I'm wondering if Bolas did come to Amonkhet first after the Alara debacle.
Alara was around 3 years ago, Amonkhet has been under Bolas rule for ~60-90 years.
Where are you getting 3 years? I've been trying to nail down when Alara was supposed to happen but the specific events are never given concrete times. At least not that I can find. I know it is less than 10 years and more than 3 based on Gideon arriving on Bant and Tezzeret dying on Kamigawa but as far as I can find the entire 7 year gap is open.
Sarkhan sometime after Alara went to Zendikar and waited for Jace and Chandra at the eye going crazy and then left after the eldrazi titans escaped. The eldrazi where on Zendikar for around 2 years before the events of BtZ. Adding in the unknown amount of time of Sarkhan spent with Bolas before going to Zendikar, his time waiting at the eye, the two years between zendiakr blocks and however long the events of BtZ and SoI took its been around 3 years since Alara. True it could have been longer but I don't think Bolas had Sarkhan waiting around for years before spending him off to the eye of Ugin to free the eldrazi and Elspeth went to Dominaria to fight in the pits in grief over Bant being corrupted and I don't think she spent more then a year max before going with Koth and Venser to try and save Mirrodin.
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“There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can't seem to grow a full mustache"
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Nissa's visions in the Trial of Knowledge have Bolas approaching Amonkhet as the first place where he 'starts', presumably after the Mending, which ties in Jace's 'desperation' comment to Nissa's vision.
The story today had good concepts and ideas, but poor execution as far as writing and editing. Tenses kept shifting, perspectives kept switching, and so on in at least the last half. And I felt the Djeru rescue was underwhelming, in that I expected more (not necessarily a spark, just more devastation and murderous inclinations for being denied this).
How will the Gatewatch handle Bolas if they can be denied their magic? Nissa could wiggle her fingers when everyone was frozen, but no one accessed their magic until the gods allowed it. Which, #1, why would they choose to allow it before everything was over, and #2, if Bolas can control the gods, presumably he may be able to limit the Gatewatch's power too.
In which case, absent all the gods turning on Bolas (one would think they did that at first, post-Mending when Bolas came, in which case he could handle eight gods in one go), and the people turning on Bolas, and none of the Gatewatch dying and Razaketh being defeated, I don't see how Gatewatch wins.
ALSO: Samut and Djeru situation is so much like Gerrard and Vuel/Volrath, which would be amazing if both became walkers (unlikely). Which makes me sad that such a similar situation won't get an exposition over a long story because of reasons. Calling it here first, folks, Djeru sparks and eventually finds the Phyrexians, who will make him into the all-powerful zombie he always wanted to be!
I'm wondering if Bolas did come to Amonkhet first after the Alara debacle.
Alara was around 3 years ago, Amonkhet has been under Bolas rule for ~60-90 years.
Where are you getting 3 years? I've been trying to nail down when Alara was supposed to happen but the specific events are never given concrete times. At least not that I can find. I know it is less than 10 years and more than 3 based on Gideon arriving on Bant and Tezzeret dying on Kamigawa but as far as I can find the entire 7 year gap is open.
Sarkhan sometime after Alara went to Zendikar and waited for Jace and Chandra at the eye going crazy and then left after the eldrazi titans escaped. The eldrazi where on Zendikar for around 2 years before the events of BtZ. Adding in the unknown amount of time of Sarkhan spent with Bolas before going to Zendikar, his time waiting at the eye, the two years between zendiakr blocks and however long the events of BtZ and SoI took its been around 3 years since Alara. True it could have been longer but I don't think Bolas had Sarkhan waiting around for years before spending him off to the eye of Ugin to free the eldrazi and Elspeth went to Dominaria to fight in the pits in grief over Bant being corrupted and I don't think she spent more then a year max before going with Koth and Venser to try and save Mirrodin.
