No, I remember in the books that there were two guilds neutral to the law/chaos conflict. The Orzhov I know for a fact, it's wheres it was the Izzet, Simic or Dimir that I can't remember being the other.
Being Lawful Evil =/= accepting "order" in a grander picture kind of way especially since everyone in the order team has idealistic designs; Orzhov exploits a situation, doesn't contribute to it. The Izzet would be a stretch for not being on the chaos side, but it could be argued that they had no interest in fighting and were on their own little world. And the Dimir and Simic are obvious.
The lawful alignment is diametrically opposed to the chaotic alignment. It corresponds to order. None of the guilds were neutral in the conflict, it was 5 vs 5. And the Orzhov definitely didn't just exploit the system, they helped maintain it. Their fake religion helps placate the masses, their advokists are integral to the legal system, their banks are the backbone of the economy. They are also a guild based on rigid hierarchy, contracts, obedience, and tradition. Most of their actions are bound by the law: their religious con is sanctioned by the guildpact as an official role for them, as is their usury. They employ assassins and kill people, but again with legal sanction, as they do so to enforce contracts and in self defense. Their whole schtick is based on them being incredibly reliant on the system, and invested in maintaining it because their schemes and their methods are based on the order of the status quo.
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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!
I think Law vs Chaos is overrated. Bolas is not especially chaotic sure he will cause it to get to his end goal but I think its clear he prefers orderly systems that he can control. He likes being Emperor.
Bolas doesn't care, he's a good example of a neutral evil character. He will use chaos or order whenever they benefit him. The chaos vs order thing applies in Ravnica because he will most likely need to shatter the Guildpact in order to accomplish his goals, as the Guildpact magically enforces Ravnica's social and political order and protects the plane. It would thwart any attempt by Bolas to take over Ravnica, drain its mana, or do much of anything. He could take over Ravnica with the Guildpact still intact, but that would require either taking over all the Guilds, becoming the living guildpact, or controlling the living guildpact. He seems to have attempted and failed at the first, which without destroying the guild pact would have still resulted in him being limited in how he could rule and what he could do even if he succeeded. Doing the second would have resulted in him being bound by the guildpact, and doing the third would have accomplished little as Jace would still be bound by the guildpact. Thus, he's left with shattering the guildpact, as evidenced by the coming conflict in set 3 and Nissa's vision. Given that he is choosing a course of action that would shatter the established order, chaotic guilds would generally be more amenable to the steps he would need to take to accomplish his plan than orderly guilds would be, as those steps would generally undermine or directly attack the existing order.
The Azorious actually reinforce this, as we know, confirmed, that Isperia was trying to unite the guilds against the unseen threat before she was murdered. The guild is following its inclination towards order and maintaining the system, and Bolas has Vraska murder Isperia to stop this and give him an opening to install a puppet. If the prevailing theory here is true, that the Orzhov side with Bolas after Kaya ghost murders the entire Ghost Council, then it will mean that the Orzhov as well would have been on team guildpact otherwise (as a side note, I'm expecting Teysa and Livinia to be leading their respective guild's resistances).
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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!
Does anyone have a quick synopsis of the third vision mentioned above? /\ I have zero recollection of it.
A large golden disc, shaped and stylized like a sun, descending from the sky. The sun disc approached a large circular stone tablet covered with strange sigils, and the two discs merged, becoming a single golden disc. Cracks appeared in the golden disc, small at first, then widening, growing. The disc crumbled away into nothingness.
Check out the Magic Storyline thread pinned at the top of this forum by Jay13x, its the best.
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Been a member here for over a dozen years. Playing since '95 just got lost in the twitch shuffle.
Just something I noticed after looking at the whole spoiler:
- zero saprolings in either Selesnya or Golgari. Even in ART. Probably has to do something with the Devkarin fall from power in Golgari. No idea about Selesnya.
- zero weirds in Izzet (probably has to do something with Ral taking over, because there is generally lack of elementalist magic in Izzet, but predominant lightning magic, that happens to be Ral Zarek's specialty).
