“There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can't seem to grow a full mustache"
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
I for one really like Ikoria. Which is weird because I was pretty meh about it when it premiered.
It’s the human cultures not the monsters that I enjoy the most, as I like the idea of Ikoria’s city-states which took a break from being based upon real-world historical cultures.
Jirina & Vadrok were also better represented in this story than most of the other characters. Vivien too and I like her much better now her green is more ambivalent than psychotic re: civilization.
I agree with the premise that some of their hinted worldbuilding changes reflect laziness of writing. I would like to see planeswalkers as main characters still, but it’s frustrating to see how poorly and varied their characterizations are from author-to-author.
My fear is that if the Lord of The Rings set is successful, then they’ll just outsource standard sets to other franchises and then there goes the story team/world building. I’d probably stop playing were that to happen as it’s the new and returning worlds and characters that get me excited to play new sets.
I accept that Universes Beyond will continue to happen but I’d hate to see it cannibalize the main story and worldbuilding.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Wizards. listen. The Vorthos community will await the consequences of the Eldrazi Titans' deaths/sealing. We will keep the watch.
“The wind whispers, ‘come home,’ but I cannot.”
— Teferi
I'm a bit mystified why bonding to a thing that is covered and/or filled with oil is a good idea and, furthermore, why the writer didn't think to at the absolute very least lampshade this.
In what world is Wrenn's plan going to work?
Ah well, the Ixalan story was fine. Honestly I would have prefered it to cover the four different factions and how they fare, but well, can't have everything.
I think this is another issue of (in your own words) a plane not being a functional setting, in this case New Phyrexia. The inconsistency of how the oil works comes to mind immediately. Planeswalkers get compleated in what feels like hours, and even though the Phyrexian invasion has just begun there are already compleated huge-ass serpents on Kaldheim. This gives off the impression that Phyrexia is this unbeatable, almighty force, but then the compleated walkers get killed off in a few paragraphs, and that causes some serious dissonance.
The idea of nanobot-infested, unstoppable Phyrexian oil is cool. The idea of compleated walkers is cool. The idea of seemingly unstoppable villains having a weakpoint and being defeated relatively swiftly is cool. But the way these things are connected here is just kind of wonky.
The timescales being all over the place is something I honestly kind of expect for a drama-first storytelling, especially when it comes to fantasy.
I think the main problem with New Phyrexia is that the glistening oil being able to corrupt with just a touch is just... way too OP. There's no way to beat it. All Phyrexia would have to do is load a ton of carriers up with the oil and let it rain down everywhere. Plants can't escape the oil and once the flora of a plane has been compleated there is no real hope to beat back the Phyrexian corruption.
The whole idea of animals fighting phyrexians by biting them (Like shown in Bite Down, as well as the new Thalia/Gitrog card) is just completely bonkers. This would literally turn every plane into a phyrexian hellhole so fast.
But that is just ignored whenever convenient. It's so inconsistent there is no telling just HOW dangerous phyrexia even is. We have no idea of the stakes because we don't know what level of stakes are realistic and believable. All we have is the destruction, but like. That's cheating. New Phyrexia is not properly set up as a villain.
It honestly still cracks me up that they expect us to think of Ikoria as this battle-world of Gigantic Kaiju behemoths, when what we were given in-set was avegrage-sized monsters with mix-and-match creature types.
They did a better job far better job conveying scale with the Naya shard than Ikoria could ever hope for. Other than the Godzilla alt art and mutate being creative mechanically, I kinda hope Ikoria just goes the way of Mercadia.
They really did botch Ikoria in almost every way possible as a set. Its saving grace are the mechanics and gameplay which are genuinely interesting.
But yeah, we were promised (and are still promised) giant creatures and got 3/3s and stuff. I don't know why anyone thought it's a good idea to continue marketing it as a kaiju world.
“There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can't seem to grow a full mustache"
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
I'm a bit mystified why bonding to a thing that is covered and/or filled with oil is a good idea and, furthermore, why the writer didn't think to at the absolute very least lampshade this.
In what world is Wrenn's plan going to work?
Ah well, the Ixalan story was fine. Honestly I would have prefered it to cover the four different factions and how they fare, but well, can't have everything.
I think this is another issue of (in your own words) a plane not being a functional setting, in this case New Phyrexia. The inconsistency of how the oil works comes to mind immediately. Planeswalkers get compleated in what feels like hours, and even though the Phyrexian invasion has just begun there are already compleated huge-ass serpents on Kaldheim. This gives off the impression that Phyrexia is this unbeatable, almighty force, but then the compleated walkers get killed off in a few paragraphs, and that causes some serious dissonance.
The idea of nanobot-infested, unstoppable Phyrexian oil is cool. The idea of compleated walkers is cool. The idea of seemingly unstoppable villains having a weakpoint and being defeated relatively swiftly is cool. But the way these things are connected here is just kind of wonky.
The timescales being all over the place is something I honestly kind of expect for a drama-first storytelling, especially when it comes to fantasy.
I think the main problem with New Phyrexia is that the glistening oil being able to corrupt with just a touch is just... way too OP. There's no way to beat it. All Phyrexia would have to do is load a ton of carriers up with the oil and let it rain down everywhere. Plants can't escape the oil and once the flora of a plane has been compleated there is no real hope to beat back the Phyrexian corruption.
The whole idea of animals fighting phyrexians by biting them (Like shown in Bite Down, as well as the new Thalia/Gitrog card) is just completely bonkers. This would literally turn every plane into a phyrexian hellhole so fast.
But that is just ignored whenever convenient. It's so inconsistent there is no telling just HOW dangerous phyrexia even is. We have no idea of the stakes because we don't know what level of stakes are realistic and believable. All we have is the destruction, but like. That's cheating. New Phyrexia is not properly set up as a villain.
It honestly still cracks me up that they expect us to think of Ikoria as this battle-world of Gigantic Kaiju behemoths, when what we were given in-set was avegrage-sized monsters with mix-and-match creature types.
They did a better job far better job conveying scale with the Naya shard than Ikoria could ever hope for. Other than the Godzilla alt art and mutate being creative mechanically, I kinda hope Ikoria just goes the way of Mercadia.
They really did botch Ikoria in almost every way possible as a set. Its saving grace are the mechanics and gameplay which are genuinely interesting.
But yeah, we were promised (and are still promised) giant creatures and got 3/3s and stuff. I don't know why anyone thought it's a good idea to continue marketing it as a kaiju world.
I loathe Ikoria and feel it should just be tossed to Eldrazi or Phyrexia.
The creatures there are of no interest. And they're not impressive either.
Unique creature types? Simic on Ravnica did it better.
And you guys thought lukka was a moron (rankle might be even dumber)
he is ridiculously mean
though you can kind of laugh at how he saved eldraine from the phyrexians… he used the last wish to make it rain love potion made the phyrexians go like this and then just simply flew over past a cliff edge and all the phyrexians fell to their defeat
Where the $%&#@& is Karn? Is he still dismantled, his head somewhere close to Norn's lap?
Frankly, with all the buildup, I expected more from him than being captured by a minion of Sheoldred on the very friggin' beginning of the attack on Dominaria and then relegated to a silent powerless witness of all the destruction.
We are currently on 10/18. Not a single trace of Teferi and/or Elspeth, who were expected to play a major role.
But I must say I am kind of pleasantly surprised how Wrenn turned out. For something that began its existence as a bottom-up cool-type/concept chase mythic walker from MH with next to no lore, this is satisfying.
Generally, I must say, though, that Wizards managed to get one thing right.
The taste of bile and dissatisfaction in your throat when reading the stories, that kill long-lasting ideas and characters, abruptly end years of character development, etc. Exactly as reading J.R.King's Invasion trilogy. The only difference is that instead of one world and some five years, here there are wasted 15 years and half of Multiverse.
In that, this is truly a repeat of the first Phyrexian invasion.
I'm happy to see older characters reappear. I truly do, they are testaments of WotC good world building.
Which is why it sucks major to see them and their planes become fodders overnight. I understand it's necessary for a sense of desperation and loss, but damn, do they really have to destroy the cornerstones? They'd never do that to Ravnica, which is all the more upsetting that they could do it so easily with other planes.
I don't want to complain too loud, because the Eldraine and Innistrad side stories were ok, but I really wish they had done more vignette style side-stories that cover multiple theatres of war per plane, allowing us to catch a glimpse of more than 2-3 legends per world. How are Sigarda and Liesa faring, reunited after so long? What are the vampires doing, recently humiliated, but desperate to work with the rest of the plane? How are the werewolves and witches coordinating their efforts? The story with Gisa and Geralf was cute, but I don't think it required an entire story at the expense of the rest of the plane.
Also, I echo the sentiment about not getting to see the compleation of characters. Especially Araya's compleation seemed... willing, which is especially interesting as she has been compleated by the red faction and Urabrask said he wanted to go for willing compleation only. We don't know how much the furnace host is under Urabrask's control, given that he's openly rebelling, but still, some of his ideals must have rubbed off to his faction.
Where the $%&#@& is Karn? Is he still dismantled, his head somewhere close to Norn's lap?
Frankly, with all the buildup, I expected more from him than being captured by a minion of Shelodred on the very friggin' beginning of the attack on Dominaria and then relegated to a silent witness of all the destruction.
Honestly, him getting captured literally right after being freed again by Koth is extremely silly. Like, what even was the point.
I'm happy to see older characters reappear. I truly do, they are testaments of WotC good world building.
Which is why it sucks major to see them and their planes become fodders overnight. I understand it's necessary for a sense of desperation and loss, but damn, do they really have to destroy the cornerstones? They'd never do that to Ravnica, which is all the more upsetting that they could do it so easily with other planes.
Don't say that too loud. We haven't had the Ravnica side story yet. Who's to say Niv-Mizzet is going to survive?
I don't want to complain too loud, because the Eldraine and Innistrad side stories were ok, but I really wish they had done more vignette style side-stories that cover multiple theatres of war per plane, allowing us to catch a glimpse of more than 2-3 legends per world. How are Sigarda and Liesa faring, reunited after so long? What are the vampires doing, recently humiliated, but desperate to work with the rest of the plane? How are the werewolves and witches coordinating their efforts? The story with Gisa and Geralf was cute, but I don't think it required an entire story at the expense of the rest of the plane.
Also, I echo the sentiment about not getting to see the compleation of characters. Especially Araya's compleation seemed... willing, which is especially interesting as she has been compleated by the red faction and Urabrask said he wanted to go for willing compleation only. We don't know how much the furnace host is under Urabrask's control, given that he's openly rebelling, but still, some of his ideals must have rubbed off to his faction.
Where the $%&#@& is Karn? Is he still dismantled, his head somewhere close to Norn's lap?
Frankly, with all the buildup, I expected more from him than being captured by a minion of Shelodred on the very friggin' beginning of the attack on Dominaria and then relegated to a silent witness of all the destruction.
Honestly, him getting captured literally right after being freed again by Koth is extremely silly. Like, what even was the point.
I'm happy to see older characters reappear. I truly do, they are testaments of WotC good world building.
Which is why it sucks major to see them and their planes become fodders overnight. I understand it's necessary for a sense of desperation and loss, but damn, do they really have to destroy the cornerstones? They'd never do that to Ravnica, which is all the more upsetting that they could do it so easily with other planes.
Don't say that too loud. We haven't had the Ravnica side story yet. Who's to say Niv-Mizzet is going to survive?
i will say this if the phyrexians get niv-mizzet (which I doubt) and has a art I think we found which legend is gonna be are phyrexian tribal legend (besides brimaz 2.0)
“There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can't seem to grow a full mustache"
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Also, this looks to be the goddess Serra, not the once-planeswalker who held her name.
Ethan Fleischer and Kelly Digges during Dominaria (2018) confirmed that there isn't a goddess whom Serra was named after it was always just Serra the planeswalker.
My thought is actually Elspeth and her family where the descendants refugees of Serra realm who had found their way to Capenna. One night seemly Elspeth mother was killed and she was captured by the remains of phyrexia where she would end up sparking.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can't seem to grow a full mustache"
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
My Serra stanning heart with EPISODE 6.... I teared up my guy~! All this time, Elspeth is now actually tied to Serran lore~
But this nudges me... where was this place that Elspeth was in? A dimension unlocked via the Sylex blast? Or was she in the Blind Eternities and was embraced by the essence of Serra there?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Serra Stan - Angel Enthusiast - Garruk and Tyvar thirsty follower - Flavor and Art Enthusiast
Also, this looks to be the goddess Serra, not the once-planeswalker who held her name.
Ethan Fleischer and Kelly Digges during Dominaria (2018) confirmed that there isn't a goddess whom Serra was named after it was always just Serra the planeswalker.
https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/magic-story/episode-5-cathartic-reunion?utm_campaign=MTG---MOM---March-of-the-Machine&utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=social&utm_content=9218918825
MARCH OF THE MACHINE | IXALAN: THREE HUNDRED STEPS UNDER THE SUN by Miguel Lopez
https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/magic-story/three-hundred-steps-under-the-sun?utm_campaign=MTG---MOM---March-of-the-Machine&utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=social&utm_content=9218918826
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
It’s the human cultures not the monsters that I enjoy the most, as I like the idea of Ikoria’s city-states which took a break from being based upon real-world historical cultures.
Jirina & Vadrok were also better represented in this story than most of the other characters. Vivien too and I like her much better now her green is more ambivalent than psychotic re: civilization.
I agree with the premise that some of their hinted worldbuilding changes reflect laziness of writing. I would like to see planeswalkers as main characters still, but it’s frustrating to see how poorly and varied their characterizations are from author-to-author.
My fear is that if the Lord of The Rings set is successful, then they’ll just outsource standard sets to other franchises and then there goes the story team/world building. I’d probably stop playing were that to happen as it’s the new and returning worlds and characters that get me excited to play new sets.
I accept that Universes Beyond will continue to happen but I’d hate to see it cannibalize the main story and worldbuilding.
The Vorthos community will await the consequences of the Eldrazi Titans' deaths/sealing. We will keep the watch.
“The wind whispers, ‘come home,’ but I cannot.”
— Teferi
Hope not.
The Vorthos community will await the consequences of the Eldrazi Titans' deaths/sealing. We will keep the watch.
“The wind whispers, ‘come home,’ but I cannot.”
— Teferi
In what world is Wrenn's plan going to work?
Ah well, the Ixalan story was fine. Honestly I would have prefered it to cover the four different factions and how they fare, but well, can't have everything.
The timescales being all over the place is something I honestly kind of expect for a drama-first storytelling, especially when it comes to fantasy.
I think the main problem with New Phyrexia is that the glistening oil being able to corrupt with just a touch is just... way too OP. There's no way to beat it. All Phyrexia would have to do is load a ton of carriers up with the oil and let it rain down everywhere. Plants can't escape the oil and once the flora of a plane has been compleated there is no real hope to beat back the Phyrexian corruption.
The whole idea of animals fighting phyrexians by biting them (Like shown in Bite Down, as well as the new Thalia/Gitrog card) is just completely bonkers. This would literally turn every plane into a phyrexian hellhole so fast.
But that is just ignored whenever convenient. It's so inconsistent there is no telling just HOW dangerous phyrexia even is. We have no idea of the stakes because we don't know what level of stakes are realistic and believable. All we have is the destruction, but like. That's cheating. New Phyrexia is not properly set up as a villain.
They really did botch Ikoria in almost every way possible as a set. Its saving grace are the mechanics and gameplay which are genuinely interesting.
But yeah, we were promised (and are still promised) giant creatures and got 3/3s and stuff. I don't know why anyone thought it's a good idea to continue marketing it as a kaiju world.
https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/magic-story/family-game-night?utm_campaign=MTG---MOM---March-of-the-Machine&utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=social&utm_content=9229238283
Side story 5: The Adventures of Rankle, Master of Love by Jenna Helland
https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/magic-story/the-adventures-of-rankle-master-of-love?utm_campaign=MTG---MOM---March-of-the-Machine&utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=social&utm_content=9229238284
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
The creatures there are of no interest. And they're not impressive either.
Unique creature types? Simic on Ravnica did it better.
Large Dinosaurs? Ixalan did it better.
Large Sea Monsters? Theros did it better.
Large Land Monsters? Zendikar did it better.
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
he is ridiculously mean
though you can kind of laugh at how he saved eldraine from the phyrexians… he used the last wish to make it rain love potion made the phyrexians go like this
Where the $%&#@& is Karn? Is he still dismantled, his head somewhere close to Norn's lap?
Frankly, with all the buildup, I expected more from him than being captured by a minion of Sheoldred on the very friggin' beginning of the attack on Dominaria and then relegated to a silent powerless witness of all the destruction.
We are currently on 10/18. Not a single trace of Teferi and/or Elspeth, who were expected to play a major role.
But I must say I am kind of pleasantly surprised how Wrenn turned out. For something that began its existence as a bottom-up cool-type/concept chase mythic walker from MH with next to no lore, this is satisfying.
Generally, I must say, though, that Wizards managed to get one thing right.
The taste of bile and dissatisfaction in your throat when reading the stories, that kill long-lasting ideas and characters, abruptly end years of character development, etc. Exactly as reading J.R.King's Invasion trilogy. The only difference is that instead of one world and some five years, here there are wasted 15 years and half of Multiverse.
In that, this is truly a repeat of the first Phyrexian invasion.
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
Which is why it sucks major to see them and their planes become fodders overnight. I understand it's necessary for a sense of desperation and loss, but damn, do they really have to destroy the cornerstones? They'd never do that to Ravnica, which is all the more upsetting that they could do it so easily with other planes.
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
Also, I echo the sentiment about not getting to see the compleation of characters. Especially Araya's compleation seemed... willing, which is especially interesting as she has been compleated by the red faction and Urabrask said he wanted to go for willing compleation only. We don't know how much the furnace host is under Urabrask's control, given that he's openly rebelling, but still, some of his ideals must have rubbed off to his faction.
Honestly, him getting captured literally right after being freed again by Koth is extremely silly. Like, what even was the point.
Don't say that too loud. We haven't had the Ravnica side story yet. Who's to say Niv-Mizzet is going to survive?
i will say this if the phyrexians get niv-mizzet (which I doubt) and has a art I think we found which legend is gonna be are phyrexian tribal legend (besides brimaz 2.0)
https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/magic-story/episode-6-the-last-to-leave?utm_campaign=MTG---MOM---March-of-the-Machine&utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=social&utm_content=9239225388
Episode 7: Divine Intervention by K. Arsenault Rivera
https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/magic-story/episode-7-divine-intervention?utm_campaign=MTG---MOM---March-of-the-Machine&utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=social&utm_content=9239225389
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/magic-story/episode-7-divine-intervention
And the angel theory has come to an end elsepth is infact the worlds first planeswalker that’s an Angel but
HECK SERRA MIGHT HAVE BEEN HER MOM! BASED ON WHAT IM READING
¨
Heh. Who said it? I said it! Well, maybe without that part of being pre-engineered by the Capennan angels.
Also, this looks to be the goddess Serra, not the once-planeswalker who held her name.
Well, at least Urabrask actually did something before being executed. *presses F*
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
i have been mention two things
1. That phyrexians could be repurposed/rsurrected like what happened with roxith
2. that im almost certain we are gonna get a 5-color phyrexian tribal
from chapters 1, 6, 7, it's occuring to me
Sheoldred got decapitated
urabrask was put into pieces
Jin-gitaxias lost his arm
Vorinclex got his horns snapped off
what if are 5-color phyrexian tribal legend is....
a frankenstein of all 5 praetors put together as one praetor thus "All will be one"
Ethan Fleischer and Kelly Digges during Dominaria (2018) confirmed that there isn't a goddess whom Serra was named after it was always just Serra the planeswalker.
My thought is actually Elspeth and her family where the descendants refugees of Serra realm who had found their way to Capenna. One night seemly Elspeth mother was killed and she was captured by the remains of phyrexia where she would end up sparking.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
But this nudges me... where was this place that Elspeth was in? A dimension unlocked via the Sylex blast? Or was she in the Blind Eternities and was embraced by the essence of Serra there?
because I’m wondering if it was only his legs and arms.
Interesting. This information evaded me. Thanks.
You mean Urabrask. Vorinclex has just his horn snapped off by a furious Norn.
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)