Wizards of the Coast releases Magic: The Gathering Oracle card deck

For players of Dungeons & Dragons’ 5th Edition, you probably already know about The Deck of Many Things (reviewed here), a Tarot card deck that can be incorporated by Dungeon Masters into campaign settings. Now Wizards of the Coast is bringing a similar concept to its Magic: The Gathering game system. More of a tie-in for fans of the world-building and characters of MTG than a supplement to gameplay, Magic: The Gathering Oracle Deck is a new boxed set based on its Greek-inspired game plane of Theros. It’s available for pre-order now here at Amazon, and we have preview images for borg readers courtesy of the publisher below.

Unlike The Deck of Many Things the cards aren’t over-sized or gilded, and there are 52 cards instead of 66. But these cards are textured and coated, and since they are smaller they should be sturdier and last longer. This is also not a Tarot Set but an Oracle Deck–similar but intended to be different, as explained in a pull-out guidebook.

The guidebook provides possible uses for the cards–uses including readings for yourself or for others, and it explains the broad interpretations intended with the deck. The subject of each card is not about black and white concepts, but they look to coax users into providing their own meaning from the cards. Like Tarot decks, you can use upside down cards for reverse meanings, for example.

The deck can be kept in the collectible box, and the box and cards feature all-new artwork created by Fred Gissubel, which provides continuity to the set. No surprise these are mystical cards for a game about magic, right? The cards can be taken literally or used as merely guide points, and writer Adam Lee explains that in the book, which includes explanatory material for all 52 cards.