Magic: The Gathering (Unreleased Sets)

I do love full-art basics.

As for BG, there's Nath of the Gilt-Leaf, Sapling of Colfenor, Savra, Sisters of Stone Death, and Vhati il-Dal, and Skullbriar is only graveyard-focused in a tangential way (in that it keeps the counters when it goes to the graveyard). Which is more than half of the 11 BG legendaries.

These new dual lands sound like enemy manlands.

That was my thought as well. It's the most obvious prediction, at any rate.

FTV: Angels full contents

Aurelia, Platinum, Baneslayer, Entreat, Lightning, Exalted, Jenara, Archangel of Strife and a beautiful new-art Iridescent Angel.

No Akroma? Sad-face.

Being a hilariously in-universe example of Replacement Goldfish Mary Sue fanfiction, Akroma is one of my favorite Angels.

edited 10th Aug '15 1:26:43 PM by TobiasDrake

Both versions of Akroma are in.

Woot!

I think, character-wise, I like Red Akroma better than regular-universe White Akroma.

I would have chosen Empyrial Archangel over Jenara for the Bant angel because the art is way better.

And it would have been cool if they could get a black angel in there. Either Desolation Angel or Angel of Despair. Or Deathpact Angel because every set could use more Jason Chan.

edited 10th Aug '15 4:10:18 PM by MrShine

They've got Tariel in there, she's Black White Red.

Tariel sucks. That armour is a fashion disaster.

It's the crystallized blood of those she brings back to life.

...explain?

Quite weird to call Akroma a Mary Sue, considering Ixidor intentionally made her a Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds...like him! lol

edited 11th Aug '15 9:12:07 AM by entropy13

Ixidor was a powerful illusionist capable of basically reality-warping with his illusions. This was depicted in the game by having his illusions lack the standard Illusion clause, "Sacrifice this creature if it becomes the target of a spell or ability." His illusions had permanency.

Short version: after the woman he loved died, he created Akroma, who was identical to her except that she had ALL THE SUPERPOWERS and was THE BEST ANGEL EVER. This is why she has so many abilities: she's a made-up version of an actual person Ixidor lost, but recreated as the most awesome thing in the universe that can do everything and beat everybody.

Akroma is Ixidor's in-universe Possession Sue Fix Fic given life.

edited 11th Aug '15 10:56:30 AM by TobiasDrake

See I knew none of that and reading the FTV article I thought Ixidor was the one who designed the card, being a real life illusionist (stage magician).

So I'm like "fuck that is a casual way to describe some dude desiging a card over his wife's murder"

In my defence a few of the paragraphs before it started out describing the design process of the card or the artist.

Except she can't do everything (tried killing Phage, lost her legs instead) and she can't beat everybody (Phage didn't die, Kamahl killed Akroma)...

edited 11th Aug '15 7:16:14 PM by entropy13

Kamahl, now there was a tough motherfucker.

So tough he killed someone ACCIDENTALLY.

"Oops I swung it too hard"

edited 11th Aug '15 9:35:40 PM by entropy13

Yeah, but not for lack of trying. Ixidor's unique and special snowflake hit the brick wall of Reality Ensues.

Phage is super-good at killing things. Especially players. Especially the player who cast her.

edited 12th Aug '15 9:10:26 AM by TobiasDrake

I see. Akroma's just an in-universe Mary Sue, not a "real" one.

edited 16th Aug '15 8:06:01 AM by Durazno

Well even in-universe she was supposed to be one, but she still isn't. Because if she was Karona shouldn't have come to be. And she is the actual Mary Sue.

edited 16th Aug '15 9:06:56 AM by entropy13

http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/arcana/duel-decks-zendikar-vs-eldrazi-2015-08-17

Decklist for Zendikar VS Eldrazi is out, along with some mechanic spoilers.

Devoid: Eldrazi cards are colorless despite having a colored mana symbol in their casting cost.

Ingest: Dealing combat damage to someone with this card exiles the top card of that player's library.

Awaken: If you cast this spell for the awaken cost, in addition to doing whatever it was going to do, you animate a land, it gets haste, and you put some number of +1/+1 counters on it.

Allies are back.

Landfall is back.

edited 17th Aug '15 8:51:20 AM by givepass

As the spoiler season have (sorta) started, let the bitching and complaining commence!

My thoughts on the new mechanics:

Devoid - Reminds me a bit of colored artifacts. Colored costing Eldrazi except they're still colorless...

Ingest - Obviously not really a milling mechanic but a mechanic for synergizing with "play x from opponent's Exile zone" stuff. And so, the Exile zone becomes another GY zone.

Awaken - Yay, another kicker variant....

I think you can repeatedly awaken the same land if you want, so that could get fun.