Visions (Magic: The Gathering)
Encyclopedia
Visions was the sixteenth Magic: The Gathering
set and tenth expert level set, released in February 1997. This expansion continued the Mirage block by using the same setting and mechanics introduced in Mirage
. The expansion symbol for Visions is a V-shaped
symbol, which is the "triangle of war" used by the Zhalfir in the story. On 10 April 2006 Visions was released on Magic: The Gathering Online
.
Teferi. Jamuraa's leaders, led by Jolrael's visions, free Mangara from the amber prison and begin to fight against Kaervek.
Visions was the first set to have the same name as a Magic card printed earlier: Visions, the card, was first printed in Legends
(1994). The card and the set are otherwise unrelated.
Visions was the first set to have a wide dispersal of pre-releases.
At the time of its release, Visions was a "first" in the release of quality cards at the common level. For instance, River Boa was considered "very good" compared to other green creatures, with two abilities (Islandwalk and Regeneration) and a 2/1 power/toughness at a casting cost of only two mana.
Visions was the start of the "speeding up" of red decks. Red decks began to get faster due to a card from Visions: Fireblast. In the late game players could now sacrifice two mountains to deal four damage to opponents. This proved to be essential as burn decks became all the rage. Decks were sporting "pure burn", essentially: four Lightning Bolt, four Incinerate, four Fireblast, which made it very easy for the red player to deal twenty damage to their opponents, or in today's colloquial, it "increased the reach" of the red player. Fireblast was also common rarity.
Visions was the last set to contain a poison creature (one that creates poison counters) until Swamp Mosquito was reprinted in Time Spiral
. Visionss Suq'Ata Assassin was the last new poison creature created by Wizards
for 10 years, until Virulent Sliver appeared in Future Sight
.
Wizards of the Coast started selling Visions cards for Magic: The Gathering Online
on April 10, 2006. The cards became legal to use in several formats as they went on sale. Official release events were held on April 13.
The Karoos were a cycle of 5 lands that came into play tapped, and required you to return a land to your hand to play them. They would set you back one turn, but reward you with an extra mana on the next. An improved version of the Karoo cycle later appeared in Ravnica block.
The Chimeras were a cycle of 4 artifact creatures that could be combined into one giant monster with many abilities. This cycle resembles the Nightstalker cycle, but even being colorless, the cards never saw much play.
While this set did not introduce any new keyword mechanics, it expanded on the flanking and phasing mechanics which were introduced in Mirage
. The insta-enchantments which debuted in Mirage also made an appearance in Visions.
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
set and tenth expert level set, released in February 1997. This expansion continued the Mirage block by using the same setting and mechanics introduced in Mirage
Mirage (Magic: The Gathering)
Mirage was the fifteenth Magic: The Gathering set and ninth expert level set, released in October 1996. This expansion began the first official block set with one large expansion being followed by two smaller expansions all tied together through card mechanics and setting. This expansion also...
. The expansion symbol for Visions is a V-shaped
V
V is the twenty-second letter in the basic modern Latin alphabet.-Letter:The letter V comes from the Semitic letter Waw, as do the modern letters F, U, W, and Y. See F for details....
symbol, which is the "triangle of war" used by the Zhalfir in the story. On 10 April 2006 Visions was released on Magic: The Gathering Online
Magic: The Gathering Online
Magic: The Gathering Online or Magic Online is a direct video game adaptation of Magic: The Gathering, utilizing the concept of a virtual economy in order to preserve the collectible aspect of the card game. It is played through an Internet service operated by Wizards of the Coast, which went...
.
Storyline
The story continues the struggle between the nations of Jamuraa against the evil Kaervek, only now Femeref has been destroyed and Suq'Ata and Zhalfir begin to have internal problems as well. There is hope, however, when Kaervek's ally Jolrael betrays him at the urging of the planeswalkerPlaneswalker
In the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering, a planeswalker is a mage with the ability to travel to different planes of existence.-Magic: The Gathering:...
