Who else do we think is gonna show up on Ixalan? Vraska and Jace are a lock, as is the native boros walker. That leaves two (or maybe one) for Rivals. Creative has said they are looking to start reusing more of the already established cast in their sets and that the gatewatch will show up with less frequency on cards.
I think Domri or Kiora would be a good fit here. Ajani is another possibility given that he was on those boosters that where on a survey but I thought he was going around gathering allies and then head to dominaria. Jace landing on the one plane Ajani just so happens to be and vice versa is a big stretch.
Who else do we think is gonna show up on Ixalan? Vraska and Jace are a lock, as is the native boros walker. That leaves two (or maybe one) for Rivals. Creative has said they are looking to start reusing more of the already established cast in their sets and that the gatewatch will show up with less frequency on cards.
I think Domri or Kiora would be a good fit here. Ajani is another possibility given that he was on those boosters that where on a survey but I thought he was going around gathering allies and then head to dominaria. Jace landing on the one plane Ajani just so happens to be and vice versa is a big stretch.
Looking at standard and block balancing of walkers in colors;
Meaning for balance reasons a BR walker would work best, or at least a walker with B or R. If no Ajani then any combo of WBR between two walkers would work.
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"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
All we know about Bolas and Vraska's interactions is that Bolas gave her a compass. It is entirely possible that she is a fully-coopted agent like so many others. Or he could be using her with a more hands-off approach - for all we know, as far as she's concerned, Bolas is "that guy that gave me the compass."
Yeah, she might not be an agent of Bolas anymore than Chandra was when she went after the Dragon Scroll.
Edit: What I find more likely is that Ixalan has special metaphysical properties as a plane, like how Shandalar moves through the multiverse on its own. Maybe it's some sort of black hole that attracts metaphysical objects in the vicinity but doesn't let them go, so planeswalkers would be trapped on the world. (Just as an example, there could be other reasons why Ixalan appears as a "void" on Ral's monitoring devices.)
Ixalan has a native planeswalker, so if it was a "black hole" of sorts that traps walkers, I'd wonder how Miss Boros Planeswalker's ascension went about.
I dunno, it was just from the top off my head, mostly because I had an idea for a similar plane that worked as a sort of one-way destination for a project of mine.
I have been thinking about that as well and had an idea as I was watching the Black Panther trailer. My theory is this: From what we know the story of ixalan will have to do with finding a mythical lost city (think El Dorado). What if the plane itself is the multiverse's El Dorado? Something about it makes it hidden from magical means of detection like the Lightning Bug and possibly the Planar Portal. Not an actual void but a cloaking device. What if the only way to get to Ixalan is by accident or if you know how to find it, with a map or a guide? Pure speculation of course.
I dunno, in his conversation with Jace, Ral made it a point that Vraska didn't just planeswalk to an unknown plane, but that she really just vanished. I honestly expect more from this mystery than a hidden plane. I mean, if she planeswalked to a hidden plane, wouldn't she still leave a trail in the blind eternities?
Wait, I have it. She simply vanished because she planeswalked outside the multiverse. She ended up in Unstable!
I have been thinking about that as well and had an idea as I was watching the Black Panther trailer. My theory is this: From what we know the story of ixalan will have to do with finding a mythical lost city (think El Dorado). What if the plane itself is the multiverse's El Dorado? Something about it makes it hidden from magical means of detection like the Lightning Bug and possibly the Planar Portal. Not an actual void but a cloaking device. What if the only way to get to Ixalan is by accident or if you know how to find it, with a map or a guide? Pure speculation of course.
I dunno, in his conversation with Jace, Ral made it a point that Vraska didn't just planeswalk to an unknown plane, but that she really just vanished. I honestly expect more from this mystery than a hidden plane. I mean, if she planeswalked to a hidden plane, wouldn't she still leave a trail in the blind eternities?
The description of what happened matches a cloaked plane rather perfectly. In This Very Arena
Ral gave an impatient flick of his hand. "The experiment performed perfectly. The pattern of the departure was authentic, but the endpoint recorded as anomalous. Vraska hasn't been seen since. It's like she planeswalked into a void."
Jace saw the electrostatic pattern in Ral's mind, the recorded planeswalk that faded into a distinct patch of nowhere. He felt how much this troubled Ral. No other finding in his experiment had shown this pattern.
Bolded part for emphasis. These seem to lend plenty of weight to idea of a sort of 'you can't see this' area as opposed to an actual void.
Interesting quoted part is that Ral was troubled quite a lot... and maybe that's because he's worried NB will find the sensor he's building for him below par?
Or perhaps that Vraska has found a way to evade the sensor and thus tabs cannot be kept on her by NB?
Jace landing on the one plane Ajani just so happens to be and vice versa is a big stretch.
