Innistrad: Midnight Hunt

Innistrad: Midnight Hunt is the 89th Magic expansion. It was released on September 24, 2021, and is paired up with Innistrad: Crimson Vow which released two months later.
==Set details==
The set was originally announced with the provisional name Innistrad: Werewolves. Based on the registration of public domains on September 18, 2020, the final name was speculated to be Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, which was confirmed on March 18, 2021. Both Innistrad sets are full size sets and they both are Standard-legal. Although they come out only two months apart, R&D is not changing how many sets are being added to Standard during the rotation window, but are just moving around when they come out. The sets are designed to draft by themselves, but they also will draft well together. The two sets are synergistic and overlap in spots. This will be further explored as the sets are reprinted in the Innistrad: Double Feature set that will be released in early 2022.
Innistrad: Midnight Hunt contains 277 regular cards and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards. The regular cards include 10 "Eternal Night" basic lands. Each type has two different pieces of black-and-white art with colored accents. Alternate card frames have another card number than the original version. Borderless planeswalkers are numbered #278-280, borderless dual lands are #281-285, "Equinox" showcase cards are numbered #286-311, "Endless Night" showcase legendaries are #312-325 and extended artwork cards are numbered #326-379. The regular framed basic land cards from the Bundle are numbered #380-384. The Buy-a-Box card is #385 and the Bundle promo is #386. The FNM-treatment cards from the Universal promo pack are numbered #387-391.
Midnight Hunt and Crimson Vow both have the same number of single-faced and double-faced commons (90 SFC/10 DFC), uncommons (60/23), rares (53/11), and mythic rares (15/5). 
The black and white horror movie inspired "Eternal Night" showcase cards are all basic lands and legendary creatures that aren't a Werewolf or Warlock. The brighter "Equinox" showcase cards with autumnal decorations are all Werewolves and Warlocks.
===Storyline===
For the Midnight Hunt storyline R&D wanted to reset Innistrad to the "2011 version where horror monsters from classic horror films are menacing humanity and who is going to protect them? because Avacyn is dead now" and without Avacyn's protection the humans have to "turn to older, and perhaps darker forms of magic to stave off the onslaught of the different monsters, most particularly the werewolves" who have gone "plumb loony." Midnight Hunt begins the new story ripped right from the worries of Innistrad's populace: a night that may never end. With the sun rising later and setting sooner each day, they turn to the hope of the Harvesttide festival and a ritual with warlocks to maintain the balance. Despite plenty of werewolves and other denizens of the night, there's strength and hope for the humans gathered deep in the woods of the Kessig countryside. 
The first chapter of the Innistrad: Midnight Hunt story was posted to the Magic: the Gathering website on September 2, 2021. The storyline began in Midnight Hunt will be continued with Innistrad: Crimson Vow and both stories "revisit what we learned first about Innistrad, showing us again why the wisest humans there never stop fearing nightfall." 