Teferi. Jamuraa's leaders, led by Jolrael's visions, free Mangara from the amber prison and begin to fight against Kaervek.
Set history
The Visions expansion originated as a split from "Menagerie" (the original name for Mirage), which had grown too large for a single set. For a brief time during its development, Visions was known by the codename "Mirage Jr." It received its final name shortly later.Visions was the first set to have the same name as a Magic card printed earlier: Visions, the card, was first printed in Legends
Legends (Magic: The Gathering)
Legends was the seventh Magic: The Gathering set and the third expansion set, released in June 1994. It was the first expansion set to be sold in packs of 15 . The set was designed by Wizards of the Coast co-founder Steve Conard and friend Robin Herbert in Canada before the game was initially...
(1994). The card and the set are otherwise unrelated.
Visions was the first set to have a wide dispersal of pre-releases.
At the time of its release, Visions was a "first" in the release of quality cards at the common level. For instance, River Boa was considered "very good" compared to other green creatures, with two abilities (Islandwalk and Regeneration) and a 2/1 power/toughness at a casting cost of only two mana.
Visions was the start of the "speeding up" of red decks. Red decks began to get faster due to a card from Visions: Fireblast. In the late game players could now sacrifice two mountains to deal four damage to opponents. This proved to be essential as burn decks became all the rage. Decks were sporting "pure burn", essentially: four Lightning Bolt, four Incinerate, four Fireblast, which made it very easy for the red player to deal twenty damage to their opponents, or in today's colloquial, it "increased the reach" of the red player. Fireblast was also common rarity.
Visions was the last set to contain a poison creature (one that creates poison counters) until Swamp Mosquito was reprinted in Time Spiral
Time Spiral
Time Spiral is a Magic: The Gathering expansion set, released October 6, 2006. The set is laden with references to previous Magic: the Gathering sets and is the first to take place in Dominaria since the May 2003 set Scourge...
. Visionss Suq'Ata Assassin was the last new poison creature created by Wizards
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
for 10 years, until Virulent Sliver appeared in Future Sight
Future Sight
Future Sight is an expansion set, codenamed "Pop", for the trading card game Magic: The Gathering. The set was released worldwide on May 4, 2007. The pre-release events for this set were held on April 21 and April 22, 2007.-Storyline:...
.
Wizards of the Coast started selling Visions cards for Magic: The Gathering Online
Magic: The Gathering Online
Magic: The Gathering Online or Magic Online is a direct video game adaptation of Magic: The Gathering, utilizing the concept of a virtual economy in order to preserve the collectible aspect of the card game. It is played through an Internet service operated by Wizards of the Coast, which went...
on April 10, 2006. The cards became legal to use in several formats as they went on sale. Official release events were held on April 13.
Mechanics
Visions included many creatures that had abilities that triggered upon entering play. This meant that some creatures could now do things normally reserved for instants, sorceries, or costly activated abilities. These "comes-into-play" creatures could also combo well with cards that returned creatures to a player's hand.The Karoos were a cycle of 5 lands that came into play tapped, and required you to return a land to your hand to play them. They would set you back one turn, but reward you with an extra mana on the next. An improved version of the Karoo cycle later appeared in Ravnica block.
The Chimeras were a cycle of 4 artifact creatures that could be combined into one giant monster with many abilities. This cycle resembles the Nightstalker cycle, but even being colorless, the cards never saw much play.
While this set did not introduce any new keyword mechanics, it expanded on the flanking and phasing mechanics which were introduced in Mirage
Mirage (Magic: The Gathering)
Mirage was the fifteenth Magic: The Gathering set and ninth expert level set, released in October 1996. This expansion began the first official block set with one large expansion being followed by two smaller expansions all tied together through card mechanics and setting. This expansion also...
. The insta-enchantments which debuted in Mirage also made an appearance in Visions.