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2 years ago ::
Feb 15, 2011 - 3:05AM
#61
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Date Joined:
Mar 16, 2004
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Well, those two preview cards seem to rather answer the question of which is the real next set. Pristine Talisman could fit into any set, and its art is nondescript. But Suture Priest has very clearly Phyrexian art - there's no way that art could be in a set called Mirrodin Pure. The mechanic is pretty dark for white as well. And on top of all that, the Pristine Talisman expansion symbol looks artificially superimposed on that card render, too large for the typeline and sharper lines than I normally expect to see.
...I'm still wondering whether those arguments actually work, or whether they're just convincing to me because I think New Phyrexia is the real one anyway because of the "what do you do about infect" problem. Hmm.
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2 years ago ::
Feb 15, 2011 - 3:08AM
#62
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Date Joined:
Feb 15, 2011
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The thing about the symbol being wrong is that both cards DO exist in the shown form. The Pristine Talisman will be given out as a Mirrodin Pure card promo... I have to agree with the Suture Priest being definately Phyrexian art which would be hard pressed to put it into a Mirrodin Pure set.
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2 years ago ::
Feb 15, 2011 - 3:13AM
#63
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Mechanically, suture priest doesn't seem very white.
I fully agree. If pure white can do this, what the heck is the point of Black/White?
And people, you can't judge the winner of the war simply because one card is clearly phyrexian. The next set is supposed to show the end of a war. Not show the plane long after the war has ended. Phyrexia Reborn would still include the last ragged mirran warriors. Mirrodin Pure would also include the last few remaining examples of phyrexian corruption needing to be stamped out. It's still a war and therefore both sides will be represented.
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2 years ago ::
Feb 15, 2011 - 4:12AM
#64
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Since there is literally zero possibility that the set is Mirrodin Pure,
Why?
Top Six Reasons It'll Obviously Be New Phyrexia
MaRo loves aesthetics - Scars was 80/20 Mirran/Phyrexian. Besieged was 50/50. New Phyrexia will be 20/80.
Happy endings are fluff - In the boring world where Mirrodin Pure is released, the nature of the protagonists having already triumphed would make the set as narratively pointless as the last 30-45 minutes of Peter Jackson's "The Return of the King".
They wouldn't waste the Phyrexians - You know how in Star Trek TNG, much-vaunted warrior Worf would often get beat up as a plot device just to establish the episode's antagonists as a serious threat? Well, the Mirrans aren't comparably hyped, but the Borg-analogues are still gonna throw the Worf-analogues across the set like a spitball.
The Mirrans are the guest stars - The Phyrexians are an interdimensional force steeped in Magic history. The Mirrans are the less-cool version of Esper. One side is an indispensable nostalgic device tapping into deep villain tropes like the Ancient Enemy and the Devouring Swarm. The other is a yawnfest of disposable plane-of-the-week tribes no one remembered from 2003.
The Empire Strikes Back was the best one - Let no one mistake "Action" for Return of the Jedi. It's TESB. The bad guys are winning this one.
They've built this up for YEARS - The grand reintroduction of Magic's most famous villains---set up in the original Mirrodin block---led by the best-loved, lone-remaining Weatherlight character Karn---set up for this twist in the Time Spiral block---cannot possibly go any other way than a victory for the forces of evil. Expect future blocks to feature the Phyrexians attacking everywhere and everyone we've ever heard of. The Phyrexians are still going to be Magic villains in 2050, let alone 2012.
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2 years ago ::
Feb 15, 2011 - 5:34AM
#65
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Date Joined:
Aug 27, 2007
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I agree, 100%, with Dr. Sylvan above. I'll also add that the two cards provided also offer hints (intended or not) that the next set will be New Phyrexia.
Note the difference in art. Suture Priest is a "snapshot" into the current state of Mirrodin. It shows a creepy (very creepy, kudos to Mr. Kieryluk) Phyrexian out in the open (note the clouds, she's not in the core) presumably healing or praying or something. If Mirrans were still in charge I'd assume they wouldn't have much time for anything but running from/trying to kill the various (doomed) heroes.
Now take a look at Pristine Talisman. It's floating in an abstract void. There are no characters, living or dead, to be seen. If the Mirrans won (or even if they wanted us to think they'd won) there would have been a triumphant Loxodon or other Mirran lifting this into the air. The art follows the standard of other talismans, but I'd wager it was picked specifically because it didn't reveal any information about who came out on top (literally in this case) of Mirrodin.
If the art for Pristine Talisman wasn't enough, take a look at the flavor text. Elspeth seems to be offering a consolation. To paraphrase: Even though your things and your people were destroyed (by Phyrexians) at least something new came out of it--a New Phyrexia."
I had some lingering doubts before, but now I'm completely convinced that Action will be Phrexia's set.
--
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2 years ago ::
Feb 15, 2011 - 8:33AM
#66
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Date Joined:
Jun 16, 2009
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In all likelihood I'm wrong, but I think this is how things are going to play out: The Phyrexians, having had so much time to develop in secret, are going to beat the Mirrans to hell and back. Wizards will make the return of one of the most iconic villains in magic history a real return and the next set will be New Phyrexia. However, I don't think they'd just sacrifice Mirrodin so the Mirrans won't all be wiped out or converted. But the Phyrexians wouldn't permit the Mirrans to remain unassimilated on their new world, so the only way for the Mirrans to survive as a people is for them to escape from New Phyrexia. And for this we have the Chekhov's gun from Gathering Forces part 3: Venser's planar ship. Venser and Tezzeret, possibly Elspeth and Koth as well, will go back to Venser's workshop from the webcomic. With Tezzeret's insight into artifice, coming from Esper as he does, they will finish Venser’s planar ship and use it to evacuate the remaining Mirrans. Once the Mirrans are off New Phyrexia, keeping the Phyrexians from growing their numbers further, Tezzeret will steal the planar ship and bring it back to Nicol Bolas so he will be able to easily transport non-planeswalker minions between planes to better enact his plans.
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2 years ago ::
Feb 15, 2011 - 9:29AM
#67
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Date Joined:
Jan 18, 2011
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Further, the collector’s booklet in the Besieged fat-pack contains a page with a brief description and a silhouette of each of the 5 Phyrexian Praetors. One for each color. They each have their own philosophy and MO. On the Mirrodin website one of them (Urabrask the Hidden, the Red Praetor) even has wall paper art. You don't commission art and creative teams for cards that won't exist; and a cycle of five legendary Praetors can only mean a triumphant Phyrexia.
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2 years ago ::
Feb 15, 2011 - 10:18AM
#68
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Date Joined:
Mar 18, 2010
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why does the phyrexian card have no species type? is it a typo?
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2 years ago ::
Feb 15, 2011 - 10:53AM
#69
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People are picking one set or the other when I am still convinced that we will get both. I believe that Monty was very careful with his words.
{Monty Ashley} "Before we get into that, a reminder. Action will be either Mirrodin Pure or New Phyrexia. Not both. And it's already decided. We're not telling you which it is because it's fun to pick a side without knowing who's going to win."
"Action" will obviously be either Mirrodin Pure or New Phyrexia, but that isn't to say that there isn't another code name for the other set.
-MT Head
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2 years ago ::
Feb 15, 2011 - 12:51PM
#70
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Date Joined:
Jun 14, 2010
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The set's title will be Mirrodin Pure, with the byline "new phyrexia" bet on it.
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