I'm pretty excited for more enchantment support. I'd like to see an enchantment subtheme become more doable in cube, especially peasant cube. I think we could see a lot of cool stuff out of Theros, but it could also turn out a big disappointment.
I'm surprised to see Zendikar come back so soon after the unpopular BFZ block. I think it would be more popular of a decision if they waited a little longer. I think they would do well to realize that the reason the original Zendikar block was so popular had less to do with the setting and more to do with the fact that it was insanely powerful compared to most sets. If it has off-color fetches at rare again, it'll do well. The cards need to look like Plated Geopede instead of Makindi Sliderunner. It was the strength of the original set that everyone responded to.
Ikoria is a big fat unknown. People have been custom designing kaiju sets for a while, so it's a decent choice.
M21 is gonna be a core set. Even if it's a great core set, it's a known quantity. Being Teferi themed isn't really different that the last one being Chandra themed.
As I suggested, the single biggest indicator of a set's popularity is its power level, not worldbuilding. Not every set can be as powerful as original Zendikar was, or we just end up with power creep. From a worldbuilding perspective, I'm most interested in new Theros. Enchantments were always my favorite card type, ever since I met my old friend Pestilence. New Zendikar will always be compared with the original, and probably won't line up.
I'm surprised to see Zendikar come back so soon after the unpopular BFZ block. I think it would be more popular of a decision if they waited a little longer. I think they would do well to realize that the reason the original Zendikar block was so popular had less to do with the setting and more to do with the fact that it was insanely powerful compared to most sets. If it has off-color fetches at rare again, it'll do well. The cards need to look like Plated Geopede instead of Makindi Sliderunner. It was the strength of the original set that everyone responded to.
[...]
As I suggested, the single biggest indicator of a set's popularity is its power level, not worldbuilding. Not every set can be as powerful as original Zendikar was, or we just end up with power creep. From a worldbuilding perspective, I'm most interested in new Theros. Enchantments were always my favorite card type, ever since I met my old friend Pestilence. New Zendikar will always be compared with the original, and probably won't line up.
The inability to separate popularity of a setting from the popularity of its power level has been a weakness of Wizards for a while now, and somehow it keeps surprising them. "This block was a return and somehow it wasn't as popular?!?!"
THEN AGAIN, just look at announcements of new sets or speculation on returns to old settings, and within the first three replies, you find someone saying "Ew, I don't like a return to <setting> the cards were weak." / "Hell yeah, a return to <setting>, this will increase power levels in standard again, can't wait."
So maybe it's not a weakness from WotC's part, maybe they are just exploiting people's inability to, like, think.
Who is ignoring Theros? It’s my absolute priority in the game, to the point it overshadowed all products this year and all other products for every year to come until the third return to Theros for me
Who is ignoring Theros? It’s my absolute priority in the game, to the point it overshadowed all products this year and all other products for every year to come until the third return to Theros for me
I have to admire your dedication to the things you like. I don't really know the favorites of most of the regulars here, but I know well from being on these forums that you love Theros, Jace, and Ampryn Tactician.
Other than the obvious Elspeth line anything is possible and probably belongs in either speculation or baseless speculation.
Thats where I'm at. I've been guessing the hook is the Gatewatch will go to Theros to mourn Gideon and something will lead them to going into the underworld. Otherwise can't say much story or lore wise since we still got that second War of the Spark novel.
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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'm surprised to see Zendikar come back so soon after the unpopular BFZ block. I think it would be more popular of a decision if they waited a little longer. I think they would do well to realize that the reason the original Zendikar block was so popular had less to do with the setting and more to do with the fact that it was insanely powerful compared to most sets. If it has off-color fetches at rare again, it'll do well. The cards need to look like Plated Geopede instead of Makindi Sliderunner. It was the strength of the original set that everyone responded to.
[...]
As I suggested, the single biggest indicator of a set's popularity is its power level, not worldbuilding. Not every set can be as powerful as original Zendikar was, or we just end up with power creep. From a worldbuilding perspective, I'm most interested in new Theros. Enchantments were always my favorite card type, ever since I met my old friend Pestilence. New Zendikar will always be compared with the original, and probably won't line up.
The inability to separate popularity of a setting from the popularity of its power level has been a weakness of Wizards for a while now, and somehow it keeps surprising them. "This block was a return and somehow it wasn't as popular?!?!"
THEN AGAIN, just look at announcements of new sets or speculation on returns to old settings, and within the first three replies, you find someone saying "Ew, I don't like a return to <setting> the cards were weak." / "Hell yeah, a return to <setting>, this will increase power levels in standard again, can't wait."
So maybe it's not a weakness from WotC's part, maybe they are just exploiting people's inability to, like, think.
