MTG’s newest Mythic Rare Battle card has players casting for free

A new Magic: The Gathering Battle card from the upcoming March of the Machine set returns to the plane of Shandalar, tapping into the plane’s mana resources through an Enchantment called Leyline Surge.

Battle cards are a new card type in MTG, with each having a subtype mechanic attached to them. The subtype for March of the Machine (MOM) is Siege, which has players attack their own Battle to flip it to something even better.

Previewed by Adam at Loading Ready Run today on Twitch was the Battle Invasion of Shandalar and its backside Enchantment, Leyline Surge.

Invasion of Shandalar//Leyline Surge

The MTG Battle Invasion of Shandalar//Leyline Surge has a rarity of Mythic Rare and a casting cost of 3GG. Synergizing with the Golgari (Green and Black) graveyard theme, the Battle returns up to three permanents from the graveyard to hand upon entering the battlefield. 

Invasion of Shandalar

• Mana cost: 3GG
• Type: Battle—Siege
• Rarity: Mythic Rare
• Defense loyalty: Four
• Ability: When Invasion of Shandalar enters the battlefield, return up to three target permanent cards from your graveyard to your hand

It’s a solid ability for five mana that gets even better when the Battle is flipped to its backside. And defeating four counters isn’t that hard, especially in colors like Green and Black. 

Leyline Surge

• Type: Enchantment
• Rarity: Mythic Rare
• Ability: At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a permanent card from your hand onto the battlefield

The keyword in Leyline Surge’s ability is permanent. Most MTG cards that cast a free permanent once per turn from hand cost way more than five total mana. Grant it, there’s a hoop to jump through, but it’s not an overly difficult one.

There are Green Instant spells in MOM, like Tandem Takedown, that can target a Battle specifically through Fight and Bite abilities. And there are Sorcery spells like Render Inert that remove five counters from a target. 

Casting a permanent for free each turn is a highly valuable ability in all of Magic’s formats. Cityscape Leveler is a nasty Artifact creature to cast for free. But it won’t trigger the Artifact’s ability because it’s not an ETB effect but rather a casting one, and technically Leyline Surge is placing the permanent on the battlefield and not “casting” it. And there’s already a Golgari shell that uses cards like Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler, Old Stickfingers, and Deathbonnet Sprout.

Leyline Surge can also pull other Battle cards from the graveyard upon entering the battlefield, meaning it can pull itself should an opponent remove Leyline Surge from the battlefield. It has the potential to make an appearance in Standard and is a powerhouse in the Commander format. 

Players can test out Invasion of Shandalar//Leyline Surge and other MTG Battle cards at MOM prerelease events that start on April 14.

A digital launch of March of the Machine is scheduled for April 18.

Update March 31 6pm CT: Updated to clarify the difference between casting and putting a permanent on the battlefield.