New Phyrexia requires them to re-use the same one in a hundred trillion shot that happened with the Planar Bridge for Bolas, except it is even more of a stretch because it not only requires someone to invent a better Planar Bridge than Rashmi, it someone inventing it on that specific Plane. Nicol Bolas hitting the Lottery was a huge stretch, but hey the Multi-verse is a big place so I could let it slide.
Nicol Bolas AND the Phyrexians hitting that same Lottery, in Back to Back Storylines? No that is cheap.
It's funny that you mention "one in a hundred trillion shot", because that were chance of someone becoming a planeswalker, but now there is at least 1 planeswalker per plane born in this generation, if not more.
So the cheap plot device that is giving us more planeswalker is not good enough to give us new villains.
By the way, Venser was already developing interplanar tecnology too, so Rashmi is not the only one able to do so, she's not "one in a hundred trillion".
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
How i feel about competitive players and casual players in EDH: The competitive are german tourists, the casual are italian tourists, both in a italian beach. The italians asking themselves "why are the germans here?" make a legitimate question, the answer is because the beach is beautiful, no matter the country you came from. The italians wanting to ban the germans are dumb, because if the germans pay for their stay and follow the rules like everyone else, they have the right to be in the beach. Hovewer, if the germans started to ask themselves "why are the italians here?"... they would be dumb as hell.
Looks like we got; Samut, Bolas, Ashiok, a new female mage, Domri, Teyo, Ral, Tamiyo, Karn, Jaya, Tibalt, another mysterious looking mage, Kiora, Sorin, Teferi, Angrath, Dovin, Ajani, Arlinn, Ob, Yanggu, Huatli, Sarkhan, Saheeli, Narset, Nahiri, Ugin, Davriel, Vraska, Kaya, Vivien and the origins 5.
Maro has mentioned that they just stain glassed existing art and from the background stuff it looks like all these walkers are going to be in War.
EDIT: Confirms all are in the set and all will get a card. Also we will get a walker in each booster
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can't seem to grow a full mustache"
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Every one of those should be released as a mobile background.
I'm really sad that Garruk isn't here, but I'm hopeful he'll return later. Gone are my fantasies of him beheading Bolas.
Quoted from the mothership article: "... each booster pack will contain a planeswalker..."
Each 'walker confirmed in the set: "each of these 36 Planeswalkers will have a planeswalker card in War of the Spark."
If they are all in this plot-wise, it is surprising they would invest *all* of their IP capital (as far as PWs) in one set where it seems likely there will be lots of death. I guess we wait and see.
Quoted from the mothership article: "... each booster pack will contain a planeswalker..."
Each 'walker confirmed in the set: "each of these 36 Planeswalkers will have a planeswalker card in War of the Spark."
I got excited and didn't read the little intro lol
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can't seem to grow a full mustache"
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Foil stained glass masterpieces is such a missed opportunity! But anyway..
36 planeswalkers and 1 per pack? Does it mean you get 1 of each when you buy a box? Or randomized so there is a chance of getting 18 Tibalts? Probably randomized though.
Foil stained glass masterpieces is such a missed opportunity! But anyway..
36 planeswalkers and 1 per pack? Does it mean you get 1 of each when you buy a box? Or randomized so there is a chance of getting 18 Tibalts? Probably randomized though.
I mean, Tibalt is a perfect fit for Rakdos. I'd love to see the Tibalt kill Rakdos and lead all the devils on a rampage.
Alternatively, Davriel could contract with Rakdos? I'm starting to get really excited for all the plot that will make up for the complete lack of plot on Ravnica so far in this iteration.
I mean, Tibalt is a perfect fit for Rakdos. I'd love to see the Tibalt kill Rakdos and lead all the devils on a rampage.
Alternatively, Davriel could contract with Rakdos? I'm starting to get really excited for all the plot that will make up for the complete lack of plot on Ravnica so far in this iteration.
Dav strikes me as more of a Dimir guy than Rakdos.
Also, what could possibly get him involved in this? Dude's lazier than a slug.
