Odyssey
From MTG Salvation Wiki
- For other uses, see Odyssey (disambiguation).
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|---|---|---|
| Symbol | 
| |
| Design Team | Mark Rosewater (lead) Mike Donais Richard Garfield William Jockusch Henry Stern | |
| Development Team | Randy Buehler (lead) Michael Donais Mike Elliott William Jockusch Henry Stern | |
| Release Date | September 21, 2001 | |
| Mechanics | filter lands, Graveyard matters, "symbiotes", token creatures, unorthodox tribes | |
| Keywords/ Ability words | Flashback, Threshold | |
| Size | 350 (110 Common 110 Uncommon 110 Rare 20 Land) | |
| Expansion Code | ODY | |
| Development Codename | Argon | |
| Sets in Odyssey block | ||
| Odyssey | Torment | Judgment |
| Magic: The Gathering Chronology | ||
| Apocalypse | Odyssey | Torment |
Odyssey is the twenty-fifth Magic expansion and was released in 2001 as the first set in the Odyssey block.
Contents |
[edit] Mechanics and themes
Odyssey introduced the keywords "threshold", which gave all cards with the ability additional bonuses once seven or more cards were in their controller's graveyard; and "flashback", which allowed instants and sorceries to be replayed from within the graveyard. In order to facilitate this "Graveyard matters" theme, the set also included a large number of cards with discard and sacrifice based activated abilities. In order to make the setting distinct from the Weatherlight Saga, most of the standard creature types such as elves and goblins were removed and replaced with new or unusual tribes: barbarians, birds, centaurs, cephalids, druids, dwarves, and insects, among others. Other minor themes included a number of token generating cards.
[edit] Protection
There are four new protection abilities in the Odyssey set.
- Protection from all colors: This grants a creature five different protection abilities. These are protection from white, from blue, from black, from red, and from green. (Iridescent Angel)
- Protection from creatures: A creature with this ability can't be blocked by creatures, it can't be the target of abilities from creatures, and all damage that would be dealt to it from creatures is prevented. (Beloved Chaplain)
- Protection from enchantments: A creature with this ability can't be blocked by creatures that are also enchantments. It can't be the target of enchantment spells or abilities from enchantments. All damage that would be dealt to it from enchantments is prevented. The creature can't be enchanted by enchantments. (Tattoo Ward)
- Protection from instant spells and from sorcery spells: A permanent with this ability can't be the target of instant spells or sorcery spells. If the permanent is a creature, all damage that would be dealt to it from instant spells and sorcery spells is prevented. (Devoted Caretaker)
[edit] Cycles
Odyssey has 16 cycles:
- Alternate victory enchantment mega cycle: Starting with Battle of Wits and Chance Encounter in Odyssey, and followed by Mortal Combat in Torment and Epic Struggle and Test of Endurance in Judgment, each card in this cycle allowed you to win the game straight away if certain unusual conditions (such as having 200 cards or more in your library) were met.
- Atogs: Five allied-color gold creatures with a converted mana cost of
, this cycle was a reference to the atog mega cycle from previous sets. Unlike previous atogs, however, each of which could be given +2/+2 to power and toughness by sacrificing a specific resource (save Chronatog, which got +3/+3), the Odyssey atogs only got +1/+1, but each had two different resources they could "eat." The atogs of Odyssey, their colors, and their diets of choice were — Phantatog (white/blue, enchantments and cards in hand), Psychatog (blue/black, cards in hand and cards in graveyard), Sarcatog (black/red, cards in graveyard and artifacts, Lithatog (red/green, artifacts and lands), and Thaumatog (green/white, lands and enchantments). In addition, the set also featured Atogatog, a legendary atog "lord" who ate its own kind; Atogatog could be given +X/+X by sacrificing another atog, where X is the sacrificed atog's power.
- Bursts: When each of these common instants takes effect, it takes effect again a number of times equal to the number of cards with the same name in all graveyards — Life Burst, Æther Burst, Mind Burst, Flame Burst, and Muscle Burst.
- Eggs: Each of these uncommon artifacts has "
, 
, sacrifice this egg: Add (one mana each of two allied colors) to your mana pool. Draw a card." — Skycloud Egg (
), Darkwater Egg (
), Shadowblood Egg (
), Mossfire Egg (
), and Sungrass Egg ().
- Filter lands: Five rare lands that had "
, : Add (one mana each of two allied colors) to your mana pool." The dual lands were — Skycloud Expanse (white/blue), Darkwater Catacombs (blue/black), Shadowblood Ridge (black/red), Mossfire Valley (red/green) and Sungrass Prairie (green/white). The theme would be revisited in the Ravnica block with the "signet" mega cycle.
- Hounds: Each of these common 2/2 Hound creatures has a cost of C — Patrol Hound, Phantom Whelp, Filthy Cur, Mad Dog, and Wild Mongrel.
- Lhurgoyfs: These rare creatures' power and toughness are equal the number of cards of a given related card type to its colour in all graveyards, and each had an ability common to its color. — Cantivore (white, empowered by enchantments, has vigilance), Cognivore (blue, instants, flying), Mortivore (black, creatures, regeneration), Magnivore (red, sorceries, haste) and Terravore (green, lands, trample). Magnivore and Mortivore were reprinted in 9th Edition.
- Rare gold spells: Each of these rare spells is two colors: Iridescent Angel, Shadowmage Infiltrator, Vampiric Dragon, Decimate, and Mystic Enforcer.
