Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty

 

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Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Neon Dynasty logo.png}}|250px]]
Set Information
Set symbol
Symbol description	Rising sun behind a mountain
Design	Mark Rosewater (lead) Ari Nieh Emily Teng Chris Mooney Daniel Holt Dave Humpherys David McDarby Ethan Fleischer Mark Gottlieb
Development	Dave Humpherys (lead) Jadine Klomparens Daniel Holt Ari Nieh Andrew Brown Yoni Skolnik Reggie Valk Lukas Litzsinger Ben Hayes Koichiro Maki
Art direction	Zack Stella
Release date	February 18, 2022
Themes and mechanics	Legendary creatures, Ninjas and Samurai.
Keywords/​ability words	Channel, Ninjutsu, Reconfigure, Compleated, Transform
Set size	302 + 210
Expansion code	NEO
Development codename	Hockey
Streets of New Capenna Standard
Midnight Hunt Crimson Vow Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
Secret Lair Drop Series: February Superdrop 2022 Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Commander Decks

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty is the ninety-first Magic expansion. It was released on February 18, 2022.

Set details

Neon Dynasty expansion symbol

Key art featuring Kaito

“

Light It Up

”

Public domain name registries connected to this name were filed by NetworkSolutions in October, 2020. A further registration with the gg domain was filed by Wizards itself in May 2021. The set was already hinted at in a public Magic survey from November 19, 2019 that featured multiple pieces of Planeswalker art with descriptions referencing a future Kamigawa. The setting is described as Magic: The Gathering's first science fiction plane. Several Japanese artists were engaged to produce card illustrations, among them famous manga artists like Tetsuo Hara. The central conflict of the set is the conflict between modernity and tradition - a metafictional reference to how R&D struggled to develop a sequel to one of the worst received blocks of Magic, separating it from the previous setting while making it recognizably the same plane. Half of the set features the new mechanized world of modern Kamigawa, while the other half depicts the more traditional Kamigawa as seen in the earlier block.

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty contains 302 regular cards (117 commons, 88 uncommons, 59 rares, 18 mythic rares, 20 basic lands) and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards. Draft boosters include a guaranteed double-faced card in common or uncommon, with the rare or mythic DFC distributed as normal. The regular cards include 10 "Ukiyo-e" basic lands. Each type has two different pieces of "block-stamped" art. Alternate card frames have another card number than the original version. Borderless planeswalkers are numbered #303-306. The two cards with Phyrexian frame and language are #307-308. "Samurai frames" are #309-330, "Ninja frame" showcase cards are numbered #331-353 and "Soft Glow" showcase cards are #354-405. Borderless Legendary Dragons and lands are #406-416. Twelve mythic and rare cards with alternate frames received versions with the foil-etched treatment. These are numbered #417-428 and are exclusively found in Collector Boosters. The "Neon Ink" cards are #429-432, and extended artwork cards are numbered #433-505. The Bundle promo is #506 and the Buy-a-Box card is #507. The dark frame treatment cards from the Universal promo pack are numbered #508-512.

The "Ninja frame" and "Samurai frame" showcase cards are all Ninjas and Samurai respectively. The 'soft glow" showcase cards are used for alternate versions of all other rare and mythic cards. The "Neon Ink" card treatment only appears on four different versions of Hidetsugu., Devouring Chaos. There are about half as many green ink cards as blue ink cards, and about a quarter that many red ink cards as green ink cards. The yellow ink cards are a promo for WPN Premium shops.

Rules change

Previously, a vehicle that had become a creature was able to be tapped for its own crew ability. This rarely came up, and it doesn't make a lot of sense for a vehicle to crew itself, so the rules are changed slightly to prevent that. You must now tap other creature to crew a vehicle.

Storyline

Neon Dynasty is set in the current era on Kamigawa, more than 1200 years after conclusion of the original Kamigawa block in 3326 AR. The plane's feudal past has met futuristic modernity, with ninjas and samurai now carrying a cyberpunk aesthetic.