Dav strikes me as more of a Dimir guy than Rakdos.
Also, what could possibly get him involved in this? Dude's lazier than a slug.
Well he could be attracted to another "Entity" like the one he has. Or he could have an issue with how powerful Ob Nixilis has become. This war could be the touchstone for any number of offshoot plots...
Dav strikes me as more of a Dimir guy than Rakdos.
Also, what could possibly get him involved in this? Dude's lazier than a slug.
Well he could be attracted to another "Entity" like the one he has. Or he could have an issue with how powerful Ob Nixilis has become. This war could be the touchstone for any number of offshoot plots...
I guess knowing that the likes of Nahiri, Ob, Ugin, and Soren plus the Gatewatch have cards indicates they will likely be in the plot too.
There is going to be a LOT of side-fighting that isn't remotely related to Bolas's primary scheme. Cheap shots incoming. Ha!
I was just thinking that too. Nahiri vs Sorin could destroy a district and a half on its own.
All I want is one scene with Saheeli and Huatli utterly wrecking Eternals with mechanical dinosaurs.
Its not explained the best but Ral turns project lighting bug into a beacon to call? attract? other walkers to Ravnica for help.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can't seem to grow a full mustache"
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Some other things I've picked up on looking at these closer
- Ashiok is in Bolas's meditation realm. I figured they'd be a bad guy, but interesting that they're there.
- The new auburn haired woman might be from Innistrad? Her staff looks like one of the heron cryptoliths.
- Kiora's standing atop some sort of massive beast. Is it a sea creature she's tamed, or something she's killed? Also- her bident has a more bolas-like shape than the Bident of Thassa had...
- Wait, how did Sorin get out of his rock prison. And why is he so bloody? And are these related?
- Dovin Baan and Chandra's pictures are both showing them surrounded by thopters. Its natural they have a confrontation.
- Ajani looks like he's leading a Selesnya charge.
- Arlinn's got a BUNCH of wolves behind her, which makes sense considering she's a werewolf. But it almost looks like they're Vivien's shadow-beasts. A team-up, perhaps?
- Interesting that Jiang Yanggu's in this but not Mu Yanling. I'm guessing Jiang was a late add to fill out colors. That brings up another point- THERE'S NO GARRUK. Y'know, the ultimate planeswalker hunter? He'd have a field day here.
- Huatli's against Bolas, given she's shown killing Eternals.
- The area around Ugin looks like it's been blasted completely barren.
Tezzeret is missing, my guess is that from the stained glass pictures there are 5 that already have PW in GRN and RNA and wont get new cards, so maybe 5 are missing?
Because it is good writing to have the Planar Bridge that the badguys require for the plot too work to just suddenly fall into their lap at complete random and then have it happen again in the very next "major story arc"
Well, that depends on what you mean with "at complete random". I'm restricting myself to the 'New Phyrexia gaining the Planar Bridge'-part since I have not finished reading the story on Kaladesh and cannot comment on how much "luck" there was in that.
Let's look at the pieces right now though, when we are talking about the Planar Bridge and New Phyrexia. There is a single piece connecting the two: Tezzeret. He has connection to New Phyrexia - having been there on orders from Bolas; he is (in possession of) the Planar bridge. How bad is the writing if the story goes something like: Bolas is defeaqted, but his minion with the most efficient means to move things between planes escapes the easiest. But now free from the defeated dragon's influence Tezzeret starts/continues his own scheming and goes decides to use the Planar Bridge as a bargaining tool. Maybe he ouright sells the service of planar travel to New Phyrexia in exchange for a position of power in their hierarchy (or maybe he tries to, but gets proven a fool bargaining with the devil); or maybe he extorts planes by threatening to open portals to a Very Bad Place like a Saturday Morning Cartoon villain, but he tries that with New Phyrexia once to often and the New Phyrexians grow wise to this after a while.
Is it convenient from the perspective of New Phyrexia to get such an opportunity? Yes. Is it random? No, because in either scenario they come into the plot by a previously established connection (again, not making excuses for past writing, just defending the preemptive dismissal of future writing) and by a decision of a character based on what they are: A scary world conquering power.
Now, there could be very bad chance-driven writing accomplishing the end e. g. "The Planar Bridge gets magicked away from Tezzeret and tumbles through the Blind Eternities randomly landing on... New Phyrexia, OMG!!!" but that's not a given.
Tezz could offer the Planar Bridge to Jin Gitaxias in exchange for more power. Tezz getting more power by getting phyrexianized in a similar fashion to Mishra?
He is immune to Phyresis, that is how he could spy on them for Bolas in Scars.
Old Phyrexia was an interplanar threat
The Mirari was kinda like an interplanar threat
The rifts were an interlanar threat
The eldrazi were an interplanar threat
Bolas is an interplanar threat
But having New Phyrexia as an interplanar threat is forced?
Old Phyrexia was a threat because they had Planar Bridges, it was something we were introduced to when we were first introduced to them.
The Mirari was not remotely an inter-planar threat, it wasn't even a world ending threat. Karona was a Planetary Threat, However she wasn't actually created by The Mirari..she was created when Kamahl killed Phage/Akroma/Zangora all at once, in what was stupid moment, but Legions and Scourge are as bad as Agents of Artifice.
The Rifts were kind of Stupid, The ones because of the Explosion of Tolaria and Teferi's Phasing made sense, The Overlay spots had the problem of the Overlay not being localized like that, as the entire plane of Rath got overlaid and was the same size of Dominaria at the time of Overlay so all of Dominaria should have had a rift above it.
The Nicol Bolas one and the Karona one were dumb though, If Karona's creation made "The biggest" Rift..then where is the one from The first time it happened? And Planeswalker Slap fights happen all the time without tearing the fabric of space time, but Nicol Bolas vs Un-named Leviathan did?
Bolas himself is an Evil Planeswalker, that makes him an Inherent Planar Threat. However his Plan with the Eternals does make zero sense, and he lucked out with Tezzeret tripping over Rashmi randomly.
The Eldrazi are C'thulu Ripoff Spiders that live in the Blind Eternities, they are an Inherent Planar Threat.
New Phyrexia requires them to re-use the same one in a hundred trillion shot that happened with the Planar Bridge for Bolas, except it is even more of a stretch because it not only requires someone to invent a better Planar Bridge than Rashmi, it someone inventing it on that specific Plane. Nicol Bolas hitting the Lottery was a huge stretch, but hey the Multi-verse is a big place so I could let it slide.
Nicol Bolas AND the Phyrexians hitting that same Lottery, in Back to Back Storylines? No that is cheap.
The Eldrazi are more Galactus than Cthulhu (or they're a cosmic recycling crew, whatever), not that it matters.
But yeah, the Mirari wasn't an interplanar threat, more of a regional threat. It became a threat to a plane after Karn "fixed" it by animating it and putting it in charge of Argentum. And New Phyrexia works well as a threat to one plane.
And I want to add that this is post-Crisis Mending, so the rules of interplanar travel are different. As Nahiri herself said, the Blind Eternities were "thicker".
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
I'm most looking forward to Narset and whomever the new female Planeswalker is with the auburn hair and the blue-and-white garb. Those are, like, all my favorite aesthetic things, so this should be great. Hopefully she doesn't show up just to get killed and is actually interesting!
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
She was made of November rain
Pleasure and pain
Scorpion stings
Pretty things
and the flames of Phoenix wings
—Michelle Schaper
This is supposed to be the end of the Gatewatch story for the foreseeable future.
I've seen this assertion. Is there a source to go with it? I'd like to know, because all I know is that this is supposed to be the end of the Bolas arc.
I don't mind though. I prefer a storyline that has a big ensemble exploring the relationships between all the planeswalkers without focussing on a small subset for too long. Understandably its more difficult to give all the characters individually interesting arcs and let them intersect naturally, but that's hopefully where we are heading.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Planar Chaos was not a mistake neither was it random. You might want to look at it again.
