Compiled by Eric Levine

With the release of Through the Omenpaths coming soon on MTG Arena, we thought you'd like some information on what to expect when you start playing with the new set! While I won't be going into detail on each individual card in this article, I thought you might like a primer on card legality as well as the set's new and returning mechanics.

If you'd like to see notes on any individual card, head over to Gatherer.Wizards.com and search our card database for that card.

General Notes

Card Legality

Cards from Through the Omenpaths are legal for play in all of your favorite MTG Arena formats: Standard, Alchemy, Historic, Pioneer, Timeless, Brawl, and more.

When you're opening packs of Through the Omenpaths, you'll also see cards from the Omenpaths Bonus Sheet. Those cards are legal for play in Historic, Timeless, and Brawl as well as any other format where a card with the same name is already permitted.

Go to Magic.Wizards.com/Formats for a complete list of formats and their permitted card sets and banned lists.

Go to Magic.Wizards.com/Commander for more information on the Commander variant.

Go to Locator.Wizards.com to find an event or store near you.

New Keyword Ability: Enweb

Enweb is a new keyword ability that allows players to cast a card with enweb for a cheaper cost if they also return a tapped creature they control to hand. "Enweb [cost]" means "You may cast this card by paying [cost] and returning a tapped creature you control to its owner's hand rather than paying its mana cost."

97862_OM1: Detect Intrusion

Detect Intrusion
{1}{U}
Instant
Enweb {U} (You may cast this spell for {U} if you also return a tapped creature you control to its owner's hand.)
Counter target instant spell, sorcery spell, or triggered ability.

97960_OM1: Borys, the Spider Rider

Borys, the Spider Rider
{1}{R}{G}
Legendary Creature — Spider Human Hero
4/3
Enweb {R}{G} (You may cast this spell for {R}{G} if you also return a tapped creature you control to its owner's hand.)
Trample
If Borys was cast using enweb, he enters with X +1/+1 counters on him, where X is the mana value of the returned creature.

  • Enweb represents an alternative cost. If another effect allows you to play a card for a different alternative cost, including "without paying its mana cost," you can't also choose to pay its enweb cost. If any additional costs from other sources are applied, you must pay those.
  • You must follow all normal timing rules when casting a spell with enweb. For creatures, that usually means you must cast it during a main phase of your turn while the stack is empty.
  • The creature you return must be tapped at the time you pay costs, but doesn't necessarily need to be tapped before you start casting the spell. For example, if you tap a creature with a mana ability to pay part of the spell's enweb cost, you could also return that creature to hand to pay the cost.
  • If any permanent has an ability that triggers when the permanent you return leaves the battlefield, that ability will be put on the stack after you finish casting the spell, and it will resolve before that spell.

New Keyword Ability: Mayhem

Mayhem is a new keyword ability that allows players to play a card from their graveyard if that card was discarded this turn. "Mayhem [cost]" means "You may cast this card from your graveyard if you discarded it this turn by paying [cost] rather than paying its mana cost."

97886_OM1: Wekhdu, Midnight Hunter

Wekhdu, Midnight Hunter
{2}{B}
Legendary Creature — Insect Villain
2/2
Flash
Flying
Mayhem {B} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for {B} if you discarded it this turn. Timing rules still apply.)

  • Mayhem represents an alternative cost that can be paid to cast a spell from your graveyard if you discarded the card with mayhem that turn. You must pay any additional costs the spell has.
  • You must follow all normal timing rules when casting a spell with mayhem. For example, you can't cast a creature card with mayhem you couldn't normally cast during an opponent's turn, even if you discard that card during an opponent's turn.

New Keyword Ability: Origin

One new card in this set, The Terminus of Return, has the origin ability. It also has an ability that allows you to "harness The Terminus of Return." This new keyword ability grants the listed ability as long as The Terminus of Return is harnessed.

97883_OM1: The Terminus of Return

The Terminus of Return
{1}{B}
Legendary Artifact — Terminus Stone
Indestructible
{T}: Add {B}.
{6}{B}, {T}, Exile a creature you control: Harness The Terminus of Return. (Once harnessed, its origin ability is active.)
Origin — At the beginning of your upkeep, return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.

  • "Harnessed" is a designation that the permanent has once an ability instructs you to harness it. It has no special rules meaning other than being a designation that the origin ability (and, theoretically, other effects) can see.
  • Until it is harnessed, The Terminus of Return doesn't have the ability listed after the word "origin." It also doesn't have that ability in zones other than the battlefield.
  • Being harnessed isn't copiable. If something else becomes a copy of The Terminus of Return, it must be harnessed separately. Similarly, if The Terminus of Return is already harnessed and becomes a copy of something else, it stays harnessed, though it's very likely that won't be relevant until that copy effect ends.

Returning Mechanic: Connive

Connive is a returning keyword action. When a creature connives, its controller draws a card, then discards a card. If the discarded card was a nonland card, they put a +1/+1 counter on that creature.

97954_OM1: Mob Lookout

Mob Lookout
{1}{U/B}
Creature — Human Rogue Villain
0/3
When this creature enters, target creature you control connives. (Draw a card, then discard a card. If you discarded a nonland card, put a +1/+1 counter on that creature.)

