Magic: The Gathering

Magical Thinking: Saviors of Kamigawa

Welcome back to Magical Thinking, a look back at the art and cards of Magic: the Gathering, set by set, from the very beginning, all through the eyes of a casual fan. This week, we finish off our look at the Kamigawa block with the last set of the block: June 2005’s Savior’s of Kamigawa.

The story is pretty much the same as before: Kami are warring with mortals (and winning) and it’s up to ronin samurai Toshi and Princess Michiko to try and save stuff. This set featured a heavy emphasis on hand size mattering, which we will see illustrated in many of the upcoming cards. So let’s get right into it.

Hey, you know how to fill up your hand super quick? Pick up all your lands at once in order to buff your creatures like crazy. Sweep was only ever used in this expansion and doesn’t even show up on the Storm Scale, that’s how meaningless it is.

“….And that’s how you program your VCR.”

“I am forever in your debt, my lord.”

Also this is what I’m talking about with the hand size thing. Imagine playing this on your opponent’s big blocker, then sweeping up all your plains and suddenly they can’t block your big push because you have like twenty plains in your hand.

Channel is another new mechanic introduced here. It’s meant to represent Spirits charging up for their special attacks (So they basically figured out how to work DBZ into Magic). This is the last time we saw Channel, but we will see similar abilities in later sets.

Yeah, you think maybe the humans would realize this was a losing battle against the Kami and turn on Konda for getting them into this mess. Don’t worry though. Apparently Konda does get his in the end. Oh boy, does he get it.

And here we have the other hero of the set. I can’t tell if she’s holding that sword behind her back or if its just there. I mean, she’s not exactly doing a good job concealing it then, is she?

So apparently the Promise of Bunrei is four spirit tokens if one of your guys dies. I appreciate the backup but I don’t think it warrants a promise. It kind of feels like vowing to pay me back for vending machine money. Like, it’s cool, you don’t need to go to the trouble.

Yep, more double faced cards. Only this time they turn into legendaries. Mercifully these are the last of the flip cards like this. A great concept, but it won’t hit its stride until Innistrad.

Oh hey, Kirin, a new creature type…with a grand total of eight cards across all the colors, so good luck making a tribal deck with them. Still, this looks like it would be a fun addition to a spirit-oriented mill deck.

In case you were wondering, this card’s artist, Mark Tedin, is the same artist who would do the art for Emrakul, the leader and most terrible of the Eldrazi. I WOULD HAVE NEVER GUESSED. I wonder what they told him when he was doing Emrakul? “Okay, remember that Jellyfish card from Saviors of Kamigawa? Well do that only WAY bigger.”

So we’ve gone from creepy floating goldfish, to creepy vomiting goldfish, to creepy brain-eating Goldfish. I mean, it’s a natural progression at the very least.

Okay that’s literally just me. They somehow got a picture of me naked looking at the moon, don’t ask me how. I’m gonna call a lawyer.

I’m sure that’s useful somewhere? Honestly, this card is only here because it’s a Moonfolk and I feel like they haven’t gotten enough love. I hope they make a return at some point, and with better cards than this.

That is literally just a brain. I feel like this is a throw back to when Magic cards were really weird and surreal. I’m not gonna lie, I’m all there for it. Although I also wonder if the Kami did this to some poor guy, just turned them into a floating brain.

Okay, I was gonna go on about how much I love shapeshifters but that flavor text slays me. Never change, Kiki-Jiki.

Is that one of those flying purple people eaters I hear so much about?

Toshiro speaks to the millennial in us all. Also, I’m gonna start using this image to represent the black bug room (My rpg.net readers will get that reference).

Just imagine every card in your hand is a cup of coffee this guy has drank and then you can get the idea of where their power comes from.

Maybe they ought to consider having a bath miser or something because damn buddy. You need some bug repellent? Maybe some Off!? Or one of those citronella candles?

I own a copy of this card in real life and have him in my mono black deck. I just really like him for his name; “I summon KAGEMARO, FIRST. TO. SUFFER!!!!!” Tell me that isn’t the coolest thing ever?

You may remember Kiku from Champions of Kamigawa, and how I liked her flavor. Well that continues here because now you just get the effect without a creature attached. Just when you thought it was safe to cast a shadow.

Wow. I mean, the jokes pretty much write themselves don’t they? I’m almost spoiled for choice on how to play this one. Mainly I just wish this guy was in Betrayers of Kamigawa because the Impeachment trial was still going on when I wrote it.

