Mega cycle
A mega cycle is a cycle with its member cards distributed across separate sets. When these sets are spread across multiple blocks, this is sometimes referred to as a mega-mega cycle.
List of mega cycles
Three-card mega cycles
| Cycle name | Description and notes | Card(s) 1 | Card(s) 2 | Card(s) 3 |
| Kaldra | Each of these rare legendary Equipment are constituents required to put the legendary Kaldra creature token onto the battlefield. Each of these cards was its set's prerelease promotional card. | Sword of Kaldra (Mirrodin) |
Shield of Kaldra (Darksteel) |
Helm of Kaldra (Fifth Dawn) |
Color mega cycles
Shadowmoor/Eventide mega cycles
Several cycles feature five allied-color hybrid cards in Shadowmoor and five enemy-colored hybrid cards in Eventide
| Cycle name | Description and notes | White card(s) | Blue card(s) | Black card(s) | Red card(s) | Green card(s) |
| Lieges | Each of these rare two-color creatures gave other creatures of their colors +1/+1 | Thistledown Liege (Shadowmoor, Template:Wu) Deathbringer Liege (Eventide, Template:Wb) |
Glen Elendra Liege (Shadowmoor, Template:Ub) Mindwrack Liege (Eventide, Template:Ur) |
Ashenmoor Liege (Shadowmoor, Template:Br) Creakwood Liege (Eventide, Template:Bg) |
Boartusk Liege (Shadowmoor, Template:Rg) Balefire Liege (Eventide, Template:Rw) |
Wilt-Leaf Liege (Shadowmoor, Template:Gw) Murkfiend Liege (Eventide, Template:Gu) |
Guild mega cycles
Guild mega cycles are 10-card mega cycles in Ravnica and Return to Ravnica blocks, with one card per guild.
Land mega cycles
| Cycle name | Description and notes | Card(s) 1 | Card(s) 2 | Card(s) 3 | Card(s) 4 | Card(s) 5 |
| Innistrad utility lands | Each of these rare lands could add  to the mana pool, or provide a non-land ability for an activation cost of two colors of mana
|
Moorland Haunt (Innistrad,   )Vault of the Archangel (Dark Ascension,  )
|
Nephalia Drownyard (Innistrad, )Desolate Lighthouse (Avacyn Restored,  )
|
Stensia Bloodhall (Innistrad, )Grim Backwoods (Dark Ascension,  )
|
Kessig Wolf Run (Innistrad, )Slayers' Stronghold (Avacyn Restored, )
|
Gavony Township (Innistrad, )Alchemist's Refuge (Avacyn Restored, )
|
Mega-mega cycle
A mega-mega cycle is a cycle with its member cards distributed across separate sets; unlike a mega cycle, however, these sets are not all within a single block but are from multiple blocks.[1]
Three-card verticle mega-mega cycles
| Cycle name | Description and notes | Common | Uncommon | Rare |
| Delver evolution | Each of these double-faced cards depicts further decent into madness of a single unknown researcher. | Delver of Secrets (Innistrad) |
Aberrant Researcher (Shadows over Innistrad) |
Docent of Perfection (Eldritch Moon) |
Four-card mega-mega cycles
| Cycle name | Description and notes | Card(s) 1 | Card(s) 2 | Card(s) 3 | Card(s) 4 |
| Gold counterspells | Each of these rare instants costs plus one mana of another color. The cycle was originally "completed" with Alara Reborn, but Return to Ravnica block added two others. Each of these cards is a counterspell with an added bonus or increased flexibility.