The cards that represent the Story Spotlights in Midnight Hunt are:
====Magic Story====
Title	Author 	Release Date	Setting 	Featuring
 	K. Arsenault Rivera 	2021-09-02 	Innistrad 	Klaus, Arlinn, Finneas, Agatha, Gustav, Klein, Tovolar, Streak, Redtooth, Patience, Boulder, Katilda
 	Seanan McGuire 	2021-09-03 	Innistrad 	Wrenn, Six, Four (mentioned), Teferi, One (mentioned), Seven
 	K. Arsenault Rivera 	2021-09-08 	Innistrad, Ravnica	Arlinn, Tovolar, Streak, Redtooth, Boulder, Patience, Barnaby, Luciana, Zakarias, Katilda, Teferi, Chandra, Kaya, Adeline
 	Eugenia Triantafyllou	2021-09-10 	Innistrad 	Leinore, Sinnia, Katilda, Jagger, Saryth, the Coiled One
 	K. Arsenault Rivera 	2021-09-15 	Innistrad 	Chandra, Kaya, Teferi, Arlinn, Adeline, Worrin Betzold, Dennick Betzold, Sorin, Sigarda
 	Margaret Killjoy 	2021-09-17 	Innistrad 	Vadrik, Hailin, Rem Karolus, Malynn, Arinos, Dein Salvasi, Lakil, Old Stickfingers, Ariosa, Vik, Hilgin
 	K. Arsenault Rivera 	2021-09-22 	Innistrad 	Olivia Voldaren, Feuer, Deidamia, Shana, Arlinn, Kaya, Chandra, Adeline, Teferi, Tovolar, Redtooth, Boulder, Streak, Patience
 	Seanan McGuire 	2021-09-24 	Innistrad 	Gisa Cecani, Geralf Cecani, Wilhelt
 	K. Arsenault Rivera 	2021-09-29 	Innistrad 	Arlinn, Tovolar, Redtooth, Boulder, Streak, Patience, Worrin Betzold, Chandra, Adeline, Kaya, Teferi, Katilda, Olivia Voldaren
 	Rhiannon Rasmussen 	2021-10-01 	Innistrad 	Algli, Olutio, Sruta, Liesa, the Buried Lord
===Marketing===
Midnight Hunt is sold in regular 16-card Draft Boosters (one card being a marketing card), Theme Boosters, Collector Boosters, Set Boosters, the Midnight Hunt Bundle, and two Commander decks. The Bundle comes with 8 Set Boosters instead of 10 Draft Boosters. The set also features a Welcome Booster. The Draft Boosters feature artwork depicting Wrenn. The Set Boosters feature key art of attacking werewolves, and the Collector Boosters a brightly colorshifted version of the art of . The Theme Boosters feature art from (Werewolves), (), (), (), () and (). With the release of Midnight Hunt, 75 cards were rotated into The List, many of which were thematically or mechanically linked to the set. These can be found in the Set Boosters. In addition, eight cards with the MIC code can be found in the Set and Collector Boosters that aren't found in the Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Commander decks. Every Draft Booster contains two double-faced cards, a common card and either an uncommon or a rare or mythic rare card. They also contain a DFC helper card.
====Events====
*Magic Online and MTG Arena release: September 16th, 2021
*Tabletop Prerelease: September 17, 2021 
*Launch party: September 24–26
*Friday Night Magic: September 24–November 5
*Commander Nights: September 27–November 11
*Store Championship: December 4-5 (combined with Crimson Vow)
====Promotional cards====
*Prerelease: a stamped card that can be any rare or mythic rare of Midnight Hunt.
*Other events: cards from the Midnight Hunt universal promo pack.
**The seasonal dark-frame promos are: , , , , and 
*Buy-a-Box: foil alternate art 
*Bundle promo: foil alternate art 
*Bring-a-Friend: 
*Store Championship promos: (participation), (Top 8), (winner)
*Commander Party promo: 
====Tokens/emblems/markers====
 
The sixteenth card in the boosters is a token creature card, an emblem or a marker, with advertisements on the back side. It can also be a helper card with a standard card back. There are 19 tokens and emblems:
# 1/1 Human creature, for <c>Adeline, Resplendent Cathar</c>, <c>Cathar's Call</c>, <c>Clarion Cathars</c>, <c>Dawnhart Mentor</c>, <c>Jerren, Corrupted Bishop</c>, , <c>Slaughter Specialist</c> and <c>Sunset Revelry</c>.
# 1/1 Spirit creature with flying, for <c>Blessed Defiance</c>
# 1/1 Bird creature with flying and "This creature can block only creatures with flying," for <c>Ominous Roost</c>.
# 1/1 Bat creature with flying, for <c>Bat Whisperer</c>
# 2/2 Zombie creature with decayed, for <c>Diregraf Horde</c>, <c>Falcon Abomination</c>, <c>Flip the Switch</c>, <c>Ghoulcaller’s Harvest</c>, <c>Ghoulish Procession</c>,<c>Hobbling Zombie</c>, <c>Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia</c>, <c>No Way Out</c> <c>Poppet Stitcher</c>, <c>Revenge of the Drowned</c>, <c>Rotten Reunion</c>, <c>Startle</c>, and <c>Tainted Adversary</c>.