The Emperor of Kamigawa has been missing for ten years. While the Imperials have to deal with Futurists and Uprisers, the planeswalkers Tamiyo and Kaito Shizuki are confronted by an interplanar danger.

The cards that represent the Story Spotlights in Neon Dynasty are:

• When We Were Young
• Planar Incision
• Reality Heist
• Anchor to Reality
• Brilliant Restoration
• Explosive Entry
• Spell Pierce
• Wanderer's Intervention
• Tamiyo's Safekeeping
• Kaito's Pursuit
• Eiganjo Uprising
• Regent's Authority
• Tamiyo's Compleation

The story was also in Magic Story and in the Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty manga.

Marketing

Neon Dynasty Bundle featuring The Wanderer.

Neon Dynasty is sold in regular 16-card Draft Boosters (one card being a marketing card), Theme Boosters, Collector Boosters, Set Boosters, the Neon Dynasty Bundle, and two Commander decks. The Draft Boosters feature artwork depicting Kaito Shizuki. The Set Boosters feature art depicting the Wanderer, and the Collector Boosters feature artwork depicting a nezumi rider. The Theme Boosters feature art from Thousand-Faced Shadow (Ninjas), Imperial Subduer (), Prosperous Thief (), Mukotai Ambusher (), Dragonspark Reactor () and Kappa Tech-Wrecker (). With the release of Neon Dynasty, 75 cards were rotated into The List, many of which were thematically or mechanically linked to the set. These can be found in the Set Boosters.

Beadle & Grimms Silver and Platinum Editions

Beadle & Grimms metal counters

For this set, Wizards of the Coast partnered with Beadle & Grimms, a gaming company that previously had offered official, expanded editions of Dungeons & Dragons modules and other games. They are known to create in-flavor maps, handouts, artifacts, bonus encounters, and other accessories.

Their Kamigawa Silver Edition for $ 199.00 included a demon-themed Lightning Blue deck box, 100 Gold Dragon sleeves, a Kamigawa Art card folio, an art-inspired life counter, a LED playmat, a Kamigawa metal counter set, a demon mask necklace, an exclusive game log, a Kamigawa world map and an in-world Guide to Kamigawa.

The Kamigawa Platinum Edition for $ 449.00 additionally included an exclusive Neon Dynasty-themed backpack, a sword-adorned card vault, a kami-themed Neon Pink deck box, 100 Black Dragon sleeves, a Kamigawa wall art poster, 5 lithographic art prints and a sidekick plush.

These sets of merchandise notably don't include Magic playing cards.

Reveal teaser

The Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Official Teaser featured a scrambled image of the Kaito Shizuki planeswalker card.

AR experience

In January 2022, players can step into the streets of Kamigawa with a special web-based augmented reality experience exclusive to WPN stores. Scanning a QR code in stores with their mobile device, players can view and interact with a street market as long as they're in the store. During the event, players can also access exclusive animated preview cards among other unique encounters within the environment.

Events

• Magic Online and MTG Arena release: February 10, 2022
• Tabletop Prerelease: February 11–17, 2022
• Launch party: February 18–20, 2022
• Friday Night Magic: February 25–April 22, 2022
• Commander Nights: February 28–April 28, 2022
• Game Day: March 5, 2022

Promotional cards

• Prerelease: a stamped card that can be any rare or mythic rare of Neon Dynasty.
• Other events: cards from the Neon Dynasty universal promo pack.
  • The seasonal dark-frame promos are: Spirited Companion, Enthusiastic Mechanaut, Jukai Naturalist, Silver-Fur Master, and Secluded Courtyard
• Game Day: Consider (participation), Fateful Absence (Top 8) and Atsushi, The Blazing Sky (First place)
• WPN Premium shops: Hidetsugu, Devouring Chaos (Yellow Neon Ink)
• Buy-a-Box: foil alternate art Satoru Umezawa
• Bundle: foil Invoke Despair

