So, next to no information is known about Battle for Zendikar, however we have a ton of info to work off of as far as speculation goes.
For the purposes of this discussion, let's assume the following:
Gideon Jura will be the key planeswalker character in BFZ, much as Sarkhan was in Tarkir block, and Elspeth was in Theros block.
WotC will not print two planeswalkers with the exact same color identity in the same block.
Now let's talk about what we know about Nahiri
Nahiri is centered in white mana.
Nahiri was a key figure in locking away the Eldrazi to begin with (and therefore, like Ugin and Sorin, has a vested interest in being involved with the effort against the Eldrazi now)
Nahiri's mechanical inclination is the creation and manipulation of artifact equipment.
As we learned from the panel at Pax, it's unlikely we've seen the last of Nahiri
Can Nahiri appear in BFZ? I submit that she can, but given Gideon's assumed inclusion, they both can't be mono-white. This gives us a few options:
White/Red Gideon - Gideon has been closely affiliated with white/red factions in the past, even if he himself has always been mono-colored. Given his passion for the crusade against the Eldrazi, a White/Red Gideon is not out of the question (and given that we can fairly safely assume we'll have enemy fetches, and maybe even enemy man-lands, an enemy colored planeswalker is possibly more likely)
White/Blue Nahiri - Blue being one of the colors with the most artifact interaction, a blue white Nahiri wouldn't necessarily be unheard of.
White/Red Nahiri - Red needs more space in the colorpie, and expanding red to interactions with martial equipment makes sense, as the framework is already there. This could be an outside possibility.
what do you guys think? Will we see Nahiri in BFZ, and if so, what color(s) will she be?
I would be surprised if we didn't see her somewhere in the two-block set. I would honestly bet on her being in the second set when they (will likely) reseal the Eldrazi after the (likely) epic battle in the first set.
As for the color I'm not entirely sure where they will go. Monowhite seems the most likely at the moment as we have no information on how she might have changed in the last 6,000 years. Black/White and Blue/White seems very unlikely because we just got Sorin, Solemn Visitor and Narset Transcendent and we recently had a Green/White Ajani, Mentor of Heroes so that leave Red/White which I would bet, as you said, will be the new Gideon. But then again R&D doesn't always have a problem with clustering two-color planeswalkers as demonstrated by Domri Rade and Xenagos, the Reveler.
Will she?
Not sure. As you said, there are two things against her: a monowhite Walker is already part of the set and her focus on equipments might not fit the set.
However
a) Gideon could be RW. The card with his formerm name form Theros block is RW already. My only problem with this is the fact that, to this day, no multicolor walker has been the face of a block yet
b) She doesn't need to limit herself to equipment stuff
c) Zendikar could have some equipment stuff
Zendikar is a good place to bring Nahiri back due to her connection with this plane. But considering she didn't show up when the Eldrazi were free (as Sorin complains at the begining of the Tarkir block) and there are two other Eldrazi titans elsewhere, we might see her on another block (perhaps in a Return to Dominaria where she looks after other Kor)
The recent Uncharted Realms seems to indicate that something bad happened between Sorin and Nahiri. Since old age should have gotten her by now, something like vamirism is a possibility. This could lead to a color shift. When we see her again, she will be very different than we saw her before.
Yeah, the recent Uncharted Realms made me wonder if Sorin, Nahiri and Urgin are even going to be in BfZ. Nahiri is indisposed of, and that's probably a whole story, and game-wise it feels too soon to see another Sorin and another Ugin card. So Gideon, Kiora and Nissa are gonna team up and lose horribly?
Also why wouldn't equipment be a subtheme in BfZ? The Kor kind of rely on them entirely. If Nahiri's thing continues to be equipment-relevant effects, she would be fine in the set.
a) Gideon could be RW. The card with his formerm name form Theros block is RW already. My only problem with this is the fact that, to this day, no multicolor walker has been the face of a block yet
Have we confirmed the Origins card actually being RW, or are we assuming based on the art? I would assume he'd be monowhite to keep with the rest of the cycle, which should be assumed to be monocolor for sake of simplicity and aesthetics.
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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.