Tezzeret died on Kamigawa three years ago, Sarkhan sees Bolas reforming his corpse at the end of the Zendikar storyline. We have little to no clue how long Sarkhan spent with Bolas after the events of Alara and no clue how long he spent on Zendikar before Jace and Chandra show up(Sarkhan is the only reference point and he was going crazy, I think he described the wait as many rat-years). Thinking or speculating that these unknown amounts of time were specific amounts (or even less vague than they are) doesn't help narrow the timeline. Especially when all of the characters present for these events shouldn't look significantly different between 3 and 7 years.
Tezzeret died on Kamigawa three years ago, Sarkhan sees Bolas reforming his corpse at the end of the Zendikar storyline. We have little to no clue how long Sarkhan spent with Bolas after the events of Alara and no clue how long he spent on Zendikar before Jace and Chandra show up(Sarkhan is the only reference point and he was going crazy, I think he described the wait as many rat-years). Thinking or speculating that these unknown amounts of time were specific amounts (or even less vague than they are) doesn't help narrow the timeline. Especially when all of the characters present for these events shouldn't look significantly different between 3 and 7 years.
I forgot that info about Tezzeret and AoA was roughly a few months before the conflux on Alara so thanks, that locked it in.
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“There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can't seem to grow a full mustache"
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
I still think that if Bolas doesn't absolutely dominate the Gatewatch that the story is going to completey die in my eyes. It is already holding on to its last breath.
This is all cool and the last few stories were great but when it comes to Bolas you shouldn't forget the fact that Bolas should have predicted the possiblity of someone figuring out his plans, other planeswalkers meddling into his afairs and even god's turning against him. Not having a bulletproof plan B for a multiple of possible scenarios is extremely outside of his character so I can't see anything that the Gatewatch can do to stop Bolas. Besides, Bolas knows that they are on Amonketh, or at least he can assume so, and he has info on them that he got from Tezzeret who had clearly sent them to Amonketh to buy Bolas some time to prepare. The Gatewatch will be facing Nicol Bolas with prep time. They are facing the most powerful and dangerous planeswalker (if not being) in the multiverse with prep time and info on their abilites AND on a plane that he took over so he probably knows it better than they do. Killing a plane isn't done in a day. It took some time to gain full control over it. If they manage to beat him than that is literally the final straw for me.
Are we getting a new story next week? Aren't we getting two-three weeks of nothing important and then the Amonketh story? I know that there is supposed to be a story Q&A podcast somehwere in the future where the Creative dodges all the important logic/character developmenet/story questions so isn't that supposed to come out next? Maybe I've got the wrong info.
A friend of mine has a theory that Bolas will lower the barrier which surrounds the city and that Gideon will sacrifice himself to restore it (making his shield the new barrier).
Bolas is going to remove the Hekma. That's on a card's flavor text.
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"The essence of every world, every spell and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
Tezzeret died on Kamigawa three years ago, Sarkhan sees Bolas reforming his corpse at the end of the Zendikar storyline. We have little to no clue how long Sarkhan spent with Bolas after the events of Alara and no clue how long he spent on Zendikar before Jace and Chandra show up(Sarkhan is the only reference point and he was going crazy, I think he described the wait as many rat-years). Thinking or speculating that these unknown amounts of time were specific amounts (or even less vague than they are) doesn't help narrow the timeline. Especially when all of the characters present for these events shouldn't look significantly different between 3 and 7 years.
I forgot that info about Tezzeret and AoA was roughly a few months before the conflux on Alara so thanks, that locked it in.
Why a few months? Why not years? Why not after? If you can point out something that confirms this it would be a big help.
Tezzeret died on Kamigawa three years ago, Sarkhan sees Bolas reforming his corpse at the end of the Zendikar storyline. We have little to no clue how long Sarkhan spent with Bolas after the events of Alara and no clue how long he spent on Zendikar before Jace and Chandra show up(Sarkhan is the only reference point and he was going crazy, I think he described the wait as many rat-years). Thinking or speculating that these unknown amounts of time were specific amounts (or even less vague than they are) doesn't help narrow the timeline. Especially when all of the characters present for these events shouldn't look significantly different between 3 and 7 years.
I forgot that info about Tezzeret and AoA was roughly a few months before the conflux on Alara so thanks, that locked it in.
Why a few months? Why not years? Why not after? If you can point out something that confirms this it would be a big help.
The wiki (i know grain of salt) but, you said it yourself. Bolas got Tezzy body at the end of AoA which was around 3 years ago. AoA was before Alara and Alara was before Zendikar. Tt been two years in between Zendikar blocks so at most a year or so went by in-between AoA and Alara.
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“There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can't seem to grow a full mustache"
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
The wiki (i know grain of salt) but, you said it yourself. Bolas got Tezzy body at the end of AoA which was around 3 years ago. AoA was before Alara and Alara was before Zendikar. Tt been two years in between Zendikar blocks so at most a year or so went by in-between AoA and Alara.
I don't know the last time the wiki has been updated but based on its current information its nearly worthless. It has AoA occurring 5 years ago, and entirely within a year(it might have I need to go back and read that). This is actually the reason I've been trying to find actual sources for a timeline of events almost nothing post mending has a definitive time in relation to the mending and only the last 3 years in story are accounted for, which translates to original Zendikar. Nothing else has concrete times, just vague times based on other confirmed information, like Gideon traveling to Bant 10 years ago so it had to still be Bant 10 years ago.
I wonder why in trial of zeal, Hazoret looks like she has burned skin and red hands but in Hazoret the fervent, she has sleeves and regular colored hands.
The more I read the stories, the more implausible it seems that Bolas would want Amonkhet to spit him out a walker. There are just too many unknowns with a planeswalker's first walk. The risk involved, for Bolas, would be way too much.
Are we getting a new story next week? Aren't we getting two-three weeks of nothing important and then the Amonketh story? I know that there is supposed to be a story Q&A podcast somehwere in the future where the Creative dodges all the important logic/character developmenet/story questions so isn't that supposed to come out next? Maybe I've got the wrong info.
Just two weeks. Next week will be a storyline Q&A podcast, the following week will be a Commander story, then the first Hour story the week after that. We won't have long to wait.
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Lapsed DCI Rules Advisor - Retired from playing but still hanging around
Uh oh, somebody is gonna die. Wonder how soon and what the circumstances will be. Wonder if the death will be literal or metaphorical.
Thoery; the "not the last immortal you will cross" bit possibly points back to theros. Maybe there is a trade with erebos and this is how we get Elspeth back
What if the last immortal Gideon will cross is Bolas? What if, at this point in time, Bolas has found a way to garner the power to be immortal in his quest to regain his omnipotence as a pre-mending planeswalker. Perhaps, he has worked this part out...
What if the last immortal Gideon will cross is Bolas? What if, at this point in time, Bolas has found a way to garner the power to be immortal in his quest to regain his omnipotence as a pre-mending planeswalker. Perhaps, he has worked this part out...
No. For starters they wouldn't have shown that off screen. Second they won't kill Gideon before he goes back to Theros. There's no reason to have made him be from there and set him up the way they did if he wasn't going to return at some point. Its probably going to be Erebos or Heliod.
What if the last immortal Gideon will cross is Bolas? What if, at this point in time, Bolas has found a way to garner the power to be immortal in his quest to regain his omnipotence as a pre-mending planeswalker. Perhaps, he has worked this part out...
No. For starters they wouldn't have shown that off screen. Second they won't kill Gideon before he goes back to Theros. There's no reason to have made him be from there and set him up the way they did if he wasn't going to return at some point. Its probably going to be Erebos or Heliod.
The more I read the stories, the more implausible it seems that Bolas would want Amonkhet to spit him out a walker. There are just too many unknowns with a planeswalker's first walk. The risk involved, for Bolas, would be way too much.
Yeah, I think he mostly just wants a gigantic undead army, whether to use to conquer other planes or to suck up its necromantic life force, we'll see.
