The sheer amount of card names that would make an awesome band name is staggering... But limiting the pool to SOI/EMD. I'd have to say, I'd make a symphonic metal band named "Docent of Perfection", the album would be named "Forgotten Creation", and the flagship songs would be "Anguished unmaking" and "Declaration in Stone"

: )

Also, I'd like to give props to the story team for making the "spoiled" plot points from the cards (anguished unmaking, imprisoned in the moon) different when they come along in the story than they actually seemed on the card. I don't normally read the story, but reading those two articles was worth it because i came away with a different perception on the block than i had before i read them. Well done.

I’ll pass along your kind words.

I just want to say that I loved how you collectively handled the SOI story and avacyn's death, especially since the real spoiler/climax of the story is (SPOILERS) realizing that Avacyn's existence was keeping something much worse from entering innistrad, not the fact that she died

I agree that there was plenty of context left to learn even after seeing the card. I should note, by the way, that I’m not saying there’s no room for improvement or that showing Anguished Unmaking when we did was ideal. My point is that a trading card game story is not going to be told like a movie or a book. We’re a different medium which means we have to tell stories a little differently.

RE: the Anguished Unmaking debate -- There is a very good book by Gabriel Garcia Marquez called "Chronicle of a Death Foretold" where from the beginning you know the main character is going to die. The suspense is in how and why he dies. While I understand people's complaints, and would warn Creative to be smart with their storytelling, this type of thing can be done well.

There are many examples of the ending being foretold right at the beginning of the story. Sometimes it’s less about what happens than why it happens.

I for one don't think that revealing Anguished Unmaking is a spoiler - it seems like the source material, and the background story just a supplement. Watching a movie doesn't spoil it's plot, even if preceding details are forthcoming.

Stories often foreshadow events. In fact, starting a story at the crisis point and then having “___ hours earlier” is almost cliche.

Just wanted to say that I'm completely happy with how you handled the reveal of Anguished Unmaking. In fact, it made me even more excited for the second set. I've just been seeing a lot of negativity about it.

The opinions are mixed. As always I more often respond to complaints so it seems like more people disliked it than liked it which isn’t the case.

What was the reasoning for putting Anguished Unmaking in SOI instead of EM? I feel as if it took all of the surprise out of the story because we all knew what was going to inevitably happen.

Because it’s the ending of the first half of the story. Trading card games are a tricky story telling medium because we don’t control the order that people see the pieces. As such, the joy is in the details not in the structure. It’s less about what happened than why and how. Remember Romeo & Juliet starts by telling you how it tragically ends.

Does Anguished Unmaking represent a cliffhanger moment or a dramatic moment?

Why not both?

Does Eldritch Moon events take time after Anguished Unmaking or they share some time with SOI events?

I believe they are all after. Double check with Doug.

RE Anguished Unmaking: Personally I'd rather the card depicted the confrontation of Avacyn and Sorin not nescessarily the resolution of said battle.

The problem is the art needs to match what the card mechanically does.