Anyone who thought everyone dies except Bolas is... honestly kind of out of touch with reality. They aren't going to kill off 35 characters and let Bolas win. That isn't a good story. "Everyone dies and the villain wins" isn't going to happen here.
Gideon is the first to fall, most of the sparks are harvested, Nicol Bolas appears to win. Ergo: Even if Nicol Bolas doesn't win and the death toll is lower than what it seemed for named planewalkers, it should still seem like Nicol Bolas would have been more challenging to defeat than actually presented.
Also wow, people are really blood thirsty. Story isn't good unless half the cast dies is pretty dang unreasonable. Someone seems like they accomplished something of note? Better wipe them off. Probably should have had Sarkhan drop dead of a heart attack after Tarkir was finished.
Now you are just being unreasonable. This is a story with 14 whole years of build-up and you claim its unreasonable to expect a higher death toll for the planeswalkers?
Some are also defending the story by saying hundreds of nameless planeswalkers and thousands or millions of ravnicans are killed.
This might not even be the case either. The Dreadhorde did not go throughout the plane of Ravnica killing everyone. This battle primarily takes place in the Main city and primarily in the main center of that city and the eternals were going after planeswalkers and anyone else in the way. Many ravnicans evacuated. Possibly only dozens of nameless walkers were killed (gotta see the book for a number) and maybe only hundreds or a few thousand at most Ravnicans were killed. So even in that defense not much stakes were to be had.
Do we even know long this "war" took? As I'm getting a Seven Hour War vibe like from Half-Life series where it was quick and decisive.
There is also the issue of characters with stories that are technically done but they are alive. For example what is Vivien Reid's story now? She came all this way to slay Nicol Bolas and yet its some necromancer and paladin that Vivien never met that basically steal her kill. Even her arkbow never gets to do the thing it was designed to do to begin with, making her peoples last ditch work all for nothing. Her home she can't go to because it got destroyed by Nicol Bolas and marking her as the sole survivor. Her living actually makes her story less impactful. That from a writing perspective its also wasteful in retrospect as it adds little to the overall story other than "I exist, Nicol Bolas wrecked my world too". Samut as well for these sort of reasons, besides the legendary weapon.
Also just to add a bit more about Samut, man there has got to be some stigma associated with Amonhket now that she has to bear with in life. As what can she say about her peoples history before Nicol Bolas conqueored her world? Nothing much really as much of the prior history was either rewritten or erased.
'Say Samut what plane did you come from?'
'Amonkhet'
'Isn't that where Bolas and his eternals came from?'
'Yeah.'
'Oh. Ohhhhh. Sorry I asked.'
To be fair, these *are* Masterpieces as categorized by Wizards. They even say "Masterpiece" on the bottom of the cards.
On a long term-note, I wonder if they will do more Masterpieces like this. I vastly prefer this distribution method of getting these kinds of cards. It just so happens that they started this with planeswalkers due to the story arc of planeswalkers. If they do this again with another set (maybe every set if they only give us 8 promo cards) it can be anything with any frame treatment.
And it's super weird that's the case. WotC already had a line called "Masterpiece" and, from what I remember, they said it was on hiatus and not shelved entirely. Does that mean WotC considers the Mythic Edition to be a continuation of the Masterpiece series, and as such the old way is never coming back? Because that would be deeply disappointing. The Mythic Edition is hot garbage in my opinion, and honestly I'm surprised people buy it.
Is it really? I could be super far off here, but you sound bitter.
How on earth can a jace, and ugin for market value be hot garbage. Especially since you get 6 other walkers who retail at roughly another 100 usd and 24 sealed packs to draft or open.
Enlighten me mr/mrs sour grapes
That the mythic editions cater to scalpers and whales. Guilds of Ravnica was regarded as a travesty due to low product count and also no international shipping. Ravnica Allegation had international shipping and more supply, but they could only get through 50% of their product, also that the only method to obtain the box at the time was either from their specialty store or from channel fireball at a grand prix.
That instead of actually having the mythic you could obtain from a normal pack have this new borderless look, its got to be tied to being part of a mythic edition or as a sealed box topper.
This may not sound familiar to you, but mythic rares themselves rose a similar stink in their introduction in Alara.
I'm not personally bitter/sourgrapes about this myself, but I personally wouldn't turn a blind eye whats going on.
The leak is due to possible illegal activity and due to such we are not allowing it on the forums.
Aside from the fact that we have no real reason to suspect illegal activity (benefit of the doubt anyone) the cards we have seen in the Rumor Mill have already spoiled Gideon's fate, how Lily was spared despite going against Bolas, which side won etc. Are people not allowed to discuss those?
Its basically a stopgap measure. Talking about Gideon's death could also lead into leaks about other subjects that are touched upon in the book.
English version is NOT soulful Redemption. It does not fit the crunch. As the numbering places it between Gleaming Overseer and Hualti’s Raptor. Any guess in English Translation? I have it now as Graceful Redemption.
