Theros: Beyond Death Spoilers
Spoilers, Rumors, and Speculation forum
Posted on Dec. 14, 2019, 2:09 a.m. by DemonDragonJ
I cannot believe that there has not yet been a thread made for spoilers for Theros: Beyond Death, so here is such a thread.
Here is the official image gallery, and here is an article about the mechanics.
I shall now comment on specific cards.
I am not particularly happy that “demigod” is now a creature type; was not “god” sufficient? Also, why is only Daxos’s toughness equal to his controller’s devotion to white? Would he be too powerful if his power increased, as well? I also dislike how his life-gaining ability cares about only creatures that are controlled by his controller; would he have been too powerful if his ability triggered from all creatures, regardless of their controllers?
Why is it that there are creatures that have abilities that trigger when they are targeted by spells, but the heroic mechanic has not actually returned? What was the point of not bringing back the mechanic?
The ability of eidolon of philosophy is very nice, but also very expensive; I understand that it can be used as an instant, but seven mana is still a very high cost for drawing three cards.
Memory drain is too expensive for its effect; I personally feel that it could have cost 1 mana less, since Dissolve is very underpowered, in my mind.
I am displeased that Setessan champion is not an enchantment, herself, since she shall not trigger her own constellation ability. Also, mono-green is not supposed to have card draw that is not related to creatures, so I believe that she should have been green/white.
Why are the escape costs of some of these cards so expensive? Is it because retuning from the dead is supposed to be difficult and rare?
I like The Akroan War, but I noticed that there is no artwork in the text box, which all the sagas from Domianria had; why did WotC change that? Did the artwork make the text difficult to read?
Who is Klothys? Is she the new red/green deity? If so, I will be pleased to see a red/green creature who cares about more than simply brute force and destruction.
The first group of previews were overall very nice, so I shall be awaiting further previews.
Saying green should only have card draw based on creatures is absurd. Enchantress decks have been green/white or green/white/blue, with several cards in mono green caring about enchantments, and at least 3 that draw cards per enchantments entering or being cast.
December 15, 2019 12:07 a.m.
davidsays1 says... #4
I heard there might possibly be a new gruul god as that gods name has been mentioned multiple times
December 15, 2019 6:37 a.m.
Atheros is a buy a box promo and will not be in the set i think. Im excited for the new enchantress for my Estrid deck :)
December 15, 2019 7:12 a.m. Edited.
DemonDragonJ says... #6
smackjack, I am very displeased to hear that, and even more displeased that WotC is engaging in such a practice; how could they have thought that that was a good idea, and why have the players not expressed their dislike for it?
December 15, 2019 9:08 a.m.
Hi_diddly_ho_neighbor says... #7
Theros is a great plane. I am happy to finally be going back. In response to some of your concerns DemonDragonJ:
Demigods are all over Greek mythology (Hercules, Achilles, Theseus, etc). In the Illiad alone there are like 15 of them running around. The fact there hasn't been a demigod creature type made yet is actually more surprising. MTG lore wise this is also very interesting since the demigod in question is Daxos. Daxos died, went to the underworld, and then eventually became a Returned. However, now he has lost his mask and is a demigod. That means to me that if a Returned can regain their (for the lack of a better word) soul on Theros, they will ascended to demigod-hood. Quite interesting. In regards to his abilities, I suspect WotC was being careful not to put a higher ceiling version of Soul Warden into the command zone. That would be verrry strong (though Mono-white could use something like that in Commander).
Memory Drain looks like it is geared toward limited play instead of constructed play, which is fine with me.
Green has always been the secondary enchantment color, so Setessan Champion doesn't break the color pie at all.
First of all, I loooooove the escape mechanic as graveyard strategies are my jam. I completely agree that they are high costed, but I also understand why. WotC has miss-judged the potential power of self-contained graveyard recursion in the past (dredge). I suspect they are playing it safe by making it have a substantial cost.
On to my own thoughts on some of the spoilers so far:
Both Ashiok and Elspeth look quite solid. I am getting BFZ Gideon power level vibes from Elspeth.
Athreos is a bit disappointing at 6 mana. His ability, though powerful, is pretty slow. I wish it was an activated ability instead of only on your upkeep.
It's great to see Saga's make a comeback. Greek mythology is a perfect setting for them.
