Last updated on March 3, 2023
Illustration by Billy Christian
This might be the end. In the wreckage of the Multiverse, only a spark of hope remains. Who will survive to make…
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One Last Stand?
We truly are at the eleventh hour. Elesh Norn’s Phyrexian forces are invading the Multiverse and compleating some of our favorite heroes, with most of the Gatewatch dead or converted to the wrong side.
I don’t know about you, but I absolutely live for the angst and drama. I’m absolutely loving March of the Machine so far, and we haven’t started official previews yet! We got plenty to go off of in First Looks, though, so it’s time to take a look what we know so far and what we can expect in the final showdown.
Phyrexian perfection is almost upon us. Will our heroes succumb to the March of the Machine, or will their last hope be their salvation? Only time will tell….
March of the Machine Basic Information
Island (March of the Machine) | Illustration by Sam Burley
Set Details
| Set Symbol |  |
| Set Code | MOM |
| Hashtag | #MTGMachine & MTGMOM |
| Number of Cards | TBA |
| Rarities | TBA |
| Mechanics | TBA |
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| March of the Machine story | March 16 to 27, 20233 |
| Previews start | March 29, 2023 |
| Full gallery available | April 5, 2023 |
| Available on Draftsim's Draft simulator | April 5, 2023 |
| Prerelease week | April 14 to 20, 2023 |
| Release on MTG Arena & Magic Online | April 18, 2023 |
| Available on Arena Tutor | April 18, 2023 |
| Paper release date | April 21, 2023 |
| Launch party | April 21 to 23, 2023 |
About the Set: the Story
Breach the Multiverse | Illustration by Liiga Smilshkalne
Elesh Norn and her Phyrexian army have finally invaded the Multiverse, breaching countless planes. Can the remains of the Gatewatch turn the tide as the Phyrexian hordes threaten to assimilate or destroy everything in their path? The fate of all planes is at stake.
Wizards of the Coast
March of the Machine is the culmination of the current Phyrexian story arc and Mother’s invasion and subsequent compleation of the Multiverse. “All Will Be One” was right, and now it’s time for our heroes to either rise to the occasion… or assimilate to Phyrexian perfection.
We don’t know the full details of MOM’s story just yet, but we know the gist of it and some characters that will (at the very least) make an appearance.
March of the Machine is going to be pretty story-intensive. It’s the big finale, after all, so I sure hope it would be! It’s what’s called an “event set,” meaning the main focus is a world-(even Multiverse-)altering event that will have massive consequences and impact on the world we all know and love, possibly even changing the fabric of reality as Magic’s Multiverse knows it. Fun fact, this is the first event set since War of the Spark!
The story’s focus in this set is planes. How the Phyrexian armies have impacted and forever changed them, how each planes’ inhabitants have reacted to their machine-obsessed invaders, and how they’ve fought back. It will truly be an epic battle across the Multiverse, a culmination of years’ worth of planted seeds and narrative subtext. Fun fact #2: MOM’s story has its roots all the way back in 1994’s Antiquities when the Phyrexians were first introduced.
The Compleation of the Multiverse
Invasion of Mercadia | Illustration by Cristi Balanescu
Elesh Norn’s forces have succeeded. They’re in the final stages of their plans. Countless heroes have fallen, the Multiverse is in ruins, and hope is in short supply. What does this look like across the planes of the Multiverse?
We’ll be traveling across the Multiverse in MOM, but we might not recognize what we find. The Phyrexian armies are compleating any creature that crosses their path, and the denizens of each plane must face off against their Phyrexianized kin. The dragons of Tarkir, Shandalar’s sentient vegetation, the elves of Lorwyn….
There will be more to come, I’m sure. It’s really not looking good for those that oppose Phyrexian perfection.
Legendary Duos
Our first look at the set revealed that plenty of iconic characters and creatures are teaming up to fight against their Phyrexian oppressors. Vampires and angels come together with Drana and Linvala, Yargle and Multani combine forces as a froggy elemental, and Thalia is ready to skewer any that cross her path on Thalia and The Gitrog Monster.
We’re sure to see plenty more legends once the full set drops, and I imagine some of these team ups are going to be earth-shattering. It’s the end of the Multiverse, after all. What better reason to set aside your differences than otherwise mutually-assured destruction?
