As if the upcoming crossover between Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering wasn’t exciting enough, IGN has revealed that the infamous Gelatinous Cube has managed to ooze its way into the new card set, Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms.
The Gelatinous Cube is a Dungeons & Dragons monster notorious for its harmless appearance but deadly nature. A mindless, transparent blob, it scours the dungeons, preying on unexpecting victims by silently engulfing, suffocating, and consuming them in a slow, torturous death. Now, thanks to the crossover with Magic: The Gathering, you’ll have to watch your back in more than one tabletop game.
Since the announcement of Dungeon & Dragons’ debut in Magic: The Gathering, hype surrounding the new card set has been building with each new reveal. Last week, Wizards of the Coast announced that it would be offering a set of free adventures for D&D players to enjoy leading up to the official release of the new Magic set. Shortly after, fans learned that Adventures in the Forgotten Realms would include a “venture” feature that will allow players to travel through three different iconic D&D dungeons, collecting rewards and advantages as they go.
This latest reveal provides a first look at the artwork and abilities of the Gelatinous Cube card. There are two variations of the card, with one being a Monster-Manual style design that effectively blends the look of the two tabletop games together. The creature itself is a rare 4/3 black ooze that costs two colorless and two black mana to cast. Its two abilities draw from its D&D actions, Engulf and Dissolve. While Engulf allows you to exile a non-ooze creature for as long as Gelatinous Cube is on the battlefield, Dissolve lets you send the exiled creature to the graveyard by paying its mana value plus extra black mana.
Seeing the Gelatinous Cube monster come to life in the form of a playing card is a pretty neat experience for D&D and Magic fans alike. The way that the creators were able to capture the essence of the iconic monster and translate it into the style of a Magic card is undeniably creative. What’s more, it demonstrates the potential that this new crossover card set has to unite players of the two fandoms.
Fortunately, the wait for Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms is growing ever shorter, and more news is sure to come in the meantime. The card set will be released within the MTG Arena on July 8 and globally on July 23.
