Magic: The Gathering heads to the wild, wild west in Outlaws of Thunder Junction

Seminal trading card game Magic: The Gathering is back with a new set, and this one takes place in a new world that pays homage to the old American frontier: Outlaws of Thunder Junction.

Thunder Junction is the latest plane that Wizards of the Coast is taking Magic: The Gathering into, with this world being a lawless land of outlaws and misguided morals. Continuing the story of the Omenpaths from previous sets, a bunch of fan favourite villains from before have all traveled to Thunder Junction seeking new opportunities and the treasure of Maag Taranau. A ragtag bunch of baddies led by Oko and consisting of Tinybones, Vraska, Rakdos and Annie Flash attempt the heist of the century, while Oko’s own son Kellan is on the hunt.

As is always the case with new sets, there are plenty of new mechanics for players too. Outlaws now refer to creatures types such as Assasins, Rogues, Pirates, Mercenaries and Warlocks. Plot meanwhile lets you exile a card face up for an alternative cost and then cast it on a later turn for free. Then there’s Spree, giving instants and sorceries additional costs for additional effects. Mount on the other hand lets you tap any number of creatures for a Saddle value, with saddled creatures getting extra abilities. Lastly, Crime refers to whenever a player targets an opponent or their hand, permanents, spells, library or graveyard.

Crime also forms the bases of the Breaking News bonus sheet, a collection of iconic cards selected to fit the theme of Outlaws of Thunder Junction. Each Play Booster pack will come with a Breaking News bonus card, while Collector Boosters will offer the chance of a textured foil version too. Other special variants also include Wanted Poster showcase cards, full art basic lands, borderless art cards as well as The Vault, a subset of cards legal in Standard with Vault Frame and Raised Foil treatments. Apart from Play Boosters and Collector Boosters, Outlaws of Thunder Junction will also bring with it Commander decks, Prerelease packs and Gift Bundles.

Outlaws of Thunder Junction will be released for tabletop on 19 April onwards, with pre-release events happening already at local game stores near you. You can pre-order products from the new set on the official Wizards of the Coast store on Shopee, as well as from your local game store.