Its interesting that you would draw this conclusion. Of the returns only one has actually been unpopular and that was Zendikar and as far as I can find nearly everyone(including wizards) agrees it was because they returned to ROE instead of Zendikar proper. There is a subsection that belives it was because Battle was weaker but nearly everyone else blames it on the Eldrazi. Scars was significantly weaker than original Mirrodin though still very strong and it was very popular. Ravnica has been all over the place in powerlevel but has consistently been extremely popular.
The player base seems completely incapable of separating world-building from power level while wizards seem fully aware that they are completely different things.
Who is ignoring Theros? It’s my absolute priority in the game, to the point it overshadowed all products this year and all other products for every year to come until the third return to Theros for me
Everyone except you Tiro. Few can out-Theros me and not only are you one of these few, but you do so by a wide margin lol
I am looking forward to all of them, but I admit I am less excited for the two returns.
Theros was always a question why, not if. Resolving Elepeth's line was always on the table.
But the deaths of Gideon and Dack quite narrowed the possible storylines
Zendikar III - I will be very curious about the driving storyline here. But I welcome the return to the Indiana Jones world. Plus, the four-color Omnath is almost a given here :-))))
Ikoria - I am really curious what the most crazy mechanic is. I assume something along the lines of augment No idea about the story. And Domri's dead as well.
Teferi Core Set - admittedly the one I am most stoked for. A nice way how to bring back Zhalfir and the times of Mirage and Visions.
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Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
And Dack's death is shown in the War of the Spark trailer... he was omitted from the set and added as an afterthought (just to up the count of named casualties by one third), so his death is not carded.
I have a feeling that They’ll visit the underworld to Rescue Gideon, but he’ll refuse, or maybe replace Heliod instead. The Gatewatch will then return with Elspeth.
My first PW hero was Elspeth. She was also the first PW I opened.
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Wizards. listen. The Vorthos community will await the consequences of the Eldrazi Titans' deaths/sealing. We will keep the watch.
“The wind whispers, ‘come home,’ but I cannot.”
— Teferi
Yup, I hope that we'll see the spirit of Gideon in some way (like when Odysseus visits Hades and meets Achilles' spirit), but I want to him to remain dead, if not his sacrifice would be moot...
I'm pretty sure that Elspeth will return, however.
Gideon isn't in the Theros Underworld so it would be really weird to see him there. He died on Ravnica while the sun was active, he couldn't be on Theros.
Gideon isn't in the Theros Underworld so it would be really weird to see him there. He died on Ravnica while the sun was active, he couldn't be on Theros.
Heartwarming Reunion says otherwise. Unless Kytheon’s friends wound up in the Ravnican underworld...
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Wizards. listen. The Vorthos community will await the consequences of the Eldrazi Titans' deaths/sealing. We will keep the watch.
“The wind whispers, ‘come home,’ but I cannot.”
— Teferi
Gideon isn't in the Theros Underworld so it would be really weird to see him there. He died on Ravnica while the sun was active, he couldn't be on Theros.
Heartwarming Reunion says otherwise. Unless Kytheon’s friends wound up in the Ravnican underworld...
And somehow Gideon soul traveled to another plane instead?
I don't take the vision as "real". Jeska and Gerrand had pretty similar visions at the end as well.
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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"
Gideon isn't in the Theros Underworld so it would be really weird to see him there. He died on Ravnica while the sun was active, he couldn't be on Theros.
Heartwarming Reunion says otherwise. Unless Kytheon’s friends wound up in the Ravnican underworld...
And somehow Gideon soul traveled to another plane instead?
I don't take the vision as "real". Jeska and Gerrand had pretty similar visions at the end as well.
Did Jeska and Gerrard not die on same plane they were born?
If they did, then Gideon’s death and reunion is a different phenomena altogether.
I expect to see Gideon’s spirit in the next set.
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Wizards. listen. The Vorthos community will await the consequences of the Eldrazi Titans' deaths/sealing. We will keep the watch.
“The wind whispers, ‘come home,’ but I cannot.”
— Teferi
Not only garruk got the chainveil curse cured by the mtg version of the holy grail but he looses is black magic he’s back to mono color so I think garruk will be the mono green walker of the core set even though it’s more focused on Teferi
Random idea I had about Ikoria...I remember hearing something about "build your own monster" and hearing Augment and Unstable come up, but what if its more like Do-It-Yourself Seraph? Exile a creature, give a creature in play some trait from the exiled creature...or they can go more Frankenstein and say the exiled creature has to come from the graveyard first.
Somekind of Gideon reference will likely happen on Theros, probably at least get to see the Memorial from RIP again. There's a just a bit too much we don't know about how planeswalking works that his spirit could be there. Not a surprise either way.
