A Very Normal Look at Tarkir
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- čas přidán 23. 07. 2024
- Consume me further: • The Best Card in Magic...
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captions being made
~ Interview contributors:
Jacc - @jacc1854
Michelle* - @KilnfiendPotter
Jacky* - @DeathByMage
*check them out on @aznsrepresent & watch our full chat here: • Tarkir & Asian Represe...
~ Voice over contributors:
James - @humansofmagic
The Repeat Beat Poet - @TheRepeatBeatPoet
Shivam - @casualmagicwithshivambhatt
Dr. John Duncan - @JohntheDuncan
~ Endless love and thank yous to my patrons, who make my work possible, to @dwudles for my increadible animated introduction, and to my union & activist comrades, who make the time this work affords me mean something.
~ Content & themes document: docs.google.com/document/d/1U...
~ Reference & resource document (playlists here): docs.google.com/document/d/1d...
~ Chapters
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:05:34 - Before Tarkir
00:25:21 - Khans of Tarkir
01:34:40 - Fate Reforged
02:15:23 - Khanfall
02:28:40 - Dragons of Tarkir
03:38:19 - After Tarkir
04:04:00 - Our Apocalypse
~ Tags
MTG Lore, MTG story, Magic the Gathering lore, Magic the Gathering Story, Khans of Tarkir, Dragons of Tarkir, Fate Reforged, rhystic studies, hbomberguy, decolonization, colonization of america, colonization of asia, orientalism, settler colonialism, frantz fanon, card game design, mtg standard, mtg limited guide, game knights, We Will Not Allow Timmy To Live In The World That We Do, edward said, angela davis - Hry
A bit quick and rushed, I think you could have gone more in depth in the middle with fate reforged. Keep up the great work 😄.
you're a funny fucker aren't you?
I'm all for these short form videos
the video hasn’t even been out long enough to watch it yet 😂
@@Spice8Rackyou’re such a low effort content farm, honestly do better damn
@@Spice8Rackrelease the spice cut
Love how the candle frustrations serve as a materialized metaphor for resentment with forced assimilation to draconic cultural values. The breath can only utter despair at the inability to keep the flames lit.
THANK YOU! Finally, SOMEONE gets it!
@@Spice8Rack uhuh, sure
@@Spice8Rack I saw it more as a metaphor for the ending points of the video. It was a small thing that was easy to do, much like the act of donating, spreading awareness, or the like. But due to the fact that it was out of your line of sight, it was frustratingly hard to do something basic, which would have made everything a little better. Is it a clumsy alagory? Absolutely. Did you also say that thing about the morph bush in the beginning? Who's to say.
the line "i used to be a poet" was the most soul wrenching things i have heard it really said so much with so little.
I genuinely teared up. It made such a succinct and heartwrenching point in so few words.
i'm so sorry but i'm not sure i fully understood what spice meant, it may be the autism. i interpreted it as a "it could have been me, or anyone else who fights against colonialism", is there more to that phrase i'm missing? just wanted to be sure to understand what was so profound!
@@matheuscastello6554 that's it precisely. It's a destruction of the barriers of distance, making the reality of what was destroyed and who was killed that much realer, more visceral. The profundity is found in the stripping away of those barriers we use to distance and insulate ourselves from tragedy and cruelty, in the realization that we are, or know, people just like the deceased, that only circumstance truly separates us.
@@Jallorn makes sense, ty so much for clarifying!
I don't know if it's possible to really stop being a poet, but you can certainly stop writing it.
I always interpreted the "good ending" of Dragons to be explicitly Sarkhan's idea of good, even if the majority of people on the plane had to suffer for it. Bro just really liked dragons.
World's most destructive ascended fanboy.
I've been meaning to make an ADHD deck for Narset that also includes whatever other autistic characters we know of/can be interpreted as such and I forgot Sarkhan has to be there. The fact that his actions, while overall beneficial for the multiverse despite being pretty bad for his home plane, were driven solely by "god i fucking love dragons" is just so spectrum-coded.
@@Trogdorbad lol I never thought about sarkahn just being autistic with his special interest being dragons. that makes too much sense for his character
@@TrogdorbadYou could see the Dragon future Tarkir as the good ending too. Sure, the humans on the plane had their freedom and culture stripped away, but they have managed to find ways to coexist with dragons that doesn't result in their annihilation. Ugin and his dragon progeny, if viewed as the natural dominant species of Tarkir, are the guardians and caretakers of the plane. If you flip your perspective and view the dragons as sentient beings, instead of beasts or colonizers, you find the narrative is more hopeful than the Khans timeline.
I noticed parallels between the Khans timeline of Tarkir, the Planet of the Apes, and the fall of the Roman Empire. Some could see the victory of the Apes or Khans as a good thing; they destroyed their oppressors and achieved freedom and security for their people. It could also be a tragedy because all the technology, civilization, and progress of the previous civilization was lost. I'm not trying to justify genocide or colonization. I just believe advancing civilization and uniting cultures is better than mutual destruction.
"A Very Normal Look at Tarkir"
Looks at the time length: more than 4 hours.
Welp, in for a penny....
In for a penny, in for a 420 joke amirite?
In for a penny in for a mental pounding (?
@@dragonfire72i noticed that too ;)
That pause on "I used to be a poet" gutted me. Less than a second and I felt like you just beamed almost four and a half hours of frustrated terror right into my brain. You are still a poet.
Spice, I urge you to release that last part of this video, those 9 minutes on our apocalypse, as its own video so that we may more easily share it.
seconding this!
👀👀
czcams.com/video/HzNDCG4kkzo/video.html
Good news! I think it's up on Spice's second channel
Please!!
You can share a video to start at that moment
Hi, long time lurker, have been watching your content for years.
I'm Brazilian.
You say you used to be a poet, but I see poetry in all your works, your voice, your tone.
You've never stopped, you adapted, and your candle still shines on despite the worldly winds trying to snuff it out.
You make me want to be a poet again.
Never stop being the voice for those who feel voiceless, even through the medium of a card game analysis.
Senta a púa, uma força que nos alerta, voçê é o som, a cor e o suor da nossa luta.
De um garoto Brazileiro que ri quando deveria chorar, e não vive, apenas aguenta.
Spice going the extra mile to make a 420 reference. That is some serious dedication to the bit.
Oh my god I just got that as I finished the video.
Can't wait for whatever is going to be the 69420 bit.
@@Hattori75 Clearly, an almost three day long video.
@@Hattori75 Maybe that one can be Spice defending a previous video against a panel of other Magic creators. Mill vs. Discard: the Peer Review
Ah probably something for hbomberguy when he decides to get into short form content @@andreasbuehler1821
The dig at Sam of Rhystic Studies for his Morph shenanigans is a fantastic deep cut. I've watched that Shuffle Up and Play episode multiple times and it's always phenomenal.
Kant always wins
I still live in the void.
That episode is one for the ages, truly marvelous...
I love esher paintings
@@duane6386🤨
54:00
I swear I feel so heard. For SOOOOO long I had wanted Gix to be printed to card. Gix was a fascinating piece of dissecting the mechanics of Phyrexia's origins and from the moment I first became enthralled to Magics greater story I wanted to see him printed. "Modern Horizons! this is it baby!" "Modern Horizons 2! this time for sure!"
When he finally was revealed in The Brothers War I didnt even have a chance to call my friend, he had called me to excitedly report the news to me because he knew how long and how intensely I had waited. It was a type of excitement I hold very dear within this game. I love when these stories and backgrounds can build a truly special connection between players and the game itself, strictly on merit of being invested in the worlds.
This will be me if we ever get a new Ulgrotha card that *isn't* related to the Barony (ravenous squirrel from MH2 notwithstanding). Especially if they finally print a Sandruu planeswalker - that is, assuming they haven't retconned him out of existence like they did to so much of the original Homelands lore.
"OH, Spice just posted another video!"
*sees length*
*takes deep breath*
*sighs*
*clicks*
*makes multi day planning*
And yet I can't put it on x1.5 speed
Oh my god I can't believe you would just reschedule my day like this
goodbye sleep. gotta watch this now
One small note on the Abzan… thing. The Hagia Sophia is NOT a great example of Ottoman architecture to use in contrasting with the architecture of the Abzan. Other than the minarets, most of the structure was constructed by the Byzantines over the course of several centuries (including the work of at least one Armenian architect on the dome). The interior has been considerably worked over by the Ottomans, but as an art historian and an Armenian, I can’t quite let this one slide! I’d love to see a better example for that one because I think it’s a really important point to make that even Wizards’ attempts at vaguely aesthetically referencing west Asia completely miss.
I thought the abzan armor design was generally pretty close to medieval Greek Cataphract or the Turkish Sipahi, and let's not forget the Ottoman culture did originate from Central Asia and not Turkey in the first place, I think this interview with I don't know who exactly was very reaching
Like are these people experts? Seems like pop culture critics might not have the grasp of history they want from a collectable game company either
That's a good point, the Ottoman empire was itself greatly influenced by its Mongolian origin. Modern day Turkye was under Genghis Khan's rule, and later part of the Ilkhanate. @@CliffjunglingNagaSiren
Interestingly, the Abzan and Madru do share 2 colors. Maybe the Mardu red- of Genghis Khan's conquest and expansion war- turned to the Abzan's green for the Ottoman Empire's... stability, perhaps? Or greater reliance on agriculture?
(Blue would've been better but they needed it to be a wedge.)
Honestly this is one of your finest videos yet. It put into words a lot of my frustrations with how Tarkir was handled, both from a worldbuilding perspective and a narrative one, but also what made Tarkir such a fascinating plane to me. There's so much that can be said about how this set was designed, such as how the color that was dropped from each wedge represents something fundamental to the faction that they had lost with the Dragons. You did a really banger job tying the whole thing together. It's a phenomenal work, and probably one of my favorite video essays ever.
And also, I think you were right to the end the video on that note. It's left me with more to think really.
Honestly the only gripe I would have is that Mardu got painted with a particularly uncharitable brush. The mardu lost their soul with kollaghan & the way spice treats them it's like they got away with staying the same. Even in a ludo narrative sense alesha's ability doesn't make sense with the dragons because it's a whole "leave no one behind" thing that she had to choose to drop so that some of her people could live
That was a premium "Top-down, bottom-up" joke.
I think that position is called "the amazon"
(Please disregard this joke if you don't understand it. I would not want to corrupt anyone's innocence)
Wow, a 4+ hour long video is crazy! Looking forward to watching this over the course of this week.
Yep! Seems like the best plan xD
@@Spice8Racklol
I’m going to watch this in 30 minute segments over the next year
@@Spice8Rackquick question does viewing the video in chunks impact your metrics with the cursed algorithm at all?
This is how I had to approach it as well
Ah, this is why Spice is an ideal MTG content creator. This is the perfect combination of informative and Unhinged. You're the best, friendo.
What a truly lovely compliment
More like Unfinity, he's Modern legal.
I'll be honest I still call it Dega, and I'll die on a cross before you force me to utter "Mardu".
@@momasksifimokay990 What's the Dega reference from?
@@changingname_goaway me having too fat of a finger to hit reply on the video and not a comment, and primarily Degavolver.
Hello, I don’t know what format is proper for commenting on CZcams videos. First time.
This was amazing. Thank you, for all the work and passion you put into this. I have added every book you have referenced in this video, and start looking at groups in my country to help with these causes.
I have been drifting from job to job looking to find a better way to help people. Your video spoke deeply to me and has given me a new direction.
Never stop growing and educating.
From my soul to yours, thank you.
3:51:57 that section on national liberation and revolutionary movements be called terrorists broke my fucking heart. I live in Ireland and I love my country, but the amount of bloodshed and cruelty in our far from distant past is absolutely haunting. We had freedom fighters and rebels, at some point. Then we had terrorists and gangland criminals even to this day using the same title of those rebels or slight deviations. Our history of the country's fight for freedom against colonialism being used by scum, without any trace of remorse or understanding what even means. Irish people had their land stolen through violent and bloody plantations and invasions, that was then piece mealed back under landlords to be taken again if payment ever faltered. Ireland endured the Great Famine, which saw 1 million dead and 1 million gone, most immigranting across the Atlantic on coffin ships. We were stangled in how we could political represent and speak for ourselves. Then after how many centuries of agrarian violence, the Easter Rising and the Irish War of Independence we came to the Treaty Negotiations.
That should have been it. But no. Through failure to achieve a Unitied 32 County Ireland we had a Civil War. This caused political and historical grudges and lines that last even to this day. This was the result of an impossibly, politically inexperienced representatives were sent over to the UK with express orders to reach a deal for a united Ireland outside of British control. Our most experienced politicians waited in Dublin during the negotiations, offering no support only demands. It was a fuckin farce.
We became free of British rule on the 18th of April 1949 when Eire left the "Commonwealth" and became the Republic of Ireland, not in 1920's proceeding the "Treaty Negotiations". We were still under the thumb of the British Parliament. This is our modern history. This is still in people's memories and did not bring an end to the violence in Ireland. There is a border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, the latter is part of the UK. This border has caused a great deal of violence. I have stories from my father about "The Troubles", a period of instense political and sectarian violence and retribution.These stories are of checkpoints (border or otherwise), bombings (car or otherwise), shootings in the streets, the disappeared and of raids in the night of people being abducted from their beds and sentenced in something that would make a kangaroo court look fair. These stories fall on both sides. Loyalist, Unionist, Catholic, Protestant, Irish, British. Identity was a dangerous thing and can still be today.
This is still going on, this division from colonization. There are still peace walls in Nothern Ireland. This isn't even all of it, I didn't mention the Bloody Sundays, the Work Houses, H - Blocks, the Hunger Strikes.
I love my country. Fuck colonization.
And f*** England, always important.
I have a short 10 hour drive tomorrow so having a light video like this for it will help. Thanks.
Oh sweet! You can watch it at 0.5 speed to make it last the whole trip!
@Spice8Rack that math ain't mathing, wouldn't they have to watch it at .4 speed to make it last all 10 hours?(something we all aspire to do)
@@Spice8Rack you got a sizeable enough backlog I will rewatch some of that for the rest of the drive. Probably atleast the Goblin lore video again. Can't wait for the tonal whiplash caused by jumping from Magic the Gathering over-analysis to Juggalo Weekend. Lol
No joke I've got a 12 hour one coming up this weekend, this is 1/3 of my drive set (if I can hold off watching until then...which...hm)
@@christianhanel2129 if he speeds a little it will line up
I am ecstatic to watch this. The lorwyn deep dive is one of my favorite videos. Ive watched it no less than 3 times.
Oh what a lovely thing to tell me
@@Spice8RackIm just now done with Part 0 and Im already happy you’ve complimented Kylem and Fiora. I love these planes and they always felt more intriguing than Khaldheim and Amonkhet to me.
Top down often (but not always) leads to planes that feel like Disneyland attractions. Hit these points, reference this, all the names can come later.
@@Spice8Rackwelp. I just finished. And Im tearing up. Damn good work… you got me moved.
Also, during March of the Machine they did have an article about the team-ups and...this doesn't bode well for how Tarkir is going to look
"Though he had been harassed and beset by dragons throughout his life, Zurgo was the first to understand that dragons and non-dragons would not be able to survive without each other's help and would have to work together if they were to save Tarkir. Swallowing all his bitterness and pride, he approached the one dragonlord he thought would be the most likely to listen to reason: Ojutai. With the dragons' numbers decimated by the invaders, Ojutai agreed.
Together, the partnership of dragonlord and despised outcast set an example that others soon followed, leading to unprecedented cooperation between dragons and their scions."
First off, the non-dragon inhabitants are not, by definition, the scions of the dragons, second it seems like they're going to pull a unity between the colonizers and the colonized while still having the dragons largely in power which is gross
This is how I found out that Refaat Alareer was assasinated? From a Magic the Gathering documentary?!
Take that horror and grief and channel it into even more energised action x
@@Spice8Rack Yes sir, Captain my captain!
I didn't even realise I'd been here for twenty-five minutes before you pointed out that it was still part 0.
The time flies when you're watching bloated CZcams content xD
@@Spice8Rack It's only bloated if it has 'dead' time, and your content, in my experience, never has that much.
Don't worry, I love long form content.
Absolutely pure gasoline video as always. Your commentary and analysis are incredible, thought-provoking, and much needed in this community.
Thank you very much, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Another unintended colonization allegory that this set has is that the dragons in it are distinctly creatures from western fantasy. Which becomes more blatent with the Ugin retcon that made him arrive from a plane that very much has all the elements of a western fantasy setting.
The way you're able to dissect fictional narratives and their implications as a bridge for real world struggles is exceptional.
Games are fascinating reflections of history, struggle, and culture. You constantly inspire me to be able to better unpick and articulate lessons both explicit and implied by ludic texts.
It would be fascinating to play and discuss John Company and/or Imperial with you, I bet.
Absolutely estatic to watch this! Just when I needed a long form video, and yours are always my favorite!! Thank you so much for the content
Oh bless you, what a lovely thing to read
So informiative, enterintaining, and lovely. I had no idea of the lore of Tarkir. Please keep making these, thank you so much.
Thank you for such a lovely comment
:O
A real and thematically relevant time-traveller!
"Raoul Vitale, the spectre who haunts my nightmares" I have died.
You can't. We have entered the Void.
Nobody wins or loses!
Kant always wins!
Man I need a timestamp to this
@@dootthethird40173:30:04
That canoptek wraith joke hit me harder than most. I'm a necron player with an iron hands army. Actively putting together Iron Father Feirros and almost broke his claw arm.
59:34 To be fair, the word "Horde" _is_ Mongol/Turkic in origin (deriving from "Orda"/"Ordu") and refers to a court/political unit within those cultures. Obviously, it's gained different connotations in more western societies, but it's still a 100% valid descriptor.
Edit: never mind, you covered it.
Always want to make sure my slip ups are aknowledged and improved!
"Two new brood mechoonics" got me crying tysm for including that cut in the vid, and a wonderful video at that
It's what canadian sounds like inside my head
I think that a decent retcon to make could be that pre-mending Ugin created Tarkir, and therefore wouldn't be so much of an outside influence
A colonizer thinking they know how to make a good world and then proceeding to royally feck it up multiple ways across multiple attempts would be a little on the nose.
Thats honestly what i thought, given karn also made mirrodin
Something I always liked about Tarkir is how arguably and in parts notably worse Sarkhan's personal quest makes the plane. Sure, there is less constant war and the dragons return, but the entirety of non-dragon kind are either slaves in the case of the Kolaghan and Atarka or put under a regime where they are constantly watched and subjugated in the case of the DRomoka, Silumgar, and Ojutai. By all definition, Sarkhan is the villain, his journey to go back in time to change the present to better suit him even fits a villain's plan.
