I checked out of the lore when we weren't provided a story for Theros Beyond Death, and considering this stint with Kaya and Heliod, I would do well to remain away.
Alright so I LOVE AND ADORE this card! Sea monster support, and so adorable at that. Haha, Segovia amuses me. I love that they made its support blue and sea monster focused, since Nicol Bolas documented the plane's largely aquatic nature. The krakens and one of Segovia's top marine predators being these tiny 1/1 and 3/3 respectively is just so adorable, I can't get over how much I love it hahah! The artwork is absolutely exceptional - they are so adorable! Truly beautiful sea creatures. Caetus, Sea Tyrant of Segovia is such a brilliant title, and I love the name Caetus, because it reminds me of Cetus from Greek mythology. I'm surprised they hadn't saved this name for a Theros legend, but I love this card, so I am glad to see such a thematic name a title on such a neat little sea creature. My only point of contention is that the artwork for Caetus specifically resembles a centipede dropped in water, rather than a sea serpent.
Granted, many marine creatures are arthropods, but I'd have appreciated a little more aquatic influence in his features. For example, Awoken Horror is similarly inspired by centipedes, but its appendages are crustacean inspired, with a similar design for Hullbreaker Horror. In this case, there isn't a clear distinction between Insecta and the marine origin of Caetus - or if there is, the artwork is too distant to distinguish the details.
Wurmcoil Engine: Who are you?
Polukranos: I am you, but I can make more Hydras
Goodness that front-face art of Polukranos is downright gorgeous.
Shame that amazing art was wasted on a Phyrexian though I'd have loved to see it in a Return to Theros. Same with the remarkable new art of Heliod by Jason Engle. It's annoying that they Phyrexianized Polukranos and Heliod in general... I was hoping they'd be hooks for a return set. And I had also be hoping to see Polukranos released to the living world again. I can only anticipate that perhaps they'll follow up with both characters eventually and do right by them. Welp, as long as they leave my precious Arixmethes out of all this mess.
Heliod being killed within a sentence is just rough, and while Kaya is a skill ghost-killer she was also facing a god, something that stays alive by the power of its followers. Making Theron gods so vulnerable to one mortal, a cut on their "ethereal" throat, is just... I don't know, lame? It's like how Ob Nixilis just swoop in on Capenna and suddenly defeated all five families with ease.
And where's Caberetti?
Being the smartest Phyrexian, Jin certainly picked the worst time to rebel. Plot armor much?
Elspeth pierced Nissa's head from behind, that'd kill most phyrexians on the spot, and somehow she was alive for days to be cured? I suspect this is WotC's compensation for killing Chandra-Nissa relationship, back in the days when the company had less courage.
Melira, being the cure and prevention of Phyresis, never had any chance to shine until her death. You'd think with all the invention rebels came up with they would've alchemically create a cure out of her now. Admittedly, I find it poetic that Karn gave up his spark on Zhalfir and will resides there, a plane from the first invasion with his best friend. We just need Jhoira there.
As much as I'm happy to see Ajani alive and well, it does the story a disservice, much like how DC/Marvel kills off characters but always revive them, readers will stop feeling for the loss.
WotC should stop building climaxes for a set then end it with such luke warm finale.
Welcome to my leading complaint about MTG lore: "Because Planeswalker" which is evidently sufficient justification to have completely cheap, unreasonable, and inexplicable OP feats for no other reason than the character being the planeswalker protagonist. Makes them feel more like marketing tools than genuine characters in a well crafted story.
It's just such lazy and unappealing storytelling that makes me less and less invested in the lore. Planar overlords depicted as pushovers relative to mortals that would have otherwise worshipped these entities, just because the latter have sparks (which are explicitly stated to strictly allow for planar travel, not imbue a character with superior magic) really deprives all these planes as settings, and the vast majority of characters, of having any inherent value in the story, when all that matters is whatever protagonist the lore is promoting at the expense of any consistency or character development or challenges. There seem to be no limitations, and it cheapens the adventures of MTG characters knowing they can what... whip back an Eldrazi titan with a surral, "kill" a horizon spanning deity with a knife to the throat, or take out 5 crime families on their own turf just by showing up? lol k
Agreed. I think WotC has not yet understood that a protagonist does not necessarily need to be the most powerful character in a story.
It's especially grating with MoM, because if there was ever a time to assemble the planebound legendaries of the multiverse it would have been now. If there was ever a time to show us how the planes fare and not the planeswalkers, it would have been now.
