History MagicTheGathering / FlavorAndStoryTropesAToG

* FantasyGunControl: With a couple of exceptions (cards from ''Ixalan'' and a few older cards from Dominaria-focused sets show flintlocks) there has never been a realistic gun depicted on the art of a ''Magic'' card. This even extends into the crossovers; the art for the ''Franchise/{{Fallout}}'' Universes Beyond set completely omits any realistic firearms from its art, opting instead to have energy weapons (such as a laser musket or plasma rifle) in their art.

* {{Bowdlerise}}: While of course the Fat Man from ''Franchise/{{Fallout}}'' had to be referenced in the Universes Beyond set, the design team opted to name the card to represent it [[https://scryfall.com/card/pip/138/nuka-nuke-launcher Nuka-Nuke Launcher]], after an obscure weapon from the Nuka World DLC of ''VideoGame/Fallout4''.

*** Rakdos are cultists mixed with crazy hooligans and wandering gypsies.

* FisherKingdom: [[spoiler:judging by two of the arts shown in magic con San Diego 2024, Bloomburrow works like that, turning non-anthropomorphic animals into them]]

%%* AmericanGothicCouple: [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4558 Orcish Settlers]]

%%* AnotherDimension: The multiverse is ''full'' of them.

* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: Many sets could be described as this.
** After ''Arabian Nights'', ''Antiquities'' attempted to tell an original story.
** The "pseudo-block" of ''Legends'', ''The Dark'', and ''Fallen Empires''. ''Legends'' was awesome, but neither ''The Dark'' nor ''Fallen Empires'' continued its mechanics, or its storyline, and were instead sequels to ''Antiquities''.
** ''Homelands'' is between ''Ice Age'' and ''Alliances'', both with an Ice Age theme. ''Homelands'', as far as we can tell, is about [[ElvesVsDwarves fairies and paladins vs. vampires]]. ''Homelands'' also didn't have ''Ice Age'''s mechanics, and is generally considered [[TheScrappy the worst set ever]].
** ''Weatherlight'' kicked off a five-year story arc.
** ''Portal: Three Kingdoms'' introduced a lot of new mechanics, [[CallARabbitASmeerp referred to flying as horsemanship]], is incompatible with other ''Portal'' sets, and...was actually enjoyable.
** The Urza's Block, while high in power and storyline, was a prequel, leaving you wondering what happened to the crew of the ''Weatherlight''.
** ''Nemesis'' introduced a new ability out of nowhere (Fading) and focused on Rath. Actually, every ''Masques'' block set focused on a different plane. Mercadia seemed to come out of nowhere too.
** ''Apocalypse'' is the only set in the ''Invasion'' block to focus entirely on ''enemy'' colors (white/black, white/red, blue/red, blue/green, black/green).

* ForcedTransformation: Seen on a variety of cards, typically blue. Examples include [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=157401 Snakeform]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129015 Pongify]], [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=126212 Ovinize]], and [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=5822 Fowl Play]], among others. The [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=108863 Ovinomancer]] is a wizard that does this to other creatures.* ForegoneConclusion: The storyline of ''Coldsnap'', released years after ''Ice Age'' and ''Alliances'' to give that block a "proper" block format (and conclusion). The [[LampshadeHanging press release teaser info explicitly said]], "We know the Ice Age ended... but ''how''?"

** A number of characters from the ''Legends'' set show up in both of the ''Magic Legends'' cycles, which are set hundreds of years apart, with no explanation. One very problematic example concerns the characters Tor Wauki and Ramirez [=DePietro=]. In the first ''Magic Legends Cycle'', Tor Wauki is an archer aboard the ship of pirate Ramirez [=DePietro=]. In the second ''Magic Legends Cycle'', set hundreds of years later, Tor Wauki meets the shapeshifter Halfdane in the guise of [=DePietro=] and has no idea who the pirate is. [[spoiler: Halfdane later reveals he killed [=DePietro=] two years ago.]] The Multiverse in Review blog [[http://multiverseinreview.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-circulair-continuity-of-legends-i.html has taken a swing at this]], but ultimately concludes that there is no other way out than to assume that there are multiple characters with the same name in canon, which was obviously not the original intent.

* [[EvenEvilHasStandards Even Antiheroism Has Standards]]: One of Urza's first picks for his strike team of Planeswalkers to go to Phyrexia was a Planeswalker named Parcher. [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity Urza]] [[{{Irony}} rejected him for being insane.]]

* AntiHero: Urza dug up more than one ArtifactOfDoom, fought a war with his own brother that ended in a FantasticNuke destroying an entire continent, personally destroyed an entire plane (which, to be fair, was already ruined by a PyrricVictory against Phyrexians), and had about one healthy interpersonal relationship in his entire life. And he is ''unquestionably'' the good guy in his conflict against Yawgmoth.

** A relentless evil that is essentially [[TheCorruption The Corruption]] personified and has been growing and festering in the core of the Plane ever since its creation finally amasses enough military power to launch a full-scale invasion headed by the twisted, corrupted husks of the Plane's own legendary heroes from ages past [[spoiler:up to ''and including'' the Plane's creator himself]]? [[spoiler:Scars of Mirrodin.]]