Yeeeaaaah, we're getting into the territory where the story kind of falls apart. I can buy some of the characters being here, but some are just very forced. Why is Rakdos here? Eriette? Satoru? Gisa and Geralf? Even Breeches and Malcolm are such random inclusions.
Kaervec only works until you realize that he probably wouldn't join such a "small time crime" team given his power and ambition before he was imprisoned. It's like putting Bolas here, or Baron Sengir. I do have to say I actually enjoy the idea that he uses archaic speech, but that's just a little gimmick.
As always, it could be made to work, to give each character a reason to be here, but Magic stories never have the scope for that so I think this story would have been served better to have most of the characters be new ones. Eh, whatever.
Malcom and Breeches can be explained with Vraska being there. That said there is more story and/or maybe a legends articles that can explain this and I'm gonna wait before saying if things works.
thats Actually a power suit from the fomori this is revealed from unused concept art of caverns of ixalan so they was three cards that were gonna mention the formori in Caverns of Ixalan.
Give me an example of a transsexual woman-turned-man who has a moustache. (Note the moustache in Yuma's art.) My searches only resulted in transsexual men-turned-women.
What the absolute ****? Really get the **** out of here with that.
We also got the follow up from Ashiok and Eriette coming from Eldraine and seemly Ashiok is working for someone else wanting something in the vault. Not sure if its been talk on here but the vault seems to have Fomori artifacts in it as other have pointed out Nexus of Becoming and Sword of Wealth and Power referce the Fomori. Guessing Ashiok is working for either Kasmina group (maybe trying to stop the Fomori from returning) or the Fomori trying to start regaining their lost power.
so clearly Kaervek used this situation to escape to Thunder junction threw a omenpath.
Yeah it was known from the Bro stories or the One stories (one of them) that Kaervek had escaped from his amber prison and was out and about. I feel silly for not seeing it coming since Kaervek is a well known villian from old lore who is still around.
it's nice to see a trans character come up in a decent way, where it's just one part of what he has going on. too many franchises think that just being a trans character is enough, instead of being a good, interesting character who is also trans. Yuma should be very popular!
Also fitting as historically many queer folk would become cowpoke or go into the frontier in order to be able to live more freely.
This arguably might be the most interesting part of Yuma's backstory:
Trust me, I tried hard to be a girl for a certain number of years. It takes skill. You have to function through the pressure of all that being looked at—the way people look at women, assessing, selecting, all without regard to whether you're selecting back. It's not why I had to remake myself as a man, but I have to admit, I was also bad at it.
Yuma later reports being a "city boy" in a passing remark, so I assume he's just referring to the few years he worked in drag...right?
Aaaaaand they forgot what's-her-face-vampire-map-girl exists, lol.
Doylist: Amalia wasn't meant to be an omenpath traveler but as the author of the Ixalan story was writting it she felt like this where the character and plot wanted to go and the creative team approved, however as they already have the basic story and set for the next year or so already locked in they couldn't add her in.
Watsonian: Amalia is on her own adventure and has her own goals that sadly just don't align with Kellan
Galaxy Brain: Amalia story arc is her being disillusioned with her religion and god and is on a new pathway to find herself and what deity, if any, if she wants to worship. Her putting all that to the side to go with Kella is a bit of disservice to that arc particularly if you add in this all for a male character arc unrelated to hers and this would lead her, a walking metaphor for colonization, into the wild west plane.
From Maros blog there are animalfolk that will show up that aren't part of 10 typal of the set so I think Hugs might be a one off badger character vs badgers being a typal creatures of the set. Based on that I still think the first guess @Flisch did is spot on, with raccoons in GR and not very sure on UB unless we get rats again like in Eldraine 2.
Also note that the art treatment will include non-legendaries as well. I wonder if they're gonna do the praetors for fun.
Yeah if anyone wants to guess legends as well feel free, I just didn't list them since there are so many more of them then (depsarked) planeswalkers. Def want to see how a phyrexian would be transformed.
I just wonder why Ajani has both eyes intact on the box art.
Cause its showing him before he lost his eye.
Yeah, serves me right to get this answer when I did not elaborate. This is the very first time we see him without his eye, and we know that he did not lose it in his ignition event. He's already one-eyed in Alara Unbroken.
Maybe we will see the so far unspecified event when he lost it.
I think it's being used as a visual hint this is a younger Ajani, set even before Alara Unbroken, just to give a more of contrast him in the present. They did a similar thing with the Origin 5 and Bolas, making them look younger or some other visual hints that the front was a younger version of them.
That said would be nice to have explained how he lost his eye.
https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/magic-story/episode-3-a-train-to-prosperity
Malcom and Breeches can be explained with Vraska being there. That said there is more story and/or maybe a legends articles that can explain this and I'm gonna wait before saying if things works.
The concept art;
https://www.instagram.com/p/C0xRmiwPWKW/?img_index=2
What the absolute ****? Really get the **** out of here with that.
I mistyped and meant cowpoke (gender neutral way to say cowboy/cowgirl)
Yeah it was known from the Bro stories or the One stories (one of them) that Kaervek had escaped from his amber prison and was out and about. I feel silly for not seeing it coming since Kaervek is a well known villian from old lore who is still around.
Also fitting as historically many queer folk would become cowpoke or go into the frontier in order to be able to live more freely.
Yuma is a trans-man.
https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/magic-story/no-tells
Doylist: Amalia wasn't meant to be an omenpath traveler but as the author of the Ixalan story was writting it she felt like this where the character and plot wanted to go and the creative team approved, however as they already have the basic story and set for the next year or so already locked in they couldn't add her in.
Watsonian: Amalia is on her own adventure and has her own goals that sadly just don't align with Kellan
Galaxy Brain: Amalia story arc is her being disillusioned with her religion and god and is on a new pathway to find herself and what deity, if any, if she wants to worship. Her putting all that to the side to go with Kella is a bit of disservice to that arc particularly if you add in this all for a male character arc unrelated to hers and this would lead her, a walking metaphor for colonization, into the wild west plane.
I'm pretty sure a team of outlaws, in a villains themed set, pulling a heist aren't very worried about playing fair.
https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/magic-story/episode-1-an-offer-of-revenge
https://www.tumblr.com/markrosewater/744429608350433280/mark-i-fully-expect-this-to-be-too-far-out-but?source=share
From Maros blog there are animalfolk that will show up that aren't part of 10 typal of the set so I think Hugs might be a one off badger character vs badgers being a typal creatures of the set. Based on that I still think the first guess @Flisch did is spot on, with raccoons in GR and not very sure on UB unless we get rats again like in Eldraine 2.
Huatli- A lizard, since its close to a dinosaur.
Kaito- A tanuki to match Himoto.
Kasmina- Owl, matches her familiars.
Lukka- Cat and/or Fox to match his bonded animals.
Sorin- Def a bat to match the vamire vibes and if the bat folk maybe do end up vampires as guessed at in the main thread.
Tyvar- Golden Retriever, Kellan too, very much "I have the power of friendship and optimism thinking on my side!" characters.
Liliana- A cat, very much matched a cranky cat who if you don't make her made will cuddle and purr in your lap.
Vivien- Gives off bear vibes with how she treats and protects animals like a bear with her cubs.
Saheeli- Bird with feather that have Kaladesh filigree /aether patters.
Wrenn- Squirrels since I feel like if any animals in a Bloomburrow setting would be dryad like it would be squirrels.
Yes!
Yeah if anyone wants to guess legends as well feel free, I just didn't list them since there are so many more of them then (depsarked) planeswalkers. Def want to see how a phyrexian would be transformed.
I think it's being used as a visual hint this is a younger Ajani, set even before Alara Unbroken, just to give a more of contrast him in the present. They did a similar thing with the Origin 5 and Bolas, making them look younger or some other visual hints that the front was a younger version of them.
That said would be nice to have explained how he lost his eye.
Cause its showing him before he lost his eye.