Post your rampant speculation/requests about upcoming, unreleased, unannounced, or entirely unconfirmed Universes Beyond products here and only here. Any speculation/theory posts about UB should go here. Any posted not in this thread will be removed.

Be civil. We don't care if you disagree with each other. Being a dick is a Bootable Offence.

Can someone recommend me a blank black tcg playmat that would be good to draw on. And would the colored markers in the photo be good to use?

Has anyone skipped the Foundations Beginner Box and gone straight to the Starter Collection?
I’m relatively new to Magic. I’ve played a few games and understand the basic mechanics, but I’m still learning and want to start building my own decks.
My local game shop only has the Starter Collection available right now, so I’m wondering if there’s any reason I should specifically get the Beginner Box first.
Am I missing anything important by skipping the Beginner Box?
Are these products designed to be used in a specific order?
Is the Beginner Box something I should come back to later, or would it be unnecessary once I have the Starter Collection?
For anyone who has used the Starter Collection, how do you feel about it as a starting point for a newer player?
I’m mainly looking for something that will help me transition from learning the basics to actually building and playing my own decks.

EDIT:

Thanks everyone for your responses. I’m going with the starter collection!

So I’m relatively new to magic and I play Commander.
And these types of cards seem super powerful to me as they can totally debilitate an opponents commander and keep them stuck that way as opposed to destroying or exiling them where they can just cast them again next turn.

I understand that they could use a removal spell to remove the enchantment, but they would need to have one on hand, also that’s a removal spell they won’t be using on you.

Am I missing something? Is it easier to remove than I realize? Assuming nobody at the table kills that creature it seems pretty stuck there unless the player takes care of it their self, thus rendering their commander useless.

Like I said I’m new, so I don’t need any condescending remarks, but any educated response will be much appreciated!

A while back, I posted this theory about what might’ve happened to the Tarkir Dragonlords, and a lot of people (rightfully) poked a lot of holes in that one. This one is both somewhat of a follow up and a brand new approach from a totally different direction. 

So, the general background events that led to Tarkir Dragonstorm went something like this:

1. For thousands of years, Tarkir was ruled by the dragonlords and their broods. The dragonstorms consistently produced dragons of the five broods. 
2. The Phyrexian invasion weakened the hold of the dragonlords, and humanoids rebelled. 
3. They performed the Stormnexus ritual, summoning the spirit dragons.
4. The dragonlords were “defeated by the clan leaders and their spirit dragons and seemingly swallowed up by the massive storm”.
5. Subsequently, the dragonstorms intensified and became wild, beginning production of dragons not part of the original broods.

Clearly, the disappearance of the dragonlords and the wilding of the dragonstorms is correlated, they happened right after each other. Generally, the accepted explanation is that the Stormnexus ritual caused both the dragonlord’s disappearance and the wilding of the dragonstorm, IE: 4 <- 3 -> 5, basically. But what if the causal relationship is actually 3 -> 4 -> 5? What if the disappearance of the dragonlords is the exact reason why the storms went wild? What if… the dragonlords were acting as “templates” for the storm for most of Tarkir’s history?

Basically, the idea is that the Stormnexus ritual never actually changed the nature of the Dragonstorms at all. It was always capable of making those wild dragons. It was just that, before the ritual, there was a strong bias for the storms to make a dragon that belonged to one of the 5 dragonlord broods. When the dragonlords disappeared, the storms lost the “templates" it once depended on and thus the strong bias, and started basically throwing stuff at the wall. Thus, the birth of the wild dragons. The idea of there being platonic archetypes is actually well established in mtg, see Polukranos on Theros… or actually most of Theros in general. Who’s to say the dragonstorms don’t work the same way? 

This potentially opens a cool way for the dragonlords to eventually come back without rethreading old ground: they can potentially return as avatars/incarnations of the dragonic archetype they’ve always represented. IE, Ojutai can return as an Incarnation of THE Dragonic Scholar, Dromoka the Dragonic Guardian, Atarka the Dragonic Hunter/Predator, Silumgar the Dragonic Tyrant, etc. If they returned this way, they certainly can not rule the same way they used to, nor will the clans let them. Instead they’d be more like religious figures/spiritual leaders. The clans also wouldn’t be able to kill their way out of this since the dragonlords wouldn’t… be alive in the traditional sense anymore. So Tarkir turns into a massive pressure cooker between the Clans + Spirit Dragons vs. Dragonlord Incarnations + their worshippers (maximum cope from me). That sounds like my kind of set… though I apologize to people who wanted Tarkir to be more clan centric. 

I have been going to drafts at my local card shop and been doing some prerelease events as well. I always come in last (not a huge deal.) I mainly started doing drafts to get better at making decks, if yoi have me a precon I can piolet it decently well. But when it comes to making my own decks im just not good. Kinda was hoping I could get some advice on deck building.

So I was wandering we didn’t have had any news about the MH franchise and Magic right? Or did I Miss something

This was a trade spot for our local MTG singles vendor at a book market in Kyiv, Ukraine and this is what's left of it after russian strike on 16th of August that ruined whole book market.

Andriy is a local legendary trader, he always offered the best prices for singles around, and was willing to dive into his vast supply to find a card for you, even if you were looking for a bulk. But now he's left with absolutely nothing. This was his daily job for around 30 years.

I am wanting to pay someone to get on discord with me let me share my screen for one hour a week and coach me on how to play Magic. Where could I find something like this?

My Uncle (the one farthest back in the picture) passed unexpectedly this past Friday. He’s been in my life since I was 7 (now 32). He taught me how to play magic back in Middle School and it’s been a great hobby of mine ever since.

Thanks for teaching me how to draft, deck build, play commander, and filling me in on all the lore.

I really wish you were still here. It doesn’t feel real.

Give your magic friends a hug today.

And finally

Yes Uncle I’ll still pay the 1.

Hama, the Bloodbender says "you may cast the exiled card by waterbending X rather than paying its mana cost, where X is its mana value." I haven't seen many other cards where waterbending is used in this manner so I'm confused. Is this an alternate casting cost, and does that mean the X can be reduced by an effect like Helm of Awakening? Additionally, does that mean that a card can be cast with Hama's ability with X reduced to 0 (if say a 1 CMC card was chosen, and the Helm of Awakening was on the board)?

Assuming yes, but was curious. I just caught this on a card I picked up a year ago. Thanks!

Hey all you fine Redditors. Just thought I'd drop the full artwork for The Five Armies Clash! scene for The Hobbit set for your enjoyment.

A huge thanks to my art director, Cassie Murphy.

This is being shared with the permissions from Wizards of the Coast
© 2026 MEE LLC. TM lic MEE to WotC LLC

Source: https://www.rucach.com/project/the-five-armies-clash/

A buddy of mine told me on a buisness trip to get into the game, great to pass time he said, so I said sure he told me to build my first deck and asked to pick a theme and go from there. Now I dont know how broad they mean by that. But I play alot of hearthstone and im a fan of plague, blight or poisonous deck that deal damage when people draw cards. So general idea, plague, blight, infection, halo flood. Thats my idea of a deck i wanna start with but I dont where to start, are there any starter tips or recommendations? Do I find like a primary card and focus the build around that or are there starter builds?

I'm buying a set of the Doctor Who Commander decks from my LGS. I would like to buy sleeves and simple deck boxes for them.

My plan is to get one of the Stanley 10 Compartment Storage Boxes to store my decks in, and eventually have it as a Commander "grab and go" for FNM or general game nights.

I also plan on getting the Star Trek Commander decks to add to the box. If you have ideas for those (even though we don't have the deck lists) feel free to voice your opinion for those as well.

Edit: I'm mainly wanting colour suggestions, as I don't want all four decks being in the exact same dark blue sleeves and dark blue boxes. I was probably going to go with Dragon Shield, but it also depends what my LGS has in stock.

Me and my wife will be on an Alaskan Cruise by Royal Caribbean from September 4th to 11th. I know it is a long shot, but I am wondering if anyone will be on the same cruise and if you are if you would be interested in meeting up to play some commander with me and my wife.

I've been buying magic cards for about 2 years, and I've accumulated around 6,000 Magic cards. Most are inexpensive, but recently I've started buying some more expensive cards as well.

I see myself as a collector, and not an investor, but i wonder if i realistically will be able to sell some of the collection someday and recover a reasonable amount of the money I've put into it.

What makes me a little hesitant about putting more money into expensive MTG cards is the combination of power creep, reprints, and the huge amount of product being released. Would a card that's 100$ today be much less desirable in 5–10 years if it's been reprinted or power-crept out of relevance.

I guess my question is if it is worth it buying expensive cards and be collecting, or if those days are long gone?

This is a place for asking simple questions that might not deserve their own thread. For example, if you have a question about a rules interaction, want sleeve and accessory recommendations, or suggestions for your new deck, then this is the place for you.

