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This thread is regarding the recent release of Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012. The game introduces us to a Merfolk planeswalker named Kiora Atua, and also has an unused (Izzet?) planeswalker named Ral Zarek. Here are pictures of each:

Kiora Atua



Ral Zarek:



I imagine that Ral Zarek will appear in an expansion to the game.

That being said, this thread is for the discussion of both characters and the potential for them to be Planeswalker cards in Innistrad, which I believe to be quite likely. Speculate away!

I have a thread specualting about Innistrad's 'Walkers, With Liliana 2.0 and Kiora releasing in the first set of Innistrad, and Garruk 2.0 coming out in the set afterwards. There should be 2 more walkers (one in the first set, one in the third set), and I wouldn't be suprised if he was one of them. He looks... U/R?

His decklist is U/R, so I'd say yes, it seems likely that our friend Ral is Izzet.

Ral's art is simply amazing.

U/G AND U/R in a set? This is going to be interesting... What could his abilites be?...

Ral Zarek
Planeswalker - Ral
[+1] You may copy target spell this turn.
[-1] Return target instant or sorcery from your graveyard to your hand.
[-7] Play any number of instants or sorceries from your graveyard, you may copy each spell cast this way if you pay .
{4} 

Well? 

Jun 17, 2011 -- 1:32PM, metallix87 wrote:

His decklist is U/R, so I'd say yes, it seems likely that our friend Ral is Izzet.

His gun looks like Izzet Guildmage , the backdrop looks very un-Izzet and very INN.

The floating castles and architecture kind of give it away, but he can be Izzet, just that he walked to INN.

Check out his arm Tatoo and compare it to the rune of Ugin:

Interesting to see what they can do.

I'm not convinced this is a spoiler for Innistrad, specifically (the art release commentary for Kiora Atua made it unlikely that she was appearing in an upcoming set), but these Planeswalkers will definitely show up eventually. Why waste the idea?

 

Jun 17, 2011 -- 3:57PM, MrIndigo wrote:

I'm not convinced this is a spoiler for Innistrad, specifically (the art release commentary for Kiora Atua made it unlikely that she was appearing in an upcoming set), but these Planeswalkers will definitely show up eventually. Why waste the idea?

 

Ral's background definitely looks like it could be on Innistrad, though, and his deck sports Innistrad spoilers.

Jun 17, 2011 -- 3:58PM, metallix87 wrote:

Jun 17, 2011 -- 3:57PM, MrIndigo wrote:

I'm not convinced this is a spoiler for Innistrad, specifically (the art release commentary for Kiora Atua made it unlikely that she was appearing in an upcoming set), but these Planeswalkers will definitely show up eventually. Why waste the idea?

 

Ral's background definitely looks like it could be on Innistrad, though, and his deck sports Innistrad spoilers.

It looks like Ravnica to me, actually - though it looks more like the White quarter than the U or R. It looks a little like Orzhov Basilica and some of the hovering towers look like Plains.

Jun 17, 2011 -- 1:40PM, Gesepp wrote:

Ral's art is simply amazing.

I hate that spark in his eyes, but other than that, it looks cool.
Background fits, isn't Innistrad somewhat gothic themed?

Actually, given the floating buildings in the background, it looks like the Eldrazi are visiting Ravnica. Maybe Innistrad is an event, or a person, that's going to be important in Ravnica? We have what seems to be two guild-leading planeswalkers, one simic and one izzet, the architecture, and now floating lands. Maybe we're going to see some of the plot threads start tieing together?

Jun 17, 2011 -- 1:59PM, stinkyjoeterry wrote:

Jun 17, 2011 -- 1:32PM, metallix87 wrote:

His decklist is U/R, so I'd say yes, it seems likely that our friend Ral is Izzet.

His gun looks like Izzet Guildmage , the backdrop looks very un-Izzet and very INN.

The floating castles and architecture kind of give it away, but he can be Izzet, just that he walked to INN.

It looks a lot like gun from the guildmage, actually makes me think that Innistrad might closely related to Ravnica

Ral Zarek's art is lovely. And totally Izzet. The background is almost definitely to be Ravnica, so I'm guessing he's part of the Consortium?

I adored the look of the crazy-mage of the Izzet guild.  Wacky machinery come to life through experimental magic?  Love.

Izzet and Merfolk Planeswalkers? Something about this seems rather funny... as I'd guess this has something to do with Jace's "choice". Perhaps these are supposed to be better influences on him so that he avoids becoming a Sith Lord . Something tells me that this also has something to do with a larger scheme concerning Urza's legacy... since Izzet colors are Urza's colors of choice.

