He is clearly the Ra stand-in and he's clearly associated with the sun there. We've seen a previous "Grixis" character, Marchesa, shift into "Mardu", so there is precedent.
You never know what Creative will do with a character, but I don't think he'll have white in him. Nearly everything with his name, either in the card name or flavor text is Grixis colors, excluding the Conflux.
I'm thinking if they do a cycle of gods, they will be separate from Bolas, so that way he keeps his Grixis status. Something like the five major gods, to balance the colors, answering to him as the God-Pharaoh.
I cannot imagine them getting rid of his colour representing his dragon side and the one representing his guile.
Plus, I find it a bit early to tell if he really fills the role of Ra, and if he does, how close their connection is. Right now we only know he rules the plane, but not how and to what extent (e.g. does he literally rule the plane visibly, or is he pulling the string and rules through puppet gods, is the so-called "god-king" not him directly but an alternate persona, etc.)
I wouldn't imagine they would remove any colors from him, he seems pretty firmly grixis, even given his implied role for Amonkhet, though if he were to shift in any way, I would guess he would be Mardu, or Tricks + White. Even then, that's only if he himself isn't Grixis. I guess we'll find out soon enough... (Though I'm not expecting him to arrive in card form until Hour of Devastation)
I doubt he'll be white. I don't think he really have any concern or interest in the lives of the people he rules over, rather I find it all the more likely it's simply a personal power/self interest thing.
He doesn't rule for the good of THEM. He rules for the good of HIM.
Bolas is primarily U/B. He's quite literally only red because he is a dragon. I'm sure they try to justify it in other ways, but he could be written as a strictly U/B character with absolutely no changes. Bolas should never be White.
I doubt he'll be white. I don't think he really have any concern or interest in the lives of the people he rules over, rather I find it all the more likely it's simply a personal power/self interest thing.
He doesn't rule for the good of THEM. He rules for the good of HIM.
Neither does Marchesa or the Orzhov. The White in this case would reflect his methods/persona,
I doubt he'll be white. I don't think he really have any concern or interest in the lives of the people he rules over, rather I find it all the more likely it's simply a personal power/self interest thing.
He doesn't rule for the good of THEM. He rules for the good of HIM.
Neither does Marchesa or the Orzhov. The White in this case would reflect his methods/persona,
Bolas doesn't use structure though. He uses contingency plans to get what he wants. That's blue, not white.
I guess in the end they can give any character any colour they want, as long as they provide an explanation (Sarkhan is blue, because he stepped into a time portal w/e) but personally it white doesn't fit Bolas at all, at least from everything we know so far.
Honestly, I can see him getting green before he gets white.
He is clearly the Ra stand-in and he's clearly associated with the sun there. We've seen a previous "Grixis" character, Marchesa, shift into "Mardu", so there is precedent.
A big difference between Marchesa and Bolas is Bolas has been featured in more lore and as a character more established. Same with Tamiyo who before SOI had the barest amount of lore, so changing her color identity isn't as big of a switch as it is for some like Bolas who has been around for years in magic RL.
Bolas is primarily U/B. He's quite literally only red because he is a dragon. I'm sure they try to justify it in other ways, but he could be written as a strictly U/B character with absolutely no changes. Bolas should never be White.
He's emotional and does a lot of things for the pleasure of it and not necessary to further his own plans. For example he didn't need to destroy Alara after he absorbed the maelstrom but did so for lol's.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“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 doubt he'll be white. I don't think he really have any concern or interest in the lives of the people he rules over, rather I find it all the more likely it's simply a personal power/self interest thing.
He doesn't rule for the good of THEM. He rules for the good of HIM.
Neither does Marchesa or the Orzhov. The White in this case would reflect his methods/persona,
Bolas doesn't use structure though. He uses contingency plans to get what he wants. That's blue, not white.