  • Once an ability that causes a creature to connive begins to resolve, no player may take any other actions until it's done. Notably, opponents can't try to remove the conniving creature after you discard a nonland card but before it receives a counter.
  • If no card is discarded, most likely because that player's hand is empty and an effect says they can't draw cards, the conniving creature does not receive a +1/+1 counter.
  • If a resolving spell or ability instructs a specific creature to connive without targeting that creature but that creature has left the battlefield, the creature still connives. If you discard a nonland card this way, you won't put a +1/+1 counter on anything. Abilities that trigger "when [that creature] connives" will trigger.

Returning Game Term: Modified

Modified is another returning mechanic in this set. Some cards in this set reward you for improving your creatures by referring to "modified" creatures. A creature you control is considered modified if it has at least one counter on it, if it's equipped, or if it's enchanted by an Aura you control.

97819_OM1: Costume Closet

Costume Closet
{1}{W}
Artifact
This artifact enters with two +1/+1 counters on it.
{T}: Move a +1/+1 counter from this artifact onto target creature you control. Activate only as a sorcery.
Whenever a modified creature you control leaves the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on this artifact. (Equipment, Auras you control, and counters are modifications.)

  • An Aura controlled by an opponent does not cause a creature you control to be modified.
  • A creature with a counter on it is considered modified no matter what kind of counter it is or which player put it on that creature.
  • A creature that is equipped is considered modified no matter who controls the Equipment that's attached to it.

Returning Mechanic: Double-Faced Cards

Double-faced cards are making a return, with some mechanical changes to how they work. The double-faced cards in this set are modal double-faced cards, which means you can cast either face from your hand, and they also have an ability that allows them to transform. Previously, modal double-faced cards couldn't transform, but a new rules change will allow any modal double-faced card to transform as long as its other face is a permanent. This change affects older modal double-faced cards as well.

97824a_OM1: Surris, Spidersilk Innovator

Surris, Spidersilk Innovator
{1}{W}
Legendary Creature — Human Scientist Hero
0/1
When Surris enters, create a 2/1 green Spider creature token with reach.
{1}{G}{W}{U}: Transform Surris. Activate only as a sorcery.
//
Surris, Silk-Tech Vanguard
{1}{G}{W}{U}
Legendary Creature — Spider Human Hero
4/4
Vigilance, reach
Each legendary spell you cast that's one or more colors has enweb {G}{W}{U}. (You may cast a spell for its enweb cost if you also return a tapped creature you control to its owner's hand.)

Playing with Modal Double-Faced Cards

  • To determine whether it is legal to play a modal double-faced card, consider only the characteristics of the face you're playing and ignore the other face's characteristics. For example, if an effect stops you from casting spells with mana value 2 or less, you can't cast Surris, Spidersilk Innovator, but you can still cast Surris, Silk-Tech Vanguard.
  • If an effect allows you to play a land or cast a spell from among a group of cards, you may play or cast a modal double-faced card with any face that fits the criteria of that effect. For example, if an effect allows you to cast Spider spells from your graveyard, you can cast Surris, Silk-Tech Vanguard, but not Surris, Spidersilk Innovator.
  • If an effect allows you to put a card with particular characteristics onto the battlefield without instructing you to play or cast it, you consider only the characteristics of a modal double-faced card's front face to see if that card qualifies. If it does, it enters the battlefield with its front face up.
  • The mana value of a modal double-faced card is based on the characteristics of the face that's being considered. On the stack or the battlefield, consider whichever face is up. In all other zones, consider only the front face. This is different than how the mana value of other double-faced cards is determined.
  • A modal double-faced card can be transformed or be put onto the battlefield transformed. This is a change from previous rules. If an effect instructs you to transform a modal double-faced card on the battlefield, it transforms only if its other face has a permanent type (that is, if its other face isn't an instant or sorcery). If it doesn't, it simply won't transform. Similarly, if an effect attempts to put a modal double-faced card onto the battlefield transformed, it will enter transformed if its back face has a permanent type. If it doesn't, it will simply stay in its current zone.

General Information on Double-Faced Cards

  • Each face of a double-faced card has its own set of characteristics: name, types, subtypes, abilities, and so on. While a double-faced card is on the stack or battlefield, consider only the characteristics of the face that's currently up. The other set of characteristics is ignored.
  • While a double-faced card isn't on the stack or battlefield, consider only the characteristics of its front face. For example, the above card has only the characteristics of Surris, Spidersilk Innovator in the graveyard, even if it was Surris, Silk-Tech Vanguard on the battlefield.
  • If an effect instructs a player to choose a card name, the name of either face may be chosen. If that effect or a linked ability refers to a spell with the chosen name being cast and/or a land with the chosen name being played, it considers only the chosen name, not the other face's name.
  • In the Brawl format, a double-faced card's color identity is determined by the mana costs and mana symbols in the rules text of both faces combined. If either face has a color indicator or basic land type, those are also considered.
  • Each double-faced card has an icon in the upper left or right corner of each face. For modal double-faced cards in this set, these icons are a single black triangle for the front face, and a double white triangle for the back face.

Through the Omenpaths releases on MTG Arena on September 23, 2025. Make sure to check out the Store tab, where you'll find preorder bundles to help you start your journey!