2.8 RELEASE NOTES

*Since the Communications team will be busy traveling to Gen Con tomorrow, we have decided to post the Final Release Notes a day early. Enjoy!

General Changes

Mana Fill Feedback

• Currently when you match gems, the “+X” mana gain prompt appears over the gem board itself. This can sometimes be hard to see, due to the color palette of the board, and the other variety of information present on it. With this change, the mana gain prompt will appear next to the card it’s filling up, and loyalty gain prompts will appear next to your Planeswalker’s image.

Rearranging Cards in Hand

• During our tests, we noticed that a large number of first-time players were unaware that they could rearrange cards in their hand. This had a significant impact on their play experience, so we are adding UI indicators next to cards to more clearly signify that they can be rearranged.

Shield Number Icon On Support Cards

• By popular demand, we have now added the number of Shields a Support has onto the card itself.

Coalition Leadership Change Feature

• Also by popular demand, Coalition Leaders will now have the option to change who is the Leader in their Coalition in-game.

Known Display Issue

New Card Set: Core Set 2019

Join us as we uncover the contentious history between Nicol Bolas and his twin brother Ugin.

Core Set 2019 is officially coming to Magic: The Gathering – Puzzle Quest, and with it comes 6 new Planeswalkers, 2 new Events, and 212 brand new cards!

Standard Rotation

With Core Set 2019’s arrival, the card sets within Standard will be changing. Hour of Devastation will no longer be in Standard, and Core Set 2019 will be rotating in! Origins will still remain in Standard.

Planeswalkers

Nicol Bolas, the Ravager / Nicol Bolas, the Arisen (Available Now!)

Almost before time itself, the conflict between the Elder Dragons tore the fabric of countless planes. Becoming a Planeswalker, Nicol Bolas emerged victorious, one of the few survivors. Since then, the god-like Bolas has risen to be the most powerful dragon between planes, conquering thousands of realms, followers and immeasurable magic knowledge.

(When transformed into Nicol Bolas, the Arisen)
Perhaps the oldest Planeswalker in existence, Nicol Bolas rules over multiple planes and hoards incalculable treasures. When rifts in time threatened Dominaria, Bolas helped heal the plane, sacrificing his omnipotence and immortality. Mortal, but still a dragon, he used his magic knowledge and intellect to woven schemes that would lead him back to divinity.

Bolas’s Spark: This support can’t be destroyed or exiled. At the beginning of every turn, gain 2 Loyalty.

Major Bolas’s Omnipotence: At the beginning of every turn, this support loses 1 shield. Your opponent can’t draw cards.

Ajani, Adversary of Tyrants

Ajani Goldmane’s magic purifies the body and soul, evoking his allies’ inner essence. On his homeplane of Alara, he confronted and defeated Nicol Bolas by turning the dragon’s soul against him. Driven by his sense of justice, Ajani joined the Gatewatch and became an advisor to leonin communities on many planes and a mentor to other heroes, particularly Planeswalkers.

Major Ajani’s Pride: At the beginning of your turn, create 6 Cat tokens.

Liliana, Untouched by Death

Liliana Vess specializes in the power of death, reanimating corpses and corrupting the living. Her desire to avoid her own death led her to another powerful Planeswalker: Nicol Bolas. Bolas brokered a pact between Liliana and four demons from the Multiverse, giving her immense magical power and ageless life. Subsequently, she resolved to free herself from the demons’ control by any means necessary.

Sarkhan, Fireblood

Sarkhan Vol’s obsession with dragons led him to pledge loyalty to the mighty Nicol Bolas. But Ajani’s victory over his master made his mind start to unravel. He was sent to Zendikar, where his festering madness contributed to the release of the Eldrazi – all according to Bolas’ secret plan. Sarkhan returned to his native Tarkir, travelling into ancient history to restore the dragons to his home plane.

