Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty will be the 91st Magic: The Gathering expansion and is set to take place in, well, Kamigawa. This time though it will be set 1200 years after the original block. This means that the feudal past will be met with a more cyberpunk, futuristic theme with ninjas, samurai, and all other sorts of futuristic goodies. This is also the first Magic set with a science-fiction theme. Let’s get into all the Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty news we know so far.
Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
Release Date
UPDATED: The set is scheduled to be released in Q1 of 2022 and will be the first release of the year. The key dates for the release are below:
- Building Worlds: Kamigawa Neon Dynasty: January 11th, 2022
- History & Legends Of Kamigawa Article Series: January 11th – 21st, 2022
- Kamigawa Neon Dynasty Story Series: January 24th – 27th, 2022
- Kick Off Broadcast and Live Previews: Start January 27th, 2022
- Card Image Gallery Complete: February 4th, 2022
- Commander Previews: February 7th, 2022
- Commander Card Image Gallery Complete: February 8th, 2022
- MTG Arena and Magic Online Release: February 10th, 2022
- Prerelease Week: February 11th – 17th, 2022
- Worldwide Release: February 18th, 2022
- In-Store Draft Weekend: February 19th – 20th, 2022
The above dates have been confirmed but could fall back a week or two if we see supply chain issues as we did with Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Innistrad: Crimson Vow.
Wizards have announced GAME DAY IS BACK! You’ll be able to battle it out with your friends at your local store in Draft and Sealed formats on March 5th – 6th to receive some great prizes.
The participation promo, while supplies last, is Consider, with Top 8 competitors receiving a traditional foil Fateful Absence. The winner can look forward to a traditional foil promotional copy of Atsushi, the Blazing Sky.
Available Products
We should expect to see the usual boxes for any standard release.
- Draft Booster Boxes
- Set Booster Boxes
- Collector Booster Boxes
- Starter Bundles
- Prerelease Kits
- Two Commander Preconstructed Decks
Set Symbols
The set symbols for the base set and commander sets are below
Concept Art
Spoilers
When Will Spoilers Start?
Magic spoilers historically start 3 weeks before release so that would mean we should expect to see spoilers starting on January 27th, 2022. All cards in the core set will be revealed by February 4th. The next drop of news might not come until January when spoiler season really heats up and Crimson Vow is winding down.
You can check out our analysis on Crimson Vow commanders if you need to keep busy while you wait for more news drops.
Card Gallery
So far we’ve seen the new Ukiyo-e basic lands inspired by JapanHidersugu, Devouring Chaos have been released. All spoiled cards can be seen below.
One-third of the packs in each Draft and Set Booster box will contain a basic land. Every Collector Booster pack will contain a foil Ukiyo-e basic land.
Wizards have also gone a step further and will be releasing NEON versions of some cards. They’ll come in 4 colors red, green, blue, and yellow. They will be exclusive to the Hidersugu, Devouring Chaos card and are meant to show off Wizards’ new foiling process. They will be very hard to get your hands on. Per Wizards:
These will be a prized find for players and collectors, and three of these colors are found only in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Collector Boosters: less than 1% of boosters contain a neon ink card. There are about half as many green ink cards as blue ink cards, and about a quarter that many red ink cards as green ink cards.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Kamigawa Sets Are There?
There are three sets in Magic that take place in Kamigawa.
- Champions of Kamigawa
- Betrayers of Kamigawa
- Saviors of Kamigawa
Champions of Kamigawa, the 33rd Magic set was released on October 1st, 2004, and contained 306 black-bordered cards. The story for the set was that the spirits, or Kami, that are part of the essence of everything on Kamigawa launch an all-out war against the mortals of the plane.
Betrayers of Kamigawa came out on February 4th, 2005, and was the 34th Magic expansion and came with 165 black-bordered cards. The story continues as the Kami War rages on. O-Kagachi, an incredibly powerful spirit threatens the plane with destruction. Takeshi Konda, a powerful human Daiymo tries to mount a defense.
Finally, Saviors of Kamigawa was released on June 3rd, 2005, and contained 165 black-bordered cards. It was the 35th Magic expansion. In the story, Toshiro Umezawa and Michiko, daughter of Takeshi band together to find a way to prevent the impending Kami victory.
A full breakdown of the Kami War can be found on the MTG Wiki. As we get news on the Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty story we’ll be sure to share and update this section.
What Are The New Set Mechanics?
UPDATED: It looks like Channel will be coming back!
Right now it’s too early to tell given how far out we are from release. However, in the last Kamigawa block, we did have a number of interesting mechanics. Some of them may come back but I’d also expect some new ones as well.
What Mechanics Were In The Original Kamigawa Block?
