What even is most of this discussion? Word salad merry-go-rounds?
Lets summarize this trainwreck: Camp A dislikes Kaya because she is used as a tool by the writers to kill off non-planeswalker characters. Camp B likes Kaya because she killed some non-planeswalker characters off.
The story stopped being as important when Wizards decided to stop doing block cycle novels after Eventide. Instead of a book per set in a 3-set block, it was a book per block, then for awhile no books. We just now live in a era where we might get a book per 1-set block.
Banning fast mana also slows down combo decks because they can't use that as a crutch to outpace the rest of the table.
Banning the cheapest costed tutors is like the prior as they need the requisite mana and without fast mana the tutors come out slower.
Banning the most egregious combo enablers (like Paradox Engine for example getting banned) means decks can't rely on it and have to resort to less powerful combos as a result.
You don't ban everything, you ban the things that allow the game to spiral out too fast. If you want a slower paced format, you ban the cards that are too efficient and too fast. Letting them sit and fester within the format is just like letting an infected injury go unattended and hoping it just sorts itself out. That people be acting like:
Paradox Engine getting banned is a step in the right direction as it will lead to more healthy types of decks. If you want to see a more casual format, you need the banlist to help enforce that. Without that enforcement, people will do what they want, and only be stopped by intervention of other players, and if its the same tired song and dance about how this person should change up their deck and not included whatever busted card they used because its unbanned, mayhaps its not the individual in question who is at fault. As by all rules within the format, they are correctly behaving and following them. If you feel this is against the spirit of the format, then you are letting this very same spirit become infected by more and more egregious cards that are anything but casual and again as reflected by the "this is fine" meme.
In any tabletop game that includes it, such as D&D, A bag of holding is a bag that within it has an extradimensional space for the storing of objects and creatures. The difference comes with that normally you could just grab an item out of the bag when you wanted it, but the card doesn't provide that option and opts for instead the "all or nothing" approach that could also be done with the bag.
As for the loot ability, it replciates the idea of an adventurer coming across new loot and either keeping on their person (in hand) or storing it for later (discard+exile) inside the bag.
That Chandra is actually very nice. A +1 that can Shock ANY target for 2 damage is actually a powerspike for her. The -2 is also an upgrade in terms of what her standard creature removal as its practically Chandra's Outrage. The -8 is standard fare for her.
Also Chandra deals exactly enough damage to kill each of the other 4 intro pack walkers while +ing if the other walkers - first. Also if she does + first, now at 5 loyalty, then takes 4 from Sorin and leaving her at 1 loyalty, then she can just + again and kill Sorin.
Throw in something like a Izzet Cluestone and it is indeed infinite damage. Without that mana rock, you would only be generating mana but not enough to actually pay for View from Above repeatedly.
Sorry, when I wrote Paradox Engine I thought that's clear enough indication that mana rocks were used. My bad.
Oh its no problem. I figured I should point out as I was wondering where you were getting the for.
The set will have some story relevance, but more in a "filling in information of the past about relevant characters" way than telling a piece of the "present-day" story.
So, basically, more like retcon. Not necessarily bad, but you're more likely to notice when it's bad than when it's good. Sounds alright. Looks like we're getting Chandra, then, but who else?
A retcon is when they change something that was previously established. Not when they tell us details about things we kind of knew but not very well. That is called storytelling.
Chandra originally had no backstory and wore the iconic armor she always does.
Later on revealed she hailed from an unknown and nameless plane that wasn't Regatha.
Chandra's pyromancy abilities caused soldiers to burn down her village and family.
Chandra fled to Regatha and studied with the monks at Keral Keep Monastery.
She trained with Mother Luti at the monastery.
Chandra's home plane was later revealed to be Indian Aetherpunk world of Kaladesh, she stuck out like a sore thumb since both parents are Indian.
Also revealed later was that she was to be executed before escaping to Regatha.
Also revealed later was that Chandra's mother is actually alive.
Chandra and Gideon had a romantic relationship.
Revealed later that Mother Luti was actually Jaya Ballard.
Revealed later that Gideon instead saw Chandra as a sibling than a romantic partner.
Now revealed she at some point in her life used a 'regulator' for her magic before becoming her adult self, but what happened to the regulator is unknown as it doesn't appear on her normal armor.
Now revealed she is actually a very prodigious summoner of elementals in addition to her known pyromancy rather than just a pyromancer who only shoots gouts of flames, however these summoning talents are neglected prior to this in her lore.
Chandra's backstory is several layers of Retroactive Continuity or "retconning" as its also known. Where they revised the backstory over and over and over. She gives the formerly amnesiac Jace a run for his money.
Throw in something like a Izzet Cluestone and it is indeed infinite damage. Without that mana rock, you would only be generating mana but not enough to actually pay for View from Above repeatedly.