I am intrigued to see the new Gruul god. I am also interested in which gods make it into the set. Athreos, Erebos, and Phenax all make sense since they all play a role in the underworld and with the Returned. Kruphix could be included as well since Kruphix seems to be the linchpin god of Theros. Heliod probably as well, but I suspect Elspeth will kill him so he may actually not get a card. The Gruul god could get a card since red still needs representation and there is hype around the new god, but it's hard to see at this moment how they fit into the story line.
Lastly, new full art lands! Yay!
December 15, 2019 1:30 p.m.
With regards to "Demigods" as a creature type--I think this makes perfect sense: There's a huge difference between Gods, Demigods, and mortals in classical mythology. Gods, of course, are the immortals--beyond reproach and with their own set of rules and moralities. Demigods are an in-between--they have innate strength (Achilles, for example, goes toe-to-toe with a god in the Iliad), but also exhibit very human flaws and virtues (Achilles is greedy and cowardly, spending most of the Iliad throwing a temper tantrum; Aeneas is godly and full of piety, earning the respect of gods who otherwise wish to destroy Troy).
The Human heroes, on the other hand, generally need to win the favor of the gods through force of their character. Odysseus, for example, earns divine respect because he is intelligent and cunning; Diomedes because his piety earned him favoritism.
There's enough nuance there in the source material that I think it is fully justified to treat Demigods as their own, distinct category.
Also, the classicist in me can't help but correct you Hi_diddly_ho_neighbor - the Iliad has nowhere close to 15 demigods. There's Achilles, Helene, Aeneas, Sarpedon, and possibly Nestor (his mother shares a name with a goddess, but it's unclear if they are one-in-the-same). The remaining heroes might have divine blood in their veins, but are a generation or more removed from divinity making them mortals, not true Demigods. Which makes sense--the Iliad takes place after the the Argonauts, Seven Against Thebes, Heracles' Labours, etc., and one of the underlying themes is that the Iliadic heroes are trying to live up to the reputations of their ancestors.
December 15, 2019 2:33 p.m. Edited.
Hi_diddly_ho_neighbor says... #9
Caerwyn - my apologies. I was speaking in a bit of hyperbole, but I actually thought characters like Diomedes were demigods (his battle with Aeneas and Aphrodite was what I was thinking of specifically when I wrote the earlier post).
It's been a while since I've read the story so I appear to be improperly mixing characters. Regardless, demigods are all over Greek mythology, so their inclusion as a creature type seems proper to me.
December 15, 2019 3 p.m.
Coward_Token says... #10
A couple of neat details I noticed in the trailer aside from Eslpeth's nick/wound (hope they're not too obvious):
-
There's some minotaurs among the Returned. They're never entirely in focus but you can see their larger model at e.g. 0:25 to the right of Elspeth.
-
At 0:33 when a Returned passes trough the wall, the light that goes out of it briefly takes the shape of a body, I assume that's their Eidolon leaving.
-
When the girl turns around, she briefly leaves behind a small trail of smoke, indicating she's a Nightmare and not a Zombie
December 15, 2019 4:12 p.m.
Setessan Champion is just a rehash of Eidolon of Blossoms caring about enchantments is very green.
The moment I saw the art for elspeth with the black aura around her spear/staff and saw her mono-white, minus only abilities, is the moment I stopped caring for any of the backstories of the set.
Not expressively bringing back keywords like Heroic has been going on for a few years - for example, Gearseeker Serpent literally has affinity for artifacts on it, but it is never named that.
Escape, from the cards debuted so far, has a very steep cost cost. It is likely costed steeply, because self-mill is a thing and costing escape differently can make it difficult to stop. Also, limited considerations.
Eidolon of philosophy is likely only costed for limited play, where a 1/2 will actually be played.
Memory drain is indeed underpowered. It is a limited-oriented counterspell and even then, it is weak. 4 mana soft counters do not get played, even in limited, eg Crush Dissent .
Demigod is a new thing that could have been a thing on the OG Theros, but hardly worth returning to Theros.
Klothys is most likely the human servant of Kruphix depicted on the art.
Overall, from what is shown right now, theros is not worth returning to at all. We have demigods and 1 new overcosted-as-to-not-be-OP mechanic in Escape. Very underwhelmed.
December 16, 2019 4:33 a.m.
With Arena's most resent challenge being Theros themed I exclusively tried out the Mono White deck to give Elspeth and Escape a try. My take on it is Elspeth didn't actually feel underpowered though not once did I find the need for the "Gain 5 life" mode but that could vary well be that the matchup isn't suited to this mode. Escape felt a lot better then I expected it to work though still more expensive then I would like on mana cost.
I understand (not necessarily agree with) why Heroic isn't back and I'm glad cards by proxy have it.
Setessan Champion I wish was White as both and are the enchantment colors I just want White to get some on color pie card draw and I think this is better served in White.
Overall I am supper excited for Theros as it is one of my favorite planes to visit.
December 16, 2019 1:23 p.m.
LittleBlueHero says... #13
Klothys is the God of destiny right? She already has a named card in green and her art does look very red/green. However, destiny doesn't strike me as very red... which loves randomness and stuff?
Eh Either way I dig her art and I hope the card matches the art quality.
December 16, 2019 3:50 p.m.
The new Escape mechanic spotlight video from WOTC gives us a little glimpse of Klothys as well as tells us that she is the old god that died but has also Escaped the underworld.
December 16, 2019 4:52 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #15
Today's previews did contain some mildly interesting cards, but nothing spectacular, so I shall not make any comments about any particular one.
December 17, 2019 9:12 p.m.
Hi_diddly_ho_neighbor says... #16
I hope everyone is having/had a wonderful holiday. Looks like WotC dropped the R/G god on us on Christmas eve. Overall she is...'meh' from a commander perspective. Probably a decent addition to any Gruul deck wanting graveyard hate, but she probably won't be helming many decks. I suspect could be pretty powerful in Limited and Standard though.
December 26, 2019 10:32 a.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #17
Klothys is not bad, but she is too similar to Xenagos, who also had an ability that triggered at the beginning of his controller's precombat main phase.
However, the reprint of Gray Merchant of Asphodel is very awesome, especially with that new artwork.
December 26, 2019 4:43 p.m.
Yeah, my thoughts on the new god...This is probably the worst god of all of them. One mana OR two damage at each precombat? This card is really weak sauce. I doubt it will ever reach above .50. You are paying 3 mana for a one time reoccurring enchantment that "might" be an indestructible creature some day that gives you only one mana during turn or two damage....wow...how completely useless. It's legendary so you can't stack it, otherwise it would be GREAT. Let me know when it does 2 damage to each opponent when a land or creature comes into play or gives you land each time X happens...you know...something that happens more than one time per turn. Locust god is best god.
December 26, 2019 4:43 p.m.
Hi_diddly_ho_neighbor says... #19
vasarto77 I think there are plenty gods that are worse than this one (OG Kefnet and Pharika both immediately come to mind). In Commander, yeah Klothys is one of the worst, but in 20 life, 1v1 formats like Standard and Limited, I suspect this card will be pretty strong. This card ramps, deals damage, and fights graveyard strategies (which may become a thing if Escape turns out to be a strong mechanic). Klothys won't save you if you are behind, but she is aggressively costed with a pretty flexible effect. She comes down early and provides immediate value, and later on she becomes a difficult to remove finisher. I too find Klothys a bit bland, but I don't think she is weak (outside of Commander) by any means.
December 26, 2019 8:54 p.m.
davidsays1 says... #20
Hi_diddly_ho_neighbor OG Kefnet is bad? Infinite Mana draw your entire deck in the command zone sounds amazing to me.
I think Mogis is around Pharika level
December 27, 2019 9:13 a.m.
I saw a picture of Windswept heath as a theros spoiler, but it was just a screenshot - is it confirmed?
December 29, 2019 1:51 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #22
Boza, that would be very awesome, but WotC seems to not wish to have the fetchlands and the shocklands in the same standard environment, since the Guilds of Ravnica block is still legal in standard at this time. Notice that Zendikar Rising is being released well after GoR leaves standard; I am certain that that is no accident, and I believe that that is a good indication that WotC may be reprinting the fetchlands in that set, or, if not the fetchlands, enemy-colored version of the "battle lands" (i.e., Cinder Glade , Prairie Stream , and so forth) would be very nice.
