons 2) | Two 0/1 green creatures with mana cost |
Three-card mega-mega cycles[]
Cycle name | |||
---|---|---|---|
Copy Enchantments | Copy Artifact (Alpha) | Copy Enchantment (Ravnica: City of Guilds) | Copy Land (Modern Horizons 3 Commander Decks) |
Three blue rare Enchantments named 'Copy X' that enter as a copy of their specified permanent card type. At the time of the release of Modern Horizons 3 Commander, this was the longest-running mega-mega cycle. | |||
Cycle name | |||
Delver evolution | Delver of Secrets (Innistrad) | Aberrant Researcher (Shadows over Innistrad) | Docent of Perfection (Eldritch Moon) |
Each of these double-faced cards depicts the further descent into madness of a single unknown researcher. The type line, power, and toughness of each card's front face are identical to that of the previous card's back face. | |||
Cycle name | |||
Mana/Draw rocks | Mind Stone (Weatherlight) | Hedron Archive (Battle for Zendikar) | Dreamstone Hedron (Rise of the Eldrazi) |
Each of these Artifacts with 2X mana cost can be tapped for X colorless mana, or draw X cards by paying X mana and sacrificing them. | |||
Cycle name | |||
Legendary dragons | Lathliss, Dragon Queen (Core Set 2019) | Drakuseth, Maw of Flames (Core Set 2020) | Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge (Core Set 2021) |
Three red rare legendary Dragons released in each Core Set starting from 2019 to 2021. | |||
Cycle name | |||
Etched compleation | Etched Oracle (Fifth Dawn) | Etched Champion (Scars of Mirrodin) | Etched Monstrosity (New Phyrexia) |
Each of these Artifact creatures shows the transition from wizard to mirran soldier and eventual compleation at the hands of the phyrexians. | |||
Cycle name | |||
'Batch' lands | Swarmyard (Time Spiral) | Animal Sanctuary (Core Set 2021) | Accursed Duneyard (Aetherdrift Commander Decks) |
Each of these lands tap for |
Four-card mega-mega cycles[]
Cycle name | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Gold counterspells | Absorb (Invasion) Render Silent (Dragon's Maze) |
Undermine (Invasion) | Double Negative (Alara Reborn) Counterflux (Return to Ravnica) Electrosiphon (Fallout) Invert Polarity (Modern Horizons 3) |
Voidslime (Dissension) |
Each of these rare instants costs | ||||
Cycle name | ||||
Paladins | Northern Paladin (Alpha) | Southern Paladin (Weatherlight) | Eastern Paladin (Urza's Saga) | Western Paladin (Urza's Saga) |
Each of these paladins is a 3/3 black or white knight creature with a converted mana cost of 2MM. The black paladins can tap for | ||||
Cycle name | ||||
Walking batteries | Myr Moonvessel (Darksteel) | Cathodion (Urza's Saga) | Su-chi (Antiquities) | Su-Chi Cave Guard (The Brothers' War) |
Each of these X/X artifact creatures with X mana cost produces X colorless mana when they die. | ||||
Cycle name | ||||
1 Mana Figures | Figure of Destiny (Eventide) | Ascendant Spirit (Kaldheim) | Evolved Sleeper (Dominaria United) | Warden of the First Tree (Fate Reforged) |
Each of these creatures costs 1 mana and have 3 activated abilities who need to be activated in order, improving the creature step by step. Because they are the 5 colors between the 4 creatures we can consider the cycle complete, but it could also be two supercycles using the same template. | ||||
Cycle name | ||||
Elder Titans | Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury (Modern Horizons 3) | Skotha, Titan of Eternal Dark | Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger (Theros Beyond Death) | Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath (Theros Beyond Death) |
Each of these Elder Giants has MN in its casting cost and MMNN as its escape cost. | ||||
Cycle name | 1st Set | 2nd Set | 3rd Set | 4th Set |
Kellan in the Omenpath Arc | Kellan, the Fae-Blooded // Birthright Boon (Wilds of Eldraine) | Kellan, Daring Traveler // Journey On (The Lost Caverns of Ixalan) | Kellan, Inquisitive Prodigy // Tail the Suspect (Murders at Karlov Manor) | Kellan, the Kid (Outlaws of Thunder Junction) |
Four Legendary Human Faeries that have Adventures or synergize with Adventures, a mechanic which originated in Throne of Eldraine. They represent the Eldraine denizen Kellan and his journey across various planes during the Omenpath Arc. On each plane, he retains a color from his previous card and gains a new one, starting from a monocolored |
Five-card mega-mega cycles[]
Cycle name | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Legendary lands | Kor Haven (Nemesis) | Teferi's Isle (Mirage) | Volrath's Stronghold (Stronghold) | Keldon Necropolis (Invasion) | Yavimaya Hollow (Urza's Destiny) |