Teferi core to bring back Zhalfir would be sweet since another trip to Dominaria does not seem to be on the books. Why now and not when we were actually there last? Was Bolas that big a threat? Hopefully we get answers.
Who is ignoring Theros? It’s my absolute priority in the game, to the point it overshadowed all products this year and all other products for every year to come until the third return to Theros for me
I have to admire your dedication to the things you like. I don't really know the favorites of most of the regulars here, but I know well from being on these forums that you love Theros, Jace, and Ampryn Tactician.
Aw, thank you. Upvoted. This is one of the kindest things anyone has said to me on MTGS, I really appreciate it And I do indeed love all those things. I'm very dearly longing for Theros. I hope it will have a novel, ideally written by Kate Elliott or Jenna Helland again, and I'd love at least the mono-color gods to return. I really miss my MTG home plane and cannot contain myself at the thought of returning to my favorite place. I'm just glad to have cards like Starfield Mystic to hold me over until we get a whole set of Theros If we get a Jace card on this Theros visit, would be a dream for me
Who is ignoring Theros? It’s my absolute priority in the game, to the point it overshadowed all products this year and all other products for every year to come until the third return to Theros for me
Everyone except you Tiro. Few can out-Theros me and not only are you one of these few, but you do so by a wide margin lol
Upvoted this too. I am so happy to be known for this and love you guys for saying it
Well I heard a rumor from somebody last night which he saw on twitch or twitter offical magic the gathering staff
Some stuff story related but not all
1, I hate to cause major anger but let’s just say emrakul finally leaves the moon (not sure what set or when but this was pretty much guaranteed to happen someday)
2, there’s brand new gods on theros and atleast one of them is 5-colored
3, there is infact omnath 4 but sadly it’s not 4 color he learns WB at the same time so 5-color heck even the card is rumored is something like “ETB or cast create X 1/1 elementals where x is half/third or whatever of life total, and whenever a elemental ETB draw a card and ping for 5 on any target” if that’s true I’m sticking with horde of notions
4, they somewhat lied about no eldrazi’s on this return it’s just very little left
I'm not looking forward to Zendikar 3. First one was a power creeping fest, second one had potential with Devoid but story was kinda meh. The title Zendikar Rising suggests the plane becoming a focus of multiverse, but I can't think of why. It's too early for Emrakul, but without Eldrazi the plane doesn't have a focus. Will Nahiri return home and rebuild?
I love bestow and devotion so it's good to be back on Theros.
Teferi's back story was pretty much completed during Urza's block, I hope they don't butcher it with a retcon.
Thoughts, ideas, speculation?
The Vorthos community will await the consequences of the Eldrazi Titans' deaths/sealing. We will keep the watch.
“The wind whispers, ‘come home,’ but I cannot.”
— Teferi
I'm surprised to see Zendikar come back so soon after the unpopular BFZ block. I think it would be more popular of a decision if they waited a little longer. I think they would do well to realize that the reason the original Zendikar block was so popular had less to do with the setting and more to do with the fact that it was insanely powerful compared to most sets. If it has off-color fetches at rare again, it'll do well. The cards need to look like Plated Geopede instead of Makindi Sliderunner. It was the strength of the original set that everyone responded to.
Ikoria is a big fat unknown. People have been custom designing kaiju sets for a while, so it's a decent choice.
M21 is gonna be a core set. Even if it's a great core set, it's a known quantity. Being Teferi themed isn't really different that the last one being Chandra themed.
As I suggested, the single biggest indicator of a set's popularity is its power level, not worldbuilding. Not every set can be as powerful as original Zendikar was, or we just end up with power creep. From a worldbuilding perspective, I'm most interested in new Theros. Enchantments were always my favorite card type, ever since I met my old friend Pestilence. New Zendikar will always be compared with the original, and probably won't line up.
Low-power cube enthusiast!
My 1570 card cube (no longer updated)
My 415 Peasant+ Artifact and Enchantment Cube
Ever-Expanding "Just throw it in" cube.
The inability to separate popularity of a setting from the popularity of its power level has been a weakness of Wizards for a while now, and somehow it keeps surprising them. "This block was a return and somehow it wasn't as popular?!?!"
THEN AGAIN, just look at announcements of new sets or speculation on returns to old settings, and within the first three replies, you find someone saying "Ew, I don't like a return to <setting> the cards were weak." / "Hell yeah, a return to <setting>, this will increase power levels in standard again, can't wait."
So maybe it's not a weakness from WotC's part, maybe they are just exploiting people's inability to, like, think.
|| 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 ||
I have to admire your dedication to the things you like. I don't really know the favorites of most of the regulars here, but I know well from being on these forums that you love Theros, Jace, and Ampryn Tactician.
Low-power cube enthusiast!
My 1570 card cube (no longer updated)
My 415 Peasant+ Artifact and Enchantment Cube
Ever-Expanding "Just throw it in" cube.
