That is a really, really cool design for a ninja. I love all these diverse ninjas we're getting, too...Zombie Ninja, Vedalken Ninja, and now a Naga Ninja.
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Like all other Ninjas in this set ... cool abilities, but (at the risk of starting to sound like a broken record here) the art just makes me scratch my head. Apparently all artists just phone in a generic medieval European city background unless being specifically told not to do so. Like, I'm OK with seeing Ninjas from a different planes, but why wouldn't you go for a setting that's culturally closer, to ... you know ... the place where the word for the thing you're painting is coming from?
Like all other Ninjas in this set ... cool abilities, but (at the risk of starting to sound like a broken record here) the art just makes me scratch my head. Apparently all artists just phone in a generic medieval European city background unless being specifically told not to do so. Like, I'm OK with seeing Ninjas from a different planes, but why wouldn't you go for a setting that's culturally closer, to ... you know ... the place where the word for the thing you're painting is coming from?
I really think you hit the nail on the head. All of these cards feel like there’s some serious disconnect between the art and card. I think the art from Ingenious Infiltrator is the most egregious though.
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Like all other Ninjas in this set ... cool abilities, but (at the risk of starting to sound like a broken record here) the art just makes me scratch my head. Apparently all artists just phone in a generic medieval European city background unless being specifically told not to do so. Like, I'm OK with seeing Ninjas from a different planes, but why wouldn't you go for a setting that's culturally closer, to ... you know ... the place where the word for the thing you're painting is coming from?
They are infiltrating/spying on a foreign region.
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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"
Yeah, that's the obvious explanation for patching up the disconnect. It sounds like a pretty lame attempt at defense to me though. I don't mean to say there's no way Ninjas and European architecture could ever be combined in a fantasy setting. But they're making single cards here, without any accompanying story or greater world concept behind them. Heck, the cards don't even have flavor text. Granted, that's because Ninjutsu takes up so much space, but still ... with restrictions like that, why go against what people would (reasonably) expect? All things considered, you'd think they'd go with the classic Ninja trope, which usually includes a) classic (e.g. evocative, however unrealistic it may be) "Ninja attire" and b) an Asian or Asian-inspired setting. Pretty much the only thing that identifies the newly spoiled Ninjas as "Ninjas" at all is the presence of Katanas (or similar bladed weapons, whatever they may be called) somewhere in their art. Remove those and the characters could literally all be random rogues from generic fantasy plane #9324. It just doesn't feel right.
Yeah, that's the obvious explanation for patching up the disconnect. It sounds like a pretty lame attempt at defense to me though. I don't mean to say there's no way Ninjas and European architecture couldn't ever be combined in a fantasy setting. But they're making single cards here, without any accompanying story or greater world concept behind them. Heck, the cards don't even have flavor text. Granted, that's because Ninjutsu takes up so much space, but still ... with restrictions like that, why go against what people would (reasonably) expect? All things considered, you'd think they'd go with the classic Ninja trope, which usually includes a) classic (e.g. evocative, however unrealistic it may be) "Ninja attire" and b) an Asian or Asian-inspired setting. Pretty much the only thing that identifies the newly spoiled Ninjas as "Ninjas" at all is the presence of Katanas (or similar bladed weapons, whatever they may be called) somewhere in their art. Remove those and the characters could literally all be random rogues from generic fantasy plane #9324. It just doesn't feel right.
I agree with your point, I was trying saying how I could justify ninjas in a non-asain inspired setting.
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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"
Technically, there were Europeans in Japan during the first part of the Tokugawa bakufu, before Tokugawa Iemitsu set up the isolation policy in response to the Shimabara rebellion. What they weren't was numerous. I'm not sure about the details for Portuguese missionaries, but there was an enclosure in Nagasaki for Dutch traders. It's not out of the question for the naga to be investigating just such an enclosure, given the art. But something tells me the Ingenious Infiltrator is in a place bigger than the Nagasaki enclosure.