I guess in the end they can give any character any colour they want, as long as they provide an explanation (Sarkhan is blue, because he stepped into a time portal w/e) but personally it white doesn't fit Bolas at all, at least from everything we know so far.
Honestly, I can see him getting green before he gets white.
Playing devil's advocate here, but Bolas could be white here because he is PART of the world's structure. Also, while he is most certainly a schemer with plans on top of plans, a very blue trait, this is his home turf. How much manipulating would he really need to do when the entire world is already set up with him as the centerpiece?
Ultimately though, I think Bolas will show up as his usual Grixis self.
I doubt he'll be white. I don't think he really have any concern or interest in the lives of the people he rules over, rather I find it all the more likely it's simply a personal power/self interest thing.
He doesn't rule for the good of THEM. He rules for the good of HIM.
Neither does Marchesa or the Orzhov. The White in this case would reflect his methods/persona,
Bolas doesn't use structure though. He uses contingency plans to get what he wants. That's blue, not white.
I guess in the end they can give any character any colour they want, as long as they provide an explanation (Sarkhan is blue, because he stepped into a time portal w/e) but personally it white doesn't fit Bolas at all, at least from everything we know so far.
Honestly, I can see him getting green before he gets white.
Not here. From what we can see he's out in the open and uses religious adoration as his means of securing power.
Something that people seem to be forgetting is that White =/= good. One of Whites main aspects is about Order. Being the Law and having control is a very white thing. The Orzhov are WB because they use structured contracts to gain control of more power and resources, Marchesa became the queen (I think that would have been a great opportunity for a 4 color card, she didn't lose the scheming/planning of blue, the ambition of black, or the aggressiveness of red, just gained the control of white).
I could see Bolas losing Red to pick up white, at least for this block and becoming Esper instead of Grixis.
they haven't had a 5-color PW yet. it would make people pretty hyped.
He probably didn't lose his Grixis colors.
Maybe he was infused with WG when he absorbed the maelstrom? and it's been slowly changing him to be 5-color now.
W makes sense for order on a world he controls, G would make sense for letting things stay in their current state.
A 5-color big bad would be interesting.
nothing says "all-powerful" like being able to access all colors of magic
I guess in the end they can give any character any colour they want, as long as they provide an explanation (Sarkhan is blue, because he stepped into a time portal w/e)
What? That doesn't make any sense, that's like saying someone should be Red because they were burned in a fire. I'm still not really sure why Sarkhan's last card was Blue, did they ever provide any real justification for it?
I guess in the end they can give any character any colour they want, as long as they provide an explanation (Sarkhan is blue, because he stepped into a time portal w/e)
What? That doesn't make any sense, that's like saying someone should be Red because they were burned in a fire. I'm still not really sure why Sarkhan's last card was Blue, did they ever provide any real justification for it?
Design had made him RGB at first then development had to shifted him to RGU because Jund wasn't a thing in standard. They couldn't do RG since it would have been the third planeswalker RG in a short time, since Theros had Xenagos and RTR and Domi.
Story-wise? He used time travel and him learning he wasn't bound to seek out a dragon mentor but find his own inner dragon, which is kinda blue since it show him changing his own fate, a blue idea. It was a stretch and poor Maro had to type through his teeth justifying it.
I don't take Sarkhan as a president for color shifting walkers, nor Tamiyo in SOI.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“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 guess in the end they can give any character any colour they want, as long as they provide an explanation (Sarkhan is blue, because he stepped into a time portal w/e)
What? That doesn't make any sense, that's like saying someone should be Red because they were burned in a fire. I'm still not really sure why Sarkhan's last card was Blue, did they ever provide any real justification for it?
I don't have a link, but the slightly more verbose answer is: Tools also factor into colour identity, and time travel is a tool. And time travel is blue in Magic. Plus, Sarkhan created a world he thought was better (or perfect) and improving things is blue. In my opinion it shouldn't count when it's done involuntarily, but hey that was the official reasoning that Maro gave us.