# 1/1 Devil creature with "When this creature dies, it deals 1 damage to any target," for <c>Burn Down the House</c>
# */* Elemental creature with trample and "This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of instants and sorceries in your graveyard plus the number of cards with flashback you own in exile," for <c>Seize the Storm</c>.
# 4/4 Beast creature, for <c>Shadowbeast Sighting</c>
# 3/3 Insect creature, for <c>Rise of the Ants</c>
# */*+1 Ooze creature with "This creature's power is equal to the number of card types among cards in your graveyards and its toughness is equal to that number plus 1," for <c>Consuming Blob</c>.
# 1/2 Spider creature with reach, for <c>Brood Weaver</c>
# */* Treefolk creature with reach and "This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of lands you control," for <c>Wrenn and Seven</c>.
# 2/2 Wolf creature, for <c>Arlinn, the Pack's Hope</c> and <c>Tovolar's Huntmaster</c> // <c>Tovolar's Packleader</c>
# 3/1 Vampire creature with trample, lifelink and haste, for <c>Hungry for More</c>.
# X/X Zombie creature with menace, for <c>Corpse Cobble</c>.
# Clue artifact, for spells with investigate: <c>Briarbridge Tracker</c>, <c>Dennick, Pious Apparition</c>, <c>Fateful Absence</c>, <c>Foul Play</c> and <c>Secrets of the Key</c>
#.
#.
#Day/night marker.
==Themes and mechanics==
Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, as following from the previous Innistrad sets, focuses on five allied-colored tribes, each of which have a mechanic associated to them - however, these mechanics can appear outside of those two colors.
*Werewolves mean the return of transforming double-faced cards, now with their transformation as a keyword mechanic. They have daybound and nightbound, tweaked transformation clauses from previous Innistrad sets. If it becomes day or night or if a daybound permanent enters the battlefield, track day/night for the rest of the game. As it becomes day, transform all nightbound permanents. As it becomes night, transform all daybound permanents. Permanents enter the battlefield nightbound (i.e. transformed) if it is night.
*Humans now work with in a coven, a new ability word that provides an effect if you control three or more creatures with different powers. 
*Spirits rise from the dead with disturb, a keyword ability that allows you to cast these cards transformed from your graveyard.
*Decayed creatures can't block: and when they attack, they are sacrificed at the end of the turn. It appears on zombie tokens and zombie-related cards.
*Vampires gain additional abilities if an opponent has lost life during the turn, usually upon entering the battlefield.
Flashback and investigate also return.
===Limited archetypes===
Innistrad: Midnight Hunt features the following limited archetypes:
*: Spirits (<c></c>)
*: Zombies (<c></c>)
*: Vampires (<c></c>)
*: Werewolves (<c></c>)
*: Humans (<c></c>)
*: Sacrifice (<c></c>)
*: Instants and Sorceries (<c></c>)
*: Life and Death (<c></c>)
*: Aggression (<c></c>)
*: Flashback (<c></c>)
===Card types===
Werewolves in this set also appear in black.
===Counter types===
The set introduced the following counter types: Ember counters, Ritual counters, and Valor counters.
It also saw the return of the following: Corpse counters, Flame counters, Slime counters, and Soul counters.
==Cycles==
Midnight Hunt has ten cycles.There is also a partial cycle of double-mana costing legendary creatures that is missing the red card: - - - 
Cycle name 	 	 	 	 	
Adversaries 	 	 	 	 	
Adversaries 	Five mythic rare creatures with multikicker-esque abilities. Each kicker payment gives them gets a counter that gives them +1/+1, and also another scaling effect.	Five mythic rare creatures with multikicker-esque abilities. Each kicker payment gives them gets a counter that gives them +1/+1, and also another scaling effect.	Five mythic rare creatures with multikicker-esque abilities. Each kicker payment gives them gets a counter that gives them +1/+1, and also another scaling effect.	Five mythic rare creatures with multikicker-esque abilities. Each kicker payment gives them gets a counter that gives them +1/+1, and also another scaling effect.	Five mythic rare creatures with multikicker-esque abilities. Each kicker payment gives them gets a counter that gives them +1/+1, and also another scaling effect.