What does everyone think of Tymaret Calls the Dead? I think it shall be a great card for zombie decks, but I am worried about the first ability being able to exile enchantments, since WotC has been very clear that neither red nor black can destroy enchantments, so this may be a severe bend of the color pie.
December 29, 2019 2:32 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #23
I jut noticed that the third ability of Tymaret calls the dead triggers after the player has drawn for their turn, which is unfortunate, because it would be amazing if it triggered before they drew.
December 29, 2019 2:36 p.m.
Hi_diddly_ho_neighbor says... #24
davidsays1 I guess I never have actually seen a OG Kefnet deck in the wild before, so maybe he is decent. I just feel that there are a ton of better commanders for that strategy though.
DemonDragonJ - The first/second ability only targets graveyards. It also only targets your own graveyard. So it doesn't seem like it's an issue to me.
December 29, 2019 6:16 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #25
The new Purphoros and Erebos are very awesome, so I would not at all be upset if I opened one of them in a booster pack.
Nyx lotus is great, but why does it enter the battlefield tapped? It costs 4 mana, and Nykthos does not enter the battlefield tapped, despite the fact that it is free to play.
The fact that woe strider cannot sacrifice itself for its scry ability is unfortunate, but that is likely to prevent it from being too powerful.
The enemy-colored temples/scrylands were reprinted in Core Set 2020, so I am very glad that the allied-colored versions are being reprinted in this set (especially with new artwork), so that all of them shall be legal in standard simultaneously (not that I ever play standard); hopefully, WotC shall eventually reprint the allied-colored filter lands and then print enemy-colored battle lands, as well (and, as long as I am mentioning that, a complete cycle for Nimbus Maze would also be awesome).
Underworld breach is very awesome, but I do think that a mere 2 mana is too low of a cost for something that powerful, and the fact it is an enchantment in a set with a strong focus on enchantments is very awesome.
This shall now be the second visit to Theros, and it seems that there shall not be a reprint of mortify, which is unfortunate, because that card would make sense in this set.
December 30, 2019 5:07 p.m.
Hi_diddly_ho_neighbor says... #26
Each of the new Erebos, Purphoros, and Nylea are all fantastic. I especially love the Erebos alternate art with the constellations overlain. I must have one!
Kunoros is pretty cool. I've been wanting to see more graveyard hate on potential commanders.
I am not as bullish on Nyx Lotus as others are. It's slow and not really reliable. I'd still probably run any of Thran Dynamo , Gilded Lotus , Hedron Archive or Firemind Vessel over it.
December 30, 2019 11:19 p.m.
Hi_diddly_ho_neighbor says... #27
Oh wow! Mono-white just got the non-combat based finisher it has been lacking. New Heliod + Walking Ballista = good game
We are also getting an Idyllic Tutor reprint, which is fantastic.
December 31, 2019 2:44 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #28
The reprint of Idyllic Tutor is very nice, since that card very much needed a reprint, but the new Heliod is simply a worse version of Archangel of Thune , in my mind.
Devourer of memory would have been so much better if its ability triggered for each card put into it's owner's graveyard, rather than only once for each instance of that happening.
How can towering-wave mystic be a common, with that ability? I would have made it an uncommon, if I had designed it.
December 31, 2019 3:36 p.m.
Hi_diddly_ho_neighbor they'd better ban the new Heliod in Pioneer and not Walking Ballista or that's my Artefact deck dead.
They've already taken Smuggler's Copter from it.
January 2, 2020 1:23 a.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #30
The horns on blood aspirant look very similar to Bolas’s horns, but I imagine that that is merely a coincidence, since it is highly unlikely that Bolas shall again be relevant to the story for a long time.
Arasta of endless web is very nice, but not quite as good a Dragonlair Spider , in my mind.
Rebirth for glory would have been much better if its second mode could have returned any enchantment, and not simply an aura, especially since it costs 5 mana to cast.
The fact that tectonic giant is a rare, while Pharika’s spawn is an uncommon, is annoying, because I believe that the spawn is a more powerful card.
Nylea’s intervention is very awesome (more for its first mode than its second mode), as is the new Nylea, herself.
Wavebreak hippocamp would have been so much better if it itself had flash, because, as it currently is, it takes too much effort for it to be reliable, in my mind.
