I'm very confident we'll get them. With the Pathways rotating out, Standard will need some duals and allied Painlands are long due to a reprint. They have Dominaria specific names, so two Dominaria sets back to back is the perfect opportunity for them.
Desping "Carne of Koilos" being mentioned in today's story, I think we'll see allied ones in this set and enemy ones in the next.
At least one of these will happen in 2022, at least one more should happen till the end of 2023:
Alara, Dominaria (focused on Otaria), Kamigawa (present) or New Phryexia
Rosewater just couldn't resist putting a subtle jab based on his complete misunderstanding of hybrid mana into the spoiler article.
If this were a non-Commander set, we'd solve this problem with hybrid cards, but Commander is the one format where hybrid is treated as "and" rather than "or" (a blue-red hybrid card can only go into a blue and red deck, not a blue deck or a red deck), so hybrid was off the table as a solution.
ALL formats treat hybrid as "and" considering the card is at all times, in library, hand, stack, battlefield, or graveyard, BOTH of its colors. Commander, the only format with a color identity deck-building restriction, applies this color logic to the deck-building aspect, as well. He's so hung up on how it's supposed to be easier to cast that he forgets it is always "and" not "or." It just bugs me that he misunderstands that fundamental piece. And I'm not a Maro hater; this is the only topic I publicly disagree with him on, but it's getting really old. I've lost hope that he will ever try to understand the logic.
As for the cards, I like the design of Szat's Will and am really curious what other cards will have that design.
Mark being the one who designed Hybrid Mana, it's hard to think he "misunderstands" it.
You are right when you say that Hybrid is AND about what color a card is. But hybrid was designed in a similar way cross-race cards exists in tribal sets. Like Commander 2017 had a Vampire Wizard that could go either in the Vampire deck or the Wizard deck. Of course the card is both a Vampire and a Wizard. But it does not require a deck to care about both types for it to be useful.
In a similar way, a G/W hybrid card is both Green AND White, but it's designed so it could be played in a Green deck OR a White deck (of course, a Green AND White deck fulfill both requirements, so the card can be played in it too). In order for this to be true, the design of hybrid cards should be restricted to effects either color could do on its own. So, while a Green Black card could say "Destroy target permanent", a Green/Black hybrid should not. It has to make sense as a monogreen card and as a monoblack card.
So, while in any format a monoblue deck can play U/R, U/G, U/W and U/B hybrid cards. In commander, none of these cards can be in a monoblue deck. So it doesn't care about what cards you are able to cast, but about other qualities of the card.
I understand when you say that Commander happens to be a format that cares about color identity for deck building. So it is expected that things work differently than other formats that does not use this restriction for deck building. But "Color identity" wasn't a thing in the rules until Commander's Rules Comitee decided it should work this way. They could very well have chosen to rule that the color identity of hybrid mana is either or both of the colors, but they've chosen to make it always be both. Maro says that he would've chosen differently, and that's all to his point.
Imo they should had Ajani in this slot. I mean it is nice to have a enchantment focused walker but... Is it really that great here? For me it looks like a card made entirely for enchantress EDH decks and thus it would feel more in home on a Commander deck (or in that new commander set that will be relesed later this year).
While I loved Calix design, I do miss Ajani. If Elspeth is about to leave the Underworld, he should be there to give a proper Welcome-Back-Giant-Cat-Hug
It doesn't explain what a Food token is, so it is fair to assume that it's a very simple, and vastly present in commons in the set (with the proper reminder text).
For a simple effect it might be something that sacrifices for life gain or +1/+1 for a turn. The P/T bonus might lead to high board complexity, so I'm leaning towards the life gain option.
Doubt it. But the number in the image seems corret (196/280). Not hard to fake that, but if forged, at least they put some thought to make it more believable.
From the article that Trifas linked, here are the potential spots for the name yet unrevealed cards based on draft archetypes and names:
Warteye Witch: 115 or 151-154 (some goblin)
Smoke Shroud: 110, 147, or 214 (214 is most likely given below) (Gruul uncommon?)
Throatseeker: 110 (sounds like a vampire)
Ninja of the New Moon: 59-62, possibly 99
Lancer Sliver: 17, 18, 133 (white First Strike sliver?)
First Sliver's Chosen: 8-9 (9 likely, given below, could be our Hexproof sliver???)
Soulherder: 30
Face of Divinity: 8
Spinehorn Minotaur: 147
Excavating Anurid: 163
Smoke Shroud... by its name, I would not be impressed if this Is a new Sterling Grove kind of card hahaha
Once it's uncommon, I'm hoping Sterling Grove will be reprinted
Oh, that'd be nice. The lack of (non-aura) enchantment tutors in Modern really perturbs me. Blue keeps on getting its artifact tutors (the * mage series, Whir of Invention), all enchantments get are Idyllic Tutor, which isn't even that good, nobody plays it competitively, and it STILL has climbed over a $30 price tag because it didn't get reprinted in ANY of the Masters sets.
Idyllic Tutor is damn too slow for modern. I really do not understand why it’s so expensive. We really need Sterling Grove or Enlightened Tutor... both are still possible.