The dragons in power non dragons still live. non dragons in power dragons all extinct. Sounds like the good ending to me Give it some time and hopefully they'll get along instead of the situation. They're in now But it's better than the extinction of some race.
@@cablefeed3738I mean you could argue a greater number of humans die and suffer under draconic rule than the number of dragons humans killed if you want to argue a materialist standpoint (is one dragon worth more than one human? How many humans have to suffer and die before it’s worth it?).
Most of the dragons in the original timeline weren’t ‘killed’ they were never born, new dragons stopped being made because Ugin died, so I’d argue the original outcome had less deaths,
also do dragons deserve to exist? They inherently subjugate others, make good regimes worse and bad regimes intolerable, their existence is a definitive net negative on the plane (and now with new lore entirely unnatural/foreign to it) we have seen the alternative without them and whilst not a peaceful place, it is far better than with them. Dragons still exist on other planes, just not on Tarkir, which now is a plane they were never even meant to exist on.
@hoomanben8455 I was never a fan of that retcon, but to be real. I'm almost certain they're gonna do another retcon when it the return to Tirkir like, maybe Ugin made the plane of tarkier. As for the second thing you asked.
They all died off because one of the Khan side with Bolas to kill Ugin, starting off the genocide. As for your first question about how many humans are worth a dragon. The numbers don't matter, win, humans win. There are now 0 dragons, making it infinite number dead. Where is when the Dragons win? There are still plenty of humans, and some even enjoy it. Horrible world either way, never would want to live on Tarkir in any timelime.
@@cablefeed3738It's not the extinction? Takir dragons are an invasive species that are still around on their home plane
@jasonbolding3481 that's a retcon and using the multiverse as an excuse is dumb Because if you count things in the other parts of the multiverse, then nothing ever is extinct because it's just on another plane. And do whe even know when thay came to the plane is something still invasive after a million years after the environment has integrated them and found a new balance.
"honey drop the kids, new spice8rack video is here"
BAHAHA, a great twist on an old classic. Bravo!
I read this as honey dropkick the kids 💀
I love this individual, it's like hbomberguy for magic the gathering. I always genuinely love these long formats, and as a nonbinary person with a very similar presentation I feel very safe and at home with their channel.
What a truly great thing to read
Eye of Ugin previewing the eldrazi creature type is another fun foreshadowing from an earlier set
One small correction. 29:47 for reference. Morph is a special action like playing a land, but tapping a land for mana is just an activated ability. It is a "special" activated ability in the sense that it is a mana ability (and therefore doesn't use the stack), but it isn't one of the (currently 10) defined special actions outlined in CR rule 116
So taking off your pants is faster than tapping a land, got it.
I'm glad this video is short and easily digestible, just how I like it. You could try making longer videos in the future though- I'd watch longer videos.
Been waiting since the first draft for this. So, so excited to see it.
Bless your patience, I hope it lives up
I am that guy jumping up and down next to my now wife and I want to provide a story.
My wife and I went to Pax East and my wife won a contest with WoTC to go to pax west on wotcs dime. It was really cool. They treated us extremely well and we had a great time.
That was the khans release party, we were VIPs and the 4th and 5th to enter. I quickly began buying moxed drinks named after the clans. After drinking 3. I was approached and informed that they had forgotten to give us our two free drink tickets. I approached the bar and they advised they would kindly take the tickets and refund two of my drinks.......I instead got two more "Jeskai's"
The rest is history. I was extremely drunk, extremely excited, and those reprints mattered.
@Spice8Rack this is the story of the guy around 0:43:00 who is jumping in excitement about the reprints
Incredible. This may be my new favorite piece of community lore
Christ. This video is truly a masterpiece. I won't write too much, but this video has given me much to think about. I didn't think you could top the mill vs. discard video, but here we are. Fantastic work.
I've been sick for the past week and I started getting into your content; I always wanted to watch video essay-style content, but I rarely found anyone making it on topics that would actually interest me ~ well, I've been on a pretty severe Spice8Rack binge ever since then and this is just what I needed today (and tomorrow as well, unless I stay up until like 1 am~)
thank you for what you're doing, it's made my sick days, as well as my days now much better ^^
I hope you get better soon, and may this video be with you throughout your recovery xx
I can't find a source (for reasons covered in this video) but I have a distinct memory of Maro saying that the Dragons ending was the Bad Ending for everyone except Sarkhan and the dragons, which surprised me because I didn't even consider the mortals of the plane at first because I love dragons so much.
Don't worry, he also said it in an episode of Drive to Work.
