The death of a significant character isn't an uncommon occurrence in the Magic novels, and since Planeswalkers are now mortals it's entirely possible that one (or more) will die in the future.
Who do you think would be the first to go, and for what reasons?
I'm gonna go with Sarkhan Vol. After going mad and becoming a mindless slave to Bolas, I don't see there being much room for further development. Even if he has a change of heart and repents, I doubt that Bolas would let him jump ship so easily.
I wouldn't be surprised if Elspeth were the first to go. I can easily see her fall fighting the Phyrexians, even if it won't happen for a couple years.
Tezzeret could be a good candidate as well, either destroyed by his own Phyrexian followers (assuming he tries to take the lead) or finally put to rest by Nicol Bolas.
Sorin or Nissa could easily sacrifice themselves in an attempt to take down the Eldrazi.
It's an interesting spot in the storyline right now where there is a lot of unresolved tension. I think we'll definitely see one or two die when the culmination of these events finally arrives, but that's my top four for now.
I certainly hope that it's Nicol Bolas. The sooner he stops his boring, 1-dimensional villainy the better.
In all seriousness, I don't think that Wizards will kill any of the walkers off. They are the new brand identity, and are a stable set of recurring faces to attract people to the new sets. Batman should have killed the Joker a long time ago, or at least Gothem should have executed him, but he needs to be alive to sell more comic books. And even if Joker dies, an identical person comes out of the woodwork for Batman to face. I mean Tezzeret died in one of the novels, and now he's back, as a completely different person no less.
I certainly hope that it's Nicol Bolas. The sooner he stops his boring, 1-dimensional villainy the better.
Oh yes, because the Phyrexians one dimensional villainy and the Eldrazi one dimensional villainy is SOOOOOO much better.
Anyways, I'd love for the lump that is Venser to buy it, but he's too set up to be a grand character. Shame he can't deliver.
The most likely character to die right now... Tough call. Tezzeret just came back, so I doubt he's going to be tossed out so soon.
In all seriousness, I don't think that Wizards will kill any of the walkers off. They are the new brand identity, and are a stable set of recurring faces to attract people to the new sets. Batman should have killed the Joker a long time ago, or at least Gothem should have executed him, but he needs to be alive to sell more comic books. And even if Joker dies, an identical person comes out of the woodwork for Batman to face. I mean Tezzeret died in one of the novels, and now he's back, as a completely different person no less.
While that may be true for Batman, this case is different because we are continually introduced to additional protagonists. So far we've been getting at least three new walkers per block (we already have two for Scars), and while this might slow down a bit in the future, I think we'll have to start seeing some killed off unless we get multiple stories going simultaneously to handle all the characters. I suppose we do already have two, three if you count Garruk... but anyway, it seems messy to try and shoehorn them all in there.
If they want to keep printing new ones they'll have to stop printing some old ones, but their story has to come to an end first somehow. Either we never get an explanation, or they wander off and are never heard from again, or they're killed. The first option is lame and the second is cliché. That leaves us with option three, which I guarantee some walkers will succumb to.
Oh yes, because the Phyrexians one dimensional villainy and the Eldrazi one dimensional villainy is SOOOOOO much better.
Actually, they are. The Eldrazi were conceived as forces of nature. They were less beings and more engines of consumption. Their 1-dimentional nature was what made them threatening. You couldn't reason with them, bargain with them, or plead with them, there wasn't enough for them to understand you. They are like a storm, you either stand against it or will be destroyed.
The Phyrexians are also a force, but one of paradoxically both growth and decay. They want to spread their ideal perfect life to all beings, while stifling all new life in the process. They are not 1-dimensional, and are actually villains with layers. Their goals have a twisted logic. and they are intelligent enough to convince you that they are in the right.
Bolas is a schemer. That's it. He has no character growth, and no motivations beyond 'I want power.' He has also accomplished nothing in 3 blocks. The Phyrexians and the Eldrazi were both high concept villains. Bolas is not, so to make him interesting, he has to be an interesting character, which he is not.
While that may be true for Batman, this case is different because we are continually introduced to additional protagonists. So far we've been getting at least three new walkers per block (we already have two for Scars), and while this might slow down a bit in the future, I think we'll have to start seeing some killed off unless we get multiple stories going simultaneously to handle all the characters. I suppose we do already have two, three if you count Garruk... but anyway, it seems messy to try and shoehorn them all in there.
If they want to keep printing new ones they'll have to stop printing some old ones, but their story has to come to an end first somehow. Either we never get an explanation, or they wander off and are never heard from again, or they're killed. The first option is lame and the second is cliché. That leaves us with option three, which I guarantee some walkers will succumb to.
They could keep printing new editions of old characters, like they have with Anaji and Elspeth. They could turn Magic into "Lets follow these guys around the multiverse." Each block is wherever our old friends happen to be.
Oh yes, because the Phyrexians one dimensional villainy and the Eldrazi one dimensional villainy is SOOOOOO much better.
The Eldrazi are terrifying. because they mow down everything in their path instead of cackling gleefully and rubbing their hands. They are the ultimate world enders. They don't need "dimensions" to fit the roll assigned to them. They do what they do very well.
The Phyrexians have a psychotic religious system, and they think that they are actually on the "good" side. The have values that they firmly believe in, and they think that they are improving the universe. Their aim is perfection. Phyrexia isn't just a name or a faction, it is an ideal. And an interesting one at that.
Bolas is just a very sorry, very sad, and very unfortunate excuse for a villain. He's not even fun to read about. When a villain's evil because more annoying to fans than menacing, you know there's a problem.
Phyrexia returns, and fans are like "This could be interesting."
Bolas shows up, and people think, "Here we go again."
...
Please, Bolas, cut it out. No one thinks your funny. If you destroy one more plane, we're gonna have to lock you up.
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"I'd rather die speaking the truth than live a lie." --Gix, to Yawgmoth (pre-Phyrexia)
The Eldrazi are terrifying. because they mow down everything in their path instead of cackling gleefully and rubbing their hands. They are the ultimate world enders. They don't need "dimensions" to fit the roll assigned to them. They do what they do very well.
The Phyrexians have a psychotic religious system, and they think that they are actually on the "good" side. The have values that they firmly believe in, and they think that they are improving the universe. Their aim is perfection. Phyrexia isn't just a name or a faction, it is an ideal. And an interesting one at that.
Bolas is just a very sorry, very sad, and very unfortunate excuse for a villain. He's not even fun to read about. When a villain's evil because more annoying to fans than menacing, you know there's a problem.
Phyrexia returns, and fans are like "This could be interesting."
Bolas shows up, and people think, "Here we go again."
...
Please, Bolas, cut it out. No one thinks your funny. If you destroy one more plane, we're gonna have to lock you up.
The problem is that the potential for Bolas is so much more, well, potent, as that of the Eldrazi. The Eldrazi have no character. They're animals. Instinct driven.
And you folks that dislike Nicol Bolas... I bet you would've hated this first new enemy as much if it had been, for instance, Leshrac. Bolas was just badly handled from the onset.
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They could keep printing new editions of old characters, like they have with Anaji and Elspeth. They could turn Magic into "Lets follow these guys around the multiverse." Each block is wherever our old friends happen to be.
And that would totally work and I would happily follow that storyline. The problem is that new walkers sell boxes. They're not going to stop printing new ones, so I think something's gotta give eventually.
Quote from Syphon »
Then I must ask you, Stardust, when has Wizards been good at avoiding the lame and cliché?
Sometimes I wonder why you even bother to follow the storyline. You don't seem to enjoy anything about it, so I must conclude that you are a masochist. I'm sorry. Creative has come up with plenty of very unique, interesting and (dare I say?) creative things in the past, and I expect no less in the future. Having one or two walkers walk off into the sunset is fine, but when we get to the point where we need to get rid of half a dozen... well, think Star Wars Episode III except all the Jedi are the planeswalkers we've gotten to know.
Sometimes I wonder why you even bother to follow the storyline. You don't seem to enjoy anything about it, so I must conclude that you are a masochist. I'm sorry. Creative has come up with plenty of very unique, interesting and (dare I say?) creative things in the past, and I expect no less in the future. Having one or two walkers walk off into the sunset is fine, but when we get to the point where we need to get rid of half a dozen... well, think Star Wars Episode III except all the Jedi are the planeswalkers we've gotten to know.
I am not sure, Stardust. I think it's out of a sense of loyalty. I was around when Taysir went on his crazy spell. I witnessed Tevesh Szat's transformation. (I even inteviewed him once, for Eye of the Vortex) I watched Geyadrone Dihada fight Dakkon Blackblade. And all that.
All of this new stuff is just formulaic to the extreme. Without any interesting characters and interest vested in them. Yes, sure, there are those who will rapidly point out that x and y story from the past has a formula, and they're right. I probably am wearing Sunglasses of Urza on that. But the vested interest...where is it? Zendikar gets scoured of mana by the Eldrazi? So? It's not my home. If I were a planeswalker, the Eldrazi would hardly have me get off my interplanar couch, assemble the Syphon Tokusentai and kick the themesong.
Edit before my final statement, because I want it to be my final line in this post:
I just noticed I got a thumbs down icon as my reply icon. That was accidental. I don't mean anything by it.
Sorin or Nissa could easily sacrifice themselves in an attempt to take down the Eldrazi.
It's an interesting spot in the storyline right now where there is a lot of unresolved tension. I think we'll definitely see one or two die when the culmination of these events finally arrives, but that's my top four for now.
After wrestling through Teeth of Akoum and finishing my convulsions, if anything, Sorin strikes me as the type to trip someone else in order to get away. I am not sure if you read it, but he 'walks away the moment he realizes that Nissa's idiocy (I LIKE NATURE!) let loose the Eldrazi titans. Oh, also, there's some example of lame and cliché. ELVES THAT LIKE NATURE.
As Brady once said, it's very hard to write a villain that is smarter than you.
That's a point. They're trying to do that, with mixed luck.
Leshrac on the other hand, wouldn't be driven by the hunger of power and try to plot brilliant schemes. (So he'd be also easier to handle by the Creative, cuz Bolas apparently outsmarts them ;P, and likely more entertaining to us)
Leshrac would wreck chaos. He would play. He would have fun with throwing neowalkers at each other, etc. He was quite creazey...
I'd love if we had Leshrac instead of Bolas since their fight in Future Sight. <sob>
If it'a crazy you want.. well there is always
PARCHER!!!!
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“I once had an entire race killed just to listen to the rattling of their dried bones as I waded through them.” —Volrath
The Phyrexians are the Borg. You will be assimilated, and that's the ONLY note they have. There's no room for growth anywhere on them now aside from "You will be assimilated differently." Methinks everyone that is worshipping the Phyrexians are wearing Urza's sunglasses. (Thanks for that Syphon!) When the Phyrexians came back, I didn't go "This could be interesting," I said "Oh you've got to be sh**ing me." They should have stayed in the past, where they were defeated. I will say, they at least think they are doing the right thing, which adds something interesting, but their fanaticism quickly blows that away. There's no doubt or wavering, just mindless obedience. Minus Xantcha, but she's from so far back she's irrelevant to this story (yes, I know, heartstone etc, that doesn't ADD anything from her.)
The Eldrazi are instinct driven animals, which is a shame, because for all the inspiration that Galactus and Cthulhu brought to the table, the Eldrazi just completely shot themselves in the... tentacle. They don't come across as ancient alien unknowable beings, they come across as NOM NOM NOM, and since they don't have the same humanity that Galactus does, they lose any sort of compelling story telling other than "how do we stop these horrible aetherbominations (tm)". Don't get me wrong though, I WANTED to like them, but they just fell flat in application.
Now, I'm not saying Bolas is being handled well. God only knows he is at his best when he isn't making juvenile humored jokes or being all mustache twirly and grand schemey (see Agents of Artifice and Time Spiral for good portrayals) which isn't much these days. They should write him as Xanatos, not Palpatine, and that's part of the issue.
Edit: Actually, I guess I should continue the thoughts from earlier. I guess the most likely character to die at the moment is Sarkhan, but not before he ends up pulling a heel/face turn. Besides that, Sorin might buy it too, but only as the removal of a major player sort of thing. He likely won't see it coming when it happens. Most of the younger characters, like Jace and Koth and Nissa are pretty safe I think. Chandra... is a more difficult thing, and of the white walkers, I think Gideon is the most likely to fall.
Actually, I guess I should continue the thoughts from earlier. I guess the most likely character to die at the moment is Sarkhan, but not before he ends up pulling a heel/face turn. Besides that, Sorin might buy it too, but only as the removal of a major player sort of thing. He likely won't see it coming when it happens. Most of the younger characters, like Jace and Koth and Nissa are pretty safe I think. Chandra... is a more difficult thing, and of the white walkers, I think Gideon is the most likely to fall.
Hahahaha, thanks for bringing it back on topic!
I'm gonna have to agree with Stardust and say Nissa might bite the dust while fighting the Eldrazi. I guess you could liken her story arc to Boromir's; she does something selfish, realises how badly she messed up, and ultimately sacrifices herself in combat to help the others.
I'm gonna have to agree with Stardust and say Nissa might bite the dust while fighting the Eldrazi. I guess you could liken her story arc to Boromir's; she does something selfish, realises how badly she messed up, and ultimately sacrifices herself in combat to help the others.
I dunno, I have reservations about her dying. I see her tracking down Sorin and somehow conning him into coming back. While they're trying to solve the problem, that would be when Sorin would die, very suddenly and terrifically, causing a lot of the plans to fall apart. Ultimately, I just think Nissa is going to be the lynchpin for solving the problem she helped create. I could see her dying to do it, but not so long as Sorin is still alive too, so he would have to go before she did.
Gideon is obviously going to be part of the Eldrazi brigade too, and... well, there are a lot of questions about what Jace is going to do. He's currently got three totally seperate and opposed plotlines that he's supposed to be involved in. Tezzeret's grudge, Liliana's debts, and Gideon's quest.
(And yes, I think the Lilianas of Test of Metal were ALL alternate, because the alternative is even worse than having multiple sultry raven haired necromancers in the BE.) So really, who would die in the Eldrazi plotline should be carefully looked at when it comes to who is even going to be INVOLVED in it. Too many dangling plot lines right now.
Having one or two walkers walk off into the sunset is fine, but when we get to the point where we need to get rid of half a dozen... well, think Star Wars Episode III except all the Jedi are the planeswalkers we've gotten to know.
Well thats pretty much Time Sprial block and the Mending.
On topic:
I think that all of the core walkers are probably safe; but all the rest are up for grabs, Nissa (now thats a horrible character) maybe if we ever hear how Zen turns out. I think Tezz, Bolas, & Koth are probably safe too, Elspeth I'm not so sure about.
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Barinellos, Eldrazi aren't just NOM NOMer animals.
They were said to have some alien intelligence.
They did enslave vampires, and modified their bodies to their own biddings.
Although they were tricked into the prison on Zendikar, they certainly are not just animals...
I'm aware of that, but the problem is, that isn't how they came across. They tried very hard to imitate the aforementioned inspirations, but they ended up falling short of their goal when they put it into practice. They didn't SEEM to be anything more than mindless creatures of eating in context.
Having one or two walkers walk off into the sunset is fine, but when we get to the point where we need to get rid of half a dozen... well, think Star Wars Episode III except all the Jedi are the planeswalkers we've gotten to know.