Jun 17, 2011 -- 6:28PM, GeoleVyi wrote:

Actually, given the floating buildings in the background, it looks like the Eldrazi are visiting Ravnica. Maybe Innistrad is an event, or a person, that's going to be important in Ravnica? We have what seems to be two guild-leading planeswalkers, one simic and one izzet, the architecture, and now floating lands. Maybe we're going to see some of the plot threads start tieing together?

Innistrad block is set on a plane called Innistrad, according to Maro's twitter.

I hopw this is where things start coming together, we have ou villains, now lets get to how they ruin another plane , but i think were gonna get one more villain cuz than we have all of our matchups. Bolas/Sarkhan/Tezz vs Ajani, Gideon/Sorin/Nissa/Chandra/Jace(well pretty much everyone on Zendikar) vs Eldrazi, Koth/Karn/Elspeth/Venser vs Phyrexia. were still missinghow Garruk and Liliana fit into this. idk if Chandra and Jace are helping fighnt eldrazi or not but at the moment thayts the story theyre in and ik they still hate eachother. Alot.

Well, Liliana is an ally of Bolas, I believe.

She is? where do you find that? I seriously need ti get the books.

Jun 18, 2011 -- 5:42PM, HeartlessNobody wrote:

She is? where do you find that? I seriously need ti get the books.

Agents of Artifice. It's revealed that she lives on Ravnica, she works for Tezzeret, and is secretly under the employ of Nicol Bolas.

Well ik about the Ravinca part. I never knew she worked for Tezz. Why? She would wreck him just like Jace did.

Jun 18, 2011 -- 7:58PM, HeartlessNobody wrote:

Well ik about the Ravinca part. I never knew she worked for Tezz. Why? She would wreck him just like Jace did.

1: she wouldnt really, tez is actually a bas @$$

2 is actually some spoilers from agents...kinda a big revelation from the end of the book :P
2: Show

...this is, of course an oversimplification

Ohh, but that means she's done with bolas because she handled the demon on her own. And manipulation is okay, but no, She's way better than Tezz, for sure. I cant wait to see 2.0

Jun 18, 2011 -- 7:49PM, metallix87 wrote:

Jun 18, 2011 -- 5:42PM, HeartlessNobody wrote:

She is? where do you find that? I seriously need ti get the books.

Agents of Artifice. It's revealed that she lives on Ravnica, she works for Tezzeret, and is secretly under the employ of Nicol Bolas.

Aye, or rather she is currently on Ravnica, and works for Bolas because he promises to free her from the demons but never follows through on it.. in typical Bolas fashion.  They meet on the dead world of dominaria at the beginning of the book.  Later on liliana gets the veil and goes after her demon enslavers anyways, but you can read that straight off the web comics (same one where she fights with garruk).

As for the planeswalkers, since agents of artifice took place on a ravnica that has been reopened to the outer world and is free of guilds, I wonder if they are not going to do enemy color sets in Innistraud and have something to do with Ravnica.  It would be fantastic if that meant enemy colored dual lands to go with it.

On a side note however, I'm not so sure about these planeswalkers being printed anytime soon in card format because even though they hinted at this for the merfolk in an article, there have been several planeswalkers introduced in novels that have never seen print.  Gideon did come in the novel the purifying fire before printing, but we still haven't seen the moonfolk planeswalker (also in agents of artifice) or the other pyromancer Baltrice who works for Tezzeret, among others.  Consider that Gideon was supposed to work for an entire hierarchy of law enforcers that can have multiple planeswalkers, and Tezzeret ruled over Bolas's Infinite Consortium for a time, which is made up of a sort of planeswalker mafia.  We haven't seen anymore planeswalkers from either of these sects, yet they've made it clear they exist.  Same is true for the Sanctum of the Stars, where Chandra stole the scroll for planeswalking to Zendikar.  They revealed that they knew something of planeswalkers, and hired Jace from the consortium.  On top of all that, it is being heavily hinted at that Crucius the sphinx is also a planeswalker who created the etherium that was used on Esper and Tezzerets arm, but he has so far only been shown in passing in Test of Metal.

So.. I'm just saying I'm skeptical, but we will see.  There is a long list of planeswalkers that never came into print.

Jun 18, 2011 -- 10:00PM, Donovan_Fabian wrote:

On a side note however, I'm not so sure about these planeswalkers being printed anytime soon in card format because even though they hinted at this for the merfolk in an article, there have been several planeswalkers introduced in novels that have never seen print.  Gideon did come in the novel the purifying fire before printing, but we still haven't seen the moonfolk planeswalker (also in agents of artifice) or the other pyromancer Baltrice who works for Tezzeret, among others.  Consider that Gideon was supposed to work for an entire hierarchy of law enforcers that can have multiple planeswalkers, and Tezzeret ruled over Bolas's Infinite Consortium for a time, which is made up of a sort of planeswalker mafia.  We haven't seen anymore planeswalkers from either of these sects, yet they've made it clear they exist.  Same is true for the Sanctum of the Stars, where Chandra stole the scroll for planeswalking to Zendikar.  They revealed that they knew something of planeswalkers, and hired Jace from the consortium.  On top of all that, it is being heavily hinted at that Crucius the sphinx is also a planeswalker who created the etherium that was used on Esper and Tezzerets arm, but he has so far only been shown in passing in Test of Metal.