On a positive note...after not being mentioned ever in the first RAV block, and having one flavor (Rites of Reaping) in RtR, the Devkarin elves are finally given a card with their name on it. (Devkarin Dissident). It is especially funny for us Czechs, because as the very originator of this word, the author of original RAV books, Cory Herndon himself confirmed, the root of the word - devka - was indeed chosen by him intentionally, for meaning...well... b*tch/wh*re, fitting with their partially black affiliation.
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100% Vorthos Spike and Storyline Expert
Former Fact Prospector of the Greek Alliance.
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
Just something I noticed after looking at the whole spoiler:
- zero saprolings in either Selesnya or Golgari. Even in ART. Probably has to do something with the Devkarin fall from power in Golgari. No idea about Selesnya.
- zero weirds in Izzet (probably has to do something with Ral taking over, because there is generally lack of elementalist magic in Izzet, but predominant lightning magic, that happens to be Ral Zarek's specialty).
On a positive note...after not being mentioned ever in the first RAV block, and having one flavor (Rites of Reaping) in RtR, the Devkarin elves are finally given a card with their name on it. (Devkarin Dissident). It is especially funny for us Czechs, because as the very originator of this word, the author of original RAV books, Cory Herndon himself confirmed, the root of the word - devka - was indeed chosen by him intentionally, for meaning...well... b*tch/wh*re, fitting with their partially black affiliation.
Well we are getting 3 Ravnica Blocks, we might see Saps and Weirds in the third set when the Guilds get their crap together and try to punt Bolas in the Gems of Becoming.
If I am not mistakenly recalling, MaRo said there was no space for EVERY recurring theme in Ravnica, so some were sacrificed to make space to a more simple but cohese guild identity. So weirds were left out because Izzet theme should have been "instant and sorceries". MaRo also added that Ral has no idiosyncracy towards Weirds, he loves them as any Izzet should...
If I am not mistakenly recalling, MaRo said there was no space for EVERY recurring theme in Ravnica, so some were sacrificed to make space to a more simple but cohese guild identity. So weirds were left out because Izzet theme should have been "instant and sorceries". MaRo also added that Ral has no idiosyncracy towards Weirds, he loves them as any Izzet should...
There's no reason those Izzet elementals couldn't have been weirds. Saprolings I can see as they try to keep token types down, and they pushed Selesnya more into playing lots of creature cards to go wide rather than making tokens to have better synergy with undergrowth for draft, but making the elementals weirds would have done nothing but add flavor. Elementals are a more mechanically relevant creature type, but only from lorwyn really, so unless we get elementals matter in the post Ravnica set it will be a waste.
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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!
There's no reason those Izzet elementals couldn't have been weirds. Saprolings I can see as they try to keep token types down, and they pushed Selesnya more into playing lots of creature cards to go wide rather than making tokens to have better synergy with undergrowth for draft, but making the elementals weirds would have done nothing but add flavor. Elementals are a more mechanically relevant creature type, but only from lorwyn really, so unless we get elementals matter in the post Ravnica set it will be a waste.
There are no elementals with Izzet watermarks and Weirds are supposed to be an Izzet-Only Tribe (edit: on Ravnica at least for now)
Next week and the author is going to be Nicky Drayden for both Guilds of Ravnica and Ravnica Allegiance.
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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 take issue with a number of basic points in this article.
-Szadek did not kill Razia during the Decamillenial. He killed her years afterward, and not even on Ravnica.
-Svogthir didn't really overthrow the Sisters of Stone Death. Savra did, with Svogthir as her wrecking ball.
-I have a hard time believing that Gorgons are the most downtrodden of Golgari. The Sisters of Stone Death ruled as tyrants for at least over a century (I don't have the book on hand to see exactly how long.) If they are downtrodden now, then this is a totally new development in the guild. Speaking of which, Ludmilla is still alive. Where is she?
-Szadek's plan on the decamillenial was not to take over the plane, but to destroy the Guildpact. And it's completely untrue that his plan "ultimately failed." He succeeded, and the books state as much. He allowed himself to be arrested, and his supposed "defeat" actually turned out to be part of the Dimir's plan all along. The characters in Dissension speculate out loud that even his execution might have been part of his larger designs, and it was always unclear who actually outwitted who in the end--Augustin or Szadek.
