The Lost Caverns of Ixalan

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan

 

Commander decks

 

Card comparisons

 

Box Toppers

 

Trivia

 

Art Series

 

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
[[File:{{#setmainimage:The Lost Caverns of Ixalan.png}}|250px]]
Set Information
Set symbol
Symbol description	A Zoetic Glyph
Design	Mark Rosewater (lead), Mike Mearls, Ari Nieh, Cameron Williams, Chris Mooney, Dan Musser, Doug Beyer, Erik Lauer, Sam Jiang
Development	Jules Robins (co-lead), Erik Lauer (co-lead), Ethan Fleischer, Reggie Valk, Corey Bowen, Daniel Xu, Adam Prosak, Andrew Brown, Ben Weitz, Jadine Klomparens
Art direction	Ovidio Cartagena
Release date	November 17, 2023
Plane	Ixalan
Themes and mechanics	TDFC's, Dinosaur Typal, Maps
Keywords/​ability words	Craft, Descend, Discover, Explore
Set size	291 + 124
Expansion code	LCI
Development codename	Offroading
Outlaws of Thunder Junction Standard
Wilds of Eldraine The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Murders at Karlov Manor
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
Lord of the Rings Holiday Release The Lost Caverns of Ixalan The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander Decks

For other uses, see Ixalan (disambiguation).

Expansion symbol.

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan is the ninety-eighth Magic expansion. It was released on November 17, 2023.

Set details

“

Treasure Bites Back!

”

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan is Magic's take on the “Underground World” trope. It is not a traditional return set: R&D was making an underground set, and Ixalan felt like the best fit for it. It wasn’t the other way round. As such, it is not a mechanical return to the previous set. The set has Dinosaurs, Merfolk, Pirates, and Vampires, but it isn't factioned or particularly typal. Thematically, it is more of an action/adventure set.

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan contains 291 regular cards (108 commons, 92 uncommons, 64 rares, 22 mythic rares, 5 basic lands), and includes randomly inserted traditional foil versions of all cards. The regular cards include 5 full-art "Core" basic lands (#287-291). Alternate card frames have a different card number than the original version. The mural-like "Legends of Ixalan" showcase cards are #292-313, and cards with the Gods of Ixalan treatment are #314-319. Borderless Dinosaurs are #320-332 while "Borderless Oltec" cards are #333-346. The Borderless Restless Lands are #347-351, #352 is the borderless Quintorius and extended art cards are #353-392. Bundle basic lands are #393-402. Promo cards are numbered #403-409. The Neon Ink versions of Cavern of Souls are #410a-410f.

Storyline

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan is the second set in the Omenpath Arc. The story takes place a year after the events of March of the Machine. We revisit Ixalan, the plane packed with pirates and dinosaurs. Things have changed since the disappearance of the Immortal Sun. Once again, there is a scramble as the groups race toward the center of Ixalan in search of a new resource: cosmium. Once they get past the caves, they find that Ixalan is a hollow world with Ixalan's Core in the middle and lit by Chimil, its sun. An ancient civilization, ancestors of the Sun Empire, uses the magic of Chimil to grow in power.

The cards that represent the Story Spotlights in Lost Caverns are:

• Orazca Puzzle-Door
• Fanatical Offering
• Abuelo's Awakening
• Matzalantli, the Great Door
• The Core
• Canonized in Blood
• Malicious Eclipse
• Bitter Triumph
• Huatli's Final Strike
• Family Reunion

Marketing

Collector Booster

The Lost Caverns is sold in regular 16-card Draft Boosters (one card being a marketing card), Draft Packs, Collector Boosters, Set Boosters, the Lost Caverns of Ixalan Bundle, a Gift Bundle and four Commander decks.

Cosmium Neon Ink

This set sees the return of the "Neon Ink" treatment first seen in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. Six extra versions of Cavern of Souls are printed in different neon colors. Similarly, there are six additional versions of the Special Guest Mana Crypt in neon colors.

Box Toppers

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan features a series of 20 box topper promos (8 uncommons, 7 rares, 5 mythic rares), referred to as the "Treasure Trove". Ninteen cards are reprints from sets other than Ixalan block with one card from The Lost Caverns of Ixalan.

Special Guests

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan introduces Special Guests. These are 18 highly desirable reprints with art and flavor text matched to the flavor of the plane they appear in. They are incorporated in The List of Set Boosters but also may appear in Collector Boosters. Special Guest cards have the set code SPG.

