Modern Masters was different as it was just a culling of lots of other older already established sets. Let's face facts, the meta will change when the new ZENDIKAR set comes out and standard will be different. You're not going to find a whole slew of cards that will be modern or legacy playable as those formats have their tier 1 decks fleshed out. This set has a lot of fun casual, EDH and standard worthy material that may not even be noticeable until the meta changes. Ashiok is a good example of this and, while initially there wasn't too much hype about him, once sultai control was a thing he had his moment. You guys might be surprised what becomes popular over the next few months!
Ojutai: "Discipline, effort, wisdom, focus, these are the cobblestones of the path to true enlightenment."
Student: "Yes Lord Ojutai. But lately I have heard some vile rumors about our peoples' history that-"
*SLAP!*
Ojutai: "What did you learn?"
Student: "Ow! Lord Ojutai, why did you slap me?! I simply asked about the rumor concerning Tarkir's-"
*SLAP!*
Ojutai: "What did you learn?"
Student: "OWW! Lord Ojutai! Why do you keep-"
*SLAP!*
Ojutai: "What did you learn?"
Student: *sobbing* "That- that L-Lord Ojutai's version of history is t-true."
Ojutai: "Very good, young one."
Dromoka
Dromoka: "Blood is life, but it shall no longer be that which binds our people together. Our people shall focus on the strength of our community as a whole and work together towards a brighter future. Therefore, my first decree is that we build...A COMMUNITY REC CENTER! It shall be a place where all can gather to exercise and be among friends! It shall also offer an after school program for parents who must work overtime! It shall also offer family counseling and adult education services! Furthermore, the first Tuesday of every month we shall have a pot luck...A POT LUCK I SAY! And on that night there shall also be a raffle with the first prize being a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble! I HAVE SPOKEN!"
Silumgar
Silumgar: "MINE! MINE MINE MINE! All of this stuff is mine! You, old naga wench! What is that shiny bauble you are wearing? Give it to me for it is mine!"
Old Naga: "But Lord Silumgar! It has been in my family for generations! My grandmother's grandmother-"
Silumgar: "MINE! IT IS NOW MINE! You, random planeswalker! You too are now mine! I shall wear you around my neck like my Tasi-bling!"
Random Planeswalker: "Lord Silumgar! I am a person and not someone's property-"
Silumgar: "MINE!"
Kolaghan
Kolaghan: "We must be swift! We must be ready! We must strike with ruthlessness and cunning so our adversaries do not know what has hit them!"
Zurgo: *breathing heavily* "B-but, my Lord Kolaghan!" *wheezing* "We've been-" *wheezing* "Running for quite some time now. Can we maybe-" *wheezing* "Cut back on some of the cardio and work on...I don't know...our upper body strength or our cores?!" *wheezing* "I feel as a tall, male orc that-" *wheezing* "I should be stronger than this! They make fun of me at the gym! They call me Taco Bell! Maybe-" *wheezing* "If I spent more time lifting weights-"
Kolaghan: "SILENCE! You still have ten more laps to run, weakling!"
Atarka
Atarka: "Blurph gurbl iff hurgublefug!"
Dragon Servant: "Lord Atarka. I can't understand you when your mouth is full of...well...people. Please chew, swallow and then repeat your command-"
Older Dragon Servant: "Quiet, or she'll eat you when she is done! Just smile and nod, bro. You'll live longer!"
Dragon Servant: "Oh...yes Lord Atarka! Your strength and ferocity are unequal! Allow me to present to you four mammoth carcasses flame broiled and seasoned with rosemary and thyme just the way you like them!"
Ojutai: Wisdom
Atarka: Savagery
Dromoka: Community
Silumgar: Avarice
Kolagharn: Cunning/Speed
These traits are what the original clans idolized in the original Tarkir. Now these traits are made flesh and in their purest forms. In fact, these traits all symbolize what could be described as the core essence of dragonhood. These traits may also be a diffusion of what Ugin is or what he aspires to be: balance. It is probably why Ugin is colorless.
I am not condoning what the dragon lords did to the khans, and the universe knows that our own history has been dictated by those holding the pens, but the fact remains that Tarkir is now a more robust and vibrant version of what it once was. So the matter is subjective: do we condemn the dragon lords for erasing the history of an entire culture or do we praise them for creating a new culture far more vibrant and, dare I say, peaceful than the last?
