MTG Darkhold Destiny: Marvel Villains Take Over

Did you catch the Magic: The Gathering panel at New York Comic Con? If not, you missed a big one. Wizards of the Coast announced Darkhold Destiny, the third Marvel set for MTG, and it's bringing some serious villainous energy to the multiverse.

Unlike the first two Marvel sets that stuck to existing comic storylines, Darkhold Destiny lets Wizards cook up its own original tale. The set pits Doctor Strange, Thor, and Ghost Rider against Hela and Dormammu, who are invading the multiverse. It's a darker, more Magic-appropriate vibe, and we're here for it.

So what new mechanics can you expect? There's Vengeance, which works like the Adventure mechanic from Throne of Eldraine but with an evil twist. Hela's card introduces this keyword, letting you cast her from the graveyard—if she's your commander, you can send her to the graveyard, then cast her from there and put her in the command zone, creating a neat loop. They also brought back Arcane, a subtype not seen since the Kamigawa block in the 2000s, with new modal spells like the red 'Rise From the Nether' that makes 3/1 creature tokens. Plus, there's a new card type called Dimension, though Wizards is keeping details under wraps for now. And let's not forget The Darkhold, a legendary artifact that taps for sin counters and draws you cards—like an evil One Ring.

The set is themed around three types of magic: Arcane for Doctor Strange and company, Divine for gods like Thor, and Dark Magic for villains like Hela and Dormammu. But some heroes might dabble in Dark Magic too. Magik also joins as a dual-faced card, transforming into Darkchild and able to pay 4 life for indestructible—making her hard to kill. The basic lands even tell a story, with two variants each: one before the invasion and one after.

Product-wise, there's a lot coming. You'll find Booster Packs, Collector Boosters, Prerelease Packs, and Draft Night kits. Four Commander decks are on the way: Strange Academy (WUB), Gods of Asgard (RGW), Midnight Sons (WB), and Lords of Hel (BR), each with surge foil Collector's Editions. Two bundles—regular and 'Arcanum'—each include a mechanically unique promo card, and there are two scene boxes with unique cards as well. Secret Lair drops inspired by Dr. Doom are also coming, with a special promo for Avengers Doomsday available at Regal Cinemas opening weekend. A new Secret Lair countdown kit with 30 cards launches November 2nd, with chances for foil and surge foil versions.

Don't forget the crossover comics from Infinity Comics: the first issue drops in February, with another closer to the set's release. Darkhold Destiny hits stores on April 8th next year, but Wizards is holding plenty of details close to its chest. And there are still two more Universes Beyond sets coming next year that we know nothing about.

What do you think of Darkhold Destiny? Are you excited to build around Hela and Dormammu? Let us know in the comments!