Tempest (Magic: The Gathering)
Encyclopedia
Tempest was the 20th Magic: The Gathering
set and twelfth expert level set, and the first set in the Rath Block, released in October 1997. The release of Tempest represented a large jump in the power level of the card set, compared to the previous Mirage
block. Many cards from Tempest instantly became (and still are) tournament staples. Its expansion symbol is a cloud
, with a lightning
bolt erupting out. On 8 December 2008 Tempest was released for Magic: The Gathering Online
.
Originally Tempest was intended to have a major "poison" theme, but in the end all poison cards were pulled from the set.
Buyback appeared on instants and sorceries. Spells with buyback had an optional buyback cost which, if paid, caused the spell to return to its owner's hand after being cast instead of being placed in the graveyard.
Shadow appeared on creatures. Creatures with shadow could not block or be blocked, except by creatures with shadow. The shadow ability only appeared on certain blue, black or white creatures (with the exception of the red/white ), and creatures with Shadow were all relatively small.
Several non-keyworded mechanics were also introduced. Licids were a creature type that had the ability to become creature enchantments. This caused numerous rules complications.
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
set and twelfth expert level set, and the first set in the Rath Block, released in October 1997. The release of Tempest represented a large jump in the power level of the card set, compared to the previous Mirage
Mirage (Magic: The Gathering)
Mirage was the fifteenth Magic: The Gathering set and ninth expert level set, released in October 1996. This expansion began the first official block set with one large expansion being followed by two smaller expansions all tied together through card mechanics and setting. This expansion also...
block. Many cards from Tempest instantly became (and still are) tournament staples. Its expansion symbol is a cloud
Cloud
A cloud is a visible mass of liquid droplets or frozen crystals made of water and/or various chemicals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of a planetary body. They are also known as aerosols. Clouds in Earth's atmosphere are studied in the cloud physics branch of meteorology...
, with a lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
bolt erupting out. On 8 December 2008 Tempest was released for Magic: The Gathering Online
Magic: The Gathering Online
Magic: The Gathering Online or Magic Online is a direct video game adaptation of Magic: The Gathering, utilizing the concept of a virtual economy in order to preserve the collectible aspect of the card game. It is played through an Internet service operated by Wizards of the Coast, which went...
.
Set history
Tempest was the second set and the first standalone in the Weatherlight Saga, a continuous storyline for over four years' worth of Magic expansions.Originally Tempest was intended to have a major "poison" theme, but in the end all poison cards were pulled from the set.
Mechanics
Tempest introduced two new keyworded mechanics to Magic: Buyback and Shadow.Buyback appeared on instants and sorceries. Spells with buyback had an optional buyback cost which, if paid, caused the spell to return to its owner's hand after being cast instead of being placed in the graveyard.
Shadow appeared on creatures. Creatures with shadow could not block or be blocked, except by creatures with shadow. The shadow ability only appeared on certain blue, black or white creatures (with the exception of the red/white ), and creatures with Shadow were all relatively small.
Several non-keyworded mechanics were also introduced. Licids were a creature type that had the ability to become creature enchantments. This caused numerous rules complications.