[MTG] [Written] Napachi Block: Expansion {Set 1 of 3}

Snatch Steal · August 20, 2018

Napachi: A Plane Begotten of its Gods and Ecosystem

[spoiler=Lore (rather important)]

On Napachi, two tribes had long lived in peace. The Shuktom, worshippers of the bear god Ursachi, took residence in the wetland forests at the feet of great mountain ranges, while the Chaktom, worshippers of the eagle god Akkachi, dwelled among the highest peaks. Although a dense barrier biome, the Manglegrove desert, segregated the two tribes, they recognized and lived amongst each other. The Shuktom channeled blue and green mana as part of their pact with Ursachi to preserve and expand life in all its forms. The Chaktom, on the other hand, formed a pact with Akkachi that granted them immensely powerful white and red battle magic. Using this magic, the two tribes controlled most of the mapped plane, and used moderation with its resources.

However, Ursachi and Akkachi were not the only gods of the plane. As the tribes grew more and more powerful, and more death had piled up through years of ending life, Zuldor, the god born from entropy, had been awakened. He was a perfect storm: both envious of his brother gods and cunning enough to conspire against them. With overwhelming black magic and divisive tactics, Zuldor convinced the followers of Ursachi to attack the already suspicious Chaktom, lest Akkachi's followers desecrate Ursachi's honors with their ambition and lust for power. It was completely against the Shuktom's nature to wage war, but their homeland was at stake.

Witnessing the mobilization of the Shuktom, then-chieftain Achi-Bankai, the third and most powerful of the consecrated chieftains, was torn between his nature and his people's safety. Although his army was immensely powerful, they were vastly outnumbered. Zuldor knew this from the beginning of his plan, and offered Bankai a contract; by offering the firstborn children of all future Chaktom tribesmen to the horse god in reaping, Zuldor would smite the Shuktom and save the homeland of Akkachi's followers. For the first time in his life, Bankai hesitated, but conceded to the demon for the sake of his people.

At last, Zuldor had both tribes under his grasp. A mere flick of his wrist sent otherworldly muck to drown the Shuktom army, which flowed down from the mountaintops and smothered the forests with uninhabitable pestilence. From the remains of the Shuktom came henchmen of the horse god, who immediately began to reap the sons and daughters of the Chaktom, leading them through the Manglegrove desert to be sacrificed at the feet of the new god to prolong his power.

Ursachi and Akkachi foresaw this danger for years, and recognized their powerlessness in the circumstance. While they and their people fell dormant, two species—Satyrs and Mollusks—took a liking to their new habitat. Bivalves and gastropods alike gorged themselves on the decaying matter in the boneyards that replaced ponds and lakes in the lowlands, while Satyrs took up and made a mess of the peaks once sacred to the Chaktom.

Ajani and Jace of the Gatewatch travel to this plane once they learn of Zuldor's grasp on its tribes. While Jace is more concerned about the mysteries to be unveiled by the enigmatic reappearance of mollusks in the lowlands, Ajani takes to the mountaintops to aid the Chaktom in their rebellion. Liliana Vess, under Nicol Bolas's mind-control, seeks out Zuldor's power for her sake as well as her overseer's. The god-pharaoh bides his time until the right moment to seize such a black mana source that could help him regain his level of power from before the mending.

On my summer trip to Glacier National Park, I played Magic rather often with my friends, inclining at least one of them to get cards of their own. While there, I read and thought about the color pie, allied colors, enemy colors, and the ways in which the game creates a very flavorful atmosphere and deep meaning in each card that no other card game has conveyed to me so easily and so extensively. Considering the number of mountains, forests, and lakes in Glacier, the park itself felt like where a planeswalker would get their mana from. Thus, the main tribes of the set are heavily inspired by the park, and the implementation of land-based strategies is firmly rooted in the ecological significance of GNP.

Details on the set can be found in the spoilers below:

[spoiler=Tribes]

Chaktom: Red/White Mana

Humans that swarm the field to rush and overwhelm the opponent.

Keyword: Immolate

Other stuff they do: Haste, +1/+1s, Flying, First Strike

Shuktom: Blue/Green Mana

Humans and Bears that work together. You can return lands with the humans to cast them easier, then use the lands again with the bears.

Keywords: Birthright, Landfall.

Other stuff they do: Trample, +1/+1s, Tutoring creatures, land efficiency, indestructible

Zuldor: Black (sometimes White) Mana

Put a ton of human tokens onto the field to use as chump blockers and outlast your opponent.

Keyword: Reaping

Other stuff they do: Lifegain, tap, resurrect from graveyard, indestructible

Satyrs: Red/Green Mana

Spam lands for the purpose of sacrificing and reusing them. Doing so helps you rush down the opponent.

Keyword: Landfall

Other stuff they do: Land efficiency, graveyard manipulation, Trample, Haste, +1/+1s, permanent destruction

Mollusks: Blue/Black Mana

Put a lot of creatures into your graveyard to help you cast expensive creatures and outlast your opponent

Keyword: Delve

Other stuff they do: Tutoring, graveyard manipulation, floaters, skulk, vigilance

[spoiler=Keywords]

Birthright - Each permanent you control that you return to the hand while casting this card pays for 1 mana of its color. (Basic lands count as the color mana they produce. Artifacts and nonbasic lands count as colorless)

Reaping - {cost, usually in black}, {t}: Put 0/1 White Human creature tokens onto the battlefield tapped equal to the amount of mana spent for this ability.

Usually, the Reaping cost is equal to the card's devotion to Black

Immolate - Tap, sacrifice this creature, then add the Immolate cost to your Mana Pool. Use this Mana only to cast a Creature from your Library. It enters the battlefield tapped.

Usually, the Immolate cost is equal to the creature's converted mana cost -1 in whatever color(s) that creature is. This is to prevent casting the same creature or a more powerful one.

Delve - Each card you exile from your graveyard while casting this spell pays for {1}.

This keyword might be OP

Landfall - Perform the following ability whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control.

Also, without further ado, I'd like to post the cards here so that I don't have to re-format this post. I'll make them prettier later.

[spoiler=lots of cards]

[spoiler=Chaktom Cards]

Desert Warhound

{w}

Creature — Hound

If you cast this card with Immolate, it gains +1/+1 and Vigilance.

1/1

“The needs of the many always tower over the wants of the few.” - Achi-Mokai

Desert Bloodhound

{r}

Creature — Hound

If you cast this card with Immolate, it gains +2/+0 and Haste.

1/1

Chaktom Insubordinate

{1}{w}{w}

Creature — Human Scout

Immolate {w}{w}

Whenever you Immolate, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.

Whenever a Human with a +1/+1 counter is sacrificed, put any of those +1/+1 counters on another target Human.

2/1

“We have forgotten who we are, but I can spark our memory.”

Chaktom Axe Thrower

{2}{r}

Creature — Human Barbarian

Immolate {r}{r}

Whenever you Immolate, deal damage to up to two target creatures equal to the converted Mana cost of the creature that entered play.

2/2

Chaktom High Priest

{3}{w}

Creature — Human Shaman

Immolate {w}{w}{w}

Whenever you immolate, all creatures you control gain +0/+2.

2/4

Chaktom Firestarter

{1}{r}{r}

Creature — Human Scout

Immolate {r}{r}

Your Immolate abilities cost an additional {r}.

2/1

Summit Elder

{4}{w}{r}

Creature — Dragon

Flying

{t}: Whenever you Immolate, target creature you control gets +3/+0 and gains Flying until end of turn.

3/5

Ever since the pact with Zuldor, the Chaktom have forfeited horses in favor of more amicable steeds.

Achi-Mokai, Chaktom Chieftain

{3}{r}{w}

Legendary Creature — Human Warrior

Immolate {r}{r}{w}{w}

Achi-Mokai comes into play with Haste and Vigilance if it was cast with Immolate.

