I thought a fun bit of speculation would be to guess at mechanics. As we know, WotC tries to create mechanics that match the theme of the set, such as Innistrad block playing on graveyard and mill (losing sanity) themes, and the devotion mechanic in Theros.
That said, what are some ancient Egyptian tropes that you expect to see, and how would they implement those mechanically?
We know there will be mummy zombies, but we just had a GY block. SO how do they do it? I'm guessing that RB will focus on sacrifice effects, whereby sacrificing a character and exiling it instead of sending it to the GY (going to the afterlife) will produce a 2/2 zombie token.
Another trope worth exploring is the pyramids/tombs, as well as treasure hunters. How might this theme/s be explored?
And of course, there's the whole trial of the gods thing... will that be the overarching theme of Amonkhet? Leveling up, as it were?
Traps and even more likely curses are a possibility. Maybe some blend of curses and quests.
Some kind of mummification mechanic would be nice to see. The trick is making it both flavorful and powerful to be significant.
Maybe we'll see unearth. Though hasty zombies aren't quite the Egyptian fantasy vogue.
Wither+persist are expected for -1/-1 counters. One or two other interesting -1/-1 counter related mechanics could also be very nice.
The gods might reflect being god-kings, as pharaohs were.
Something to do with large bodies of water - the Nile was a big deal in ancient Egypt, maybe we could see oases being significant too. A Curse of Thirst reprint would be appropriate.
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.
Some predictions
-Graveyard will be a major theme but not as big a one as with Innistrad.
-Using -1/-1 counters as a cost/drawback to represent going through hazardous trials
-The gods will not not feature the same devotion-to-become-a-creature mechanic, even if they feature devotion otherwise.
-Bolas's presence will be minimal in this set, major point of second set is Bolas's arrival. Mechanical themes will highlight this
-Gold tokens will appear in this set or the next to represent Egyptian treasures
I think we will see a return of the tap mechanics. They were very hit or miss in Zendicar so this time they could do better and still give you a lot of grant flavor.
I would also like to see the return of poison so we could bet some better ways of dealing with infect counters in modern.
We will see trample, prowess, haste, flying, vigilance, death-touch, first strike, life link, double-strike,and menace but these are ever-greeen so we know they will be in their. I would love to see a new Darksteel Mutations.
Buy back would be cool maybe suspend.
Wait Storm that is what we need storm or grave yard storm for the Grixis arch type. We could have a new form of undying with it as mummification as Sphynx suggested.
Maybe one of the new mechanics will be Triumph or subjugate.
-1/-1 counters. Not infect, but possibly wither or something along those lines.
The gods will most likely be indestructible enchantment creatures that aren't creatures on the battlefield unless certain conditions (not devotion) are met.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
I would like to see a heavy focus on zombies/mummies, with cards that both help and hurt them as a tribe, hopefully something in Orzhov colors that returns from the gy to the battlefield as a zombie/mummy in addition to other types.
Also, I would love to see Dimir colors being charged with managing ghosts and dark spells and we get a really good counterspell. UU and UB are literally the same to me
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Project Booster Fun makes it less fun to open a booster.
Parasite mechanic (black/green mechanic)
Carnivorous Scarab cmc: (1B) p/t (*/*)
Creature Parasite
Insect
Parasitic (1)---
Carnivorous Scarab enters the battlefield attached to target creature as a parasite. During your upkeep, put a -1/-1 count on the host creature.
When host creature leaves play, Carnivorous Scarab becomes a creature with a power band toughness equal to the number of -1/-1 counters on the host creature when it left play.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
No one spoke. There was no need. The threat of the Eldrazi presented a simple choice: lay down your arms and die for nothing, or hold them fast and die for something.
Well can you think of any other mechanics that could shake up stander.
We need to deal with Mardu vehicles and copycat. We need graveyard hate but, we need it to be relevant in limited.
What mechanics do you think could fix the current meta?
How are buyback and storm graveyard hate?
Also, you don't need specific mechanics to fix standard - you need more efficient answers and playable counterspells.
You mean, besides the 15 playable counterspells for four mana or less in standard, right now? The cheapest of which can be cast for only one mana? Is that really necessary? Heck, most of the cheaper ones are specifically designed to deal with artifacts.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
It's about time for the reserved list to die, for the sake of Vintage and Legacy (And Commander).
Well can you think of any other mechanics that could shake up stander.
We need to deal with Mardu vehicles and copycat. We need graveyard hate but, we need it to be relevant in limited.
What mechanics do you think could fix the current meta?
How are buyback and storm graveyard hate?
Also, you don't need specific mechanics to fix standard - you need more efficient answers and playable counterspells.
You mean, besides the 15 playable counterspells for four mana or less in standard, right now? The cheapest of which can be cast for only one mana? Is that really necessary? Heck, most of the cheaper ones are specifically designed to deal with artifacts.
We all can't play blue and you are insinuating the the magic community as a hole is incompetent for not playing mono-blue counert deck because that is all we need and it is not like copy cat can use counter spells as well being a 4 color deck splashing green.
Now the reason for storm and buy back it to get around counter spells and stop the combo I cast 3 can-trips and a spell that depositories a creature with power 2 or less and all permanents that share its name. If you counter one their are 2 others on the stake if the coipes all die then you could cast Bitter Ordeal to mill your opponent out.
Or you could have a spin the wheel effect on a card with buy back and grave yard storm that prevents all damage this turn and draws you a card if 8 cards were milled then you get to draw 8 cards after preventing damage.
We could have a reprint of manamorphose or a new card like consuming shadows: (grave yard storm) untill the end of the turn turn all creatures get minus -1/-1 can not be countered.
Leagon of Bolus Sumining storm- copy this spell for each create that cam into play this turn. destroy all creature put a 2/2 zombie into play it is indestructible till end of turn. You may not cast creature spells on your next turn. So if Mardu vehicles plays 2-3 creatures this could be good or this is grate vs coppy cat because how many times can you counter this spell.
Well can you think of any other mechanics that could shake up stander.
We need to deal with Mardu vehicles and copycat. We need graveyard hate but, we need it to be relevant in limited.
What mechanics do you think could fix the current meta?
How are buyback and storm graveyard hate?
Also, you don't need specific mechanics to fix standard - you need more efficient answers and playable counterspells.
You mean, besides the 15 playable counterspells for four mana or less in standard, right now? The cheapest of which can be cast for only one mana? Is that really necessary? Heck, most of the cheaper ones are specifically designed to deal with artifacts.
We all can't play blue and you are insinuating the the magic community as a hole is incompetent for not playing mono-blue counert deck because that is all we need and it is not like copy cat can use counter spells as well being a 4 color deck splashing green.
Now the reason for storm and buy back it to get around counter spells and stop the combo I cast 3 can-trips and a spell that depositories a creature with power 2 or less and all permanents that share its name. If you counter one their are 2 others on the stake if the coipes all die then you could cast Bitter Ordeal to mill your opponent out.
Or you could have a spin the wheel effect on a card with buy back and grave yard storm that prevents all damage this turn and draws you a card if 8 cards were milled then you get to draw 8 cards after preventing damage.
We could have a reprint of manamorphose or a new card like consuming shadows: (grave yard storm) untill the end of the turn turn all creatures get minus -1/-1 can not be countered.
Leagon of Bolus Sumining storm- copy this spell for each create that cam into play this turn. destroy all creature put a 2/2 zombie into play it is indestructible till end of turn. You may not cast creature spells on your next turn. So if Mardu vehicles plays 2-3 creatures this could be good or this is grate vs coppy cat because how many times can you counter this spell.
The person in question asked specifically for playable counterspells. I pointed out that there are currently 15 playable (as in good) counterspells for four mana or less currently legal in standard. Also, Manamophose would me terribly broken in standard, just like it was last time it was legal. I don't see WotC reprinting it anytime soon.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
It's about time for the reserved list to die, for the sake of Vintage and Legacy (And Commander).
They arent doing storm or buyback. They likely will have some instant mono red artifact hate, which red is solely missing.
With all the "do something put a +1/+1 counter" effects, I could see them easily porting the ability to creatures in one of two ways. A simple "put a -1/-1 counter on creature" tap ability, or the more interesting one mentioned with Loreyn roots, where you -1 your creature for some effect a la Wall or Roots.
We might also see a reprint of Tribute as its somewhat in theme, though as a punisher effect it wasnt a fan favorite. Even better would be the return of Convoke, to simulate worshippers/servants working towards a greater goal (a la pyramids). It would also be interesting following artifact convoke.
Since Liliana's new PW deck card indicates that -1/-1 counters are coming back, Wither and/or Persist are both probable. Persist would combo well with ETB abilities and Panharmonicon. Maybe we'll get the -1/-1 counter version of Geralf's Messenger?
If Dusk//Dawn is real, we're getting a combination of Split cards and Flashback that allows you to cast a different spell from your graveyard. Novel, but I question the design space compared to Flashback.
The use of full art basic lands makes me wonder if Amonkhet will feature some manner of land mechanic. I have in the past proposed a mechanic called Entomb that has you exile creature cards entombed in a land you control. Maybe the mechanic allows you to turn that land into a copy of the creature, or activate an ability to create a token that's a copy of the creature? Since artifacts are often entombed along with corpses, Entomb could work with artifacts as well.
Since the Egyptian gods are most famous for their zoomorphic appearances, we could get tribal for types like Cat, Hound (though should probably be Jackal), and Bird. Crocodile and Snake weren't at the top of my list, but given the significance of cobras and crocs to the Egyptians it does make some sense.
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.
Since Liliana's new PW deck card indicates that -1/-1 counters are coming back, Wither and/or Persist are both probable. Persist would combo well with ETB abilities and Panharmonicon. Maybe we'll get the -1/-1 counter version of Geralf's Messenger?
If Dusk//Dawn is real, we're getting a combination of Split cards and Flashback that allows you to cast a different spell from your graveyard. Novel, but I question the design space compared to Flashback.
The use of full art basic lands makes me wonder if Amonkhet will feature some manner of land mechanic. I have in the past proposed a mechanic called Entomb that has you exile creature cards entombed in a land you control. Maybe the mechanic allows you to turn that land into a copy of the creature, or activate an ability to create a token that's a copy of the creature? Since artifacts are often entombed along with corpses, Entomb could work with artifacts as well.
Since the Egyptian gods are most famous for their zoomorphic appearances, we could get tribal for types like Cat, Hound (though should probably be Jackal), and Bird. Crocodile and Snake weren't at the top of my list, but given the significance of cobras and crocs to the Egyptians it does make some sense.
Jackals are of the creature type hound in M:TG.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
It's about time for the reserved list to die, for the sake of Vintage and Legacy (And Commander).
I know that jackals are defined as Hounds in Magic, I'm saying they should have their own type like Foxes and Wolves do.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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.
Since Liliana's new PW deck card indicates that -1/-1 counters are coming back, Wither and/or Persist are both probable. Persist would combo well with ETB abilities and Panharmonicon. Maybe we'll get the -1/-1 counter version of Geralf's Messenger?
You could be right undying and persist are both possible. Just as long as we don't get another Glen Elendra Archmage.
I think this is better then flash-back or buy-back. Plus if you look at the bottom of the lands you will see they read 269 when the official Wizards of the Coast page show only 264.
This could mean that their are 5 of these aftermath cards in this block so their are technically 264 cards with 269 spells. I really like the idea and hope that this is real. Plus split cards hype. I may also be a fan of poison and would love to see it come back, sadly it dose not involve -1/-1 counters which at this point is a more likely theme.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
That said, what are some ancient Egyptian tropes that you expect to see, and how would they implement those mechanically?
We know there will be mummy zombies, but we just had a GY block. SO how do they do it? I'm guessing that RB will focus on sacrifice effects, whereby sacrificing a character and exiling it instead of sending it to the GY (going to the afterlife) will produce a 2/2 zombie token.
Another trope worth exploring is the pyramids/tombs, as well as treasure hunters. How might this theme/s be explored?
And of course, there's the whole trial of the gods thing... will that be the overarching theme of Amonkhet? Leveling up, as it were?
Club Flamingo Wins: 1!
Traps and even more likely curses are a possibility. Maybe some blend of curses and quests.
Some kind of mummification mechanic would be nice to see. The trick is making it both flavorful and powerful to be significant.
Maybe we'll see unearth. Though hasty zombies aren't quite the Egyptian fantasy vogue.
Wither+persist are expected for -1/-1 counters. One or two other interesting -1/-1 counter related mechanics could also be very nice.
The gods might reflect being god-kings, as pharaohs were.
Something to do with large bodies of water - the Nile was a big deal in ancient Egypt, maybe we could see oases being significant too. A Curse of Thirst reprint would be appropriate.
"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.
-Graveyard will be a major theme but not as big a one as with Innistrad.
-Using -1/-1 counters as a cost/drawback to represent going through hazardous trials
-The gods will not not feature the same devotion-to-become-a-creature mechanic, even if they feature devotion otherwise.
-Bolas's presence will be minimal in this set, major point of second set is Bolas's arrival. Mechanical themes will highlight this
-Gold tokens will appear in this set or the next to represent Egyptian treasures
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice
I would also like to see the return of poison so we could bet some better ways of dealing with infect counters in modern.
We will see trample, prowess, haste, flying, vigilance, death-touch, first strike, life link, double-strike,and menace but these are ever-greeen so we know they will be in their. I would love to see a new Darksteel Mutations.
Buy back would be cool maybe suspend.
Wait Storm that is what we need storm or grave yard storm for the Grixis arch type. We could have a new form of undying with it as mummification as Sphynx suggested.
Maybe one of the new mechanics will be Triumph or subjugate.
Being a Top down design. How could we not get some sort of plague?
Brainstorming ways to turn on the Gods is "Appease x" in order for your god to materialize you sacrifice x creatures or permanents
375 unpowered cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/601ac624832cdf1039947588
-1/-1 counters. Not infect, but possibly wither or something along those lines.
The gods will most likely be indestructible enchantment creatures that aren't creatures on the battlefield unless certain conditions (not devotion) are met.
On phasing:
Also, I would love to see Dimir colors being charged with managing ghosts and dark spells and we get a really good counterspell. UU and UB are literally the same to me
Black: creatures
Blue: artifacts
White: enchantments
Red: creatures
Green: lands
Here's a prime example:
Crop Rotation: I have wanted this card reprinted forever.
Here's a second example:
Sylvan Safekeeper: I have wanted this card reprinted forever.
Carnivorous Scarab cmc: (1B) p/t (*/*)
Creature Parasite
Insect
Parasitic (1)---
Carnivorous Scarab enters the battlefield attached to target creature as a parasite. During your upkeep, put a -1/-1 count on the host creature.
When host creature leaves play, Carnivorous Scarab becomes a creature with a power band toughness equal to the number of -1/-1 counters on the host creature when it left play.
Sort of like:
New mechanic spell.
<mana cost here>
<spell type here>
<New Mechanic> (When you cast <name> put a -1/-1 counter on target creature)
<card text here>
---
Numquam evolutioni obstes. Solum conculceris.
Pascite draconem, evolvite aut morimini.
We need to deal with Mardu vehicles and copycat. We need graveyard hate but, we need it to be relevant in limited.
What mechanics do you think could fix the current meta?
How are buyback and storm graveyard hate?
Also, you don't need specific mechanics to fix standard - you need more efficient answers and playable counterspells.
375 unpowered cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/601ac624832cdf1039947588
You mean, besides the 15 playable counterspells for four mana or less in standard, right now? The cheapest of which can be cast for only one mana? Is that really necessary? Heck, most of the cheaper ones are specifically designed to deal with artifacts.
---
Numquam evolutioni obstes. Solum conculceris.
Pascite draconem, evolvite aut morimini.
We all can't play blue and you are insinuating the the magic community as a hole is incompetent for not playing mono-blue counert deck because that is all we need and it is not like copy cat can use counter spells as well being a 4 color deck splashing green.
Now the reason for storm and buy back it to get around counter spells and stop the combo I cast 3 can-trips and a spell that depositories a creature with power 2 or less and all permanents that share its name. If you counter one their are 2 others on the stake if the coipes all die then you could cast Bitter Ordeal to mill your opponent out.
Or you could have a spin the wheel effect on a card with buy back and grave yard storm that prevents all damage this turn and draws you a card if 8 cards were milled then you get to draw 8 cards after preventing damage.
We could have a reprint of manamorphose or a new card like consuming shadows: (grave yard storm) untill the end of the turn turn all creatures get minus -1/-1 can not be countered.
Leagon of Bolus Sumining storm- copy this spell for each create that cam into play this turn. destroy all creature put a 2/2 zombie into play it is indestructible till end of turn. You may not cast creature spells on your next turn. So if Mardu vehicles plays 2-3 creatures this could be good or this is grate vs coppy cat because how many times can you counter this spell.
Buy back would be good with cards like Constant Mists followed by board wipe and sphinxes relational.
What if it also could remove loyalty counters and place -1/-1 counters on permanents.
The person in question asked specifically for playable counterspells. I pointed out that there are currently 15 playable (as in good) counterspells for four mana or less currently legal in standard. Also, Manamophose would me terribly broken in standard, just like it was last time it was legal. I don't see WotC reprinting it anytime soon.
---
Numquam evolutioni obstes. Solum conculceris.
Pascite draconem, evolvite aut morimini.
(90% chance of being real.)
That's the case
And they made the split cards pretty gross.
With all the "do something put a +1/+1 counter" effects, I could see them easily porting the ability to creatures in one of two ways. A simple "put a -1/-1 counter on creature" tap ability, or the more interesting one mentioned with Loreyn roots, where you -1 your creature for some effect a la Wall or Roots.
We might also see a reprint of Tribute as its somewhat in theme, though as a punisher effect it wasnt a fan favorite. Even better would be the return of Convoke, to simulate worshippers/servants working towards a greater goal (a la pyramids). It would also be interesting following artifact convoke.
Club Flamingo Wins: 1!
If Dusk//Dawn is real, we're getting a combination of Split cards and Flashback that allows you to cast a different spell from your graveyard. Novel, but I question the design space compared to Flashback.
The use of full art basic lands makes me wonder if Amonkhet will feature some manner of land mechanic. I have in the past proposed a mechanic called Entomb that has you exile creature cards entombed in a land you control. Maybe the mechanic allows you to turn that land into a copy of the creature, or activate an ability to create a token that's a copy of the creature? Since artifacts are often entombed along with corpses, Entomb could work with artifacts as well.
Since the Egyptian gods are most famous for their zoomorphic appearances, we could get tribal for types like Cat, Hound (though should probably be Jackal), and Bird. Crocodile and Snake weren't at the top of my list, but given the significance of cobras and crocs to the Egyptians it does make some sense.
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.
Jackals are of the creature type hound in M:TG.
---
Numquam evolutioni obstes. Solum conculceris.
Pascite draconem, evolvite aut morimini.
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.
I agree, and so dose MaRo, but he is unfortunately in the minority at WotC's. :/
---
Numquam evolutioni obstes. Solum conculceris.
Pascite draconem, evolvite aut morimini.
You could be right undying and persist are both possible. Just as long as we don't get another Glen Elendra Archmage.
I think this is better then flash-back or buy-back. Plus if you look at the bottom of the lands you will see they read 269 when the official Wizards of the Coast page show only 264.
This could mean that their are 5 of these aftermath cards in this block so their are technically 264 cards with 269 spells. I really like the idea and hope that this is real. Plus split cards hype. I may also be a fan of poison and would love to see it come back, sadly it dose not involve -1/-1 counters which at this point is a more likely theme.