Considering what has been revealed so far, I'm calling it now: Dragons of Tarkir will focus on 2 color combinations (with a cycle of 10 dragons).
-This would explain why the clans were centered on one of the allied colors instead of the enemy colors. This way each clan can split in two 2-color combination covering all of them (each clan's combination would have the central color). See:
Clans centered on the enemy color
Abzan (black): BW and BG
Jeskai (red): RW and RU
Sultai (green) BG and GU
Mardu (white): RW and BW
Temur (blue): GU and RU
Clans centered on one of the allied colors (as it is)
Abzan (white): WG and WB
Jeskai (blue): UW and UR
Sultai (black): BU and BG
Mardu (red): RB and RW
Temur (green): GR and GU
In the first case only enemy combinations exist and each one appears in two clans. In the second case all ten combinations exist and each one is unique to a single clan. This arrange also leads to a second reason to believe in this:
-This works pretty well with Fate Reforged "hybrid wedge" cards.
We have one spoiled card like this. It is a green Temur card with a U/R hybrid activated ability. Considering how the colors were split among the clans a card like Yasova could see play in both Temur "sub-combinations" (a UG deck and a GR deck).
-While not having more wedge cards, the clans would still be recognized by the 3 color combinations that defines them since they would be the sum of two 2-color combinations with a color in common. The central color would still be in evidence.
We can clearly see thet GW and BW lands are Abzan themed, BR and WR lands are Mardu themed, and so on... (well, the arts from KTK already hint on the same clans, but the FRF are even clearer)
-Finally, we already got that hing from Dig Through Time art directions talking about an UB dragon.
Well, they have 15 slots for them. 10 dragons could fit. Alternativitly they could do only the allied dragons and the other half of each clan would represent a Khan-based faction.
Fate Reforged on the other hand only gets 10 mythic. One of them is Ugin, We might get a full monocolor cycle, that leave us with 4 mythtics. I could see monocolored dragons happeing in FRF
That might be true for FRF, but it likely won't be for future small sets after. 3-2 splits will likely be the rule for the Two Block Paradigm. That said, I could have seen Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker being reprinted for FRF if not for the fact that he clashes with the set's wedge-y feel and the likelihood that they haven't begun reprinting PW cards in expert sets yet.
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MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
That might be true for FRF, but it likely won't be for future small sets after. 3-2 splits will likely be the rule for the Two Block Paradigm. That said, I could have seen Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker being reprinted for FRF if not for the fact that he clashes with the set's wedge-y feel and the likelihood that they haven't begun reprinting PW cards in expert sets yet.
what about a card like this:
(nicol?) Bolas, [title] (hybrid cost)
[ability]
[ability]
[ability]
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First come the goblins. Hordes of them. But soon the ramp produced by xenagos attracts monstrous token-producing hydras. Towering over the battlefield, these 12-headed killing machines are protected 2 archetypes of endurance as they crash any resistence left
I'm not really sure where Bolas fits in. I suppose its technically possible he'll see a reprint in DTK. I know we were assured that it wouldn't have any wedge cards, but I suppose shards weren't explicitly ruled out. I think he might appear in the next block or two, to sort of tie together all of his scheming.
If Bolas get a card in this block I don't think it will be a reprint. In fact, we have never got a planeswalker reprint in a Standard-legal set (as far as I can remember we never got a mythic rare reprint).
However, his colors seem to not match the environment. Maybe with the twist on Dragons of Tarkir, but I don't think we'll hear much about Bolas on DTK.
If Bolas get a card in this block I don't think it will be a reprint. In fact, we have never got a planeswalker reprint in a Standard-legal set (as far as I can remember we never got a mythic rare reprint).
However, his colors seem to not match the environment. Maybe with the twist on Dragons of Tarkir, but I don't think we'll hear much about Bolas on DTK.
Darksteel Colossus, Darksteel Forge, Mindslaver, and Platinum Angel were all mythic rare reprints of formerly rare cards. And unless you're discounting core sets, Planeswalkers have been reprinted plenty as well. And with core sets being discontinued after next year, PW reprints might become more commonplace. Including a reprinted PW as a sixth PW alongside five originals seems like an acceptable occasion.
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MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
Sorry, I meant in non-core sets. It's true that we might see more reprints with the new block strutcture. IIRC, MaRo once said there was nothing preventing them from reprinting mythics in a regular set, they just didn't find the space to do it yet.
However, I still think a Bolas (or any walker) reprint is a bit unlikely. Planeswalkers are a huge thing in a block and are an important mean to tell the set's history. A different card shows a different state of the character. Like... "this is not just Bolas, it is Bolas on Tarkir during the events of FRF/DTK"
I agree that Dragons will be a two color set, I just don't think that all ten color pairs are going to be represented. Ten factions is a lot for a set, which is why we don't have five dragon and five clan factions in fate reforged. The new watermarks on the dragons were most likely introduced for dragons, since we have not seen any cards with those watermarks in fate reforged. For me it doesn't make sense to only spoil half of the watermarks, and I think it was confirmed that there will only be allied colored dragons in fate reforged. Also from a design standpoint it is much cleaner to turn one clan into one new faction, instead of two.
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"If you knew anything about the lore you'd see that they were clearly hinting that the madness on Innistrad was caused by Uncle Istvan wearing Urza's Power Armor ... tainted with Phrexyian Oil"
Graham from Loading Ready Run
The clans will return, but as two-color ally or enemy pairs. Given the focus on enemy colors in Khans, and all of the revealed dragons being two allied colors, I'm guessing it'll be allies. That's why the legendaries with they hybrid abilities have one ally and one enemy color, enemy for Khans and ally for Dragons.
Spoiled cards reveal clan figures with enemy colored abilities and dragons with allied color pairs neglecting the enemy color of the clan. Maybe humans will be enemy pairs and dragons will be allied pairs?
Muddling this argument is:
Doesn't the Crux of Fate card kinda imply that maybe all the humans will die off due to the events of FRF?
Doesn't it feel like they're building to something relating to colorless?
Didn't they JUST do Ravnica, a block all about color pairs?
Edit: Maybe the clans split up into 'against dragon' and 'for dragon' enemy and ally pairs?
MaRo said today that there is FIVE factions in DTK.
MaRo also said that the FRF khans were designed so they can be played as commanders with both DTK and KTK factions.
We know that Kolaghan (or its brood) is fighting alongside Mardu warriors against Abzan in the DTK key image.
At this moment, the most logical conclusion is that DTK will be ally-pair focused, as the broodleaders suggest, and the clan will drop their enemy color (as they already kind of are doing now, since there is no watermarked card in the enemy color for any of the clans).
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100% Vorthos Spike and Storyline Expert
Former Fact Prospector of the Greek Alliance.
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
My DTK prediction: there are no clans.
In KTK, we see only clan watermarks. There are no Dragon cards, no Dragon watermarks, and the flavor refers to the Dragons being gone.
In FRF, we see both clan watermarks and a set of new watermarks, one for each Dragon lineage. There are both Khan and Dragon cards, and cards that specifically reference choosing one of the two. Khans and Dragons are fighting for survival.
I believe that in DTK, the five factions are only the Dragon broods, each in an ally-colored pair. Humans will exist, but the clans - and their khans - will no longer exist.
MaRo also said that the FRF khans were designed so they can be played as commanders with both DTK and KTK factions.
We know that Kolaghan (or its brood) is fighting alongside Mardu warriors against Abzan in the DTK key image.
At this moment, the most logical conclusion is that DTK will be ally-pair focused, as the broodleaders suggest, and the clan will drop their enemy color (as they already kind of are doing now, since there is no watermarked card in the enemy color for any of the clans).
All of this. I even read khans block factions as fancy ally color pairs, because of the choice of focus color. There was obviously something funny about that to everyone.
At the time of KTK release, I saw it as a copout, and it still kinda is if you just look at KTK in a void. But for a block plan that's not meant to be about wedges it's cool.
I like it very much, personally. I'm always happy to see color pairs that aren't necessarily flavored as Ravnica guilds.
You don't call "dying to removal" if the removal is more expensive in resources than the creature. If you have to spend BG (Abrupt Decay), or W + basic land (PtE) to remove a 1G, that is not "dying to removal". Strictly speaking Goyf dies to removal, but actually your removal is dying to Goyf.
-This would explain why the clans were centered on one of the allied colors instead of the enemy colors. This way each clan can split in two 2-color combination covering all of them (each clan's combination would have the central color). See:
Clans centered on the enemy color
Abzan (black): BW and BG
Jeskai (red): RW and RU
Sultai (green) BG and GU
Mardu (white): RW and BW
Temur (blue): GU and RU
Clans centered on one of the allied colors (as it is)
Abzan (white): WG and WB
Jeskai (blue): UW and UR
Sultai (black): BU and BG
Mardu (red): RB and RW
Temur (green): GR and GU
In the first case only enemy combinations exist and each one appears in two clans. In the second case all ten combinations exist and each one is unique to a single clan. This arrange also leads to a second reason to believe in this:
-This works pretty well with Fate Reforged "hybrid wedge" cards.