Creatures cast with Immolate are untapped and have Haste.

4/5

“My people need me. The death of Zuldor is a by-product.”

Ajani, Chaktom Pilgrim

{2}{w}{w}

Planeswalker — Ajani

+1: Deal damage to target creature equal to power of creature you control with printed power 2 or less.

-2: Take control of a Human your opponent controls. It gains +2/+1.

-6: You get an emblem with "During your opponent's upkeep, put a Human from your graveyard onto the battlefield."

4

[spoiler=Shuktom Cards]

Shuktom Disciple

{1}{u}{g}

Creature — Human Scout

Birthright

When Shuktom Disciple enters the battlefield, you may search your Library for a Bear and shuffle your Library, then put that card on top of your Library.

2/2

Shuktom Gardener

{3}{g}

Creature — Human Shaman

Birthright

When Shuktom Gardener enters the battlefield, if you control a Bear, you may play an additional Land this turn.

1/4

War-Torn Grizzly

{4}{g}{g}

Creature — Bear

Landfall - Put a +1/+1 counter on War-Torn Grizzly and another creature you control with Birthright. Use this ability only if you control another creature with Birthright.

4/4

Like humans, bears possess an indomitable will to protect what they hold dearest.

Piscivorous Grizzly

{3}{u}{u}

Creature — Bear

Landfall - Piscivorous Grizzly and target creature you control with Birthright gain Indestructible until the end step. Use this ability only if you control another creature with Birthright.

2/6

Smoldering Grizzly

{5}{g}

Creature — Bear

Landfall - Smoldering Grizzly and target creature you control with Birthright gain Trample and +2/+0 until end of turn. Use this ability only if you control another creature with Birthright.

4/2

[spoiler=Zuldor Cards]

Zuldor’s Skewermeister

{1}{b}{b}

Creature — Horse Horror

Reaping {b}{b}

At the end of your turn, sacrifice a Human you control and gain 2 life. If you cannot, sacrifice Zuldor’s Skewermeister.

3/3

“We have no time for stragglers. The weary become supper.”

Zuldor’s Marchleader

{2}{b}{b}{b}

Creature — Horse Horror

Reaping {b}{b}{b}

When this card reaps, untap another tapped Horse Horror you control, then lose life equal to its toughness.

2/5

“We never knew what we had until long after we lost it.” - Achi-Mokai

Zuldor’s Recruiter

{1}{b}

Creature — Horse Horror

Reaping {b}

Whenever you reap, add {b} to your Mana Pool, then lose 1 life.

1/1

Zuldor does not believe in temperance among gods.

Zuldor's Smuggler

{2}{b}{b}

Creature — Horse Horror

Reaping {b}{b}

Whenever you reap, target Human you control gains indestructible until end of turn.

1/4

Zuldor's Forerunner

{b}{b}

Creature — Horse Horror

Haste, Reaping {b}

Whenever you reap, gain X life, where X is the number of Humans you control, then put a +1/+1 counter on each tapped creature you control.

1/1

The Manglegrove has adapted to survive deprivation of sunlight. Barely.

Zuldor, Begotten of Entropy

{2}{b}{b}{b}{b}{b}{b}

Legendary Creature — God Horror

As an additional cost to cast Zuldor, sacrifice 5 Humans.

Indestructible

{t}, sacrifice any number of Humans: Put a Horse Horror creature from your Graveyard onto the battlefield tapped, with toughness equal to the sacrificed creatures’.

{b}{b}{b}{b}{b}, sacrifice 5 Humans: Put Zuldor from your Graveyard onto the battlefield Tapped.

8/8

Chaktom Traitor

{1}{b}{b}

Creature — Human Scout

Immolate {b}{b}

Whenever you reap, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.

Whenever another Human is sacrificed, gain 1 life.

2/1

“I am unfettered as long as I am unpunished.”

