Top 5 M11 Easter Eggs

by Bill Stark | posted at 2010-07-27 03:21:00
tagged: MTG, Magic, Magic the Gathering, Top 5, M11, Magic 2011, Easter Eggs, Easter Egg

 

#5. Wurm's Tooth's Flavor Text

 

Cycles have been a part of Magic since the very first set, way back in Alpha. The original featured one card from each color: Healing Salve, Ancestral Recall, Dark Ritual, Lightning Bolt, and Giant Growth. The cycle, as Mark Rosewater explains in this article, was affectionately referred to as "The Boons." Modern day base sets, like Alpha, still feature cycles and Magic 2011 is no different. It continues a cycle that first debuted in Darksteel and features Angel's Feather, Kraken's Eye, Demon's Horn, Dragon's Claw, and Wurm's Tooth. New this time around, however, is an homage to the original base set cycle of The Boons that appears in the flavor text of Wurm's Tooth:

 

Neat!

 

#4. Dark Tutelage Gives a Nod to the Great One

 

This card is brand new for Magic 2011:

 

It sure FEELS familiar though. Maybe that's because we've seen such an effect before in Dark Confidant

 

Dark Confidant, which was printed in Ravnica, was the result of an Invitational win by future Hall of Famer Bob Maher. Bob was famous for being one of the most talented players in the game, and his reputation earned him the nickname "The Great One." The cheeky flavor text writers at Wizards of the Coast paid homage to that name in the flavor text of Dark Confidant with the saying "Greatness, at any cost." Take a closer look at Dark Tutelage's flavor text next to the Confidant's:

 

Those clever R&D members did it again! Bob's nickname receives a second homage on this homage to his Invitational card. A double homage! Maher takes the honor of being a real life Magic card seriously: he's been known to take damage each time a Dark Confidant in play during games he's involved in takes damage!

 

 

#3. Elixir of Immortality Recalls an Old Friend

 

Elixir of Immortality is a new addition to the world of Magic in Magic 2011, but it is an interesting one. After all, over the past few seasons of Standard decks intent on forcing an opponent to draw on an empty library have been viable. Elixir will help prevent that game plan from becoming a reality and/or provide a hefty boost in life should the situation call for it. But check out the flavor text for a blast from Magic's past:

 

Catch that reference? It's none other than Baron Sengir himself, the Vampire badass who we last saw stomping around the plane of Argothia during the Homelands set. For you whippersnappers who don't remember him, here's what he looked like back then:

 

Is the Elixir a hint for Magic's future? Will we be seeing the return of the Baron himself? That question is purely conjecture, but Magic HAS seemed to be adding more Vampires to its numbers over the past few sets. Perhaps the Elixir of Immortality is going to be spreading some Immortality to the Baron for a second go-round in the Multiverse…

 

#2. Call to Mind is Missing…SOMETHING

 

This is Call to Mind from Magic 2011:

 

This is the flavor text, up close and personal, from Call to Mind in Magic 2011:

 

Did you catch it? The giant red arrow should help, but if you don't have a background in the illustrious world of copy editing, you might not have noticed it at first: the card is missing a period in its flavor text!

 

#1. When Elephants Fly…

 

Mighty Leap is a fun Limited spell for use in Magic 2011. It has some clever flavor text, and cool art by rk post. This is what it looks like:

 

When Elephants fly, you say? That's not just ANY Elephant…

 

The Elephant being given the Mighty Leap is Siege Mastodon! Here they are side by side:

 

Discuss this article in our forums using the link below.

---