As I see the Kytheon death situation is that it is metaphorical rather than pbysical. His encounter with Bontu, Hazoret and his belief in their ability to defeat Bolas shows his arrogance has not changed from the days on Theros as Kytheon. Also, Bolas is an immortal being, just one that's less powerful than he wants to be, so being humbled by him, which we've already assumed is happening, is something I could believe Hazoret is forshadowing. As such, the death of Kytheon will mean the true end of Gideon's arrogance which has been proven to still exist, and has only been reinforced by the gatewatch's 3 victories.
Or it could just be me being disappointed about creative crumbling to people who don't like the Gatewatch or Gideon. I love Gideon and think out of all the gatewatch he has the most room for improvement as a character, as I always felt the stoic hero was a great character to have grow and realize his worldview is so limited. A story that ends in tragedy for them is so generic and expected that I will be pretty angry if they do kill him off. But hey, I actually like the GW and think it is what magic needed for its storytelling even if it hasn't been perfect execution wise.
Im really hoping the gods break free from Bolas just so we can see how they react. For example, will Bontu be devastated at the role she played in the deaths of so many amonkhetu or was she always kind of like that? Will Hazoret turn into a zeal of passion over a zeal of fanaticism? Will Rhonas get to do anything in the storyline? So many questions
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My Decks:
UG Merfolk RG 8-Whack BWG Abzan midrange GRB Living End UWB Spirit Control
GU Kruphix's "Hug Assassin" RW Kalemne's "Play Fatties and Hope for the Best!" BUGW Atraxa's "All counters, all the time"
I'm curious what the gods are supposed to do in the Hour of Glory (2nd phase), as based on Nimble-Blade Khenra even they will have to prove their worth before the God-Pharaoh.
Which could imply that Bolas wanted to get rid of them anyway. Maybe absorb their mana or whatever.
Might have something to do with that orb thing between his horns.
I think the Hour of Glory is when the untested(everyone still alive) are supposed to fight against Razaketh, I guess the gods help with this battle. So a promised epic battle of the entire plane vs Lilies demon.
Its annoying when they introduce races into a Plane and not reference them in the stories.
Which races didn't they mention? Minotaurs, Naga, Aven and Humans (as well as to a lesser extent zombies) all had at least side characters in the story up to this point.
Its annoying when they introduce races into a Plane and not reference them in the stories.
Which races didn't they mention? Minotaurs, Naga, Aven and Humans (as well as to a lesser extent zombies) all had at least side characters in the story up to this point.
While they have been mentioned in the stories I find it hilarious you don't mention the race actually introduced in this set, Jackal people. Sure Ainok(dog people) were introduced in Tarkir but Jackals are different now.
Which races didn't they mention? Minotaurs, Naga, Aven and Humans (as well as to a lesser extent zombies) all had at least side characters in the story up to this point.
Apparently no one on the story team ever learnt that the Jackal-folk are called khenra - though they appear (and get killed off unceremoniously - the way the last story was written they didn't even bother to tie their stories together by mentioning the survivors of the Trial of Ambition by name).
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Planar Chaos was not a mistake neither was it random. You might want to look at it again.
[thread=239793][Game] Level Up - Creature[/thread]
Sarkhan sometime after Alara went to Zendikar and waited for Jace and Chandra at the eye going crazy and then left after the eldrazi titans escaped. The eldrazi where on Zendikar for around 2 years before the events of BtZ. Adding in the unknown amount of time of Sarkhan spent with Bolas before going to Zendikar, his time waiting at the eye, the two years between zendiakr blocks and however long the events of BtZ and SoI took its been around 3 years since Alara. True it could have been longer but I don't think Bolas had Sarkhan waiting around for years before spending him off to the eye of Ugin to free the eldrazi and Elspeth went to Dominaria to fight in the pits in grief over Bant being corrupted and I don't think she spent more then a year max before going with Koth and Venser to try and save Mirrodin.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Nissa's visions in the Trial of Knowledge have Bolas approaching Amonkhet as the first place where he 'starts', presumably after the Mending, which ties in Jace's 'desperation' comment to Nissa's vision.