Do you know what episode?@@ChiefBlueScreen
@@BronnyDinasty I believe it was the one Spice played a clip of in the video. It was definitely one of the ones published in 2015 as a retrospective of Khans.
dang you are Sarkhan for real
In tumblr, Maro said "It’s better for the Dragons but much worse for the Humans. I have more empathy for the Humans" in 2016. And in 2017 he said "I believe there is an interpretation where he(Sarkhan) is the villain (in Tarkir block.)"
I was surprised too, mainly because I love Sarkhan and Narset so much. But in retrospect, she might object to my interpretation that her fate is "better" than KTK.
@1:59:00 this previewing of a future card name was actually first done in Darksteel with the card Shield of Kaldra!
Absolutely love every time it happens as it is one of the few ways to keep a mystery alive in the information dense era of the game we're in.
Love the work, please stay fabulous!
I've never been one for actually acting upon my compassion for causes. However, more than the passionate effort and love that you put into this video and it's research, your conversation at the end genuinely moved me to make an actual material contribution. Thank you and God Bless
Going through the video, but i had to comment about the "time bendy effect" on renowned weaponsmith at 1:59:30. The first instance that i could think of if such a "throw forward" would be the Kaldra cycle in original Mirroden block, where Shield of Kaldra from Darksteel referenced giving the card Helm of Kaldra indestructible, which wouldn't be printed until the last set, Fifth Dawn
Of course! I knew it couldn't have been only twice this had been done. Thanks!
@@Spice8Rack The other example I could think of off the top of my head is the cycle of cards in Future Sight that generated creature token copies of existing creature cards (Skirk Ridge Exhumer, for example, is in my cube). The white one, Goldmeadow Lookout, created a Goldmeadow Harrier token, whose creature wouldn't be printed in paper until Lorwyn. A half example, since they're tokens, but might qualify your criteria
I have long had gripes with the messaging of the Tarkir Block's ending and how it seemed to place the Dragons timeline as better than the Khans timeline, despite how both had their issues and the way that the Dragons timeline had such horrid implications in so many of the things they put in the set.
I think we share the *exact* same perspective, so I hope you feel vindicated in this analysis.
@@Spice8Rack having finished the video, I can only thank you for the insight you and your collaborators have given me into a lot of what I missed in the entirety of the Tarkir Block.
And yeah, I really do feel vindicated to hear people like you and Jacc talking about and analyzing the Dragons Timeline, alongside the horrid imagery that brought to mind or mirrors practices and atrocities perpetrated on real people, how they affected and continue to affect real people.
Finally, I'd like to thank you, Michelle, Jacky, and Jacc for going into such details, giving me a lot to think about in my own creative endeavours and my own critical analysis of the things I enjoy.
The most brief and concise Spice8rack video. Love it.
I want to follow up after finally finishing this short video...in case Spice actually sees this.
A sincere thank you for touching on the present situation in Gaza and for the reading recommendedations. I've been feeling a little disheartened recently from the various gaslighting attempts by my peers here in the states, and your words are seriously encouraging for me to keep fighting on so we can get our government to stop using our taxes to directly fund gen*c*de.
this is one of the best pieces of media a have ever watched/consumed
FOUR hours Spice?? FOUR? That’s insane.
and yet here I am, evening restructured, bracing myself for the glorious onslaught of knowledge and lore…
Tarkir was my first full block as a magic fan (i got into the game around Journey Into Nyx) so i’m very excited to see your analysis of the plane and glad that this video is supporting a great cause 🇵🇸
I can see it: Return to Tarkir, with Kellan planeswalking in to save the peoples of the plane, white messiah-style. Then WotC can make a Secret Lair Drop with Dune-themed alters, Timothee Chalamet et al. What a time to be alive!
I see you have only seen the Dune movie, to declare the lisan al gaib a white savior is a travesty.
@@mayoremanuel1989 I mentioned "white messiah" wrt my theory that WotC will require an external agent (Kellan seems to be the current favorite) to overturn the dragons.
I only brought up Dune in the context of how easy it would be to visually map a Dune-themed Secret Lair Drop onto Tarkir cards.
Full disclosure, I've only read "House Atreides" and "Dune" (didn't like them enough to read the rest); and I've watched the 2000 miniseries but not the movie(s). So I've no idea how the whole story arc treats these themes
@@JohnChronakis Paul Atreides compares himself to Hitler and then wanders into the desert to die in atonement for his sins. So maybe he does a poor white savior.
@@JohnChronakislmao so you barely even know what you're talking about
@@mayoremanuel1989 Wait, at least within the book Dune, why isn't Paul a white savior?
The Rakhasa segment is such a great example of why you need to be careful about the little things. I guarantee Gygax put about as much thought into the rakshasa as the hippogriff or the goblin - it's a figure from some culture's folk stories he doesn't really know, but he saw references to it, so he grabs it and moves on. It was not that big of a deal.
Except it also kinda was a big deal, it just didn't look like it at the time. To him.
I love the way you incorporate elements of philosophy and history into your 4 hour long essays about prices of cardboard. So excited to watch!
Four hours, Spice, FOUR FUCKING HOURS?! I didn't realize Christmas came early!! So excited to watch this!
Thank you. You truly are a gift to the CZcams format. Please continue what you do!!
Great video. I especially loved the rakasha example on how culture can be spun and changed into something totally different (cultural telephone, as you described it). Makes me really interested about other examples in media I haven’t noticed or known about, definitely some food for thought (just like the rest of the video- especially our lack of real involvement to combat modern-day injustice)
While I adored hearing you speak about Takir, I think the part of this video that'll stay with me the most is the ending. It's harrowing and utterly horrific to think about what is happening in places like Palestine and thinking about how people are being killed and places destroyed in an attempt to erase. I am someone who has never gone to a protest because I worry about being in large gatherings. But after watching the ending of video and hearing about the killing of a poet and his family in a deliberate attempt to silence, I can see that my fears and worries pale greatly in comparison to those who are suffering under the effects of what is effectively an attempt to erase a culture. I plan on not only looking into the literature this video has provided but making a more conscious effort to show support for Palestinians through going to protests and donating when I can. Thank you for not only making a fantastic video about Takir but for also driving me and hopefully many more into acting more in support rather than just speaking support.
Can't wait to spend the next month watching this! Thanks for working so hard on providing us so much well researched in depth lore analysis for these silly little cards
This is the first time I've donated to a cause in quite some time. About three years ago, I struggled with homelessness, among other things. The rest of the world blurred into noise, people were constantly talking about global issues and in my desperate struggle to just survive and get a future for myself and the love of my life, I blocked everything else out.
I'm in a much better place now, as much as I had to claw my way back, it payed off. I have stable income, money to spare, and my wife is happy, healthy, and safe. We're both still recovering mentally from the hell we were put through, but we're in a place now to help others fight their battles as we did ours. Your video genuinely inspired me to once again believe in the goodness of the world, thank you so much. You're my second favorite content creator (my wife will alway be #1) and you never, ever dissapoint.❤
I needed this in my life. I have a test to study on and your voice helps me focus. Thanks for helping me lock in!
Please keep making these long, beautiful videos. I love them so ❤
If I can be sincere on the internet just this once, your work is so immensely inspiring to me. Your creative voice is truly your own and I appreciate you so much.
Your videos are not only interesting and fun, but important too. These 4 hours flew by.
one cannot know the unbridled joy of your mate coming up to you at work, hideous smile stretched wide across his face before exclaiming: "FOUR HOUR SPICE VIDEO"
fantastic and disturbingly relevant video as always, keep up the great work
Just want to say a massive thank you for using this video as a fundraiser for the PCRF. I have donated to them several times in the past, and they are one of the most critical charities to give money to in this current moment. It's also fitting to use the jumping off point of Tarkir to highlight current native populations, like us Palestinians, who are fighting dragons in real time.
Endless solidarity to you ✊️🇵🇸
also just want to say great job pronouncing Gaza
Oh thank you! I tried to get it right and I had some great feedback from my Patrons
@@Spice8Rack not sure why my first reply got eaten but thank you :) and welcome to the Intifada
Jews are dragons now?
3:49:48 I always thought that Ugin created Tarkir similar to how sera created sera’s realm or how Karn created Argentum, if WOTC chooses to retcon Ugin’s relation with tarkir that could be an intresting way for WOTC to have their cake and eat it to, with Ugin both being Bolas’s twin brother and a natural part of tarkir, being its creator
This is an absolute banger of a video. A depth that completely went over my head when this set came out.
Super sweet analysis.
Your dedication and research is admirable, thank you! Still, you manage to keep some sarcasm and humour, as well as draw attention to important causes. Admirable, congrats!
Absolutely fantastic all the way through. I hope we all act on the message at the end.
only took two days, but i finished it!! truly an incredible work, so happy it's here!
Talkin' about Vial of Dragonfire and Weaponsmith as if Steamflogger Boss didn't have me wondering what Riggers and Contraptions would be for YEARS
Eye of Ugin did this with Eldrazi back in Worldwake too
this is beautiful. i mean, truly beautiful. the ending of this video shook me to my core. i gotta go find some organizations on my college campus or something to get more involved with protests.
thank you, spice. incredible work as always.
It’s fascinating to see that others felt some of the stuff I did. Abzan religion being destroyed was something that I remember sticking with me. Glad to hear others noticed the art thing too!
