Lost Caverns of Ixalan spoilers keep rolling out with more powerful and unique creatures. Most notable is the return of the “god” creature type. Few creatures in all of Magic: The Gathering’s history has had as big an impact as gods.
The gods exemplify awe-inspiring power and resilience. Many, like the Amonkhet gods, possess inherent recursion abilities, returning from the graveyard and defying traditional elimination methods. This resurrection trait, paired with their potent mechanics, often makes them central to game strategy.
These new gods of Ixalan also exhibit a distinct form of resilience. Instead of being sent to the graveyard, these deities demonstrate their enduring nature by transforming into lands. With only one more land-transforming god left to be spoiled, the time has come to examine in detail what the ancient gods of Ixalan are made of.
Ixalan Temples of Worship
The gods of Ixalan have a unique transformative ability. Upon meeting certain conditions, instead of perishing, they flip to become temple lands. These temples aren’t just static entities, they possess the potential to reawaken the gods by fulfilling distinct criteria. Once fulfilled, the temples revert to their god side. Intriguingly, these conditions aren’t arbitrary. They resonate with the overarching theme and essence of each respective god, ensuring that the mechanics of the game are deeply intertwined with the lore of the Ixalan pantheon.
Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal
- Mana Cost: 3BB
- Type: Legendary Creature – Bat God
- Rarity: Rare
- Ability: Flying, Lifelink. Whenever Aclazotz attacks, each opponent discards a card. For each opponent who can’t, you draw a card. Whenever an opponent discards a land card, create a 1/1 black Bat token with flying. When Aclazotz dies, return it to the battlefield tapped and transformed under its owner’s control.
Aclazotz is a giant bat god that instills fear with its impressive 4/4 body with strong keywords like flying and lifeline. He punishes opponents twice with his on-attack trigger by forcing them to discard a card. If the opponent decides to discard a land card, which many do as it is often the least valuable of cards in their hand, Aclazotz creates a 1/1 flyer. This fright-inspiring god will surely see play in formats like Limited and Standard.
Ojer Taq, Deepest Foundation
- Mana Cost: 4WW
- Type: Legendary Creature – God
- Rarity: Rare
- Ability: Vigilance. If one or more creature tokens are created under your control, three times that many of those tokens are created instead. When Ojer Taq dies, return it to the battlefield tapped and transformed under its owner’s control.
Ojer Taq is an incredibly mighty god that will, without a shadow of a doubt, see play in many Commander builds. Reminiscent of Sun Titan, the golden giant of white commander decks, Ojer Tag is a gigantic 6/6 for six mana with vigilance. This is where similarities end because this god from Ixalan has the ability to not double but triple the number of tokens generated. Token decks have found a new home under the sunny reign of Ojer Taq, Deepest Foundation.
Ojer Pakpatiq, Deepest Epoch
- Mana Cost: 2UU
- Type: Legendary Creature – God
- Rarity: Mythic Rare
- Ability: Flying. Whenever you cast an instant spell from your hand, it gains rebound. (Exile it as it resolves. At the beginning of your next upkeep, you may cast it from exile without paying its mana cost.) When Ojer Pakpatiq dies, return it to the battlefield tapped and transformed under its owner’s control with three-time counters on it.
This serpentine god with wings, besides having the most gorgeous art of all gods spoiled thus far, is likely also the most intriguing of them all. For the low cost of four mana players cast a 4/3 flyer that gives all instant spells rebound. This ability can easily turn ordinary instant spells, such as Frantic Search, into overperformers and turn powerful instant spells, like Dig Through Time, into overwhelming effects that take over. Pakpatiq will easily find its place in many spell-slinging blue Commander decks.
Ojer Axonil
- Mana Cost: 2RR
- Type: Legendary Creature – God
- Rarity: Rare
- Ability: Trample. If a red source you control would deal an amount of noncombat damage less than Ojer Axonil’s power to an opponent, that source deals damage equal to Ojder Axonil’s power instead. When Ojer Axonil dies, return it to the battlefield tapped and transformed under its owner’s control.
Ojer Axonil is an impressive 4/4 for four mana with trample, making him the most mana-efficient of all Ixalan gods spoiled so far. Axonil cares about minor noncombat damage and how to maximize it. Cards that have become definitive in mono red burn commander decks, such as Firebrand Archer and Zo-Zu, The Punisher, will deal four damage with Axonil on the board. Additionally, if the red volcano god is buffed with a piece of equipment, like Commander’s Plate, for example, the overflowing damage will quickly end games.
Ojer Kaslem, Deepest Growth
- Mana Cost: 3GG
- Type: Legendary Creature – God
- Rarity: Rare
- Ability: Trample. Whenever Ojer Kaslem deals combat damage to a player, reveal that many cards from the top of your library. You may put a creature card and/or a land card from among them onto the battlefield. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order. When Ojer Kaslem dies, return it to the battlefield tapped and transformed under its owner’s control.
Kaslem is an exceptionally strong creature with both great stats as well as a powerful ability. Whenever he deals damage, the player can look through the top of their library equal to the amount of damage dealt, and then play a creature or land for free. Thanks to trample, even if he is blocked, he can push some damage through. In the right deck built, Ojer Kaslem is guaranteed to provide fantastic value by cheating in creatures and lands into play.
Spoiler season for Lost Caverns of Ixalan has only just begun, and we’ve already seen powerful new cards with exciting mechanics. Lost Caverns of Ixalan is set to release on Nov. 17 of this year, with more spoilers expected to come out as we near the launch date.
