Where in the story are we really supposed to see Huatli as a good guy? I think the fact that she and the empire are both very hypocritical is part of their characters. People were complaining earlier that both came across as "too good" in relation to the pirates or the vampires, and now some are complaining that they get a huge flaw, namely hypocrisy? Before the story even began it was pretty clear that the empire sees nothing wrong in letting their dinosaurs slaughter other people and the stories make it clear now that they do so while praising themselves for not killing others directly. So there. I hope they will give Huatli some kind of revelation on this in Rivals, especially since the emperor seems very shady, trying to exploit her without giving her much back.
I wasn't complaining though, assuming this is in response to me.
Also, speaking of the Emperor's promise, the Warrior-Poet title means a lot to Huatli, so it's much from her perspective. That said, I don't really trust him either, and I think if they want to make Huatli's story more interesting, that could be used as a way of further developing her character.
Sorry, that first part wasn't meant as a response towards you but more of a general response to the discussion. Also, remember that although she already accomplished much he withheld her the title multiple times, knowing fully well how much it means to her and using it to exploit her. At least that's how it came across for me.
On another news, what do you guys think will be the role of the new Elder Dino thing ?
Likely a guardian of Orazca of some sort? Or something sealed with Orazca that was now released.
My guess is that he's just the set's Rishkar. IE: not represented outside the cards at all. They probably just made him legendary so you couldn't chain multiple copies into eachother for two mana each.
*In MTG you can literally kill things with Telepathy, Laquastas did it in Judgement, the fact that Jace can't use his Illusions on Dinosaurs is bullcrap to begin with.
Jace has killed people with his telepathy, but not his illusions. So you're mad because he doesn't use his illusions in a deadly manner? Not all magic is used the same way or at the same level, just because some illusionist can make illusions so real that they can physically harm people doesn't mean its inherent to every illusionist.
No I am angry that for some dumb reason the super powerful Telepath who can alter perceptions of sight and sound can't manage to trick a Dinosaurs nose, it was acceptable on Innistrad cause they were rage-beasts who didn't have much of a mind to really screw with, but Jace should at least be able to flip the "Flight" part of the fight and flight instinct, I am angry that yes Jace has killed people with his telepathy and now doesn't because the plot demands him not to so that Hualti can play The DinoWhisperer.
Where in the story are we really supposed to see Huatli as a good guy? I think the fact that she and the empire are both very hypocritical is part of their characters. People were complaining earlier that both came across as "too good" in relation to the pirates or the vampires, and now some are complaining that they get a huge flaw, namely hypocrisy? Before the story even began it was pretty clear that the empire sees nothing wrong in letting their dinosaurs slaughter other people and the stories make it clear now that they do so while praising themselves for not killing others directly. So there. I hope they will give Huatli some kind of revelation on this in Rivals, especially since the emperor seems very shady, trying to exploit her without giving her much back.
Look at the way she is written compared to the Vampires, the closest thing we have gotten to an non abjectly evil vampire point of view was the Religious Zealot who was in the middle of a Psychotic Blood-Frenzy when we met them.
*In MTG you can literally kill things with Telepathy, Laquastas did it in Judgement, the fact that Jace can't use his Illusions on Dinosaurs is bullcrap to begin with.
Jace has killed people with his telepathy, but not his illusions. So you're mad because he doesn't use his illusions in a deadly manner? Not all magic is used the same way or at the same level, just because some illusionist can make illusions so real that they can physically harm people doesn't mean its inherent to every illusionist.
No I am angry that for some dumb reason the super powerful Telepath who can alter perceptions of sight and sound can't manage to trick a Dinosaurs nose, it was acceptable on Innistrad cause they were rage-beasts who didn't have much of a mind to really screw with, but Jace should at least be able to flip the "Flight" part of the fight and flight instinct, I am angry that yes Jace has killed people with his telepathy and now doesn't because the plot demands him not to so that Hualti can play The DinoWhisperer.
...so your upset over something you think is going to happen or did I miss something in the stories?
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Half and half, Jace's utter failure to use abilities that he even with his lack of memories knows he had because he and Vraska spoke about how he could destroy mind and the very obvious path the plot is going to take.
Half and half, Jace's utter failure to use abilities that he even with his lack of memories knows he had because he and Vraska spoke about how he could destroy mind and the very obvious path the plot is going to take.
