Maybe a weird draft format, like a Large - Small - Large where we draft 3x Huey then Huey Huey Dewey then Dewey Louie Louie.
Triple Large would be interesting, but hard to see how it would work for draft do you draft 3x Huey, 3 x Duey, then huey Duey Louie or 3 x Louie
They other thought I have is a weird Timespiral or Colourshift block where we have like a Large Small Large mirror where the small acts as a change over and 2nd large is like a weird mirror of the first set. I'm thinking like a fringe parallel universe type thing
Maybe a weird draft format, like a Large - Small - Large where we draft 3x Huey then Huey Huey Dewey then Dewey Louie Louie.
I was thinking exactly that, except you would draft 3x Huey, then Dewey Huey Huey, then Louie Louie Dewey.
This way the small set acts as a bridge between both large sets and each set has a unique drafting experience. (Huey Huey Dewey would be too much like 3x Huey since you don't see any new cards to change your draft strategy until the third pack.)
This type of block structure would need advance planning because the amount of interaction between the three sets would need to be thought out before you locked in your fall set. Your Winter set needs to have cards that effect both large sets in different ways.
I've asked Maro if this block structure was possible on his Tumblr before (long before his article) but never received an answer. Note this doesn't mean anything as he can only answer such a small percent of asks.
They other thought I have is a weird Timespiral or Colourshift block where we have like a Large Small Large mirror where the small acts as a change over and 2nd large is like a weird mirror of the first set. I'm thinking like a fringe parallel universe type thing
This could be the flavor of the set too. Where you have a setting Huey, then something happens Dewey, and your new world is Louie
I was thinking some more and maybe the change will be to strength the ties between the core set and the block, the 3 things we learnt about were advanced design, m15 and block structure. I suspect that something they identified in advanced design resulted in some changes to how they did m15.
Could simple be strengthening the 10 colour pairs, but maybe we will see a lot more seeding of cards for the upcoming block.
As the OP quoted "unique block structure." We haven't seen a large-small-large set yet. I'm referring to draft structures. ROE and AVR does not count; they're standalones.
Large Large Large is my guess. We're going to see a more plot-heavy block with each set being on a different plane that's interconnected lore wise.
alternatively it'll be a set with significant time displacement between each one. Plane, Plane Being Conquered by a Single Warlord, Plane 200 years after being unified.
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The obvious option is something weird that begins with a small set. We all know the logistics of that are odd, but WotC has proven before that they're willing to buck the status quo is they believe it will work.
I personally think it might be something where each of the sets are dualities, smaller sets that are part of a larger whole, like Pokemon. Instead of getting Huey, we'd get Huey: Light Version and Huey: Dark Version, then the other two sets split similarly. I have no idea how this would work, though.
I am kind of amazed at [...] the fact that somebody on this thread called Mind's Eye, Mirari's Wake, Decree of Pain, Desertion, AND Scroll Rack, all before they were officially spoiled. I will edit this post VERY shortly with the username of this user who deserves at least all of the cookies. Probably more cookies than that.
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I'm referring to draft structures.
Three large sets being able to be drafted by themselves or together would be unique also. So draft options could look like Huey,H,H Dewey,D,D Louie,L,L H,H,D H,H,L D,D,H D,D,L L,L,H L,L,D or H,D,L.
Ramenth
alternatively it'll be a set with significant time displacement between each one. Plane, Plane Being Conquered by a Single Warlord, Plane 200 years after being unified.
The only problem with that is all the blocks take place chronologically to roughly now. And every set has at least 1 planeswalker in it. Meaning at least one set has to take place now story wise and the other sets have to take place in the distant past and distant future. Distant past has the problem of introducing walkers we'll never get to see again because they'd be dead of old age. Distant future has the problem that it can't use almost all of the current crew of walkers due to death from old age and introduces walkers we wont see again because they haven't been born yet. A 10 year gap between them would be more suitable.
i.e.-
Huey- Warlords have been fighting for some time. timeline- 10 year prior to now.
Dewey- Some Warlord defeated by/absorbed into other Warlord groups. A final battle is on the horizon. timeline-now
Louie- We learn what Warlord was victorious and how the plane has been since their reign. timeline- 10 years after now.
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"Unique block structure" doesn't have to be related to set size. It's possible that he's referring to the way in which the block unfolds its mechanics over three sets. For example, the "unique block structure" for Scars of Mirrodin was how you have two sides in a war, and one side slowly conquers the other. The unique structure that an advance team would've worked on is how to show the Phyrexians slowly taking over Mirrodin. The unique structure for Alara would be how five worlds come together, and so on.
I agree with this, a unique structure doesn't have to just mean the size of the sets, which they aren't likely to shake up too much, but can be thematically unique.
