I’m experiencing a sense of déjà vu with *Magic: The Gathering* this summer, as its latest expansion has captivated me with an offbeat theme that I nearly overlooked. Last summer the allure was *[Bloomburrow](https://www.cgmagonline.com/articles/editorals/mtg-bloomburrow-won-me-over/)*’s distinctive, animals-only world; this year, it brings us [the science fiction expansion *Edge of Eternities*](https://www.cgmagonline.com/news/mtg-edge-of-eternities-first-look/), transporting players to the literal expanse of outer space.

*MTG* has consistently unfolded in various, innovative planes across its Multiverse, such as Kamigawa, Ravnica, or Dominaria; on occasion, the game revisits history or unfolds a narrative across multiple planes, like *March of the Machines* or *Aetherdrift*. We’ve even explored other universes/brands via the Universes Beyond program, with the latest being *[Magic: The Gathering—Final Fantasy](https://www.cgmagonline.com/articles/editors-choice/mtg-x-final-fantasy-favourite-decks-so-far/).*

Yet, *[Edge of Eternities](https://magic.wizards.com/en/products/edge-of-eternities)* breaks this pattern. The events unfold in a fresh aspect of the lore dubbed the Edge, situated at the very edge of the Blind Eternities. Here, we encounter spacecraft, diverse planets, and even celestial whales. It’s somewhat peculiar to have spaceships traversing between worlds alongside the established norm of planeswalkers literally stepping across planes of existence. Nonetheless, similar to *Bloomburrow*, and even *[Aetherdrift](https://www.cgmagonline.com/articles/editors-choice/aetherdrift-mtg-racing/)*, the *MTG* design team has managed to make it *function* through gameplay mechanics.

With *Edge of Eternities* officially launching this weekend, here are the 5 cards (or archetypes) we hope to acquire in Bundles, boosters, or drafts—whether from physical packs or on *Magic Arena*:

## 5) Bioengineered Future (Landers/Landfall)

A compelling theme flowing through *Edge of Eternities* (especially in green and red) is the idea of lander tokens. These useful artifacts symbolize exploratory spacecraft crafted to make landfall on new planets. Similar to Treasure or Food tokens, they’re a distinct type—tap one, devote 2 mana, and sacrifice the token to search your library for a basic land and place it onto the battlefield.

Having a land fixer readily available is always advantageous, particularly with various lander-generating options across all five colors. If you have one in play with excess mana, they’re an effective means of getting an additional land into play. Additionally, they’re frequently produced as a result of a spell, such as how Seedship Impact brings one into play while destroying a target artifact or enchantment, or how Glacier Godmaw enhances all its allies upon Landfall.

### “If *Edge of Eternities* is taking cues from classic space operas and sci-fi, it could certainly benefit from lessons learned from *Dune*.”

The real benefit, however, is how they can enhance other effects, including those on this list. If the [quantity of artifacts you control](https://gatherer.wizards.com/MOC/en-us/226/master-of-etherium) is significant, or if you gain a benefit from having [a nonland permanent exit the battlefield](https://gatherer.wizards.com/EOE/en-us/97/elegy-acolyte), landers are valuable assets.

They also contribute to some [powerful themes present in green within Standard](https://gatherer.wizards.com/FIN/en-us/206/tifa-lockhart) at the moment, revolving around Landfall triggers. Bioengineered Future integrates well into one of my current favorite decks, by granting creatures extra +1/+1 counters based on the quantity of cards that entered play this turn, while also generating a Lander token to elevate that count.

## 4) Alpharael, Stonechosen (Void)

In relation to nonland permanents exiting the battlefield, let me introduce Void, a new mechanism in *Edge of Eternities*. The effects differ, but Void attributes empower their cards as long as some form of nonland permanent has departed the battlefield—this could occur through combat damage to a creature, an opponent sacrificing a token, or even utilizing the Warp ability found within this set. This could involve equipping the [Hylderblade](https://gatherer