It’s no secret that MTG’s latest set will have some horror elements implemented. Phyrexians are back, which means Compleation is only a matter of time. Even Planeswalkers are no longer safe, with Jin Gitaxis developing a method to Compleat Planeswalker in Kamigawa, Neon Dynasty. Well, this morning, a Dominaria United Spoiler was released that suggests that the era of New Phyrexia may genuinely be upon us. Weatherlight Compleated is here…
Weatherlight Compleated
Multiple hints have been alluding to this development, but Dominaria’s United’s Spoiler has finally confirmed it. Weatherlight Compleated is a 5/5 Legendary Vehicle that cannot be crewed. That said, if you use another Legendary Creature from Dominaria United,
Astor, Bearer of Blades
Astor, Bearer of Blades
When Astor enters, look at the top seven cards of your library. You may reveal an Equipment or Vehicle card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
Equipment you control have equip {1}.
Vehicles you control have crew 1.
, you could give Weatherlight Compleated Crew 1.
The real intent of this card is a draw engine that cares about your creatures dying. Whenever a creature dies, Weatherlight Compleated gets a Phyresis counter. If it has six or less counters, you scry one. If Weatherlight Compleated has seven or more counters, you draw a card. As for whether the ship can attack or not,
Weatherlight Compleated
Weatherlight Compleated
Flying
As long as Weatherlight Compleated has four or more phyresis counters on it, it's a Phyrexian creature in addition to its other types.
Whenever a creature you control dies, put a phyresis counter on Weatherlight Compleated. Then draw a card if it has seven or more phyresis counters on it. If it doesn't, scry 1.
becomes a Phyrexian creature after four Phyresis counters.
MTG Weatherlight Lore
To understand what the Weatherlight represented in Dominaria lore, we’ll have to do some storytelling. Basically, the Weatherlight is the vessel in which Dominaria’s heroes from a previous generation repelled the Phyrexian invasion. Over time, the ship has been upgraded with multiple portions of Urza’s Legacy, including pieces of Ramos, the Dragon Engine, and can cross planes.
While the Weatherlight is more or less the vehicle used to tell the first extended story of Magic: the Gathering, it also represents all of the success in the face of overwhelming odds. To summarize it in a short form: it represents hope. A perversion of MTG’s core lore helps to define a new severity in the threat that Phyrexia represents, but this is actually the most minor thing that the Weatherlight’s perversion may suggest. Ultimately, the Compleation of the Weatherlight is a nod to how much the MTG Multiverse has expanded since its time. The scope of what’s at stake is much larger now than a motley crew of guys running around on a tricked-out ship.
The Sunset of the Weatherlight Saga
Revisiting the lore of the original Weatherlight Saga is a ride. A lot of characters that seemingly have no backstory but have cards representing them printed in the past few years appear in these stories. I had no idea that
Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools
Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools
+2: Create two 0/1 black Thrull creature tokens.
+1: You may sacrifice another creature or planeswalker. If you do, draw two cards, then draw another card if the sacrificed permanent was a commander.
−10: Gain control of all commanders. Put all commanders from the command zone onto the battlefield under your control.
Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools can be your commander.
Partner
had such a massive story behind what seemed like the random printing of a Planeswalker.
Above all, the Compleation of the Weatherlight grants a nod to past stories while sunsetting them. The methods and characters from the past should not be coming back, and the power of Urza’s Legacy is lost under the corruption of the Phyrexians.
Karn, Living Legacy
What defeated Yawgmoth as he rose to his status as a Phyrexian Dark God?
Karn, Living Legacy
Karn, Living Legacy
+1: Create a tapped Powerstone token. (It's an artifact with "{T}: Add {C}. This mana can't be spent to cast a nonartifact spell.")
−1: Pay any amount of mana. Look at that many cards from the top of your library, then put one of those cards into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
−7: You get an emblem with "Tap an untapped artifact you control: This emblem deals 1 damage to any target."
is a core part of Urza’s Legacy that still stands against the Phyrexians. Because of
Memnarch
Memnarch
{1}{U}{U}: Target permanent becomes an artifact in addition to its other types. (This effect lasts indefinitely.)
{3}{U}: Gain control of target artifact. (This effect lasts indefinitely.)
‘s birth on Mirrodin, Karn is referenced as a new ‘father of machines’ by Sheoldred in the first chapter of Dominaria United’s lore. This is the same name that the Phyrexians called their old god Yawgmoth during the original invasion of Dominaria.
In fact, many of the things targeted by the Phyrexians for Compleation were artifacts once a part of Urza’s Legacy. The Weatherlight,
Squee’s Toy
Squee’s Toy
{T}: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn.
, and the pieces of Ramos used to upgrade the Weatherlight are all a part of Urza’s Legacy. This suggests that the Phyrexians fear the weapon that defeated them in the past, and their plan to invade the Multiverse may hinge on their worst enemy’s elimination (and possible use of). Whatever ‘plans’ that Sheoldred, the Apocalypse has for Karn, they probably hold a much more significant symbolistic presence than we all may be able to recognize.
What Will Foil the Phyrexians this Time?
It is difficult to construe what exactly will end the Phyrexian invasion this time, but Karn’s Sylex may play a part. This artifact may be the original Golgothian Sylex, the artifact that Urza used to end his war with Mishra. Whatever the Sylex truly is will likely be revealed in the set detailing The Brother’s War coming out later this year. The Weatherlight Saga doesn’t really coincide with The Brother’s War, but both are a part of Urza’s Saga.
All of this is happening, but some forces are still lurking in the background. Emrakul is still sealed in the moon, but Tamiyo, the one who Emrakul used to seal herself in it, is now under the control of the Phyrexians. Lim Dul has made an appearance and likely has an entire mana-rich plane under his control. Nicol Bolas also still threatens to find a way out of the Meditation Realm and use the power of others to return to his godly status. Whatever the outcome of Phyrexia’s latest saga, the Compleation of the Weatherlight signals stakes greater than we’ve ever seen.