The video and Doug's evasive response suggest that Nahiri has been inside a hedron on Zendikar.
Clever, I don't doubt it. Any mention or hints related to Kiora? I think she's absolutely going to be in here. It's not like she's been gathering sea monsters all over the multiverse for the third time we visit Zendikar... this is THE battle for Zendikar and she's bound to be there with her big beasts of the ocean to take them down alongside PWs.
Ugh and Gideon looks amazing.
Not to mention this is my favorite plane and block in MTG. They're kicking this entire year into overdrive.
Pure speculation, but a story justification four two faced PW cards would be if they start as creatures and transform into walkers, showing their ascension. Granted, they could be walkers on both sides, like Garruk was, but my idea would fit with the origins theme, and be original.
Also, about damn time we go back to Zendikar. That cliffhanger was left open way too long.
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The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
From what I've picked up on, Sorin, Ugin, and Nahiri know each other, but do they know Kiora, Gideon, Jace, Chandra, or Sarkhan? Sarkhan, Jace, and Chandra at least know of each other's existence, if not where to find one another. Gideon know's Chandra.
The question I'm getting to here is that if planeswalkers show up on Zendikar for a throwdown with the Eldrazi, how do they get the message out to all the planeswalkers involved with the plane? They don't really have a Bat Signal or anything. Only three may show up at one time, or less, or more, but more without knowing the others are there. Know what I'm saying?
To be honest... glad we're finally getting back to it, but I find it hard to care at this point. Just because the Eldrazi have kind of been hanging around for so long that they aren't novel anymore and conceptually, it's starting to show the cracks in how they've approached them.
Other imp. stuff learned: Dual-faced PW cards in Origins
Gimmick is gimmicky. I dunno, it just seems uninteresting to me even if they do work it out mechanically.
New Sarkhan Card is Temur Coloured!
Out of everything, this is the most nonsensical unless we get a sufficient reason he adopts blue. Something half decent at least other than "oh, he's smarter". Then again, the blue in the Temur was almost entirely magical rather than philosophical.
Other imp. stuff learned: Dual-faced PW cards in Origins
Gimmick is gimmicky. I dunno, it just seems uninteresting to me even if they do work it out mechanically.
They found a perfect way to make it work, they flicker but return transformed. It's meant to show the change from ordinary mage to Planeswalker. The Lilliana card suggests that they're going to be one card stories.
Ever since I saw the way Ugin's middle ability was worded, I've been thinking that a return to Zendikar was near. "Exile each permanent with converted mana cost X or less that's one or more colors." This conveniently misses Eldrazi and their tokens.
What do think about Elves being in Zendikar? I pumped that it might actually help make an elf modern deck more viable.
Going to be bothered if any of them are called "Joraga" considering how much of a fuss they made in Nissa Worldwaker's article about the Joraga being destroyed.
Out of everything, this is the most nonsensical unless we get a sufficient reason he adopts blue. Something half decent at least other than "oh, he's smarter". Then again, the blue in the Temur was almost entirely magical rather than philosophical.
I thought of it like this:
It's more of an incidental momentary thing. Blue is the most introspective color and right now, Sarkhan is dealing with the realization that he is a being out of time. That he's now an oddity that must be mentally wrestled with while the time travel and mysticism that have shifted his life and his healing have temporarily colored him partially blue (similarly to how Sorin is usually mono-black but is white-black when dealing with the rules of his obligations to Ugin and the Innistrad).
Furthermore Green strives to accept the world as it was but wants to preserve nature. Red acts without considering consequences and blue, at its core, wants perfection. For Sarkhan, the perfect Tarkir is a world ruled by nature, represented by the dragons. Green would not seek to change things but accept them as they are. Sarkhan couldn't accept the world as it was and wanted to dramatically change it (dramatic change and taking ones destiny into your own hands is primary in blue and probably secondary in black) so he altered the world dramatically to suit is own vision of what the world should be but he didn't think about all the consequences that would entail. He just did it on an emotional desire. Very R/U/G
- I guess back to the 'ole regular programming of World in trouble.
- This means we're getting Angels again tho! (?) Tho I'm MAJOR NOPE if they're going to use Linvala as a template for a return of the angels with Zendikar.
