The spoiler season for Magic: the Gathering’s latest Un-Set, Unfinity, still has a few days left. However, players are already delighted and dismayed by what they’ve seen so far. For as many, as there are players lamenting Stickers and Attractions being Eternal legal, there are also those wholeheartedly excited for the set’s release. Alongside the assortment of weird and wonderful Eternal legal cards, Unfinity also features some absolutely fantastic Acorn cards. With Acorn Cards in Unfinity replacing silver-bordered cards, it should be no surprise that many of these cards are quite frankly bizarre. So much so that even before Unfinity’s spoiler season is over, we can’t resist talking about some of our favorites.
Far Out
Far Out has been a somewhat contentious Acorn card since it was first spoiled in July. Not because the card is terrible, far from it, in fact, the complaints instead stem from Far Out[tooltips] not being Eternal legal. With the ability to let you choose every option on a [tooltips]Cryptic Command or
Abzan Charm
Abzan Charm
Choose one —
• Exile target creature with power 3 or greater.
• You draw two cards and you lose 2 life.
• Distribute two +1/+1 counters among one or two target creatures.
, Far Out is an incredibly powerful card and one that seems to work in the rules. Unfortunately, however, appearances can be deceiving, as rules minutiae keep Far Out being an Acorn card.
Outlaw’s Merriment
Outlaw’s Merriment
At the beginning of your upkeep, choose one at random. Create a red and white creature token with those characteristics.
• 3/1 Human Warrior with trample and haste.
• 2/1 Human Cleric with lifelink and haste.
• 1/2 Human Rogue with haste and "When this token enters, it deals 1 damage to any target."
, for example, gets very confusing with Far Out since there’s no answer for what happens when all three modes are pushed into one. Potentially in the future, Wizards could errata a fix; however, for now,
Far Out
Far Out
Rather than choose the indicated number of modes for spells and abilities you control, you may choose one or more modes. You can't choose any mode more than once.
is stuck being one of the most interesting Acorn Cards in Unfinity.
Surprise Party
Surprise Party
Surprise Party
When this enchantment enters, yell "Surprise!" and put onto the battlefield any number of printed Clown Robot tokens that aren't touching each other, that you hid on the battlefield before you cast this enchantment, and that weren't spotted by an opponent before you cast this enchantment.
Robots you control get +1/+0 and have vigilance.
is a card that we love so much we wrote an entire article about it. By allowing you to hide Clown Robot tokens on the battlefield before the big reveal, Surprise Party essentially mandates cheating in MTG. This might sound bad at first; however as
Cheatyface
Cheatyface
If Cheatyface is in your hand, you may sneak Cheatyface onto the battlefield. If an opponent catches you right away, that player may exile Cheatyface.
Flying
has previously proven, this can be exceptionally fun. Whether you’re hiding tokens in your sleeves, under land, or even under your opponent’s creatures, Surprise Party is always a good time. The only shame is that Surprise Party doesn’t have Flash, that way, it could be a shocking move.
Photo Op
An Un-Set wouldn’t be an Un-Set without some potentially far too overpowered cards. For Unfinity,
Photo Op
Photo Op
Before the game begins, you may post a picture of yourself posing like the art of any Magic card with #GuessThatMagicCard and no other text.
You may reveal a reply posted today with a guess and a card you own from outside the game with the same name as that guess. Put that card into your hand. Exile Photo Op.
is here to fill that role by theoretically tutoring you any card in MTG. Thankfully, this overpowered ability has an additional cost: you must look like the card you want to tutor. At least, you need to look convincingly enough like your desired card that other players can guess it while browsing the #GuessThatMagicCard hashtag. Sadly,
Photo Op
Photo Op
Before the game begins, you may post a picture of yourself posing like the art of any Magic card with #GuessThatMagicCard and no other text.
You may reveal a reply posted today with a guess and a card you own from outside the game with the same name as that guess. Put that card into your hand. Exile Photo Op.
’s photo posting antics aren’t immune from griefing. However, hopefully, the card can still facilitate a lot of fun.
Devil K. Nevil
Inspired by the legendary stunt performer Evel Knievel,
Devil K. Nevil
Devil K. Nevil
Haste
When Devil K. Nevil enters, jump it over any number of creatures. If it clears those creatures, put that many +1/+1 counters on it. (You can see a jumping demonstration at DevilKNevil.com.)
is all about making an entrance. By flipping over as many cards as you dare upon entering the battlefield, Devil K. Nevil certainly does that and then some. Devil K. Nevil even gets style points, or rather +1/+1 counters, should you land the impressive creature hopping stunt. Unfortunately, Devil K. Nevil won’t give you additional style points for hyping up the show with entrance music, even if it is endorsed by Magic’s Lead Designer. Nevertheless, Devil K. Nevil unabashedly turns spectacle up to the max, and we can’t wait to see them flipping over the battlefield into play.