We have one spoiled card like this. It is a green Temur card with a U/R hybrid activated ability. Considering how the colors were split among the clans a card like Yasova could see play in both Temur "sub-combinations" (a UG deck and a GR deck).
-While not having more wedge cards, the clans would still be recognized by the 3 color combinations that defines them since they would be the sum of two 2-color combinations with a color in common. The central color would still be in evidence.
-It fits the new arts for the gainlands from KTK got in FRF
http://imgur.com/a/G6cUP
We can clearly see thet GW and BW lands are Abzan themed, BR and WR lands are Mardu themed, and so on... (well, the arts from KTK already hint on the same clans, but the FRF are even clearer)
-Finally, we already got that hing from Dig Through Time art directions talking about an UB dragon.
Commander: WUBRG Superfriends, GW Rhys Tokens, WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon
Kitchen Table (now that's real Magic): WUBRG Domain, GU Biovisionary, UB Korlash Grandeur, UW Merfolk Mill
Fate Reforged on the other hand only gets 10 mythic. One of them is Ugin, We might get a full monocolor cycle, that leave us with 4 mythtics. I could see monocolored dragons happeing in FRF
Commander: WUBRG Superfriends, GW Rhys Tokens, WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon
Kitchen Table (now that's real Magic): WUBRG Domain, GU Biovisionary, UB Korlash Grandeur, UW Merfolk Mill
BAfter the lights go out on you, after your worthless life is through. I will remember how you scream...B
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
what about a card like this:
(nicol?) Bolas, [title] (hybrid cost)
[ability]
[ability]
[ability]
However, his colors seem to not match the environment. Maybe with the twist on Dragons of Tarkir, but I don't think we'll hear much about Bolas on DTK.
Commander: WUBRG Superfriends, GW Rhys Tokens, WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon
Kitchen Table (now that's real Magic): WUBRG Domain, GU Biovisionary, UB Korlash Grandeur, UW Merfolk Mill
However, his colors seem to not match the environment. Maybe with the twist on Dragons of Tarkir, but I don't think we'll hear much about Bolas on DTK.
Commander: WUBRG Superfriends, GW Rhys Tokens, WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon
Kitchen Table (now that's real Magic): WUBRG Domain, GU Biovisionary, UB Korlash Grandeur, UW Merfolk Mill
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
However, I still think a Bolas (or any walker) reprint is a bit unlikely. Planeswalkers are a huge thing in a block and are an important mean to tell the set's history. A different card shows a different state of the character. Like... "this is not just Bolas, it is Bolas on Tarkir during the events of FRF/DTK"
Commander: WUBRG Superfriends, GW Rhys Tokens, WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon
Kitchen Table (now that's real Magic): WUBRG Domain, GU Biovisionary, UB Korlash Grandeur, UW Merfolk Mill
Graham from Loading Ready Run
Muddling this argument is:
Doesn't the Crux of Fate card kinda imply that maybe all the humans will die off due to the events of FRF?
Doesn't it feel like they're building to something relating to colorless?
Didn't they JUST do Ravnica, a block all about color pairs?
Edit: Maybe the clans split up into 'against dragon' and 'for dragon' enemy and ally pairs?
MaRo also said that the FRF khans were designed so they can be played as commanders with both DTK and KTK factions.
We know that Kolaghan (or its brood) is fighting alongside Mardu warriors against Abzan in the DTK key image.
At this moment, the most logical conclusion is that DTK will be ally-pair focused, as the broodleaders suggest, and the clan will drop their enemy color (as they already kind of are doing now, since there is no watermarked card in the enemy color for any of the clans).
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
In KTK, we see only clan watermarks. There are no Dragon cards, no Dragon watermarks, and the flavor refers to the Dragons being gone.
In FRF, we see both clan watermarks and a set of new watermarks, one for each Dragon lineage. There are both Khan and Dragon cards, and cards that specifically reference choosing one of the two. Khans and Dragons are fighting for survival.
I believe that in DTK, the five factions are only the Dragon broods, each in an ally-colored pair. Humans will exist, but the clans - and their khans - will no longer exist.
All of this. I even read khans block factions as fancy ally color pairs, because of the choice of focus color. There was obviously something funny about that to everyone.
At the time of KTK release, I saw it as a copout, and it still kinda is if you just look at KTK in a void. But for a block plan that's not meant to be about wedges it's cool.
I like it very much, personally. I'm always happy to see color pairs that aren't necessarily flavored as Ravnica guilds.
"OH GOD MY BRAIN IS EXPLOADING AT HOW BAD THE ART IS ON MY OWN CARD"
-A friend's first impression of Ancestral Recall
10/10, I tapped.