Magic: The Gatheringhas been gathering its strength recently, with the imminent release of the newest mainline expansion,Edge of Eternities, fast approaching. This set will follow the phenomenally successfulFinal Fantasycrossover, the latest in the Universes Beyond collections that capture the style and feel of other popular IPs and translate them intoMagic: The Gathering’s world and rules. These crossovers, specifically within video game franchises, have experienced great reception. TheFFxMTGcollection put up eye-catching profits, earning $200 million in a single day as well as breaking player records onMagic: The Gathering Arena, the free-to-play digital version of the CCG.
Last year,Magic: The Gathering’sFalloutsetpremiered, and brought the iconic post-apocalyptic setting to life with a set of four themed Commander decks depicting and adapting some ofFO’s most recognized aspects. With all this being the case, it makes a compelling argument for Bethesda’s other wildly popular series,The Elder Scrolls, to make its way intoMTGsooner rather than later.
TheupcomingMTGSpider-Man set,scheduled to drop on September 26, has also been gathering plenty of buzz.
After Magic: The Gathering’s Fallout Set, The Elder Scrolls Should Be a Shoo-in to Cross Over Next
Magic: The Gathering’s Fallout Decks Perfectly Pave the Path for The Elder Scrolls to be Next in Line
Featuring Commander decks based around some ofFallout’s most iconic charactersand other elements, along with versions of classic powerful and other popular cards reprinted and repurposed to fit the set’s spirit and aesthetic design,Magic: The Gathering’s crossover withFalloutseemed like itself was long overdue. Given the widespread appeal and brand recognition that both franchises share, fittingFalloutintoMTGfor Universes Beyond seems almost a no-brainer in retrospect. And withThe Elder Scrollsbeing equally, if not arguably more popular, a collection based on it would likely go over incredibly well with fans of either, or both, on top of continuing the great work that Wizards of the Coast has been doing with these projects.
How The Elder Scrolls Could Work in Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gatheringwas, originally at least, largely based around and took heavy inspiration fromclassic high fantasy. While it certainly had its own distinct lore, with Planeswalkers and the multiverse being integral components, the iconography and art of the initial editions leaned upon this facet quite a bit. Similarly,The Elder Scrollshas deeply channeled the genre, and thus there is a huge range of material to draw from and adaptTESfor anMTGset.
Some possible ideas would be for WOTC to follow in the footsteps ofMagic: The Gathering’sFalloutCommander decksby featuring some ofThe Elder Scrolls' most notable figures from each entry. As just one example, dragon creatures go back to the earliest days ofMTG, well before it became a juggernaut in the CCG scene.The Elder Scrolls, particularlySkyrim, has some dragons of its own that would be right at home in a set. Alduin and Paarthurnax would make great commanders, tying intoMTG’s general presentation and paying homage to its history.
Other related ideas could be Stormcloak or Imperial-themed decks led by characters such as Ulric Stormcloak and Martin Septim. There’s also great potential forThe Elder Scrolls' well-known organizations likeThe Dark Brotherhood, Mages Guild, or The Blades, to be incorporated into a hypothetical collection. Regardless of the exact direction chosen, though, nearly everything inThe Elder Scrollswould fit intoMagic: The Gatheringlike a glove. Wizards could work with Bethesda to bring the entire breadth ofTESintoMTG, and deliver another knockout collection that keeps the bar set high for these crossovers.
