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I'm glad that Nantuko Shade wasn't given the Twilight treatment - the Nantuko were always a really cool race, the fact that they weren't a classic "fantasy" race (note: vampires also not really a classic fantasy race) made them interesting.

Nitpick dujour:  Beyer says here that the uncommon should be an engine which is activated by the common or by the planeswalker, but for Jace they have them backwards - the combo card is common, while its activator is uncommon.  This thoroughly disgusts me, as "Draw three cards" is an effect all players can use and thus belonged on a common, while a build-around-me that creates a viable mill deck should have been uncommon so you'd only see it if you wanted to.

What bugs me is that this super-cycle is 15 planeswalker-related cards, counting the planeswalkers themselves, rather than 20.  They could have put it at all four rarities by having a rare card associated with each PW.  For these, I recommend artifacts which represent an actual possession of the planeswalker - there's disconnect based on the fact that PWs aren't creatures and thus can't equip their signature Equipment, but it can happen under the right weird circumstances so I'm willing to let it slide that it doesn't work automatically.    Of course, the artifacts of Zendikar (Blade of the Bloodchief not being black, eg) indicate that we shouldn't expect to see Alara's colored artifacts again anytime soon, a fact for which I'm glad enough since I'm still a tiny bit upset about artifacts not being brown anymore.  So for this imaginary cycle, I'll pretend colored mana costs are off the table and just tie them to the colors with Ravnica-style optional activations, so that they're playable without the color but only optimal with it.

Ajani's Whatever-You-Call-That-Weapon-Thing
Legendary Artifact - Equipment, 2
Equip 1.
Equipped creature has lifelink and "2W, TAP: Target attacking creature gets +X/+0 until
end of turn, where X is this creature's toughness.""
"Why would I want a sword when I can have something that doubles as a kayak oar, a bar for doing chin-ups, and a backscratcher for when I have burrs in my fur?"

Jace's Makeup Kit
Legendary Artifact, 1
3 or UU, TAP:  Target creature gains a color or creature type of your choice UEOT.
"Reality can be redesigned to fit the image we create.  These aren't just lines of paint on my face; they're paths to the next stage of my evolution."

Liliana's Sensible Shoes
Legendary Artifact--Equipment, 4
At the beginning of your upkeep, draw a card.  If LSS is equipped, equipped creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn, otherwise you lose 1 life.
Equip B.
Insert "killer fashion" pun here.

Much though I wanted Chandra's Asbestos Hair Ribbon, I think I'd better dial back the snark before my hair catches fire.  Besides, we all know everyone who looks at Chandra notices those big round things.

Chandra's Goggles
Legendary Artifact, 2
TAP:  Target player names a card type, then reveals the top card of his or her library.  If that card is the named card type, Chandra's Goggles deals 2 damage to him or her.
R:  Target player shuffles his or her library.

And now the snark returns with a vengeance.

Garruk's Fabulous Fur Coat
Legendary Artifact, 3
At the beginning of your upkeep, return Garruk's Furs to its owner's hand unless you pay G.
You may play an additional basic land on each of your turns.
"Of course fur is murder!  How do you expect me to eat if I never kill anything?  Carrots and potatoes are alive too, and helpless besides.  At least my dinner, and my coat, had a fighting chance."

Jul 14, 2010 -- 1:33AM, Newbunkle wrote:

This is my favourite just because you used the word fabulous to describe his outfit. I'm beginning to see Garruk in a whole new light.

Garruk's Companion is my favourite card out of all the signature spells.

If you know Bobcat Goldthwait's bit about hunters, Garruk's whole "ultimate predator" shtick becomes either uniquely hilarious, or if you take it seriously, deeply disturbing.  But I wasn't really trying to go there with the name, it just seemed like an appropriate word to associate with fur coat.  You'll note that the cardname appears "correct" in the text; only the placeholder name gets to be Unhinged-ishly snarky.  Chandra's Goggles is the only one that could have been printed with the name I've given it above, though I'm tempted to go up and change it to Chandra's Mad Specs or something similarly ridiculous just to fit the pattern.

Jul 14, 2010 -- 12:58AM, willpell wrote:

What bugs me is that this super-cycle is 15 planeswalker-related cards, counting the planeswalkers themselves, rather than 20.  They could have put it at all four rarities by having a rare card associated with each PW. 

I'm sure it came up in meetings. With annual, instead of biannual, Cores there will be plenty of opportunity for signature Rares. Since design space is large, but not infinite, part of me is happy when they slow-play these sorts of things.

I lol'd at Garruk's Fabulous Fur Coat.
I envision a whole series of Jace's hipster douchebag equipments to go with his makeup kit. Jace's Earbuds, Jace's Fixie Bicycle, Sunglasses of Jace...