Return to Ravnica

For other uses, see Ravnica (disambiguation).

Return to Ravnica
Set symbol
Symbol description	A stylized mitre
Design team	Ken Nagle (lead), Zac Hill, Alexis Janson, Mark Rosewater, Ken Troop
Development team	Erik Lauer (lead), Zac Hill, Dave Humpherys, Tom LaPille, Adam Lee, Billy Moreno, Shawn Main
Release date	October 5, 2012
Themes and mechanics	Gates, Guilds, Hybrid mana
Keywords and/or ability words	Detain, Overload, Populate, Scavenge, Unleash
Set size	274 cards (25 basic lands, 101 commons, 80 uncommons, 53 rares, 15 mythic rares)
Expansion code	RTR
Development code name	Hook
Return to Ravnica block sets
Return to Ravnica	Gatecrash	Dragon's Maze
Magic: The Gathering chronology
Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari	Return to Ravnica	Commander's Arsenal

Return to Ravnica is the first set in the Return to Ravnica block. It is the 59^th Magic expansion and was released on October 5, 2012.

Set details

As is the case with the (original) Ravnica block, Return to Ravnica focuses on the guild system and multicolor cards. The returning guilds will be featured in the Return to Ravnica block, with five guilds — the Azorius Senate, Golgari Swarm, Izzet League, Cult of Rakdos, and Selesnya Conclave — are exhibited in Return to Ravnica expansion; the other five guilds appear in the following expansion, Gatecrash.

Furthermore, as Gatecrash does not feature any basic lands despite being a large expansion, Return to Ravnica featured 25 basic lands, 5 more than the usual 20 for a large set. Return to Ravnica also marked the first time that basic lands were printed in an expert expansion with previously used artwork, with one of each basic land type featuring artwork used in the Ravnica block.

Flavor and storyline

“

Choose Your Guild

”

As the name of the expansion implies, Return to Ravnica is set in Ravnica, a plane comprising a singular megalopolis or ecumenopolis, in which a vast and diverse variety of inhabitants co-exist. Prior to the events that transpired in Dissension, the law of city and plane of Ravnica was dictated by the Guildpact and was controlled in relative harmony by ten guilds, each of which representing a color pairing of the five colors of Magic; since Dissension, however, the Guildpact has been broken and the guilds, fallen.

In September 2012, Mark Rosewater confirmed that Magic novels would return as e-books, with Doug Beyer writing them.

Richard Whitters was the Return to Ravnica Lead Concept Artist. He, alongside Aleksi Briclot, Pete Mohrbacher, Wayne Reynolds, Sam Burley, Jeremy Jarvis, created the Return to Ravnica motif sheets and style guide.

On November 28, 2012, Doug Beyer introduced the novel written for Return to Ravnica as Return to Ravnica: The Secretist, with the first part being available from then onwards as an e-book. The novel is centered around the protagonist Jace Beleren, a young telepathic planeswalker.

Marketing

Jace and Niv-Mizzet

An early preview picture of the set shows Niv-Mizzet, the leader of the Izzet League, adjacent to planeswalker Jace Beleren.

Wizards of the Coast created a "Choose Your Guild" interactive quiz and Planeswalker Points Web page for the expansion, allowing Magic players to choose their guild. At the expansion's prerelease events, players chose their guild (whilst supplies lasted); a choice that affected gameplay, as, in addition to receiving five Return to Ravnica boosters, players received a guild-specific sticker, an acceptance letter from their guild leader, a spin-down life counter, a promotional prerelease card, an achievement/challenge card, and an additional guild-specific booster.

Promotional cards

For the first time, there were five promotional prerelease cards, with the card received dependent on the guild chosen. Another novel feature of the Return to Ravnica prerelease was the fact that the card could be played in decks at the prerelease itself, unlike previous promotional prerelease cards, were:

• Azorius: Archon of the Triumvirate
• Izzet: Hypersonic Dragon
• Rakdos: Carnival Hellsteed
• Golgari: Corpsejack Menace
• Selesnya: Grove of the Guardian

These cards were also available in the intro packs as foils, albeit without the alternate art and prerelease date.

Other alternate-art promotional cards were:

• Game Day: full-art Dryad Militant
• Game Day (Top 8): full-art Cryptborn Horror
• Release-day Friday Night Magic: Deadbridge Goliath
• Return to Ravnica League: Knight creature token with vigilance
• Buy-a-Box: Supreme Verdict

In addition to interactive online activities and promotional cards, after widespread interest expressed on the part of the people on Twitter, Wizards of the Coast paired up with licensing partner Araca to produce guild t-shirts and baseball caps.

