Champions of Kamigawa

[Lockdown]

From Mtg-News.  I don't know how recent this is since I hadn't checked the spoiler for a couple weeks, but this is some general information on the set:

There is a mechanic called "Soulshift" on a handful of CHK cards. It appears only on spirit creatures, and states "Soulshift 2 (When this is put into a graveyard from play, you may return target Spirit card with converted mana cost 2 or less from your graveyard to your hand.)" It isn't known if there will be cards with Soulshift 1, Soulshift 3, etc. There is a subtype of Sorcery and Instant spells called "Arcane". It isn't known if Arcane does anything itself, but we know that some cards trigger a bonus when you cast an Arcane spell. Split cards are back, this time in creature form! You cast them in one form, and when you meet a certain trigger (such as dealing damage to an opponent), you "flip" the card around (basically turn it 180 degrees). On the other half of the card is another creature with a totally different name, abilities and power/toughness. In this way, you get two creatures on one card. WotC has gone back to printing colored mana symbols on cards, which we can all appreciate. They also changed their policy on how to word discard effects. The new wording, which it should have been all along, is "target player discards a card". No more "chooses and discards" or "discards a card from his or her hand". They also changed the wording on legendary cards. Instead of "Creature - Human Legend" we will see "Legendary Creature - Human". Speaking of legends, there are at least 60 in the set. Equipment is now a permanent type of card and there are a few Japanese-style equipments in CHK. Enchant creature cards are back after being almost nonexistant in the Mirrodin block. There are no gold cards in the set. There are 50 cards of each color and 36 left over for artifacts and nonbasic lands. There are at least 5 legendary lands.

I think the most interesting mechanic out of all of these are the "split" creature cards.  Should be interesting.  An example of this mechanic from the spoiler:

Akki Lavarunner - 3R
Creature - Goblin Warrior
Haste
When Akki Lavarunner deals damage to an opponent, flip it.
[Tok-Tok, Volcano Born
Legendary Creature - Goblin Shaman
Protection from red
If a red source would deal damage to a player, it deals that much damage plus 1 instead.
2/2]
1/1
Illus. Matt Cavotta
153/306
Rare

Thoughts?

[Jacob Orlove]

We've seen a lot of these cards/mechanics already:

[Jebus]

If by "interesting" you mean "give Jebus aneurism" you would be correct.

[Razvan]

Flip it... I am sure at least one person will ask which axis to do so.

(90% on z-axis = tap)
(180% on z-axis = kamigawa weirdness)
(y-axis = unmorph)
(x-axis = ...?)

Eh, come on jebus, can't be that bad.

[Kowal]

Thank fucking christ that shit won't be playable in type one.  "Flip it" is the worst way to say anything, ever.

[Lockdown]

I'll give you another one Jebus .  I wonder how converted mana cost is calculated with the flip.

203.1. The mana cost of a card is indicated by mana symbols printed on its upper right corner. Tokens and lands have a mana cost of {o0} unless otherwise specified. Paying an object's mana cost requires matching the color of any colored mana symbols as well as paying the generic mana cost indicated.

203.3. The converted mana cost of an object is a number equal to the total amount of mana in its mana cost, regardless of color. Some effects ask a player to pay mana equal to an object's converted mana cost; this is a generic mana cost-it may be paid with any combination of colored and/or colorless mana, regardless of the colors in the object's mana cost.
Example: A mana cost of {o3}{oU}{oU} translates to a converted mana cost of 5.

Seeing as how the mana cost is no longer on the upper right corner (it's in the lower left) of the card when you flip it, does that mean that the card then has a CMC of 0?

[Jebus]

Oh trust me, I've already thought of every possible thing that can go wrong.

Here's a good one:  Duplicant!

Have fun!

[MuzzonoAmi]

Would it imprint the side of the card that was currently up?

[Matt]

Or it might give a combination of answers, a la split cards not on the stack.

[SliverKing]

My guess is that the card will have all the characteristics of the mana cost side in alll circumstances EXCEPT when its met its "flipped" condition. meaning that when removed from game, duplicant would see the top creature, that you'd have to play the top creature under an illusionary mask.  Of course they'll issue special rules with the set to make this clear, but until then thats how I imagine it will be handled.

[Gabethebabe]

These cards are the ugliest things I have seen since I looked into the mirror this morning.

[Jebus]

Maro discussed the new legend rules in his monday article, but Randy Buehler posted in the Wizards.com boards to clarify.

"Old Legend rule: whenever a second copy of a legend comes into play, it dies (via state-based effects).

New "Legend Rule": Whenever a second copy of a legendary permanent comes into play, both die (still via state-based effects)."

As far as I see it, this has some impact on Type 1.

Deny your opponent their Academy or their Karn by getting yours into play?  Could be silly.

*edit* and of course I fail to miss the thread in the Type 1 forum about this. Bleh *stabs eyes*