What comes to mind for me for a cool unique theme would be some way to quickly travel between planes. I think it'd be cool if they had a story similar to the Weatherlight Saga, in that they have a cast of characters on some sort of mission. The mission takes them to 3 different planes. The sets feel very different, but are tied together by the characters in the story visiting that plane.
This could be awesome because we could visit several of the never seen planes people want to see (and maybe even a quick revisit somewhere) without devoting an entire year to it.
Now that I think of it though, this would be best suited with set sizes Large-Large-Large.
It could very well also be a hint at a mechanic-heavy block somewhat on level of Lorwyn or Kamigawa -> however executed differently and perhaps not as tribal.
The only problem with that is all the blocks take place chronologically to roughly now. And every set has at least 1 planeswalker in it. Meaning at least one set has to take place now story wise and the other sets have to take place in the distant past and distant future. Distant past has the problem of introducing walkers we'll never get to see again because they'd be dead of old age. Distant future has the problem that it can't use almost all of the current crew of walkers due to death from old age and introduces walkers we wont see again because they haven't been born yet. A 10 year gap between them would be more suitable.
Au contraire. There's no reason to assume Set 1 and Set 2 wouldn't both be 'in the past.'
It's speculated that this set is the plane were Sarkhan is from. That means we can see Sarkhan as a kid when he first triggers in the first set, some new planeswalker in the second set, and then three 'modern day' walkers in the current set.
Effectively it turns the standard order we get 'walkers in on it's head.
Edit: Oh wait. Herpaderp. This is the set after Warlords of Khannar. Nevermind what I was saying.
Yeah; I'm going to echo Large Large Large with a tempest style 'Cast of characters go to multiple planes.' One of the common complaints that gets tossed around is that by the third set people are sick of the current plane. This would be a way to alleviate that.
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Just a note (I'm not saying it will happen, but it's something to keep in mind.) Legions and Alara Reborn had unique structure, and the only set slot they haven't done that in is the first slot.
Regardless, I'm excited. These things are usually interesting.
I still think that the closest we can ever possibly get to the experience of a sixth color is by starting a block off with only four and adding the fifth one in in the later sets. (That fifth color would almost have to be Blue, of course. "Wizards finally bans Island", and all that. And a blue-less setting just makes more sense than the alternatives, as a parched, desert environment without scholars. Taking out white or black looks more like letting the other of that pair dominate, taking out green feels too artifact-y, and I'm not even sure what an absence of red would even look like, other than an ice age, and that's already been done too.) That would certainly be unique...
I'd also be in favor of a 2 block set again, although would that count as unique?
I guess Time Spiral 2.0 or a 2 block set have both been done before, so what's unique?
4 block set? Ugh. Not sure I can handle that…unless the CORE is dropped for that year in order to return to a 'every 2 years' thing…in which case HOORAY!
I'm thinking small, small, small, and big (Scrooge McDuck style - set loaded with mystic rares like 10, then 3 uncommons and one common. enough gold that we can swim in them. that would be awesome and yet weird)
I'd also be in favor of a 2 block set again, although would that count as unique?
I guess Time Spiral 2.0 or a 2 block set have both been done before, so what's unique?
4 block set? Ugh. Not sure I can handle that…unless the CORE is dropped for that year in order to return to a 'every 2 years' thing…in which case HOORAY!
2 set block followed by core set followed by 4 set block followed by core set. Still core set every year.
2 set block takes place long before the events of the 4 set block.
I don't think the Huey block is going to be anything other than 3 sets. Besides, the OP says the fourth set is "the news", and it is really Huey Lewis and the News, not Huey Dewey Louie and the News.
I don't think WOTC will have a year without a core set.
I still think that the closest we can ever possibly get to the experience of a sixth color is by starting a block off with only four and adding the fifth one in in the later sets. (That fifth color would almost have to be Blue, of course. "Wizards finally bans Island", and all that. And a blue-less setting just makes more sense than the alternatives, as a parched, desert environment without scholars. Taking out white or black looks more like letting the other of that pair dominate, taking out green feels too artifact-y, and I'm not even sure what an absence of red would even look like, other than an ice age, and that's already been done too.) That would certainly be unique...
To be honest, after a discussion with a friend who is obsessed with doctor who, we decided that their universe appears to be non-green. We even decided on color pairs of the doctor (U/R), the cybermen (W/U), the Daleks (B/R) and the Weeping Angels (for some reason) (W/B).
Though yeah, I prefer the "We banned islands, hur dur!" idea.
It's so going to be a extra large large large block. I mean, M15's tagline is "Hunt Bigger Game", and your game of Magic can't be any bigger than having extra large large large after M15.
