#// The DEITIES cast will be back to their usual shenanigans soon too

[deitiesofduat]

DEITIES Updates 5/7/17

Heyyyy everyone~ It's been a while since one of these update, hasn't it... oTL

I've been meaning to write a proper update for the DEITIES blog this month, and while I had mentioned some of what I've been up to in this last ask reply, I'll try to expand on the more relevant topics here!

Most information will be under the cut, but TL;DR this update will cover the (almost) end of my semi-hiatus; progress with the main and prelude stories of DEITIES; plans for Worldbuilding June 2017; the upcoming Patreon for DEITIES and my other artwork; and other updates and plans for DEITIES Project and the blog.

END OF SEMI-HIATUS (N-not yet, but soon…)

As the post regarding the semi-hiatus had mentioned, I hadn't planned to end it any earlier than the end of May / beginning of June. And with all that's been happening the past few months, I think it'll be best for me to stick to that initial estimate. Once I finish the bulk of my obligations this month it'll be a little easier to breath and return focus to my artwork and DEITIES progress, and with keeping the blog a bit more active.

Having said that, I'll admit that taking this hiatus was probably a good call. I've missed updating the blog, but it helped that I took time away from it without fretting over staying active. I was able to revisit other personal artwork and interests, had time to handle some personal struggles, and have been making some necessary (but positive??) adjustments to different areas of my life, both online and offline.

While I'm still figuring things out, I'm feeling more at ease and I'm in a better place than I had been 3 months ago. And I thank everyone for being patient and bearing with my MIA-ness during this time.

As for DEITIES, my motivation to continue working on it hasn't diminished; in fact I'm feeling more energized to work on sharing updates with it soon. But I have been using time to reflect on how to keep everyone updated and engaged with the project, while simultaneously focusing on creating the comic for the main story -- both of which I enjoy, but also each take a lot of time and attention as an independent creator. Which bring me to the following updates:

MAIN STORY + PRELUDE PROGRESS

Even tho I hadn't had much art to share on the blog during the semi-hiatus, I did keep to my goal of making significant progress on  drafting the story for DEITIES, albeit not in the way I expected. Before the hiatus, I was at about the halfway point with the main story, and when I went back to revisit it, I realized I needed to adjust my approach. So I spent some time re-formatting my longer synopses into more digestible outlines -- something that seems more intuitive in hindsight, but that I had never really learned or practiced, before.

While doing so, I was able to make a few changes to the storyline and even figured out how to fix a few roadblocks / potential plot holes I was stumped on -- at least, so far. I even managed to draft out the ending chapters of the story -- which would be SUPER EXCITING if I still didn't need to work my way thru the remainder of the middle so the plot makes sense o)----< But at this point, I can say that the story's draft is about… 3/4th done?? And if I can keep up my momentum I can hopefully finish it this summer, if not sooner.

As for the prelude -- for those just tuning in, DEITIES has a prelude comic in the works -- a way for me to practice the process of creating a shorter comic before diving into the larger one. Unlike the main story, the prelude's first draft IS more or less completed, but it needs heavy revision, esp with the changes I've made to the main story. It'll get worked on soon tho, and hopefully I can start moving to thumb-nailing, and then page-making, soon!

WORLDBUILDING JUNE 2017

Yep, it's nearly that time of again~ My run from last year's Worldbuilding June was one of my more productive months in 2016 for sharing written and drawn worldbuilding notes for DEITIES verse. I'm hoping I can do it again this year, not only to complete some long-overdue notes, but to also update older notes and complete some missing/placeholder artwork -- even redraw a few of them if I find the drive and time!

For now, I want to complete at least two new sets of written notes -- “Divine Regalia and Weapons,” and “The Was Scepter” --  and all artwork that comes with it, but if I can get to more notes and artwork in that time, I'll do so! It'll depend on how much free time I can afford while I work on another large project in June -- one that I’ve considered for quite some time, but that I've finally decided was worth starting...

UPCOMING PATREON (~JUNE 2017)

Guess I might as well share this too haha >> The idea of starting a Patreon to help support my work on DEITIES has been on my mind for a while, but I wanted to wait until I had the project well established first, and had gathered enough interest. I also wanted to be sure I had the means and time to offer decent incentives to those willing to become a patron, as a thank you for the extra support.

During my hiatus, I had time to revisit the idea, as well as observe other creators launch their campaigns and watch how they managed their patreons. I eventually realized it would be more ideal to start my own patreon campaign sooner rather than later, so I'd have the time to practice and learn the interface. And by supplementing my art with a bit monetary support, I'd be able to more easily prioritize time to work on my general art and DEITIES Project.

For anyone who's concerned about missing out on things because you’re unable to make a pledge at this time, please don't fret! I've never obligated anyone to make donations to DEITIES Project, nor will I require donations to view artwork that I already share. Patreon will simply be a way to allow supporters to enjoy a few extra perks, including but not limited to: early access to viewing my art (and eventually, comic pages from DEITIES); WIPS and progress shots of said artwork; and some visual and written notes for the story that I normally don't post online! There will also be some milestone I'll set that will not only unlock more rewards and tiers, but also allow me to provide more art and content online, for everyone to enjoy!

This pitch is very simplified from the one I'm working on for patreon, but I'll save the details for later this month / beginning of June -- which will be more than likely when the patreon will "soft launch" for the first few months as I restore activity to the blog during Worldbuilding June (meaning, patrons will get to see artwork and notes early as I work on them o)9). Once it goes live, I hope you'll all consider pledging early to help support me and the project, and with spreading the word, which will be greatly appreciated!

OTHER UPDATES 

It's been a while since I've mentioned it on the blog, but the DEITIES Spotify has had some playlists updated with new songs -- though you may have to look thru the tracklists to see which ones they are >> Off the top of my head, Set's Masterlist and the Set & Sobek Masterlist have been updated with some notable tracks, with the other playlists adding new tracks here and there.

I also still have about 3 other playlist in the work, I've just lacked time to makes decent covers for them. That, and one… well actually maybe 2 of the upcoming playlists also veers into nsfw-ish territory (lyrics-wise, not the cover lmaosdjflksdf), so I'll be sure to mark it and mention it as a heads up. But as a comparison, if you can comfortably listen to the two aforementioned playlists above, these next ones should be fine~ Just use headphones--

Meanwhile, updates on the DEITIES Instagram have slowed a bit, as I work on drafting the story and the patreon, but they will resume once I kick myself to draw more pencil sketches in general. Chances are some pencil sketches will be shared on IG after I share the finished artwork on patreon and the blog, but they’ll still remain available for all followers to view.

Annnnnnnnd I think I’ve covered the bulk of things? From now until the end of my hiatus, I’ll continue building the patreon, drafting more of the story, and prepping for Worldbuilding June, as well as making a few tweaks to the blog here and there. As usual, the DEITIES Askbox is still open for any general questions or comments about the blog, characters, or story.

Until then, thanks again to everyone for your interest in this project and your patience with my absence (and with skimming this update haha) -- I can’t wait to return with more progress on DEITIES Project soon!

[loreleywrites]

Command Zone: The Legends of Ixalan

Ixalan offers ample opportunity to explore, from sailing the vast white-capped sea to wading through the deep jungle bogs. And, like any other new Magic set, it offers new legendary creatures to explore in Commander.

This is a tribal set built around four creature types: Dinosaurs, Pirates, Vampires, and Merfolk. Each tribe gets a legendary creature in their colors at mythic rare, while Pirates, Vampires, and Merfolk get an additional monocolored creature at rare.

Today’s article is going to explore the possibilities of each of these new commanders. It’s a wide-open world for them out there, and each one is eager to hunt/loot/conquer/protect with every ounce of their being.

Welcome to Gishathic Park

No joke caption. I’m just so excited to build a Dinosaur Commander deck.

DINOSAURS.

Now that that’s out of my system, meet Gishath, Sun’s Avatar. They’re the full manifestation of the Sun Empire’s triplicate solar deity, and it’s not surprising that this theropod is a being fit for worship. Vigilance, trample, and haste on a 7/6 mean that as soon as Gishath hits the battlefield, they’re ready to bring the pain. They even have 7 power, the magic number to knock out an opponent with commander damage in only three hits.

The trick is that Gishath costs eight mana. That’s a lot! You’ll want your deck to have plenty of mana ramp (Other Dinosaurs are also expensive to cast.) It also makes Gishath the perfect place for Command Beacon, which lets you get another shot at a (relatively) cheap Gishath when commander tax adds up. Since you won’t be casting this Dinosaur many times, you’ll want to make the most out of it each time. While they already have haste, Gishath still benefits greatly from the protection offered by Lightning Greaves and Swiftfoot Boots. Just make sure to find a cobbler that can adjust them a few sizes larger.

Oh, have I not mentioned the part where Gishath brings a bunch of friends along whenever they smash face into an opponent? Because Gishath does that. They’re damage trigger is what fuels them as a tribal commander. You don’t just want to beat face with Gishath, you want to play all the Dinosaurs. And you’ll really need to play almost all of them. Gishath requires you to hit Dinosaur cards with their ability even when you’re only revealing a few cards. In your 99, you’ll probably want twenty-five to thirty Dinosaur cards. Ixalan can support that right now, but there are quite a few underwhelming creatures there. Free cards are still good; don’t let overall Dinosaur quality get you down. Also remember that Rivals of Ixalan will be expanding their roster in just a few months.

If you’re looking for a ramp deck that can spew out more creatures than typical slower decks, then don’t ignore Gishath, Sun’s Avatar. They hit hard on their own and prove that yes, Dinosaurs do move in herds.

[pirate phrase]

[pirate joke]

Pirate puns are pulpier than a dead horse by now. I will not make them. Gonna play this one straight.

You know who plays nothing straight? Admiral Beckett Brass, who loves looting so much that it’s how she interacts with the entire Pirate tribe. Smashing three (or more!) Pirates into a single player’s face is going to be difficult. It’s not like the Admiral is sneaky about it; her ability is right there! Your opponent know what you’re up to. This is where her anthem effect is tricky too; Break Through the Line would be the perfect card is she didn’t help get your Pirates above 2 power!

Flying seems like the best way to take advantage of Beckett’s kleptomaniacal proclivities. Even cards like Levitation solve this problem. And remember, she counts as one of the Pirates too!

Pirates tend to be smaller creatures, so other than the awkward card interactions, the anthem effect is great at helping this tribe compete in Commander. Evasion mechanics like flying and menace also help them chip in for damage. Many of the Pirates in Ixalan have you drawing cards, so expect to be able to sculpt good hands. Consider playing redundant copies of cards that eliminate your hand size too, such as Reliquary Tower and Thought Vessel. Pirates also have you discarding a lot of cards, so you can tap into Black for a bit of graveyard shenanigans.

Finally, Pirates make those fancy new Treasure tokens. Blue and Red have lots of Commander-worthy cards that care about artifacts, so that might be a subtheme you build into your Pirate deck.

Admiral Beckett Brass knows who she is (a thief), but the rest of the Pirate tribe is a hodgepodge of peeps doing their own things. How you put all those pieces together is up to you, but the result is sure to be a flexible, and underhanded, concoction that always keeps your opponents guessing what happens next.

I Vona Suck Your Blood

She is legit Governor Ratcliffe from Pocahontas.

The Legion of Dusk conquered the continent of Torrezon using the power of the Immortal Sun before it was stolen from them centuries ago. Now they’re sailing to Ixalan’s shores to get it back.

Vona, Butcher of Magan is a war hero from those vampiric wars across the sea. Her new task is to lead the Legion’s conquistadors on an expedition to find the lost city of Orazca, the rumored location of the Immortal Sun. Let’s hope she dies trying.

Five mana for a 4/4 vigilance lifelink already has me excited. Vigilance is one of the best keywords to have in multiplayer Magic, which Commander usually is. Vona gets to swing at your enemies while also dissuading you from cracking back. That also makes lifelink twice as good, as you can gain life on offense and then have the opportunity to gain more on defense.

And if you didn’t get to block with Vona? No biggie. Just tap her and pay 7 life to Vindicate a nonland permanent. This is an ability you’ll probably activate less often than you think. Simply the threat of activating it will persuade your opponents to hold back on their better cards until Vona is dealt with. In the meantime, it’s a great deterrent against attacks. Not only will opponents have to swing into your large lifelinker, they risk a retaliatory strike against their board.

At this point, you might be wondering what this has to do with Vampire tribal. The answer? Not much. Vona is a great card on her own. She doesn’t have to lead a tribal deck. If she does, Vampires have lots of lifegain effects. Use those to fuel her ability.

It’s all a little awkward after Commander (2017 Edition) gave us a bunch of Vampires with a whole other color in them. Edgar Markov is more powerful for Vampire tribal, while Licia, Sanguine Tribune does the whole lifegain thing too. If you want to use Vona, Butcher of Magan as your commander instead, I’d recommend making the most out of her tap ability in order to differentiate her from more colorful options.

Thunderstruck

I’m guessing it’s “thundering waves” thunder, since she’s not a Red card.

Like Vona, Tishana, Voice of Thunder doesn’t specifically interact with her tribe (Merfolk). In fact, the best Tishana decks out there probably don’t run many Merfolk at all. What we have here is a Green/Blue commander that does generic good Green/Blue stuff. You know, like most Green/Blue commanders.

Let’s break down what Tishana cares about. First, her power and toughness beg you to have a lot of cards in your hand. She even alleviates you of your maximum hand size. Thanks, Tishana! Second, she helps fill your hand by drawing you a bunch of cards depending on how many creatures you control (at least one, since she counts herself).

Drawing cards is no problem for this color pair. Whether you draw them over time from Howling Mine or in one shot from Blue Sun’s Zenith is up to you. If you do happen to build a Merfolk tribal deck for Tishana to lead, Kindred Discovery will be one of your best cards. Green has plenty of effects that draw cards equal to the number of creatures you control, which is a thing you’ll probably be working to maximize anyway.

The answer to, “How do I get a bunch of creatures?” is almost always the same: tokens. Green is a master at this, sprouting Saprolings and brooding Insects. Blue is…not as great. It can pump out some Eldrazi Scions (Green can too!), and Homarid Spawning Bed is always sweet tech. If you’re in Merfolk tribal, the new Deeproot Waters can double down on your creature count. Lullmage Mentor is similar, snowballing once you achieve a critical mass of Merfolk.

“Play creatures and draw cards” is fairly open-ended. I can see a lot of different decks being built around Tishana, Voice of Thunder. Merfolk tribal? Tokens? Creature-based control? Her generic abilities give her a ton of flexibility, so feel free to experiment off the beaten path!

Shake Your Booty

Because gold makes a pretty jingling sound.

It’s a shame that Captain Lannery Storm can’t take full advantage of all the Treasure-finding cards in Ixalan. Getting a power boost by doing something you want to do anyway, spend mana, seems like an excellent way to make your opponents dead. Thankfully, Captain Storm is capable of finding her own Treasure.

I love cheap commanders with haste. You can get so many more attacks in with them over the course of a game, which is exactly what this Pirate wants to do. You get a Treasure token whenever she attacks, so extra combat steps are especially profitable.

While you can just sacrifice your Treasure tokens to pump Captain Storm, it’s generally better if you actually give them a purpose. Red has gotten more cards that care about artifacts recently, so that’s a great place to start. Pia and Kiran Nalaar turn that Treasure into extra damage (You cannot use a Treasure to pay for the ability though.) Trash for Treasure can use your Treasure tokens to reanimate much better artifacts (Wurmcoil Engine comes to mind.) Maybe you just want to feed your Ravenous Intruder a shiny meal.

Treasure tokens are also great at ramping you into bigger cards. Using Lannery to crank out more expensive spells in mono-Red is a fine deal. Also, every mana counts for spells with X costs.

I think my favorite thing about Captain Lannery Storm is that she’s a 2/2 that can gain more power mid-combat. Red has a ton of cards that make creatures with power 2 or less unblockable, and those can let her attack in the mid and late game without fear of being blocked by larger creatures. Then you can sacrifice all your Treasure tokens and hit for a whole pile of damage!

Apostle’s Creed

Wow robes. Many humid. Such sweat.

Look, I don’t know why we’re now looking at another 2/2 for three with an attack trigger that creates a token. That’s just how Ixalan rolls, I guess.

Mavren Fein, Dusk Apostle is a religious leader in the Legion of Dusk. He’s a mono-White Vampire with a tribal ability, which is a bit awkward since the only mono-White Vampires are in Ixalan. Thus, I think the best way to evaluate him isn’t as a tribal commander, but as a standalone creature that creates tokens when he attacks.

Thankfully for Mavren, he fits into a classic archetype: mono-White tokens. It’s an aggressive deck that wants to fill the battlefield with oodles of creatures. New cards like Anointed Procession and perennial all-stars like Cathars’ Crusade can help this Cleric evangelize his way into leading a bloodsucking army to victory.

I really don’t have a lot to say here. Mavren Fein doesn’t do anything new or original. He’s got unique flavor for the Vorthos fans out there. I think he’s better as part of the 99 in a Vampire tribal deck. But if you like him, then go ahead and build a tokens deck for him. Make sure he’s indestructible or has protection from something so that he can keep attacking. Good luck, and may the quest for the Immortal Sun light your way.

Do the Wave

But also, like, hang ten, brah.

Kopala, Warden of Waves clearly got the 2/2 for three memo. Seriously.

He’s totally aimed at Merfolk tribal decks, granting them a bit of protection against enemy spells and abilities. Taxing your opponents means they’ll have to dedicate more resources to dealing with your threats. That leaves fewer resources available to cast their own threats.

Here’s the problem: in multiplayer Commander games, anyone can deal with your threats. And, as a big-mana format, the game will reach a point where your target tax doesn’t matter anymore. Kopala is definitely geared for play in decks like Modern Merfolk, not Commander. I think he’s an OK addition to the 99 of a Merfolk tribal deck, but I certainly wouldn’t choose him as a commander for one. Especially not when there are multiple legendary Merfolk that give you access to a second color.

Sorry, Kopala, but you’re just not gnarly enough for this format.

Faction Fun

While tribal decks in Ixalan are a nice follow-up to Commander (2017 Edition), not all of these new legendary creatures are restricted to leading their respective tribes. Gishath may want you all-in on Dinosaurs, but Vona is fine just leveraging the broad mechanical identity of her people. Tishana and Lannery Storm don’t even have to command tribal decks at all. No matter how you enjoy playing Commander, Ixalan has a new leader for you.

I’ve already made my plans for Gishath known, Planeswalkers, so which new legendary creature are you looking forward to playing with the most?