I'm going to agree with the people talking about who 'Atlazan' being after Amonkhet is doubtful because it would mean three new worlds in a row.
We had BFZ then SOI, two returning, now with Kaladesh and Amonkhet, I expect a returning then a new.
Would just mean two returns back to back afterwards to make even. Like Ravnica 3-Theros (tho maybe thats to simialr to before) Ravnica 3-Dominaria perhaps?
W
Could be done. Never said otherwise. Is it likely? I don't think so. They'll want to change things up regularly and with some consistency- so I expect the pattern will be one or two in a row always.
A revisit of Kamigawa at this point in time would probably mean a Kamigawa that would focus on the things people actually like from Japan
Yeah I also always find it terrible when companies focus on things people actually like.
I much prefer it when they present me stuff that I am hesitant to buy.
I too am looking forward to Naruto meets Bleach the plane. Nothing is more authentic Japanese than such cards as Zanpakuto (Equipment) or Rasengan (Instant). Truly once they add Goku (Legendary Creature) no plane will surpass this plane in terms of authenticity and quality source material.
The japanese culture and shinto is alive and still practised in modern times. Just how Wizards didn't go bollywood with Kaladesh they will not go anime with Kamigawa 2.0. They will treat it with the same respect and dignity as other cultures that are still around and not reduce it to a collection of crude stereotypes. Your worries are unfounded and, quite frankly, paranoid.
As an aside a thing that is often mentioned both outside as well as INSIDE the "Kamiwaga crowd" is how everyone loved the Samurais and Ninjas and wants them to return. These are well-known parts of japanese history and culture without being trite clichés. This is the kind of thing we will see. Popular, but also authentic aspects of japanese culture and history.
Given that the claims are A. That players have to be familiar with the primary themes they use and B. That Kamigawa would have to be entirely scrapped just about to use it as a Japanese plane, I don't really see how you expect me to think any different. Tell me what you think an "authentic yet popular" Japanese plane would look like then. Because I'm going to guess that it will wind up being Samurai and Ninjas the plane.
A revisit of Kamigawa at this point in time would probably mean a Kamigawa that would focus on the things people actually like from Japan
Yeah I also always find it terrible when companies focus on things people actually like.
I much prefer it when they present me stuff that I am hesitant to buy.
I too am looking forward to Naruto meets Bleach the plane. Nothing is more authentic Japanese than such cards as Zanpakuto (Equipment) or Rasengan (Instant). Truly once they add Goku (Legendary Creature) no plane will surpass this plane in terms of authenticity and quality source material.
The japanese culture and shinto is alive and still practised in modern times. Just how Wizards didn't go bollywood with Kaladesh they will not go anime with Kamigawa 2.0. They will treat it with the same respect and dignity as other cultures that are still around and not reduce it to a collection of crude stereotypes. Your worries are unfounded and, quite frankly, paranoid.
As an aside a thing that is often mentioned both outside as well as INSIDE the "Kamiwaga crowd" is how everyone loved the Samurais and Ninjas and wants them to return. These are well-known parts of japanese history and culture without being trite clichés. This is the kind of thing we will see. Popular, but also authentic aspects of japanese culture and history.
Given that the claims are A. That players have to be familiar with the primary themes they use and B. That Kamigawa would have to be entirely scrapped just about to use it as a Japanese plane, I don't really see how you expect me to think any different. Tell me what you think an "authentic yet popular" Japanese plane would look like then. Because I'm going to guess that it will wind up being Samurai and Ninjas the plane.
Regardless of Wizards intentions, the Kami War is over and the spirits stopped manifesting en masse. As such I fully expect a return to Kamigawa feature only very very few kami either way, and focuses more on the mortal cultures. Thus, a focus on japanese culture rather than shinto specifically would be a natural evolution of the setting given of what we know.
And yes, I expect Samurai and Ninjas to be a big part of it, similar to how oracles were a big part of Theros, though by far not the only one.