Tokens and emblems

There are 19 tokens and emblems:

1. 1/1 Pilot creature with "This creature crews Vehicles as though its power were 2 greater.", for Born to Drive, Prodigy’s Prototype, and Reckoner Bankbuster.
2. 1/1 Spirit creature, for Akki Ember-Keeper, Architect of Restoration, Go-Shintai of Shared Purpose, Searchlight Companion, Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance, and Teachings of the Kirin.
3. 2/2 Samurai creature with vigilance, for Banishing Slash, Eiganjo Uprising, Experimental Synthesizer, Imperial Oath, Naomi, Pillar of Order, and The Wandering Emperor.
4. 1/1 Ninja creature with "This creature can't be blocked.", for Kaito Shizuki.
5. 1/1 Rat Rogue creature, for Tribute to Horobi.
6. 3/1 Construct artifact creature with haste, for Sokenzan Smelter.
7. 5/5 Dragon Spirit creature with flying, for Goro-Goro, Disciple of Ryusei.
8. 2/2 Goblin Shaman creature with "When this creature attacks, create a Treasure token.", for Fable of the Mirror-Breaker.
9. 2/2 Spirit creature with menace, for Gift of Wrath.
10. 1/1 Human Monk creature with ", Add ", for Careful Cultivation and Jugan Defends the Temple
11. 4/5 Spirit creature, for Invoke the Ancients.
12. */* Spirit creature, for Kura, the Boundless Sky.
13. Keimi, a 3/3 legendary Frog creature with "Whenever you cast an enchantment spell, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.", for Tatsunari, Toad Rider.
14. Mechtitan, a 10/10 legendary Construct artifact creature with flying, vigilance, trample, lifelink, and haste that's all colors, for Mechtitan Core.
15. 1/1 Construct artifact creature for Oni-Cult Anvil.
16. Tamiyo's Notebook, a legendary artifact with “Spells you cast cost less to cast” and “: Draw a card.”, for Tamiyo, Compleated Sage.
17. Treasure artifact, for Atsushi, the Blazing Sky, Fable of the Mirror-Breaker, Prosperous Thief, Reckoner Bankbuster, and Undercity Scrounger
18. Emblem for Kaito Shizuki.
19. Emblem for Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh.

Themes and mechanics

The designers have taken some design elements from the first block and meshed them with science fiction elements.

Ninjutsu is a returning mechanic from Betrayers of Kamigawa. It allows a player to put a Ninja creature card from their hand into play tapped and attacking by paying a cost while returning another attacking, unblocked creature they control to its owner's hand.

Another returning mechanic is Channel, which was first seen in Saviors of Kamigawa. Channel cards have an activated ability that lets you discard them to get a temporary effect. This time around it is limited to enchantments, artifacts and lands; rather than Spirit creatures.

Enchantment creatures, which were last seen in Theros Beyond Death, are also returning. They predominantly do it in combination with other popular mechanics, such as Sagas, Double-faced cards and Transform. In these cases, the front side (closed fan symbol) is a saga, while the back side (opened fan symbol) is an enchantment creature.

Modified is a batching term that collectively refers to creatures that are equipped, enchanted, or have counters on them.

Reconfigure is a new mechanic that allows artifact creatures that are equipment to attach themselves to other creatures.

Compleated is a new keyword that describes Phyrexian planeswalkers. It appears on Tamiyo, Compleated Sage along with Phyrexian hybrid mana ().

Bushido is not a featured keyword. Jukai Trainee features the mechanic written out as an allusion.

