Ideas for a Return to Alara
General forum
Posted on Feb. 9, 2022, 6:44 p.m. by DemonDragonJ
At this moment, WotC has no plans to return to Alara, but they have not dismissed that possibility, either. Mark Rosewater has said that he would like to return there, but there are two major obstacles for returning to that plane: first, the very aspect of the plane that made it distinct, the shards, no longer exists, as the shards have merged, again; and, second, there are no lingering plot lines from the story of the original block, but I believe that both of those things can be addressed.
It would be lazy writing for the plane to again divide into five shards, so I believe that the best way to follow the original Alara block is to have each former shard be a continent and/or region on the restored Alara, and for the plot of the new set to focus on how the former shards will interact with each other and need to adapt to their new world.
Just as Theros: Beyond Death and Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty are single sets, I expect that a return to Alara would be a single set, as well. Also, while I doubt that a return to Alara would be an entirely multi-color set, multicolor cards are a major part of Alara’s identity, so a return to Alara would definitely have multicolored cards.
Both Tezzeret and Ajani are from Alara, originally, so they certainly would have reason to be in such a set, but I also would like to see a new planeswalker from that plane, preferably a three-colored planeswalker of a color combination that has not yet been used on a planeswalker (with red/white/green being the only shard combination that has not yet been used).
Naturally, such a set would also need to have impressive mana fixing, in the form of both artifacts and lands, so I very much believe that reprints of both Chromatic Lantern and Reflecting Pool would be perfect for such a set.
What does everyone else say about this? What ideas do you have for a return to Alara?
TriusMalarky says... #3
I'm not big into the story, but we've had Tarkir then Ikoria that were wedge sets so we need another shard set. I also really want the shard triomes, and Alara would be perfect for that.
Chromatic Lantern and Reflecting Pool could do with another reprint, although I'm not 100% convinced they're Alara-reskinnable but I wouldn't be mad about them.
One thing I'd like to see is a bit of a remix on their mechanics -- Jund liked to sac things, Grixis dealt with graveyards(which was somehow different from Jund, but barely), Naya did big things, Esper did artifacts, and Bant did 'generic good midrange creatures'. With this New Alara stuff, mebbe the shards get new mechanics -- like maybe Jund, instead of the big guys eating all the little guys, maybe the little guys have taken to eating the big guys:
- When [big guy] dies, do thing based on its size
That'd be pretty cool cos it also works with buff spells -- i.e., little gobbo has that ability but he don't do much unless you slap Giant Growth on him.
Maybe Grixis stole some stuff from Esper and they've taken to tacking artifacts onto themselves, but then when they die they get scrapped for parts and used by other dudes:
- When ~ etbs, exile another critter from your grave attached to ~. Buff based on that critter. If ~ dies, the exiled card goes back to the grave.
Or maybe
- When another critter etbs, exile ~ attached to it. It gets [buff].
Imagine some random 1/1 with double strike, but then it dies, and then a demon comes along and steals the arms from the little guy and gets double strike cos he has extra arms, and then a dinosaur eats it and gets wings and extra arms so he can fly and have double strike now
February 9, 2022 10:06 p.m.
The original Alara took advantage of the color overlaps: (Grixis unearth/Jund devour) was about sacrificing and bringing back creatures, (Jund devour/Naya power 5+) was having big creatures on board, (Naya power 5+/Bant exalted) was basically Voltron-ing, and Esper was doing its own thing because colored artifacts were much more of a novelty at the time.
For New Alara, I see the humans and goblins of New Jund basically learning advanced religion from Naya and Bant, possibly considering being eaten to be akin to ascension. Possible Jund mechanic: "When you sacrifice this creature, X." and sacrifice matters theme.
Bant had the seeds of corruption and trickery, as seen in Jhessian Infiltrator and Gwafa Hazid, Profiteer, and connections to Esper and Grixis might develop those further. New Bant could have more of a stax-y control mechanical theme, flavored as a welcoming society hiding an authoritarian power structure. Kind of a philosophical fusion of Azorius and Selesnya. Possible Glare of Subdual reprint.
