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raincoastgamer · 6 years

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Anime Ramble: Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Magical Girl anime have this tendency to provoke a binary reaction. Either you see Magical Girls on the promo material and want to watch the show, or else you don’t. So, I’d like to preface this bout of gushing-about-a-show-that-I-watched by saying that your initial reaction to seeing the below poster should be discarded and you should just watch this show.

No, really, I think it’s safe to say that if you have an initial gut reaction of “I’m not interested” then you are probably going to appreciate this show quite a bit, while those who are avid fans of the Magical Girl genre might actually end up being put off by their expectations. Not because of what this show is, but rather by what this show isn’t.

In the same way that everyone knows that Darth Vader is Luke’s father or that a certain noble from the North loses their head, there are some story twists which percolate into the general cultural consciousness due to sheer popularity and end up becoming common knowledge. Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a series which blew up to such popularity in 2011 that you’ve probably seen the characters somewhere before even if you don’t watch a lot of anime. You’ve probably also seen this little guy

around, often in the context of memes in which either 1) he tries to get people to make a contract or 2) people inflict violence on him and his smug little face never changes.

So while I want to say that Madoka Magica will surprise you when it pulls a left turn into darkness and despair, not only have I just ruined that specific surprise for you but the internet at large more than likely already did that job for me. Not only was this show popular, which translates into a more widespread awareness of its overall tone and some of its twists, other more recent shows have pulled a similar deception. Only last year did we have Made in Abyss, which I haven’t seen yet but which I understand exists for the sole purpose of having cute kids set off on an exciting adventure only to be eaten alive by Uncle Lovecraft’s Happy Fun Time Cave. If you’ve been around the anime niches of the internet or, like me, have a former otaku for a sister then you know from the onset that this show is far more than meets the eye based on reputation alone.

To start with, take a good look at the promotional material for this show, such as the trailer. The production team did their damndest to ensure that from the outside the show would look like the most derivative Magical Girl show ever made, up to and including keeping Gen Urobuchi’s involvement in the production a secret. Gen Urobuchi (aka ButchGen aka The Urobutcher) is a writer who is known for being a bit of a downer, having been involved in projects such as Fate/Zero and Psycho-Pass. He’s very outspoken when it comes to his distaste for heroic archetypes played straight and his tendency to drag his characters through the mud, so his presence as the show’s writer was what you might call a dead giveaway.

So what happens when a writer like this tackles a genre known for being all about hope, courage, and the power of friendship and love? There are many people who argue that Madoka Magica deconstructs the Magical Girl anime (Magical Girl Warrior subgenre) as codified by Sailor Moon or Cardcaptor Sakura. Some even say it’s the Neon Genesis Evangelion of the Magical Girl genre. As NGE showed us just how psychologically messed up a Giant Robot show would be if populated by actual human beings, Madoka Magica is about how having child combatants fight monsters in an urban environment with no support network does not make a well-adjusted childhood.

The effects of this kind of pressure and isolation on a bunch of adolescents is one of the elements of Madoka Magica, but fighting monsters with magic isn’t the only thing that makes a Magical Girl story. They’re traditionally as much coming-of-age stories as they are stories about definitions of femininity and self-determination. Madoka Magica has the trappings of a MG show: an all-loving protagonist, a dark and aloof rival, a tomboy friend, a non-magical friend, transformation sequences, fighting against the manifestations of dark emotions, and a cute(?) mascot. It’s talking the talk, but at its heart this is not a story about Magical Girl stories in the same way NGE was about Giant Robot anime (that’s what Revolutionary Girl Utena is for). It certainly plays with many common elements of the Magical Girl anime, but at its heart Madoka Magica is about hope, despair, idealism and selfishness. It’s a psychological drama and grand tragedy. It just happens to be wearing a Magical Girl outfit.

Which is not to say that one is superior to the other, of course. Just set your expectations accordingly if you’re already a Magical Girl fan. If you’re not, well, you might be in luck...

Twelve episodes isn’t a whole lot of time and Madoka Magica does a lot in those twelve episodes, so while I’m willing to spoil the tone of the story discussing the plot itself is a bit trickier. Kaname Madoka is our pink-haired milquetoast protagonist who doesn’t think she’s anything special, and just wants to make friends with everyone. We’re introduced to her via dream sequence, where she witnesses a dark-haired girl fighting against an enemy ravaging the city. A strange white bunny-cat creature asks Madoka to make a contract and become a magical girl, and then she wakes up. It turns out that when not dreaming of plot foreshadowing, Madoka has a pretty good life; a cool mom, a loving dad and good friends. But today it turns out the new transfer student at school - Akemi Homura - is the same girl from her dream. Homura warns Madoka to never change, to stay exactly as she is if she doesn’t want to lose her friends, family, everything she has ever loved. We wouldn’t have much of a story if Madoka never changed, though, so it isn’t long before the bunny-cat creature from the dream crashes into the narrative as well and introduces himself as Kyubey.

Kyubey offers Madoka and her best friend Sayaka an opportunity: make a contract with him and he will grant a single wish, any wish. In return the wisher receives magic powers and must now fight Witches. Not the pointed-hat, broomstick-riding variety, but rather strange, eldritch beings which bring about despair, death and suicide among ordinary humans. It sounds like a good deal: get magic powers and a superhero job on top of a wish? Who wouldn’t want that? But the catch is that this job is for life. If you’re spending all your free time saving the world, you’re not spending time with friends, getting a boyfriend, even just having fun. Is your wish worth dedicating your life to?

This story has a lot to say about good intentions. Our characters are living pretty good lives, so is there really anything worth giving that up for? Perhaps the wish is better spent on someone who needs it. But, remember, make a wish and you’re essentially fighting on behalf of that wish for the rest of your life. Is what you wish for really what you want, or do you really want some other outcome? Say you wish for a dying friend to heal; do you actually want them healed, or do you really want their eternal gratitude? All the characters in this story have the best intentions, but there’s a gap between intention and execution. If you don’t know what you really want, all the idealism in the world isn’t going to save you from your own regrets.

The phrase “I just wanted what was best” is a damning one. It's key to remember that the characters are adolescent girls, with all the contradictory vulnerability and immovable self-righteousness which comes at that age. It's the age at which ideas of how the world should be collide rudely with how the world actually is, and a person can either deal with it by changing themselves and developing coping mechanisms - healthy or unhealthy - or else break themselves on the impossibility of making their ideals fit with the system. Then again, it might be possible to change the system itself... but that’s a long shot.

At one point Madoka’s mother gives her a piece of advice: if you see your friend hurting themselves while trying to to the right thing, maybe the best thing to do is to do the wrong thing for them to break them out of their self-destructive cycle. After all, they’re all still young, they’re at an age where recovering from mistakes is supposed to be easier than when you’re an adult. But this advice happens to come at the wrong time, because these kids are stuck in a situation where a mistake can cost one’s life.

As it happens the relationship between Madoka and her mother is one of the highlights in the series. Mom is a career-chasing businesswoman who still takes the time to talk to her daughter, and though she may not be working her dream job she’s living life on her own terms and is obviously an inspiration for Madoka. Her relationship with Madoka plays a surprisingly important role in the story, which is a refreshing change since parents are usually a non-factor or killed off for backstory purposes. The rest of the characters fit much more neatly into standard archetypes. Madoka herself has a big heart and wants everyone to get along, while her much more outgoing friend Sayaka is the go-getter who will take on problems head-first. We’re introduced early on to a much more experienced magical girl named Tomoe Mami, and she ends up taking a sort of big sister mentor role. All three of these girls believe in helping and protecting others, though each has their own take on the best way of doing so. Homura on the other hand is the dark and mysterious loner who for some reason is fixated on Madoka. We feel like she’s an antagonist, but another character who enters the story later turns out to be even more hostile. The red to Sayaka’s idealistic blue, this new magical girl feels like the antithesis to the magical girl ideals we’re used to: selfish, violent and hedonistic.

As elemental as each of these characters is, by the end of the story each one ends up in a very different place than where they started - or else had their starting position shifted altogether. Not everyone is what they seem. Homura’s backstory in particular hits like a truck when it finally arrives and ends up being key to the resolution of the plot. That said, Madoka Magica is not a story that goes in for particularly complex characterization. Its twelve-episode runtime forces a fast buildup and resolution. Friendships and other relationships don’t really have the time to mature on screen, and a lot has to be left to subtext or inference. Each character’s arc takes them where they need to go for the story to progress, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Some of these character arcs are desperately tragic tales of misunderstandings and misplaced idealism, but in the end these are still archetypal characters, though perhaps not the archetype you expected. Ultimately, they serve more as conflicting views on the show’s central themes than as the driving force of the story itself. The short length of the show is a weakness, keeping the story from being able to develop the cast as much as would have been ideal.

On the other hand, the show’s compact twelve episode structure is also its strength, and the ‘realism’ of the characters is much less important than what each one represents in the story as a whole. It’s hard to say whether or not Puella Magi Madoka Magica would’ve been able to hit as hard as it does if was any longer. This is a story very much focused on building its plot and keeping a steady pace, layering the tone and atmosphere and absolutely killing it in the aesthetics department. It is a straightforward story when all’s said and done, but it is densely constructed and cohesive. Every element of the show works as part of a whole and builds on the others, the visuals, the cinematography, the music, and even in the way the plot is structured. It’s got no time for cheap fanservice, it makes full use of every moment, and it only gets better on repeat viewings. This isn’t a show that supports casual viewing, and it expects you to be paying as much attention to the way a character is being framed in a shot as to what’s being said (or not said) in the dialogue. This is ultimately a simple story, yes, but it’s dense and constantly being told on multiple layers.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica’s ace in the hole is its mixed-media action scenes. Whenever our characters are fighting a Witch the show pulls a Terry Gilliam and starts doing very strange things with the animation. The medium of the art itself changes, with our cel-animated characters fighting against and among stop-motion objects. Paper cutouts and cotton balls. Lace and embroidery. The effect is unnerving and psychedelic and sometimes overwhelming. It can be difficult to follow the action whenever this happens, but then again these are supposed to be things that aren’t quite in sync with reality, beings which practically run on magic. The fact that these unreal things and spaces are being represented with real-world objects intruding into the animation is a clever touch. It’s an effect that I’ve rarely seen used in anime, and never in an action-heavy context.

(Author’s addendum: I’m aware that director Akiyuki Shinbo’s thing is this mix of visual styles. I do think its usage in Madoka Magica is still notable, if only because it works really well here.)

Even when it’s being more conventional Madoka Magica is visually accomplished. Even though the wide-faced character designs threw me for a loop at first (so wide!) they did eventually grow on me. There’s something about how the eyes look almost penciled-in which keeps them from straying into overly-cutesy territory. The cinematography is likewise superb. Strong, stylized color work drives home tone and emotion. The setting often dwarfs people within vast, empty cityscapes, the background itself being a reflection of the characters’ emotions and the series’ tone. In dialogue-heavy scenes we get momentary flashes of expression and action illustrating what’s happening inside a character’s head, and the framing of characters in a scene tells you everything you need to know about their relationships without saying a word. Whatever else you might think about Madoka Magica, it looks beautiful and tells much of its story visually through color, framing, light and shadow.

Going further than that, the structure of the plot is beautifully constructed as well. You could divide the story into four arcs of three episodes, each following the development of a different character, or else three arcs of four episodes, each one ending with a new point of no return. The third and tenth episodes mirror each other as well, each one shifting the stakes and giving us new context for everything which came before. The reason why this show shines so much brighter on a rewatch is because things that seemed like inconsequential melodrama or lazy writing the first time around take on a whole new meaning once backstory and motivation are revealed. It’s for this reason that I’m not terribly concerned about revealing Puella Magi Madoka Magica’s swerve into darkness; high stakes and dark subject matter are not the only secrets that this series has got up its sleeve. By the end of the story we’re not only dissecting the intentions and desires of our characters, we’re asking hard questions about why this story had to happen the way it did at all, questions which lead to what might be one of the most satisfying conclusions to an anime I’ve ever seen.

