Since their initial appearance in Tempest way back in 1997, Slivers have been a fan-favorite creature type. Some of Commander’s most iconic and powerful legends are Slivers, and players are always eager to add new designs to their decks. Well, in an interesting development, it seems that the popular creature type is triumphantly returning.
A Mysterious Timeline
At MagicCon: Atlanta this weekend, Polygon was able to interview MTG Vice President of Design Aaron Forsythe. Following up on the appearance of the Sliver-themed Thrumming Hivepool in Edge of Eternities, Polygon asked whether Slivers were a consideration for returning to MTG.
The response was quite intriguing, as Forsythe said that Wizards knew “when they’re coming back” already, but wouldn’t provide exact details. While it isn’t surprising that Wizards refused to reveal its secrets, this does essentially confirm that more Slivers are on the way.
Interestingly, 2027 does feature a set themed around Zhalfir, an old kingdom on Dominaria. Given that Slivers were considered as inclusions in the 2018 Dominaria set but were ultimately left off, it wouldn’t be crazy if they came back soon.
This is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, Slivers work best in tandem, and having additional support for a popular archetype is nice.
On the flip side, though, legends like
The First Sliver
The First Sliver
Cascade (When you cast this spell, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card that costs less. You may cast it without paying its mana cost. Put the exiled cards on the bottom in a random order.)
Sliver spells you cast have cascade.
and
Sliver Overlord
Sliver Overlord
{3}: Search your library for a Sliver card, reveal that card, put it into your hand, then shuffle.
{3}: Gain control of target Sliver. (This effect lasts indefinitely.)
make for well-oiled, value-generating machines that are hard to disrupt in EDH. As a result, breaking out a Slivers deck at your local Commander Night can easily lead to some salty reactions.
Forsythe mentioned that Slivers’ extremely efficient ability to work together can make them difficult to design, but it’s cool to think that they’re on their way back, regardless. So, if you’re a fan of Slivers, keep an eye out for any hints about when these creatures may be coming back.
Stick with us here at mtgrocks.com: the best site for Magic: The Gathering coverage. Be sure to check out our deckbuilder for your next big brew, and our brand new MTG Rocks Podcast! MTGRocks’ editorial and corrections policy lets us create content you can trust.