So at the end of the day, I'm not going to nod and stroke my chin, saying one or the other dragonlord isn't that oppressive. They set into motion these new Laws which people were forced to obey (or die, from what I understand). I think they should be repulsive.
I think that might come down to expectations informing how we look at the dragonlords vs how we interpret them from other sources.
I mean, really, none of them are demanding virgin sacrifices, and in the past we've seen far far less reasonable dragonlords that basically all acted like Silumgar. (The Primeval Empire, for example)
Now, I'm not defending them or refuting your point, but I think it might be an issue of perspective and past experience shaping how we regard their actions in comparison to others.
True, the Primevals were bad news before they were put down into their respective 'jails' (though Darigaaz and his mom were pretty cool before the Primevals were awoken again, which could lead into a nature vs. nurture debate, which I don't think this is the proper venue for).
But what you describe seems to be a difference of degree, instead of a fundamental difference. Compared to worse 'dragonlords', the Tarkir dragonlords may not be as tyrannical/oppressive as they could be. But the fact remains, the fundamental premise of the new Tarkir, of Tarkir 1.1, is the crushing of culture and ways of life, and the required acceptance of that by the oppressed, so that the oppressed may survive. Ojutai may be the least tyrannical/oppressive, but at the end of the day, until he retracts the ban on discussion of the past, of the clans and whatnot, he continues to be an oppressor. He is then only the lesser in a characteristic that it is no great thing to even be affiliated with.
To be honest, though, most cultures have formed on this planet from either a blending of culture or a quashing of other cultures. Unless you are a member of a tribe or a community of people who has had no experience with ANY other civilized people then most likely your root culture has been altered somehow. I am not saying that genocide or cultural oppression are justifiable offenses, but the dragon lords represent the ideological apex of what the clans already were and it was not as if the clans were peaceful individuals and the dragons bloodthirsty tyrants. There was already a war going on; a war which would have meant the extinction of every other race on Tarkir. The races bent the knee and over the course of 1,280 years the races developed a coexistence with the dragons.
In my opinion the dragon lords brought out the best in each culture without the cultures even knowing it.
While Narset did indeed have her spark ignited due to the discovery of Ojutai having a 'bloody' hand in changing Tarkir's history I am glad to see that he was not the malicious being I half expected him to be.
In fact I find his deepening appreciation of Narset after her transcendence to be rather refreshing. Instead of being arrogant and angry towards Narset for achieving a form of spiritual elevation he never could he simply postulated questions rooted in existensialism, smiled and flew away. Though the meaning is subjective I feel as if he was proud and happy that his most beloved pupil achieved such a feat.
After re-reading the uncharted realms it appears I spoke rather hastily on the subject. Vorthospike was correct in that, although the build up towards her spark igniting happened throughout her life, it was not until she realized that Ojutai had changed history and helped bring about the fall of the khans that her spark finally ignited.
I am now curious if Ugin would want to utilize Narset, Sarkhan and Sorin to help re-trap the Eldrazi or, since technically Sarkhan is a temporal anomaly, if the writers will kill off the planeswalking Sarkhan somehow and keep the new unbroken one.
That I will agree with, good sir! I guess I just found it interesting that Ojutai and Narset smiled at each other at the end of the story. Perhaps Ojutai realized, before the fall of the khans, that he couldn't create the kind of balance HE thought was appropriate for the Jeskai unless the clans were revamped and dissenters against the new order had to be killed. It's probably why he decided to kill Shun Yu; because the Jeskai followed Shun Yu's teachings and he wanted them to follow his teachings instead.
All in all, though obviously Ojutai has murdered probably thousands in his lifetime, I cannot believe a being that seeks knowledge, zen and who clearly respects his pupils to be a heartless monster.
I, quite honestly, think there was a certain level of vengeance involved there. After all, the Jeskai had been murdering his brood for ages and really the only casualties of the coup were the Ghostfire warriors who... all earned their tattoos by killing a dragon.
Mind, I'm not saying your reading of the situation is wrong, just that it might have been multifaceted.
That is an interesting perspective and I thank you for the observation. I agree that Ojutai had vengeance against the Jeskai for his race. Being a dragon I'm assuming that aggression, strength and violence are probably sewn into the core of his being. I am interested in his character moreso now because of this unique take on dragons (usually dragons are just vile bastards in Magic!)
