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CountDorku Official Tesladyne Employee TM from toiling in the Space Mines Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Official Tesladyne Employee TM
#9201: Aug 8th 2018 at 9:56:48 PM

I'm currently accepting donations for the "Put Bolas Back Under That Tree And Leave Him There" fund.

You are dazzled by my array of very legal documents.
rikalous World's Cutest Direwolf from Upscale Mordor Since: May, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
World's Cutest Direwolf
#9202: Aug 8th 2018 at 10:08:15 PM

Only problem there is that given all the millennia and apocalypses since, we can't count on the tree's species still being around, never mind the individual plant.

Edit: Actually, for values of "that tree" that include the plane of Ixalan, wasn't that basically the plan?

Edited by rikalous on Aug 8th 2018 at 10:08:23 AM

CountDorku Official Tesladyne Employee TM from toiling in the Space Mines Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Official Tesladyne Employee TM
#9203: Aug 8th 2018 at 10:35:32 PM

dammit ugin stealing my ideas again

You are dazzled by my array of very legal documents.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#9204: Aug 8th 2018 at 11:41:20 PM

Nicol probably rendered all of those trees extinct as payback.

Also, I will bet good money that in their actual battle Ugin shouted something like "I should have left you under that tree for the hunters!"

It's got to suck knowing that the very first thing you did in life would turn out to be your biggest mistake.

Edited by M84 on Aug 9th 2018 at 2:48:17 AM

Disgusted, but not surprised
NickTheSwing Since: Aug, 2009
#9205: Aug 9th 2018 at 12:45:39 AM

...holy shit I am actually feeling a sense of connection to Nicol Bolas. I've felt like that a distressing amount of times.

Sign on for this After The End Fantasy RP.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#9206: Aug 9th 2018 at 1:05:39 AM

Everything Nicol has done is so that he can forget that a tree rendered him helpless and that he was terrified of human hunters and their hounds.

No wonder he wants to kill Ugin. Ugin is the one being in all creation who has seen him at his most vulnerable. By slaying Ugin, he can symbolically erase that part of his life.

He probably also wants to kill Ugin because Ugin also reminds him that he wasn't originally Nicol Bolas. Just Nicol. Ugin is a living reminder that Nicol is only "half" of a true Elder Dragon, as Chromium Ruell claimed.

Edited by M84 on Aug 9th 2018 at 4:06:59 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
Lightblade The Shrouded Knight from Philadelphia Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
The Shrouded Knight
#9207: Aug 13th 2018 at 3:38:35 PM

Introducing the Spellslinger Starter Kit, including partial decklists (partial because there are a few Guilds of Ravnica cards in them.)

I could've used one of these a few weeks ago when my half-brother and his girlfriend were at my house and I tried teaching them how to play, because I'm not quite sure that my Red/White Vehicles deck was the most beginner-friendly one to hand her.

Also, back before I started playing, I remembered hearing that Wizards had a starter product similar to this at one time. One where you weren't supposed to shuffle the decks for the first game so as to control the order in which players are introduced to the game's elements. Did such a thing exist, or am I misremembering something?

Edited by Lightblade on Aug 13th 2018 at 6:41:08 AM

The Living Guildpact rules that coffee is an acceptable substitution for rest as specified in subsection … whatever.
ViperMagnum357 Since: Mar, 2012
#9208: Aug 13th 2018 at 3:50:04 PM

[up]Have not heard about a 'set' deck, though that happens in some of the tutorials for the video games. The Portal sets were supposed to be entry level sets, which excluded Instants, Artifacts and Enchantments.

Usual advice for new players is to give them a mostly-creature aggro deck, and play them with a less creature-intensive aggro deck to get them used to phases and calculating damage and blocking schemes. Then have them keep using that same deck before moving through midrange,aggro-control, pure control, and finally combo. Then have them work through the same list as a player, not just as an opponent.

Lightblade The Shrouded Knight from Philadelphia Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
The Shrouded Knight
#9209: Aug 15th 2018 at 4:49:57 PM

Magic Story: Chronicle of Bolas: The Unwritten Now

Yasova and the twins hear the end of Ugin's version of history and risk defying Nicol Bolas himself.

The good news is, Yasova managed to scare away Nicol Bolas! The bad news is, this is how he found out about the Immortal Sun.

Edited by Lightblade on Aug 15th 2018 at 7:49:40 AM

The Living Guildpact rules that coffee is an acceptable substitution for rest as specified in subsection … whatever.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#9210: Aug 20th 2018 at 2:15:03 AM

The way he reacts to Baishya claiming he's stuck in the past is telling. He really hasn't been able to move on from being stuck under that tree.

Disgusted, but not surprised
googlebot Herald of Endless Research. from The misty Albion Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Herald of Endless Research.
#9211: Aug 27th 2018 at 1:30:28 PM

Warm-up retrospective before Ravnica. I have unhealthy expectations from the next sets; need to pace myself not to be disappointed.

What do you guys want from Ravnica, this time?

Edited by googlebot on Aug 27th 2018 at 11:32:30 AM

“You can’t be an important and life-changing presence for some people without also being a joke and embarrassment to others.” -Mark Manson.
ViperMagnum357 Since: Mar, 2012
#9212: Aug 27th 2018 at 3:49:44 PM

[up]Vraska still alive to go on that date with Jace. Also, I want to finally see what happens when you have The Reveal of Planeswalkers and at least some of the multiverse on a populous, advanced plane with significant technology and magic use.

Edited by ViperMagnum357 on Aug 27th 2018 at 7:44:17 AM

rikalous World's Cutest Direwolf from Upscale Mordor Since: May, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
World's Cutest Direwolf
#9213: Aug 27th 2018 at 4:17:28 PM

Isn't it a plot point in the novels that the local planeswalkers expect the answer to be "Niv-Mizzet has entirely too much fun for anyone's good"?

ViperMagnum357 Since: Mar, 2012
#9214: Aug 27th 2018 at 4:50:30 PM

[up]Jace makes an offhand comment about Niv in a recent story about preparing for Bolas, so dealing with him one way or another is clearly a priority. That particular Dragon is one of the few beings on Ravnica that would pose a terminal threat to a competent, experienced planeswalker, and his hunger for power means he will not sit quietly on the sidelines with the whole universe just over the metaphorical horizon.

Too bad none of the current crop besides Teferi and Karn were directly involved in the Phyrexian Invasion of Dominaria-hopefully, those two are able to impress upon the others the seriousness of a threat than can be posed by a non-planeswalker with the magic, knowledge and time to study the planes.

Edited by ViperMagnum357 on Aug 27th 2018 at 7:50:13 AM

googlebot Herald of Endless Research. from The misty Albion Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Herald of Endless Research.
#9215: Aug 28th 2018 at 9:06:14 AM

And the leak season begins! [lol]

I want Simic to get something neat... that isn't more counters. Come to think of it, I want all the guilds get something neat. And, Commanders. Lots and lots of commanders.

I want more Slavic allusions. More lore for Ravnica in general. And most of all, I want there to be Ravnica to return to after it all. [lol]

... More Ral/Jace shipping material.

“You can’t be an important and life-changing presence for some people without also being a joke and embarrassment to others.” -Mark Manson.
ViperMagnum357 Since: Mar, 2012
#9216: Aug 28th 2018 at 9:08:59 AM

[up]Liliana, Chandra, Ral, Vraska...and I thought Chandra was the village bicycle. [lol]

googlebot Herald of Endless Research. from The misty Albion Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Herald of Endless Research.
#9217: Aug 28th 2018 at 9:23:45 AM

[up]Giddeon has more claims to Jace than Chandra; Chandra has Nissa; Liliana has Giddeon now.

Edit: Kiora/Vraska for that sea-ship.

Edited by googlebot on Aug 28th 2018 at 7:24:31 PM

“You can’t be an important and life-changing presence for some people without also being a joke and embarrassment to others.” -Mark Manson.
ViperMagnum357 Since: Mar, 2012
#9218: Aug 28th 2018 at 9:41:41 AM

[up]Well, Chandra has a canonical crush on Gideon and some UST with Jace. Then her touchy-feely relationship with Nissa and something that varies between teasing and awkward with Liliana has led to more than a few theories that is was Chandra rather than Gideon holding the Gatewatch together through Amonkhet.

CountDorku Official Tesladyne Employee TM from toiling in the Space Mines Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Official Tesladyne Employee TM
#9219: Aug 29th 2018 at 1:13:34 PM

So a few RavnIIIca spoilers are beginning to drift out: a sorcery for 3BB that returns three creatures (one with CMC 1, one with CMC 2 and one with CMC 3) from your graveyard to the field, and a 7GGG 16/16 wurm with indestructible and convoke. Additionally, Maro's tumblr has confirmed that some of the guilds will be getting returning mechanics while others won't. So I'm going to sit down with Maro's Storm Scale article and indulge in some wild guesswork about which could get returning mechanics and which are probably going to get new ones.

Azorius: Either detain or a new mechanic. Detain fits the Azorius like a glove and is apparently pretty easy to develop, but apparently it doesn't have much design space (although it's not like reprints would be hard to come by compared to using it on another plane).

Boros: Battalion or new mechanic. Radiance has a lot of issues, from thematic fit to unpredictability, but battalion doesn't have anywhere near so many.

Dimir: New mechanic. Both of their past ones are pretty high up the Storm Scale: transmute for being a fiddly, unpopular tutoring mechanic, and cipher for being bad on almost every metric that the Storm Scale uses.

Golgari: Either scavenge or something new. Dredge is...dredge, but scavenge is workable. At the same time, I could see some other graveyard mechanic happening. (Possibly an unearth tweak that works with noncreature permanents as well? ...I should do something with that mechanic sometime.)

Gruul: Either bloodthirst or a new mechanic. Bloodthirst is a lot lower on the scale than bloodrush, and is a more straightforward fit.

Izzet: Possibly replicate, but it could well have a new mechanic. Both of the Izzet's mechanics are hovering in the middle of the scale, so either could happen (although replicate is a little lower), but there are a lot of possible instant/sorcery mechanics they could create.

Orzhov: Probably a new mechanic. Haunt is weird, unpopular and confusing, and extort is functional but has some issues. I could see a tweak on extort working, or they may go for something entirely new.

Rakdos: Their mechanics so far have been developmentally solid but have had issues with popularity. I could see them using either, but it wouldn't surprise me if they had something new.

Selesnya: Well, we have hard evidence of a buy-a-box promo having convoke, so...

Simic: Evolve or new mechanic. Graft requires the right environment to make a return and I have doubts RavnIIIca will be it, and even evolve is high enough on the scale that I wouldn't put money down on it being back.

You are dazzled by my array of very legal documents.
Lightblade The Shrouded Knight from Philadelphia Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
The Shrouded Knight
#9220: Aug 29th 2018 at 3:20:57 PM

Magic Story: Unbowed, Part 1

Vivien Reid investigates the vampire kingdom of Luneau on Ixalan … and is far from happy with what she finds.

The Living Guildpact rules that coffee is an acceptable substitution for rest as specified in subsection … whatever.
rikalous World's Cutest Direwolf from Upscale Mordor Since: May, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
World's Cutest Direwolf
#9221: Aug 29th 2018 at 3:24:26 PM

Vivien's writeup about seeing civilization as a blight has me suspicious that she's gonna be that long-awaited monogreen villain. In which case, thanks for reinforcing that, vampires.

Edited by rikalous on Aug 29th 2018 at 3:29:01 AM

Durazno Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Drift compatible
#9222: Aug 29th 2018 at 3:32:58 PM

I love the concept of cipher, but it feels like Ravnica was the wrong place to introduce it. It already has a pretty tight design space, and limiting it to two colors restricted it even further.

CountDorku Official Tesladyne Employee TM from toiling in the Space Mines Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Official Tesladyne Employee TM
#9223: Aug 30th 2018 at 3:16:09 PM

If this tumblr post is accurate, and given that Maro is answering questions about these abilities it does appear to be, Boros, Golgari, Izzet and Dimir all got new mechanics.

  • Boros: Mentor - when a creature with mentor attacks, it puts a +1/+1 counter on a creature with lower power. I like it. Sort of an aggressive version of bolster.
  • Dimir: Surveil - scry, but you can put it on top or in the graveyard. I assume they'll have stuff that cares about graveyards.
  • Izzet: Jumpstart - You can cast spells with jumpstart from your graveyard by discarding a card and paying their mana cost. They're exiled at the end of the turn, meaning that you could theoretically cast a jumpstart spell multiple times in a turn as long as you have the cards and mana.
  • Golgari: Undergrowth - bonuses based on creature cards in the graveyard.

Edited by CountDorku on Aug 30th 2018 at 8:26:16 PM

You are dazzled by my array of very legal documents.
Lightblade The Shrouded Knight from Philadelphia Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
The Shrouded Knight
#9224: Aug 31st 2018 at 3:36:43 PM

So, here's a theory that popped into my head earlier today, as I was wondering how the Eldrazi figure into Nicol Bolas' plans. Could it be that they don't, and Bolas orchestrated their release just to spite Ugin?

The Living Guildpact rules that coffee is an acceptable substitution for rest as specified in subsection … whatever.
ViperMagnum357 Since: Mar, 2012
#9225: Aug 31st 2018 at 4:50:33 PM

[up]That would track, though there would be something more than spite for such a large expenditure of resources. I think the most likely explanation is that Bolas anticipated such a large scale threat would draw in a lot of Planeswalkers (rivals), likely including the 2 oldwalkers Ugin worked with-and such a threat, faced without Ugin, would likely kill or drain the resources of many, making any plans coming to fruition in the short term much easier (like the Immortal Sun plot). Taking out a few planeswalkers, or at least getting a good look at their abilities, would probably justify the investment.


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