Limited archetypes

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty features the following limited archetypes:

• : Vehicles (Prodigy’s Prototype)
• : Rogues/Ninjas/Ninjutsu (Silver-Fur Master)
• : Artifact Sacrifice (Oni-Cult Anvil)
• : Modified (Invigorating Hot Spring)
• : Enchantments matter (Jukai Naturalist)
• : "Balance": Artifacts and Enchantments (Naomi, Pillar of Order)
• : Artifacts matter (Enthusiastic Mechanaut)
• : Recursion (Gloomshrieker)
• : Warriors/Samurai (Asari Captain)
• : Channel Ramp (Colossal Skyturtle)

Card types

Artifacts and enchantments fulfill a similar mechanical role in the set but are flavorfully contrary to one another. The modern side of Kamigawa uses various types of artifacts. The traditional side uses various types of enchantments. The modern side has artifact creatures and Equipment. The traditional side has enchantment creatures and Auras. Each side is weighed toward certain colors:

Modernity < blue < red < black > white > green > Tradition.

Black in particular features cards that benefit from the player controlling both an artifact and enchantment, which was previously a threshold ability called "Balance" within Vision Design.

Legendary creatures are a theme, like in the original block. Ninjas and Samurai are also heavily featured in this set.

Vehicles are featured as constructs that the Kami can inhabit for a more physical form. Those with Vehicle synergy are denoted as Mechs.

Cycles

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty has six cycles.

Cycle name
Legendary Dragon Spirits	Ao, the Dawn Sky	Kairi, the Swirling Sky	Junji, the Midnight Sky	Atsushi, the Blazing Sky	Kura, the Boundless Sky
	Five mythic rare legendary Dragon Spirits that have a choice of two abilities when the creature dies.
Legendary lands	Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire	Otawara, Soaring City	Takenuma, Abandoned Mire	Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance	Boseiju, Who Endures
	Five rare legendary lands with channel. The channel ability costs less to activate for each legendary creature you control.
Marches	March of Otherworldly Light	March of Swirling Mist	March of Wretched Sorrow	March of Reckless Joy	March of Burgeoning Life
	Five rare spells that cost M. These spells cost less to cast for each card you exile of their same color when you cast them.
Invocations	Invoke Justice	Invoke the Winds	Invoke Despair	Invoke Calamity	Invoke the Ancients
	Five monocolored rare spells that have "Invoke" as the first word of their name and quadruple colored mana in their cost. They were designed to resemble monocolored Ultimatums (see Shards of Alara or Ikoria) and as a reference to the five Myojin.
Go-Shintai Shrines	Go-Shintai of Shared Purpose	Go-Shintai of Lost Wisdom	Go-Shintai of Hidden Cruelty	Go-Shintai of Ancient Wars	Go-Shintai of Boundless Vigor
	Five Shrines that are also enchantment creatures.

Double cycles

Cycle name
Signpost uncommons	Prodigy’s Prototype	Silver-Fur Master	Oni-Cult Anvil	Invigorating Hot Spring	Jukai Naturalist	Naomi, Pillar of Order	Enthusiastic Mechanaut	Gloomshrieker	Asari Captain	Colossal Skyturtle
	Ten uncommon gold permanents, each supporting a draft archetype.

Vertical cycle

Cycle name	Common	Uncommon	Rare/Mythic
Green Ninjas	Coiling Stalker	Kappa Tech-Wrecker	Spring-Leaf Avenger
	Three anthropomorphic Ninjas with Ninjutsu, in the enemy color of their usual representation. Each have a saboteur ability that are unique in color pie to green.
Black Rat Ninjas	Mukotai Ambusher	Nezumi Prowler	Nashi, Moon Sage's Scion
	Three Rat Ninjas with Ninjutsu and power 3. The common and uncommon give lifelink when damaging while Nashi pays life, tying a theme.
Blue Human Ninjas	Moonsnare Specialist	Prosperous Thief	Thousand-Faced Shadow
	Three Human Ninjas with Ninjutsu in blue that are neither enchantment nor artifact creatures.

Pairs

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty has eight mirrored pairs.

