Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths

Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths

 

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Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
[[File:{{#setmainimage:ILB logo.png}}|250px]]
Set Information
Set symbol
Symbol description	A monstrous eye
Design	Mark Rosewater (lead) Andrew Veen Corey Bowen David Humpherys Peter Lee
Development	David Humpherys (lead) Andrew Brown George Fan Donald Smith, Jr Jiachen Tao Gavin Verhey
Art direction	Cynthia Sheppard
Release date	April 17, 2020 (Asia) May 15, 2020 (other)
Plane	Ikoria
Themes and mechanics	Human tribal, keyword counters, wedge colors
Keywords/​ability words	Mutate, companion, cycling
Set size	274 +
Expansion code	IKO
Development codename	Cricket
Non-block expansions
[[Theros Beyond Death]] '''Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths''' [[Zendikar Rising]]
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
[[Challenger Decks 2020]] Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths [[Commander 2020]]

Expansion symbol

Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths is the 84th Magic expansion. It was originally scheduled to be released on April 24, 2020. Due to the 2019-2020 coronavirus pandemic, the paper release was advanced to April 17, 2020 for Asia, and delayed until May 15, 2020 for the other continents, while Magic Online and MTG Arena release on April 16, 2020.

Set details

“

There's Always a Bigger Monster

”

Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths makes use of monster movie tropes, and is especially inspired by Kaiju (a Japanese genre of films featuring giant monsters like Godzilla). The set is mostly designed bottom-up, but there are also some top-down individual card designs. Monsters are the focal point of the set. Monsters are fighting other monsters, and monsters are fighting humans and their cities.

The set contains 274 cards (TBA basic lands, TBA commons, 80 uncommons, 53 rares, 15 mythic rares), and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards. A unique Buy-a-Box promotional card is also considered to be part of the set. Cards with an alternate card frames have another card number than the original version. The Buy-a-Box is #275, borderless planeswalkers are numbered #276-278, Showcase cards are numbered #279-313, and the extended artwork cards are numbered #314-363. The Bundle promo is numbered #364, and the Godzilla Series Monster cards are numbered #370-387. Finally, there are the FNM-treatment cards from the Universal promo pack numbered #365-369. Both regular and foil versions of most of these cards may be found in the Collector Boosters.

The set's expansion symbol is a monstrous eye. The Showcase cards are connected to the mutate mechanic. They feature a comic book style.

Storyline

Key art

The setting is Ikoria, a plane of beasts and monsters. As the world of Ikoria developed, humans quickly realized what types of defenses were needed to stave off monsters. The humans were quick to become both militaristic and ingenious. Unfortunately for the humans, the monsters of Ikoria have begun to mutate and the fortresses that were previously successful at protecting humans have now become fodder for the monsters to annihilate. Featured planeswalkers are Vivien Reid, Lukka and Narset.

The cards that represent the Story Spotlights in Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths are:

• Tentative Connection
• Sanctuary Lockdown
• Thwart the Enemy
• Heartless Act

Marketing

Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths is sold in regular 16-card Draft Boosters (one card being a marketing card), mono-colored Theme Boosters, Collector Boosters, the Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths bundle and five Commander decks.T he Draft Boosters feature artwork from Vivien, Monsters' Advocate, Kogla, the Titan Ape and TBA. The Theme Boosters feature art from TBA (Monsters), TBA , Cunning Nightbonder (), TBA (), and TBA (). The Collector Boosters feature TBA. The Monsters Theme Booster replaces the White Theme Booster.

Godzilla Series Monster cards

Each booster box contains a box topper. For the box toppers Wizards of the Coast partnered with Toho Corporation to feature its iconic monsters such as Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah. These cards are called the Godzilla Series Monster cards.

Each booster box has a single-card Box Topper pack featuring a foil Godzilla Series Monster card. In Japanese boosters, there are 18 different Box topper cards in foil (three found only in Japanese language). In all other languages, there are 15 different box toppers. WPN stores will have an additional foil Godzilla card as part of the Buy-a-Box promotion.

The 19th card with this treatment is the Buy-a-Box card, which only exists in its Godzilla Series form.