The "original" Mega-Mega cycle. Each of these rare legendary lands has at least two abilities, one of which is a mana ability. These lands represent notable locations from the Weatherlight Saga of the Magic storyline. | |||||
Legendary lands II | Kor Haven (Nemesis) | Academy Ruins (Time Spiral) | Volrath's Stronghold (Stronghold) | Kher Keep (Time Spiral) | |
A revision of the "original" Mega-Mega cycle for aesthetic reasons.[2] Each of these rare legendary lands taps for | |||||
Topdeck lands | Hall of Heliod's Generosity (Modern Horizons) | Academy Ruins (Time Spiral) | Volrath's Stronghold (Stronghold) | ||
Each of these legendary lands taps for colorless and features a colored ability to place a certain type of card in your graveyard on top of your library. | |||||
Atogs | Auratog (Tempest) | Chronatog (Visions) | Necratog (Weatherlight) | Atog (Antiquities) | Foratog (Mirage) |
Each of these 1/2 Atog creatures, all but Atog itself being inspired by Atog, "ate" a resource to "grow"; each Atog has an activated ability costing a resource or commodity for an increase in its power and toughness until end of turn. Also includes the five color Atogatog (Odyssey), which eats other Atogs. | |||||
Protection angels | Voice of Truth (Nemesis) | Voice of Reason (Urza's Destiny) | Voice of Grace (Urza's Saga) | Voice of Law (Urza's Saga) | Voice of Duty (Urza's Destiny) |
Each of these uncommon 2/2 white Angel creatures costing | |||||
Tutors | Enlightened Tutor (Mirage) | Mystical Tutor (Mirage) | Vampiric Tutor (Visions) | Gamble (Urza's Saga) | Worldly Tutor (Mirage) |
Each of these rares costs M and allows its controller to search his or her library for a card, albeit with certain conditions. The joke card Goblin Tutor from Unglued pays homage to this mega-mega cycle. Notably, each of these tutors received a reprint in Dominaria Remastered. | |||||
Towers[5] | Tower of Eons (Mirrodin) | Tower of Fortunes (Mirrodin) | Tower of Murmurs (Mirrodin) | Tower of Calamities (Scars of Mirrodin) | Tower of Champions (Mirrodin) |
Each of these rare noncreature artifacts costing | |||||
Elementary forces | Celestial Force (Commander) | Tidal Force (Commander 2013) | Baleful Force (Commander 2013) | Magmatic Force (Commander) | Verdant Force (Tempest) |
Each of these rare Elemental creatures has a mana cost of 5MMM, a power/toughness of 7/7 and an ability that triggers each upkeep. | |||||
Oaths of the Gatewatch | Oath of Gideon (Oath of the Gatewatch) | Oath of Jace (Oath of the Gatewatch) | Oath of Liliana (Eldritch Moon) | Oath of Chandra (Oath of the Gatewatch) | Oath of Nissa (Oath of the Gatewatch) |
Each of these rare legendary enchantments has an enter the battlefield effect and second effect with some kind of Planeswalker interaction. | |||||
Morphlings[7] | Brightling (Battlebond) | Morphling (Urza's Saga) | Endling (Modern Horizons) | Torchling (Planar Chaos) | Thornling (Conflux) |
Creatures that have three colored activated abilities as well as the ability " | |||||
Sorcery magi | Magus of the Balance (Commander 2018) | Magus of the Mind (Commander 2017) | Magus of the Will (Commander 2016) | Magus of the Wheel (Commander 2015) | Magus of the Order (Commander Legends) |
Each of these rare wizards has a converted mana cost and activated ability reminiscent of powerful and iconic sorcery from Magic's past.[8] | |||||
"Cones" | Incremental Blight (Shadowmoor) Gruesome Menagerie (Guilds of Ravnica) |
Cone of Flame (Weatherlight) | Incremental Growth (Lorwyn) Bestial Menace (Worldwake) | ||
Each of these sorceries has a converted mana cost of 3MM and a repeated effect that does one, two, and three of a certain action.[9] | |||||
Innistrad angels | Avacyn, Angel of Hope (Avacyn Restored) Avacyn, Guardian Angel (Magic 2015) |
Bruna, Light of Alabaster (Avacyn Restored) | Liesa, Shroud of Dusk (Commander Legends) Liesa, Forgotten Archangel (Innistrad: Midnight Hunt) |
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight (Avacyn Restored) | Sigarda, Host of Herons (Avacyn Restored) Sigarda, Champion of Light (Innistrad: Midnight Hunt) |
The Archangels of Innistrad, Avacyn and her sisters. Each of them has | |||||
Young spellcasters | Young Necromancer (Modern Horizons 2) | Young Pyromancer (Magic 2014) | |||
Each of these uncommon young Spellcasters is imitating a famous planeswalker of same race and same creature class. | |||||