Vraska: Oh btw Jace you can destroy people's minds and leave them an empty husk.
Jace: AWESOME, I'M GONNA DO THIS TO THE NEXT BREATHING THING I SEE!
Who in their right mind would do that?
Like I said before, Jace has empathy. He does NOT like destroying minds. Every time he did it was a last resort. Alhammaret, Tezzeret, a pack of freaking werewolves that would rip him to shreds. It was do or die. Just because he doesnt remember who he is doesnt mean his character traits are not there. He has any number of options to deal with people without killing them and for some reason you complain that he doesnt leave them brain dead on the spot. He is neither Bolas nor Ashiok.
You are too quick to present your baseless speculation as facts. We dont know anything about how things are going to go. Just because Huatli summons dinos doesnt mean she is strong enough to control the elder one. Kiora's whole thing is summoning krakens and she got rejected by Arixmethes.
How is Huatli a hypocrite? It's their culture. They pride themselves in only subduing their opponents and let the killing to the dinos (and warriors). It's a martial/military stylistic choice. We have plenty of similar things in real life. It would be hypocrisy if she didn't kill if she believed killing was morally wrong. That is not the case.
I'm still not convinced by the whole Azor connection. Aside from some REALLY vague similarities of certain symbols in Ixalan to the Azorius signet there was no build up at all for such a revelation. Azor isn't an active player in the story (unlike Ugin) and making all of Ixalan background noise for Ravnica 3 would be kind of disappointing (and I like Ravnica)
I don't understand this sentiment at all. In a narrative, not every character can be the day-saving hero. Not every location can be the big arena and not every chapter can be the huge relevation. Different parts serve different purposes. Personally I don't even see how it would make Ixalan any more of a backdrop than Kaladesh or Amonkhet. It has its own story (race for the immortal sun). Having a connection to another story arc doesn't make it background noise.
I don't understand this sentiment at all. In a narrative, not every character can be the day-saving hero. Not every location can be the big arena and not every chapter can be the huge relevation. Different parts serve different purposes. Personally I don't even see how it would make Ixalan any more of a backdrop than Kaladesh or Amonkhet. It has its own story (race for the immortal sun). Having a connection to another story arc doesn't make it background noise.
I think, to some extent, some folks want the story to go back to when practically every introduced plane had its own self-contained story (if it had a story, that is).
How is Huatli a hypocrite? It's their culture. They pride themselves in only subduing their opponents and let the killing to the dinos (and warriors). It's a martial/military stylistic choice. We have plenty of similar things in real life. It would be hypocrisy if she didn't kill if she believed killing was morally wrong. That is not the case.
As I believe I am the one who originally brought up this theory, I feel an obligation to make sure it isn't taken too far. I originally brought it up because we didn't know Huatli's reasons for refusing to kill, whether it was a moral position or a way of demonstrating superior prowess. It may be the case that she believes killing is wrong and is a hypocrite. Or it may not be. AFAIK, we still don't have the information to tell us.
I don't understand this sentiment at all. In a narrative, not every character can be the day-saving hero. Not every location can be the big arena and not every chapter can be the huge relevation. Different parts serve different purposes. Personally I don't even see how it would make Ixalan any more of a backdrop than Kaladesh or Amonkhet. It has its own story (race for the immortal sun). Having a connection to another story arc doesn't make it background noise.
I think, to some extent, some folks want the story to go back to when practically every introduced plane had its own self-contained story (if it had a story, that is).
So does Ixalan. The race for the big price is a story in itself. I mean, one could argue Lorwyn was even more of a backdrop, because it's entire story was an echo of the mending.
Really, stories have been connected ever since, and stories always had variable amounts of stakes. That is nothing new. Except now the connections are more obvious because we don't have to wait five years for a plotpoint from before to be picked up again.
How is Huatli a hypocrite? It's their culture. They pride themselves in only subduing their opponents and let the killing to the dinos (and warriors). It's a martial/military stylistic choice. We have plenty of similar things in real life. It would be hypocrisy if she didn't kill if she believed killing was morally wrong. That is not the case.