- I hope this spells the end for the Eldrazi as a whole, they're just really troublesome to deal with for a Creative that's already troubled in some aspects. Major balls if a couple of Neowalkers (or Ugin) will die from this.
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Serra Stan - Angel Enthusiast - Garruk and Tyvar thirsty follower - Flavor and Art Enthusiast
I don't really expect the Eldrazi to be defeated completely, since they've been playing the Eldrazi up as a threat to the multiverse.
I considered the possibility that the some of the Eldrazi are destroyed but the rest leave Zendikar, saving Zendikar while still preserving the Eldrazi - but that goes counter to Sorin and co.'s plans, who wanted to seal them on Zendikar to keep the away from the rest of the multiverse.
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Also known as Blitzer or Romanoff Blitzer. WIXOSS wiki admin.
I wonder are we going to get another Ugin card in the Block, or will he be only represented by his actions via other card types for the block... it does feel like there are going to be more than 5 planeswalkers in Battle for Zendikar. I actually don't think Sarkhan's going to appear, Ugin might order him to stay behind on Tarkir for various reasons.
Sorin, Ugin, Nahiri, Nissa, Kiora, Gideon, Chandra, Jace and Bolas all have reasons (or at least a link to the original release) to be on Zendikar.
The first three want to re-seal the Eldrazi, the following five would attempt to destroy the Eldrazi. It's Bolas that's the big question mark. Why did he want the Eldrazi released?
Anyway, Ugin came back from a 1,280 year break and he's got loads of work to do.
Sorin, Ugin, Nahiri, Nissa, Kiora, Gideon, Chandra, Jace and Bolas all have reasons (or at least a link to the original release) to be on Zendikar.
I'd find it weird for them to plop Chandra into the story, since... well, she doesn't care or even know what happened. She's been off looking to put her boot up Ramaz's tuckus and hasn't, as we are aware at least, even glanced back at the trail she left in her wake.
Jace is... problematic too, being the Guildpact and all, but mind, it made NO SENSE for him to be in the original Zendikar either.
The first three want to re-seal the Eldrazi, the following five would attempt to destroy the Eldrazi. It's Bolas that's the big question mark. Why did he want the Eldrazi released?
Like I said, Chandra doesn't even know the Eldrazi are a thing. The only way she'd be clued in is if the monks at Keral Keep have somehow decoded the copy they made of the Dragon Scroll for more details.
Also, keep in mind that this is the first of the two-set blocks. They have only two sets to introduce, develop and conclude the story. It is also practically impossible to have all these 8 walkers in these 2 sets of the Battle block.
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100% Vorthos Spike and Storyline Expert
Former Fact Prospector of the Greek Alliance.
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
Is it odd to anyone else that the 'walkers most likely to appear in this block have all just gotten cards recently? The only one who hasn't really is ol' Ob, and even he was in M15.
Sorin, Ugin - Khans block
Nahiri - Commander 2014
Gideon, Nissa - Origins
Kiora - Theros block
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Xantcha, Phyrexian Reject
Jodah, Archmage Eternal
Tovolar, Howlpack Alpha
Pivlic, Orzhov Informant
Crixizix, Master Engineer
Feather, Boros Peacekeeper
Marisi Coilbreaker
O-Kagachi
Gix, Phyrexian Praetor
Karn, Father of Machines
Yawgmoth, Father of Machines
Serra, Mother of All Angels
Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools
Leshrac the Nightwalker
Jeska, the Thrice-Touched
Elspeth Returned
Crucius the Mad
Taysir the Infinite
Urza's Head (Unglued!)
I'd find it weird for them to plop Chandra into the story, since... well, she doesn't care or even know what happened. She's been off looking to put her boot up Ramaz's tuckus and hasn't, as we are aware at least, even glanced back at the trail she left in her wake.
Gideon being there is enough of a reason for her to be there, in my opinion. They have all that unresolved tension.
Jace is... problematic too, being the Guildpact and all, but mind, it made NO SENSE for him to be in the original Zendikar either.
They've demonstrated time and again that they'll jump through any number of hoops to get Jace involved in a story. He had NO non-tangential reason to be involved in Garruk's story last year, but there he was.
Sorin, Ugin, Nahiri, Nissa, Kiora, Gideon, Chandra, Jace and Bolas all have reasons (or at least a link to the original release) to be on Zendikar.