[thread=239793][Game] Level Up - Creature[/thread]
This is supposed to be the end of the Gatewatch story for the foreseeable future.
I've seen this assertion. Is there a source to go with it? I'd like to know, because all I know is that this is supposed to be the end of the Bolas arc.
I don't mind though. I prefer a storyline that has a big ensemble exploring the relationships between all the planeswalkers without focussing on a small subset for too long. Understandably its more difficult to give all the characters individually interesting arcs and let them intersect naturally, but that's hopefully where we are heading.
I believe I've read that they were going to focus less on the Gatewatch and pushing that particular story, but not that their story or anything would be coming to an end. That's about the closest I've seen.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
She was made of November rain
Pleasure and pain
Scorpion stings
Pretty things
and the flames of Phoenix wings
—Michelle Schaper
I don't mind though. I prefer a storyline that has a big ensemble exploring the relationships between all the planeswalkers without focussing on a small subset for too long. Understandably its more difficult to give all the characters individually interesting arcs and let them intersect naturally, but that's hopefully where we are heading.
I believe I've read that they were going to focus less on the Gatewatch and pushing that particular story, but not that their story or anything would be coming to an end. That's about the closest I've seen.
So... First they went with a long winded story (weatherlight + Urza's saga), then they said it was a mistake and would never do that again... Then they hit us in the face with the Gatewatch, realize it was a mistake and return to loosely related stories?
We will see how long that will last.
I don't mind tho. I thought Magic story was at its best when there were single block stories with a loose relation with other stories from other blocks.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
It's funny that you mention "one in a hundred trillion shot", because that were chance of someone becoming a planeswalker, but now there is at least 1 planeswalker per plane born in this generation, if not more.
So the cheap plot device that is giving us more planeswalker is not good enough to give us new villains.
By the way, Venser was already developing interplanar tecnology too, so Rashmi is not the only one able to do so, she's not "one in a hundred trillion".
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/closer-look-stained-glass-planeswalkers-2019-03-08
Looks like we got; Samut, Bolas, Ashiok, a new female mage, Domri, Teyo, Ral, Tamiyo, Karn, Jaya, Tibalt, another mysterious looking mage, Kiora, Sorin, Teferi, Angrath, Dovin, Ajani, Arlinn, Ob, Yanggu, Huatli, Sarkhan, Saheeli, Narset, Nahiri, Ugin, Davriel, Vraska, Kaya, Vivien and the origins 5.
Maro has mentioned that they just stain glassed existing art and from the background stuff it looks like all these walkers are going to be in War.
EDIT: Confirms all are in the set and all will get a card. Also we will get a walker in each booster
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
I'm really sad that Garruk isn't here, but I'm hopeful he'll return later. Gone are my fantasies of him beheading Bolas.
Each 'walker confirmed in the set: "each of these 36 Planeswalkers will have a planeswalker card in War of the Spark."
If they are all in this plot-wise, it is surprising they would invest *all* of their IP capital (as far as PWs) in one set where it seems likely there will be lots of death. I guess we wait and see.
Agreed. These art works are fun, and it would be a huge miss if they didn't bother this.
I got excited and didn't read the little intro lol
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
36 planeswalkers and 1 per pack? Does it mean you get 1 of each when you buy a box? Or randomized so there is a chance of getting 18 Tibalts? Probably randomized though.
There is going to be a LOT of side-fighting that isn't remotely related to Bolas's primary scheme. Cheap shots incoming. Ha!
Alternatively, Davriel could contract with Rakdos? I'm starting to get really excited for all the plot that will make up for the complete lack of plot on Ravnica so far in this iteration.
Dav strikes me as more of a Dimir guy than Rakdos.
Also, what could possibly get him involved in this? Dude's lazier than a slug.
Well he could be attracted to another "Entity" like the one he has. Or he could have an issue with how powerful Ob Nixilis has become. This war could be the touchstone for any number of offshoot plots...