Events

• Magic Online and MTG Arena release: April 16, 2020.
• Tabletop Prerelease / Release: April 17, 2020 (Asia) / May 15, 2020 (North America, Europe, Latin America, and Australia/New Zealand).
  • Due to the COVID-19 pandemic stores are allowed to sell Prerelease Packs and Commander Decks for players to take home without participating in an in-store event, and they may also enroll players in at-home Prerelease events.
• Commander Nights: April 27–June 18. A weekly Commander league with rotating rules and achievement-based prizes.

Promotional cards

• Prerelease: a stamped card that can be any rare or mythic rare of Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths .
• Other events: cards from the Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths universal promo pack.
  • The seasonal dark-frame promos are: Flourishing Fox, TBA, Forbidden Friendship, Migration Path and Sprite Dragon.
• Buy-a-Box: foil Godzilla, King of the Monsters (Zilortha, Strength Incarnate, but only available in its Godzilla Series form)
• Bundle promo: foil alternate art Colossification
• Box topper:

No	Kaiju	Alternative card title	Original card	Notes
370	King Caesar	King Caesar, Ancient Guardian	Huntmaster Liger
371	Mothra	Mothra, Supersonic Queen	Luminous Broodmoth
372	Godzilla Junior	Babygodzilla, Ruin Reborn	Pollywog Symbiote
373	SpaceGodzilla	Spacegodzilla, Death Corona	Void Beckoner	Renamed Spacegodzilla, Void Invader on MTG Arena
374	Destoroyah	Destoroyah, Perfect Lifeform	Everquill Phoenix
375	Godzilla	Godzilla, Doom Inevitable	Yidaro, Wandering Monster
376	Anguirus	Anguirus, Armored Killer	Gemrazer
377	Godzilla	Godzilla, Primeval Champion	Titanoth Rex
378	SpaceGodzilla	Bio-Quartz Spacegodzilla	Brokkos, Apex of Forever
379	King Ghidorah	Ghidorah, King of the Cosmos	Illuna, Apex of Wishes
380	Biollante	Biollante, Plant Beast Form	Nethroi, Apex of Death
381	King Caesar	King Caesar, Awoken Titan	Snapdax, Apex of the Hunt
382	Dorat	Dorat, the Perfect Pet	Sprite Dragon
383	Rodan	Rodan, Titan of Winged Fury	Vadrok, Apex of Thunder
384	Gigan	Gigan, Cyberclaw Terror	Gyruda, Doom of Depths
385	Mothra's Giant Cocoon	モスラの巨大な繭	Mysterious Egg	Japanese only (Mothra's Giant Cocoon)
386	Battra	暗黒破壊獣，バトラ	Dirge Bat	Japanese only (Battra, Dark Destruction Beast)
387	Mechagodzilla	決戦兵器，メカゴジラ	Crystalline Giant	Japanese only (Mechagodzilla, Decisive Battle Weapon)

Tokens/emblems/markers

Double-sided keyword counter punch card

The sixteenth card in the boosters is a token or emblem, with advertisements on the back side. There is also a set of double-sided keyword counters on a punch card.

1. Punch card: First strike (), hexproof (), lifelink (), menace (), reach (), +1/+1 ()
2. Punch card: Flying (), flying (), deathtouch (), trample (), vigilance (), +1/+1 ()
3. 1/1 Cat creature with lifelink, created by Cubwarden.
4. 1/1 Human Soldier creature, created by Bastion of Remembrance, Forbidden Friendship, Garrison Cat, General's Enforcer and Valiant Rescuer.
5. 8/8 Kraken creature, created by Ominous Seas.
6. */* Shark creature with flying, created by Shark Typhoon.
7. Artifact named Feather with ", Sacrifice Feather: Return target Phoenix card from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped," created by Everquill Phoenix.
8. 1/1 Dinosaur creature with haste, created by Forbidden Friendship.
9. 3/3 Beast creature, created by Trumpeting Gnarr and Vivien, Monsters' Advocate.
10. */* Dinosaur Beast creature with trample, created by Quartzwood Crasher.

Themes and mechanics

Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths is noted to be about "building your own monsters". This is represented by the keyword ability mutate. You can mutate a creature you control by paying the mutate cost and placing the card below or above a non-Human creature. That creature gains all abilities printed on the card with Mutate. A creature can be mutated multiple times. Mutate was first referred to on the silver-bordered card Surgeon General Commander in Unsanctioned.

