#MtGBFZ

[haaaaaaaaaaaave-you-met-ted]

Ruination Guide by Mathias Kollros

[moisellethefae]

Chandra Nalaar attempts to fulfill her duties as the abbot of Keral Keep.

Original Story: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-story/promises-keep-2015-12-02

Voice Credits: Chandra: Piyo https://www.facebook.com/PiyoVA/ Gideon: David Ford Seble: Carolyn Potts Mother Luti: Inrezairo http://www.youtube.com/c/inrezairo Ob Nixilis: Mike Wightman (Rooster Bro)

Sound Credits: Sound Editing by Gen Doukeshi "Anguish" "Heavy Heart" "At Launch" "Clash Defiant" "Cambodian Odyssey" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Voice of All is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Wizards of the Coast Fan Content Policy. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC. @wizardsmagic

[denfaceup]

Chegou a hora de arrumar a base de mana no moderninho... #mtg #boosterfeliz #mtgbfz #wotc #marshflats #magicthegathering @wizards_magicbr #nerdlife @wizards_magic 🤓🤓🤓 https://www.instagram.com/p/CBV3a1HHixh/?igshid=17weatcpxbggy

[island-delver-go]

Just realized I'm 1 card off from my global signed playset of this card. Anyone happen to have a spare Traditional Chinese copy? Super 2x bonus if it's silver signed

[predictivemagicfiction]

The Consequences of Defiance

“I feel like a dolphin in a landslide,” Huatli gasped through cracked lips.  “I need to collect the other planeswalkers in a little stream of water.”  Nissa covered her face with a voyager’s cape.  “I am not here!” she called back to the citizens of Zendikar.

Thousands of years ago, Nissa was expecting her cousin to make a snack for her.  She looked at Huatli with an expression of magic.  The ground beneath them was an Eldrazi titan.  Before I turn my eyes on, this wretched continent has no time for breathless questions, she thought.  Perhaps today Drana could work on useless sleep. 

But she didn’t know that Gideon had been building new Eldrazi titans in the middle of the beach.  Hualti said, “Ugin and I both like to make people.  Do you want to help with my magic?”

“Looking for another plane?” Vraska yelled with her best cutlass in her pocket.  “You’ll have to take the Eldrazi with a sharpened rock!”  Nissa looked up at her with a strange elation.  Nissa looked down at her with a strange calmness.  Nissa looked back at her with a strange dance.  A moment later, Huatli was yanked sharply atop the Eldrazi titan Ulamog, who lived in front of Zendikar’s greatest city.  Isn’t it a hallucination of knowledge?  The Eldrazi titan had never been to Theros.

“It is not enough to offer Nissa one massive hedron ring!” Gideon shouted.  “She would lose it again, and then we will need to sleep beneath my mentor!”

“What do you mean?  Me a sense hearing!” she yelled with her own voice.  It sounded like evil spider-creatures from her cocoon of dusk.  Vraska tapped her shoulder.  “Don’t be a god,” she said, smirking with pride.  “It will lead to a small glowing stone.”  She coughed and blinked once before she lost her footing and fell into the sea. 

“Where did she learn to do that?” said Gideon before he lost his footing and fell into the sea.

[mtg-brokentoken]

Arcane Allies

I’ve done a few posts about Arcane Adaptation, and there’s plenty more that could happen, but this weekend, due to the Standard Rotation, Battle for Zendikar, Oath of the Gatewatch, Shadows over Innistrad, and Eldritch Moon are no longer part of Standard. I’d like to take a moment to remember Allies, especially keeping in mind that anything you want can be an Ally when you’ve got an Arcane Adaptation-effect. General Tazri loves this, and would gladly search for any creature in your library (even an Eldrazi Titan).

When all your other creatures (even tokens) are Allies, this basically just reads “it gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each other attacking creature,” which isn’t a bad thing.

“Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, creatures you control gain haste.” Which is pretty helpful if you’re putting out a lot of creatures, and you don’t need to worry about making sure a specific one is the last one out. Firemantle Mage is somewhat similar, except Menace instead of Haste. Makindi Patrol for Vigilance, Kor Bladewhirl for First Strike, Ondu Champion for Trample, Tajuru Beastmaster gives +1/+1 to all creatures on the battlefield whenever a creature enters the battlefield (if multiple creatures enter at the same time, keep in mind they see themselves and the others all entering, and get all bonuses), Tajuru Warcaller is the same except being +2/+2 instead of just +1/+1. Lantern Scout is a great one, and saved me more than a few times, but now it doesn’t matter what creature I play to get Lifelink. I especially like combining this with Resolute Blademaster for Double Strike. 

Grovetender Druids can make a supply of Plant Allies following your first creature, equal to the amount of mana you have available.

Hero of Goma Fada is a lot like Chasm Guide, but one of the main things holding it back was that it was, for the most part, limited to your own turn. With Arcane Adaptation and anything instant-speed (Cloudshift hijinks, Flash creatures, activated ability that produces tokens, etc), any creature entering the battlefield under your control gives your creatures Indestructible.

Kalastria Healer? Each creature is an extra life for you, and one step closer to defeat for each of your opponents.

Since we’re not talking about Standard, it’s important to note that with Arcane Adaptation, Munda takes notice of any creature card. But even without the Adaptation, he also can keep around Changeling instants and sorceries, since they are allies as well, and his ability doesn’t specify creatures.

Most Allies tend to care only about entering the battlefield (except for Cohort abilities), but there are a few that are different, such as Veteran Warleader. Instead of tapping an Ally, since all of your creatures can be Allies with Arcane Adaptation.

We’re going beyond the recent rotation for this one, but Halimar Excavator is worthy of mentioning, in no small part because it is blue and it does count the Allies (or just creatures with Arcane Adaptation) on the battlefield. So from a normal board state without any Allies you can play the Adaptation making everything allies and raising some eyebrows, then play the Excavator to mill target opponent equal to the number of creatures you control. Another creature enters the battlefield? Mill your opponent equal to the number of creatures you control. 

[magicmuesings]

So why is everyone assuming Gideon is going to die. Hazoret says “I see your death, Kytheon Iora”

Gideon doesn’t see himself as Kytheon anymore. Kytheon is a buried memory. Kytheon is his former self, his weak self, his self that couldn’t protect his friends because of his own hubris.

Hazoret says “cursed is the man who forgets his own past” which is exactly what Gideon is doing. Yea he carries the weight of what happened but he didn’t learn from it.

Kytheon at some point has to die for Gideon to live. I think it means he will loose his invulnerability magic and he will undergo a fundamental change.

“ you are no god” I’ve been wondering where his invulnerability has come from for a while and I’ve been thinking Gideon is most likely following the Herculean trope. I the Gideon is a half god with most likely Heliod being his father. Hazoret sees the spark of divinity inside of Gideon and also recognizes that Gideon will choose humanity over divinity. Further killing Kytheon

[lavocedililiana]

Planeswalker on the road - Spaccare tutto non è sempre la soluzione

"Non c'è alcuna forza nel multiverso più pericolosa e più capricciosa dei Planeswalker"

Ugin

Solo un essere su un milione nasce con la scintilla che lo rende in grado di diventare un Planeswalker, ma sono ancora meno coloro capaci di comprendere il proprio potenziale. Essi vagano per il Multiverso, influenzandone in maniera più o meno profonda le sorti. Combattono, amano, ingannano, aiutano…

Quando questi esseri straordinari uniscono le proprie forze per un fine comune, le conseguenze possono essere tanto straordinarie quanto destabilizzanti. Ecco perché i Guardiani sembrano una preziosa risorsa per il Multiverso. Creature al di fuori dell’ordinario che si alleano per sgominare le minacce che affliggono i Piani, per aiutare le popolazioni e difendere i deboli. Ma quali saranno le conseguenze profonde delle loro azioni?

Facciamo insieme il punto sui Piani visitati nelle ultime espansioni, a partire dalla formazione dei Guardiani.

Zendikar

"Avete ucciso due creature viventi che erano più antiche dei mondi", disse Ugin. "Senza conoscere il loro obiettivo, il loro ruolo, l'impatto delle loro vite o della loro morte... avete messo a rischio l'intero piano e causato ignote conseguenze per ucciderli. Solo perché eravate in grado di farlo".

 Senza dubbio gli abitanti di Zendikar saranno stati contenti dell’arrivo di questo gruppo di combattenti che ha salvato il loro mondo dalla minaccia degli Eldrazi. Certo, va detto che tra di loro si trovavano anche alcuni dei diretti responsabili della liberazione dei Titani dalla loro prigione di Edri, ma forse i popolani del Piano non lo sanno…

Insomma, che fosse per senso di colpa o per paura del dilagare della minaccia, Gideon, Nissa, Jace e Chandra hanno unito e loro forze e si sono precipitati sul piano per sconfiggere i mostri.

Nel tentativo di capire il funzionamento della rete di Edri che imprigionava i Titani prima del loro arrivo, Jace incontra Ugin che gli svela i nomi dei due Planeswalker che, insieme al drago, avevano creato quella sofisticata trappola: Sorin e Nahiri.

Nel frattempo Nissa, nel tentativo di recuperare la propria connessione con Ashaya, lo spirito di Zendikar, scopre la tana di Ob Nixilis ed il suo piano per recuperare la Scintilla.

I Guardiani nel tentativo di imprigionare nuovamente Ulamog costruiscono una struttura di Edri che Ob Nixilis usa per riaccendere i propri poteri da Planeswalker e per risvegliare un secondo Titano: Kozilek. Insomma, un vero fallimento.

Sulla spinta del tragico evolvere degli eventi Gideon propone agli altri Planeswalker di prestare giuramento, creando così i Guardiani, e di tentare un’ultima sortita. Lo scontro frontale è violento ma alla fine porta alla distruzione dei due Titani.

