Fate Reforged, the last small set in a three-set block (for now, anyway), poses heretofore unknown challenges for the flavor evaluator. There have been
large-small-large blocks before (Zendikar, Innistrad), but in both of those cases the “third act” set, Rise of the Eldrazi or Avacyn Restored, was
completely standalone in Draft gameplay, if not storytelling. Avacyn Restored’s story flowed naturally, more or less, from that of the two sets before it,
while the Rise of the Eldrazi was…not as predictable.
Raise your hand if you saw
that coming!
Neither Worldwake or Zendikar block, nor Dark Ascension of Innistrad block hinged on a set yet to come or demanded to be evaluated alongside that future
set, as Fate Reforged does with Dragons of Tarkir. Neither of those sets had to deal with the time travel element either, and time travel simultaneously is one of the most explored tropes of fiction and among the easiest to mess up. I was
nervous in the run-up to Fate Reforged, and now that I’ve seen the result…
…not bad, Wizards. Not bad.
Most of the concerns I expressed in my last article, “The Mending,” particularly
the ”
how is saving Ugin not going to cause massive ripples in Magic’s past
” part, received a neat sidestep. By stuffing Ugin in a protective cocoon for more than a millennium, letting him heal up through all the screwball events
of that time, Wizards Creative turned the Guru of Ghostfire into ” Sealed Elder Dragon in a Can,” redecorated Tarkir with some hedrons instead of
bones, and set the Possente spirto up for some action whenever they felt like it. (Might
be Dragons of Tarkir, might be later. As I said, Fate Reforged demands to be evaluated in relation to Dragons of Tarkir, and we don’t know the whole story
yet.)
Ugin’s survival raises questions in turn. Why did Nicol Bolas leave him to die in the first place, a move straight out of Evil Overlord Amateur Hour? What
will Ugin do once he’s had a chance to explore his newly lessened powers? Who will be responsible for undoing the extinction of the Dragons of Tarkir?
For now though, Ugin’s fate has been reforged and there are cards to explore…some of which appeared only at the Prerelease with alternate art.
Three-figure card, five-figure art? I like
big bills and I cannot lie.
Keep an eye out for correspondences with Khans of Tarkir cards; they’re all over the place — think the two-color dragons of Fate Reforged and the dragon
skeletons on the Khans fetchlands — and if you want a partial roundup of them, visit Doug Beyer’s blog and
watch for the GIFs.
On to individual cards! I won’t look at every card, just the ones that catch my eye for good or ill. If I left out your favorite card, let me know what you
like about it in the comments! I may be the undisputed Vorthos champ of StarCityGames.com, but I can still learn a thing or two from all of you.
Colorless, Artifact, and Land
Because having a section just for Ugin offends my sense of… something… whatever.
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
– The flexibly summonable planeswalker offers an ultimate ability consciously designed to be the opposite of what
Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker has done to many a player over the years. I find the feathered wings fascinating — a bit of feathered-dinosaur lore, perhaps — and one really can’t go wrong between Raymond Swanland’s
regular art and the Chris Rahn special.
Hero’s Blade
– Aaron Miller is skilled at introducing motion into otherwise static compositions. While the effect only shows up on the full-art Ajani, Mentor of Heroes, the small animal and moving grass at Ajani’s
feet, the birds behind him, and the bend and blow of straps and mane all give a sense of motion in a standing portrait. Similarly, the light effect on
Hero’s Blade suggests the movement of time, and the blade’s place within the workshop suggests labor just completed.
Hewed Stone Retainers
– First and so far only work for Quebecois artist David Seguin. I’m not sure why, but a lot of new Magic artists have come from Quebec, particularly
Montreal. (Seb McKinnon was among those at the start of the wave.) The “twin guardian” motif is East Asian
and Buddhist in particular; it had a “pop culture moment” inWorld of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria with the giant Mogu guardian sculptures in the valley.
Scroll of the Masters
– Another Magic debut, this time from Lake Hurwitz. This is his only piece in the set, but what a piece!
Again, this isn’t just a static scroll — the waft of incense and the painterly gestures (in a digital illustration, no less) give a sense of movement, and
the details of that scroll are intriguing. A foot…I don’t know what’s afoot, but I’m intrigued! I can’t link to his gallery because there’s one
particularly not-work-safe illustration in it, but if you can access it, check out an artist I hope will be contributing to Magic for years to come.
Basic Lands
– The side-by-side comparison of the basics (from Reddit) are fascinating and have been explored
better in that thread and elsewhere. Remember: Fate Reforged is the “before” and Khans of Tarkir the “after by 1280 years.”