Tezzeret, Artifice Master

Native of the plane of Alara, Tezzeret is an artificer and master of etherium crafting. While young, he replaced his own arm with an artificial etherium limb. He agreed to serve Nicol Bolas in exchange for power, and most recently was integral to the construction of a device to open portals between planes. Although Bolas’s enemies though the device was destroyed, Tezzeret incorporated the mechanisms into his body, becoming a planar bridge himself.

Major Tezzeret’s Craftsmanship: At the beginning of your turn, fetch the first first creature and support from your library. They gain full mana.

Vivien Reid

Vivien is a guardian and guide from the once forested plane of Skala, ravaged by arrival of Nicol Bolas. Vivien’s mentor imbued her arkbow with invocations in a desperate attempt to repel the ragon. As the woodland burned, her Planeswalker spark ignited and she became a guide to the forests and animals of the Multiverse, using her arkbow’s invocations to her defense.

Mechanics

Flash

Flash is being adapted into MtGPQ, and with it, players can stay one more step ahead of your opponents:

• “Before your opponent’s creatures attack, if this card is Disabled, cast it.”

Stored Mana

Stored Mana cards will store mana above their base cost up to a maximum, and can only be cast if their stored mana is 1 or more. Players will have an opportunity to cast spells with this ability, if they reach max Stored Mana due to cascades and/or other effects, regardless of the auto-cast. This will allow players a chance to immediately cast them, if they get lucky on their matches.

Events

The Dragon War – Standard PVP Coalition

Choose your side on the Dragon War and make alliances with the Elder Dragon to subdue your foes. Each node allows only a specific combination of colors related to that dragon, and gives the player special abilities that are triggered whenever he or she activates a Planeswalker ability.

Node A: Arcades’ Strategy

• Planeswalker Color Restrictions: White, Blue, and Green
• Special Rules:
  • The following effects are added to your Planeswalker’s abilities:
    • 1st Ability: Draw a card, then give it X mana.
    • 2nd Ability: Your creatures gain Flying and Vigilance until the beginning of your next turn.
    • 3rd Ability: Your creatures get +X/+0, where X is equal to their toughness.
• Objectives
  • Summon X or more Creatures during a single turn.
  • Cast X creatures with toughness Y or more.

Node B: Chromium’s Transformations

• Planeswalker Color Restrictions: White, Blue, and Black
• Special Rules:
  • The following effects are added to your Planeswalker’s abilities:
    • 1st Ability: Cards in your hand can’t be drained, raised, or discarded by opponent’s effects until the beginning of your next turn.
    • 2nd Ability: Creatures you control lose all their buffs and gain Hexproof until the beginning of your next turn.
    • 3rd Ability: All cards in your hand gain Flash
• Objectives
  • Cast X or more Spells during a single turn.
  • Cast X spells with cost Y or less.

Node C: Nicol Bolas’s Rising

• Planeswalker Color Restrictions: Blue, Black, and Red
• Special Rules:
  • The following effects are added to your Planeswalker’s abilities:
    • 1st Ability: Deals X damage to your opponent’s Planeswalker.
    • 2nd Ability: Return the first creature from your graveyard to play under your control.
    • 3rd Ability: If your opponent would draw cards during their next turn, you draw that many cards instead. Those cards gain full mana.
• Objectives
  • Deal X damage during a single turn.
  • Win with only cards that cost X or more mana.

Node D: Vaevictis Atrocities

• Planeswalker Color Restrictions: Black, Red, and Green
• Special Rules:
  • The following effects are added to your Planeswalker’s abilities:
    • 1st Ability: Destroy an Enchantment support your opponent controls.
    • 2nd Ability: Destroy an Artifact support your opponent controls.
    • 3rd Ability: Destroy the first creature your opponent controls.
• Objectives
  • Cast X supports with cost Y or less.
  • Cast X creatures with cost Y or less.

