I think I'm now fully on board with the "Raven Man = Bolas" theory. The strengths of the theory are obvious, (also remember back when the Raven Man suddenly spoke up and flipped out when Lili was gonna fight Emrakul? I think Bolas thought he was about to lose an asset that he'd been carefully cultivating for eons, and he had assumed Lili would run and save her own hide) but what do we currently see as the biggest weaknesses and inconsistencies for that theory?
The problem is Liliana got corrupted like 200 years ago...Bolas didn't trick Venser into getting out of being trapped between Dominaria and his Astral Plane until 140 or so years later. There is no particular reason for Bolas to care about Liliana...she was a backwater noble.
For some reason I thought Lili was a heck of a lot older than that, but I can see that you are correct. OK, the timing does not work for Bolas at all, and from reading up on Lim-Dul it seems to be a perfect fit that he's the Raven Man.
I think I'm now fully on board with the "Raven Man = Bolas" theory. The strengths of the theory are obvious, (also remember back when the Raven Man suddenly spoke up and flipped out when Lili was gonna fight Emrakul? I think Bolas thought he was about to lose an asset that he'd been carefully cultivating for eons, and he had assumed Lili would run and save her own hide) but what do we currently see as the biggest weaknesses and inconsistencies for that theory?
I just thought of one possible endgame on Ravnica. Its probably very absurd and hilariously unlikely. I doubt Jace has considered it yet if at all, but if events led this way, it'd be funny, and I'd definitely be pitching it if I was in Wizards creative.
If one or more guild leaders are destroyed on Ravnica (say for example, Niv-Mizzet in a big dragon fight, leaving a void in Izzet leadership) and if they could somehow trick Nicol Bolas into agreeing to take over as guild leader without understanding what that might mean for him, then perhaps the ancient powerful law magic of the guildpact could bind Nicol Bolas into doing things he doesn't want to do for the greater good of the city, like giving up control of his undead army over to all of the guild leaders combined for the common defense of Ravnica, handing the immortal sun over to the living guildpact, etc. Oh and perhaps Bolas's time could be occupied (wasted) by being commanded to watch over every little problem and issue that arises in his new guild, etc. "But Bolas is Grixis!" Maybe not anymore, if the Ravnican law magic suppresses Bolas' selfish desires.
It also wouldn't get rid of Bolas as an enemy, it would just stick him into a "in case of story emergency, break open glass" case next to Emrakul. Years down the road, if we need Bolas to run amok again, then we just need something to go wrong with the law magic, or Nicol Bolas to figure a way out of being a guild leader, then he can peace out back to his meditation plane to plan his next 1,000 year convoluted scheme for interplanar domination.
Incorrect. Aside from the limited ban list in the OP, silver border cards are legal in EDH until January 15th. If your group wants to have a house rule banning silver border, then thats up to them.
edit: the link is not working now because the site is understandably getting hammered, but it appears to be real, and its not April 1st.
edit2: Contraptions do not count against your 99, but you do need at least 15 of them if you are using contraptions. They also had a special note on Spike, rule 13 still exists, and she can only grab banned cards from outside the game that your group is fine with.
ISB mod edit - I added card tags to the banned cards. Also we have a copy of the announcement on our page here.
It's really not that hard, guys. Feet can clearly be seen under the curtain, and its shape is clearly more bulbous at the bottom than the others, demonstrating a huddled up figure. I could be wrong, though. It could just be an imperfection in the coloring.
Those are not feet. The artist failed to finish coloring the curtain.
Unless you want to mataphorically say that the entire room is "the ninja", there's not a place in the art you can point to and say "here he is, the ninja is over here"
So the first two keywords to choose for MM would be Hexproof and Indestructible (is that a keyword now? They seem to go back and forth...) depending on whether they're targeting MM? Triple Strike and Lifelink would likely be up there too...
But then what, and what about game 2?
Well, how many times are you going to be playing a 7-mana artifact creature in your games?
That said, there are many options. I just see it as being costed as if it had Indestructible. (Darksteel Gargoyle, the Flash Vigilance one, etc.)
The thing is that "looses all abilities" clause basically means you are paying 7 for a 3/3 with occasional upside.
Unless you are severely intoxicated, that clause should never come into play. When you cast this, you should be ready with your keywords. First hexproof, then indestructible, then annihilator 6, then protection from creatures, then lifelink I guess, etc.
Seriously am I the only one who notice Chandra is in nicol bolas hand.
I'm noticing she is ridiculously huge, or Bolas has shrunk. I'm pretty sure there is some Bolas art and lore that indicates he's way bigger than that hand should allow for compared to a human.
Bolas is not traditionally massive, dwarfing the pyramids like in the art you are talking about. My guess is he planeswalks in, normal dragon size, and his plan succeeds and part of the effect of his plan makes him titanic.
I seriously doubt that Liliana is gonna die, because then we'd have a situation where we'd go "oh, never mind about the last demon, he's no longer relevant"
And here is Nissa's defeat. Best guess on the flavor text is currently "The soul of the world is dead, Nissa. I took pleasure in killing it. -Nicol Bolas"
Nicol Bolas seems to be going for "ironic" defeats, Jace's mind attacked, Nissa attacked by roots, etc
Riddle me this, Northjayhawk, (Is that a Question Elemental in my play area?) If it is such a superfluous rule, since the inherent nature of Silver bordered cards means that they are banned in Vintage, and as you say, it is an "unnecessary clarification" Why then is it in the tournament document? Wouldn't we just refer to the "unwritten rule" that Silver bordered cards are banned in Vintage format? "Duh, n00b you should know this." (darn, sacced the question elemental!)
Also, when explaining the rules to someone who is not in the know about these things, to where do you reference that silver bordered cards are banned in Vintage? Because, again, I'll mail anyone a $5 bill if they can show me that rule ANYWHERE. Please! Show me the error of my ways!
You are relying on an argument that silver border is legal in EDH by implication. (mentioned in tournament rules but not vintage banned list)
However, there is a very strong argument by implication, MUCH stronger than yours, that silver border is not allowed in Vintage, or indeed any game of Magic by implication. Silver border mechanics are not addressed at all in the official rules. In kitchen table magic you can do whatever you want and can even make up your own rules. However, when players agree to play a game of magic in a defined format, they are also agreeing that the game be governed by the official rules of magic. The official rules do not address the wacky mechanics in silver border world at all, so by implication, they are illegal outside of kitchen table magic.
The rules manager has washed his hands of un-sets, their stance is basically "if you are confused about something on a silver border card, ask Mark Rosewater, its his fault so maybe he can help you, otherwise do whatever you want"
For some reason I thought Lili was a heck of a lot older than that, but I can see that you are correct. OK, the timing does not work for Bolas at all, and from reading up on Lim-Dul it seems to be a perfect fit that he's the Raven Man.
If one or more guild leaders are destroyed on Ravnica (say for example, Niv-Mizzet in a big dragon fight, leaving a void in Izzet leadership) and if they could somehow trick Nicol Bolas into agreeing to take over as guild leader without understanding what that might mean for him, then perhaps the ancient powerful law magic of the guildpact could bind Nicol Bolas into doing things he doesn't want to do for the greater good of the city, like giving up control of his undead army over to all of the guild leaders combined for the common defense of Ravnica, handing the immortal sun over to the living guildpact, etc. Oh and perhaps Bolas's time could be occupied (wasted) by being commanded to watch over every little problem and issue that arises in his new guild, etc. "But Bolas is Grixis!" Maybe not anymore, if the Ravnican law magic suppresses Bolas' selfish desires.
It also wouldn't get rid of Bolas as an enemy, it would just stick him into a "in case of story emergency, break open glass" case next to Emrakul. Years down the road, if we need Bolas to run amok again, then we just need something to go wrong with the law magic, or Nicol Bolas to figure a way out of being a guild leader, then he can peace out back to his meditation plane to plan his next 1,000 year convoluted scheme for interplanar domination.
Incorrect. Aside from the limited ban list in the OP, silver border cards are legal in EDH until January 15th. If your group wants to have a house rule banning silver border, then thats up to them.
The following silver border cards are still banned
edit: the link is not working now because the site is understandably getting hammered, but it appears to be real, and its not April 1st.
edit2: Contraptions do not count against your 99, but you do need at least 15 of them if you are using contraptions. They also had a special note on Spike, rule 13 still exists, and she can only grab banned cards from outside the game that your group is fine with.
ISB mod edit - I added card tags to the banned cards. Also we have a copy of the announcement on our page here.
Those are not feet. The artist failed to finish coloring the curtain.
There is no need to get snippy. I legitimately believed that you may have possibly been making this argument.
Anyway, the ninja (who is a troll, not a shade) obviously exists somewhere in the un-universe, but it is not in that art.
Unless you want to mataphorically say that the entire room is "the ninja", there's not a place in the art you can point to and say "here he is, the ninja is over here"
That is not what you think it is
I do not believe there is a ninja in the art
Unless you are severely intoxicated, that clause should never come into play. When you cast this, you should be ready with your keywords. First hexproof, then indestructible, then annihilator 6, then protection from creatures, then lifelink I guess, etc.
Bolas is not traditionally massive, dwarfing the pyramids like in the art you are talking about. My guess is he planeswalks in, normal dragon size, and his plan succeeds and part of the effect of his plan makes him titanic.
Nicol Bolas seems to be going for "ironic" defeats, Jace's mind attacked, Nissa attacked by roots, etc
You are relying on an argument that silver border is legal in EDH by implication. (mentioned in tournament rules but not vintage banned list)
However, there is a very strong argument by implication, MUCH stronger than yours, that silver border is not allowed in Vintage, or indeed any game of Magic by implication. Silver border mechanics are not addressed at all in the official rules. In kitchen table magic you can do whatever you want and can even make up your own rules. However, when players agree to play a game of magic in a defined format, they are also agreeing that the game be governed by the official rules of magic. The official rules do not address the wacky mechanics in silver border world at all, so by implication, they are illegal outside of kitchen table magic.
The rules manager has washed his hands of un-sets, their stance is basically "if you are confused about something on a silver border card, ask Mark Rosewater, its his fault so maybe he can help you, otherwise do whatever you want"