WAR Blog Post: Vanguard Supports (6/18/19)

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WAR Vanguard Blog Post

By Matheus Funfas, Oktagon Game Designer

With War of the Spark and the introduction of the Vanguard cards, you will be able to use the most interactive card type in MTGPQ as of yet. Vanguard packs will be permanently available at the store, with content from old and new collections alike.

Initially, only Vanguards from WAR will be available. However, we will actively increase the number of those cards, as updates are added to the game. Planeswalkers from sets existing in MTGPQ will belong to their collections and follow the same set rules. Planeswalkers from non-existing sets in MTGPQ will belong to the promo collection when their Vanguard cards are added.

We hope you enjoy all the new options these cards add to the game! Have fun brewing!

How do Vanguard cards work?

Vanguard is a new support subtype introduced in War of the Spark. They are supports that can’t be affected by effects that don’t specifically name Vanguards as targets. Those supports have different abilities, which can be: passive, triggered or activated, just like the Magic: the Gathering version of Planeswalkers.

Passive and triggered abilities work as long as the Vanguard support remains on the board. Activated abilities have a cost in Shield, which can either increase or decrease the current shield value by the number displayed on the ability. You can only use one activated Vanguard ability per turn, per each Vanguard you control.

All Vanguards are considered to be Legendary permanents, so effects that care about legends, such as cards with Historic or Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God ultimate ability, will benefit from Vanguards as well.

Just like any other support, a Vanguard enters the board with a shield value. This shield represents the tabletop version of Planeswalker Loyalty and is intentionally spent or increased to activate the Vanguard abilities.

Players can use Vanguard abilities only during their turn before making a match. If the Vanguard doesn’t have enough shield to activate a given ability, that option will be disabled. If the Loyalty shield reaches 0, the Vanguard is destroyed. Also, matching the gem where the Vanguard is attached will make it lose 1 shield.

How to acquire Vanguard cards?

With the release of War of the Spark, players will be awarded 6 different Vanguards cards: 5 earned by playing the first WAR tutorial and 1 as a free gift, sent to your inbox with the new update.

Those Vanguards are:

• Angrath, Captain of Chaos (tutorial reward)
• Arlinn, Voice of the Pack (tutorial reward)
• Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner (tutorial reward)
• Nahiri, Storm of Stone (tutorial reward)
• Vraska, Swarm’s Eminence (tutorial reward)
• Ugin, the Ineffable (free gift)

The other Vanguards will be sold in packs containing 1 card each. Those packs are purchased with Mana Jewels and come in two different options:

• Vanguard Rare+ Pack, which contains both Rare and Mythic cards;
• Vanguard Mythic Pack, which contains Mythic cards only.

In order to provide additional sources of Mana Jewels for players, and therefore easier access to Vanguards and Elite Packs, the upcoming events will focus more on Mana Jewels rewards. Also, a limited-time offer containing the currency will be made available at the store that is purchasable with Mana Crystals.