I can't believe they are really making a 6th Basic Land! REALLY WEIRD that it's not in the first set. I'm a bit disappointed that it's so heavily Eldrazi themed, but it actually looks cool and "Wastes" sound generic enough they could use it just about anywhere.
Three things.
1. Too soon to go back to Innistrad.
2. Two repeat planes in a row is wonky.
3. Killing/corrupting the angels is so weak. I really hope that's not the story angle they go for. Innistrad was one of the only blocks where the last set had some kind of positivity, it wasn't just some apocalypse or something, but it still was kind of lousy. Can't cure werewolves, MORE demons, vampires and undead too resilient to get rid of. It still sucked, but it had some glimmer of hope with the angels returning, werewolves becoming wolfir, etc. So they have to go back and ruin it. I mean, what else would an angel feather turning into blood and Avacyn's symbol melting mean other than killing/corrupting the angels?
Considering the color pairs were supposed to be themed around different Planes, this is intense flavor failure. Oh well...
Come on, the Blue-Green land could have been Breeding Pool...
The Green-Black land could have been Gilt-Leaf Palace...
The Red-Green land could have been Raging Ravine...
And some new ones and stuff...
It would have been really fun and super flavorful. Probably would have been "too complicated" though...and...not very balanced admittedly.
The best source we have for Ugin's thoughts about the Eldrazi are in Nahiri's Uncharted Realms story here.
Ugin (at least states that he) would rather stop the Eldrazi from eating worlds, but also says that destroying the Eldrazi "may not be possible" and "certainly isn't wise". In fact, Ugin prefers to NOT destroy the Eldrazi, but imprison them (possibly forever) instead. What percentage of his preference to not destroy the Eldrazi comes from the presumed futility and suicidality of destroying the Eldrazi, what percentage comes from his uncertainty (or possible knowledge) about how the Eldrazi fit in the multiversal ecosystem, and what percentage comes from his uncertainty about whether the Eldrazi "deserve death", I don't know.
At any rate, Nahiri retorts, "But I question the moral judgment of anyone who views the destruction of an entire world as a research project" after she learns that Ugin did nothing to help her and Sorin out with the inhabitants of a plane that the Eldrazi were attacking. (We never hear Ugin's reaction to this, as Sorin changes the subject.)
While I don't think that Ugin is explicitly planning to harness the Eldrazi, and I do think he'd rather stop them over and over again, he is possibly morally opposed to killing the Eldrazi, and I suspect he is fond of researching them.
I think due to the fact that Ugin is colorless non-artifact similar to the Eldrazi would make him see them as possible allys rather than foes. I feel a Galactus vibe from Ugin.
I get a Galactus vibe from the Eldrazi.
Ugin seems more like...the Watcher, while we are comparing to Marvel characters.
Eldrazi again. Magic the Gathering returns to Sci-Fi yet again!
So...ummm, when I heard that apparently they found a way to make a colorless land that gets past problems like non-basic land hate...I was hoping there'd be some kind of "basic" colorless land in Tarkir, in relation to Ugin. Maybe it would be in Dragons of Tarkir because Ugin survived...But there's not really much colorless support AT ALL in Dragons of Tarkir yet, is there??
So now, I think, if they do make a "basic" colorless land, it will be in Battle for Zendikar block. Some Eldrazi themed land. Land drained of mana by the Eldrazi! (not my idea)
Speaking of Eldrazi, their signature mechanic, Annihilator, is supposedly high on the Storm scale, for good reason. But consider this, maybe the Eldrazi just Annihilate stuff when they first get somewhere? After hanging out in Zendikar active for a while, they don't just "annihilate", they do something else...(new keyword?)
I just remembered some custom cards I made a while ago, but I don't remember exactly how they worked. They were paradoxical or useless effects. Such as....
"Unshroud" U
Instant
Target creature loses shroud until end of turn.
"Indestroyable" B
Instant
Destroy target indestructible creature.
I don't remember the others, but, I can think of something similar:
"Defensive Rage" R
Instant
Target creature with defender attacks this turn if able. (this might work on rare occasions)
"Tap-Tap" W
Instant
Tap target tapped permanent.
"Ant Strength" G
Instant
Target creature gets +0/+0 until end of turn.
I'm not good at names, but I actually like Ant Strength! (even though ants in Magic can fight)
I mainly just want some quick, simple, cheap way to get a bunch of new colorless basics all at once. So, I want like, a an all-colorless intro pack with 20 or so colorless basics...! I do think if the colorless basics are any "good" though, such a thing might get bought out fast, maybe? A colorless event deck for Dragons of Tarkir might work...
Is it weird that I'm super excited for the possibility of a new basic land that just adds 1 to your mana pool and has a new land type? Because I am.
Random thought:
If we do get a colorless basic land...
And if we do get it in Tarkir block...
Do you think we'll get any in Intro Packs or Fat Packs? Because I'd love that. (Although if a Fat Pack had the 5 Basics + a colorless basic, it wouldn't be very many of each...)
For the people who really want "your creatures have Morph" to be a thing, I think most of the problems would be solves by making it a Conspiracy. Then it stays true during the whole game and there's no question of "when did you cast this exactly?".
subbak
Or an emblem!
...wha? That sounds like it could be an Ugin ability! Giving all your creatures Morph doesn't really sound like an Ultimate to me. I mean, I dunno, I haven't really used Morph all that much, maybe I'm wrong!
Well, since Morph in Tarkir has a "Dragon-y" flavor to it, and since Morph creatures are colorless, I assume Morph magic in Tarkir was from Ugin. So giving him some Morph emblem effect would fit...
Next Planeswalker Duel Deck? What if Ugin gets a Planeswalker Card and Bolas gets a new one? X VS UBR!! Would make a great duel deck right? So we'd get Sorin vs Ugin instead.
I'm kidding. I'm actually super excited that's it's Elspeth vs Kiora. Really been wanting Kiora, and Elspeth seems cool. I wonder if we'll get Emblems in this Duel Deck? As far as I remember, they've never reprinted an Emblem or given an Emblem alternate art. So, imagine Emblems with Elspeth and Kiora's new art!
1. Too soon to go back to Innistrad.
2. Two repeat planes in a row is wonky.
3. Killing/corrupting the angels is so weak. I really hope that's not the story angle they go for. Innistrad was one of the only blocks where the last set had some kind of positivity, it wasn't just some apocalypse or something, but it still was kind of lousy. Can't cure werewolves, MORE demons, vampires and undead too resilient to get rid of. It still sucked, but it had some glimmer of hope with the angels returning, werewolves becoming wolfir, etc. So they have to go back and ruin it. I mean, what else would an angel feather turning into blood and Avacyn's symbol melting mean other than killing/corrupting the angels?
Wizards of the Coast sure hate their angels.
A 5 color Legendary Ally NEEDS to happen though. (colorless basics too)
Honestly, with Zendikar's land theme, it should have Land Creatures and Fortifications.
(I'll take new Land types too)
Come on, the Blue-Green land could have been Breeding Pool...
The Green-Black land could have been Gilt-Leaf Palace...
The Red-Green land could have been Raging Ravine...
And some new ones and stuff...
It would have been really fun and super flavorful. Probably would have been "too complicated" though...and...not very balanced admittedly.
I get a Galactus vibe from the Eldrazi.
Ugin seems more like...the Watcher, while we are comparing to Marvel characters.
Also, I didn't notice that there were 5 extra cards. 5 Basic lands. With a new Land type!!!!
So...ummm, when I heard that apparently they found a way to make a colorless land that gets past problems like non-basic land hate...I was hoping there'd be some kind of "basic" colorless land in Tarkir, in relation to Ugin. Maybe it would be in Dragons of Tarkir because Ugin survived...But there's not really much colorless support AT ALL in Dragons of Tarkir yet, is there??
So now, I think, if they do make a "basic" colorless land, it will be in Battle for Zendikar block. Some Eldrazi themed land. Land drained of mana by the Eldrazi! (not my idea)
Speaking of Eldrazi, their signature mechanic, Annihilator, is supposedly high on the Storm scale, for good reason. But consider this, maybe the Eldrazi just Annihilate stuff when they first get somewhere? After hanging out in Zendikar active for a while, they don't just "annihilate", they do something else...(new keyword?)
I just remembered some custom cards I made a while ago, but I don't remember exactly how they worked. They were paradoxical or useless effects. Such as....
"Unshroud" U
Instant
Target creature loses shroud until end of turn.
"Indestroyable" B
Instant
Destroy target indestructible creature.
I don't remember the others, but, I can think of something similar:
"Defensive Rage" R
Instant
Target creature with defender attacks this turn if able. (this might work on rare occasions)
"Tap-Tap" W
Instant
Tap target tapped permanent.
"Ant Strength" G
Instant
Target creature gets +0/+0 until end of turn.
I'm not good at names, but I actually like Ant Strength! (even though ants in Magic can fight)
Is it weird that I'm super excited for the possibility of a new basic land that just adds 1 to your mana pool and has a new land type? Because I am.
Random thought:
If we do get a colorless basic land...
And if we do get it in Tarkir block...
Do you think we'll get any in Intro Packs or Fat Packs? Because I'd love that. (Although if a Fat Pack had the 5 Basics + a colorless basic, it wouldn't be very many of each...)
...wha? That sounds like it could be an Ugin ability! Giving all your creatures Morph doesn't really sound like an Ultimate to me. I mean, I dunno, I haven't really used Morph all that much, maybe I'm wrong!
Well, since Morph in Tarkir has a "Dragon-y" flavor to it, and since Morph creatures are colorless, I assume Morph magic in Tarkir was from Ugin. So giving him some Morph emblem effect would fit...
I'm kidding. I'm actually super excited that's it's Elspeth vs Kiora. Really been wanting Kiora, and Elspeth seems cool. I wonder if we'll get Emblems in this Duel Deck? As far as I remember, they've never reprinted an Emblem or given an Emblem alternate art. So, imagine Emblems with Elspeth and Kiora's new art!
(...actually, wait, I think I love that idea. Then again I want a 6th color and Enchantment Lands, so...)