Ixalan sounds very Mayan/Aztec. I am going to wander a guess that it will be flavored around Central/South American mythology. So a whole plane that feels like Naya.
Wonder if there can be a tie in from Naya... any planeswalkers or characters of noteworthiness stand out? Can part of a plane be siphoned into another? Can part of a plane break off to become a new plane? Do any of the the past M:tG novels answer odd questions like this?
My only concern is that flavor from previous sets get to close, as in Mirage or Amonket being close to Ixalan as far as climate, creature-types, environmental factors.
Yes, some elements of the Naya plane felt like ancient Mayan/Incan/Aztec cultures. But I think it's a mistake to assume it also works the other way - that Mayan/Incan/Aztec cultures fit cleanly into what Magic knows as Naya. Remember how large a part of society sacrifice was to some of those cultures, and how that is a VERY black theme in Magic. I'm sure Blue has similar comparisons.
Seriously, though, I really hope ROI isn't Wizards expanding on the Superhero schtick of the Gatewatch by introducing a team of bad guys.
Market research indicates that the Gatewatch is a smash hit! The 12-16 boys demographic just loves Jace and Gideon. 68% of participants react 'Favorably' or 'Very Favorably' to the idea of an opposing 'Anti-Gatewatch' team of iconic Planeswalker characters!
'So you want a realistic, down to earth show... that's completely off the wall and swarming with magic robots.'
Good lord that 25 symbol is UGLY. It doesn't even fit! I would've at least made it fit the width of the symbol if my boss had insisted on just using the lazy planeswalker icon with a number.
What do you mean? You would have blown up the numbers to fill out all the available space and crammed it into the more delicate parts of the symbol rather than fitting it nicely into the main body of the planeswalker icon? That sounds worse actually. But maybe that's just my mental image, please show!
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Planar Chaos was not a mistake neither was it random. You might want to look at it again.
[thread=239793][Game] Level Up - Creature[/thread]
But yes. That is what I meant. This looks far better than the way they crammed the 25 in there.
I see why a more dynamic arrangement is used instead. It's probably just a matter of preference.
Also: Apparently Amonkhet might be the world to find Mina as a male name. After all: "Mina (Egyptian Arabic: مينا; pronounced [ˈmiːnæ]), also transcribed Mena or Meena, is a male given name for Egyptians" including "Mina (fl. c. 3100 BC), a.k.a. Menes, legendary Egyptian ruler and the first pharaoh of Egypt"
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Planar Chaos was not a mistake neither was it random. You might want to look at it again.
[thread=239793][Game] Level Up - Creature[/thread]
Good lord that 25 symbol is UGLY. It doesn't even fit! I would've at least made it fit the width of the symbol if my boss had insisted on just using the lazy planeswalker icon with a number.
What do you mean? You would have blown up the numbers to fill out all the available space and crammed it into the more delicate parts of the symbol rather than fitting it nicely into the main body of the planeswalker icon? That sounds worse actually. But maybe that's just my mental image, please show!
But yes. That is what I meant. This looks far better than the way they crammed the 25 in there.
I see why a more dynamic arrangement is used instead. It's probably just a matter of preference.
Agreed, while my "ocd" like the cleaner symbol, the other draws my eye more and seems more exciting/this is something special.
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“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"
Rivals of Ixalan could also be the title for Ixalan's masterpiece series, like Amonkhet Invocations, Kaladesh Inventions, and Zendikar Expeditions.
If Rivals is the Masterpiece series, and Ixalan is like a plane for less moral 'walkers, we could get reprints of many of the villain 'walkers. Tibalt, Vraska, Garruk, etc! Good theory, but I doubt they would put that many walkers in Sealed, even as mythic mythic rare. Could just be antagonists, but pretty sure Masterpieces are supposed to be on the plane.
Im thinking ixalan will have cascade cards again possibly a blood braid unban.. reasons i think this is bc blood braid and cards as such do look like native american style humans. Almost aztec like in my opinion.
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Modern RUAffinityUR GMono Green StompyG CEldrazi TronC URWJeskai GeistWRU WRBoros BurnRW BRWMardu PyromancerWRB
Ixalan is going to be the last 2-set block. After "Eggs" (the small set for Ixalan) is released, they're going to a "3 & 1" block rotation for the year.
The sets are going to go as followed: ("Eggs," "Soup," 2018 Core, "Spaghetti," - 2018) ("Meatballs," "Milk," 2019 Core, & "Archery" - 2019)
Once Ixalan is released, Battle for Zendikar, Oath of the Gatewatch, Shadows over Innistrad, & Eldritch Moon are going to rotate out of Standard.
