Author: basilisk
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Stop the Flagbearer Hate
An icy black void slices through an honor guard, leaving nothing alive in its wake.
The fearsome dragon flying above is not harmed. A humble man made of brass proudly
carries the banner of the Coalition. He is blasted into scrap by a jolt of red mana,
utterly destroyed, leaving an angry masticore to dominate the battlefield. A tiny
changeling, just learning to fly, suddenly disappears without a trace, never to be
seen again. The Eldrazi titan in its wake continues on its path of annihilation,
unmoved and implacable.These three seemingly-disparate acts of magical violence have one common thread:
They were perpetrated by planeswalkers, against flagbearers. And these are not isolated incidents.
Everywhere I go in the multiverse, the story is the same: senseless violence targeted at my comrades.
I have seen planeswalkers consumed by hordes of slavering monsters while frantically flinging their
spells at innocent flagbearers. They would rather die a horrible death than suffer one of us to live.
All for the simple “crime” of carrying a flag. It happens every day, and we turn a blind eye to the
plight of the fallen, relieved that their destruction was not our own.
Why do we tolerate this? I say enough is enough. And I ask all creatures of the multiverse to stand
with me, with us, here and now. For when we are gone, who knows where next the blade of doom will fall?
If your commanding planeswalker commits a violent act against a flagbearer, solely for the crime of
carrying said flag, throw down your weapons! Show them that the flagbearers’ plight goes unnoticed no
more! Show them that we will no longer sit idly by and watch them commit atrocities! Show them that
your lives, and their own, should be more highly valued than a flagbearer’s destruction! We must unite,
and then, and only then, will they learn to smite someone who deserves it for once! Together, we can
make the multiverse a better place for all.Editor’s Note: Ms. Jahd’s point is underscored by the fact that, mere hours after submitting
this letter, she herself was struck and killed by a meteor that had somehow torn a hole in the very
fabric of space and time itself just to reach her. Her untimely death has already caused some
planeswalkers to reconsider their anti-flagbearer stances. We hope more will follow. -
Wallpaper of the Week: Shrunken Planet
by Fake Monty Ashley
Thursday, May 12th, 2011
This week’s wallpaper features an incredibly sneaky green creature: Rob Alexander’s Shrunken Planet artwork from Innistrad. Enjoy.
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Innistrad Preview Week, Day 3
by Fake Mark Rosewater
Wednesday, May 11th, 2011
Welcome back once more to Innistrad preview week! As promised, today we have the full versions of both of the cards that were previewed on Monday. I would like to first introduce you all to Tombstone Curse.
What would you like on your Tombstone Curse?
One of the most common card variants we see here at R&D have what are known as “Pepperoni or Sausage” mechanics. These are, quite plainly, mechanics where you get to choose between one of two bonuses when you cast a spell. Some people simply enjoy one of the bonuses more than the other, so they don’t get much out of making the decision, but many people are easily swayed into picking Sausage over Pepperoni if the situation calls for it.
The part of Tombstone Curse that we are most proud of is how the Slowtrip mechanic plays into the “Pepperoni or Sausage” decision. Before we had come up with the mechanic, this card was a normal cantrip – but like its namesake, people were tripping over the second option in the ability! During playtesting it was fairly common for someone to raise dead, and then be forced to discard a card at the end of their turn due to the unexpected “bonus” of increasing the number of cards in your hand.
Slowtrip elegantly works around this by giving you extra the card at the start of your next turn, after your mana is refreshed and you can actually do something with what you have in your hand.
Weathering the Spellstorm
It’s a longstanding fact that people hate playing against control decks, but it’s much lesser known that people also hate playing as the control deck. The primary reason for this is because to play it well, you have to bide your time, keeping your mana and spells open to deal with anything your opponent might try. This is made doubly hard by cheap, aggressive creatures that red and white mages like to cast to put pressure on – any stumbling over your draws or mana, and you’ll find yourself locked down outside of the house during the proverbial storm of cats and goblins.
What better way is there to prepare for the bad weather than to put up an umbrella? Spellstorm does just this, and it does it right when you want it: At the end of your opponent’s turn. This opens up your strategy to allow 6-drops again. That’s right, this card is actually an enabler for Sea Serpents, the premier fair-weather friends of blue wizards everywhere.
The Perfect Grave Storm
That wraps it up for today, and I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into the thought process of R&D here at Wizards of the Coast.
Join us again tomorrow to see what else is lurking inside this amazing new plane!
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Homelands Booster Pack Special
Forums member Xerent opens this rare 8-card booster pack from the Homelands expansion.
Homelands was known primarily for being so overpowered in block formats that it was removed entirely from Ice Age block. Furthermore, since it was one of the last expansions to exclude rare and mythic cards, most people consider it the high point in Magic: The Gathering set design.
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Innistrad Preview Week, Day 2
by Fake Mark Rosewater
Tuesday, May 10th, 2011Welcome back to Innistrad preview week! I hope you’ve all remained vigilant, because sinister dealings have been going on here at Wizards of the Coast. Since I am in charge of literally everything that happens around here, I’ve chosen these three cards to give you a small taste of what is coming later on this week.
We’ll start off with a most horrifying red spell. This card is special because it was actually on the file for Urza’s Saga, but was ultimately cut for power reasons after it was determined that it would take years of playtesting to balance it properly. Those years have passed! Here is that card!
Next is the return of a beloved cycle of lands, ones that defined their original block through their flavor and artistic vision. In truth, their “original” printing was found on an old sheet of paper that a custodian found one day at Wizards headquarters, years ago. A sheet of paper that was labeled … Innistrad.
Finally, we bring you the most terrifying preview yet: A creature type so evil and sinister that it’s been left out of sets that contained demons, devils, and horrors. What could it be?
Join me later this week when I reveal the full previews of the cards you already saw on Monday.
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Dominion Comix #17
Ambassador knows what’s up.
Mouse over the image or click here to view the comic in full size.
Good, I didn’t want that copper anyhow. They only accept Rupees at the corner store.
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A Message from the Future
Hey, you there. Copper Myr. This is going to sound crazy, but… What year is this? Really? Okay. Thanks.
By Kaldra, I’ve finally done it. All the lives that have been lost, all the good Mirrans enslaved… It won’t be for nothing. I have a chance to save them.
Melira? Is that you? Listen, we don’t have time for questions. My name is Jor Kadeen. I come from a future where all of this… It’s compleat. Almost every man, woman, and child – infected or worse. It’s the Phyrexians, Melira. You’re the only one who can stop them, and that’s why they’re sending back in time a golem called Karnold to kill you. But I got to you first, and together we can –
Hang on. Why are you looking at me like that?
What do you mean you already know? Some… Some French guys already found out all this stuff? And you’re fine with the whole golem situation. Well, I mean, that’s great, obviously. No really, I’m happy for you. It seems like you have things under control! Shall I just… Go, then?
No, you don’t have to feel bad. It’s just, I look kind of like a jerk, you know? We actually invented time travel for this. Do you know how complicated it is? It would literally take until the Phyrexians arrive for me to explain it to you. I had this big hero thing all built up in my head – you know I wrote down some one-liners for when we’re fighting Karnold? Yeah, I had a lot of free time while I was hurtling through a perpendicular dimension in the time capsule. I was going to say, “You Karn’t touch this!” Get it? No? Never mind.
Look, I think it would be less awkward for both of us if I didn’t stick around. You don’t need my help anyway, right? I’m just gonna go find a nice spot near Lumengrid where I can unwind for a while. When the Phyrexians start invading, just give me a call, okay? Sorry to bother you like this. Uh… Yeah. Bye.
