Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

M21 Set Card Teaser Hints

Now that all of M21 has been revealed, can you go through your teaser and tell us the card or cards each hint was?

The new core set has a lot of exciting new cards, including:
• A brand new planeswalker (from a plane we’ve visited) - Basri Ket (from Amonkhet)• A card that lets you draw half of your library. - Peer into the Abyss• A +1/+1 tribal lord for a creature type that’s never had one. (A creature type with over fifty cards already in print.) - Pack Leader• A character with a Vanguard card and a legendary creature card gets a second of the latter. - Barrin, Tolarian Archmage• A card with thirty-one different options. - Sublime Epiphany• A card that gains all activated abilities of a certain subset of cards in a place it’s never done it before. - Conspicuous Snoop• A card that uses a nonevergreen named ability over twenty years old. - Teferi, Master of Time (phasing)• A card with the words “battlefield”, “cast”, “creature”, “converted mana cost”, “end of turn”, “exile”, “graveyard” and “mana cost”. - Idol of Endurance• An aura inspired from a cycle from Urza’s Sagablock - Demonic Embrace• A nonevergreen enchantment subtype returns - Shrines with Sanctum of Tranquil Light and company Core 2021 also has a number of fun reprints, including:• A popular character first introduced in flavor text. - Ugin, the Spirit Dragon• A French Vanilla mythic rare. - Baneslayer Angel• A popular aura that started as part of a cycle. - Faith’s Fetters• A card with a unique protection. - Runed Halo• Two cards played in tournaments that have been reprinted over twenty times with at least five different pieces of art - Duress & Shock• A card that’s never previously appeared in a premier set. - Grim Tutor• A card that’s never been reprinted before which has a 2, 3, 5 and 6 all appear on the card. - Massacre Wurm• A Human Monk. - Azusa, Lost but Seeking• A card from the Time Spiraltimeshifted sheet. - Tormod’s Crypt

Amonkhet Angel Art Auras Azusa, Lost but Seeking Baneslayer Angel Barrin, Tolarian Archmage Basri Ket Card Printing Conspicuous Snoop Core Set 2021 Creatures Cycles Demonic Embrace Dragon Duress Enchantments Endurance Flavor Text France French Vanilla Grim Tutor Human Idol of Endurance Kindred / Typal Mana Mana Value Massacre Massacre Wurm Monk Mythic Rares Pack Leader Peer into the Abyss Phasing Planeswalkers Premier Sets Protection Rares Reprints Runed Halo Sanctum of Tranquil Light Spirit Sublime Epiphany Subtype Teasers Teferi, Master of Time The Abyss The Exile Zone The Graveyard The Library Tutoring Ugin, the Spirit Dragon Vanguard Vanilla Wurm

Ugin's Return

Is Ugin, The Spirit Dragon coming back an if or a when?

I doubt we’ve seen the last of Ugin.

Dragon Spirit Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

Ugin Trivia

Hey Mark, it was my birthday yesterday. May I please have some Trivia on either Counterspells in Magic, or about Ugin, the Spirit Dragon?

Ugin was first referenced in the flavor text of Ghostfire, a future-shifted throw-forward. The only flavor text that has led to as many card designs was Lhurgoyf. Happy Birthday!

Birthday Dragon Flavor Ghostfire Lhurgoyf Spirit Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

Ghostfire Flavour Text

So if you could do it over again, Ghostfire's flavour text would be "Only those gifted with the eye of Ugin, the spirit dragon, can see her fiery breath."?

Locked in by flavor text that introduced the character. No one knew how influential that one card would be in setting up the future.

Dragon Eye Eye of Ugin Flavor Ghostfire Spirit Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

Ugin's First Appearance

Today marks the day I am eligible for Birthday Trivia: can you say something about one of my favorite planeswalkers Ugin, the Spirit Dragon?

I believe Ugin’s first appearance was in the flavor text of the future-shifted card Ghostfire in Future Sight. People focus on the mechanical foreshadowing on the future-shifted cards and often forget the flavor/story foreshadowing. Happy Birthday!

Birthday Dragon Flavor Future Sight Ghostfire Planeswalkers Spirit Story / Lore Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

Planeswalkers vs Titans

Is it a favor fail that Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, Sorin Markov and Nahiri, the Lithomancer together can't incapacitate the RoE titans then?

We haven’t printed the three planeswalker cards from 4000 years ago. : )

Card Printing Dragon Nahiri, the Lithomancer Planeswalkers Sorin Markov Spirit Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

Ugin vs Eldrazi

Do you consider it a flavor-mechanics fail that Ugin, The Spirit Dragon cannot use his -X ability to exile any eldrazi, and is in fact a powerful choice in eldrazi-heavy decks as a one-sided board wipe? The thought of Ugin working alongside the eldrazi drones and processors makes my inner Vorthos unhappy.

No, because Ugin can’t do it alone. He needed the help of Sorin and Nahiri.

Dragon Drone Eldrazi Flavor Mechanics Processor Spirit The Exile Zone Ugin, the Spirit Dragon Vorthos

Ugin's Tears

You made Ugin, the Spirit Dragon cry.

He knew we what he did.

Dragon Spirit Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

Ugin vs Bolas

There is no way, barring extra turns, the Chain Veil or Doubling Season, that Ugin, the Spirit Dragon can defeat Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker (the cards). I find that very disconcerting, as in the story, Ugin came close to killing Bolas.

But in the end, he lost. : ) It’s possible that a different version of Ugin could defeat Bolas.

Doubling Season Dragon Nicol Bolas Planeswalkers Spirit Story / Lore The Chain Veil Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

Ugin Design Praise

There are so many awesome little things about Ugin, the Spirit Dragon. Same CMC and inverse ultimate of Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker, his first ability being Ghostfire, and everything remaining mechanically relevant and powerful while staying within the color pie. Please high five the entire design and development team!

High-fiving will occur after the break. I too am very happy with how Ugin came out. If you haven’t yet seen your Christmas present, a jolly soul has linked to the card preview of Ugin below.

Color Pie Colors Dragon Ghostfire High Fives Mana Value Nicol Bolas Planeswalkers Spirit Spoilers Ugin, the Spirit Dragon