Once "Spaghetti" is released, Kaladesh, Aether Revolt, Amonkhet, & Hour of Devastation will rotate out.
Once "Archery" is released, Ixalan, "Eggs," "Soup," & 2018 Core will rotate out.
& so on & so forth according to MaRo.
Did some youtube-research on Ixalan (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oXwlvjld_o)
Seems like its most likely to be Mayan-inspired
There's a mayan language branch called "Ixilean" (if WotC drew inspiration from that)
Ix- seems to be a 'prefix' used to indicate female/feminine. (I also googled a lot of names of female gods had Ix- as prefix)
-lan seems to be a word for a 'place' for example a town/city.
So my speculation is that Ixalan is some sort of city (maybe drawing inspiration from Tenochtitlan - although Aztec. Or perhaps there is food for thought that this is a return to Ravnica - the great city *feminine*).
There also seems to be a group called the Ixil people with keywords such as: Isolation, misty, small communities (forming a Ixil Triangle - maybe we will see many villages with one grand city?), harsh and basic lives.
The way you describe it here the set sounds like a female warrior society set in an pre-colonization South American setting. Seems like WOTC are combining the area known as the Amazon basin with the Greek Amazon warriors.
I think more importantly we know that Rivals of Ixalan is not the Masterpiece Series for Ixalan as it doesn't have one.
Depending on when they decided to cut the Masterpieces, it could be they had already registered the trademark on the name before deciding to pull the plug.
Following up a set called Ixalan with one named Rivals of Ixalan just seems really strange to me.
Following up a set called Ixalan with one named Rivals of Ixalan just seems really strange to me.
you have a good point.
..but urza's saga/destiny/legacy, champions/betrayers/saviors of kamigawa, scars of mirrodin/mirrodin besiegied, shards of alara/alara reborn, & khans of tarkir/dragons of tarkir are all examples of blocks which have a shared word in two or more sets. maybe with less rigidly defined set connectivity going forward they are going to include a keyword in set titles more often to help people remember which sets are connected?
..but urza's saga/destiny/legacy, champions/betrayers/saviors of kamigawa, scars of mirrodin/mirrodin besiegied, shards of alara/alara reborn, & khans of tarkir/dragons of tarkir are all examples of blocks which have a shared word in two or more sets.
And in none of them the shared word is the whole title of one of the sets: We didn't get a "shared word" in the original Mirrodin-block and Alara-block has no set called just "Alara" - its initial set already has a more complicated name.
I think the point stands - a single word name for a set is unlikely to be followed up by a set containing that whole name as part of its name - such would just invite confusion when talking about the product.
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Planar Chaos was not a mistake neither was it random. You might want to look at it again.
[thread=239793][Game] Level Up - Creature[/thread]
Rivals of Ixalan may be some new bonus sheet, simply a marketing thing in the manner of a tagline, or a name they experimented with for the first set.
I also doubt it's the second set.
Could however be a placeholder for the second set name, which will be called Rivals of -, but they haven't locked in the name for what the Rivals are of.
Soo is this a "block" in the new "one set per'Block'"?
Ixalan was still designed under the old paradigm . the first of the new "blocks" will be the one after that, so about a year form now.
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Huey, Dewey and Louie are always dressed in RUG. it is CLEARLY going to be the wedges block Pioneer: WURFaerie fires BRGDragons ModernBGElves WRBurn UR Fires Turns URGift Storm UG Twiddle Storm
I think we're overrating the planeswalkers being the rivals of Ixalan. I bet it's closer to like the worthy of Amonkhet. A whole populace involved in some big event has been Magic's thing of late. Kaladesh with the inventors fair for more reference. I'm with you guy on assuming it's Meso themed since we saw those Atlazan and Conquest packs. If it is Meso and we do get Gods here I believe we'll soon have a large multiverse connection reveal between Gods of different planes. Though I have a thought they won't do back to back God flavor(unfortunately) especially after what I would call a miss on the Amonkhet Gods.
Standard: lol no
Modern: BG/x, UR/x, Burn, Merfolk, Zoo, Storm
Legacy: Shardless BUG, Delver (BUG, RUG, Grixis), Landstill, Depths Combo, Merfolk
Vintage: Dark Times, BUG Fish, Merfolk
EDH: Teysa, Orzhov Scion / Krenko, Mob Boss / Stonebrow, Krosan Hero
'So you want a realistic, down to earth show... that's completely off the wall and swarming with magic robots.'