As I believe I am the one who originally brought up this theory, I feel an obligation to make sure it isn't taken too far. I originally brought it up because we didn't know Huatli's reasons for refusing to kill, whether it was a moral position or a way of demonstrating superior prowess. It may be the case that she believes killing is wrong and is a hypocrite. Or it may not be. AFAIK, we still don't have the information to tell us.
I think it was confirmed recently. Either on someone's twitter or in last week's article. Basically the knights (a high rank amongst the military) don't kill themselves. Kind of like a special martial art, they kill through dinosaur, without getting their hand dirty. (literal dirty, not guilt dirty). It's a cultural thing, not a moral thing.
I don't understand this sentiment at all. In a narrative, not every character can be the day-saving hero. Not every location can be the big arena and not every chapter can be the huge relevation. Different parts serve different purposes. Personally I don't even see how it would make Ixalan any more of a backdrop than Kaladesh or Amonkhet. It has its own story (race for the immortal sun). Having a connection to another story arc doesn't make it background noise.
I think, to some extent, some folks want the story to go back to when practically every introduced plane had its own self-contained story (if it had a story, that is).
So does Ixalan. The race for the big price is a story in itself. I mean, one could argue Lorwyn was even more of a backdrop, because it's entire story was an echo of the mending.
Really, stories have been connected ever since, and stories always had variable amounts of stakes. That is nothing new. Except now the connections are more obvious because we don't have to wait five years for a plotpoint from before to be picked up again.
How is Huatli a hypocrite? It's their culture. They pride themselves in only subduing their opponents and let the killing to the dinos (and warriors). It's a martial/military stylistic choice. We have plenty of similar things in real life. It would be hypocrisy if she didn't kill if she believed killing was morally wrong. That is not the case.
As I believe I am the one who originally brought up this theory, I feel an obligation to make sure it isn't taken too far. I originally brought it up because we didn't know Huatli's reasons for refusing to kill, whether it was a moral position or a way of demonstrating superior prowess. It may be the case that she believes killing is wrong and is a hypocrite. Or it may not be. AFAIK, we still don't have the information to tell us.
I think it was confirmed recently. Either on someone's twitter or in last week's article. Basically the knights (a high rank amongst the military) don't kill themselves. Kind of like a special martial art, they kill through dinosaur, without getting their hand dirty. (literal dirty, not guilt dirty). It's a cultural thing, not a moral thing.
No, I'm actually against doing self-contained stories without any further connections. The thing I liked about the faster pace WAS that we didn't have to wait so long for the next plot point. There is a difference however between Kaladesh and Amonkhet being part of the larger Bolas-related story and Ixalan now. Both of these connections were clear AND part of the plane-contained story: The Planar Bridge was part of the reason Tezzeret took control of the inventions at the fair, leading to the revolution. I don't think I need to explain Amonkhet. Both worlds were the pure focus of their respective storylines, even when they were integrated into a larger one. But Azor suddenly being the focus of Ixalan (and yes, he would definitely become the focus, since they would have to explain his whole non-foreshadowed connection to the plane, his character AND his goals which would take quite some time)? Without any background or logical connection (meaning story connection, I know of the aesthetical connections)? That just rubs me the wrong way. Ugin I would get, we know that he had goals beyond Tarkir (and that he worked with other planeswalkers). He also fits the aesthetic of Ixalan itself, being a kind of "feathered snake". I don't know, I might be wrong, but as I said, Azor doesn't feel right for me. I could be wrong of course.
How is Huatli a hypocrite? It's their culture. They pride themselves in only subduing their opponents and let the killing to the dinos (and warriors). It's a martial/military stylistic choice. We have plenty of similar things in real life. It would be hypocrisy if she didn't kill if she believed killing was morally wrong. That is not the case.
As I believe I am the one who originally brought up this theory, I feel an obligation to make sure it isn't taken too far. I originally brought it up because we didn't know Huatli's reasons for refusing to kill, whether it was a moral position or a way of demonstrating superior prowess. It may be the case that she believes killing is wrong and is a hypocrite. Or it may not be. AFAIK, we still don't have the information to tell us.
I think it was confirmed recently. Either on someone's twitter or in last week's article. Basically the knights (a high rank amongst the military) don't kill themselves. Kind of like a special martial art, they kill through dinosaur, without getting their hand dirty. (literal dirty, not guilt dirty). It's a cultural thing, not a moral thing.
