Another common question is posed in the many “Why Coral Eel?” letters.
In your recent article “Small Change", ( http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr81 ) you say that Merfolk were eliminated because sea-creatures made little sense in Magic. Why then, what Coral Eel put in place? Last time I checked, Eels weren't so hot on land either.
Jonah Palmer
Jonah,
I got a lot of letters asking this very question. The answer is that change takes time. We wanted a 2/1 vanilla creature for the basic set. We had two choices, Coral Merfolk and Coral Eel. Neither fit our new “makes sense fighting on land” philosophy. So, we made the decision to purge the Merfolk on this pass and fix the problem before Ninth Edition. So to all you Coral Eel and Giant Octopus lovers, you’re forewarned. Their time is almost up.
Bears, gargoyles, treefolk, Basilisk, how about scorpion? would explain that "bugging me about" comment and could herald the return of poison counters. personally id like to see some phoenix making a new set, but hey, prob'ly dreaming
They have been hinting at Poison coming back for a while now. But all of the carriers of poison in the past (insects, even Suq'Ata Assassin, and snakes) have all had decent representation in the last while. So it's kind of hard to pinpoint the new creature type based on poison. Unless there's something else that could deliver a stinging venom among its victims that hasn't been used in a while, or have the poison ability shifted over to.
Oh and I do believe that if Basilisks were to return, I'd say that Venom will make a show too, if it's not in 9th edition.
Well, now that I think of it--Phoenix--Shard Phoenix IS making it into 9th...maybe that's a precursor to what's coming up in Rav? (I don't believe they've sent it through the printers yet)...
Assassins or Mercinaries are an easy definite to the flavor of the plane and blackness... which recieved a boost during CHK and BOK with oni and friends. I could definatly see Vampires... how about more namless-race creatures? not Nameless Race specifically...ok just kidding... Specters perhaps? I really hope they don't print zombies again... kinda cop-out-ish
Blue may recieve pirates, sailors, or some waterfaring race... although I'm fairly sure Wizards are a mainstay, unless they create a metathran-esque race of some sort to replace them. I also believe that they may give a thief race of some sort... either that or a race of merchants that give the blue player the option of purchasing permanents from other players (lol, "2 artifacts and 3 life for your _________?")
I hope to anything that Goblins will NOT be in the block... adding them would be like saying "we don't like using our minds to be creative for 3 straight blocks" I put my chips on dwarf/gnome (viashino would be cool, but that name is kinda locked to shiv... or is it?). They may also continue the ogre line, or go back to barbarians. reprint Desert and Desert Nomads!
Green is also to be interesting: More snakes would not make sense, elves would be as dumb as goblins, so I'll put those chips on the Monk/Druid/shamen classes, and hope that they don't give green a worn-out race.
White will most likly have the usual clerics/soldiers/angels. White ususally gets the shaft of cool races, but the bulk of classes... I can't give much calls there
Also white or red may get some giants again... or green... that'd work too... green and/or black could easily have some poison
Back to the Flip cards... Gargoyles using a fixed night-day mechanic stolen from Homarids?? or is it ghetto phasing?
______ Gargoyle 2WW
Gargoyle 3/3
Flying, Pro:Red
At the Beginning of your upkeep, Flip ~this~
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Statue
Artifact Creature-Guardian 0/6
Defender
At the Beginning of your upkeep, Flip ~this~
you could also do this for "At the end of each turn..." "At the Beginning of each upkeep..." and could also be used like the collaborators or Possesed cards of not-so-long-ago... Werewolves perhaps?
[kvåot]I was thinking, since Ravnica is a "city-covered plane", + large metropolitan areas tend to be rather diverse, culturally... why not have a LOT of races returning? Sort of inverse-tribal; we've got elves, but only a handful in the whole block. We've got goblins, but again, not many. + for all the obscure/older races, heaps of 1-ofs or 2-ofs. A motley lot roaming the back alleys looking for adventure - a Vampire Cleric, a Faerie Wizard, a Spike Mercenary + a Merfolk Pirate.[/kvåot]
you are smart, and i hope you are right. the focus seem to be on creature CLASSES not races, so...
And they said that for the next couple of blocks that they are all going to be set on differenet planes after the massive story arc across, I don't know, was it 5 blocks? And I'm happy for that.