Have those three cards out. Have Vilis die. Then effectively donate him to an opponent with Endless Whispers. When your opponent draws their first card of the turn, they lose 1 life because of Underworld Dreams, which because they lost life forces them to draw a card because of Vilis, which forces them to keep drawing cards and losing life, repeating ad nauseum because its not a "may" ability.
And that is just a monoblack way of killing someone with Vilis. You could do far better by replacing Underworld Dreams with Nekusar, the Mindrazer and Endless Whispers with Harmless Offering and/or Donate.
Have those three cards out. Have Vilis die. Then effectively donate him to an opponent with Endless Whispers. When your opponent draws their first card of the turn, they lose 1 life because of Underworld Dreams, which because they lost life forces them to draw a card because of Vilis, which forces them to keep drawing cards and losing life, repeating ad nauseum because its not a "may" ability.
Lets summarize this trainwreck: Camp A dislikes Kaya because she is used as a tool by the writers to kill off non-planeswalker characters. Camp B likes Kaya because she killed some non-planeswalker characters off.
Banning the cheapest costed tutors is like the prior as they need the requisite mana and without fast mana the tutors come out slower.
Banning the most egregious combo enablers (like Paradox Engine for example getting banned) means decks can't rely on it and have to resort to less powerful combos as a result.
You don't ban everything, you ban the things that allow the game to spiral out too fast. If you want a slower paced format, you ban the cards that are too efficient and too fast. Letting them sit and fester within the format is just like letting an infected injury go unattended and hoping it just sorts itself out. That people be acting like:
Paradox Engine getting banned is a step in the right direction as it will lead to more healthy types of decks. If you want to see a more casual format, you need the banlist to help enforce that. Without that enforcement, people will do what they want, and only be stopped by intervention of other players, and if its the same tired song and dance about how this person should change up their deck and not included whatever busted card they used because its unbanned, mayhaps its not the individual in question who is at fault. As by all rules within the format, they are correctly behaving and following them. If you feel this is against the spirit of the format, then you are letting this very same spirit become infected by more and more egregious cards that are anything but casual and again as reflected by the "this is fine" meme.
As for the loot ability, it replciates the idea of an adventurer coming across new loot and either keeping on their person (in hand) or storing it for later (discard+exile) inside the bag.
Plus since we have Chandra's Regulator, Chandra, Acolyte of Flame, and Chandra's Embercat it all makes her shine just that much more. Regulator lets you shock twice OR chandra's outrage twice. Acolyte boosts her loyalty to 6 if plusing on the same turn. Embercat helps her come out on turn 5 or sooner.
Also Chandra deals exactly enough damage to kill each of the other 4 intro pack walkers while +ing if the other walkers - first. Also if she does + first, now at 5 loyalty, then takes 4 from Sorin and leaving her at 1 loyalty, then she can just + again and kill Sorin.
Later on revealed she hailed from an unknown and nameless plane that wasn't Regatha.
Chandra's pyromancy abilities caused soldiers to burn down her village and family.
Chandra fled to Regatha and studied with the monks at Keral Keep Monastery.
She trained with Mother Luti at the monastery.
Chandra's home plane was later revealed to be Indian Aetherpunk world of Kaladesh, she stuck out like a sore thumb since both parents are Indian.
Also revealed later was that she was to be executed before escaping to Regatha.
Also revealed later was that Chandra's mother is actually alive.
Chandra and Gideon had a romantic relationship.
Revealed later that Mother Luti was actually Jaya Ballard.
Revealed later that Gideon instead saw Chandra as a sibling than a romantic partner.
Now revealed she at some point in her life used a 'regulator' for her magic before becoming her adult self, but what happened to the regulator is unknown as it doesn't appear on her normal armor.
Now revealed she is actually a very prodigious summoner of elementals in addition to her known pyromancy rather than just a pyromancer who only shoots gouts of flames, however these summoning talents are neglected prior to this in her lore.
Chandra's backstory is several layers of Retroactive Continuity or "retconning" as its also known. Where they revised the backstory over and over and over. She gives the formerly amnesiac Jace a run for his money.
Have those three cards out. Have Vilis die. Then effectively donate him to an opponent with Endless Whispers. When your opponent draws their first card of the turn, they lose 1 life because of Underworld Dreams, which because they lost life forces them to draw a card because of Vilis, which forces them to keep drawing cards and losing life, repeating ad nauseum because its not a "may" ability.
And that is just a monoblack way of killing someone with Vilis. You could do far better by replacing Underworld Dreams with Nekusar, the Mindrazer and Endless Whispers with Harmless Offering and/or Donate.
Have those three cards out. Have Vilis die. Then effectively donate him to an opponent with Endless Whispers. When your opponent draws their first card of the turn, they lose 1 life because of Underworld Dreams, which because they lost life forces them to draw a card because of Vilis, which forces them to keep drawing cards and losing life, repeating ad nauseum because its not a "may" ability.
And that is just a monoblack way of killing someone with Vilis. You could do far better by replacing Underworld Dreams with Nekusar, the Mindrazer and Endless Whispers with Harmless Offering and/or Donate.