That is perhaps what makes Madoka Magica the show that it is. Though the ultimate shape of the story is straightforward, we journey there through layers of twisting color and twisting plot. Though we have our perspective on the events of the story constantly re-contextualized about once an episode, it’s always building to a conclusion that both feels inevitable and yet less likely the closer we get. And when the end does arrive, it takes everything that has happened so far, every mistake, every hope, every good intention gone wrong and it makes them matter. Though the ending is theoretically open ended, it’s entirely self-contained. It has introduced us to a new world, revealed the lies underlying this world, and has shown us what these characters do about it. It raises questions, and in the end tells us what it’s been saying all along. Few shows, anime or otherwise, use such a cohesive combination of visuals, narrative, and music to deliver a message. Beautiful to look at, beautiful to listen to, and beautiful in how it unfolds.

As it turned out, a sequel movie was made anyways. I refuse to provide any comprehensive thoughts on Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Rebellion for now, because doing so runs the risk of being flayed alive by the fandom no matter your take. Suffice it to say that it’s incredibly self-indulgent, visually stunning, and it will make you regret wishing that the ending of the original series could have been happier.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica is beautiful, and you really should watch it.

- Taihus, the wish-granting @raincoastgamer

(And I somehow manage to write all of this without actually discussing the soundtrack. The thing is, I don’t really know how to critique a soundtrack. It’s good, its use of leitmotifs is masterful and actually brought me to tears in episode 8, Magia represents the show’s true face behind the pleasant pink facade, and I’ve still got Sis Puella Magica stuck in my head.)

#puella magi madoka magica #pmmm #madoka magica #review #ramble #anime #anime ramble #anime article #anime review #I wrote a thing #gen urobuchi #akiyuki shinbo #studio shaft #aniplex #ume aoki #yuki kajiura

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monoredwarlock · 7 years

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So our store ran out of official product to do the sunday evening prerelease, mostly based on the eldritch moon prerelease being kind of a dud in terms of turnout. However, we managed to convince the store manager to let us play a “private prerelease” by just using 6 packs as usual, no promo. Have to say, eight people with built from scratch decks and no pressure really made the evening fun. Got to play a Dark Intimations control deck, so I’m satisfied.

#late update #prerelease #aether revolt #hope everyone got what they wantedd

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housebeleren · 6 years

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Guilds of Ravnica Reprints & New Art

Guilds of Ravnica is an exciting set for a number of reasons, and not the least of those reasons is a chance to get all new art for some reprinted cards. It’s always one of my favorite parts of preview season: seeing which cards they picked for reprint, and ogling over the new art.

This time around, three reprinted cards kept their old art, which is a break from tradition for non-core standard sets. Chromatic Lantern, Goblin Electromancer, and Wee Dragonauts are all welcome reprints (Lantern in particular), but they all have somewhat iconic art already set on Ravnica, so it makes sense that new art wasn’t necessary.

As always, it critical to note that all Magic art is wonderful, and my preference for any one over another is just that: preference.

Let’s start with possibly my favorite piece of new art in Guilds of Ravnica. Honestly, this feels like somewhat of a random inclusion in the set, given that it doesn’t synergize or even particularly play well with any of the mechanics or guild strategies. That said, I’m absolutely stunned by this gorgeous piece of art by Igor Kieryluk. Igor has done a number of pieces for MTG over the years, and, for me, this will join the ranks as one of the most memorable and iconic. There’s a softness to this that’s powerful, evocative, and haunting. It’s beautiful.

He’s really good at these mist effects, no? Really fits into the film noir styling of the set.

Previous art (From now on, I’m just doing chronological, without ranking, but I’ll bold particular favorites of mine):

Guilds of Ravnica

Magic 2011

Y’know, I always feel like this card goes back way further than it actually does. First printing was in Ixalan, but it feels like a staple, and for good reason. This type of modal removal has been making a lot of appearances in Standard over the past few years, and I think they’ve been great successes. As for this art, it’s really a cool design. I love the perspective, with all the detail of the different city layers just barely visible below. The Ixalan version more clearly depicts action, but in some ways, the opposite is what makes the Guilds version shine. The calm in this piece is ominous, waiting for the strike with bated breath. Really excellent.

Simon Dominic is relatively new to MTG art, with a couple of pieces from Hour of Devastation being the first I could find. Even so, I really enjoy what he brings to the style. He’s got definite whimsy in his pieces (Experimental Frenzy is another of his from this set), and beautiful use of bold accent colors. His pieces have tons of detail, often with layers and layers of background to explore. Really fantastic.

Guilds of Ravnica

Ixalan

Dead Weight is a card with already existing art that’s pretty well known by Randy Gallegos. As much as I love that version, I find this new one by Lake Hurwitz to be really compelling. The perspective, with the ball & chain taking up so much space in the foreground, is really unique. And I love how well this evokes the spirit of the Rakdos cult, even though they’re not a major presence in this set. It’s a nice touch.

Guilds of Ravnica

Innistrad

I love this card. It plays really well in Guilds Limited, what with all the big Golgari & Selesnya cards running around. As far as the art goes, this new depiction is really flavorful. The Dimir slicing right through an Azorius statute is somehow both literal and figurative at the same time. I also really love the detail of the cathedral in the background on the right side. Amazing what can be done with such a monochromatic palette. Deruchenko Alexander has worked with monochromatic palettes before, just look at the gorgeous green jungle of Ornery Kudu or the ethereal purple light in Entreat the Dead. He also did the phenomenal Spell Pierce from Ixalan, one of the highlights from that set.

I do still love the original Khans of Tarkir version this one by Svetlin Velinov, with the Sultai Naga slicing through the Mardu banner. You can really feel the “disdain” in it.

Guilds of Ravnica

FNM 2015 Promo

Khans of Tarkir

Giant Spiders show up in basically every set, and there’s only so much variety in them. I do love the ominous nature of this one, with the skeleton remains of its previous victims in the foreground. Really sets the “recluse” tone of the piece, a little more so than the Magic Origins original.