Node E: Palladia-Mors’ Devastation

• Planeswalker Color Restrictions: White, Red, and Green
• Special Rules:
  • The following effects are added to your Planeswalker’s abilities:
    • 1st Ability: Your first creature deals damage equal to its power to the first creature your opponent controls.
    • 2nd Ability: Your creatures gain Berserker, Trample, and Prevent Damage until end of turn.
    • 3rd Ability: Your creatures gain “Whenever this creature becomes the target of a Spell, it gets X/Y”
• Objectives
  • Cast X creatures with power Y or more.
  • Cast X or more damage to creatures during a fight.

Training Grounds – Standard PVP

You asked for it, and now it’s finally here! Test your Standard deck in the new Standard version of Training Grounds. Train as much as you like and earn some Mana Runes while doing so. There are no secondary objectives, and the goal is just to win!

Balance Changes

Cycling

Cycling cards have been a dominant yet uninteractive strategy for a while now and, and as the strategy transitions into Legacy, we wanted to ensure that it doesn’t continue that way. As a result, we are introducing the following changes:

 

• All cards that had Cycling 1 now have Cycling 2.

• New Perspectives now costs 7 and adds only 1 mana to Cycling cards.

• Drake Haven now makes a single token and costs 8.

 

These changes should keep the strategy viable while making it require more setup to achieve the best results with it.

General Changes

The following change-list describes overall changes to several cards in the game. Most of these changes are slight adjustments to cards that felt underpowered or overpowered.

Graveblade Marauder

• Cost changed to 14.

Tatyova

• Cost changed to 14.

Honored Hydra

• Embalm changed to 4.

Naru Meha, Master Wizard

• Now has Flash.
• Rules Text changed to: “When you cast this creature, create a copy of the first spell in your hand. It gains full mana. Other Wizards you control get +2/+2.”

Traxos, Scourge of Kroog

• PT changed to 12/12.
• Cost changed to 10.
• Now has Trample.

Weatherlight

• Now gives 5 mana.

Squee, the Immortal

• Cost changed to 16.
• PT changed to 4/3.

Conflux

• Cost changed to 22.

Haphazardous Bombardment

• Now prioritizes opposing supports.
• Cost changed to 14.
• Shield changed to 4.

Mox Amber

• Cost changed to 8.
• Activate changed to 4.

Call to the Feast

• Cost changed to 12.
  

Vampire’s Zeal

• Cost changed to 3.

Armageddon

• Cost changed to 18.

Consulate Crackdown

• Cost changed to 20.

Sylvan Awakening

• Lands requisite changed to 3.

Swashbuckling

• Cost changed to 8.

One With the Wind

• Cost changed to 8.

Consecrated by Blood

• Cost changed to 12.

Ritual of Rejuvenation

• Cost changed to 8.

Knight of the White Orchid

• Cost changed to 14.

Arvad, the Cursed

• Cost changed to 14.

Dire Fleet Captain

• Cost changed to 11.

Chitinous Cloak

• Cost changed to 5.

Prodigious Growth

• Only target the player’s own creatures..

Deadeye Plunderers

• Activate changed to 2.

Vindicate

• Cost changed to 7.

Settle the Score

• Cost changed to 10.
  

Goblin Chainwhirler

• Cost changed to 13.

New Horizons

• Cost changed to 9.

Llanowar Scout

• Activate changed to 2.

Hierophant’s Chalice

• Cost changed to 9.
• Activate changed to 3.

Blood Sun

• Cost changed to 8.

Golden Guardian

• Cost changed to 15.

Blackblade Reforged

• Cost changed to 10.
• Shield changed to 4.

Ghirapur Orrery

• Added the Artifact subtype.

Land Support Changes

After identifying that certain Lands in the game had conflicting costs, we found this was a good time to review and change their overall value. The following change-list has mostly buffs for all Lands in the game, and should make low count gem converting more accessible to all colors, whereas large count gem converting remains a (mostly) green aspect.

Foul Orchard

• Shield changed to 2.
• Cost changed to 7.

Forsaken Sanctuary

• Shield changed to 2.
• Cost changed to 7.

Highland Lake

• Shield changed to 2.
• Cost changed to 7.