My speculation is that the large set will be two sets in one. It will have two distinct print runs with their own visibly distinct boosters, each with a different set of commons and uncommons that you can open. In a draft, packs will alternate factions (so that if you open a Red Team booster, the players on each side open Blue Team boosters).
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Legions and Alara Reborn had unique structure
Those where unique set structures within a block. MaRo stated block structure. As in its a block structure we haven't seen before. Since starting with a small set wouldn't work due to draft and overall not being able to support enough things by itself that's out. In fact the only way a small starting set could work is if they had it drafted with M15 but blocks are able to stand on their own due to having a first large set and core sets stand on their own while having support for the leaving block and the one about to come in.
The only block structure we've never had is large,large,large.
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What comes to mind for me for a cool unique theme would be some way to quickly travel between planes. I think it'd be cool if they had a story similar to the Weatherlight Saga, in that they have a cast of characters on some sort of mission. The mission takes them to 3 different planes. The sets feel very different, but are tied together by the characters in the story visiting that plane.
This could be awesome because we could visit several of the never seen planes people want to see (and maybe even a quick revisit somewhere) without devoting an entire year to it.
That could work very well with a large,large,large block structure. Karns returning to planes hes visited before to get rid of any phyrexians before they can gain any kind of foothold on said world. Three large sets could be three different worlds hes checking. They can even have their unique stuff and one mechanic shared between them like spellshapers for instance.
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Two abnormally large sets in a year as opposed to three for a block. Followed by a Core set in its usual slot. Except for the fact it's listed as three already... Nevermind lol
Or I'd agree with a previous posted that it's one block that visits multiple planes. Phyrexians, Eldrazi, and "???"
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Triple Large would be interesting, but hard to see how it would work for draft do you draft 3x Huey, 3 x Duey, then huey Duey Louie or 3 x Louie
They other thought I have is a weird Timespiral or Colourshift block where we have like a Large Small Large mirror where the small acts as a change over and 2nd large is like a weird mirror of the first set. I'm thinking like a fringe parallel universe type thing
Every expert-level set has a new mechanic.
I was thinking exactly that, except you would draft 3x Huey, then Dewey Huey Huey, then Louie Louie Dewey.
This way the small set acts as a bridge between both large sets and each set has a unique drafting experience. (Huey Huey Dewey would be too much like 3x Huey since you don't see any new cards to change your draft strategy until the third pack.)
This type of block structure would need advance planning because the amount of interaction between the three sets would need to be thought out before you locked in your fall set. Your Winter set needs to have cards that effect both large sets in different ways.
I've asked Maro if this block structure was possible on his Tumblr before (long before his article) but never received an answer. Note this doesn't mean anything as he can only answer such a small percent of asks.
This could be the flavor of the set too. Where you have a setting Huey, then something happens Dewey, and your new world is Louie
So the first set in Huey block will be large
Could simple be strengthening the 10 colour pairs, but maybe we will see a lot more seeding of cards for the upcoming block.
UR Melek, Izzet ParagonUR, B Shirei, Shizo's CaretakerB, R Jaya Ballard, Task MageR,RW Tajic, Blade of the LegionRW, UB Lazav, Dimir MastermindUB, UB Circu, Dimir LobotomistUB, RWU Zedruu the GreatheartedRWU, GUBThe MimeoplasmGUB, UGExperiment Kraj UG, WDarien, King of KjeldorW, BMarrow-GnawerB, WBGKarador, Ghost ChieftainWBG, UTeferi, Temporal ArchmageU, GWUDerevi, Empyrial TacticianGWU, RDaretti, Scrap SavantR, UTalrand, Sky SummonerU, GEzuri, Renegade LeaderG, WUBRGReaper KingWUBRG, RGXenagos, God of RevelsRG, CKozilek, Butcher of TruthC, WUBRGGeneral TazriWUBRG, GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
alternatively it'll be a set with significant time displacement between each one. Plane, Plane Being Conquered by a Single Warlord, Plane 200 years after being unified.
I personally think it might be something where each of the sets are dualities, smaller sets that are part of a larger whole, like Pokemon. Instead of getting Huey, we'd get Huey: Light Version and Huey: Dark Version, then the other two sets split similarly. I have no idea how this would work, though.
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Three large sets being able to be drafted by themselves or together would be unique also. So draft options could look like Huey,H,H Dewey,D,D Louie,L,L H,H,D H,H,L D,D,H D,D,L L,L,H L,L,D or H,D,L.
The only problem with that is all the blocks take place chronologically to roughly now. And every set has at least 1 planeswalker in it. Meaning at least one set has to take place now story wise and the other sets have to take place in the distant past and distant future. Distant past has the problem of introducing walkers we'll never get to see again because they'd be dead of old age. Distant future has the problem that it can't use almost all of the current crew of walkers due to death from old age and introduces walkers we wont see again because they haven't been born yet. A 10 year gap between them would be more suitable.
i.e.-
Huey- Warlords have been fighting for some time. timeline- 10 year prior to now.
