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|set name = Theros
 
|set name = Theros
 
|logo = [[File:THS logo.jpg|250px]]|
 
|logo = [[File:THS logo.jpg|250px]]|
|symbol = Therossymbol.jpg
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|symbol = THS symbol.png
 
|symbol description = Temple altar
 
|symbol description = Temple altar
 
|design team = [[Mark Rosewater]] (lead),<BR>[[Ethan Fleischer]],<BR>[[Ken Nagle]],<BR>[[Zac Hill]],<BR>[[Jenna Helland]]
 
|design team = [[Mark Rosewater]] (lead),<BR>[[Ethan Fleischer]],<BR>[[Ken Nagle]],<BR>[[Zac Hill]],<BR>[[Jenna Helland]]
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===Marketing===
 
===Marketing===
 
''Theros'' was sold in 16-card [[boosters]], five [[intro pack]]s, one [[event deck]]s and a [[fat pack]]. <ref>{{DailyRef|mtg/daily/arcana/1307|''Theros'' Intro Pack Rares and Packaging|[[Trick Jarrett]]|August 27, 2013}}</ref> There are no 6 card boosters or [[Booster Battle Pack]]s. ''Theros'' featured an unprecedented first for organized play: a block-long Magic entertainment experience that would see players complete nine quests on the [[Hero's Path]] (three during ''Theros'' and six which take place during ''Born of the Gods'' and ''Journey into Nyx''). [[Hero Cards]] debuted as part of the Hero's Path. These cards are not for use in tournament decks but instead are awarded to players for completing quests along the Hero's Path. They can use them to defeat later quests. Each card is double-faced, one side featuring a code redeemable for a [[Planeswalker points]] [[achievement]] while the other side features game mechanics players can use to help defeat a [[Game Day]] [[Challenge Deck]].
 
''Theros'' was sold in 16-card [[boosters]], five [[intro pack]]s, one [[event deck]]s and a [[fat pack]]. <ref>{{DailyRef|mtg/daily/arcana/1307|''Theros'' Intro Pack Rares and Packaging|[[Trick Jarrett]]|August 27, 2013}}</ref> There are no 6 card boosters or [[Booster Battle Pack]]s. ''Theros'' featured an unprecedented first for organized play: a block-long Magic entertainment experience that would see players complete nine quests on the [[Hero's Path]] (three during ''Theros'' and six which take place during ''Born of the Gods'' and ''Journey into Nyx''). [[Hero Cards]] debuted as part of the Hero's Path. These cards are not for use in tournament decks but instead are awarded to players for completing quests along the Hero's Path. They can use them to defeat later quests. Each card is double-faced, one side featuring a code redeemable for a [[Planeswalker points]] [[achievement]] while the other side features game mechanics players can use to help defeat a [[Game Day]] [[Challenge Deck]].
  +
 
====Prerelease====
 
====Prerelease====
The first quest in the Hero's Path was during the ''Theros'' [[Prerelease]] on September 21st and 22nd, 2013. <ref>{{DailyRef|mtg/daily/feature/265|''Theros'' Prerelease Primer|Mike McArtor|September 16, 2013}}</ref> There players could choose their heroic path based on a favorite mana color ([[white]], [[blue]], [[black]], [[red]], or [[green]]), receive a Seeded [[Prerelease pack]], and join fellow heroes on a social scavenger hunt. The Seeded Prerelease Pack contained a [[spindown life counter]], a Hero Card unique to a players' chosen path (respectively <c>The Protector</c>, <c>The Philosopher</c>, <c>The Avenger</c>, <c>The Warrior</c> and <c>The Hunter</c>), one of five quiz activity cards, five ''Theros'' [[boosters]], and a seeded booster featuring cards appropriate for that player's chosen path (including one of the playable five Prerelease [[promo]] cards).
+
The first quest in the Hero's Path was during the ''Theros'' [[Prerelease]] on September 21st and 22nd, 2013. <ref>{{DailyRef|mtg/daily/feature/265|''Theros'' Prerelease Primer|[[Mike McArtor]]|September 16, 2013}}</ref> There players could choose their heroic path based on a favorite mana color ([[white]], [[blue]], [[black]], [[red]], or [[green]]), receive a Seeded [[Prerelease pack]], and join fellow heroes on a social scavenger hunt. The Seeded Prerelease Pack contained a [[spindown life counter]], a Hero Card unique to a players' chosen path (respectively <c>The Protector</c>, <c>The Philosopher</c>, <c>The Avenger</c>, <c>The Warrior</c> and <c>The Hunter</c>), one of five quiz activity cards, five ''Theros'' [[boosters]], and a seeded booster featuring cards appropriate for that player's chosen path (including one of the playable five Prerelease [[promo]] cards).
   
 
While building decks and playing matches players could work together to find the answers to the questions about Theros on their activity cards. This social scavenger hunt offered players an opportunity to engross themselves in the lore of the new block and interact with their fellow heroes. Once a player had filled out the card, he or she could check the answer key to see if they completed it correctly.
 