Neon Dynasty news has been sparse so far but understanding the mechanics of the last block may give us some clues as to what we’ll see in the future. Let’s take a look:
Bushido
Keyword Text: Bushido X (Whenever this creature blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +X/+X until end of turn.)
This ability makes creatures bigger if they block or are blocked. For example, a creature with Bushido 2 would get +2/+2 when blocked. Regardless of the number of creatures blocked, Bushido will only trigger once.
Bushido has only ever appeared on the Samurai creature type to date. Some older cards like Chub Toad from Ice Age do essentially the same thing however they lack the bushido keyword. Similarly, the keyword Chivalry from Throne of Eldraine did the same thing but with Knights.
Popular Bushido Cards:
Channel
Keyword Text: Channel — [cost], Discard this card: …
This is a keyword ability where you gain a benefit for discarding the card. Additionally, you can use the ability anytime you have priority and the card is in your hand. It also has interactions with Epic and Soulshift which we’ll cover next
Popular Channel Cards:
Epic
Keyword Text: Epic (For the rest of the game, you can’t cast spells. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, copy this spell except for its epic ability. You may choose new targets for the copy.)
This first appeared in Saviors of Kamigawa and was only on 5 cards, one of each color and they are incredibly powerful. Once you cast an epic spell it stays with you for the rest of the game and triggers each turn during your upkeep. Additionally, if the spell has any targets you can choose a new one each turn.
This sounds pretty awesome right? Yes it does – but it comes with a huge downside. You can’t cast spells for the rest of the game. That said, if you have cards with channel however, you can get around this as they are technically not being played as spells.
Soulshift
Keyword Text: Soulshift X (When this creature dies, you may return target Spirit card with mana value X or less from your graveyard to your hand.)
Debuting in Champions of Kamigawa and primarily found on spirit cards, this ability lets you return a less powerful spirit from your graveyard to your hand.
Only 27 cards currently in the game have this keyword. However, I expect to see this make a return with Spirit Squadron precon having just been released in the previous set.
Popular Soulshift Cards:
Ninjutsu
Keyword Text: Ninjutsu [cost] (Return an unblocked attacker you control to hand: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand tapped and attacking.)
Commander ninjutsu [cost] (Return an unblocked attacker you control to hand: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand or the command zone tapped and attacking.)
In my opinion, this is one of the cooler mechanics in the block. It still sees a good amount of use given the popularity of Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow. She allows you to put an unblocked attacker back into your hand and swap her in or out of the command zone. Once she hits you put the top card of your deck into your hand and each opponent loses life equal to that card’s CMC.
Given Yuriko’s popularity as a commander, I’d be shocked if we didn’t see Ninjutsu return in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty.
Popular Ninjutsu Cards:
Offering
Keyword Text: [Subtype] Offering (You may cast this card any time you could cast an instant by sacrificing a [Subtype] and paying the difference in mana costs between this and the sacrificed [Subtype]. Mana cost includes color.)
This is one that we might not see return but it’s a cool mechanic nonetheless. It only ever appeared in Betrayers of Kamigawa and only on 5 cards. Like Epic, it’s only on one card for each color.
Each of the cards is associated with a creature subtype and if you sacrifice a creature of that subtype (e.g. goblins) you can play the card as if it had flash. The cards are a bit expensive mana wise but, you can take the mana cost of the sacrificed creature off the casting cost.
The abilities on the 5 cards with Offering are powerful. Patron of Nezumi (rats) for example makes each opponent lose a life each time a permanent is put into the graveyard. Patron of the Akki (Goblins) gives each other attacking creature +2/+0 whenever it attacks.
Popular Offering Cards:
Arcane
A spell subtype we see only on instant and sorceries. It’s supposed to represent spirits weaving spells and supporting mortals with magic. Only 90 cards have the keyword and more are unlikely to be printed. Magic has said it would take a minor miracle for this mechanic to return as they found it too reliant on the cards in the Kamigawa block. Namely the cards that feature our next mechanic..
Popular Arcane Cards:
Splice
Keyword Text: Splice onto [quality] [cost] (As you cast a(n) [quality] spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card’s effects to that spell.)
Splice allows you to add the effect of your card to another card you’ve played on the stack if you pay its splice cost while in your hand. The neat thing about this ability is that the card stays in your hand so you can use it multiple times.
This can be a fun one but is another I don’t think we’ll see a return. Since you can only Splice this onto Arcane spells (a subtype of instant and sorceries), the use is too limited.
Popular Splice Cards:
Sweep
Keyword Text: Sweep — Return any number of [basic land] you control to their owner’s hand. …
Only ever appearing on four cards, (two white, a red, and a black) you return lands to your hand for a benefit increased by the number of lands returned. For example, Sink into Takenuma has you return swamps to your hand, and target player discards that many cards.
