I like these stories focusing on the non-planeswalker characters in the story. with some VERY notable exceptions, we Vorthoses have always said that the short stories about the mortals were more engaging and better written overall than the stories about the PWs. Giving some depth and personality to the new Weatherlight crew is the right call. can't wait to see what they do with Slimefoot.
"I tried to keep as many reprints as possible from sets previously on Dominaria, although we ended up with a few exceptions: one cycle of cards, one card that felt at home here, and one card I wanted here with a set mechanic that we gave a new name. Two of the reprints I was most pleased to personally discover in searches and add to the set were Goblin Warchief and an innocuous common white creature that fit both thematically and mechanically."
So I'm curious as to what these unnamed reprints are/will be. I know a bunch of reprints have already been spoiled, but I'm still having a hard time connecting the dots. can anyone help with this? I wanna know which reprints he is alluding to. and if they haven't already been spoiled, any guess as to what they could be?
I'm not too kin on how new crew members are take up the position/race of the previous crew. Succession is an important them of this set, but mimic the past shows more nostalgia than practicality. The addition of Gatewatch an various PWs would only crowded the ship even further while diluting the importance of each member; the old Weatherlight crew has enough backstory for each member to avoid that issue, this new hastily put up new crew will suffer more.
I disagree. put the nostalgia and comparisons to the original crews aside, and look at these characters on their own merits. I posted this a bunch of posts ago;
"Having an angel on the team that is familiar with the ship is useful, so is having a person on the team that is naturally resistant to magic. You wanted a veteran fighter on the team, but instead you get a rookie mage with a demonstrated knack for illusions. that could come in handy at some point in time. and you just happened to luck into a Vampire knight that wants to be part of the team. Vampires are immortal, super strong and are willing to cross lines that normal people wouldn't to get the job done: very useful traits."
Without any of the nostalgia baggage, you still have the makings of a formidable team, and that's not counting One of the premier artificers of the plane being your captain, or the addition of any planeswalkers. Ajani is joining now, and by the end of the story they'll also have at least Jaya and Gideon.
I'm just curious, did that story have any value to anyone who is not familiar with the old stories? Unless you were playing the game and reading the novels back in the Weatherlight era that story was a whole bunch of nothing. What was so special about Gerard and Sisay that she needed their descendents. (not being sarcastic and I'm sure there's probably an answer.)
I'd think for someone unfamiliar with the Weatherlight lore it would be akin to watching a heist movie, at the point where "The team" is assembled. Think films like Inception, Rogue One, Ocean's Eleven and The Great Train Robbery. The mission has specific needs, so you're going to go out and recruit the people you need for the task. Having an angel on the team that is familiar with the ship is useful, so is having a person on the team that is naturally resistant to magic. You wanted a veteran fighter on the team, but instead you get a rookie mage with a demonstrated knack for illusions. that could come in handy at some point in time. and you just happened to luck into a Vampire knight that wants to be part of the team. Vampires are immortal, super strong and are willing to cross lines that normal people wouldn't to get the job done: very useful traits.
if you look at the story that way, then you don't necessarily need to know the histories and lore behind these characters.
I like the story. there were a few nitpicky issues ("ork' wen it should have been "work," Jhoira claiming she knew Jodah before the Invasion). the Ertai comparison resonated with me, too. and I'm happy that Ajani will be a part of this story. didn't seem right to have him be the first one to suggest meeting on Dominaria and then not have him show up. Too bad he won't be getting a card tho.
So the obvious question is: who else is going to be on the ship?
there are a LOT of legendary creatures in Dominaria. any of them (well, most of them) could be part of the crew. Sisay's descendant Shanna, Sisay's Legacy and our resident Capashen Danitha Capashen, Paragon are prime candidates, and you can make an argument for Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive. Out of all of the legendary creatures and PWs revealed for the set, who else do you think will join the Crew?
keep in mind as of this OP almost half of the set still hasn't been revealed. add names as deemed necessary.
UPDATE: MaRo unveiled the official Weatherlight crew cards, and it's basically the guys introduced in Jhoria's recruitment spree, plus Slimefoot. We still know that Planeswalkers will find themselves on the Weatherlight (and how cool/obvious is it that the Weatherlight is now a vehicle?), and I'm not ruling out Squee, Tetsuko and Multani being heavily involved too.
Also, how do we know killing all the demons won't wipe out their deals with Liliana? What kind of system would that be if you could just kill them and keep what they gave you? That would also be a twist if by killing her last demon, she destroys their gifts and speed-ages.
...which would have her desperately searching for a new solution, and could put her....
Regarding Gideon's embracing pragmatism:
White can be just as pragmatic as black when circumstance demands. Don't forget that White is also the color of military thinking and battle strategy. in war, lines must often be crossed, sacrifices made and hard choices thought out in the name of victory. and sometimes you have to endure losing a few battles in the name of winning the war. This is a side of white Gideon has not been used to using, but it is a vital part of his development as a warrior and as a leader.
before he was letting his ideology dictate his decisions. But now with a long-term war objective in mind, he is learning to be a lot more strategic. Gideon is playing the long game here and I like that element of growth in his character.
really impressed with the writing. there's an obvious difference in the quality of writing between the inhouse guys (Jenna notwithstanding because she rocks) and having a real pro and vet writing these stories.
I didn't expect the Gatewatch to reconvene that quickly, and I was VERY surprised at their reactions to their defeat. I actually expected Nissa to react the way Chandra did and vice versa. and Gideon trying to be the voice of reason was also a surprise. But I can dig it.
Kamigawa is one of MTG's most beloved stories for a reason (actually, many reasons). Toshiro is a well-written, likeable antihero, and the war between Konda and O-Kagachi is suitably epic in scope. the books also do a great job of incorporating many of the cards from the set into the story.
Not to mention, much of the flavor text on the cards allude to a history of the war that the books can only scratch the surface of telling. It was a masterpiece, and this synopsis is a great way to bring those that missed the books up to speed.
So I'm curious as to what these unnamed reprints are/will be. I know a bunch of reprints have already been spoiled, but I'm still having a hard time connecting the dots. can anyone help with this? I wanna know which reprints he is alluding to. and if they haven't already been spoiled, any guess as to what they could be?
I disagree. put the nostalgia and comparisons to the original crews aside, and look at these characters on their own merits. I posted this a bunch of posts ago;
"Having an angel on the team that is familiar with the ship is useful, so is having a person on the team that is naturally resistant to magic. You wanted a veteran fighter on the team, but instead you get a rookie mage with a demonstrated knack for illusions. that could come in handy at some point in time. and you just happened to luck into a Vampire knight that wants to be part of the team. Vampires are immortal, super strong and are willing to cross lines that normal people wouldn't to get the job done: very useful traits."
Without any of the nostalgia baggage, you still have the makings of a formidable team, and that's not counting One of the premier artificers of the plane being your captain, or the addition of any planeswalkers. Ajani is joining now, and by the end of the story they'll also have at least Jaya and Gideon.
So that just makes her a cougar. And slow time water does wonders on keeping menopause away. #awomanhasneeds
I'd think for someone unfamiliar with the Weatherlight lore it would be akin to watching a heist movie, at the point where "The team" is assembled. Think films like Inception, Rogue One, Ocean's Eleven and The Great Train Robbery. The mission has specific needs, so you're going to go out and recruit the people you need for the task. Having an angel on the team that is familiar with the ship is useful, so is having a person on the team that is naturally resistant to magic. You wanted a veteran fighter on the team, but instead you get a rookie mage with a demonstrated knack for illusions. that could come in handy at some point in time. and you just happened to luck into a Vampire knight that wants to be part of the team. Vampires are immortal, super strong and are willing to cross lines that normal people wouldn't to get the job done: very useful traits.
if you look at the story that way, then you don't necessarily need to know the histories and lore behind these characters.
I think I'm going to edit the OP with the updated roster.
Looks like we've got a new PW on the way.
So let's do some speculatin' about her. Apparently her home plane has been destroyed, and she seems to be aligned with the "good guy" side of things.
if she were to show up on an existing (or announced) plane, where would she be the best fit?
So the obvious question is: who else is going to be on the ship?
there are a LOT of legendary creatures in Dominaria. any of them (well, most of them) could be part of the crew. Sisay's descendant Shanna, Sisay's Legacy and our resident Capashen Danitha Capashen, Paragon are prime candidates, and you can make an argument for Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive. Out of all of the legendary creatures and PWs revealed for the set, who else do you think will join the Crew?
keep in mind as of this OP almost half of the set still hasn't been revealed. add names as deemed necessary.
UPDATE: MaRo unveiled the official Weatherlight crew cards, and it's basically the guys introduced in Jhoria's recruitment spree, plus Slimefoot. We still know that Planeswalkers will find themselves on the Weatherlight (and how cool/obvious is it that the Weatherlight is now a vehicle?), and I'm not ruling out Squee, Tetsuko and Multani being heavily involved too.
CONFIRMED MEMBERS:
Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain
Shanna, Sisay's Legacy
Tiana, Ship's Caretaker
Arvad the Cursed
Raff Capashen, Ship's Mage
Slimefoot, the Stowaway
Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
Jaya Ballard
Chandra, Bold Pyromancer
Karn, Scion of Urza
Gideon Jura
Liliana Vess
STILL POSSIBLE:
Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive
is it me, or does bearded Teferi look like LeBron James?
...which would have her desperately searching for a new solution, and could put her....
...wait for it....
...right In Bolas's Clutches!
White can be just as pragmatic as black when circumstance demands. Don't forget that White is also the color of military thinking and battle strategy. in war, lines must often be crossed, sacrifices made and hard choices thought out in the name of victory. and sometimes you have to endure losing a few battles in the name of winning the war. This is a side of white Gideon has not been used to using, but it is a vital part of his development as a warrior and as a leader.
before he was letting his ideology dictate his decisions. But now with a long-term war objective in mind, he is learning to be a lot more strategic. Gideon is playing the long game here and I like that element of growth in his character.
really impressed with the writing. there's an obvious difference in the quality of writing between the inhouse guys (Jenna notwithstanding because she rocks) and having a real pro and vet writing these stories.
I didn't expect the Gatewatch to reconvene that quickly, and I was VERY surprised at their reactions to their defeat. I actually expected Nissa to react the way Chandra did and vice versa. and Gideon trying to be the voice of reason was also a surprise. But I can dig it.
this must be the scene for the Broken Bond card.