PAX West Reveals More Duskmourn Info At Preview Panel

Josh Nelson • August 31, 2024

News
A yet-unidentified card art from Duskmourn, the set being previewed at PAX West on August 31st. Art illustrated by Bryan Sola.

 On Saturday, August 31st, Wizards of the Coast held a panel at PAX West, a major gaming convention in Seattle, Washington. This panel previewed several cards from Duskmourn: House of Horror, Magic: The Gathering's newest expansion set. Within the moth-infested hallways and chambers of the haunted house setting of Duskmourn, many surprises awaited panelgoers. Without further ado, let's take a look at what was shown!

The Contents Of The PAX West Duskmourn Panel

Panel hosts Blake Rasmussen, Annie Sardelis, Ovidio Cartagena, and Mike Turian, all major Magic team members from different departments, kicked the panel off with a brief premise of the setting. Duskmourn is a haunted house and the subject of a major demonic manifestation on account of Valgavoth, a demon whose wicked designs have been stymied by confinement to a certain house. Rather than fail to escape the house and wreak havoc, he expanded the house endlessly in a pseudo-House of Leaves fashion, trapping the plane as it quickly became one with the house.

Valgavoth, Terror Eater, previewed during the PAX West Duskmourn panel.
Valgavoth, Terror Eater, previewed during the PAX West Duskmourn panel.

The storyline's plot surrounding Duskmourn follows a group mostly comprised of de-sparked Planeswalkers as they attempt to rescue Nashi, a nezumi of Kamigawa, from the clutches of the Duskmourn house. Nashi arrived at Duskmourn in pursuit of a scroll that his late adoptive mother, the late Planeswalker Tamiyo, owned in life.

The art for Collected Company, a Special Guest reprint in Duskmourn. Illustrated by Borja Pindado.
The art for Collected Company, a Special Guest reprint in Duskmourn. Illustrated by Borja Pindado.
What happens is something you'll have to follow the stories crafted for the set in order to learn.

Cards And Mechanics Of Duskmourn

Of course, it is entirely likely that you are reading this article in order to learn more about the upcoming set. Well, the PAX West preview panel has you covered! Here are a majority of the cards:

Damnation, a Special Guest reprint in Duskmourn.
Damnation, a Special Guest reprint in Duskmourn.
Demonic Counsel
Demonic Counsel
Disturbing Mirth
Disturbing Mirth
Dollmaker's Shop // Porcelain Gallery
Dollmaker's Shop // Porcelain Gallery
Enduring Curiosity
Enduring Curiosity
Enduring Innocence
Enduring Innocence
Fear of Immobility
Fear of Immobility
Fear of Lost Teeth
Fear of Lost Teeth
Hauntwoods Shrieker
Hauntwoods Shrieker
Kaito, Bane of Nightmares
Kaito, Bane of Nightmares
Norin, Swift Survivalist
Norin, Swift Survivalist
Overlord of the Mistmoors
Overlord of the Mistmoors
Peer Past the Veil
Peer Past the Veil
Razonkin Needlehead
Razonkin Needlehead
Scrabbling Skullcrab
Scrabbling Skullcrab
The Jolly Balloon Man
The Jolly Balloon Man
Unwanted Remake
Unwanted Remake
Veteran Survivor
Veteran Survivor
Winter, Misanthropic Guide
Winter, Misanthropic Guide
Zimone, All-Questioning
Zimone, All-Questioning

The mechanics of Duskmourn: House of Horror were also discussed at length at the PAX West preview panel. Below are the slides shown there:

Delirium, a returning mechanic.
Delirium, a returning mechanic.
Survival
Survival

Rooms

Manifest dread
Manifest dread
Impending
Impending
Eerie
Eerie

A Plethora Of Showcase Treatments

As is the norm for Magic sets these days, Duskmourn: House of Horror has a variety of showcase treatments among many of its spooky-ooky cards. There are a fair few different kinds; two of the treatments even have their own showcase treatments!

Below are a few of the cards the PAX West panel showcased!

