Magic: The Gathering Lost Caverns of Ixalan invites players to venture deep beneath the surface of Ixalan, uncovering ancient secrets and hidden treasures. This set plunges you into the mysterious depths where forgotten civilizations and powerful relics await discovery. Lost Caverns of Ixalan features new and returning mechanics that emphasize exploration, adventure, and the thrill of unearthing the unknown. Encounter fearsome dinosaurs, cunning pirates, and resilient explorers as you navigate the treacherous underground landscape. With rich lore and dynamic gameplay, Lost Caverns of Ixalan offers a captivating experience for both veteran players and newcomers. Prepare to delve into the depths and uncover the wonders and dangers that lie beneath Ixalan in this exciting MTG set. The Lost Caverns of Ixalan is the ninety-eighth Magic expansion. It was released on November 17, 2023. The Lost Caverns of Ixalan is Magic's take on the “Underground World” trope.[6][7][8][9] It is not a traditional return set: R&D was making an underground set, and Ixalan felt like the best fit for it. It wasn’t the other way round.[10][11] As such, it is not a mechanical return to the previous set.[12] The set has Dinosaurs, Merfolk, Pirates, and Vampires, but it isn't factioned or particularly typal.[13][14] Thematically, it is more of an action/adventure set.[12][15] The Lost Caverns of Ixalan contains 291 regular cards (108 commons, 92 uncommons, 64 rares, 22 mythic rares, 5 basic lands), and includes randomly inserted traditional foil versions of all cards. The regular cards include 5 full-art "Core" basic lands (#287-291).[16] Alternate card frames have a different card number than the original version. The mural-like "Legends of Ixalan" showcase cards are #292-313, and cards with the Gods of Ixalan treatment are #314-319. Borderless Dinosaurs are #320-332 while "Borderless Oltec" cards are #333-346. The Borderless Restless Lands are #347-351, #352 is the borderless Quintorius and extended art cards are #353-392. Bundle basic lands are #393-402. Promo cards are numbered #403-409. The Neon Ink versions of Cavern of Souls are #410a-410f. Storyline The Lost Caverns of Ixalan is the second set in the Omenpath Arc. The story takes place a year after the events of March of the Machine. We revisit Ixalan, the plane packed with pirates and dinosaurs. Things have changed since the disappearance of the Immortal Sun. Once again, there is a scramble as the groups race toward the center of Ixalan in search of a new resource: cosmium. Once they get past the caves, they find that Ixalan is a hollow world with Ixalan's Core in the middle and lit by Chimil, its sun.[17] An ancient civilization, ancestors of the Sun Empire, uses the magic of Chimil to grow in power. The cards that represent the Story Spotlights in Lost Caverns are:[18] Orazca Puzzle-Door Fanatical Offering Abuelo's Awakening Matzalantli, the Great Door The Core Canonized in Blood Malicious Eclipse Bitter Triumph Huatli's Final Strike Family Reunion LCI Collector Booster Collector Booster The Lost Caverns is sold in regular 16-card Draft Boosters (one card being a marketing card), Draft Packs, Collector Boosters, Set Boosters, the Lost Caverns of Ixalan Bundle, a Gift Bundle and four Commander decks. Cosmium Neon Ink This set sees the return of the "Neon Ink" treatment first seen in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. Six extra versions of Cavern of Souls are printed in different neon colors.[17] Similarly, there are six additional versions of the Special Guest Mana Crypt in neon colors. Box Toppers Main article: The Lost Caverns of Ixalan/Box Toppers The Lost Caverns of Ixalan features a series of 20 box topper promos (8 uncommons, 7 rares, 5 mythic rares), referred to as the "Treasure Trove".[17][19] Ninteen cards are reprints from sets other than Ixalan block with one card from The Lost Caverns of Ixalan. Special Guests The Lost Caverns of Ixalan introduces Special Guests. These are 18 highly desirable reprints with art and flavor text matched to the flavor of the plane they appear in.[19] They are incorporated in The List of Set Boosters but also may appear in Collector Boosters.[20] Special Guest cards have the set code SPG.[17] Lord of Atlantis Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator Bridge From Below Mephidross Vampire Pitiless Plunderer Breeches, Brazen Plunderer Dargo, the Shipwrecker Rampaging Ferocidon Underworld Breach Carnage Tyrant Polyraptor Ghalta, Primal Hunger Kalamax, the Stormsire Lord Windgrace Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist Thrasios, Triton Hero Mana Crypt (7 versions) Star Compass Universes Beyond: Jurassic World Main article: Jurassic World Collection The Jurassic World Collection set is a booster insert for The Lost Caves of Ixalan, similar to Transformers in The Brothers' War.[17] Jurassic World cards can be found in Set Boosters, Collector Booster and Bundles. Note that these are original designs, and not skinned cards.[20] Promos LCI Prerelease Booster Cosmium planeswalker symbol on the packaging of the Prerelease card Prerelease: a stamped card that can be any single-sided rare or mythic rare of The Lost Caverns of Ixalan. The seasonal dark-frame promos are: Spyglass Siren, Deep-Cavern Bat, Geological Appraiser, Cenote Scout, Bartolomé del Presidio. Open House: retro frame Ravenous Chupacabra Buy-a-Box: alternate art Jadelight Spelunker.