But Ojutai's teachings weren't lies, simply his version of history. At the end of the story her quest for knowledge led her to discover the truth of Tarkir which made her realize that Tarkir was a much stronger and better place because of Ojutai and perhaps the other dragon lords and that is why he smiled at the end of the uncharted realms; he wanted her NOT to follow a dragon but to find the dragon within herself, hence her transcendence.
But her spark had already ignited at that point and she'd chosen to stay on Tarkir until she understood.
It was the shock of learning that Ojutai had violently conquered the clan that triggered her spark.
That I will agree with, good sir! I guess I just found it interesting that Ojutai and Narset smiled at each other at the end of the story. Perhaps Ojutai realized, before the fall of the khans, that he couldn't create the kind of balance HE thought was appropriate for the Jeskai unless the clans were revamped and dissenters against the new order had to be killed. It's probably why he decided to kill Shun Yu; because the Jeskai followed Shun Yu's teachings and he wanted them to follow his teachings instead.
All in all, though obviously Ojutai has murdered probably thousands in his lifetime, I cannot believe a being that seeks knowledge, zen and who clearly respects his pupils to be a heartless monster.
But Ojutai's teachings weren't lies, simply his version of history. At the end of the story her quest for knowledge led her to discover the truth of Tarkir which made her realize that Tarkir was a much stronger and better place because of Ojutai and perhaps the other dragon lords and that is why he smiled at the end of the uncharted realms; he wanted her NOT to follow a dragon but to find the dragon within herself, hence her transcendence.
Because in the original KTK storyline Narset was the khan of Tarkir and the Jeskai looked to her for advice and wisdom. In the new storyline she had a very powerful and very wise teacher, Ojutai. Because Ojutai helped her to hone her natural intelligence and abilities (and because with him being a dragon he prompted her to aspire to heights unheard of in the original storyline) it helped her spark to ignite. Over the years in Magic lore it was never really clear what caused a planeswalker spark to ignite. For some it was being caught in a tragic accident (Bo Levar) and for some it was a heightened state of awareness (Narset). However, the general consensus is that a spark is ignited during an extreme of some sort. Hence why her spark didn't ignite in KTK...she was not propelled to that extreme sense of enlightenment.
My initial sentences were not contradictory. I was implying that the Eldrazi, as far as we can glean from texts, are not sentient as far as being you can reason with. They are, again as far as we know, eating worlds to survive. Bolas, on the other hand, is merely trying to bolster his own strength. If Bolas were to die there would not be a 'natural' imbalance because Bolas's intention are not merely about survival and nothing, so far as we know, that Bolas has done has created any form of harmony. (You could say he helped the mending but again he sacrificed Leshrac for that).
And que current story arc! We don't know what role the Eldrazi play in the multiverse. If it turns out that they are just parasites and do not contribute at all then their death may well be justified.
And while yes, Karn is not callous, he also over time dropped his pacifist morality. We don't know what Ugin was like when he first became a planeswalker. Hell he might have been as horrible as Bolas! But time and experience change everything and Karn is not as old Ugin. Over time Karn may grow to become callous after seeing countless worlds that he could not help.
He reminds me of Karn and Feroz in that Ugin sees a much larger picture. If you've lived for countless millennia your perception of everything will change. Imagine being immortal and able to travel to other worlds. Countless worlds, each at a different stage of social, topographical and technological evolution, each one rife with its own problems. You could spend your immortal existence combating what you believe to be the injustices of the universe...unless you understand that some events are meant to happen. It's one thing to challenge a force such as Ob Nixilis or Nicol Bolas who are sentient beings who either revel in their own power or take joy in the suffering of others, it is quite another to destroy something that may be a natural occurance. I view the Eldrazi the same as I view Galactus; a world consuming entity that has a purpose for the ecosystem of the universe.
Furthermore, if Ugin did not care about whether the Eldrazi destroyed worlds or not why trap them? Ugin is a ageless being who is vastly powerful, if what you say is true he could easily scoff at other worlds and let the Eldrazi munch away. I believe he wanted to trap them to learn more about them. What if he was close to a discovery when Bolas killed him? What if Tarkir wasn't the only reason Ugin needed to be revived? His magic involves converting matter into energy and all can use it. Since the Eldrazi are beings made of energy perhaps he was developing magic to combat or challenge the Eldrazi
I wonder what direction they would take if Hasbro didn't own Wizards...