• Lord of Atlantis
• Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
• Bridge From Below
• Mephidross Vampire
• Pitiless Plunderer
• Breeches, Brazen Plunderer
• Dargo, the Shipwrecker
• Rampaging Ferocidon
• Underworld Breach
• Carnage Tyrant
• Polyraptor
• Ghalta, Primal Hunger
• Kalamax, the Stormsire
• Lord Windgrace
• Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist
• Thrasios, Triton Hero
• Mana Crypt (7 versions)
• Star Compass

Universes Beyond: Jurassic World

The Jurassic World Collection set is a booster insert for The Lost Caves of Ixalan, similar to Transformers in The Brothers' War. Jurassic World cards can be found in Set Boosters, Collector Booster and Bundles. Note that these are original designs, and not skinned cards.

Events

• Prerelease: November 10, 2023
• Open House: November 17-19, 2023
• Friday Night Magic: November 17, 2023 – January 26, 2024
• Commander Nights: November 20, 2023 – February 1, 2024
• Lost Cavern of Ixalan Constructed: November 21, 2023 - November 23, 2023
• Store Championship: December 2 – 10, 2023
• Commander Party: December 15 – 17, 2023

  

  Bundle

Gift Bundle

Promos

Cosmium planeswalker symbol on the packaging of the Prerelease card

• Prerelease: a stamped card that can be any single-sided rare or mythic rare of The Lost Caverns of Ixalan.
  • The seasonal dark-frame promos are: Spyglass Siren, Deep-Cavern Bat, Geological Appraiser, Cenote Scout, Bartolomé del Presidio.
• Open House: retro frame Ravenous Chupacabra
• Buy-a-Box: alternate art Jadelight Spelunker.
• Bundle promo: alternate art Hit the Mother Lode.
• Store Championship promos: Cauldron Familiar (participation), Dark Petition (Top 8), textless Lier, Disciple of the Drowned (winner)
• 30th Anniversary promos: Dragonlord Atarka, Dramatic Reversal, Path of Ancestry and Beast Whisperer
• Commander Party: foil retro frame Unclaimed Territory

Tokens

Lost Caverns has 18 tokens:

1. Copy for Saheeli, the Sun's Brilliance and Self-Reflection.
2. 4/4 Angel creature with flying and vigilance for Resplendent Angel.
3. */* Gnome Soldier artifact creature with "This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of artifacts and/or creatures you control" for Barracks of the Thousand and Thousand Moons Smithy.
4. 1/1 Vampire creature with lifelink for Preacher of the Schism.
5. 1/1 Merfolk creature with hexproof for Deeproot Pilgrimage.
6. 1/1 Bat creature with flying for Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal, Bat Colony and Sanguine Evangelist.
7. 1/1 Fungus creature with "This creature can't block." for Broodrage Mycoid, Synapse Necromage and The Mycotyrant.
8. 2/2 Skeleton Pirate creature for Corpses of the Lost.
9. 3/1 Dinosaur creature for Bonehoard Dracosaur and Poetic Ingenuity.
10. 3/3 Dinosaur creature for Nurturing Bristleback, Palani's Hatcher and Roar of the Fifth People.
11. 0/1 Dinosaur Egg creature for Palani's Hatcher.
12. */* Fungus Dinosaur creature for The Skullspore Nexus.
13. 4/4 Golem artifact creature for Master’s Guide-Mural and Master’s Manufactory.
14. 3/2 Spirit creature for Quintorius Kand.
15. 4/3 Vampire Demon creature with flying for Canonized in Blood and Vito, Fanatic of Aclazotz.
16. 1/1 Gnome artifact creature for Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon, Cosmium Kiln, Envoy of Okinec Ahau, Oltec Cloud Guard, Threefold Thunderhulk and Tinker's Tote.
17. Map artifact for Brackish Blunder, Cartographer's Companion, Fanatical Offering, Get Lost, Journey On, Restless Anchorage, Sentinel of the Nameless City, Spyglass Siren and Waterwind Scout.
18. Treasure artifact for Ancestors' Aid, Bonehoard Dracosaur, Breeches, Eager Pillager, Careening Mine Cart, Contested Game Ball, Diamond Pick-Axe, Enterprising Scallywag, Greedy Freebooter, Hit the Mother Lode, Magmatic Galleon, Plundering Pirate, Poetic Ingenuity, The Belligerent, Treasure Map and Volatile Fault.

