Outlaws of Thunder Junction is the second premier MTG set of 2024. It takes place on a brand new plane and gives Magic’s take on the Western genre. Expect to see dusty desert showdowns, saloons, and Stetson hats. The other main theme for the set is villains, who’ve come to this frontier fantasy from across the multiverse to seek fortune and riches – presumably by robbing a bank, train, or sheriff.
MTG Outlaws of Thunder Junction is still half a year away, and though little is set in stone, there’s plenty we can infer. Read on to find out what this MTG set’s all about. We’ll keep this page up to date with all the latest news, so be sure to check back. You can also check out our MTG release schedule to see where Thunder Junction fits in alongside the rest of 2024’s sets, like Bloomburrow and Murders at Karlov Manor.
MTG Outlaws of Thunder Junction release date speculation
MTG Outlaws of Thunder Junction is confirmed to release in Q2 2024, and is almost certain to drop in April – since that’s been the cadence for the past several years. Before the set comes out there’ll be a week or so of card spoilers (is it us, or have spoiler seasons been getting more condensed?) when all the cards will be revealed.
Assuming Wizards of the Coast sticks to its regular release schedule (and we’ve no reason to think otherwise) you’ll be able to get hold of Outlaws of Thunder Junction cards a little early from your LGS – from the prerelease events onwards. The cards will also arrive on MTG Arena a couple of days before the set’s global launch.
MTG Outlaws of Thunder Junction story
This is another genre set, so we should expect Outlaws of Thunder Junction’s story to follow Western tropes. Officially, the set is part of the ‘Omenpaths arc’, which is meant to show the effects of the Phyrexian invasion (namely the Omenpath rifts that have opened up between worlds).
It seems likely the story of Outlaws of Thunder Junction will be centered around a group of Magic: The Gathering’s villains coming together. The image above shows one such group. From left to right we have Tinybones, Vraska, Unknown (please be Jace), Oko, a new character shown off in other art, and Rakdos.
Oko also stands tall above the scene, suggesting that perhaps he’s the main antagonist. We therefore think he’ll probably be the set’s lone MTG planeswalker, since it’s confirmed that from now on there’ll just be one per set release.
MTG Outlaws of Thunder Junction speculation
Until some proper Outlaws of Thunder Junction card spoilers come our way, we can only speculate about what else the set will contain. Here’s our most educated of guesses.
One big question, of course, is whether guns will be involved. Magic: The Gathering had traditionally shied away from realistic depictions of firearms, but gunfights are such a prominent part of the Western genre. We saw a similar tension in aims with Streets of New Capenna.
We think we already know the chosen solution, however. From the art above it appears Wizards has come up with some sort of gun equivalent, a lightning-powered projectile weapon that can fill the void while also looking nothing like a gun. Perhaps it’s even linked to the name ‘Thunder Junction’.
Whereas some MTG sets are obvious homes for particular mechanics (i.e. clues and Karlov manor), there’s no such freebies for Outlaws of Thunder Junction. Treasure seems like a likely inclusion, since it’s a popular mechanic and the villains are seeking riches. Horsemanship would be a less likely thematic fit, though this keyword has appeared in MTG Commander decks here and there of late.
Something to symbolize duels would also be a nice touch. We’d say Clash might make a return, if Mark Rosewater hadn’t called this mechanic “a noble failure”. This plane could also be a good place for a new type of Battle card.
For more things Magic, check out our list of the best MTG commanders and this up-to-date list of MTG Arena codes.
Source: Wargamer
