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Friday, June, 21, 2024
Assassin’s Creed Spoilers and Set Information
Last updated on June 21, 2024
Ratonhnhaké:ton (Assassin’s Creed) | Illustration by Andreia Ugrai
Like it or not, Universes Beyond is a category of Magic product that's stuck. I lean towards accepting them because I grew up with LEGO more than card games. I had loads of fun making characters from different franchises face off against each other. I could never really figure out what wins between Jedi powers and a Green Lantern ring, though.
The Universes Beyond crossover between the world of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed and Magic is here, a set based on a game set in a reality that’s a lot closer to our own. Play with historical figures like Leonardo da Vinci as an artificer, Cleopatra as a noble, and artifacts like Caduceus. What's the coolest named mechanic of all time?
Let's cut to the chase and find out!
Assassin’s Creed Basic Information
Ezio Auditore da Firenze | Illustration by Alexander Gering
Set Details
| Set Symbol |  |
| Set Code | ACR |
| Hashtag | #MTGxAC |
| Number of Cards | 130 (54 uncommons, 37 rares, 14 mythics). Starter Kit (9 commons, 8 uncommons, 6 rares, 2 mythics). |
| Rarities | Uncommon, Rare, Mythic Rare, (Commons in the Starter Kit) |
| Mechanics | Cloak, Disguise, Delve, Freerunning, Historic |
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Previews start | June 18, 2024 |
| First Looks | February 23, 2024 |
| Full gallery available | June 20, 2024 |
| Paper release date | July 5, 2024 |
About the Set
Assassin's Creed Key Art | Illustration by Fajareka Setiawan
Assassin’s Creed is a video game franchise developed by Ubisoft that spans multiple main games, a bunch of spin-off releases… and mobile games. There’s merch of all kinds, extended media (books and a board game), and even a motion picture! The less said about that flick, though, the better.
The cards are introduced with a new type of booster. A beyond booster contains three uncommons, one land or nonfoil scene card, one rare or mythic, one foil noncommon, and one showcase noncommon. For those of you keeping score, that's seven cards and no commons, but it remains to be seen how much they feel like epilogue boosters.
The beyond boosters aim to take you through an entire world and could be a template for other Universes Beyond products that are smaller than The Lord of the Rings and have more crossover than My Little Pony. The boosters-by-world approach lets them cover settings like Industrial Revolution-era London, Renaissance Italy, and Ancient Greece under the same Assassin's Creed banner.
Universes Beyond releases historically lean toward Commander and Secret Lairs, and Assassin's Creed has an accompanying Secret Lair drop. Rather than commander decks, look for a starter kit, a bundle, and collector boosters. The crossover’s cards are legal in the following non-Standard formats: Modern, Commander, Legacy, and Vintage.
The Assassin's Creed games Wizards pulled from are numerous and include references to the original 2007 Assassin's Creed game and others before 2024's Assassin's Creed: Shadows.
The Story
Kassandra, Eagle Bearer | Illustration by Jessie Lam
The story of Assassin’s Creed focuses on the centuries-long conflict between the Assassin Brotherhood and the Knights’ Templar. It’s a struggle between free will and control, a theme that should resonate with Magic players.
The first games follow Desmond Miles, a descendent of assassins living in current times who relives genetic memories through a machine called The Animus. His journey through his ancestors’ memories allows him to locate Pieces of Eden, ancient technologies that are considered magic (mostly because the knowledge of their inner workings is lost to time).
The primary gameplay takes place in memories within The Animus, where Desmond explores worlds that approximate our own history and geography. As a player, you can visit all kinds of landmarks and meet historical figures. Meanwhile, the conflict between the Templars and Assassins continues in the modern day, outside The Animus.
Set Mechanics
Freerunning
Ezio Auditore da Firenze might have jumped down from the 2-story building to give your assassin's quasi-ninjitsu. Freerunning is an alternate casting cost if a commander or assassin has dealt combat damage to a player.
Cloak
Cloak returns and should be familiar to those who played Murders at Karlov Manor, manifest, or morph cards. The trick is that a cloaked card gains ward , might not necessarily have its own turn face-up cost, and any cloaked creatures can be turned face-up for its mana cost.
Disguise
A disguise works much like morph in that you get a face-down 2/2 for with the bonus of adding conditional hexproof. The reminder card A Mysterious Creature is a helpful tool that is basically a disguise/cloak token.
Historic and Legendary Matters
You should care about history class because legendaries, artifacts, and sagas are historic. There are some fun ways to interact with each of these card types, and you don't have to know the original Dominaria set to enjoy it.
There is only one Cleopatra, Exiled Pharaoh and one Leonardo da Vinci. While Leo might be fixated on flying, Cleopatra's all about seeing other legendaries built up or torn down. The Animus appropriately copies legendaries of the past to reanimate them.
