What Happens in Wilds of Eldraine? 

Oko being a Deadbeat dad is the funniest thing to me

Lord Talion: Kill 3 witches Kellan: I shall kill one witch

I like how the witch with no friends is azorius.

I think my biggest complaint with the story is that, despite the name of the set, the Wilds of Eldraine were given very little emphasis. We didn't really get any additional information on the nonhumans of the plane, except that Talion exists, and that there's a giants' castle in the sky. I'm not sure any elves or redcaps even appeared in the story? Really more of the Witches of Eldraine.

The flavour text on the Nightmare cards imply this is what's happening in the dreams of those under the slumber, Eriette may not be aware that Ashiok is doing this or is just straight up manipulating Rowan, she is a Witch after all. I do love that the first case of an omenpath character showing up is just some rando Vedalkin and not some old established character who we'd expect to see, hopefully they keep things fresh like this for a while.

So Will is a wimp but a really good leader while Rowan is really strong but a terrible leader and they are both super overconfident probably due to previously being planeswalkers. Kellan and Ruby are cool new characters, but Kellan gets the main character slot and gets to be in stories on other planes. And to top it all off none of the conflicts get resolved.

I think the nightmares in the cards are there to show that Ashiok is manipulating Eriette to keep the curse around (flavor text on the reaper showing Neva's nightmares are related to Ashiok and not just the invasion). They are feeding on an entire plane's worth of nightmares behind Eriette's back, while whispering in her ear "See, you're in control, and those asleep are at peace, isn't that better?" Obv just speculation since Ashiok didn't get a ton of screen time.

I really wanna know about the Sweettooth story with Greta. A whole town of candy monsters that are out of control sounds kinda... sweet

Garruk's absence from the set is understandable. He escorted and protected Will and Rowen until they entered school at Strixhaven. He thought they would be safe there, and so he felt free to leave. Boy was he wrong! Strixhaven was a nest of vipers. The interplaner war criminal Liliana was one of the professors there because she lied on her application and got hired. Another interplaner war criminal, Lukka, was there doing his anarchist thing trying to overthrow the local power structure. And Extus, an angry ex-student, was coming back with his army to do sort of a school shooting thing. Garruk really flubbed up!

Do you think Hylda was singing “Let it Go” when she decided to be alone and make her ice castle?

Will: I am Will Kenrith. King of the Eldrainians Imodane: What are Eldrainians? Will: Well, you. You're an Eldrainian Imodane: Well I didn't vote for you

Now this is good lore Involving the omen paths in the story and not only connecting the first time we were here but also leaving us with a suspenseful cliffhanger

I really hope that Garruk will be in that Cowboy plain wandering around as this bounty hunter since people expect that Oko is one of the people in the spoiled picture and you always need an awesome scary bounty hunter in your western stories

The werefoxes were part of the color-pair stories, based on Beauty & the Beast. The fairy tale stories told through their two color pairs could be cool to piece together and make a video on!

The anime trailer for this set was epic! Also, as someone who rarely has the time to catch up on the lore I want to thank you for the work you do.

I really do love the story for this set, my one gripe with it is that it wasn't longer or gave more details to the setting whether in the form of more detailed writing, longer scenes, or side stories that could've fleshed out the other things going on in the background. I do enjoy Rowan's story however, it's my favorite because it really does feel like a natural and realistic break of sanity. The grief has caused the Kenrith twins to go down different paths, most notably the path that it sets Will on which makes Rowan feel lonesome as she has to figure out how to grieve alone while dealing with the fearful perception the people of Eldraine now have of her as her magical power slowly grows, revealing more of her dark ancestry. This situation mixed in with the dream of being reunited with her parents, an engineered vision by Eriette, places her right into the clutches of her aunt, allowing herself to be easily manipulated. It all really feels tragic as Rowan begins to feel as though this is the only path she can walk on, a path that intersects and contradicts her brother's. Other than that, I really feel as though the boons granted to the witches feel a bit underused. We're told that they're powerful items of magic yet we only really see one be used to its full potential. Agatha's cauldron really doesn't do anything, Eriette's apple is shown and mentioned but that's the extent of its involvement, and Hylda's the only one who really shows how her boon has made her quite invincible through the description of the vast, cold region she was able to conjure. All in all, they're not really used, and without them, the witches don't really feel like actual threats. If anything, it feels as though the witches are pretty weak on their own even though it's alluded that they harbor the same magical affinity that Rowan has, the same magical power that allowed Rowan to blast a hole into a mountain. It feels like the power scaling is quite off and makes me worry about how some of these characters will be able to stand on their own compared to the much stronger ones seen in other planes. However, I do wish they added a prologue to clear up the issue of the sleeping curse since it seems as though it's already been lifted now that Eriette's been stopped. It would've been nice to see a bit of the aftermath.