Mike Bierek gets a piece or two in just about every Magic set, and with good reason. Many iconic pieces belong to him, perhaps none more so than the current version of Sol Ring you’ll find in every Commander deck. More recently, he’s done the fabulous Nexus of Fate Buy-a-Box promo, and one of my favorite Guilds of Ravnica pieces, Artful Takedown.

Guilds of Ravnica

Magic Origins

I’ll admit, this reprint completely flew under the radar for me, probably because I never played during Judgment. Ol’ Ironshell here gets his first treatment in modern borders. Kev Walker tends to prefer these close up perspectives, with very minimal, hazy backgrounds. Rather than detail a cathedral facade, as in Disdainful Stroke above, Kev merely suggests such a building in the upper-left corner of the background.

The focus on the beetle plays well with the flavor text, lending to the feeling of whimsy present in a lot of Kev’s recent pieces. This is the space where I think he truly shines.

Guilds of Ravnica

Judgment

Another recent reprint. Looks like they’ve settled on the White Pacifism effect they want for Standard at this point. This version, by Mark Behm, has a slightly fuzzy, almost impressionistic feel to it, particularly in the treatment of the floor in this room. Again, the flavor text enhances the fun & whimsy of the card, making it clear this is a theme they’re trying to play up when they have the creative space to do so. I love the idea of the Azorius trying to codify how to handle all the various bizarre Simic creatures they end up having to detain in this world.

Guilds of Ravnica

Rivals of Ixalan

This is another card that goes way back, all the way back to Tempest block. I love when they can reprint cards like this as periodic staple effects, decades later. The art is a first-time inclusion by Heonhwa Choe, and it’s beautifully done. I love this look at the Gruul, and a taste of what we can expect more of in Ravnica Allegiance. This is probably my favorite version of this card, and I hope we see more from Heonhwa Choe in the future.

Guilds of Ravnica

Conflux

Invasion

Exodus

This card makes a ton of inclusion in this set, so win for whoever put it in the card file. This new art really evokes the concept of the art, that all the members of the Conclave are lending their power to a single champion in a time of need. The color scheme of rich greens with the pops of purple is really gorgeous, and reminds me of Alex Konstad’s Merfolk from Ixalan (check out Jade Bearer for a sense of what I mean.) But what I especially love about his work is the incredible sense of motion. Just browse through his card art, and it’s really amazing how dynamic his pieces feel, so you can really get a sense of the action that is taking place.

Guilds of Ravnica

Rise of the Eldrazi

Of all the cards I expected to see reprints in standard formats, Narcomoeba was never one I really considered. And yet, it’s a perfect fit for Guilds of Ravnica, thanks to the Surveil mechanic. While the original art was intentional in its ambiguous location & time, the new one puts the architecture of Ravnica on gorgeous display. Howard Lyon is a master, and it shows in this piece. This art looks like it’s taken directly out of dreams. It has the quality of a beautiful piece of art from children’s literature, and I mean that in all wonderful ways. I particularly love the inclusion of the fishing person and his cat, which enhance the dream-like quality of the piece. I kinda want everything in my life to be done in this color palette.

Guilds of Ravnica

Future Sight

And yet again, the grand saga of Creature A vs. Creature B on Prey Upon art continues! This time, it’s some sort of Faerie vs a Giant Spider! (Maybe a Hitchclaw Recluse?) I do love the perspective on this one, staring up from the deepest bowels of the undercity. G-Host Lee has only done a handful of pieces for Magic (1 each set starting with Rivals of Ixalan), but they’re all excellent. One common threat I see with them is a great use of distance & perspective. Check out Storm Fleet Sprinter to really get a sense of what I mean. I definitely hope to see more G-Host art in the coming sets. As for Prey Upon, I like just about every version of this staple, but this one is one of my favorites.

Guilds of Ravnica

Explorers of Ixalan

Aether Revolt

Eldritch Moon

Innistrad

Righteous Blow is a card we haven’t seen in a while, though there are a lot of similar effects running around. This art by Izzy is really interesting, with the light source seemingly emanating from the weapon strike itself, as if they’re fighting in an otherwise dark space. I love a lot of Izzy’s art (such as the fabulous Radical Idea for this very set), but for this particular piece, I think I prefer the original by Clint Cleary.

Guilds of Ravnica

Avacyn Restored

Wizards seems to have taken the “Penis Wurm” issue seriously, since all the Wurms in Guilds of Ravnica have a decidedly less penis-like design to them. Siege Wurm showed up first in the Original Ravnica, and has been the poster-child for Convoke ever since. I really like this version by Filip Burburan, and it’s consistent with his “all of the teeth” aesthetic. (Seriously, the new Tarmogoyf for UMA is peak Burburan at its best.) Again, this piece also ties in nicely with the flavor text to create that more lighthearted tone that permeates the set.

Guilds of Ravnica

Ravnica: City of Guilds

Skyknight has been the signature Boros Common since its debut, and that’s not going to change this time around. It’s great to see Chase Stone making a Limited Common, since he is frequently tapped for Mythics, iconic characters & story moments. I love the vista of the city that you see here, though it didn’t read super well on card size, so it’s great to see the larger image here. The action of the knight, standing in the stirrups, gives the piece a ton of energy and excitement. One other thing I particularly like is the color palette of the piece. Previous Skyknights were aggressively Red/Orange in their artwork. Sometimes I like the art clearly evoking the “card color,” but sometimes it looks contrived. Here, he lets the Red & White of the Knight’s armor, the rooftops, & the Roc do the color-indicating work, while keeping the sky & clouds in a realistic palette. It really just elevates the whole piece. My only wish would be to see just a touch more of the mount he’s on, but I get that the focus is intentionally on the rider.

Guilds of Ravnica

Gatecrash

Ravnica: City of Guilds

The whimsy is real. Someone did a really great job pairing the art descriptions & flavor text in this set. This art gets better the longer I look at it. No surprise, Steve Argyle is the shit. Nuff said.