Full Card gallery
White
Caduceus, Staff of Hermes
Distract the Guards
Fall of the First Civilization
Haystack
Hookblade
Layla Hassan
Senu, Keen-Eyed Protector
Tax Collector
Templar Knight
What Must Be Done
Path to Exile
Reconnaissance
Rest in Peace
Blue
Ballad of the Black Flag
Become Anonymous
Crystal Skull, Isu Spyglass
Desynchronization
Eagle Vision
Escape Detection
Evie Frye
Leonardo da Vinci
Coastal Piracy
Propaganda
Temporal Trespass
Black
Assassin Initiate
Chain Assassination
Desmond Miles
Ezio Auditore da Firenze
Hemlock Vial
Petty Larceny
Phantom Blade
Restart Sequence
The Revelations of Ezio
Roshan, Hidden Magister
Black Market Connections
Conspiracy
Cover of Darkness
Fatal Push
Go for the Throat
Murder
Royal Assassin
Red
Hidden Footblade
Origin of the Hidden Ones
The Spear of Leonidas
Cathartic Reunion
Green
The Aesir Escape Valhalla
Aveline de Grandpré
Hunter's Bow
Palazzo Archers
Viewpoint Synchronization
Multicolored
Adéwalé, Breaker of Chains
Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
Arbaaz Mir
Aya of Alexandria
Basim Ibn Ishaq
Bayek of Siwa
Bleeding Effect
Cleopatra, Exiled Pharaoh
Edward Kenway
Eivor, Wolf-Kissed
Ezio, Brash Novice
Havi, the All-Father
Haytham Kenway
Jackdaw
Kassandra, Eagle Bearer
Lydia Frye
Mary Read and Anne Bonny
Ratonhnhaké꞉ton
Shao Jun
Shay Cormac
Sigurd, Jarl of Ravensthorpe
Sokrates, Athenian Teacher
Mortify
Reconstruct History
Colorless
Adrestia
The Animus
Apple of Eden, Isu Relic
Brotherhood Regalia
Excalibur, Sword of Eden
Hidden Blade
Mjölnir, Storm Hammer
Smoke Bomb
Staff of Eden, Vault's Key
Towering Viewpoint
Sword of Feast and Famine
Sword of Light and Shadow
Lands
Abstergo Entertainment
Brotherhood Headquarters
Sunbaked Canyon
Fiery Islet
Nurturing Peatland
Silent Clearing
Waterlogged Grove
Notable Cards
Extra turn. Delve. These words are enough for a card to be notable. You'll want to remember Temporal Trespass.
WotC calls it a relentless mechanic in which any number of cards with a given CARD NAME can be included in a deck.
Assassins
Time for assassin tribal to take center stage! Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad and Hidden Blade get strictly better when assassins are on the roster.
Historical People
Magic: the Gathering inches closer to school textbooks by including people that you should have learned about in school.
Scene Cards
There is one 6-card set of scene cards which are borderless cards with a background that is part of a larger art piece. These are like The Lord of the Rings scene box cards, Ezio is in the top right while the other five cards show the grounds below.
Memory Corridor
These look like they are from another trading card game, what a striking look!
Foil Etched
The shiny detail on foils is always incredible up close and personal.
Original Language Serialized
Serialized cards tend to be ones you don't just toss into a casual, fun Commander deck. They are certainly very rare and incredible collector items. Let's appreciate what Miklós Ligeti illustrated, a small Mona Lisa, plus the artist. It's definitely worth grading this card if you open one.
Available Products
Starter Kit
An Assassin’s Creed Starter Kit gives us two themed 60-card decks, balanced for dueling each other. The master assassin Ezio is and while the viking shieldmaiden Eivor is and . The two mythic legendaries headline their decks, which include four rares each. With no commons in the beyond boosters, you might care to know that there are nine commons that are exclusively found in these two beginner-level decks.
- YOUR ASSASSIN TRAINING STARTS HERE—Gear up for your first games of Magic with 2 Assassin’s Creed-themed decks and learn the ropes with the included guide
- LEAP INTO HISTORY—Assassin’s Creed emerges from the shadows to join Magic: The Gathering! Freerun through ancient locales with your favorite Assassins, equip deadly weapons, and ensure your targets are history
- TWO READY-TO-PLAY 60-CARD DECKS—Begin your initiation with the Brotherhood Agents deck, eliminating the competition with Master Assassin, Ezio, or arm yourself with the Ancient Arsenal deck to overpower your enemies with Viking shieldmaiden, Eivor
- LEARN TO PLAY MAGIC WITH A FRIEND—Perfect for your first Magic game, teaching friends and family, or just a fun game night, use the included rules booklet to learn how to play, then leap into action and claim victory!
