Just yesterday, WOTC released on its scheduled Banning & Restricted Announcement that the two current powerful cards in Standard will get the banhammer. Yes, you’ve guessed it right. Effective July 1, Stoneforge Mystic and Jace, the Mind Sculptor is banned in Standard. I guess this ends the Cawblade menace that the format is currently suffering, and which leads it unhealthy.

More info regarding the banning announcement here, and Wizard’s explanation here.

It seems that Wizards changed its style in previewing cards of the upcoming set, or was it caused by an undisclosed info. Just recently, a source posted on the MTG Salvation’s Rumor mill and leaked all the cards of the set which maybe forced the mothership to preview them all ahead of schedule. As I’ve sorted each of the cards, it seems that it will just be a support set for standard.

What I am interested on is the new mechanic of Phyrexian mana. These mechanic is looking to shout imba and be abused, if combined with the right cards. I’ve came up with a few deck ideas in mind which I’ll post later on. Overall, I think New Phyrexia will complete and smoothen the Metalcraft and Infect based decks and maybe keep in check control decks with its specific card type hate like Despise and Beast Within.

You can check the spoilers here at MTG Salvation.

Or, you would want to see the card images at the New Phyrexia card image gallery at the mothership.

Just a few days back, MTG Salvation’s Rumor Mill revealed a bunch of scanned Japanese cards of the upcoming New Phyrexia set to be released this May. The previews contained new card mechanics (which I find very innovative) and featured Karn as the first colorless Planeswalker. The scanned pics after the cut.

Click the picture to view full size.

Here are the translation of the cards (just refer to the mana cost for the actual card):

Chancellor of the Furnace
Rare
4RRR
5/5
Creature – (Giant)
At the beginning of the game, if ~ is in your hand, you may reveal it. If you do, at the beginning of your first turn’s upkeep, you may put a 1/1 red goblin creature with Haste on the battlefield.
When this enters the battlefield, put X 1/1 red goblin creatures with Haste onto the battlefield, where X is the number of creatures you control.

Chancellor of the Dross
Rare
4BBB
6/6
Creature – (Vampire)
Flying, Lifelink
At the beginning of the game, if ~ is in your hand, you may reveal it. If you do, at the beginning of your first upkeep, you may have each opponent lose 3 life. Gain life equal to the life lost this way.

Praetor’s Grip
Rare
1BB
Sorcery
Search your opponent’s deck for a card and exile it facedown. While it’s exiled this way, you may look at it and play it as though it were in your hand.

Urabrask, the Hidden
Mythic
Legendary Creature – Praetor
3RR
4/4
Creatures you control have Haste.
Creatures your opponents control enter the battlefield tapped.

Glistening Oil
BB
Rare
Enchantment – Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has Infect.
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a -1/-1 counter on enchanted creature.
When Glistening Oil goes to the graveyard from the battlefield, return ~ to its owner’s hand.

“Species Transplantation”
Rare
4U
Enchantment
When ~ enters the battlefield, choose a creature type.
Creatures you control are the chosen type in addition to their other creature types.
“There is no word more worthless than “evolution” from the mouth of Vorinclex. The only one who knows true Progress is me.” -Jin-Gitaxis, Core Augur.

Phyrexian Canceller
Mythic
BBBB
Creature – Horror
5/5
Trample
Whenever a source deals damage to ~, that source’s controller sacrifices that many permanents.
“It is blessed compleatness.” –Sheoldred, Whispering One

Karn the Released
Mythic
(mana cost) 7
Planeswalker – Karn
+4: Target player exiles a card from his or her hand.
-3: Exile target permanent.
-14: Set aside all non-aura permanent cards exiled by Karn, then restart the game. After that, put into the battlefield under your control all cards set aside this way.
(loyalty) 6

Caged Sun
Rare
6
When Caged Sun enters the battlefield, choose a color.
Creatures you control of the chosen color have +1/+1.
Whenever you tap a land for one or more mana of the chosen color, add one mana of the chosen color to your mana pool.

Puresteel Paladin
Rare
WW
2/2
Creature – Human Knight
Whenever an Equipment enters the battlefield under your control, you may draw a card.
Metalcraft – As long as you control 3 or more artifacts, equipment you control gains ‘Equip 0’.

Norn’s Annex
Rare
3{PW}{PW}
Artifact
({PW} may be paid for with either w or 2 life.)
Creatures can’t attack you or Planeswalkers you control unless their controller pays P for each attacking creature.

“Phyrexian Unlife”
Rare
2W
Enchantment
You do not lose the game for having 0 or less life.
While you are at 0 or less life, all sources of damage to you gains Infect.

“Psychological Surgery”
Rare
1U
Enchantment
Whenever an opponent shuffles his library, you may look at the top 2 cards of that library. You may exile one of them, then put them back on top of that library in any order.

“Spellskitter”
Rare
2
0/4
Artifact Creature
{PU}: Change a target of target spell or ability to Spellskitter.
{PU} may be paid for with either u or 2 life.)
“I’ll show Vorinclex that for progress you require more than just teeth and nails.” – Malcator, Unifier

“Screamwhip”
Rare
4
Artifact – Equipment
Living Weapon
Equip {PB}{PB} ({PB} may be paid for with either b or 2 life.)
Equipped creature has +1/+1 for each Swamp you control.

Hex Parasite
Rare
1
Artifact Creature – Insect(?)
1/1
x{PB}: Target a permanent. Remove up to X counters from that permanent. ~ gains +1/+0 until end of turn for each counter removed this way.
({PB} may be paid for with either b or 2 life.)

Fresh Meat
Rare
3G
Instant
Put a 3/3 green Beast creature token onto the battlefield for each creature that went to your graveyard from the battlefield this turn.
“Death is a scavenger’s favorite appetizer.”

“Spawning Shell”
Rare
3{PG}
Artifact
({PG} may be paid for with either g or 2 life.)
1{PG}, T, sacrifice a creature: Search your library for a creature with CMC equal to the sacrificed creature’s, plus one. Put that creature into play, then shuffle your library. Play this ability only when you can play a Sorcery.

“Invasion Parasite”
Rare
3RR
3/2
Creature – Insect
Imprint – When ~ enters the battlefield, exile target a land.
Whenever a land with the same name as the exiled card enters the battlefield under an opponent’s control, ~ deals 2 damage to that opponent.

Scrapmetal Fiend
Rare
R
*/*
Creature – Construct
~’s power and toughness are each equal to the number of artifact cards in all graveyards.

Sources:
Card Scans
Card Translations