Yeah I also always find it terrible when companies focus on things people actually like.
I much prefer it when they present me stuff that I am hesitant to buy.
I too am looking forward to Naruto meets Bleach the plane. Nothing is more authentic Japanese than such cards as Zanpakuto (Equipment) or Rasengan (Instant). Truly once they add Goku (Legendary Creature) no plane will surpass this plane in terms of authenticity and quality source material.
The japanese culture and shinto is alive and still practised in modern times. Just how Wizards didn't go bollywood with Kaladesh they will not go anime with Kamigawa 2.0. They will treat it with the same respect and dignity as other cultures that are still around and not reduce it to a collection of crude stereotypes. Your worries are unfounded and, quite frankly, paranoid.
As an aside a thing that is often mentioned both outside as well as INSIDE the "Kamiwaga crowd" is how everyone loved the Samurais and Ninjas and wants them to return. These are well-known parts of japanese history and culture without being trite clichés. This is the kind of thing we will see. Popular, but also authentic aspects of japanese culture and history.
Given that the claims are A. That players have to be familiar with the primary themes they use and B. That Kamigawa would have to be entirely scrapped just about to use it as a Japanese plane, I don't really see how you expect me to think any different. Tell me what you think an "authentic yet popular" Japanese plane would look like then. Because I'm going to guess that it will wind up being Samurai and Ninjas the plane.
Regardless of Wizards intentions, the Kami War is over and the spirits stopped manifesting en masse. As such I fully expect a return to Kamigawa feature only very very few kami either way, and focuses more on the mortal cultures. Thus, a focus on japanese culture rather than shinto specifically would be a natural evolution of the setting given of what we know.
And yes, I expect Samurai and Ninjas to be a big part of it, similar to how oracles were a big part of Theros, though by far not the only one.
Except that what they said was that Kamigawa broadly does not work. They didn't say just the Kami, they've said the entire plane would have to be pretty much scrapped. Meaning something as ubiquitous in Japanese culture as the kitsune is "too obscure". So, again, I don't have any faith at all in them doing a Japanese plane. Especially since there is more to Japan than just Samurai/Ninja. And you haven't really done much to make it sound like it won't be Samurai vs. Ninja the plane, nor has anyone pitched any ideas on what, exactly, a Japanese bottom up plane would look like that is radically different from Kamigawa.
Man, I've been waiting for a Mesoamerican block since... forever. I really really hope this is true.
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I just do not get it why they do not do magic anymore like in the old days with scary things on black, knights and stuff on white, sorcery stuff on red and blue and big stuff on green. Angels like to fight demons and the game felt like magic. Now sets got a twist that ruins all of that.
Dude, you are talking about, what? Alpha? Most expansions since then had a twist. I mean, Phyrexians are almost as old as the game. Magic has only been pure sword & sorcery in your mind only. We still get the scary stuff in black, knights in white, etc, etc.
Also, before Ravnica did you know that you wanted a two-colour factions, pseudo-Slavic city plane? Because that's super narrow, and yet it seems it's one of your favourite planes. How about you give a chance to those sets when they come instead dismissing them before seeing a single card?
I'm calling it right now- worst rare in the set. Even good limited players will find better bombs at common and uncommon no sweat. Worst. Episode. Ever.
I really do predict this to be our worst rare in set award winner. I'd be happier opening a jar of eyeballs, so I think anything worse is highly unlikely. This card wont just have zero constructed potential, but not be significantly better than a mass of ghouls in a draft.
I thought Wizards already tweeted that these are mockups just for the survey? Or has it been accepted that that's damage control on their part..
No, you're right - they're just mockups.
Apparently, there are enough people wanting a Meso-American block hard enough that they're willing to suspend belief for a thread or two.
In reality, it could be anyway, but I would highly doubt that those last two are legit set names.