While building decks and playing matches players could work together to find the answers to the questions about Theros on their activity cards. This social scavenger hunt offered players an opportunity to engross themselves in the lore of the new block and interact with their fellow heroes. Once a player had filled out the card, he or she could check the answer key to see if they completed it correctly.

Revision as of 15:41, 17 September 2014

Theros
Set Information
Set symbol
Themes and mechanics "Enchantment matters", Heroes, Monsters, Gods, Minotaur tribal, Monocolored
Keywords/​ability words Monstrosity, Heroic, Bestow, Devotion, Scry
Set size 249 cards
(121 commons (20 basic land), 60 uncommons, 53 rares, 15 mythic rares)
Expansion code THS
Development codename Friends
For other uses, see Theros (disambiguation).

Theros is the first set in the Theros block. It is the 62nd Magic expansion and was released on September 27, 2013. Theros is a large expansion. [1]

Set details

“  Stand Among Heroes  ”

Theros contains 249 cards (20 basic lands, 121 commons, 60 uncommons, 53 rares, 15 mythic rares), and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards. The set has an ancient Greek themed top-down design, making use of many mythological tropes (Heroes, Monsters and Gods). [2] [3] [4] [5] It is the first set to thematically take place on the plane of Theros. It is mostly monocolored with a handful of gold cards. Theros block is an enchantment block that plays off building blocks in M14 and Return to Ravnica block. The mood and tone are those of Greek myth: adventure, achievement, accomplishment, a hero's journey. Many existing creature types are reworked to match the Greek flavor. Apart from Minotaurs, it's not a tribal set. There are three Planeswalkers in the set, namely Elspeth and two new ones: Ashiok and Xenagos. There is an above average amount of legendary permanents. The expansion symbol depicts an stylized temple and altar.

Storyline

Theros is watched over by a pantheon of 15 powerful gods. The gods, though residing in Nyx, are able to take on many forms and often walk among mortals. Each also has a unique color identity. The five core gods are mono-coloured and make up the central pillars of the Theran belief system. The colour identities of these five are: Heliod (white), Thassa (blue), Erebos (black), Purphoros (red), and Nylea (green). The ten minor gods represent the two colour pairings and will be introduced in Born of the Gods and Journey into Nyx.

Elspeth

After planeswalking away from New Phyrexia Elspeth finds herself on a vaguely familiar plane, Theros. While she had visited once years ago when she acquired her sword, she remains relatively unaware of the nature of the plane, namely the theology. The snake priests in a temple devoted to Pharika help her back to full strength while she reflects on her experiences with Koth, Venser, Tezzeret, Karn, and Melira back on New Phyrexia. More than anything Elspeth just wants a peaceful life like the one she had on Bant before the Conflux. However on Theros the gods have different plans. [6] Walking around the forests of Theros, Elspeth comes face to face with a deadly hydra having already killed many Theran heroes. After a bitter battle she emerges the victor. Heliod, taking notice of her feat, now strives to make Elspeth his champion.

Xenagos

A satyr born to the plane of Theros, Xenagos spent much of his life romping around with his clan of fellow satyrs. His favourite activities included partying and drinking until his planeswalker spark ignited and he was able to travel away from Theros. After visiting many planes and seeing the expanse of the Multiverse his return to his native plane did not come with a feeling of home. He could now see how insignificant his life was before his awakening and even still after. Driven by a desire for power, his mission now is to enter the Theran pantheon as a god.

Marketing

Theros was sold in 16-card boosters, five intro packs, one event decks and a fat pack. [7] There are no 6 card boosters or Booster Battle Packs. Theros featured an unprecedented first for organized play: a block-long Magic entertainment experience that would see players complete nine quests on the Hero's Path (three during Theros and six which take place during Born of the Gods and Journey into Nyx). Hero Cards debuted as part of the Hero's Path. These cards are not for use in tournament decks but instead are awarded to players for completing quests along the Hero's Path. They can use them to defeat later quests. Each card is double-faced, one side featuring a code redeemable for a Planeswalker points achievement while the other side features game mechanics players can use to help defeat a Game Day Challenge Deck.

Prerelease

The first quest in the Hero's Path was during the Theros Prerelease on September 21st and 22nd, 2013. [8] There players could choose their heroic path based on a favorite mana color (white, blue, black, red, or green), receive a Seeded Prerelease pack, and join fellow heroes on a social scavenger hunt. The Seeded Prerelease Pack contained a spindown life counter, a Hero Card unique to a players' chosen path (respectively The Protector, The Philosopher, The Avenger, The Warrior and The Hunter), one of five quiz activity cards, five Theros boosters, and a seeded booster featuring cards appropriate for that player's chosen path (including one of the playable five Prerelease promo cards).

While building decks and playing matches players could work together to find the answers to the questions about Theros on their activity cards. This social scavenger hunt offered players an opportunity to engross themselves in the lore of the new block and interact with their fellow heroes. Once a player had filled out the card, he or she could check the answer key to see if they completed it correctly.

Launch Weekend

Theros launched to the public on September 27th, 2013 and kicked off with Friday Night Magic. Hero's Path Quest #2 brought players to their store to receive a "Gift from the Gods" by solving a puzzle hidden within a Poster Puzzle. Once they had discovered the solution they could report it to receive a second Hero Card (The Harvester).