Oh that's neat! They finally told what Plane Witchstalkers from Core 2014 came from! I like it, though I wish it came with a reprint haha I love a good anti-control card.

Ashiok is an intentional mystery, but to be honest they're just frustrating, since they debuted they haven't had an obvious motive other than interfering and enjoying nightmares and haven't really done much for a long time other than sit on the side lines and twirl their moustaches in a villainous manner.

Kamigawa and Eldraine are easily my two favorite planes, and to have them receive really great updates in the past couple years is awesome!

Eldraine was my first MTG set, so I’ve got a soft spot for the lore here. It was also my introduction to Magic Arcanum! Such HUGE whiplash that some of my first Planeswalkers are… well. Not that, anymore!

The thing I like to point out a lot when it comes to Eriette specifically is her presence on the Enchanted Tales version of Blind Obediance. "Oaths are not but empty air. Take what measures you must to ensure absolute loyalty." With that plus that the fact that her Apple in game has the ability to Mind Control a creature for a turn, I have the sense that the cards showing Ashiok's nightmares running rampant through people's dreams *is* in fact what is happening to the dreamers. Eriette spins this to Rowan using the Apple and Ashiok to sway Rowan to her point of view, but the real antagonist here is definitely Ashiok. Their previous attempt at creating a nightmare plan was thwarted by Dack Fayden however we the audience never saw this take place because of a falling out with boom comics at the time so it was never *really* resolved in a satisfactory manner. This could be take two of that plot with the eventual pay out happening later on, but we'll see.

21:00 Rowan's escape should be a card called "Ride the Lightning", and is a red instant that bounces a creature you control. :>

The side story should have been about Neva using her powers to read nightmares to find a solution to the Wicked Slumber through them. The second one about Totentanz about how to live in a society as someone who is poor or alienated.

look, im not a youtuber, but a segment called "Mustache Minute" not having a cool mustache animated based intro seems like a missed opportunity. thanks for the vid! was exactly what I've been waiting for!

Excited for the Garruk and Kellen interactions for the future

The story is so impossible to follow that Ryan’s half-hour explanations are the fastest way to learn what happened. A+ content!

This is the first set in quite a long while, where the planeswalkers aren’t the protagonist or main focus. And instead important legendary creatures, locals of the plane, are being the important characters. And yeah, I think it worked out quite well. Having locals being the focus of a story meant that each character have a deeper connection to the local world they are in. And I think this is a right direction. Planeswalkers will still be an important part of Magic, but I can see them filling more supportive mentor roles, or only appearing in the end of the story to deus ex the ending.

This is actually making me hopeful for future sets. I like that there are far fewer planeswalkers now. This story really feels like an older story from like early 2010s to me.

Ashiok coming in and out of the story felt really like how they made Tezzeret appear and disappear in the stories prior. So we might get to see another "grand scheme of things" cooked by Ashiok, in sets to come, especially when Wotc teased that the sets up to 2025 are like one big story, with Kellan being central to the plot

Face to "face" with Ashiok lol

this is the best story magic had in a while

Fantastic. This story looks so good, and I was waiting for your retelling

What happens in Eldraine stays in Eldraine.

