Magic: The Gathering (Unreleased Sets)

Jace’s Origin: Absent Minds.

Interesting story but one that also wasn't quite what I was hoping for here. I definitely would not have gone with the version they ended up with here. I'm really not a fan of Jace being manipulated so frequently.

Tainted Remedy, use it to make Swords to Plowshares even more broken.

The general viewpoint on Jace for years is that he's very bland and plain, "lacking in characterization". Now we see that he lacks that not because of the creators of the block/writers of stories, but because he literally lacks the experiences and memories to be able to undergo "characterization" in the first place. This was well done. They avoid saying a "you suck" to the people in the past (of Wizards), and they also avoid having to say "f**k you, you're wrong anyway" to the players.

edited 24th Jun '15 8:34:37 PM by entropy13

I get that. I just think that there was another way to write the story. I remember the earlier version had Jace wiping his master's mind on accident in a fit of rage and feeling so guilty he wiped his mind. I personally had a different idea in mind for his origin. Same results and all but different road to get there.

Then again, the story you get never does match up to the one in your head.

Personally, I liked it enough to consider Jace potentially Rescued from the Scrappy Heap. It remains to be seen what will become of him in the future, however.

Alhammarret's Archive, Exquisite Firecraft, Painlands

Woodland Bellower

Archangel of Tithes, Unholy Hunger

Helmet of the Gods

Demonic Pact.

That pact looks so familiar... Wasn't that one of the designs for the card that eventually became Waste Not?

Yeah, it was one of the other YMTC designs.

Goblin Piledriver and a bunch of elves. Never thought I'd see piledriver back in standard again.

"Protection is no longer Evergreen."
"THEY GOT RID OF PROTECTION!"
''Include card with protection in very set it's no longer Evergreen."

Personally, I'm more surprised to see a mono-black elf (even with a limited "T for G" ability).

And why does Soulblade Djinn not just say "Creatures you control have Prowess."?

Lowryn is showing up. Gotta have their elves in there somewhere.

As for the djinn, it might be so that the ability counts as one trigger instead of however many that would go off if everything had prowess. Makes some copying powers easier to use.

Cutting down on the number of triggers is also important on MTGO, since you have to click through each one.

Concerning protection, it's worth noting that Ma Ro said that there would be one creature with protection in Magic Origins in the very article he said that protection was no longer evergreen.

They worded it that way to reduce the number of triggers, and the number of...things on the stack. For example, you have five creatures. The difference is having a +1/+1 increase for each of your five creatures, for each noncreature spell cast, compared to having one +1/+1 increase on your five creatures for each noncreature spell cast.

edited 26th Jun '15 10:32:41 AM by entropy13

It is interesting that the one card with protection kind of has a "bad" kind of protection, in that it randomly hoses one colour of deck very harshly. But from the sounds of it Piledriver is Sam Stoddard's pet card, and it is quite a fun and iconic card so maybe this is an appropriate farewell to protection.

Also if any colour needs hosing, its blue.

It can still be countered, right?

Caves of Koilos is back!

Flavor-wise, there are few cards as appropriate for a set called Magic Origins than Caves of Koilos. Dyfed's portal to Phyrexia was created in those caves. The Brothers' War revolved around artifacts found in those caves. The seeds of the Sylex Blast, Urza's Ascension, and the Phyrexian Invasion were planted by insurgents coming out of those caves.

As a story, Magic: The Gathering began in those caves. It is only fitting to see them return here and now.

edited 26th Jun '15 11:01:40 AM by TobiasDrake

Yes, protection only occurs when it's on the field. You need "can't be countered" to bypass counters.

edited 26th Jun '15 11:13:13 AM by nightwyrm_zero

Thought so. That means blue is the one colour protection doesn't hose completely, which is probably why they allowed it.

edited 26th Jun '15 11:16:05 AM by Elfive

I did not know that, and it's very nice that I do now. Thank you!

You're welcome!

<.< I am a hardcore Vorthos.

Mothership previews!

Maro's Making Magic article, previewing Thopter Spy Network.

Reid Duke's Level One article, previewing Molten Vortex.

Magic Arcana with basic land art.

The most important reprint.

Gavin Verhey's Reconstructed (Priest of the Blood Rite)

Chas Andres' My Favorite Flavor (Talent of the Telepath)

Bruce Richard's Serious Fun (Animist's Awakening)