New & Returning Mechanics in Theros Beyond Death
New Mechanic - Escape
Escape is the first new mechanic Theros Beyond Death is bringing to the game. This new effect allows you to cast cards from your graveyard with a potentially modified casting cost (some cards will have a higher base casting cost) but all Escape cards will also require you to exile a specific number of cards from your graveyard. This mechanic brings new capabilities for spell recursion into the game, provided your deck will fuel enough cards into your graveyard for you to be able to cast them. This also means that mill decks might become less popular, as they could end up helping their opponents by getting more cards in their graveyard and enabling Escape cards to function more effectively as a result.
With this new Escape mechanic, me might also see an increased amount of play with cards that have enter the battlefield, exit the battlefield, or upon death type of effects. As such, cards which prevent these types of effects from occurring, such as Hushbringer (ELD), could see more play. Additionally, as an effective counter-play strategy against the new Escape Mechanic, we might see an increase of graveyard-"hate" cards designed to neuter the Escape effect. A couple of cards which come to mind are the new Kunoros, Hound of Athreos (THB) and Leyline of the Void (M20). Who knows, maybe we will even see a few Grafdigger's Cage (M20) as well?
Constellation Returns
Constellation is the second new mechanic Theros Beyond Death is bringing to the game, and it centers all around enchantments, causing additional effects to occur when an enchantment enters the battlefield under your control. I have always been a big fan of enchantments, as they usually provide a static long-term effect, and some of them can be quite powerful (Ethereal Absolution, oh how I really hope to make you work again someday...). It is important to note that this new effect also works with Aura Enchantment types, so we might see some play where you have key creature cards being buffed up through Auras while receiving the passive benefits which Constellation provides.
Another important thing to mention is that Theros Beyond Death also brought us new Enchantment Creatures which also fulfill the requirements for Constellation to take effect. In my opinion, this is an important addition to the game because if you over-indexed on enchantments in the past then you didn't have enough board presence to defend against a creature onslaught. This allows you to achieve both goals simultaneously. Honestly, though, it is too early to tell if the MtG metagame will require a lot of enchantments counter-play, but I expect us to see more removal effects which target all permanent types as a result (such as Banishing Light and Eat to Extinction).
Devoted to Devotion
I am so excited for the return of the devotion mechanic. Over the last couple MtG sets we have primarily only seen decks which focus on multiple colors. This mechanic brings back the ability for single-color decks to really start emerging again as a viable option to play. Most of the devotion effects within Theros Beyond Death revolve around various Enchantment Creature Gods who are very powerful in their own right. However, when you start to consider the potential combos it starts to get a little silly (or crazy, depending on your personal MtG play-style). As for me, I gravitate towards more silly, and I am looking forward to combining Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded and Ilharg, the Raze-Boar.
