They are definitely the result of some Simic tampering... but I'm not likely to call them angels at all.
They look like Boros soldiers that have been enhanced with flight.
I'm glad someone posted the style guide bits for the Simic. All that "Jace's Angels" was starting to get on my nerves.
Honestly, I just assume that they're elite Simic soldiers, the equivalent of the Izzet soldiers we see on Dynacharge and Leap of Flame. They fit the aesthetic, and the flavor text of Hydroform makes it clear that the Combine has skyward aspirations.
Teysa is somewhere between mysterious and hot. I wish the art had crisp lines instead of being a collection of brush strokes. I like the end result but wish I could see how it would look if it was done direct. Really powerful art nevertheless. Gets you thinking about what's in her mind.
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That which nourishes me, destroys me
10th at SCG: Syracuse (2014), GP:NJ Last-Chance Grinder Winner (2014):: Former Legacy Mod
I mean, hell, we're all on a forum for something that most people would describe as a "children's card game"...do what makes you happy. You are never too old to enjoy yourself.
Teysa is somewhere between mysterious and hot. I wish the art had crisp lines instead of being a collection of brush strokes. I like the end result but wish I could see how it would look if it was done direct. Really powerful art nevertheless. Gets you thinking about what's in her mind.
Probably something mundane, like what to order for lunch.
... Then again, I'm kind of a sucker for fantastic characters doing very mundane things. Read a great story about Thrun eating a sandwich once....
Read a great story about Thrun eating a sandwich once....
I lol'd.
But yeah, great artworks. Those new guildgate pieces are amazing.
My money's on Niv-Mizzet.
Teysa, of the Glowing Cleavage. "My eyes are up here. That'll be one life point, please." Okay, she probably wouldn't say "please,"
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Level 2 Judge
Currently playing:
Standard: Superfriends!
Legacy: Nic Fit / Pod
Pauper: Delvar; Tron; Flicker Stuff
Commander: Riku ("Some weird doubple spell thing happened"); Keranos ("I did a Gatherer search for 'random' and 'flip a coin.'"); Superfriends!
I love how the Teysa art is not "evil." You wouldn't know how creepy Orzhov is by looking at that painting. It's just a chick sitting at a normal desk.
It stands to reason that Teysa wouldn't "evil" seeing as she's not evil. She was one of the primary protagonists in the first Ravnica block. As for creepiness, the Orzhov Syndicate as an organization does quite a bit of extortion, fleecing, and necromancy, sure, but they also guarantee the safety of businesses, handle civil disputes (Teysa herself started as a talented civil defense attorney), and put their necromancy to use as a means of being able to promise post-mortem luxury - of all the guilds of Ravnica, the Orzhov gets the "church" vibe simply because they really can have power over what happens to you - the parts of you that matter, not just the flesh that used to be you - after you die.
That is, there's nothing inherently evil about the Orzhov Syndicate at all, even if a number of individual entities within the Syndicate allow their ambition to get the better of their ethics.
The artist definitely did a great job on getting Teysa right this time around, though. She's stern, imposing, regal, calculating, and tough to surprise. She's seen every form of machination in the book, she's one of the few people in Ravnica to have knowingly had a conversation with Lazav, she plays the members of the Ghost Council against each other so that she can steer the collective to her whims... The mere fact of her reputation and the influence she wields is all the intimidation she needs. This artwork just radiates that raw political power in a way that's very difficult to pull off.
I had planned on getting this Teysa altered to match my Eric Klug Teysa... but now I'm not sure I know what could possibly be done to alter the card without somehow diminishing the impact.
EDIT: As for the cleavage keyhole, I tend to think it's a political tool. The Orzhov Syndicate is (her own success notwithstanding) something of a Boy's Club, and the Patriarchs are known to indulge in their baser appetites. Seeing as it's unlikely that she'd hinge an important part of a plan on someone with an easily-exploited weakness like "attractive women showing a little skin", it becomes yet another data point in sizing up where to slot someone into her schemes. Can't maintain eye contact? Then you'll never get near anything of any real importance.
Shockingly, not all adult women in real life have 38DD breasts like they do in the comics (or in this case, MTG artwork).
Some women even have *gasp* AA cups.
That and her wardrobe. The stern and super serious Azor would be the type to wear stern and serious armor. So that is not metal cleavage holder breastplates and instead wear a proper bit of armor which would, in fact, flatten her bust down.
The corset-style belts... yeah I can't answer that.
Honestly, I just assume that they're elite Simic soldiers, the equivalent of the Izzet soldiers we see on Dynacharge and Leap of Flame. They fit the aesthetic, and the flavor text of Hydroform makes it clear that the Combine has skyward aspirations.
'Torso' could also refer to her narrow corset-waist.
I have to agree that her hips seems way to big for her waist.
I'm trying to figure out if it's an attempt at a weird angle thing or an artistic flub that makes her waist just vanish on the side behind the podium.
On the other side the line is a bit wider hip than usual, but if she's a beat arrester that would make sense that her legs are defined. Plus she isn't as... overdeveloped, as Chun Li.
Not that she should be the artistic bar we measure by.
My thoughts exactly. I got a really bad vibe as soon as I saw it, gotta be among the worst card arts from the past year or so.
Neat. I actually think the art is absolutely awesome. And I dislike both WoW and LoL, so go figure. Infact, if he has good specs, I will make an Izzet deck...and thats saying alot.
Personally think its one of the best works in this block.
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There is buried treasure everywhere...in a graveyard.
Mirko Vosk looks like some higher-ranking version of Duskmantle Seer.
Hopefully he is much, much better than Dusky
The name is certainly promising- hopefully he can steal cards from opponents' decks or something.
Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
Melek, Izzet Paragon
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Bruna, Light of Alabaster
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
Rhys the Redeemed
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Sen Triplets
The Mimeoplasm WUBRGSliver OverlordGRBUW WUBRGSliver Hivelord(Superfriends)GRBUW
Neat. I actually think the art is absolutely awesome. And I dislike both WoW and LoL, so go figure. Infact, if he has good specs, I will make an Izzet deck...and thats saying alot.
Personally think its one of the best works in this block.
Sure you might dislike WoW and LoL. I don't think we said anything about whether those games are good or not, I just that this card's artwork looks a lot like the art from league of legends.
You know what bothers me most about all the Champions? All the non-creature, humanoid characters are all Caucasian.
WotC needs more diversity, man.
Dude. Context. This is a set based on classic Eastern-European look. When they have had sets based on Asian or African aesthetics, people have been represented accordingly. I'm all for race equality but I'm also for no shoehorning it where it's unwarranted just to keep everyone happy... though WotC does a bit of it (remember the MAIN character of the previous Ravnica story, Agrus Kos?)
Also, I don't think that Exava looks particularly Caucasian, no.
And before I'm met with undue accusations of privilege blindness, I'm not Caucasian myself.
I'm calling it right now- worst rare in the set. Even good limited players will find better bombs at common and uncommon no sweat. Worst. Episode. Ever.
I really do predict this to be our worst rare in set award winner. I'd be happier opening a jar of eyeballs, so I think anything worse is highly unlikely. This card wont just have zero constructed potential, but not be significantly better than a mass of ghouls in a draft.
Honestly, I just assume that they're elite Simic soldiers, the equivalent of the Izzet soldiers we see on Dynacharge and Leap of Flame. They fit the aesthetic, and the flavor text of Hydroform makes it clear that the Combine has skyward aspirations.
10th at SCG: Syracuse (2014), GP:NJ Last-Chance Grinder Winner (2014):: Former Legacy Mod
Probably something mundane, like what to order for lunch.
... Then again, I'm kind of a sucker for fantastic characters doing very mundane things. Read a great story about Thrun eating a sandwich once....
I lol'd.
But yeah, great artworks. Those new guildgate pieces are amazing.
My money's on Niv-Mizzet.
Teysa, of the Glowing Cleavage. "My eyes are up here. That'll be one life point, please." Okay, she probably wouldn't say "please,"
Currently playing:
Standard: Superfriends!
Legacy: Nic Fit / Pod
Pauper: Delvar; Tron; Flicker Stuff
Commander: Riku ("Some weird doubple spell thing happened"); Keranos ("I did a Gatherer search for 'random' and 'flip a coin.'"); Superfriends!
Well I guess we know where all that life drain is going.
It stands to reason that Teysa wouldn't "evil" seeing as she's not evil. She was one of the primary protagonists in the first Ravnica block. As for creepiness, the Orzhov Syndicate as an organization does quite a bit of extortion, fleecing, and necromancy, sure, but they also guarantee the safety of businesses, handle civil disputes (Teysa herself started as a talented civil defense attorney), and put their necromancy to use as a means of being able to promise post-mortem luxury - of all the guilds of Ravnica, the Orzhov gets the "church" vibe simply because they really can have power over what happens to you - the parts of you that matter, not just the flesh that used to be you - after you die.
That is, there's nothing inherently evil about the Orzhov Syndicate at all, even if a number of individual entities within the Syndicate allow their ambition to get the better of their ethics.