Well thats pretty much Time Sprial block and the Mending.
That's "spiral". And you people seem to overlook the first time 'walkers were removed en masse.
About any "subpar" mechanics or cards: Context is king.
If I make a templating or grammar error, let me know.
The franchise MtG most resembles is Battlestar Galactica. Why? Its players exist in, at most, a dozen different models at any given point in time, with perhaps up to 3% variation, 5% if you're lucky.
No one actually thinks of himself being on the evil side.
Not my point. I said the Phyrexians think they are on the "good" side. Not all villains think that what they are doing is right.
Memnarch never considered morality, he was just lonely. His goal was to be with Karn because he was lonely, not because he thought it was "right."
The Cabal were evil and didn't care about what was right or wrong.
Neither did Leshrac, or Szadek, or the Weaver King or Bolas.
Perhaps not all of these people considered themselves evil, but none thought of themselves as good.
Konda is an exception, and he remains one of Magic's most well-crafted villains.
And now the Phyrexians. They believe that they are saviors. The are doing what they do because they believe it is right, not because they have a mere desire to rule over those they conquer.
Villains that proclaim themselves as evil or masters thereof are always the fault of bad writing.
See: Nicol Bolas.
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"I'd rather die speaking the truth than live a lie." --Gix, to Yawgmoth (pre-Phyrexia)
That's "spiral". And you people seem to overlook the first time 'walkers were removed en masse.
To be fair, that was the climax of a multi-block saga, the mending was an excuse to start printing Planeswalkers.
Right now, all of our stable of walkers are involved in one storyline or anothe. I doubt that there will be any story reason for them to die in the near future.
I agree that most of Eldrazi we've seen (mostly Spawns) seemed to be this.
But the three gods themselves didn't come across yet. Not really. It's like judging Venser from his card. What a great character he must be!
We just didn't get enough info on them, and what they might be up to. In the end, yes, they want to feed, but they also likely want to be free from their prison (which they even turned it into their own tools). Which means to me that they have potential to show something more, and I'd hate it if it gets wasted.
I agree with you there. I really want them to turn into something interesting, but they will really have to step up their game to deliver. Also, I hate Emrakul. This mostly has to do with a combination of ghastly art (and not the GOOD ghastly way) and story inconsistancy.
(I also agree that Emrakul's art wasn't great, but by no means was it bad....)
I don't much like Mark Tedin's work.
And the story inconsistency was that Kozilek was described in the book as the most awful and powerful, whereas Wizards and the cards say that Emrakul is.
Reading AoA, I never pictured Baltrice to be all that much like Chandra (though I am currently reading The Purifying Fire, so maybe my image of her will soon change). I know Baltrice is also in Test of Metal, so I might be missing some insight there as well.
Baltrice rarely used strait up burn, preferring to summon elementals of some kind instead. She's also quite cruel and not that concerned about being in the service of others, as long as she gets a slice of the power. In that way I feel like she's edging towards black just a bit.
Chandra, on the other hand, would never go across planes to deliver a package just because Tezzeret told her to. Her freedom is much more important. She's also quite kind when she doesn't let her rage get the better of her. Add to that the fact that she would rather sling fire directly than get someone else to fight her battles* and you've got yourself a very different character.
*she belittles Jace for this right at the beginning of TPF
Characterwise, yes, she's very different, but in terms of getting a card out, there's not much to distinguish them. Koth has a stronger elemental feel to him which makes him distinct from Chandra, but that still squeezes Baltrice even further. Maybe, like you say, there's still room for her in a creature-interraction role (I'm thinking a Yeti-style damage trading mechanic). I have trouble imagining her as being half-black.
So do I. Baltrice strikes me as even redder than Chandra. She's got the impulsive of red but also the uncaring brashness of red, something that Chandra has in a far lesser degree.
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Who do you think would be the first to go, and for what reasons?
I'm gonna go with Sarkhan Vol. After going mad and becoming a mindless slave to Bolas, I don't see there being much room for further development. Even if he has a change of heart and repents, I doubt that Bolas would let him jump ship so easily.