Il risultato finale è che Ob Nixilis è fuggito, non prima di giurare vendetta ai Guardiani, e due Titani sono stati uccisi, col disappunto di Ugin: non sappiamo infatti quali conseguenze avrà questo avvenimento.

Innistrad

Tamiyo aggrottò la fronte... "Ci saranno... conseguenze", rispose lei. 

Jace annuì. "I popoli di questo mondo hanno perso una protettrice".

Un lungo e gutturale brontolio rombò nel cielo, profondo e tonante. Il suono fece tremare il petto di Jace e smosse la polvere dal soffitto.

Il volto di Tamiyo si fece serio. "Il piano ha perduto la sua protettrice", disse lei.".

Jace non ha dimenticato quanto gli ha rivelato Ugin, e parte immediatamente alla volta di Innistrad alla ricerca di Sorin Markov. Ad attenderlo trova lupi mannari, bestie mutanti e… Liliana. La sua amica / amante / nemica non è certo propensa ad aiutarlo nella sua ricerca, quindi il Planeswalker si avventura nel maniero della famiglia Markov, dove trova alcuni appunti e l’aiuto inaspettato di Tamiyo, una Planeswalker lunantropa proveniente da Kamigawa.

I due incontrano Avancy, l’angelo creato da Sorin per difendere il Piano che invece si è rivoltata contro il suo credo, corrotta da una forza aliena. Nello scontro che ne consegue interviene anche Sorin, che distrugge l’angelo.

Il vuoto lasciato dalla dipartita di Avancy viene presto riempito dalla forza aliena che sta corrompendo il Piano. Il terzo Titano, Emrakul, fa la sua comparsa.

Appare anche Nahiri, che era stata imprigionata in una dimensione oscura da Sorin mille anni prima, dopo uno scontro. I due combattono nuovamente e si scopre che è stata la litomante a portare il Titano su Innistrad. La battaglia termina con Sorin intrappolato in un blocco di pietra che assiste impotente all’avanzata di Emrakul, mentre Nahiri abbandona il piano.

Nel frattempo i Guardiani si sono organizzati e si scontrano con il Titano, aiutati anche da Liliana. Nello scontro grazie ad una magia vincolante di Tamiyo i Planeswalker riescono ad intrappolare Emrakul sulla luna d’argento che campeggia sopra il Piano.

Il passaggio dei Guardiani stavolta ha portato Innistrad ad avere un Titano intrappolato sopra la propria testa, e speriamo che nessuno abbia la brillante idea di liberarlo. Intanto, il Piano ha perso la protezione di Avancy, mentre Sorin resta intrappolato e Nahiri è fuggita chissà dove. Ma consoliamoci: ora anche Liliana fa parte dei Guardiani (per portare avanti i suoi scopi e sfruttare i Guardiani stessi)… non vi sentite già al sicuro?

Kaladesh

"Ho visto tiranni", disse, "le cui ambizioni non avevano limiti. Creature che si atteggiavano a divinità o pretori o consoli, ma curavano solo i propri interessi, non quelli di coloro su cui regnavano. Intere popolazioni sono state ingannate. Civiltà sono state immerse in guerre. Persone che stavano semplicemente cercando di vivere... fatte soffrire ... o morire".

"Mai più", disse Ajani. "Finché tutti non avranno trovato il loro posto, sarò un guardiano".

 La Fiera degli Inventori sta per avere inizio, e i Guardiani vengono ingaggiati per assicurare il governo locale che tutto vada liscio.

Potete immaginare la reazione di Chandra quando si trova davanti a un membro del Consolato, lo stesso apparato governativo che ha ucciso i suoi genitori. La fuga su Kaladesh della piromante la porta a scoprire che in realtà Pia Nalaar, sua madre, è viva e guida la ribellione. Nel tentativo di liberarla da un arresto, Chandra e Nissa vengono a loro volta catturate. Soltanto l’intervento del Leonid Planeswalker Ajani, amico di lunga data di Pia, permette la fuga.

Anche Jace e Liliana fanno le proprie scoperte: Tezzeret, un Planeswalker al servizio di Nicol Bolas, si trova sul Piano ed ha un ruolo importante all’interno del Consolato.

Nel frattempo, l’inventrice Rashmi riesce a mettere a punto una macchina che permette il viaggio tra i Piani, e la presenta alla Fiera. Sarebbe catastrofico se finisse in mano alle persone sbagliate.

I Guardiani hanno ormai abbastanza motivazioni per allearsi alla Ribellione. Tezzeret impone il coprifuoco e sequestra tutte le invenzioni presentate alla Fiera, compreso il marchingegno di Rashmi. Nel pieno dei tumulti che ne scaturiscono, i Guardiani riescono a distruggere il ponte planare e a sconfiggere Tezzeret, che però riesce a mettersi in salvo. Ma prima viene costretto a rivelare che Nicol Bolas si trova ad Amonkhet dove sta per compiersi il prossimo passo del suo piano. Ajani cerca di mettere in guardia il gruppo sulla potenza di Bolas, ma gli altri Planeswlaker sono decisi: si va ad Amonkhet.