I MEAN GODDAMMIT THE LIGHT HE’S REACHING FOR GIVES HIM AN ORANGE PALL. Someone at WOTC must have drunk some of the water from a Magic 8 ball or something because Goddamn. I first learned about this guy when I was making a joke Donald Trump themed Magic deck and he was suggested to me, and it’s been Goodnight Irene ever since.

I will say this though, Maga here only showed up in one set then was forgotten about, never to be reprinted. Just like the real life Donald Trump had one term and will be forgotten by history as nothing but a pathetic failure. And good riddance.

Of course we also have to talk about this card. Mainly because it’s widely considered the worst Magic card ever made. And…. well it’s pretty bad, and unlike a card like Wood Elemental or Sorrow’s path its pretty easy to see why for even a casual fan. Still, I’d use it, partly because of the fun of figuring out how to make useless cards work (some consider it a challenge) and partly because it’s once again a major power move to play this on your last turn before you kill your opponent.

Is he doing what I think he’s doing? Like Holy crap, that goblin is firing a laser into the ass of another Goblin. That’s gotta hurt.

Oh hey, the Zubera. Remember those guys? Yeah no me neither. Sorry, Wizards. Sometimes the new creatures make an impression and sometimes they don’t.

Um, dude, that’s not a jawbreaker. It’s one of those plasma orbs you get at Spencer’s gifts. You’d think a guy with that many eyes would notice that.

“WHO WANTS CHILI?”

Hey, you guys remember Hidetsugu from last time, right? The guy who knocked everyone down to half life? Well now you have his part two ability. Imagine dealing no damage to an opponent all game, then on one turn hitting them with both Hidetsugu and his second rite (What happened to the first rite?) and just winning the game out of nowhere.

Red cards are pretty much the epitome of YOLO, aren’t they? Just keep splicing this onto arcane spells and your opponent can never block again.

LOKTAR OGAR! Wait no, no, wrong franchise, sorry everyone, sorry. I messed up, my bad.

I was trying to figure out what those things around their heads are: Marshmallows? Christmas Ornaments? And then I realized they are little gong mallets. Actually kind of a nice touch.

I object. If you don’t know, Yuki Onna are the Ice Maidens of Japanese myth, so shouldn’t Yuki Onna be a blue card? Why are they red? That always bugs me when they make ice themed Red cards.

I think I finally found the absolute worst commander ever. I mean, there are probably worse ones out there, but this is the worst one I’ve ever seen (Not counting the terrible legendaries from Legends).

I have been complaining about the orochi barely looking like snakes, but it looks like they are finally, finally getting with the program.

I somehow missed Epic this whole time. Basically this is the last spell you play. And each turn you just get more and more snakes. Like at the very least seven to eight snakes every turn. That’s a lot of snakes. Also according to Mark Rosewater (Via the MTG Wiki), this is the keyword with the least amount of design space, so don’t expect to ever see it again.

For when you really need to protect those legendary snakes.

But yeah, the Orochi are finally becoming more snake like. I approve.

I’m pretty sure you can’t just learn how to molt. You need to see a doctor!

We will be getting Golgari very soon, so Green self-milling will become a big thing. I think this card and other giant spirits became much better once Ravnica rolled around.

Speaking of giant spirits. Honestly, this also feels like a prototype for Green Hydras (Which will come later once Hydras become an iconic green creature).

Okay and here we have the only multicolored card in the set. And it’s the Life and Death Kami, who seems pretty powerful, but I wonder why they didn’t use a more plot relevant Kami?

So do you have to use blood in the Blood clock? Does it have to be human? Does it have to me mine? I feel like I would buy this at a flea market and just use water for it, but then stop using it because I would feel like using water would be cheating, then just put it in a cupboard and forget about it.

Hey look, Hidetsugu found someone to share his big bowl of Kool-Aid with. Good for him.

Oh look, legendary lands. I guess Ayumi wont be totally useless after all what with the four legendary lands in this set. Seriously, that card was just bad.

And with that our look at Kamigawa ends. I really liked it. Kamigawa was a little quirky, but the mechanics were memorable, and the creatures interesting and fun. I’m sorry I didn’t get to play with these cards too much.

Next time though, we start a new block. And we’re going to the big city. The biggest city, and probably Magic’s most popular setting: Yep, next time we begin Ravnica block, with the first set Ravnica: City of Guilds. But until then dear reader, stay Magical.