March of the Machine: The Aftermath and Its Impact on the Multiverse

Overview of March of the Machine: The Aftermath

March of the Machine: The Aftermath is a unique ‘micro set’. Featuring just 50 cards in total, (15 uncommons, 25 rares and 10 mythic rares) within ‘Epilogue Boosters’ containing just five cards instead of the usual 15, the set picks up on the huge consequences of March of the Machine and the other sets that led up to the Phyrexian invasion of the MTG Multiverse.

The set provided a way to hold-back cards that would spoil the narrative until the story of March of the Machine was told, and helped demonstrate that the impact of the epic invasion was vast and far-reaching. Magic’s head designer, Mark Rosewater, even said that the set will fundamentally change the game and the MTG Multiverse. Let’s delve into what this means…

Storyline Implications on the MTG Universe

March of the Machine ended with Archangel Elspeth defeating Elesh Norn and defenders across the multiverse fighting back against the Phyrexian invaders. Against all odds, the war was won – New Phyrexia has gone.

Even though our heroes succeeded, it doesn’t mean there wasn’t a great cost. Many characters died (such as King Kenrith and Queen Linden from Eldraine), or worse, were Phyrexianised. Even those who lived are now scarred and fundamentally changed by the horrors they witnessed and the damage to their home worlds.

Among those most affected are the Planewalkers, with the majority losing their spark, and therefore the ability to travel to other planes. Within the game itself, this means they’ll appear as legendary creatures rather than Planeswalker cards.

But that doesn’t mean they can’t still venture to other worlds. Before an event long ago called ‘The Mending’ (which healed the MTG Multiverse from damage caused by rifts in time) there were planar portals that allowed non-Planewalkers to travel between planes. The Mending closed most of these, however the Phyrexian Invasion and the Invasion Tree has opened up Omenpaths (previously a feature of Kaldhiem only) all over the multiverse. Omenpaths can vary a lot in size and permanence (some don’t hang around very long!), and not every plane is connected, but it means that travel between planes is no longer restricted to just Planeswalkers, having huge implications for the story.  

Introduction to new card mechanics

Being a ‘micro set’, March of the Machine: The Aftermath is unlike typical magic sets in that it doesn’t have any unique mechanics, however there is a theme – “legendary matters.” A key aspect to the story is the desparking of almost all Planeswalkers, meaning many beloved Planeswalkers appear in the set as legendary creatures, with each featuring a ‘cracked’ Planeswalker symbol as a watermark. Leyline Immersion is a card that specifically mentions ‘enchant legendary creature’.

Aside from that, many other mechanics from Magic’s history appear in March of the Machine: The Aftermath, which is fitting for a set based in a number of worlds. Constellation, Convoke, Jump-start, Landfall, Madness and Undergrowth are all classic mechanics that appear in the set as flavourful one-ofs.

Key cards and their impact

Even though it’s a micro set, March of the Machine: The Aftermath still has some significant cards.

Nissa, Resurgent Animist

Nissa, Resurgent Animist is a powerful card in lands-matter ramp decks, and within elves and elemental decks (or a combination of all three with some mindful deck building). Deceptively powerful, Nissa allows each land you play to produce two mana (one of any colour for crucial fixing), which can get out of hand quickly with spells like Explore or Invasion of Zendikar.

Narset, Enlighted Exile

Narset cards typically love playing noncreature cards without paying their mana cost, and Narset, Enlightned Exile is no different. Rattle off a few cheap cantrips and removal spells to pump her power via prowess, then swing in with a huge attack and net a spell from any graveyard for free. Sounds good to me!

Calix, Guided by Fate

A welcome addition to Enchantress decks, Calix, Guided by Fate rewards you for dropping cheap enchantments by pumping up a creature of your choice, which in turn allows you to attack and trigger that second ability to create a token of an enchantment you control. With plenty of scary auras in the game to copy, such as Empyrial Armour, things can get out of control pretty quick!

Training Grounds

A much needed reprint, Training Grounds reduces the cost of activated abilities of creatures you control. This can be especially good in Commander, reducing the cost of the abilities of creatures such as Kenrith, Returned King.

Tyvar the Bellicose

A new option for green-black elf decks, Tyvar the Bellicose grants even the humblest of elves the ability to take down a monster by giving them deathtouch, while also rewarding the ‘man dork’ ability of classic cards like Llanowar Elves and Elvish Mystic by dishing out +1/+1 counters whenever a mana ability resolves. A solid option to lead any elf deck.  

Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin

Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin is a fascinating creature to build around, opening all sorts of options for cards like Blood Artist, both pumping Ob Nixilis (who already is a trampling, flying monster) and providing card advantage, enabling you to play spells and even find land drops. He also unlocks huge combo potential, going infinite with cards like All Will Be One if you get the loop started by dealing one damage.

Player Reactions and Community Impact

Where to even start with the community reaction to the set! Firstly, things didn’t go well when the whole set was leaked online by a content creator who found themselves in possession of a Collector Box that they cracked open on YouTube. While leaks are not unheard of, what caused a huge community backlash was that Wizards of the Coast enlisted the help of the infamous Pinkertons to reclaim the product, causing much distress in the process, leading to Wizards being accused of a heavy-handed overreaction.

This leak also had the consequence of draining much of the excitement for the set, with players surprised at the small size of it. While there’s now a renewed interest in the cards from Aftermath, Wizards have admitted that future ‘epilogue’ boosters are unlikely, with them no longer planned for Outlaws of Thunder Junction.

Comparing to Previous MTG Sets

Put simply, March of the Machine: The Aftermath is unlike any Magic expansion, and for several reasons.

Firstly, it’s the first ‘micro set’ that’s existed of just 50 cards, and it’s a rarity in the fact it cannot be drafted (which is. Many players' favourite ways to play). Boosters are completely different too, featuring just five cards.  

Narratively, it's unusual in serving as an extension to the previous set – March of the Machine – to save narrative spoilers for later. We also get to explore characters on numerous planes, rather than just one setting, which is again unlike most sets.

What’s also evident is a major shift in how the game releases Planeswalker cards, with most Planeswalker characters having lost their spark and now appearing as legendary creatures.

Future of Magic: The Gathering Post Aftermath

Aftermath has shown us a lot – including things we’ll be sure to see once more, and those that are very unlikely to happen again!

We know that – thanks to the Omenpaths – that the planes are more connected, and that characters can now move between planes like never before. This opens all kinds of narrative potential, as well as being able to see multiple planes of the MTG Multiverse within one set. We also know Planeswalkers are going to appear with a much-reduced frequency, more like one per set.

We also know Epilogue boosters are done for and won’t return, with plans for them appearing in Outlaws of Thunder Junction already shelved and changed to ‘Beyond Boosters’ for other releases. It’s also, thankfully, unlikely Wizards will send the Pinkertons round to anyone's house again!