Maybe spoiler it in case someone want's to do these on their own, and this isn't really story related so it's not expected to find that here if you don't want to get spoiled on the quiz.
Other cards aren't such a great match. I guess there's Case of the Gorgon's Kiss and Undercity Eliminator but that's not a great fit beyond the latter simply being a gorgon. Like the mark on the (orc?) victim is missing on the centaur and vice versa with the flower darts.
Also Sudden Setback takes place inside of the Case of the Gateway Express, but that's an odd association, if intended. Sudden Setback is neither the culprit nor the victim/stolen object. It feels kind of random.
Has anyone else noticed any visual connections between cases and other cards? I wonder if there's like a pattern.
A vanilla 3/2 with unblockable isn't gonna take over games, even if you can get another one at sorcery speed and get to attack in two turns.
I feel like we go through this every other set with some splashy blue card that makes drakes or something. It's just not going to work as well as you think it might, especially if you go all in on a blue creature strategy around putting one of these out there and leaving yourself otherwise wide open.
A 3/2 unblockable is TOTALLY gonna take over games in limited if both players are evenly matched.
I mean, this card is good at a lot of things: you get 3 unblockable damage per turn or you have a semi-unkillable 3/2 blocker. And you even get to sift through your library for your good creatures. Remember, if you manifest one of your big guys, you can still turn it up. Sure, it won't find your good sorceries and enchantments, but most of your bombs are likely going to be creatures anyway.
Also it's not just a 3/2 unblockable creature. It's a 3/2 unblockable creature that says "3UU: Create a tapped 2/2 creature. Untap this." If my cloaked creature doesn't die and I don't have anything better to do with my mana, I can grow my board.
And the drake-card comparison doesn't make any sense, as SecretInfiltrator pointed out, as those drake generators usually require you to commit to a specific archetype. This card can be splashed into any deck.
Gameplay: Because "number of different color pairs among permanents you control that are exactly two colors" is easy to define while setting a range of X between 0-10. Imagine the confusion and arguments if it said "number of different color pairs among permanents you control" - does this mean a white permanent and a red one count for Boros? Does a WBR card just count for just one pair or all three that can be formed with those colors? (WB/BR/WR) Specificity is our friend.
So, wait, does having a and a card mean I have three color pairs? And & would be 6?
That's kinda unintuitive both flavour and gameplay wise.
In mystery stories red herrings can lead to hasty decisions and have to be dealt with or ignored before the narrative goes on. Seems like a flavor win.
It's a 2/2 creature with no threatening abilities. If being able to attack for 2 damage is something that "must be dealt with or ignored" then literally 99% of all creature cards are 'red herrings'.
Also wish they had given the agency a different color identity. Both Proft and Ezrim, the two most visible agency characters by a landslide, are white-blue and a lot of the magic used by the agency has strong azorius aesthetics, with the icy colour and the floating runes.
I know it's a little bit nitpicky, but how do those abilities relate to it being the "quake" god? I would have expected something to do with lands, or sweeper damage or something.
"When ~ enters the battlefield sacrifice any number of lands and ~ deals damage to each other creature equal to the number of lands sacrificed.
You may play lands from your graveyard."
Would have felt much more like a mole imo. Eh whatever, flavour and mechanics hasn't been in synch for a while now. Maybe I should just go with the times. MtG is currently in its dadaist phase.
Wonder if we get a monogreen gruul god next time we revisit Ravnica.
Having that said:
On another note, I noticed that two cases appear to have their culprits as cards: First, Case of the Burning Masks and Pyrotechnic Performer; and second, Case of the Crimson Pulse and Fugitive Codebreaker (check the regular art).
Other cards aren't such a great match. I guess there's Case of the Gorgon's Kiss and Undercity Eliminator but that's not a great fit beyond the latter simply being a gorgon. Like the mark on the (orc?) victim is missing on the centaur and vice versa with the flower darts.
However, I did notice the Candlesticks in both the Case of the Filched Falcon and Coveted Falcon which implies the falcon is actually the stolen one from the case. Lead Pipe also shows up in the Case of the Stashed Skeleton, but I couldn't find the other three cluedo equipments in card arts.
Also Sudden Setback takes place inside of the Case of the Gateway Express, but that's an odd association, if intended. Sudden Setback is neither the culprit nor the victim/stolen object. It feels kind of random.
Has anyone else noticed any visual connections between cases and other cards? I wonder if there's like a pattern.
A 3/2 unblockable is TOTALLY gonna take over games in limited if both players are evenly matched.
I mean, this card is good at a lot of things: you get 3 unblockable damage per turn or you have a semi-unkillable 3/2 blocker. And you even get to sift through your library for your good creatures. Remember, if you manifest one of your big guys, you can still turn it up. Sure, it won't find your good sorceries and enchantments, but most of your bombs are likely going to be creatures anyway.
Also it's not just a 3/2 unblockable creature. It's a 3/2 unblockable creature that says "3UU: Create a tapped 2/2 creature. Untap this." If my cloaked creature doesn't die and I don't have anything better to do with my mana, I can grow my board.
And the drake-card comparison doesn't make any sense, as SecretInfiltrator pointed out, as those drake generators usually require you to commit to a specific archetype. This card can be splashed into any deck.
So, wait, does having a and a card mean I have three color pairs? And & would be 6?
That's kinda unintuitive both flavour and gameplay wise.
It's a 2/2 creature with no threatening abilities. If being able to attack for 2 damage is something that "must be dealt with or ignored" then literally 99% of all creature cards are 'red herrings'.
Also wish they had given the agency a different color identity. Both Proft and Ezrim, the two most visible agency characters by a landslide, are white-blue and a lot of the magic used by the agency has strong azorius aesthetics, with the icy colour and the floating runes.
"When ~ enters the battlefield sacrifice any number of lands and ~ deals damage to each other creature equal to the number of lands sacrificed.
You may play lands from your graveyard."
Would have felt much more like a mole imo. Eh whatever, flavour and mechanics hasn't been in synch for a while now. Maybe I should just go with the times. MtG is currently in its dadaist phase.
Wonder if we get a monogreen gruul god next time we revisit Ravnica.
It could also be archdemon yeah, but there's only one archdemon, but like 7 or so archfiends, so I think WotC might go with 'fiend instead.
For red I had a thought: Archvillain. It's not really as tied to red as the other names, but at least it sounds like a natural name in a vacuum.
What are the others gonna be I wonder.
definitely Archangel
Archfiend probably
Bit stumped on this one to be honest. They might have to make up something new.
No. A red herring specifically distracts or misleads from an investigation or pursuit of some sort. It's not just a "false expectation".
Even so, no. It should relate to its in-lore role, even if the joke itself is something that doesn't exist in-lore.
It can't be blocked by face-down creatures however.
*pets krasis* There there, don't listen to those people.
When a detective enters the battlefield OR is turned face up? Am I missing something?