I try to care about the integrity of the settings's background, so each set provides me with a little bit to rant about as out-of-place, like dragons in Innistrad seemed totally out of palce to me (but yes, you have to give a bone to players who want their big expensive red flying firebreather).
This said, in this set I'm not clear about what the Mardu were set up. Why do they have demon allies in the first place (Butcher of the Horde)? This would look like more Sultai to me. Also, what's white in these Demons? Not just Vigilance I hope? Also, what's exactly white in a band of warrior pillagers who never establish anywhere and sack whatever they can find, and value strength above everything else?
I understand your point. but Black can serve this purpose since black is the colour of power. The Sultai, for instance, seem to have a tight hierarchy fueled by their core.
Don't get me wrong though, I'm not saying white should be removed from Mardu, just wanted to get more insight from people around here. And what about that W demon
I try to care about the integrity of the settings's background, so each set provides me with a little bit to rant about as out-of-place, like dragons in Innistrad seemed totally out of palce to me (but yes, you have to give a bone to players who want their big expensive red flying firebreather).
This said, in this set I'm not clear about what the Mardu were set up. Why do they have demon allies in the first place (Butcher of the Horde)? This would look like more Sultai to me. Also, what's white in these Demons? Not just Vigilance I hope? Also, what's exactly white in a band of warrior pillagers who never establish anywhere and sack whatever they can find, and value strength above everything else?
Their W comes from their "strength in numbers" and "loyalty to the horde" mentality. Pure R tends to be quite self-serving, whereas the Mardu are very dedicated to the concept of the horde, even if individual members are highly expendable.
Red is not really all that self-serving. Red however, unlike white, only cares about those it has an emotional connection with. I think that the Mardu could also work as a mono-coloured clan, something that feels true for the Sultai too.
I understand your point. but Black can serve this purpose since black is the colour of power. The Sultai, for instance, seem to have a tight hierarchy fueled by their core.
Don't get me wrong though, I'm not saying white should be removed from Mardu, just wanted to get more insight from people around here. And what about that W demon
It should be noted that the Sultai lack the concept of Loyalty completely. They do not feel a duty to serve their superiors (White) nor do they care about their superiors on an emotional level (Red). The Sultai hierarchy exists, because the most powerful individuals rise to the top by murdering their way through.
Honestly, if anything the Black is the colour that's lacking (other than their parasitism).
They're hierarchical, dogmatic (zealously obeying the three rules, for starters), inflexible, and good coordinators. Honestly, they don't feel that different from the Shadowmoor Red/White clans, with the aesthetics being closer to the Boros.
I guess the black comes from the fact that they live by the "kill other people to survive" credo and their reluctance to be self-reliant, instead living off of other people's produce. Seems pretty black to me, but then again if the block would not have required wedges, I could see the Mardu being mono-Red.
Black's most evident in the Mardu's parasitism. White's mostly seen in the Mardu's martial abilities. I had thought the martial prowess was the providence of Abzan, but there seems to be more a focus on the community in the Abazan. The green side of Sultai taps into the racism underlying green's sense of natural superiority, while blue is evident in the presence of a controlling hierarchy. I didn't see demons mentioned in the Planeswalkers' Guide.
I would assume that the demons have gone over to the Mardu to escape the rakshasa. Whereas the rakshasa are cruel schemers, the Mardu demons have embraced the strategic aspects of white to combat the cunning of the rakshasa. Why the Mardu over the other clans? Because the Mardu like destroying things, causing widespread misery and woe. Like the Sultai, only without a rigidly controlled hierarchy built on racial superiority.
Dragons on Innistrad are probably the offspring of various angelxdemon dalliances, those individuals that found a middle ground between the dogma of Avacyn and Griselbrand. Or simply holdovers from the old days, having outlived the elves. I like the presence of the rather unconventional creature types in settings you wouldn't expect to find them in...because if everything in the setting fits the expected tropes, why bother with the set if you can predict everything that's going to unfold in the setting?
I guess the black comes from the fact that they live by the "kill other people to survive" credo and their reluctance to be self-reliant, instead living off of other people's produce. Seems pretty black to me, but then again if the block would not have required wedges, I could see the Mardu being mono-Red.
Black is the parasitism color. This is his conflict with Green. Being the only who's black but not green, it is fitting Mardu gets to be the most parasitic clan.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
This said, in this set I'm not clear about what the Mardu were set up. Why do they have demon allies in the first place (Butcher of the Horde)? This would look like more Sultai to me. Also, what's white in these Demons? Not just Vigilance I hope? Also, what's exactly white in a band of warrior pillagers who never establish anywhere and sack whatever they can find, and value strength above everything else?
Don't get me wrong though, I'm not saying white should be removed from Mardu, just wanted to get more insight from people around here. And what about that W demon
Red is not really all that self-serving. Red however, unlike white, only cares about those it has an emotional connection with. I think that the Mardu could also work as a mono-coloured clan, something that feels true for the Sultai too.
It should be noted that the Sultai lack the concept of Loyalty completely. They do not feel a duty to serve their superiors (White) nor do they care about their superiors on an emotional level (Red). The Sultai hierarchy exists, because the most powerful individuals rise to the top by murdering their way through.
UR Melek, Izzet ParagonUR, B Shirei, Shizo's CaretakerB, R Jaya Ballard, Task MageR,RW Tajic, Blade of the LegionRW, UB Lazav, Dimir MastermindUB, UB Circu, Dimir LobotomistUB, RWU Zedruu the GreatheartedRWU, GUBThe MimeoplasmGUB, UGExperiment Kraj UG, WDarien, King of KjeldorW, BMarrow-GnawerB, WBGKarador, Ghost ChieftainWBG, UTeferi, Temporal ArchmageU, GWUDerevi, Empyrial TacticianGWU, RDaretti, Scrap SavantR, UTalrand, Sky SummonerU, GEzuri, Renegade LeaderG, WUBRGReaper KingWUBRG, RGXenagos, God of RevelsRG, CKozilek, Butcher of TruthC, WUBRGGeneral TazriWUBRG, GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
They're hierarchical, dogmatic (zealously obeying the three rules, for starters), inflexible, and good coordinators. Honestly, they don't feel that different from the Shadowmoor Red/White clans, with the aesthetics being closer to the Boros.
I would assume that the demons have gone over to the Mardu to escape the rakshasa. Whereas the rakshasa are cruel schemers, the Mardu demons have embraced the strategic aspects of white to combat the cunning of the rakshasa. Why the Mardu over the other clans? Because the Mardu like destroying things, causing widespread misery and woe. Like the Sultai, only without a rigidly controlled hierarchy built on racial superiority.
Dragons on Innistrad are probably the offspring of various angelxdemon dalliances, those individuals that found a middle ground between the dogma of Avacyn and Griselbrand. Or simply holdovers from the old days, having outlived the elves. I like the presence of the rather unconventional creature types in settings you wouldn't expect to find them in...because if everything in the setting fits the expected tropes, why bother with the set if you can predict everything that's going to unfold in the setting?
Black is the parasitism color. This is his conflict with Green. Being the only who's black but not green, it is fitting Mardu gets to be the most parasitic clan.