Speculation
There’s plenty to speculate about the set with the first look. The lands, the characters, the Moment of Truth…. But I have to draw a line somewhere or else we’d be here for hours. The set would be out by the time I’d be done with all my off-the-wall theories and hopes, so I’ll limit myself to three big topics that I just can’t not talk about.
The Planeswalkers
We know that we’ll be getting somewhere between 3 and 10 planeswalkers in this set, which is more than enough for me to go absolutely wild with.
While we’re definitely going to see way more than 10 planeswalkers in MOM’s actual story (at least I hope so), they won’t all get a new card. Who can we expect to be the real heavy-hitters this time around, both as the Multiverse’s last heroes and compleated adversaries?
To start, we already know that Chandra is going to be instrumental to the story and our hopeful salvation from the Phyrexian forces. Chandra, Hope’s Beacon is the only planeswalker that’s been revealed so far, and everything from the card’s name to the pyromancer’s appearances in MOM’s promos so far indicate she’ll be front and center.
I think Nissa is going to return. She was pictured with Elesh Norn herself on All Will Be One, and her newly-compleated self faces off against Chandra in some art by Cristi Balanescu. I know she was just printed in ONE, but I can see her making another appearance.
Other planeswalkers we know are around and likely to be instrumental in this final fight include Teferi, Liliana, The Wanderer, Nahiri, Kaya, Kaito, Vivien… I could go on. There’s a lot. It’s the final stand. All or nothing. Show up or shut up.
My best guess for those we’re likely to see new cards for in March of Machines include Vivien, Liliana, and Teferi. They’re all powerful and capable enough to lead the charge, and I’d personally like to see them return for this epic battle.
The Enemy of my Enemy…
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Sanskrit proverb
Something needs to come after Mother of Machines. As dire as the situation is right now, Wizards isn’t just going to go, “well, that’s it! Everyone’s dead/compleated, Phyrexia forever, Magic’s over!” and then dip. And sometimes you just gotta do something that’s objectively a very, very bad idea or else face total annihilation.
Enter the Eldrazi and/or Nicol Bolas.
Can you imagine Ugin having no choice but to break Nicol Bolas out of his eternal prison to help fight off the Phyrexian horde? I don’t think he’d return to his prison after all’s said and done. Problem solved, new problem created!
I think that’s probably the more likely of these two scenarios, but I’m personally gunning for a return of the Eldrazi. Kozilek and Ulamog are probably just chilling in the Blind Eternities, while Emrakul is imprisoned in Innistrad’s moon. Could the Phyrexian invasion of Innistrad inadvertently release the slumbering titan? Maybe the other two titans will return to salvage the Multiverse for their own consumption and corruption? Or maybe R&D will introduce us to some new Eldrazi titans! Wouldn’t that be fun….
Moment of Truth
On the precipice of eternity, Elspeth made a choice. The fight would not end without her.
Moment of Truth flavor text
Elspeth seemingly sacrificed herself to prevent Jace from unleashing widespread devastation to the planes of the Multiverse, consumed by his grief and rage, as pictured on All Will Be One’s Vanish into Eternity. But is this the last we’ll see of Daxos’s beloved?
I say no. But she’ll be a little different than the last time we saw her, her true form (or hidden potential?) finally revealed. At least, that’s what’s been foreshadowed and suspected by fans for a long time now.
May I (hopefully) introduce you to angelized Elspeth! From Moment of Truth’s beacon of light and fluttering feathers to Elspeth’s affinity for white mana and apparent golden haze, the hints are right there. While angels typically can’t be planeswalkers, there are exceptions to pretty much every rule. There are a handful of demonized planeswalkers, Amonkhet has male angels while angels are female on every other plane, Giada is depicted as a teenage girl which is a bit different than typical angelic presentation… you get the point.
Reddit user Lilchubbyboy made an interesting point, positing that maybe Elspeth is undergoing some sort of reverse compleation. I like that idea and would absolutely devour that sort of lore.
