I'd like to open some discussion over how to sort various Ixalan cards into the four tribes, for the OCD flavor people like myself out there.
Most of the cards can be divided pretty easily into the four tribes, either by card function or art, with only a few falling into an "Unaffiliated" category:
Unclear Arcane Adaptation: Technically depicts a Pirate gaining the Merfolk tribe, so would this count as Pirate magic or Merfolk magic? Does it depend on whether this magic is being used by Merfolk to help a Pirate, or whether it's been stolen from a Merfolk and is now being used by Pirates? Dunno. Jace, Cunning Castaway: Technically he spends some time as a pirate, so maybe he belongs there? Either that or unaffiliated. Perilous Voyage, Thaumatic Compass: Likewise, these are "Jace story points," so not sure they belong to any given tribe. Pillar of Origins: Arguable that this depicts Merfolk?
Less Obvious Vampire Cards Encampment Keeper: Though the rest of the Keeper cycle is unaffiliated, this guy's art and flavor both peg him as a servant to the vampires. Dusk Legion Dreadnought: Dusk Legion is Vampires. Shadowed Caravel: Followed by darkness like the Dusk Legion Dreadnought. Looked it up, a caravel would have been an appropriate ship for a Spanish explorer during the Age of Exploration.
Less Obvious Merfolk Cards Cancel: Depicts a cannon being thwarted by a jade block. Jade magic is squarely Merfolk. Air Elemental: Jade magic again. Crushing Canopy: Flavor text indicates this is shaping at work.
Less Obvious Pirate Cards Entrancing Melody: In spite of a merfolk being prominently pictured, the story being told by the art is a Siren luring that Merfolk. Sirens are Pirate tribe in this block. Boneyard Parley: Not 100% sure on this, as this certainly feels a lot more like Vampire magic than Pirate, but that guy's clothing doesn't resemble the Vampire Conquistador clothing at all and looks like pretty normal Pirate garb. Duress: Being stranded on a boat feels like pirate punishment I'd assume. Cobbled Wings: You can see the boat beneath. Same sort of wings as the Storm Fleet Aerialist. Sleek Schooner: Fell Flagship is obvious, but I'm sorting this one pirate because the two vampire ships are followed with shadowy darkness, and this looks like something reasonable that pirates would captain.
Less Obvious Dinosaur Cards Sunbird's Invocation: Not 100% sure here either, but I'm assuming this is associated with the Sun Empire. Vanquisher's Banner: Technically usable with any tribe, but the banner clearly depicts the Sun Empire defeating the Dusk Legion.
Let me know if there's any you disagree with or anything I overlooked. I skipped a lot of the ones I thought were obvious, so if it's not up there, it can usually be figured out by looking to the art of flavor text.
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On 7/14/10, broke 1900 mark! <3 ROE.
I would have assumed Shadowed Caravel would be Merfolk. Mostly because of mechanical reasons - they are the tribe mostly associated with +1/+1 counters and exploring.
I would have assumed Shadowed Caravel would be Merfolk. Mostly because of mechanical reasons - they are the tribe mostly associated with +1/+1 counters and exploring.
I totally understand your reasoning though.
Merfolk are definitely the +1/+1 counter tribe, but they're definitely not the tribe with the most explore effects:
Though I would argue that the Fire Shrine Keeper is a part of the Sun Empire/Dinosaur faction because it is quite clearly a man-made construct (not entirely elemental), but does not align with the colours, designs, materials, or elements of the Merfolk—the only other faction that would have been present in Ixalan long enough ago or creative/powerful enough to have left behind such magical guardians at the continent's [presumably abandoned] shines.
Most of the cards can be divided pretty easily into the four tribes, either by card function or art, with only a few falling into an "Unaffiliated" category:
Unaffiliated
Ixalan's Binding
Settle the Wreckage
Favorable Winds: No idea here. It's got a quote from RW Huatli, but seems to depict a sort of dragon that we don't see anywhere else. I'm giving this one an unaffiliated.
Fleet Swallower
Shore Keeper
Blight Keeper
Dark Nourishment: I would have assumed this was a vampire card, but nope.