But instead most of the side-stories focused on the planeswalkers. The only off-plane characters to fight on New Phyrexia were the Zhalfirans (and maybe the Capennan angels? Though they seem to have been forgotten in the last two stories). Several feats of pushing back the invaders were done by, you guess it, planeswalkers, like Kaya killing Heliod, lmao. Which was honestly the dumbest moment in all of MoM and that's saying something because the whole resolution to the plot hinged on every involved character having read the script.
Non-planeswalkers are repeatedly shown as drooling imbeciles who couldn't find their way out of a shoe box. And then the planeswalkers swoop in to save the day.
And it's worse than frustrating. It's boring.
Agreed on all counts. And frankly, I feel like Legendary characters are more interesting, because they're thematically unique to the plane. A Planeswalker can show up in any plane or story, theoretically, but a plane-bound Legend is more unique to the story, or at least should be. My favorite MTG story focused on the anti-hero Toshiro saving Kamigawa. I loved how he worked with the original magic of the plane, Kanji and myojin magic, to work out solutions, make sacrifices, and occasionally yes - even fail at some attempts.
I also suspect MTG has not learned restraint, either. This story was just so overblown and exhausting. It's as if they cannot rely or count on good writing to engage the reader, so they feel the need to plunge their collective settings into utter ruin every time, in the hopes that desperation will sell enough interest in the lore. When in reality, all it takes is good author, respect for the settings and Legendary characters, and a restraint. A highlight from the recent lore for me was Jace and Vraska on Ixalan for example - two characters simply bonding in a thematic setting. The work, authors, vision, and writing was all collectively better during the Gatewatch era honestly.
Heliod being killed within a sentence is just rough, and while Kaya is a skill ghost-killer she was also facing a god, something that stays alive by the power of its followers. Making Theron gods so vulnerable to one mortal, a cut on their "ethereal" throat, is just... I don't know, lame? It's like how Ob Nixilis just swoop in on Capenna and suddenly defeated all five families with ease.
And where's Caberetti?
Being the smartest Phyrexian, Jin certainly picked the worst time to rebel. Plot armor much?
Elspeth pierced Nissa's head from behind, that'd kill most phyrexians on the spot, and somehow she was alive for days to be cured? I suspect this is WotC's compensation for killing Chandra-Nissa relationship, back in the days when the company had less courage.
Melira, being the cure and prevention of Phyresis, never had any chance to shine until her death. You'd think with all the invention rebels came up with they would've alchemically create a cure out of her now. Admittedly, I find it poetic that Karn gave up his spark on Zhalfir and will resides there, a plane from the first invasion with his best friend. We just need Jhoira there.
As much as I'm happy to see Ajani alive and well, it does the story a disservice, much like how DC/Marvel kills off characters but always revive them, readers will stop feeling for the loss.
WotC should stop building climaxes for a set then end it with such luke warm finale.
Welcome to my leading complaint about MTG lore: "Because Planeswalker" which is evidently sufficient justification to have completely cheap, unreasonable, and inexplicable OP feats for no other reason than the character being the planeswalker protagonist. Makes them feel more like marketing tools than genuine characters in a well crafted story.
It's just such lazy and unappealing storytelling that makes me less and less invested in the lore. Planar overlords depicted as pushovers relative to mortals that would have otherwise worshipped these entities, just because the latter have sparks (which are explicitly stated to strictly allow for planar travel, not imbue a character with superior magic) really deprives all these planes as settings, and the vast majority of characters, of having any inherent value in the story, when all that matters is whatever protagonist the lore is promoting at the expense of any consistency or character development or challenges. There seem to be no limitations, and it cheapens the adventures of MTG characters knowing they can what... whip back an Eldrazi titan with a surral, "kill" a horizon spanning deity with a knife to the throat, or take out 5 crime families on their own turf just by showing up? lol k
I'd like to know the other two gods converted by Phyrexia. Seems Thassa is spared thus far, based on her using the Biden to fight back against an invading war ship. Speaking of which, I'd like a note on how she recovered the Bident. I prefer her having Dekella, and suspect devotion restored her and Heliod's spears, but without any acknowledgement of this, it's just awkward.
I have doubts WOTC will sacrifice these planes, which are highly successful. Teferi pulling a time rewind on all this hot ass mess wouldn't trouble me in the slightest.
I'm a bit mystified why bonding to a thing that is covered and/or filled with oil is a good idea and, furthermore, why the writer didn't think to at the absolute very least lampshade this.
In what world is Wrenn's plan going to work?
Ah well, the Ixalan story was fine. Honestly I would have prefered it to cover the four different factions and how they fare, but well, can't have everything.
