We've had a ton of vitriol aimed at one Domri Rade, particularly for being a snotty little kid with a ton of power. I get that.
But what bothers me is that Ral Zarek is a total, complete D.B. and while that makes for great reading, I don't understand why people like him so much more than Domri. Ral is a total and complete A-hole, and Domri is just a bratty kid.
A lot of people lashing out at Domri seem to be doing so for superficial reasons; based on how they perceive he acts because of his appearance or because he's a kid.
From what little we've seen of Domri, yeah he's got the 'dumb teenager phase' thing going on, but hardly to the degree that justifies the vitrol he's getting.
People are letting their prejudices speak for them.
I suspect that part of Ral's popularity is coming from two places.
1. A lot of people really don't know the story in specific terms. They don't know that Ral is a world class sociopath and like him because he looks cool and they're filling in the blanks based on what they'd like to think he's like
2. He's sexy, and people are shallow and willing to let pretty people get away with more.
Pretty sure Tibalt is a grown man.
I suspect that Domri was deliberately drawn in such a way that he doesn't cross his card's border so that there was no ambiguity that he's adolescent.
Pretty sure Tibalt is a grown man.
I suspect that Domri was deliberately drawn in such a way that he doesn't cross his card's border so that there was no ambiguity that he's adolescent.
Looks like he is in late teens, early 20's like Domri.
The tallness, the beard, the exquisite taste in fashion.
Tibalt is a man of wealth and taste. I've been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man's soul and faith
I hate them both equally. Domri for his archetype (the special child) and Ral for being a multiple-worlds class ******.
I agree, and yet I eagerly await what Ral is going to **** up next.
I'm glad we get to see what the worst the Izzet has to offer truly is, though. Niv is an amusing but badass lazy egomaniac, Singe and pretty much every other League member you can imagine is simply a Hundred Grand-brand nutbar, but Ral is the guy who thinks his physics degree gives him a license to do anything.
Rall might be a Grade A *******, but he's a fully grown ******* who's actually put in the time and skill to act like that. Aside from that, he plays well against the other walkers.
Domri is the "special snowflake" "Golden child". And besides that, as Hairless pointed out, he's a brat. Okay, so yes, he's a smarmy little teenager, and I despise that, I don't care if that makes me shallow or not,* I regular thump jerkface teens that act like Domri does. Aside from that, I genuinely don't see how you could put him opposite any other walker.
*I don't see how letting a prejudice against a specific archetype is bad considering Domri isn't exactly deep enough to break that archetype. He's worthy of the prejudice targeting.
Long answer: Domri Rade represents not just the primal nature of beast magic, because that would just make him a tiny Garruk, but its survival ethos, the will to endure any circumstance but without the strength and size Garruk boasts. Domri's not a hunter or a warrior, but a planeswalker who works best backed into a corner. The savagery of green and the unpredictableness of red combined to create a person who doesn't cause creature to become bigger, but much more aggressive. Willpower is the essence of Domri's magic.
The character you could most easily compare Domri to is Elspeth, But while it's easy to like Elspeth because she 'fights for the right thing', Domri is a tougher case because he doesn't have any baggage about honor. He's in it for himself just as much as Elspeth, but because he doesn't use the pretty words, or hold his sword aloft wondering where all the Bantian angels went, Domri's harder to appreciate.
Ral Zarek and Domri aren't that similar because even though they may appear self-absorbed and clever, It comes from different creative aspects. Zarek is smug because he's intelligent, and knows precisely how intelligent he is. Domri is smug because he prides himself on enduring despite his size.
Domri is every bit as complex as any other planeswalker (excluding Tamiyo and Vraska for reasons unbeknowst to those of us who only follow along), but it gets shunted aside when all people want to see is his confidence. They don't care where that confidence comes from, or how he obtained it. All that matters is first impressions. You see a bold young kid who's unwilling to back down, and it rattles the soul when compared to older planeswalkers who get the benefit of the doubt by virtue of presumption, as opposed to action.
Rall might be a Grade A *******, but he's a fully grown ******* who's actually put in the time and skill to act like that. Aside from that, he plays well against the other walkers.
Domri is the "special snowflake" "Golden child". And besides that, as Hairless pointed out, he's a brat. Okay, so yes, he's a smarmy little teenager, and I despise that, I don't care if that makes me shallow or not,* I regular thump jerkface teens that act like Domri does. Aside from that, I genuinely don't see how you could put him opposite any other walker.