Official Spoilers
February 19, 2023
- Jin-Gitaxias / The Great Synthesis
- Breach the Multiverse
- Chandra, Hope’s Beacon
- Yargle and Multani
- Ghalta and Mavren
- Thalia and the Gitrog Monster
- Bloodfell Caves
- Blossoming Sands
- Dismal Backwater
- Jungle Hollow
- Rugged Highlands
- Scoured Barrens
- Swiftwater Cliffs
- Thornwood Falls
- Tranquil Cove
- Wind-Scarred Crag
- Omnath, Locus of All
- Heliod, the Radiant Dawn / Heliod, the Warped Eclipse
- Moment of Truth
- Drana and Linvala
Unofficial Spoilers
There haven’t been any card leaks yet, but we’ll keep an eye out for anything that falls through the cracks ahead of the official preview schedule. Be sure to bookmark this page so that you can come back and check for leaks whenever the urge strikes you!
Notable Cards
Multiverse Legends
In an effort to truly capture the feel of traveling the Multiverse when you open a pack, March of the Machine includes “reprints of iconic characters from previous sets in their home plane’s Booster Fun treatment.” These are the Multiverse Legends! It’s similar to Strixhaven’s Mystical Archive and the Retro Artifacts from The Brothers’ War.
Important to note that these cards will not be Standard legal and will have a unique stamp to identify them.
Gain Lands
“They show stage 5, the end of the invasion. Realmbreaker has poured into the planes, there’s glistening oil everywhere, the sky is this glistening red.”
Dave Humpherys, MC Philly MOM First Look panel
The gain lands are back! These duals gain you life when they enter, which is an interesting cycle of lands to print in this set to say the least. Maybe they’re meant to represent our heroes slowly but insistently clawing their way back from the depths of destruction? Or maybe it’s just time for these lands to get a reprint and I’m overthinking it.
Yuta Takahashi’s World Championship Card
Yuta Takahashi’s World Championship card has been revealed! This special printing of Faerie Mastermind can be opened in MOM boosters.
Available Products
Draft Boosters
These are the packs to buy if you’re into Limited, or otherwise not interested in variant printings or any extras. You can get the March of Machine draft boosters in packs of 15 cards or a display box of 36 packs.
The MOM draft boosters contain:
- 1 land
- 8-9 commons
- 3-5 uncommons
- 1-2 rares/mythics
- 1 token/ad card
- 36 March of the Machine MTG Draft Boosters—the best boosters for drafting March of the Machine
- 15 Magic: The Gathering cards per booster
- At least 1 Multiverse Legend card in every pack
- 1–2 cards of rarity Rare or higher in every pack
- 1 Traditional Foil card in 33% of packs
Set Boosters
The set boosters are best for players that just want to crack packs. They come with some goodies but are a good middle-of-the-road option. You can get March of the Machine set boosters in 12-card packs or display boxes of 30.
The MOM set boosters contain:
- 1 land
- 2-7 commons
- 3-8 uncommons
- 1-5 rares/mythics
- 1 art card
- 1 token/ad card, Helper card, or The List card
- 30 March of the Machine Set Boosters—the best MTG boosters to open just for fun
- 12 Magic: The Gathering cards per booster
- At least 1 Multiverse Legend card in every pack
- 1–5 cards of rarity Rare or higher in every pack
- Traditional Foil card and Art Card in every pack
Collector Boosters
If you’re more interested in flash and aesthetics, then collector boosters are for you. These 15-card packs give you the most bang for your buck if alternate prints and special treatments are your thing. You can also get them in 12-pack display boosters. Every collector booster will contain 10-12 foils and 1-3 cards with extended art or another special treatment.
The MOM collector boosters contain:
- 1 land
- 5 commons
- 4 uncommons
- 5 rares/mythics
- 1 foil double-sided token
- 12 March of the Machine MTG Collector Boosters—get direct access to the coolest cards
- 15 Magic cards + 1 foil token in each booster—including 5 cards of rarity Rare or higher and a total of 10–12 Traditional Foil cards
- 1 special foil in every pack—get at least 1 Halo Foil, Foil-Etched, or Double Rainbow Serialized card in every pack
- 3 foil Multiverse Legends in every Collector Booster, including 1 of rarity Rare or higher
- 1–3 Extended-Art cards and a legion of other special treatments in every pack
Jumpstart Boosters
Jumpstart boosters have become a mainstay in Magic releases since they took over from theme boosters. Here you get to combine two packs, each with a unique theme, into a ready-to-play deck. The March of the Machine Jumpstart boosters are available in 20-card packs or as a display box of 18 packs.
