Confirmed to be MTG's first ***sexual lovers. Yay equality!
ButlerOfBolas
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(19 votes)
This card shall henceforth be known as 'Wall of Gay".
(disclaimer: I'm gay myself, and mean 'gay' in the sense of 'awesome', so please don't call me a h o m o phobe. =))
XTwistedsoulX
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(16 votes)
Greek... Peaceful lovers... Touching swords... I'm sorry, I'm not seeing the Gay references.
Trygon_Predator
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(22 votes)
This is the first Magic card to officially feature gay lovers, and it's awesome. Bravo, Wizards.
Lord_of_Tresserhorn
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(8 votes)
Since so far, I have only seen small images, I did not even realize it was two men.
I was thinking way more along the lines of Lord of the Rings: It's the Argonath! (If we get a Jason, you can play Jason and the Argonaths. :P )
Avensai
★★☆☆☆ (2.1/5.0)(9 votes)
I need to see the art up close, but I was pretty sure the image on the left was a female.
SkyknightXi
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(6 votes)
@Avensai: I was unsure myself. Might be partly a question of whether pre-Rome Hellenic armor ever had anything like the Roman lorica.
NARFNra
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(7 votes)
Regardless of whether the figure on the left is male or not, I'm happy because it's a Golem that's not terrible and Golem tribal always needs more random bodies, even if they can't attack. Especially with that hammer.
PEVE_O
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(8 votes)
"Let us gingerly touch our tips"
Taudisban
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(12 votes)
5/5 for being gay statues.
OrgasmandTea
★☆☆☆☆ (1.1/5.0)(4 votes)
@Avensai: DON'T RUIN THIS FOR ME
cardraptor6
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(10 votes)
Um, Naruto reference in Theros?
*reads flavor text*
Um, Madara x Hashirama Naruto-yaoi-fanfiction reference in Theros?
Whatever floats your boat Wizards.
Purplerooster
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(5 votes)
Well, about the card...
This safely can block Boros Reckoner and comes down on the same turn.
In limited, this is great for a multi-colored control deck filled with bombs and ways to survive in order to play the bombs.
All the card art of Meletis shows it inland, with a river outing or at the very least a large Fjord or small water funnel before leading out into the open ocean.
All the promotional material shows it sitting right out on a beach with walls carving far out into the water. PEOPLE CARE ABOUT THAT STUFF, WIZARDS! MY OPINION MATTERS!
As for the uh, happy couple: http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5tp4hGOBw1qbnggp.jpg
Eternal_Blue
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Not a bad card for Limited. It's definitely not one you 'want' to be playing, but it will certainly round out the dregs quite nicely as a good wall, considering most of the creatures in Theros have under six toughness.
SarcasmElemental
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
and to think you could pay one more mana and have one that regenerates
Goatllama
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(10 votes)
=
davidgiven
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Awesome--not a Stonewall, but still a very important card...
Yamahaguy
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(10 votes)
Great. WotC pushing the agenda as well.
immelmann
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(8 votes)
Great for WOTC not to shy away from portraying a gay couple. One day in the enlightened future such things wouldnt be taboo.
HuntingDrake
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(5 votes)
Strictly worse than Wall of Tanglecordthree times over: costs more, can't block flyers, and can't block Prowler's.
Kageyaiba
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(4 votes)
Sorry, I still don't see it... The flavor text is gender neutral and the right statue could very well be a woman. If wizards intended them to be the first gay couple in magic, wouldn't they have made it more obvious? It is more likely imho that players are a little chauvinistic and when they read "rulers"in the flavor text they just assumed they were men. Don't get me wrong: I wish this was magic's first LGBT card and maybe it even is. It might not have been intended to be a gay couple but now it makes little difference. I still wish there was a high resolution version of that art.
Majora_13
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(7 votes)
Hey, look, more Gaze of Granite! Ok, I apologise for that...
@kageyaiba - The official word is that the two rulers are male. Also, I feel they aren't making it massively obvious by shouting "HEY! LOOK AT THE GAY!" because they want it to feel like it's normal for two guys to be lovers. Which I think is pretty awesome.
