Champions of Kamigawa

For the accompanying novel to Champions of Kamigawa, see Outlaw: Champions of Kamigawa.

Champions of Kamigawa
Set Information
Set symbol
Themes and mechanics	Spiritcraft, Flip cards, Legendary cards, Arcane
Keywords/​ability words	Bushido, Soulshift, Splice
Set size	307 (110 Common 89 Uncommon 88 Rare 20 Land)
Expansion code	CHK
Development codename	Earth

Champions of Kamigawa is the thirty-third Magic expansion and was released in October 2004 as the first set in the Kamigawa block.

Set details

Champions of Kamigawa contained 306 black-bordered cards (88 rare, 88 uncommon, 110 common, and 20 basic lands). The story takes place on the plane of Kamigawa, which is thematically based on feudal Japan and related legends and myths. The Champions in the name of the set refer to the many Legendary creatures in it. The expansion symbol is a torii gate (a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred).

Marketing

Champions of Kamigawa was sold in 75-card tournament decks, 15-card boosters, four preconstructed theme decks and a fat pack. The booster packs featured artwork from Myojin of Cleansing Fire, Myojin of Seeing Winds and Myojin of Infinite Rage. The prerelease card was a foil alternate art Ryusei, the Falling Star. The set was accompanied by a novel by Scott McGough.

Flavor and storyline

A war between the physical world and the spirits that are the essence of everything in the physical world, tears the veil between those two worlds apart. To represent this, the cards are mostly divided into two groups, the physical beings with their regular magic, and the kami with their "arcane" magic.

Tournament impact

Champions of Kamigawa, as well as the rest of Kamigawa block, was met with mostly negative reactions from players. The fact that all rare creatures were legendary was seen as cumbersome and annoying, particularly in mirror matches. Further, Flip cards were perceived as confusing and hard to keep track off. The set also was a significant downgrade in terms of raw power and card playability, and thus was often overshadowed by its predecessor Mirrodin block and successor Ravnica block.

Mechanics

Champions of Kamigawa introduced the keywords Bushido, Soulshift, and Splice, as well as the first sorcery and instant subtype, Arcane, and finally flip cards. Of these mechanics, the Arcane subtype, Splice onto Arcane, and Soulshift represented spirit-world magic, while the flip cards contributed to another major mechanic throughout the block: legendary creatures (and permanents). It featured, for example, the first five legendary enchantments, the Honden Shrines.

Flip cards have a special Card frame with the top and the bottom half of the cards holding text boxes, the bottom being upside-down, and the art of the card in the middle. If certain conditions specific to the card were met, the card could be flipped, changing into a different card permanently.

The Legendary super-type replaced the creature type "Legend" with this set. Every rare creature in the set is Legendary, and some uncommon creatures are too. In this context, Champions made a change to the Legend rule. Whereas before another legend with the same name could not be played, from the set onward two legendary permanents with the same name caused each other to be put into the graveyard.

The set also made minor rules adjustments for targeting, and introduced the Evergreen Keyword "Defender", which was retroactively applied to all previously printed cards with the type Wall and formally detached the creature type from its rules baggage.

Creature types

The following creature types are introduced in this expansion: Advisor, Monk, Moonfolk, Samurai, Zubera.

The following creature types are used in this expansion but also appear in previous sets: Assassin, Barbarian, Cleric, Demon, Dragon, Fox, Goblin, Hound, Ogre, Rat, Rogue, Shaman, Snake, Soldier, Spirit, Warrior, Wizard.

Cycles

Champions of Kamigawa has ten cycles.

