Kamigawa,a lot of people love it, more people hate it, even more are just kind of meh. That said, it had pretty cool, and very well developed, flavor, and it had one of the better story-arcs/book sets Magic has come out with. While I wont be heartbroken if we never go back, I am in the camp of people who thinks Kamigawa deserves a second chance. With that said, were we to get a Return to Kamigawa block/set what would you want out of it flavor/story-wise? Less focus on the Kami? A more updated higher-tech world? The whole plane getting chomped by Emrakul so people stop talking about it? Personally, I would want Hidetsugu and the Sisters of Flesh and spirit as Legendary Creatures. I'd also want more ninjas, more zubura/shrines, a better explanation of how the Kami form and where they come from, and for Tamiyo to be the block protagonist. What about all of you?
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My Decks:
UG Merfolk RG 8-Whack BWG Abzan midrange GRB Living End UWB Spirit Control
GU Kruphix's "Hug Assassin" RW Kalemne's "Play Fatties and Hope for the Best!" BUGW Atraxa's "All counters, all the time"
I'd also want more ninjas, more zubura/shrines, a better explanation of how the Kami form and where they come from, and for Tamiyo to be the block protagonist.
You pretty much stole the words right out of my mouth. In general, I would like to see a focus more on the mortal races and less on Spirits. More Samurai, more Foxes, Moonfolk, Ogres, Rats, Snakes... they were all so cool. I would like to see more Zuberas too, a new cycle of Hondens (now rebuilt?), maybe even a few Kirins here and there (Tarkir brought them back :P). So basically, a world after Konda and the Kami War.
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Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
Given their track record with returns to planes, I sorta don't want a return to Kamigawa anymore. It's one thing when your return block is way simpler and worse than the original if the original was good. I quiver to imagine a new-player-friendly block worse than the original Kamigawa block.
Theros' use of Spirits had me kinda excited for new ways of revamping spirits. Soulshift is great in limited like in MM2, so I would like to see that return. However, having tribal synergies for every color for spirits and their mortal counterparts is a bit much.
I didn't like the Shrines, but I do like Zubera. More Ninjas and a revamp of Splice. And this ought to be it. No more, no less. Give the snakes deathtouch, Ninjas have Ninjitsu, NO Bushido, Soulshift, and a lot of splice. No more hand size matters. Maybe Patrons would work like Dragonlords. Demons and ogres creating solid tutor effects would be cool.
Making Tamiyo and something astrological be the center of the story would be cool, maybe kinda like Majora's Mask. I think adding the Eldrazi would just be too much. I would love if they could have Narset and Tamiyo team up. Sadly, I don't think one of Liliana's demons will be an Oni.
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One of these day I have to get myself organizized.
To be fair to WOTC, Kamigawa was the last block to be produced under that specific method of designing blocks.
It was only after the original Ravinica block was designed did they try and 'join' themes together for an entire Standard season. Up to and including Kamigawa most standard tournaments were effectively to different pools of block decks that happened to share a format. With a few notable exceptions like Goblin Bidding and Mirrodin slotting in artifacts where needed in the pre-existing Onslaught decks.
If we are to return to KAmigawa we would get the benifit of the extra learning WOTC have gained in the intervening years so I am not worried on that front. My concern would be if they could come up with a compelling story reason to return to Kamigawa after the Spirits war with out it just being a rehash of that or something similar which an Eldrazi munching down on the plane would be.
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Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag and start slitting throats.
- H.L Mencken
I Became insane with long Intervals of horrible Sanity
All Religion, my friend is simply evolved out of fraud, fear, greed, imagination and poetry.
- Edgar Allan Poe
I'd want more playable orochi, kitsune and akki. These kinda got the shaft when it comes to having good cards made. I would be interested, plotwise, in something following up on Kiku at the end of Saviors. I would like to know just what she'd become when Toshi infused her with that mahotsukai curse. Or a smaller scale plot, like say:
The obakemono are moving in on Takenuma in an attempt to recreate an oni breeding ground. This drives the nezumi to seek refuge elsewhere. Many head for Towabara while others seek Jukai. Meanwhile the Daimyo must deal with the orochi who believe that the fallout of the Kami War is a disruption to the plane's biorhythm. And in Oboro, the Soratami are divided: there are those that wish to repair their relationship with the lesser races of Kamigawa while others wish to manipulate those races into an army for the genocide of the obakemono.
More ninjas, better Samurai (seriously, bushido wasn't strong enough a keyword for how careful they were with it), and better art. I loved the feel of Kamigawa cards, but I couldn't ever tell what was going on.
And perhaps some cards that are only good in Kamigawa block constructed. Opening cards like Rend Spirit as a casual player absolutely sucks.
Uh, hmmm. Soulshift and Spiritcraft would be nice. Maybe some Arcane too. If they ever bring Splice back, I'd like to see it used for different (sub)types of cards (like Splice onto Instant/Sorcery/Creature?).
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A giant dork. Who likes to eat with forks. Never used a spork.
Decks: Casual R Burn R
EDH R Godo Voltron R RUG ETB Overload RUG BW Clerics Pain and Drain BW GW Spirits!!! GW RUG Landfall Silliness RUG
More Ninjas, Soratami and Minamo Wizards. More Japanese rather than strictly Shinto tropes. Things like Lotus ponds, dojos, shrines amongst rice fields, cherry blossom shrines, Kamigawa's Kyoto, more waterfall scenes, cards for the Sisters, etc.
More Ninjas, Soratami and Minamo Wizards. More Japanese rather than strictly Shinto tropes. Things like Lotus ponds, dojos, shrines amongst rice fields, cherry blossom shrines, Kamigawa's Kyoto, more waterfall scenes, cards for the Sisters, etc.
I would love another cycle of shrines to make the previous ones more playable.
Something that feels a little less... bland. The big issue with Kamigawa is the plot wasn't very plot-y. I'd like to see the plane again, but in a form that has more of a narrative beyond "Kami versus not-Kami. Kind of."
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Cyme we inne frið, fram the grip of deaþ to lif inne ðis smylte land.
Kamigawa is, in theory, thousands of years before Magic's "present". And in addition to hating the "generic fantasy tech level forever" thin in general, that goes double for a Japan-themed setting. After all, aren't many of the most famous stories about the samurai set in a world of rifles and ironclad ships, where heroes cling to the remnants of Bushido in a world which may no longer need them?
I would love to see a Return to Kamigawa in the vein of Seven Samurai, Ruroni Kenshin, and (most relevantly) Princess Mononoke - where new Kami of steel and obligatory-fantasy-gunpowder-analogue take their place in the spirit world, and mortal society faces massive upheaval. The villain, of course, would be Bolas, using this time of chaos to reassert his authority, as Michiko/Kyodai sends visions to heroes and planeswalkers (especially Tamiyo, she's awesome) giving them warnings and hints.
In my heart, I know this story would end with yet another "tech is evil" message, which would sadden me slightly, but it could still be a great reimagining of a sadly-overlooked Plane. I'd prefer that it end with Tamiyo ushering in a new era, in which samurai carry rifles as a matter of course, and an old order embracing new teachings averts the conflict Bolas plotted to seize control through. But with either ending, so long as at least one army of mages and living spirits gets torn apart by gattling guns, and at least one factory is built on ancient shrines and then rises up to turn its munitions upon its creators, I would be content.
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RG 8-Whack
BWG Abzan midrange
GRB Living End
UWB Spirit Control
GU Kruphix's "Hug Assassin"
RW Kalemne's "Play Fatties and Hope for the Best!"
BUGW Atraxa's "All counters, all the time"
You pretty much stole the words right out of my mouth. In general, I would like to see a focus more on the mortal races and less on Spirits. More Samurai, more Foxes, Moonfolk, Ogres, Rats, Snakes... they were all so cool. I would like to see more Zuberas too, a new cycle of Hondens (now rebuilt?), maybe even a few Kirins here and there (Tarkir brought them back :P). So basically, a world after Konda and the Kami War.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
@_kaburi_ on Twitter
Special thanks to Serrot_29 for Catbug'mrakul!
Commander Decks
WDarien, King of KjeldorW - WYomiji, Who Bars the WayW - UIxidor, Reality SculptorU
BPhage the UntouchableB - BShirei,
Shadowborn Ap-Shizo's CaretakerB - RZirilan of the ClawR(W/U)Noyan Dar, Roil Shaper(W/U) - (2/G)Phelddagrif Politics(W/U) - (U/B)Mishra, Artificer Prodigy(U/R) - Karona, God of Voltron
I didn't like the Shrines, but I do like Zubera. More Ninjas and a revamp of Splice. And this ought to be it. No more, no less. Give the snakes deathtouch, Ninjas have Ninjitsu, NO Bushido, Soulshift, and a lot of splice. No more hand size matters. Maybe Patrons would work like Dragonlords. Demons and ogres creating solid tutor effects would be cool.
Making Tamiyo and something astrological be the center of the story would be cool, maybe kinda like Majora's Mask. I think adding the Eldrazi would just be too much. I would love if they could have Narset and Tamiyo team up. Sadly, I don't think one of Liliana's demons will be an Oni.
It was only after the original Ravinica block was designed did they try and 'join' themes together for an entire Standard season. Up to and including Kamigawa most standard tournaments were effectively to different pools of block decks that happened to share a format. With a few notable exceptions like Goblin Bidding and Mirrodin slotting in artifacts where needed in the pre-existing Onslaught decks.
If we are to return to KAmigawa we would get the benifit of the extra learning WOTC have gained in the intervening years so I am not worried on that front. My concern would be if they could come up with a compelling story reason to return to Kamigawa after the Spirits war with out it just being a rehash of that or something similar which an Eldrazi munching down on the plane would be.
- H.L Mencken
I Became insane with long Intervals of horrible Sanity
All Religion, my friend is simply evolved out of fraud, fear, greed, imagination and poetry.
- Edgar Allan Poe
The Crafters' Rules Guru
The obakemono are moving in on Takenuma in an attempt to recreate an oni breeding ground. This drives the nezumi to seek refuge elsewhere. Many head for Towabara while others seek Jukai. Meanwhile the Daimyo must deal with the orochi who believe that the fallout of the Kami War is a disruption to the plane's biorhythm. And in Oboro, the Soratami are divided: there are those that wish to repair their relationship with the lesser races of Kamigawa while others wish to manipulate those races into an army for the genocide of the obakemono.
And perhaps some cards that are only good in Kamigawa block constructed. Opening cards like Rend Spirit as a casual player absolutely sucks.
Decks:
Casual
R Burn R
EDH
R Godo Voltron R
RUG ETB Overload RUG
BW Clerics Pain and Drain BW
GW Spirits!!! GW
RUG Landfall Silliness RUG
|| 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 would love another cycle of shrines to make the previous ones more playable.
Modern Tallowisp Spirits - A Modern Tallowisp Deck UW
Eldrazi Ninjas - Summoning Octopus Jutsu YYYYAAAHHHH!
STANDARD
Naban Wizards
Kamigawa is, in theory, thousands of years before Magic's "present". And in addition to hating the "generic fantasy tech level forever" thin in general, that goes double for a Japan-themed setting. After all, aren't many of the most famous stories about the samurai set in a world of rifles and ironclad ships, where heroes cling to the remnants of Bushido in a world which may no longer need them?
I would love to see a Return to Kamigawa in the vein of Seven Samurai, Ruroni Kenshin, and (most relevantly) Princess Mononoke - where new Kami of steel and obligatory-fantasy-gunpowder-analogue take their place in the spirit world, and mortal society faces massive upheaval. The villain, of course, would be Bolas, using this time of chaos to reassert his authority, as Michiko/Kyodai sends visions to heroes and planeswalkers (especially Tamiyo, she's awesome) giving them warnings and hints.
In my heart, I know this story would end with yet another "tech is evil" message, which would sadden me slightly, but it could still be a great reimagining of a sadly-overlooked Plane. I'd prefer that it end with Tamiyo ushering in a new era, in which samurai carry rifles as a matter of course, and an old order embracing new teachings averts the conflict Bolas plotted to seize control through. But with either ending, so long as at least one army of mages and living spirits gets torn apart by gattling guns, and at least one factory is built on ancient shrines and then rises up to turn its munitions upon its creators, I would be content.