Are these retcons or simple incompetence or just oversimplification...its hard to tell with WOTC and the Lore.
I guess oversimplifications. They got most of this right in RtR, and this article was just simplifying certain events too much. The thing with Szadek's plan being to destroy the guildpact is that I can't really remember what his ultimate goal even was (aside from the aforementioned destruction of the magical guildpact itself). Can someone remind me what he wanted to accomplish in the end?
-I have a hard time believing that Gorgons are the most downtrodden of Golgari. The Sisters of Stone Death ruled as tyrants for at least over a century (I don't have the book on hand to see exactly how long.) If they are downtrodden now, then this is a totally new development in the guild. Speaking of which, Ludmilla is still alive. Where is she?.
Well the Sisters Of Stone Death hadn't been ruling the guild for the last 60+ years.
Also since Jarad is a Devkarin elf, makes sense the Devkarin became the more powerful group then the Teratogens and it seem like current day the Teratogens are the oppressed ones in reversal of what it was like with SoSD.
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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 gorgons are discriminated upon is a well established fact in both RTR and Ixalan. Not really delved much in the first trilogy, but it makes sense; members of marginalised groups have attained positions of power in systems discriminating against them so long as they do not challenge the status quo.
The thing with Szadek's plan being to destroy the guildpact is that I can't really remember what his ultimate goal even was (aside from the aforementioned destruction of the magical guildpact itself). Can someone remind me what he wanted to accomplish in the end?
It's hard to tell what his plan was as of DIssension, and his long-term goals might have involved taking over the plane, but if so that was never stated. His goal in the first Ravnica book--and the stated goal of the Dimir for 10000 years, was to destroy the Guildpact, which they did.
Dissension, while a fun read, was an utter cluster **** of a novel and frankly one of the weirdest Magic books ever written. Amidst ridiculous giant monster battles, it also muddied the waters on a number of continuity points, including what exactly Szadek's ghost was trying to achieve, and who ultimately was manipulating events, Szadek or Augustin. It was also implied heavily at the end that Szadek had won again and achieved something big he may or may not been planning all along. The Dissension novel ended with the hero (Kos) setting out to try and stop him.
And then after that, the main hero of the first Ravnica Block and the biggest archvillain on the plane for the last 10,000 years just drop out of the Ravnica storyline and disappear with Agyrem.
-I have a hard time believing that Gorgons are the most downtrodden of Golgari. The Sisters of Stone Death ruled as tyrants for at least over a century (I don't have the book on hand to see exactly how long.) If they are downtrodden now, then this is a totally new development in the guild. Speaking of which, Ludmilla is still alive. Where is she?.
Well the Sisters Of Stone Death hadn't been ruling the guild for the last 60+ years.
Also since Jarad is a Devkarin elf, makes sense the Devkarin became the more powerful group then the Teratogens and it seem like current day the Teratogens are the oppressed ones in reversal of what it was like with SoSD.
Okay, I can accept that explanation. Still, given their raw power, you'd think gorgons would be at the absolute top of the pecking order.
The thing with Szadek's plan being to destroy the guildpact is that I can't really remember what his ultimate goal even was (aside from the aforementioned destruction of the magical guildpact itself). Can someone remind me what he wanted to accomplish in the end?
It's hard to tell what his plan was as of DIssension, and his long-term goals might have involved taking over the plane, but if so that was never stated. His goal in the first Ravnica book--and the stated goal of the Dimir for 10000 years, was to destroy the Guildpact, which they did.
Dissension, while a fun read, was an utter cluster **** of a novel and frankly one of the weirdest Magic books ever written. Amidst ridiculous giant monster battles, it also muddied the waters on a number of continuity points, including what exactly Szadek's ghost was trying to achieve, and who ultimately was manipulating events, Szadek or Augustin. It was also implied heavily at the end that Szadek had won again and achieved something big he may or may not been planning all along. The Dissension novel ended with the hero (Kos) setting out to try and stop him.
And then after that, the main hero of the first Ravnica Block and the biggest archvillain on the plane for the last 10,000 years just drop out of the Ravnica storyline and disappear with Agyrem.