The story today had good concepts and ideas, but poor execution as far as writing and editing. Tenses kept shifting, perspectives kept switching, and so on in at least the last half. And I felt the Djeru rescue was underwhelming, in that I expected more (not necessarily a spark, just more devastation and murderous inclinations for being denied this).
How will the Gatewatch handle Bolas if they can be denied their magic? Nissa could wiggle her fingers when everyone was frozen, but no one accessed their magic until the gods allowed it. Which, #1, why would they choose to allow it before everything was over, and #2, if Bolas can control the gods, presumably he may be able to limit the Gatewatch's power too.
In which case, absent all the gods turning on Bolas (one would think they did that at first, post-Mending when Bolas came, in which case he could handle eight gods in one go), and the people turning on Bolas, and none of the Gatewatch dying and Razaketh being defeated, I don't see how Gatewatch wins.
ALSO: Samut and Djeru situation is so much like Gerrard and Vuel/Volrath, which would be amazing if both became walkers (unlikely). Which makes me sad that such a similar situation won't get an exposition over a long story because of reasons. Calling it here first, folks, Djeru sparks and eventually finds the Phyrexians, who will make him into the all-powerful zombie he always wanted to be!
I forgot that info about Tezzeret and AoA was roughly a few months before the conflux on Alara so thanks, that locked it in.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Bolas is going to remove the Hekma. That's on a card's flavor text.
The wiki (i know grain of salt) but, you said it yourself. Bolas got Tezzy body at the end of AoA which was around 3 years ago. AoA was before Alara and Alara was before Zendikar. Tt been two years in between Zendikar blocks so at most a year or so went by in-between AoA and Alara.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Jay13x also has a thread that links ALL the recent stories if you want to go back.
Just two weeks. Next week will be a storyline Q&A podcast, the following week will be a Commander story, then the first Hour story the week after that. We won't have long to wait.
What if the last immortal Gideon will cross is Bolas? What if, at this point in time, Bolas has found a way to garner the power to be immortal in his quest to regain his omnipotence as a pre-mending planeswalker. Perhaps, he has worked this part out...
No. For starters they wouldn't have shown that off screen. Second they won't kill Gideon before he goes back to Theros. There's no reason to have made him be from there and set him up the way they did if he wasn't going to return at some point. Its probably going to be Erebos or Heliod.
LOL. Okay, thank you for your expertise
Yeah, I think he mostly just wants a gigantic undead army, whether to use to conquer other planes or to suck up its necromantic life force, we'll see.
Or it could just be me being disappointed about creative crumbling to people who don't like the Gatewatch or Gideon. I love Gideon and think out of all the gatewatch he has the most room for improvement as a character, as I always felt the stoic hero was a great character to have grow and realize his worldview is so limited. A story that ends in tragedy for them is so generic and expected that I will be pretty angry if they do kill him off. But hey, I actually like the GW and think it is what magic needed for its storytelling even if it hasn't been perfect execution wise.
RG 8-Whack
BWG Abzan midrange
GRB Living End
UWB Spirit Control
GU Kruphix's "Hug Assassin"
RW Kalemne's "Play Fatties and Hope for the Best!"
BUGW Atraxa's "All counters, all the time"
Which races didn't they mention? Minotaurs, Naga, Aven and Humans (as well as to a lesser extent zombies) all had at least side characters in the story up to this point.
Apparently no one on the story team ever learnt that the Jackal-folk are called khenra - though they appear (and get killed off unceremoniously - the way the last story was written they didn't even bother to tie their stories together by mentioning the survivors of the Trial of Ambition by name).
Finally a good white villain quote: "So, do I ever re-evaluate my life choices? Never, because I know what I'm doing is a righteous cause."
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