I took it to be just some random phyrexian ship. This would put the artwork during the Invasion. In fact when I first looked at it, before noticing the wreck in the background, I assumed it's showing Teferi's Protection (or rather the same event but a different card) from the other side. And that is now my headcanon until proven otherwise.
I took it to be just some random phyrexian ship. This would put the artwork during the Invasion. In fact when I first looked at it, before noticing the wreck in the background, I assumed it's showing Teferi's Protection (or rather the same event but a different card) from the other side. And that is now my headcanon until proven otherwise.
Indeed
That art could just be nothing more than his planeswalker card
While I know that there are a whole bunch of cool and valuable cards with funky protection, I really do think that it’s going to be Horizon Drake
Protection from players and protection from everything exist on several cards but protection from lands only exists in this one place... and it would be an excellent plant before traveling to Zendikar, home of man-lands.
Runed Halo is a bit more spicy as far as cards with unique protections (and is exactly the sort of niche sideboard card that wizards loves shoving in core sets) but my bet is ultimately on the drake.
I did a deeper dive on the protection hint and found some other possibilities. The word Maro used was "unique" and I feel like he's generally been rather precise in the language for these hints, so it should be a type of protection that appears on exactly one card. "Unique" still as some ambiguities, though, i.e. is "Vampires" unique from "Vampires, Werewolves, and Zombies", or are all "Protection from <list of creature types>" one "kind of protection"? The most likely answers I can find are:
Of these, "Lands", "Non-humans" and "CMC 3 or greater" seem to be the best fit for "unique". I like the idea that pro-lands would be interesting in standard with Zendikar coming, but wouldn't it be confusing to newer players if it does nothing in its own set? Though I guess "confusing new players" and "protection" aren't good bedfellows to begin with. At this point I'd have to bet on Baneslayer Angel, despite how it strains "uniqueness".
A character with a Vanguard card and a legendary creature card gets a second of the latter. - Most likely Barrin, which will probably be previewed by Tolarian Community College on Monday
A card with thirty-one different options.
A popular aura that started as part of a cycle. - I think I read somewhere on reddit, that we got that one already, but I’m not sure which card it is.
A card from the Time Spiraltimeshifted sheet.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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Thanks to DarkNightCavalier from Heroes of the Plane Studios for this sick Signature.
A character with a Vanguard card and a legendary creature card gets a second of the latter. - Most likely Barrin, which will probably be previewed by Tolarian Community College on Monday
Pretty sure the Snoop counts, it is skill borrower yes but a subset of that. It still fits - "activated abilities of a certain subset of cards in a place never done before" can mean activated abilities of goblins from the library. I'd be quite surprised if we also were getting a card that makes you play with your hand revealed and gets activated abilities of creatures in your hand. We are nearly out of rare spots, and it is a pretty complex mechanic.
I think the only possible big news left is what the "two reprints played in tournaments with lots of reprintings" turn out to be - duress and negate would be they boring an unexciting options, lightning bolt and birds of paradise would be the exciting, flashy, possibly unbalancing standard and pioneer options (what also were previously rumored by a source who has been proven correct on everything else). I still think those would be mistakes for standard, but I also don't think duress and negate count as "fun" reprints worth being teasted by MaRo.
Edit: number crunch confirms that birds is not in the set. Lightning bolt seems unlikely too at this point, though it appears to still be possible.
After not having played for over 10 years and seeing this core set: It looks like they have stepped up the power level and plan on keeping it that way for a while. I jumped back into Magic when Theros came out and am now pretty fluent in Standard. Seeing this core set is making me excited! I've already pre-ordered 2 boxes.
Generally an increased power level is normally better than low power level. There's certainly been too many mistakes in the past year of cards you just wonder how they ever slipped through the net, but at same time you need to have some mistakes otherwise you probably aren't pushing the envelope enough. A higher power level normally leads to an improved experience in all sides too, like if you think back at like Ixalan block, it was a terrible limited format as well as 2 sets that really only contain a handful of good cards between them. From experience low power level sets normally sell worse at all levels, less people buy boxes and less people attend drafts at FNM and so on.
Core Set 2021 looks fine, it did kind of get previewed in a top heavy way with them loading up the good stuff early as we've seen before, but they're also reprinting things that actually needed reprints that will actually bring the price down which is always appreciated and not always been true of Core Sets. Core Sets have often been disappointing, but honestly this is probably the 2nd best one after Core Set 2011. The only thing I'd really point towards being a disappointment is the land cycle which I strongly thought they would fill out one of the uneven Pioneer cycles, instead they gave us completion in Standard of pretty much the worst rare land cycle around.
Generally an increased power level is normally better than low power level. There's certainly been too many mistakes in the past year of cards you just wonder how they ever slipped through the net, but at same time you need to have some mistakes otherwise you probably aren't pushing the envelope enough. A higher power level normally leads to an improved experience in all sides too, like if you think back at like Ixalan block, it was a terrible limited format as well as 2 sets that really only contain a handful of good cards between them. From experience low power level sets normally sell worse at all levels, less people buy boxes and less people attend drafts at FNM and so on.
Yes, higher power sets sell better, so WotC is incentivized to print them. Yes, higher powered cards excite players more than lower powered cards.
However higher powered card pools do not lead to improved experiences on all sides. Games are over faster, games are more subject to the random effects of the draw/shuffle and to the external effects of the wallet, as higher powered cards command higher prices. These are not ubiquitously positive.
Add to that the fact that "higher power" is relative to the rest of the card pool. That isn't an unlimited well you can tap- power creep must eventually be hit with a reset button of lower powered sets (usually right after a rotation) so that the next set can have its "higher powered" threshold reset to that lower power level.
Personally, I like lower powered set. Leaves more room for strategy and lower entry barriers.
Generally an increased power level is normally better than low power level. There's certainly been too many mistakes in the past year of cards you just wonder how they ever slipped through the net, but at same time you need to have some mistakes otherwise you probably aren't pushing the envelope enough. A higher power level normally leads to an improved experience in all sides too, like if you think back at like Ixalan block, it was a terrible limited format as well as 2 sets that really only contain a handful of good cards between them. From experience low power level sets normally sell worse at all levels, less people buy boxes and less people attend drafts at FNM and so on.
Yes, higher power sets sell better, so WotC is incentivized to print them. Yes, higher powered cards excite players more than lower powered cards.
However higher powered card pools do not lead to improved experiences on all sides. Games are over faster, games are more subject to the random effects of the draw/shuffle and to the external effects of the wallet, as higher powered cards command higher prices. These are not ubiquitously positive.
Add to that the fact that "higher power" is relative to the rest of the card pool. That isn't an unlimited well you can tap- power creep must eventually be hit with a reset button of lower powered sets (usually right after a rotation) so that the next set can have its "higher powered" threshold reset to that lower power level.
Personally, I like lower powered set. Leaves more room for strategy and lower entry barriers.
High powered doesn't necessarily mean more expensive at all. That's only true if they load all the power at mythic. It's one of the reasons I am also glad at the same time recently they've started powering up the common slot again, as they'd gone way too far down the road of making anything decent uncommon+, it's that that hurts the wallet more if to have anything close to a competitive deck you've got to shell out for 40+ rares/mythics. Indeed you can see this recently, the Ixalan standard was more expensive than the current standard even though the decks being played were significantly weaker.
Went through the full list before skimming the thread; apologies if I missed something someone said. I also haven't followed any other leaks or rumors lately, so may be offbase.
• A brand new planeswalker (from a plane we’ve visited)
- I'm guessing they're from Zendikar, as a teaser for the fall set and/or because they there wasn't enough Planewalker slots in Zendikar Resurgance.
X Wrong
• A card that lets you draw half of your library.
- Mostly jk: "Search your library for 2 cards with different names, exile the rest, then put those cards back on top in a random order. Draw a card."
X Wrong
• A +1/+1 tribal lord for a creature type that’s never had one. (A creature type with over fifty cards already in print.)
-I like the hound discussion but Spider's also passed the 50 mark and lordless.
X Wrong
• A character with a Vanguard card and a legendary creature card gets a second of the latter.
Possibilities are: Karn, Maraxus, Barrin, Hanna, Orim, Selenia, Starke, Eladamri, Rofellos, Sidar Kondo, Silver Queen, Mishra, Tawnos, Urza, Xantch. I expect Eladamri or Refellos.
X Listed but not guessed
• A card with thirty-one different options.
My idea was single color and non-land permanent type, which is 5x6=30 options, with something like cycling as the 31th. I much prefer the simple "choose any combination of up to 5 colors" suggestion.
X Wrong
• A card that gains all activated abilities of a certain subset of cards in a place it’s never done it before.
I think it has to be hand, e.g. "Play with your hand revealed. ~ has all activated abilities of cards in your hand." Sideboard fits the description but is awkward in Sealed and does nothing in Commander (which isn't an actual problem, except they've been trying to support that format more and more).
- Question thrown out, as I either the question was poorly worded or Maro forgot Skill Borrower
• A card that uses a nonevergreen named ability over twenty years old.
Some possibilities: Phasing, Landwalk, Rampage, Shadow, Fear (the ability is 20+ years old even though the name is not). Phasing seems likely, maybe in Mythic Teferi's Ult. I could also see Landwalk on a rare creature.
√ CORRECT
• A card with the words “battlefield”, “cast”, “creature”, “converted mana cost”, “end of turn”, “exile”, “graveyard” and “mana cost”.
Simplest design I could think of that fits:
"You may cast ~ as though it had flash if <something>
Return target creature card with converted mana cost X from your graveyard to the battlefield. It gains haste until end of turn. Exile it at end of turn or if it would leave the battleflied."
X Wrong
• An aura inspired from a cycle from Urza’s Sagablock
Either the "Return to hand" cycle or the "2, sac: draw" cycle. I suspect the former.
X Wrong
• A nonevergreen enchantment subtype returns
Pretty easy Shrine over Saga or Cartouche, imo.
√ Correct
• A popular character first introduced in flavor text. Saffi Eriksdotter was my first thought but "popular" makes me think it's Fblthp, the Lost. Didn't know about Ugin/Ghostfire until reading the thread: Khan's Ugin might be too strong and War to recent/complex with the static, though.
X Wrong
• A card with a unique protection.
Only options I could find were Mistmeadow Skulk (Pro cmc3+) or Baneslayer Angel (Pro demons). Pro Enchant, Pro Everything, and Pro Instants have all been used multiple times, unless Maro missed/didn't count one of those.
X Wrong
• Two cards played in tournaments that have been reprinted over twenty times with at least five different pieces of art
I guess only two of the five basic lands are in the set
Any two of Unsummon, Llanowar Elves and Giant Growth are likely, more so imo than Lightning Bolt and Birds of Paradise. Remember that there are limited tournaments as well (or used to be :frown:), so "played in tournaments" is a pretty weak restriction.
X X Wrong
• A card that’s never previously appeared in a premier set.
Rather open ended, I suspect a commander staple over e.g. something from MH1. Thought Vessel feels like a core set card, Patron of the Vein is a nice Vampire Lord, Song of the Dryads answers Theros Gods, Primal Vigor would help sell the set.
X Wrong
• A card that’s never been reprinted before which has a 2, 3, 5 and 6 all appear on the card. Massacre Wurm fits, but I think Xathrid Gorgon is more likely.
½ Half point
• A card from the Time Spiraltimeshifted sheet. Withered Wretch jumps out as a metagame brake on Escape.
½ Half point for correctly guessing graveyard hate
And the second art is definitely the key art of the booster
I took it to be just some random phyrexian ship. This would put the artwork during the Invasion. In fact when I first looked at it, before noticing the wreck in the background, I assumed it's showing Teferi's Protection (or rather the same event but a different card) from the other side. And that is now my headcanon until proven otherwise.
Indeed
That art could just be nothing more than his planeswalker card
I did a deeper dive on the protection hint and found some other possibilities. The word Maro used was "unique" and I feel like he's generally been rather precise in the language for these hints, so it should be a type of protection that appears on exactly one card. "Unique" still as some ambiguities, though, i.e. is "Vampires" unique from "Vampires, Werewolves, and Zombies", or are all "Protection from <list of creature types>" one "kind of protection"? The most likely answers I can find are:
Lands: Horizon Drake
Demons (& Dragons): Baneslayer Angel
Werewolves (& Vampires & Zombies): Elite Inquisitor
Sorceries (& Instants): Devoted Caretaker
Vampires (only): Midnight Duelist
Non-humans: Spare from Evil
CMC 3 or greater: Mistmeadow Skulk
Of these, "Lands", "Non-humans" and "CMC 3 or greater" seem to be the best fit for "unique". I like the idea that pro-lands would be interesting in standard with Zendikar coming, but wouldn't it be confusing to newer players if it does nothing in its own set? Though I guess "confusing new players" and "protection" aren't good bedfellows to begin with. At this point I'd have to bet on Baneslayer Angel, despite how it strains "uniqueness".