BRG Kresh the Bloodbraided GRB
(81% foil)
Tezzeret could be a good candidate as well, either destroyed by his own Phyrexian followers (assuming he tries to take the lead) or finally put to rest by Nicol Bolas.
Sorin or Nissa could easily sacrifice themselves in an attempt to take down the Eldrazi.
It's an interesting spot in the storyline right now where there is a lot of unresolved tension. I think we'll definitely see one or two die when the culmination of these events finally arrives, but that's my top four for now.
In all seriousness, I don't think that Wizards will kill any of the walkers off. They are the new brand identity, and are a stable set of recurring faces to attract people to the new sets. Batman should have killed the Joker a long time ago, or at least Gothem should have executed him, but he needs to be alive to sell more comic books. And even if Joker dies, an identical person comes out of the woodwork for Batman to face. I mean Tezzeret died in one of the novels, and now he's back, as a completely different person no less.
Oh yes, because the Phyrexians one dimensional villainy and the Eldrazi one dimensional villainy is SOOOOOO much better.
Anyways, I'd love for the lump that is Venser to buy it, but he's too set up to be a grand character. Shame he can't deliver.
The most likely character to die right now... Tough call. Tezzeret just came back, so I doubt he's going to be tossed out so soon.
While that may be true for Batman, this case is different because we are continually introduced to additional protagonists. So far we've been getting at least three new walkers per block (we already have two for Scars), and while this might slow down a bit in the future, I think we'll have to start seeing some killed off unless we get multiple stories going simultaneously to handle all the characters. I suppose we do already have two, three if you count Garruk... but anyway, it seems messy to try and shoehorn them all in there.
If they want to keep printing new ones they'll have to stop printing some old ones, but their story has to come to an end first somehow. Either we never get an explanation, or they wander off and are never heard from again, or they're killed. The first option is lame and the second is cliché. That leaves us with option three, which I guarantee some walkers will succumb to.
Actually, they are. The Eldrazi were conceived as forces of nature. They were less beings and more engines of consumption. Their 1-dimentional nature was what made them threatening. You couldn't reason with them, bargain with them, or plead with them, there wasn't enough for them to understand you. They are like a storm, you either stand against it or will be destroyed.
The Phyrexians are also a force, but one of paradoxically both growth and decay. They want to spread their ideal perfect life to all beings, while stifling all new life in the process. They are not 1-dimensional, and are actually villains with layers. Their goals have a twisted logic. and they are intelligent enough to convince you that they are in the right.
Bolas is a schemer. That's it. He has no character growth, and no motivations beyond 'I want power.' He has also accomplished nothing in 3 blocks. The Phyrexians and the Eldrazi were both high concept villains. Bolas is not, so to make him interesting, he has to be an interesting character, which he is not.
They could keep printing new editions of old characters, like they have with Anaji and Elspeth. They could turn Magic into "Lets follow these guys around the multiverse." Each block is wherever our old friends happen to be.
The Eldrazi are terrifying. because they mow down everything in their path instead of cackling gleefully and rubbing their hands. They are the ultimate world enders. They don't need "dimensions" to fit the roll assigned to them. They do what they do very well.
The Phyrexians have a psychotic religious system, and they think that they are actually on the "good" side. The have values that they firmly believe in, and they think that they are improving the universe. Their aim is perfection. Phyrexia isn't just a name or a faction, it is an ideal. And an interesting one at that.
Bolas is just a very sorry, very sad, and very unfortunate excuse for a villain. He's not even fun to read about. When a villain's evil because more annoying to fans than menacing, you know there's a problem.
Phyrexia returns, and fans are like "This could be interesting."
Bolas shows up, and people think, "Here we go again."
...
Please, Bolas, cut it out. No one thinks your funny. If you destroy one more plane, we're gonna have to lock you up.
The problem is that the potential for Bolas is so much more, well, potent, as that of the Eldrazi. The Eldrazi have no character. They're animals. Instinct driven.
And you folks that dislike Nicol Bolas... I bet you would've hated this first new enemy as much if it had been, for instance, Leshrac. Bolas was just badly handled from the onset.
And that would totally work and I would happily follow that storyline. The problem is that new walkers sell boxes. They're not going to stop printing new ones, so I think something's gotta give eventually.
Sometimes I wonder why you even bother to follow the storyline. You don't seem to enjoy anything about it, so I must conclude that you are a masochist. I'm sorry. Creative has come up with plenty of very unique, interesting and (dare I say?) creative things in the past, and I expect no less in the future. Having one or two walkers walk off into the sunset is fine, but when we get to the point where we need to get rid of half a dozen... well, think Star Wars Episode III except all the Jedi are the planeswalkers we've gotten to know.
I am not sure, Stardust. I think it's out of a sense of loyalty. I was around when Taysir went on his crazy spell. I witnessed Tevesh Szat's transformation. (I even inteviewed him once, for Eye of the Vortex) I watched Geyadrone Dihada fight Dakkon Blackblade. And all that.
All of this new stuff is just formulaic to the extreme. Without any interesting characters and interest vested in them. Yes, sure, there are those who will rapidly point out that x and y story from the past has a formula, and they're right. I probably am wearing Sunglasses of Urza on that. But the vested interest...where is it? Zendikar gets scoured of mana by the Eldrazi? So? It's not my home. If I were a planeswalker, the Eldrazi would hardly have me get off my interplanar couch, assemble the Syphon Tokusentai and kick the themesong.
Edit before my final statement, because I want it to be my final line in this post:
I just noticed I got a thumbs down icon as my reply icon. That was accidental. I don't mean anything by it.
After wrestling through Teeth of Akoum and finishing my convulsions, if anything, Sorin strikes me as the type to trip someone else in order to get away. I am not sure if you read it, but he 'walks away the moment he realizes that Nissa's idiocy (I LIKE NATURE!) let loose the Eldrazi titans. Oh, also, there's some example of lame and cliché. ELVES THAT LIKE NATURE.
....so very jaded.
If it'a crazy you want.. well there is always
PARCHER!!!!
“I once had an entire race killed just to listen to the rattling of their dried bones as I waded through them.”
—Volrath
The Eldrazi are instinct driven animals, which is a shame, because for all the inspiration that Galactus and Cthulhu brought to the table, the Eldrazi just completely shot themselves in the... tentacle. They don't come across as ancient alien unknowable beings, they come across as NOM NOM NOM, and since they don't have the same humanity that Galactus does, they lose any sort of compelling story telling other than "how do we stop these horrible aetherbominations (tm)". Don't get me wrong though, I WANTED to like them, but they just fell flat in application.
Now, I'm not saying Bolas is being handled well. God only knows he is at his best when he isn't making juvenile humored jokes or being all mustache twirly and grand schemey (see Agents of Artifice and Time Spiral for good portrayals) which isn't much these days. They should write him as Xanatos, not Palpatine, and that's part of the issue.
Edit: Actually, I guess I should continue the thoughts from earlier. I guess the most likely character to die at the moment is Sarkhan, but not before he ends up pulling a heel/face turn. Besides that, Sorin might buy it too, but only as the removal of a major player sort of thing. He likely won't see it coming when it happens. Most of the younger characters, like Jace and Koth and Nissa are pretty safe I think. Chandra... is a more difficult thing, and of the white walkers, I think Gideon is the most likely to fall.
Hahahaha, thanks for bringing it back on topic!
I'm gonna have to agree with Stardust and say Nissa might bite the dust while fighting the Eldrazi. I guess you could liken her story arc to Boromir's; she does something selfish, realises how badly she messed up, and ultimately sacrifices herself in combat to help the others.