@butlerofbolas - Why not Wall of Fabulousness?
I love this card so much I wish it actually did more. I must find a way to win a game with it!
Phelplan
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(6 votes)
This just hit me... and I'm crying now. Well done Wizards. Thanks for taking a stand. A stand is always welcome: two feet planted firmly and a willingness to speak up.
Lifegainwithbite
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(7 votes)
This was very brave of Wizards. I'm thankful for that.
Zotmeister
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This card was obsoleted before it was printed. Shame such a progressive card is so underpowered.
Equinox523
★★★☆☆ (3.1/5.0)(4 votes)
First, the obvious: doing a set based on *Greek* mythology and missing the chance to break down the long-held stigma against same-sex couples in the fantasy genre would probably have been an opportunity wasted. People just have to deal with it - some of the most feared and respected warriors of antiquity were gay. I for one have no issue with this being the case in fantasy games and art either.
As for the card itself, this is something of a descendent of Living Wall and Wall of Tanglecord, stripped down and costed right down the middle. It's a fine limited card, and a serviceable stopgap to block threats like Boros Reckoner indefinitely.
Flavorwise, this is somewhat funny - it's a golem, and the art makes it look like the two statues aren't really blocking your way, so much as they are forming a gateway to let you through. Do the colossi come to life and block your path? Also, this may be the only golem that does no damage!
MCcreator
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Fun facts:
The Greeks did not really care about sexuality. None of their culture determined real categories for one's sexual orientation and no-one was prosecuted thusly - someone's beauty or intelligence was enough of an excuse to be attracted to them and no-one questioned it. It was not until early America that these labels were made and persecution ensued.
So yeah, thanks for that 'scientists' of the era.
EDIT: Also, does no-one else consider it a sad reflection on our society that a potentially not heterosexual card is made a big deal? It's good that Wizards is fighting back against ***phobia and prejudice but I hope that one day something like this would not be highlighted. Imagine if people went "Woah! Wizards released a card with a black person in their new set, that's crazy.
Mode
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Insane Conspiracy Theory(Don't take this seriously): Wizards secretly declared their ***phobia with that card.
They declared this card implicitly gay in the derogatory sense by making it very mediocre.
They also criticized gay marriage by making it the successor of Wall of Tanglecord (used as a symbol of heterosexual marriage) in no less than three ways: • Strictly worse: They do not consider both types of marriage equal, but deem the gay one inferior. • Higher cost: They think society will have to pay a price when they allow gay marriage. • Can't attain reach: They make fun of gay couple's inability to reproduce.
Ironic bonus points: They consider "***" an insult by censoring it in this comments section.
But in all seriousness, props to Wizards for going this step. It's also very fitting to have in this Ancient Greece-themed block, where having it comes just as naturally as people should consider it to be.
Toraka
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So... it IS two dudes. Huh.
Moving on to things that matter (somebody else's sexuality does not), this blocks Daxos of Meletis all day long. Block him, with IRONY! Well, and it also blocks literally everything else in Theros short of fliers, Vulpine Goliath, deathtouchers, or seriously buffed dudes. No card you'll wish to be able to pick up before the draft (like: "Man, I hope I can get some Gary, Merchant of Asphodel again!") but never one you'll be unhappy to draw.
Yukikah
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This actually seems like a somewhat decent sideboard against the mono-black decks running around right now; stops the free intimidate strikes from Mogis's Marauder and Lifebane Zombie, one or both appear in most of those decks. Especially good for removal light decks like mono-blue devotion, green-blue ramp, or green-red monsters. It's strength has also already been mentioned against the Naya/Bant decks around that use Boros Reckoner and Voice of Resurgance, since it's able to block either without triggering their dying or damage taken abilities.
Not optimal by any means and wish it was at least a copy of Wall of Tanglecord without the reach ability (ie. two mana).
Stinga
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Pretty meh card, though it was handy in booster-based play for buying time. Oh, and another note for yall highly excited sexuality-topic talkers, Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver is nongendered, as in it (seems to) have rejected being defined as male/female. So that's cool. I hate it cuz it stole and beat me to death with a gryphon in draft, but hey, what can you do?
Clashkill84
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's not about whether a card is "good", it's about whether a card wins games. And this card wins games.
Comments (35)
(disclaimer: I'm gay myself, and mean 'gay' in the sense of 'awesome', so please don't call me a h o m o phobe. =))
Peaceful lovers...
Touching swords...
I'm sorry, I'm not seeing the Gay references.
I was thinking way more along the lines of Lord of the Rings: It's the Argonath! (If we get a Jason, you can play Jason and the Argonaths. :P )
*reads flavor text*
Um, Madara x Hashirama Naruto-yaoi-fanfiction reference in Theros?
Whatever floats your boat Wizards.
This safely can block Boros Reckoner and comes down on the same turn.
In limited, this is great for a multi-colored control deck filled with bombs and ways to survive in order to play the bombs.
Solid Card.
All the promotional material shows it sitting right out on a beach with walls carving far out into the water. PEOPLE CARE ABOUT THAT STUFF, WIZARDS! MY OPINION MATTERS!
As for the uh, happy couple:
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5tp4hGOBw1qbnggp.jpg
Ok, I apologise for that...
@kageyaiba - The official word is that the two rulers are male. Also, I feel they aren't making it massively obvious by shouting "HEY! LOOK AT THE GAY!" because they want it to feel like it's normal for two guys to be lovers. Which I think is pretty awesome.
@butlerofbolas - Why not Wall of Fabulousness?
I love this card so much I wish it actually did more. I must find a way to win a game with it!
As for the card itself, this is something of a descendent of Living Wall and Wall of Tanglecord, stripped down and costed right down the middle. It's a fine limited card, and a serviceable stopgap to block threats like Boros Reckoner indefinitely.
Flavorwise, this is somewhat funny - it's a golem, and the art makes it look like the two statues aren't really blocking your way, so much as they are forming a gateway to let you through. Do the colossi come to life and block your path? Also, this may be the only golem that does no damage!
The Greeks did not really care about sexuality. None of their culture determined real categories for one's sexual orientation and no-one was prosecuted thusly - someone's beauty or intelligence was enough of an excuse to be attracted to them and no-one questioned it. It was not until early America that these labels were made and persecution ensued.
So yeah, thanks for that 'scientists' of the era.
EDIT:
Also, does no-one else consider it a sad reflection on our society that a potentially not heterosexual card is made a big deal? It's good that Wizards is fighting back against ***phobia and prejudice but I hope that one day something like this would not be highlighted. Imagine if people went "Woah! Wizards released a card with a black person in their new set, that's crazy.
Wizards secretly declared their ***phobia with that card.
They declared this card implicitly gay in the derogatory sense by making it very mediocre.
They also criticized gay marriage by making it the successor of Wall of Tanglecord
(used as a symbol of heterosexual marriage) in no less than three ways:
• Strictly worse: They do not consider both types of marriage equal, but deem the gay one inferior.
• Higher cost: They think society will have to pay a price when they allow gay marriage.
• Can't attain reach: They make fun of gay couple's inability to reproduce.
Ironic bonus points: They consider "***" an insult by censoring it in this comments section.
But in all seriousness, props to Wizards for going this step.
It's also very fitting to have in this Ancient Greece-themed block, where having it comes just as naturally as people should consider it to be.
Moving on to things that matter (somebody else's sexuality does not), this blocks Daxos of Meletis all day long. Block him, with IRONY!
Well, and it also blocks literally everything else in Theros short of fliers, Vulpine Goliath, deathtouchers, or seriously buffed dudes. No card you'll wish to be able to pick up before the draft (like: "Man, I hope I can get some Gary, Merchant of Asphodel again!") but never one you'll be unhappy to draw.
Not optimal by any means and wish it was at least a copy of Wall of Tanglecord without the reach ability (ie. two mana).
Oh, and another note for yall highly excited sexuality-topic talkers, Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver is nongendered, as in it (seems to) have rejected being defined as male/female. So that's cool. I hate it cuz it stole and beat me to death with a gryphon in draft, but hey, what can you do?