Part 2 of the planeswalkers guide is out. It ties down the order of event of the Immortal Sun on the Vampires end.
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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"
Wow. this is a pretty deep accounting for the history of the Vamps. seems like a lot more thought was put into explaining them than the other tribes. Now the question is "how much of this history will be utilized in the story?"
After that I'm a bit disappointed we didn't see some of that stuff put into cards. The relics of the venerable was a cool little bit. Also really a shame we didn't get a legendary pirate ship. The Second Scourge with some effect reflecting that special helm ornament would have been awesome.
Maybe we'll get those things in rivals. I always thought that they were leading this way once they seeded the vampiric "legend" of the stolen sun. The vampires were monstrous invaders and the sun empire warrior poets, and that painted a good vs evil picture that the creative team had already denied (saying essentially that it was 4 roughly morally equal groups racing for the sun).
So now we learn that the vampires have a damn good reason for what they are doing, they are just being too brutal. And we learn that the Sun Empire is at least as problematic, certainly not a positive force in the world.
The vamps were the original guardians of the sun and they did their jobs until it was stolen from them. Everything they have done since has been to get it back. In their quest they have repeatedly turned to questionable methods due to traditional methods not working, and have now become a cruel group that may have even strayed from their original purpose (but we don't actually know that yet).
The Sun Empire have screwed every other group. They are the only ones who have ever abused the Immortal Sun, leading to catastrophe. They screwed over the River Heralds, their allies at the time, because they were every bit as expansionist as the Legion of Dusk is now. They had an opportunity to freely and peacefully trade with the pirates, and decided to turn them away to go die on the ocean instead. We don't yet know if they stole the Immortal Sun or were merely given the sun to be the new guardians, but they certainly benefited from it having been stolen from the proto Legion and abused its power right away, eventually causing a mini apocalypse.
Everything is shades of grey here, even the Heralds as they aren't a unified group and that one guy is a dbag.
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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!
So now we learn that the vampires have a damn good reason for what they are doing, they are just being too brutal...
The vamps were the original guardians of the sun and they did their jobs until it was stolen from them. Everything they have done since has been to get it back. In their quest they have repeatedly turned to questionable methods due to traditional methods not working, and have now become a cruel group that may have even strayed from their original purpose (but we don't actually know that yet).
Ehhhhh...
The Legion are the original caretakers of the sun as far as we are aware (we still don't know how they first got it), and I wouldn't say that they didn't abuse the sun whilst it was in their care either. Note the following quote from the Planeswalker's Guide part 2:
"Though the Immortal Sun became an object of religious reverence, its presence gave the local monarch a disproportionate amount of influence in regional matters."
They seem to have not actually used the sun, but it certainly appears as if they threatened to do so unless their neighbors fell in line. That certainly falls into the category of abuse to me. And had the winged beast not acted when it did, Pedron the Wicked could have just as easily induced a catastrophe as well.
Maybe we'll get those things in rivals. I always thought that they were leading this way once they seeded the vampiric "legend" of the stolen sun. The vampires were monstrous invaders and the sun empire warrior poets, and that painted a good vs evil picture that the creative team had already denied (saying essentially that it was 4 roughly morally equal groups racing for the sun).
So now we learn that the vampires have a damn good reason for what they are doing, they are just being too brutal. And we learn that the Sun Empire is at least as problematic, certainly not a positive force in the world.
The vamps were the original guardians of the sun and they did their jobs until it was stolen from them. Everything they have done since has been to get it back. In their quest they have repeatedly turned to questionable methods due to traditional methods not working, and have now become a cruel group that may have even strayed from their original purpose (but we don't actually know that yet).
The Sun Empire have screwed every other group. They are the only ones who have ever abused the Immortal Sun, leading to catastrophe. They screwed over the River Heralds, their allies at the time, because they were every bit as expansionist as the Legion of Dusk is now. They had an opportunity to freely and peacefully trade with the pirates, and decided to turn them away to go die on the ocean instead. We don't yet know if they stole the Immortal Sun or were merely given the sun to be the new guardians, but they certainly benefited from it having been stolen from the proto Legion and abused its power right away, eventually causing a mini apocalypse.
Everything is shades of grey here, even the Heralds as they aren't a unified group and that one guy is a dbag.