Guilds of Ravnica

Ixalan

Battle for Zendikar

Wall of Mist is a relatively new card, but it seems poised for staple status. This new art, by Tianhua X, has that surreal, dream-like quality that permeates this set. I love the tall spires climbing out of the mist. Tianhua X is relatively new to Magic Art, starting with some exquisite lands from Battle for Zendikar. He excels at creating pieces with unique perspectives, often slanted or climbing up at extreme angles. They heighten the sense of the fantastical in pieces like this, when at its core it’s simply fog in a city. Beautifully done.

Guilds of Ravnica

Core Set 2019

The Guildgates are all excellent this time around. I love the “front door/back door” design, as it helps to showcase different aspects of each of the guilds. They’re all really gorgeously done.

Guilds of Ravnica

Return to Ravnica

And finally, the shock lands. What trip to Ravnica would be complete without these? The art keeps getting better and better, and I don’t think any two exemplify this better than Temple Garden & Overgrown Tomb. The rich autumn colors in the Selesnya art is absolutely stunning, and I love the stone statues in the tomb, signaling the era of Vraska. Really beautiful pieces all around.

Guilds of Ravnica

Return to Ravnica

Ravnica: City of Guilds

Whew. So that’s it. Those are the reprints that got new art in Guilds of Ravnica. I’ll try to touch on some of the other noteworthy art on new cards in a future post.

#MtG #guilds of ravnica

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eastsidemags · 7 years

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Amonkhet Game Day

Now that you've been drafting Amonkhet all this time, what are you gonna do with all those cards? How about you build a standard deck with your favorite cards from:

Battle for Zendikar Oath of the Gatewatch Shadows over Innistrad Eldritch Moon Kaladesh Aether Revolt Amonkhet

...and come out and play for Game Day!

Event starts at 1pm! We'll have participation prizes for everyone, 8 rare, premium promo cards for everyone in the Top 8 and one - only ONE - Game Day Champion playmat for the 1st place winner!

Get your decks in order and get down here! $10 to play!

See you soon!

#Amonkhet #Magic the Gathering #mtgamk #cards #tcg #card games #Battle for Zendikar #Oath of the Gatewatch #Shadows over Innistrad #Eldritch Moon #Kaladesh #Aether Revolt #prizes #playmat #game day champion

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mtg-cards-hourly · 1 year

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Bruna, the Fading Light

She now sees only Emrakul's visions.

Artist: Clint Cearley TCG Player Link Scryfall Link EDHREC Link

#mtg #magic the gathering #tcg #clint cearley #bruna the fading light #eldritch moon promos #legendary #creature #angel #horror

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thewisekitsune · 7 years

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So due to growing demand here is my trade list:

· Dual Colors

o Everlasting Torment x1

o Splitting image x 1

o Mirrorweave x 1

o Nightveil Specter x 1

o Doomgape x 1

o Djinn Illuminatus x 1

o Biomass Mutation x 2

o Cryptborn horror x 1

o Azor’s elocutors x 2

o Giant Solifuge x 1

o Gleancrawler x 1

· Foil Rares

o Torrent Elelmental x 1

o Distended Mindbender x 1

o Deepfathom Skulker x 1

o Architect of the untamed x 1

o Saheeli’s Artistry x 2

o Deathbringer Regent x 1

o Nibilis of Frost x 1

o Path of bravery x 1

o Helm of the gods x 1

o Chained to the rocks x 1

o Trading post x 1

o Hedron Alignment x 1

o Wharf infiltrator x 1

o Living lore x 1

o Council of the absolute x 1

o Sands of delirium x 1

o Boros Battleshaper x 1

o Foundry champion x 2

o Plea for guidance x 1

o Imprisoned in the moon x 1

o Exava Rakdos Blood Witch x 1

o Fated Infatuation x 1

o Trait Doctoring x 1

o Scourge of fleets x 1

o Flamewake Phoenix x 1

o Elder of laurels x 1

o Thousand winds x 1

o Celestial archon x 1

o Rubblebelt raiders x 1

o Phytotitan x 1

o Simic manipulator x 1

o Palisade Giant x 1

· Promos

o Squelching Leeches

o Ogre Battledriver

o Wharf infiltrator

o Skarrg Goliath

o Deadbridge Goliath

o Emrakul’s Evangul

o Xathrid Gorgon

o Dictate of the Twin Gods

o Necropolis Fiend

o In Garruk’s Wake

o Multiform Wonder

o Fated Showdown

· Lands

o Concealed Courtyard

o Drownyard Temple

o Hanweir Battlements

o Alchemist’s Refuge

o Shrine of the Forsaken Gods

o Temple of Abandon

o Ally encampment

o Ruins of Oran Rief

o Sea Gate Wreckage

o Inspiring Vantage

o Blooming Marsh

o Botanical Sanctum

o Mirrorpool

o Llanowar wastes

o Sanctum of Ugin

o Foreboding Ruins

o Geier Reach Sanctum

o Throne of the High City

o Haven of the Spirit Dragon

o Temple of Triumph

o Temple of Silence

o Grove of the Guardian

o Paliano, the High City

o Corrupted Crossroads

o Stensia Bloodhall

o Grim backwoods

o Contested War zone

o Exotic Orchard

o Sunpetal Grove

o Windbrisk Heights

· Multi-Colored/eldrazi

o Jor-Kadeen, The Prevailer

o Sphinx summoner

o Filigree Angel

o Aura mutation

o Crackling doom

o Utter end

o Dauntless escort

o Iroas, god of victory

o Artifact mutation

o Heron’s grace champion

o Conduit of ruin

o Prized amalgam

o The gitrog monster

o Rubblehulk

o Blood tyrant

o Progenitor mimic

o Etherium-horn sorcerer

o Decimate

o Merciless eviction

o Master biomancer

o Edric spymaster of trest

o Jori en Ruin diver

o Desolation twin

o Distended mindbender

o Kozilek, the great distortion

o Grim flayer

o Ulamog, the ceaseless hunger

o Vorel of the hull clade

o Adriana, captain of the guard

o Altered ego

o Breaking/entering

o Eldrazi obligator

o Endless one

o Kheru lich lord

o Biovisionary

o Kambal consul of allocation

o Villainous wealth

o Avalanche tusker

o Serpentine spike

o Munda ambush leader

o Brutal explosion

o Dust stalker

o Brago, King eternal

o Blight herder

o Veteran warleader

o From beyond

o Bring to light

o March from the tomb

o Brood butcher

o Gruesome slaughter

o Ojutai soul of winter

o Deepfathom skulker

o Sire of insanity

o Angelic captain

o Bloodhall priest

o Smothering abomination

o Temur ascendancy

o Arashin sovereign

o Silumgar’s command

o Sagu mauler

o Trap essence

o Butcher of the horde

o Anax and cymede

o Savage knuckle blade

o Fathom feeder

o Selvala Explorer returned

o Atarka World render

o Simic sky swallower

o Plasma capture

o Boltwing marauder

o Necromancer dragon

o Kolaghan the storm’s fury

o Reaper of the wilds

o Deceiver of form

o Revel of the fallen god

o Eternal scourge

o Duneblast

o Dack’s duplicate

o Council of the absolute

o Polis crusher

o Sage of the Inward eye

o Invocation of saint traft

o Magister of worth

o Ayli eternal pilgrim

o Ivorytusk fortress

o Rakshaa vizier

o Ankle shanker

o Flying crane technique

o Lavinia of the tenth

o Render silent

o Beck/call

o Spark trooper

o Fathom mage

o Clan defiance

o Abzan ascendency

o Steam augury

o Signal the clans

o Mercurial chemister

o Mardu ascendency

o Boros battleshaper

o Unexpected results

o Dragonshift

o Daxos of meletis

o Tajic blade of the legion

o Firemane angel

o Vedalken heretic

o Titanic ultimatum

o Counterflux

o Alms beast

o Vile redeemer

o Searing meditation

o Psychic intrusion

o Blazing specter

o Aurelia’s fury

o Corpsejack menace

o Windreaver

o Surrak, dragonclaw

o Underworld cerebus

o Melek, izzet paragon

o Whispering madness

o Firemane avenger

o Loxodon hierarch

o Mystic genesis

o Firemind’s foresight

o Hypersonic dragon

o Carnival hellsteed

o Archon of the triumvirate

o Wayfaring temple

o Ready/willing

o Rakshasa deathdealer

o Prophetic bolt

o Glory of warfare

o Obzedat’s aid

o Soul ransom

o Jarad’s orders

o Foundry champion

o Vulturous zombie

o Invoke the firemind

o Righteous authority

· Black

o Tree of perdition

o Dark salvation

o Voldaren pariah

o Noxious gearhulk

o Inquisition of kozilek

o Demonic pact

o Palace siege

o Stromkirk condemned

o To the slaughter

o Magus of the will

o Bane of the living

o Languish

o Guiltfeeder

o Cruel entertainment

o Curtain’s call

o In garruk’s wake

o Brutal horderchief

o Collective brutality

o Mardu strike leader

o Guul draz specter

o Asylum visitor

o From under the floorboards

o Custody lich

o Harvester of souls

o Nightmare

o Oath of liliana

o Sangromancer

o Cranial extraction

o Gonti lord of luxury

o Moriok rigger

o Marionette master

o Eliminate the competition

o Midnight oil

o Demon of dark schemes

o Syndicate trafficker

o King macar, the gold cursed

o Behold the beyond

o Drakestown forgotten

o Treacherous pit-dweller

o Defiant bloodlord

o Abhorrent overlord

o Gild

o Nighthowler

o Indulgent tormentor

o Markov dreadknight

o Ever after

o Tainted remedy

o Infinite obliteration

o Hedonist’s trove

o Blood-chin fanatic

o Corpseweft

o Ghastly conscription

o Grim haruspex

o Call to the grave

o Butcher of malakir

o Pitiless horde

o Puppeteer clique

o Carnifex demon

o Abyssal nocturnes

o Archfiend of depravity

o Priest of the blood rite

o Kuro pitlord

o Deathbringer regent

o Despoiler of souls