Naya should be go wide/tokens. The beasts are powerful, but the demons of Grixis and the angels of Bant are more hands-on and provide for their followers. The Nayans notice and start to reconsider their faith. Their objects of worships are insufficient and they're surrounded by outsiders who want to basically colonize them, so they band together to show solidarity.
So for this so far, is locking down the board with tokens and prison effects, and is generating tokens and sacrificing them.
I have to admit, I'm not quite sure where to go with Grixis. I like TriusMalarky's graveyard exile stuff for benefits, sort of a user-end version of scavenge. This would put mechanically as sacrificing creatures and recycling them for parts.
Esper has to have an artifact theme somehow, but colored artifacts are showing up every set, so there's nothing special about that any more. is something about salvaging scrap metal, and is hard prison? Maybe?
And did the mana symbols change? The circles look bigger realities to the icons.
February 9, 2022 10:54 p.m.
The circles look bigger in relation to the icons. Or maybe the whole symbol is just bigger. Or maybe it's just me.
February 9, 2022 11:02 p.m.
TriusMalarky says... #6
I don't want it to be same-old same-old -- GBx is always saccing, WGx is always wide board, GRx is always chonkers, etc.
I'm wondering if maybe there's a bit of a cultural spread -- i.e., Naya sees Jund's big stuff eating small stuff, and then Naya becomes the sac stuff 'tribe' where they take the RG's bigness, white's "sacrifice for a selfless cause" kinda theme, and make "big wurm bestows its power on the whole group of followers".
Then Bant sees Naya's huge dudes and Esper's artifacts and takes Voltron into their hands, maybe with something similar to Bestow because angels often work with enchantments, so they start using angel blessings to spiritually team up to make one big warrior. Maybe a mechanic like "when ~ etbs, you may attach another enchantment creature from your hand to ~. When ~ dies, that attached creature is put onto the battlefield instead of being sent to the grave"
Then maybe Esper sees Bant's Angels and maybe tries to emulate perfect machines to protect their civilization, maybe even a Platinum Angel reprint for that theme.
Grixis sees esper, see my previous
Then maybe Jund sees Grixis's . . . honestly i don't know, endless hostility to everything alive? Reanimation techniques? Or maybe the demons, and the dragons start using the blood of their many followers to become demon dragons, so maybe we get giant flip dragons that use sacrifices to turn over and become even bigger.
February 9, 2022 11:20 p.m.
TriusMalarky I slightly disagree with the first sentence. X is more about graveyard stuff than sacrificing, and X is both go-wide and go-tall. I'm not sure if it was a reaction to my comment or a general statement, but I tried to make the lean more into control over raw numbers, and I specifically avoiding the big scary monsters approach.
February 9, 2022 11:28 p.m.
JANKYARD_DOG says... #8
I wouldn't discount New Alara just yet, I mean there was 'no chance of returning to Kamagawa' but look where we are now. Also, as stated we are due for a Shard oriented set. Story wouldn't be too hard to come up with, and on our current course of 'random Praetor's showing up in places somehow' it could very well be a stage for something. I mean if the trend continues one will show in New Capenna to possibly recruit Ob Nixilis into the anti-gatewatch team, and one in another return to Dominaria (Dominaria United). One being in the present which is more probably, but 'never say never' Maro could pull a fast one on us and have a praetor go to the past in 'Brother's War' or something. So again, if we stick to the current trend all 4 praetors should show...is there a 5th? can't say. New Alara would have to be in the Next magic year ('23) and considering the set up would be complete it could very well make it the "Showdown Stage", though personally I would have expected it to be Dominaria once more.