The MOM Jumpstart boosters contain:
- 2 foil lands
- 2 rares/mythics
- 18 commons/uncommons
- 18 March of the Machine Jumpstart Boosters—20 MTG cards per booster
- 2 Traditional Foil Land cards in every pack
- 2 Rare cards in every pack—1 Rare or Mythic Rare + 1 Rare card designed for Jumpstart boosters
- Each pack has 1 of 5 possible themes and each theme comes in 2 variants—mix and match to save the Multiverse
- Just grab 2 Jumpstart packs, shuffle, and you’re ready to rumble
March of the Machine Bundle
If you want a good start on your battle against the machine legion across the Multiverse, then you want the March of the Machine bundle. It’s a great product that comes with everything you need to play, right out of the box.
The MOM bundles contain:
- 8 March of the Machine set boosters
- 1 foil alt-art promo card
- 20 basic lands
- 20 foil basic lands
- 1 spindown life counter
- 1 card storage box
- 8 March of the Machine Set Boosters—the best MTG boosters to open just for fun
- 1 traditional foil alt-art promo card—Ghalta and Mavren
- At least 1 Multiverse Legend card in every Set Booster
- 40 basic land cards (20 foil + 20 nonfoil), 1 Spindown life counter + card storage box
- Battle the Machine Legion as Phyrexians invade planes across the Multiverse
Prerelease Packs
Prerelease packs are only available during the set’s prerelease events, on preorder leading up to the set’s release. They’re great to hop right into the set, with draft boosters to play right away and a handful of goodies along with it.
The MOM prerelease packs contain:
- 6 March of the Machine draft boosters
- 1 foil rare/mythic
- 1 mythic
- 1 MTG Arena promo code for 6 March of the Machine packs
- 1 deck box
- 1 spindown life counter
Commander Decks
We usually get four Commander decks with each set, but not this time! March of the Machine offers five legendary precons to battle against your friends, with one 2-colored deck and four 3-colored decks. An interesting mix to be sure, and I’m more than interested to see what we get. We’ll get full details on these on April 4, but we’ve got a little to go on for now.
Each MOM Commander deck contains:
- 2 foil legendary cards
- 98 nonfoil cards
- 10 specialty cards
- 1 2-card collector booster sample pack
- 1 foil-etched display commander
- 10 double-sided tokens
- 1 deck box
- 1 life wheel
- 1 special die
- 1 strategy insert
- 1 reference card
- Bundle of all 5 March of the Machine Commander Decks, with 1 Growing Threat, 1 Cavalry Charge, 1 Call for Backup, 1 Divine Convocation, and 1 Tinker Time
- Each deck set contains a 100-card ready-to-play deck (2 Traditional Foil + 98 nonfoil cards), plus 10 Planechase cards and 1 planar die to trigger unique abilities and jump across the Multiverse
- 2-card Collector Booster Sample Packs—each deck comes with a sample pack containing 2 special treatment cards from the March of the Machine main set, including 1 Rare or Mythic Rare and at least 1 Traditional Foil card
- Introducing 50 never-before-seen MTG cards to Commander—10 in each deck
- Accessories included with each deck—1 Foil-Etched Display Commander, 10 double-sided tokens, Life Tracker, and deck box
Growing Threat
Growing Threat is the only 2-colored precon in the mix. It’s an Orzhov () deck that looks to be led by the compleated Ajani and will be, unsurprisingly, a Phyrexian deck. And if I were to venture a guess on further mechanics and synergies based on the art I think we might see a Theros-like theme in this precon, with enchantment creatures and constellation cards to supplement the Phyrexianed planeswalker’s assault.
- Growing Threat (White-Black deck)—100-card ready-to-play March of the Machine Commander Deck with 2 Traditional Foil Legendary cards and 98 nonfoil cards
- 10 Planechase cards and 1 planar die to trigger unique abilities and jump across the Multiverse
- 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack—contains 2 special treatment cards from the March of the Machine main set, including 1 Rare or Mythic Rare and at least 1 Traditional Foil card
- Deck introduces 10 never-before-seen MTG cards to Commander
- Accessories—1 Foil-Etched Display Commander, 10 double-sided tokens, Life Tracker, and deck box
Cavalry Charge
Next up is Cavalry Charge, an Esper () precon that is gonna be full of knights. I imagine a barrage of combat tricks, +1/+1 counters, and mechanics like mentor to up the ante and fit the theme.