[19] Bundle promo: alternate art Hit the Mother Lode. Store Championship promos: Cauldron Familiar (participation), Dark Petition (Top 8), textless Lier, Disciple of the Drowned (winner) 30th Anniversary promos: Dragonlord Atarka, Dramatic Reversal, Path of Ancestry and Beast Whisperer Commander Party: foil retro frame Unclaimed Territory Tokens Lost Caverns has 18 tokens:[22] {C} Copy for Saheeli, the Sun's Brilliance and Self-Reflection. {W} 4/4 Angel creature with flying and vigilance for Resplendent Angel. {W} */* Gnome Soldier artifact creature with "This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of artifacts and/or creatures you control" for Barracks of the Thousand and Thousand Moons Smithy. {W} 1/1 Vampire creature with lifelink for Preacher of the Schism. {U} 1/1 Merfolk creature with hexproof for Deeproot Pilgrimage. {B} 1/1 Bat creature with flying for Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal, Bat Colony and Sanguine Evangelist. {B} 1/1 Fungus creature with "This creature can't block." for Broodrage Mycoid, Synapse Necromage and The Mycotyrant. {B} 2/2 Skeleton Pirate creature for Corpses of the Lost. {R} 3/1 Dinosaur creature for Bonehoard Dracosaur and Poetic Ingenuity. {G} 3/3 Dinosaur creature for Nurturing Bristleback, Palani's Hatcher and Roar of the Fifth People. {G} 0/1 Dinosaur Egg creature for Palani's Hatcher. {G} */* Fungus Dinosaur creature for The Skullspore Nexus. {W/U} 4/4 Golem artifact creature for Master’s Guide-Mural and Master’s Manufactory. {R/W} 3/2 Spirit creature for Quintorius Kand. {W/B} 4/3 Vampire Demon creature with flying for Canonized in Blood and Vito, Fanatic of Aclazotz. {C} 1/1 Gnome artifact creature for Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon, Cosmium Kiln, Envoy of Okinec Ahau, Oltec Cloud Guard, Threefold Thunderhulk and Tinker's Tote. {C} Map artifact for Brackish Blunder, Cartographer's Companion, Fanatical Offering, Get Lost, Journey On, Restless Anchorage, Sentinel of the Nameless City, Spyglass Siren and Waterwind Scout. {C} Treasure artifact for Ancestors' Aid, Bonehoard Dracosaur, Breeches, Eager Pillager, Careening Mine Cart, Contested Game Ball, Diamond Pick-Axe, Enterprising Scallywag, Greedy Freebooter, Hit the Mother Lode, Magmatic Galleon, Plundering Pirate, Poetic Ingenuity, The Belligerent, Treasure Map and Volatile Fault. In addition, there are: A blank DFC Helper card A double-faced punch-out Counter card Themes and mechanics LCI Map token Transforming double-faced cards are back with those that transform into lands with the Ixalan map-inspired card frame, and the new Craft mechanic. One Adventure card was printed as part of the plane-crossing storyline. The set also introduces descending and its related mechanics, discover, and explore makes a return. Finally, although it's not a primary focus like it was in Ixalan block, there are typal payoffs for Pirates, Merfolk, Vampires and especially Dinosaurs.[23] Craft is a new way to transform artifacts. By paying a mana cost and exiling permanents you control from the battlefield or your graveyard with specified qualities, artifacts can transform into more powerful permanents. Descend is a new mechanic that describes the act of putting a permanent card into a graveyard from anywhere. This is linked to two new ability words, Descend X describing triggers that activate if there are X permanent cards in your graveyard. and fathomless descent, which uses the number of permanent cards in your graveyard as a value. Discover is a revamped version of cascade with more design space. Instead of being a cast trigger, it's a keyword action that always comes with a value. To Discover X, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a card with mana value X or less. To avoid whiffing on something like a counterspell, there is now a choice to cast the spell or simply put it into your hand. The other exiled cards are put on the bottom of your library. Explore returns from the original Ixalan set, and now also features on Map tokens, a new predefined token. Card types The Lost Caverns of Ixalan introduces the creature subtypes Capybara, Llama, and Snail. The set also introduces the artifact subtype Map. Map tokens have “{1}, {T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Target creature you control explores. Activate only as a sorcery.” Additionally, this set introduces the Quintorius planeswalker type. In keeping with the set's theme of exploration and descent into the Core, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan introduces the Cave land type. Counter types The Lost Caverns of Ixalan introduces Bore counters, Chorus counters, Dread counters, and the new deciduous Finality counters. It also sees the return of Landmark counters, Net counters, Point counters, and time counters for the first time since Ixalan, Fallen Empires, Strixhaven: School of Mages, and Doctor Who respectively. Limited archetypes The Lost Caverns of Ixalan features the following Limited archetypes:[24] {W}{U}: Oltec Ingenuity (Artifact Control) {U}{B}: Echoes of the Dead (Descend Control) {B}{R}: Going Down! (Descending Beatdown) {R}{G}: Dinosaurs of the Sun Empire (Dinosaur Stompy) {G}{W}: Malamet Tactics (Buffs Aggro) {W}{B}: Dusk Legion Pilgrimage (Sacrifice) {U}{R}: Pirates' Plunder (Artifact Aggro) {B}{G}: Fungal Festering (Descend Grindy) {R}{W}: Thousand-Moon Legion (Tapping Midrange) {G}{U}: River Herald Expedition (Explore Midrange)