I dunno, just because vampires believe they are doing the right thing doesn't mean that they are. They are still murderers and parasites by nature, even if they gussy it up in religion and ceremony.
No arguments about the Sun Empire screwing everyone else (except the vamps), but it seems that this is more the result of hubris rather than actual malice. They just think that their society is supreme and that they don't need to cooperate with any outsiders.
The pirates are indeed thieves, but they generally just favor freedom over everything else, by and large, and don't want to impinge on anyone else's freedom (aside from, you know, stealing their stuff). Even though they are Grixis aligned, I would imagine that they are centered in red, for the most part.
The merfolk are the least morally ambiguous among the factions. True, Kumena is a total jerkwad, but it's pretty clear that his viewpoint is in the minority among them. They don't have expansionist ambitions and simply want to exist in harmony with nature.
So now we learn that the vampires have a damn good reason for what they are doing, they are just being too brutal...
The vamps were the original guardians of the sun and they did their jobs until it was stolen from them. Everything they have done since has been to get it back. In their quest they have repeatedly turned to questionable methods due to traditional methods not working, and have now become a cruel group that may have even strayed from their original purpose (but we don't actually know that yet).
Ehhhhh...
The Legion are the original caretakers of the sun as far as we are aware (we still don't know how they first got it), and I wouldn't say that they didn't abuse the sun whilst it was in their care either. Note the following quote from the Planeswalker's Guide part 2:
"Though the Immortal Sun became an object of religious reverence, its presence gave the local monarch a disproportionate amount of influence in regional matters."
They seem to have not actually used the sun, but it certainly appears as if they threatened to do so unless their neighbors fell in line. That certainly falls into the category of abuse to me. And had the winged beast not acted when it did, Pedron the Wicked could have just as easily induced a catastrophe as well.
I took that line more as that the state where it was located became more important simply because it was the location of the center of the faith. You don't need magic for that to happen, and there have been many real world parallels. Saudi Arabia is able to milk a lot of influence from the fact that it controls Mecca and Medina, for instance, and the Kingdom of Jerusalem punched far above its weight diplomatically solely because it controlled the city of Jerusalem.
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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!
Maybe we'll get those things in rivals. I always thought that they were leading this way once they seeded the vampiric "legend" of the stolen sun. The vampires were monstrous invaders and the sun empire warrior poets, and that painted a good vs evil picture that the creative team had already denied (saying essentially that it was 4 roughly morally equal groups racing for the sun).
So now we learn that the vampires have a damn good reason for what they are doing, they are just being too brutal. And we learn that the Sun Empire is at least as problematic, certainly not a positive force in the world.
The vamps were the original guardians of the sun and they did their jobs until it was stolen from them. Everything they have done since has been to get it back. In their quest they have repeatedly turned to questionable methods due to traditional methods not working, and have now become a cruel group that may have even strayed from their original purpose (but we don't actually know that yet).
The Sun Empire have screwed every other group. They are the only ones who have ever abused the Immortal Sun, leading to catastrophe. They screwed over the River Heralds, their allies at the time, because they were every bit as expansionist as the Legion of Dusk is now. They had an opportunity to freely and peacefully trade with the pirates, and decided to turn them away to go die on the ocean instead. We don't yet know if they stole the Immortal Sun or were merely given the sun to be the new guardians, but they certainly benefited from it having been stolen from the proto Legion and abused its power right away, eventually causing a mini apocalypse.
Everything is shades of grey here, even the Heralds as they aren't a unified group and that one guy is a dbag.
I dunno, just because vampires believe they are doing the right thing doesn't mean that they are. They are still murderers and parasites by nature, even if they gussy it up in religion and ceremony.
No arguments about the Sun Empire screwing everyone else (except the vamps), but it seems that this is more the result of hubris rather than actual malice. They just think that their society is supreme and that they don't need to cooperate with any outsiders.
The pirates are indeed thieves, but they generally just favor freedom over everything else, by and large, and don't want to impinge on anyone else's freedom (aside from, you know, stealing their stuff). Even though they are Grixis aligned, I would imagine that they are centered in red, for the most part.
The merfolk are the least morally ambiguous among the factions. True, Kumena is a total jerkwad, but it's pretty clear that his viewpoint is in the minority among them. They don't have expansionist ambitions and simply want to exist in harmony with nature.
