So, apparently we missed this holiday present along with some nice regifts

Now, I was already suspecting the return of that guy (the first is a gimme, the second is interesting, but the third is a nice nemesis feel), but his presence in FRF (instead of my guess DTK) doesn't bode well

... for him, at least. Had he appeared in Dragons of Tarkir, Sorin would likely only need to find a replacement for Nahiri to re-imprison the Eldrazi on Zendikar. As it stands, he still may not survive...

... the battle with Nicol Bolas (who has to appear in the set, since he's a major player - he's the one I expected to appear in FRF). Since small sets only get one planeswalker, that's it - maybe 2 this time?

Either way, if Bolas does not get a card in FRF, he'll likely get on in DTK, and that's not a good sign. What it may indicate however, is the trajectory of Sarkhan's story. There seem to be two directions:

- Since we know that Tarkir block is a time travel story, Fate Reforged indicates hints at "choosing" Khans or Dragons, it seems that events in FRF will cause the dragon broods to win against the clans...

... so what happens to Sarkhan? He may not even exist, though I doubt grandfather paradoxes are on the plate. Possibly, he'll be depowered and appear as a creature card. The other possibility is that...

... as he was the one summoned by Ugin into the nexus, he will be Ugin's successor in a way, so he may get his wish (as he was already able to turn into a dragon) and become a dragon planeswalker.

This latter possibility allows for Bolas v Sarkhan in Dragons of Tarkir and seems thematic.

Also, time travel in M:tG has gotten problematic since the mending. Before, it didn't really matter how much time had passed, because the recurring characters (Dominarian PWs) were godlike in scope and power..

We already had the time travel restriction on silver (hence Karn being the only PW with innate time travel capabilities), and we've had out-of-chronology (Time Spiral notwithstanding) storylines (Urza block)...

... but post-mending PWs are mortal (if long-lived, as with Bolas, Sorin and Lilliana, to a lower degree). We know, for example, that the Eldrazi were imprisoned later than six millennia prior (from Nahiri)...

... so Sorin and Ugin were around that time, FRF establishes that Ugin and Bolas clash 1280 years prior to KTK - so were these events pre-mending? They'd be godlike. It'd make some sense that Ugin is post-mend

... as it could be after the clash with Bolas, (possibly both) being drained from the fight. How long ago was that? How much time happened between Fifth Dawn and Scars? Or Dissension and RTR?

With the PW stories flowing chronologically, I also wonder how Lorwyn, with the first appearance of the monocolor five (and an out-of-sequence Ajani) fits in?

Could be a limited time travel thing. Where you can change just one thing. Could also be a red herring.

My personal worry, and why I've decided not to nitpick the chronology, is that they didn't think the time travel implications as thoroughly as they should have.

And a bad time travel story would only annoy me.

On the regifts, most important thing is that this means even MORE market saturation of fetches.

Amen to more fetches. Have not been able to complete them, unlike during Zendikar. May have to get a box of KTK and FRF each this coming year.

I think they're willing to handwave mending-oriented stuff. The Commander 2014 planeswalkers are an example: Freyalise and Teferi could exist in those forms, for maybe hours (Freyalise) and moments (Teferi)

Shu Yun is making me think there is sliver of opportunity of bringing in horsemanship in DTK: dragons can't block people on horseback, after all

Hmm, with on mythic still missing from the spoiler, likely in red or black, do I dare hope that it's a Bolas PW being slowrolled?

Ah, boo, black spell for tenth mythic.

Bolas won't get another PW until the Eldrazi pop out again, IMHO