IMO Ninjas are an Asian form of the European/American Rogue mixed with Assassin...so perhaps there are other planes that call their rogues Ninjas. Or there are planeswalkers who found Kamigawa and their ninjas, and brought the art of Ninjutsu to other planes. Just like how Exalted appears in multiple planes aside from Bant, I think Ninjutsu could have spread by being introduced or by separate development by minds that think alike.
Whatever the background is I'm happy it's back and with decent representation!
i dunno i guess i dont really have a baseline for snake men ninjas wielding katanas. background could be on a spaceship, a boat, or hell just give em some cowboy hats with some tumbleweeds rolling by. my reaction would probably be the same
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Modern: UWGSnow-Bant Control BURGrixis Death's Shadow GWBCoCo Elves WCDeath and Taxes (sold)
Apparently all artists just phone in a generic medieval European city background unless being specifically told not to do so. Like, I'm OK with seeing Ninjas from a different planes, but why wouldn't you go for a setting that's culturally closer, to ... you know ... the place where the word for the thing you're painting is coming from?
"make the setting as generic as possible", i bet that's what they told to artist.
They want to give us new ninja "tropes" (steampunk ninja, necromancy and ninjas, and so on) but without giving us too much details.
first one is probably because a japanese setting would just create endless "OMG is this kamigawa? why is not kamigawa? will we go back to kamigawa?" questions. they want to do ninjas without being tide to kamigawa.
second one is they don't want to create expectations. so if one we go to this naga's plane, we can't say "hey, there was this detail in the card, why it's not there now that we are visiting this world?"
To be quick, they want to be as free as possible
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How i feel about competitive players and casual players in EDH: The competitive are german tourists, the casual are italian tourists, both in a italian beach. The italians asking themselves "why are the germans here?" make a legitimate question, the answer is because the beach is beautiful, no matter the country you came from. The italians wanting to ban the germans are dumb, because if the germans pay for their stay and follow the rules like everyone else, they have the right to be in the beach. Hovewer, if the germans started to ask themselves "why are the italians here?"... they would be dumb as hell.
I personally can't stand these new ninja. It's just grating.
Ninja were a super cool thing that Kamigawa had exclusively going for it, mechanically and flavor-wise. Yuriko was awesome, Sakashima's student was like seeing an old friend. They fit with the Japanese theme and Kamigawa's unique planar identity.
But now, naga ninja? Vedalken ninja? I'm not saying it CAN'T happen. Planeswalkers could have spread knowledge of the ninja arts among the planes. But flavorfully,this is taking one of the big things that made Kamigawa unique and diluting it among foreign planes and creature types
For fans of Kamigawa, who will likely never see a return to one of our favorite planes (even after second visits to Zendikar and Innistrad and three to Ravnica), the most we can look forward to are whatever crumbs they toss us to expand the world. Crumbs like O-Kagachi, Yuriko, and Silent-Blade Oni. And I get it - Kamigawa has its loyal cult following, but it wasn't successful enough of a block to justify a return. It's just the way things are, so crumbs are fine.
So when I heared that we were getting new ninja, I was super psyched for more Kamigawa. Turns out I'm Charlie Brown, and WotC is Lucy with the football.
I personally can't stand these new ninja. It's just grating.
Ninja were a super cool thing that Kamigawa had exclusively going for it, mechanically and flavor-wise. Yuriko was awesome, Sakashima's student was like seeing an old friend. They fit with the Japanese theme and Kamigawa's unique planar identity.
But now, naga ninja? Vedalken ninja? I'm not saying it CAN'T happen. Planeswalkers could have spread knowledge of the ninja arts among the planes. But flavorfully,this is taking one of the big things that made Kamigawa unique and diluting it among foreign planes and creature types
For fans of Kamigawa, who will likely never see a return to one of our favorite planes (even after second visits to Zendikar and Innistrad and three to Ravnica), the most we can look forward to are whatever crumbs they toss us to expand the world. Crumbs like O-Kagachi, Yuriko, and Silent-Blade Oni. And I get it - Kamigawa has its loyal cult following, but it wasn't successful enough of a block to justify a return. It's just the way things are, so crumbs are fine.