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a) Gideon could be RW. The card with his formerm name form Theros block is RW already. My only problem with this is the fact that, to this day, no multicolor walker has been the face of a block yet
Have we confirmed the Origins card actually being RW, or are we assuming based on the art? I would assume he'd be monowhite to keep with the rest of the cycle, which should be assumed to be monocolor for sake of simplicity and aesthetics.
Sorry about the typos, I actually meant that there was a RW card in Theros Block with Gideon's former name (Kytheon Iora) in the flavor text.
Magic Origins' Gideon will most likely be monowhite, as the Battle for Zendikar one if he is indeed the face guy for the block. But I guess we could see a RW Gideon someday.
It is possible that we won't see Nahiri here in BFZ, since it is implied that Sorin has had a disagreement with Nahiri and done something with her. She wouldn't normally have been able to live all this time (a Kor can't have lived over 1,000 years) so I suspect she has been magically trapped somewhere else. Therefore I suspect that we won't see Sorin or Nahiri in BFZ but will instead pick that story up in a later block.
I would instead expect to see Gideon, Kiora, and Nissa on Zendikar trying to battle the Eldrazi.
It is possible that we won't see Nahiri here in BFZ, since it is implied that Sorin has had a disagreement with Nahiri and done something with her. She wouldn't normally have been able to live all this time (a Kor can't have lived over 1,000 years) so I suspect she has been magically trapped somewhere else. Therefore I suspect that we won't see Sorin or Nahiri in BFZ but will instead pick that story up in a later block.
I would instead expect to see Gideon, Kiora, and Nissa on Zendikar trying to battle the Eldrazi.
The mending wasn't over a thousand years ago though, and upon until it, planeswalkers were effectively ageless and immortal. We don't actually know what life expectancy Kor have compared to humans, but unless their life expectancy is on par with mythological elves and dwarves, being able to live for centuries, she would likely have died of old age after the mending. However, assuming that Kor have lifespans comparable to humans (which is likely), and we know that she is alive due to this being mentioned in the recent Uncharted Realms, then it is likely that something happened to her, to make her near immortal again. It is possible that Sorin has turned her, which could explain the strained relationship that was implied in the story, or it is possible that something else changed her. But given Sorin's reaction to Ugin's questions about her, it is clearly something the vampire feels guilty about.
@Duke Daemon: If Nahiri was in the Helvault, she would have been released when it was broken up.
Oh, damn, I just had a weird thought: What if, and its a big if, Sorin used her to create Avacyn. As in used his blood magic to transform her into the guardian of Innistrad. I hope that isn't the case, because if it where, then he'd have to chose between protecting Innistrad, or saving the multiverse.
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It is possible that we won't see Nahiri here in BFZ, since it is implied that Sorin has had a disagreement with Nahiri and done something with her. She wouldn't normally have been able to live all this time (a Kor can't have lived over 1,000 years) so I suspect she has been magically trapped somewhere else. Therefore I suspect that we won't see Sorin or Nahiri in BFZ but will instead pick that story up in a later block.
I would instead expect to see Gideon, Kiora, and Nissa on Zendikar trying to battle the Eldrazi.
The mending wasn't over a thousand years ago though, and upon until it, planeswalkers were effectively ageless and immortal. We don't actually know what life expectancy Kor have compared to humans, but unless their life expectancy is on par with mythological elves and dwarves, being able to live for centuries, she would likely have died of old age after the mending. However, assuming that Kor have lifespans comparable to humans (which is likely), and we know that she is alive due to this being mentioned in the recent Uncharted Realms, then it is likely that something happened to her, to make her near immortal again. It is possible that Sorin has turned her, which could explain the strained relationship that was implied in the story, or it is possible that something else changed her. But given Sorin's reaction to Ugin's questions about her, it is clearly something the vampire feels guilty about.
@Duke Daemon: If Nahiri was in the Helvault, she would have been released when it was broken up.
Oh, damn, I just had a weird thought: What if, and its a big if, Sorin used her to create Avacyn. As in used his blood magic to transform her into the guardian of Innistrad. I hope that isn't the case, because if it where, then he'd have to chose between protecting Innistrad, or saving the multiverse.
I don't think that's how angels work. They are mana constructs, they don't need living sacrifices or whatever to be created. It's obvious we're going to see or hear *something* about Nahiri in upcoming events. The most obvious solution to the issue of her lack of immortality is that Sorin turned her into a vampire. That could very easily cause a strained relationship between them. I think Battle for Zendikar will focus more on other walkers, though. Namely Gideon, Kiora and Nissa who were all trying to garner power/allies to try to fight the Eldrazi. The other two walkers in the block will probably be new (2/5 walkers being new is kind of par for the course these days) although an argument could be made for Nahiri being "new" since she hasn't had a standard printing yet, but I think it's more likely that trio will end up sealing the other two titans on another world in another block (since only one remains on Zendikar). At the most, I think they might be a supporting cast that kind of shows up in the end after the others have weakened Ulamog and seal him away, but I don't think Ugin and Sorin would be getting new cards again so soon.
I don't think that's how angels work. They are mana constructs, they don't need living sacrifices or whatever to be created. It's obvious we're going to see or hear *something* about Nahiri in upcoming events. The most obvious solution to the issue of her lack of immortality is that Sorin turned her into a vampire. That could very easily cause a strained relationship between them. I think Battle for Zendikar will focus more on other walkers, though. Namely Gideon, Kiora and Nissa who were all trying to garner power/allies to try to fight the Eldrazi. The other two walkers in the block will probably be new (2/5 walkers being new is kind of par for the course these days) although an argument could be made for Nahiri being "new" since she hasn't had a standard printing yet, but I think it's more likely that trio will end up sealing the other two titans on another world in another block (since only one remains on Zendikar). At the most, I think they might be a supporting cast that kind of shows up in the end after the others have weakened Ulamog and seal him away, but I don't think Ugin and Sorin would be getting new cards again so soon.
The weird thing re: her immortality is that Ugin, despite knowing how long he's been asleep, seems to have absolutely no doubt that Nahiri is alive nor was he at all surprised that Sorin indicated she was. It just seemed like a given, which to me makes it seem like she should have been able to live that long on her own. But maybe it was just poor storytelling in an attempt to not give away too much.
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Personally I think we might see her in the story but we might not see her as a card, like Bolas in Tarkir block.
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The weird thing re: her immortality is that Ugin, despite knowing how long he's been asleep, seems to have absolutely no doubt that Nahiri is alive nor was he at all surprised that Sorin indicated she was. It just seemed like a given, which to me makes it seem like she should have been able to live that long on her own. But maybe it was just poor storytelling in an attempt to not give away too much.
If Ugin was asleep through the mending, he likely would not realize that anything would be different in regards to her longevity.
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The weird thing re: her immortality is that Ugin, despite knowing how long he's been asleep, seems to have absolutely no doubt that Nahiri is alive nor was he at all surprised that Sorin indicated she was. It just seemed like a given, which to me makes it seem like she should have been able to live that long on her own. But maybe it was just poor storytelling in an attempt to not give away too much.
That could just be that he is not aware of the Mending yet. If Ugin doesn't know about the effects of the Mending, then of course he would expect a fellow immortal Planeswalker to still be alive.
I think Nahiri could be likely. They'll probably keep up the 5 Walkers per block. Ugin is a powerhouse and I doubt we'll see another printing of him or Sorin so soon after Khans.
I also don't know how many different versions of the other walkers they want in rotation at once, so I doubt we'll see anyone but Gideon and Nissa showing back up from Origins.
My thinking is: W - Gideon G - Nissa UG - Kiora WR - Nahiri (R goes nicely with the Equipment theme) B - Ob Nixilis (In Demon form, they've been priming him for a big return with the story from DoTP and the Commander card)
Alternatively, they could bump Nissa due to her Origins appearance and include another Sorin, or a completely new walker. At the very least, I expect all five of these and Ugin/Sorin to show up in the plot, if not in card form.
I feel like they've got enough Walkers now though that they should stop introducing new ones every block unless they really have to. The attrition rate hasn't kept up, and right now we've still got 23 of 26 in the 'currently living' category (more if you count Daretti or other Oldwalkers that aren't confirmed dead). It's great to have a large cast, but not at the expense of the fan favorites getting short changed in favor of the Lorwyn Five.