Phyrexian Praetors in the Phyrexian Arc | Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines (Phyrexia: All Will Be One) | Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant (Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty) | Sheoldred, the Apocalypse (Dominaria United) | Urabrask, Heretic Praetor (Streets of New Capenna) | Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider (Kaldheim) |
Five mythic rare legendary Phyrexian Praetor creatures depicting the rulers of the Phyrexians, who were introduced in New Phyrexia. They appear individually within sets across multiple planes in the Phyrexian Arc. Similar to their original versions, they give a positive effect to the player controlling them, and a mirrored effect that hurts the opponent. | |||||
Charm creatures | Charming Prince (Throne of Eldraine) | Aether Channeler (Dominaria United) | Callous Bloodmage (Strixhaven: School of Mages) | Charming Scoundrel (Wilds of Eldraine) | |
Five rare creatures that have an enters ability with three modes. | |||||
Commander suspend spells | Inspiring Refrain (Commander 2021) | Charnel Serenade (Murders at Karlov Manor Commander) Suspended Sentence (Duskmourn: House of Horror Commander) |
Rousing Refrain (Commander 2021) | Venture Forth (Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate) | |
Five spells that are rather overcosted, but have a significantly cheaper suspend cost. In addition, once they resolve, they exile themselves with time counters, allowing them to be reused. So far, each has been printed in a preconstructed Commander deck and synergizes specifically with the face commander. | |||||
Phyrexian Monsters | Phyrexian Vindicator (Phyrexia: All Will Be One) | Phyrexian Obliterator (New Phyrexia) | Phyrexian Harvester (Alchemy: Phyrexia) | ||
5/5 Phyrexian Horrors with a mana cost of four colored pips, with an evergreen ability and an ability that does something powerful when they are damaged. Each one's flavor text is that color's associated Phyrexian praetor detailing the quality of the monster. Phyrexian Harvester is the first and currently the only member of a megacycle to be designed for digital. | |||||
Un-Set
Player Types |
Johnny, Combo Player (Unhinged) | Spike, Tournament Grinder (Unstable) | Vorthos, Steward of Myth (Unfinity) | Timmy, Power Gamer (Unglued) | |
Legendary Human Gamer creatures representing the Player Types. They are Acorn cards that were introduced in different Un-Sets. In particular, the psychographic profiles (Timmy/Tammy, Johnny/Jenny, and Spike) are 1/1 creatures that cost 2MM with an activated ability that has a mana value of 4.[10] | |||||
Common Relentless cards | Hare Apparent (Magic: The Gathering Foundations) | Persistent Petitioners (Ravnica Allegiance) | Shadowborn Apostle (Magic 2014) | Dragon's Approach (Strixhaven: School of Mages) | Slime Against Humanity (Murders at Karlov Manor) |
Five common cards with a relentless ability that allows a deck to have any number of cards with the same name, which is based on Relentless Rats.[11] | |||||
Subgame Sorceries | Shahrazad (Arabian Nights) | Enter the Dungeon (Unhinged) | The Countdown Is At One (Unstable) | Tug of War (Unfinity) | |
Rare or higher sorceries that generate a subgame. Shahrazard is renowned as one of the strangest cards due to introducing the subgame, and due to the subgame being identical to a normal game, it resulted in extremely long games and was banned anywhere it would be legal because of it. As such, the others are Acorn cards that were introduced in subsequent Un-Sets, each with a provision to accelerate the subgame. To complete the cycle, Rosewater believes the next subgame card is likely to be blue.[12] | |||||
Arch-Charms | Archmage's Charm (Modern Horizons) | Archdruid's Charm (Murders at Karlov Manor) | |||
Charms that cost MMM but have powerful effects to balance out their pip requirements.[13] | |||||
Tripled Common Creatures | Healer's Flock (Modern Horizons 2) (Healer's Hawk) | Mogg Mob (Modern Horizons 3) (Mogg Fanatic) | Llanowar Tribe (Modern Horizons) (Llanowar Elves) | ||
Creatures that are essentially "tripled" versions of iconic common single-mana creatures from Magic's history, with their mana cost, power, toughness, and abilities all increased by a factor of three. To date, one member of the cycle has been printed in each Modern Horizons set at uncommon. | |||||
Nemeses | True-Name Nemesis (Commander 2013) | Sewer Nemesis (Commander) | Sawhorn Nemesis (Modern Horizons 3 Commander) | ||
Creatures that choose a player upon entry, and inflict negative effects on that player specifically. All have been printed in Commander expansions. | |||||
Cycle name | Soldier |
Merfolk |
Zombie |
Goblin |
Elf |
+1/+1 Lords | Field Marshal (Coldsnap) Captain of the Watch (Magic 2010) |