Woodland Stream

• Shield changed to 2.
• Cost changed to 7.

Stone Quarry

• Shield changed to 2.
• Cost changed to 7.

Painted Bluffs

• Shield changed to 2.
• Cost changed to 4.

Unknown Shores

• Cost changed to 7.
• Shield changed to 2.

Cradle of the Accursed

• Gained the Desert subtype in addition to Land.

Allied Encampment

• Subtype Plains was removed.
• Activate changed to 2.
• Cost changed to 8.

Mortuary Mire

• Cost changed to 8.

Sunscorched Desert

• Cost changed to 15.

Rishadan Port

• Cost changed to 9.

Blighted Fen

• Cost changed to 8.

Blighted Gorge

• Cost changed to 7.

Blighted Steppe

• Cost changed to 7.

Blighted Cataract

• Cost changed to 7.

Blighted Woodland

• Cost changed to 8.

Spawning Bed

• Cost changed to 9.
• Shield changed to 3.

Mage-Ring Network

• Cost changed to 13.

Crumbling Necropolis

• Cost changed to 9.

Choked Estuary

• Cost changed to 8.

Foreboding Ruins

• Cost changed to 8.

Fortified Village

• Cost changed to 8.

Game Trail

• Cost changed to 8.

Port Town

• Cost changed to 8.

Clifftop Retreat

• Cost changed to 7.
• Shield Changed to 3.

Hinterland Harbor

• Cost changed to 7.
• Shield changed to 3.

Isolated Chapel

• Cost changed to 7.
• Shield changed to 3.

Sulfur Falls

• Cost changed to 7.
• Shield changed to 3.

Woodland Cemetery

• Cost changed to 7.
• Shield changed to 3.

Arch of Orazca

• Cost changed to 8.
• Activate changed to 3.

Treasure Cove

• Shield changed to 4.

Primal Amulet

• Cost changed to 9.

Primal Wellspring

• Shield changed to 6.

Gold Forge Garrison

• Shield changed to 4.

Conqueror’s Foothold

• All Activates changed to 2.
• Shield changed to 5.

Canopy Vista

• Shield changed to 3.
• Added the Plains and Forest subtypes.

Cinder Glade

• Shield changed to 3.

Prairie Stream

• Shield changed to 3.
• Added the Plains and Island subtypes.

Smoldering Marsh

• Shield changed to 3.
• Added the Swamp and Mountain subtypes.

Sunken Hollow

• Shield changed to 3.
• Added the Swamp and Island subtypes.

Sanctum of Ugin

• Shield changed to 4.

Shire of the Forsaken Gods

• Cost changed to 7.

Drownyard Temple

• Cost changed to 7.

Sanctum of the Sun

• Shield changed to 4.

Cascading Cataracts

• Shield changed to 4.
• Cost changed to 10.

Mirrorpool

• Shield changed to 5.

Zhalfirin Void

• Cost changed to 7.

Memorial to Folly

• Cost changed to 8.
• Shield changed to 2.

Memorial to War

• Cost changed to 8.
• Shield changed to 2.

Memorial to Glory

• Cost changed to 8.
• Shield changed to 2.

Memorial to Unity

• Cost changed to 8.
• Shield changed to 2.

Memorial to Genius

• Cost changed to 8.
• Shield changed to 2.

Canyon Slough

• Cost changed to 7.
• Cycling changed to 3.

Fetid Pools

• Cost changed to 7.
• Cycling changed to 3.

Irrigated Farmland

• Cost changed to 7.
• Cycling changed to 3.

Scattered Groves

• Cost changed to 7.
• Cycling changed to 3.

Sheltered Thicket

• Cost changed to 7.
• Cycling changed to 3.

Special Offers

To celebrate the arrival of Core Set 2019, we will have a brand new selection of special offers available. Keep an eye out in the Vault, so you can snag them while you can!