Nonbasic Dual Lands
– Another side-by-side comparison (again, from Reddit), with the left-to-right going
back in time. I find Scoured Barrens and Swiftwater Cliffs the most interesting, as they show structures meant to be permanent but lost to time.
White
Arashin Cleric
– I love the light, I love the composition, I love the work. If I ever won the lottery and commissioned a portrait of myself (that’s obligatory, isn’t
it?), Chris Rahn would be on my shortlist.
Citadel Siege
– The choice of “Khans or Dragons” is a great instance of flavor supporting game mechanics by making them easy to remember. The limited rules baggage is
worth it. (Also, the bullet points? They’re not new, but they are a huge improvement.)
Daghatar the Adamant
– His body armor is visually Abzan, but his mask seems almost Theran. There actually was some overlap between Greek art and that of central Asia, as in the
Indo-Greek Kingdom
, and the Mongol conquests of the 13th century AD also brought about artistic
re-contact. A cool nod!
Dragon Bell Monk
– The first of three illustrations by new contributor Lius Lasahido, of Indonesia. It takes an incredible
level of talent to make it into Magic these days — whatever charms older Magic art had, consistent quality wasn’t among them — and while the Monk’s art
has a number of elements, they boil down to a dude, a bell, and a giant mallet that’s going to smash said bell and then some face. I like it!
Dragonscale General
– Volkan Baga makes it amazing as usual. If this illustration hasn’t sold already, it should soon.
Honor’s Reward
– The name is generic as heck, but the art and flavor text tell a simple and lovely story. I can’t remember many other Magic pieces that take place in the
rain.
Jeskai Barricade
– Noah Bradley’s officially reached “I know his art without looking at the credit” levels. That fog in particular is becoming a signature.
Mardu Woe-Reaper
– The flavor text is unusual for a Mardu perspective and directly contradicts the attitude of their Fate Reforged khan. More on her in the “Red” section.
Monastery Mentor
– Fantastic four-word flavor text. Nothing highfalutin, just direct wisdom from one of the most expensive cards in the set.
Rally the Ancestors
– Sepia-filter jokes aside, Rally the Ancestors will be easy to spot from across the table, and that’s a virtue in any card art.
Sandblast
– I’m not digging the passive voice of “are killed.” Changing those two words to “die” would give the line more punch.
Soul Summons
– A case of the second sentence of flavor text undermining the first. Whom else would Ugin’s magic reach if it went beyond the dragons? There are many good
reactions to flavor text, but “Duh!” is not among them.
Wardscale Dragon
– Note the subtly different “Abzan” watermark here and compare the top and bottom strokes to, for example, Honor’s Reward.
Blue
Enhanced Awareness
– This flavor text is straight-up Ice Cream Koan. Nothing else about the character of
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest suggests the phrase “topography of your enemies” would come out of his mouth or writing implement.
Frost Walker
– Good worldbuilding flavor text, though I do have to wonder to whom Yasova’s speaking…
Jeskai Sage
– The art is impossible. Also awesome. The flavor text is a reminder that the Jeskai can dish out self-serving sanctimony when it serves them…they’re
playing the game of territory with everyone else, after all!
Marang River Prowler
– That’s some mesmerizing art. The flavor text isn’t half-bad either.
Mindscour Dragon
– More Jeskai(-ish) flavor text that trips over itself, with “as an anthem” the culprit this time. Unlike the simple “song,” “anthem” is too rooted in a Western context to fit the setting of Tarkir.
Refocus
– Unlike some of the Jeskai flavor text I criticized earlier, this one is linked to a specific Jeskai concept illustrated on the card, and it actually
makes sense.
Sage-Eye Avengers
– I’d like to know what happened to the djinn that resulted in such extreme sexual dimorphism
…
Temporal Trespass
– Sorry, this still looks like Liliana, or maybe someone who raided her closet.
Black
Alesha’s Vanguard
– It’s hard to tell what’s going on in the art: strike one. Alesha’s Vanguard cannot be used with Alesha, Who Smiles at Death: strike two. The flavor text,
while a nice sentiment, has nothing whatever to do with the subject: strike three.
Archfiend of Depravity
– I laughed out loud the first time I saw this flavor text.
Crux of Fate
– While wordy, the flavor text gets the point across. It’s the central card of the central set of the block. Everything pivots around it.
Diplomacy of the Wastes
– I love the wry understatement, but it doesn’t feel particularly Mardu to me.
