Explorer Anthology 1: Release Date, Leaks, Spoilers & More

During a recent State of the Game blog post, Wizards of the Coast announced a much-requested addition to MTG Arena: Explorer Anthology 1. Like the Historic Anthology sets before it, Explorer Anthology 1 will provide a handful of cards to revitalize and strengthen Explorer’s metagame. The first Explorer Anthology set will also help to bridge the gap between Explorer and its paper counterpart, Pioneer.

Explorer Anthology 1 Release Dates

Monastery Swiftspear | Khans of Tarkir

In a recent blog post, it was revealed that Explorer Anthology 1 will be launching a lot sooner than expected! Wizards of the Coast has confirmed that Explorer Anthology 1 will officially launch on the 28th of July 2022. The Anthology set will only be available until the 5th of October, so make sure you don’t miss out.

Historic Anthology 6 has also been announced to launch at the same time. Despite this joint release, don’t forget that these are separate products that will have to be purchased individually.

Explorer Anthology 1 Price

Following the trend set by past Anthology sets, Explorer Anthology 1 will cost 4,000 gems or 25,000 gold. For reference, the cost of 4,000 gems is roughly equivalent to $25. The set, which is sold as a bundle, contains four copies of the 20 cards included in the Anthology.

After the 5th of October 2022, the bundle will no longer be for sale. Cards from Explorer Anthology 1 will still be able to be crafted using Wildcards, even after the sale ends.

Explorer Anthology 1 Mechanics

Elvish Mystic | Magic 2014 Core Set

As an Anthology set that can contain any card that’s legal in Pioneer, Explorer Anthology 1 may include many mechanics. So far, spoilers have revealed that Heroic, is a returning mechanic for the Anthology set.

If you’ve not heard of it before, Heroic is a triggered ability found on creatures that activates whenever the creature is a target of a controlling player’s spell. Favored Hoplite Favored Hoplite Heroic — Whenever you cast a spell that targets this creature, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature and prevent all damage that would be dealt to it this turn. ‘s Heroic ability, for instance, gives it a +1/+1 counter and prevents damage that would be done to it this turn.

Alongside Heroic, it’s highly requested that Wizards of the Coast introduce cards with Delve into MTG Arena. First introduced in Future Sight and later Khans of Tarkir, Delve is featured on cards such as Treasure Cruise Treasure Cruise Delve (Each card you exile from your graveyard while casting this spell pays for {1}.)
Draw three cards. and Temporal Trespass Temporal Trespass Delve (Each card you exile from your graveyard while casting this spell pays for {1}.)
Take an extra turn after this one. Exile Temporal Trespass. . The Delve mechanic allows players to exile cards from their graveyard while casting a spell in order to pay for its generic mana.

Explorer Anthology 1 Leaks & Spoilers

Nykthos Shrine to Nyx | Theros

Releasing on the 28th of July 2022, Explorer Anthology 1 is scheduled to have a rapid spoiler season. To that end, spoiler season for the set has already begun! So far, Wizards of the Coast has announced three cards from Explorer Anthology 1, Supreme Verdict Supreme Verdict This spell can't be countered.
Destroy all creatures. , Favored Hoplite Favored Hoplite Heroic — Whenever you cast a spell that targets this creature, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature and prevent all damage that would be dealt to it this turn. , and Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet Lifelink
If a nontoken creature an opponent controls would die, instead exile that card and create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token.
{2}{B}, Sacrifice another Vampire or Zombie: Put two +1/+1 counters on Kalitas. .

More cards are expected to be spoiled by MTG Arena’s social media channels over this and the next week. The full card list for the Anthology set will be revealed on Wednesday, July 27th.

Supreme Verdict | Return to Ravnica

Favored Hoplite | Theros

Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet | Oath of the Gatewatch

Wizards have stated that Explorer Anthology 1 will contain “20 Explorer-legal cards, from iconic powerhouses to offbeat favorites”.

While we have seen some of the official spoilers already, here are some more cards that we’re hoping to see in Explorer Anthology 1.

Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx {T}: Add {C}.
{2}, {T}: Choose a color. Add an amount of mana of that color equal to your devotion to that color. (Your devotion to a color is the number of mana symbols of that color in the mana costs of permanents you control.)
Elvish Mystic Elvish Mystic {T}: Add {G}.
Monastery Swiftspear Monastery Swiftspear Haste
Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
Treasure Cruise Treasure Cruise Delve (Each card you exile from your graveyard while casting this spell pays for {1}.)
Draw three cards.
Hidden Strings Hidden Strings You may tap or untap target permanent, then you may tap or untap another target permanent.
Cipher (Then you may exile this spell card encoded on a creature you control. Whenever that creature deals combat damage to a player, its controller may cast a copy of the encoded card without paying its mana cost.)
Spell Queller Spell Queller Flash
Flying
When this creature enters, exile target spell with mana value 4 or less.
When this creature leaves the battlefield, the exiled card's owner may cast that card without paying its mana cost.
Mausoleum Wanderer Mausoleum Wanderer Flying
Whenever another Spirit you control enters, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
Sacrifice this creature: Counter target instant or sorcery spell unless its controller pays {X}, where X is this creature's power.
Bring to Light Bring to Light Converge — Search your library for a creature, instant, or sorcery card with mana value less than or equal to the number of colors of mana spent to cast this spell, exile that card, then shuffle. You may cast that card without paying its mana cost.
Dreadbore Dreadbore Destroy target creature or planeswalker.
Temporal Trespass Temporal Trespass Delve (Each card you exile from your graveyard while casting this spell pays for {1}.)
Take an extra turn after this one. Exile Temporal Trespass.
Dig Through Time Dig Through Time Delve (Each card you exile from your graveyard while casting this spell pays for {1}.)
Look at the top seven cards of your library. Put two of them into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
Thing in the Ice Thing in the Ice Defender
This creature enters with four ice counters on it.
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, remove an ice counter from this creature. Then if it has no ice counters on it, transform it.
Mana Confluence Mana Confluence {T}, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color.
Reflector Mage Reflector Mage When this creature enters, return target creature an opponent controls to its owner's hand. That creature's owner can't cast spells with the same name as that creature until your next turn.