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I dunno, I have reservations about her dying. I see her tracking down Sorin and somehow conning him into coming back. While they're trying to solve the problem, that would be when Sorin would die, very suddenly and terrifically, causing a lot of the plans to fall apart. Ultimately, I just think Nissa is going to be the lynchpin for solving the problem she helped create. I could see her dying to do it, but not so long as Sorin is still alive too, so he would have to go before she did.
Gideon is obviously going to be part of the Eldrazi brigade too, and... well, there are a lot of questions about what Jace is going to do. He's currently got three totally seperate and opposed plotlines that he's supposed to be involved in. Tezzeret's grudge, Liliana's debts, and Gideon's quest.
(And yes, I think the Lilianas of Test of Metal were ALL alternate, because the alternative is even worse than having multiple sultry raven haired necromancers in the BE.) So really, who would die in the Eldrazi plotline should be carefully looked at when it comes to who is even going to be INVOLVED in it. Too many dangling plot lines right now.
Well thats pretty much Time Sprial block and the Mending.
On topic:
I think that all of the core walkers are probably safe; but all the rest are up for grabs, Nissa (now thats a horrible character) maybe if we ever hear how Zen turns out. I think Tezz, Bolas, & Koth are probably safe too, Elspeth I'm not so sure about.
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I'm aware of that, but the problem is, that isn't how they came across. They tried very hard to imitate the aforementioned inspirations, but they ended up falling short of their goal when they put it into practice. They didn't SEEM to be anything more than mindless creatures of eating in context.
That's "spiral". And you people seem to overlook the first time 'walkers were removed en masse.
About any "subpar" mechanics or cards: Context is king.
If I make a templating or grammar error, let me know.
The franchise MtG most resembles is Battlestar Galactica. Why? Its players exist in, at most, a dozen different models at any given point in time, with perhaps up to 3% variation, 5% if you're lucky.
Not my point. I said the Phyrexians think they are on the "good" side. Not all villains think that what they are doing is right.
Memnarch never considered morality, he was just lonely. His goal was to be with Karn because he was lonely, not because he thought it was "right."
The Cabal were evil and didn't care about what was right or wrong.
Neither did Leshrac, or Szadek, or the Weaver King or Bolas.
Perhaps not all of these people considered themselves evil, but none thought of themselves as good.
Konda is an exception, and he remains one of Magic's most well-crafted villains.
And now the Phyrexians. They believe that they are saviors. The are doing what they do because they believe it is right, not because they have a mere desire to rule over those they conquer.
See: Nicol Bolas.
Right now, all of our stable of walkers are involved in one storyline or anothe. I doubt that there will be any story reason for them to die in the near future.
I agree with you there. I really want them to turn into something interesting, but they will really have to step up their game to deliver. Also, I hate Emrakul. This mostly has to do with a combination of ghastly art (and not the GOOD ghastly way) and story inconsistancy.
(I also agree that Emrakul's art wasn't great, but by no means was it bad....)
I don't much like Mark Tedin's work.
And the story inconsistency was that Kozilek was described in the book as the most awful and powerful, whereas Wizards and the cards say that Emrakul is.
Reading AoA, I never pictured Baltrice to be all that much like Chandra (though I am currently reading The Purifying Fire, so maybe my image of her will soon change). I know Baltrice is also in Test of Metal, so I might be missing some insight there as well.
Baltrice rarely used strait up burn, preferring to summon elementals of some kind instead. She's also quite cruel and not that concerned about being in the service of others, as long as she gets a slice of the power. In that way I feel like she's edging towards black just a bit.
Chandra, on the other hand, would never go across planes to deliver a package just because Tezzeret told her to. Her freedom is much more important. She's also quite kind when she doesn't let her rage get the better of her. Add to that the fact that she would rather sling fire directly than get someone else to fight her battles* and you've got yourself a very different character.
*she belittles Jace for this right at the beginning of TPF
So do I. Baltrice strikes me as even redder than Chandra. She's got the impulsive of red but also the uncaring brashness of red, something that Chandra has in a far lesser degree.