Edit: And on reflection, I could see the plot playing out so that Nahiri's return is the big plot point of the small block set, with her being the sole walker of the small set and coming in to save the day. This would also explain Sorin's absence, as he was out there trying to find her. And the deus ex machine would be because there is only one Eldrazi (potentially), the remaining Hedrons are more than enough to either re-seal it or destroy it, with the long-term effect being a less unstable Zendikar. Alternatively, Ob Nixilis would be the 'true' villain of the block, showing up in the small set having succeeded in destroying Zendikar and regaining his Spark.
My feeling is that they wouldn't have finally named her after years of speculation if she didn't have some role in the upcoming story. As for multiple planeswalker cards, I wouldn't rule it out (we've had 3 different versions of a walker in standard a few times, thanks to core sets). I don't think someone like Sorin would get a new card though, since he'd be pretty much the same as he was when he visited Tarkir.
The weird thing re: her immortality is that Ugin, despite knowing how long he's been asleep, seems to have absolutely no doubt that Nahiri is alive nor was he at all surprised that Sorin indicated she was. It just seemed like a given, which to me makes it seem like she should have been able to live that long on her own. But maybe it was just poor storytelling in an attempt to not give away too much.
If Ugin was asleep through the mending, he likely would not realize that anything would be different in regards to her longevity.
That's a good point. FRF took place before the Mending, so Ugin kind of slept right through it. There's a decent chance he shrugged off the initial effects on himself as him being weakened from his long slumber, and he didn't really talk to Sorin much before he darted off. He might not be aware at all that planeswalkers aren't immortal anymore.
It is possible that we won't see Nahiri here in BFZ, since it is implied that Sorin has had a disagreement with Nahiri and done something with her. She wouldn't normally have been able to live all this time (a Kor can't have lived over 1,000 years) so I suspect she has been magically trapped somewhere else. Therefore I suspect that we won't see Sorin or Nahiri in BFZ but will instead pick that story up in a later block.
I would instead expect to see Gideon, Kiora, and Nissa on Zendikar trying to battle the Eldrazi.
The mending wasn't over a thousand years ago though, and upon until it, planeswalkers were effectively ageless and immortal. We don't actually know what life expectancy Kor have compared to humans, but unless their life expectancy is on par with mythological elves and dwarves, being able to live for centuries, she would likely have died of old age after the mending. However, assuming that Kor have lifespans comparable to humans (which is likely), and we know that she is alive due to this being mentioned in the recent Uncharted Realms, then it is likely that something happened to her, to make her near immortal again. It is possible that Sorin has turned her, which could explain the strained relationship that was implied in the story, or it is possible that something else changed her. But given Sorin's reaction to Ugin's questions about her, it is clearly something the vampire feels guilty about.
@Duke Daemon: If Nahiri was in the Helvault, she would have been released when it was broken up.
Oh, damn, I just had a weird thought: What if, and its a big if, Sorin used her to create Avacyn. As in used his blood magic to transform her into the guardian of Innistrad. I hope that isn't the case, because if it where, then he'd have to chose between protecting Innistrad, or saving the multiverse.
I don't think that's how angels work. They are mana constructs, they don't need living sacrifices or whatever to be created. It's obvious we're going to see or hear *something* about Nahiri in upcoming events. The most obvious solution to the issue of her lack of immortality is that Sorin turned her into a vampire. That could very easily cause a strained relationship between them. I think Battle for Zendikar will focus more on other walkers, though. Namely Gideon, Kiora and Nissa who were all trying to garner power/allies to try to fight the Eldrazi. The other two walkers in the block will probably be new (2/5 walkers being new is kind of par for the course these days) although an argument could be made for Nahiri being "new" since she hasn't had a standard printing yet, but I think it's more likely that trio will end up sealing the other two titans on another world in another block (since only one remains on Zendikar). At the most, I think they might be a supporting cast that kind of shows up in the end after the others have weakened Ulamog and seal him away, but I don't think Ugin and Sorin would be getting new cards again so soon.
And we thought the same of demons until Ob Nixilis was introduced in the original Zendikar block, and we believed all vampires were undead until we visited Innistrad. Just because something is true on most worlds we have visited, doesn't mean it is true on all of them.