I hope when they return to Tarkir, i hope we see a cultural resurgence, not insurgence. Dramokah slain but her brood learn to accept the abzan way. Jesekai manage to break with the Ojutai ways and exist separate from one another. Things like that.
4:42 me, about to spend four hours listening to a video essay about media which I've never engaged with myself: 👁️👄👁️
at last, i have become all that i fear
Finally I just finished the video, love the entirety of what you presented. As well the message at the end. Thank you.
I just want to say I really appreciate your set reviews and retrospectives, you bring a lot of light to both positive and negative aspects of amazing sets and your Lorwyn video is a personal favorite due to your sheer enthusiasm and joy talking about it.
I don't remember the last time I have been so quick to start watching a video. I'm looking forward to every minute of what's to come!
Aww ta, I really appreciate that
@@Spice8Rack Your videos are always a joy to watch, over four hours of an analysis of one of my favourite planes might as well be Christmas and my birthday together!
You seem to have plagiarized HBomberGuy's lengthiness.
Lol, lmao even!
How do you make such high quality videos so infrequently?
(Thats just a joke and a reference you work at the pace that you're comfortable at Spice you're a good bean)
I always enjoy your content, I just want to note on the level of creativity and intelligence placed in these type of videos. I love it.
Always a pleasure to watch or listen to these longform videos. It really gets my mind going
BRETHREN. REJOICE. For not only we got a new Spice video talking about SPICES AND TRADES. But also about the rich history of Tarkir in all its glory!!!
1:54:22 there was also Lens of Clarity from Khans of Tarkir, a one mana artifact that lets you peak face-downs and the top card at any time. One of my favorite cards in Magic as I've had friends accuse me of cheating for peaking then I cheekily tap on Lens of Clarity.
@otterfire4712: I remember there being an article that mathematically proved that Lens of Clarity was the most useless card in the entire block.
@@sdfkjgh wouldn't surprise me, I still like the card and it does just remove the element of surprise in the entire mechanics of morph, manifest, and disguise while also allowing you to better approach Explore and Manifesting the top card.
@@otterfire4712: If you want to see the top card of your library, why not just run Oracle Of Mul-Daya, Vizier of the Menagerie, Ranger Class, or even Courser of Kruphix? Those at least have additional functionality. Lens of Clarity is like Telepathy in its uselessness. Sure, they _sound_ like they'd be useful, but you could run literally _any other card,_ and you'd increase your chances of winning!
Ok, mebbe not One with Nothing or One with Death, bu you get my point, right?
@@sdfkjgh I don't really use the card much anymore due to having more access and when I was running it, it was to fill out some space in my Daretti commander deck from about a decade ago when I didn't have much in my name while I was in high school so I had to make due with a cute 1 mana artifact that I could tag out for something more useful like a 10 mana robot. Also, not to point out the obvious, your cards aren't usable in commander decks that don't have green in them, Lens is fully generic so non-green Explore decks that are dependent on hitting certain types of cards benefit from having on demand foresight into the top card of the deck, or for playgroups where morph/manifest/disguise is popular. (it's also useful in Jhoira storm decks).
Fantastic work Spice, thanks for all that you do. I really liked the use of La Revocholiere during your conclusion, it feels very fitting as a parallel setting.
It’s warmed my heart to watch the fundraiser count tick up as I watch this video over the past few days. It’s a good thing you’re doing spice
Yeah honestly the war concept they scrapped would have absolutely been so good
Thank you for all your inspiration!!
And thank YOU for the exact same
I cannot express how much i respect these videos. Absolutely stunning job, enjoyed it the whole way through!
can't wait to wake up to a different portion of this video every night for the next 2 weeks, thanks spice8rack!
A wonderful piece.
Without fail, whenever I have to get work done or have large assignments due with no motivation to do them, Spice, the absolute GOAT, pulls through and drops a video that can be listened to 🙏🏿
Thank you for this. While I've known about you for a while now, I haven't watched one of your long-form videos through until this one. It certainly felt worthwhile. I hope you can keep doing what you're doing. And I hope that your words inspire action and change.
This was phenomenal and beautiful. What an elegant script that can make me feel like I have watched a 20 minute video when it has been 4 hours.
Oh, Spicerack uploaded a new video, sweeJESUSFUCKINGCHRIST
Yeah, I could have given each set more room to breathe, I agree!
@@Spice8Rack”you’re a funny fucker aren’t you?“
"This is a video about the Magic: The Gathering collectable card game product and fictional world of Tarkir, and absolutely nothing else."
I don't believe you.
All jokes aside, thank you SO much for all your incredible work in this video. This may be your best one so far, as it absolutely delivered on all fronts. This was truly a delight and I may revise it again in the future, 4+ hours of my time be damned! 🥺 🖤
an utterly fantastic and wonderful insight into Tarkir,
Always super excited for a new spicy video