Awesome a walkthrough of the lore implications of the set! Definitely going to have to watch a bunch of these videos going back, they are so in depth. Thanks for making them!

This is the video ive been waiting for to drop! Thanks Ryan, I love your story telling.

I love that the story is free on mtgs RU-vid channel to listen to add an audio book

I think the Planeswalkers will get their sparks back at the end of this new long story, they are now setting up a "good" group of ex walkers and walkers, vs Bad ones.

Needed this today!

Aside from all the clear parallels between the plotlines, I really enjoyed how much manipulative characters got to do their thing in the story - Eriette converting Rowan, Ashiok presumably manipulating Eriette in turn, and Talion having his own reasons for turning a young hero against the witches he helped kickstart this in the first place. I'm glad most of the big antagonists made it out, too - Eriette feels like a very fun villain to keep around, the mirror magic she & the other Wilds of Eldraine witches seem to use is really fun visually (and has unexplored story potential - some identity theft, anyone?), and she makes for a nice loud & glamorous contrast to Ashiok's more subtle, whisper-in-your-ear presence. Definitely look forward to whatever story those two involve themselves in next.

Yes! Always love how this channel explains the lore and story. Thank you!

I think it funny that after the last two major story events ( War of the Spark and March of the Machine) the next arc starts with Eldraine.

Twas about time! Thank you for the awesome story Ryan and Nicole! Or should I say: Ricole?

Got the impression that Will really did had a plan for the fight with Imodane because of what we see in hs fight with Rowan. Despite Rowan narration it is obvius that it was Will the one that actually had control in the fight being allways a step ahead of his sister.

There's certain cards in the set implying there are side stories, but nothing has been released as yet. Besides Redtooth Keep, there seems to be a noblewoman named Neva being stalked by nightmares, a peasant named Ash in a Cinderella-like, a rat noble by the name of Lord Skitter working with witches, a possibly related rat piper named Totentanz, an apprentice wizard named Johann up to magical shenanigans, a witch hunter girl named Greta avenging her pie-cooked brother by assaulting the witch-run candy town of Sweettooth, and something about some dwarves having their feast interrupted by redcap goblins.

Great recap of the lore!

STORY TIME!!!! Yesssss, this is my FAVORITE video series you do here on thia channel! The lore is just as important to me as the mechanics and playability of the game, and you tell the story better than anyone else. It's passion that sets you apart from the rest, it really is. You're the best man!!!!!

I do think it's funny that Ashiok is just here, feeding on nightmares and just watching weird court shenanigans.

Im usually on top of reading the stories but for some reason I couldnt quite get into these ones. Thanks for giving an awesome recap that sets me up to jump in again next set! Love the content

was just looking for this yesterday!

I kinda don’t like how quickly Rowan and Will fell apart and started fighting each other. Like, I know it was set up in Strixhaven, but Rowan’s fall to villainy still seemed too sudden

Love your content - keep up the good work :)

It would be cool if Will and Rowan’s mother got a card as the second 4 colour legend in WUBR, considering the twins colour pairing for the set.

Finally!! Been watching your vids since 2020

At last! I've been waiting for this video to drop 🎉

Peter not getting his own card, and instead just being a cameo on a sorcery ad a generic creature was a crime

I love this, keep up the lore!

I do agree that Ashiok should have had a much bigger presence than just "they're helping Eriette". To address some of the other concerns: we already knew from original Eldraine that Will and Rowan's birth mother was a witch. This finally expanded on it that she was 1 of 4 witch sisters. As for Garruk, the last we know is that he promised the Kenriths that he would watch over the twins. We know from the beginning of the Strixhaven story that he followed them to Kylem where the twins received their letter to go to the school. Garruk figured they would be in good hands. Turns out that watching over them was kind of Kasmina, but clearly she wasn't in the mood of the full time job or had other duties once the twins went back home during the invasion. Either way, we don't know what Garruk is up to or where he is. My guess would be that he still has his spark and is keeping up with his hunting duties. I just hate that we've had another major multiverse event and Garruk is notably absent yet again.