So.. I'm just saying I'm skeptical, but we will see.  There is a long list of planeswalkers that never came into print.

There are reasons that most of those planeswalkers aren't getting printed.

First, they simply aren't story characters. We don't want a planeswalker whose name we don't recognize and who does nothing of importance in the storyline.

Second, their spaces are already filled, eg, Baltrice will never be printed because she's (game mechanics wise) identical to Chandra.

Jun 17, 2011 -- 6:28PM, GeoleVyi wrote:

Actually, given the floating buildings in the background, it looks like the Eldrazi are visiting Ravnica. Maybe Innistrad is an event, or a person, that's going to be important in Ravnica? We have what seems to be two guild-leading planeswalkers, one simic and one izzet, the architecture, and now floating lands. Maybe we're going to see some of the plot threads start tieing together?

The floating buildings are already in Ravnica - check out the art of the Ravnica Plains. Eldrazi not required.


 I think Ral's art looks like Ravnica more than Innistrad. Innistrad's art so far has all been "traditional horror" setting, with hamlets and forests near a big castle (see: Murder of Crows, Wreath of Geists), rather than a huge city like depicted in Ral's art and Ravnica.

Also, Kiora is nothing like the Simic Guild, she summons monsters of the tide -  not biotechnology and the like. She's not a guild leader. 

Jun 17, 2011 -- 1:32PM, metallix87 wrote:

His decklist is U/R, so I'd say yes, it seems likely that our friend Ral is Izzet.

He certainly looks Izzet too, so I'd say it's not just a description of his colors.

HELL YES IZZET PLANESWALKER

Izzet Planeswalker???

Izzet man 2RU

3
+2: Flip a coin, if you win the flip gain an emblem with, whenever you would flip a coin flip two coins instead keeping one of your choice, at the beginning of your upkeep flip a coin, if you lose the flip sac this emblem.
-2: Draw 2 cards, discard a card at random, if a red card is discarded this way it gains madness equal to its casting cost, if a blue card is discarded this way it gains flashback equal to its casting cost.
-5: Each player shuffles all permanents he or she owns into his or her  library, then reveals that many cards from the top of his or her  library. Each player puts all artifact, creature, and land cards  revealed this way onto the battlefield, then does the same for  enchantment cards, then puts all cards revealed this way that weren't  put onto the battlefield into their hands. All players have no maximum hand size for the remainder of the game.

That make some sense. In the first set-Innistrad ther would be already known Liliana, already known but not as a planeswaker Izzet (like Venser) and Kiora as an Native (like Koth).

In the next two sets they could add two more, like new Bolas and Gideon for example.  

Jul 13, 2011 -- 6:52AM, Erdill wrote:

That make some sense. In the first set-Innistrad ther would be already known Liliana, already known but not as a planeswaker Izzet (like Venser) and Kiora as an Native (like Koth).

In the next two sets they could add two more, like new Bolas and Gideon for example.  

Man, "Izzet" is not a character name; the Izzet League was the guild on Ravnica. They are just saying "this guy looks blue/red mage for me". We never saw said guy before.

Well, it's not just that Ral looks Izzet colors, but his deck is Izzet colors.

Jul 13, 2011 -- 8:33AM, metallix87 wrote:

Well, it's not just that Ral looks Izzet colors, but his deck is Izzet colors.

True, but Nissa's deck was black/green.

Whatever, it could be "Alacazar, Experimental Fanatic", but all would know he is from the Izzet guild.

On the other hand its artifact/insane character could be not suitable for grim mood of Innistrad. 

Jul 13, 2011 -- 8:44AM, will_dice wrote:

True, but Nissa's deck was black/green.

From the book, Nissa herself is also black / green, and I imagine her next card, whenever she shows again, will reflect that.

Jul 13, 2011 -- 9:06AM, Erdill wrote:

Whatever, it could be "Alacazar, Experimental Fanatic", but all would know he is from the Izzet guild.

Except nothing whatsoever says he is an Izzet. He's just . "Izzet" is being used in a loose definition of "blue/red guy", not as "member of Izzet League".

From the book, Nissa herself is also black / green, and I imagine her next card, whenever she shows again, will reflect that.

Yes, she knows some black magic, just like Ajani does some green spells . With Gideon as "the new white core", a new Ajani is just as likely.