Game Day

On October 19th and 20th Theros Game Day players could use their Standard decks for the third quest on the Hero's Path: Face the Hydra. Using a special Challenge Deck provided to the retailer, players could battle the Hydra, one of the epic monsters of the plane of Theros. The Challenge Deck is a special self-running deck with its own set of rules. Players are encouraged to pilot it against one another one-on-one or in groups of up to four with guidance from the included instructional playmat. A player didn't need to participate in the Game Day tournament to attempt to defeat the Hydra. This was the first opportunity for players to utilize the Hero Cards they received at the Prerelease and Launch Weekend. Beating the Hydra also awarded players their third Hero Card (The Slayer), which they'll be able to use for quests at future Hero's Path events.

Promotional cards

Tokens / Emblem

The sixteenth card in the boosters is a token creature card or an emblem, with advertisements on the back side: [10]

  1. {W} 2/1 Cleric enchantment creature for Heliod, God of the Sun
  2. {W} 1/1 Soldier for Akroan Horse
  3. {W} 1/1 Soldier for Elspeth, Sun's Champion and Evangel of Heliod
  4. {U} 2/2 Bird with Flying for Swan Song
  5. {U} 1/0 Elemental for Master of Waves
  6. {B} 1/1 Harpy with Flying for Abhorrent Overlord
  7. {R} 1/1 Soldier for Akroan Crusader
  8. {G} 2/2 Boar for Curse of the Swine
  9. Template:Rg 2/2 Satyr with haste for Xenagos, the Reveler
  10. {X} 3/3 Golem enchantment artifact creature for Hammer of Purphoros
  11. Emblem for Elspeth, Sun's Champion

Themes and mechanics

Theros has a strong enchantment theme with widespread use of the Enchantment type alongside other card types (enchantment creatures and enchantment artifacts). [11] Enchantments are primarily used to represent the Gods - which themselves are enchantment creatures - and their influence. Some enchantment creatures feature the new keyword ability Bestow which lets the player cast the card as an aura with enchant creature for the Bestow cost. It then conveys a bonus to the enchanted creature. If the creature it enchants dies, the enchantment itself reverts to a creature, usually with the same features as the abilities it conveyed as an aura.

Another mechanic tied to the gods is Devotion. Similar to Chroma, it scales effects based on the number of mana symbols on permanents a player controls. [12] [13]

Humans also tie into the enchantment theme with the Heroic ability word. Cards with heroic trigger an ability when its controller casts a spell targeting it. [14]

Scry appears in Theros as a returning mechanic. [15]

Theros is also a plane filled with monsters such as Hydras, Kraken, Demons and others. These all feature the new keyword action Monstrosity. Upon activation, if the creature isn't "monstrous" already, a certain number of +1/+1 counters are put on the creature and it becomes "monstrous". Usually this is accompanied by a triggered ability when the creature becomes "monstrous". [16]

Additionally, the Hero's Path features Hero's Reward.

Card types

Theros introduces the supertype Elite, the card type Hero and the creature types God, Sable and Head. It reintroduces the creature type Nymph.

Cycles

Theros has twelve cycles. Some cards are part of a Theros block mega cycle.

Mirrored pairs

Theros has one mirrored pair.

Reprinted cards

The following cards have been reprinted from previous sets and included in Theros:

Functional reprints

Strictly better or worse

Preconstructed decks

Intro packs

Main article: Theros/Intro packs

Theros has five bicolored intro packs: [17] Template:Intro packs

Event deck

Main article: Theros/Event deck

Theros has one event deck. [18] Template:Event deck

References

  1. Trick Jarrett (March 25, 2013). "Announcing Theros Block". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. Mark Rosewater (September 2, 2013). "A Theros By Any Other Name, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. Erik Lauer (September 09, 2013). "Developing Theros". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  4. Mark Rosewater (September 16, 2013). "A Theros By Any Other Name, Part 3". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  5. Ethan Fleischer (September 02, 2013). "An Even-Handed Tale". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  6. Jenna Helland (September 11, 2013). "The Lost Confession". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  7. Trick Jarrett (August 27, 2013). "Theros Intro Pack Rares and Packaging". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  8. Mike McArtor (September 16, 2013). "Theros Prerelease Primer". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  9. Wizards of the Coast (September 18, 2013). "Buy a Box Promotion". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  10. Trick Jarrett (September 10, 2013). "Tokens of Theros". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  11. magicthegathering.com Staff (September 02, 2013). "The Mechanics of Theros". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  12. Mark Rosewater (September 9, 2013). "A Theros By Any Other Name, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  13. Adam Prosak (December 06, 2013). "Developing Devotion". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  14. Mark Rosewater (October 21, 2013). "Hero Complex". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  15. Sam Stoddard (September 06, 2013). "How Theros Got Its Scry On". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  16. Mark Rosewater (November 11, 2013). "Building a Better Monster". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  17. Trick Jarrett (September 18, 2013). "Theros Intro Pack Decklists". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  18. Trick Jarrett (September 26, 2013). "Theros Event Deck Decklist". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.

External links

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