I got Touching Redemption. Although my spanish is rusty.
The Immortal Sun is probably still active when Gideon dies so he can't really planeswalk to Theros at that point. Of course, I have no idea how Theros souls behave when not actually on Theros...
No, the Immortal Sun get already destroyed by "chandra" at that point.
Ghosts she freed (Ethereal Absolution) secretly were Ravnica's defense forces, and after facing some economic problems after freeing all debt slaves, Kaya just decided to rise up the taxes - and it caused massive upheavals and more casualties, weakening the plane overall right before the invasion (Smothering Tithe). Enough?
Because its wrong to free slaves and let the free pay their share of the upkeep instead? Timing might have been really, really bad, but the act itself doesn't sound that way.
Actually, the dead who are, as you refer to "enslaved", are people who owe debts to the guild and are under contractual obligation to work off their debt even in undeath. This debt is because the undead person in question took out loans and credit and couldn't pay it off in life.
Yes, because the Orzhov give out loans that people can't possibly pay off to turn them into slaves even after death. They were not the good guys, at all. Making slaves of people because they needed money (which is being controlled by the Orzhov to begin with) isn't something people should be defending. Bolas uses good intentions against Kaya and Tesya, but that's one of Bolas' things.
Never said they are the good guys, but they actually do look after the community they fostered and help families who partake in the guild's actions. Also what you said is an exaggeration of the guild. Its kind of like blaming real world banks because you took out a loan and don't have a means to pay it back. That just lole those banks, if you know how to work with the guild in a beneficial manner, you can actually excel in life and unlife. The people who can't pay off loans tend to be the same people who were in a bad spot to begin with.
That unlike the Pre-Decamillennial Celebration Selsenya, you actually knew what you were in for if you worked with the guild. Its common knowledge for the denizens of Ravnica that the Orzhov guild is corrupt.
Ghosts she freed (Ethereal Absolution) secretly were Ravnica's defense forces, and after facing some economic problems after freeing all debt slaves, Kaya just decided to rise up the taxes - and it caused massive upheavals and more casualties, weakening the plane overall right before the invasion (Smothering Tithe). Enough?
Because its wrong to free slaves and let the free pay their share of the upkeep instead? Timing might have been really, really bad, but the act itself doesn't sound that way.
Actually, the dead who are, as you refer to "enslaved", are people who owe debts to the guild and are under contractual obligation to work off their debt even in undeath. This debt is because the undead person in question took out loans and credit and couldn't pay it off in life.
Okay, the card is pretty decent and I love Kaya, so I have a fairly positive opinion about this card. However, I thought we were done with the Gatewatch after this story arc?
On the bright side, though, her oath quote is just badass.
Think of it like in a RPG where you pick-up the secret character right before the final boss.
Yeah but she did that all to herself. She has no friends cause she was a monster. She is in her certain situation cause was dumb. She made a deal with Bolas and 4 Demons and didn't think it go bad?
None of her recent Heroics have been altrustic. I mean Bolas stuffed Lesherac into a time rift that doesnt make him a hero. Much like Lili isn't a hero for killing Demons to get out of a deal she doesnt like and turning on Bolas cause she doesnt like being controlled. She is not doing cause she is good she is doint it cause it helps her.
Define grossly evil cause I think what she did to Thalia was pretty gross.
A Mary Sue is the smartest person in the world. You calling her dumb proves that she isn’t a Mary Sue. Mary Sues also always save the day, and would never do anything grossly evil.
Personally I'm of the opinion she is a Villain Sue + a Sympathetic Sue in the attempt to make a Magnificent Bastard, perhaps even a touch of Jerk Sue. Which winds up with a Villain Protagonist like Liliana is.
People are aware there is different types of Mary Sue, right? That what gets commonly talked about and gets called a Mary Sue, or Gary Stu for that matter, is like the most basic understanding of it.
Now you are just being unreasonable. This is a story with 14 whole years of build-up and you claim its unreasonable to expect a higher death toll for the planeswalkers?
Also just to add a bit more about Samut, man there has got to be some stigma associated with Amonhket now that she has to bear with in life. As what can she say about her peoples history before Nicol Bolas conqueored her world? Nothing much really as much of the prior history was either rewritten or erased.
'Say Samut what plane did you come from?'
'Amonkhet'
'Isn't that where Bolas and his eternals came from?'
'Yeah.'
'Oh. Ohhhhh. Sorry I asked.'
That instead of actually having the mythic you could obtain from a normal pack have this new borderless look, its got to be tied to being part of a mythic edition or as a sealed box topper.
This may not sound familiar to you, but mythic rares themselves rose a similar stink in their introduction in Alara.
I'm not personally bitter/sourgrapes about this myself, but I personally wouldn't turn a blind eye whats going on.
That unlike the Pre-Decamillennial Celebration Selsenya, you actually knew what you were in for if you worked with the guild. Its common knowledge for the denizens of Ravnica that the Orzhov guild is corrupt.
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/VillainSue