Theros

From 2d4chan
Revision as of 17:28, 15 January 2020 by 1d4chan>Fortunade (→‎The Gods of Theros)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This article is a stub. You can help 1d4chan by expanding it

Magic: The Gathering's Greek plane. Imagine God of War with less sex, fewer QTEs (unless you count untapping your lands each turn), and Ajani Goldmane and Elspeth Tirel hanging around to show everyone how bro they are. Theros has a heavy focus on Gods and Goddesses, and how their machinations often meddle with the lives of mortals. All Enchantments are considered to be gifts from the Gods, and enchantment creatures are usually blessed by the Gods.

The Gods of Theros

Heliod, the Sun God - The mono-white Zeus stand-in, and kind of a massive dick. Dedicated to law, justice, and retribution, Heliod considers himself above all the other Gods and blankets the sky with his radiance to keep Nyx away from mortals. Though he grants boons to mortals, he is just as liable to stab those he blessed in the back if he feels that they're encroaching on his worship. He kind of got his ass handed to him in Theros Beyond Death after throwing a temper tantrum, and was placed under an impossibly heavy boulder to slowly starve him of Devotion.

Thassa, the Sea Goddess - The mono-blue Poseidon stand-in, Thassa governs the sea and the things that live in it. Even those that live in lofty locations pay homage to Thassa, as she has a bad habit of drowning people who blasphemy her. She had a minor scuffle with Kiora when she showed up on Theros and used planeswalker magic to assemble an army to fight the Eldrazi. Though her feats, Thassa gained a following and people started worshipping her instead of Thassa, which pissed her off. Things escalated, and Thassa tried to smite her, but Kiora was quick, dodged the smite, and then stole Thassa's bident. She's still bitter about it.

Erebos, God of the Dead - The mono-black Hades stand-in, Erebos watches over the dead after being banished to the Underworld by Heliod. As one can imagine, Erebos was not exactly happy about this, and constantly seeks revenge against Heliod. He uses an impossibly long whip to ensnare those that would try and escape death. After Heliod had his temper tantrum, Erebos ramped up the hate and tried to undo Heliod even harder, which allowed lots of things to escape from the Underworld. He eventually got his wish, and was the one who trapped Heliod under the boulder after Elspeth beat him.

Purphoros, God of the Forge - The mono-red Hephaestus stand-in, Purphoros is an impassioned artisan with a bronze-fetish. Crafters of all types pay homage to Purphoros. Generally pretty chill, but has enough rage inside of him to smite those that upset him. He was once the lover of Nylea, and his passion for her inspired some of this best works.

Nylea, Goddess of the Hunt - The mono-green Artemis stand-in, Nylea is a protector of the wilds. Any who wish to till the land or cut down the forests face the wrath of Nylea. She governs predation and preservation but also dabbles in rebirth.

Minor Gods

Mechanics

Enchantments - Mostly creatures that are also enchantments, but also some of the regular kinds you're used to from other planes. Enchantment creatures have a special sparkly frame so you can tell them apart. Ties into ... Bestow - Some enchantment creatures can be cast as an Aura, in which case they give the enchanted creature benefits related to their own power and toughness and abilities. If a creature cast this way would be unattached from the enchanted creature (like if it dies), it stays in play and becomes a regular creature. Bestow plays well with...

Heroic - A keyword that rewards you for targeting your creature with your own spells.

Constellation - The obligatory "why the heck is this even a keyword/ability word?" moment that we tend to get about once a block. Cards with Constellation have a significant effect that triggers whenever an enchantment comes into play under your control.

Devotion - The power of belief is incredibly important to Theros, as the Gods themselves were made by the devotion of mortals. Several cards have an effect that is activated depending on the number of colored mana symbols on permanents you control that are on the battlefield (EX: If I have 2 creatures on the battlefield that have a total of 3 blue mana symbols on them, my devotion is 3).

Escape - A keyword that represents creatures and spells that have transcended the Underworld to return to the battlefield once more. When a card with Escape is put into the graveyard from anywhere, you can pay a certain amount of mana and exile a number of other cards to play that card again! Unlike Jump-Start or Flashback, they don't exile as they resolve, so as long as you have cards to spare, you can keep them coming all game long.

Sagas - Technically these were in Dominaria, but they show up here as well. Sagas are enchantments that capture important story moments and play them out on the battlefield. Every saga enters the battlefield with a lore counter, and gains another one on your upkeep. When a lore counter is placed on a Saga, an effect is trigged based upon what story they are trying to tell. When the final effect of a Saga is activated, the Saga blows up.

Settings of Magic: The Gathering
Pre-revisionist: First Magic Sets - First Urza Block - Arabian Nights
Legends - Homelands - Ice Age - Mirage
Weatherlight Saga: Portal Starter Sets - Second Urza Block
Tempest Block - Masques Block - Invasion Block
Post-Weatherlight: Otaria Block - Mirrodin - Kamigawa - Ravnica - Time Spiral
After the Mending: Lorwyn - Alara - Zendikar - New Phyrexia
Innistrad - Return to Ravnica - Theros - Tarkir - Eldraine - Ikoria
Two-Block Paradigm: Kaladesh - Amonkhet - Ixalan
Post Two-Block Paradigm: Eldraine - Ikoria - Kaldheim - Strixhaven
Never in a standard set: Fiora (Where the Conspiracy sets take place) - Kylem (Battlebond)