There's always a story... Imagine if all the earths continents were all of a sudden shoved back together? It would be utter chaos and inevitably, war. The same could be said for Alara, and I've done a little thinking on it. 5 factions/shards. The merging wouldn't really cause much idk, Anarchy within individual groups I guess? (doesn't seem like the right word but I cannot find another). But I think there are extremes to the group personalities that would decide action after the event.
Bant: Militaristic, Orderly, Law oriented. These traits would give them the believe that they will be the saviors of this new land and bring all to order. Good Intentions, Bad Execution.
Jund: All Consuming. Borders mean nothing. All will be Jund. I believe they would be the 'biggest baddies' in the set.
Esper: Knowledge is Power, Quest to abandon flesh, shortage of material (if I recall correctly in the lore). I'm torn where they would go in this... but on that note of material shortage, again IIRC, Jund has a large deposit of Etherium that Esper would love to get their hands on which could make them a thorn in the beasts(Jund) side.
Naya: Largely Nature Based. Would likely be highly interested in mending the world and would be against anyone who felt different about it. Not actively violent, but not to be trifled with. Could possibly be convinced to help Bant.
Grixis: Alot of death/destruction going about during the merge that they'd most like take advantage of. Also, much left in the wake of Jund's mission of consuming everything. Would likely go for the power play. Let Jund do all the heavy lifting, then when the moment is right... stab the beast in the back.
If they did decide to set the stage for Phyrexia then, I mean, probably not much hope for the denizens of New Alara considering it would be a would in chaos and ill prepared to face any new huge outside problems. The Praetor's are collecting things, for what purpose is yet to be revealed, so either there is one more thing to collect or the items collected fit here somehow.
TL:DR New Alara could still happen. Theoretical story: Power struggle w/ differing opinions of how life on New Alara is going to be. If Phyrexians show up its likely game over. All Speculation.
February 9, 2022 11:58 p.m.
TypicalTimmy says... #9
We got Triomes in Ikoria, and apparently we may be getting Triomes in Streets of New Cap, because it was leaked that the story there is five warring factions that are tri-color in identity.
So it would be a very easy fit to wrap in Alara and Tarkir as well.
We are also returning to 2-set blocks, which is the size I personally prefer. Innistrad had two, Kamigawa will have two, and there appears to be two with Dominaria: United and The Brother's War.
And if War of the Spark was any indication, Phyrexia will also be 3.
If this is the case, I much prefer the new direction - but that is some very serious speculation. As for now, I think Alara (if we return) will be at least two years out. Typically whatever is being released is a "year behind" what they are making in R&D, so that they have time for playtesting and printing and marketing. So I can't see a return to Alara for at least two years.
February 10, 2022 2:22 a.m.
TheoryCrafter says... #10
Kaalia's storyline still has to be resolved. Ajani helping her complete her quest while stopping Tezzeret would be a good one-of set.
legendofa says... #2
There is so much potential in Alara right now. This is Spanish-Aztec, Japan opening to the world, aliens coming from another planet levels of potential. And it's this level of potential five times over! This is the biggest cultural, geographical, technological, everything-ical shift to happen on any plane to date. Let us see it! Yeah, the shards are gone. So what's in their place?
It would be absolutely pointless to break up New Alara again, since it's a blank slate right now. There's a plot line that hasn't been addressed: How is Alara reacting to the change? We get a small glimpse of the first year or so in Alara Reborn. How does it develop? What do Tezzeret and Ajani think of being able to physically travel to Grixis or Bant from Esper or Naya? Will they even recognize the plane?
Every time an Alara thread comes up, I'm going to jump on it. "The shards are gone, so it doesn't have a gimmick." Well, what does it have? I can guarantee it's not just real-world-plus-magic. "There's no storyline." See above. Make a story. Get it involved. Etherium/sangrite. Necrodemons. Something hidden in a Bant palace. Any of these could be a plot device.
If there is a return to Alara, but the plane gets turned into a static backdrop for Teferi vs. Phyrexia or whatever, I'm going to be screaming.
February 9, 2022 8:56 p.m.