The set also introduces the mechanic companion. The companion ability lists a deckbuilding rule. If your starting deck follows that rule, then the legendary creature can serve as your chosen companion. Once during the game, you may cast your chosen companion from your sideboard: if your companion dies, it doesn't return to the sideboard but instead goes to the graveyard per usual.

The set makes use of keyword counters. These were introduced on a test card in the Mystery Booster set (Recycla-bird with Flying counters). The set uses twelve different types of counters (thirteen including loyalty counters). The others are bounty, foreshadow, +1/+1, deathtouch, first strike, flying, hexproof, lifelink, menace, reach, trample and vigilance counters. Note that double strike and indestructible counters only appear on cards in the C20-set, and not in Ikoria itself. Some creatures gain variable ability counters, and tying into the theme of granting keywords there are several creatures that rewarded creatures with particular keywords (keyword "lords").

Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths also features the return of Human tribal, hybrid mana and cycling.

Color-wise, the set is enemy color themed, leaning into wedges for the apex predator legends and associated triomes. Unlike Khans of Tarkir, this implementation of wedges focuses on the common enemy color (ex. for the wedge, Indatha is primarily black, while Abzan is primarily white.)

Card types

The set introduces the Otter creature type and reintroduces the Shark type. It also features the first standard-legal Brushwagg since Mirage (Almighty Brushwagg), and the first black-bordered Squirrel since Odyssey (Helica Glider).

The set also introduces the Lukka planeswalker type.

Cycles

Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths has at least seventeen cycles, including one double cycle. There is also at least one mirrored pair.

Cycle name
Mythos	Mythos of Snapdax	Mythos of Illuna	Mythos of Nethroi	Mythos of Vadrok	Mythos of Brokkos
	Five rare monocolored spells that become better if the associated wedge mana was also spent to cast it.
Apex powers	Will of the All-Hunter	Boon of the Wish-Giver	Call of the Death-Dweller	Blitz of the Thunder-Raptor	Charge of the Forever-Beast
	Five uncommon monocolored spells that are associated with one of the Apexes.
X mutants	Huntmaster Liger	Archipelagore	Insatiable Hemophage		Auspicious Starrix
	Five uncommon creatures with mutate and a triggered ability that scales based off the number of times it mutated.
Counter cyclers	Splendor Mare		Void Beckoner	Sanctuary Smasher	Titanoth Rex
	Five uncommon creatures with cycling that put a given keyword counter on a creature when cycled.
Mentors	Keensight Mentor (vigilance)	(flying)	Dusk Mentor (lifelink)	Frillscare Mentor (menace)	Hornbash Mentor (trample)
	Five uncommon Humans, that when they enter the battlefield put a given keyword counter on a creature, and tap to put a +1/+1 counter on creatures with that keyword.
Modal creatures	Helica Glider	Wingfold Pteron
	Five common creatures that enter the battlefield with your choice of one of two keyword counters.
Cycle name
Keyword lords	(flying)	(flash)	Labyrinth Raptor (menace)	Quartzwood Crasher (trample)	Frondland Felidar (vigilance)
	Five rare allied colored creatures, each one of which has an evergreen keyword ability and gives creatures you control with that keyword an additional ability.
Bonders	Jubilant Skybonder (flying)	Cunning Nightbonder (flash)	Sonorous Howlbonder (menace)	Proud Wildbonder (trample)	Alert Heedbonder (vigilance)
	Five uncommon hybrid mana allied colored Humans, each one of which cares about creatures you control with a specific evergreen keyword.
Cycle name
Mythic humans	General Kudro of Drannith	Rielle, the Everwise	Chevill, Bane of Monsters
	Five mythic rare enemy colored legendary Humans.
Signpost creatures	General's Enforcer	Sprite Dragon	Skull Prophet	Savai Thundermane	Parcelbeast
	Five uncommon enemy colored creatures, each a signpost for a draft archetype.
Signpost spells	Dire Tactics	Channeled Force	Back for More	Zenith Flare	Primal Empathy
	Five uncommon enemy colored noncreature spells, each a signpost for a draft archetype but is also generically powerful.
Hybrid mutants	Necropanther	Lore Drakkis	Boneyard Lurker		Trumpeting Gnarr
	Five uncommon enemy colored creatures with a mutate cost that uses hybrid mana.
Cycle name
Apexes	Snapdax, Apex of the Hunt	Illuna, Apex of Wishes	Nethroi, Apex of Death	Vadrok, Apex of Thunder	Brokkos, Apex of Forever
	Five mythic rare wedge colored legendary creatures with mutate.
Ultimatums	Ruinous Ultimatum		Eerie Ultimatum		Emergent Ultimatum
	Five rare wedge colored sorceries with powerful effects and mana costs in the format MMNNNOO. This completes the cycle started in Shards of Alara.
Enchantments	Offspring's Revenge	Song of Creation	Death's Oasis
	Five rare wedge colored enchantments.
Crystals	Savai Crystal	Ketria Crystal	Indatha Crystal	Raugrin Crystal	Zagoth Crystal
	Five uncommon wedge colored mana stones, one for each triome. Each costs and has cycling .