Tug of War
Following the printing of
Shahrazad
Shahrazad
Players play a Magic subgame, using their libraries as their decks. Each player who doesn't win the subgame loses half their life, rounded up.
back in 1993, Subgames in MTG have been a contentious issue. While they may cause serious time issues in tournament play, this factor hardly stops Subgames from being fun. To try and keep things from being so longwinded, Unfinity’s Subgame
Tug Of War
Tug Of War
Players play a subgame starting at 5 life and with up to three permanent cards with different names from their main-game library on the battlefield. As the subgame ends, the winner chooses one of the cards they put onto the battlefield as the subgame began and puts it onto the battlefield rather than shuffling it into their library.
offers a compelling twist on the mechanic. Rather than starting a new game entirely from scratch, Tug of War lets you use three unique permanents from your deck in the Subgame, one of which you keep if you win. While this novel Subgame may end if a lot of snap concedes after seeing the opponent’s board, Tug of War should still provide plenty of fun for those who wish to engage with it.
Attractions
As one of Unfinity’s major mechanics, there are too many interesting Attractions not to talk about them all. Featuring a variety of minigames, Unfinity’s Acorn card Attractions typify what silver-bordered cards used to stand for. Requiring you to perform feats of dexterity, memory, or persuasion, Unfinity’s Acorn Attractions seriously shake up how you play Magic. Whether you’re playing
The Superlatorium
The Superlatorium
Visit — An opponent chooses "the cleanest," "the hungriest," or "the strangest." You choose a creature, then ask a person outside the game to choose the creature that best fits the chosen criteria. If they chose the same creature you chose, claim the prize!
Prize — Create two 1/1 red Balloon creature tokens with flying, then sacrifice The Superlatorium and open an Attraction.
,
Memory Test
Memory Test
When this Attraction enters, target opponent exiles cards from the bottom of their library until they exile five nonland cards, then turns those nonland cards face down.
Visit — Name the exiled face-down cards, then look at them. If you named them correctly, turn them face up, then claim the prize!
Prize — Create three 1/1 red Balloon creature tokens with flying, then sacrifice this Attraction and open an Attraction.
, or
Dart Throw
Dart Throw
Visit — Throw a card you own from outside the game onto the playing area from a distance of three feet (about one meter). If that card touches this Attraction, claim the prize!
Prize — Create two 2/2 pink Teddy Bear creature tokens. Sacrifice this Attraction, then open an Attraction.
games of Unfinity are sure to feel like a carnival. Unfortunately, while Attractions may be fun for some, it’s important to note that these unique minigames aren’t ideal for accessibility,
Hat Trick
On its own,
Hat Trick
Hat Trick
Target blocking or blocked creature you control gets +1/+1 and gains first strike until end of turn. If it has a hat, it gains double strike until end of turn. If you and that creature each have a hat, the creature gains triple strike until end of turn.
admittedly isn’t all too exciting. After all, Hat Trick is only a combat trick that can potentially give a creature Tripple Strike. While a little boring on its own, what Hat Trick represents is a lot more fun. In Unfinity, one of the core mechanics is hats matter, and that’s honestly just adorable. After all, as Wizards of the Coast stated themselves, “what’s better than having the time of your life at the Astrotorium? Having the time of your life at the Astrotorium in a stylish hat, of course!”
Animate Object
By turning an object into a 10/10 at best,
Animate Object
Animate Object
You get seven {TK}. Choose an inanimate object you own from outside the game. Put a power and toughness sticker on it. You may also put a name sticker, an art sticker, and/or an ability sticker on it. Put it onto the battlefield as a creature token.
probably isn’t the best five drop in the entirety of MTG. Despite this, we can’t help but love this card for its boundless possibilities. After it was first spoiled, players were quick to suggest all manner of strange objects that could be Stickered to become a game-ending bomb. Whether you’re animating your “left shoe” or “cards from other card games,” Animate Object is genuinely one of Unfinity’s wackiest cards. It also features some of the best flavor text ever printed: “Tap beverages with extreme caution.”
The ‘Problem’ With Acorn Cards
Unfortunately, as Acorn cards, chances are you won’t actually be able to play with these spectacularly fun cards too much. Outside of Unfinity’s Limited environment, players are often hesitant to include these cards in Cubes or casual Commander decks. However, if you can find a playgroup that allows it, we wholeheartedly endorse spicing up your deck with some Acorns. After all, while they may not be legal in tournament play, there’s no reason players have to forsake them entirely. If they’re not your thing, however, you simply don’t have to play with them. As Mark Rosewater has previously discussed, while MTG may not facilitate an opt-out model, opt-in mechanics such as the Acorn cards in Unfinity allows everyone to find their own fun. And if you ask us, casual Magic with cards like
Devil K. Nevil
Devil K. Nevil
Haste
When Devil K. Nevil enters, jump it over any number of creatures. If it clears those creatures, put that many +1/+1 counters on it. (You can see a jumping demonstration at DevilKNevil.com.)
is absolutely a good time.