I'm feeling the Kenrith's mom is gonna be a planeswaker that made contact with them already, I'm betting on Kasmina.

So.. i was thinking of the Omenpaths and that handsome Vedelken and a thought occured to me The Omenpaths are a way to get a "planes walker" but either as a much weaker mage or as a smaller character in that story. I figured that those who "answer the call of the Omenpaths" would end up calling themselves "Omenwalkers" or something as a nod to us.

They REEEAAALLYY needed to emphasize on the fact that planeswalkers can planeswalk. Instead of five of them doing it in each set, they let one of them do it five times now.

I would find it deeply amusing to have Garruk stuck on Shandalar AGAIN

Can't wait for Tezzeret to become Ashiok's right hand man

Been waiting for this🎉 i read all 5he stories so lets hear it. They have audio readings of the story on MTG official

11:42 Same. Same. I saw Troyan in the spoiler show before the set release and I was so excited. I love the idea of the Omenpaths and Vedalkens are my favorite race (rip Dovin Baan)

I agree with you, I was really on track with the side characters, especially the Sky Realm part: with the Mother Goose, Beluna & Yorvo, I am a bit biased cause my favourite tale is 'Jack and the Beanstalk' but... it has captured the "fairy magic" effect perfectly. I was also confused by Ashiok's postures, and that's a little shame, cause I'm craving a lot for their desired villain stand! It announces great moments for the next stories, I'm impatient to watch you and Nicole talk about it! Thanks

Love these these vids

Oh. Y'know what would be an interesting sub-plot? Okko somehow loses his spark, but Garruk still has his. That could be a fun bit of character building for Okko since he'd have to really stay on his toes and possibly through sheer necessity become really good navigating the omenpaths. Whatever that might lead to.

- mom, why have I never met my dad? - well, you see, your dad was banned from almost every format. His +1 was just too broken... - what an absolute legend - really hot too!

Great video.

Well, now we know what Eriette did after being rescued by "Ashiok" Crimes!

the fourth witch probably never existed, typical situation where a character wants to kill someone and then that someone says "oh yeah, that person, horrible person, btw i'm totally not her, i'm her sister, i'm your aunt, i'm the only family you have, love me"

Yeah the side stories that we didn't get feel like they definetly should've existed. Stuff like the Werefoxes, Lord Skitter's rats, and the food monstrosities that make up the draft archetypes all feel like they're supposed to be stories that we just didn't get.

My favorite part is when Kellen breaks out his basket handles or whatever and they turn into swords made of light, or laser sabers, or light- oh. Heh, somebody's gettin' sued. Where IS my Star Wars Secret Lair anyway?

A Simic Value menace is the father of a Boros Equipment commander, the fae are misterious indeed

I’m pretty sure Rankle’s Prank is a reference to his side story in MoM, specifically the other 3 fairies tricking him into thinking he was their king and then trapping him in a rope snare trap

I just assumed that Eriette was lying to Royan about the enchanted sleep being peaceful and it was really full of Ashiok's nightmares.

It feels like all the nightmare stuff right down to ashioks planeswalker card are just here to synergise with a future set rather than to have anything to do with the current stuff.

This set had one of the best stories in a whil. It made me really exited for the omenpathstory line. I was scared they would pull the Inistrad/Zendicar where there are almost no relics of Eldrzi apocalypse but fortunatelly it's not the case

They confirm that Garruk still has his spark with the Syr Ginger card

For the people that feels the story didnt focus too much on the wilds. i think its because this plane doesnt really have like a clear distinction of where the realm ends and the wilds start. i think in general terms the current state of Eldraine is "post-apocaliptic", castle Vantress and maybe the Red and Green castles are the only parts of the realm still standing after the invasion and the wilds probably expanded over what was previously carefully patrolled countryside by the knights. the set color combinations focus on different things happening on the plane at the same time of this main storyline but as always, we cannot get enough narration given because its a singular set rather than a block. I expect something similar is gonna be happening with Ixalan.

