Cyborg ninjas are coming to Magic: The Gathering

Wizards of the Coast revealed the first few cards for the upcoming Magic: The Gathering set, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, during a Twitch stream on Thursday. The Shinto-inspired setting was first introduced in Champions of Kamigawa, which was released in 2004. Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty takes place more than 1,200 years after the conclusion of the original Kamigawa storyline, with ninja and samurai adopting a futuristic and cyberpunk aesthetic that continues to marry with the feudal past of this universe.

The first new card revealed was Kaito Shizuki, the newest planeswalker to join the Magic: The Gathering multiverse. With the printing of Kaito Shizuki, a unique ability called phasing returns to the game. Cards that are “phased out” are treated as if they do not exist, until the next turn when the card re-enters the battlefield. Essentially, Kaito Shinzuki cannot take any damage from creatures or spells when phased out, meaning the planeswalker offers evasion on the turn the card was cast by the player.

Image: Wizards of the Coast

The ninja-focused planeswalker will feature in standard, ninja, and manga frame; the last offering is a collaboration with Tetsuo Hara, a renowned artist known for creating the Fist of the North Star manga series. With the introduction of Kaito Shizuki to Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, it will reintroduce the ninja tribe, a group long adored by fans.

Image: Wizasrds of the Coast

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty draws from the lore of the 2004 set with past, reimagining some of those original cards for its newly futuristic setting. A group of legendary dragon cards first seen Champions of Kamigawa will continue within the neon cyberpunk setting. These will include Atsushi, the Blazing Sky, the first of five new legendary dragon cards that hope to see regular play in both casual and competitive formats.

Image: Wizards of the Coast

Image: Wizards of the Coast

Image: Wizards of the Coast

Often with every headline set release, there is an array of unique land cards to capture the essence and setting of the universe. This is no different in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, with the introduction of Ukiyo-e basic lands, a set of cards that pay homage to traditional Japanese woodblock printing. These beautiful cards will be available in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Draft, Set, and Collector Boosters both in foil and in non-foil.

Image: Wizards of the Coast

Image: Wizards of the Coast

With the introduction of the Ukiyo-e cards, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty will introduce an array of different card treatments as seen on the last card revealed on stream, Hidetsugu, Devouring Chaos.

Oddly enough, Hidetsugu, Devouring Chaos will be the only card in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty to offer a new frame treatment called “Hidden Neon”. Wizards wasn’t quite able to give the card its due during the livestream, showing instead a mock-up render of the final work, but this new printing technique is said to make the cards appear to emit a soft glow. Of the four different frames, the red, green, and blue Hidden Neon versions will only be available in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Collector Boosters. The fourth color, yellow, will be available only as a promotional card from partnered Wizards Play Network stores.

Image: Wizards of the Coast

Like previous Magic: The Gathering set releases, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty will feature the full product range with Draft, Set, and Collector Booster Boxes available to pre-order at your local game store and online. Two new Commander decks also appear to have leaked on Amazon, titled Buckle Up and Upgrades Unleashed. Expect card reveals for those to come soon.

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty arrives first on Magic Online and Magic: The Gathering Arena on February 10, with a physical release to follow on February 18. Preview cards will begin rolling out on January 27.