In addition, there are:

• A blank DFC Helper card
• A double-faced punch-out Counter card

Themes and mechanics

Transforming double-faced cards are back with those that transform into lands with the Ixalan map-inspired card frame, and the new Craft mechanic. One Adventure card was printed as part of the plane-crossing storyline. The set also introduces descending and its related mechanics, discover, and explore makes a return. Finally, although it's not a primary focus like it was in Ixalan block, there are typal payoffs for Pirates, Merfolk, Vampires and especially Dinosaurs.

Craft is a new way to transform artifacts. By paying a mana cost and exiling permanents you control from the battlefield or your graveyard with specified qualities, artifacts can transform into more powerful permanents.

Descend is a new mechanic that describes the act of putting a permanent card into a graveyard from anywhere. This is linked to two new ability words, Descend X describing triggers that activate if there are X permanent cards in your graveyard. and fathomless descent, which uses the number of permanent cards in your graveyard as a value.

Discover is a revamped version of cascade with more design space. Instead of being a cast trigger, it's a keyword action that always comes with a value. To Discover X, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a card with mana value X or less. To avoid whiffing on something like a counterspell, there is now a choice to cast the spell or simply put it into your hand. The other exiled cards are put on the bottom of your library.

Explore returns from the original Ixalan set, and now also features on Map tokens, a new predefined token.

Card types

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan introduces the creature subtypes Capybara, Llama, and Snail. The set also introduces the artifact subtype Map. Map tokens have “, , Sacrifice this artifact: Target creature you control explores. Activate only as a sorcery.” Additionally, this set introduces the Quintorius planeswalker type.

In keeping with the set's theme of exploration and descent into the Core, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan introduces the Cave land type.

Counter types

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan introduces Bore counters, Chorus counters, Dread counters, and the new deciduous Finality counters. It also sees the return of Landmark counters, Net counters, Point counters, and time counters for the first time since Ixalan, Fallen Empires, Strixhaven: School of Mages, and Doctor Who respectively.

Limited archetypes

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan features the following Limited archetypes:

• : Oltec Ingenuity (Artifact Control)
• : Echoes of the Dead (Descend Control)
• : Going Down! (Descending Beatdown)
• : Dinosaurs of the Sun Empire (Dinosaur Stompy)
• : Malamet Tactics (Buffs Aggro)
• : Dusk Legion Pilgrimage (Sacrifice)
• : Pirates' Plunder (Artifact Aggro)
• : Fungal Festering (Descend Grindy)
• : Thousand-Moon Legion (Tapping Midrange)
• : River Herald Expedition (Explore Midrange)

Cycles

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan has eight cycles.

Cycle name
Deep Gods	Ojer Taq, Deepest Foundation // Temple of Civilization	Ojer Pakpatiq, Deepest Epoch // Temple of Cyclical Time	Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal // Temple of the Dead	Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might // Temple of Power	Ojer Kaslem, Deepest Growth // Temple of Cultivation
	Five mythic rare legendary God creatures that transform into lands when they die. Each land has an activated ability to transform back into creatures.
Uncovered lands	Thousand Moons Smithy // Barracks of the Thousand	The Everflowing Well // The Myriad Pools	Tarrian's Journal // The Tomb of Aclazotz	Brass's Tunnel-Grinder // Tecutlan, the Searing Rift	Growing Rites of Itlimoc // Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun
	Five rare legendary colored permanent cards that transforms into legendary lands. Some of these cards have a trigger when they enter the battlefield and when the mana produced on the flip side is spent to cast a permanent spell, that spell is improved.
Landcyclesaurs	Soaring Sandwing	Marauding Brinefang	Rampaging Spiketail	Seismic Monstrosaur	Nurturing Bristleback
	Five common dinosaurs, each of them may be cycled for for a land with a basic land type.
Common Crafters	Oteclan Landmark // Oteclan Levitator	Inverted Iceberg // Iceberg Titan	Tithing Blade // Consuming Sepulcher	Idol of the Deep King // Sovereign's Macuahuitl	Kaslem's Stonetree // Kaslem's Strider
	Five common artifacts with an enter-the-battlefield ability and the new Craft ability.
Hidden Caves	Hidden Courtyard	Hidden Cataract	Hidden Necropolis	Hidden Volcano	Hidden Nursery
	Five common nonbasic lands with the new Cave subtype that enter tapped. Each land can sacrifice itself to discover 4.
Cycle name
Restless manlands	Restless Anchorage	Restless Reef	Restless Vents	Restless Ridgeline	Restless Prairie
	Five allied color lands that can become creatures with an ability and grant a bonus when they attack. They complete the land cycle introduced in Wilds of Eldraine.

