"A new legendary creature card that combines two characters that previously each had their own legendary creature card."
Grandpa Markov and Olivia, it seems. Years past I was hoping for a card depicting the Fourth Sister (Liesa) and a demonic lover, but I suppose two vampires will do.
Nah I bet they're the Vampire nobles and it's Halena and Alana.
If they did a vampire Hal and Alena I would buy every copy
There's no way we're not getting at least a couple vehicles. I do suspect vehicles won't be a big theme but I also reckon there will probably still be several.
Spinning of my previous comment about some kind of blood mechanic, that could also tie well with the damage theme from MH.
Say,
Bloodtithe (Whenever an opponent loses life, you get a blood counter)
and then blood counters could be exchanged for effects.
like Vampire Guy
Creature- Vampire
Bloodtithe , (blood counter): ~ gets +2/+1 until end of turn.
2/1
While this set has cyberpunk elements, I don't think it will resemble traditional cyberpunk. This is still Magic the Gathering and this is still Kamigawa.
I don't think we'll see actual guns here, for instance, but rather similar to Kaladesh there'll be some more fantastical technological weapons alongside some classical fantasy weapons. I don't think there will be actual computers or phones or internet. I suspect, however, there could well be some fantasy styled version of computer and/or internet-like technology, likely magic involved. Like, what if you could send messages not using EM waves but using technology that taps into the spirit world or something? I expect there will be cyborg body augmentation stuff. We saw a version of that with Mirrodin and it seems a cinch for if this set was top-down at all to include transhumanist stuff. I don't think there will be modern cars or planes but I expect some vehicles including airships that are some combination of more old-fashioned looking and futuristic at the same time in a retrofuturist sort of way. Given we have New Capenna coming right up after, I don't think there will be much about gangs but instead I expect the magic equivalent of cyberpunk shady megacorps will appear, though I'm guessing they won't be referred to as corporations.
I think we're going to a new vampire related mechanic in CV that's not either Madness or the unnamed mechanic in MH, just as they did a new flashy set selling mechanic for werewolves in MH with the new night/day mechanic, I think it's unlikely they have a similar vampire themed set that isn't going to sell itself partly off the back of a new flashy vampire mechanic. Reusing madness which has been seen multiple times before or making a named keyword of the rather familiar, unexeciting and also already seen mechanic from MH just wouldn't accomplish that well.
My guess is that like with day/night, the mechanic will be a top down attempt to capture the flavour of vampires in a grander more potent way. My best guess is something about using blood as a resource as this feels like a very resonant, very vampire thing to represent and matches with the story emphasis on some of the cards in MH about vampires finding ways to get enough blood (e.g. Vampire Interloper, Stromkirk Bloodthief). But I could also imagine a mechanic that provides some way to recruit new vampires, intended to evoke turning people into vampires, or perhaps something connected to vampire's ability to transform into different things.
Definitely broken. I also think it's an odd ability for a land. Feels more like an enchantment. Compared to fetchlands which give also don't have mana abilities but get you lands, fetchlands directly replace themselves with a land onto the battlefield so it acts like a land while this can get several lands but only from hand which is a bigger difference from usual lands.
I agree with Rowanalpha that this drawback is odd. I've no idea what the point of caring about this particular condition is supposed to be, flavour-wise or gameplay-wise. It just seems to be a thing you could design cards to care about without any real reason why you would do that. Just because a card design works and is balanceable does not make it fun or interesting.
I think it's also going to be a confusing condition for a lot of players. I reckon most players even will not know what this even works with on first look. I certainly didn't. My first thought was 'how many cards does that even apply to?'. Newer players I'm sure will struggle. I imagine some newer players will guess this is supposed to work with basic lands because they don't have any rules text. Taking one look at the google search results will reveal that plenty of people have been unsure about whether fetchlands count as mana abilities and I'm sure plenty of people as a result would miss that they work with this.
Mana abilities is a complex term to include on something as staple as dual lands and I think this condition is going to be more confusing than most usages of the term which are already relatively sparse.
So they printed a white disenchant on legs creature like people have been asking for. And another white cantrip creature, a strong white removal, more plains tutoring, repeatable card draw. A bunch of things really.
They are definitely making an effort.
Trample? +1/+1 counter gaining? Self bounce? Getting up to three whole cards in hand on leaving the battlefield? That's a lot bundled into a 3 mana 3/3 package.
Is this a reference to Runo Stromkirk's mysterious, pre-Avacynian sea god?
I remember many fans speculated about the sea god being behind the events of the previous Innistrad block, before Emrakul showed up. I would love for it to become relevant to the story someday.
Me too. They'd have to be careful to make sure it(?) feels different enough from the Eldazi though, especially with Emrakul's lingering affects on the plane keeping the Eldrazi relevant.
Enchantment removal?
There isn't a core set this coming year so there is an extra expansion instead.
If they did a vampire Hal and Alena I would buy every copy
There's no way we're not getting at least a couple vehicles. I do suspect vehicles won't be a big theme but I also reckon there will probably still be several.
Say,
Bloodtithe (Whenever an opponent loses life, you get a blood counter)
and then blood counters could be exchanged for effects.
like
Vampire Guy
Creature- Vampire
Bloodtithe
2/1
I don't think we'll see actual guns here, for instance, but rather similar to Kaladesh there'll be some more fantastical technological weapons alongside some classical fantasy weapons. I don't think there will be actual computers or phones or internet. I suspect, however, there could well be some fantasy styled version of computer and/or internet-like technology, likely magic involved. Like, what if you could send messages not using EM waves but using technology that taps into the spirit world or something? I expect there will be cyborg body augmentation stuff. We saw a version of that with Mirrodin and it seems a cinch for if this set was top-down at all to include transhumanist stuff. I don't think there will be modern cars or planes but I expect some vehicles including airships that are some combination of more old-fashioned looking and futuristic at the same time in a retrofuturist sort of way. Given we have New Capenna coming right up after, I don't think there will be much about gangs but instead I expect the magic equivalent of cyberpunk shady megacorps will appear, though I'm guessing they won't be referred to as corporations.
My guess is that like with day/night, the mechanic will be a top down attempt to capture the flavour of vampires in a grander more potent way. My best guess is something about using blood as a resource as this feels like a very resonant, very vampire thing to represent and matches with the story emphasis on some of the cards in MH about vampires finding ways to get enough blood (e.g. Vampire Interloper, Stromkirk Bloodthief). But I could also imagine a mechanic that provides some way to recruit new vampires, intended to evoke turning people into vampires, or perhaps something connected to vampire's ability to transform into different things.
I think it's also going to be a confusing condition for a lot of players. I reckon most players even will not know what this even works with on first look. I certainly didn't. My first thought was 'how many cards does that even apply to?'. Newer players I'm sure will struggle. I imagine some newer players will guess this is supposed to work with basic lands because they don't have any rules text. Taking one look at the google search results will reveal that plenty of people have been unsure about whether fetchlands count as mana abilities and I'm sure plenty of people as a result would miss that they work with this.
Mana abilities is a complex term to include on something as staple as dual lands and I think this condition is going to be more confusing than most usages of the term which are already relatively sparse.
They are definitely making an effort.
yes
Me too. They'd have to be careful to make sure it(?) feels different enough from the Eldazi though, especially with Emrakul's lingering affects on the plane keeping the Eldrazi relevant.