It's a mixture of both underpowered cards and boring design. I'm a Johnny/Timmy-type player. I like cards like Possibility Storm, Warp World and Eye of the Storm. Functionally 'unplayable' cards in tournaments, but which have interesting mechanics. In the last few sets though, we've had very few, if any, of these types of cards. Then you get scenarios like Siege Rhino, where the surrounding cards are so weak that one 'design mistake' of a rare warps Standard. I've noticed on many cards as well that they seem to have been nerfed or rendered vastly less playable, often for no good reason. Cards like Always Watching, which really didn't need a non-token clause.
Given the dominance of G/W tokens without the ability to pump them all up with always watching I think they knew what they were doing when they added that clause. Now imagine if they reprinted intangible virtue instead.
An interesting tidbit...Nahiri mentions coming into contact with a mad planeswalker at one time. Do we know who this is already or might it be foreshadowing for a future plot? Or just a random piece of information?
Took me a minute, but this is almost certainly Ob Nixilis. He seems pretty in control of his evil plans so "mad" is a bit strange, but they have a well-established history.
That seems... odd. Ob is evil, sure, but "mad" is not a term that I would ever use to describe him. We don't really know much about Nahiri's past aside from the titan-sealing bit and her sealing Ob's spark, so it could just be someone we've never heard about or met before. You're probably right, though.
Aside from Ob, the only two that could fit the bill of a mad, very old pre-Mending 'Walker would be Ramaz (which, being a servant of Bolas, could easily be immortal himself, just like Lili) or Ashiok (which considering who he/she/it is, wouldn't be surprising to be an immortal pre-Mending 'Walker either), so Ob is the most likely. And even though "mad" is surely an odd description for Ob, as he's far more scheming and cruel rather than plain mad, this is all from Nahiri's perspective, so it fits. There are some older pre-Mending Planeswalkers, but most of the mad ones are also dead by now so wouldn't make sense to bring that up.
As for the story... Well, I already stated how I feel about Wizards going with the "Sorin imprisoned Nahiri in Helvault" route. It's stupid, lazy writing that leaves more questions than answers and ends up with massive plot holes altogether. That aside, it's actually a pretty cool story. A very efficient way of making your villain relatable, and it ties a few loose ends as well. I also like how this consolidates Nahiri's WR colors as well. She's driven by her anger and madness, but ultimately her goal is to save the Multiverse - at least in her own mind, as I'm pretty sure she'll try to imprison the Eldrazi into Sorin's plane. She'll save the Multiverse from the threat of the Eldrazi, and gets sweet sweet revenge as a bonus.
I don't understand why the hell vault route is considered lazy writing by some. It answers so many questions about Nahiri that bothered me. If Nahiri cares so much about zendikar where was she when the eldrazi were freed? In the helivault. Nahiri is a Kor and shouldn't be immortal post mending why didn't she age? She was trapped in the helivault. Why didn't she try to save Zendikar by fighting the eldrazi. Because she knew she couldn't win and wouldn't it be fantastic to lure them away from Zendikar and trap them on another plane like what happened in the first place. She may not of dealt with Kozilek or ulamog but she seems to have gotten the the worst one of the three off Zendikar.
I don't think nahiri is behind avacyn's rampage it is either emrakul or probably"moonsilver" who is very much alive as when old avacyn would purify great threats she would lock them in the Heil a vault which is now gone. Nahiri has a well defined powers that don't involve telepathy
Nahiri's role was creating the conditions for this to happen by genociding humanity's greatest current threat the vanpires. Avacyn being powered by prayer would have seen her power diminish in the time since Innistrad 1 and it shows on her cards. She was 8/8 indestructible to everything to 4/4 indestructible to creatures for a turn. Archangel avacyn is actually weaker than her generals and moonsilver was the strongest meaning currently she should be stronger than avacyn allowing her to take control.
There shas to be a reason that Sigurd as thoughts went to her at the end of that story.
It looks like wizards are leaking this set in the opposite fashion to OGW. Release the garbage first so the hype hits its peak with the rares - right when people are pre-ordering.
Anywho.. no full art lands, no expeditions either. What gimmick may we see in innistrad? I just hope it's just a good set ...
Tarmagoyf might be a good start. It has better delerium after all.
On madness... I'm looking forward to countering 3 mana spells with kozi and getting a lightning bolt for my trouble with fiery temper. I however am not looking forward to Jace being even better than he already is. Geez this card is already one of the priciest cards in standard ever.
I personally hope that they don't make enemy tango in favor of lands that will tap for colorless mana as well. Filter land reprint would be cool but extending the horizon canopy cycle would be great.
I'm guessing it will be two full cycles. There are currently 11 full multicolor land cycles, and two that can be reasonably expected to be finished in Sweat - the new duals, and the Zendikar manlands. of those 13, I eliminate fetches, shocks, and new duals (already in); Alpha duals (reserved list); pains & karoos (plane specific names); and checks, gates, refuges & taptrips (underwhelming). This leaves manlands, filters or temples. I think the temple flavor is a little off, even if the names are generic.
So, filters and manlands (5 of which are new in Sweat)
Temples are also underwhelming, in addition to being off-flavor. I do feel like this dual cycle is likely to be completed, but if we get enemy BFZ duals (can we call them double-checklands?) and a full 10 manlands, I'm not seeing a fitting 5 card cycle to round it out.
Someone did suggest the Future Sight lands, but that's an odd cycle, which varies from 'OMGOMGOMG' (Canopy and Grove) to 'Huh?' (River of Tears), and awkwardly features a single member of a later cycle (Graven Cairns).
Maybe it's not a cycle at all, or at least not something printed as such? But what valuable, color-balanced set of 5 lands would make sense?
Finish the horizon canopy, or grove of the Burnwillows cycle, declare them modern legal and never actually print the cards in a normal set so they can be worth thousands for the lucky few that pull one and a source of endless rage for everyone else.
I'm left wondering what I'm going to play in this set. The format just seems like it will be so different than what I'm used too. Which could turn out to be a good thing.
I would have been willing to actually buy an expedition Godless Shrine if this had been the art. Instead I can pay 50 cents for this Jank. Thanks wizards!
Is this to guilt trip people who use a kill spell on this?
P1: I'll attack you with my dead children.
P2: I'll respond with Murder.
P1: But they already were murdered.... THINK OF THE CHILDREN YOU CALLOUS FIEND!
P2: Monoblack feels no remorse.
Wow...talk about a cool dragon. This is probably the best red draw spell aggro could hope for. And on a 4/4 flying dragon to boot. Im not sure how much play he will actually see but i think it's an all star in certain niche decks.
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Nahiri's role was creating the conditions for this to happen by genociding humanity's greatest current threat the vanpires. Avacyn being powered by prayer would have seen her power diminish in the time since Innistrad 1 and it shows on her cards. She was 8/8 indestructible to everything to 4/4 indestructible to creatures for a turn. Archangel avacyn is actually weaker than her generals and moonsilver was the strongest meaning currently she should be stronger than avacyn allowing her to take control.
There shas to be a reason that Sigurd as thoughts went to her at the end of that story.
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