*I don't see how letting a prejudice against a specific archetype is bad considering Domri isn't exactly deep enough to break that archetype. He's worthy of the prejudice targeting.
What. Are. You. Talking about?!
He's been in one story. One.
And the worst thing he did in that story was throw a rock through a stained glass window of an abandoned Orzhov church.
hmm, yeah I don't see where the whiney kid part comes from or really any of the hate. he doesn't strike me as any more whiney/arrogant/or smug than any other planeswalker. he doesn't seem any more special either.
What. Are. You. Talking about?!
He's been in one story. One.
And the worst thing he did in that story was throw a rock through a stained glass window of an abandoned Orzhov church.
Cocky teenager.
There are a limited number of stories you CAN tell with a character like this. Either he gets slapped down, hard, and learns humility, or he's going to barrel forward and things will go swimmingly for him.
Of the two, I don't think it likely they'll slap him down.
Is it an extrapolation? Yeah, as well as adding to him associated attributes of the character archetype they are modeling him on.
With so little about him, we automatically fill in based on the kind of character they are aiming for him to be.
But when it comes right down to it, a LOT of us just hate the little bugger because we don't like him. We just don't. Is it irrational? Sure, but who says I have to like him?
Hating a character because you don't like them? Fine.
Hating a character because of something you think they might do in the future? I don't know how to respond to that.
Tamiyo actually has a pretty solid following of happy individuals.
She gets points on 3 accounts:
1) Non-human walker, giving us variety.
2) Female blue walker, which is good because Jace and Tezzeret only do so much.
3) A walker who isn't interested in action, but just academic fun.
Tamiyo actually has a pretty solid following of happy individuals.
She gets points on 3 accounts:
1) Non-human walker, giving us variety.
2) Female blue walker, which is good because Jace and Tezzeret only do so much.
3) A walker who isn't interested in action, but just academic fun.
Not to tug this thread away from its original intent, but can you define "solid following" without anecdotal evidence? Mark Rosewater mentioned at least twice that she didn't test well.
Moreover, I don't see how being a girl gives her points. Is there some sort of gender-based balancing act that needs to take place with every color? Were people excited about Sorin Markov because he was the first male planeswalker in black? Would Domri Rade be more interesting if he was a she?
I like moonfolk too, but just because Tamiyo has boobs and bunny ears doesn't make her a victory for an arbitrary measurement of equality imposed outside the spectrum of people who make the cards.
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We've had a ton of vitriol aimed at one Domri Rade, particularly for being a snotty little kid with a ton of power. I get that.
But what bothers me is that Ral Zarek is a total, complete D.B. and while that makes for great reading, I don't understand why people like him so much more than Domri. Ral is a total and complete A-hole, and Domri is just a bratty kid.
What gives?
Click the pic for more info.
Also, looks matters. Domri does look like a brat, while Ral Zarek looks like a cool guy (I was actually surprised to see how much of an ass he was.)
From what little we've seen of Domri, yeah he's got the 'dumb teenager phase' thing going on, but hardly to the degree that justifies the vitrol he's getting.
People are letting their prejudices speak for them.
I suspect that part of Ral's popularity is coming from two places.
1. A lot of people really don't know the story in specific terms. They don't know that Ral is a world class sociopath and like him because he looks cool and they're filling in the blanks based on what they'd like to think he's like
2. He's sexy, and people are shallow and willing to let pretty people get away with more.
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I write flavor articles for RoxieCards.
I play and judge at Giga Bites Cafein Marietta, Georgia.
Domri vs Tibalt.
There I said it.
I suspect that Domri was deliberately drawn in such a way that he doesn't cross his card's border so that there was no ambiguity that he's adolescent.
Level 1 Judge
I write flavor articles for RoxieCards.
I play and judge at Giga Bites Cafein Marietta, Georgia.
Looks like he is in late teens, early 20's like Domri.
The tallness, the beard, the exquisite taste in fashion.
Tibalt is a man of wealth and taste.
I've been around for a long, long yearStole many a man's soul and faith
wait, that's not right.
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Special thanks to Serrot_29 for Catbug'mrakul!
I agree, and yet I eagerly await what Ral is going to **** up next.
