March of the Machine is the 2023 Standard Magic: The Gathering set. March of the Machine is the ultimate fight in the epic Phyrexian narrative that has been running for four sets already. It is set across several planes and features fan-favorite characters from across the multiverse. These worlds appear to be linked in some fashion, as promotional artwork depicts Kaldheim gods standing shoulder to shoulder with Strixhaven students. Mysterious!
Despite the fact that the set is still a long way off, we’ve already spotted a few card spoilers. From the release date of March of the Machine to its backstory, we have everything you need to know about the biggest MTG set of 2023 right here. Check out our MTG 2023 release calendar to see what else is coming out in the next months.
March of The Machine Release Date
The global tabletop March of the Machine release date is April 21, 2023. It’ll be fully available in the paper after a week of prerelease events from April 14–20. For all you Magic Arena (or Magic Online) players, the set gets its digital release on April 18.
These are the major March of the Machine release dates, but we also know when the set’s spoiler season begins. Card previews will be available from March 29 to April 4, so be sure to check back in around that time to see all of the greatest cards as they march in.
March of The Machine Spoilers
Despite the fact that we are still months away from receiving the cards, a considerable amount of March of the Machine spoilers has already been revealed. To begin with, there are numerous cards depicting MTG characters collaborating, unusual alliances between legendary creatures who would ordinarily despise each other’s guts.
We’ve also added a couple of more high-profile compellation victims, with more on the way. According to Wizards, the Theros god Heliod has become Phyrexian, implying that his followers have been corrupted.
And the lovely Omnath gains his fifth color, transforming him into a Phyrexian in the process. Omnath, Locus of All offers an interesting take on-ramp and card draw, while this double-sided Heliod adds flash and a cost reduction to everything.
We also have reproductions of these classic life-gaining MTG land cards to appreciate, with all kinds of planes appearing a little rough around the edges.
Then there are some standard MTG cards to consider. There’s also a new Chandra planeswalker, Chandra, Hope’s Beacon, who, among other things, can replicate all of your spells. Then there’s Breach the Multiverse, a pricey black sorcery that allows you to mill your opponents before stealing their best gear from the graveyard.
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The set insignia and booster packaging for March of the Machine provide some information about the set. The main set emblem appears to be planeswalker Elspeth’s sword piercing the Phyrexia symbol, while the Commander set symbol appears to be the huge villain Elesh Norn. The packaging for the collection features MTG Planeswalkers Teferi and Chandra, as well as characters from nearly every current plane you can think of.
March of the Machine Mechanics
We’ve learned one thing about the mechanics of MTG March of the Machine. Battles, first shown on the Atraxa card in All Will Be One, appear to be a whole new card type. Not a subtype like Sagas, but a completely new card type like Planeswalkers.
They are currently unknown, but we do know that Battles are double-sided cards, and that one will be included in every March of the Machine pack. It also appears that we’ve previously seen the artwork for these, as Wizards has revealed the artwork for a series of ‘Invasion’ cards.
March of the Machine Story
March of the Machine, according to MTG head designer Mark Rosewater, will make significant changes that will alter both the mechanics and the lore of Magic: The Gathering. There’s even a whole tiny set built solely to show off how “the entire fabric of the multiverse has fundamentally transformed”. Whatever happens in the battle, whether the Phyrexians take over entire planes or are easily annihilated, MTG March of the Machine is not your typical Magic set.
The Phyrexians have developed Realmbreaker, their own version of the Kaldheim world tree, which will allow them to break into other planes and attack the whole multiverse at once, under Elesh Norn’s command.
Yet, it appears that the good guys will also use these portals to unite and fight the Phyrexians as one giant army: a bigger Avengers Assemble moment than War of the Spark. What is currently unknown is who will survive the war and if the multiverse will stay connected afterward. (It appears to be the case). There’s also the new wicked league of combined planeswalkers to be concerned about.
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March of the Machine: The Aftermath
If there’s one thing Wizards of the Coast is emphasizing in this set, it’s that March of the Machine has consequences. So many repercussions, in fact, that it appears an altogether different Standard-legal set is required to accommodate them all.
March of the Machine: The Aftermath is a micro set’ slated to be released on May 12, 2023. It will be available as collector boosters and little epilogue boosters with only five cards.
The most important thing to know about this set is that it is smaller and contains no Common cards, only Uncommons, Rares, and Mythics. The WPN website cryptically suggests the set will see users “Rebuild the Multiverse while building up your collection”.
So yes, just one Aftermath card has been revealed: The Kenriths’ Royal Funeral. RIP to Will and Rowan’s parents; this will undoubtedly have an effect on the MTG Wilds of Eldraine set, which will be released later this year.
