The Drazi should honestly pose a much higher level threat than they do to be fair. Phyrexians want to take over reality, Eldrazi reside inside the space between reality and could probably unravel it if inclined.
You are right though that Phyrexians needed to be more of a threat than Bolas, because he is literally just a dragon mustache twirler as opposed to an inexorable plague that consumes and converts all.
Despite my love and desire for the Phyrexians to be the 'ultimate' villains of Magic throughout the storytelling of the game's history, this analysis of both the Eldrazi and Bolas is pretty accurate.
The Eldrazi *should* pose a much higher level of threat, but they don't. The Eldrazi are seeming more of environmental antagonists than villianous threats. They just want to feed from everything that I can tell. Yes, in the process of eating a plane dies and they can warp reality, but there isn't any malice behind it. I truly don't think that Ulamog and Kozilek should have fallen so easily to the Brady Walkers like they did.
The Phyrexians are out to make everything just like them. Every world brought slowly to its knees and made into one. Not that long ago the Phyrexian couldn't compleat Brady Walkers, but they have found away to bring them to heel.
At one point in time I thought that the Eldrazi were going to be the way that WOTC were going to handle the Phyrexians. With their story choices, not so much anymore.
I have thought for a while that an alliance between Kaladesh tech and Ixalan dino’s might be the thing that stops the Phyrexians since Wizards has the Huatli/Saheeli thing going. But we’ll see. It’s obvious they get (temporarily) defeated somehow even though I still don’t see how Wizards will get out of this mess without either time travel or killing half of the starting lineup of planeswalkers…
Remind me of how many Planeswalkers and heros/named characters had to die the first time around? This is the level of threat that The Phyrexians should be. They should be The™ threat to everything within Magic. Not Bolas. Not the Eldrazi. The Phyrexians.
Wasn't this discussed to death already in the first thread about it?
lol, I searched for the thread before posting, haven't found it....
well, we can just let this one die, though.
Here is the original post. It took me a good minute to find it and I knew that it existed. It being in speculation instead of the main rumor mill and none of the card names being in the title doesn't help.
Tormod, the Desecrator
3B
Legendary Creature - Zombie Wizard
Whenever one or more cards leave your graveyard, create a tapped 2/2 black Zombie creature token.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
"Life is but the precursor to a long and successful death."
4/2
Victimize
2B
Sorcery
Choose two target creature cards in your graveyard. Sacrifice a creature. If you do, return the chosen cards to the battlefield tapped.
"Die. But die knowing that your pathetic life will yield a great bounty for me."
-Zul Ashur, lich lord
Sanitarium Skeleton
B
Creature - Skeleton
2B: Return Sanitarium Skeleton from your graveyard to your hand.
His mind was lost long before his flesh.
1/2
Rick, Steadfast Leader
2WW
Legendary Creature - Human Soldier
As Rick enters the battlefield, choose two abilities from among first strike, vigilance, and lifelink.
Humans you control have each of the chosen abilities.
As long as you control four or more Humans, humans you control get +2/+2.
3/4
Obuun, Mul Daya Ancestor
1RGW
Legendary Creature - Elf Spirit
At the beginning of combat on your turn, up to one target land you control becomes an X/X Elemental creature with trample and haste until end of turn, where X is Obuun's power. It's still a land.
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
3/3
Anowon, the Ruin Thief
2UB
Legendary Creature - Vampire Rogue
Other Rogues you control get +1/+1.
Whenever one or more Rogues you control deal combat damage to a player, that player mills a card for each 1 damage dealt to them. If the player mills at least one creature card this way, you draw a card. (To mill a card, a player puts the top card of their library into their graveyard.)
2/4
Heliod's Punishment enters the battlefield with four task counters on it.
Enchanted creature can't attack or block. It has all abilities and has "Remove a task counter from Heliod's Punishment. Then if it has no task counters on it, destroy Heliod's Punishment."
Heliod's Intervention
XWW
Instant
Choose one -
* Destroy X target artifacts and/or enchantments.
* Target player gains twice X life.
"I bring a dawn that no light can follow."
The Cauldron of Eternity
10BB
Legendary Artifact
This spell costs 2 less to cast for each creature card in your graveyard.
Whenever a creature you control dies, put it on the bottom of its owner's library.
2B, T, Pay 2 life: Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
----
Cauldron's Gift
4B
Sorcery
Adamant - If at least three black mana was spent to cast this spell, put the top four cards of your library into your graveyard.
You may choose a creature card in your graveyard. If you do, return it to the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it.
----
Forever Young
1B
Sorcery
Put any number of target creature cards from your graveyard on top of your library.
Draw a card.
Those who say you only live once have never been touched by the Cauldron of Eternity.