Thats where I'm at. I've been guessing the hook is the Gatewatch will go to Theros to mourn Gideon and something will lead them to going into the underworld. Otherwise can't say much story or lore wise since we still got that second War of the Spark novel.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
The player base seems completely incapable of separating world-building from power level while wizards seem fully aware that they are completely different things.
Everyone except you Tiro. Few can out-Theros me and not only are you one of these few, but you do so by a wide margin lol
The Vorthos community will await the consequences of the Eldrazi Titans' deaths/sealing. We will keep the watch.
“The wind whispers, ‘come home,’ but I cannot.”
— Teferi
Theros was always a question why, not if. Resolving Elepeth's line was always on the table.
But the deaths of Gideon and Dack quite narrowed the possible storylines
Zendikar III - I will be very curious about the driving storyline here. But I welcome the return to the Indiana Jones world. Plus, the four-color Omnath is almost a given here :-))))
Ikoria - I am really curious what the most crazy mechanic is. I assume something along the lines of augment No idea about the story. And Domri's dead as well.
Teferi Core Set - admittedly the one I am most stoked for. A nice way how to bring back Zhalfir and the times of Mirage and Visions.
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
Since when are Dack and Domri dead?? They really could have made that clear. Dack's Demise and Dormi's Demise coulda been cards.
Low-power cube enthusiast!
My 1570 card cube (no longer updated)
My 415 Peasant+ Artifact and Enchantment Cube
Ever-Expanding "Just throw it in" cube.
Erm....
Domri's Demise
And Dack's death is shown in the War of the Spark trailer... he was omitted from the set and added as an afterthought (just to up the count of named casualties by one third), so his death is not carded.
Confirmed by MaRo: https://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/184285473028/it-seems-like-domri-dack-and-gideon-are-the-only
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
My first PW hero was Elspeth. She was also the first PW I opened.
The Vorthos community will await the consequences of the Eldrazi Titans' deaths/sealing. We will keep the watch.
“The wind whispers, ‘come home,’ but I cannot.”
— Teferi
I'm pretty sure that Elspeth will return, however.
Heartwarming Reunion says otherwise. Unless Kytheon’s friends wound up in the Ravnican underworld...
The Vorthos community will await the consequences of the Eldrazi Titans' deaths/sealing. We will keep the watch.
“The wind whispers, ‘come home,’ but I cannot.”
— Teferi
And somehow Gideon soul traveled to another plane instead?
I don't take the vision as "real". Jeska and Gerrand had pretty similar visions at the end as well.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Did Jeska and Gerrard not die on same plane they were born?
If they did, then Gideon’s death and reunion is a different phenomena altogether.
I expect to see Gideon’s spirit in the next set.
The Vorthos community will await the consequences of the Eldrazi Titans' deaths/sealing. We will keep the watch.
“The wind whispers, ‘come home,’ but I cannot.”
— Teferi
https://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/187755151858/garruk-has-seen-his-colour-shift-away-from-black
Not only garruk got the chainveil curse cured by the mtg version of the holy grail but he looses is black magic he’s back to mono color so I think garruk will be the mono green walker of the core set even though it’s more focused on Teferi
Somekind of Gideon reference will likely happen on Theros, probably at least get to see the Memorial from RIP again. There's a just a bit too much we don't know about how planeswalking works that his spirit could be there. Not a surprise either way.
Teferi core to bring back Zhalfir would be sweet since another trip to Dominaria does not seem to be on the books. Why now and not when we were actually there last? Was Bolas that big a threat? Hopefully we get answers.
Upvoted this too. I am so happy to be known for this and love you guys for saying it
|| 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 ||
Zendikar II - I think many people disliked this set because the enemy fetches were not reprinted, causing huge price spikes.
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Want to play a UW control deck in modern, but don't have jace or snaps?
Please come visit us at the Emeria Titan control thread
Some stuff story related but not all
1, I hate to cause major anger but let’s just say emrakul finally leaves the moon (not sure what set or when but this was pretty much guaranteed to happen someday)
2, there’s brand new gods on theros and atleast one of them is 5-colored
3, there is infact omnath 4 but sadly it’s not 4 color he learns WB at the same time so 5-color heck even the card is rumored is something like “ETB or cast create X 1/1 elementals where x is half/third or whatever of life total, and whenever a elemental ETB draw a card and ping for 5 on any target” if that’s true I’m sticking with horde of notions
4, they somewhat lied about no eldrazi’s on this return it’s just very little left
I love bestow and devotion so it's good to be back on Theros.
Teferi's back story was pretty much completed during Urza's block, I hope they don't butcher it with a retcon.
Ikoria might bring back chimeras? Tin-Wing Chimera
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs