Upcoming New Phyrexian Storyline
Spoilers, Rumors, and Speculation forum
Posted on Feb. 29, 2020, 11:28 a.m. by triproberts12
How do people think the return-to-New-Phyrexia storyline will pan out? So far, we know that Karn, Ashiok, and possibly Elspeth are all heading that way. Personally, I think it will be a 2-sided conflict between Urabrask and the Elspeth+Karn+Koth trio versus Ashiok and at least Sheoldred and Jin-Gitaxius, if not all four other Praetors. Urabrask was never down with forced compleation or authoritarian rule, and we know that the schism hasn't lessened since New Phyrexian on account of him declining to participate in making Atraxa. I also think Koth has been compleated. The last thing we saw of him was when he forced Elspeth off-plane and was left to an uncertain fate, and it would give him a reason to be in Urabrask's circle. Maybe the green Praetor is relatively neutral and Glissa comes down on the anti-Phyrexia side, as well. Thoughts?
triproberts12 says... #4
Karn is definitely going to Phyrexia. Ashiok is definitely going to Phyrexia. That much isn't up for discussion. Elesh Norn is definitely the closest to the new Father of the Machines, so that's why I assumed she might team up with Ashiok. We already know the sets through September of this year, so I'd imagine it will be January 2021, Spring 2021, or Fall 2021 that we go back to New Phyrexia. They're trying to do about half-and-half old and new planes, so with Ikoria being new and Zendikar being a return, with us just having come from a return set, I'd say Spring or Fall 2021 is more likely. I don't know where you got the idea that non-standard sets aren't cannon, shadow63, but I'm pretty sure that's wrong, given that we only knew about Daxos's stint as Daxos the Returned prior to being revived by Heliod as Daxos, Blessed by the Sun from the Commander 2015 card. That being said, kanokarob, I don't think art from a supplemental product in 2016 definitely says Koth is all well and good, since his fate was left up in the air back in 2013, but that is definitely a sticking point on him being compleated. Maybe he did make a miraculous escape from that caved-in tunnel using his geomancy or something. I still think that Karn will need allies in his pursuit of defeating New Phyrexia, though, and the fact that Koth and Urabrask are both Red make them seem like the natural leaders of the new resistance.
February 29, 2020 7:58 p.m.
JANKYARD_DOG says... #5
Let's break down briefly who has ties/interest to the place. Karn and Elspeth have a personal quest to fulfill ending the threat that is Phyrexia. Koth's status is unknown, if he lives it is his home plane so it is likely he would play a part. What side he would be on is questionable. Ashiok has recently learned of this place of living nightmare through Elspeth and is intrigued by it. Tezzeret ventured there on behalf of Bolas once... he was inoculated by a Vedalken against Phyresis but how long that lasts I'm uncertain. Tezzeret (as far as I know) still possesses the Planar Portal. Further research tells me Ajani has visited the plane as well and also has ties to Elspeth pre death. Everyone else is dead (Jeska, Venser, and to reiterate, Koth is a maybe).
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Anyway, that's my two cents. Whether it happens at all is another thing. It's a big beast to tackle and one set definitely wouldn't be enough.
February 29, 2020 8:27 p.m.
Hasn't thousands of years passed? I can't remember... But I know all the Phyrexian remains were all grown over on Dominaria. I still think the best story is where Phyrexia has reformed over thousands of years & some of its "people" have become more than just drones (more than the sum of their parts) & Karn is just out of touch, not recognizing that things can change over thousands of years. Then Karn is this pseudo-badguy vengeful father... That would be a sweet twist.
March 1, 2020 11:20 a.m.
Gleeock that's... That's literally what New Phyrexia is... The plane of New Phyrexia, formerly Mirrodin, formerly Argentum. That's the whole point of their existence: Phyrexians emerging from nothing with new sentience and awareness and intelligence and individuality, but still with the evil goal of compleation.
March 1, 2020 12:06 p.m.
