Magic: The Gathering's New Battle Card Type Details Leaked

Previews for Magic: The Gathering's latest set, March of the Machine, officially begin tomorrow, but details are slipping out early about some of the cards included in the set. Perhaps most exciting is the early reveal of an example of the new "Battle" card type that was first hinted at in Phyrexia: All Will Be One. Here's what we know about Battles so far.

Battles are the newest card type in Magic, joining mainstays like Lands, Creatures, Instants, Sorceries, Planeswalkers, Artifacts and Enchantments, as well as more archaic types like Conspiracies. Battles were first officially acknowledged on the card Atraxa, Grand Unifier from February 2023's set Phyrexia: All Will Be One, but there were no details or examples then.

Magic: The Gathering's New Battle Card Type Details Leaked

Australian website Press Start pressed start on spoiler season a little early by revealing the first Battle card in MTG: Invasion of Zendikar / Awakened Skyclave. It has the subtype Siege, potentially indicating there are more types of Battles yet to be revealed. From the preview, however, several details can be learned about the mechanics of the new type.

The card's reminder text says that Sieges enter the battlefield under a player's control, but an opponent of that player is chosen to defend that card. Like Planeswalkers, it can be presumed Battles can be attacked with Creatures. Battles also seem to have a positive effect for the attacker when they are "defeated" - a new game term. In this case, the card is exiled and cast as the spell on the back side of the card, the creature Awakened Skyclave.

There is also a number "3" in the bottom-right corner of the Battle. If it works like a Planeswalker, it could mean that the card requires three damage to be defeated. It is currently unknown whether cards that destroy permanents outside of damage count as defeating a Battle - players will have to wait until tomorrow to find out.