So when I heared that we were getting new ninja, I was super psyched for more Kamigawa. Turns out I'm Charlie Brown, and WotC is Lucy with the football.
I know it's rather unrelated, but given the 2020 Olympic games in Japan there's going to be a lot of focus on Japan and Japanese culture next year. It's always been pretty popular, so maybe that would be a good time to bank on the Japanese vibes.
I think it would be cool.
Creature - Naga Ninja
Ninjutsu 2U
Whenever ~ deals combat damage to a player, create a token that's a copy of ~.
3/1
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Have you seen me commander deck linked in my signature? *shameless self promotion* This probably boots Sakashima's Student out of my deck tbh.
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Numquam evolutioni obstes. Solum conculceris.
Pascite draconem, evolvite aut morimini.
This is going in my Yuriko deck for sure.
I really think you hit the nail on the head. All of these cards feel like there’s some serious disconnect between the art and card. I think the art from Ingenious Infiltrator is the most egregious though.
-Modern-
WMartyrProcB
BBurnR
-Commander-
They are infiltrating/spying on a foreign region.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
I agree with your point, I was trying saying how I could justify ninjas in a non-asain inspired setting.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Could it be Tarkir this time?
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
Whatever the background is I'm happy it's back and with decent representation!
UWGSnow-Bant Control
BURGrixis Death's Shadow
GWBCoCo Elves
WCDeath and Taxes(sold)"make the setting as generic as possible", i bet that's what they told to artist.
They want to give us new ninja "tropes" (steampunk ninja, necromancy and ninjas, and so on) but without giving us too much details.
first one is probably because a japanese setting would just create endless "OMG is this kamigawa? why is not kamigawa? will we go back to kamigawa?" questions. they want to do ninjas without being tide to kamigawa.
second one is they don't want to create expectations. so if one we go to this naga's plane, we can't say "hey, there was this detail in the card, why it's not there now that we are visiting this world?"
To be quick, they want to be as free as possible
Ninja were a super cool thing that Kamigawa had exclusively going for it, mechanically and flavor-wise. Yuriko was awesome, Sakashima's student was like seeing an old friend. They fit with the Japanese theme and Kamigawa's unique planar identity.
But now, naga ninja? Vedalken ninja? I'm not saying it CAN'T happen. Planeswalkers could have spread knowledge of the ninja arts among the planes. But flavorfully,this is taking one of the big things that made Kamigawa unique and diluting it among foreign planes and creature types
For fans of Kamigawa, who will likely never see a return to one of our favorite planes (even after second visits to Zendikar and Innistrad and three to Ravnica), the most we can look forward to are whatever crumbs they toss us to expand the world. Crumbs like O-Kagachi, Yuriko, and Silent-Blade Oni. And I get it - Kamigawa has its loyal cult following, but it wasn't successful enough of a block to justify a return. It's just the way things are, so crumbs are fine.
So when I heared that we were getting new ninja, I was super psyched for more Kamigawa. Turns out I'm Charlie Brown, and WotC is Lucy with the football.
I know it's rather unrelated, but given the 2020 Olympic games in Japan there's going to be a lot of focus on Japan and Japanese culture next year. It's always been pretty popular, so maybe that would be a good time to bank on the Japanese vibes.
I think it would be cool.
(U/B)(U/B)(U/B) JUMP IN THE LINE, ROCK YOUR BODY IN TIME
(R/W)(R/W)(R/W) RISING FROM THE NEON GLOOM, SHINING LIKE A CRAZY MOON
(U/R)(R/G)(G/U) STEALIN' WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUYIN'