I guessed Gideon left before the Conflux happened (we been told Bant and the other shard where still separated during his origins story) and doesn't know Alara was reborn. Also there is a Grixis card in Origins as well with Fleshbag Marauder.
Nice into for Saheeli. As someone in the arts, it was really fun seeing an "artist type" character like Saheeli and love to see where her story goes. Kinda felt a little fluffy but wasn't the worst thing. And dwarfs confirmed! Maybe this another reason they added in elves, since we are not seeing goblins?
Would anyone like me to keep the OP updated with a pronunciation/translation guide?
Yes please if you won't mind. I have a form of dyslexia so trying to read and pronounce things in non-english (and sometimes in english) based words can be hard for me.
Thinking about it Bolas had a few storylines left open for him. The basic question of what he's been doing in the two years since "he" freed the eldrazi, his reaction finding out that 2/3 titans where burned to death and one is was (self) imprisoned, Ugin is alive and well and Sarkhan being the one who caused this and Liliana, Chandra (who had been actively looking for him) and Jace being apart/the forming of the Gatewatch.
On Elves: TBH I like the elves cause they give a more natural vibe to Kaladesh than Esper did, which also help separate the two. Since these elves seem to embrace artifacts they are also different in flavor from Mirrodin. I don't think naga would have given us this feel. Also we don't know all the races yet, with the page only list humans and elves, vedalken from our new planeswalker and some art and dwarfs* in art. We still don't know blacks common race (vampire, zombie or new?) or if white common race is just gonna be humans. We could see a few more South Asian influenced races. I also like like the new designs on the vedalken.
Although I don't remember him mentioning the Gatewatch concept. Hmmm...
He says "We're getting better with story integration". Hahahahaha.
@Seymour_TUBES that is all creative. While Maro might have had some say in the choices to form the Gatewatch and who got to be the members falls into creative, as well as the wishy-washy quality of the writing itself.
@Arminion You know story integration for design is making sure the cards are showing the storyline? And considering a lot more people are aware of what is going in the story, I say that is getting better.
So... Three (!) native Kaladesh planeswalkers in the block named Kaladesh?
Brilliant.
I don't think Dovin is native to Kaladesh. There's nothing in his story that suggests he's native - just that he spends a lot of time there. With his talents with artifacts he probably wants to live on a plane with lots of them.
Several times in the story they call him a Kaladeshi Vedalken and the wizard blog confirm that all Kaladeshi Vedalken have six fingers;
His abilities sound U or WU but his clothing is all red and along with his eyes the thopters? glowing red makes me think he might be UWR, but not too sure.
That is a lot of red in his art. He's clearly going to be red aligned. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up mono-red.
C'mon guys. We should all know by now that the color of the art often doesn't say anything about the color of the card.
Some examples off the top of my head:
-Look at the original art for Ajani Vengeant. The only red is the blood on his axe. Meanwhile, there's quite a bit of green and even some blue.
-When we first got the art for Elspeth Tirel, the whole picture was tinted green, compared to the color balance the art on the actual card had.
-Speaking of Elspeth, her Sun's Champion art had a lot of blue in it; she was even standing in front of an Island. Surely that means she must be white/blue!
-The red lightning in Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas's art.
Which is why I was saying the red in his eyes and on the artifact was what was making me question that. It makes looks like his magic is red colored.
So looking at todays story and the reveal of Dovin Baan this my new guesses;
"W"-Dovin-UWR
"U"-Saheeli-UR
"B"-Liliana-B
"R"-Chandra- R
"G"- Nissa- G
and while a bit off topic it also looks like the next block might be Ravnica 3 with Jace, Beef...I mean Gideon and Vraska.
I don't think Dovin will be part R, he is pretty much the exact opposite of everything R ever does...
I fully agree, however the amount of red in his art adds in uncertainty. Wizards like to add in the colors of the planeswlakers into their art. If it just his clothing I might have ignored it but the fact his eyes as well the thopters? in his art all glowing red should be noted.
I fully finished it and I like that we are getting some character focus with the Gatewatch. I like we are seeing who they are still bumbling around trying to come together as a group off the battlefield. Fun to also see how the characters colors seems to connect, with Chandra getting along with Liliana and Nissa. Oh btw I'm not a huge shipper and I don't like trying to force ship same-sex couples, but holy cow I'm waiting to board the Chandra/Nissa train. That pov part with of Chandra trying to talk to Nissa has CHnadra way too nervous to just ask how to meditate. Also like we got a call back of Nissa old origins where it hinted she had visited Ravnica and had similar reaction as she was having in this story.
I also wonder about Saheeli role in this story since Dovin taken the spot most people where guessing at and he says, at least he believes, that no planeswalkers are in the rebels.
Since in a very indirect way Tamiyo was the link from Innistrad to Kaladesh can I get a half point on that? LOL
His abilities sound U or WU but his clothing is all red and along with his eyes the thopters? glowing red makes me think he might be UWR, but not too sure. From the way things are shaping up the set does look like it will need aW aligned walker.
I think it would be ever so much more interesting if Baan wasn't a Planeswalker. That would imply that the Kaladeshi have discovered a method for moving between Planes.
Which we all know who would want that...
If a PW were on Kaladesh, what would he be doing as the Minister of Inspections?
Very interesting, all told. It also confirms that the Consulate is a White/Blue (perhaps Esper) organization. I find it interesting that the two PWs from the Gatewatch not to go are the ones who are likely to sympathize best with the Consulate.
Narset Transcendent
Yes please if you won't mind. I have a form of dyslexia so trying to read and pronounce things in non-english (and sometimes in english) based words can be hard for me.
@Seymour_TUBES that is all creative. While Maro might have had some say in the choices to form the Gatewatch and who got to be the members falls into creative, as well as the wishy-washy quality of the writing itself.
@Arminion You know story integration for design is making sure the cards are showing the storyline? And considering a lot more people are aware of what is going in the story, I say that is getting better.
Several times in the story they call him a Kaladeshi Vedalken and the wizard blog confirm that all Kaladeshi Vedalken have six fingers;
http://wizardsmagic.tumblr.com/post/149668997301/do-all-the-vedalken-of-kaladesh-have-six-fingers#notes
Which is why I was saying the red in his eyes and on the artifact was what was making me question that. It makes looks like his magic is red colored.
I was reading the Kaladesh plane profile and found this under the human section;
.
Plus Vedalken have had many shaped and forms in magic, seeming prone to odd bio-mutaion.
I fully agree, however the amount of red in his art adds in uncertainty. Wizards like to add in the colors of the planeswlakers into their art. If it just his clothing I might have ignored it but the fact his eyes as well the thopters? in his art all glowing red should be noted.
I also wonder about Saheeli role in this story since Dovin taken the spot most people where guessing at and he says, at least he believes, that no planeswalkers are in the rebels.
Since in a very indirect way Tamiyo was the link from Innistrad to Kaladesh can I get a half point on that? LOL
"W"-Dovin-UWR
"U"-Saheeli-UR
"B"-Liliana-B
"R"-Chandra- R
"G"- Nissa- G
and while a bit off topic it also looks like the next block might be Ravnica 3 with Jace, Beef...I mean Gideon and Vraska.
Tarkir, unless you don't count Ugin since we'd already had known about him, then Theros.
http://magic.wizards.com/en/story/planeswalkers/dovin-baan
http://magic.wizards.com/en/story/planes/kaladesh
He's got a profile; http://magic.wizards.com/en/story/planeswalkers/dovin-baan
EDIT: Kaladesh plane profile also is up and looks like Kaladesh has elves as well; http://magic.wizards.com/en/story/planes/kaladesh