[HOU] Can this Nicol Bolas be real?
Spoilers, Rumors, and Speculation forum
Posted on June 1, 2017, 10:30 a.m. by ducttapedeckbox
Seems too good to be true. Also set number seems weird?
Inked Playmats' Facebook page.
Also this: 
EpicFreddi says... #3
Seems like a reasonable card to cast on T4. I don't see your problem.
June 1, 2017 10:48 a.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #5
Does anyone know where the extra 15 cards are coming from? Since the set is 184 cards, why do both say /199? The Invocations have their own numbering right?
June 1, 2017 10:51 a.m.
EpicFreddi says... #6
K34 agreed. I was afraid he would suck because standard was so washed down for a time. But at the moment everything is kinda OP. Looterscooter, Splinter Twin and "CAST FREE SPELLS IF YOU HIT THEM TOP 6" changes the powerlevel quite a bit.
I also like samut. I'd try her in a R/G Tooth&Nail list. She can end the game aswell with her ult.
June 1, 2017 10:53 a.m.
I tried a reverse image search on Bolas and Bontu's art, but couldn't find anything. Do you guys notice anything suspicious other than the collector's number?
June 1, 2017 11:04 a.m.
Also I just noticed Bolas's abilities are +2, +1, and -4, and when you add 2, 3, and 4 together you get 7, Bolas's magic number. Fun fact.
June 1, 2017 11:07 a.m.
The -4 seems wierdly formulated to me. Why not damage to "target creature or player"? The wierd wording makes it impossible to deal dmg to yourself or your creature, but why? Also, the +2 seems almost better than the ult. A -12 on a planeswalker with that mana cost should do more than that..
June 1, 2017 11:13 a.m.
smackjack True, and also although the flavor text on Bontu's Last Reckoning is grammatically correct, it sounds strange. But maybe that's just me.
June 1, 2017 11:20 a.m.
EpicFreddi says... #12
As a god he doesn't want to harm his subjects? (The only explenation i can come up with)
June 1, 2017 11:21 a.m.
I was talking about how it says "To the last, Bontu wanted only to be first..." It just sounds strange.
June 1, 2017 11:24 a.m.
EpicFreddi says... #14
For fakes these artworks would be awfully well made don't you guys think? I mean it's not just the usual "Force of Will" Fake where they change the text, but these are A+ Artworks.
June 1, 2017 11:24 a.m.
SCG reposted these on FB, same images and everything. Can't tell if they're just jumping on a hype-wagon or if they got a second verification that they're real. It's also the same image format as the more-plausible Samut.
But the cards in the background of those images are confusing to me... they don't look like any set symbol I can recognize? EDIT: At least on the Samut one. The one in the back of Bontu's card looks like Glorybringer, doesn't it?
June 1, 2017 11:25 a.m. Edited.
EpicFreddi says... #16
Btw, they changed the official site now to use other cards:
http://magic.wizards.com/fr/event-types/standard-showdown
And I can confirm that they were actually on the wizards page. I live close to France and have some friends over there.
June 1, 2017 11:27 a.m.
I looked at the artists on those cards; their styles don't look significantly different from the art on these cards. If these are fake, they're pretty realistic.
June 1, 2017 11:37 a.m.
It COULD be. The ult. is a little underwhelming but believable because I think they are trying hard to give some incremental usefulness to walkers, & steering away from the ult. that should just have the alternative text: "Win game now"... That is a very punishing +1
June 1, 2017 11:46 a.m.
Winterblast says... #20
The bolas planeswalkers do not very much for costing 7 mana with 3 colours...Feels like they want to have at least 2 or 3 new planeswalkers on each set and they keep getting worse than the previous appearances of the same characters. For bolas being the god pharaoh in this story I would have expected something more powerful.
June 1, 2017 11:50 a.m.
Winterblast That might be a good thing... check out this article
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/the-face-walker-problem
June 1, 2017 11:52 a.m.
Winterblast says... #23
Well, the problem I have with these new main characters is that none of them are even remotely playable in legacy and I even have problems with justifying the use of more than maybe three or four walkers in any commander deck because the majority is pretty weak. It's also not cool if the main antagonist of the story actually gets a card and is then almost unplayable or let's say not worth the mana cost. For 4URB we all have better things to do than playing this or the previous bolas planeswalker and even if I wanted to play him for flavour reasons I would have a hard time convincing myself that the slot isn't better filled with something else.
June 1, 2017 12:25 p.m.
Winterblast Yeah, that's fair
LeaPlath How did you see them on the wizards site? Link?
June 1, 2017 12:58 p.m.
While they have since corrected their mistake, it was accessible at http://magic.wizards.com/fr/event-types/standard-showdown
https://i.imgur.com/zS80a16.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/pDaPHrd.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/9F8oQrL.jpg
June 1, 2017 1:02 p.m.
I think these are real. It seems very weird to get the artwork down to the last detail, make it visible behind the loyalty abilities boxes, have the horn clip out the frame, not be previously released art, etc. but then to have the wrong number of cards in the set if fake. Misprints maybe? I have no idea.
June 1, 2017 1:22 p.m.
shinobigarth says... #27
Bolas seems aight. Think I'd rather play Samut though.
June 1, 2017 1:27 p.m.
Adding an even more resilient threat than an indestructible creature--a planeswalker--who comes down with 8-9 loyalty? It's gonna make marvel absolutely nuts. All the "variance" of the deck only having 4 get-ridiculously-ahead hits on Marvel will be a thing of the past! It's basically having Emra back. And plus-one...when you've already cheated like hell on mana...
It's gonna be interesting. I'm pretty excited tbh. :)
June 1, 2017 1:50 p.m. Edited.
GeminiSpartanX says... #29
New bolas is worded to be pretty bonkers in EDH, which is honestly the best place to play him. It's a shame you can't target yourself with his +2 though, since that would make him incredibly OP in my Jeleva deck ;)
June 1, 2017 2:25 p.m.
jparker-sartori21 says... #30
Wow, I hope the bolas and sweeper are real. I do wish that that samut plansewalker was fake though. It is big time underpowered.
June 1, 2017 3:34 p.m.
I don't see the underpower on Samut... but probably depends on what type of deck you like to play, she will be the best friend to combat tricks & slapping a combination of 2 creatures + 2 walkers on to the table @ once!
June 1, 2017 3:47 p.m.
Hardhitta7 says... #32
Possible new additions for your collection Dredgar.
Wonder if each god will get a card to go with it. That would be dope!
June 1, 2017 4:01 p.m.
Is double strike good? Yeah.
Is double strike on a 4 mana easy to interact with card worth it? Probably not. Factoring in the Forked Bolt? Still probably not. Why would you play it over Arlinn Kord? The double strike has fringe value, I suppose, but Fling does the same job for cheaper in standard.
June 1, 2017 5:24 p.m.
AgentGreen says... #34
Is that Bolas real or Planeswalker deck.
Also here's a thought. Samut got her spark, yet no first walk. Odd
Also. Appears that there could be enough room for a new Jace
June 1, 2017 5:25 p.m.
Actually, I just realised what Samut is good for, and it's exactly one thing. Doubling Season. She immediately ults two planeswalkers from your deck. New Bolas isn't horrible with it either.
June 1, 2017 5:28 p.m.
jparker-sartori21 says... #36
OMG, You can use doubling season to ult her into another of her and a second walker and then repeat for 4 walkers all of which can probably ult instantly.
June 1, 2017 5:32 p.m.
Yeah, you're probably looking at it from the standard format point of view. Seems kindof like EDH you're comparing apples to oranges when comparing her to Arlinn Kord
June 1, 2017 6:05 p.m.
Ah well. Still redundant in modern Double Walkers, only really good in commander with Doubling Season. Imagine the combos you can pull off with that ultimate in commander. Go into Architect Jace, and Tezzeret, Master of Metal/Nicol Bolas, get Rings of Brighthearth and many big creatures with Jace ult, ult Bolas and copy with Brighthearth? Does that work?
June 1, 2017 9:32 p.m.
shinobigarth says... #39
I would play Arlin over Samut without a doubt but at first glance she seems more up my alley than new Bolas, which just seems weird.
June 1, 2017 10:59 p.m.
