Conflux

Conflux

 

Card comparisons

 

Intro packs

 

This page is about the expansion. For the event in the storyline, see Conflux (event).

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Conflux
Set Information
Set symbol
Symbol description	5 shards joining together
Design	Bill Rose (lead), Mark Globus, Mark Gottlieb, Kenneth Nagle
Development	Mike Turian (lead), Graeme Hopkins, Erik Lauer, Devin Low
Art direction	Jeremy Jarvis
Release date	February 6, 2009
Plane	Alara
Keywords/​ability words	Cycling, Devour, Domain, Exalted, Unearth
Set size	145 cards (60 commons, 40 uncommons, 35 rares, 10 mythic rares)
Expansion code	CON
Development codename	Paper
Alara block
Shards of Alara Conflux Alara Reborn
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
Duel Decks: Jace vs. Chandra Conflux Duel Decks: Divine vs. Demonic

Conflux is the second set in the Alara block and is the forty-eighth Magic expansion. The prerelease events for this set were held January 31-February 1, 2009. Launch parties were held February 6–8, 2009. The set went on sale February 6, 2009.

Set details

Conflux was the first small set to be reduced in size and to contain the new mythic rarity The set contains 145 black-bordered cards (60 commons, 40 uncommons, 35 rares, 10 mythic rares). Conflux continues the Shards of Alara 's multicolor theme, expanding on it by introducing five-colored cards. Aside from the multicolor theme the set makes use of the mechanics introduced in the previous set. The set featured the return of Nicol Bolas, via the card Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker. The expansion symbol of the set is a representation of the five converging shards. The set was accompanied by the first Planeswalker novel: Agents of Artifice, written by Ari Marmell.

On September 29, 2008, the entire Conflux card list was leaked on MTG Salvation, thanks to mjmj.info.

Flavor and storyline

A powerful and infinitely sinister force is conspiring to reunite the Shards of Alara. This reunification will come with a deadly price – sheer chaos, as realities begin to overlap. Thus begins the Conflux.

Novel

Title	Author	Publishing date	Set	Setting (plane)	Featuring
Alara Unbroken	Doug Beyer	May 2009	Shards of Alara, Conflux, Alara Reborn	Alara	Nicol Bolas, Malfegor, Ajani Goldmane, Gwafa Hazid, Ghedi, Hadadir, Rakka Mar, Kresh, Rafiq, Asha (mentioned), Tholka, Tenoch, Mubin, Aarsil, Zaliki, Sarkhan Vol, Malactoth, Jazal Goldmane, Chimamatl, Karrthus, Marisi, Progenitus (mentioned), Elspeth Tirel, Mardis, Mayael, Cylia (mentioned), Iama, Morsath Levac, Haim, Tomlain, Welly, Salay Levac, Vali, Clairan, Hargrove, Malunis, Sedris (mentioned), Caladessa (mentioned), Kaeda, Sinzo, Drimma, Hollin, Sasha, Banat, Ruki, Wanath

Webcomics

The Seeker's Fall is a webcomic about Tezzeret's origins on Esper and his first contact with Nicol Bolas. It was published in three parts in January and February 2009.

Title	Author	Release Date	Setting (plane)	Featuring
The Seeker's Fall [1]	Jenna Helland	2009-01-20	Esper	Silas Renn, Tezzeret
The Seeker's Fall [2]	Jenna Helland	2009-01-27	Esper, Grixis	Silas Renn, Tezzeret
The Seeker's Fall [3]	Jenna Helland	2009-02-04	Grixis	Tezzeret, Nicol Bolas

Savor the Flavor

Title	Author	Release Date	Setting (plane)	Featuring
The Soul of the World	Jenna Helland	January 21, 2009	Naya	Progenitus, Mayael, Cylia

Marketing

Conflux 6-card booster

Conflux Gravity Feed for 6-card boosters

Conflux was sold in 16-card boosters, five intro packs and a fat pack. Conflux was also the first set to be sold in 6-card booster packs containing a tips/token card, 1 land, 3 commons, 1 uncommon, and 1 slot that has an equal chance of being rare/mythic, uncommon, or common. These packs were exclusively available from Gravity Feeds at large mass-market stores.

The promotional card given to players at the pre-release was the demon-dragon Malfegor. The set's sub-theme of all five colors converging was demonstrated in the release card, Obelisk of Alara, an artifact with five tap abilities, each one costing 1M and producing a common effect found in that color.

The 16-card boosters featured artwork from Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker, Maelstrom Archangel and Nyxathid, the small booster featured artwork from Apocalypse Hydra. An all-foil booster pack containing cards from Conflux and the other two sets of the block was released on January 8, 2010.

The regular boosters of Conflux come with a bonus sixteenth card that is either a "tips & tricks card" or a creature token from Conflux. One face of the Conflux bonus card has one of four different rules tips or is one of 2 different creature tokens. The other face has one of 13 advertisements for organized play programs, Alara Reborn, Duels of the Planeswalkers for Xbox Live, Magic Online, fat packs, A Planeswalker's Guide to Alara and Ultra Pro products for Magic.

Tips & Tricks

The tips & tricks cards are

• Theme: Cards
• Rules Tip: Domain
• A Threat to Alara: Nicol Bolas
• Fun Format: Pack Wars

Tokens

The Conflux tokens are:

1. 4/4 Angel with flying produced by Sigil of the Empty Throne
2. 3/1 Elemental produced by Rakka Mar

The following tokens could also be found in Conflux packs.

• 1/1 Soldier produced by Martial Coup (Shards of Alara token)
• 2/2 Zombie produced by Grixis Slavedriver (Shards of Alara token)
• 1/1 Saproling produced by Spore Burst, Tukatongue Thallid (Shards of Alara token)

Mechanics

All the shard keywords were back. Colored artifact creatures were still there. Bant still had their exalted ability. Jund still devour. Grixis raised their dead by unearth and Naya's "power 5 or greater" theme continued. In many ways, Conflux was a big continuation of Shards of Alara, except that there was no room for color hate because the shards had become aware of each other.

In Conflux, Domain became an ability word. The set also introduced basic land cycling for which there is a cycle of common cards (also regular cycling appears on two cards). Progenitus was the first to have "protection from everything" as an actual card effect. There was also a five-color theme, notably Fusion Elemental at uncommon.

Cycles

Conflux has ten cycles:

Cycle name
Basic landcyclers	Gleam of Resistance	Traumatic Visions	Absorb Vis	Fiery Fall	Sylvan Bounty
	These common instants and sorceries have one effect that is relatively overcosted, and basic landcycling for M.
Creatures with shard-colored activated abilities	Aerie Mystics	Scornful Æther-Lich	Dreadwing	Viashino Slaughtermaster	Sacellum Archers
	Each of these uncommon creatures has an activated ability which costs both allied-colored mana.
"Ally-colored permanent" spells	Rhox Meditant	View from Above	Sedraxis Alchemist	Dark Temper	Ember Weaver
	Each of these lower-rarity spells has a bonus if cast while the caster controls a permanent of the color anticlockwise in the color wheel.
Enemy-color hosers	Celestial Purge	Controlled Instincts	Corrupted Roots	Ignite Disorder	Filigree Fracture
	Each of these uncommon spells hampers both of their enemy colors at a low mana cost.
Common Domain spells	Aven Trailblazer	Worldly Counsel	Drag Down	Wandering Goblins	Matca Rioters
	Each of these common spells improve with more basic land types, with Might of Alara as a functional reprint sixth common.
Cycle name
Common allied-colored spells	Esper Cormorants	Vectis Agents	Suicidal Charge	Exploding Borders	Rhox Bodyguard
	Each of these common spells has a mana cost that includes two allied-colored mana.
Uncommon allied-colored spells	Jhessian Balmgiver	Countersquall	Shambling Remains	Hellkite Hatchling	Vagrant Plowbeasts
	Each of these uncommon spells has a mana cost that includes two allied-colored mana.
Outlanders	Vedalken Outlander	Zombie Outlander	Goblin Outlander	Nacatl Outlander	Valeron Outlander
	These common 2/2 allied-colored scout creatures each have protection from their enemy color. These are functional reprints of a cycle from Invasion
Cycle name
Uncommon shard-colored spells	Skyward Eye Prophets	Sludge Strider	Elder Mastery	Scarland Thrinax	Knotvine Mystic
	Each of these uncommon spells has a mana cost that includes MNO.
Rare shard-colored creatures	Giltspire Avenger	Magister Sphinx	Blood Tyrant	Charnelhoard Wurm	Meglonoth
	Each of these rare creatures has a mana cost that includes MNO.

Mini-cycles

Conflux has three cycles of three cards:

Cycle name
Esper artifact-enhanced creatures	Court Homunculus	Faerie Mechanist	Salvage Slasher
	Each of these common artifact creatures gets better the more artifacts you play.
Esper scepters	Scepter of Dominance	Scepter of Insight	Scepter of Fugue
	Each of these rare artifacts is a colored version of an artifact from Alpha
Cycle name
Uncommon creatures	Paragon of the Amesha	Fleshformer	Dragonsoul Knight
	Each of these uncommon 2/2 creatures has a mana cost of M and an ability that gives them bonuses for .

Mega cycle

Cycle name	Bant	Esper	Grixis	Jund	Naya
Planeswalkers	Elspeth, Knight-Errant (Shards of Alara)	Tezzeret the Seeker (Shards of Alara)	Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker (Conflux)	Sarkhan Vol (Shards of Alara)	Ajani Vengeant (Shards of Alara)
	Each shard has a corresponding Planeswalker.

Reprinted cards

• Mana Cylix — last seen in Planeshift. It changed rarity from an uncommon to a common.
• Maniacal Rage — first seen in Exodus, last seen in Invasion.
• Unsummon — last seen in 10th Edition.
• Worldly Counsel — last seen in Invasion.

Functional reprints

Conflux has 7 functional reprints:

• Canyon Minotaur is a functional reprint of Hill Giant from 10th Edition, Tor Giant from Ice Age, Ogre Warrior from Starter 1999, Barbarian Horde from Portal Three Kingdoms and Wild Jhovall from Mercadian Masques, save for creature type.
• Might of Alara is a functional reprint of Gaea's Might from Planeshift.
• Nacatl Savage is a functional reprint of Tel-Jilad Chosen from Mirrodin, save for creature type.
• The multicolored protection Bears cycle is a functional reprint of a cycle in Invasion, save for Vedalken Outlander, which is an artifact, while Galina's Knight is not, the others only differ in creature types. They are:
  • Zombie Outlander is a functional reprint of Vodalian Zombie.
  • Goblin Outlander is a functional reprint of Shivan Zombie.
  • Nacatl Outlander is a functional reprint of Yavimaya Barbarian.
  • Valeron Outlander is a functional reprint of Llanowar Knight.

Notable Cards

• Knight of the Reliquary was once heavily played in Standard, Extended and Legacy midrange decks.
• Maelstrom Archangel a once-popular Mythic rare which allows its controller to play a free spell whenever it does damage.
• Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker was a highly sought-after card when it first came out; has since shown to have little competitive-play value, due to its unruly mana cost, but is still valued reasonably as a noteworthy and flavorful card; a favorite of Timmy and Vorthos. Notable for being the first tri-colored Planeswalker.
• Noble Hierarch is a three-color mana creature with a passive upside that improves other creatures. It continues to see play in creature decks and inspired a Jund counterpart in Ignoble Hierarch.
• Path to Exile was considered the successor to Swords to Plowshares, and is sometimes considered superior for formats where the efficiency of mana is so high decks have no ways to spend excess mana after turn 4 anyway.
• Progenitus is one of the splashiest, and arguably most difficult to hardcast, creature, with the first instance of "Protection from everything".
• Exotic Orchard is a particularly effective mana-fixing land for multiplayer formats
• Banefire was played in many Standard aggro decks as both a removal spell and a finisher that could not be stopped by control decks.
• Ancient Ziggurat has helped aggro decks such as Humans in Modern play, spells that have restrictive mana costs.
• Lapse of Certainty is one of only a few non-restrictive white counterspells, and close to a colorshifted Memory Lapse.
• Conflux is one of only a few cards to be named after the set in which they are printed.
• Thornling is part of the Morphling-inspired mega-mega cycle, the completion of which stalled for nearly a decade until Battlebond and Modern Horizons.
• Reliquary Tower was designed as Barry's Land but failed to make it through the rules manager. The upside of removing maximum hand size remains pertinent in Commander today.
• Unquenchable Fire is one of the few, and the last modern card, that requires an opponent to pay a specific mana color for an effect. Norn's Annex allows the opponent to pay life rather than white mana and is the last to do so.

Trivia

• Fusion Elemental's playtest name was "Five Scoops of Vanilla".

Intro packs

The intro packs are:

Intro pack name	Colors Included					Foil rare
Bant on the March	W	U	–	–	G	Giltspire Avenger
Esper Air Assault	W	U	B	–	–	Magister Sphinx
Grixis Shambling Army	–	U	B	R	–	Blood Tyrant
Jund Appetite for War	–	–	B	R	G	Charnelhoard Wurm
Naya Domain	W	–	–	R	G	Paleoloth

External links

• Conflux product information page — Wizards of the Coast