Popular Sweep Cards:
Flip Cards
These cards are a two-for-one. You play the card, and then when there’s a trigger, you flip it and it becomes the other card. These cards aren’t double-faced, rather you actually turn the card upside down once the requirement is met.
These cards were interesting but now that double-faced cards exist, R&D has said they have no plans of doing them again.
Popular Flip Cards:
Shrine
Shrine is an enchantment subtype much like Arcane is for instant and sorcery spells. The thing with Shrine is that they get more powerful for each one you control. Honden of Cleansing Fire gives you 2 life for each Shrine you control during your upkeep. Sanctum of Fruitful Harvest gives you X mana during your upkeep where X is the number of Shrines you control.
There are only 11 currently in the game today. One for each color released in Champions of Kamigawa and another one for each color in Core Set 2021, plus one five-color shrine.
Popular Shrine Cards:
What Were The Best Cards In The Original Kamigawa Block?
While we wait for more news, we’ll reminisce on the top 10 cards of the last Kamigawa block. There were some really amazing cards that still see a lot of play. They’re seen in all formats and all levels of play from casual to competitive. This list is going to focus on the best and most iconic Kamigawa cards. Maybe not always the ones that are the most powerful, but ones that you know and will recognize.
10: Through the Breach
Through the Breach is usually going to be played in some way that’s cheesy. No one is cheating out a Llanowar Elves. It’s usually something like a Kozilek, Butcher of Truth, or Apex Devastator that comes out and crushes your face. It’s great when you’re the one doing it but not so much when you’re on the receiving end.
9: Azusa, Lost but Seeking
If you’re playing a Turbo Lands deck, Azusa is your lady. She’s also a bit frail but drop her on turn two and follow up with Crucible of World, Glacial Chasm, or Zuran Orb and you’re cruising. It’s a solid, fun card that has a number of interesting card interactions to play with.
8: Boseiju, Who Shelters All
Boseju sees a decent amount of play in my meta. Storm decks like it because you can protect your win con. Any cards with X are going to benefit from this reality. Some common ones you’ll see paired with it are Torment of Hailfire, or Finale of Devastation. Tooth and Nail synergizes great as well and can let you securely get out a combo or some huge creatures.
7: Cranial Extraction
In our last pick, we talked about protecting your combo. Cranial Extraction is designed to nuke your combo. If you have only one, it’s game over. Not really a card for commander but devastating in other formats.
6: Lava Spike
Lava Spike is Lightning Bolt, but better. One red for three damage to any player isn’t a bad trade-off. It also combos very well with Desperate Ritual and Izzet Guildmage letting you just wipe other players off the
5: Kodama’s Reach
Kodama’s Reach pretty much Cultivate except it’s Arcane. For three CMC, it’s a tad expensive. One land comes in tapped and the other goes to your hand. There’s better ramp out there, like Skyshroud Claim or Burgeoning, but this is a good, affordable option for all players.
4: Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
For a period, Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker was a powerhouse in Modern. Prior to the ban of Birthing Pod, you’d sac, get Kiki-Jiki and Restoration Angel and win on the spot. Kiki doesn’t see the same play in Modern anymore but still gets around in EDH. The main combos are with Zealous Conscripts or Combat Celebrant.
3: Sakura-Tribe Elder
Rampant Growth on a stick. Two CMC for you get a 1/1 with some versatility which is important in Magic. You can sacrifice Sakura-Tribe Elder to get a land and a shuffle or chump block opponents opening attack. He’s an all-around solid card that still sees much use in edh to this day.
2: Umezawa’s Jitte
This is one of the most powerful cards in the Kamigawa block and almost took our number-one spot. It can be absolutely devastating against creature decks when handing out its -1/-1 counter. If you don’t want to kill your opponent’s creatures you can give yours +2/+2 for a turn, OR gain two life.
Related: MTG Equipment – Everything you need to know [FAQ, Guide & Best Cards]
You get two of these counters if the equipped creature deals damage. Not to a player, just deals damage. Umezawa’s Jitte still sees some play in commander and is a legend in the Limited and Legacy formats.
1: Sensei’s Divining Top
Banned in Modern. Banned in Legacy. A staple in EDH / Commander. When you’re fishing for a card it helps just that much more to control what you draw. Especially because we have more triggers to shuffle our decks, you can see more cards more often.
In Legacy, prior to its ban it powered Miracle decks, which led to its banning. Furthermore, it just slowed the game to a crawl and it became unenjoyable. Whether you love it or hate it, Sensei’s Divining Top is the most iconic card of the Kamigawa block.
End Step
We’ll continue to update this article as more information becomes available. Be sure to come back and check for more news about the set as it becomes available.