The new Polukranos is very awesome, but its escape cost is very high; why are the escape costs of so many spells so high?
Since nearly every creature with escape enters the battlefield with additional +1/+1 counters if their escape cost was paid, why does Elspeth, Sun's Nemesis not enter the battlefield with additional loyalty counters if her escape cost was paid?
Also, is anyone annoyed that Elspeth is in perfectly good health, and does not seem to have in any way been altered or affected by her time in the underworld?
Reverent hoplite has an awesome ability, but there is no way that paying 5 mana for a 1/2 is never a good bargain.
January 2, 2020 8:36 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #31
The fact that shimmerwing chimera cannot return itself means that its controller shall need to have a way to continually generate enchantment tokens, or else a way to easily replay enchantments.
As with the hippocamp, stinging lionfish would be so much better if it, itself, had flash.
Omen of the forge is nice, but has a very straightforward and limited effect compared to the other omens.
Haktos the unscarred has a very interesting new usage of protection, but that shall make it difficult to put him into a deck as much as it will make it difficult for opponents to play against him. However, I wonder why the numbers 2, 3, and 4 were chosen; I, myself, would have chosen any number at random between 1 and 10 (or, if that is too extreme or a range, 1 and 5), to provide greater variability.
So, there are now sagas with four chapters; it is good to see WotC further expanding unusual and interesting mechanics.
Archon of falling stars is nice, but the fact that its ability triggers only when it dies prevents it from being little more than a niche card, in my mind.
The new Thassa is nice, but, at this point, there have been plenty of cards that exile a creature and then return it to the battlefield (mainly to cause abilities that trigger when a creature enters the battlefield to trigger, again), so she is nothing new or extraordinary.
I really wish that WotC had given new artwork to Banishing Light and Revoke Existence , since I dislike it when they use the same artwork, constantly, but at least most of the other cards that are being reprinted, most notably Idyllic Tutor and Indomitable Will , all have excellent new artwork.
Drag to the underworld is very awesome, and I hope that WotC explores that cost-reduction mechanic related to devotion on more cards.
Why is it that the creatures with the constellation mechanic are not enchantments, themselves? They would be so much better if they synergized with themselves.
Iroas is a red/white god, so why is the saga that honors him mono-green?
January 4, 2020 12:49 a.m.
Coward_Token says... #32
I'm confused these requests for flash on the blue fish creatures; AFAIK they wouldn't be able to trigger themselves if you cast them on an opponent's turn, nor would it work if you cast them in response to your first spell
January 4, 2020 2:49 a.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #33
Coward_Token, since those creatures do not have flash, a player will need to wait until their own turn to summon those creatures, which shall then provide their opponent with plenty of warning about their strategy; if the creatures themselves had flash, the player could summon them during an opponent's turn and then immediately cast another instant, thereby gaining value from them immediately.
Cards such as Archangel of Thune and Rhox Faithmender synergize with themselves, so it is very unfortunate that this creature does not, as well.
January 4, 2020 10:14 a.m.
Hi_diddly_ho_neighbor says... #34
Argy, losing Ballista is a reasonable fear at this point. Though because Heliod enables multiple, difficult to interact with, combos across multiple formats, he could actually get the axe.
Some quick thoughts on other cards:
New Thassa looks pretty cool. An indestructible Conjurer's Closet seems pretty strong.
Erebo's Intervention is puuuusssshhed. Nylea's Intervention seems solid as well. Hopefully all the parts of this cycle are as good.
Wavebreak Hippocamp is going to be great in control/spellslinger shells. At 3 cmc it comes down early and then turns all of your counterspells into cantrips. This card is already strong enough without flash.
Tectonic Giant is really, really good. It's basically Inferno Titan and Light Up the Stage mashed onto one card. Pair this guy with Bonecrusher Giant and you have some prickly creatures. This might be my favorite card of the set so far.
Arasta of the Endless Web gives a much needed boost to Ishkanah, Grafwidow players. She is also pretty solid on her own as well.
Drag to the Underworld is likely the next Fatal Push / Path to Exile . Two mana for an unconditional removal spell? Sign me up. This will likely see play across multiple formats.