I think the vamps have gone off course since Elendra left the second time (today's guide confirms that their belief that the Immortal Sun granting immortality did not arise until a good deal of time after the nobility became vampires). I see the Legion as a group that started with noble intent and that has slowly but inexorably strayed into evil by the methods they resorted to in order to achieve their objective. They were in the right originally, but it is no longer clear if they still are, as it is not yet clear how much the idea of the sun granting immortality has taken over (has it completely replaced their original goal, or even just become so important that even as a side goal it would drive them to abuse the sun? Is Elendra still true to her original goal, and if so would her reappearance be enough to bring the Legion back to its original purpose? Could the sun be used to grant immortality safely, and if so would the Legion then return to being its guardians?). Too many questions yet, we only know that they began in the right, that they have resorted to dark and cruel methods to achieve this goal, and that they have slipped at least somewhat, and probably significantly, in their understanding of their goal.
For as easy as it is to see how the vampires are cruel and brutal, I'm surprised it isn't so easy to see the Sun Empire the same way. They are an expansionist power that feeds people to dinosaurs and harm every other culture they come across. They were stopped originally by the damage caused by the Immortal Sun, and have been rebuilding. Unlike the Legion, they have had an uneven moral path, sometimes being mostly peaceful and creative, sometimes bloody conquerors and destructive. Like the Legion, their brutality is decorated with ritual, worship, culture, and art. Like the Legion, they consider themselves superior. The Legion augments its human forces with monsters, the vampires. The Sun Empire augments its human forces with monsters, their dinosaurs. Both sets of monsters are barely controlled and regularly eat people.
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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!
The way she's depicted in this planeswalker guide, Admiral Brass comes across as the biggest Mary Sue they've created in a long time.
Take the swordfighting tidbit, for instance. With intelligence, leadership qualities and skill in enchantment magic, Brass already had more than enough competencies to plausibly become a fleet admiral. But apparently that wasn't enough for WotC--they also had to make her a swordfighter of formidable reputation, for some reason. I understand them wanting to invoke the feeling of a "pirate of legend" like Blackbeard or Long John Silver, but making someone highly skilled in ALL relevant piratey and leadership proficiencies is a terrible way to do that.
Thing is her magic is the only thing that isn't required to be a great captain. If she isn't intelligent she wont last. If she doesn't have leadership abilities she wont inspire people to follow her. If she cant fight she probably won't earn any sort of reputation to become a captain. The magic is just gravy to push her into the legend category. I think, for a character of her quality they did just fine making her. I'm interested to know how people compete for spots in her crew.
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[Primer] Krenko | Azor | Kess | Zacama | Kumena | Sram | The Ur-Dragon | Edgar Markov | Daretti | Marath
Sorry, that first part wasn't meant as a response towards you but more of a general response to the discussion. Also, remember that although she already accomplished much he withheld her the title multiple times, knowing fully well how much it means to her and using it to exploit her. At least that's how it came across for me.
My guess is that he's just the set's Rishkar. IE: not represented outside the cards at all. They probably just made him legendary so you couldn't chain multiple copies into eachother for two mana each.
No I am angry that for some dumb reason the super powerful Telepath who can alter perceptions of sight and sound can't manage to trick a Dinosaurs nose, it was acceptable on Innistrad cause they were rage-beasts who didn't have much of a mind to really screw with, but Jace should at least be able to flip the "Flight" part of the fight and flight instinct, I am angry that yes Jace has killed people with his telepathy and now doesn't because the plot demands him not to so that Hualti can play The DinoWhisperer.
Look at the way she is written compared to the Vampires, the closest thing we have gotten to an non abjectly evil vampire point of view was the Religious Zealot who was in the middle of a Psychotic Blood-Frenzy when we met them.
Dragons of Legend, Lead by Scion of the UR-Dragon
The Gitrog Monster
Gonti, Lord of Luxury
Shogun Saskia
Hive World
Atraxa hates fun
Abzan
...so your upset over something you think is going to happen or did I miss something in the stories?
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Dragons of Legend, Lead by Scion of the UR-Dragon
The Gitrog Monster
Gonti, Lord of Luxury
Shogun Saskia
Hive World
Atraxa hates fun
Abzan
Vraska: Oh btw Jace you can destroy people's minds and leave them an empty husk.
