Magic: the Gathering has been around for 25 years, and one of its more refreshing features is the variety in ways to play the game. Some of the best variants have been multiplayer Magic; the zaniness of jumping planes while playing the Planechase variant, or the ever popular version Commander, where decks are made based around a specific legendary creature. Wizards of the Coast has announced a new stand alone product, called Explorers of Ixalan, and it looks to combine multiplayer magic with tabletop game mechanics.
Ixalan is the latest release for Magic: the Gathering, and with it Wizards of the Coast has created a crazy world full of pirates, vampires, dinosaurs and even merfolk. The release is a refreshing departure from some of the more serious thematic sets as of late, and really has let the designers come up with some great new mechanics and creatures. Explorers of Ixalan is a new product that comes with four 60 card decks, one for each of the aforementioned tribes, and a set of tiles that players place in the middle of the table. The tiles are set up to look like an island, and on each one is a specific cost that players pay with their mana. When you flip over a tile it will reveal things such as events or locations that can have drastic effects on how the game is played. The goal, on top of beating your opponents, is to make it to the Golden City of Orazca, and revealing the tile gives the player who does a great deal of power.
Multiplayer Magic is one of the best ways to play Magic: the Gathering, and Explorers of Ixalan is looking like a promising way to get together with friends and attack and politic your way to Orazca. Have you been impressed with Ixalan, and will you be adding this to your Magic collection? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: Wizards of the Coast