[kvåot]I was thinking, since Ravnica is a "city-covered plane", + large metropolitan areas tend to be rather diverse, culturally... why not have a LOT of races returning? Sort of inverse-tribal; we've got elves, but only a handful in the whole block. We've got goblins, but again, not many. + for all the obscure/older races, heaps of 1-ofs or 2-ofs. A motley lot roaming the back alleys looking for adventure - a Vampire Cleric, a Faerie Wizard, a Spike Mercenary + a Merfolk Pirate.[/kvåot]
you are smart, and i hope you are right. the focus seem to be on creature CLASSES not races, so...
merfolk pirate will be so awsome.
I thought I recognized that post! Arrr, SO awesome.
I'm telling you now, The greatest thing you ever can do now,
Is trade a smile with someone who's blue now
Never gave credit where credit is due: Thanks Grimclaw for the banner
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=145850
They have been hinting at Poison coming back for a while now. But all of the carriers of poison in the past (insects, even Suq'Ata Assassin, and snakes) have all had decent representation in the last while. So it's kind of hard to pinpoint the new creature type based on poison. Unless there's something else that could deliver a stinging venom among its victims that hasn't been used in a while, or have the poison ability shifted over to.
Current creatures with poison:
Pit Scorpion
Marsh Viper
Swamp Mosquito
Sabertooth Cobra
Crypt Cobra
Suq'Ata Assassin
And that's all (I think)
Oh and I do believe that if Basilisks were to return, I'd say that Venom will make a show too, if it's not in 9th edition.
Well, now that I think of it--Phoenix--Shard Phoenix IS making it into 9th...maybe that's a precursor to what's coming up in Rav? (I don't believe they've sent it through the printers yet)...
'buster
HR Analyst. Gamer. Activist | Fearless, and forthright | Aggro-control is a mindset.
Elspeth and Jhoira rock my world.
Assassins or Mercinaries are an easy definite to the flavor of the plane and blackness... which recieved a boost during CHK and BOK with oni and friends. I could definatly see Vampires... how about more namless-race creatures? not Nameless Race specifically...ok just kidding... Specters perhaps? I really hope they don't print zombies again... kinda cop-out-ish
Blue may recieve pirates, sailors, or some waterfaring race... although I'm fairly sure Wizards are a mainstay, unless they create a metathran-esque race of some sort to replace them. I also believe that they may give a thief race of some sort... either that or a race of merchants that give the blue player the option of purchasing permanents from other players (lol, "2 artifacts and 3 life for your _________?")
I hope to anything that Goblins will NOT be in the block... adding them would be like saying "we don't like using our minds to be creative for 3 straight blocks" I put my chips on dwarf/gnome (viashino would be cool, but that name is kinda locked to shiv... or is it?). They may also continue the ogre line, or go back to barbarians. reprint Desert and Desert Nomads!
Green is also to be interesting: More snakes would not make sense, elves would be as dumb as goblins, so I'll put those chips on the Monk/Druid/shamen classes, and hope that they don't give green a worn-out race.
White will most likly have the usual clerics/soldiers/angels. White ususally gets the shaft of cool races, but the bulk of classes... I can't give much calls there
Also white or red may get some giants again... or green... that'd work too... green and/or black could easily have some poison
Back to the Flip cards... Gargoyles using a fixed night-day mechanic stolen from Homarids?? or is it ghetto phasing?
______ Gargoyle 2WW
Gargoyle 3/3
Flying, Pro:Red
At the Beginning of your upkeep, Flip ~this~
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Statue
Artifact Creature-Guardian 0/6
Defender
At the Beginning of your upkeep, Flip ~this~
you could also do this for "At the end of each turn..." "At the Beginning of each upkeep..." and could also be used like the collaborators or Possesed cards of not-so-long-ago... Werewolves perhaps?
Hmm...maybe...
Pirates would be awesome...
Y mi cabeza caiga
Cuando mi sangre corra
Cuando a tu memoria llegue
Y domine en la penumbra
O el caos termine..."
—Sigma/Lambda
you are smart, and i hope you are right. the focus seem to be on creature CLASSES not races, so...
merfolk pirate will be so awsome.
and masques block (with squee and gerrard etc) on another plane (mercadia)?
so they could travel
and wizards could always come up with a "solution".
well, this is more a question than my meaning ^^
I thought I recognized that post! Arrr, SO awesome.
*goes to change name to kvåot*
thanks for the answers ^^
Thread resserection, I know, but I have to say! DING DING DING DING! Okay, lock me.