Story-wise? He used time travel and him learning he wasn't bound to seek out a dragon mentor but find his own inner dragon, which is kinda blue since it show him changing his own fate, a blue idea. It was a stretch and poor Maro had to type through his teeth justifying it.
Independence is black and finding out that the answer is within you is green. Nothing about that is blue at all.
I don't take Sarkhan as a president for color shifting walkers, nor Tamiyo in SOI.
This is another thing. Both Sarkhan and Tamiyo served different roles than Nicol Bolas does in Amonkhet. Sarkhan was made to show how he changed and he had to fill into a certain colour combination due to previous walkers and the peculiar wedge-multicolour-environment. Tamiyo was a three-colour planeswalker, because that was the only way for her to fit in SOI and Wizards didn't want to wait another six years to return to a potential card for her.
Nicol Bolas is different. His colour identity will not be an afterthought. The entire block, nay setting, is built around him. They will not look at what colours fit the environment. They will build the environment from the ground up to allow the colours they want Nicol to have.
But time travel is not an ability Sarkahn innately possesses. It's something he used once at the request of someone else.
I don't really see there being a lore justification for Sarkhan being made blue and nor do I think that it reflects him as an individual because we've seen none of that. With Tamiyo we can at least marginally see white and green in her character.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Pop in, find a dragon, roast a dragon."
-Chandra Nalaar
Story-wise? He used time travel and him learning he wasn't bound to seek out a dragon mentor but find his own inner dragon, which is kinda blue since it show him changing his own fate, a blue idea. It was a stretch and poor Maro had to type through his teeth justifying it.
Independence is black and finding out that the answer is within you is green. Nothing about that is blue at all.
I worded that wrong. It was more of Sarkhan realizing he controlled his fate and didn't have to play the role he thought he was meant to play.
This is another thing. Both Sarkhan and Tamiyo served different roles than Nicol Bolas does in Amonkhet. Sarkhan was made to show how he changed and he had to fill into a certain colour combination due to previous walkers and the peculiar wedge-multicolour-environment. Tamiyo was a three-colour planeswalker, because that was the only way for her to fit in SOI and Wizards didn't want to wait another six years to return to a potential card for her.
Which is why I don't take them as a pressdent for color shifting. It was game play and not creative.
Nicol Bolas is different. His colour identity will not be an afterthought. The entire block, nay setting, is built around him. They will not look at what colours fit the environment. They will build the environment from the ground up to allow the colours they want Nicol to have.
This I think is the best response to this thread.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“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"
There is no way they can justify Bolas as having green or white traits. None. The original Bolas creature is grixis, walker is grixis, and any future versions will be grixis. I could see a case for making Bolas strictly dimir colors, but nothing else is plausible as he will always have blue and black in him based on his character alone.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Yawgmoth," Freyalise whispered as she set the bomb, "now you will pay for your treachery."
I'm thinking if they do a cycle of gods, they will be separate from Bolas, so that way he keeps his Grixis status. Something like the five major gods, to balance the colors, answering to him as the God-Pharaoh.
Plus, I find it a bit early to tell if he really fills the role of Ra, and if he does, how close their connection is. Right now we only know he rules the plane, but not how and to what extent (e.g. does he literally rule the plane visibly, or is he pulling the string and rules through puppet gods, is the so-called "god-king" not him directly but an alternate persona, etc.)
He doesn't rule for the good of THEM. He rules for the good of HIM.
Neither does Marchesa or the Orzhov. The White in this case would reflect his methods/persona,
Modern:R 8Whack R|W White Knights W
Bolas doesn't use structure though. He uses contingency plans to get what he wants. That's blue, not white.
I guess in the end they can give any character any colour they want, as long as they provide an explanation (Sarkhan is blue, because he stepped into a time portal w/e) but personally it white doesn't fit Bolas at all, at least from everything we know so far.
Honestly, I can see him getting green before he gets white.
