MTG Salvation

I don't know... with like 9? new commander precon decks next year we can aspect everything.
5 in Ikoria
2 in Zendikar
2 with Commader Legends

They said that they want to give players the opportunity to build commander decks around new mechanics in sets. As example they mentioned energy from Kaladesh or adventure on Eldraine. So I guess that one of the Ikoria decks will have a "build your own monster"-mechanic focus, because that is the theme of Ikoria.
5 Decks on the other hand is a little strange. The new set mechanic will cover just one of the Decks and will likely be multicolor. 5 Decks on the other hand could open the door to 5 mono colored decks which were a problem with the 4 deck format before. Zendikar could be a 5 Colored Ally deck and a colorless Eldrazi Deck. They mentioned that Zendikar won't have a Eldrazi focus, though. If the first 5 decks are mono colored than the last two precons in Legends could be the two missing 3 colored deck of the 4-commander deck per year era.

Quote from AtraxianShade »

The legendary creatures I'm still waiting for:

Never had a card -
- 4th Sister of the Innistrad Archangels
- Asha, the ruler of Bant
- Atraxa before becoming Atraxa
- ... A 5 color identity angel so I can use Maelstrom Archangel in an angel tribal deck...

Had a card, but really need a new version -
- Gabriel Angelfire
- Selenia, Dark Angel
- Radiant, Archangel

Really hoping we will get at least 1 of those.

This. Radiant could have some nice Angel tribal effects.
I would add a new Iona card, Trine before or after becoming the Fallen Angel (as legendary creature) or Rahel the angel who was summoned to fight Trine.

Quote from HighHolder »

Quote from leslak »

Quote from HighHolder »

They finally realized that making tokens should always be a minus ability and not a plus.too bad we are stuck with the two older broken elsepeths.

Elspeth Tirel (the seccond elspeth) had tokens as a - minus. Also this Elspeth can only minus lul.

I was obviously referring to the 2 broken elspeths and not the crappy one.

The reason why token creation should never be a plus ability is that it makes it virtually impossible for aggro decks to remove the walker unless you have trample.

Or just a bigger board, removal spells, damage spells, bounce spells etc. We are still talking about 1/1 tokens right? There is manace or the "can't be blocked by creatures with 2 or less atk", flying.

Aggro decks are usually fast. Most of the time spending 4 mana for a 1/1 should put you behind against an aggro deck.

We have a crazy Questing Beast in standard right now. I don't think 1/1 token generation can be too broken.

The other elspeth has a +1 ability that gives +3/+3 and flying and that was far superior to the 1/1 token.

Quote from Justavictim1182 »

Quote from Faruel »

First she creates 3 soldiers, second she has a built in finisher with her ultimate at -7 and a good board wipe at -3. She was strong with every ability.

We had standard iterations dominated by Planeswalkers that doesn't create any tokens. So nah. I don't think that a token generation need to be a minus ability.

Giving Elspeth a + ability in conjunction with Oko's +1 ability is a 3/3 creature and a 1/1 every turn with no draw back. Everyone would just play both. WOTC was not going to do this after banning Field of the Dead

Well he was talking about planeswalker abilities in general. I don't think that token generation has to be a minus ability. I am not talking about this Elspeth and I think powerwise the -2 token-ability is alright.

I am happy that she is still mono white.

If Oko is warping the format too much than he should be banned.

First she creates 3 soldiers, second she has a built in finisher with her ultimate at -7 and a good board wipe at -3. She was strong with every ability.

We had standard iterations dominated by Planeswalkers that doesn't create any tokens. So nah. I don't think that a token generation need to be a minus ability.

Hmm draftable commander? Sounds interesting. Well with so many new commanders I hope for a decent angel tribal one and a mono white colored one :P.

Quote from HighHolder »

They finally realized that making tokens should always be a minus ability and not a plus.too bad we are stuck with the two older broken elsepeths.

It depends. If the Planeswalker cost like 6 mana or if it is just one token than a +ability is alright in the right color. White planeswalker doesn't generate card or mana advantage. They are all about field control/advantage.

The -3 ability is the worse ability I have seen on a planeswalker. The other two abilities are okayish. Escape is greate.

The card Furious Rise seem to picture a new God, doesn't it? The story text mentions Klothys. Do we know something about it?

Quote from Dom4419 »

I thought bestow was a little over costed, but it was the first go 'round for it, this time they know what it is and how it plays so they should be able to better cost it. Really looking forward to devotion and constellation. I think heroic has been superseded by prowess.

Which gods you think make it in? I doubt they'll include all 15. If the story is about Elspeth and the underworld, you have to figure Heliod, Phenax and Erebos, possibly Athreos. The only way they 15 make it in is if they make some rare.

