Okay, I just finished reading the Ravnica Cycle books. Yes Niv flew away and disappeared after he destroyed two of the draco-enhanced Nephilim. After the "final" battle, only one guild was removed. House of Dimir. But it still existed in the ghost realm that merged with the physical realm of Ravnica. So guilds are still a possibility.
And for you shockland lovers, I think I spied a few in the planchase decks. Along with a few Ravnican Planes. :3
I see Arbor Elf spoiled on this site for M13. I'm guessing that's instead of Llanowar Elves. This suggests to me something along the lines of shocklands.
Are the Ravnica novels worth-the-read? I'm interested. I only read the Timespiral cycle.
Well, Ravnica and Guildpact were the most enticing for me. Dissension seemed a bit slow. And I was upset not to see any bit of Tolsimir, though some of the other Legends are not mentioned either. But all in all, it was fun to see what happened on Ravnica and how the guilds interacted and a deeper understanding of them.
awesome.
love the setting, glad to see more of it.
Had crappy Izzet and Selesnya decks that are now much better; I wonder what goodies Return To Ravnica might bring them.
Ravnica came out after I started playing, but before I got serious. I haven't been active since summer 2011 (New Phyrexia was my last set). Maybe I'll come back for this.
So I have some speculation that is almost completely unfounded, but I thought would be cool.
What if RTR (or Line and Sinker) uses the split mana mechanic from Ravnica previous but uses it in a friendly 3-color and wedge 3-color fashion? Since some of the guilds are leaderless, some followers could latch onto other guilds and there could be a whole slough of color-mixing.
That could explain Nicol Bolas's printing in M13 (other than, ya know, for storyline reasons) and would explain the various color synergies of the Innistrad block.
Or maybe they'd save that for "Journey Back to the Shards of Alara, Kamigawa and Zendikar."
Say they reprint the shocks.... How does that really affect standard? The fetch lands aren't legal which is kinda what you need to get the most out of shocks, so the only ways to really get them are green, in which case, you already have color fixing, or that gem thing..which is less than awesome.
I understand modern, but that's a much smaller block of players. I find it difficult to find people to play modern on paper, as most of the people playing non-standard seem to be playing legacy.
Sure shocks would be great for cracking packs, but are they really going to be good for standard without cheap/easy/fast ways to get them that aren't tied to green?
Or.. do you think they will print an enabler in RtR to let you get shocks, like the ally fetches, or... a terramorphic type thing for plains, island, swap, mountain, or forrest?
We know how to get them in modern, but.. in standard?
Standard with shocks is going to be a lot like Standard with the M10/Scars lands, except the Scars lands were only for allied color combinations. The shocks will allow better support for enemy colors. Additionally, the M10's and shocks will have better synergy with each other, since the shocks will count as the basic land types you need to bring in your M10 lands untapped.
There won't be fetches, and I don't expect anything really like that, so manabases will be more like the current T2 manabases than Modern. If you're in two colors, you get to run 8 duals, even if you're in enemy colors. If you're in three colors, it's tricky. This fits well with Ravnica as we know it, since Ravnica is based around two-color combinations which can be ally or enemy.
Of course, for three-color, you could run a total of 24 dual-lands between M12, INN, and RTR. But that would potentially open you up to hate from Ghost Quarter, which would effectively become Strip Mine, so it's necessary to run a few basics. Not quite as easy to get your colors as in Modern, but it shouldn't be. Duals are still duals, they'll be plenty effective without fetches.
But, if it's mostly for enemy duals, why not just finish off the seachrome type cycle with enemy colors?
The advantage of shocks was that you can get the ones you need when you need them by fetching. If you play them off the draw... they are alot worse, and you'd rather be playing the seachrome type, or even the m10 type.
But without a good way to search them up cheap and fast, they're not really good.
I'd love easier availability of shocks - then again, I mostly play stuff besides Standard. It would be a nice bonus if they had the same art/templating/etc, so they'd fit in with Ravnica copies.
My Selesnya deck runs 3 Temple Garden, wouldn't mind a fourth. My Izzet deck has 1 Steam Vents, would be glad to go up to 4 of those as well. (I have a bunch of other green/white duals in the Selesnya deck, but no other blue/red stuff in the Izzet)
I have some proxied shocks and would be glad to replace them with regular ones. They could also be a good budget option to replace proxied Revised duals.
I'm OK on enemy fetches because I opened so much Zendikar, but I wouldn't mind more. I'd love allied fetches since I wasn't around for Onslaught.
If memory serves the guild structureas of the endof dissensionis as such
Boros: Razia is dead, as is Argus, though his ghost patrols the ghost quarter. Feather is now in charge.
Golgari: Savra raises Svothgir and kills the sisters (this one is a little fuzzy)
Dimir: Szadek imprisoned, Circu whereabouts unknown
Selesnya: home tree corupted, chous in shambles, tolsmir???
Izzet: Crix(steamunk cyber goblin) left in chage after imressing Niv, who then flies offinto the sunset claiming that "this world" bores him
Gruul: eaten by nephelim?
Orzhov: Teysa sed the power of law to entrap the ghost council in the shadow realm and now rules the syndicate.
Simic: Momir was eaten by Kraj.
Rakdos: lyzolda killed by Rakdos, who was then killed by a small boy.
Azorius: Augustis went insane and tricked Argus into arresting Szadek for doing his job and subsequently broke the guildpact. Also eaten by Kraj I think.
Really really looking frorward to not only going back to Rav, but also coming back to the game.
Also, in the story it mentions that Niv designed something (iI don't remember exactly what) that was supposed to make him a god, but the goblins screwed it up somehow when they built it. So a Niv PW is possible.
Azourus Destroyed, and absorbed into Boros. Feather incharge with help from Orzhov make Argus a immortal body to use while on ravnica but he is in charge of the boros "garrison" for lack of a better term in the Ghost quarter in order to stop Szadek from taking over again. (RUW)
Golgari and Selesynia are joined in Myc son of the golgari guildmaster who has acheived perfect necromancy in reviving himself, and son of a selesynian soldier. (WGB)
Simic is destroyed, my assumtion is it will be absorbed into Izzet.(RUG)
Rakdos is dead, supporters still around, possibly Incorporated into Orzhov? (RWB)
potentuanlly some parts of Simic may join golgari, as Svothgir and Momir joined forces. (BUG)
Was it ever hinted that he left the plane? I'm just curious, since it's been a while since I read the Ravnica novels.
As I remember it, he just kinda flew away and wasn't mentioned again. Just want to make sure I'm not forgetting anything big.
And for you shockland lovers, I think I spied a few in the planchase decks. Along with a few Ravnican Planes. :3
Are the Ravnica novels worth-the-read? I'm interested. I only read the Timespiral cycle.
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Well, Ravnica and Guildpact were the most enticing for me. Dissension seemed a bit slow. And I was upset not to see any bit of Tolsimir, though some of the other Legends are not mentioned either. But all in all, it was fun to see what happened on Ravnica and how the guilds interacted and a deeper understanding of them.
So I'm hoping not to jinx myself haha.
RDW-a.k.a. Glass Cannon Red
If worse comes to worse, just falcon punch your opponent into submission.
Three words: Mill, Mill, and yes... more MILL.
Oh... The Unthinkable... I missed you... and Lobotomist. I missed you too.
love the setting, glad to see more of it.
Had crappy Izzet and Selesnya decks that are now much better; I wonder what goodies Return To Ravnica might bring them.
Ravnica came out after I started playing, but before I got serious. I haven't been active since summer 2011 (New Phyrexia was my last set). Maybe I'll come back for this.
Vintage: Dredge | Legacy: Burn, Goblins, Soldier | Standard: Mono-Red Aggro
Commander: Nicol Bolas, Sliver Overlord, Rafiq
Casual: Selesnya Saproling Smackdown, Izzet Labs, Rebel
Played since June 2004, mostly inactive June 2011 to March 2018
Other usernames include AlanFromRochester, homerthebeerbaron
MTG checklists from Alpha to Ravnica Allegiance - https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/other-magic-products/third-party-products/805324-checklists-for-everything-from-alpha-to-ravnica
What if RTR (or Line and Sinker) uses the split mana mechanic from Ravnica previous but uses it in a friendly 3-color and wedge 3-color fashion? Since some of the guilds are leaderless, some followers could latch onto other guilds and there could be a whole slough of color-mixing.
That could explain Nicol Bolas's printing in M13 (other than, ya know, for storyline reasons) and would explain the various color synergies of the Innistrad block.
Or maybe they'd save that for "Journey Back to the Shards of Alara, Kamigawa and Zendikar."
They are "meh." I liked bits and pieces of them.
I understand modern, but that's a much smaller block of players. I find it difficult to find people to play modern on paper, as most of the people playing non-standard seem to be playing legacy.
Sure shocks would be great for cracking packs, but are they really going to be good for standard without cheap/easy/fast ways to get them that aren't tied to green?
Or.. do you think they will print an enabler in RtR to let you get shocks, like the ally fetches, or... a terramorphic type thing for plains, island, swap, mountain, or forrest?
We know how to get them in modern, but.. in standard?
There won't be fetches, and I don't expect anything really like that, so manabases will be more like the current T2 manabases than Modern. If you're in two colors, you get to run 8 duals, even if you're in enemy colors. If you're in three colors, it's tricky. This fits well with Ravnica as we know it, since Ravnica is based around two-color combinations which can be ally or enemy.
Of course, for three-color, you could run a total of 24 dual-lands between M12, INN, and RTR. But that would potentially open you up to hate from Ghost Quarter, which would effectively become Strip Mine, so it's necessary to run a few basics. Not quite as easy to get your colors as in Modern, but it shouldn't be. Duals are still duals, they'll be plenty effective without fetches.
The advantage of shocks was that you can get the ones you need when you need them by fetching. If you play them off the draw... they are alot worse, and you'd rather be playing the seachrome type, or even the m10 type.
But without a good way to search them up cheap and fast, they're not really good.
My Selesnya deck runs 3 Temple Garden, wouldn't mind a fourth. My Izzet deck has 1 Steam Vents, would be glad to go up to 4 of those as well. (I have a bunch of other green/white duals in the Selesnya deck, but no other blue/red stuff in the Izzet)
I have some proxied shocks and would be glad to replace them with regular ones. They could also be a good budget option to replace proxied Revised duals.
I'm OK on enemy fetches because I opened so much Zendikar, but I wouldn't mind more. I'd love allied fetches since I wasn't around for Onslaught.
Vintage: Dredge | Legacy: Burn, Goblins, Soldier | Standard: Mono-Red Aggro
Commander: Nicol Bolas, Sliver Overlord, Rafiq
Casual: Selesnya Saproling Smackdown, Izzet Labs, Rebel
Played since June 2004, mostly inactive June 2011 to March 2018
Other usernames include AlanFromRochester, homerthebeerbaron
MTG checklists from Alpha to Ravnica Allegiance - https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/other-magic-products/third-party-products/805324-checklists-for-everything-from-alpha-to-ravnica
Boros: Razia is dead, as is Argus, though his ghost patrols the ghost quarter. Feather is now in charge.
Golgari: Savra raises Svothgir and kills the sisters (this one is a little fuzzy)
Dimir: Szadek imprisoned, Circu whereabouts unknown
Selesnya: home tree corupted, chous in shambles, tolsmir???
Izzet: Crix(steamunk cyber goblin) left in chage after imressing Niv, who then flies offinto the sunset claiming that "this world" bores him
Gruul: eaten by nephelim?
Orzhov: Teysa sed the power of law to entrap the ghost council in the shadow realm and now rules the syndicate.
Simic: Momir was eaten by Kraj.
Rakdos: lyzolda killed by Rakdos, who was then killed by a small boy.
Azorius: Augustis went insane and tricked Argus into arresting Szadek for doing his job and subsequently broke the guildpact. Also eaten by Kraj I think.
Really really looking frorward to not only going back to Rav, but also coming back to the game.
Also, in the story it mentions that Niv designed something (iI don't remember exactly what) that was supposed to make him a god, but the goblins screwed it up somehow when they built it. So a Niv PW is possible.
Azourus Destroyed, and absorbed into Boros. Feather incharge with help from Orzhov make Argus a immortal body to use while on ravnica but he is in charge of the boros "garrison" for lack of a better term in the Ghost quarter in order to stop Szadek from taking over again. (RUW)
Golgari and Selesynia are joined in Myc son of the golgari guildmaster who has acheived perfect necromancy in reviving himself, and son of a selesynian soldier. (WGB)
Simic is destroyed, my assumtion is it will be absorbed into Izzet.(RUG)
Rakdos is dead, supporters still around, possibly Incorporated into Orzhov? (RWB)
potentuanlly some parts of Simic may join golgari, as Svothgir and Momir joined forces. (BUG)
your not
the old planeswalkers would still be to OP even though they lose there higher than gods level OP, they will still be OP
Anyways, glad to see Niv Mizzet and Jace hanging around, [Izzet] represent!
Green: Never like the big oafs
White: I'm not the angelic type
Black: Can kinda relate
Blue: Need I say more.
Decks I play and stuff.
Legacy Burn
Modern Mono U Tron
I couldn't have said that any better my friend.