Yeah, we seemed to have a few technical issues on volume this week. As for Ali from Cairo's playability, I'd say it was on a par with Fortune Thief. It won't see noncasual play.
I thought that "discard" was understood as "forgetting" something, or wounding one's mind, from a flavor standpoint.
Hence 'Lethemancer'. 'Lethe' is greek for forgetfulness, eponymous with one of the rivers of the mythological underworld whose waters brought a total erasure of memory.
The trend recently has been away from generic creature types toward more diversity. Ravnica pretty much marks the turning point with the introduction of Lammasu, Archon and Sphinx, Guildpact continued with the reintroduction of Cyclops and the frankly-better-as-elementals Weird. Dissension and multiple Frogs, a singular Devil, a worm, not to mention the long-awaited Construct (Which to be fair debuted online with Visions) continuing the trend.
Coldsnap also has some clear indicators that the hated 'lump everything into beast' is changing: For the first time, a Nishoba was printed as a Cat. We have multiple Slugs in standard. Juggernaut is finally a type.
Now, Time Spiral we see more of what to expect. Orgg as an Orgg, unlike his Trained brethren. Pirates. Kobolds. Oysters. Treefolk. Fish. Even a Homarid.
I expect to see them to err on the side of diversity rather than homogeneity this time around.
Absolutely spot on, Funkeymonkeyman. It's an off-color activation. Blue doesn't get firebreathing, and yet there's Torch Drake. Locking down creatures is very definitely in Snow's slice of the pie, probably even more so than blue and white. If you play Rimescale dragon as a monored card, you have a 5/5 flying dragon. Play it with a snow splash and you can freeze things.
http://puremtgo.com/node/3670
Hence 'Lethemancer'. 'Lethe' is greek for forgetfulness, eponymous with one of the rivers of the mythological underworld whose waters brought a total erasure of memory.
Fixed.
Anything is possible. White has been able to remove creatures since alpha, and Icatian Javelineers is back in standard, so why not?
Coldsnap also has some clear indicators that the hated 'lump everything into beast' is changing: For the first time, a Nishoba was printed as a Cat. We have multiple Slugs in standard. Juggernaut is finally a type.
Now, Time Spiral we see more of what to expect. Orgg as an Orgg, unlike his Trained brethren. Pirates. Kobolds. Oysters. Treefolk. Fish. Even a Homarid.
I expect to see them to err on the side of diversity rather than homogeneity this time around.