I have a feeling Oko might be in that new Wild West themed set coming out.

I feel like a way to get out of the innane Ashiok story is to show that they were Inceptioning other plane's rulers to come to Eldraine by creating nightmares of the people there. Maybe in the follow-up to Kaldheim we'll see the Elves launch an attack at Ashiok's behest to cause more nightmares and thus, increase their power

Your Green Cup moment LMAO xD

One thing I don't see talked on often is through the story Eriette isn't afraid of Rowan like Will and embraced, accepted and supported her. As a gay men I've seen many queer people (and myself) being friends/lovers/ect with people who aren't good people and can be manipulative but those red flags are often ignored due to feeling like you finally are being accepted and supported.

Eriette has a lot of potential as a sort of villain character and room to not be killed but swayed down the road. Rowan is also interesting with her struggles and doubts. Will continues to not be interesting at all and is just a baseline good guy which might be needed but he's a lame duck as far as big named characters go... Agatha getting iced immediately is stupid, Hylda probably plays a part later and if not that's a dumb choice. Ashiok remains super weird and mysterious but seems to be interested in expanding that sleep spell which clearly gives them control over those people at least in this story... makes me wonder what Ashioks overall goals might be, but if it's just some dumb "get enough servants so I can do X big bad thing" then the story is doomed to fail already. We'll see where it goes. ALSO ruby being little red riding hood, and her brother being peter... as in peter and the wolf? Clever choices lol OH YEAH and that new guy kellen? incredibly generic adventurer. absolutely zero interest in him.

I'm just assuming they're setting Ashiok up as the Big Bad for either the next short-term or long-term story arc, but it sounds like a pretty clumsy way to do it since they don't seem to have actually done anything or contributed to the immediate story

Really liked the tie in with oko. Because the last set felt out of the way

Hey Ryan! I’ve been a fan of the channel for quite a long time. I’ve heard you discuss viewership or channel metric related things here and there recently and I wanted to throw in my 2 cents. I used to watch a lot more when I hadn’t found a high quality equivalent channel who was breaking down the stories on a weekly basis with the release of each new story from Wizards. Now the channel I’m referencing does indeed have a partnership with Wizards and I’m unsure if that effects how quickly they get their videos out as I don’t ever read the stories online and therefore haven’t been able to compare the story dropping to their speed of upload. But by the time I have one of your videos to watch, I know the entire story already. And that was the main reason I would come here. Now I come for the “history of ___” videos. So I’m wondering if there’s a way to do more “back in time” content for you so that I can come back as often as I used to? Otherwise, I will keep clicking on your videos when it’s a subject I’m not well versed in! Just thought I’d try to help with a genuine bit of information.

15:39 ICE-olation... nice!

Will you keep a "there is one area on the plane that is untouched from the Phyrexian Invasion" counter from now on?^^

I think it's a little odd how many ways things other than planeswalkers can get through the blind eternities considering nothing other than planeswalkers and eldrazi can supposedly survive there. Specific artifacts with a coating, onenpaths, trees, and maybe something else I'm forgetting.

Rowan being a villain is such a dumb development, but the kellen storyline is so much fun, theyr eally nailed the chivalry/fairy-tale vibes

Garruk is on Ravnica. He's found the Selesnya weed.

Wow, Ashiok doing nearly fuck all before disappearing again? At least its on theme for Ashiok.

thank you

Poor chulane, hope he is ok

My personal take on this is the Nightmares are in the dreams of the towns people and Ashiok is lying to Erriette as he feeds on nightmares Errite is white black a colour combo known for having a dark twist on order/peace

I'd give a lot to WotC to print a card called Ryan, Teller of Tales.

My first ever commander( arena braw but whatever ) was the bloodgod. Now seeing him killed makes me sad. I was able to play all the black and white for phyrexian predators in that deck. It's fun

Wotc kept ashiok's spark so he can troll planes in upcoming years just like he always did.