I'd love Sterling Grove in this set, but while it hasn't been crunched out, I'm not very optimist considering the color pair balancing. In fact, with the new Heliod Land they just printed, it may be a bit too strong for Modern. But I'll keep dreaming with it!
I understand your point, but don't think Sterling Grove is too strong for Modern. The card is balanced because it makes you decide between "protection" to your enchantments or a way to tutor your enchantment (that won't have shroud). We know that in Modern time is everything. To make a combo where you keep bringing back Sterling Grove with the new land and tutoring other enchantments you would probably have to make an entire deck to support it. Many other powerful combos run faster and are totally viable in Modern (Academy ruins and the cards that tutor artifacts are there to prove it)... I really can't see why the new land and Sterling Grove can't coexist.
About the color balance of the set... I agree with you. However, we, as bogle players, have to keep dreaming that something useful for us will show up among the cards not spoiled yet.
Yeah, I agree it's not broken. I believe it is somewhere between "Strong, but fair for the format" and "A bit stronger than we would like, so we won't take the risk". While I don't think it is possible in this set, I still hope we'll see it in Modern Horizons 2 or something.
I have this feeling they are always more cautious with enchantments than with artifacts. Back to Nature right after Theros was a bit letdown.
But until every white and green card is revealed, I still hope for some Bogles love. A single, common or uncommon, low cost Aura is enough for us!
Also, I'd like to see Evasive Action or a Domain card in the set. Need to upgrade the Kitchen Table decks too
Once it's uncommon, I'm hoping Sterling Grove will be reprinted
Oh, that'd be nice. The lack of (non-aura) enchantment tutors in Modern really perturbs me. Blue keeps on getting its artifact tutors (the * mage series, Whir of Invention), all enchantments get are Idyllic Tutor, which isn't even that good, nobody plays it competitively, and it STILL has climbed over a $30 price tag because it didn't get reprinted in ANY of the Masters sets.
Idyllic Tutor is damn too slow for modern. I really do not understand why it’s so expensive. We really need Sterling Grove or Enlightened Tutor... both are still possible.
I'd love Sterling Grove in this set, but while it hasn't been crunched out, I'm not very optimist considering the color pair balancing. In fact, with the new Heliod Land they just printed, it may be a bit too strong for Modern. But I'll keep dreaming with it!
Desping "Carne of Koilos" being mentioned in today's story, I think we'll see allied ones in this set and enemy ones in the next.
Alara, Dominaria (focused on Otaria), Kamigawa (present) or New Phryexia
Mark being the one who designed Hybrid Mana, it's hard to think he "misunderstands" it.
You are right when you say that Hybrid is AND about what color a card is. But hybrid was designed in a similar way cross-race cards exists in tribal sets. Like Commander 2017 had a Vampire Wizard that could go either in the Vampire deck or the Wizard deck. Of course the card is both a Vampire and a Wizard. But it does not require a deck to care about both types for it to be useful.
In a similar way, a G/W hybrid card is both Green AND White, but it's designed so it could be played in a Green deck OR a White deck (of course, a Green AND White deck fulfill both requirements, so the card can be played in it too). In order for this to be true, the design of hybrid cards should be restricted to effects either color could do on its own. So, while a Green Black card could say "Destroy target permanent", a Green/Black hybrid should not. It has to make sense as a monogreen card and as a monoblack card.
So, while in any format a monoblue deck can play U/R, U/G, U/W and U/B hybrid cards. In commander, none of these cards can be in a monoblue deck. So it doesn't care about what cards you are able to cast, but about other qualities of the card.
I understand when you say that Commander happens to be a format that cares about color identity for deck building. So it is expected that things work differently than other formats that does not use this restriction for deck building. But "Color identity" wasn't a thing in the rules until Commander's Rules Comitee decided it should work this way. They could very well have chosen to rule that the color identity of hybrid mana is either or both of the colors, but they've chosen to make it always be both. Maro says that he would've chosen differently, and that's all to his point.
I guess All That Glitters and Lurrus of the Dream Den are good options for the deck. But I guess not much changed beyond that
While I loved Calix design, I do miss Ajani. If Elspeth is about to leave the Underworld, he should be there to give a proper Welcome-Back-Giant-Cat-Hug
In that case, the missing text should be a drawback.
For a simple effect it might be something that sacrifices for life gain or +1/+1 for a turn. The P/T bonus might lead to high board complexity, so I'm leaning towards the life gain option.
Now this is something that would make me happy!
Also, Evasive Action is crunched out =(
Yeah, I agree it's not broken. I believe it is somewhere between "Strong, but fair for the format" and "A bit stronger than we would like, so we won't take the risk". While I don't think it is possible in this set, I still hope we'll see it in Modern Horizons 2 or something.
I have this feeling they are always more cautious with enchantments than with artifacts. Back to Nature right after Theros was a bit letdown.
But until every white and green card is revealed, I still hope for some Bogles love. A single, common or uncommon, low cost Aura is enough for us!
Also, I'd like to see Evasive Action or a Domain card in the set. Need to upgrade the Kitchen Table decks too
I'd love Sterling Grove in this set, but while it hasn't been crunched out, I'm not very optimist considering the color pair balancing. In fact, with the new Heliod Land they just printed, it may be a bit too strong for Modern. But I'll keep dreaming with it!