I think its already a stretch that Jace randomly went to the plane his current rival Vraska just happened to be on. The multiverse seems pretty small with all these pws bumping into each other.
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Jace landing on the one plane Ajani just so happens to be and vice versa is a big stretch.
I think its already a stretch that Jace randomly went to the plane his current rival Vraska just happened to be on. The multiverse seems pretty small with all these pws bumping into each other.
Unless their moves are being orchestrated by Bolas, who supposedly created the GW.
Jace landing on the one plane Ajani just so happens to be and vice versa is a big stretch.
I think its already a stretch that Jace randomly went to the plane his current rival Vraska just happened to be on. The multiverse seems pretty small with all these pws bumping into each other.
Making your universe/multiverse/whateververse smaller is a risk you take when you try to connect the different plot threads in that verse together to form a coherent overarching plot.
Making your universe/multiverse/whateververse smaller is a risk you take when you try to shift your focus away from planes and towards individual characters.
Fixed that for you.
Like, come on, you can still tell a coherent overarching plot without having to follow the same five people every set.
Making your universe/multiverse/whateververse smaller is a risk you take when you try to shift your focus away from planes and towards individual characters.
Fixed that for you.
Like, come on, you can still tell a coherent overarching plot without having to follow the same five people every set.
That's why they are making the Gatewatch far less visable, though they are the main protagonist
Making your universe/multiverse/whateververse smaller is a risk you take when you try to shift your focus away from planes and towards individual characters.
Fixed that for you.
Like, come on, you can still tell a coherent overarching plot without having to follow the same five people every set.
Except that the person I replied to was talking about Ajani, Jace and Vraska bumping into each other on Ixalan, which contributes to the "feeling small" issue.
Making your universe/multiverse/whateververse smaller is a risk you take when you try to shift your focus away from planes and towards individual characters.
Fixed that for you.
Like, come on, you can still tell a coherent overarching plot without having to follow the same five people every set.
Except that the person I replied to was talking about Ajani, Jace and Vraska bumping into each other on Ixalan, which contributes to the "feeling small" issue.
Yes but that's merely a symptom. Vraska, Jace and Ajani wouldn't have to meet on Ixalan if the events on ixalan were the important bit rather than the planeswalker's whacky escapades.
An excellent example of how to write a coherent storyline without having to focus on planeswalkers is how Tarkir was tied into Battle for Zendikar. It was one single unbroken storyline what with Ugin awakening etc. Instead of always using a single planeswalker to tie one block to the next (kind of like a moving camera that changes focus when two planeswalkers cross paths) they cranked it up to 11 and put the planes somewhere in the background.
It's been pretty obvious that planes are just a new outfit that Planeswalkers wear that day rather than being actual worlds. And plane overlords are stepping stones. Two Eldrazi titans are pushovers but Ob Nixilis and Bolas (though the latter could be justified) give the GW its losses, because Planeswalkers. I've heard surprising complaints from people about how Magic Story is too "Planeswalker Centric" now and not interesting. That's what you get when your cast is nothing but Mary Sues. How about actually work for something and develop?
Best solution is to de-power PWs in writing.
I'll reserve Ixalan judgment until we discover just how Ajani makes it there. Aether trails or whatever could be a thing.
That's what you get when your cast is nothing but Mary Sues. How about actually work for something and develop?
You people really need to lean what Mary Sue means (look up deus ex machina while your at it) so you can learn to use it right.
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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"
That's what you get when your cast is nothing but Mary Sues. How about actually work for something and develop?
You people really need to lean what Mary Sue means (look up deus ex machina while your at it) so you can learn to use it right.
Be helpful like Flisch and fix my post then babes.
Nah, I already have a full time job learn how to fish for yourself.
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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"
That's what you get when your cast is nothing but Mary Sues. How about actually work for something and develop?
You people really need to lean what Mary Sue means (look up deus ex machina while your at it) so you can learn to use it right.
Be helpful like Flisch and fix my post then babes.
Nah, I already have a full time job learn how to fish for yourself.
You have time enough to critique though
Hey its my job, (film and theatre critic,) gotta keep in practice.
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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"
Making your universe/multiverse/whateververse smaller is a risk you take when you try to shift your focus away from planes and towards individual characters.
Fixed that for you.
Like, come on, you can still tell a coherent overarching plot without having to follow the same five people every set.
Except that the person I replied to was talking about Ajani, Jace and Vraska bumping into each other on Ixalan, which contributes to the "feeling small" issue.
Yes but that's merely a symptom. Vraska, Jace and Ajani wouldn't have to meet on Ixalan if the events on ixalan were the important bit rather than the planeswalker's whacky escapades.