Jace: AWESOME, I'M GONNA DO THIS TO THE NEXT BREATHING THING I SEE!
Who in their right mind would do that?
Like I said before, Jace has empathy. He does NOT like destroying minds. Every time he did it was a last resort. Alhammaret, Tezzeret, a pack of freaking werewolves that would rip him to shreds. It was do or die. Just because he doesnt remember who he is doesnt mean his character traits are not there. He has any number of options to deal with people without killing them and for some reason you complain that he doesnt leave them brain dead on the spot. He is neither Bolas nor Ashiok.
You are too quick to present your baseless speculation as facts. We dont know anything about how things are going to go. Just because Huatli summons dinos doesnt mean she is strong enough to control the elder one. Kiora's whole thing is summoning krakens and she got rejected by Arixmethes.
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I don't understand this sentiment at all. In a narrative, not every character can be the day-saving hero. Not every location can be the big arena and not every chapter can be the huge relevation. Different parts serve different purposes. Personally I don't even see how it would make Ixalan any more of a backdrop than Kaladesh or Amonkhet. It has its own story (race for the immortal sun). Having a connection to another story arc doesn't make it background noise.
I think, to some extent, some folks want the story to go back to when practically every introduced plane had its own self-contained story (if it had a story, that is).
As I believe I am the one who originally brought up this theory, I feel an obligation to make sure it isn't taken too far. I originally brought it up because we didn't know Huatli's reasons for refusing to kill, whether it was a moral position or a way of demonstrating superior prowess. It may be the case that she believes killing is wrong and is a hypocrite. Or it may not be. AFAIK, we still don't have the information to tell us.
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So does Ixalan. The race for the big price is a story in itself. I mean, one could argue Lorwyn was even more of a backdrop, because it's entire story was an echo of the mending.
Really, stories have been connected ever since, and stories always had variable amounts of stakes. That is nothing new. Except now the connections are more obvious because we don't have to wait five years for a plotpoint from before to be picked up again.
I think it was confirmed recently. Either on someone's twitter or in last week's article. Basically the knights (a high rank amongst the military) don't kill themselves. Kind of like a special martial art, they kill through dinosaur, without getting their hand dirty. (literal dirty, not guilt dirty). It's a cultural thing, not a moral thing.
No, I'm actually against doing self-contained stories without any further connections. The thing I liked about the faster pace WAS that we didn't have to wait so long for the next plot point. There is a difference however between Kaladesh and Amonkhet being part of the larger Bolas-related story and Ixalan now. Both of these connections were clear AND part of the plane-contained story: The Planar Bridge was part of the reason Tezzeret took control of the inventions at the fair, leading to the revolution. I don't think I need to explain Amonkhet. Both worlds were the pure focus of their respective storylines, even when they were integrated into a larger one. But Azor suddenly being the focus of Ixalan (and yes, he would definitely become the focus, since they would have to explain his whole non-foreshadowed connection to the plane, his character AND his goals which would take quite some time)? Without any background or logical connection (meaning story connection, I know of the aesthetical connections)? That just rubs me the wrong way. Ugin I would get, we know that he had goals beyond Tarkir (and that he worked with other planeswalkers). He also fits the aesthetic of Ixalan itself, being a kind of "feathered snake". I don't know, I might be wrong, but as I said, Azor doesn't feel right for me. I could be wrong of course.
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Cool, thanks. I stand quite happily corrected.
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Part 2 of the planeswalkers guide is out. It ties down the order of event of the Immortal Sun on the Vampires end.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
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So now we learn that the vampires have a damn good reason for what they are doing, they are just being too brutal. And we learn that the Sun Empire is at least as problematic, certainly not a positive force in the world.
The vamps were the original guardians of the sun and they did their jobs until it was stolen from them. Everything they have done since has been to get it back. In their quest they have repeatedly turned to questionable methods due to traditional methods not working, and have now become a cruel group that may have even strayed from their original purpose (but we don't actually know that yet).