Chaktom Deserter

{2}{b}{w}

Creature — Human Rogue

Immolate {b}{b}{b}{b}

Whenever you reap, deal damage to up to 2 target creatures equal to the number of Humans you control.

2/2

Enfranchiser of Zuldor

{4}{b}{w}{r}

Legendary Creature — Human Scout

Immolate {b}{b}{w}{w}{r}{r}

Reaping {b}{b}{b}{b}{b}

Whenever another Creature you control Reaps, untap Enfranchiser of Zuldor, then lose 1 life for each Human you control.

Creatures put onto the battlefield with Immolate or Reaping come into play untapped with Haste.

Enfranchiser of Zuldor costs {1} less to cast from your Command Zone for each creature used to cast it with Immolate.

2/2

Liliana, Zuldor's Pilgrim

{1}{b}{b}{b}

Planeswalker — Liliana

+1: Untap target Black Creature, then discard a card.

-1: Gain 2 life for each tapped creature you control.

-6: You get an emblem with “Whenever you Reap, draw 1 card.”

3

[spoiler=Satyr Cards]

Brushfire Skipper

{1}{r}{r}

Creature — Satyr

Landfall - Satyrs you control gain Trample until end of turn.

Galloping Wine-Taster

{3}{g}

Creature — Satyr

Landfall - If you sacrificed a land this turn, put a basic land from your Library onto the battlefield.

Satyrs’ Thimblemancer

{g}{g}

Creature — Satyr Shaman

Landfall - you may sacrifice a land and put a Forest from your Graveyard onto the battlefield.

0/2

Bacchus Junius, Branded by Brushfire

{3}{g}{r}

Planeswalker — Bacchus

+1: If you control 4 or fewer lands, put a land from your Library onto the battlefield tapped.

-1: Untap all Satyrs you control. They gain Trample and Haste.

-5: You get an emblem with “You may play an additional land each turn.”

4

Cinderclop Baron

{4}{r}{g}

Creature — Satyr Warrior

When Cinderclop Baron enters play, if you control another Satyr, put a land from your Graveyard onto the battlefield.

Landfall - Deal 2 damage to target creature. If that creature dies, destroy target land your opponent controls.

5/3

Septimus, Familiar of Bacchus

{2}{g}

Legendary Creature — Satyr

Landfall - You may sacrifice a land. If you do, you may play an additional land this turn.

“Why so hesitant to visit the festival? Don’t you trust yourself?”

[spoiler=Mollusk Cards]

Sandbar Scallop

{1}{u}

Creature — Mollusk

Delve

When you exile Sandbar Scallop, you may cast Sandbar Scallop.

0/1

“The shore hides nothing. Shells hide everything.” - Montoya

Grimy Cat’s Paw

{1}{b}

Creature — Mollusk

Delve

When you exile Grimy Cat’s Paw, discard a card and draw 1 card.

1/1

Rummaging Conch

{2}{u}{b}

Creature — Mollusk

Delve

When you exile Rummaging Conch, you may search your Library for a Mollusk not named Rummaging Conch and put it in your Graveyard. Then shuffle your library.

1/2

Soundspeed Whelk

{2}{b}{b}

Creature — Mollusk

Delve

When you exile Soundspeed Whelk, add {b} to your Mana Pool.

3/3

Bygone Olive

2{u}{u}

Creature — Mollusk

Delve

When you exile Bygone Olive, add {u} to your Mana Pool.

2/4

Pragmatic Scallop

{4}{u}{u}

Creature — Mollusk

Delve

When you exile Pragmatic Scallop, you may exile a Mollusk not named Pragmatic Scallop from your Library.

1/4

Foundry Oyster

{5}{b}{b}

Creature — Mollusk

Delve

When you exile Foundry Oyster, you may search your Library for a Mollusk not named Foundry Oyster and shuffle your Library, then put that card on top of your Library.

2/5

Bountiful Junonia

{5}{u}{u}

Creature — Mollusk

Delve, Defender

When you exile Bountiful Junonia, tap target untapped Creature your opponent controls. It doesn’t untap during your opponent’s next untap step. Scry 1.