Mardu Shadowspear
– Mark Poole is back. I repeat, Mark Poole is back. This is his first new artwork for Magic since Lorwyn block, and he’s officially a
contributor to Magic’s original set, Alpha, and its most recent.
Orc Sureshot
– Again, where did this sensible Mardu clan come from? They’re making more sense than the Jeskai! The art, incidentally, is classic Kev Walker.
Tasigur, the Golden Fang
– Those are some…interesting piercings. Tasigur may be described officially as a spoiled brat of a khan, but I’m wondering if he’s more aFrancisco d’Anconia or Bruce Wayne type who poses as a playboy but gets the job done when no one’s looking.
Red
Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
– Word of Wizards is that Alesha,
Who Smiles at Death is only nineteen years old. No word on whether her favorite songs are by Redgum and Paul Hardcastle.
Bathe in Dragonfire
– The debut and only card thus far for Chris Rallis. This art doesn’t grab me the way, for example,
Scroll of the Masters does, but I’ll want to see more from Chris before I pass judgment.
Collateral Damage
– Goblins get cannons. Asian-inspired settings get gunpowder-like weapons (see Hanabi Blast from Kamigawa block). Put them together and you get Collateral
Damage’s art. The flavor text could use some tightening.
Defiant Ogre
– Nope, sorry. Ogres don’t talk like that.
Friendly Fire
– I’m surprised it took so long for this name to get used. As for the flavor text, the joke is an oldie, but a goodie.
Gore Swine
– This flavor text is one word off. “Weapons” for “blades” on the end and it gets there.
Humble Defector
– First an important moment in the rain, now an Important Haircut? Magic is
stretching those art descriptions, and I love it!
Mardu Scout
– It’s a surfing goblin. If you’re mad at this art, it’s your right. You’re also wrong. P.S. Grand Prix Miami playmat. Make your plan to get yours!
Pyrotechnics
– No flavor text can compete with the Navajo war chant in my heart, but this one’s fine, even if it’s…really calm for the Mardu.
Shockmaw Dragon
– Alejandro Mirabal might be a first for Magic, a Cuban-born illustrator currently living in Indonesia. (Another Indonesia connection…hmm!) He has two
cards in the set, along with Archers of Qarsi. No real impression of him yet — the dragon’s fine — but as with any new artist, I hope to see more and
even more awesome.
Wild Slash
– I think this flavor text is saying, in a roundabout way, that the Temur are stupid. I could be wrong, of course…
Green
Abzan Beastmaster
– Winona Nelson has an incredible knack for humanizing characters who fall outside the usual Homo sapiens lines. From Voice of Resurgence to Abzan
Beastmaster, she’s the artist for the job.
Arashin War Beast
– As technically good as the art is, I still want to make a Dragon Ball joke.
Battlefront Krushok
– This flavor text hits me on a gut level. “Rule of three” plus “unexpected twist at the end” equals “winner.”
Fruit of the First Tree
– I caught myself looking up in response to the illustration’s composition, a good sign indeed!
Sandsteppe Mastodon
– This flavor text caused un-suspension of disbelief. Oh, in the long run, I suppose there’s an oasis in the mastodon’s future, but as John Maynard Keynes said on the topic, “In the long run we are all dead.”
Temur Sabertooth
– The Temur of this time don’t accept the Ainok but do accept magically inscribed kitties? I guess “cat people are Temur, dog people are Abzan” could
become the next Magic Internet meme…
Yasova Dragonclaw
– Unlike some other art that doesn’t show why a human or humanoid character has massive power (like Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts from Dragon’s Maze), this
gorgeous Winona Nelson art makes it plain that there’s a lot of sabertooth power coming with Yasova.
Multicolored
The Legendary Dragons
– If I don’t see at least two of these illustrations win recognition in upcoming competitions, I’ll be shocked. Speaking of shocks, the only one that
disappoints me at all is Kolaghan, the Storm’s Fury, not for the art, but the lack of flavor text. Dash reminder text doesn’t make up for the Alesha
witticism we all lost.
Cunning Strike
– Murphy’s Law of Vorthos: “Cool art” plus “awesome flavor text” equal “common nobody will play in Constructed at a Pro Tour.”
War Flare
– A cool sweeping scene, though the war flare itself is unfortunately shaped, as if the star guiding the Three Wise Men to the manger brought the Mardu Horde instead.
Do you see what I see?
And with a late Christmas reference, a bit of time travel of my own, that’s a wrap on my Fate Reforged Flavor Review. I’ll see you in two weeks!