I didn't really see the orc as being a transphobic individual. I think his comment came from more of a place of frustration because his khan was talking ***** about him in front of everyone or the like than "this person is icky". At the end of the story there's too much of him expressing how much he admires and respects Alesha and goes on to give her her warname for me to believe he's a bigot in that way.
He's a transphobe that changed his mind when he finally realized what his Khan was made of. Disregarding and mocking her identity is transphobic as heck, "phobia" as a suffix for homophobia/transphobic is a bit of a misnomer just because of its associations with fear.
Acknowledging someone's gender only when you judge them to be worthy of giving them that respect is not cool.
I actually felt that the 5e Handbook was rather cringeworthy- it suggested roleplaying as a character "born in the wrong body", regarding gender. That phrasing rubs me the wrong way/feels a bit outdated. It was certainly trying to be inclusive, though.
I'll say this, the story wasn't very subtle, but cis people who aren't informed about this sort of thing usually need things spelled out. I've read a few webcomics where the reader is told that a character is trans, without literally saying "this character is trans" in the narrative, and there are still confused readers.
Alesha could have stood to have more characterization but there was enough there for me to like her. I want to make a Commander deck with her just because. I'm glad it wasn't a transition story, because there have been plenty of those. She got to be tough and do things. I'm also really glad that the decision was made to introduce a trans character on Tarkir vs any other setting, because whoever they would have turned out to be would probably have been white. There are so many white trans women in fiction, albeit usually portrayed in a transmisogynistic fashion. More representation is needed across the board.
It felt pretty clear that we were supposed to turn around on disliking the orc, but that didn't sit well with me. His blatant transphobia was itself cliche and unpleasant.
I will admit that I suspected that Alesha was going to be trans when I heard Doug say that trans characters were planned, I figured a link with the Mardu war names was possible. I'm glad she's around, I hope we get more trans characters in future MTG fiction so we have better representation/opportunities for it.
So, I'm a transgender lady myself. On the whole, I'm pretty happy with the story. I do wish that she retaliated against the orc, his transphobic remark made me wince, but it was cool to see a level headed and in control trans woman lead an entire group of people. Most portrayals of trans women have them as mentally unstable and dangerous deceivers, Alesha avoided those cliches.
The affirmations of the Mardu for young Alesha, and then their khan, were lovely.
I'm not bothered at all by Stomping Ground, it's an idiom just meaning a regular place someone hangs out.
I feel like most, if not all, of the shocklands could show up safely in Innistrad, for example. Religion and graves are prominent in the setting, after all. The biggest stretch would probably be Breeding Pool, and even then the alchemists' homunculi could justify that.
I bet Zendikar could support them all- but I also don't think we'd see shocks again so soon if Return to Zendikar is the next block, not in the same standard as fetches.
RTZ has to be soon, they're ramping up the story beats there.
So, I just found this out from the Fate Reforged feedback poll, but some of the foils in the set have watermarks that turn from Clans to Brood- a friend told me after that they've seen a Frontier Siege foil with a watermark that goes from Temur to Atarka. I'm definitely starting to think that mono color focus with off color/hybrid activation costs might be the look of the factions in DTK.
Apparently he will *not* be attempting to interfere in the battle itself, since as a neowalker he'd be unable to do much anyway. It sounds like he somehow uses the hedron shard on his staff to control the ones seen on Crucible of the Spirit Dragon and put Ugin into suspended animation. And then, somehow, heals his wounds - the part I'm most curious about, since red magic isn't known for its healing powers.
Sarkhan did possess green in his identity, at one point. I wouldnt be surprised if he knew a healing spell or two.
I'm hoping that there's a loose pseudo wedge theme- Allied pair broods with the former clan's "enemy" color as mono colored humans. I could also see designs similar to Alara Reborn- Gold Hybrid, which wasn't seen as a shard theme.
More cards like Ghostfire would also be interesting to have.
Frankly, I'd love a return to Lorwyn and Kamigawa, I remember those planes fondly even if they weren't perfectly executed. Fingers crossed for more supplemental set love.
Reality Shift is messed up to me because it does things to your battlefield and your top of the library for two mana. It seems a bit pushed, especially in what's supposed to be a removal light Standard.
I'm pretty sure we'll see Narset as the new blue/white 'walker. It's been printed pretty heavily by Mark a while ago that we'll get a new u/w walker to replace Venser, Fate/Dragons is focusing on ally pairs vs wedges or enemy colors, and her greater destiny could be an alternate, spark activated version of herself in the DTK future. We'll see what happens in a few months, but I wouldn't be surprised and I don't think I'm making too great a leap.
I want to know what is between Blossoming Sands and Dismal Backwater...
Hang on, didn't Forsythe say that they'd be doing something to help colorless EDH decks at the AusPAX panel? What if we get a basic colorless land (called Cave, like the planned Planar Chaos purple land)? It fits name wise.
He's a transphobe that changed his mind when he finally realized what his Khan was made of. Disregarding and mocking her identity is transphobic as heck, "phobia" as a suffix for homophobia/transphobic is a bit of a misnomer just because of its associations with fear.
Acknowledging someone's gender only when you judge them to be worthy of giving them that respect is not cool.
Alesha could have stood to have more characterization but there was enough there for me to like her. I want to make a Commander deck with her just because. I'm glad it wasn't a transition story, because there have been plenty of those. She got to be tough and do things. I'm also really glad that the decision was made to introduce a trans character on Tarkir vs any other setting, because whoever they would have turned out to be would probably have been white. There are so many white trans women in fiction, albeit usually portrayed in a transmisogynistic fashion. More representation is needed across the board.
It felt pretty clear that we were supposed to turn around on disliking the orc, but that didn't sit well with me. His blatant transphobia was itself cliche and unpleasant.
I will admit that I suspected that Alesha was going to be trans when I heard Doug say that trans characters were planned, I figured a link with the Mardu war names was possible. I'm glad she's around, I hope we get more trans characters in future MTG fiction so we have better representation/opportunities for it.
The affirmations of the Mardu for young Alesha, and then their khan, were lovely.
I feel like most, if not all, of the shocklands could show up safely in Innistrad, for example. Religion and graves are prominent in the setting, after all. The biggest stretch would probably be Breeding Pool, and even then the alchemists' homunculi could justify that.
I bet Zendikar could support them all- but I also don't think we'd see shocks again so soon if Return to Zendikar is the next block, not in the same standard as fetches.
RTZ has to be soon, they're ramping up the story beats there.
Sarkhan did possess green in his identity, at one point. I wouldnt be surprised if he knew a healing spell or two.
More cards like Ghostfire would also be interesting to have.
O-oh dear.
Hang on, didn't Forsythe say that they'd be doing something to help colorless EDH decks at the AusPAX panel? What if we get a basic colorless land (called Cave, like the planned Planar Chaos purple land)? It fits name wise.
http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/106160341353/is-a-disease-plague-epidemic-world-on-the-short