Just over a month away from seeing the expansion (hopefully), about time we had some guesses. Starting topics to throw around:

- What vehicles, since they're likely to return?
- Any guesses at new mechanics (at least those aimed at draft like "Support")?
- Tezzeret and Ajani PW card guesses?
- Will it get delayed for Duels?

Go.

EDIT providing my own answers...

- More emphasis on small, fast vehicles would probably fit the theme of AER better than more Trains or Stompers. Horrible feeling we'll see a bike
- No idea on new mechanics, probably another +1/+1 counter thing.
- Would like to see Tezzer with a minus ability that would equate roughly to "-2: Create a 1/1 artifact creature token, deal 1 damage for each artifact you control to target creature or player". This would be reliant on him staying though, but it keeps him strictly in the "artifacts matter" realm. No idea on an ult. Ajani will probably be based on MaRo's comments about 2 colour Gatewatch PWs.
- I'm gonna say yes.

Black will get screwed over again. Lots of energy things and lots of artifacts we won't get in duels.

Fingers crossed that we'll get an equipment that doesn't suck.

RATS! Forgot this one

There won't be any demons, dragons, undead, big green Timmys, etc. and it will be as boring as Kaladesh.

That we get in Duels.



That are any good.



Got loads of that in SoI.



Duels has shed loads of 4cmc+ Green chaff.



Well that part I agree with.

You can never have enough (hexproof, can't be countered, trampling) good green Timmys.

I predict a few "bomb" Energy cards.

I predict a sudden unseasonable winter caused by overusing Aether, compete with snowmobiles, snowplows, snow covered land and a reprint of Goblin Ski Patrol. Additionally I again predict they will reprint Psychatog. I'm also hoping for a group of vehicles that merge into a giant robot Go Lion (Voltron) style.

I just want Tezzy.

Smaller sets usually work much better for Duels so I'm looking forward to aether revolt - hoping we get more support for the slow energy and artificial decks as they're close but not quite there.
Ironically the card I want most is perilous myr but apart from that i'm hoping for more cards like marionette master and cultivator of blades, cards that just do stupid stuff basically.

And to be fair to them I don't think they've delayed a set for a long time now, the real question is will they have fixed connectivity on xbox yet?

I'd like to see ways to drain opponents energy. More instant speed spells to help deal with vehicles. Some kind of artifact hate. Hopefully not many new gameplay mechanics.

Hopefully more Prowess. It fits with the theme, I think.

A destroy all Artifacts sweeper would be nice. It would probably mean Superfriends would make a comeback though...

it's better be "destroy all creates and artifacts" otherwise it doesn't help much

destroy all creates and artifacts and lands would be best.

Destroy All the Things

Sorcery



Exile all permanents, then all cards in all players' hands, then all cards in all players' graveyards, then all cards in all players' libraries. Then exile those cards from the exile zone.

I'm speculating a nerf to aggro because it's just bonkers. Maybe a card replacement.

I can't think of a common/uncommon that really pushes aggro over the edge. It' mostly annoying rares, so I'm not sure what they would swap.

EDIT: Inb4 they swap Copter for Panharmonicon.

I also don't think there will be a card swap, Aggro is good but not OP. What Duels probably wants for this is some good removal for artifacts that is not Sideboard material - think Putrefy or similar effects (which any colour but Blue has gotten btw).

Tezzeret will be a great addition to the slower artifact decks Nighthawk mentioned; him plus 2 or 3 other cards might be what pushes these decks over the Edge for Duels and maybe for Standard as well.

I hope there will be more Energy payoffs cards; that is the theme needing the most help. So far, the bombs there are too expensive/slow, and the Aggro deck is not quite consistent enough, making Energy more of a side-note mechanic than a build-around.

With Selesniya being maybe my favourite guild, I can't help but look forward to Ajani. Currently Selesniya needs a push, Ajani might be just that.

Regarding Vehicles, there is hardly any room for better ones than we have already I think. Cruiser and especially Copter have set the bar for new Vehicles to be good very high - and it's really hard to get close to that bar without being a broken card.
Maybe we'll see a couple more good Dwarves that would make the cut in these decks, but even there the bar is high looking at Veteran Motorist and Depala.

I hope Black gets some help, but I think it will get some for Tezzeret alone. It might not be the kind of help needed for something like Esper Control, but it could very well be the help an artifact-based strategy in Grixis or Esper needs.

That Dimir Affinity deck Rabble crafted before he stormed off seemed only a few cards away from greatness, is that what you're referring to? Tezzer would be a guaranteed shoe-in (provided he stays artifact focused), but that deck needs something more in the way of disrupting alpha strikes/big plays. At least from memory there were only Grasps/Murders for removal and nothing to deal with the usual problem permanents. Something to make it go off quicker would probably have helped.

I don't exactly recall Rabble's Affinity deck, so likely not. Also I'm not thinking Metalwork Colossus, which is pretty much the only "Affinity" card coming to my mind for Duels.

The deck I have in mind is a slow Mid-range to tapout Control deck doing busted things. Think Saheeli's -2 on a Combustible Gearhulk, or Refurbish a Noxious Gearhulk t4.
The Control shell these decks need is there; but they severely lack consistency; mainly because the Hulks are pretty much the only payoffs cards being any good for these decks. Tezzeret might help with that problem, as might the set Aether Revolt revolving around him.