Tempt with Vengeance – Commander (2013 Edition). From the Commander (2013 Edition) Release Notes:
Your opponents decide in turn order whether or not they accept the offer, starting with the opponent on your left…. After each opponent has decided, the effect happens simultaneously for each one who accepted the offer.
Toxic Deluge – Commander (2013 Edition). From the Commander (2013 Edition) Release Notes:
The payment of life is an additional cost. You lose the life even if Toxic Deluge is countered.
Diviner Spirit – Commander (2013 Edition). From the Commander (2013 Edition) Release Notes:
If Diviner Spirit deals combat damage to its controller (perhaps because damage was redirected), that player will draw twice that number of cards.
Mystic Barrier – Commander (2013 Edition). From the Commander (2013 Edition) Release Notes:
Mystic Barrier affects only what players and Planeswalkers each player may attack with creatures he or she controls. It doesn't affect what players may be targeted by spells or abilities or other interactions.
Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei – Portal Three Kingdoms. Like a lot of the cards from this set, this one is based in reality. The real-world Zhang Liao was a great general serving under Warlord Cao Cao (who also has a Magic card). General Zhang defended the Hefei fortress from a rival warlord, thus the "hero" moniker on his card.
Tahngarth, Talruum Hero – Planeshift. Tahngarth had plenty to do in the Weatherlight saga, but, wow, did he have a lot more to say about it! Sure, he has his own card, plus his anger issues and angry face are represented, but with twenty-six cards of flavor text attributed to him, he was also quite the talker!
Stonebrow, Krosan Hero – Time Spiral. Most cards from Time Spiral pay homage to earlier ones. In this case, Stonebrow, Krosan Hero's abilities come down from Kamahl, Fist of Krosa. The two characters are connected by story as well, not least of which in the axe named Soul Reaper that Stonebrow wields—it's the same one Kamahl used to create the false god, Karona! Read more about Stonebrow and all the legends of Time Spiral in this feature.
Brigid, Hero of Kinsbaile – Lorwyn. As is appropriate for a set inspired by Celtic and British folklore, the name Brigid comes from the Celtic religion, and one of her symbols was an arrow. Neat! While Magic's Brigid isn't a God, as a Kithkin she represents a much older creature type. Yes, the Kithkins really exploded onto the scene during Lorwyn-Shadowmoor block, and were pretty well represented during the Time Spiral block, but the first Kithkin came from Legends: Amrou Kithkin.
Anthousa, Setessan Hero – Theros. Setessa is a polis composed primarily of women and children, and according to the second Planeswalker's Guide to Theros, "children of Setessa are called arkulli ("little bears")." In Magic slang, a 2/2 creature (for two mana) is known as a "Bear" (thanks to Grizzly Bears). Anthousa makes 2/2 creatures. Hmm… coincidence?
Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge – Commander (2013 Edition). Back before Avacyn, Angel of Hope was restored (yay Avacyn, Angel of Hope!), the good folk of Nephalia often served as lunch for the not-so-good folk of Nephalia. Even today, after the Helvault was opened, Jeleva remains a constant threat to the province.
The Commander (2013 Edition) Card Image Gallery is updated every day with the latest card previews. Be prepared for the release on November 1, 2013!
Prossh, Skyraider of Kher – Commander (2013 Edition). The last time we saw Kher was its Scourge in Future Sight, and before that its Keep in Time Spiral. Legends gave us a pair of Kher Kobolds, but Kher was introduced with Alpha's Roc of Kher Ridges.
The Commander (2013 Edition) Card Image Gallery is updated every day with the latest card previews. Be prepared for the release on November 1, 2013!
Oloro, Ageless Ascetic – Commander (2013 Edition). A month or so ago, Magic player and all-around cool guy Chris Kluwe dropped by the office to play Commander (2013 Edition). We then asked him to reveal Oloro on Twitter for us last week. Fun!