Polukranos Unchained could make for an interesting commander. Trample would've been nice on him, but he might have been too strong. Likewise Haktos the Unscarred is pretty unique. I do have one question though: Does he only gain protection from the other two numbers (i.e. if 2 is chosen, he has protection from ONLY 3 and 4), or does he gain protection from ALL other numbers (i.e. 1,3,4,5,6, etc.) I love seeing WotC make some oddball legends here and there.
January 4, 2020 10:49 a.m.
Hi_diddly_ho_neighbor says... #35
The Inferno Titan comparison may have been a bit generous. Thunderbreak Regent is probably a more correct comparison.
January 4, 2020 10:53 a.m.
Coward_Token says... #36
Unfortunately Wizards don't want us to have fun with Treacherous Blessing since most Donate -effects seem to target
Maybe I'm greedy but I wish Allure of the Unknown cost less or so since that free spell could really blow up in your face
It's kinda weird that the templating for Callaphe gives out a Frost armor ability to your permanents instead of just doing it on its own like Kasmina, Enigmatic Mentor ; the distinction only seems relevant if e.g. another creature gets hit by Turn to Frog
DemonDragonJ: AFAIK the fishes work like e.g. Rashmi, Eternities Crafter , which is why I don't think flash would matter:
9/20/2016: "Rashmi has to be on the battlefield at the moment you cast your first spell. If that spell is Rashmi itself, Rashmi’s ability can’t trigger. If that spell causes Rashmi to leave the battlefield as an additional cost to cast it, Rashmi’s ability can’t trigger."
(Vial Smasher has similarly worded rulings.)
January 4, 2020 12:59 p.m.
Archon of the Falling Stars + Animate Dead + free sac outlet ( Altar of Dementia ) = infinite right?
January 5, 2020 2:22 p.m.
Dryad of Ilysian Grove
2G
Enchantment Creature - Nymph
You may play an additional land on each of your turns.
Lands you control have all basic land types in addition to other types.
2/4
This is a very powerful card - Exploration + Prismatic Omen on a stick.
January 6, 2020 9:45 a.m.
CrimsonChaos says... #39
Hi_diddly_ho_neighbor Where Haktos is concerned, he gets protection from all things except what number cmc you roll for him.
January 6, 2020 12:11 p.m.
Coward_Token says... #40
Kinda weird that Tymaret was chosen by Erebos seeing as the latter is very anti-Returned (see e.g. Agent of Erebos ). I could see e.g. King Macar, the Gold-Cursed being his Demigod instead. Oh well.
January 6, 2020 3:42 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #41
In Mark Rosewater’s article, today, he spoke of the mechanics that WotC was contemplating reusing for this set, and I am glad that they did not choose to reuse monstrosity, since adapt is completely superior to it.
The fact that Eurtopia, the twice-favored is an uncommon is ridiculous; she is far too powerful to be an uncommon, and should definitely be a rare, in my mind. Also, what does “twice-favored” mean? Has she been favored by two different deities, or been favored twice by the same deity? Why does her flavor text mention Thassa and Nylea, but not Kruphix? Does Kruphix even have any involvement in the story of this set?
I am not certain how I feel about there being a male nymph/dryad; I understand the desire for equality, but nymphs and dryads have always been portrayed as female for as long as stories of those beings have been told, to the point that “nymph” is now an informal term for an attractive young woman.
I do not see why whirlwind denial could not simply have had storm, as that would have made the card much easier to read and comprehend.
Gravebreaker lamia is nice, but it unfortunately does not allow its controller to cast the card that it puts into their graveyard, and it is also unfortunate that it is not a zombie, because it would be amazing if it were.
Renata and the new Anax are both very awesome, but I am sad that both Anax and Tymaret have lost colors, since dual-colored cards are supposed to have both colors equally important in their color identities.
Archon of sun’s grace is very awesome, but I still sad that it is not an enchantment, itself; can you image how awesome that card would be combined with Rite of Replication if it were an enchantment?
Fateful end is strictly better than bolt of Keranos, and also has a name that allows it to be printed in any set, but there is no way that scry 1 is worth 2 mana over Lightning Bolt ; perhaps would have been a better cost, or it could have had scry 2 for its existing cost?
Thryx is awesome, but it is very unfortunate that he does not prevent himself from being countered. Uro and Kroxa are amazing, but I do hope that there is one titan for each two-color combination, and not merely five of them.