• 

  Return to Ravnica logo with blue background

• 

  Azorius Senate guild acceptance letter

• 

  Golgari Swarm guild acceptance letter

• 

  Izzet League guild acceptance letter

• 

  Cult of Rakdos guild acceptance letter

• 

  Selesnya Conclave guild acceptance letter

• 

  A Return to Ravnica booster pack depicting Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage

• 

  A Return to Ravnica booster pack depicting Rix Maadi Guildmage

• 

  A Return to Ravnica booster pack depicting Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius

• 

  A Return to Ravnica booster pack depicting Korozda Guildmage

• 

  A Return to Ravnica booster pack depicting New Prahv Guildmage

• 

  RTR Game Day promotional card Dryad Militant

• 

  RTR Game Day (Top 8) promotional card Cryptborn Horror

• 

  RTR release-day Friday Night Magic promotional card Deadbridge Goliath

• 

  RTR League promotional Knight creature token card

• 

  RTR Buy-a-Box promotional card Supreme Verdict

• 

  RTR Azorius prerelease promotional card Archon of the Triumvirate

• 

  RTR Golgari prerelease promotional card Corpsejack Menace

• 

  RTR Izzet prerelease promotional card Hypersonic Dragon

• 

  RTR Rakdos prerelease promotional card Carnival Hellsteed

• 

  RTR Selesnya prerelease promotional card Grove of the Guardian

Tokens

Korozda Guildmage, a gold-mage and a producer of green 1/1 Saproling creature tokens.

Although there are advertising cards on them, one of which featuring Gideon Jura on its front face, there are no "Tips & Tricks" cards associated with Return to Ravnica.

The Return to Ravnica tokens, in the order in which they are listed, are:

1. 1/1 Bird with flying produced by Eyes in the Sky and Seller of Songbirds
2. 2/2 Knight with vigilance produced by Knightly Valor, Security Blockade, and Selesnya Charm
3. 1/1 Soldier produced by Precinct Captain
4. 1/1 Assassin with "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, that player loses the game." produced by Vraska the Unseen
5. 6/6 Dragon with flying produced by Utvara Hellkite
6. 1/1 Goblin produced by Goblin Rally and Survey the Wreckage
7. 3/3 Centaur produced by Call of the Conclave, Centaur's Herald, Coursers' Accord and Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage
8. X/X Ooze produced by Slime Shaping
9. 4/4 Rhino with trample produced by Horncaller's Chant
10. 1/1 Saproling produced by Korozda Guildmage
11. 5/5 Wurm with trample produced by Armada Wurm and Worldspine Wurm
12. 8/8 Elemental with vigilance produced by Grove of the Guardian

Themes and mechanics

Return to Ravnica revisits five of the ten Ravnica block bicolored guilds, each of which with its own keyword or ability word that is similar but not identical to the original one.

Guild	Colors	Guild symbol	Legendary guild members	Keyword or ability word	Notes
Azorius Senate			Isperia, Lavinia	Detain	"Control" theme (tapping effects, "bounce" effects, counterspells, "taxation" effects) Combat abilities, particularly "Flying" and "Vigilance", and effects subtheme
Golgari Swarm			Jarad, Varloz	Scavenge	"Graveyard matters" subtheme
Izzet League			Niv-Mizzet, Melek	Overload	Spells subtheme
Cult of Rakdos			Rakdos, Exava	Unleash	"+1/+1 counters matters" subtheme
Selesnya Conclave			Trostani, Emmara Tandris	Populate	Weenie token and, more broadly, creature token subthemes

Other themes and mechanics include:

• Defender
• Enchantments
  • Land auras
• Gates

Creature types

No novel creature types were introduced in this expansion.

The following creature types that are not new to Magic are used in this expansion:

• Advisor
• Angel
• Archon
• Assassin
• Beast
• Berserker
• Bird
• Cat
• Centaur
• Cleric
• Construct
• Crocodile
• Demon
• Devil
• Dragon
• Drake
• Druid
• Dryad
• Elemental
• Elephant
• Elf
• Elk
• Faerie
• Fungus
• Giant
• Goblin
• Griffin
• Homunculus
• Horror
• Horse
• Hound
• Human
• Illusion
• Imp
• Insect
• Knight
• Lizard
• Minotaur
• Nightmare
• Ogre
• Ooze
• Pegasus
• Plant
• Rat
• Rat
• Rhino
• Rogue
• Scorpion
• Scout
• Shade
• Shaman
• Skeleton
• Slug
• Soldier
• Sphinx
• Spider
• Spirit
• Troll
• Vampire
• Vedalken
• Viashino
• Wall
• Warrior
• Weird
• Wizard
• Wurm
• Zombie

Cycles

Guild cycles

For cycles that are part of the guild mega cycles, see Return to Ravnica block#Mega cycles.

Guild cycles in Return to Ravnica each comprise of five members, one for each guild featured in the expansion. Along with many of the Gatecrash guild cycles, many of the Return to Ravnica guild cycles form Return to Ravnica block mega cycles.

Cycle name	Description and notes	Azorius	Golgari	Izzet	Rakdos	Selesnya
Uncounterable spells	Each of these rare multicolored spells with the ability to not be (conventionally) countered.	Supreme Verdict	Abrupt Decay	Counterflux	Slaughter Games	Loxodon Smiter

Pairs

Matched pairs

Return to Ravnica has one matched pair.