Rare Werewolves 	 	 	 	 	
Rare Werewolves 	Five rare Werewolves with Daybound and Nightbound. The white and blue Werewolves are noted as 'off-color' in a mirrored pair. 	Five rare Werewolves with Daybound and Nightbound. The white and blue Werewolves are noted as 'off-color' in a mirrored pair. 	Five rare Werewolves with Daybound and Nightbound. The white and blue Werewolves are noted as 'off-color' in a mirrored pair. 	Five rare Werewolves with Daybound and Nightbound. The white and blue Werewolves are noted as 'off-color' in a mirrored pair. 	Five rare Werewolves with Daybound and Nightbound. The white and blue Werewolves are noted as 'off-color' in a mirrored pair.
Nonmechanical DFCs 	 	 	 	 	
Nonmechanical DFCs 	Five uncommon DFC creatures that don't use the transforming mechanics of the set (Disturb and Daybound). 	Five uncommon DFC creatures that don't use the transforming mechanics of the set (Disturb and Daybound). 	Five uncommon DFC creatures that don't use the transforming mechanics of the set (Disturb and Daybound). 	Five uncommon DFC creatures that don't use the transforming mechanics of the set (Disturb and Daybound). 	Five uncommon DFC creatures that don't use the transforming mechanics of the set (Disturb and Daybound).
Common Tribal spells	(Humans) 	(Spirits) 	(Zombies) 	(Vampires) 	(Werewolves)
Common Tribal spells	Five common spells that reward playing the major tribe in those colors. 	Five common spells that reward playing the major tribe in those colors. 	Five common spells that reward playing the major tribe in those colors. 	Five common spells that reward playing the major tribe in those colors. 	Five common spells that reward playing the major tribe in those colors.
Cycle name 	 	 	 	 	
Slow lands 	 	 	 	 	
Slow lands 	Five rare dual lands that enter the battlefield tapped, unless you control two or more other lands. 	Five rare dual lands that enter the battlefield tapped, unless you control two or more other lands. 	Five rare dual lands that enter the battlefield tapped, unless you control two or more other lands. 	Five rare dual lands that enter the battlefield tapped, unless you control two or more other lands. 	Five rare dual lands that enter the battlefield tapped, unless you control two or more other lands.
The four curses are not considered to be part of a cycle.
===Double cycles===
Cycle name 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Rare flashback spells 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Rare flashback spells 	Ten rare flashback spells. 	Ten rare flashback spells. 	Ten rare flashback spells. 	Ten rare flashback spells. 	Ten rare flashback spells. 	Ten rare flashback spells. 	Ten rare flashback spells. 	Ten rare flashback spells. 	Ten rare flashback spells. 	Ten rare flashback spells.
Rare legends 	// 	// 	 	// 	 	 	 	 	 	
Rare legends 	Ten rare legendary creatures. 	Ten rare legendary creatures. 	Ten rare legendary creatures. 	Ten rare legendary creatures. 	Ten rare legendary creatures. 	Ten rare legendary creatures. 	Ten rare legendary creatures. 	Ten rare legendary creatures. 	Ten rare legendary creatures. 	Ten rare legendary creatures.
Uncommon flashback spells 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Uncommon flashback spells 	Ten uncommon flashback spells. 	Ten uncommon flashback spells. 	Ten uncommon flashback spells. 	Ten uncommon flashback spells. 	Ten uncommon flashback spells. 	Ten uncommon flashback spells. 	Ten uncommon flashback spells. 	Ten uncommon flashback spells. 	Ten uncommon flashback spells. 	Ten uncommon flashback spells.