I think this is another issue of (in your own words) a plane not being a functional setting, in this case New Phyrexia. The inconsistency of how the oil works comes to mind immediately. Planeswalkers get compleated in what feels like hours, and even though the Phyrexian invasion has just begun there are already compleated huge-ass serpents on Kaldheim. This gives off the impression that Phyrexia is this unbeatable, almighty force, but then the compleated walkers get killed off in a few paragraphs, and that causes some serious dissonance.
The idea of nanobot-infested, unstoppable Phyrexian oil is cool. The idea of compleated walkers is cool. The idea of seemingly unstoppable villains having a weakpoint and being defeated relatively swiftly is cool. But the way these things are connected here is just kind of wonky.
The timescales being all over the place is something I honestly kind of expect for a drama-first storytelling, especially when it comes to fantasy.
I think the main problem with New Phyrexia is that the glistening oil being able to corrupt with just a touch is just... way too OP. There's no way to beat it. All Phyrexia would have to do is load a ton of carriers up with the oil and let it rain down everywhere. Plants can't escape the oil and once the flora of a plane has been compleated there is no real hope to beat back the Phyrexian corruption.
The whole idea of animals fighting phyrexians by biting them (Like shown in Bite Down, as well as the new Thalia/Gitrog card) is just completely bonkers. This would literally turn every plane into a phyrexian hellhole so fast.
But that is just ignored whenever convenient. It's so inconsistent there is no telling just HOW dangerous phyrexia even is. We have no idea of the stakes because we don't know what level of stakes are realistic and believable. All we have is the destruction, but like. That's cheating. New Phyrexia is not properly set up as a villain.
It honestly still cracks me up that they expect us to think of Ikoria as this battle-world of Gigantic Kaiju behemoths, when what we were given in-set was avegrage-sized monsters with mix-and-match creature types.
They did a better job far better job conveying scale with the Naya shard than Ikoria could ever hope for. Other than the Godzilla alt art and mutate being creative mechanically, I kinda hope Ikoria just goes the way of Mercadia.
They really did botch Ikoria in almost every way possible as a set. Its saving grace are the mechanics and gameplay which are genuinely interesting.
But yeah, we were promised (and are still promised) giant creatures and got 3/3s and stuff. I don't know why anyone thought it's a good idea to continue marketing it as a kaiju world.
I loathe Ikoria and feel it should just be tossed to Eldrazi or Phyrexia.
The creatures there are of no interest. And they're not impressive either.
Unique creature types? Simic on Ravnica did it better.
Makes you wonder if the Eldrazi would have eliminated artificial planes like New Phrexia originally, as an aspect of their function, but could not due to being trapped. Or if this invasion might inspire Emrakul to emerge, and get to work. Especially if Tamiyo's scrolls aren't a factor in telling Emrakul's story as she herself wrote it - writing and therefore condemning herself to Innistrad's moon.
So according to the first episode, Elesh Norn observed Thassa drive a Bident into one of their ships. Like Heliod, Thassa's spear must have been reformed by devotion, as I suspected. I preferred the red coral Bident Dekella to that awkward bronze spear anyhow. It's what her followers and depictions expect her to wield after all, so it was a matter of time. Will the artwork follow suit?
Love that artwork of Ephara.
Sheoldread's execution deserved a story to itself imo.
I think the spear is a new spear that looks like the old one, the followers assume he has it so he does.
Correct. The issue with this though, is why devotion didn't re-form Thassa's Bident, then? She's depicted on all statues and even her constellations as having a red coral Bident, so why is it an iron fishing spear? For consistency, it should work for both gods, not only Heliod. The only way I see them justifying it is the followers having seen Thassa's bident vanish, and know that Purphoros forged her a new spear. But again, Heliod's shattered in front of them as well, so why does his spear return and not hers?
Also, Heliod always being a creature and lacking indestructible is awkward, but he's not really intended to be a depiction of the Theros pantheon with this card, but represent the corruption of Phyrexia across Theros.
I just resent he cannot return gods to the hand. I'm still going to play his front face in Kestia. I can't stand Phyrexia's aesthetic or corruption, but there's no denying that the front-face Jason Engle constellation art of Heliod is gorgeous, and the effect is still useful for me in that Theros-themed deck.
Excellent reprints! Lotus and Jingzhou are welcome reprints for sure. I am also excited for the Ur Dragon artwork, and a much needed reprint. I sincerely hope non-foil Thrasios, Kynaios and Tiro, and Kydele will be a possibility here as far as past Commander reprints.
Please depict Arixmethes and/or Thassa in some new art I'd love a Legendary Land for the city he's carrying, and for Olantin as well. It's disappointing that the Enchantment deck isn't Bant, but seeing a Theros legend on the cover is promising at least
This will probably be my favorite product of the year alongside Ixalan. And the letter better have Krakens! A pirate plane without sea monsters WOTC? Really?