Jul 13, 2011 -- 1:06PM, will_dice wrote:

Yes, she knows some black magic, just like Ajani does some green spells . With Gideon as "the new white core", a new Ajani is just as likely.

I agree with this, though I suspect Gideon won't be the core white walker next year. I still say Elspeth, Jace, Liliana, Chandra, & Garruk make the most sense as core walkers.

Jul 13, 2011 -- 1:06PM, will_dice wrote:

Jul 13, 2011 -- 9:06AM, Erdill wrote:

Whatever, it could be "Alacazar, Experimental Fanatic", but all would know he is from the Izzet guild.

Except nothing whatsoever says he is an Izzet. He's just . "Izzet" is being used in a loose definition of "blue/red guy", not as "member of Izzet League".

From the book, Nissa herself is also black / green, and I imagine her next card, whenever she shows again, will reflect that.

Yes, she knows some black magic, just like Ajani does some green spells . With Gideon as "the new white core", a new Ajani is just as likely.

We're under the assumption that he's a member of the Izzet guild because of the machine he carries, the way he dresses and his deck being Izzet colors xD. Ontop of that all signs point to a return to Ravnica soon while his artwork suggests that he is on a nightmarish plane (Innistrad). Just seems to fit snuggly, but it'd be awesome if we were wrong.

As for Ajani... I think he's going to get the classic "wise teacher" send-off by having somebody kill him (yes, I'm suggesting that they might kill off Ajani, like they killed off Venser, to give Elspeth, Koth, the Mickey Mouse Club and co. a more solid reason to seek out and defeat Bolas past the whole "Highlander" explanation)

Ral's art could very much be Ravnica, it's got the gothic architecture, and Ravnica had floating buildings. It's possible to be Innistrad (since he is set to release in the expansion for duels after Innistrad.

In my suspicion Innistrad will be more "normal" than other planes. With no floating buildings and overflowing magic.

It would be great if it represent gothic (medieval) times in the way people living then seen them.
And we have some clue for that, especially when you look at the demon shown on th spoiler with golden glass full of blood, that looks sooo black-white horror style. 

Jul 13, 2011 -- 1:06PM, will_dice wrote:

Except nothing whatsoever says he is an Izzet. He's just . "Izzet" is being used in a loose definition of "blue/red guy", not as "member of Izzet League".

I'm pretty sure we all mean he is a member of the Izzet Guild.
His clothes, the steampunk, the lightning, the decks. 
Those are facts, that altogether sum for being an Izzet.
He's either an Izzet planeswalker or a shapeshifter or bodysnatcher who's pretending to be an Izzet. But those looks are definitely Guildy (?). 

On another topic: interesting stuff is being said about Liliana's story here!!!  
Also, about Jace and Chandra being involved: they were the ones "chosen" to trigger the Eldrazi madness. I'm pretty sure we haven't seen all about them in this story yet.
Although, you have to be a little bit paranoid: there are just too many main planeswalkers right now. I'm sort of smelling another mending sort of event coming on, if you get my drift...

I would speculate that the upcoming set is a return to Ravnica, and both of these planeswalkers will try to bring back the respective simic and izzet guilds.


I can't really see them throwing these two into Innistrad as they seem unrelated, but you never know.


Kiora could somehow be related to the amphins, a race I wish they would print sooner rather than later because they look like they would be awesome fun to play.     

Kiora is not Simic. She's UG but her magic is entirely unassociated with the biomancy of the Simic Combine.

Sep 12, 2011 -- 2:44PM, MrIndigo wrote:

Kiora is not Simic. She's UG but her magic is entirely unassociated with the biomancy of the Simic Combine.

Simic powers are rather undefined only in that they somehow involve creatures and adapative abilities.


The point being that she wouldn't actually have to be Simic only to bring back or start a new Simic guild.  In Agents of Artifice they said the guilds had fallen apart, and so if they do a return to Ravnica it seems the most likely course.


Also, from a diagnostic clue seeking perspective, you don't think it's a little curious we just got enemy duals in a set that doesn't appear to have any enemy colored cards in it, and two enemy colored planeswalkers, one of which looks so very Izzet that everyone can spot it?


I wonder whether it's possible the Eldrazi will attack Ravnica, they are still rampaging somewhere out there in the multiverse.


I do agree though that Kiora's powers are more invested in Leviathans and water magic, and less in biomancy, but then again she's also a fairly undetailed character at this stage with no clear backstory.

Along with enemey duals I've been trying to spot any cards coming up that would fit in nicely with Ravnica a year from now. The green guy who makes white mana (its late I'm tired) goes with the Selesnya Conclave for example. And a lot of the flashbacks cards seem to flashback in guild colors. I guess any pairing of two colors would coincide with one guild or another. But still Innistrad and Ravinca could be quite the awesome block.