Each of your opponents: Cliffside Rescuer
Monocolored: Guardian of the Guildpact
Elves: Nath's Buffoon
Rats: Hungry Lynx
Kavu: Shoreline Raider
Legends: Tsabo Tavoc
Humans: Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
"Own" colors: Earnest Fellowship
Clerics: Fallen Cleric
Non-spirits: Harbinger of Spring
Spirits and Arcane: Kitsune Riftwalker
Beasts: Riptide Biologist
Snow: Ronom Hulk
https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/the-rumor-mill/817575-m21-leaks
The answer is Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
The answer is Baneslayer angel
The answer is Massacre Wurm (this will probably be appearing in edh alot more now)
Also Chandra is the red walker
And teferi was partly correct
What we are still missing
Thanks to DarkNightCavalier from Heroes of the Plane Studios for this sick Signature.
It is barrin
https://mobile.twitter.com/themanagayser/status/1270742066335711241
And yes I think tolarian community college is the previewer might be a Edh deck tech video
Edit: Maxxie is right I forgot tormod's crypt is on the timeshifted sheet
The reprint from timeshifted sheet is tormod's crypt I guess
Edit: I think the aura part of a cycle is an umbra aura
No it is Runed Halo maro did teasers for half the new cards and half for reprints
The protection was in the reprint zone
Oh the 31 choices I feel like Barrin gonna end up with it and we know it’s not Chromatic Orrery because the CCCCC that’s 125 combinations not 31
Barrin is the vanguard lege d
The last one is the other card for the 20 printings with 5 alt arts
(first one is duress)
Pretty sure the Snoop counts, it is skill borrower yes but a subset of that. It still fits - "activated abilities of a certain subset of cards in a place never done before" can mean activated abilities of goblins from the library. I'd be quite surprised if we also were getting a card that makes you play with your hand revealed and gets activated abilities of creatures in your hand. We are nearly out of rare spots, and it is a pretty complex mechanic.
I think the only possible big news left is what the "two reprints played in tournaments with lots of reprintings" turn out to be - duress and negate would be they boring an unexciting options, lightning bolt and birds of paradise would be the exciting, flashy, possibly unbalancing standard and pioneer options (what also were previously rumored by a source who has been proven correct on everything else). I still think those would be mistakes for standard, but I also don't think duress and negate count as "fun" reprints worth being teasted by MaRo.
Edit: number crunch confirms that birds is not in the set. Lightning bolt seems unlikely too at this point, though it appears to still be possible.
Member of House Dimir
Core Set 2021 looks fine, it did kind of get previewed in a top heavy way with them loading up the good stuff early as we've seen before, but they're also reprinting things that actually needed reprints that will actually bring the price down which is always appreciated and not always been true of Core Sets. Core Sets have often been disappointing, but honestly this is probably the 2nd best one after Core Set 2011. The only thing I'd really point towards being a disappointment is the land cycle which I strongly thought they would fill out one of the uneven Pioneer cycles, instead they gave us completion in Standard of pretty much the worst rare land cycle around.
Are you guys still mad about the enemy temple
They couldn’t accepted the enemy temples rotating when the ally ones dont
Yes, higher power sets sell better, so WotC is incentivized to print them. Yes, higher powered cards excite players more than lower powered cards.
However higher powered card pools do not lead to improved experiences on all sides. Games are over faster, games are more subject to the random effects of the draw/shuffle and to the external effects of the wallet, as higher powered cards command higher prices. These are not ubiquitously positive.
Add to that the fact that "higher power" is relative to the rest of the card pool. That isn't an unlimited well you can tap- power creep must eventually be hit with a reset button of lower powered sets (usually right after a rotation) so that the next set can have its "higher powered" threshold reset to that lower power level.
Personally, I like lower powered set. Leaves more room for strategy and lower entry barriers.
High powered doesn't necessarily mean more expensive at all. That's only true if they load all the power at mythic. It's one of the reasons I am also glad at the same time recently they've started powering up the common slot again, as they'd gone way too far down the road of making anything decent uncommon+, it's that that hurts the wallet more if to have anything close to a competitive deck you've got to shell out for 40+ rares/mythics. Indeed you can see this recently, the Ixalan standard was more expensive than the current standard even though the decks being played were significantly weaker.
The other card for the 20 prints 5 alts it's nothing more than cancel
Most surprising result to me is Prowess returning;
Cancel has 16 printings.
Shock has 16 printings.
All according to gatherer.
So none of them qualify for what he hinted at........
Weird. On Scryfall Shock has 19, Cancel 21 and Duress 23. Looks like SF includes some promo printings that gatherer doesn't have.
Guess we know which card database Maro uses