Perhaps this is all just an elaborate feasibility study; Wizards want to know how the community would react to a Meso-American themed block, so decide to "leak" it. They then monitor forums and social media to gauge the reaction...
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Either way... Hoping those sets will have battles among colors and clans. I think this is magic. Kaladesh was beautiful but it felt too peaceful for me. And it is not a fairy world to agree with that... Artifacts in Kaladesh feel lifeless while those on Mirrodin felt dark evil or inspiring.
Given how many worlds are battle oriented, aka every world that isn't Lorwyn/Kaladesh, and how many worlds are fairly dark in theme, it's a nice change of pace to have a world that isn't bleak. We just got out of Innistrad.
And the use of artifacts between Mirrodin and Kaladesh is pretty different. Personally I prefer how Kaladesh does it.
Perhaps this is all just an elaborate feasibility study; Wizards want to know how the community would react to a Meso-American themed block, so decide to "leak" it. They then monitor forums and social media to gauge the reaction...
Except they already know that a meso american world is very high on the short list for new worlds
In my opinion worlds that are inspired by the different cultures should all contain the conflict that was present on that time. For example, Theros had the battle of gods which was represented in real life by the battles for power of Athens and Sparta. When people go and watch 300 they do not expect to watch the peaceful history of Greece, they expect to watch the battle between Greece and Persia.
I think it is the same with magic sets. When you choose X character from the magic universe you want that character to play good and help you win the game. If they design a set when ancient Egypt is fighting aliens and you have an alien deck and an ancient Egypt warrior deck it makes no sense for flavor. Also designing a world set on ancient Egypt without conflict makes no sense. The same thing in Meso-America.
I think gods and factions should be represented very well in the next sets. It is a good thing to add again 2-3 color clans but without fetches. 3 color decks are still viable with normal dual color lands.
And you'd have an argument if there was a noteworthy percent of planes which were devoid of conflict. Of the planes we've been to, all of two have had "no conflict". And one of them is only halfway in terms of counting, because Lorwyn has Shadowmoor, the two aren't separate planes, and Shadowmoor very much has conflict. Every other plane has had conflict. Varying degrees of it, it's a sliding scale, but there is zero reason to expect Amonkhet or the majority of other planes will not have conflict. Kaladesh is a change of pace, not the standard.
I mean usually the conflict is less in your face, having watermarked factions is still the exception, not the rule. But if you're asking for factions there are ones even in Kaladesh, and Lorwyn had tribal factions. They just aren't explicitly spelled out.
Some of the conflict in Theros was silly and unnecessary. Xenagos and his plot should have taken priority on the cards only (and on a limited number of them). There was no need to have gods vs. mortals, Nyxborn attacking and even the loss of devotion was not favorable for the set mechanically. Just another example of WOTC taking things to excess where it shouldn't, and compromising its own otherwise good work. War: The Gathering is just obnoxious. Too much emphasis on reminding everyone that MTG is a battle game is too literal and smothering and ruins the spirit of the fantasy and magic elements it features. Tone is down. One central conflict is fine. And it doesn't need to be represented so literally.
Theros naturally will have hoplites to defend, scenes reminiscent of the Trojan War (such as Launch the Fleet), and all that. If anything, hitting the popular tropes and seeing actual glimpses of the world of Theros itself proved more popular than just random battle scenes for the sake of it. Xenagos as a false god was the plot, and I loved the cards that highlighted that while still allowing us to see Theros in its natural state - its monsters, its Greek trope cards, its general idyllic environment and yes, even its soldiers. I don't doubt Innistrad was the same way - less cared about the conflict cards and more so for the horror tropes being hit and favorite tribal cards. If anything, the conflict aspects of the story detracted from seeing Innistrad itself, and this was not as favorable (Emrkaul and her influence, etc.).
I think certain planes should just showcase themselves in peacetime in the majority of cards. Capture the identity of a world independent of the story or conflict in the majority of the cards so we have a sense of being on a different world. And not just the same homogenous scene of conflict.
I wouldn't mind Return to Theros being more reminiscent of The Odyssey actually. I'd love to see Ajani and certain Gatewatch members embarking on a journey of discovery through the mythical land of Theros in an attempt to understand its gods and find the secrets of life and death in order to restore Elspeth. Facing challenges along the way, from monsters to god trials, various quests, etc. Involving the defeat of Ashiok somehow is warranted depending on how conservatively it's done. It'll be a shame if the return just ends up making one Neo-Walker OP even relative to the gods and making it all about the Planeswalker drama show with Theros as a backdrop for it all only. Especially if it gets trashed in the process like Innistrad and Zendikar were.
I'll wait to see how it's done, but I hope I won't end up resenting Ashiok being there. In a plane with actual gods, especially one like Heliod, it's a little silly having a Planeswalker - again - be the major villain. There's so much going on with Theros already with the murder of Elspeth, Ajani's preaching, the theft of the Bident, Xenagos and what he did, etc. A god of love born at the end of it would be lovely tho~
as a newer player to mtg (I played a bit when I was young,but picked back up at m15/khans) I'd like to go back to some older planes. Being new to the modern story I missed out on alot of the early days of the modern frame format. it was nice with both zendikar and innistrad to get a taste of the classic and personally the reveal of bolas and his agent tezz is exciting plot wise.
I've been obsessed with the elder dragon and his newer counter part ugin, and it's nice that since kahns we are now unraveling the larger plot that bolas has been scheming in the background. amonkhet will finally see what bolas has been working towards the whole time! I feel that mtg needs to have a larger underlying plot then the gatewatch and this is finally it.
as far as mesoamerica atlazan goes, bring it on! Pirates, merfolk, treasure and the natives all wage war for a secret treasure buried on skull island (swamp/island :D).
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Could be done. Never said otherwise. Is it likely? I don't think so. They'll want to change things up regularly and with some consistency- so I expect the pattern will be one or two in a row always.
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Given that the claims are A. That players have to be familiar with the primary themes they use and B. That Kamigawa would have to be entirely scrapped just about to use it as a Japanese plane, I don't really see how you expect me to think any different. Tell me what you think an "authentic yet popular" Japanese plane would look like then. Because I'm going to guess that it will wind up being Samurai and Ninjas the plane.
Regardless of Wizards intentions, the Kami War is over and the spirits stopped manifesting en masse. As such I fully expect a return to Kamigawa feature only very very few kami either way, and focuses more on the mortal cultures. Thus, a focus on japanese culture rather than shinto specifically would be a natural evolution of the setting given of what we know.
And yes, I expect Samurai and Ninjas to be a big part of it, similar to how oracles were a big part of Theros, though by far not the only one.
Except that what they said was that Kamigawa broadly does not work. They didn't say just the Kami, they've said the entire plane would have to be pretty much scrapped. Meaning something as ubiquitous in Japanese culture as the kitsune is "too obscure". So, again, I don't have any faith at all in them doing a Japanese plane. Especially since there is more to Japan than just Samurai/Ninja. And you haven't really done much to make it sound like it won't be Samurai vs. Ninja the plane, nor has anyone pitched any ideas on what, exactly, a Japanese bottom up plane would look like that is radically different from Kamigawa.
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.
Dude, you are talking about, what? Alpha? Most expansions since then had a twist. I mean, Phyrexians are almost as old as the game. Magic has only been pure sword & sorcery in your mind only. We still get the scary stuff in black, knights in white, etc, etc.
Also, before Ravnica did you know that you wanted a two-colour factions, pseudo-Slavic city plane? Because that's super narrow, and yet it seems it's one of your favourite planes. How about you give a chance to those sets when they come instead dismissing them before seeing a single card?
The art and themes of the next two upcoming blocks look cool too.
No, you're right - they're just mockups.
Apparently, there are enough people wanting a Meso-American block hard enough that they're willing to suspend belief for a thread or two.
In reality, it could be anyway, but I would highly doubt that those last two are legit set names.
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It's probably both. They said it was to test "packaging design concepts", they didn't actually deny that it featured upcoming sets.
I kind of doubt they'd tease a block theme they don't plan on carrying out. The question is more when not if.
Couldn't agree more (although it's debatable whether artifact creatures are alive or not).
-- The Gatewatch
Given how many worlds are battle oriented, aka every world that isn't Lorwyn/Kaladesh, and how many worlds are fairly dark in theme, it's a nice change of pace to have a world that isn't bleak. We just got out of Innistrad.
And the use of artifacts between Mirrodin and Kaladesh is pretty different. Personally I prefer how Kaladesh does it.
Except they already know that a meso american world is very high on the short list for new worlds
And you'd have an argument if there was a noteworthy percent of planes which were devoid of conflict. Of the planes we've been to, all of two have had "no conflict". And one of them is only halfway in terms of counting, because Lorwyn has Shadowmoor, the two aren't separate planes, and Shadowmoor very much has conflict. Every other plane has had conflict. Varying degrees of it, it's a sliding scale, but there is zero reason to expect Amonkhet or the majority of other planes will not have conflict. Kaladesh is a change of pace, not the standard.
Theros naturally will have hoplites to defend, scenes reminiscent of the Trojan War (such as Launch the Fleet), and all that. If anything, hitting the popular tropes and seeing actual glimpses of the world of Theros itself proved more popular than just random battle scenes for the sake of it. Xenagos as a false god was the plot, and I loved the cards that highlighted that while still allowing us to see Theros in its natural state - its monsters, its Greek trope cards, its general idyllic environment and yes, even its soldiers. I don't doubt Innistrad was the same way - less cared about the conflict cards and more so for the horror tropes being hit and favorite tribal cards. If anything, the conflict aspects of the story detracted from seeing Innistrad itself, and this was not as favorable (Emrkaul and her influence, etc.).
I think certain planes should just showcase themselves in peacetime in the majority of cards. Capture the identity of a world independent of the story or conflict in the majority of the cards so we have a sense of being on a different world. And not just the same homogenous scene of conflict.
I wouldn't mind Return to Theros being more reminiscent of The Odyssey actually. I'd love to see Ajani and certain Gatewatch members embarking on a journey of discovery through the mythical land of Theros in an attempt to understand its gods and find the secrets of life and death in order to restore Elspeth. Facing challenges along the way, from monsters to god trials, various quests, etc. Involving the defeat of Ashiok somehow is warranted depending on how conservatively it's done. It'll be a shame if the return just ends up making one Neo-Walker OP even relative to the gods and making it all about the Planeswalker drama show with Theros as a backdrop for it all only. Especially if it gets trashed in the process like Innistrad and Zendikar were.
I'll wait to see how it's done, but I hope I won't end up resenting Ashiok being there. In a plane with actual gods, especially one like Heliod, it's a little silly having a Planeswalker - again - be the major villain. There's so much going on with Theros already with the murder of Elspeth, Ajani's preaching, the theft of the Bident, Xenagos and what he did, etc. A god of love born at the end of it would be lovely tho~
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Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
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That's also true with MM3. We need a modern frame for that card.
Given Atlantis is exceedingly unlikely to be referenced directly or on Atlazan you're going to be disappointed.
I've been obsessed with the elder dragon and his newer counter part ugin, and it's nice that since kahns we are now unraveling the larger plot that bolas has been scheming in the background. amonkhet will finally see what bolas has been working towards the whole time! I feel that mtg needs to have a larger underlying plot then the gatewatch and this is finally it.
as far as mesoamerica atlazan goes, bring it on! Pirates, merfolk, treasure and the natives all wage war for a secret treasure buried on skull island (swamp/island :D).