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With the opening of the Omenpaths following the Phyrexian invasion of the Multiverse,Magic: The Gathering’splanes are more connected than ever before. You no longer need to be a Planeswalker to head to a new world, and so plenty have moved into the wild west of Thunder Junction.
Unfortunately, the new arrivals in this dustbowl of a world aren’t all the desirable neighbours you’d hope for. Scoundrels, ne’er-do-wells, and straight-up villains have all flocked here for the chance of finding treasure. Outlaws of Thunder Junction’s four preconstructed Commander decks feature both old characters and new as they make their homes on the range, and it’s time to get to know who they are.
Most Wanted: Olivia Voldaren
The former matriarch of the powerful Voldaren Vampire family, it hasn’t been that long since we last saw Olivia. Back in 2021’sInnistrad: Midnight HuntandInnistrad: Crimson Vow, she sought to take control of the gothic world of Innistrad and make it a haven for her Vampire brood by bringing about an endless night.
Fortunately, Kaya, Teferi, Chandra, Arlinn, and Adeline managed to put a stop to her, ruining her wedding to the bewitched Vampire lord Edgar Markov and bringing back the daylight. She went into hiding after her attempted coup of Innistrad, before winding up in Thunder Junction once theOmenpathshad opened.
Though Olivia seemingly no longer controls the Voldarens, she’s gotten to work setting up her new home on Thunder Junction by surrounding herself with the worst outlaws in the plane. Assassins, Rogues, Pirates, Warlocks, and Mercenaries alike flock to her side.
We don’t know if she’s trying to form a new brood of Thunder Junction Vampires, or if she’s just happy with her band of ruffians, but the presence of Vampires in the set like Vadmir, New Blood and Rooftop Assassin suggests she might be inducting a few more bloodsuckers to her number.
Quick Draw: Stella Lee
A Sharpshooting Nomad
A new character for Outlaws of Thunder Junction, Stella is a member of the Atiin, a nomadic group who travel from world to world through the Omenpaths. Plenty of Atiin can be found throughout Thunder Junction, like Annie Flash of Oko’s gang, Wylie Duke, and, of course, Stella Lee.
Stella joined the Slickshots, a criminal gang of spellslingers founded by Lilah. The Slickshots recruit anyone who can fire off a spell, with the most notable member outside of Lilah and Stella being Obeka, the time-bending Ogre Chronologist. Fiercely loyal to the gang, Stella uses her magical whip and quick magic to overwhelm her enemies with spells.
During the events of Outlaws of Thunder Junction, Stellaencountered the Innistradi siblings Gisa and Geralf, who were exploring the biggest graveyard on the plane with the hopes of practicing their necromancy there. Together, they put a stop to Geralf’s “corpsipede” – a giant millipede made of stitched-together corpses, before parting ways with a mutual respect, if not outright friendship.
Grand Larceny: Gonti
Living A Life Of Luxury
Gonti is an Aetherborn of Kaladesh. Made of raw magical energy confined to a brittle, stony body, Aetherborn normally have short lives and are cursed with the knowledge of the day they die. Not Gonti, though, who successfully acquired a mechanical Aether heart to extend their lifespan.
Despite potentially being immortal, Gonti is a hedonist who only cares for life’s pleasures. They ran a black market in Kaladesh’s capital of Ghirapur, trading in stolen goods and keeping the most exquisite pieces for themselves. Anyone who gains Gonti’s favour can live in the lap of luxury for a time, before Gonti moves on to the next toy to play with.
Though Gonti made a brief cameo in theBrothers’ War story, their last proper appearance was way back inAether Revoltwhere they aided the revolution on the plane by providing exotic weapons and Vehicles to the rebels.
It’s not known exactly why Gonti’s decided to come to Thunder Junction. Maybe it’s to explore the use of Omenpaths in their smuggling business, or maybe they simply want to capitalise on this new plane and become its ruler. All that matters is Gonti is powerful, connected, and ready to take whatever they want by force.
Desert Bloom: Yuma
A Man Who Really Loves His Plants
The final commander of Thunder Junction isn’t a villain. In fact, he’s one of the few people who came to the plane hoping to make a positive difference, even if his methods aren’t exactly kosher.
Hailing fromNew Capenna, he was originally a member of the Riveteers crime family beforethe Phyrexian invasionleft the city virtually in ruins. Leaving his old life behind, Yuma and several others tried to make their own way in New Capenna away from the Riveteers, and for a time saw great success.
Raking in those kinds of profits right under the Riveteers’ noses ruffled some feathers, though, and Yuma stole the gang’s money and fled to Thunder Junction before Ziatoria and her family could get their revenge.
Yuma is a new characterdebuting in Thunder Junction. He’s also a trans man, who transitioned in New Capenna after leaving the Riveteers.
On Thunder Junction, Yuma’s trying to make a new life for himself by caring for the cactusfolk, who are the closest thing the plane has to a native species. He acts as a ranger, walking the Desert and making sure no harm comes to his plant friends, while also running a bar with his young sproutling friend Kirri.
Unfortunately, Yuma’s past on New Capenna is catching up with him, as his former friend Elnor successfully tracked him down to try and reclaim her money. The conflict left Yuma with a large burn on his arm, but Kirri managed to convince Elnor to leave and let Yuma live his new life in peace. Or, at least, as much peace as you can find on Thunder Junction.
All four of these Commander decks launch on April 19.
Magic: The Gathering
Created by Richard Garfield in 1993, Magic: The Gathering (MTG) has become one of the biggest tabletop collectible card games in the world. Taking on the role of a Planeswalker, players build decks of cards and do battle with other players. In excess of 100 additional sets have added new cards to the library, while the brand has expanded into video games, comics, and more.
