After you look at the cards, you should also check out this excellent preview article about the set, written by the game designer himself.

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The Wizard’s School

Pendrell Vale, TOLARIA — The Basilisk Collar, a fashion staple of student libraries, has landed on a lists of prohibited equipment in several Tolarian schools.

Some schools have restricted or even banned the unusual collars, citing safety concerns.

They say that it’s easy for things like sticks and wands to become snagged in the collars, causing disruptions in their school work. School officials also note that bulky jewelry like basilisk collars increase the risk of a student accidentally tipping over a flask of acid, or cracking the fragile casing on a potion of unmaking. What’s more, adept scofflaws can use the collars to kill at a touch, or to gain life by striking other students.

A Dangerous Fashion Statement

At the Tolarian Academy in the Eastern Domain’s isle of Tolaria, wizard student Ertai was told on the first day of school that his basilisk collar was not allowed. He left it in his energy chamber, he told The Press of the Central Planes for Friday’s editions.

Fads in equipment “designed to attract attention to the individual or to disrupt the orderly conduct of the classroom or campus is not permitted,” the policy states.

In its Codex, the district states its rules are in place because “students who dress and groom themselves neatly, and in an acceptable and appropriate manner, are more likely to become constructive wizards of the society in which we live.”

Wizards Engage in Risky Behavior

Several violators have already been punished for wearing the controversial collars, which some researchers claim is an indicator for risk-taking behavior.

“I got my basilisk collar as a present from my father, but when I showed up to class I was exiled with 5 time counters”, explained Jhoira of the Ghitu, a student whose suspension ended during a recent turn. “They removed one time counter at the beginning of each upkeep”, she added.

Bans on fashion articles are not new to Dominaria. In 2004, a type of headwear known as a Skullclamp became popular, drawing concern from school officials. It was eventually banned after a series of first-year students were each placed in the graveyard as a state-based effect after wearing one of the artifacts.

The selfish elf always helped himself!

He never thought of no one else!

“Gimme, gimme, gimme!” was his refrain

“Mine, mine, mine!” was his constant complain

But one day the selfish elf found he had no pals

No one to play with, boys or gals

“Alas” he said, “all these +1/+1′s and no one with whom to play…”

“…has made me a silly lonely selfish elf this day!”

When you see it – and you slam on the brakes. It’s a garage sale. Sure, there may just be a bunch of junk, but you never know. You have to make sure. You park across the street, and walk up the driveway, eyeing the tables of junk.

It’s immediately clear that something is not quite right about this particular garage sale. Mixed in with the children’s toys and used CDs, are some more… unusual items.

You notice a can of peanuts on a table. Who sells peanuts at a garage sale? They’re not American peanuts either. They’re some brand you’ve never heard of. You pick them up and read the label. “WARNING: MANUFACTURED ON EQUIPMENT ALSO USED TO MAKE PANTS. MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF PANTS.”

You put them down, shaking your head. Focus, focus. You scan the tables. Let’s see… a Rubik’s Revenge… Amazing Fantasy #15… some Weebles… a Gutenberg Bible… some bits of string… a one-penny magenta stamp… a lunchbox with pictures of R2-D2 and C-3P0… these aren’t what you’re looking for. And then you see it. A long, narrow cardboard box. It could only hold Magic cards. This is it, the holy grail of garage sales. It’s the moment you’ve been dreaming of, ever since that peacock gave you 3 wishes and you blew them all. This is your chance to buy valuable Magic cards for next to nothing.

You make a bee-line for the box. You can feel a man watching you; it’s the guy running the sale. He’s smiling. Like he’s in on something that you aren’t. Well whatever; you’re on the verge of screwing him over big-time, there’s no time for trading smiles. You flip open the box, eager to see the Magic cards that you know must be in it.

And the box does have Magic cards. It does. But they’re wrong, horribly wrong.

You look up, to see the man standing beside you, still smiling.

“How much for this card,” you ask, not sure you even want it.

“It’s free,” the man says, “but there’s still a price you pay.”

“I don’t understand.”

“It’s a dollar. A quarter. Make me an offer.”

“What set is this from? I don’t recognize the expansion symbol.”

“It’s rare,” the man says. “Very rare.”

“Do you mean that it’s a rare card, or… that it’s rare.”

The man looks at you.

“It’s good,” the man says at last. “Con-struc-ted wor-thy.” Like he learned the words from a phrasebook.

You stare at it. “How does it work?”

“Animate Artifact. 23/23.” The man waggles his eyebrows.

“But I mean, if I just have it in my deck it’ll be in play?”

“You don’t need it in your deck.”

That doesn’t sound right. You smile weakly and turn away from the card. “Hey, how much for the one-penny magenta?”

But the man will hear none of it. He presses the card into your hands, firmly. “You are here for the card.” It is undeniable. “Now go.”

Well, what harm can come of it, you think, as you drive away. It’s just a game. If you can’t make the card work for you, you can always trade it away to some kid. Just the thought of it cheers you up, and you drive the last few blocks home in a blissful daze. You turn left on Illuminati, then right on Illuminati. You park in front of the Illuminati, lock the Illuminati, and stroll up the Illuminati.

To where your Illuminati is waiting for you.