Lurking Chupacabra
Skittering Heartstopper
Spreading Rot: Not sure what this card is on about. Maybe something that'll become clearer in Rivals.
Fire Shrine Keeper
Star of Extinction
Blossom Dryad
Old-Growth Dryads
Verdant Rebirth: Debatable, since the magic is being used to save a merfolk.
Gilded Sentinel
Sentinel Totem
Field of Ruin
Unclaimed Territory
A lot of these are either local wildlife or sort of "ancient temple defenses."
Unclear
Arcane Adaptation: Technically depicts a Pirate gaining the Merfolk tribe, so would this count as Pirate magic or Merfolk magic? Does it depend on whether this magic is being used by Merfolk to help a Pirate, or whether it's been stolen from a Merfolk and is now being used by Pirates? Dunno.
Jace, Cunning Castaway: Technically he spends some time as a pirate, so maybe he belongs there? Either that or unaffiliated.
Perilous Voyage, Thaumatic Compass: Likewise, these are "Jace story points," so not sure they belong to any given tribe.
Pillar of Origins: Arguable that this depicts Merfolk?
Less Obvious Vampire Cards
Encampment Keeper: Though the rest of the Keeper cycle is unaffiliated, this guy's art and flavor both peg him as a servant to the vampires.
Dusk Legion Dreadnought: Dusk Legion is Vampires.
Shadowed Caravel: Followed by darkness like the Dusk Legion Dreadnought. Looked it up, a caravel would have been an appropriate ship for a Spanish explorer during the Age of Exploration.
Less Obvious Merfolk Cards
Cancel: Depicts a cannon being thwarted by a jade block. Jade magic is squarely Merfolk.
Air Elemental: Jade magic again.
Crushing Canopy: Flavor text indicates this is shaping at work.
Less Obvious Pirate Cards
Entrancing Melody: In spite of a merfolk being prominently pictured, the story being told by the art is a Siren luring that Merfolk. Sirens are Pirate tribe in this block.
Boneyard Parley: Not 100% sure on this, as this certainly feels a lot more like Vampire magic than Pirate, but that guy's clothing doesn't resemble the Vampire Conquistador clothing at all and looks like pretty normal Pirate garb.
Duress: Being stranded on a boat feels like pirate punishment I'd assume.
Cobbled Wings: You can see the boat beneath. Same sort of wings as the Storm Fleet Aerialist.
Sleek Schooner: Fell Flagship is obvious, but I'm sorting this one pirate because the two vampire ships are followed with shadowy darkness, and this looks like something reasonable that pirates would captain.
Less Obvious Dinosaur Cards
Sunbird's Invocation: Not 100% sure here either, but I'm assuming this is associated with the Sun Empire.
Vanquisher's Banner: Technically usable with any tribe, but the banner clearly depicts the Sun Empire defeating the Dusk Legion.
Let me know if there's any you disagree with or anything I overlooked. I skipped a lot of the ones I thought were obvious, so if it's not up there, it can usually be figured out by looking to the art of flavor text.
On 7/14/10, broke 1900 mark! <3 ROE.
I totally understand your reasoning though.
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Merfolk are definitely the +1/+1 counter tribe, but they're definitely not the tribe with the most explore effects:
Merfolk Explorers
Merfolk Branchwalker
Tishana's Wayfinder
Wildgrowth Walker (doesn't actually explore)
Dinosaur/Sun Empire Explorers
Emissary of Sunrise
Sunrise Seeker
Emperor's Vanguard
Ixalli's Diviner
Pirate Explorers
Siren Lookout
Deadeye Tracker
Dire Fleet Interloper
Brazen Buccaneers
Vampire Explorers
Queen's Agent
Seekers' Squire
Shadowed Caravel (doesn't actually explore)
On 7/14/10, broke 1900 mark! <3 ROE.
Though I would argue that the Fire Shrine Keeper is a part of the Sun Empire/Dinosaur faction because it is quite clearly a man-made construct (not entirely elemental), but does not align with the colours, designs, materials, or elements of the Merfolk—the only other faction that would have been present in Ixalan long enough ago or creative/powerful enough to have left behind such magical guardians at the continent's [presumably abandoned] shines.