Return to Ravnica block

Not to be confused with Ravnica block.

The Return to Ravnica block, comprising the large expansions Return to Ravnica (Template:Set symbol) and Gatecrash (Template:Set symbol), and the small expansion Dragon's Maze (Template:Set symbol), is the 19^th in Magic: The Gathering history. The block was released over 2012–2013.

Block details

Izzet Charm, a member of the guild charm mega cycle.

Unlike most blocks, the Return to Ravnica block has two large expansions; Return to Ravnica and Gatecrash. These expansions were drafted at three booster packs each (i.e., RTR-RTR-RTR followed by GTC-GTC-GTC). Dragon's Maze is a small expansion; and, upon its release, the draft order will be DGM-GTC-RTR.

Development codenames

The development codenames for the Return to Ravnica expansions are "Hook", "Line", and "Sinker".

Flavor text message

In the flavor text of each Guidgate three or four letters are minutely offset from the others. If the Guildgates are ordered in guild order a message is revealed.

• Return to Ravnica: THE GUILDS OF RAVNICA
• Gatecrash: WILL DESTROY EACH OTHER
• Dragon's Maze: UNLESS THE MAZE IS SOLVED AND THE GUILDPACT REBORN

Themes and mechanics

See also Return to Ravnica#Themes and mechanics and Gatecrash#Themes and mechanics.

The primary theme of Return to Ravnica block was the bicolored guilds of Ravnica and multicolored cards.

The keywords introduced in the Return to Ravnica block are:

Guild	Azorius Template:Wu	Boros Template:Rw	Dimir Template:Ub	Golgari Template:Bg	Gruul Template:Rg	Izzet Template:Ur	Orzhov Template:Wb	Rakdos Template:Br	Selesnya Template:Gw	Simic Template:Gu
Keyword	Detain	Battalion	Cipher	Scavenge	Bloodrush	Overload	Extort	Unleash	Populate	Evolve

The block, specifically Dragon's Maze, also introduced the mechanic Fuse, which is featured exclusively on split cards.

Mega cycles

See also Dragon's Maze#Guild cycles.

Return to Ravnica block features six 10-card guild mega cycles, with one card per guild, distributed across Return to Ravnica and Gatecrash.

Dragon's Maze itself features 10-card guild cycles.

Cycle name	Azorius Template:Wu	Boros Template:Rw	Dimir Template:Ub	Golgari Template:Bg	Gruul Template:Rg	Izzet Template:Ur	Orzhov Template:Wb	Rakdos Template:Br	Selesnya Template:Gw	Simic Template:Gu
Off-color-activation cards	Tower Drake	Towering Thunderfist	Horror of the Dim	Stonefare Crocodile	Disciple of the Old Ways	Pursuit of Flight	Dutiful Thrull	Deviant Glee	Selesnya Sentry	Frilled Oculus
Description and notes: Each of these permanent cards have an activated ability costing mana of other color of the guild to which they are aligned.
Guild charms	Azorius Charm	Boros Charm	Dimir Charm	Golgari Charm	Gruul Charm	Izzet Charm	Orzhov Charm	Rakdos Charm	Selesnya Charm	Simic Charm
Description and notes: Each of these uncommon instant spells costs two colored mana, one for each guild color, and allow their controller to choose one of three thematically relevant effects.
Gold guildmages or gold-mages	New Prahv Guildmage	Sunhome Guildmage	Duskmantle Guildmage	Korozda Guildmage	Skarrg Guildmage	Nivix Guildmage	Vizkopa Guildmage	Rix Maadi Guildmage	Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage	Zameck Guildmage
Description and notes: Each of these uncommon 2/2 creatures costs two colored mana, one of each of its guild's colors. Each gold-mage has two activated abilities that cost both colors of its guild and are thematically related to both of the colors of the guild. As these guildmages require one of each of its guild's colors and thus have a gold-colored card frame, as opposed to a hybrid card frame, colloquially, in Wizards of the Coast R&D, they are referred to as "gold-mages".
Guildmasters	Isperia, Supreme Judge	Aurelia, the Warleader	Lazav, Dimir Mastermind	Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord	Borborygmos Enraged	Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius	Obzedat, Ghost Council	Rakdos, Lord of Riots	Trostani, Selesnya's Voice	Prime Speaker Zegana
Description and notes: Each of these mythic rare legendary creatures represents the current leader of its respective guild.
Guild Champions	Lavinia of the Tenth	Tajic, Blade of the Legion	Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker	Varolz, the Scar-Striped	Ruric Thar, the Unbowed	Melek, Izzet paragon	Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts	Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch	Emmara Tandris	Vorel of the Hull Clade
Description and notes: Each of these rare legendary creatures represents the champion sent by the guild into the Implicit Maze
Multicolored spells (mythic)	Sphinx's Revelation	Aurelia's Fury	Duskmantle Seer	Vraska the Unseen	Domri Rade	Epic Experiment	Deathpact Angel	Rakdos' Return	Armada Wurm	Master Biomancer
Description and notes: Each of these mythic rare spells are thematically unrelated, except for their being multicolored spells.
Hybrid spells (common)	Vassal Soul	Shattering Blow	Deathcult Rogue	Golgari Longlegs	Pit Fight	Frostburn Weird	Beckon Apparition	Rakdos Shred-Freak	Sundering Growth	Bioshift
Description and notes: Each of these common spells are thematically unrelated, except for their being hybrid spells.
Hybrid spells (uncommon)	Judge's Familiar	Arrows of Justice	Coerced Confession	Slitherhead	Burning-Tree Emissary	Blistercoil Weird	Gift of Orzhova	Rakdos Cackler	Dryad Militant	Merfolk of the Depths
Description and notes: Each of these uncommon spells are thematically unrelated, except for their being hybrid spells.
Hybrid spells (rare)	Azor's Elocutors	Boros Reckoner	Nightveil Specter	Deathrite Shaman	Rubblebelt Raiders	Nivmagus Elemental	Immortal Servitude	Cryptborn Horror	Growing Ranks	Biomass Mutation
Description and notes: Each of these rare spells are thematically unrelated, except for their being hybrid spells.
Keyrunes	Azorius Keyrune	Boros Keyrune	Dimir Keyrune	Golgari Keyrune	Gruul Keyrune	Izzet Keyrune	Orzhov Keyrune	Rakdos Keyrune	Selesnya Keyrune	Simic Keyrune
Description and notes: Each of these uncommon artifacts can tap to produce one mana of either of the two colors of the guild with which they are associated and has an activated ability allowing it to become a creature, more often than not gaining an ability additional ability, until end of turn.
Shock lands	Hallowed Fountain	Sacred Foundry	Watery Grave	Overgrown Tomb	Stomping Ground	Steam Vents	Godless Shrine	Blood Crypt	Temple Garden	Breeding Pool
Description and notes: Each of these rare nonbasic dual lands has two basic land types and enters the battlefield tapped unless its controller pays 2 life.
Guildgates	Azorius Guildgate	Boros Guildgate	Dimir Guildgate	Golgari Guildgate	Gruul Guildgate	Izzet Guildgate	Orzhov Guildgate	Rakdos Guildgate	Selesnya Guildgate	Simic Guildgate
Description and notes: Each of these common nonbasic lands with the Gate subtype enter the battlefield tapped and produce one of either of its respective guild's colors. In light of the Ravnica block "karoo lands" or "bounce lands" being too "good" in Limited but the necessity for common mana-fixing, these lands were designed. Each of these were reprinted with zoomed-out art and new flavor text in Dragon's Maze.

Sets

References

Template:Guilds of Ravnica