In truth, beyond the need to find something to challenge Bolas, Wizards understands that younger generations love large scale, epic battles between the forces of 'good' and 'evil'. I kind of wish Magic was more like A Song of Ice and Fire and the lines between such were more blurred. But oh well. Ugin is still in his infant stages and we'll just have to see if his existence gets justified in some meaningful way.
I also think that when development decided to make Nicol Bolas a major antagonist in the current Magic storyline they probably also thought that they would need some kind of force to balance him out. I think a larger slap in the face would have been to bring an already known Elder Dragon, like Chromium, back to battle Bolas.
The problems with a fictional universe is that it infinitely expands across time based on the whims of mortals who want to make memorable characters but are also bound by profit margins!
Sidisi: "What the- I could have done that this whole time?!"
Ojutai: "Discipline, effort, wisdom, focus, these are the cobblestones of the path to true enlightenment."
Student: "Yes Lord Ojutai. But lately I have heard some vile rumors about our peoples' history that-"
*SLAP!*
Ojutai: "What did you learn?"
Student: "Ow! Lord Ojutai, why did you slap me?! I simply asked about the rumor concerning Tarkir's-"
*SLAP!*
Ojutai: "What did you learn?"
Student: "OWW! Lord Ojutai! Why do you keep-"
*SLAP!*
Ojutai: "What did you learn?"
Student: *sobbing* "That- that L-Lord Ojutai's version of history is t-true."
Ojutai: "Very good, young one."
Dromoka
Dromoka: "Blood is life, but it shall no longer be that which binds our people together. Our people shall focus on the strength of our community as a whole and work together towards a brighter future. Therefore, my first decree is that we build...A COMMUNITY REC CENTER! It shall be a place where all can gather to exercise and be among friends! It shall also offer an after school program for parents who must work overtime! It shall also offer family counseling and adult education services! Furthermore, the first Tuesday of every month we shall have a pot luck...A POT LUCK I SAY! And on that night there shall also be a raffle with the first prize being a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble! I HAVE SPOKEN!"
Silumgar
Silumgar: "MINE! MINE MINE MINE! All of this stuff is mine! You, old naga wench! What is that shiny bauble you are wearing? Give it to me for it is mine!"
Old Naga: "But Lord Silumgar! It has been in my family for generations! My grandmother's grandmother-"
Silumgar: "MINE! IT IS NOW MINE! You, random planeswalker! You too are now mine! I shall wear you around my neck like my Tasi-bling!"
Random Planeswalker: "Lord Silumgar! I am a person and not someone's property-"
Silumgar: "MINE!"
Kolaghan
Kolaghan: "We must be swift! We must be ready! We must strike with ruthlessness and cunning so our adversaries do not know what has hit them!"
Zurgo: *breathing heavily* "B-but, my Lord Kolaghan!" *wheezing* "We've been-" *wheezing* "Running for quite some time now. Can we maybe-" *wheezing* "Cut back on some of the cardio and work on...I don't know...our upper body strength or our cores?!" *wheezing* "I feel as a tall, male orc that-" *wheezing* "I should be stronger than this! They make fun of me at the gym! They call me Taco Bell! Maybe-" *wheezing* "If I spent more time lifting weights-"
Kolaghan: "SILENCE! You still have ten more laps to run, weakling!"
Atarka
Atarka: "Blurph gurbl iff hurgublefug!"
Dragon Servant: "Lord Atarka. I can't understand you when your mouth is full of...well...people. Please chew, swallow and then repeat your command-"
Older Dragon Servant: "Quiet, or she'll eat you when she is done! Just smile and nod, bro. You'll live longer!"
Dragon Servant: "Oh...yes Lord Atarka! Your strength and ferocity are unequal! Allow me to present to you four mammoth carcasses flame broiled and seasoned with rosemary and thyme just the way you like them!"
Ojutai: Wisdom
Atarka: Savagery
Dromoka: Community
Silumgar: Avarice
Kolagharn: Cunning/Speed
These traits are what the original clans idolized in the original Tarkir. Now these traits are made flesh and in their purest forms. In fact, these traits all symbolize what could be described as the core essence of dragonhood. These traits may also be a diffusion of what Ugin is or what he aspires to be: balance. It is probably why Ugin is colorless.