The artist definitely did a great job on getting Teysa right this time around, though. She's stern, imposing, regal, calculating, and tough to surprise. She's seen every form of machination in the book, she's one of the few people in Ravnica to have knowingly had a conversation with Lazav, she plays the members of the Ghost Council against each other so that she can steer the collective to her whims... The mere fact of her reputation and the influence she wields is all the intimidation she needs. This artwork just radiates that raw political power in a way that's very difficult to pull off.
I had planned on getting this Teysa altered to match my Eric Klug Teysa... but now I'm not sure I know what could possibly be done to alter the card without somehow diminishing the impact.
EDIT: As for the cleavage keyhole, I tend to think it's a political tool. The Orzhov Syndicate is (her own success notwithstanding) something of a Boy's Club, and the Patriarchs are known to indulge in their baser appetites. Seeing as it's unlikely that she'd hinge an important part of a plan on someone with an easily-exploited weakness like "attractive women showing a little skin", it becomes yet another data point in sizing up where to slot someone into her schemes. Can't maintain eye contact? Then you'll never get near anything of any real importance.
That's actually highly likely, well it would be fan service for the female audience too.
Some women even have *gasp* AA cups.
That and her wardrobe. The stern and super serious Azor would be the type to wear stern and serious armor. So that is not metal cleavage holder breastplates and instead wear a proper bit of armor which would, in fact, flatten her bust down.
The corset-style belts... yeah I can't answer that.
And then I remembered that there are Simic Faeries.
I think I solved it, guys.
It's awesome that I was first visiting this thread for better looks at the legends, but now find myself just checking in to lol at the discussion.
Sadly, it just reminds me that there are not many depictions of a "nice ass" in Magic. Dark times....dark times.
There is buried treasure everywhere...in a graveyard.
I'm trying to figure out if it's an attempt at a weird angle thing or an artistic flub that makes her waist just vanish on the side behind the podium.
On the other side the line is a bit wider hip than usual, but if she's a beat arrester that would make sense that her legs are defined. Plus she isn't as... overdeveloped, as Chun Li.
Not that she should be the artistic bar we measure by.
yes. one of each guild, together. Hopping, holding hands and singing the Smurfs' song
:symw::symg::symb: Ghave tokens
:symg::symr::symu: Riku of Many Lands
:symg::symb::symu: The Mimeoplasm reanimator
:symu::symr::symw: Zedruu, the Mad Goat of Chaos
:symg::symr::symw: A-Uril
Manastorm Omnath
:symw::symu::symb::symr::symg: Sliver Legion
:symu::symw: Bruna One-Angel-Army
:symg::symw: Sisay, Legend Recluter
Marrow-Gnawer Mono Rat
My thoughts exactly. I got a really bad vibe as soon as I saw it, gotta be among the worst card arts from the past year or so.
This would be more interesting if there was a fight to the death that was happening inside the maze. The exit should not have been uncovered yet...
[Commander] Rafiq of the Many (Tier 1)
[Commander] Marchesa, the Black Rose (Tier 1)
[Commander] Five Color Artifacts (Tier 2)
Neat. I actually think the art is absolutely awesome. And I dislike both WoW and LoL, so go figure. Infact, if he has good specs, I will make an Izzet deck...and thats saying alot.
Personally think its one of the best works in this block.
There is buried treasure everywhere...in a graveyard.
Mirko Vosk looks like some higher-ranking version of Duskmantle Seer.
Hopefully he is much, much better than Dusky
The name is certainly promising- hopefully he can steal cards from opponents' decks or something.
Reprint Stasis!
Control needs more love.
EDH:
Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
Melek, Izzet Paragon
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Bruna, Light of Alabaster
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
Rhys the Redeemed
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Sen Triplets
The Mimeoplasm
WUBRGSliver OverlordGRBUW
WUBRGSliver Hivelord(Superfriends)GRBUW
Sure you might dislike WoW and LoL. I don't think we said anything about whether those games are good or not, I just that this card's artwork looks a lot like the art from league of legends.
Because they use "envoy" everywhere and only used "envy" once.
I am pretty sure that was a typo.
The card is called "Envoy of Ghosts". Definitely not "envy".
Dude. Context. This is a set based on classic Eastern-European look. When they have had sets based on Asian or African aesthetics, people have been represented accordingly. I'm all for race equality but I'm also for no shoehorning it where it's unwarranted just to keep everyone happy... though WotC does a bit of it (remember the MAIN character of the previous Ravnica story, Agrus Kos?)
Also, I don't think that Exava looks particularly Caucasian, no.
And before I'm met with undue accusations of privilege blindness, I'm not Caucasian myself.