Yeah.. I thought that was some of it, I'm only wishy-washy at best on storyline. I wonder though, what if compleation is no longer the overall goal? It wouldn't be the 1st time an evil empire started from ignoble beginnings & changed into something else (Colonial expansion for the sake of "Providence"...etc.). It would be neat though if the unstoppable spread of the Phyrexians had stopped simply because their goals had changed (compleating races isn't really improving us). Then someone like Karn, would be stuck in the past & more on the hideous beginnings of Phyrexia. That kind of storyline would be a shift away from Phyrexia being unchangingly & mustache-twirlingly evil (something that MTG does too often).
March 1, 2020 2:01 p.m.
I also like the idea of the ness aspect of Phyrexians causing a cultural stagnancy, unity, & peace that gets shaken up by . Driving them back into compleation & genocide, but with more of a discord driving them to self-ruin. It'd be even better if it was some sort of magic/infection thing.
I also think the Golgothian Sylex could have so much more depth. It is a poorly understood tool of destruction/change. The Sylex should be more than a simple bowl-bomb, it should be like cataclysm in a bowl: when activated it does just the right thing to cause the perfect ruin for any given plane (it was bowl-bomb for Dominaria, but different elsewhere). Make it like 'Shiva-in-a-box'. Then it could repurpose the Phyrexian oil or something fun like that, be the perfect tool to bring about the ruin of Phyrexia.
March 1, 2020 2:14 p.m.
I figured Karn would Planeswalk into the heart of New Phyrexia with the Sylex tucked under one arm and drop a one-liner like "Become one with this," as he slams it onto Elesh Norn's face like he just scored a touchdown and then warps out.
And the in the distance Koth's got some Phyrexian in a chokehold and is punching it in the face as he slowly walks backwards away from the approaching blastwave before he planeswalks out at the last minute.
March 1, 2020 6:50 p.m.
It seems amazing. It almost appears like you've witnessed the greatness that is "Commando" starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
March 1, 2020 7:59 p.m.
triproberts12 says... #12
If Arnold Schwarzenegger voices Karn in the MTG Netflix series, I will buy the box set.
March 1, 2020 8:03 p.m.
It would be cool if Phyrexia split into a civil war, with half standing alongside Elesh Norn and the other half standing behind Urabrask. Karn comes and can't decide whether or not to use the Cylex because he is torn between his hatred of Phyrexia and his pacifistic nature knowing there are those there on the plane that are trying to stop it. Maybe ultimately he is too late in deciding and the resistance falls/Phyrexians leave the plane and he goes off on another angsty trip through the multiverse leaving the Gatewatch to clean up his mess.
This could also tie into Bolas some how, maybe he had a plan for if his plan failed in War of the Spark and is going to use Tezzeret as a broker to get aid from the Phyrexians.
March 2, 2020 1:31 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #14
There is little doubt that Tezzeret shall have some involvement in a future storyline that involves New Phyrexia, because he controls the planar bridge, and it is also safe to presume that Ashiok will be involved in some way, since they are fascinated by Phyrexia.
It also is safe to presume that Elspeth shall return to fight Phyrexia, since Phyrexia invaded her home plane, and Karn is entirely self-explanatory, but I am not certain about any other planeswalkers. I would rather not see any of the post-mending planeswalkers apart from Elspeth be involved, since they have no reason to be, but Teferi and Jaya could certainly be invovled.
I also expect Atraxa to play a prominent role, and possibly even become the new leader of New Phyrexia, since she has blessing from four of the five praetors, so she must be very powerful, indeed.
kanokarob says... #2
Koth is assumed to still be alive, as he is shown in the most recent art for Phyrexian Arena in a prominently resistant position.
Elesh Norn is also definitely in charge of the unapologetically-evil club on New Phyrexia. Sheoldred and Jin-Gitaxias are probably still alive, but they're lesser compared to Norn--she was implied to be in the most dominant position when we left.
I truly don't think we'll be returning to New Phyrexia. I think most of the New Phyrexian storyline will involve visiting other planes immediately prior to, during, or following invasions. If we get to New Phyrexia, it'll be the last set-or-three as the finale in two or three years. Ashiok and Tezzeret's exact roles are uncertain at this time, as well as Urabrask's. He could very well be dead.
February 29, 2020 12:20 p.m.