Uncommon signpost creatures	// 	 	 	// 	 	 	 	 	 	
Uncommon signpost creatures	Ten uncommon gold creatures, each supporting a draft archetype.	Ten uncommon gold creatures, each supporting a draft archetype.	Ten uncommon gold creatures, each supporting a draft archetype.	Ten uncommon gold creatures, each supporting a draft archetype.	Ten uncommon gold creatures, each supporting a draft archetype.	Ten uncommon gold creatures, each supporting a draft archetype.	Ten uncommon gold creatures, each supporting a draft archetype.	Ten uncommon gold creatures, each supporting a draft archetype.	Ten uncommon gold creatures, each supporting a draft archetype.	Ten uncommon gold creatures, each supporting a draft archetype.
===Vertical cycles===
Cycle name 	 	 	
Black werewolves	// 	// 	//
Black werewolves	A vertical cycle of black werewolves, giving the tribe a third color.	A vertical cycle of black werewolves, giving the tribe a third color.	A vertical cycle of black werewolves, giving the tribe a third color.
===Pairs===
Innistrad: Midnight Hunt has four mirrored pairs.
Mirrored Pairs	Mirrored Pairs	Description
// 	// 	Two rare "cameo" werewolves. Each of which is a color not commonly associated with werewolves on the daybound (human) face, and a color commonly associated with werewolves on the nightbound (non-human) face.
// 	// 	Two uncommon werewolves. Each have an evergreen keyword, and when transformed, get +1/+1 and share that keyword with their other Werewolves and Wolves.
 	 	Two uncommon instants. If they are used on less-than-optimal targets, the controller scries 1.
 	 	Two common zombies. Both of them has an activated ability that costs "tap three untapped creatures you control".
 	 	Two common removal spells that depict the major antagonists of the Innistrad story arc (Tovolar and Olivia) and are strengthened at night, two of three noncreatures spells that do so.
==Reprinted cards==
* first printed in Ravnica Allegiance, last seen in Commander Legends
* first printed in Eldritch Moon, last seen in Double Masters
* / first printed in Innistrad
* first printed in Guilds of Ravnica
* first printed in Mirage, last seen in Magic 2015
* first printed in Urza's Saga, last seen in Jumpstart: Historic Horizons
* first printed in Rise of the Eldrazi, last seen in Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms
* first printed in Ixalan, last seen in Time Spiral Remastered
* first printed in Legends, last seen in Fourth Edition
* first printed in Saviors of Kamigawa, last seen in Secret Lair
* first printed in Magic 2011, last seen in Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms
* first printed in War of the Spark, last seen in Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Commander
* first printed in Shadows over Innistrad
* first printed in Eldritch Moon, last seen in Jumpstart
* first printed in Avacyn Restored, last seen in Iconic Masters
* first printed in Innistrad, last seen in Shadows over Innistrad
* first printed in Innistrad, last seen in Explorers of Ixalan
* first printed in Mirrodin Besieged
===Functional reprints===
*<c>Abandon the Post</c> is a functional reprint of <c>Nightbird's Clutches</c>.
*<c>Borrowed Time</c> is a functional reprint of <c>Banishing Light</c>.
*<c>Dawnhart Rejuvenator</c> is a functional reprint of <c>Centaur Nurturer</c>, except for creature types.
==Preconstructed decks==
Innistrad: Midnight Hunt features two Commander decks that are released as a regular part of a set's product line.
==Notable cards==
*<c>Champion of the Perished</c> is a colorshifted, undead, version of <c>Champion of the Parish</c>.
*<c>Enduring Angel</c> is an alternate-lose card. 
*<c>Triskaidekaphile</c> is an alternate-win card.
===Banned and restricted cards===
*After Dominaria United rotating in, black was known to be the strongest color in aggregate, especially with , and coming in. served as a low-investment sweeper in all black decks that had utility against control through its passive enchantment ability. While not a critical banning, it was determined that a small push against Black was warranted, and so it was banned on 10th October 2022. This marked the end of 31 days of a fully unbanned Traditional Standard since the unban of before the Throne of Eldraine rotation, though Arena Standard still had Ferocidon and banned.
==Gallery==
File:Innistrad werewolves provisional logo.png|Provisional logo
==References==
==External links==
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