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Are we all forgetting that in the magic origins trailer when the wheel was spinning at the end showing the planeswalkers the white planeswalker was Gideon. So I don't think he will be printed in BFZ
Are we all forgetting that in the magic origins trailer when the wheel was spinning at the end showing the planeswalkers the white planeswalker was Gideon. So I don't think he will be printed in BFZ
Gideon is the face of Battle for Zendikar block so yeah he's getting printed
The whole reason they selected the PWs they did for Origins is because those characters will be playing major roles in the storyline soon. There's a good chance that Gideon and Nissa will both appear in BfZ though with Gideon getting top billing, which I have a small complaint about because I feel Nissa would better represent the world both due to being native to the plane like Sarkhan was to Tarkir and due to her new focus on land, which is still going to matter somehow since it's a Zendikar set. But if BfZ is indeed an "Avengers assemble" type of story then I suppose a white PW is the most fitting leader for such an assembly.
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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.
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Nissa is already on Zendikar so we will see her. The reason Gidion got front image is because he's human and Wizards did say their customers prefer human walkers to non-human walkers. Also I'd rather have Ajani lead because that guy lead a counter attack on bolas and won! Seriously a cat beat a dragon in battle. Bolas will never live that shame down.
Of course the cat won... cats effin' rock!!! Straight up savages. Who needs fire breath, give me some tuna breath...
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For the purposes of this discussion, let's assume the following:
Now let's talk about what we know about Nahiri
Can Nahiri appear in BFZ? I submit that she can, but given Gideon's assumed inclusion, they both can't be mono-white. This gives us a few options:
what do you guys think? Will we see Nahiri in BFZ, and if so, what color(s) will she be?
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As for the color I'm not entirely sure where they will go. Monowhite seems the most likely at the moment as we have no information on how she might have changed in the last 6,000 years. Black/White and Blue/White seems very unlikely because we just got Sorin, Solemn Visitor and Narset Transcendent and we recently had a Green/White Ajani, Mentor of Heroes so that leave Red/White which I would bet, as you said, will be the new Gideon. But then again R&D doesn't always have a problem with clustering two-color planeswalkers as demonstrated by Domri Rade and Xenagos, the Reveler.
Sure
Will she?
Not sure. As you said, there are two things against her: a monowhite Walker is already part of the set and her focus on equipments might not fit the set.
However
a) Gideon could be RW. The card with his formerm name form Theros block is RW already. My only problem with this is the fact that, to this day, no multicolor walker has been the face of a block yet
b) She doesn't need to limit herself to equipment stuff
c) Zendikar could have some equipment stuff
Zendikar is a good place to bring Nahiri back due to her connection with this plane. But considering she didn't show up when the Eldrazi were free (as Sorin complains at the begining of the Tarkir block) and there are two other Eldrazi titans elsewhere, we might see her on another block (perhaps in a Return to Dominaria where she looks after other Kor)
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Also why wouldn't equipment be a subtheme in BfZ? The Kor kind of rely on them entirely. If Nahiri's thing continues to be equipment-relevant effects, she would be fine in the set.
Have we confirmed the Origins card actually being RW, or are we assuming based on the art? I would assume he'd be monowhite to keep with the rest of the cycle, which should be assumed to be monocolor for sake of simplicity and aesthetics.
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.
Sorry about the typos, I actually meant that there was a RW card in Theros Block with Gideon's former name (Kytheon Iora) in the flavor text.
Magic Origins' Gideon will most likely be monowhite, as the Battle for Zendikar one if he is indeed the face guy for the block. But I guess we could see a RW Gideon someday.
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I would instead expect to see Gideon, Kiora, and Nissa on Zendikar trying to battle the Eldrazi.
The mending wasn't over a thousand years ago though, and upon until it, planeswalkers were effectively ageless and immortal. We don't actually know what life expectancy Kor have compared to humans, but unless their life expectancy is on par with mythological elves and dwarves, being able to live for centuries, she would likely have died of old age after the mending. However, assuming that Kor have lifespans comparable to humans (which is likely), and we know that she is alive due to this being mentioned in the recent Uncharted Realms, then it is likely that something happened to her, to make her near immortal again. It is possible that Sorin has turned her, which could explain the strained relationship that was implied in the story, or it is possible that something else changed her. But given Sorin's reaction to Ugin's questions about her, it is clearly something the vampire feels guilty about.
