War of the Spark: Flavor & Function
I’ve always been intrigued by cards whose function matches their flavor. When I was a new player, I remember casting Ambush Viper during my main phase, and a friend showed me how much more powerful the effect would be if I cast it after she declared attackers. “Imagine my creatures charging across the battlefield. Then, out of nowhere, this little …
MTG Character Profile: Ral Zarek
This is the second in a series of profiles of some of the planeswalkers appearing in War of the Spark. Today, we’ll discuss the career of Ral Zarek: an Izzet weather wizard torn between loyalty to his guild and the power promised by Nicol Bolas. An Ambitious Izzet Mage Ral grew up in Ravnica’s Tenth District, where his affinity for …
MTG Character Profile: Sorin Markov
This is the first in a series of profiles of some of the planeswalkers appearing in War of the Spark. In this article, we look at the life and adventures of Sorin Markov, a vampiric aristocrat from the plane of Innistrad. Sorin’s Origin Thousands of years ago, Sorin’s grandfather Edgar Markov made a deal with a demon to protect his …
Finding Fblthp
Six years ago, a lost homunculus found his way into our hearts. We knew very little about Fblthp – he lived on Ravnica, he was totally lost, and he had always hated crowds. But a single line of flavor text was enough to endear him to Magic players the world over, and thus, the mythos of Fblthp was born. The …
Unmasking “The Jester”
With War of the Spark’s impending release, the Magic community is full of speculation. Will Bolas triumph? Is Mowu actually a Planeswalker? Not all questions are answered so quickly, though. Some mysteries prevail to this day, such as “Who is the Raven Man?” Another such long-standing burning inquiry – which feels especially appropriate on April Fool’s Day – is “Who …
The Gatewatch in War of the Spark
Last week, we examined Nicol Bolas’s master plan for War of the Spark. Today, we turn to the Gatewatch, a team of planeswalkers dedicated to protecting the people of the Multiverse from Bolas. The Gatewatch have been through a lot lately. Formed in response to the Eldrazi emerging on Zendikar in Oath of the Gatewatch, this planeswalker super-team works to …
Ravnica and Film Noir
In the words of L.A. Confidential author James Ellroy: “[Film Noir] is a generically American film movement that went from 1945 to 1958 and exposited one great theme. And that theme is: ‘You’re @#$ked.’” It’s a simple phrase, but what it and Film Noir succeed in conveying is the struggle to find meaning in a world that cares less about …
Bolas’s Plan for War of the Spark
An epic battle for control of the Multiverse is about to take place on Ravnica. On one side is Nicol Bolas, a power-hungry elder dragon, and the planeswalkers who have helped him infiltrate Ravnica’s guilds. On the other is the Gatewatch, a team of planeswalkers sworn to protect the people of the Multiverse from people like Bolas. Other planeswalkers will …