Wondering what makes March of the Machine special, or whether it's worth investing in? MTG can be hard to get into, so we've rounded up everything you need to know about the latest set.
As an example, just where do you start when buying March of the Machine? There are plenty of different packs on offer, but not all of them are compatible with one another. To help you zero in on what's best for you, we've laid it all out as simply as possible with advice for exactly what each item is for.
We've also broken down the plot so that you'll be up to speed on release day. Following on from February's Phyrexia: All Will Be One, it'll apparently change the face of the Magic multiverse as we know it…
March of the Machine - essential info
What is March of the Machine?
This is the next major Magic: The Gathering set and ends a long-running storyline revolving around MTG's biggest villains, the Phyrexians. These biomechanical horrors are hellbent on transforming all life into 'perfect' machine hybrids, and now they're swarming across the multiverse in an attempt to conquer everything. In other words? Expect cards from every Magic world, with plenty of throwbacks.
In terms of gameplay, March of the Machine is a 'Standard' set so can be used competitively with other MTG releases from the past year. However, beginner-friendly Jumpstart and multiplayer Commander options are also available.
Speaking of which, 'Planechase' cards will be included in Commander decks for March of the Machine. These allow you to hop from one plane of existence to another, and the rules will change depending on where you are.
March of the Machine release date
March of the Machine is slated to join the best card games this April 21, but things will kick off much earlier than that. More precisely, the pre-release campaign begins in mid-March.
You'll find all the upcoming dates below.
- March 16 - 19: March of the Machine story
- March 29: Set debut, cinematic trailer, and previews begin
- March 29 - April 4: Card previews
- April 5: Complete card image galleries revealed
- April 14 – 20: In-Store Pre-release Events
- April 18: MTG Arena and Magic Online Digital Release
- April 21: Global Tabletop Release
- May 1: March of the Machine: The Aftermath story
- May 2 - 3: March of the Machine: The Aftermath previews
New gameplay in March of the Machine
Planechase is returning for March of the Machine, and this mechanic allows you to 'visit' other planes of existence. Doing so adds a new rule to the game, like the Isle of Vesuva that lets you create a token copy of a creature when it enters the battlefield.
These Planechase cards will only be available in the multiplayer-focused Commander decks, with 10 (five new and five reprints) in each one.
March of the Machine - spoilers
Plenty of cards have been revealed for March of the Machine (from Standard to Commander), and we've listed them all in the gallery below. If you want to go in blind, consider this your final warning!
March of the Machine - what to buy
It's always tricky figuring out which MTG sets to get; there are always so many to choose from, and March of the Machine is no different. To help you get a better grip of what's out there (and who it's for, more importantly), we've broken it all down here. That includes what you should buy depending on how you like to play Magic.
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(opens in new tab)March of the Machine - story
The Phyrexians have been plotting for a decade, and this is the culmination of all their schemes. It's not pretty; they've invaded every plane of existence after converting many of MTG's best-known heroes, and now want to transform all of reality. As such, March of the Machine is a final stand that'll span the breadth of the multiverse. As Wizards of the Coast mentioned in its first-look preview, "opening a pack [of cards] should feel like you're catching visions of planes from all over."
This plot has been running for quite a while, but here's the gist of it - the biomechanical Phyrexians, led by Elesh Norn (that boomerang-headed woman seen throughout much of MTG's recent artwork), have been taking over worlds and converting heroes into mindless servants. To stop all this, the survivors went on a suicide mission to sabotage the Phyrexian homeworld. It didn't go so well...
The stakes are significantly higher than normal, too. On the back of many heroes being converted into soulless, evil robots, it looks like some of the survivors won't make it out alive. According to that same preview, March of the Machine: The Aftermath (a set of 50 cards showing off what happens following the main storyline) will show us "which characters live, which ones get a happily ever after, and which ones don't live to see the aftermath themselves."
Wizards has made a big deal about how March of the Machine will fundamentally change the Magic multiverse, so we'll have to wait and see if that's true come April. However, this comment would suggest that it'll shake up the status quo at least a little. (Though we're pretty sure some, or most, of the transformed heroes will be returned to normal after all this is done.)
You can get the first official March of the Machine short story here (opens in new tab), in which villain Elesh Norn oversees the invasion of countless iconic MTG worlds. She also encounters the gods of Ancient Greece-inspired Theros, and resolves to compleat them - something that will well and truly tip the balance in Phyrexia's favor.
March of the Machine - deals
Our price-matching software is always on the lookout for deals, so take a look at the offers below if you're hunting down a bargain.
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