A big difference between Marchesa and Bolas is Bolas has been featured in more lore and as a character more established. Same with Tamiyo who before SOI had the barest amount of lore, so changing her color identity isn't as big of a switch as it is for some like Bolas who has been around for years in magic RL.
He's emotional and does a lot of things for the pleasure of it and not necessary to further his own plans. For example he didn't need to destroy Alara after he absorbed the maelstrom but did so for lol's.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Playing devil's advocate here, but Bolas could be white here because he is PART of the world's structure. Also, while he is most certainly a schemer with plans on top of plans, a very blue trait, this is his home turf. How much manipulating would he really need to do when the entire world is already set up with him as the centerpiece?
Ultimately though, I think Bolas will show up as his usual Grixis self.
Not here. From what we can see he's out in the open and uses religious adoration as his means of securing power.
I could see Bolas losing Red to pick up white, at least for this block and becoming Esper instead of Grixis.
GRUAnimar, Soul of CreaturesGRU
GWGW Tokens: Rhys,Tolsimir, or Trostani GW
BMarrow-GnawerB
BGSkullbriar, All's fun in the GraveBG
RWBAlesha, Who Smiles at DeathRWB
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
they haven't had a 5-color PW yet. it would make people pretty hyped.
He probably didn't lose his Grixis colors.
Maybe he was infused with WG when he absorbed the maelstrom? and it's been slowly changing him to be 5-color now.
W makes sense for order on a world he controls, G would make sense for letting things stay in their current state.
A 5-color big bad would be interesting.
nothing says "all-powerful" like being able to access all colors of magic
idk, just something to think about
What? That doesn't make any sense, that's like saying someone should be Red because they were burned in a fire. I'm still not really sure why Sarkhan's last card was Blue, did they ever provide any real justification for it?
Design had made him RGB at first then development had to shifted him to RGU because Jund wasn't a thing in standard. They couldn't do RG since it would have been the third planeswalker RG in a short time, since Theros had Xenagos and RTR and Domi.
Story-wise? He used time travel and him learning he wasn't bound to seek out a dragon mentor but find his own inner dragon, which is kinda blue since it show him changing his own fate, a blue idea. It was a stretch and poor Maro had to type through his teeth justifying it.
I don't take Sarkhan as a president for color shifting walkers, nor Tamiyo in SOI.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
I don't have a link, but the slightly more verbose answer is: Tools also factor into colour identity, and time travel is a tool. And time travel is blue in Magic. Plus, Sarkhan created a world he thought was better (or perfect) and improving things is blue. In my opinion it shouldn't count when it's done involuntarily, but hey that was the official reasoning that Maro gave us.
Independence is black and finding out that the answer is within you is green. Nothing about that is blue at all.
This is another thing. Both Sarkhan and Tamiyo served different roles than Nicol Bolas does in Amonkhet. Sarkhan was made to show how he changed and he had to fill into a certain colour combination due to previous walkers and the peculiar wedge-multicolour-environment. Tamiyo was a three-colour planeswalker, because that was the only way for her to fit in SOI and Wizards didn't want to wait another six years to return to a potential card for her.
Nicol Bolas is different. His colour identity will not be an afterthought. The entire block, nay setting, is built around him. They will not look at what colours fit the environment. They will build the environment from the ground up to allow the colours they want Nicol to have.
I don't really see there being a lore justification for Sarkhan being made blue and nor do I think that it reflects him as an individual because we've seen none of that. With Tamiyo we can at least marginally see white and green in her character.
-Chandra Nalaar
I worded that wrong. It was more of Sarkhan realizing he controlled his fate and didn't have to play the role he thought he was meant to play.
Which is why I don't take them as a pressdent for color shifting. It was game play and not creative.
This I think is the best response to this thread.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Currently Playing:
Retired
I doubt he'll change in color, but if he does, he won't be outside of grixis. So no white, no green.