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Magic: the Gathering 1997 Official Calendar | Illus. | Dan Frazier | | Rarity | | | Color | | | Source | Danilo Calendars Ltd. | 1996 | | Info | Cover illustration front: Jester's Cap by Dan Frazier from Ice Age. |
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Baron Sengir (January) | Illus. | Pete Venters | | Rarity | | | Color | | | Source | Magic: the Gathering 1997 Official Calendar | 1996 | | Info | From Homelands. Text: One of the nastiest cratures in Homelands™, Baron Sengir is a strong addition to any Vampire deck. Combine this legend with cards that force your opponent's creatures into combat (such as Lure or Norrit) and watch as the Baron becomes an even greater threat. |
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Black Lotus (February) | Illus. | Christopher Rush | | Rarity | | | Color | | | Source | Magic: the Gathering 1997 Official Calendar | 1996 | | Info | From Alpha/Beta/Unlimited. Text: Perhaps the most sought-after of all Magic cards, the Black Lotus stands in a class by itself. With the ability to generate three mana of any colour for no cost, a Lotus adds early speed for any deck. One of the best defences against the Lotus is Spell Blast which may counter the Black Lotus for a single blue mana. |
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Lhurgoyf (March) | Illus. | Pete Venters | | Rarity | | | Color | | | Source | Magic: the Gathering 1997 Official Calendar | 1996 | | Info | From Ice Age. Text: "Ach! Hans Run!" And rightfully so. With power and toughness (Plus 1) equal to the number of creatures in both graveyards, the Lhurgoyf can quickly grow to huge proportions. For an extra bonus, try casting a mass-destruction spell such as Wrath of God or Jokulhaups, followed by a hungry Lhurgoyf. |
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Lich (April) | Illus. | Daniel Gelon | | Rarity | | | Color | | | Source | Magic: the Gathering 1997 Official Calendar | 1996 | | Info | From Alpha/Beta/Unlimited. Text: The Lich spell starts by removing all your life. It sounds scary, but this minor inconvenience can often swing the game in your favor. Using cards as your new life, Lich allows you to play several tricks that you could never do under normal circomstances. The most popular trick is to combine the Lich with the life swapping-powers of the Mirror Universe. Not having the Lich, your opponent usually has a problem suddenly finding him or herself at 0 life. |
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Cyclopean Tomb (May) | Illus. | Anson Maddocks | | Rarity | | | Color | | | Source | Magic: the Gathering 1997 Official Calendar | 1996 | | Info | From Alpha/Beta/Unlimited. Text: If you are looking to add a little power to a land-destruction deck add a Cyclopean Tomb. Changing a land each turn into a swamp, the Tomb quickly neutralises eveything but black spells and artifacts. Combine creatures with swampwalk for added devastation. |
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Force of Will (June) | Illus. | Terese Nielsen | | Rarity | | | Color | | | Source | Magic: the Gathering 1997 Official Calendar | 1996 | | Info | From Alliances. Text: With the addition of Force of Will, playershad to let go with of the age-old assumption that a tapped-out player is defenceless. This powerful card allows players to prevent first-turn kills. Although not useful in every permission deck. Force of Will does add another layer of intrigue to the counterspelling game. |
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Helm of Obedience (July) | Illus. | Brian Snōddy | | Rarity | | | Color | | | Source | Magic: the Gathering 1997 Official Calendar | 1996 | | Info | From Alliances. Text: Combining the aspect of a Millstone with creature control, Helm of Obedience has several applications. If you use it against a creatureless deck, you can swift through your opponent's deck with amazing speed. Or, try using one of the many cards to peek at your opponent's library (Orcish Spy or Portent for example). You can use Helm of Obedience as a colourless Control Magic that cannot be countered. |
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Necropotence (August) | Illus. | Mark Tedin | | Rarity | | | Color | | | Source | Magic: the Gathering 1997 Official Calendar | 1996 | | Info | From Ice Age. Text: Few abilities are more beneficial in Magic than card drawing. Necropotence is an enchantment that allows you to draw multiple cards for no mana, making it especially useful. Be careful, however, of Necropotence's lingering effect draining away life while denying you a draw phase. For this very reason while fighting against a wizard utilising Necropotence, you rarely will want to destroy it. Instead allow the Necropotence to stick around, handicapping its controller. |
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Timetwister (September) | Illus. | Mark Tedin | | Rarity | | | Color | | | Source | Magic: the Gathering 1997 Official Calendar | 1996 | | Info | From Alpha/Beta/Unlimited. Text: One of the three "Big Blue" in the original set (along with Time Walk and Ancestrak Recall), Timetwister is a potent spell. By combining the speed and utility of Wheel of Fortune with the recusirve elements of Fyndorn's Cane, Timetwister gives its caster a fresh boost in any game. |
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Juzam Djinn (October) | Illus. | Mark Tedin | | Rarity | | | Color | | | Source | Magic: the Gathering 1997 Official Calendar | 1996 | | Info | From Arabian Nights. Text: With a low casting cost of 4, Juzam Djinn can appear long before the opponent is equipped to deal with a 5/5 creature. The Djinn's 1 damage to you every upkeep is meaningless when it is capable of ending the game in four short turns. To neutralize the Djinn, try slapping a Spirit Link on it so that you don't only prevent it from harming you but also gain 1 life during each of your opponent's upkeeps. |
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Gauntlet of Might (November) | Illus. | Christopher Rush | | Rarity | | | Color | | | Source | Magic: the Gathering 1997 Official Calendar | 1996 | | Info | From Alpha/Beta/Unlimited. Text: While Gauntlet of Might doesn't appear in many tournament decks, it still maintain a presence in a variety of fun, casual decks. Wheter increasion red mana production for that giant Fireball or enlarging a horde of goblins, Gauntlet of Might boosts the power level of any red deck. |
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Polymorph (December) | Illus. | Robert Bliss | | Rarity | | | Color | | | Source | Magic: the Gathering 1997 Official Calendar | 1996 | | Info | From Mirage. Text: The ability to change one creature for another makes Polymorph a valuable card in constructed deck-play. Combined with some knowledge of the top livrary cards, Polymorph can allow you to put a large creature into play early. Or, use it onto your opponents to get rid of their largest threat, and hope the replacement is not something worse. |
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