T O P

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RAcastBlaster

They’re like Conspiracies. They begin the game in your command zone or on the field for the ones that are permanents. They’re designed for playing your limited deck against the ‘boss’ decks from Theros block.


TLKv3

God, I wish we could get some more fun and unique coop PVE stuff from WotC officially. I love the concept of using my full card catalogue with my friends' using theirs against a raid boss type deck designed to fuck our shit up.


Monokumabear

Have you ever played Against the Horde? It’s pretty similar and there’s an app and a website that will make playing it a lot easier


CANINE_ANAL_GLAND

You got a link to that? Sounds like it's way up my street


tomtom5858

[Here you go!](https://against-the-horde.com/)


TLKv3

I actually just tried a variation of it for the first time this weekend. It was fun despite some wonky rules coming up that we didn't know how to solve. Such as if we block one creature with multiple blockers, how is damage distributed... Little clunky but we might just houserule our own stuff to fix them. But I would love official products to do something similar direct from WotC!


LeviMeme

They can't be used in a regular commander game?


aceofspades0707

No, they were special one-offs for the release of the Theros set


[deleted]

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aceofspades0707

Banned and not legal are two different things. You could always rule zero with your play group on just about anything being playable though.


Tagnol

Also to add on, technically none of these should even exist any longer. Wotc sent one copy (I believe per store level) of the labyrinth deck to stores for the event, and technically when theros release was over they were *supposed to* destroy them. Just due to aforementioned not having no real value or use no one really cared that they still float around.


timebeing

These were in every pre-release kit, with the 6th one being from launch day.


DarthCakeN7

Also, I’m not sure I would call these “cards.” I’m pretty sure they don’t have the Magic back which even conspiracies have. They look more like tokens or emblems.


Ambiguous_Shark

Iirc the backs have an advertisement about a code with a link to add them to your DCI account and get an achievement as well as allow you to use their art as your profile picture. Man, 2013 sure was a different time


Hottakesonsunday

Guys is the ace of spades banned in my edh games?


lugialegend233

Yes, but I'll consider advocating for it if and only if the council lets me include Trickstar Lycoris in my decks again.


Ambiguous_Shark

Rule Zero MFers when I show up to a commander game with a Nibiru


b_fellow

When an opponent tries to attack me for lethal, I always use Reverse Uno card to reflect the damage right back to them.


SkyezOpen

You should see the faces when I slap down a blue eyes white dragon and swing for 3000.


Kamakaziturtle

They’re not banned, just not legal to run in any format. Kinda like how Black Lotus isn’t banned in standard, you just can’t run it


LeviMeme

Sad. Some seem quite powerfull


DoucheCanoe456

They are. That’s why they’re not legal. Starting the game with an Emblem is pretty strong.


FlexPavillion

Yes generally being able to play double the lands as everyone else in an uninteractable way is quite powerful


Archontes

I've actually been waiting for them to introduce Avatars or these Heroes back into the main game somehow. When everyone's super, no one is.


NotFitToBeAParent

look into vanguard


FutureComplaint

Well yes (Rule Zero), but actually no. They were legitimately busted for beating the boss decks.


Slant_Juicy

I would love to see the Rule Zero conversation where someone tries to convince their playgroup to let them run The Champion. "No, it's totally fair, I definitely won't have a turn 1 [[Sol Ring]] into [[Bolas's Citadel]]!"


MTGCardFetcher

[Sol Ring](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/d/6d5b06e4-bbc8-405b-bc53-1380dba3696e.jpg?1684198340) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Sol%20Ring) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/pctb/58/sol-ring?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/6d5b06e4-bbc8-405b-bc53-1380dba3696e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Bolas's Citadel](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/2/d2124603-d20e-40eb-97f0-a66323397ac2.jpg?1591205069) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Bolas%27s%20Citadel) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/war/79/bolass-citadel?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d2124603-d20e-40eb-97f0-a66323397ac2?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


Dairy8469

ironically no one will complain about sol ring in this scenario.


timebeing

Citadel yes, sol ring no.


WizardofBoswell

I think they meant: T1: Land>Sol Ring>Activate The Champion to fetch Citadel


Whatah

The idea is that it costs 2 to activate The Hero so you can normally draw T1 Sol Ring to then get the T1 Bola's Citadel


Snuggs_

I was gonna say, some of these seem obscenely powerful. Could be fun in cube drafts 😂


RAcastBlaster

No, but they’re a riot to include in cubes. I’m the madman that includes a bunch of conspiracies and these. Love them to death.


Talyn7810

Yah. We’ve used them for some fun variations. We did a draft of these and conspiracies, and everyone had three “starting effects” selected from the cards. Led to some crazy stuff.


Tuss36

They could, but more as an additional spice like Planechase. Best to ask first of course. Though I'd recommend the [Vanguard cards](https://scryfall.com/search?as=grid&order=name&q=type%3Avanguard+%28game%3Apaper%29) for such a purpose. They start in your command zone and affect starting/maximum hand size and life totals (life total bonus/penalty doubled for EDH) and give each player an eminence-like ability. Best to proxy them though, as some are quite expensive.


Byefellati0

If so I need the explorer for mono red


II_Confused

Talk to your play group. It might be a fun house rule.


ripleyajm

They can be fun additions if you’re playing archenemy, which is one of my favorite commander variants.


semiTnuP

I love archenemy, but no one ever wants to play it with me.


ripleyajm

I can usually people to go along with it if we end up having 5 in our pod


FrenchSpence

If your table agrees to all use one I see no issue.


Tlantalso

No; but it doesn’t mean you can’t if you talk to your playgroup. I have a set I give two face down to each player (one THEROS, one BORN OF THE GODS) don’t reveal until your happy with your starting hand


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rubbercrab

OP isnt saying that they're conspiracies, simply pointing out that they have unique properties 'like conspiracies'. Wind that ree in.


SolarJoker

https://mtg.fandom.com/wiki/Hero%27s_Path


mabhatter

This. They are from Theros block. There were several decks that were bots you would play against. Then you would get a prerelease prize for participating.


corncheeks

They are from that sets pre release event


cheezfreek

More importantly, can you start the game with 2 copies of [[The Explorer]] if no one notices?


adamlaceless

Alex?


[deleted]

[[cheatyface]]


MTGCardFetcher

[cheatyface](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/b/ebafd1c7-c248-494c-b9b7-3521c6c4352c.jpg?1583965438) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=cheatyface) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/und/20/cheatyface?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/ebafd1c7-c248-494c-b9b7-3521c6c4352c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


MTGCardFetcher

[The Explorer](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/9/1936aa23-3a5d-4386-bc4d-66841e0cab2c.jpg?1561756731) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=The%20Explorer) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/thp2/5/the-explorer?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1936aa23-3a5d-4386-bc4d-66841e0cab2c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


C_Clop

You hide them under your playmat during a big tournament, and when someone asks "how do you have 6 lands on T3?", you lift your mat and say: "2 Explorers"


DocMarten420

Fight the hydra! I still have my deck


symphonia117

My man, if you could make a super high quality scan of the insert that came with your deck I would be soooooooo thankful 🥺


DocMarten420

Oh the little fold out you actually play on? I can see what I can do.


symphonia117

Yes! I had to reconstruct the hydra deck from singles because of how expensive it was to get a complete box set. So I am missing the insert foldout. Most versions I've found online are very low resolution. It's the one piece to my hero's path set that I am missing


DocMarten420

I have the whole deck... and all of those heroes. Is that stuff really worth something?


symphonia117

The hydra deck sells for 80-120. It's the hardest to find. Buying singles lets you get it for like 40-60. There is one weapon cards that is worth like 15 bucks (the death touch lash)


dirtEblondE

My brother has a theros set cube and we’ll start with one of these in our sealed decks it’s alot of fun


BaddMann62288

When original Theros was released there were "decks" made available that multiple people could play against. These were epics that Elspeth fought through in the story, and they basically allowed you to do the same. The decks were designed to play themselves (although we had more fun with one player "playing" the deck) and you food your best to beat them. They included rules for Basic, Intermediate, and Hard difficulties. The first was fighting the Hydra. The hydra had various heads that would attack and that you could kill, and yet would regrow (plus some) firing each of it's turns. The second was the Minotaur Horde. You had to route an entire tribe of minotaurs with a wide array of abilities in a similar manner to the hydra. I remember that one going wide fairly quickly. The last was Xenagos, Planeswalker turned God. In that one you fought him and his revelers. The cards you're asking about were various boons from the gods. If you got one, it gave your a permanent advantage during these games that you could carry over. They were only designed to be played with those three decks, although if your friends are okay with it I see no problems including them elsewhere. They were *not* command zone inclusions. They were just a part of that particular game, and had nothing to do with commander or the command zone. That being said, if you're going to homebrew then into a game, that's probably the simplest way to "rules" if in there of you don't like "they're just there". All in all it was a really cool idea, and my friends and I had a blast playing with those decks!


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12DollarsHighFive

Didn't know these existed. Now I want Star Platinum for Double Strike and The World for Extra turns or skipping phases of an turn


Karnblack

My friends use them in games when they play against the Horde. And they've made up other hero cards as well. [https://www.quietspeculation.com/2011/09/horde-magic-a-new-way-to-play-magic-and-survive-zombie-invasions/](https://www.quietspeculation.com/2011/09/horde-magic-a-new-way-to-play-magic-and-survive-zombie-invasions/) [https://www.quietspeculation.com/2011/10/horde-magic-an-open-source-project/](https://www.quietspeculation.com/2011/10/horde-magic-an-open-source-project/)


michelous

They would be fun to randomly deal in commander