Stavolta l’intervento dei Guardiani ha portato a sconvolgimenti più politici. Un intero governo è stato abbattuto, in parte per la presenza di Tezzeret, ma in parte per il rapporto personale di Chandra con la capo della rivolta. Quali conseguenze avrà questo atteggiamento sulle prossime avventure dei Guardiani? Non si piò più accusare Liliana se porta avanti i propri fini personali, dopotutto Chandra ha fatto la stessa cosa su Kaladesh.

Inoltre Tezzeret (e di conseguenza Nicol Bolas) sa che esistono alcuni Planeswalker che si sono alleati e stanno agendo per contrastare i piani del Drago millenario. Bolas starà preparando una trappola su Amonkhet per i Guardiani?

Lo stesso Tezzeret è fuggito in maniera rocambolesca, e si unisce all’elenco di nemici che i Guardiani stanno accumulando nel loro peregrinare in giro per i Piani.

Unica nota positiva è l’unione di Ajani ai Guardiani, anche se non sarà ad Amonkhet. Probabilmente lo vedremo nelle prossime espansioni.

[archiveinktrap-blog]

"Maybe that kitesail scout will be a real ally and help cut me down."

[askkrenko]

Magic Story Abridged: Limited Time Offer

(Episode 7; Battle for Zendikar Episode 1; Original Stories HERE and HERE )

When Gideon Jura wields his swift sural All those who chose to oppose his sural fall When there’s crime to thwart or a war to fight You can count on the man who is mono-white When Gideon Jura wields his swift sural.

Art by Dan Scott

PRESENT DAY ZENDIKAR

(We open on Kytheon Iora, now a man, fighting a number of Eldrazi spawn. In the background, a group of Kor, Humans, Elves, and Goblins watch patiently.)

Munda, a large, muscular Kor: (Quietly, to the others in his group) ...Here we see a wild Gideon Jura, latin name Kytheon Iora, taking down its prey. Though the beasts are larger and more powerful than he, his glowing golden aura protects him from all known forms of attack. His Sural, also known as an Urumi or Whip-Blade, can cut through the flesh of even the toughest of Eldrazi, though it may take many such blows to cause one to fall. Though Eldrazi meat is inedible, this kill with give the Gideon great renown. If the hunt is successful, he will not have difficulty finding a mate this season.

Kytheon, now going by Gideon full time: (Calling over) I know you’re there, Munda! Are you going to lend a hand or not?

Munda: You’re doing fine, bro! They can’t even scratch you!

Gideon: I’d still like to finish up sometime today!

Munda: Fine, fine! Everyone, attack!

(Munda and his party help Gideon dispatch the Eldrazi.)

Gideon: Really wished you’d shown up earlier. I’ve been fighting those things for hours. Literally hours.

Munda: Sorry, bro, but we just came from our own fights. Bala Ged’s overrun. Gone the way of Sejiri. Everyone’s running to Sea Gate, but who knows if we can hold that.

Gideon: Sea Gate… Right… I’ll meet you there. Right now I need to… go place.

Munda: You need to sleep. Maybe have something to eat. You look exhausted.

Gideon: Can’t. Gotta be at work in an hour.

Munda: What work? We’re in an apocalyptic situation and all society in that general direction has collapsed.

Gideon: Well, the thing about that is THERE’S A BALOTH BEHIND YOU!

Munda: Wha-

(Gideon planeswalks away.)

Art by Richard Wright

THE MILLENNIAL RAVNICA

(Gideon bursts into the Millennial, one of the finest, most expensive restaurants in the entire city-plane of Ravnica. He’s still covered in dirt and Eldrazi ichor.)

Maitre’d: Sir, you can’t just-

Gideon: (Flashes a badge) Official Boros business, stand aside, civilian.

(Gideon marches up to a table full of finely dressed goblins)

Krenko, the devilishly handsome goblin leader in a homemade crown: Can I help you, officer?

Gideon: You’re under arrest for arson and six counts of murder… And that’s just today.

Krenko: Sorry, officer, but this crown means I don’t have to listen to you.

Gideon: And why is that?

Krenko: Because it’s made of knives.

Gideon: (Sigh)

Art by Richard Wright

A BOROS GARRISON RAVNICA

Dars, a real, actual Boros Soldier: Great work as always, Jura!

Gideon: (heavy breathing) Thanks. I try.

Krenko, in cuffs, covered in blood: Seemed a bit unprofessional if you ask me.

Dars: We don’t. You’re going straight into lockup… After medical care, of course.

Gideon: He’s fine… The blood’s mine.

Dars: Aren’t you invincible?

Gideon: I’d thought so...

Dars: Then how…

Gideon: Krenko must’ve been tougher than the other criminals I’ve fought… and the Eldrazi… and that vampire… and the pyromancer… and the titan… and Erebos, God of the Dead.

Dars: He must be as powerful as he is handsome.

Gideon: He is very handsome.

Real, actual photograph by Empire State Photography Also Karl Kopinski  and Winona Nelson

(STRANGE OBJECT THROWN THROUGH THE WINDOW!)

Dars: IT’S A BOMB!

Gideon: It’s a letter.

Dars: A letter bomb?

Gideon: It’s from Rikkig and Gardagig, two of the Shattergang goblins. They want us to hand over Krenko for murdering their brother, or… then the bomb.

Dars: Why do these goblins insist on killing each other?

Krenko: Well, when we kill non-goblins, your pink asses call us racist.

Gideon: ...I’ll go deal with them. As soon as I run some errands first.

Art by Vincent Proce

ZENDIKAR

(Gideon fights some Eldrazi on Zendikar. Munda’s there, too. And a random sorceress who shoots lightning bolts.)

Munda: Hey, Gideon, buddy, pal, bro… Remember when I said everyone was running to Sea Gate?

Gideon: Yes…

Munda: Turns out that includes the Eldrazi.

Gideon: Well, slith. On my way. After goblins.

Art by Michael Komarck

RAVNICA

(Gideon busts down the door to a warehouse)

Gideon: It’s over, Rikkig! I already captured your brother offscreen!

Rikkig’s voice, from somewhere inside the building: Didn’t bring Krenko, huh? And here I was going to exchange my hostages for yours.

(Light goes on in back, revealing a group of old women, children, and kittens tied up.)

Gideon: I can’t just hand over a prisoner! He’s been lawfully arrested, just like you’ll be!

(Rikkig steps out, wearing twelve layers of padding, a helmet, and goggles)

Rikkig: Well, if you don’t have a Krenko for me, I still have something for you.

(Rikkig throws a bomb)

(Things explode)

(Rikkig is padded. Gideon is indestructible. The hostages scream. The building begins burning and collapsing.)

Gideon: Damn damn damn!

(Gideon rushes to save the hostages. There’s a lot of them. He can only carry a few at a time. The building continues to burn.)

Dars: NEVER FEAR! THE BOROS LEGION IS HERE!

(Boros rush the building, rescue hostages, put out the fire. Rikkig escapes.)

Gideon: How did you get here so fast?

Dars: Followed you. You seemed like you were biting off a bit more than you can chew.

Gideon: I can handle it myself:

Dars: No. No, you can’t. We’re a Legion. We use tactics and teamwork so screw ups like this don’t happen. We’re going to go send a bunch of guys to catch that one goblin, and you’re going to sleep.

Gideon: But if I do that, who’s going to fight the giant monsters?

Dars: What?

Gideon: Bye.  (Gideon planeswalks away.)

Art by Nic Klein

Art by Igor Kieryluk

SEA GATE, A BIG DAM CITY ZENDIKAR

(ALL THE ELDRAZI ATTACK THE CITY! Hundreds of Eldrazi. Thousands of Eldrazi. Millions and billions and… okay, maybe not that many.  In the center: Gideon, indestructible and kicking ass.)

Gideon: I don’t care how many of you I have to kill! I can do this all day! I haven’t slept in a week and I’m not about to start now!

Jori En, a mermaid who is evenly distributed human and fish: HELP! HELP!

(Gideon bursts into a burning building, scoops up the mermaid, and runs off as it collapses behind them)

Gideon: Why didn’t you evacuate with the others?

Jori En: My friend Kendrin and I were checking for records about the Hedrons! She almost figured out what they do and how they’re supposed to stop the Eldrazi!

Gideon: That’s wonderful! Where is she?

Jori En: Uhh… In that building.

Gideon: Oh.

Jori En: Yeah…

Gideon: So…

Jori En: But I have all her notes! Unfortunately, she was a complete nerd and I don’t understand any of them.

Gideon: …. Go. Run. Get to safety. I’ll catch up with you as soon as I can.

Jori En: You have a plan?

Gideon: I have a nerd.

Art by Adam Paquette

JACE’S SANCTUM RAVNICA

(We cut to Jace Beleren, a blue cloak with a wizard inside it. With him is Lavinia, his assistant and bodyguard.)

Lavinia: That was your last meeting for today. Time to have a healthy dinner, and then get to bed early.

Jace Beleren: Or I’ll fill myself with coffee and stay up until three in the morning solving Sudoku. Sudokus? Sudoki.

Lavinia: You’re going to be grouchy all day tomorrow if you do that.

Jace: You can’t tell me what to do. You’re not my mom. I think. I honestly don’t remember.

Lavinia: I distinctly remember not being your mother.

Jace: Then I’ll see you at work first thing in the morning!

Lavinia: ...Of course. Goodnight, Jace. (Lavinia heads off)

(Jace starts to fetch his coffee when… there’s a knock on the bookshelf)

Jace: WHO IS- … wait. Who even knows about my secret passage? (Jace magically opens the bookshelf from a distance, preparing for trouble)

Liliana Vess, hasn’t aged a day in years: Jace! Snookums! (Walks right in.)

Jace: No.

Liliana: How are you, dear! I’ve missed you! You never showed for our last date!

Jace: That’s probably because you tried to kill me.

Liliana: Oh, pish posh. That was on Nicol Bolas’ orders. I’m freelance now.

Jace: You killed my best friend.

Liliana: And I killed my brother. This isn’t a competition, you know.

Jace: What do you want?

Liliana: I missed you! Can’t a girl visit her lover without getting the third degree?

Jace: (incredulous) You came all the way to Ravnica, presumably went to a lot of effort to find my secret passage, and showed up here unannounced because you missed me?

Liliana: I thought we could catch up. Spend some time together. Talk about our feelings.

Jace: You’re a murderer and a liar, and that’s not even bringing up that you managed to turn Garruk into some sort of superpowered psychopath hunting ‘the most dangerous game’ from plane to plane.

Liliana: Yeah, that was fun.

Jace: Go away.

Liliana: Take me to dinner.

Jace: ...You’re not leaving if I don’t play along, are you?

Liliana: I am not.

Jace: Fine.

Art by Dave Kendall

(Jace and Liliana start walking down the street)

Little Old Lady: Sir! Buy a flower for your girlfriend?

Jace: She’s not my girlfriend! She’s some sort of insufferable hell-witch who refuses to leave me alone for arcane purposes she won’t tell me about.

Little Old Lady: Oh, of course! Buy a flower for your wife?

Jace: Grrrrrrrrrr…..

THE MILLENNIAL RAVNICA

Maitre’d: Please forgive the mess, Sir Guildpact. We had an incident the other day… Of course, we’ll make sure it doesn’t inconvenience you.  (He shows Jace and Liliana to a table)

Jace: It’s fine, it’s fine. Just… It’s fine.

Liliana: That Guildpact title is useful. How is it being grand high king of Ravnica?

Jace: I’m not the King. I’m just a grand high Judge. I uphold the law. I don’t create it.

Liliana: Well, that sounds positively boring. You should become king. I’m sure you could pull it off.

Jace: I really don’t want to be king… And speaking of what I want, what do you want?

Liliana: The lobster looks positively-

Jace: I meant with me. Why are you making me take you out to dinner?

Liliana: Because I wanted to see you. Why would you think there was anything else? Do you think I can’t handle my demons on my own?

Jace: They are four particularly large-

Liliana: Two. I already killed Kothophed and Griselbrand. With the Chain Veil. It’s a wonderful artifact that grants ultimate power that is working out great for everybody involved.

Jace: Uh...huh.

Liliana: It certainly doesn’t have some sort of magical hooks in me that I need help understanding.

Jace: Of course not.

Liliana: And I’ll be perfectly fine studying it on my own.

Jace: Great.

Liliana: I can handle this.

Jace: Good to know. So you just want to sit with me and eat dinner?

Liliana: Yes.

Jace: And nothing else?

Liliana: Why? What are you implying.

Maitre’d: (at the entrance) SIR! NO! NOT AGAIN!

Jace: Hmm?

Art by David Rapoza

Gideon Jura, covered in Eldrazi goop: Need to see the Guildpact.

Maitre’d: Sir, you are covered in I don’t know what! We can’t afford another-

Gideon: Zendikar! It’s about Zendikar!

Jace: (softly) Damn it. (loudly) Send him in!

Maitre’d: Oh, all right…

Gideon: (staggers in) Beleren. Zendikar.

Jace: I’m sort of in the middle of something right now. What do you want?

Liliana: Right, he’s on a date! Go away!

Gideon: (Deep breath) Zendikar is being overrun by the Eldrazi, and we have notes on how the Hedrons might be able to stop them, but I need help from someone with skills I don’t have. Will you please help me?

Jace: … Say that last part again?

Gideon: ...Will you please help me?

Jace: You know what? Sure!

Gideon: Great, we can leave right-

Jace: In the morning. I need to have a healthy dinner and get to bed on time or I’ll be grouchy all day, and you need to get to a healer and rest as well. That’s the offer, take it or leave it.

Gideon: I… alright. Thank you.

Liliana: What the falkenrath, Jace? Here I come, all the way from Innistrad, with my magical artifact and two demons left to kill, and you’re willing to just run off with this oversized slab of beef with barely any explanation?

Jace: Is that a problem?

Liliana: Of course it’s a problem! You were supposed to come and help me!

Jace: Really? Huh. You should’ve said something.

Art by Jaime Jones

[coincidencetheories]

The Gatewatch Have Failed Each Task So Far

There’s been a lot of talk on my feed about how the Gatewatch are just waltzing through the challenges they face like a home-made banner at a pep rally. While they are all currently whole in body, and the perceived threat from each plane is no longer actively threatening, follow me down this line of thought.

The Gatewatch have failed at what they have set out to do, every time.

Their name is synonymous with failure.

Battle For Zendikar

Nissa and Gideon toil on Zendikar. Ulamog is loose and really bringing everyone’s grand Hedrons and Felidars game night down. Scion and Spawn scuttle around, and the very color is draining out of the mana. Gideon hits his main man Jace up for a solid to gather some help, which Jace initailly fails to do, asking LIliana and Chandra, who for diverse reasons have bigger personal demons they are wrestling with. So Jace, heads back to Gideon, and decides what he needs most is information. Nissa is looking for Ashaya, as Nissa did for several stories in a row. Turns out Nissa just had to believe. But Jace stumbles upon Ugin, doing vague and portentous spirit dragon things, as spirit dragons do, at his Eye. He tells Jace “These are beings beyond our understanding, here for a purpose we cannot fathom’ and then proceeds to give a very understandable metaphor about fishermen in streams. But he tells Jace that they can’t just blow up Ulamog. It will have untold ramifications now and in whatever distopian future we can bring ourselves to imagine.  (Side note... what were the ramifications of metaphorically driving a stake through the hand of the fisherman for 10,000 years? Riddle me that, Ugin dear.)

So Jace knows the stakes Ulamog is a fragile and precious part of an ecosystem beyond our ken. So he agrees that perhaps just pinning him to a butterfly display is the best course of action. Jace, Nissa, Kiora, Gideon and Ob Nixilis respectively fail, fail, lose their pet leviathan, drown in a puddle, and successfully disrupt this plan using the tried and true ‘Surprise Kozilek with a chair from the top rope’ method. Ob reignited, Walked on, walked back and captured three planeswalkers. And he would have gotten away with it to, if it wasn’t for that meddling pyromancer.

Oath of the Gatewatch

What Gate do the Gatewatch watch, exactly?

Sea-gate. The Gatewatch are watching the Sea Gate fall, to Ulamog, then to Ulamog again, then to Kozilek and Ulamog.

Now a lot of nifty stuff happens in OGW, not least of which is the insight we get through General Tazri of what a world where Kozilek out-watches the gate looks like. And in the end, Zendikar is saved from the predation of the two titans. But Jace and co had to physically drag multi-demensional beings into three dimentional space, then channelXfireball in a way that hadn’t been done since the days of the oldwalkers. Impressive, no?

Imagine you go to the doctor and you find out you have a blood disease that delicate surgery could halt the ravages of. Now imagine that, while you were under anesthesia, , your doctor slipped up and the cancer was about to kill you before the Dr. House stormed in and told the surgery team to flush your entire body with pure oxygen, then light it on fire, flash burning away all the bad stuff. Your life is, indeed saved. Phew. I was worried there for a minute.

But would you call that a successful surgery?

Shadows over Innsmouth Innistrad

We have ourselves a good old fashioned mystery here. With Ugin’s warning ringing in our ear to remember they came as three, all apparently we had to figure out was who that mysterious ‘They’ were, that Ugin referred to in the middle of a conversation about the Eldrazi Titans. The stage is set. Liliana has a veil, Tamiyo has a Journal, Thraben has an inspector, and Jace has too many cloaks. Also, too many clues. Avacyn is going crazy. Bruna and Gisela start doing their Shining Twins cosplay, despite Sigarda telling them repeatedly that it creeps her out, and The Gitrog Monster is a fan of 1990s Elton John . 

But who is this mysterious corrupting force, and seriously, what’s with all the spaghetti. Sorin’s mansion of foreboding has been renovated, but he’s nowhere to be found! Jace follows the hundred of arrow shaped rocks and finds Nephalia! Zombies! Mystery is solved, it must be Liliana! Liiiana says no. oh. The angels are turning on the humans, Avacyn must be stopped! Jace has GOT this one, guys.... nope. Jace is rescued by Tamiyo, and Sorin permanently grounds his daughter who in no way resembles his former protege. Well, Another successful investigation.Except it’s not. Jace, you don’t know what it is at all right now, in fact you don’t find out until...

Eldritch Moon

...until Emrakul emerges from the water, like a tribute to all those bond girls before you. “I know who it is now!” says Jace, thinking he’s Hercule Poirot, but is in fact barely keeping up with Captain Hastings. So here we are, Eldritch horror setting up residence in the middle of Thraben, and creating life like there’s no tomorrow, which might just well be the case. If only there was an inter-dimensional team of powerful mages, who had some dealings with.... oh my it’s the Gatewatch. We need the Gatewatch, don’t we. Well, they got together just in time, didn’t they. Innistrad, is today your lucky day. Jace 'walks to Zendikar, where presumably the Naya walkers are ‘overseeing’ the Zendikar rebuilding efforts from the comfort of a king-sized bed built for three. Come fastest, Jace cries, What’s with your outfit, they reply, Then off they go. (meanwhile Sorin and Nahiri two oldwalkers that are battling with current generation powers, must feel like two former boxing champions having a punch-on in their retirement home. But that’s not really germane to the success or failure of the Gatewatch.) Smash cut to the Battle of Thraben. Olivia and the vampires are here. Sigarda, Thalia, St Traft, form an unlikely alliance, killing Brisela. Also Arlinn Cord and the wolves. Surely they are around here somewhere during this battle? Maybe they just were on the other side of town. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. Liliana is drunk on Chain Veil power and summons zombies by the hordeful and marches on the town. The Gatewatch are in the thick of it, somehow managing not to get sural’d to pieces every time Gideon has a backswing. Emrakul’s massive form crowns the town. The vampires, humans, geists, even Rem Karolus’s are driven back. Only Jace and the Gatewatch can help us now. They try their most successful Eldrazi Titan-defeating play in the playbook, aaand... it fails. It fails so badly that Tamiyo is about to read her plane-destroying story spell. But Emrakul and Jace had a mutual Zach-Morris ‘Time-out’ and Jace saved the sanity of the gatewatchers and Tamiyo (by delving into their deepest, darkest story hooks, apparently) and Emmy simply re-wrote Tamiyo’s story, taking a vacation into the moon for the now.

Was that a win? What aims were achieved? Again the ‘plane was saved’, but despite all the effort that Jace and co. put in, the final call was Emrakuls. And i doubt she locked herself in without taking the key with her.

So, Zendikar is safe. But the ecosystem of the Multiverse may be irreparably altered; innistrad has gone from passively being influenced by Emrakul to ACTIVELY being influenced by Emrakul to being passively influenced by Emrakul again. Great job guys and gals. Which leaves us with...

Kaladesh

You know, I wonder exactly how many mage traps Captain Baral has around the city, Whether they are one-countermagic-fits-all, or if he has to lead the fire mages to different ornately engineered snares than the telepaths. Also, Can you planeswalk to the plane that you’re on? If you can, neither Nissa or Chandra know of it. And I have to say, I guess that in the Kaladesh block, ultimately the Gatewatch succeeded. Succeeded in picking the queen in Three Card Monte while street hustler Tezzeret picked their metaphorical pocket. Yes, they saved Pia. But Tezzeret simply used the conflict between the Consulate of benign-if-overly-paternalistic-bureaucrats and the revolution-if-that’s-alright-with-the-rest-of-you guys renegades to snatch up the inventions and Stockholm Syndrome the inventors.

Aether Revolt

So while Chandra is focused on the personal issues, and their ramifications vis-a-vis the cancer within the consulate, Jace and Liliana, with backing vocals from Gideon and Ajani, identify Tezzeret’s plans with, well with anything Tezzeret plans is going to be bad news. Especially when they find out about the planar portal. So they defeat him! I mean, do they? He puts something suspiciously like the functioning part of the portal into his own arm and then planeswalks away as the roof caves in. The Bridge on Kaladesh is no longer functional. But we find out that Tezzeret is doing something (planar portal or othewise) for Bolas. And the Scooby Gang have no idea what that, in fact is, or if he completed it, or anything.

Going Forward

So each time, the Gatewatch have gotten something accomplished that subjectively gets them a tick in the win column, but with more scrutiny are questionable at best. Going to Amonkhet with no plan, no intel, and no backup just because ‘well, bolas would use that time better’ seems like a great way to stumble into, once again, a technical victory that has lasting consequences that are at best uncertain, and at worst offer comfort to the enemy.But I suppose, given their track record, going in with no plan merely skips the Gatewatch past the part where they come up with a plan and then completely fail to execute on it.

[haaaaaaaaaaaave-you-met-ted]

Octopus Token by Craig J Spearing

[moisellethefae]

Ob Nixilis is having a bad day, but it's about to get a whole lot better.

Original Story: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-story/any-cost-2015-11-25

Voice Credits: Ob Nixilis: Mike Wightman (Rooster Bro)

Sound Credits: Sound Editing by Gen Doukeshi "Tranquility Base" "Clash Defiant" "Cambodian Odyssey" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Some battle sound effects by Phantawalker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju_bCrY0nX4 Voice of All is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Wizards of the Coast Fan Content Policy. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC. @wizardsmagic

[thesfid]

Day 8 #EDHPhotoADay Had a hard time picking a favorite artist. @karlkopinski has a gritty and powerful style. His characters' mood and intent are apparent. Search him on gatherer and you'll see what I mean. . . . @maddie_thegatherer #artofmtg #mtg #mtgedh #PrizedAmalgam #IndulgentTormentor #NoyanDarRoilShaper #KarlKopinski #mtgbfz #mtgm15 #mtgsoi #DoYouEvenSummonBro

[denfaceup]

Com a chegada de #Ixalan dei adeus à uma das cartas que mais amava no meu jeskai! Mas nem todo adeus é definitivo! Com o #coreset2019 o #uwapproach dá as boas vindas para o #anticipate 🤗🤗🤗 #mtgtravel #mtgbfz #mtgm19 #mtgstandard #wotc #mtg @wizards_magicbr (at Nova Russia)

[hurleyburleystudio]

Prairie Stream - Borderless #mtg #mtgalters #mtgalter #mtgland #landalter #mtgbfz #commission #onlinecommission (at Holiday Inn Philadelphia – Cherry Hill)