In mythology, is the average dragon stronger than the average human? Why yes, yes he is. It would come to reason, therefore, that an Elder Dragon planeswalker would be stronger than a human planeswalker. Ok, that doesn't compare to a god....until you remember that pre-Mending planeswalkers were ridiculously powerful, some even being revered as gods (such as in the case of Freyalise or Serra). Nicol Bolas wouldn't become a god because it's not the same power. He wants more than just immortality, really. He wants EVERYTHING that his spark once was, every last bit of immeasurable power. Gods clearly can be "destroyed" if people stop believing in them. It's what Ajani currently plans to do to get rid of Heliod, and it's happened with other forgotten gods, both major and minor, according to Kruphix and Ashiok's research on the city-god that Ephara consumed.
Nicol Bolas wants all his power back, and the gods simply don't have the same power. Hell, Elspeth was just able to completely stop Heliod evaporating her with Khrusor, which is considered the strongest weapon in Theros. Nicol Bolas wouldn't have any semblance to any Theran dragon, so he'd already look rather odd to any Theran denizen, AND he'd have to get a bunch of people to believe in him to even count as a god. He wouldn't even have the power of the "head god", and if that said power isn't enough to deal with a post-Mending planeswalker, it isn't enough for the dragon. Pre-Mending walkers are considered to be the strongest beings to ever exist in the Multiverse. That's why being a god on Theros just isn't enough, not to mention that as soon as he planeswalked out of Theros, all that power is gone when his connection to Nyx is severed.
Best answer so far.
I'm a strong advocate for pre-mending walkers are insanely powerful. However I feel a trend that wotc is trying to narrow the gap between old walker and neowalker. The god like power of old walker is mentioned less and less. Now they are printing old walkers in commander 2014 which makes people make direct comparison between old and neo walkers. I know these cards doesn't represent the actual power of planeswalker. But for normal players who doesn't study the lore will easy take cards as reference of power. And they are building up Bolas, Jace more and more powerful.
The reason why I'm against Bolas's hype is also that I want to preserve the all powerful status of old walkers. In current lore Bolas is portrayed as the one single strongest being which render the mending Pointless . If a post mending Bolas is anywhere near his former self, no matter what he has been eating(planes, malestorms), then the gap between the two isn't that great.
I have this feeling as time goes by wotc will totally discard the difference between two types of planeswalkers.
As Barinellos mentioned, in Alara cycle, the main goal of Bolas is to regain immortality which is foiled by Ajani. He is no longer immortal long ago. All his elder dragon brothers are long died, he will soon join them since his spark changed.
Besides that, almost every introduction about current planeswalkers given by WOTC mentioned Bolas also mentioned his old age and he is running out of time. I remember one article on Wizards website which gives the status of current walkers mentioned this. Even the Duel of planeswalker game mentioned this. It gives me the impression that fear of dying of old age is what driving Bolas.
Since when the hype about Bolas began to build to such a level?
He is only briefly introduced in Legends. He wasn’t even mentioned as a planeswalker. I don’t remember any story mentioned bolas even a little bit 14 years ago when I first start to play magic.
Then after Yawgmoth left a power vacuum, suddenly bolas has been resurrected as the ultimate bad guy. Now everyone says how powerful Bolas is even to a degree Bolas is better than an actual god? Unbelievable.
One more question : is Xenagos able to planeswalk after his Ascension? Theros gods are stuck because they are not planeswalker before they were god. What if a planeswalker become a god? He can plansewalk to other planes as normal planeswalker and come back to Theros as a god? Just wondering.
Even if becoming a god means lost of sparks I will take the opportunity and use the endless time I have to figure out a way to regain spark.
Of course bolas will not be a part of future story if this happens. I know wotc want to save bolas for future plots.
Orcs have shorter life span than humans right? At least according to my memory orcs generally have shorter life and lower intelligence in most fantasy products. So how long has zurgo lived? How much more he can live?
I remember in the book szat totally incinerate Daria or Kristina instantly. The regeneratation of planeswalker relays on their brain's function. As long as they can think, they can regenerate. If brain is destroyed they can not think so they are died. Planeswalker = zombie? Szat killed the other walker by bite their head. I remember his fangs pierce her Brian causing the death. Urza killed two of the titans by electric shock to preventing them from thinking.
Post this on somewhere else before. Got no rational answers.
Bolas is old right? Time is his enemy. He wants to restore his youth and power. He is actively searching methods to achieve such goals. He tried to absorb conflux but got stopped by Ajain.
Now we know on Theros gods exist. And planeswalker can become a god. Xenagos did it. He is not as smart as bolas. So why bolas not to try this becoming a god thing in the first place?
I know the boring stock answer that bolas thinks himself is above those gods on Theros. I don't find that is convincing.
Sure bolas is arrogant enough to believe himself is above gods. But he is literally running out of time. Now there is solution for him. Why not take it? We can see Theros gods are more powerful than post mending planeswalkers. Otherwise Xenagos would not try it. Why not become a god to buy himself sometime? It works better than tear apart a plane to absorb its Essenes.
Best answer so far.
I'm a strong advocate for pre-mending walkers are insanely powerful. However I feel a trend that wotc is trying to narrow the gap between old walker and neowalker. The god like power of old walker is mentioned less and less. Now they are printing old walkers in commander 2014 which makes people make direct comparison between old and neo walkers. I know these cards doesn't represent the actual power of planeswalker. But for normal players who doesn't study the lore will easy take cards as reference of power. And they are building up Bolas, Jace more and more powerful.
The reason why I'm against Bolas's hype is also that I want to preserve the all powerful status of old walkers. In current lore Bolas is portrayed as the one single strongest being which render the mending Pointless . If a post mending Bolas is anywhere near his former self, no matter what he has been eating(planes, malestorms), then the gap between the two isn't that great.
I have this feeling as time goes by wotc will totally discard the difference between two types of planeswalkers.
Besides that, almost every introduction about current planeswalkers given by WOTC mentioned Bolas also mentioned his old age and he is running out of time. I remember one article on Wizards website which gives the status of current walkers mentioned this. Even the Duel of planeswalker game mentioned this. It gives me the impression that fear of dying of old age is what driving Bolas.
Since when the hype about Bolas began to build to such a level?
He is only briefly introduced in Legends. He wasn’t even mentioned as a planeswalker. I don’t remember any story mentioned bolas even a little bit 14 years ago when I first start to play magic.
Then after Yawgmoth left a power vacuum, suddenly bolas has been resurrected as the ultimate bad guy. Now everyone says how powerful Bolas is even to a degree Bolas is better than an actual god? Unbelievable.
Even if becoming a god means lost of sparks I will take the opportunity and use the endless time I have to figure out a way to regain spark.
Of course bolas will not be a part of future story if this happens. I know wotc want to save bolas for future plots.
Bolas is old right? Time is his enemy. He wants to restore his youth and power. He is actively searching methods to achieve such goals. He tried to absorb conflux but got stopped by Ajain.
Now we know on Theros gods exist. And planeswalker can become a god. Xenagos did it. He is not as smart as bolas. So why bolas not to try this becoming a god thing in the first place?
I know the boring stock answer that bolas thinks himself is above those gods on Theros. I don't find that is convincing.
Sure bolas is arrogant enough to believe himself is above gods. But he is literally running out of time. Now there is solution for him. Why not take it? We can see Theros gods are more powerful than post mending planeswalkers. Otherwise Xenagos would not try it. Why not become a god to buy himself sometime? It works better than tear apart a plane to absorb its Essenes.