o Skirsdag high priest

o Killing wave

o Sewer nemesis

o Dark hatchling

o Fated return

o Grim return

o Fiend of the shadows

o Repay in kind

o Pestilence demon

o Shimian specter

o Drana’s chosen

o Graveblade marauder

o Ill-gotten gains

o Underworld connections

o Undercity plague

o Necromancer’s stockpile

o Mortivore

o Fallen angel

o Extractor demon

o Skeletal vampire

o Royal assassin

o Champion of stray souls

o Twilight’s call

o Kyoki, sanity’s eclipse

o Gloom surgeon

o Elusive tormentor

o Demonic rising

o Dread slaver

o Foul renewal

o Unbreathing horde

o Noosegraf mob

o Blood scrivener

o Wit’s end

o Greater harvester

o Painful truths

o Nightmare

o Curse of misfortune

o Ogre slumlord

o Ravenous demon

o Mind shatter

o Memoricide

o Neverending torment

· Red

o Godo Bandit Warlord

o Territorial Gorger

o Hellkite tyrant

o Hellkite igniter

o Trash for treasure

o Reforge the soul

o Runehorn hellkite

o Goblin spymaster

o Impetuous devils

o Bedlam reveler

o Sin prodder

o Devil’s playground

o Lathnu hellion

o Undying flames

o Avacyn’s judgment

o Tide of war

o Soulblast

o Dragon mage

o Charging cinderhorn

o Divergent transformations

o Taurean mauler

o Stalking vengeance

o Alesha who smiles at death

o Falkenrath gorger

o Hanweir garrison

o Breath of fury

o Kumano master yamabushi

o Oracle of bones

o Felhide spellbinder

o Akoum hellkite

o Skyship stalker

o Clash of realities

o Liberating combustion

o Fateful showdown

o Flameshadow conjuring

o Madcap experiments

o Harmless offerings

o Mindblaze

o Goblin festival

o Collective defiance

o In the web of war

o Satyr firedancer

o Firedrinker satyr

o Rageblood shaman

o Goldnight castigator

o Assembled alphas

o Stromkirk occultists

o Wolf of devil’s breach

o Burn from within

o Shivan dragon

o Stranglehold

o Harness the storm

o Flameblade angel

o Scourge wolf

o Butcher orgg

o Flayer of the hatebound

o Flamewake phoenix

o Dual casting

o Skyline despot

o Charmbreaker devils

o Volcanic visions

o Volatile chimera

o Banefire

o Fall of the titans

o Kurkesh onakke ancient

o Ashcloud phoenix

o Hell’s thunder

o Siege dragon

o Howl of the horde

o Jeering instigator

o Ire shaman

o Scab-clan berserker

o Hellion eruption

o Barrage tyrant

o Mob rule

o Magmaw

o Berserker’s onslaught

o Serpentine spike

o Flame-wreathed phoenix

o Awaken the ancient

o Five-alarm fire

o Ogre battledriver

o Pyrewild shaman

o Labyrinth champion

o Whims of the fates

o Molten primordial

o Akoum firebird

o Titan of eternal fire

o Harness by force

o Dictate of the twin gods

o Instigator gang

o Bearer of the heavens

o Forgestoker dragon

o Burning anger

o Ignition team

o Grenzo’s rebuttal

o Wild evocation

o Ember swallower

o Oath of Chandra

o Hoarding dragon

o Mordant dragon

o Hoard smelter dragon

o Falkenrath marauders

o Mondronen shaman

o Wrecking ogre

o Trained orgg

o Zada hedron grinder

o Ghitu fire

o Galvanoth

o Volley of boulders

o Torchling

o Flamerush rider

o Heretic’s punishment

o Vulshok battlemaster

o Embermaw hellion

o Devil’s play

o Firewing phoenix

o Curse of the stalked prey

o Mindsparker

o Alpha brawl

o Burn at the stake

o Rite of ruin

o Chaos imps

o Increasing vengeance

o Slag fiend

o Curse of the bloodletting

o Hamletback goliath

o Hound of griselbrand

o Markov blademaster

o Guild feud

o Bloodfire colossus

· Green

o Bane of progress

o Verdurous gearhulk

o Verdant crescendo

o Creeping renaissance

o Nissa vital force

o Selvala’s stampede

o Realm seekers

o Lurking predators

o Traverse the ulvenwald

o Terastodon

o Architect of the untamed

o Nissa’s renewal

o Bristling hydra

o Primeval protector

o Emrakul’s evangel

o Eldritch evolution

o Beastcaller savant

o Cryptolith rite

o Oviya pashiri, sage lifecrafter

o Scourge of skola vale

o Seeds of renewal

o Den protector

o Managorger hydra

o Thelonite hermit

o Thunderfoot baloth

o Beastmaster ascension

o Mycoloth

o Shamanic revelation

o Stonehoof chieftan

o Deathmist raptor

o Meandering towershell

o Honored hierarch

o Ulvenwald observer

o Splitting slime

o Permeating mass

o Inexorable blob

o Oran-rief hydra

o Caller of the untamed

o Wildest dreams

o Dubious challenge

o Forgotten ancient

o Regal behemoth

o Deathcap cultivator

o Cultivator of blades

o Wild pair

o Heroes’ bane

o Mistcutter hydra

o Life’s legacy

o Sunbringer’s touch

o Evolutionary leap

o Mul daya channelers

o Druids’ repository

o Fated intervention

o Dwynen, Gilt-leaf dean

o Sandsteppe mastodon

o Jedit ojanen of efrava

o Frontier siege

o Obscuring aether

o Avatar of the resolute

o Spirit of the hunt

o Zendikar resurgent

o Polukranos, world eater

o Second harvest

o Silverfur partisan

o Kodama of the center tree

o Reverent hunter

o Skarrg goliath

o Kessig cagebreakers

o Nessian wilds ravager

o Wolfbriar elemental

o Splendid reclamation

o Into the wilds

o Anthousa setessan hero

o Turntimber ranger

o Trail of mastery

o Heartwood storyteller

o Renegade krasis

o Deadbridge goliath

o Hunter’s prowess

o All sun’s dawn

o Plated slagwurm

o Daybreak ranger

o Wolfbitten captive

o Chancellor of the tangle

o Wildcall

o Predatory rampage

o Feed the pack

o Ooze flux

o Splinterfright

o Outland colossus

o Lhurgoyf

o Mana bloom

o Wild beastmaster

o Gaea’s revenge

o Troll ascetic

o Arbor colossus

o Garruk’s horde

o Phytotitan

o Soul of the harvest

o Animist’s awakening

o Chameleon colossus

o Gigantomancer

o Reach of branches

o Quirion dryad

o Shaman of the forgotten ways

o Lost in the woods

o Sage of ancient lore

o Doubling chant

o Elder of laurels

o Deranged outcast

o Moldgraf monstrosity

o Death’s presence

· Blue

o Coastal breach

o Cloudhoof kirin

o Geralf’s masterpiece

o Mausoleum wanderer

o Uyo silent prophet

o Eternal dominion

o Guardian tazeem

o Confiscation coup

o Manifold insights

o Chasm skulker

o Padeem, consul of innovation

o Blessed reincarnation

o Aeon chronicler

o Swan song

o Reins of power

o Read the runes

o Ethersworn adjudicator

o Minds aglow

o Desertion

o Azami lady of scrolls

o Stunt double

o Spelltwine

