Well, Xenagos' motivations seem pretty damn Green/Red after all, feeling lied to and stewing in bitterness as his gnosis made him unable to go back to be an evil satyr fratboy. A tad sad, actually.
You know what, all of the Planeswalkers start out shallow and one dimensional.
Every last one.
Go back and read any of the Lorwyn 5's articles; cardboard cutouts compared to where they're at now.
Those articles are meant to be cliffnotes for people who aren't balls deep in the story.
You know what, all of the Planeswalkers start out shallow and one dimensional.
Every last one.
Go back and read any of the Lorwyn 5's articles; cardboard cutouts compared to where they're at now.
Those articles are meant to be cliffnotes for people who aren't balls deep in the story.
Interesting metaphor, considering one's a satyr.
But yeah, the planeswalkers are well-known fantasy archetypes:
Jace: Spy for hire
Liliana: Witch
Garruk: Noble savage
Elspeth: Lady of war
Nicol Bolas: The man behind everything
Sorin: Misunderstood vampire
Nissa: Bigoted (albeit sympathetic) elf
Koth: Lost cause
Karn: Creator who loses control over his own creation
Ral: Insufferable genius
Domri: Wait, Pokémon trainer's a fantasy archetype now?
As they appear more, they'll be more fleshed out.
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Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
Ashiok is about as fleshed-out and integrated into Theros as Tamiyo was for Innistrad. Sometimes they just want a drive-by 'walker that can be tested for popularity before being deployed more fully later.
Chandra still seems one dimensional... the least interesting one for me. I wonde rif I have missed some of her story though, M14 didn't really do anythign for her.
Purifying Fire really added some depth to her motivations, though her personality has sort of plateau'd.
Ashiok is totally allien. The shallow pointless allien, not the lovecraftian bizarre allien.
Also, I don't feel the U in it. It likes to terrorize people, so what ?
Mind Magic? Blue.
Pursuit of knowledge (albeit for the sake of finding better nightmares to use)? Blue.
Plus the ambiguous/isolated appeal leans towards blue.
You mean Venser is an ass who people think is an ass. Maybe he was better in Scars, but he was terrible in Time Spiral Block.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Heh heeeh...
Nissa clearly misunderstood him. Maybe something like "Yes, I'm a vampire. Yes, I'm trying to save the Multiverse. Now don't **** with anything I tell you not to **** with, child!"
He also founded a religion with the horrible secret that he founded it.
Anyway, for Ashiok, it's more that he/she/it only works in mystery. The more you find out about Ashiok, that's kinda doing in the wizard, isn't it?
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Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
Nissa clearly misunderstood him. Maybe something like "Yes, I'm a vampire. Yes, I'm trying to save the Multiverse. Now don't **** with anything I tell you not to **** with, child!"
He also founded a religion with the horrible secret that he founded it.
Anyway, for Ashiok, it's more that he/she/it only works in mystery. The more you find out about Ashiok, that's kinda doing in the wizard, isn't it?
The problem with Sorin getting misunderstood in Zendikar was not a problem with him, but rather a problem with Nissa. She comes from a tribe of elves who 1. Believe they know better than everyone else, and 2. Believe they are better than everyone else. Her not listening to him has more to do with her being arrogant due to her upbringing than anything else. And both her and her world paid for it dearly. She is now, obviously, trying to find a solution to the problem she created, and she has quite literally fallen of her pedestal.
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It's about time for the reserved list to die, for the sake of Vintage and Legacy (And Commander).
So, continuing the parallels between Magic: The Gathering and Batman, Ashiok is Scarecrow and Xenagos is...the Riddler?
If we're going to use Batman as a the model here, then Xenagos is Anarky, trying to subvert the very system the hero (in this case Elspeth) upholds to replace with his own.
Of course, this analogy isn't perfect. For starters, Anarky wants to destroy social castes, while Xenagos is basically joining them (unless he plans to kill the other gods).
Didn't know what was the best place for this, but Esoteric117 from F&S just pointed out that we saw Ashiok months ago because it's on the promo art for one of the upcoming IDW comics. http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=532183
Also, it took me very long (including a translation of the article into Czech) to notice that all info about Ashiok is very carefully written in sexless form (going to such lengths as using sentences like "As such, Ashiok sees Ashiok as an engineer,..." instead of using himself/herself/itself.
A huge pain in the neck when translating into languages like Czech, where the gender modifies the form of adjectives and verbs, btw...:sweat:
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100% Vorthos Spike and Storyline Expert
Former Fact Prospector of the Greek Alliance.
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
A huge pain in the neck when translating into languages like Czech, where the gender modifies the form of adjectives and verbs, btw...:sweat:
Hence, why some of the mass market crap like the fat packs, bite the bullet and pick a gender, I reckon.
Being genderless in conversation works wonders for Ashiok's creepiness.
Being genderless in expositional writing is rather awkward.
I'm just curious as to why they haven't chosen to use 'it' in writing, because this in one of the rare scenarios where the dehumanizing factor works in the character's favor.
I know that people who don't prescribe to a binary gender spectrum thing generally don't appreciate being referred to as 'it's because its considered dehumanizing, but Ashiok isn't one of those people.
Ashiok is nightmare incarnate and exists to elicit discomfort in everyone it meets.
I don't say 'it' because Ashiok identifies as it.
I say it because it seems more accurate than 'he' or she', and constantly referring to Ashiok in the third person is a pain.
http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Multiverse/Planeswalkers.aspx?x=mtg/multiverse/Planeswalkers/ashiok
Well, Xenagos' motivations seem pretty damn Green/Red after all, feeling lied to and stewing in bitterness as his gnosis made him unable to go back to be an evil satyr fratboy. A tad sad, actually.
Ashiok keeps being one dimensional.
Every last one.
Go back and read any of the Lorwyn 5's articles; cardboard cutouts compared to where they're at now.
Those articles are meant to be cliffnotes for people who aren't balls deep in the story.
Level 1 Judge
I write flavor articles for RoxieCards.
I play and judge at Giga Bites Cafein Marietta, Georgia.
Interesting metaphor, considering one's a satyr.
But yeah, the planeswalkers are well-known fantasy archetypes:
Jace: Spy for hire
Liliana: Witch
Garruk: Noble savage
Elspeth: Lady of war
Nicol Bolas: The man behind everything
Sorin: Misunderstood vampire
Nissa: Bigoted (albeit sympathetic) elf
Koth: Lost cause
Karn: Creator who loses control over his own creation
Ral: Insufferable genius
Domri: Wait, Pokémon trainer's a fantasy archetype now?
As they appear more, they'll be more fleshed out.
On phasing:
EDIT:
Ashiok is about as fleshed-out and integrated into Theros as Tamiyo was for Innistrad. Sometimes they just want a drive-by 'walker that can be tested for popularity before being deployed more fully later.
You mean Venser is an ass who people think is an ass. Maybe he was better in Scars, but he was terrible in Time Spiral Block.
Purifying Fire really added some depth to her motivations, though her personality has sort of plateau'd.
Also, I don't feel the U in it. It likes to terrorize people, so what ?
BGU Control
R Aggro
Standard - For Fun
BG Auras
Mind Magic? Blue.
Pursuit of knowledge (albeit for the sake of finding better nightmares to use)? Blue.
Plus the ambiguous/isolated appeal leans towards blue.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Heh heeeh...
No.
Nissa clearly misunderstood him. Maybe something like "Yes, I'm a vampire. Yes, I'm trying to save the Multiverse. Now don't **** with anything I tell you not to **** with, child!"
He also founded a religion with the horrible secret that he founded it.
Anyway, for Ashiok, it's more that he/she/it only works in mystery. The more you find out about Ashiok, that's kinda doing in the wizard, isn't it?
On phasing:
The problem with Sorin getting misunderstood in Zendikar was not a problem with him, but rather a problem with Nissa. She comes from a tribe of elves who 1. Believe they know better than everyone else, and 2. Believe they are better than everyone else. Her not listening to him has more to do with her being arrogant due to her upbringing than anything else. And both her and her world paid for it dearly. She is now, obviously, trying to find a solution to the problem she created, and she has quite literally fallen of her pedestal.
---
Numquam evolutioni obstes. Solum conculceris.
Pascite draconem, evolvite aut morimini.
As well as Tezzeret who is a high-falutin', pretentious, extremely intelligent and dangerous chap who hates his own flesh.
It's... not great.
Level 1 Judge
I write flavor articles for RoxieCards.
I play and judge at Giga Bites Cafein Marietta, Georgia.
How To Keep Your FOIL Cards From Curling: http://youtu.be/QTmubrS8VnI
The Best Deck Boxes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEwgLph_Pjk
The Best Binders: http://youtu.be/H5IauASYWjk
Level 1 Judge
I write flavor articles for RoxieCards.
I play and judge at Giga Bites Cafein Marietta, Georgia.
If we're going to use Batman as a the model here, then Xenagos is Anarky, trying to subvert the very system the hero (in this case Elspeth) upholds to replace with his own.
Of course, this analogy isn't perfect. For starters, Anarky wants to destroy social castes, while Xenagos is basically joining them (unless he plans to kill the other gods).
He's becoming a God because he's a power hungry psycho.
If anything he's going to tear down the system from the inside out.
Level 1 Judge
I write flavor articles for RoxieCards.
I play and judge at Giga Bites Cafein Marietta, Georgia.
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=532183
Level 1 Judge
I write flavor articles for RoxieCards.
I play and judge at Giga Bites Cafein Marietta, Georgia.
Also, it took me very long (including a translation of the article into Czech) to notice that all info about Ashiok is very carefully written in sexless form (going to such lengths as using sentences like "As such, Ashiok sees Ashiok as an engineer,..." instead of using himself/herself/itself.
A huge pain in the neck when translating into languages like Czech, where the gender modifies the form of adjectives and verbs, btw...:sweat:
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
Hence, why some of the mass market crap like the fat packs, bite the bullet and pick a gender, I reckon.
Being genderless in conversation works wonders for Ashiok's creepiness.
Being genderless in expositional writing is rather awkward.
I'm just curious as to why they haven't chosen to use 'it' in writing, because this in one of the rare scenarios where the dehumanizing factor works in the character's favor.
Level 1 Judge
I write flavor articles for RoxieCards.
I play and judge at Giga Bites Cafein Marietta, Georgia.
Ashiok is nightmare incarnate and exists to elicit discomfort in everyone it meets.
I don't say 'it' because Ashiok identifies as it.
I say it because it seems more accurate than 'he' or she', and constantly referring to Ashiok in the third person is a pain.
Level 1 Judge
I write flavor articles for RoxieCards.
I play and judge at Giga Bites Cafein Marietta, Georgia.