The difference here is that Yawgmoth was THE villain for magic and the ones that you mentioned were really just card names. The Ineffable was one of the names Yawgmoth was known by in story, so someone just being given his moniker just feels really wrong.
https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/prepare-for-fright-and-delight-with-secret-lairs-spookydrop
The Eldrazi *should* pose a much higher level of threat, but they don't. The Eldrazi are seeming more of environmental antagonists than villianous threats. They just want to feed from everything that I can tell. Yes, in the process of eating a plane dies and they can warp reality, but there isn't any malice behind it. I truly don't think that Ulamog and Kozilek should have fallen so easily to the Brady Walkers like they did.
The Phyrexians are out to make everything just like them. Every world brought slowly to its knees and made into one. Not that long ago the Phyrexian couldn't compleat Brady Walkers, but they have found away to bring them to heel.
At one point in time I thought that the Eldrazi were going to be the way that WOTC were going to handle the Phyrexians. With their story choices, not so much anymore.
Remind me of how many Planeswalkers and heros/named characters had to die the first time around? This is the level of threat that The Phyrexians should be. They should be The™ threat to everything within Magic. Not Bolas. Not the Eldrazi. The Phyrexians.
Maybe using one of the smileys that we have?
Here is the original post. It took me a good minute to find it and I knew that it existed. It being in speculation instead of the main rumor mill and none of the card names being in the title doesn't help.
https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/the-rumor-mill/speculation/824785-potential-leaked-cards-for-kamigawa-neon-dynasty
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/test-time-spiral-remastered-2021-03-01
Tormod, the Desecrator
3B
Legendary Creature - Zombie Wizard
Whenever one or more cards leave your graveyard, create a tapped 2/2 black Zombie creature token.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
"Life is but the precursor to a long and successful death."
4/2
Victimize
2B
Sorcery
Choose two target creature cards in your graveyard. Sacrifice a creature. If you do, return the chosen cards to the battlefield tapped.
"Die. But die knowing that your pathetic life will yield a great bounty for me."
-Zul Ashur, lich lord
Sanitarium Skeleton
B
Creature - Skeleton
2B: Return Sanitarium Skeleton from your graveyard to your hand.
His mind was lost long before his flesh.
1/2
Source: https://www.twitch.tv/ladeedanger
2WW
Legendary Creature - Human Soldier
As Rick enters the battlefield, choose two abilities from among first strike, vigilance, and lifelink.
Humans you control have each of the chosen abilities.
As long as you control four or more Humans, humans you control get +2/+2.
3/4
https://mobile.twitter.com/MTGSecretLair/status/1312111082886975488
1. I cast Collected Company and with it I get Groundbreaker and Primal Forcemage. Does Primal Forcemage trigger and give the Groundbreaker the +3/+3?
2. I cast Collected Company and with it I get an Eternal Witness. Can the Eternal Witness get back the Collected Company that put it into play?
1RGW
Legendary Creature - Elf Spirit
At the beginning of combat on your turn, up to one target land you control becomes an X/X Elemental creature with trample and haste until end of turn, where X is Obuun's power. It's still a land.
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
3/3
Anowon, the Ruin Thief
2UB
Legendary Creature - Vampire Rogue
Other Rogues you control get +1/+1.
Whenever one or more Rogues you control deal combat damage to a player, that player mills a card for each 1 damage dealt to them. If the player mills at least one creature card this way, you draw a card. (To mill a card, a player puts the top card of their library into their graveyard.)
2/4
Source: https://www.gamestop.com/toys-collectibles/games-puzzles/trading-card-games/products/magic-the-gathering-zendikar-rising-commander-deck-assortment/11104222.html?condition=New
Heliod's Punishment
1W
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant creature
Heliod's Punishment enters the battlefield with four task counters on it.
Enchanted creature can't attack or block. It has all abilities and has "Remove a task counter from Heliod's Punishment. Then if it has no task counters on it, destroy Heliod's Punishment."
Heliod's Intervention
XWW
Instant
Choose one -
* Destroy X target artifacts and/or enchantments.
* Target player gains twice X life.
"I bring a dawn that no light can follow."
Source: https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/01/mtg-death-beyond-theros-preview-next-two-cards/
The Cauldron of Eternity
10BB
Legendary Artifact
This spell costs 2 less to cast for each creature card in your graveyard.
Whenever a creature you control dies, put it on the bottom of its owner's library.
2B, T, Pay 2 life: Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
----
Cauldron's Gift
4B
Sorcery
Adamant - If at least three black mana was spent to cast this spell, put the top four cards of your library into your graveyard.
You may choose a creature card in your graveyard. If you do, return it to the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it.
----
Forever Young
1B
Sorcery
Put any number of target creature cards from your graveyard on top of your library.
Draw a card.
Those who say you only live once have never been touched by the Cauldron of Eternity.
The difference here is that Yawgmoth was THE villain for magic and the ones that you mentioned were really just card names. The Ineffable was one of the names Yawgmoth was known by in story, so someone just being given his moniker just feels really wrong.