2/5

Nauticus, Familiar of Montoya

{4}{b}{b}{u}{u}

Legendary Creature — Mollusk Spirit

Delve

Mollusks you control have Skulk.

During your upkeep, reveal the top 5 cards of your Library, add a revealed Instant or Sorcery card to your hand, then put the rest in your Graveyard.

3/6

Cephastos, Vigilante of the Boneyard

{X}{b}{b}{b}{u}{u}{u}

Legendary Creature — Mollusk Spirit

Delve, Vigilance

Cephastos’s colorless mana cost must be paid with Delve.

Creatures killed from blocking Cephastos are exiled instead of being sent to the Graveyard.

Whenever Cephastos deals combat damage, return an exiled Mollusk to its owner’s Graveyard.

4/X

Montoya, Hermit of the Boneyard

{3}{b}{u}

Legendary Planeswalker — Montoya

+1: Search your Library for a Mollusk and put it in your Graveyard. Then shuffle your Library. Scry 1.

-2: Play an exiled Land.

-8: Cast all exiled Mollusks without paying their Mana costs.

3

Sacred Snail Boneyard

Legendary Land

As Sacred Snail Boneyard enters the battlefield, you may discard a card. If you do not, Sacred Snail Boneyard enters the battlefield tapped.

{t}: Add {b} or {u} to your Mana Pool.

Discard a card, {t}: Add {b}{u} to your Mana Pool.

Jace, Boneyard Pilgrim

{2}{u}{u}{u}

Planeswalker — Jace

+1: Put the top 2 cards of each player's Library into their graveyards.

-2: Exile target card from your graveyard, then exile target nonland permanent with converted Mana cost less than that card’s.

-8: Return all exiled cards to their respective graveyards. Draw 1 card for each card returned this way.

4

Compound Field

Land

As Compound Field enters the battlefield, return {x} lands you control to your hand.

{t}: Add {x} to your Mana Pool.

Transmutation Field

Land

As an additional cost to play Transmutation Field, discard any number of different colored lands from your hand.

{t} Add to your Mana Pool 1 Mana of any color among the cards discarded to play Transmutation Field.

Zuldor’s Palace

Legendary Land

As Zuldor’s Palace enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a Human. If you do not, Zuldor’s Palace enters the battlefield tapped.

{t}: Add {b} or {w} to your Mana Pool.

Sacrifice a Human, {t}: Add {b}{w} to your Mana Pool.

Chaktom Hideout

Legendary Land

As Chaktom Hideout enters the battlefield, you may tap target untapped creature you control. If you do not, Chaktom Hideout enters the battlefield tapped.

{t}: Add {w} or {r} to your Mana Pool.

Tap target creature you control, {t}: Add {w}{r} to your Mana Pool.

Shrine to Ursachi

Legendary Land

As Shrine to Ursachi enters the battlefield, you may return target permanent you control to your hand. If you do not, Shrine to Ursachi enters the battlefield tapped.

{t}: Add {u} or {g} to your Mana Pool.

Return target permanent you control to your hand, {t}: Add {u}{g} to your Mana Pool.

Glorious Vineyard

Legendary Land

As Glorious Vineyard enters the battlefield, you may pay {r/g}{r/g}{r/g}{r/g}. If you do not, Glorious Vineyard enters the battlefield tapped.

{t}: Add {r} or {g} to your Mana Pool.

{r/g}, Sacrifice this card: Add {r}{r}{g} to your Mana Pool.

Full House

{2}{g}

Enchantment

{g} You may play a number of lands this turn equal to the difference between 7 and the current number of cards in your hand. Activate this ability only once each turn.

Ornary Orchard

Land

As Ornary Orchard enters play, all players sacrifice a land.

{t}: Add {g} or {r} to your Mana Pool. Use this Mana only to cast Satyrs or noncreature spells.

Cycling {g}{r}

Branded Field

Land

{t}: Add {w} to your Mana Pool.