Last time I checked, "oil" was not a favorite environment of a sea god (and anything living in seas, for the record).
Let alone that oil. This really is unfortunate. I am still hoping to see a pairing with Arixmethes, though. Another 12/12!
Here's to them explaining Heliod's escape and restoration of Khrusor, though. And if the reason is devotion belief remembering and re-creating his spear, why isn't Thassa's Bident restored? Even the constellation artwork from THB depict her with a Bident instead of an iron fishing spear.
I love the combination legends card, especially Marven and Ghalta. I hope we receive a Thassa and Arixmethes card, for another 12/12! But I have a feeling the gods were the focus of the Theros contribution to the set. As mighty as Arixmethes may be, the gods are vastly more powerful. But I'd love to see him and a legend pair up, to see a new iteration of my favorite creature We'll see!
Actually, this article is the entire problem. Neo-Nazis? Really? Way to buy into propaganda. And the Trump reference about "locker room talk" - way to push your political agendas on a card game forum and assume your opinions are the status quo, and the only right way to think. That's why everyone is sick of liberals and SJWs. Arrogance and ignorance. No one gives a damn bro, we're here for card games. Get over yourselves and off your righteous soapbox.
Granted, many marine creatures are arthropods, but I'd have appreciated a little more aquatic influence in his features. For example, Awoken Horror is similarly inspired by centipedes, but its appendages are crustacean inspired, with a similar design for Hullbreaker Horror. In this case, there isn't a clear distinction between Insecta and the marine origin of Caetus - or if there is, the artwork is too distant to distinguish the details.
Yes, the card really should have created 1/1 serpents, and Caetus should have been a Kraken, probably. Perhaps the artwork of the token will clarify?
WHERE IS INVASION OF THEROS? I hope it's blue, or at least green or Simic.
Shame that amazing art was wasted on a Phyrexian though
I also suspect MTG has not learned restraint, either. This story was just so overblown and exhausting. It's as if they cannot rely or count on good writing to engage the reader, so they feel the need to plunge their collective settings into utter ruin every time, in the hopes that desperation will sell enough interest in the lore. When in reality, all it takes is good author, respect for the settings and Legendary characters, and a restraint. A highlight from the recent lore for me was Jace and Vraska on Ixalan for example - two characters simply bonding in a thematic setting. The work, authors, vision, and writing was all collectively better during the Gatewatch era honestly.
It's just such lazy and unappealing storytelling that makes me less and less invested in the lore. Planar overlords depicted as pushovers relative to mortals that would have otherwise worshipped these entities, just because the latter have sparks (which are explicitly stated to strictly allow for planar travel, not imbue a character with superior magic) really deprives all these planes as settings, and the vast majority of characters, of having any inherent value in the story, when all that matters is whatever protagonist the lore is promoting at the expense of any consistency or character development or challenges. There seem to be no limitations, and it cheapens the adventures of MTG characters knowing they can what... whip back an Eldrazi titan with a surral, "kill" a horizon spanning deity with a knife to the throat, or take out 5 crime families on their own turf just by showing up? lol k
I have doubts WOTC will sacrifice these planes, which are highly successful. Teferi pulling a time rewind on all this hot ass mess wouldn't trouble me in the slightest.
The creatures there are of no interest. And they're not impressive either.
Unique creature types? Simic on Ravnica did it better.
Large Dinosaurs? Ixalan did it better.
Large Sea Monsters? Theros did it better.
Large Land Monsters? Zendikar did it better.
Love that artwork of Ephara.
Sheoldread's execution deserved a story to itself imo.
Also, Heliod always being a creature and lacking indestructible is awkward, but he's not really intended to be a depiction of the Theros pantheon with this card, but represent the corruption of Phyrexia across Theros.
I just resent he cannot return gods to the hand. I'm still going to play his front face in Kestia. I can't stand Phyrexia's aesthetic or corruption, but there's no denying that the front-face Jason Engle constellation art of Heliod is gorgeous, and the effect is still useful for me in that Theros-themed deck.
Please depict Arixmethes and/or Thassa in some new art
This will probably be my favorite product of the year alongside Ixalan. And the letter better have Krakens! A pirate plane without sea monsters WOTC? Really?
Here's to them explaining Heliod's escape and restoration of Khrusor, though. And if the reason is devotion belief remembering and re-creating his spear, why isn't Thassa's Bident restored? Even the constellation artwork from THB depict her with a Bident instead of an iron fishing spear.