Mirrored Pairs		Description
Blade of the Oni ()	Remnant of the Rising Star ()	Two mythic rare creatures who showcase the extra utility for artifact creatures and enchantment creatures in this set. Reconfigure for artifact creatures and transforming double-faced sagas for enchantment creatures.
Norika Yamazaki, the Poet ()	Heiko Yamazaki, the General ()	Two uncommon legendary samurais from the Yamazaki family. One allows you to cast artifacts from the graveyard and the other enchantments.
Jukai Naturalist ()	Enthusiastic Mechanaut ()	Two uncommon two-colored 2/2 creatures with mana value 2 that reduce the cost of certain spells by , one for artifacts and the other for enchantments
Biting-Palm Ninja ()	Kappa Tech-Wrecker ()	Two Ninjas entering the battlefield with a keyword counter and being able to remove that counter upon dealing damage for an extra effect
Crackling Emergence ()	Harmonious Emergence ()	Two common Auras that animate a land and are sacrificed if the land would be destroyed.
Twinshot Sniper ()	Bamboo Grove Archer ()	Two Archers with Channel. The green is Archer is an enchantment creature as opposed to the red one which is an artifact creature.
Tameshi, Reality Architect ()	Hidetsugu, Devouring Chaos ()	Two rare monocolored legendary creatures with an activated ability of an allied color ( for Tameshi and for Hidetsugu).
Moon-Circuit Hacker ()	Coiling Stalker ()	Two common two-mana 2/1 creatures with Ninjutsu that have saboteur abilities that are phrased to prevent snowballing.

Reprinted cards

• Essence Capture — first printed in Ravnica Allegiance
• Fade into Antiquity — first printed in Theros, last seen in Conspiracy: Take the Crown
• Kindled Fury — first printed in Morningtide, last seen in Hour of Devastation
• Spell Pierce — first printed in Zendikar, last seen in Secret Lair
• Thirst for Knowledge — first printed in Mirrodin, last seen in Commander Legends
• All 10 gainlands, first printed in Khans of Tarkir, last seen as a complete cycle in Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths.

Functional reprints

• Uncharted Haven is a functional reprint of Shimmerdrift Vale, except for supertype.
• Wanderer's Intervention is a functional reprint of Gideon's Reproach.
• Intercessor's Arrest is a functional reprint of Bound In Gold.
• Virus Beetle is a functional reprint of Burglar Rat and Elderfang Disciple, with an additional type and another subtype.

Notable cards

• Vessel of the All-Consuming is an alternate-win card (by causing an opponent to lose the game).
• Kodama of the West Tree completes the Mega cycle of directional tree Kodamas.

Misprints

• The regular version of Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant lacks the Phyrexian watermark.
• The German version of Seven-Tail Mentor lacks the "dies" trigger.
• The English version of Saiba Trespassers is printed with the creature type Ninja, instead of the correct Moonfolk Rogue.

Preconstructed decks

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty features two Commander decks that are released as a regular part of a set's product line.

Theme deck name	Color Identity					Commander
Buckle Up	W	U				Kotori, Pilot Prodigy
Upgrades Unleashed				R	G	Chishiro, the Shattered Blade

Gallery

• 

  Mochi gamer pouch from Ultra•PRO

• 

  Planeswalker card seen during the Teaser

External links

• Connected by Mwk feat. Hatsune Miku (Video). HatsuneMiku. YouTube (February 3, 2022).
• Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Official Cinematic Trailer (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (February 10, 2022).
• Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Official Animated Trailer (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube (February 16, 2022).
• Dave Humpherys (January 28, 2022). "Bringing Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Designs to Life". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Mark Rosewater (February 7, 2022). "Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Vision Design Handoff, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Mark Rosewater (February 14, 2022). "Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Vision Design Handoff, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Wizards of the Coast (February 18, 2022). "Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Official Soundtrack". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Mark Rosewater (February 21, 2022). "Elements of Neon". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Mark Rosewater (February 28, 2022). "Odds and Ends – Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.