• Chemister's Trick and Teleportal are both multicolored non-permanent spells costing and have Overload . Whereas Chemister's Trick shrinks opponents' creatures until end of turn and forces them to attack, Teleportal pumps your creatures and makes them unblockable until end of turn.

Mirrored pairs

Return to Ravnica has one mirrored pair.

• Downsize and Dynacharge are both multicolored spells that cost C and have Overload C. Whereas Downsize shrinks opponents' creatures, Dynacharge grows your Both are spells costing one mana with Overload at three mana each. Downsize shrinks opposing creatures while Dynacharge pumps your creatures.

Although Rakdos' Return and Sphinx's Revelation are an apparent mirrored pair, with their similar, but opposite, effects and similar, but non-identical, casting costs, Mark Rosewater has stated they are not in fact a mirrored pair, neither intentionally nor unintentionally, on multiple occasions. Furthermore, the sphinx referred to in Sphinx's Revelation is not, or at least not necessarily, Isperia, the guildmaster of the Azorius Senate in the Return to Ravnica block. Rosewater has, however, said that Magic players, being who they are, will invariably think that the two cards are a mirrored pair, and that they are what people see them to be; either a mirrored pair or not.

Reprinted cards

Card	Introduced in	Featured in	Notes
Arrest	Mercadian Masques	Mirrodin, Scars of Mirrodin
Cancel	Time Spiral	10th Edition, Shards of Alara, Magic 2010, Zendikar, Magic 2011, Magic 2012
Cremate	Invasion	Guildpact	First printed as an uncommon; later reprinted as a common
Dispel	Worldwake
Giant Growth	Limited Edition	Ice Age, all core sets from Unlimited to Magic 2011
Heroes' Reunion	Invasion		New to Modern; Archenemy, however, was the first to print it in the new card frame
Inspiration	Visions	6th Edition, 7th Edition, 8th Edition
Mind Rot	Portal	Portal Second Age, 7th Edition, 8th Edition, 9th Edition, 10th Edition, Magic 2011, Magic 2012, Magic 2013
Paralyzing Grasp	Zendikar
Pithing Needle	Saviors of Kamigawa	10th Edition, Magic 2010
Seek the Horizon	Saviors of Kamigawa
Shocklands	Ravnica: City of Guilds, Guildpact, Dissension
Syncopate	Odyssey		New to Modern; first printed as a common; later reprinted as an uncommon
Tower Drake	Invasion		New to Modern
Traitorous Instinct	Rise of the Eldrazi
Keening Apparition			Functional reprint of Kami of Ancient Law (Champions of Kamigawa) and Ronom Unicorn (Coldsnap)
Towering Indrik			Functional reprint of Giant Spider (Limited Edition) and Giant Mantis (Mirage)
Transguild Promenade			Functional reprint of Rupture Spire (Conflux)

Preconstructed decks

Return to Ravnica block preconstructed theme decks
Return to Ravnica intro packs: Azorius Advance () | Izzet Ingenuity () | Rakdos Raid () | Golgari Growth () | Selesnya Surge ()
Return to Ravnica event decks: Creep and Conquer () | Wrack and Rage ()
Gatecrash intro packs: Boros Battalion () | Dimir Dementia () | Gruul Goliaths () | Orzhov Oppression () | Simic Synthesis ()
Gatecrash event decks: Rally and Rout () | Thrive and Thrash ()
Dragon's Maze intro packs: Azorius Authority () | Orzhov Power () | Rakdos Revelry () | Gruuel Siege () | Simic Domination ()
Dragon's Maze event deck: Strength of Selesneya ()
Related pages: Return to Ravnica block/Preconstructed theme decks • Return to Ravnica block preconstructed decks • Ravnica block/Preconstructed theme decks • Return to Ravnica block theme decks

Intro packs

Return to Ravnica has five bicolored guild-centric intro packs.

Intro pack name	Colors included					Foil rare
	White	Blue	Black	Red	Green
Azorius Advance	□	■				Archon of the Triumvirate
Izzet Ingenuity		■		■		Hypersonic Dragon
Rakdos Raid			■	■		Carnival Hellsteed
Golgari Growth			■		■	Corpsejack Menace
Selesnya Surge	□				■	Grove of the Guardian

Event decks

Return to Ravnica has two bicolored event decks.

Event deck name	Colors included
	White	Blue	Black	Red	Green
Creep and Conquer			■		■
Wrack and Rage			■	■

External links

• Return to Ravnica product information page — Wizards of the Coast
• Guilds of Ravnica — Wizards of the Coast
• Wizards of the Coast. "Return to Ravnica Frequently Asked Questions", Daily MTG, magicthegathering.com, Wizards of the Coast.

Contributors

Acrispmichael, Barinellos, Chaosof99, Circeus, Coreydragon, DeathHacker, GeoMike, Hunter61, JaceWeCan, Jarad, Killkong1211, Kraken Chowder 101, Magic Mage, Miraika, Paolino, Paranoid600, Sete, Sho, Spike, TheRack, Viperesque, Votan, Yami Michael