With the release of the full spoiler today we got this juicy preview of Hour of Devastation:
Its not often we get the name of an as-yet unprinted card! I also find the condition very interesting, I wonder if new bolas will care about numbers of creatures in the graveyard or numbers of creatures dying, or at least if that will be some sort of theme in Hour of Devastation. What strikes me most about the condition is the number of creatures in the graveyard: 6 seems unexpected, I would have thought it would be either 5 because of Bolas caring about the 5 colors of mana or the 5 gods or an anointed from each color, etc. OR i would have thought it would be 7 because of old Bolas caring about the number 7 (7 cards, 7 damage, 7 permanents, his creature card being a 7/7, etc)
lets get to speculating about what this card might mean!
Here's my speculation.
1) "Gift" hints that the card would benefit you rather than hurt the opponent.
2) Bolas is Grixis.
3) Therefore, this is a permanent card that will give you benefits in the Grixis colors. U benefits you by drawing cards, B can benefit you by reanimating cards (which has synergies with 6 creatures in your yard), and R will give your reanimated creatures some evasion like menace, maybe +x/+0 or haste (or some combination of the above)?
Alternative, the U part can be something else that synergizes with the reanimated creatures, like "creatures you control have hexproof" or "whenever a spell or ability targets a creature you control, counter that spell or ability".
I'm gonna guess its a crazy Enchantment that has multiple effects that stack. Looking at Throne of the God-Pharaoh, the flavor text mentions the hours of Revelation, Glory, Promise, and Eternity, so I'm putting stock in the idea that the enchantment has multiple effects similar to Demonic Pact. Maybe:
Revelation - Draw/reveal cards
Promise - Creature(s)/permanent(s) into play
Glory - Mass Buff
Eternity - Exile all permanents
Playing since 1994: Currently MAGS (HomeBrew),Standard & Pauper (Pioneer and Modern are degenerate trash formats)
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
I'm gonna guess its a crazy Enchantment that has multiple effects that stack. Looking at Throne of the God-Pharaoh, the flavor text mentions the hours of Revelation, Glory, Promise, and Eternity, so I'm putting stock in the idea that the enchantment has multiple effects similar to Demonic Pact. Maybe:
Revelation - Draw/reveal cards
Promise - Creature(s)/permanent(s) into play
Glory - Mass Buff
Eternity - Exile all permanents
Ooooo I really like this idea or it representing the Hours in some way, though with "the Hours are a lie" being mentioned in the story and the main antagonist being Bolas I could see it being a sort of perversion of what the hours are supposed to be... something like the following:
Revelation - would normally be thought of as you are revealing mysteries and gaining knowledge that way so drawing cards would make sense, but this is Bolas so perhaps its actually your opponent revealing their mind to him, therefore something like your opponents discarding cards. This could be akin to Bolas' other effects like cruel ultimatum where your opponent discards and you draw cards, kinda doubling up on revealing
Promise - would be thought of as the God-Pharaoh returning I suppose, but who's coming with him? mass creature reanimation as Bolas takes command of the cursed undead on his plane? fits with the theme of the plane and with grixis' original mechanic unearth!
Glory - could be seen as exalting your team with a mass buff, but this really doesn't fit with Bolas' personality, then what does? Bolas would want all the glory for himself (he is the God-Pharaoh after all) so perhaps something to leave himself as the only thing left standing: mass creature removal? (obviously not including his own minions)
Eternity - brings to mind things that last forever or that don't end or die. But what else lasts forever? death. and what's the main thing you're supposed to kill in a magic game? your opponent! "target opponent loses the game"
I'm gonna guess its a crazy Enchantment that has multiple effects that stack. Looking at Throne of the God-Pharaoh, the flavor text mentions the hours of Revelation, Glory, Promise, and Eternity, so I'm putting stock in the idea that the enchantment has multiple effects similar to Demonic Pact. Maybe:
Revelation - Draw/reveal cards
Promise - Creature(s)/permanent(s) into play
Glory - Mass Buff
Eternity - Exile all permanents
Devastation - Win the game. Must be last chosen mode.
There's definitely a time theme already present; I agree that there might be a time theme on Gift. Something like Demonic Pact, but with a win rather than a loss?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Cyme we inne frið, fram the grip of deaþ to lif inne ðis smylte land.
I believe that the gift of the god-pharaoh will be an enchantment and and will require 6 dudes in your yard to do something. this something is either reanimate the 6 dudes, or exile the 6 dudes to do some silly thing, like exile 6 other permanents or something.
It says you can search your hand for the card too. Get 6 creatures in the grave but can't play the card yet, but still need to invest at least 5 mana? No way to cheat the effect either in the first couple of turns. It must be difficult or impossible to cast, or it might be a new card type. With the expertise cycle, it probably isn't a 0cc card, and it won't be the first standalone emblem card because those live in the Command Zone.
This card might be strong or an alt-win condition.
- put onto the battlefield = must be a permanent
- ability costs 5 = probably has a casting cost
- this card effect may or may not suggest some form of graveyard related effect
Might actually not have a casting cost and you would have to "cheat" it onto the battlefield, with the gate providing one way to do it. Would also tie nicely into As foretold for a flavor win.
Might actually not have a casting cost and you would have to "cheat" it onto the battlefield, with the gate providing one way to do it. Would also tie nicely into As foretold for a flavor win.
You have a point there, but then it would (surely?) be only as effective as a 3-cost spell. Would that work as an epic, god-given, surely mythic spell?
The design team has acted with far less awareness on many occasions, so yeah. You've got a point.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Latest proof this forum is a trashfire:
Your authoritarianism will be the reason the company suffers another 60M in losses.
I suspect that this "gift" is so called out of a sense of irony. It's most likely an enchantment since it has to be a permanent.
It's a bit of a pity this couldn't be a land with the Gate subtype.
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.
OR i would have thought it would be 7 because of old Bolas caring about the number 7 (7 cards, 7 damage, 7 permanents, his creature card being a 7/7, etc)
The seventh one doesn't die, it ignites. He's harvesting Planeswalkers after all. The first six were just chaff.
You know, that's actually a plausible theory. Sparks are ignited by intense experiences, usually near-death. It would make sense that Bolas would create a society in which such experiences are expected and even encouraged.
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.
You know, that's actually a plausible theory. Sparks are ignited by intense experiences, usually near-death. It would make sense that Bolas would create a society in which such experiences are expected and even encouraged.
ooo another interesting theory, it would certainly make sense with the name that Bolas' "gift" is actually just causing the creature to ignite (which the amonkhetu would see as them succeeding in all of the God-Pharaoh's trials)
I would like to see something which allows you to use the exile zone, something for which we have had hints at least once or twice (there may be other similar cards of which I am unaware). Perhaps something along the lines of "you may cast creature cards you own from exile" or the more powerful "you may cast nonland cards you own from exile"; for the latter effect I could see a reasonable limitation of "once during your turn..." clause. That would definitely make your creatures (or other cards) "eternal" and equates to them returning from the afterlife (since creature cards in the graveyard often aren't "dead").
That might make the delve and madness mechanics a little too powerful, though, but it certainly opens new design space.
So is the Gate to the Afterlife located in Naktamun, out in the Ifnir wasteland somewhere, or is it the source of the Luxa River? Is that where Bolas is hanging out for now?
Since I like the theory that the purpose of the Trials and the whole...'death is winning!!' atmosphere of Amonkhet in general is that Bolas is building an army of Planeswalkers loyal to him in sort of a Planeswalker Puppy Mill (tm), I vote that they've found a way to trigger a Legendary Creature's Spark to Planeswalker-dom, some kind of emblem-like effect effect that hits a Legendary, and adds one or two Planeswalker powers to it or something along that line.
Its not often we get the name of an as-yet unprinted card! I also find the condition very interesting, I wonder if new bolas will care about numbers of creatures in the graveyard or numbers of creatures dying, or at least if that will be some sort of theme in Hour of Devastation. What strikes me most about the condition is the number of creatures in the graveyard: 6 seems unexpected, I would have thought it would be either 5 because of Bolas caring about the 5 colors of mana or the 5 gods or an anointed from each color, etc. OR i would have thought it would be 7 because of old Bolas caring about the number 7 (7 cards, 7 damage, 7 permanents, his creature card being a 7/7, etc)
lets get to speculating about what this card might mean!
1) "Gift" hints that the card would benefit you rather than hurt the opponent.
2) Bolas is Grixis.
3) Therefore, this is a permanent card that will give you benefits in the Grixis colors. U benefits you by drawing cards, B can benefit you by reanimating cards (which has synergies with 6 creatures in your yard), and R will give your reanimated creatures some evasion like menace, maybe +x/+0 or haste (or some combination of the above)?
Alternative, the U part can be something else that synergizes with the reanimated creatures, like "creatures you control have hexproof" or "whenever a spell or ability targets a creature you control, counter that spell or ability".
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Revelation - Draw/reveal cards
Promise - Creature(s)/permanent(s) into play
Glory - Mass Buff
Eternity - Exile all permanents
STOP using "dude/bro" as a pejorative or insult. Grow up.
Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
Martin Luther King Jr.: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
Ooooo I really like this idea or it representing the Hours in some way, though with "the Hours are a lie" being mentioned in the story and the main antagonist being Bolas I could see it being a sort of perversion of what the hours are supposed to be... something like the following:
Revelation - would normally be thought of as you are revealing mysteries and gaining knowledge that way so drawing cards would make sense, but this is Bolas so perhaps its actually your opponent revealing their mind to him, therefore something like your opponents discarding cards. This could be akin to Bolas' other effects like cruel ultimatum where your opponent discards and you draw cards, kinda doubling up on revealing
Promise - would be thought of as the God-Pharaoh returning I suppose, but who's coming with him? mass creature reanimation as Bolas takes command of the cursed undead on his plane? fits with the theme of the plane and with grixis' original mechanic unearth!
Glory - could be seen as exalting your team with a mass buff, but this really doesn't fit with Bolas' personality, then what does? Bolas would want all the glory for himself (he is the God-Pharaoh after all) so perhaps something to leave himself as the only thing left standing: mass creature removal? (obviously not including his own minions)
Eternity - brings to mind things that last forever or that don't end or die. But what else lasts forever? death. and what's the main thing you're supposed to kill in a magic game? your opponent! "target opponent loses the game"
This card might be strong or an alt-win condition.
- ability costs 5 = probably has a casting cost
- this card effect may or may not suggest some form of graveyard related effect
overall: hype didn't take. Derivative designs upset me.
Might actually not have a casting cost and you would have to "cheat" it onto the battlefield, with the gate providing one way to do it. Would also tie nicely into As foretold for a flavor win.
You have a point there, but then it would (surely?) be only as effective as a 3-cost spell. Would that work as an epic, god-given, surely mythic spell?
The design team has acted with far less awareness on many occasions, so yeah. You've got a point.
It's a bit of a pity this couldn't be a land with the Gate subtype.
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.
The seventh one doesn't die, it ignites. He's harvesting Planeswalkers after all. The first six were just chaff.
Selling some cards I don't want.
Generally less than tcg mid.
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.
ooo another interesting theory, it would certainly make sense with the name that Bolas' "gift" is actually just causing the creature to ignite (which the amonkhetu would see as them succeeding in all of the God-Pharaoh's trials)
That might make the delve and madness mechanics a little too powerful, though, but it certainly opens new design space.
So is the Gate to the Afterlife located in Naktamun, out in the Ifnir wasteland somewhere, or is it the source of the Luxa River? Is that where Bolas is hanging out for now?
My money is on a reanimation enchantment like Animate Dead, granting the fresh corpse Grixis superpowers (such as Elder Mastery).
( 0.0 )
=O ((U/R)) O=
(")(")
I'm an AI making Magic cards.
http://www.staalmedia.nl/nexus/#generate