^ While the color pair cares about flash, flash isn't something that makes sense for a keyword counter, so the black mentor instead cares about lifelink. The other allied pairs care about flying (), menace (), trample () and vigilance ().

Double cycles

Cycle name
Companions		Gyruda, Doom of Depths	Obosh, the Preypiercer	Jegantha, the Wellspring	Kaheera, the Orphanguard	Lurrus of the Dream-Den	Lutri, the Spellchaser	Umori, the Collector	Zirda, the Dawnwaker	Keruga, the Macrosage
	Ten rare hybrid mana legendary creatures, each with companion.

Mirrored pairs

• Cycling bears: Two common Humans. Each is a bear with cycling and has a triggered ability whenever you cycle another card — Drannith Stinger () and Drannith Healer ().

Reprinted cards

The following cards have been reprinted:

• Bristling Boar, first printed in Core Set 2019, last seen in Mystery Booster.
• Cathartic Reunion, first printed in Kaladesh, last seen in Mystery Booster.
• Capture Sphere, first printed in Guilds of Ravnica, last seen in Mystery Booster.
• Essence Scatter, first printed in Magic 2010, last seen in Mystery Booster.
• Fertilid, first printed in Morningtide, last seen in Battlebond.
• Pacifism, first printed in Mirage, last seen in Mystery Booster.

Functional reprints

• Savai Sabertooth is a functional reprint of Prowling Caracal, including creature types, and a functional reprint of Blade of the Sixth Pride, Devilthorn Fox, Dromoka Warrior, Knight of New Benalia, Oreskos Swiftclaw and Raptor Companion, except for creature types.

Preconstructed decks

Planeswalker decks are discontinued for expansions. For this set, they are replaced by five Commander decks (Ikoria Commander). This is essentially Commander 2020 aligning with Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths. The 71 new cards in the decks are set on the world of Ikoria, but the reprints can be from anywhere. There are a handful of cards from the main Ikoria set in these decks in the reprint slots, but the number is fairly small. The cards are only legal in Eternal formats like Legacy, Vintage, and Pauper. They have their own expansion symbol and set code (C20) to set them apart.

Theme deck name	Color Identity					Commander
Ruthless Regiment	W		B	R		Jirina Kudro
Arcane Maelstrom		U		R	G	Kalamax, the Stormsire
Symbiotic Swarm	W		B		G	Kathril, Aspect Warper
Timeless Wisdom	W	U		R		Gavi, Nest Warden
Enhanced Evolution		U	B		G	Otrimi, the Ever-Playful

Notable cards

• The Godzilla Series Monster card Spacegodzilla, Death Corona had an unfortunate name in view of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic that developed after its creation. All reprint editions of the set will remove this card. On MTG Arena, it was renamed to Spacegodzilla, Void Invader. And in Magic Online, the card won't be distributed in Treasure Chests. Note that this is a special version of the card Void Beckoner, which will not be affected by any changes.
• Kogla, the Titan Ape is a reference to King Kong. Its rules text is similar to the M11 "titan trigger". While well-known in relation to Godzilla as a western Kaiju-esque creation, it has no special treatment likely due rights owned by another company.
• Lutri, the Spellchaser was banned in Commander the day it was spoiled.
• Shark Typhoon is a reference to the Sharknado franchise.
• Farfinder and Mysterious Egg join the short list as the fourth and fifth colourless non-Eldrazi creatures, and the first commons.