Manite, I like this design a lot. It's very evocative of a divine herald while still feeling subordinate to them. I think grabbing other legends could be justified as her also heralding the birth and rise of heroes and champions (and the creation and arrival of other mythical items).
I think not making her a god was a wise choice for reasons you stated- it comes certain expectations (indestructible, starting out as a noncreature, etc.) and a five-color god would likely appear to be superior to the gods made so far.
Considering how loosely Magic tends to use creature types, I think angel is an O. K. choice here, though I can certainly understand reasons for not liking it and it is more out-of-place in this setting than the other non-native creature types. I think it's also important to consider that the Magic creative team chose not to use the Angel type on any Theros block cards, for some particular reason.
However, the alternatives aren't all that great- spirit doesn't really feel special enough and avatars in Magic are typically depicted as powerful incarnations of greater forces and not as independent, unique creatures in their own right (though this design could be reflavored as an "Avatar of Nyx" or "Avatar of Fables", I suppose).
In any case, I don't think angel is a perfect fit, but there aren't really any good alternatives that match the card's current flavor.
If the card absolutely couldn't be an Angel, then I'd spring for Archon or Avatar next. However, those don't resonate with the idea of a "heavenly messenger" as well as an Angel. Yes, Archons do serve much of the purpose that Angels normally would on Theros, but they are defined by riding winged steeds as opposed to having wings themselves. Irides could be the one Angel on all of Theros, perhaps the first known to be created by the Gods, but the story wouldn't have to explicitly call her an Angel (though planeswalkers who do know what Angels are, like the Gatewatch, would definitely notice the similarity); she could simply be referred to as a "messenger", which is in-keeping with the etymological root of the word.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
No angels in Theros was stupid to begin with. Theros is suppose to be a MTG place with greek mythos references, not a reconstruction of greek mythos. I find extremely silly and immersion breaking that something standard to magic planes, like Angels and Dragons, is not present in this setting just because it tries to mimic something that does not even exist in the multiverse to begin with.
The card is excellent in every way, very good job.
I def like the design, the abilities are great and not overpowered. A five color legendary enchantment creature was the one thing that Theros was missing. I too wanted an on-theme commander for all the gods. This would be good for the return to Theros or whenever WotC does a five color commander set.
As for the creature type, I do see the points for and against being an Angel. I thought she could be an Incarnation at one point, but that also seems a stretch. Going for the "She's the first and only angel, created by the gods" angle really works. There are no naturally occurring angels on the plane, so it would make since that the only one there is a Nyxborn, a celestial creation of the gods.
No angels in Theros was stupid to begin with. Theros is suppose to be a MTG place with greek mythos references, not a reconstruction of greek mythos. I find extremely silly and immersion breaking that something standard to magic planes, like Angels and Dragons, is not present in this setting just because it tries to mimic something that does not even exist in the multiverse to begin with.
The card is excellent in every way, very good job.
They regularly switch out creature types to better suit the plane; there weren't any elves, goblins, vampires, etc. in Theros either.
Irides' type could be a coincidence of the Gods' design; they chose attributes that would make her an ideal messenger, namely a humanoid appearance and wings to provide flight and to serve as a symbol of her divine origins. That just so happens to make Irides an Angel the way Yahenni's essence draining makes them a Vampire.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
No angels in Theros was stupid to begin with. Theros is suppose to be a MTG place with greek mythos references, not a reconstruction of greek mythos. I find extremely silly and immersion breaking that something standard to magic planes, like Angels and Dragons, is not present in this setting just because it tries to mimic something that does not even exist in the multiverse to begin with.
The card is excellent in every way, very good job.
They regularly switch out creature types to better suit the plane; there weren't any elves, goblins, vampires, etc. in Theros either.
They only do that to "thematic" planes. It started with no elves in Kamigawa. But Theros i think was too extreme in this aspect, to a point of a hige amount of cards beign direct reference to greek mythos rather then Theros own world-building.
It's just my opinion that i don't like it. Feels like planes are thematic fantasy parties rather then a organic part of the multiverse. It also makes WotC creative looks lazy and uncapable of fostering their own fantasy.
No angels in Theros was stupid to begin with. Theros is suppose to be a MTG place with greek mythos references, not a reconstruction of greek mythos. I find extremely silly and immersion breaking that something standard to magic planes, like Angels and Dragons, is not present in this setting just because it tries to mimic something that does not even exist in the multiverse to begin with.
The card is excellent in every way, very good job.
They regularly switch out creature types to better suit the plane; there weren't any elves, goblins, vampires, etc. in Theros either.
They only do that to "thematic" planes. It started with no elves in Kamigawa. But Theros i think was too extreme in this aspect, to a point of a hige amount of cards beign direct reference to greek mythos rather then Theros own world-building.
It's just my opinion that i don't like it. Feels like planes are thematic fantasy parties rather then a organic part of the multiverse. It also makes WotC creative looks lazy and uncapable of fostering their own fantasy.
There are no Goblins on Kaladesh.
There are no Dwarves on Ravnica.
There are no Vedalken on Zendikar.
There are no Merfolk on Alara.
There are no Rhinos (Rhox) Fiora.
Irides' type could be a coincidence of the Gods' design; they chose attributes that would make her an ideal messenger, namely a humanoid appearance and wings to provide flight and to serve as a symbol of her divine origins. That just so happens to make Irides an Angel the way Yahenni's essence draining makes them a Vampire.
This makes a ton of sense. I'm totally on board with Angel now. (Although, I think you've explained this way before. I'm not sure why I just caught on now. )
It also makes WotC creative looks lazy and uncapable of fostering their own fantasy.
Theros was also an answer to many years of players asking for a Greek mythology based set. If WotC was lazy, we'd've had a Greco-Roman block by 1996, an Aztec block in '97, Arthurian block '98, Cowboys & Indians '99, etc.
The fact is that there are ca. 235 creature types in MTG which is more than the number of creature cards a large set supports (even if you don't count the 10 or so class types that don't need unique cards), so logically every set needs to exclude some types. It's better to do it thoughtfully than haphazardly.
But it's not like this would prompt Angels to suddenly become commonplace in Theros (though I guess if the Gods could make one, they could make more). Irides could be special as the one Angel to exist on all of Theros.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
Sounds awesome. I think that's justifiable enough flavor if not extremely good flavor (and justification). And people love exceptions to the rule when done well like this.
I think not making her a god was a wise choice for reasons you stated- it comes certain expectations (indestructible, starting out as a noncreature, etc.) and a five-color god would likely appear to be superior to the gods made so far.
Considering how loosely Magic tends to use creature types, I think angel is an O. K. choice here, though I can certainly understand reasons for not liking it and it is more out-of-place in this setting than the other non-native creature types. I think it's also important to consider that the Magic creative team chose not to use the Angel type on any Theros block cards, for some particular reason.
However, the alternatives aren't all that great- spirit doesn't really feel special enough and avatars in Magic are typically depicted as powerful incarnations of greater forces and not as independent, unique creatures in their own right (though this design could be reflavored as an "Avatar of Nyx" or "Avatar of Fables", I suppose).
In any case, I don't think angel is a perfect fit, but there aren't really any good alternatives that match the card's current flavor.
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
The card is excellent in every way, very good job.
BGU Control
R Aggro
Standard - For Fun
BG Auras
As for the creature type, I do see the points for and against being an Angel. I thought she could be an Incarnation at one point, but that also seems a stretch. Going for the "She's the first and only angel, created by the gods" angle really works. There are no naturally occurring angels on the plane, so it would make since that the only one there is a Nyxborn, a celestial creation of the gods.
They regularly switch out creature types to better suit the plane; there weren't any elves, goblins, vampires, etc. in Theros either.
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
They only do that to "thematic" planes. It started with no elves in Kamigawa. But Theros i think was too extreme in this aspect, to a point of a hige amount of cards beign direct reference to greek mythos rather then Theros own world-building.
It's just my opinion that i don't like it. Feels like planes are thematic fantasy parties rather then a organic part of the multiverse. It also makes WotC creative looks lazy and uncapable of fostering their own fantasy.
BGU Control
R Aggro
Standard - For Fun
BG Auras
There are no Goblins on Kaladesh.
There are no Dwarves on Ravnica.
There are no Vedalken on Zendikar.
There are no Merfolk on Alara.
There are no Rhinos (Rhox) Fiora.
I could go on because they do this all the time.
This makes a ton of sense. I'm totally on board with Angel now. (Although, I think you've explained this way before. I'm not sure why I just caught on now. )
Theros was also an answer to many years of players asking for a Greek mythology based set. If WotC was lazy, we'd've had a Greco-Roman block by 1996, an Aztec block in '97, Arthurian block '98, Cowboys & Indians '99, etc.
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.