- Cavalry Charge (White-Blue-Black deck)—100-card ready-to-play March of the Machine Commander Deck with 2 Traditional Foil Legendary cards and 98 nonfoil cards
- 10 Planechase cards and 1 planar die to trigger unique abilities and jump across the Multiverse
- 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack—contains 2 special treatment cards from the March of the Machine main set, including 1 Rare or Mythic Rare and at least 1 Traditional Foil card
- Deck introduces 10 never-before-seen MTG cards to Commander
- Accessories—1 Foil-Etched Display Commander, 10 double-sided tokens, Life Tracker, and deck box
Call for Backup
Call for Backup is the Naya () deck that looks to be led by a seven-tailed kitsune kami, and it’s main theme is +1/+1 counters. The precon’s name and art make me think it might also feature token generators and doublers, maybe even copy spells! Anything to get more allies on your side.
- Call for Backup (Red-Green-White deck)—100-card ready-to-play March of the Machine Commander Deck with 2 Traditional Foil Legendary cards and 98 nonfoil cards
- 10 Planechase cards and 1 planar die to trigger unique abilities and jump across the Multiverse
- 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack—contains 2 special treatment cards from the March of the Machine main set, including 1 Rare or Mythic Rare and at least 1 Traditional Foil card
- Deck introduces 10 never-before-seen MTG cards to Commander
- Accessories—1 Foil-Etched Display Commander, 10 double-sided tokens, Life Tracker, and deck box
Divine Convocation
Divine Convocation is without a doubt an angel-led Jeskai () precon, and it’s got convoke to go along with that. The art looks a little sinister, though, so perhaps you’ll be leading an army of Phyrexianized angels? That sounds pretty cool if you ask me.
- Divine Convocation (Blue-Red-White deck)—100-card ready-to-play March of the Machine Commander Deck with 2 Traditional Foil Legendary cards and 98 nonfoil cards
- 10 Planechase cards and 1 planar die to trigger unique abilities and jump across the Multiverse
- 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack—contains 2 special treatment cards from the March of the Machine main set, including 1 Rare or Mythic Rare and at least 1 Traditional Foil card
- Deck introduces 10 never-before-seen MTG cards to Commander
- Accessories—1 Foil-Etched Display Commander, 10 double-sided tokens, Life Tracker, and deck box
Tinker Time
The Temur () precon, Tinker Time is an artifact tokens-focused deck. I imagine we’ll get some token generation to go along with it, Servos and Phyrexian Mites skittering about wherever you go. I could also see things like affinity, equipment, and/or artificers kicking around to supplement that theme.
- Tinker Time (Green-Blue-Red deck)—100-card ready-to-play March of the Machine Commander Deck with 2 Traditional Foil Legendary cards and 98 nonfoil cards
- 10 Planechase cards and 1 planar die to trigger unique abilities and jump across the Multiverse
- 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack—contains 2 special treatment cards from the March of the Machine main set, including 1 Rare or Mythic Rare and at least 1 Traditional Foil card
- Deck introduces 10 never-before-seen MTG cards to Commander
- Accessories—1 Foil-Etched Display Commander, 10 double-sided tokens, Life Tracker, and deck box
Wrap Up
Traumatic Revelation | Illustration by Cristi Balanescu
Are you scared yet? You really should be. Mother is not messing around.
Are you excited for the set? I know I am. If not for the cards themselves, then the story they’ll be telling. Which planeswalkers do you think will survive? Do you believe Elspeth will reveal herself to be an angel when she returns? Will the Eldrazi or Nicol Bolas make a daring return to begrudgingly help our heroes save the Multiverse? Let me know what you think in the comments below or over in the Draftsim Discord. I’m genuinely interested in your speculation, I love this kinda stuff.
Good luck and godspeed to you all. I’ll see you in The Aftermath…
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