Winterblast says... #40
DarkLaw if you think about what can be done with doubling season, it's pretty much irrelevant which good planeswalker you get - most of them would end the game when coming into play with double loyalty. The question is, would I want to play Samut in a deck like that or would I rather use stuff that is also good without doubling season? The + ability is ok, not outstanding, the - ability is completely useless and the ultimate wins the game like most ultimates do. Being isn't cool because it means you have no good tutor for doubling season and have to add at least one other colour, maybe even Play 4 or 5 colours to really be able to pull that off constantly. and then I ask myself why would I do THAT and not something better and more reliable?
June 2, 2017 3:09 a.m.
Winterblast I can't agree. Generally speaking, if you ult a cheaper or easy-to-ult planeswalker, it swings the game more in your favor (Nissa, Voice of Zendikar for example). If you do that with a more midrange or top-end planeswalker which is harder to ult, it usually straight up wins the game (in 1v1 formats). There's a difference.
Samut is useless in modern because you don't need Emrakul copies 9-12. Architect Jace and Nahiri are more useful in more situations. But that's not where this difference matters.
Samut, as I said, only belongs in commander, where an ultimate doesn't just win you the game - what are you going to get with Nahiri, It That Betrays? - whereas Samut let's you Tooth and Nail for planeswalkers as well as creatures, allowing you to combo cards in a perhaps game-winning fashion.
June 2, 2017 8:56 a.m.
Winterblast says... #42
DarkLaw I mean that there's no reason to play red in a deck that could possibly (and reliably) ultimate Samut with doubling season. In fact I would consider all colours but red because of the available tutors and other planeswalkers.
June 2, 2017 9:29 a.m.
Winterblast At least in modern, are Blood Moon and Nahiri not enough? The deck's called Double Moon Walkers. As got commander, you're doing 5 color whether you want to or not. It's superfriends.
June 2, 2017 11:04 a.m.
I would play that Bolas in Standard.
Some games go up to Turn 8.
This can finish one off.
You can easily hold on until then in these colours. So many different Control options.
June 2, 2017 12:05 p.m.
Argy But would your deck be good?
You need good graveyard hate before you can build a good control deck. You've got the new and very strong 3CMC wrath for your wrath slot, plenty of good single target removal, a few counters, good card draw, it's all shaping up nicely. The last piece of the puzzle is graveyard hate for those pesky recursive threats. Right now you're pretty much stuck with Flaying Tendrils and Magma Spray.
Bolas seems like a nice finisher. He isn't as strong as the first one, but he'll do nicely.
Actually, I want to build that deck now. Dark Intimations probably isn't good, sadly.
June 2, 2017 2:58 p.m.
AgentGreen says... #46
DarkLaw Bolas coming in with 8 loyalty is quite strong actually
June 2, 2017 3:47 p.m.
Winterblast says... #47
DarkLaw I don't know if it's good enough in modern but I don't believe that red is so good in a superfriends commander that it's worth going for 5 colours, especially if this new Samut would be one of the "reasons". maybe if it's very artifact heavy so that the darettis and the draw/discard of nahiri and dack fayden can be used well, but this might lack focus. You don't have to forget that the first two abilties are most likely completely useless or at best only "nice" in such a build. Bolas on the other hand has at least all good abilities an the question is just how to get him into play fast enough...and it can be played with 3 colours only
June 2, 2017 4:26 p.m.
DarkLaw um, no.
You only forgot the best piece of Graveyard hate around at the moment.
Not to mention Transgress the Mind, and Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet.
June 2, 2017 4:35 p.m. Edited.
There's also Incendiary Flow.
So between us we've now listed six pieces of Graveyard hate.
That's more than enough to handle recursion.
In fact, I've ONLY been running Transgress the Mind and Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet at the moment, and I've had no problems whatsoever.
June 2, 2017 4:41 p.m.
You don't need to get Bolas into play quickly if you have a Control shell.
I've been running Sorin, Grim Nemesis in a Black and White Control deck since Shadows Over Innistrad and I have NO trouble playing him.
Control doesn't mind stuff coming out on Turn 6 or 7.
Look at Torrential Gearhulk ffs.
You'd just do something like this: Death to the Gatewatch
Lame_Duck says... #2
Seems kind of implausible but then again I would have said the same thing about Smuggler's Copter or Splinter Twin combo being accidentally printed in Standard, so I don't know what the hell to make of R&D and the things they might make anymore.
June 1, 2017 10:47 a.m.