As expansion sets are released patterns begin to form within each block.  By the third release an informed observer can make educated guesses about what more is to come.  The following are my predictions for Alara Reborn, hitting shelves on April 30th 2009.  Consider this your Alara Reborn spoiler alert.

Prediction 1: 5 Color Madness 2.0 - Perhaps more so than any other series of expansions, the three Alara sets will be made up of very similar cards.  The theme is multicolored cards separated into shards (sets of 3 colors) that are consistent throughout the entire set.  Slowly but surely the shards align and are "reborn" into 5 colored spells.  The most obvious prediction -- Expect more rainbow colored cards.

Prediction 2: The shards will stay mostly in tact - For the most part the set will favor the 5 color cards but there will of course be both mono and shard colored cards.  Those shards will remain the same.  Obviously WotC will want you to pine for singles to add to that Grixis deck you've been tweaking for the past 6 months.  Changing the shards now would leave a sour taste in Alara fan's mouths.

[caption id="attachment_874" align="alignright" width="250" caption="Hold on to your Monocolored hats!"][/caption]

Prediction 3: More planeswalkers - You heard it here first.  Alara Reborn will feature the first rainbow colored planeswalker.  Id also be on the lookout for a new black, green or red planeswalker as these colors as of now only have one each while white and blue have 2.  Planeswalkers are here to stay and you should expect new ones in each of the upcoming sets released henceforth.

Prediction 4: More use of the term "Multicolor" - Alara Reborn will use the term "multicolor" more than any other set prior.  Both to multicolored spell wielder's benefit ("Target Multicolored Creature gets +3/+3") or detriment ("Destroy Target Multicolored Permanent").  Look for the multicolor identifier to be used explicitly and frequently.

Prediction 5: More color hate - The addition of the various "protection from" creatures to conflux was just the tip of the iceberg.  Color hate becomes even more powerful when most of the creatures on the board are composed of 3 or more colors.  Its also a wonderful counter to big, cheap, rainbow creatures.  In a recent Conflux design article, we're told that certain abilities such as "undiscardable" are off limits until certain other cards are printed (whatever that means).  This leads me to believe that more abilities like "un-remove-from-the-gameable" are on their way.  What good is a swampwalking, protection from black, Paladin if he can be discarded or sacrificed ala black spells?  Color hate is taken to another level.

Prediction 6: Get ready for the best multi colored land get/generation cards in the game - Playing all 5 colors is rarely viable in causal play let alone tournament play.  To get the right mana flowing you're going to need the best multicolored land cards the game has ever seen.  Get ready to pay through the nose for the multicolored lands to end all multicolored lands.  Expect some other clever ways to get the 5 colors generated ala non land spells as well.

[caption id="attachment_873" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Playing with rainbows will require specialized tools."][/caption]

Prediction 7: 5 color / multi colored card's last hurrah for a while - The concept of the Alara isn't anything new.  The Ravnica block is quite similar in many respects and even some of the dual colored creatures in the Lorwyn block struck the same notes as those in Alara.  Alara has taken the "rainbow power" concept to its natural extrapolation but it has more or less been done before.  It is safe to say the 5 color concept has been fully explored.  Don't expect to see any serious nods towards 5 colored cards for a while.

We'll revisit these predictions after the release of the visual spoiler.  Until then feel free to agree, disagree or throw out your own predictions by commenting on this article.  April has never seemed so far away.