An excellent example of how to write a coherent storyline without having to focus on planeswalkers is how Tarkir was tied into Battle for Zendikar. It was one single unbroken storyline what with Ugin awakening etc. Instead of always using a single planeswalker to tie one block to the next (kind of like a moving camera that changes focus when two planeswalkers cross paths) they cranked it up to 11 and put the planes somewhere in the background.
I see what you mean.
To their credit though, they tried to shift that balance to the other end with Hour of Devastation. The stories there took a lot of the focus off the Gatewatch after the Razaketh fight, and didn't shift the focus back on them until the very last episode.
It's been pretty obvious that planes are just a new outfit that Planeswalkers wear that day rather than being actual worlds. And plane overlords are stepping stones. Two Eldrazi titans are pushovers but Ob Nixilis and Bolas (though the latter could be justified) give the GW its losses, because Planeswalkers. I've heard surprising complaints from people about how Magic Story is too "Planeswalker Centric" now and not interesting. That's what you get when your cast is nothing but Mary Sues. How about actually work for something and develop?
Best solution is to de-power PWs in writing.
I'll reserve Ixalan judgment until we discover just how Ajani makes it there. Aether trails or whatever could be a thing.
Possibly the same way he found Elspeth on Theros (no idea if that was explained or not, I havent read Godsend).
I think the creative has been taking some large steps to ensure that planeswalkers are challenged more and more these days. I never got the feeling that Kozilek and Ulamog were pushovers but the whole zendikar thing is a sore wound for many. Still though. Kiora got owned by Thassa. Gideon had his sandals handed to him by Djeru. Baral would have killed Chandra had it not been for Nissa. Liliana would have ended up as breakfast for a sandwurm if not for the Chain Veil. Jace was practically useless during the entire amonkhet storyline and during Kaladesh (with the exception of the skyship fight). Had it not been for the one person who had the power to unmake Avacyn doing just that, both Jace and Tamiyo would be dead. Progress is being made.
The Eldrazi weren't push overs. Had it not been for the work of Ugin and his lot the gatewatch wouldn't have stood the tiny chance they did. The problem is that written media isn't very good for displaying the fight against them. Chandra couldn't walk for some period of time after casting that fireball. Tiro/Jenrik your disdain for the way the story is being told severely biases everything you say and makes you come off as whiny rather than constructive. Yes there were tons of problems with the BFZ storyline but every time you mention one you blow it WAAAAYYYYY out of proportion. There are plenty of people, myself included who are enjoying the story the way its being told. And WotC is actively and visibly making efforts to imporve at every opportunity.
I've said this what feels like a thousand times in this forum but here it is again; if you dont like the story that's being told go tell your own.
It's been pretty obvious that planes are just a new outfit that Planeswalkers wear that day rather than being actual worlds. And plane overlords are stepping stones. Two Eldrazi titans are pushovers but Ob Nixilis and Bolas (though the latter could be justified) give the GW its losses, because Planeswalkers. I've heard surprising complaints from people about how Magic Story is too "Planeswalker Centric" now and not interesting. That's what you get when your cast is nothing but Mary Sues. How about actually work for something and develop?
Best solution is to de-power PWs in writing.
I'll reserve Ixalan judgment until we discover just how Ajani makes it there. Aether trails or whatever could be a thing.
Possibly the same way he found Elspeth on Theros (no idea if that was explained or not, I havent read Godsend).
I think the creative has been taking some large steps to ensure that planeswalkers are challenged more and more these days. I never got the feeling that Kozilek and Ulamog were pushovers but the whole zendikar thing is a sore wound for many. Still though. Kiora got owned by Thassa. Gideon had his sandals handed to him by Djeru. Baral would have killed Chandra had it not been for Nissa. Liliana would have ended up as breakfast for a sandwurm if not for the Chain Veil. Jace was practically useless during the entire amonkhet storyline and during Kaladesh (with the exception of the skyship fight). Had it not been for the one person who had the power to unmake Avacyn doing just that, both Jace and Tamiyo would be dead. Progress is being made.
Fair enough. HOU was also a good balance I'll agree.
I think Domri or Kiora would be a good fit here. Ajani is another possibility given that he was on those boosters that where on a survey but I thought he was going around gathering allies and then head to dominaria. Jace landing on the one plane Ajani just so happens to be and vice versa is a big stretch.