Dewey- Some Warlord defeated by/absorbed into other Warlord groups. A final battle is on the horizon. timeline-now
Louie- We learn what Warlord was victorious and how the plane has been since their reign. timeline- 10 years after now.
BAfter the lights go out on you, after your worthless life is through. I will remember how you scream...B
UR Melek, Izzet ParagonUR, B Shirei, Shizo's CaretakerB, R Jaya Ballard, Task MageR,RW Tajic, Blade of the LegionRW, UB Lazav, Dimir MastermindUB, UB Circu, Dimir LobotomistUB, RWU Zedruu the GreatheartedRWU, GUBThe MimeoplasmGUB, UGExperiment Kraj UG, WDarien, King of KjeldorW, BMarrow-GnawerB, WBGKarador, Ghost ChieftainWBG, UTeferi, Temporal ArchmageU, GWUDerevi, Empyrial TacticianGWU, RDaretti, Scrap SavantR, UTalrand, Sky SummonerU, GEzuri, Renegade LeaderG, WUBRGReaper KingWUBRG, RGXenagos, God of RevelsRG, CKozilek, Butcher of TruthC, WUBRGGeneral TazriWUBRG, GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
I agree with this, a unique structure doesn't have to just mean the size of the sets, which they aren't likely to shake up too much, but can be thematically unique.
What comes to mind for me for a cool unique theme would be some way to quickly travel between planes. I think it'd be cool if they had a story similar to the Weatherlight Saga, in that they have a cast of characters on some sort of mission. The mission takes them to 3 different planes. The sets feel very different, but are tied together by the characters in the story visiting that plane.
This could be awesome because we could visit several of the never seen planes people want to see (and maybe even a quick revisit somewhere) without devoting an entire year to it.
Now that I think of it though, this would be best suited with set sizes Large-Large-Large.
Au contraire. There's no reason to assume Set 1 and Set 2 wouldn't both be 'in the past.'
It's speculated that this set is the plane were Sarkhan is from. That means we can see Sarkhan as a kid when he first triggers in the first set, some new planeswalker in the second set, and then three 'modern day' walkers in the current set.
Effectively it turns the standard order we get 'walkers in on it's head.
Edit: Oh wait. Herpaderp. This is the set after Warlords of Khannar. Nevermind what I was saying.
Yeah; I'm going to echo Large Large Large with a tempest style 'Cast of characters go to multiple planes.' One of the common complaints that gets tossed around is that by the third set people are sick of the current plane. This would be a way to alleviate that.
Regardless, I'm excited. These things are usually interesting.
I'd be in favor of it.
I'd also be in favor of a 2 block set again, although would that count as unique?
I guess Time Spiral 2.0 or a 2 block set have both been done before, so what's unique?
4 block set? Ugh. Not sure I can handle that…unless the CORE is dropped for that year in order to return to a 'every 2 years' thing…in which case HOORAY!
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What is going to happen in the Next 100 days!!!
2 set block followed by core set followed by 4 set block followed by core set. Still core set every year.
2 set block takes place long before the events of the 4 set block.
I don't think the Huey block is going to be anything other than 3 sets. Besides, the OP says the fourth set is "the news", and it is really Huey Lewis and the News, not Huey Dewey Louie and the News.
I don't think WOTC will have a year without a core set.
To be honest, after a discussion with a friend who is obsessed with doctor who, we decided that their universe appears to be non-green. We even decided on color pairs of the doctor (U/R), the cybermen (W/U), the Daleks (B/R) and the Weeping Angels (for some reason) (W/B).
Though yeah, I prefer the "We banned islands, hur dur!" idea.
Those where unique set structures within a block. MaRo stated block structure. As in its a block structure we haven't seen before. Since starting with a small set wouldn't work due to draft and overall not being able to support enough things by itself that's out. In fact the only way a small starting set could work is if they had it drafted with M15 but blocks are able to stand on their own due to having a first large set and core sets stand on their own while having support for the leaving block and the one about to come in.
The only block structure we've never had is large,large,large.
That could work very well with a large,large,large block structure. Karns returning to planes hes visited before to get rid of any phyrexians before they can gain any kind of foothold on said world. Three large sets could be three different worlds hes checking. They can even have their unique stuff and one mechanic shared between them like spellshapers for instance.
BAfter the lights go out on you, after your worthless life is through. I will remember how you scream...B
Or I'd agree with a previous posted that it's one block that visits multiple planes. Phyrexians, Eldrazi, and "???"