Spellbook

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Not to be confused with Signature Spellbook.
Spellbook
Mechanic
Introduced Jumpstart: Historic Horizons
Last used Alchemy: Edge of Eternities
Reminder Text A card’s spellbook is a curated list of associated, flavor-resonant cards.
Scryfall Statistics

A spellbook is a list of cards from outside the game that can be accessed by the conjure or draft keyword actions. Each spellbook is different, depending on which effect it's associated with. Spellbook was designed as a digital-only mechanic for MTG Arena.[1][2]

Description

A spellbook is a curated list of up to 15 flavor-resonant cards tied to a specific card in the game. Cards with the spellbook mechanic only appear on Alchemy cards.[2] The spellbook cards are not counted as part of a card's color identity.

The cards of the spellbook are not visible on the main cards themselves. Spellbooks are browsable in-game by right-clicking (or long-pressing) on the cards, much like looking at dungeons or cards that make multiple tokens. Outside of MTG Arena, lists are available online.

Cards in a spellbook are added to the game in one of two ways: a single card can be chosen from the entire list and conjured, or a card can be drafted.

Drafting from a spellbook may occur as part of a spell, an activated or triggered ability. The player is presented with three cards chosen at random from among the spellbook cards and selects one to put into their hand. Conjuring or drafting a card does not remove that card from the spellbook and it can be selected again if it comes up.[3]

History

A spellbook was first named in Tome of the Infinite from Jumpstart: Historic Horizons, where it was used in combination with conjure instead of draft. The mechanic also has similarities with Davriel, Soul Broker's offers and conditions from the same set. Drafting from a spellbook was formally introduced in Alchemy: Innistrad.[2]

Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate has some unique spellbooks amongst its selection: Oyaminartok, Polar Werebear is the first to overlap more than ten cards with a previous spellbook (Tireless Angler), The Hourglass Coven has all entirely new digital cards (all of which have the same art) and Follow the Tracks has only five cards and are all from the same cycle.

In Alchemy: Eldraine, Drover of the Swine, Porcine Portent and Swine Rebellion all use the same named three-card spellbook - the Three Pigs. Alchemy: Ixalan has Brazen Boarding, which also has a three-card spellbook, alongside a distinct way to determine its conjured card.

