For the Magic: The Gathering lore loons among us, there was an awful lot of story to guzzle in the run up to March of the Machine spoiler season. Ten chapters and eight side stories in total spelled out the events and ultimately the defeat of the Phyrexian invasion of the multiverse.
That’s a lot of words to sift through, and it all concludes in a bit of a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ rush. If you’d rather skip to the highlights, here are six key things gleaned from the MTG March of the Machine story, the most consequential story beats you need to know to understand what’s going on in this set.
1. Wrenn is dead, but maybe not
Wrenn was real heroic, bonding with the nasty tree Realmbreaker. She was able to soothe the savage branches and take control, but it cost her her life. At least she got this sweet new planeswalker card before she went.
It seems like it may not be the end for everyone’s favourite/the only dryad planeswalker. Teferi found Wrenn’s acorn, which he planted on an idyllic hillside, so it seems like we might get a baby Groot situation here.
2. Elspeth flew back from the void
Elspeth was all disintegrated and banished, but then she got better. Turns out she just needed to find her wings. Serra made Elspeth an angel – check our her cool planeswalker card too – and she comes back as a one woman war, chopping through Phyrexians and even going toe-to-claw with Jin-Gitaxias and Elesh Norn.
3. Phyrexian planeswalker status update
The Phyrexian planeswalkers have a rainbow of different fates:
- Ajani and Nissa are cured by Melira, the Living Cure (who then croaks).
- Lukka is dead, having utterly failed at everything, always.
- Tamiyo is dead but came back as a ‘memory form’ – loads of floating letters – for a touching goodbye.
- Jace and Vraska could still be robo-fied but seem to at least have their minds back, via some typical Jace trickery.
- Nahiri is likely trapped under a big rock in Zendikar (Helvault 2.0?) but might be cured.
4. Phyrexia swapped places with Zhalfir
Teferi’s homeland, which he phased out to protect from a Phyrexian invasion umpteen years ago, is brought careening into New Phyrexia by Wrenn, and its inhabitants have basically been in an extremely long training montage for the duration, prepping for this battle. They all come through world tree portals like it’s End Game. At the end of the battle New Phyrexia is dying and gets thrown back into the nothingness which Zhalfir used to inhabit.
5. The Phyrexians are decommissioned
Two of the five Phyrexians were slain by Elesh Norn herself, so much for all will be one. Sheoldred got executed and Urabrask got his blooming arms and legs cut off! Kind of a waste of the red rebellious praetor to be honest.
In the final fight, Vorinclex gets suckerpunched from behind, Jin-Gitaxias is hammered and then eaten by his own minions, and Elesh Norn is ultimately decapitated and dissolved by Karn (who got his body back). Once the Phyrexia plane is gone, and all the praetors, the lesser Phyrexians basically shut down like they ran out of batteries.
6. Chandra and Nissa are an item
Squee! No not that one, that was just a squeal of excitement at seeing Magic’s best couple (okay, except for Jace and Vraska) officially back together again.