I was just thinking that too. Nahiri vs Sorin could destroy a district and a half on its own.
All I want is one scene with Saheeli and Huatli utterly wrecking Eternals with mechanical dinosaurs.
Well he could be attracted to another "Entity" like the one he has. Or he could have an issue with how powerful Ob Nixilis has become. This war could be the touchstone for any number of offshoot plots...
Its not explained the best but Ral turns project lighting bug into a beacon to call? attract? other walkers to Ravnica for help.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
- Ashiok is in Bolas's meditation realm. I figured they'd be a bad guy, but interesting that they're there.
- The new auburn haired woman might be from Innistrad? Her staff looks like one of the heron cryptoliths.
- Kiora's standing atop some sort of massive beast. Is it a sea creature she's tamed, or something she's killed? Also- her bident has a more bolas-like shape than the Bident of Thassa had...
- Wait, how did Sorin get out of his rock prison. And why is he so bloody? And are these related?
- Dovin Baan and Chandra's pictures are both showing them surrounded by thopters. Its natural they have a confrontation.
- Ajani looks like he's leading a Selesnya charge.
- Arlinn's got a BUNCH of wolves behind her, which makes sense considering she's a werewolf. But it almost looks like they're Vivien's shadow-beasts. A team-up, perhaps?
- Interesting that Jiang Yanggu's in this but not Mu Yanling. I'm guessing Jiang was a late add to fill out colors. That brings up another point- THERE'S NO GARRUK. Y'know, the ultimate planeswalker hunter? He'd have a field day here.
- Huatli's against Bolas, given she's shown killing Eternals.
- The area around Ugin looks like it's been blasted completely barren.
- Missing Planeswalkers: Garruk, Tezzeret (wait, what?!), Mu, Koth, Estrid, Aminatou, the Kenriths, Dack, Daretti, Ramaz, Sifa, Elspeth (dead), Venser (dead), Windgrace (dead), Freyalise (dead), Xenagos (dead)
I'm guessing that either one, or both of these is actually on Amonkett
Or Bolas killed Tezzeret before the war?
The Eldrazi are more Galactus than Cthulhu (or they're a cosmic recycling crew, whatever), not that it matters.
But yeah, the Mirari wasn't an interplanar threat, more of a regional threat. It became a threat to a plane after Karn "fixed" it by animating it and putting it in charge of Argentum. And New Phyrexia works well as a threat to one plane.
And I want to add that this is post-
CrisisMending, so the rules of interplanar travel are different. As Nahiri herself said, the Blind Eternities were "thicker".On phasing:
Pleasure and pain
Scorpion stings
Pretty things
and the flames of Phoenix wings
—Michelle Schaper
Uh oh that’s another point for my theory the phyrexians are next on the villains
Why is Tezzeret missing?
Besides the villains which ones do you think will make a oath
This is supposed to be the end of the Gatewatch story for the foreseeable future.
I've seen this assertion. Is there a source to go with it? I'd like to know, because all I know is that this is supposed to be the end of the Bolas arc.
I don't mind though. I prefer a storyline that has a big ensemble exploring the relationships between all the planeswalkers without focussing on a small subset for too long. Understandably its more difficult to give all the characters individually interesting arcs and let them intersect naturally, but that's hopefully where we are heading.
Finally a good white villain quote: "So, do I ever re-evaluate my life choices? Never, because I know what I'm doing is a righteous cause."
Factions: Sleeping
Remnants: Valheim
Legendary Journey: Heroes & Planeswalkers
Saga: Shards of Rabiah
Legends: The Elder Dragons
Read up on Red Flags & NWO
I believe I've read that they were going to focus less on the Gatewatch and pushing that particular story, but not that their story or anything would be coming to an end. That's about the closest I've seen.
Pleasure and pain
Scorpion stings
Pretty things
and the flames of Phoenix wings
—Michelle Schaper
We will see how long that will last.
I don't mind tho. I thought Magic story was at its best when there were single block stories with a loose relation with other stories from other blocks.