- COLLECT RARE CARDS—Kick off your collection with 2 Mythic Rare cards (1 with a shining Traditional Foil treatment) and 8 Rare cards in each deck
Beyond Boosters
The Assassin’s Creed Beyond Boosters have just seven cards per pack with at least three uncommons, and potential for four rares or higher. Each pack includes at least one foil and one borderless card.
- EXPLORE WITH 7-CARD BEYOND BOOSTERS—Open 7-card packs full of classic characters, items, and moments from your favorite Assassin’s Creed games with a box of 24 Beyond Boosters
- LEAP INTO HISTORY—Assassin’s Creed emerges from the shadows to join Magic: The Gathering! Freerun through ancient locales with your favorite Assassins, equip deadly weapons, and ensure your targets are history
- TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH—Bring the beloved video game series to your tabletop with new art and thematic game mechanics sure to delight Assassin’s Creed and Magic fans alike
- TRACK DOWN ELUSIVE RELICS—In each pack you’ll find 1–4 cards of rarity Rare or higher, at least 1 shining Traditional Foil card, and at least 1 card with full, Borderless art—no scouring the streets required for these collectibles
- FOIL & BORDERLESS CARD IN EVERY PACK—Every Beyond Booster includes at least 1 shining Traditional Foil card and 1 Borderless Card featuring gorgeous alt-art that extends all the way to the edges of the card
Bundle
The Assassin’s Creed Bundle comes with nine of the 7-card boosters a pack of 40 lands (20 of which are foil), plus a promo alternate-art card for 104 cards total as well as a few other goodies.
- A BUNDLE FULL OF CARDS & ACCESSORIES—Open a box full of Assassin’s Creed-themed Magic cards plus a box to store them in, a die to keep track of your life total, and Land cards to build decks that bring the beloved video game series to your tabletop
- LEAP INTO HISTORY—Assassin’s Creed emerges from the shadows to join Magic: The Gathering! Freerun through ancient locales with your favorite Assassins, equip deadly weapons, and ensure your targets are history
- EXPLORE WITH 7-CARD BEYOND BOOSTERS—Open 7-card packs full of classic characters, items, and moments from your favorite Assassin’s Creed games with 9 Beyond Boosters in every Bundle
- EXCLUSIVE ALTERNATE-ART CARD—Every Bundle also comes with 1 promo card featuring Bundle-exclusive alternate art and a shining Traditional Foil treatment
- PLAY A GAME THAT FUSES ART, STORIES & STRATEGY—Magic: The Gathering is a collectible card game that weaves deep strategy with art and mechanics that explore the themes of a particular world and story—whether you want to play a casual game with friends, collect cool cards, or get competitive, Magic welcomes you to The Gathering
Collector Booster
Those that can spring for an Assassin’s Creed Collector Booster Box are in for treats as each ACR collector booster contains:
- 3 foil uncommons
- 1 foil uncommon memory corridor
- 1 foil-etched uncommon
- 1 foil-etched rare/mythic
- 1 foil basic land or rare/mythic scene card
- 1 foil rare/mythic
- 1 nonfoil extended art rare/mythic
- 1 foil rare/mythic alternate art
These may be a serialized double rainbow foil card. The 12-pack box are the top end of the price curve and fine treasures.
- GET DECKED OUT LIKE A MASTER ASSASSIN—Open twelve 10-Card Collector Boosters full of shining foils, Rare cards, and special Assassin’s Creed alt-art, alt-frame cards
- LEAP INTO HISTORY—Assassin’s Creed emerges from the shadows to join Magic: The Gathering! Freerun through ancient locales with your favorite Assassins, equip deadly weapons, and ensure your targets are history
- TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH—Bring the beloved video game series to your tabletop with new art and thematic game mechanics sure to delight Assassin’s Creed and Magic fans alike
- TRACK DOWN ELUSIVE RELICS—Collect cards with gleaming Collector Booster-exclusive foil treatments; every pack contains 2 Foil-Etched cards and may even include a Textured Foil card or unique Double Rainbow Foil Serialized card
- BORDERLESS & EXTENDED-ART CARD IN EVERY PACK—With gorgeous art extending all the way to the edge of the card, every Collector Booster contains 1-2 Extended-Art cards (a Collector Booster exclusive) and 1-3 Borderless cards that will give you an alternate-art view of history
Wrap Up
Eivor, Wolf-Kissed | Illustration by – Illustration by Jessie Lam
Assassin’s Creed has been going strong for over a decade and a half, and you can bet that Ubisoft will continue to cash in on this brand. Magic brings us to new planes, while Assassin’s Creed brings us to new time periods. This set and these cards are killer, I mean you get freerunning in Magic!
What is most exciting from the Magic/Assassin's Creed crossover? Which characters and game elements are your faborite to see in card form? What's the next game mechanic after Eagle Vision that still needs a card? Let me know in the comments or over on the official Draftsim Discord.
Keep your blades sharp, friends!
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