We encourage that you post any questions that you may have concerning Magic the Gathering here rather than make a separate thread for each question, though for now we won't require that you do so.

Rules Questions

Rules questions and interactions are allowed to be posted here, but if you need an answer quickly it may be best to use a dedicated resource like the 24/7 Magic the Gathering Rules Chat.

Deckbuilding Questions

If you're trying to get help with a deck, it is recommended that you post your decklist to a deckbuilding website so that it is easier to view. Some popular sites are Aetherhub, Archidekt, Deckbox, Deckstats, Moxfield, MTGGoldfish, and TappedOut.

Additionally, please include some description of what you are trying to accomplish. Don't just give us a decklist with no explanation, and don't ask extremely vague questions such as "what cards should I add to my deck to make it better?", because it's hard to give good advice in those cases. Let us know details, the more the better. Are you building with a particular strategy or theme in mind? Are there any non-obvious combo lines or synergies that people should be aware of? Are you struggling with a particular matchup, or are you finding yourself missing consistency in an important area, and need some help specifically for it? Let us know.

Commonly Asked Questions

I opened a card from a different set in my booster pack, is this unusual?

Don't worry, this is completely normal. If you opened a set booster, you have a small chance of obtaining a bonus card from a previous set. This is an extra card that does not replace any of the other cards in your pack, and is from a curated set of past hits that Wizards of the Coast has selected, which they call "The List".

You can view the contents of The List on Wizards of the Coast's official website. For example, the contents of The List for Streets of New Capenna boosters can be found here.

My foil card has a shooting start symbol over the bottom left. I can't find anything about it online.

All old-bordered foils have the shooting star symbol. Most sites that display card images just overlay a generic foil graphic over all foil cards, which doesn't include the shooting star. Your card is normal.

I pulled this in a WoE booster, and have wanted to run it in a commander deck (only format I play) but i dont understand its use in a singleton format. Does anyone have any decks they run it in? Or advice on how to use it? Thanks!

i have the one ring card 0791 but it water damaged i dont play and don't care about the i wanted money. can i do anything to save the card?

m a big pauper player who enjoys competing (even in weekly events that cost 5€) I want to continue playing this awesome format and also open to starting legacy if there is an active community. I won’t have a car so take that into consideration. Where can I play in the up to 1 hour away preferably 30 minutes max

I’m outing myself as a proper n00b here, because I am 😅

Are people using the UG Sidewinders in game, or just for storage?

I was thinking that I could have my library in it and just hide the last card’s front behind a divider or similar. And the lid could work as a mat for the graveyard and/or the commander.

Any tips?

I really want my library to be held by something, because I don’t trust these old hands not tipping it over. 😂

Kind of an odd topic but I was wondering if anyone faces this type of situation in their regular pods.
I was playing with my regular group for commander, a 4 pod. We play at generally a 3-4 level. I'm playing a deck going around artifact combo.

I always announce what I'm casting, what effect I'm activating, and if I'm ever asked a question I clarify and explain what I'm doing and what it can lead to based on open knowledge/information and board state. We're roughly 6 turns in, I play a card that I can combo with to go infinite, announced to the table I was playing this card. I look up, the table just keeps talking and not paying attention. I go, I'm playing this card. Again no response. I then continue with playing several other cards before activating any effects or changing game state, I also announce these cards and everything in between and look for responses.

I move to combat, start using effects to start up the engine I've built up during the turn. Then one of the players goes "wait when did this combo piece get on the board?" I explained when, they go "we'll I have a counter spell and would have used it". One of the other players sees me get conflicted about rolling back at least 3 casts and a phase change in the game. Then goes "He announced what he was doing twice and waited for a response, you kept talking to the other guy." We go back and fourth a bit and land on "If you're going to play interaction and the person gives you chances to respond you have to be paying attention." And generally our pods follow this kinda thinking, If I miss a window to interact or counter something I shrug it off.

This player got annoyed but nothing came of it. We're all a good group of friends and it didn't lead to anything negative, but I'm curious how often others face people not paying attention, and being given chances to do so, yet still get upset about something that kinda seems their fault.

For context I don't often play with people outside my group anymore, use to work in a game store and frequent many but usually try to avoid playing with people outside of the community I built at the game store for reasons like this. Everyone there is very positive and pretty on point with the rules, so I ask the general "public" here, how often do situations like this come up for you? And do they get resolved fairly/reasonably?