After a decade or so hiatus, it was dinosaurs that brought me back to Magic the Gathering. The Ixalan and Rivals of Ixalan game expansions were filled with incredible artwork, and overflowing with dinosaurs. Fast forward a few years, and dinosaurs are making yet another heavy appearance, but they aren’t alone. Wizards of the Coast have gone above and beyond, and inked a deal that puts the KING OF THE MONSTERS inside their game! Godzilla and his friends and foes from monster island have all arrived to do battle across the planes of Magic!
For those not familiar, Magic the Gathering is a collectible card game. You can play it with physical cards, or go digital (like I do) with Magic the Gathering Arena. MTG Arena is even free to play! You assemble decks from the five colors of the magical planes, and battle other casters for supremacy with creatures, spells, enchantments, and more. Each expansion adds to the game, changing it just a little bit by adding more content. The latest expansion set for the game is called Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths. Behemoths being the operative word, because there are a lot of ENORMOUS beasts in this expansion, dinosaurs foremost among them. Big stompy creatures are the order of the day, as well as a few new mechanics to keep the strategy fresh.
With Ixalan and Rivals of Ixalan leaving the standard rotation 6 months ago, MTG has bolstered the available dinosaurs to fill your decks with. While those previous dinosaur themed sets offered a lot of feathered dinosaur art depictions, the new set goes a little more on the wild side. Pyroceratops (an elemental-dinosaur) looks exactly like you’d imagine, as does it’s hybrid relative the Regal Leosaur (a lion-dinosaur). Old school scales also make an appearance as well. There are currently over 20 different dinosaurs in Ikoria for you to choose from, and they span all five colors so they will fit into any deck. With the new Mutate mechanic, your dinosaurs can morph into something even deadlier by combining it’s abilities with that of another creature. Dinosaur cat beast anyone? The combinations are limitless, and so is the comedy.
Now for that extra special surprise. Wizards of the Coast has partnered with the Toho Corporation to incorporate Godzilla, King of the Monsters into the expansion that is all about BIG STOMPY MONSTERS. Godzilla also brings friends along for the ride, Mothra, Anguirus, and his son Babygodzilla, as well as several foes including Rodan, Mechagodzilla, and more. The Godzilla cards are actually dual versions of other creature cards in the Ikoria expansion. Godzilla, Primeval Champion doubles as Titanoth Rex for example. Wizards has also tagged Godzilla as a dinosaur creature type, adding yet more proof that Godzilla is a dinosaur!
These Godzilla monster series cards are available as physical cards for the tabletop game, as well as digital card styles in MTG Arena. For the physical cards, they are available through various collector packs and draft packs, as well as whole-box purchases. In MTG Arena you can unlock the monster series card styles simply by participating in online draft events through May 31st 2020. You get one card style upon joining each event, with a guarantee of no duplicates. There are 19 Godzilla monster series cards in all, and Godzilla himself has 3 variants. The Godzilla, King of the Monsters card style is available to purchase with a Mythic Rare token. The best part is, when you play the Godzilla cards in a game match, they actually make their iconic roars!
There is also a special Secret Lair drop featuring Godzilla. These are special, limited run physical cards for Magic: The Gathering, as well as a digital code for MTG Arena. This drop features Japanese language land cards, each one including Godzilla in the landscape. Each land is illustrated by a different artist, and some even feature an extra Godzilla’s friend or foe. The Godzilla Secret Lair Drop will cost $29.99 US and be available for 24 hours only on May 7, 2020, exclusively from the MTG Website.
Wizards is breathing new life into dinosaurs with the Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths expansion. Led by Godzilla, King of Monsters, they are stomping onto a physical, or digital, tabletop near you. I’ve already got a red/green Godzilla deck put together, and it’s performing pretty well. What dinosaurs will you build with first? Leave your deck ideas in the commends! It’s time to unleash the new dinosaurs and beasts available in Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths! And remember, there’s always someone bigger…