Dollmaker's Shop // Porcelain Gallery (borderless showcase)
Dollmaker's Shop // Porcelain Gallery (borderless showcase)
Hauntwoods Shrieker (Mirror Monster showcase)
Hauntwoods Shrieker (Mirror Monster showcase)
Norin, Swift Survivalist (Lurking Evil showcase)
Norin, Swift Survivalist (Lurking Evil showcase)
Peer Past The Veil (Paranormal showcase)
Peer Past The Veil (Paranormal showcase)
Razorkin Needlehead (Mirror Monster showcase)
Razorkin Needlehead (Mirror Monster showcase)
The Jolly Balloon Man (Double Exposure showcase)
The Jolly Balloon Man (Double Exposure showcase)
Two cards with the Textured Double Exposure showcase treatment, a showcase within the Double Exposure showcase treatment.
Two cards with the Textured Double Exposure showcase treatment, a showcase within the Double Exposure showcase treatment.
Enduring Curiosity (Japan showcase and Fractured Foil Japan showcase)
Enduring Curiosity (Japan showcase and Fractured Foil Japan showcase)

Duskmourn Face Commanders And Archenemy Schemes

What kind of Commander-centric news website would we be if we covered PAX West's Duskmourn previews without showing the face commanders of the set's Commander decks? As with many sets before this one, Duskmourn: House of Horror has four preconstructed Commander decks releasing alongside it. What are they? Let's take a look!

Aminatou, Veil Piercer, a face commander from the Duskmourn precons, previewed at PAX West.
Aminatou, Veil Piercer, a face commander from the Duskmourn precons, previewed at PAX West.
Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls, a face commander from the Duskmourn precons, previewed at PAX West.
Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls, a face commander from the Duskmourn precons, previewed at PAX West.
Winter, Cynical Opportunist, a face commander from the Duskmourn precons, previewed at PAX West.
Winter, Cynical Opportunist, a face commander from the Duskmourn precons, previewed at PAX West.
Zimone, Mystery Unraveler, a face commander from the Duskmourn precons, previewed at PAX West.
Zimone, Mystery Unraveler, a face commander from the Duskmourn precons, previewed at PAX West.

In addition to the preconstructed decks, the Duskmourn Commander products also each include an Archenemy scheme deck! In a triumphant return to form, Archenemy is back and quite possibly more diabolical than ever. You can read our article about the revamp to the Archenemy rules here. Furthermore, the panel previewed two of these cards, both with amazing art and flavor to match the evils of the house-plane of Duskmourn. Let's look at those too!

I Am Duskmourn, one of the Archenemy schemes included in the Duskmourn Commander preconstructed decks.
I Am Duskmourn, one of the Archenemy schemes included in the Duskmourn Commander preconstructed decks.
My Champion Stands Supreme, one of the Archenemy schemes included in the Duskmourn Commander preconstructed decks.
My Champion Stands Supreme, one of the Archenemy schemes included in the Duskmourn Commander preconstructed decks.

Other Notable Duskmourn Info

A list of important dates surrounding Duskmourn: House of Horror is below in a conveniently copyable bulleted list:

  • August 31st-September 12th: Thirteen Days of Duskmourn (previews)
  • September 12th: Full Image Gallery
  • September 13th: Duskmourn releases on Magic Arena
  • September 20th-27th: Prerelease Events
  • September 27th: Duskmourn: House of Horror releases
  • October 4th-10th: Duskmourn Commander Party Events
  • October 12th - January 4th: End Of Year Store Championships
  • October 18th: Nightmare Bundle releases
  • October 25th-31st: WPN Trick-or-Treat events
  • November 1st-3rd: Open (Haunted?) House events
  • November 1st-7th: Duskmourn Commander Party Events

Double Tap

And that's the brunt of what the Duskmourn: House of Horror team showcased at PAX West on August 31st! We are so hyped for this set to release. How do you feel about Duskmourn? Sound off below!

Josh Nelson

Josh Nelson

Josh Nelson wears many hats. They are a music journalist when not writing gaming news. Beyond this, they're a scholar of the Sweeney Todd urban legend, a fan of monster-taming RPGs, and a filthy Aristocrats player. Josh has been playing Magic since 2001 and attributes their tenure to nostalgia, effort, and "aesthetic".