I don't know. She doesn't look like a returned or undead in the picture we saw. They usually have darker skin almost dark grayish. So I don't think Phenax will play an important role. Well Heliod and Erebos should get what they deserve. If they add Gods than it will be in form of a cycle. So I think it will be the 5 major Gods (the mono-colored ones). I don't know if we will get gods as rares. It would be the first time.

Edit: Do we know if the pantheon we saw in the last Theros block is complete? I remember that Maro has written something that there is at least one missing one. God of Love or something like that. I would like to see something like Nike but Iroas has taken part of her domain.

Not broken or anything but I would love to play Divine Visitation as commander. I hope that some day we get a legendary creature with the same effect.

Quote from Mishotem »

That's assuming she's even still a Planeswalker in Theros 2. Have we seen what happens to Planeswalkers when they go to the Underworld yet?

Teyo seems more likely to be the Gideon replacement. His power set is very similar.

No we don't know what happens to Planeswalker when they die in Theros. We just know what was written in the Journey's End Story.

During her hero's journey, Elspeth transcended her everyday fears. Her own comfort and safety were no longer her primary concerns. She sacrificed herself for the love of Daxos, the love of Theros, and the love of innocents who can't protect themselves.

When mortals die in Theros, they go to the Underworld. The living can only speculate what the Underworld is really like, because the Returned reveal nothing.

If there are more obstacles waiting for Elspeth, she will face them unhindered by mundane cares and concerns, more powerful than ever before.

Teyo rejected the offer to join the Gatewatch. So I guess that they might have other plans for him. I don't believe that he will show up in enough sets to be establish as main white planeswalker.

Teyo is different from Gideon. Gideon was a leader and he is more like a follower. Gideon didn't had any spells or powers to protect others. He throwed himself in front of the danger to protect the people behind him. If this would be a RPG, than he would be a tank. Teyo provides magical shields and barriers. He can shield other people. He seems more like a healer or supporter. I think Gideons protection would be better for a single target threat, while Teyo could protect multiple targets or areas. In addition Gideon can be very offensive, while Teyo not that much.

We didn't get a white aligned Planeswalker in Eldraine. I think we will see a Green/white Ajani and a White Elspeth in Theros.

Quote from Necr0maNc3R »

Her mask looks kind of like the guard of Godsend.

Wasn't her mask made by pieces of Godsend? I believe that I read something like that.

I know that most player want her to be white/black but I hope that she will replace Gideon as mono white Walker. We already have some strong (storywise) Orzhov Walkers with Sorin and Kaya. Kaya being in the Gatewatch, too.

Quote from Mishotem »

I don't think he ever said the card itself would breathe life into Mono-W in EDH, but that the ability (on future cards) would. Giving white some card draw will certainly do that.

It depends. If we get more permanents with this kind of bad cantrip effect then I doubt it. If we get some decent cards or some additional ways to benefit from opponent drawing cards, like Smothering Tithe than more likely. I hope that the drawing effect isn't bound to the symmetrical life gain.

The new thing in white is, according to MaRo, a minor addition to the thing white does. It is less important than blacks enchantments answers for example. I could see the white mana producing Rare Land to have some kind of activation effect that was usually nonwhite. I could be some kind of 'create a token that is a copy of target X' where X is a card type that white cares of. Like small creature, equipment, enchantment or aura.
He said that the effect was added to help white in commander. So generating some stuff to the field without using cards (via activating a ability on the field) seems likely.

Quote from leslak »

Huh Archons.... it would not surprise me if in the return to Theros we have a Archon tribal theme....

I mean everything is possible but I don't think that it is likely. Archons have the same issues as angels that there are very high costed creature without any tribal synergies. They would need a Dragons of Tarkir like set but for Archons and I don't believe they are popular enough. In addition there are overall about 10 Archons at the moment. Most of them are white with I think some in Selesnya and my beloved Ashen Rider. On the other hand there are some Archons with an Enchantment theme and that would fit with Theros.

Quote from AtraxianShade »

Whelp... This means no angels in the set. Nice to know for my wallet.

I already asked Maro a few weeks (or more?) ago about the angel break we will take. His answer was something like "Magic can’t stay away from Angels for long". I asked because commander 2019 doesn't had any new ones (I think it is the first Commander Precon Product without any new angels?) and I was sure that Eldraine was going to be angel-free, too. Well I don't know what 'for long' means for him, because Theros is another angel-free world and Ikoria doesn't seems to be a fitting world for them (if the theme is going to be 'Make your own creature/monster'). I am sure that core 2021 will have some but that would be Q3 next year. There is still a supplemental set and the commander product before Q3 next year so hopes are high for some new friends before Core2021.

This elk is a strange one. I think I like it. He pairs well with Beloved Princess revealed earlier.