Double cycles

Cycle name
Gold rares	Abuelo, Ancestral Echo	Wail of the Forgotten	Molten Collapse	Palani's Hatcher	Kellan, Daring Traveler	Amalia Benavides Aguirre	The Belligerent	Squirming Emergence	Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon	Deepfathom Echo
	Ten rare dual-colored cards.
Gold signposts	Master’s Guide-Mural	Uchbenbak, the Great Mistake	Zoyowa Lava-Tongue	Itzquinth, Firstborn of Gishath	Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar	Bartolomé del Presidio	Captain Storm, Cosmium Raider	Akawalli, the Seething Tower	Caparocti Sunborn	Nicanzil, Current Conductor
	Ten uncommon dual-colored cards, each a signpost for a draft archetype.

Reprinted cards

• Abrade — first printed in Hour of Devastation, last seen in Secret Lair Drop Series: Fall Superdrop 2023
• Cavern of Souls — first printed in Avacyn Restored, last seen in Lord of the Rings Commander
• Chart a Course — first printed in Ixalan, last seen in Jumpstart
• Dead Weight — first printed in Innistrad, last seen in Jumpstart 2022
• Gishath, Sun's Avatar — first printed in Ixalan, last seen in Secret Lair Drop Series: October Superdrop (2021)
• Growing Rites of Itlimoc // Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun — first printed in Ixalan
• Resplendent Angel — first printed in Core Set 2019
• Rumbling Rockslide — first printed in Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
• Sorcerous Spyglass — first printed in Ixalan, last seen Timeshifted in Time Spiral Remastered and as a Secret Lair bonus Blueprint card
• Thrashing Brontodon — first printed in Rivals of Ixalan, last seen in Jumpstart 2022
• Treasure Map // Treasure Cove — first printed in Ixalan, last seen in Secret Lair Commander Deck: From Cute to Brute

Notable cards

• On release in Magic: The Gathering Arena, Fabrication Foundry was found to have a bug that allowed players to return artifact cards with a mana value greater than the total exiled with its second ability. The temporary ban did not remove the card from draft boosters but did render the card unplayable in limited formats.

Banned and restricted cards

• Geological Appraiser resembled Bloodbraid Elf in many ways, but the distinct difference of having an entry trigger rather than a cast trigger meant that three-mana clone creatures would re-trigger the effect. With a supporting framework that let it combo off on turn 3, it was determined that Pioneer was not the space for this combo and it was banned there and in Explorer on December 2023.

Preconstructed decks

Lost Caverns features four Commander decks that are released as a regular part of a set's product line.

Theme deck name	Color Identity					Commander
Ahoy Mateys		U	B	R		Admiral Brass, Unsinkable
Blood Rites	W		B			Clavileño, First of the Blessed
Explorers of the Deep		U			G	Hakbal of the Surging Soul
Veloci-Ramp-Tor	W			R	G	Pantlaza, Sun-Favored

Gallery

Key art

• 

  "Cavern Crash" by RJ Palmer.

• 

  Featuring Gishath by Ilse Gort.

• 

  Featuring Okinec Ahau by Ilse Gort.

• 

  Featuring Pantlaza by Lie Setiawan.

• 

  Map of the Caverns for Commander Party by Gaboleps.

• 

  Featuring Huatli and Quint by Pindurski.

• 

  "Dinosaur Temple" by Bryan Sola.

• 

  Featuring Anim Pakal by Nestor Ossandon Leal.

• 

  Featuring Huatli and Quint by Anna Podedworna.

Arena Avatars

• 

  Admiral Beckett Brass.

• 

  Gishath.

• 

  Huatli, the Warrior-Poet.

• 

  Kellan.

• 

  Okinec Ahau, sovereign of the Malamet.

• 

  Quintorius Kand.

• 

  Vito Quijano de Pasamonte, before receiving Aclazotz's gifts.

External links

• Official product page.
• WPN product page.
• Mark Rosewater (November 6, 2023). "The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Vision Design Handoff Document, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Mark Rosewater (November 13, 2023). "The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Vision Design Handoff Document, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.