With core sets being a thing of the past, every premier MTG set has a story connected with it. Revealing details about the plane as well as characters new and old, characters, this story is unsurprisingly beloved by players. Alongside being thoroughly enjoyable, the litany of story chapters is also vital in developing and evolving Magic’s expansive multiverse.
Technically, not every MTG set has to be part of some greater tapestry about the multiverse. Some sets, such as Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Crimson Vow, for instance, can simply exist as an enjoyable thematic playground. Other sets, however, are all about that rich tapestry, developing and forever changing the universe of MTG through monumental story arcs.
In case you’ve somehow missed the latest and greatest story, MTG just got finished with the Phyrexian Arc. During this immense story event, which was built up over three years, MTG players saw plenty of devastating reveals and consequences. Between characters dying, planes being willed back into existence, Planeswalkers being desparked, and Omenpaths bringing creatures, there’s certainly been a lot going on.
Thanks to all the above, it’s safe to say that MTG’s universe has been forever changed during the Phyrexian Arc. This is so true, in fact, that the consequences of this year’s long story have already kicked off another arc! Luckily for players who are wanting a set without multiverse-threatening villains, however, this arc may not be as bad as you think.
The Omenpath Arc Begins
While the change to MTG’s iconic Planeswalkers is undoubtedly a big deal, it’s arguably not the biggest consequence of the Phyrexian Arc. Sure, we may now only be getting one Planeswalker per set, however, the characters are still kicking about. In fact, just like before, these characters are even able to travel to different planes. This is all thanks to the new Omenpaths.
Formerly only seen on Kaldheim, in Open the Omenpaths, the new Omenpaths are essentially planar portals. Varying in size, duration, and location, they allow non-Planeswalker characters to traverse the multiverse. All you have to do is be brave or stupid enough to walk through one, without knowing what’s on the other side. There are no guaranteed return trips either.
Considering these new Omenpaths allow any character and creature to be on any plane, it’s safe to say they’re a pretty big change. Subsequently, they’re aptly the name for Magic’s latest story arc “The Omenpath Arc.” This name was recently revealed by MTG’s Lead Designer, Mark Rosewater, during the preview panel at MagicCon: Barcelona.
Alongside revealing the name of Magic’s latest story arc, Rosewater also teased players with surface-level details. Firstly, this new story arc is going to encompass the next three years of premier MTG sets. During this time, it seems only the first year will be known as the Omenpath Arc. After this, the story arc will seemingly get a new name and core focus.
If you’re wondering why Wizards revealed the name of this story arc so soon, the answer is Kellan. As seen in their art below, apparently, this character is going to play a major role in this story. Thanks to this, they’re definitely worth keeping an eye on in Wilds of Eldraine.
“I don’t want to give away anything, but Kellan has a mysterious past that’s going to matter.”
Mark Rosewater
Not as Bad as It Seems
While MTG players do love a good story, having back-to-back story arcs is admittedly a bit much. After all, it seems like there will be no time to just sit down and enjoy a classic MTG set. Instead, apparently, every set needs to have monumental importance that could shape the future of Magic going forward.
That’s the expectation upon hearing about a new story arc, at least. This precedent has been set up by the recent Phyrexian Arc, and Bolas Arc before that. During both of these story events, Planeswalkers died, and the fate of the multiverse hung in the balance. Thankfully, these stories were undeniably thrilling, however, happening one year apart, many players felt it was too much.
With another story arc kicking off right away, without a single set of downtime, it’s understandable why some players may be concerned. Thankfully, however, the Omenpath Arc doesn’t seem like the typical major story arc with multiverse shaping consequences. That’s our theory, at least, judging by what we’ve seen of Wilds of Eldraine, and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan.
For better or worse, we’re still a while away from either of these upcoming premier sets releasing. As a result, there are many details we don’t know about both of these sets. That being said, from what we’ve been told, these sets appear to be rather traditional, almost self-contained, adventures. Rather than focusing on Omenpaths, they simply include them, as every plane now does.
To justify this theory, we have been given a few details about each set’s story. Wilds of Eldraine, for instance, is focused around the aptly named Wicked Slumber spell. Meanwhile, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan revolves around the lost civilizations at the hollow core of the plane.
Omenpaths Aren’t That Big of a Deal
Given that they’re the name of Magic’s next, or rather current, story arc, you might think Omenpaths are completely flipping the script. While they certainly have the potential to, according to Mark Rosewater, this isn’t entirely the case. Rather than making every set a complete free for all, “most worlds will have a very light touch to Omenpaths, if at all,” Rosewater stated.
While we’re yet to see this in action, from the sounds of this statement, we may only see a few misplaced creatures per set. Initially, this may seem to squander the new resource of Omenpaths and their awesome potential, however, this minimal use is for the better. After all, by being restrained, MTG’s many planes will retain their identity, rather than being homogenized into boring plane soup.
“With purposeful exceptions, I don’t think it’s going to be more than a token showing from other worlds.”
Mark Rosewater
Ultimately, since we’re still a week away from Wilds of Eldraine’s story starting, we don’t yet know how important the Omenpath Arc will be. Important or not, however, this arc has already started, and the next three years evidently have a story focus. Thankfully, we may know a little bit more about this soon, thanks to Gen Con happening in August.
On August 5th, Wizards will be hosting a massive 30th Anniversary presentation for event attendees. Presumably posted online after the fact, this event will give a glimpse at the next three years of Magic. Before we had assumed this to be just a very generous look at the future, however, now it appears Wizards will be revealing the outlook of this three-year story arc. Just how much will be revealed, remains to be seen, so we’ll just have to wait for this weekend.
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