April 2016: Shadows over Innistrad
Spoilers, Rumors, and Speculation forum
Posted on Oct. 31, 2015, 6:42 p.m. by JWiley129
Announced during GP Indy, the Spring 2016 set is Shadows over Innistrad!
Edits for FAQ:
- Here is Mark Rosewater on why we're getting two returns in a row.
Grantley91 dont worry you are getting a new Liliana in Eldritch, I believe for planeswalkers its still the 3, 2 paradigm, 3 in the first set, 2 in the second set. For SOI we are getting Arlinn who Im guessing is GR which matches the werewolf tribal from the previous innistrad, a new Jace who as always Is probably mono blue, and Nahiri who is white aligned (though based on the flavor text we have gotten some are arguing she is Red aligned). In Eldritch we are getting a new Liliana, and one other planeswalker (crossing fingers for a new Tibalt or Tamiyo).
Im super hyped for the return to Innistrad, it was such a strong power level set and I feel it was universally loved. Wizards got some big things to live up to n.n
March 2, 2016 3:41 p.m.
JohnnyBaggins says... #3
Here's my alternative:
Jace - Shadows
Arlin - Shadows
() Nahiri - Shadows Sorin - Moon Liliana - Moon
March 2, 2016 3:42 p.m. Edited.
She's not on the 'Checklist' card, so if she's in SoI and not EMN, I think she would just be a standard PW card.
She will likely have the ability to turn into a creature (werewolf) and attack... but that seems too basic.
Since she appears to have a following of wolves/werewolves, my guess would be that she can turn into a 3/3 (with indestructible and prevent all damage to her), AND when she attacks, put a 2/2 Wolf token onto the battlefield tapped and attacking.
March 2, 2016 3:44 p.m.
JohnnyBaggins not likely, to have that many planeswalkers skew to black would make limited unbalanced, wizards already learned that lesson back in the day!
March 2, 2016 3:48 p.m.
@Rayenous If that is the case with her I'd easily buy 2 for my Restore Balance deck depending on her mana costing!
that'd be so powerful n.n
March 2, 2016 3:50 p.m.
JohnnyBaggins - They won't have a multi-color Jace.
Jace will always remain . That's explicitly one of the reasons he was chosen for the blue walker in Origins. They wanted all the recognizable walkers who had never left their color. They are supposed to be the paragons for their color. That's why they chose Nissa instead of Garruk for .
March 2, 2016 3:56 p.m.
A quick search of this image in Google Image search returns images of Zooey Deschanel for the closest match.
I don't see it. I think it's looking at 'picture tint' more than 'facial features'.
I was thinking more of a cross between Zoie Palmer and Julianne Moore.
March 2, 2016 3:59 p.m. Edited.
Ugh... I still hate the red Nahiri theory.
"Lycanthrope" planeswalker is pretty cool, I suppose.
Seems to me that the two best theories for SOI are that Eldrazi are on Innistrad and/or that angels are turning evil to balance out the humans and the rest of the inhabitants of the plane.
March 2, 2016 4:14 p.m.
@DarkLaw - I don't see how anyone can still be on the 'Eldrazi are on Innistrad' "theory"...
NO evidence = 'wish', not 'one of the best theories'.
March 2, 2016 4:26 p.m.
I mean - her planeswalker bio outlines what's going on... with the Church going hardcore mode...
March 2, 2016 4:30 p.m.
JohnnyBaggins says... #13
TMBRLZ - I see your point and I've brought up a similar argument before. I think having a UB Jace is more of a pet peeve of mine rather than an actual theory. Is there any article or anything that proves the assumption of the Origins walkers being fixed on their colour?
March 2, 2016 4:45 p.m.
VampireArmy says... #14
Jaces old pw page used to hint that while he was with tezz, he realized one day he'd have to decide to use his mind magic for good or evil. I wonder if all of that story line is obsolete now. It used to imply that he would eventually become an azorius or dimir walker. I bet azorius considering recent events.
March 2, 2016 4:55 p.m.
JohnnyBaggins - It was one of their articles discussing Origins before it was releasing once they revealed that the walkers would be creatures who flipped. They wanted to emphasize the walkers who had never left their color and who's spark stories were little known or not discussed at all. Exactly what it was I cannot recall. Hell I could have read that in the fatpack book now that I think about it, but I specifically remember reading it.
Given they intentionally made that decision (and made a wonder team out of it), I doubt they will ever let those five leave their color. If they do it will be far down the road when Origins becomes old memories and they really want to shake up the waters. I could see them having all the walkers experience an enemy color shift in order to just bend everybody's mind and spice up the game. Have some kind of catastrophe in the multiverse or an alternate universe where Gideon is Black and Jace is Red and so on. That'd be a ways off though. I'll stop my hypothetical nonsense now before I go way too off track.
March 2, 2016 5:05 p.m.
Woot!! Sweet new stuff!! I'm ready for it. Already buying at least one box.
I would absolutely love a Legendary Werewolf though. I Tribal too hard....
March 2, 2016 5:26 p.m.
VanillaBean_MTG says... #17
WEREWOLF PLANESWALKER:A lot of you seem to think they need to make a flip card for this interaction. While this is what I hope for too, remember that other planeswalkers that transform into things are normally done like this: Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker as part of a +1. Secondly, this planeswalker is probably a combination of RGB colors. Most likely RG. THis would disappoint me because colors GW, RW, and GB have only one walker each, while GR has 3...
March 2, 2016 5:28 p.m.
TheFoilAjani says... #18
VanillaBean_MTG GB has 2 walkers Vraska the Unseen and Garruk, Apex Predator (technically Garruk, the Veil-Cursed also).
March 2, 2016 6:23 p.m.
WolfDice66 says... #19
Tamiyo, Lunatic 
+1 Target player exiles a card from their graveyard or hand.
0 Exile a card from your hand, draw a card.
-X You may cast target spell from exile with converted mana cost equal to X
4
March 2, 2016 6:44 p.m.
No ult? Also doesn't protect itself or puts up a good clock. 1/10 wouldn't play. The design looks interesting though.
March 2, 2016 6:55 p.m.
JohnnyBaggins says... #21
I doubt SoI will have in it. Especially not since Wastes don't belong to Innistrad.
March 2, 2016 7:06 p.m.
unless some drastic storyline changes happen, there won't be <> in SoI
March 2, 2016 7:24 p.m.
WolfDice66 says... #23
Tamiyo is from Kamigawa but was drawn to Innistrad by the mysterious effect of the Pale Moon. In my theoretical version, Tamiyo, Lunatic is to Emrakul as Sarkhan, the Mad is to Nicol Bolas. She is not interested in self preservation, only serving the power that dwells below the tides. This colorless specific and exile theme is a super rough flavor-over-funtion design to be a nerfed and plausibly printable version of the highly desired Moon Sage. Having an otherworldly colorless planeswalker that exiles rather than discards would clash with general strategies of Innistrad's new mechanics and lend itself to the mind twisting and existential terror involved with the block.
Tibalt would be the synergistic and playable choice for the set containing Madness and Delirium!
March 2, 2016 8:43 p.m.
so. Current list for possible/probable PWs:
Liliana - Confirmed
Jace - almost definite
Nahiri - almost definite - an unexplained quote was on a leaked flavor text
Sorin - probably? - was mentioned in that same flavor text
Tibalt- maybe? - ITS TIBALT CMON WE WANT HIM
March 2, 2016 10:28 p.m.
Looks like they've already started the written storyline for SOI. First Uncharted Realms entry is out. Link
March 3, 2016 12:59 a.m.
GoldGhost012 says... #28
Reminder that the timer on the Shadows over Innistrad page expires in about 9.5 hours. Maybe it's the countdown to the unveiling of Jace's card.
Also, I don't know if this was originally there, but... insight to the angelic situation?
"...the forces that had protected [humanity] have been twisted into something dark and strange."
March 3, 2016 9:26 a.m. Edited.
Some cards have been leaked on youtube a while back and some of the flavor texts included Nahiri in them saying somthing to the effect of Innistrad will suffer now as Zendikar did all because Sorin abandoned Zendikar and allowed the Eldrazi to wake. If you look at the main image on the MTG website it shows Jace standing there with a white face in the background. Nahiri was a White Lithomancer if I'm correct. Im sure we are going to see her and I personally think she is corrupting things that once defended Innistrad so... the way Jace looks in the main image I think he is going to be corrupted and FINALLY become a B/U planeswalker! I mean thats basically what half of his planeswalker cards to already anyways... mill
March 3, 2016 10:36 a.m.
MindAblaze says... #30
Jace can choose good or evil without being or . Every color can swing both ways, as good and evil aren't spelled out in color theory. Black is harder, because they're supposed to be self-serving, but they still don't have to be Ob Nixilis.
March 3, 2016 11:53 a.m.
Yes, Sorin Markov is probably a bad example as he later has cards. He does a lot of good though.
Liliana Vess is pretty self serving although her actions in killing demons could be seen as good, regardless of her selfish intentions. Her being in league with Nicol Bolas though may remove most chance of doing real good.
I'm curious for a possible Avacyn. Maybe, "Permanents your opponents control lose Indestructible and can't gain Indestructible."
March 3, 2016 noon
EPISODE 02: A GAZE BLANK AND PITILESS
Humans are on the brink of a new golden age for Innistrad, ushered in with the loving guidance of the powerful angel Avacyn, who has for centuries been the protector of humans everywhere.
The next story should be really good. We will find out what the countdown was for at 6pm CST.
March 3, 2016 12:10 p.m.
ASHIOK NEW PRINT/REPRINT MAYBE YES!?!
WHAT BETTER PLACE FOR NIGHTMARES THAN INNISTRAD!!!
I would die and go to heaven!
March 3, 2016 12:30 p.m.
JohnnyBaggins says... #34
There's absolutely no way they have a direct reprint of Ashiok. If anything, they'll have a new Ashiok. Which I'd appreciate.
March 3, 2016 12:33 p.m.
addaff - I'm pretty sure that story is about what Avacyn is doing that's making the humans uneasy.
TMBRLZ - That would make sense on Innistrad, but I'm not sure Ashiok will show up this block. Ashiok does have the makings of a great villain though.
March 3, 2016 12:34 p.m.
Ashiok isn't even a villain. Ashiok just does what it wants. The card was freaking awesome and flew under the radar for way longer than it should have. I'd love to see the same or a similar one make an appearance some point soon. It doesn't deserve to be one of those one-of prints like Domri, Vraska, and Koth.
March 3, 2016 12:36 p.m.
LittleBlueHero says... #37
I have always had a soft spot for Selenia, Dark Angel and I really hope somewhere in this block we get a new legendary W/B angel.
I don't think its unreasonable to think we might considering where the storyline SEEMS to be going.
March 3, 2016 12:37 p.m.
@CastleSiege: How so? Doesn't look like anyone else posted a link.
March 3, 2016 12:42 p.m.
NarejED, there's a whole thread on it already :-)
March 3, 2016 12:48 p.m. Edited.
CastleSiege says... #40
NarejED, Two threads were posted about it yesterday at the time of release.
March 3, 2016 12:50 p.m.
...And not posted here. Point?
Oh well, my apologies for trying to share knowledge that not everyone might have seen yet. I'll try harder to keep people in the dark from now on.
March 3, 2016 12:55 p.m.
"I don't see how anyone can still be on the 'Eldrazi are on Innistrad' "theory"...
NO evidence = 'wish', not 'one of the best theories'."
No evidence to indicate/prove it, sure. No evidence to support it? Absolutely not. Way more than a R/W Nahiri. Way more than a lot of speculation about the set.
March 3, 2016 1:07 p.m.
So... What are the countdown for? 5 more hours of wild speculation, GO!
March 3, 2016 1:24 p.m.
I have two theories.
Reveal of the true SOI trailer, not the teaser we got on Halloween.
Reveal of the Arlinn planeswalker card
March 3, 2016 1:26 p.m.
JohnnyBaggins says... #45
Jace's new card, which will instantly go up to $60 on all relevant platforms.
March 3, 2016 1:29 p.m.
Announcement of the removal of the Reserve List... revealing Dual Lands in SoI.
March 3, 2016 1:36 p.m.
The official announcement that Wizards is selling their rights to MTG to Star City
March 3, 2016 1:39 p.m.
I love how my answer was honest, but the other three are firmly tongue-in-cheek.
March 3, 2016 1:40 p.m.
Complete spoiler, since they're so sick of all the leaks. :-)
March 3, 2016 1:41 p.m.
JWiley129,
I thought so too, then remembered this was the Spoilers, Rumors, and Speculation forum, and figured I'd better get to speculatin'!
Rayenous says... #1
Her description seems like it may have
, due to her association with the Church... but her character interaction in the Uncharted Realms story (I'm gonna keep calling it that) doesn't seem 
... except for the whole Demon hunting.
I would say either
or 
... of course that would upset the player base who keep saying 'We need/want a 
Legendary Werewolf!'. - If I were them, I would just be happy to get a Werefolf Planeswalker... heck they should hope she's partially 
, so they can still call for the 
W-Wolf.
So, Planeswalkers? Looking at the set, and it's hints, so far I'm going with:
It's possible they keep clear of Tibalt. Wizards tends not to redo things people didn't like... even if it's a chance to do it right.
I'm still not convinced there will be a Sorin in the block. I don't think he is currently on Innistrad. He's out looking for Nahiri and probably isn't expecting her to be on Innistrad.
March 2, 2016 3:37 p.m. Edited.