- Retrievers: When one of these common 2/2 creatures comes into play, you may return target card of a certain type from your graveyard to your hand — Auramancer, Scrivener, Gravedigger, Anarchist and Cartographer. All were reprinted from the Tempest block save Auramancer, which replaced Treasure Hunter.
- Rites: Each of these common instants allows you to discard any number of cards at random to get a varying effect from the spell. The cards are discarded when the Rites spell resolves, so you don't discard any cards if the spell is countered — Last Rites, Rites of Initiation, Rites of Refusal, Rites of Spring and Sacred Rites.
- Sac lands — These common lands came into play tapped. Each could be tapped for one mana of the appropriate color, or tapped and sacrificed for one mana of any color. Each land represented former bastions of civilization engulfed by nature in the wake of Apocalypse — Abandoned Outpost, Seafloor Debris, Bog Wreckage, Ravaged Highlands and Timberland Ruins.
- Spheres: The five Spheres prevent 2 damage to you each time a source of the appropriate color would deal damage to you. If a source would deal damage to you more than once in a turn, the Sphere prevents 2 of that damage each time the source deals damage to you — Sphere of Duty, Sphere of Grace, Sphere of Law, Sphere of Reason and Sphere of Truth.
- Threshold lands: These uncommon lands could be tapped for one mana of the appropriate color at the expense of 1 point of damage, or sacrificed for the cost of one mana of the that color for a color-appropriate effect if threshold was met. Each land represented the pit arenas used by Otaria's different cultures in the Cabal's gladiatorial system — Nomad Stadium, Cephalid Coliseum, Cabal Pit, Barbarian Ring and Centaur Garden.
[edit] Vertical cycles
- Flashback token makers: — Each of these green sorceries with flashback creates a green token creature — Chatter of the Squirrel creates a 1/1 Squirrel token, Call of the Herd creates a 3/3 Elephant token, Roar of the Wurm creates a 6/6 Wurm token. Each of these tokens is green. The first sorcery has a flashback cost of , the last two both have a flashback cost of .
- Punisher spells: Each of these red spells gives the opponent a "choice of evils" from which to choose, between an adverse effect or direct damage — Blazing Salvo (common), Lava Blister (uncommon), and Molten Influence (rare).
- Thought Eaters: Each of these blue Beast creatures has flying and reduces your maximum hand size — Thought Nibbler (common), Thought Eater (uncommon), and Thought Devourer (rare).
[edit] Mirrored pair
Odyssey has one mirrored pair.
- Wayward Angel (white) and Repentant Vampire (black) are both flying creatures with a creature type iconic for their color (Angel and Vampire). They both become the others color and gain some additional abilities if Threshold is reached.
[edit] Notable cards
Notable cards from the set include:
- Psychatog — Widely considered to be one of the best creatures ever printed for its synergy.
- Wild Mongrel — Considered one of the best two-drops printed.
- Roar of the Wurm and Call of the Herd — Two strong flashback spells.
- Werebear and Nimble Mongoose — Two strong threshold creatures.
- Entomb — The utility set-up tutor. Restricted in Vintage, banned in Extended.
- Upheaval — A mass-bounce spell.
- Shadowmage Infiltrator — Jon Finkel's invitational card.
- Mudhole — The infamously bad card.
[edit] Reprinted cards
The following cards have been reprinted from previous sets and included in Odyssey.
- Anarchist — was last seen in Exodus.
- Angelic Wall — was last seen in Portal Second Age.
- Buried Alive — was last seen in Weatherlight.
- Cartographer — was last seen in Exodus.
- Gallantry — was last seen in Tempest.
- Gravedigger — was last seen in 7th Edition.
- Overrun — was last seen in Tempest.
- Patchwork Gnomes — was last seen in Tempest.
- Scrivener — was last seen in Exodus.
[edit] Functional reprints
Odyssey has ten functional reprints:
- Aven Cloudchaser is a functional reprint of Cloudchaser Eagle from Tempest.
- Aven Fisher is a functional reprint of Kingfisher from Urza's Destiny.
- Battle Strain is a functional reprint of Heat of Battle from Stronghold.
- Druid Lyrist is a functional reprint of Elvish Lyrist from Seventh Edition, save for creature type.
- Dusk Imp is a functional reprint of Feral Shadow from Starter and Moaning Spirit from Portal Second Age, save for creature type.
- Dwarven Grunt is a functional reprint of Goblin Mountaineer from Starter, Mountain Goat from Sixth Edition and Zodiac Goat from Portal Three Kingdoms, save for creature type.
- Leaf Dancer is a functional reprint of Cat Warriors from Sixth Edition, save for creature type.
- Piper's Melody is a functional reprint of Renewing Touch from Portal Second Age.
- Psionic Gift is a functional reprint of Hermetic Study from Urza's Saga.
- Woodland Druid is a functional reprint of Norwood Ranger from Starter, save for creature type.
[edit] Misprint
- A small number of Cephalid Looter cards were printed with the card type of Cephalid Wizard instead of just Cephalid.
[edit] Theme decks
The pre-constructed theme decks are:
| Theme deck name | |||||
| White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | |
| Liftoff | □ | ■ | |||
| One-Two Punch | ■ | ■ | |||
| Pressure Cooker | ■ | ■ | |||
| Trounce-O-Matic | ■ | ■ | |||
[edit] External links
- Note: www.magicodyssey.com, redirects to the above link. The content still exists though: [1]