I'd find it weird for them to plop Chandra into the story, since... well, she doesn't care or even know what happened. She's been off looking to put her boot up Ramaz's tuckus and hasn't, as we are aware at least, even glanced back at the trail she left in her wake.
Jace is... problematic too, being the Guildpact and all, but mind, it made NO SENSE for him to be in the original Zendikar either.
The first three want to re-seal the Eldrazi, the following five would attempt to destroy the Eldrazi. It's Bolas that's the big question mark. Why did he want the Eldrazi released?
Like I said, Chandra doesn't even know the Eldrazi are a thing. The only way she'd be clued in is if the monks at Keral Keep have somehow decoded the copy they made of the Dragon Scroll for more details.
Agreed. I just listed them because they were involved some way, even if they weren't exactly aware / interested in what's going on. I'm ruling Sarkhan out since he's part of the same trio plus we just came from a block where he was the main character.
That still leaves us with 7 planeswalkers though. I think it's relatively safe to think Bolas won't make an appearance himself (unless he gets hold of the information that Ugin is there, since he's the only last planeswalker visiting Tarkir to be not affected by the Nexus' Retcon.) Kiora and Nissa will definitely turn up and since Nahiri is hinted to be around, the original trio should definitely be present (considering Sorin went out to find his way to Tarkir for that...) That leaves Gideon. I highly doubt he got hold of his "alliance of planeswalkers" since he had no interaction with the Original 3 or the Zendikar 2 and anyone else would result in excessive numbers, considering Gideon is already the 6th involved planeswalker.
Let's not forget Ob Nixilis, who will probably play a role in the storyline of this block
That would be a good example of Wizards listening to the customers. Correct me if Im wrong, but I remember him originally being just a throwaway legend until there was a lot of interest in him.
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The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
Other imp. stuff learned: Dual-faced PW cards in Origins
New Sarkhan Card is Temur Coloured!
http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/announcing-battle-zendikar-2015-03-09
The Vorthos community will await the consequences of the Eldrazi Titans' deaths/sealing. We will keep the watch.
“The wind whispers, ‘come home,’ but I cannot.”
— Teferi
Seems like Ugin, Sorin, Nissa, and Gideon will be on the scene.
Nahiri if she is alive (Doug pretty much implied she was) and Ob Nixilis if he can break his curse.
Kiora is from Zendikar and seems to be popular.
And Jace, Chandra, and Sarkhan had a hand in the past events, I don't know if they will show up again.
Clever, I don't doubt it. Any mention or hints related to Kiora? I think she's absolutely going to be in here. It's not like she's been gathering sea monsters all over the multiverse for the third time we visit Zendikar... this is THE battle for Zendikar and she's bound to be there with her big beasts of the ocean to take them down alongside PWs.
Ugh and Gideon looks amazing.
Not to mention this is my favorite plane and block in MTG. They're kicking this entire year into overdrive.
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
Also, about damn time we go back to Zendikar. That cliffhanger was left open way too long.
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
The question I'm getting to here is that if planeswalkers show up on Zendikar for a throwdown with the Eldrazi, how do they get the message out to all the planeswalkers involved with the plane? They don't really have a Bat Signal or anything. Only three may show up at one time, or less, or more, but more without knowing the others are there. Know what I'm saying?
Gimmick is gimmicky. I dunno, it just seems uninteresting to me even if they do work it out mechanically.
Out of everything, this is the most nonsensical unless we get a sufficient reason he adopts blue. Something half decent at least other than "oh, he's smarter". Then again, the blue in the Temur was almost entirely magical rather than philosophical.
They found a perfect way to make it work, they flicker but return transformed. It's meant to show the change from ordinary mage to Planeswalker. The Lilliana card suggests that they're going to be one card stories.
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I thought of it like this:
It's more of an incidental momentary thing. Blue is the most introspective color and right now, Sarkhan is dealing with the realization that he is a being out of time. That he's now an oddity that must be mentally wrestled with while the time travel and mysticism that have shifted his life and his healing have temporarily colored him partially blue (similarly to how Sorin is usually mono-black but is white-black when dealing with the rules of his obligations to Ugin and the Innistrad).