-I have a hard time believing that Gorgons are the most downtrodden of Golgari. The Sisters of Stone Death ruled as tyrants for at least over a century (I don't have the book on hand to see exactly how long.) If they are downtrodden now, then this is a totally new development in the guild. Speaking of which, Ludmilla is still alive. Where is she?.
Well the Sisters Of Stone Death hadn't been ruling the guild for the last 60+ years.
Also since Jarad is a Devkarin elf, makes sense the Devkarin became the more powerful group then the Teratogens and it seem like current day the Teratogens are the oppressed ones in reversal of what it was like with SoSD.
Okay, I can accept that explanation. Still, given their raw power, you'd think gorgons would be at the absolute top of the pecking order.
I think that, despite their individual power, there are very few gorgons so they simply loose out against the larger groups out of sheer numbers.
Okay, I can accept that explanation. Still, given their raw power, you'd think gorgons would be at the absolute top of the pecking order.
If I remember correctly from one of the earlier stories about Vraska, gorgons under Jarad's rule were feared by their fellow golgari due to their abilities, but also used as weapons when skirmishing with other guilds. Basically they had a lot of their own agency taken away because they were too useful, but also not really integrated into the society of the golgari due to how deadly they could be.
Vraska/Lazav/Niv
-Nothing more then what we already know
Ral
-It's stated that he noticed something terrible is about to happen on Ravnica and that he will do anything to protect it. This seems to further what Command the Storm already indicated, that Ral does not seem to be under control from anyone, as far as he is aware, which makes Bolas statement from Amonkhet even stranger.
Etrata
-She is not interested in what is going on right now on Ravnica, not even in the Dimir gaining power
-Her only interest seems to be, being the best spy in Ravnica
-She thinks of Lazav as the previous generation of the Dimir and longs for the day where his dossier shows up on her hit list
Izoni
-She is really just Jarad before he became a Lich, Devrakin Shaman with control over insects
-Interesting enough she relishes her position, whereas Vraskas bio states that the Devrakin have lost power
Tajic
-After he was arrested for his partnership with Teysa he was freed by Aurelia
-He now thinks that there is no peace to be gained between the guilds, as long as the guildmasters are uninterested in the rule of law
Aurelia
-Is now a bit less of a warmonger, she wants to bring the people justice, true justice not just the enforcement of law as the Azorius do it
-She wants a fair equitable relationship between all people on Ravnica
-It is indicated, that Gideon has left some kind of impression on her, which partly led to her change in philosophy
Emmara
-She believes they need a replacement for the living guildpact and that all guild leaders should meet to discuss a peace accord
Trostani
-Order and Life are in a disagreement
-Order wants a peace treaty with the other guilds
-Life wants to focus within the strengthen the guild for what is to come
-Harmony remains silent
Ral
-It's stated that he noticed something terrible is about to happen on Ravnica and that he will do anything to protect it. This seems to further what Command the Storm already indicated, that Ral does not seem to be under control from anyone, as far as he is aware, which makes Bolas statement from Amonkhet even stranger.
Very possible that Ral dosnt know Bolas full plans like Vraska. Bolas is gathering walkers on Ravnica it seems and its helpful that the guilds he's controlling have walkers who he could also trap on Ravnica.
Etrata
-She is not interested in what is going on right now on Ravnica, not even in the Dimir gaining power
-Her only interest seems to be, being the best spy in Ravnica
-She thinks of Lazav as the previous generation of the Dimir and longs for the day where his dossier shows up on her hit list
I like this, a Dimir agent who doesn't seem totally evil.
Tajic
-After he was arrested for his partnership with Teysa he was freed by Aurelia
-He now thinks that there is no peace to be gained between the guilds, as long as the guildmasters are uninterested in the rule of law
Aurelia
-Is now a bit less of a warmonger, she wants to bring the people justice, true justice not just the enforcement of law as the Azorius do it
-She wants a fair equitable relationship between all people on Ravnica
-It is indicated, that Gideon has left some kind of impression on her, which party led to her change in philosophy
Interesting to see how these characters have switch. Also I keep forgetting Gideon was with the Boros for a time.
Emmara
-She believes they need a replacement for the living guildpact and that all guild leaders should meet to discuss a peace accord
Cold but very true.
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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 like the direction they are taking the guilds in, making them less monolithic and with dissenting opinions among themselves.
Etrata is a good representation of how the "reformed" Dimir guild actually begins to work like in reality, whether Lazav (and possibly Szadeks spirit) still work towards ruling Ravnica or not. They provide "services" for the rest of society (espionage, information brokering, assassinations etc.), which might not be moral, but sometimes necessary. It paints Dimir in a way better light than its previous iteration and makes them much more interesting in my opinion.
Aurelia being less of a warmonger and trying to make Ravnica a better place even for the guildless is a good development in my opinion.
Tajic's new hostility towards the other guilds is also kind of justified considering that he and Teysa found out that the Obzedat had always kept a space in which the guildpact doesn't apply so that they wouldn't be bound to it. Probably made him think that the other guilds are also trying their best to undermine binding law and justice if possible.
Considering what we found out about Azor (and Jace's actions since becoming the Living Guildpact), Emmara is most definitely in the right. Azor's systems often considerably lack in foresight (which is probably why the whole "Szadek using the guildpact to break it"-debacle was even possible in the first place). Placing the extreme responsibility over a whole city-plane on a single being is pretty irresponsible in itself (and is obviously failing now that Jace has been absent for months). Teysa's non-magical guildpact most likely failed because no one was able or willing to enforce it, but it was the right idea. Too bad that Bolas can't let something like a peace accord between guilds happen...
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JundBGR
RW Blood MoonRW
Pauper
Delver U
Elves G
Control B
Commander
Edgar Markov BRW
Captain Sisay GW
Niv-Mizzet, Parun UR
Tymna and Ravos WB
The lawful alignment is diametrically opposed to the chaotic alignment. It corresponds to order. None of the guilds were neutral in the conflict, it was 5 vs 5. And the Orzhov definitely didn't just exploit the system, they helped maintain it. Their fake religion helps placate the masses, their advokists are integral to the legal system, their banks are the backbone of the economy. They are also a guild based on rigid hierarchy, contracts, obedience, and tradition. Most of their actions are bound by the law: their religious con is sanctioned by the guildpact as an official role for them, as is their usury. They employ assassins and kill people, but again with legal sanction, as they do so to enforce contracts and in self defense. Their whole schtick is based on them being incredibly reliant on the system, and invested in maintaining it because their schemes and their methods are based on the order of the status quo.
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!
Bolas doesn't care, he's a good example of a neutral evil character. He will use chaos or order whenever they benefit him. The chaos vs order thing applies in Ravnica because he will most likely need to shatter the Guildpact in order to accomplish his goals, as the Guildpact magically enforces Ravnica's social and political order and protects the plane. It would thwart any attempt by Bolas to take over Ravnica, drain its mana, or do much of anything. He could take over Ravnica with the Guildpact still intact, but that would require either taking over all the Guilds, becoming the living guildpact, or controlling the living guildpact. He seems to have attempted and failed at the first, which without destroying the guild pact would have still resulted in him being limited in how he could rule and what he could do even if he succeeded. Doing the second would have resulted in him being bound by the guildpact, and doing the third would have accomplished little as Jace would still be bound by the guildpact. Thus, he's left with shattering the guildpact, as evidenced by the coming conflict in set 3 and Nissa's vision. Given that he is choosing a course of action that would shatter the established order, chaotic guilds would generally be more amenable to the steps he would need to take to accomplish his plan than orderly guilds would be, as those steps would generally undermine or directly attack the existing order.
The Azorious actually reinforce this, as we know, confirmed, that Isperia was trying to unite the guilds against the unseen threat before she was murdered. The guild is following its inclination towards order and maintaining the system, and Bolas has Vraska murder Isperia to stop this and give him an opening to install a puppet. If the prevailing theory here is true, that the Orzhov side with Bolas after Kaya ghost murders the entire Ghost Council, then it will mean that the Orzhov as well would have been on team guildpact otherwise (as a side note, I'm expecting Teysa and Livinia to be leading their respective guild's resistances).
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!
A large golden disc, shaped and stylized like a sun, descending from the sky. The sun disc approached a large circular stone tablet covered with strange sigils, and the two discs merged, becoming a single golden disc. Cracks appeared in the golden disc, small at first, then widening, growing. The disc crumbled away into nothingness.
Check out the Magic Storyline thread pinned at the top of this forum by Jay13x, its the best.
- zero saprolings in either Selesnya or Golgari. Even in ART. Probably has to do something with the Devkarin fall from power in Golgari. No idea about Selesnya.
- zero weirds in Izzet (probably has to do something with Ral taking over, because there is generally lack of elementalist magic in Izzet, but predominant lightning magic, that happens to be Ral Zarek's specialty).
On a positive note...after not being mentioned ever in the first RAV block, and having one flavor (Rites of Reaping) in RtR, the Devkarin elves are finally given a card with their name on it. (Devkarin Dissident). It is especially funny for us Czechs, because as the very originator of this word, the author of original RAV books, Cory Herndon himself confirmed, the root of the word - devka - was indeed chosen by him intentionally, for meaning...well... b*tch/wh*re, fitting with their partially black affiliation.
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
Well we are getting 3 Ravnica Blocks, we might see Saps and Weirds in the third set when the Guilds get their crap together and try to punt Bolas in the Gems of Becoming.
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
There's no reason those Izzet elementals couldn't have been weirds. Saprolings I can see as they try to keep token types down, and they pushed Selesnya more into playing lots of creature cards to go wide rather than making tokens to have better synergy with undergrowth for draft, but making the elementals weirds would have done nothing but add flavor. Elementals are a more mechanically relevant creature type, but only from lorwyn really, so unless we get elementals matter in the post Ravnica set it will be a waste.
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!
There are no elementals with Izzet watermarks and Weirds are supposed to be an Izzet-Only Tribe (edit: on Ravnica at least for now)
JundBGR
RW Blood MoonRW
Pauper
Delver U
Elves G
Control B
Commander
Edgar Markov BRW
Captain Sisay GW
Niv-Mizzet, Parun UR
Tymna and Ravos WB
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/flavorful-guide-guilds-ravnica-2018-10-03
Next week and the author is going to be Nicky Drayden for both Guilds of Ravnica and Ravnica Allegiance.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
-Szadek did not kill Razia during the Decamillenial. He killed her years afterward, and not even on Ravnica.
-Svogthir didn't really overthrow the Sisters of Stone Death. Savra did, with Svogthir as her wrecking ball.
-I have a hard time believing that Gorgons are the most downtrodden of Golgari. The Sisters of Stone Death ruled as tyrants for at least over a century (I don't have the book on hand to see exactly how long.) If they are downtrodden now, then this is a totally new development in the guild. Speaking of which, Ludmilla is still alive. Where is she?
-Szadek's plan on the decamillenial was not to take over the plane, but to destroy the Guildpact. And it's completely untrue that his plan "ultimately failed." He succeeded, and the books state as much. He allowed himself to be arrested, and his supposed "defeat" actually turned out to be part of the Dimir's plan all along. The characters in Dissension speculate out loud that even his execution might have been part of his larger designs, and it was always unclear who actually outwitted who in the end--Augustin or Szadek.
I guess oversimplifications. They got most of this right in RtR, and this article was just simplifying certain events too much. The thing with Szadek's plan being to destroy the guildpact is that I can't really remember what his ultimate goal even was (aside from the aforementioned destruction of the magical guildpact itself). Can someone remind me what he wanted to accomplish in the end?
Well the Sisters Of Stone Death hadn't been ruling the guild for the last 60+ years.
Also since Jarad is a Devkarin elf, makes sense the Devkarin became the more powerful group then the Teratogens and it seem like current day the Teratogens are the oppressed ones in reversal of what it was like with SoSD.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
It's hard to tell what his plan was as of DIssension, and his long-term goals might have involved taking over the plane, but if so that was never stated. His goal in the first Ravnica book--and the stated goal of the Dimir for 10000 years, was to destroy the Guildpact, which they did.
Dissension, while a fun read, was an utter cluster **** of a novel and frankly one of the weirdest Magic books ever written. Amidst ridiculous giant monster battles, it also muddied the waters on a number of continuity points, including what exactly Szadek's ghost was trying to achieve, and who ultimately was manipulating events, Szadek or Augustin. It was also implied heavily at the end that Szadek had won again and achieved something big he may or may not been planning all along. The Dissension novel ended with the hero (Kos) setting out to try and stop him.