List of card spellbooks

Spellbook card Color Theme Alchemy set Link to card list
Celestial Vault White mana Angels New Capenna Cards
Faithful Disciple White mana Enchantments Innistrad Cards
Saint Elenda White mana Faith-based lifegain (4 life) Thunder Junction Cards
Slayer's Bounty White mana Justice and detainment Innistrad Cards
Experimental Pilot Blue mana Vehicles Kamigawa Cards
Giant's Secrets Blue mana Auras Eldraine Cards
Skywriter Djinn Blue mana Control Dominaria Cards
Tireless Angler Blue mana Marine life Innistrad Cards
Tome of Gadwick Blue mana Cantrips Eldraine Cards
Tome of the Infinite Blue mana Utility spells Jumpstart: Historic Horizons Cards
Break Expectations Black mana Artifacts Innistrad Cards
Cursebound Witch Black mana Witches and witch tropes Innistrad Cards
Glimmer Hoarder Black mana Phobias and nightmares Duskmourn Cards
The Hourglass Coven Black mana Hags (all original creatures) Baldur's Gate Cards
March Toward Perfection Black mana Phyrexians of The Dross Pits Phyrexia Cards
Razor Demon Black mana Demonic drawbacks Duskmourn Cards
Xander's Wake Black mana Party scoundrels New Capenna Cards
Arms Scavenger Red mana Adventuring Equipment Innistrad Cards
Big Spender Red mana Valuable antiques New Capenna Cards
Charged Conjuration Red mana Red Storm spells Bloomburrow Cards
Dragon Typhoon Red mana Tarkiri Dragons Tarkir Cards
Goblin Influx Array Red mana Goblins Dominaria Cards
Kayla's Kindling Red mana Burn The Brothers' War Cards
Tibalt, Wicked Tormentor Red mana Devils Innistrad Cards
Boseiju Pathlighter Green mana Lands Kamigawa Cards
Eumidian Lifeseed Green mana Planets and Stellar Sights Lands Edge of Eternities Cards
Follow the Tracks Green mana The Reimagined Gates Baldur's Gate Cards
Garruk, Wrath of the Wilds Green mana Wild creatures Innistrad Cards
Hinterland Chef Green mana Unusual edible creatures Innistrad Cards
Ishkanah, Broodmother Green mana Spiders Innistrad Cards
Loose in the Park Green mana Wild beasts New Capenna Cards
Oyaminartok, Polar Werebear Green mana Fished Sea Creatures Baldur's Gate Cards
Scalespeaker Shepherd Green mana Dinosaurs Ixalan Cards
Relics of the Rubblebelt Green mana Ravnican guild signets Karlov Manor Cards
Support Skyforge White manaBlue mana Flying Vehicles Aetherdrift Cards
Bind to Secrecy Blue manaBlack mana Graveyard recursion New Capenna Cards
Dazzling Flameweaver Black manaRed mana Spectacles Bloomburrow Cards
Emmara, Voice of the Conclave Green manaWhite mana Spells with Convoke Karlov Manor Cards
Raddic, Tal Zealot White manaBlack mana Knights The Brothers' War Cards
Brazen Boarding Blue manaRed mana Pirates Ixalan Cards
Slimefoot, Thallid Transplant Black manaGreen mana Fungus related Dominaria Cards
Bladehold Cleaver Red manaWhite mana Mirran resistance forces Phyrexia Cards
Imperial Blademaster Red manaWhite mana Samurai Kamigawa Cards
Protean War Engine Red manaWhite mana Medium sized Dragons, Angels or attack-based humanoids Dominaria Cards
Recruit Instructor Red manaWhite mana Combat tricks Bloomburrow Cards
Tajic, Legion's Valor Red manaWhite mana Boros Legion members Karlov Manor Cards
Contagion Dispenser Green manaBlue mana Cards with Proliferate Phyrexia Cards
Darigaaz, Shivan Champion Black manaRed manaGreen mana Dragons Dominaria Cards
Dragonweave Tapestry Colorless mana Stormbrood cycle of dragons Tarkir Cards
Key to the Archive Colorless mana Mystical Archive spells Innistrad Cards
Masterpiece Vault Colorless mana Protective Equipment from Kaladesh Inventions Aetherdrift Cards
Ominous Traveler Colorless mana Innistrad's monsters Innistrad Cards

List of shared spellbooks

Spellbook name Color Theme Used by Alchemy set Link to card list
Three Pigs White manaBlack manaGreen mana Boars Eldraine Cards
Planets Green manaWhite manaBlue mana Planets Edge of Eternities Cards
Slivers White manaBlue manaBlack manaRed manaGreen mana Slivers No cards have this spellbook. It is granted to Sliver cards you cast by Sliver Weftwinder (Alchemy: Edge of Eternities). Edge of Eternities Cards

Rules

Spellbooks are not included as part of the Comprehensive Rules.[4] They operates according to the programmed rules of Magic: The Gathering Arena.

Example

Example 1

Ishkanah, Broodmother 3 generic manaGreen mana
Legendary Creature — Spider
3/5
Reach
Other Spiders you countrol get +1/+2
1 generic manaB/G, Exile two cards from your graveyard: Draft a card from Ishkanah, Broodmother's spellbook.

Ishkanah's spellbook

Example 2

Swine Rebellion 2 generic manaGreen mana
Sorcery
If you control three or more Boars with different names, conjure each card from the Three Pigs spellbook onto the battlefield.
If you control two or fewer Boars with different names, conjure two cards of your choice from the Three Pigs spellbook into your hand, then put one of them onto the battlefield.

Three Pigs spellbook

References

  1. ↑ Wizards of the Coast (December 2, 2021). "MTG Arena: State - Alchemy". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-12-02.
  2. ↑ a b c David Humpherys (December 8, 2021). "Designing for Alchemy". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-12-08.
  3. ↑ Blake Rasmussen (December 4, 2021). "We talked about it on stream.". Twitter.
  4. ↑ Matt Tabak (August 2, 2021). "The Comp Rules aren’t being updated to explicitly support the Arena-only cards at this time.". Twitter.
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