As we take stock of the past year we can't help but ponder the next twelve months and all they might bring.  What will happen in 2010, and more importantly will it be good or bad?  This is the inherent dilemma in creating prediction lists with very little actual information.  These lists are fun, and useful at times, but mostly provide fodder to gossip and argue over.  We can't pretend to prognosticate without mixing a little of what we hope will come to pass.  Therefore an objective list of future events involving something you care about (in this case MTG) is impossible.  Sprinkling in conjecture mixed with a heavy dose of hope is only human.  Fine, but hope is a good thing ("maybe the best of things" - Copyright Andy Dufresne) so without further ado we present- a Wishlist of Predictions for 2010:

[caption id="attachment_6156" align="alignright" width="185" caption="coming soon...."][/caption]

1. Rize of the Eldrazi will contain at least one planeswalker. And this planeswalker will be another 'second generation' walker along the lines of Ajani Vengeant and Chandra Ablaze.  In the effort to maintain brand continuity WotC has shown dedication to the original five walkers.  They have been featured in books, web-comics and each expansion set since Lorwyn.  With the new Jace being revealed for Worldwake there won't be room for another original walker in the same set.  However by the time Rise of the Eldrazi comes around a 'new' Garruk or Liliana will be due.  Certainly Sorin and Nissa are much larger plot figures in Zendikar, but that doesn't mean there can't be a second black or green walker within the set.  After all both Garruk and Liliana have been involved with Zendikar lately (along with Jace and Chandra) and the white walkers, Elspeth and Ajani have not been.  All this adds up to what will be a new Liliana Vess in 2010.

2. Magic 2011 will have many of the same cards as Magic 2010, especially the core cards that made M10 so popular. Cards like Lightning Bolt and Duress aren't going anywhere after only a year in Standard play.  Same goes for more powerful cards like Earthquake and Planar Cleansing.  When M10 rotates out with the release of the next big expansion it would be odd if these popular basics vanished as well.  Changeover from core sets before was easier to handle as there was a 2+ year window to play them in Standard.  Now that window is just over a year, meaning in the future core sets will mirror each other much more than in the past.  Does this mean that all the chase cards from M10 will just be back in M11?  Probably not, and a new cycle of planeswalkers are almost assured.  But the classic utility spells released in M10 will almost all see reprint in M11 (not to mention M12).

[caption id="attachment_6157" align="alignleft" width="226" caption="a lot to look forward to"][/caption]

3. Expect some chase cards from newer sets to be included in M11. The lion's share of speculation regarding M11 content has been the next cycle of planewalkers.  Will Elspeth take over white for Ajani?  (Probably.)  Will the revolutionary Jace and Chandra bump out their old counter-parts?  (Most assuredly.)  And so on and so forth.  But these won't be the only prized re-issues from recent sets to be included in M11.  While M10 hit some classic favorites and re-invented the wheel on some others (like Honor of the Pure and Baneslayer Angel) Magic 2011 will draw more heavily from recent sets.  Expect something like the Command cycle from Lorwyn (yes that means Cryptic Command!), or the dual lands from Shadowmoor/Eventide.  There will be no gold cards (sorry Alara) and it's doubtful Baneslayer, Elvish Archdruid, etc. will be back.  But there will still be plenty to get excited about with Magic's core set of 2010.

[caption id="attachment_6163" align="alignright" width="178" caption="WotC gets a do-over"][/caption]

4. A Premium Deck will be released that everyone will want to spend $35 on. We here at Gathering Magic have explained the shortcomings of Premium Decks: Slivers here and here.  Why then would we be excited about the next release of the Premium series?  Say what you want about WotC, but they usually get things right after a try or two.  Slivers was a test run, like Mythic rarity in Alara.  By Zendikar the Mythic mystery was basically solved.  From the Vault had a similar genesis.  Dragons was fairly popular, but didn't generate nearly the same buzz as Exiled.  That is why we can expect good things from Premium Decks in 2010. The Premium Deck is something most MTG fans agree is a great idea.  Now all Wizards has to do is put more good cards in.  Expect next year to be when that happens.

5. The next large Expansion block (New Phyrexia) will give us the next great tournament deck. This one is pretty easy.  The release of the new expansion is when the currently dominating Jund build will rotate out.  Ridiculous you say, there must be something in Worldwake/Rise of the Eldrazi/M11 that can slow Jund's roll.  Doubtful.  Because Jund isn't built on one card, or some combo that WotC can screw over.  Its built on superior card advantage and utility, two attributes that are nearly impossible to nerf.  (Ed note: Yes, Naya Lightsaber's anti-Jund build bested Jund at Worlds, but Jund is still clearly the most competitive build in Standard.)  Take faeries for example.  WotC offered two clear anti-fae cards in Great Sable Stag and Volcanic Fallout and the build adjusted and continued to win until Lorwyn/Shadowmoor were out.  So Jund will remain king for now, but at least that will change in 2010.

[caption id="attachment_6158" align="alignleft" width="212" caption="expect less of this in 2010"][/caption]

6. With Cascade out 2010 will herald the return of control (despite a simpler mana-base). There are really two predictions here.  First control magic will return with a bang when Alara/M10 rotates out taking Cascade and Great Sable Stag with it.  Day of Judgment, and Mind Sludge are among the massively powerful cards not getting their due play because control is so fragile right now.  Add a few more cards in white, black and blue (or even red) and true control is back.  Second, mana will simplify greatly in 2010.  Without the need to appease difficult sets like Alara Reborn, WotC can ease up on releasing crazy mana-producers after two years of doing just that.  Of course this makes building control much harder, but with a few key additions dual or even mono-colored builds will be competing for Top 8s to start the next decade.

[caption id="attachment_6159" align="alignright" width="263" caption="the tip of the iceberg"][/caption]

7. More experimental add-ons for casual players along the lines of Planechase. There are really three types of players Magic needs to market to: Timmy, Johnny, and Spike.  Timmy likes just about anything card-related including dual-decks, expansion sets, and special pre-cons.  Spike will always cherry pick the best tournament cards from the newest set.  Johnny however is unique.  Often these players are grizzled MTG veterans who care much more about having fun with friends than placing in PTQs.  They have seen it all, and can be pretty hard to please with new card sets only.  That is where products like Planechase fit in.  Perfect for the MTG veteran playing casually with buddies.  We assume WotC recognizes this and will produce more add-on products in 2010 perfect for this sect of duelists.

There you have it.  Seven predictions for the upcoming year, and all of them something we look forward too.  After all, what good is conjecture if it fails to excite or at the very least draw interest.  Hopefully we are not alone in looking forward to 2010 and what WotC has in store for us.  Until then shuffle up and enjoy the last remaining days of 2009.