What do you mean? You would have blown up the numbers to fill out all the available space and crammed it into the more delicate parts of the symbol rather than fitting it nicely into the main body of the planeswalker icon? That sounds worse actually. But maybe that's just my mental image, please show!
Finally a good white villain quote: "So, do I ever re-evaluate my life choices? Never, because I know what I'm doing is a righteous cause."
Factions: Sleeping
Remnants: Valheim
Legendary Journey: Heroes & Planeswalkers
Saga: Shards of Rabiah
Legends: The Elder Dragons
Read up on Red Flags & NWO
I see why a more dynamic arrangement is used instead. It's probably just a matter of preference.
Also: Apparently Amonkhet might be the world to find Mina as a male name. After all: "Mina (Egyptian Arabic: مينا; pronounced [ˈmiːnæ]), also transcribed Mena or Meena, is a male given name for Egyptians" including "Mina (fl. c. 3100 BC), a.k.a. Menes, legendary Egyptian ruler and the first pharaoh of Egypt"
Finally a good white villain quote: "So, do I ever re-evaluate my life choices? Never, because I know what I'm doing is a righteous cause."
Factions: Sleeping
Remnants: Valheim
Legendary Journey: Heroes & Planeswalkers
Saga: Shards of Rabiah
Legends: The Elder Dragons
Read up on Red Flags & NWO
It's actually amazing how much better this looks.
This world, you know... the real world.
http://enciclopediaromaniei.ro/wiki/Mina_Minovici
Agreed, while my "ocd" like the cleaner symbol, the other draws my eye more and seems more exciting/this is something special.
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
If Rivals is the Masterpiece series, and Ixalan is like a plane for less moral 'walkers, we could get reprints of many of the villain 'walkers. Tibalt, Vraska, Garruk, etc! Good theory, but I doubt they would put that many walkers in Sealed, even as mythic mythic rare. Could just be antagonists, but pretty sure Masterpieces are supposed to be on the plane.
RUAffinityUR
GMono Green StompyG
CEldrazi TronC
URWJeskai GeistWRU
WRBoros BurnRW
BRWMardu PyromancerWRB
The sets are going to go as followed: ("Eggs," "Soup," 2018 Core, "Spaghetti," - 2018) ("Meatballs," "Milk," 2019 Core, & "Archery" - 2019)
Once Ixalan is released, Battle for Zendikar, Oath of the Gatewatch, Shadows over Innistrad, & Eldritch Moon are going to rotate out of Standard.
Once "Spaghetti" is released, Kaladesh, Aether Revolt, Amonkhet, & Hour of Devastation will rotate out.
Once "Archery" is released, Ixalan, "Eggs," "Soup," & 2018 Core will rotate out.
& so on & so forth according to MaRo.
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice
That would definitely be my guess and I can totally see this happening!!!!
The way you describe it here the set sounds like a female warrior society set in an pre-colonization South American setting. Seems like WOTC are combining the area known as the Amazon basin with the Greek Amazon warriors.
Depending on when they decided to cut the Masterpieces, it could be they had already registered the trademark on the name before deciding to pull the plug.
Following up a set called Ixalan with one named Rivals of Ixalan just seems really strange to me.
you have a good point.
..but urza's saga/destiny/legacy, champions/betrayers/saviors of kamigawa, scars of mirrodin/mirrodin besiegied, shards of alara/alara reborn, & khans of tarkir/dragons of tarkir are all examples of blocks which have a shared word in two or more sets. maybe with less rigidly defined set connectivity going forward they are going to include a keyword in set titles more often to help people remember which sets are connected?
And in none of them the shared word is the whole title of one of the sets: We didn't get a "shared word" in the original Mirrodin-block and Alara-block has no set called just "Alara" - its initial set already has a more complicated name.
I think the point stands - a single word name for a set is unlikely to be followed up by a set containing that whole name as part of its name - such would just invite confusion when talking about the product.
Finally a good white villain quote: "So, do I ever re-evaluate my life choices? Never, because I know what I'm doing is a righteous cause."
Factions: Sleeping
Remnants: Valheim
Legendary Journey: Heroes & Planeswalkers
Saga: Shards of Rabiah
Legends: The Elder Dragons
Read up on Red Flags & NWO
I also doubt it's the second set.
Could however be a placeholder for the second set name, which will be called Rivals of -, but they haven't locked in the name for what the Rivals are of.
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice
Ixalan was still designed under the old paradigm . the first of the new "blocks" will be the one after that, so about a year form now.
Pioneer: WURFaerie fires BRGDragons
ModernBGElves WRBurn UR Fires Turns URGift Storm UG Twiddle Storm