Furthermore Green strives to accept the world as it was but wants to preserve nature. Red acts without considering consequences and blue, at its core, wants perfection. For Sarkhan, the perfect Tarkir is a world ruled by nature, represented by the dragons. Green would not seek to change things but accept them as they are. Sarkhan couldn't accept the world as it was and wanted to dramatically change it (dramatic change and taking ones destiny into your own hands is primary in blue and probably secondary in black) so he altered the world dramatically to suit is own vision of what the world should be but he didn't think about all the consequences that would entail. He just did it on an emotional desire. Very R/U/G
That's the best guess I have for Temur Sarkhan.
- This means we're getting Angels again tho! (?) Tho I'm MAJOR NOPE if they're going to use Linvala as a template for a return of the angels with Zendikar.
- I hope this spells the end for the Eldrazi as a whole, they're just really troublesome to deal with for a Creative that's already troubled in some aspects. Major balls if a couple of Neowalkers (or Ugin) will die from this.
Serra Stan - Angel Enthusiast - Garruk and Tyvar thirsty follower - Flavor and Art Enthusiast
I considered the possibility that the some of the Eldrazi are destroyed but the rest leave Zendikar, saving Zendikar while still preserving the Eldrazi - but that goes counter to Sorin and co.'s plans, who wanted to seal them on Zendikar to keep the away from the rest of the multiverse.
Cōnservātum album delenda est.
The Vorthos community will await the consequences of the Eldrazi Titans' deaths/sealing. We will keep the watch.
“The wind whispers, ‘come home,’ but I cannot.”
— Teferi
Sorin, Ugin, Nahiri, Nissa, Kiora, Gideon, Chandra, Jace and Bolas all have reasons (or at least a link to the original release) to be on Zendikar.
The first three want to re-seal the Eldrazi, the following five would attempt to destroy the Eldrazi. It's Bolas that's the big question mark. Why did he want the Eldrazi released?
Anyway, Ugin came back from a 1,280 year break and he's got loads of work to do.
I'd find it weird for them to plop Chandra into the story, since... well, she doesn't care or even know what happened. She's been off looking to put her boot up Ramaz's tuckus and hasn't, as we are aware at least, even glanced back at the trail she left in her wake.
Jace is... problematic too, being the Guildpact and all, but mind, it made NO SENSE for him to be in the original Zendikar either.
Like I said, Chandra doesn't even know the Eldrazi are a thing. The only way she'd be clued in is if the monks at Keral Keep have somehow decoded the copy they made of the Dragon Scroll for more details.
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
Sorin, Ugin - Khans block
Nahiri - Commander 2014
Gideon, Nissa - Origins
Kiora - Theros block
Xantcha, Phyrexian Reject
Jodah, Archmage Eternal
Tovolar, Howlpack Alpha
Pivlic, Orzhov Informant
Crixizix, Master Engineer
Feather, Boros Peacekeeper
Marisi Coilbreaker
O-Kagachi
Gix, Phyrexian Praetor
Karn, Father of Machines
Yawgmoth, Father of Machines
Serra, Mother of All Angels
Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools
Leshrac the Nightwalker
Jeska, the Thrice-Touched
Elspeth Returned
Crucius the Mad
Taysir the Infinite
Urza's Head (Unglued!)
RIP, oh Infinity Gyre
Gideon being there is enough of a reason for her to be there, in my opinion. They have all that unresolved tension.
They've demonstrated time and again that they'll jump through any number of hoops to get Jace involved in a story. He had NO non-tangential reason to be involved in Garruk's story last year, but there he was.
Your mods are terrified of me.
Agreed. I just listed them because they were involved some way, even if they weren't exactly aware / interested in what's going on. I'm ruling Sarkhan out since he's part of the same trio plus we just came from a block where he was the main character.
That still leaves us with 7 planeswalkers though. I think it's relatively safe to think Bolas won't make an appearance himself (unless he gets hold of the information that Ugin is there, since he's the only last planeswalker visiting Tarkir to be not affected by the Nexus' Retcon.) Kiora and Nissa will definitely turn up and since Nahiri is hinted to be around, the original trio should definitely be present (considering Sorin went out to find his way to Tarkir for that...) That leaves Gideon. I highly doubt he got hold of his "alliance of planeswalkers" since he had no interaction with the Original 3 or the Zendikar 2 and anyone else would result in excessive numbers, considering Gideon is already the 6th involved planeswalker.
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||