|
Voidslime (Dissension, )
|
Absorb (Invasion, )or Render Silent (Dragon's Maze, )
|
Undermine (Invasion, )
|
Double Negative (Alara Reborn, )or Counterflux (Return to Ravnica, )
|
List of mega-mega cycles
| Cycle name | Description and notes | White card(s) | Blue card(s) | Black card(s) | Red card(s) | Green card(s) |
| Atogs | Each of these 1/2 Atog creatures, all but Atog itself being inspired by Atog, "ate" a resource to "grow"; each Atog has an activated ability costing a resource or commodity for an increase in its power and toughness until end of turn. | Auratog (Tempest) |
Chronatog (Visions) |
Necratog (Weatherlight) |
Atog (Antiquities) |
Foratog (Mirage) |
| Lords | Each of these rare confers other creatures of an iconic creature subtype associated with that card's color and relevant to its name +1/+1 and, more often than not, an additional ability. The original three from Limited Edition Alpha, Lord of Atlantis, Zombie Master, and Goblin King were printed with the Lord creature subtype, but this creature subtype was removed following the Grand Creature Type Update. Following a shift in focus on, and the success of, "creature subtypes matter", or "tribal", various iterations of Lords have been printed. | Field Marshal (Coldsnap), Captain of the Watch (Magic 2010) |
Lord of Atlantis (Limited Edition), Merfolk Sovereign (Magic 2010) |
Zombie Master (Limited Edition), Lord of the Undead (Planeshift), Death Baron (Shards of Alara), Cemetery Reaper (Magic 2010) |
Goblin King (Limited Edition), Goblin Chieftain (Magic 2010) |
Elvish Champion (Invasion), Elvish Archdruid (Magic 2010) |
| Protection Angels | Each of these 2/2 white Angel creatures costing  with flying and protection from a specific color. The flavor text of each of these cards are from the "Song of All", a fictitious sacred text from the Serra religion. Voice of All, a rare Angel costing  with flying and protection from a color chosen as it enters the battlefield, was released in Planeshift, as an homage to the mega-mega cycle.
|
Voice of Truth (Nemesis) |
Voice of Reason (Urza's Destiny) |
Voice of Grace (Urza's Saga) |
Voice of Law (Urza's Saga) |
Voice of Duty (Urza's Destiny) |
| Tutors | Each of these rares allows its controller to search his or her library for a card, albeit with certain conditions. The joke card Goblin Tutor from Unglued pays homage to this mega-mega cycle. | Enlightened Tutor (Mirage) |
Mystical Tutor (Mirage) |
Vampiric Tutor (Visions) |
Gamble (Urza's Saga) |
Worldly Tutor (Mirage) |
| Mirran Swords | Each of these rare/mythic rare Equipment costing has an equip cost of and "Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from [color 1] and from [color 2].", where [color 1] and [color 2] are an enemy-colored pairing, and an ability with two effects, one associated with each color, that is triggered whenever the equipped creature deals combat damage to a player. The colors associated with the Swords are nominally and visually alluded to.[2]
|
Sword of Light and Shadow () (Darksteel) |
Sword of Fire and Ice () (Darksteel) |
Sword of Feast and Famine () (Mirrodin Besieged) |
Sword of War and Peace () (New Phyrexia) |
Sword of Body and Mind () (Scars of Mirrodin) |
| Towers[3] | Each of these rare noncreature artifacts costing  has an activated ability costing  and  . Tower of Calamities was introduced in Scars of Mirrodin after Design and Development realized that players associated, or might associate, the released four Towers' effects with a color each, and its amount of damage was decided by extrapolating the established pattern of an effect increasing by two (2).[4]
|
Tower of Eons | Tower of Fortunes | Tower of Murmurs | Tower of Calamities | Tower of Champions |
| Legendary lands | Each of these rare legendary lands has at least two abilities, one of which is a mana ability. These lands represent notable locations from the Weatherlight Saga of the Magic storyline. | Kor Haven (Nemesis) |
Teferi's Isle (Mirage) |
Volrath's Stronghold (Stronghold) |
Keldon Necropolis (Invasion) |
Yavimaya Hollow (Urza's Destiny) |
| Elementary forces | Each of these rare elemental creatures has a mana cost of 5MMM, a power/thoughness of 7/7 and an ability that triggers each upkeep. | Celestial Force (Commander (2011)) |
Tidal Force (Commander 2013) |
Baleful Force (Commander 2013) |
Magmatic Force (Commander (2011)) |
Verdant Force (Tempest) |
See also
Reference
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (March 1, 2002). "Mega-Mega Cycle". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Monty Ashley (January 24, 2011). "A History of Swords". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Monty Ashley (September 22, 2010). "The Fifth Tower". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 3, 2011). "That's Going to Leave Scars, Part 3". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.