UBarrin, Master WizardU
USticher GeralfU
UIxidor, Reality SculptorU
UWNoyan Dar, Roil ShaperUW
Looking at standard and block balancing of walkers in colors;
Ixalan block;
W-.5
U-1
B-.5
R-.5
G-.5
Kaladesh/Amonkhet/Ixalan;
W-2.5 (Gideon, Ajani, Dovin, New Boros)
U-3.25 (Jace, Nissa, Bolas, Saheeli, Dovin, Tezzeret)
B-2.25 (Liliana, Bolas, Tezzeret, Vraska)
R-2.75 (Chandra, Saheeli, Samut, Bolas, New Boros)
G-3 (Nissa, Nissa, Samut, Ajani, Vraska)
Personally I think we are going to see Ajani, since so far 6/8 leaked booster art is shown to be true, so it then balances out like this;
Ixalan block;
W-1
U-1
B-.5
R-.5
G-1
Kaladesh/Amonkhet/Ixalan;
W-3
U-3.25
B-2.25
R-2.75
G-3.5
Meaning for balance reasons a BR walker would work best, or at least a walker with B or R. If no Ajani then any combo of WBR between two walkers would work.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
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[Primer] Krenko | Azor | Kess | Zacama | Kumena | Sram | The Ur-Dragon | Edgar Markov | Daretti | Marath
I dunno, it was just from the top off my head, mostly because I had an idea for a similar plane that worked as a sort of one-way destination for a project of mine.
Still, it could be anything.
I dunno, in his conversation with Jace, Ral made it a point that Vraska didn't just planeswalk to an unknown plane, but that she really just vanished. I honestly expect more from this mystery than a hidden plane. I mean, if she planeswalked to a hidden plane, wouldn't she still leave a trail in the blind eternities?
Wait, I have it. She simply vanished because she planeswalked outside the multiverse. She ended up in Unstable!
TerribleBad at Magic since 1998.A Vorthos Guide to Magic Story | Twitter | Tumblr
[Primer] Krenko | Azor | Kess | Zacama | Kumena | Sram | The Ur-Dragon | Edgar Markov | Daretti | Marath
Bolded part for emphasis. These seem to lend plenty of weight to idea of a sort of 'you can't see this' area as opposed to an actual void.
Or perhaps that Vraska has found a way to evade the sensor and thus tabs cannot be kept on her by NB?
Either way...
I think its already a stretch that Jace randomly went to the plane his current rival Vraska just happened to be on. The multiverse seems pretty small with all these pws bumping into each other.
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|| 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 ||
Making your universe/multiverse/whateververse smaller is a risk you take when you try to connect the different plot threads in that verse together to form a coherent overarching plot.
Fixed that for you.
Like, come on, you can still tell a coherent overarching plot without having to follow the same five people every set.
That's why they are making the Gatewatch far less visable, though they are the main protagonist
Except that the person I replied to was talking about Ajani, Jace and Vraska bumping into each other on Ixalan, which contributes to the "feeling small" issue.
Yes but that's merely a symptom. Vraska, Jace and Ajani wouldn't have to meet on Ixalan if the events on ixalan were the important bit rather than the planeswalker's whacky escapades.
An excellent example of how to write a coherent storyline without having to focus on planeswalkers is how Tarkir was tied into Battle for Zendikar. It was one single unbroken storyline what with Ugin awakening etc. Instead of always using a single planeswalker to tie one block to the next (kind of like a moving camera that changes focus when two planeswalkers cross paths) they cranked it up to 11 and put the planes somewhere in the background.
Best solution is to de-power PWs in writing.
I'll reserve Ixalan judgment until we discover just how Ajani makes it there. Aether trails or whatever could be a thing.
|| 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 ||
You people really need to lean what Mary Sue means (look up deus ex machina while your at it) so you can learn to use it right.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
|| 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 ||
Nah, I already have a full time job learn how to fish for yourself.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
|| 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 ||
Hey its my job, (film and theatre critic,) gotta keep in practice.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
I see what you mean.
To their credit though, they tried to shift that balance to the other end with Hour of Devastation. The stories there took a lot of the focus off the Gatewatch after the Razaketh fight, and didn't shift the focus back on them until the very last episode.
Possibly the same way he found Elspeth on Theros (no idea if that was explained or not, I havent read Godsend).
I think the creative has been taking some large steps to ensure that planeswalkers are challenged more and more these days. I never got the feeling that Kozilek and Ulamog were pushovers but the whole zendikar thing is a sore wound for many. Still though. Kiora got owned by Thassa. Gideon had his sandals handed to him by Djeru. Baral would have killed Chandra had it not been for Nissa. Liliana would have ended up as breakfast for a sandwurm if not for the Chain Veil. Jace was practically useless during the entire amonkhet storyline and during Kaladesh (with the exception of the skyship fight). Had it not been for the one person who had the power to unmake Avacyn doing just that, both Jace and Tamiyo would be dead. Progress is being made.
UBarrin, Master WizardU
USticher GeralfU
UIxidor, Reality SculptorU
UWNoyan Dar, Roil ShaperUW
I've said this what feels like a thousand times in this forum but here it is again; if you dont like the story that's being told go tell your own.
|| 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 ||