Still the original name-color combinations I see. I guess consistent worldbuilding wasn't enough of an issue. Let's try something different:
If I'm right, and Valeron Outlander is the GW one, that means that Vedalken Outlander is WU. Let me clarify the full implications: That means that Vedalken Outlander is prone to Naturalize and Bant Charm rather than... What red artifact destruction is in Standard right now, again?
Initial Reaction: Exotic Orchard is not part of the cycle, because those are not elements of the Jund landscape in Naya.
Theory as to cycle:
Unstable Frontiers
Land
When Unstable Frontiers comes into play, choose either Swamp or Mountain. Unstable Frontiers is the chosen land type.
Unstable Frontiers comes into play tapped.
I understand where the cycle comes from, and that it's a cycle so they mimic each other and all, but in a block like this, protection is really really unfair. Most of the better cards in the format are 2- and 3-colors, and protection from one of them has the effect of canceling out a large percentage of a deck's resources. Typically this has been a drawback of monocolored decks - this is what lets Silver Knight actually represent a roadblock for Goblins. So it's pretty easy for each shard to drop protection bears against the others, since they'll have access to protection from both non-shard colors.
Also, protection doesn't exactly gel very well with the theme of the set. What business does Grixis or Jund have in doling out protection from anything? One is a system doomed to eternal entropy, the other submits to the code of the wild. What concept of protection would either Jund or Grixis have?
Grixis is a system devoted to preying on life (green¸) and Jund is too wild to be bound by structures (white.)
Apocalypse Hydra 4RGW
Creature - Hydra
Flash
When Apocalypse Hydra deals damage to a blocking creature, deal that much
damage to each creature defending player controls.
When Apocalypse Hydra deals damage to an attacking creature, deal that much
damage to each attacking creature.
6/6
Conflux looks reprint heavy. Where's my Laccolith Rig?
Not necessarily. With pro red, you have protection from Grixis and according to the Planeswalker's Guide to Alara... weren't the old kingdoms on Bant and Grixis the same or something like that?
Plus the bant bear is pro burn which is always nice...
Actually, Grixis is leaning more toward black being the black shard. Combined with the fact that Valeron is the GW nation in Bant whereas Jhess is WU, and it makes much more sense that the colors be shifted: GW Valeron, WU Vedalken, UB Zombie, BR Goblin, and RG Nacatl.
Edit: That also makes more sense for other Outlanders: The Vedalken would develop a resistence to red magic travelling to Jund to harvest sangrite/carmot, the denizens of Grixis would have a greater affinity for preying upon living magic, the deathraiders have already demonstrated Jund's goblins lean more black than green, and the freedom-loving Claws of Masari are more likely to travel than the isolationist, rules loving Cloud Nacatl.
So Bolas was truly depowered by the Mending? This truly sucks. Nicol Bolas may not have been the most interesting or most powerful planeswalker, but still his might was godlike, his supremacy has always been one of his main characteristics. Now just a poor neowalker, his majesty is lost. I bet Scott McGough is now cursing the day when he decided to bring his favourite character back in Time Spiral. If he didn't do that, we could all just remeber Bolas as he was (just as we do Urza), but now they've completely screwed up the character...
So, instead of being a dragon god, he's a planeswalking dragon sorceror with a mindwiping touch. Truly depowered.
My theory: The Mending is reaching Alara, having recently passed Shadowlorwyn and thrown off the cosmic cycle. Nico Bolas planned it so that when the Mending hits, or any other interplanar "procreate with your sibling's cork washer," he could trigger the magic to draw the shards back together to protect himself from the adverse influences of the Mending. At least, that's what's implied between what's going to happen to Alara and what his stated plans were in Future Sight.
Ajani has only ever bolstered mortals in the past. Imagine his power channeling through a sigil-boosted Elspeth, an etherium-boosted Tezzeret, and Dragon Specialist Vol.
Tezzeret is a font of energy between what artifacts he has available, being a neowalker, and having an abundance of etherium in his body. Even if he can't animate Nico's armor to turn it against him, he can help out his allies.
Elspeth can do violent things to Nico without getting mindwiped, thanks to that greatsword of hers. Add in her own supportive magic, and we're starting to get a synergy web.
Sahrkan Vol can summon a swarm of dragons or use his mindlash magic to disrupt Nico, or just use his empowering magic to boost his allies. Or, to put it in a handy chart:
Scornful Aether-Lich2BB
Artifact Creature - Spirit Wizard
Whenever you draw a card, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.
Scornful Aether-Lich's power is equal to the number of artifacts in your graveyard.
*/3 "There is nothing left but power."
A lich's phylactery may be its source of power, but it's also its greatest vulnerability.
Hmm... Immortal Coil is meant to be a prison, so odds are it would weaken it.
Scornful Aether-Lich2BB
Artifact Creature - Spirit Wizard
Discard a card: Scornful Aether-Lich gains Fear until end of turn.
Scornful Aether-Lich's power is equal to the number of artifacts in your graveyard.
*/3 "There is nothing left but power."
If I may put forward a theory, based on the fact that Nico Bolas is an older planeswalker who prefers physical violence and can mindwipe with his touch:
Nico Bolas, Planeswalker [Big Number]UBR
Planeswalker - Nico
+2 : Deal 3 damage to target creature or player.
-4 : Put target permanent on top of its owner's library. Its controller loses 2 life.
-XX : Target player discards X cards and loses life equal to the number of cards discarded this way.
[Same Big Number in Mana Cost]
Vampiric Link anyone?
Still the original name-color combinations I see. I guess consistent worldbuilding wasn't enough of an issue. Let's try something different:
If I'm right, and Valeron Outlander is the GW one, that means that Vedalken Outlander is WU. Let me clarify the full implications: That means that Vedalken Outlander is prone to Naturalize and Bant Charm rather than... What red artifact destruction is in Standard right now, again?
Theory as to cycle:
Unstable Frontiers
Land
When Unstable Frontiers comes into play, choose either Swamp or Mountain. Unstable Frontiers is the chosen land type.
Unstable Frontiers comes into play tapped.
Edit: That also makes more sense for other Outlanders: The Vedalken would develop a resistence to red magic travelling to Jund to harvest sangrite/carmot, the denizens of Grixis would have a greater affinity for preying upon living magic, the deathraiders have already demonstrated Jund's goblins lean more black than green, and the freedom-loving Claws of Masari are more likely to travel than the isolationist, rules loving Cloud Nacatl.
Have we confirmed the name/color combinations? I can't be the only one who saw Valeron Outlander as WU and thought "Those are Jhess colors..."
Ajani has only ever bolstered mortals in the past. Imagine his power channeling through a sigil-boosted Elspeth, an etherium-boosted Tezzeret, and Dragon Specialist Vol.
Tezzeret is a font of energy between what artifacts he has available, being a neowalker, and having an abundance of etherium in his body. Even if he can't animate Nico's armor to turn it against him, he can help out his allies.
Elspeth can do violent things to Nico without getting mindwiped, thanks to that greatsword of hers. Add in her own supportive magic, and we're starting to get a synergy web.
Sahrkan Vol can summon a swarm of dragons or use his mindlash magic to disrupt Nico, or just use his empowering magic to boost his allies. Or, to put it in a handy chart:
Ajani-->Vol-->Elspeth>>>Nico
Ajani-------->Elspeth>>>Nico
Ajani-->Vol-->Seeker>>>Nico
Ajani-------->Seeker>>>Nico
Scornful Aether-Lich 2BB
Artifact Creature - Spirit Wizard
Whenever you draw a card, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.
Scornful Aether-Lich's power is equal to the number of artifacts in your graveyard.
*/3
"There is nothing left but power."
A lich's phylactery may be its source of power, but it's also its greatest vulnerability.
Scornful Aether-Lich 2BB
Artifact Creature - Spirit Wizard
Discard a card: Scornful Aether-Lich gains Fear until end of turn.
Scornful Aether-Lich's power is equal to the number of artifacts in your graveyard.
*/3
"There is nothing left but power."
Nico Bolas, Planeswalker [Big Number]UBR
Planeswalker - Nico
+2 : Deal 3 damage to target creature or player.
-4 : Put target permanent on top of its owner's library. Its controller loses 2 life.
-XX : Target player discards X cards and loses life equal to the number of cards discarded this way.
[Same Big Number in Mana Cost]