Magic the Gathering was once revered as the premiere fantasy trading card game in the world. It was known for rich worlds full of unique factions, history, and characters. Planes like Innistrad, Zendikar, and Ravnica remained keystones that the game could revisit over and over, always turning up something fresh to explore. Now, the game has a new plane to delve into the rich storytelling of: New York City! Three sets in the past two years have made a visit to the plane, namely Marvel’s Spiderman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Marvel Super Heroes. This plane is a fascinating one, reminiscent of Ravnica and New Capenna with its towering skyscrapers, and dynamic, depth-filled factions such as Heroes and Villains.

With so many sets in such a short period of time, we’ve learned a lot about this New York City. So what did each game expansion teach us about this place? Marvel’s Spiderman taught us that New York is infested by spiders. The Wikipedia page on New York led me to believe the plane was infested by rats, but they are clearly misinformed. Just about every card in the initial set existed either as, or in favor, or in opposition of spiders. For a minute, that gave me doubts about this plane. But thankfully, the set also gave us a glimpse into the vibrant fictional culture of New York, with fantastical fauna like City Pigeons, and ritual foods depicted in Hot Dog Cart and Bagel and Shmear. Even though it wasn’t much, those smaller, less-spider focused cards left me hungering to learn more about the nuances of New York. 

Thankfully, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles delivered on the depth that New York city was lacking, but showing a second aspect of the city: Turtles. This set excelled in a lot of ways, including showing each main character four times, one at each rarity, alongside a technique card, and several copies of each character working with a different one. I only wished that there were more cards for the turtles, say one set depicting them before they mutated, another set showing their merchandise with a scannable QR code, and a third showing those characters eating pizza. Those, alongside the 11 different cards featuring pizza, really showed off the versatility and fantastical nature of this plane. 

But it’s Marvel’s Superheroes that innovates the most. Where Marvel’s Spiderman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles kept the conflicts easy to get invested in for new players: Spiders vs. Opponents of Spiders, twenty versions of the same turtles vs other mutants, Marvel’s Superheroes cashes in that trust for the ultimate dynamic conflict: the kind that only Magic the Gathering could capture the nuance of: Heroes vs. Villains. This ultimate dualistic conflict goes beyond the tribal feuds of pro or anti spider and the civil war of turtle mutant and non-mutant. Instead, it delves into an ideological battle at the core of the human condition: to be good or to be bad. Absolute cinema. 

New York City is a rich and nuanced plane of Magic the Gathering, and a fantastic cornerstone for the game. There is so much left to explore in the setting. I can imagine us getting a set with ghosts and those who bust them, Friends and the couches they sit on, Seins that feld, or Psychos of the American variety. I hope that we get more New York-based sets for years to come.

Featured Image Credit: Wizards of the Coast.