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue with Awaken ability.
• Fixed an issue with the first card in the player’s hand being discarded when matching Merciless Eternal’s Activated gem in Battle; it now remains in their hand.
• Fixed an issue where players will lose their original opponent, when internet connection is lost, while an event is loading.
• Fixed an issue with the app freezing when rapidly selecting the Purchase button many times in Booster Crafting. It now proceeds to the new card screen.
• Fixed an issue where the player can purchase multiple cards at the same time, when pressing the Purchase button repeatedly in Booster Crafting; now the button can only be pressed once.
• Fixed an issue with Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain’s ability remaining inactive after reinforcing her in Battle.
• Fixed an issue with Felidar Cub being destroyed, when matching Felidar Cub’s Activated gem while the opponent has no Support gems on the board in Battle.
• Fixed an issue with a server error occurring when finishing Pits of Nightmares in the A Journey Through History: A Nightmare of War Event; the game now proceeds to the Rewards screen.
• Fixed an issue with the Defeated prompt displaying twice when losing The Brothers’ War encounter after the opponent activates the Golgothian Blast ability in the A Journey Through History: The Long Cold Darkness Event.
• Fixed an issue with gems converting to the opponent’s colors when beginning the player’s turn while Naga Vitalist is on the player’s battlefield; now it’s converted to the player’s colors.
• Fixed an issue with an infinite Cycling combo being possible when Cycling cards while Drake Haven, New Perspective, and Curator of Mysteries are on the field.
• Fixed an issue with cards in the player’s hand switching positions when beginning the match in multiple Training Encounters; now it remains in a set position.
• Fixed an issue with Depths of Desire being cast, instead of remaining in the player’s hand, when selecting the Not Now button in the Confirmation prompt.
• Fixed an issue with Ryusei, the Falling Star’s effect remaining inactive, when it is destroyed at the end of the turn after it was summoned by Flash’s effect.
• Fixed an issue with the Awaken ability remaining inactive, when casting a Spell card with Awaken that has the second bar of mana filled in Battle.
• Fixed an issue with the player taking 60 damage, instead of 30 damage, when the player’s Lich’s Master Support gem is destroyed, while the opponent is Enraged in Battle.
• Fixed an issue with 6 mana being gained, instead of 3, when a Historic card is fetched after the Weatherlight deals combat damage in Battle.
• Fixed an issue with Fiery Intervention remaining inactive, when casting it while an indestructible Event Support is the opponent’s only Support gem on the board in Battle.
• Fixed an issue with the player gaining life, instead of only drawing a card, when gaining life while Lich’s Mastery and Alhammarret’s Archive are on the board; now it only draw a card.
• Fixed an issue with the Masterpiece cards being missing, when viewing the Rivals of Ixalan booster pack’s available cards in the Vault.
• Fixed an issue with Infectious Curse remaining inactive, instead of giving the player 3 mana, when casting a Spell that targets the opponent’s Planeswalker in Battle; now the player gains 3 mana.
• Fixed an issue with Corrupt being a valid ability to activate, when activating Liliana, Deviant Necromancer’s Corrupt ability, while the player’s hand is empty in Battle.
• Fixed an issue with Sorcerer’s Wand dealing 4 Damage, instead of 3, when beginning the player’s turn, while a Wizard Creature card is on the player’s battlefield; now it deals 3 damage.
• Fixed an issue with Support cards transforming being considered a card that is cast.
• Fixed an issue with Training Grounds not crediting 50 Mana Runes when you lose a match.
• Fixed an issue with Creatures remaining Disabled, when casting Gift of Growth on a Disabled Creature in Battle.
• Fixed an issue with the Player being able to move cards in their hand, when dragging any card in the player’s hand, during the first turn in multiple Training Encounters.
• Fixed an issue with Hungry Flames displaying as valid to cast, instead of invalid, when it has full mana while the opponent controls no Creatures in Battle.
• Fixed an issue with Eliminate the Competition displaying as valid to cast, instead of invalid, when it has full mana while the opponent controls no Creatures in Battle.
• Fixed some Text Issues.