Lord of Atlantis (Alpha) Merfolk Sovereign (Magic 2010) |
Lord of the Undead (Planeshift) Death Baron (Shards of Alara) Cemetery Reaper (Magic 2010) |
Goblin King (Alpha) Goblin Chieftain (Magic 2010) |
Elvish Champion (Invasion) Elvish Archdruid (Magic 2010) |
Each of these rare confers other creatures of a characteristic creature subtype associated with that card's color and relevant to its name +1/+1 and, more often than not, an additional ability. The original three from Limited Edition Alpha, Lord of Atlantis, Zombie Master (not listed, gives no stat bonus), and Goblin King were printed with the Lord creature subtype, but this creature subtype was removed following the Grand Creature Type Update. Following a shift in focus on, and the success of, "creature subtypes matter", or "tribal", various iterations of Lords have been printed. | |||||
Cycle name | East | North | Center | South | West |
Kodamas | Kodama of the East Tree (Commander Legends) | Kodama of the North Tree (Champions of Kamigawa) | Kodama of the Center Tree (Betrayers of Kamigawa) | Kodama of the South Tree (Champions of Kamigawa) | Kodama of the West Tree (Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty) |
The Kodamas are a group of 5 legendary | |||||
Cycle name | |||||
Omnath | Omnath, Locus of Mana (Worldwake) | Omnath, Locus of Rage (Battle for Zendikar) | Omnath, Locus of the Roil (Core Set 2020) | Omnath, Locus of Creation (Zendikar Rising) | Omnath, Locus of All (March of the Machine) |
Omnath's Evolution. There is a possibility of a | |||||
Cycle name | |||||
Mages[2] | Trinket Mage (Fifth Dawn) | Tribute Mage (Modern Horizons) | Trophy Mage (Aether Revolt) | Transit Mage (Aetherdrift) | Treasure Mage (Mirrodin Besieged) |
Each of these mages is a 2/2 blue Human wizard and has |
Six-card mega-mega cycles[]
Cycle name | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spellshaped | Goldmeadow Harrier (Lorwyn) | Cloud Sprite (Mercadian Masques) | Festering Goblin (Onslaught) | Spark Elemental (Fifth Dawn) | Llanowar Elves (Alpha) | Metallic Sliver (Tempest) | |||
Creatures created by the spellshapers of Future Sight:[15][16] | |||||||||
Goldmeadow Lookout | Cloudseeder | Skirk Ridge Exhumer | Sparkspitter | Llanowar Mentor | Sliversmith | ||||
Cycle name | |||||||||
Elder Dragons | Arcades Sabboth | Chromium | Nicol Bolas | Vaevictis Asmadi | Palladia-Mors | Piru, the Volatile | |||
Six rare three colored Elder Dragons. Each of these legendary Dragons has a mana cost of |
Double mega-mega cycles[]
Many land cycles are double mega-mega cycles that started in one set and were completed in another.
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 29, 2024). "Only Murders That We'e Building, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b c d e f The Secret Supercycles of Magic (Video). Good Morning Magic. YouTube (June 18, 2021).
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (May, 2002). "Ask Wizards - May 2002". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (March 1, 2002). "Mega-Mega Cycle". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Monty Ashley (September 22, 2010). "The Fifth Tower". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 3, 2011). "That's Going to Leave Scars, Part 3". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Gavin Verhey (May 28, 2019). "Magic's Past, Present, and Future". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Gavin Verhey (August 17, 2017). "Tales from Designing Commander (2017 Edition)". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (October 8, 2018). "Even More Stories from the City". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ https://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/696337224955035649/hello-mark-i-love-vorthos-but-why-is-she-a-13
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (March 1, 2024). "I would like to request a White card with the Relentless ability.". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (October 24, 2022). "ODDS & ENDS: UNFINITY". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 29, 2024). "Only Murders That We're Building, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 27, 2020). "On the Double". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (August 13, 2007). "Spellshaped into Tenth". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 10, 2020). "Back to the Future Sight, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Monty Ashley (January 24, 2011). "A History of Swords". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.