I'm glad we get to see what the worst the Izzet has to offer truly is, though. Niv is an amusing but badass lazy egomaniac, Singe and pretty much every other League member you can imagine is simply a Hundred Grand-brand nutbar, but Ral is the guy who thinks his physics degree gives him a license to do anything.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Domri is the "special snowflake" "Golden child". And besides that, as Hairless pointed out, he's a brat. Okay, so yes, he's a smarmy little teenager, and I despise that, I don't care if that makes me shallow or not,* I regular thump jerkface teens that act like Domri does. Aside from that, I genuinely don't see how you could put him opposite any other walker.
*I don't see how letting a prejudice against a specific archetype is bad considering Domri isn't exactly deep enough to break that archetype. He's worthy of the prejudice targeting.
The character you could most easily compare Domri to is Elspeth, But while it's easy to like Elspeth because she 'fights for the right thing', Domri is a tougher case because he doesn't have any baggage about honor. He's in it for himself just as much as Elspeth, but because he doesn't use the pretty words, or hold his sword aloft wondering where all the Bantian angels went, Domri's harder to appreciate.
Ral Zarek and Domri aren't that similar because even though they may appear self-absorbed and clever, It comes from different creative aspects. Zarek is smug because he's intelligent, and knows precisely how intelligent he is. Domri is smug because he prides himself on enduring despite his size.
Domri is every bit as complex as any other planeswalker (excluding Tamiyo and Vraska for reasons unbeknowst to those of us who only follow along), but it gets shunted aside when all people want to see is his confidence. They don't care where that confidence comes from, or how he obtained it. All that matters is first impressions. You see a bold young kid who's unwilling to back down, and it rattles the soul when compared to older planeswalkers who get the benefit of the doubt by virtue of presumption, as opposed to action.
Short answer: People are weird sometimes.
What. Are. You. Talking about?!
He's been in one story. One.
And the worst thing he did in that story was throw a rock through a stained glass window of an abandoned Orzhov church.
Here's his origin;
The Burying, part 1
The Burying, part 2
This is literally all that has been written of him.
Level 1 Judge
I write flavor articles for RoxieCards.
I play and judge at Giga Bites Cafein Marietta, Georgia.
hmm, yeah I don't see where the whiney kid part comes from or really any of the hate. he doesn't strike me as any more whiney/arrogant/or smug than any other planeswalker. he doesn't seem any more special either.
Cocky teenager.
There are a limited number of stories you CAN tell with a character like this. Either he gets slapped down, hard, and learns humility, or he's going to barrel forward and things will go swimmingly for him.
Of the two, I don't think it likely they'll slap him down.
Is it an extrapolation? Yeah, as well as adding to him associated attributes of the character archetype they are modeling him on.
With so little about him, we automatically fill in based on the kind of character they are aiming for him to be.
But when it comes right down to it, a LOT of us just hate the little bugger because we don't like him. We just don't. Is it irrational? Sure, but who says I have to like him?
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Reach out and torch someone . . .
Hating a character because you don't like them? Fine.
Hating a character because of something you think they might do in the future? I don't know how to respond to that.
Level 1 Judge
I write flavor articles for RoxieCards.
I play and judge at Giga Bites Cafein Marietta, Georgia.
The problem, of course, is that he is such a perfect little **** and is, in some ways, relatable.
Domri just doesn't have enough plot backing to be a well-liked character. I'd argue the same for Tamiyo.
Tamiyo actually has a pretty solid following of happy individuals.
She gets points on 3 accounts:
1) Non-human walker, giving us variety.
2) Female blue walker, which is good because Jace and Tezzeret only do so much.
3) A walker who isn't interested in action, but just academic fun.
Domri? One story.
Tamiyo? A paragraph of description and a single line of flavor text.
I feel like people aren't liking/hating these characters so much as the idea of them.
Level 1 Judge
I write flavor articles for RoxieCards.
I play and judge at Giga Bites Cafein Marietta, Georgia.
I find that to be perfectly valid until we get more about them.
That's honestly all we can and should do at this point.
But it doesn't mean we're right in our assumptions or justified in berating the fictional characters/people who may like them.
Not to tug this thread away from its original intent, but can you define "solid following" without anecdotal evidence? Mark Rosewater mentioned at least twice that she didn't test well.
Moreover, I don't see how being a girl gives her points. Is there some sort of gender-based balancing act that needs to take place with every color? Were people excited about Sorin Markov because he was the first male planeswalker in black? Would Domri Rade be more interesting if he was a she?
I like moonfolk too, but just because Tamiyo has boobs and bunny ears doesn't make her a victory for an arbitrary measurement of equality imposed outside the spectrum of people who make the cards.