Capenna

Overview

Capenna represents a unique fusion of noir crime drama and high fantasy, where five powerful crime families have carved up control of New Capenna, the plane’s primary metropolis. Each family operates under a contract with a powerful demon, granting them access to different types of magic in exchange for their loyalty and souls. The plane’s history stretches back to an angelic golden age that was lost when the Phyrexians first invaded, forcing the surviving angels to make desperate bargains with demons to protect what remained of civilization.

The aesthetic of Capenna draws heavily from Art Deco architecture and 1920s American culture, featuring towering skyscrapers, speakeasies, and jazz-age fashion mixed with magical elements. The city itself is divided into distinct districts, each controlled by one of the five families, with the higher levels of the city reserved for the wealthy and powerful while the lower levels house the working class and criminal underworld.

The plane’s magic system revolves around the concept of Halo, a mysterious substance that serves as both currency and magical fuel. Halo is derived from angelic essence and has become the cornerstone of Capenna’s economy and magical practices. The crime families control different aspects of Halo production and distribution, making it central to their power struggles and the plane’s overall narrative.

Key Cards

Several cards capture the essence of Capenna’s crime family theme and Art Deco aesthetic:

• Ob Nixilis, the Adversary – A powerful planeswalker representing the demonic influence that permeates the plane’s power structure.

• Raffine, Scheming Seer – The sphinx leader of the Obscura family, embodying the plane’s blend of mysticism and criminal enterprise.

• Jetmir, Nexus of Revels – A legendary cat demon who leads the Cabaretti family and exemplifies the plane’s party culture mixed with dangerous power.

• Ziatora, the Incinerator – The dragon leader of the Riveteers, representing the plane’s industrial and destructive aspects.

• Falco Spara, Pactweaver – The demon bird who heads the Brokers family, showcasing the legal corruption that runs through the plane.

• Elspeth Resplendent – A planeswalker who represents hope and angelic power attempting to restore balance to the corrupted plane.

• Halo Fountain – An artifact that demonstrates the importance of Halo as both a resource and source of power.

• Workshop Warchief – A creature that exemplifies the Riveteers’ industrial approach to magic and warfare.

History

Capenna’s history is defined by cycles of golden ages and corruption. Originally, the plane was ruled by angels who created a utopian society characterized by art, culture, and magical innovation. These angels built magnificent cities and fostered a civilization that valued creativity and beauty above all else. The angelic rule lasted for centuries, creating the foundation for the Art Deco aesthetic that still defines the plane’s architecture and culture.

The first major catastrophe came with the arrival of Phyrexians, who invaded the plane and began their typical process of compleation and corruption. The angels, despite their power, found themselves overwhelmed by the alien invaders’ relentless assault. Faced with the complete destruction of their civilization, the surviving angels made a desperate choice that would forever change the plane’s destiny. They entered into contracts with powerful demons, trading their purity and eventually their lives for the power needed to drive back the Phyrexian threat.

These demonic contracts succeeded in repelling the Phyrexians, but at a terrible cost. The angels gradually disappeared, either consumed by their demonic bargains or transformed beyond recognition. In their absence, the demons established themselves as the new power brokers of the plane, founding the five crime families that continue to control New Capenna. Each family inherited both the power and the corruption of these original demonic pacts, creating the current system where organized crime and supernatural power are inextricably linked.

The modern era of Capenna is characterized by the delicate balance of power between the five families, each controlling different aspects of the city’s economy and magical infrastructure. This balance has created a relatively stable, if morally compromised, society where crime and legitimate business operate hand in hand, all fueled by the mysterious substance known as Halo.

In Commander

Capenna offers numerous options for Commander players, with each of the five crime families providing distinct three-color identity commanders that support different strategies. The family leaders serve as excellent generals for decks that want to explore the plane’s themes while maintaining competitive viability.

Raffine, Scheming Seer leads Esper decks focused on card selection and graveyard value, using the connive mechanic to filter cards while building a board presence. This commander works well with cards that benefit from having specific cards in the graveyard or that can take advantage of the improved card quality that connive provides. Players can build around Artifact synergies, reanimator strategies, or control shells that use Raffine’s ability to find the right answers at the right time.

Jetmir, Nexus of Revels commands Naya token strategies that want to go wide with creatures and overwhelm opponents through sheer numbers. The commander’s ability to grant keywords to creatures scales with the number of creatures controlled, making it ideal for decks that can consistently produce multiple creatures per turn. Token generators, Anthem effects, and cards that benefit from having large numbers of creatures all work well in Jetmir builds.

Ziatora, the Incinerator offers a unique Jund approach that combines ramp, large creatures, and direct damage. The commander’s ability to sacrifice creatures for damage provides both removal and reach, making it suitable for midrange strategies that want to pressure opponents while maintaining board control. Big mana spells, creature-based ramp, and sacrifice outlets all support this commander’s game plan.

The crime family theme also extends to the numerous legendary creatures and artifacts from the set, providing plenty of options for players who want to build around specific mechanics or explore different aspects of the plane’s flavor. The three-color nature of most Capenna commanders opens up access to diverse card pools and strategies, making them appealing to players who enjoy having multiple strategic options within a single deck.

Notable Interactions

The mechanics introduced in Streets of New Capenna create numerous interesting interactions with cards from other sets, particularly those that care about specific card types or graveyard manipulation. The connive mechanic works exceptionally well with cards that benefit from discarding or having specific cards in the graveyard, such as reanimation spells or madness cards.

Casualty offers unique opportunities for sacrifice-based strategies, allowing players to copy powerful spells by sacrificing creatures. This mechanic synergizes well with token generators, creatures that provide value when they die, and strategies that can easily replace sacrificed creatures. Cards like Grave Pact or similar effects can turn casualty into a powerful control tool, forcing opponents to sacrifice their creatures while copying your own spells.

The hideaway mechanic on several Capenna cards provides card advantage and mana efficiency, particularly when combined with cards that can manipulate the top of your library or provide additional ways to meet hideaway conditions. Library manipulation effects become significantly more valuable when they can help you access powerful spells for reduced costs.

Alliance abilities create interesting decision points around when to play creatures, encouraging players to think carefully about sequencing and timing. These abilities work well with flash creatures, instant-speed creature generation, and other effects that allow for strategic timing of creature deployment. The alliance mechanic also rewards players for building around creature-heavy strategies while providing immediate benefits that can impact the current game state.

Halo counters and the various cards that interact with them provide a unique resource management mini-game within the broader context of Magic gameplay. Cards that can generate or manipulate these counters create additional strategic depth, particularly in longer games where resource accumulation becomes more significant than immediate board impact.