o Swirl of mists

o Keeper of keys

o Sphinx of chimes

o Deadeye navigator

o Sphinx of lost truths

o Nibilis of frost

o Aethersquall ancient

o Saheeli’s artistry

o Dictate of kruphix

o Chisei heart of oceans

o Kami of the crescent moon

o Arcane servant

o Followed footsteps

o Convenant of minds

o Insidious will

o Coax from the blind eternities

o Summary dismissal

o Sphinx of maosi

o Nephalia moondrakes

o Forgotten creation

o Displacement wave

o Engulf the shore

o epiphany at the drownyard

o identity thief

o docent of perfection

o wharf infiltrator

o imprisoned in the moon

o heidar rimewind master

o sharding sphinx

o deep-sea kraken

o mind’s dilation

o exert influence

o academy elite

o willbreaker

o curse of the swine

o polymorphist’s jest

o scourge of fleets

o icefall regent

o dragonlord’s prerogative

o mirror mockery

o confirm suspicions

o welcome to the fold

o overwhelming denial

o scatter to the winds

o ugin’s insight

o prism array

o shu yun, the silent tempest

o mizzium meddler

o thopter spy network

o plea for power

o hypnotic siren

o chief engineer

o kheru spellsnatcher

o thousand winds

o fate infatuation

o perplexing chimera

o whelming wave

o mindreaver

o living lore

o shorecrasher elemental

o stratus dancer

o jeskai infiltrator

o supplant form

o sage-eye avengers

o icy blast

o aetherspouts

o pearl lake ancient

o mercurial pretender

o bident of thassa

o tromokratsis

o stolen identity

o simic manipulator

o soulblade djinn

o back from the brink

o denizen of the deep

o anthroplasm

o devastation tide

o aetherling

o artisan of forms

o cackling counterpart

o elite aracanist

o meletis charlatan

o battlefield thaumaturge

o riddlekeeper

o memory erosion

o captain of the mists

o torrent elemental

o void stalker

o stolen goods

o xenograft

o stormtide leviathan

o phyrexian ingester

o lunar mystic

o clone

o dreamborn muse

o infinite reflection

o mind-spring

o ephemeron

o mind unbound

o gravitational shift

o selective memory

o distant memories

o rooftop storm

o reweave

o realwright

o sphinx of uthuun

o psychic surgery

o djinn of wishes

o geralf’s mindcrusher

o spirit away

o arcane melee

o sturmgeist

o hedron alignment

o redirect

o curse of echoes

o exert influence

o dimensional infiltrator

o havengul runebinder

· White

o Wave of reckoning

o Reverse the sands

o Oblation

o Thalia’s lieutenant

o Blazing archon

o Hoofprints of the stag

o Toolcraft exemplar

o Angel of invention

o Selfless spirit

o Duelist’s heritage

o Sublime exhaustion

o Selfless squire

o Entrapment maneuver

o Hanweir militia captain

o Reborn hero

o Hero of goma fada

o Hallowed burial

o Paliano vanguard

o Spirit of the hearth

o Captured by the consulate

o Aetherstorm roc

o Authority of the consul

o Fumigate

o Emeria shepherd

o Master trinketeer

o Dragonscale general

o Geist-honored monk

o Opal archangel

o Hushwing gryff

o Indestructibility

o High sentinels of arashin

o Hundred-handed one

o Providence

o Thalia’s lancers

o Ordic Lunarch Marshal

o Sigarda’s aid

o Deploy the gatewatch

o Drogskol cavalry

o Return to the ranks

o Eerie interlude

o Planar guide

o Promise of bunrei

o Protector of the crown

o Parish

o Intrepid hero

o Faith’s reward

o Path of bravery

o Bruna the fading light

o Sanctifier of souls

o Kytheon’s irregulars

o Dictate of heliod

o Gustcloak savior

o Relic seeker

o Profound journey

o Precinct captain

o Arashin foremost

o Hidden dragonslayer

o Radiant purge

o Citadel siege

o Felidar sovereign

o General tazri

o Hold the line

o Divine deflection

o Munda’s vanguard

o Storm herd

o Angel of deliverance

o Fated retribution

o Aegis of the gods

o Celestial archon

o Custody soulbinders

o Renounce the guilds

o Frontline medic

o Bygone bishop

o Decide

o Scion of vitu-ghazi

o Resolute archangel

o Imposing sovereign

o Preeminent captain

o Gideon’s phalanx

o Master of pearls

o Hero of iroas

o Chained to the rocks

o Rally the ancients

o Mastery of the unseen

o Skybind

o Herald of war

o Lantern scout

o Galepowder mage

o World queller

o Silent sentinel

o Mass calcify

o Seraph of the sword

o Increasing devotion

o Silverblade paladin

o Odric master tactician

o Martial law

o Auriok salvagers

o Touch of the eternal

o Archon of justice

o Spirit of the labyrinth

o Sudden disappearance

o Cathar’s crusade

o Captain of the watch

o Call the gatewatch

o Angel of flight alabaster

o Aegis angel

o Planar outburst

o Marshal’s anthem

o Mesa enchantress

o Angelic skirmisher

o Dearly departed

o Planar cleansing

o Dawnbringer charioteers

· Artifact

o Armory automaton

o Trading post

o Soul of new phyrexia

o Blinkmoth urn

o Bonehoard

o Fleetwheel cruiser

o Brain in a jar

o Sunforger

o Baku altar

o Panharmonicon

o Bomat courier

o Moonring mirror

o Myr battlesphere

o Ghirapur orrery

o Metalwork colossus

o Crystalline crawler

o Prismatic geoscope

o Empyreal plate

o Keening stone

o Temple bell

o Conqueror’s flail

o Animation module

o Boompile

o Canal dredger

o Dragon throne of tarkir

o Lupine prototype

o Tamiyo’s journal

o Corrupted gravestone

o Slayer’s plate

o Stoneforge masterwork

o Sticher’s graft

o Soul separator

o Long forgotten gohei

o Imi statue

o Uba mask

o Deadlock trap

o Slumbering tora

o Psychosis crawler

o Junkyo bell

o Cultivator’s caravan

o Multiform wonder

o Jar of eyeballs

o Pyxis of pandemonium

o Colossus of arkos

o Triskelavus

o Myr welder

o Altar of the brood

o Tower of calamities

o Pentavus

o Throne of empires

o Manor gargoyle

o Akroan horse

o Guardian of the ages

o Cogwork grinder

o Scroll of origins

o Helm of the gods

o Deal broker

o Shield of the avatar

o Heroes’ podium

o Mage-ring responder

o Otherworld atlas

o Hedron matrix

o Deathrender

o Sphinx bone wand

o Liar’s pendulum

o Aether searcher

o Druidic satchel

o Hair-strung koto

o Volatile rig

o Gallows at willow hill

o Steel hellkite

o Glaring spotlight

o Seer’s sundial

o Haunted plate mail

o Spellbinder worldslayer

#mtg #magic the gathering #trade list #long post

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