I am not condoning what the dragon lords did to the khans, and the universe knows that our own history has been dictated by those holding the pens, but the fact remains that Tarkir is now a more robust and vibrant version of what it once was. So the matter is subjective: do we condemn the dragon lords for erasing the history of an entire culture or do we praise them for creating a new culture far more vibrant and, dare I say, peaceful than the last?
To be honest, though, most cultures have formed on this planet from either a blending of culture or a quashing of other cultures. Unless you are a member of a tribe or a community of people who has had no experience with ANY other civilized people then most likely your root culture has been altered somehow. I am not saying that genocide or cultural oppression are justifiable offenses, but the dragon lords represent the ideological apex of what the clans already were and it was not as if the clans were peaceful individuals and the dragons bloodthirsty tyrants. There was already a war going on; a war which would have meant the extinction of every other race on Tarkir. The races bent the knee and over the course of 1,280 years the races developed a coexistence with the dragons.
In my opinion the dragon lords brought out the best in each culture without the cultures even knowing it.
In fact I find his deepening appreciation of Narset after her transcendence to be rather refreshing. Instead of being arrogant and angry towards Narset for achieving a form of spiritual elevation he never could he simply postulated questions rooted in existensialism, smiled and flew away. Though the meaning is subjective I feel as if he was proud and happy that his most beloved pupil achieved such a feat.
I am now curious if Ugin would want to utilize Narset, Sarkhan and Sorin to help re-trap the Eldrazi or, since technically Sarkhan is a temporal anomaly, if the writers will kill off the planeswalking Sarkhan somehow and keep the new unbroken one.
That is an interesting perspective and I thank you for the observation. I agree that Ojutai had vengeance against the Jeskai for his race. Being a dragon I'm assuming that aggression, strength and violence are probably sewn into the core of his being. I am interested in his character moreso now because of this unique take on dragons (usually dragons are just vile bastards in Magic!)
That I will agree with, good sir! I guess I just found it interesting that Ojutai and Narset smiled at each other at the end of the story. Perhaps Ojutai realized, before the fall of the khans, that he couldn't create the kind of balance HE thought was appropriate for the Jeskai unless the clans were revamped and dissenters against the new order had to be killed. It's probably why he decided to kill Shun Yu; because the Jeskai followed Shun Yu's teachings and he wanted them to follow his teachings instead.
All in all, though obviously Ojutai has murdered probably thousands in his lifetime, I cannot believe a being that seeks knowledge, zen and who clearly respects his pupils to be a heartless monster.
And que current story arc! We don't know what role the Eldrazi play in the multiverse. If it turns out that they are just parasites and do not contribute at all then their death may well be justified.
And while yes, Karn is not callous, he also over time dropped his pacifist morality. We don't know what Ugin was like when he first became a planeswalker. Hell he might have been as horrible as Bolas! But time and experience change everything and Karn is not as old Ugin. Over time Karn may grow to become callous after seeing countless worlds that he could not help.
Furthermore, if Ugin did not care about whether the Eldrazi destroyed worlds or not why trap them? Ugin is a ageless being who is vastly powerful, if what you say is true he could easily scoff at other worlds and let the Eldrazi munch away. I believe he wanted to trap them to learn more about them. What if he was close to a discovery when Bolas killed him? What if Tarkir wasn't the only reason Ugin needed to be revived? His magic involves converting matter into energy and all can use it. Since the Eldrazi are beings made of energy perhaps he was developing magic to combat or challenge the Eldrazi
In truth, beyond the need to find something to challenge Bolas, Wizards understands that younger generations love large scale, epic battles between the forces of 'good' and 'evil'. I kind of wish Magic was more like A Song of Ice and Fire and the lines between such were more blurred. But oh well. Ugin is still in his infant stages and we'll just have to see if his existence gets justified in some meaningful way.
I also think that when development decided to make Nicol Bolas a major antagonist in the current Magic storyline they probably also thought that they would need some kind of force to balance him out. I think a larger slap in the face would have been to bring an already known Elder Dragon, like Chromium, back to battle Bolas.
The problems with a fictional universe is that it infinitely expands across time based on the whims of mortals who want to make memorable characters but are also bound by profit margins!