Alternative ways to play Magic: The Gathering Limited Draft continue through Jumpstart with the March of the Machine version containing 15 unique cards that aren’t in the regular set.
Players who don’t like crafting decks but enjoy the Limited format in Magic have new cards to play with on April 14 through the release of March of the Machine Jumpstart. Similar to past Standard set released Jumpstart booster packs, there are five themes (one for each MTG color), with two variations per theme for a total of 10.
Each theme contains a Rare Jumpstart MOM card players won’t find in March of the Machine regular products like Draft and set booster packs.
- White Brood theme: Essence of Orthodoxy
- Overachiever Blue theme: Interdisciplinary Mascot
- Black Expandable theme: Terror of Towashi
- Red Reinforcement theme: Othion, Hero of Lavabrink
- Green Buff theme: Surrak and Goreclaw
Each MOM Jumpstart booster pack will contain a Rare/Mythic Rare, two foil-treated lands, and cards that synergize with the theme of the booster pack. Players don’t have to craft decks. Instead, they take two random packs and shuffle them together to play.
Also included in the 10 variant Jumpstart MOM booster packs are one Uncommon, one Common, two Traditional foil lands, one full-art basic land, and five non-foil basic cards. A full card list of each theme is available on the WotC website.
Five Rare MOM Jumpstart cards
Essence of Orthodoxy
One of the new mechanics in the MOM set that synergizes with Phyrexian creatures is Incubate. The mechanic creates an Artifact token that can get flipped by paying two mana, having a power and toughness equal to the Incubate number. Essence of Orthodoxy has Incubate two as it or another Phyrexian enters the battlefield.
As a five-drop 3/3 Flyer, the Phyrexian in White is slightly under par for a Rare. If the Jumpstart White theme is packed with Phyrexians, though, the Incubate ability might have a strong payoff within Limited gameplay.
Interdisciplinary Mascot
Interdisciplinary Mascot highlights a returning MTG mechanic in the MOM set called Convoke. The mechanic lets a player tap their creatures to assist in paying the mana cost on the Convoke spell. This can be a trap sometimes, and the Blue Jumpstart themes will need to support a going wide strategy for Interdisciplinary Mascot to work properly.
Should a player cast Interdisciplinary Mascot, the elemental is a 5/5 with Ward three. And it has an ETB effect that provides card advantage.
Terror of Towashi
Terror of Towashi is a solid Rare, costing only 2BB to cast with a 4/3 body and Deathtouch as a keyword. The Phyrexian Orge will block and survive most attacks or apply massive amounts of pressure each turn by attacking.
Attacking is what Terror of Towashi wants to do to activate the ogre’s mana sink ability. By attacking and paying 3B, a player may reanimate a creature from the graveyard to the battlefield while also making it a Phyrexian in addition to its other types.
Orthion, Hero of Lavabrink
In addition to having massive amounts of text, Orthion, Hero of Lavabrink is a strong card with the right support. The four-drop 3/3 has two activation abilities, of which only the first is likely to get used. By paying 1R and tapping Orthion, players can create a token copy of a creature and give it Haste. That token then gets sacrificed at the beginning of the next end step.
The second activated ability does the same, but it creates five token copies at the cost of 6RRR, which is likely never to happen in a match.
Surrak and Goreclaw
Of the five MOM Jumpstart Rare cards, Surrak and Goreclaw are the strongest. The human-bear costs 4GG to cast, has 6/5 stats, and Trample. But what sets it apart is Surrak and Goreclaw give other creatures you control Trample. In the right build, the human bear is a viable threat.
As an added bonus, Surrak and Goreclaw have another ability that gives +1/+1 counters to non-token creatures entering the battlefield while also giving them Haste until the end of the turn.
Non-Rare unique Jumpstart MOM cards
In addition to the unique Rare cards found within MOM Jumpstart booster packs, each color has two low-rarity cards that are also not featured in regular booster packs.
White
- Phyrexian Pegasus
- Seedpod Caretaker
Blue
- Zephyr Winder
- Referee Squad
Black
- Injector Crocodile
- Seer of Stolen Sight
Red
- Cragsmasher Yeti
- Axgard Artisan
Green
- Fairgrounds Trumpeter
- Ruins Recluse
Update April 11, 9am CT: All non-Rare MOM Jumpstart cards were added, along with the contents of each booster pack.
Published: Apr 12, 2023 12:09 am