@Duke Daemon: If Nahiri was in the Helvault, she would have been released when it was broken up.
Oh, damn, I just had a weird thought: What if, and its a big if, Sorin used her to create Avacyn. As in used his blood magic to transform her into the guardian of Innistrad. I hope that isn't the case, because if it where, then he'd have to chose between protecting Innistrad, or saving the multiverse.
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I don't think that's how angels work. They are mana constructs, they don't need living sacrifices or whatever to be created. It's obvious we're going to see or hear *something* about Nahiri in upcoming events. The most obvious solution to the issue of her lack of immortality is that Sorin turned her into a vampire. That could very easily cause a strained relationship between them. I think Battle for Zendikar will focus more on other walkers, though. Namely Gideon, Kiora and Nissa who were all trying to garner power/allies to try to fight the Eldrazi. The other two walkers in the block will probably be new (2/5 walkers being new is kind of par for the course these days) although an argument could be made for Nahiri being "new" since she hasn't had a standard printing yet, but I think it's more likely that trio will end up sealing the other two titans on another world in another block (since only one remains on Zendikar). At the most, I think they might be a supporting cast that kind of shows up in the end after the others have weakened Ulamog and seal him away, but I don't think Ugin and Sorin would be getting new cards again so soon.
The weird thing re: her immortality is that Ugin, despite knowing how long he's been asleep, seems to have absolutely no doubt that Nahiri is alive nor was he at all surprised that Sorin indicated she was. It just seemed like a given, which to me makes it seem like she should have been able to live that long on her own. But maybe it was just poor storytelling in an attempt to not give away too much.
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If Ugin was asleep through the mending, he likely would not realize that anything would be different in regards to her longevity.
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That could just be that he is not aware of the Mending yet. If Ugin doesn't know about the effects of the Mending, then of course he would expect a fellow immortal Planeswalker to still be alive.
I also don't know how many different versions of the other walkers they want in rotation at once, so I doubt we'll see anyone but Gideon and Nissa showing back up from Origins.
My thinking is:
W - Gideon
G - Nissa
UG - Kiora
WR - Nahiri (R goes nicely with the Equipment theme)
B - Ob Nixilis (In Demon form, they've been priming him for a big return with the story from DoTP and the Commander card)
Alternatively, they could bump Nissa due to her Origins appearance and include another Sorin, or a completely new walker. At the very least, I expect all five of these and Ugin/Sorin to show up in the plot, if not in card form.
I feel like they've got enough Walkers now though that they should stop introducing new ones every block unless they really have to. The attrition rate hasn't kept up, and right now we've still got 23 of 26 in the 'currently living' category (more if you count Daretti or other Oldwalkers that aren't confirmed dead). It's great to have a large cast, but not at the expense of the fan favorites getting short changed in favor of the Lorwyn Five.
Edit: And on reflection, I could see the plot playing out so that Nahiri's return is the big plot point of the small block set, with her being the sole walker of the small set and coming in to save the day. This would also explain Sorin's absence, as he was out there trying to find her. And the deus ex machine would be because there is only one Eldrazi (potentially), the remaining Hedrons are more than enough to either re-seal it or destroy it, with the long-term effect being a less unstable Zendikar. Alternatively, Ob Nixilis would be the 'true' villain of the block, showing up in the small set having succeeded in destroying Zendikar and regaining his Spark.
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[Primer] Krenko | Azor | Kess | Zacama | Kumena | Sram | The Ur-Dragon | Edgar Markov | Daretti | Marath
That's a good point. FRF took place before the Mending, so Ugin kind of slept right through it. There's a decent chance he shrugged off the initial effects on himself as him being weakened from his long slumber, and he didn't really talk to Sorin much before he darted off. He might not be aware at all that planeswalkers aren't immortal anymore.
And we thought the same of demons until Ob Nixilis was introduced in the original Zendikar block, and we believed all vampires were undead until we visited Innistrad. Just because something is true on most worlds we have visited, doesn't mean it is true on all of them.
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Numquam evolutioni obstes. Solum conculceris.
Pascite draconem, evolvite aut morimini.
Gideon is the face of Battle for Zendikar block so yeah he's getting printed
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.