January 6, 2020 10:04 p.m.
Hi_diddly_ho_neighbor says... #42
I must have Kroxa and I must find a way to break him in commander.
also, thanks for clearing that up CrimsonChaos
January 6, 2020 11:32 p.m.
Thassa's Oracle
Creature - Merfolk Wizard
When Thassa's Oracle enters the battlefield, look at the top X cards of your library, where X is your devotion to blue. Put up to one of them on top of your library and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
If X is greater than or equal to the number of cards in your library, you win the game. (Each U in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to blue.)
1/3
January 7, 2020 10:54 a.m. Edited.
LittleBlueHero says... #44
The are on The Binding of the Titans only shows 4 (maybe 3 its hard to tell) Titans in the art.
Im with you I hope there are more but it might be we only get a few.
January 7, 2020 10:55 a.m.
Calix, Destiny's Hand
Legendary Planeswalker - Calix
+1: Look at the top four cards of your library. You may reveal an enchantment card from among them and put that card into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
-3: Exile target creature or enchantment you don't control until target enchantment you control leaves the battlefield.
-7: Return all enchantment cards from your graveyard to the battlefield.
4
Eidolon of Obstruction
Enchantment Creauture - Spirit
First strike
Loyalty abilities of planeswalkers your opponents control cost 1 more to activate.
2/1
January 7, 2020 10:57 a.m. Edited.
Hi_diddly_ho_neighbor says... #46
DemonDragonJ and LittleBlueHero: If we are lucky we will get 1 more. 14 mythics + Athreos (buy-a-box) have already been spoiled, so we are awaiting one more mythic. If it is a titan, then I expect it to be either Boros or Azorius.
Also, based on the cards depicting her, Klothys is turning out to be a badass character.
January 7, 2020 7:07 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #47
Hi_diddly_ho_neighbor, it it a rule that a "normal" set must contain exactly 15 mythic rares?
I am annoyed that enigmatic incarnation cannot sacrifice itself, since that is usually a black ability, which means that its controller will need to have another enchantment to get full use from it, but I suppose that that is to prevent it from being too powerful.
Altar of the pantheon is very nice, but I am certain that its first ability will cause some confusion, initially.
Eidolon of obstruction will definitely be a hated card, but why is its ability so narrow and specific to planeswalkers? What reason is there for it to not affect all activated abilities? Would that make it too powerful?
Thassa’s oracle is a very nice new alternate win condition, so I shall add it to my list when it is added to this website’s database.
Calix has some nice abilities, but his biography raises many questions; the default rule in this game has been that only naturally-born sentient beings can be planeswalkers, but Calix was created by Klothys; Venser gave his planeswalker spark to Karn, so how did Calix become a planeswalker?
January 7, 2020 9:07 p.m.
Coward_Token says... #48
https://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/190133340888/only-two-titans-unless-im-mistaken-the-binding
Also my guess is that Klothys got Xenagos' spark
January 8, 2020 12:42 a.m.
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enigmatic incarnation sacrifices creatures to find enchantments that cost one more than the creature. Could explain why there are in general less enchantment creatures in this set.
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Wizards has set out in the last few sets to break a few rules on planeswalking - Kaya being able to take a living being with her (in the last novel), Jiang Yanggu being able to take a puppy, because it is cute, The wanderer randomly planeswalking as if it was a cakewalk. So Kalix not being natural is still not very weird.
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It is a rule that normal sets can have exactly 15 mythics. It is called "as-fan" or the ratio at which you expect a card to show up in a booster. A 250 card set would have 15 mythics to maintain a consistent rarity as-fan. If Wizards makes a 500 card set, you can expect 30 mythics to be in it.
January 8, 2020 3:53 a.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #50
Boza, all of that makes sense.
Destiny spinner is ridiculously powerful for 2 mana, and how is she not a rare?
Even more extreme is Shadowspear; how is that card remotely balanced with such low mana costs?
Wow, Nyxbloom ancient is insane! And it is not legendary! Can you imagine having multiple copies of it on the battlefield simultaneously? If that card can be made, there is no excuse to not have creature versions of both Warstorm Surge and Exquisite Blood .
DemonDragonJ says... #2
Also, why is Ashiok still on Theros? What connection do they have to that plane?
December 14, 2019 3:10 p.m.