The Wilds of Eldraine are enchanted lands outside “The Realm” we saw the first time we visited the plane. They are a disorienting place known to house all monsters, vile magic, and curses. And they are precisely where Magic: The Gathering is going in late 2023, right after it wraps up the events kicked off in The Brothers’ War. Besides what I just mentioned, we don’t have any concrete info. However, based on what we know, I think a few things are likely to happen. So, let’s jump into the Wilds Of Eldraine spoilers, storyline, mechanics, and lore.
Key Dates
Wilds of Eldraine releases on September 8, 2023.
Related: MTG 2023 Release Schedule
Storyline
Obviously, the events of the set will take place in the Wilds outside of The Realm where Throne of Eldraine took place. So, based on this knowledge there are a few things that I can say with confidence, even without knowing the details. Here’s what I think the story will contain.
The Council of the Druids
The Council of the Druids is the closest thing the wilds have to a governing body. Once upon a time, the elves of the council ruled over Eldraine and its people with powerful magic and held themselves as superior to all other races. Eventually, they were overthrown by humankind, and the majority of the order fled to the wilds.
The lore has it that they seek to restore themselves to their former glory. Therefore, I expect to see this as a story arc for the set to some extent and this would also mean there will be some support for elves as a tribe.
So, prediction number one – The elves are looking to regain power of the realm, and elf tribal decks get some new pieces. One of which will probably revolve around “The Heart Land” which holds the ruins of their former empire.
Related: March of the Machines – Spoilers, Info, Story, And More
The Kenrith Twins Return To The Plane
Prediction number two may not be a significant story point, but I can’t imagine a return to Eldraine without the return of the plane’s most notable natives, Rowan and Will Kenrith. So, I think both will make appearances in the set.
Oko Returns To Stir Up A Rebellion Amongst The Creatures Of The Wilds
Oko was a troublemaker the first time around (both for the lore and the meta), and I think the plane’s infamous villain will also stir up the chaos for this set.
Wilds of Eldraine Spoilers
Spoilers Updated: 8/12/23
Main Set
Enchanting Tales Subset
Enchanting Tales is a sub-set of 63 enchantments with unique card frames and art. This is similar to the mystical archive cards from Strixhaven or the Retro Artifact set from The Brothers’ War. Like those sets, the Enchanting Tales cards are only legal in whatever formats the cards are already legal in. They are, however, legal in Wilds of Eldraine limited.
Of the 63 enchantments, 20 have anime “borderless Booster Fun treatments” done by Japanese artists. These are available in Draft, Set, and Collector Boosters. And they’re bonus cards, so they don’t replace the cards of the same rarity in packs.
The Fair Folk
There is all manner of things that live in the wilds, and as a whole, they are referred to as “The Fair Folk”. Here is a list of creature types that I expect to see support for in Wilds of Eldraine:
- Faeries
- Elves
- Merfolk (known as undines)
- Redcap goblins
- Human witches
- Dwarves
- Giants
- Dragons
Planting seeds for several different tribes makes quite a lot of sense, considering after this set, MTG heads back to Ixalan, which was a very tribal-heavy plane last time.
Oko
Again, Oko is a key piece of the storyline from the first time we visited the plane and I think he will return in this set in some capacity. That said, I don’t know if he’ll get a full-on planeswalker card this go around. And if he does, hopefully, it doesn’t end up being banned in nearly every format imaginable.
Suspend Cards
Once outside the walls of the Realm and within the ever-shifting borders of the wilds time, direction, distance, and the seasons all behave in strange ways. I think the perfect way to bring this into gameplay is with suspend cards. After all, they do represent time and they haven’t seen print since MH2. So, I bet suspend cards will be printed in Wilds of Eldraine.
Lands
In Throne of Eldraine we had an entire cycle of castle lands that were quite good. If you know anything about the wilds of the plane, numerous locations are begging to be turned into lands. I think the set will have magnificent lands and feature some of the following areas.
| Location | Description | Possibilities |
| The Heart Land | The ruins that hold the crown of the old Elven empire | Elf Tribal land |
| The Jade and Obsidian Bridges | Two bridges that cross the river around The Heart Land | Lands work together to produce more mana if you have both. The Obsidian Bridge will be a “man-land” as it “houses a deadly guardian.” |
| The Haunted Glade | A place on the outside of the wilds where the Kenrith twins were sacrificed as children | Features a sacrifice outlet or aristocrats theme support |
| The Delirium Swamp | A bog full of brain-eating fungus | Will produce tokens |
| The Amphitheater | Made out of a petrified Dragon – The meeting place of the Council of the Druids | Dragon Tribal land |
Available Products
It’s too early even to have this info for certain. However, if this set doesn’t bring any surprises, we can guess the product line will follow that of previous sets. If that’s the case, here’s what it should contain.
- Draft Boosters (Best for Drafting)
- Set Boosters (Best for opening for fun)
- Collector Boosters (Contains the rarest cards from the set)
- Jumpstart Boosters (Themed packs to be shuffled together and played with)
- Bundle (Contains a few Set Boosters and accessories)
- 2 Commander Precons (Preconstructed Commander decks meant to be an on-ramp to the format)
Related: Set Boosters Vs Draft Boosters – FAQ
Legal Formats
Wilds of Eldraine will be legal in all formats. This includes Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Vintage, Legacy, Commander, Brawl, and Historic. All of the commons will be legal in Pauper as well. That said, the last trip to Eldraine resulted in multiple cards being banned in several formats, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see some meta-warping stuff here too.
End Step
We’re still well out from the release but as we get closer, I suspect players will be very hyped for this set. It’s a lore-rich plane that I personally can’t wait to get back to – Thanks for hanging in there and taking a very early look at the set with me.