And then after that, the main hero of the first Ravnica Block and the biggest archvillain on the plane for the last 10,000 years just drop out of the Ravnica storyline and disappear with Agyrem.
Okay, I can accept that explanation. Still, given their raw power, you'd think gorgons would be at the absolute top of the pecking order.
I think that, despite their individual power, there are very few gorgons so they simply loose out against the larger groups out of sheer numbers.
If I remember correctly from one of the earlier stories about Vraska, gorgons under Jarad's rule were feared by their fellow golgari due to their abilities, but also used as weapons when skirmishing with other guilds. Basically they had a lot of their own agency taken away because they were too useful, but also not really integrated into the society of the golgari due to how deadly they could be.
Vraska/Lazav/Niv
-Nothing more then what we already know
Ral
-It's stated that he noticed something terrible is about to happen on Ravnica and that he will do anything to protect it. This seems to further what Command the Storm already indicated, that Ral does not seem to be under control from anyone, as far as he is aware, which makes Bolas statement from Amonkhet even stranger.
Etrata
-She is not interested in what is going on right now on Ravnica, not even in the Dimir gaining power
-Her only interest seems to be, being the best spy in Ravnica
-She thinks of Lazav as the previous generation of the Dimir and longs for the day where his dossier shows up on her hit list
Izoni
-She is really just Jarad before he became a Lich, Devrakin Shaman with control over insects
-Interesting enough she relishes her position, whereas Vraskas bio states that the Devrakin have lost power
Tajic
-After he was arrested for his partnership with Teysa he was freed by Aurelia
-He now thinks that there is no peace to be gained between the guilds, as long as the guildmasters are uninterested in the rule of law
Aurelia
-Is now a bit less of a warmonger, she wants to bring the people justice, true justice not just the enforcement of law as the Azorius do it
-She wants a fair equitable relationship between all people on Ravnica
-It is indicated, that Gideon has left some kind of impression on her, which partly led to her change in philosophy
Emmara
-She believes they need a replacement for the living guildpact and that all guild leaders should meet to discuss a peace accord
Trostani
-Order and Life are in a disagreement
-Order wants a peace treaty with the other guilds
-Life wants to focus within the strengthen the guild for what is to come
-Harmony remains silent
Thanks to DarkNightCavalier from Heroes of the Plane Studios for this sick Signature.
Very possible that Ral dosnt know Bolas full plans like Vraska. Bolas is gathering walkers on Ravnica it seems and its helpful that the guilds he's controlling have walkers who he could also trap on Ravnica.
I like this, a Dimir agent who doesn't seem totally evil.
Interesting to see how these characters have switch. Also I keep forgetting Gideon was with the Boros for a time.
Cold but very true.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Etrata is a good representation of how the "reformed" Dimir guild actually begins to work like in reality, whether Lazav (and possibly Szadeks spirit) still work towards ruling Ravnica or not. They provide "services" for the rest of society (espionage, information brokering, assassinations etc.), which might not be moral, but sometimes necessary. It paints Dimir in a way better light than its previous iteration and makes them much more interesting in my opinion.
Aurelia being less of a warmonger and trying to make Ravnica a better place even for the guildless is a good development in my opinion.
Tajic's new hostility towards the other guilds is also kind of justified considering that he and Teysa found out that the Obzedat had always kept a space in which the guildpact doesn't apply so that they wouldn't be bound to it. Probably made him think that the other guilds are also trying their best to undermine binding law and justice if possible.
Considering what we found out about Azor (and Jace's actions since becoming the Living Guildpact), Emmara is most definitely in the right. Azor's systems often considerably lack in foresight (which is probably why the whole "Szadek using the guildpact to break it"-debacle was even possible in the first place). Placing the extreme responsibility over a whole city-plane on a single being is pretty irresponsible in itself (and is obviously failing now that Jace has been absent for months). Teysa's non-magical guildpact most likely failed because no one was able or willing to enforce it, but it was the right idea. Too bad that Bolas can't let something like a peace accord between guilds happen...