The Sun Empire have screwed every other group. They are the only ones who have ever abused the Immortal Sun, leading to catastrophe. They screwed over the River Heralds, their allies at the time, because they were every bit as expansionist as the Legion of Dusk is now. They had an opportunity to freely and peacefully trade with the pirates, and decided to turn them away to go die on the ocean instead. We don't yet know if they stole the Immortal Sun or were merely given the sun to be the new guardians, but they certainly benefited from it having been stolen from the proto Legion and abused its power right away, eventually causing a mini apocalypse.
Everything is shades of grey here, even the Heralds as they aren't a unified group and that one guy is a dbag.
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!
Ehhhhh...
The Legion are the original caretakers of the sun as far as we are aware (we still don't know how they first got it), and I wouldn't say that they didn't abuse the sun whilst it was in their care either. Note the following quote from the Planeswalker's Guide part 2:
"Though the Immortal Sun became an object of religious reverence, its presence gave the local monarch a disproportionate amount of influence in regional matters."
They seem to have not actually used the sun, but it certainly appears as if they threatened to do so unless their neighbors fell in line. That certainly falls into the category of abuse to me. And had the winged beast not acted when it did, Pedron the Wicked could have just as easily induced a catastrophe as well.
I dunno, just because vampires believe they are doing the right thing doesn't mean that they are. They are still murderers and parasites by nature, even if they gussy it up in religion and ceremony.
No arguments about the Sun Empire screwing everyone else (except the vamps), but it seems that this is more the result of hubris rather than actual malice. They just think that their society is supreme and that they don't need to cooperate with any outsiders.
The pirates are indeed thieves, but they generally just favor freedom over everything else, by and large, and don't want to impinge on anyone else's freedom (aside from, you know, stealing their stuff). Even though they are Grixis aligned, I would imagine that they are centered in red, for the most part.
The merfolk are the least morally ambiguous among the factions. True, Kumena is a total jerkwad, but it's pretty clear that his viewpoint is in the minority among them. They don't have expansionist ambitions and simply want to exist in harmony with nature.
I took that line more as that the state where it was located became more important simply because it was the location of the center of the faith. You don't need magic for that to happen, and there have been many real world parallels. Saudi Arabia is able to milk a lot of influence from the fact that it controls Mecca and Medina, for instance, and the Kingdom of Jerusalem punched far above its weight diplomatically solely because it controlled the city of Jerusalem.
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!
I think the vamps have gone off course since Elendra left the second time (today's guide confirms that their belief that the Immortal Sun granting immortality did not arise until a good deal of time after the nobility became vampires). I see the Legion as a group that started with noble intent and that has slowly but inexorably strayed into evil by the methods they resorted to in order to achieve their objective. They were in the right originally, but it is no longer clear if they still are, as it is not yet clear how much the idea of the sun granting immortality has taken over (has it completely replaced their original goal, or even just become so important that even as a side goal it would drive them to abuse the sun? Is Elendra still true to her original goal, and if so would her reappearance be enough to bring the Legion back to its original purpose? Could the sun be used to grant immortality safely, and if so would the Legion then return to being its guardians?). Too many questions yet, we only know that they began in the right, that they have resorted to dark and cruel methods to achieve this goal, and that they have slipped at least somewhat, and probably significantly, in their understanding of their goal.
For as easy as it is to see how the vampires are cruel and brutal, I'm surprised it isn't so easy to see the Sun Empire the same way. They are an expansionist power that feeds people to dinosaurs and harm every other culture they come across. They were stopped originally by the damage caused by the Immortal Sun, and have been rebuilding. Unlike the Legion, they have had an uneven moral path, sometimes being mostly peaceful and creative, sometimes bloody conquerors and destructive. Like the Legion, their brutality is decorated with ritual, worship, culture, and art. Like the Legion, they consider themselves superior. The Legion augments its human forces with monsters, the vampires. The Sun Empire augments its human forces with monsters, their dinosaurs. Both sets of monsters are barely controlled and regularly eat people.
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!
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Thing is her magic is the only thing that isn't required to be a great captain. If she isn't intelligent she wont last. If she doesn't have leadership abilities she wont inspire people to follow her. If she cant fight she probably won't earn any sort of reputation to become a captain. The magic is just gravy to push her into the legend category. I think, for a character of her quality they did just fine making her. I'm interested to know how people compete for spots in her crew.
The Ixalan stories (specially the one about the vamps) made me believe that at least some of the vampires thought she was alive.
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