The Commander (2013 Edition) Card Image Gallery is updated every day with the latest card previews. Be prepared for the release on November 1, 2013!
Derevi, Empyrial Tactician – Commander (2013 Edition). Derevi isn't the first Empyrial [something] in Magic, nor is she even the first Empyrial "Bant" (green, white, blue) card. That distinction goes to Empyrial Archangel, from Shards of Alara.
The Commander (2013 Edition) Card Image Gallery is updated every day with the latest card previews. Be prepared for the release on November 1, 2013!
Marath, Will of the Wild – Commander (2013 Edition). FYI, Marath has errata. "X can't be 0" was left off the card, so his second ability should read:
X, Remove X +1/+1 counters from Marath: Choose one — Put X +1/+1 counters on target creature; or Marath deals X damage to target creature or player; or put an X/X green Elemental creature token onto the battlefield. X can't be 0.
Karametra's Acolyte – Theros. For as long as it has existed, the word "acolyte" has meant "follower; attendant." And the word has existed for quite some time! It came to us from Ancient Greek (and probably before that from Proto-Indo-European), combining the a- prefix ("together with") with kolouthos ("road"). Okay, swell, but who is Karametra, then? Well… that will be revealed in the future.
Arena Athlete – Theros. The word "arena"... isn't Greek. Surprise! It's from Latin (and maybe from Etruscan before that), where it meant "a sand-strewn place of combat" (the sand was to soak up blood). Interestingly, while English took the word for its place meaning, Italian and Spanish adopted the sandy part, where arena means "sand." Oh, but don't worry, in keeping with the theme, "athlete" is Greek and has meant "someone who competes" pretty much since it was coined.
Returned Centaur – Theros. As you probably already know, "centaur" comes to us from Greek—specifically, kentauros. But etymologists shrug and mumble a bit when asked where the Greeks came up with the word; maybe it's from a Thessalian tribe of bull fighters (kenteo is "fight;" tauros is "bull") who... didn't have horse bodies. That's its own topic, though! The "turn" of "Returned" also comes to us ultimately from Greek, although it might have its roots in Proto-Indo-European (aka PIE).
Horizon Scholar – Theros. Okay, yes, the riddle of the sphinx is Greek, but this week is about words, not myths. (Spoilers!) English got the word "horizon" from French, which got it from Latin, which… yup… got it from Greek—in this case, horizon kyklos ("bounding circle"), ultimately from horos ("boundary"). And "scholar" also comes to us from the Greek skhole (by way of Latin), which meant "leisure, idleness, or learned discussion." Such a Greeky card!
Evangel of Heliod – Theros. The word "evangel" comes to English from French, which got it from Late Latin. As you might have guessed, since we're talking about Theros, it originated in Greece as euangelion ("good tidings"). It derives from the Greek angelos ("messenger"), which in turn is a translation of a Hebrew word possibly borrowed from… Persian? Whew! At any rate, it's quite an old word!
Akroan Horse – Theros. The famous finale to the long Trojan War came in the form of a large wooden horse. The Trojan Horse story is known to us mainly through the Latin poet Virgil's story, Aeneid, although it is mentioned in Homer's Odyssey (the events having occurred after Iliad).
Fleshmad Steed – Theros. The demigod Herakles (Latinized as Hercules), yet another son of Zeus, went mad at one point and killed his sons. Once he regained his sanity, he served penance by performing twelve labors for King Eurystheus. One of these dodekathlon (twelve labors), was to steal flesh-eating horses known as the Mares of Diomedes.
Fleetfeather Sandals – Theros. Among other things, Hermes was messenger of the gods in Greek mythology, and although he was probably pretty fast on his own, he wore a pair of winged sandals—gifts from his father, Zeus—that made him even faster.
Curse of the Swine – Theros. In Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus and his men land on an island controlled by the witch-goddess Circe, who promptly turns many of them into pigs. In return for a year of Odysseus's affection, she returns them to human and later aids them with information.
