Yahenni is not going to be a PW, and Yahenni's not going to be mono black, IMO. Let's make an assumption here that they started a cycle of enemy-colored Legendary creatures in Kaladesh and will finish that cycle in Aether Revolt. The cards we have thus far are:
BG - most likely to be Yahenni UR - not going to be Yahenni (and apparently also not going to be the UR artifact-themed Legend Commander players want)
This seems pretty likely, given their propensity to finish cycles (excluding rare land cycles, of course!). Another reason for Yahenni not being mono black is because Gonti already fills that role. Having one doesn't preclude having a second, but it would be abnormal.
There's no actual cycle parity (outside of lands because lands are sorta... unique on that front) unless the set says there needs to be. Thus far nothing in Kaladesh says Legendary creatures have to follow specific rules. As both BfZ and SoI were not looking for any parity in their characters and colors. Just that certain pairs/colors needed a level of existing thanks to the sort of planes in question. Zendikar got two RG Legends. Innistrad got a spread of legends based on the tribes in question (White for Angels, BR for Vampires, RG for Werewolves).
Looking at the last two blocks, I disagree with this. BFZ legends and SOI block legends have almost color parity.
BFZ block Legends are a mix of ally-colored and enemy-colored pairs with an extra: RG - Omnath, Locus of Rage (ally from BFZ, mythic extra in color pair for this block) RW - Munda, Ambush Leader (enemy from BFZ) UW - Noyan Dar, Roil Shaper (ally from BFZ)
All that's missing from the last two blocks is UG, which maybe they felt that between Kiora, Master of the Depths and Tamiyo, Field Researcher the colors were covered. Now, this does make me re-evaluate if they will provide two more enemy-colored legends, as the last two blocks did not balance themselves individually, but were essentially balanced collectively. If WOTC prints two more enemy-colored legends in AER, I would expect the next block to contain a cycle of ally-colored Legends to balance out the Legend spread. Because yes, WOTC does (for the most part) balance the Legend color spread.
Looking at the last two blocks, I disagree with this. BFZ legends and SOI block legends have almost color parity.
BFZ block Legends are a mix of ally-colored and enemy-colored pairs with an extra: RG - Omnath, Locus of Rage (ally from BFZ, mythic extra in color pair for this block) RW - Munda, Ambush Leader (enemy from BFZ) UW - Noyan Dar, Roil Shaper (ally from BFZ)
All that's missing from the last two blocks is UG, which maybe they felt that between Kiora, Master of the Depths and Tamiyo, Field Researcher the colors were covered. Now, this does make me re-evaluate if they will provide two more enemy-colored legends, as the last two blocks did not balance themselves individually, but were essentially balanced collectively. If WOTC prints two more enemy-colored legends in AER, I would expect the next block to contain a cycle of ally-colored Legends to balance out the Legend spread. Because yes, WOTC does (for the most part) balance the Legend color spread.
You and Wizards of the Coast have very different definitions of 'color parity.' For starters color parity is about the whole of the two color appearance in the set, not merely legends.
Zendikar is not a 'multicolor matters' plane, or at least it shouldn't be (it ended up as a way to divide Eldrazi from Zendiallies because the latter used color mana). Anyway, at Rare/Mythic there are 16 (not counting WUBRG off color activations like Tazri) multicolor cards, with 1-2 cards in each color. 2 Ally colors (UB and RG) and 4 Enemy colors (WB, UR, RW, and GU) had two cards, every color pair had 1. This is not parity, in any shape, or any form. (There is parity at Uncommon with 20 multicolor uncommons, 2 in each color.) This is a dramatic increase on Zendikar 1 Block which had three multicolor cards. The is no easy path of logic to why those six had extra outside of RG (the best colors to represent Zendikar when it isn't being eaten by Eldrazi). As the plane is a giant wildgrowth forest trying to kill you.
Innistrad isn't technically a 'multicolor matters' plane, but it does have allied color tribal themes (Geists, Zombies, Vampires, Werewolves, and Humans) of the plane. Which holds true in the rare/mythic (count of 20 with Avacyn and Grafwidow) breakdown of each allied pair getting 2, WB has 2 (color of Sorin), RW has 2 (Nahiri and Avacyn)... and BG has three (including Grafwidow). When it came to legendary creatures, each tribal had it's 'guy at the top' except for Geists, because St. Traft is super dead? I don't know what the term is for dead ghosts. You can make a claim Innistrad is best represented by BG? But it isn't as on the nose as Zendikar and Gruul colors.
Now to the topic at hand, yes, they very well could do an even count of ally and enemy color legends in Kaladesh block... But that won't be parity, what would be parity is, given what we know already, would be for Yahenni to fit into BR, BG, or RG. Those are the three colors without a rare/mythic in the block. You can make an argument for UR getting a second Rare/Mythic as 'the color of Kaladesh' but that's thin (and it won't be an Artifacts Matter legendary creature).
But I will say the card is incredibly flavorful. What else would you expect from a card with the type line "Aetherborn Vampire." And that flavor text...
Oops, I've said too much...
It seems to confirm Yahenni's card will be a creature. Sadly no planeswalker card, then, unless they make them a flip walker
'Incredibly flavorful' suggests to me the card has some kind of vanishing mechanic, and somehow needs to be 'fed' to stay on the field.
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.
It's not going to happen, but would be awesome if Yahenni was energy Drana. 3BG 4/4 Flyer with pay BBGX - X is . Target creature gets +0/-X and Yahenni gets +X/-0 until end of turn.
i would really like to see him as a flip walker. i don't think he is going to be eating tezzeret though, as the last card in the story cycle has him going to what is presumed as amonket. i think he will eat dovin baan and take his spark. at the end of the story during the coup, dovin baan is convinced by tezzeret to help take down the gate watch which he agrees to by taking advantage of the gate watch's weaknesses. this is likely the first story point in aether revolt. it would be cool if yahenni starts out mono black and flips to an esper walker after devouring baans spark.
Kinda hoping Yahenni is like a legendary black "Morphling" variant.
Something like
2BB
Legendary creature - Aetherborn Vampire
Whenever another creature dies, you get E.
Pay EE; choose one:
- Put a +1/+1 counter on ~.
- Target creature gets -1/-1 until eot.
- ~ gains indestructible until eot.
3/3
Kinda hoping Yahenni is like a legendary black "Morphling" variant.
Something like
2BB
Legendary creature - Aetherborn Vampire
Whenever another creature dies, you get E.
Pay EE; choose one:
- Put a +1/+1 counter on ~.
- Target creature gets -1/-1 until eot.
- ~ gains indestructible until eot.
3/3
We already have that sort of thing in Multiform Wanderer. I doubt they'd do it again.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
EDH UBRJeleva, Nephalia's Scourge BWTeysa,Orzhov Scion GWKarametra, God of Harvests UW Dragonlord Ojutai R Daretti, Scrap Savant
Kinda hoping Yahenni is like a legendary black "Morphling" variant.
Something like
2BB
Legendary creature - Aetherborn Vampire
Whenever another creature dies, you get E.
Pay EE; choose one:
- Put a +1/+1 counter on ~.
- Target creature gets -1/-1 until eot.
- ~ gains indestructible until eot.
3/3
We already have that sort of thing in Multiform Wanderer. I doubt they'd do it again.
Maybe it will use +1/+1 counters instead of energy then? +1/+1 counters were also a part of Black/Green's abilities in Kaladesh, as well as Vampire abilities in SOI block.
The spoilers revealed so far (namely Sram, Senior Edificer and Sram's Expertise) seem to point towards a cycle of monocolor legends (possibly with cmc 3 or less) and their respective expertises, therefore making Yahenni monoblack.
Looking at the last two blocks, I disagree with this. BFZ legends and SOI block legends have almost color parity.
BFZ block Legends are a mix of ally-colored and enemy-colored pairs with an extra:
RG - Omnath, Locus of Rage (ally from BFZ, mythic extra in color pair for this block)
RW - Munda, Ambush Leader (enemy from BFZ)
UW - Noyan Dar, Roil Shaper (ally from BFZ)
BW - Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim (enemy from OGW)
UR - Jori En, Ruin Diver (enemy from OGW)
RG - Mina and Denn, Wildborn (ally from OGW)
SOI block Legends are enemy-colored pairs:
BR - Olivia, Mobilized for War (ally from SOI)
GW - Sigarda, Heron's Grace (ally from SOI)
BG - The Gitrog Monster (enemy from SOI)
UB - Gisa and Geralf (ally from EMN)
RG - Ulrich of the Krallenhorde (ally from EMN)
All that's missing from the last two blocks is UG, which maybe they felt that between Kiora, Master of the Depths and Tamiyo, Field Researcher the colors were covered. Now, this does make me re-evaluate if they will provide two more enemy-colored legends, as the last two blocks did not balance themselves individually, but were essentially balanced collectively. If WOTC prints two more enemy-colored legends in AER, I would expect the next block to contain a cycle of ally-colored Legends to balance out the Legend spread. Because yes, WOTC does (for the most part) balance the Legend color spread.
Zendikar is not a 'multicolor matters' plane, or at least it shouldn't be (it ended up as a way to divide Eldrazi from Zendiallies because the latter used color mana). Anyway, at Rare/Mythic there are 16 (not counting WUBRG off color activations like Tazri) multicolor cards, with 1-2 cards in each color. 2 Ally colors (UB and RG) and 4 Enemy colors (WB, UR, RW, and GU) had two cards, every color pair had 1. This is not parity, in any shape, or any form. (There is parity at Uncommon with 20 multicolor uncommons, 2 in each color.) This is a dramatic increase on Zendikar 1 Block which had three multicolor cards. The is no easy path of logic to why those six had extra outside of RG (the best colors to represent Zendikar when it isn't being eaten by Eldrazi). As the plane is a giant wildgrowth forest trying to kill you.
Innistrad isn't technically a 'multicolor matters' plane, but it does have allied color tribal themes (Geists, Zombies, Vampires, Werewolves, and Humans) of the plane. Which holds true in the rare/mythic (count of 20 with Avacyn and Grafwidow) breakdown of each allied pair getting 2, WB has 2 (color of Sorin), RW has 2 (Nahiri and Avacyn)... and BG has three (including Grafwidow). When it came to legendary creatures, each tribal had it's 'guy at the top' except for Geists, because St. Traft is super dead? I don't know what the term is for dead ghosts. You can make a claim Innistrad is best represented by BG? But it isn't as on the nose as Zendikar and Gruul colors.
Now to the topic at hand, yes, they very well could do an even count of ally and enemy color legends in Kaladesh block... But that won't be parity, what would be parity is, given what we know already, would be for Yahenni to fit into BR, BG, or RG. Those are the three colors without a rare/mythic in the block. You can make an argument for UR getting a second Rare/Mythic as 'the color of Kaladesh' but that's thin (and it won't be an Artifacts Matter legendary creature).
- WB Kambal, Consul of Allocation
+ UB Tezzy Cards (I'm counting Dark Intimation as Tezzy and in this spot, even if it is UBR).
- UR Saheeli Rai
+ BR None yet
- BG Nothing
+ RG Insert witty line here
- RW Depala, Pilot Exemplar
+ GW Ajani Cards
- GU Rashmi, Eternities Crafter
http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/daily-magic-update/update-2016-12-01
It seems to confirm Yahenni's card will be a creature. Sadly no planeswalker card, then, unless they make them a flip walker
'Incredibly flavorful' suggests to me the card has some kind of vanishing mechanic, and somehow needs to be 'fed' to stay on the field.
"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.
Something like
2BB
Legendary creature - Aetherborn Vampire
Whenever another creature dies, you get E.
Pay EE; choose one:
- Put a +1/+1 counter on ~.
- Target creature gets -1/-1 until eot.
- ~ gains indestructible until eot.
3/3
Dunes of Zairo
SHANDALAR
Innistrad - The Darkest Night
~THE RAVNICAN CONSORTIUM~
A Community Set
Commander: Allies & Adversaries
We already have that sort of thing in Multiform Wanderer. I doubt they'd do it again.
UBRJeleva, Nephalia's Scourge
BWTeysa,Orzhov Scion
GWKarametra, God of Harvests
UW Dragonlord Ojutai
R Daretti, Scrap Savant
Modern
GB Tron
UW UW Control
Maybe it will use +1/+1 counters instead of energy then? +1/+1 counters were also a part of Black/Green's abilities in Kaladesh, as well as Vampire abilities in SOI block.
Dunes of Zairo
SHANDALAR
Innistrad - The Darkest Night
~THE RAVNICAN CONSORTIUM~
A Community Set
Commander: Allies & Adversaries
Creedmoor was pretty dang close.