Highlights
- The Universes Beyond series has successfully incorporated different franchises into Magic: The Gathering without causing major disruptions.
- The Fallout set is likely to include four Commander decks based on different factions, with a thematic playstyle for each.
- The upcoming set will feature iconic characters, landmarks, and elements from the Fallout series, while also introducing new elements unique to the tabletop game.
The newest entry of Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond series, Fallout will bring its unique, golden-era apocalypse flavor to the time-honored tabletop card game. Set to arrive in March 2024, fans are already disseminating the long history of Fallout as well as the previous IPs already given the Universes Beyond treatment for insight into what the upcoming set will entail.
Not many could have predicted how far the Universes Beyond series has veered into strange and unknown territory. Many MTG fans were initially reticent, but Wizards of the Coast has done a fine job folding different franchises into the card game's meta without too much upheaval. After some smaller additions as a part of the Secret Lair Drop series, with cards from The Walking Dead, Stranger Things, and others, Universes Beyond expanded to entire Commanders' sets from outside IPs. The Warhammer 40k, Dungeons and Dragons, and most recently, The Lord of the Rings sets have all garnered positive reception, and with the Doctor Who Commander decks soon to arrive, the series' eclectic nature shows limitless potential.
Previous Sets Tell MTG Fallout's Likely Trajectory
Despite the quantity of its content yet unannounced, patterns indicate the Fallout set to include four Commander decks with some collector boosters thrown in for good measure. In all likelihood, the decks will be split into factions, with each geared toward a specific mechanic and playstyle, thematically adjacent to that faction. Wizards of the Coast could go a different route, but unless its formula is drastically shaken up, one could expect Commander decks based on several of Fallout's factions:
- New California Republic
- Brotherhood of Steel
- VaultTec
- Enclave
- The Institute
- The Minutemen
With the Fallout titles spanning decades, both new and old characters and factions are fair play for the upcoming set. Wizards of the Coast might opt for looser associations for its Commander deck themes, with ghouls, mutants, and raiders all possible flavors from the franchise. With endless fan favorites and only a few hundred cards to print, real estate is limited and some iconic characters and landmarks will be inevitably left behind, but there are some pretty safe assumptions to make.
Translating Video Game Lore to the Tabletop
Hypothetically, a Brotherhood of Steel deck could have several choices for its Commander. Elder Lyons was calling the shots during the events of Fallout 3, but perhaps the most recent incarnation of leadership for the faction would bear more relevance. Elder Arthur Maxson could be a more familiar face for fans as a low-to-medium-cost knight-human with an ability that gives all other humans a boost when he is on the battlefield. A solid heavy-hitting win condition card for the faction would be Liberty Prime, a high-cost colorless artifact creature with trample and maybe a soft board wipe for good measure.
The other Commanders will, in all likelihood, also be figures of authority from their respective factions. Preston Garvey could be the Minutemen Commander, with an ability to search the player's deck for a creature card to put into their hand, in-theme for his penchant for recruitment in the game. Shaun could be the Institute deck Commander, with its advanced technology translated to Magic: The Gathering via blue counter, mill, and draw mechanics. Conrad could be a solid subordinate card, possibly with some built-in removal.
There are almost too many ways the Fallout set could go, but expect its most prominent iconography to show up in some shape or form. Several Vaults will be in rotation as legendary lands or enchantments. A Pip-Boy is a strong candidate for an equippable artifact, and many fans would riot if Fallout's Dogmeat did not show their loyal face in some capacity. Though Wizards of the Coast has a strong slate of IPs in its Universes Beyond series for 2024, Fallout is perhaps the most anticipated, and it will have to have a strong showing to set the pace for the new year.
Magic the Gathering Universes Beyond: Fallout releases in March 2024