• Deceivers: Each of these common Spirit creatures has the abilities ": Look at the top card of your library" , and ": If that card is a land, this creature gains an ability and/or a bonus": Harsh Deceiver, Callous Deceiver, Cruel Deceiver, Brutal Deceiver, and Feral Deceiver.
• Honden: Each of these uncommon legendary Shrine Enchantments grants their owner something depending on the number of shrines they control: Honden of Cleansing Fire, Honden of Infinite Rage, Honden of Life's Web, Honden of Night's Reach, and Honden of Seeing Winds.
• Legendary Lands: Each of these rare legendary lands produces a colored mana or can be tapped to give an ability or bonus to a legendary creature: Eiganjo Castle, Minamo, School at Water's Edge, Shizo, Death's Storehouse, Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep, and Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers.
• Myojin: Each of these legendary Spirits comes into play with a divinity counter (if you hardcasted them) and is indestructible as long as it has this counter. The counter can be removed for a powerful effect: Myojin of Cleansing Fire, Myojin of Infinite Rage, Myojin of Life's Web, Myojin of Night's Reach, and Myojin of Seeing Winds.
• Spirit Dragons: Each of these rare legendary Dragon Spirit creatures costs six mana, has flying in addition to an ability when the creature is put into a graveyard from play: Yosei, the Morning Star, Keiga, the Tide Star, Kokusho, the Evening Star, Ryusei, the Falling Star and Jugan, the Rising Star.
• Zubera: Each of these common 1/2 Zubera Spirit creatures costs C and has a triggered ability when it goes to the graveyard that grows with each Zubera put into a graveyard from play this turn: Silent-Chant Zubera, Floating-Dream Zubera, Ashen-Skin Zubera, Ember-Fist Zubera, and Dripping-Tongue Zubera.
• Rare Flip Creatures: Each of these rare humanoid creatures enters the battlefield as a humble youth and flips to become a legendary master: Kitsune Mystic, Jushi Apprentice, Nezumi Shortfang, Akki Lavarunner, and Budoka Gardener.
• Uncommon Flip Creatures: Each of these uncommon humanoid creatures enters the battlefield as a humble youth and flips to become a legendary master: Bushi Tenderfoot, Student of Elements, Nezumi Graverobber, Initiate of Blood, and Orochi Eggwatcher.
• Slow lands: Each of these dual lands produces either or one of two allied colors of mana. If tapped for colored mana, they do not untap during their controller's next untap step. They are functional reprints of the allied dual lands in Tempest: Cloudcrest Lake, Waterveil Cavern, Lantern-Lit Graveyard, Pinecrest Ridge, and Tranquil Garden.
• Flash Enchant Creatures: Each of these aura enchantments has flash and enchant creature: Indomitable Will, Mystic Restraints, Ragged Veins, Uncontrollable Anger, and Serpent Skin.

Reprinted cards

The following cards have been reprinted from previous sets and included in Champions of Kamigawa.

• Befoul — was last seen in 7th Edition.
• Lure — was last seen in 8th Edition.
• Stone Rain — was last seen in 8th Edition.

Functional reprints

Champions of Kamigawa has 16 functional reprints:

• Jukai Messenger is a functional reprint of Zodiac Rabbit from Portal Three Kingdoms, Willow Dryad from Portal and Shanodin Dryads from Seventh Edition.
• Indomitable Will is a functional reprint of Mageta's Boon from Prophecy.
• Lantern Kami is a functional reprint of Suntail Hawk from Eighth Edition.
• Moss Kami is a functional reprint of Giant Warthog from Judgment.
• Order of the Sacred Bell is a functional reprint of Golden Bear from Portal Second Age.
• Orochi Sustainer is a functional reprint of Wirewood Elf from Onslaught.
• Quiet Purity is a functional reprint of Demystify from Eighth Edition, save for subtype.
• Rag Dealer is a functional reprint of Carrion Beetles from Urza's Saga.
• River Kaijin is a functional reprint of Horned Turtle from Eighth Edition.
• Sokenzan Bruiser is a functional reprint of Rock Badger from Mercadian Masques.
• Wandering Ones is a functional reprint of Fugitive Wizard from Eighth Edition and Merfolk of the Pearl Trident from Seventh Edition.
• The cycle of ally-colored lands with ': Add to your mana pool.' and ': Add C or D to your mana pool. This land doesn't untap during your next untap step.' from Battle Royale, with exeption of Rootwater Depths, which wasn't reprinted from Tempest:
  • Cloudcrest Lake - Thalakos Lowlands,
  • Waterveil Cavern - Rootwater Depths,
  • Lantern-Lit Graveyard - Cinder Marsh,
  • Pinecrest Ridge - Mogg Hollows,
  • Tranquil Garden - Vec Townships,

Colorshifted

• Heartbeat of Spring is a colorshifted functional reprint of Mana Flare from Alpha.
• Squelch is a colorshifted functional reprint of Bind from Invasion.
• Ghostly Prison is a colorshifted functional reprint of Propaganda from Tempest

Theme decks

The preconstructed theme decks are: Template:Theme decks

External links

• Champions of Kamigawa product information page — Wizards of the Coast