So Much Excitement.

In recent articles, I discussed theories about what we might see in Streets of New Capenna (SNC) and the future of Magic Organized Play. Now that the official Organized Play announcement is out, and we're in the middle of SNC spoiler season, the realities of both New Capenna and the future of Organized Play are more exciting than anything I could have predicited. Let's explore a bit of both, starting with the OP announcement.

The Future of Magic Organized Play

In my article on the history and future of Magic Organized Play, I made this bold statement: "I think the glory days of competitive Magic, at least as organized directly by Wizards, are firmly behind us."

The program Wizards revealed in their official Organized Play announcement was better than anything I could have imagined. Not only did Wizards reveal that they're bringing back the Pro Tour, but they unveiled a multi-tiered path to both pro play and the Magic World Championships (see above diagram). This is great news for everyone who enjoys competitive Magic.

With DreamHack taking over running Magic OP events, I imagine it won't be long before we have Magic Fests and other large events to experience the gathering once more.

Streets of New Capenna Spoilers

The Organized Play announcement isn't the only excitement we've had in the last two weeks. Streets of New Capenna spoilers are in full swing right now. Shortly after the set was announced I Tweeted the following:

Things I want to see in Streets Of New Capenna:

A spell named: "An Offer You Can't Refuse"

A flavor word: "Take the cannoli"

An artifact: The Maltese Lotus

Flavor text: "Come out to play"

Creature types: Gangster.

A heist mechanic.#magicthegathering #streetsofnewcapenna

— Paul J. Comeau (@ComeauPaulJ) August 25, 2021

A few days into spoiler season, and this card came across my Twitter feed:

I predicted a card named An Offer You Can't Refuse. In my wildest dreams though I don't think that I'd have imagined it on a counterspell, nevermind one as unique as this. I can't decide if this is just good, or one of the best pieces of countermagic ever printed. Either way, I'll be trying it out in multiple formats.

Streets of New Capenna Limited

In addition to cards aimed at constructed, we've finally got some spoilers giving us a sense of the Limited environment in SNC.

Shattered Seraph is part of a cycle of unique mana fixers unlike anything we've ever seen before. The coolest part about these mana fixers is you can cast them in the late game to add another threat to the board when you no longer need them to fix your mana. They all have decent stats and abilities for common creatures, so I anticipate seeing them on the battlefield as well as in exile.

The card I'm most excited for, so far, in SNC Limited though, is this one:

We've seen a lot of Wind Drakes and upgraded Wind Drakes in Limited formats for years. Three-mana 2/2 fliers are a staple part of any Limited format at this point. While missing a point of toughness, Inspiring Overseer is one of the most powerful Wind Drake-esque creatures we've ever seen. Not only is it a cheap evasive threat, but it also replaces itself. Even if your opponent does spend a removal spell to take out your flier, you're still up a card in the exchange.

Pleasant Surprises

I'm so excited by all the Magic news and spoilers we've had recently. I'm looking forward to playing competitively again, and while I will miss Neon Dynasty, I can't wait to crack packs and play SNC Limited. What was your reaction to the Organized Play announcement? What cards from SNC are you excited about? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter.