Every ICONIC Color Pairing in Magic the Gathering

[Music] the duality series is dear to my heart because it's the one that really set me on my path of my modern channel and from what i can tell it's still a big part of the color philosophy discussion to this day as the series continues to be a popular one on my channel with that in mind i believe it's time to give it the marathon treatment that way you can sit down and watch them all back to back uninterrupted i will also be trimming out some of the fat to better facilitate a more streamlined experience that i know you'll enjoy so get your popcorn ready your guild colors out and let's talk about the color pairings of magic the gathering let's begin where it all started with nature with green green looks at the world as being a perfect ecosystem balanced and flawless it sees itself as a part of that ecosystem and in turn looks to fulfill its duties within it never looking for a bigger meaning outside of what it was born to do to that end tradition is valuable to green and that it tells us our place within the world we call home white on the other hand wants a world where peace is more than just an ideal where even the weakest members of its society can make a life for themselves in other words white is only as strong as its weakest link and because of this will protect those that can't protect themselves why did she use this through its rigorous use of laws and the upholding of those laws for with structure a perfect society can be formed let's then bring these ideas together and what better place to start than the core of each of these colors ideals nature and nurture you see green is the color most associated with living in the wild free from form and structure while white on the other hand carefully crafts a society that often lives within the confines of a city now how could these polar opposite ideas come together it may not be so directly obvious but there is room for these two ways of life to come together you see with the respect in mind for the natural world it is possible to create cities that not only exist alongside of it but ones that can thrive as one with it a city where the very walls bring water to the vines that climb them even something like farming which is structured use of natural world is an example of white green farming looks to create something new something that in turn services the needs of all we see an example of this on saros with the goddess care metra who sees agriculture as a way to cultivate nature to improve upon what has been done before but with respect for the land that's being used you see the true ideal of green white is to form a society where all can thrive one where plant humanoid and beast can all live alongside each other in service of each other for the betterment of all this leads us to one of the strong characteristics of white green and that is the desire for unity you see white is the color that wants to create a society where all know peace and where no one is left to suffer alone white has a great passion for helping others and especially those it calls its kin then on the other side of it we have green the color who sees the world as one perfect design where every person and every beast has its place and ideal green will go to great lengths to preserve so this tells us all we need to know you see what happens when you have a society that looks out for all who share its ideals and will go to any length to preserve that society well you get white green a group that lives for each other where no one is more important than the other and the only true goal is to create and maintain a world where all can thrive alongside nature this idea is best seen on ravnica with the seleznia guild and i think this quote best encapsulates their ideals better than i could we are many yet one we are separate in body yet speak with a single voice join in our chorus just like any society that hopes to create peace order and a strong moral code there must exist laws that keep it all together you might think to yourself that with the influence of green there wouldn't be any laws in nature and that nature wouldn't abide by those laws if they did exist well like i'm prone to say in many of these videos you would be wrong for two reasons first and the most obvious is the influence of white when crafting a society the use of laws and morality are quite important they help to temper the more wild parts of ourselves in a way that makes it so we can all live together and depend on each other second actually comes from green you might see nature as wild and without structure and to a degree this is correct but there's also order there any world that we visit has been shaped over many many years and in that time nitra has created its own hierarchies in order you see each animal knows its place on the food chain and every plant knows where it may grow there's more order to the world than we may realize and with the influence of white is further brought to the surface if we break down law into its bare bones what we get is a framework for living our lives green has a version of this all its own and that is in its maintenance of traditions a framework for our lives that is based on nature what this shows us is that green white looks to the past for guidance and creates laws for the future to protect all that it holds dear so let's look to the cards themselves for an example of this and i think there's a better place to look than the many soldiers and knights of white green these types of characters illustrate what happens when a strong tie to tradition and law are given form the knights and soldiers of green white upheld a strong moral code to protect all life and are selfless in their devotion to their people and their cause in the end green white is the pair that forges a life with nature not in the same way that green does on its own green by itself may want to leave the land untouched but when white is brought into the fold the land becomes just as important as those that live within it in turn the world itself also has a duty to the people just as the people have a duty to her this means a society carefully crafted alongside nature one where cities climb with the trees a society where sword and shield are held up just as much in defense of the beasts and plants as those that craft those same cities well thanks again for checking out my latest color theory video i'd like to know in the comments first let's discuss the infinite potential of blue you see blue is the color that doesn't put a limit on its self-improvement and believes that everyone has latent talents within it's just a matter of being willing to put in the time and effort into learning through the use of magic technology and a never-ending desire for discovery blue is always able to grow and foster an environment where those willing to put in the work may better themselves black knows what it wants from life which is the power and control to do as it wishes in the end we all want the most from life but because of social constraints we hold back from some of our deeper desires black on the other hand says that there is no need to limit oneself from getting what we desire black does not shackle itself by morality or kinship as others do it knows how the world works which is to say those who do what's in their best interest get what they want in this pursuit of knowledge and power blue black can be a dangerous force and it's not hard to imagine what these two colors have in common a desire for power self-improvement and discovery a goal not held back by the laws that govern most when talking about color philosophy it's not often that we get these truly dangerous combinations in magic ones that cannot be trusted with blue black around it's best to always watch your back and never trust any deal they bring to the table now this doesn't mean they're chaotic evil in the way that red black was in fact blue black isn't truly evil it's just that has no qualms with doing whatever is in its best interest which may not be in yours now this isn't to say that blue black is a totally selfish pair as one would assume based on black's influence i think it's because of blue with its formation of colleges and guilds the combination sees the value in working with others who are on the same path they know that they can accomplish so much more together than alone what we end up seeing are spy rings dark gilts and shadow governments who look to exert control over others in order to further their own goals there's no better example of this than on ravnica with house demir this group gathers information on others and turns it into control through blackmail or kills opponents in order to manipulate or remove threats you see blue knows that knowledge is power and black is never afraid to put a blade to the throat of those in its way blue black looks to the shadows to gain control over others and you'll never know your time is up until it makes its final move to this end blue black uses those adept at working in the dark corners of the city calling on its rogues assassins and on some planes ninjas these adept masters move in silence gathering information sabotaging and killing all in order to serve their guild or ring now this isn't to say that the only knowledge that blue black seeks is one that can be used to control others in fact this pair is still quite the practitioner of magic obviously with the inclusion of blue there would be mages and artificers it's just that blue alone may be afraid to look into the darker places to find those magics with the guiding hand of black they are able to use magic once off limits to blue or create machines that would have otherwise overlooked this may manifest itself on some planes as necromages or liches undead mages who personify the bridge between life and death perhaps it's in the use of shape shifters beings who steal the form of others on some planes we may even see artificers who craft machines that kill rather than make life easier like the planeswalker tesseren imagine a scientist not bound by law and what they could create but most dangerous of all the forbidden magic is the manipulation of mind and memory we recently got to see an example of this on theros in the mind master ashiyak who has the ability to manipulate a person's dreams blurring the lines of reality when it comes to blue black's identity manipulating the mind through psychic abilities has always been an integral part of their design as it takes the literal interpretation of manipulating the deck the mind which is something very blue and the hand or memory something black what better way is there to control and gain power over others than having access to their very thoughts blue black sees the potential in the shadows and the power in those forbidden places it uses an adept hand and a slippery tongue to gain control and power over others there is much that can be achieved when an insatiable thirst for knowledge meets a desire for power if you find yourself on a plane with blue black traveler stay vigilant because not even your thoughts are safe thanks again for checking out my latest color theory video hit that like button first let's begin with black to put it simply black sees the world for what it is a dog-eat-dog world where only those willing to take what they want get anywhere in life to this end black seeks total power power in itself and power over others in this pursuit one can never be bogged down by morality or relationships you must always be willing to do whatever it takes to further your ambition now when it comes to white what you have is the flip side of the coin they believe we're only as strong as our weakest link and we must always be willing to help our fellow man white wants to create a world that is better for everyone and believes that the only way to achieve this is to abide by strict morality and laws white wants to see a world where no one suffers and peace is not just an ideal but a way of life so now that we have that established what happens when these colors are combined for one we must take into consideration the primary part of each color black is a selfish color while white is selfless in nature black desires power while white looks to create equality black is amoral but on the other hand white writes morality into law so as you can imagine no one group or character can be all of these things that would be a mess instead what we get is often dependent on the plane the character or faction are from the designers grab certain aspects from each of the two opposing colors to create something new for example what happens when you bring black white to ravnica well we get the orzov syndicate which is a small group that looks out for itself it doesn't want society to succeed but rather its peers this manifests itself into a criminal religious and zealous organization black white creates a strong bond between those it calls its kin and has no love for those outside of it it creates a group that upholds laws that benefit those in power yet crushes those below them often people desire structure and peace this version of black white sees this as an opportunity it promises these things all the while strengthening their hierarchy and solidifying their power black white believes that power can be gained and maintained better in the courts than on the battlefield they use religion and debt to ensure power over others through life and in death now this version of black white isn't the whole picture it's just what happens when you take the structure of white and the power hungry nature of black you see there's no one way to design a multicolored character or faction in magic i think the black white vampires of magic best represent another aspect of this color combination on many worlds these vampires represent the duality of black white they stand on the precipice of life and death they blur the line as to what is right and wrong and see the world that is great often when we see black white vampires they are knights or clerics their power and darkness tempered by law and order they have no qualms with death and dish out their justice with a heavy hand but don't kill for the sake of it for me this is the most fascinating side of black white the yin and yang the duality of existence the other facet of black white is shown in the abundance of spirits not the undead but rather the souls of those lost this encapsulates their relationship with death not as a loss of something but rather a transition on ravnica spirits are an extension of the person and tied to their deeds and dead in life on theros they move from one realm to another to be judged accordingly shipped there by the black white fairy men atherios black sees the dead as nothing more than a commodity while white sees a soul to be respected and it's when these colors come together that we get spirits a haunting bridge between life and death given form in the end what makes a character or group multicolored is more complex than simply meeting in the middle for black white it's bridging the gap between life and death it's abusing laws for the gain of your kin or it's the duality of existence bringing colors together is pulling more or less from each side it's twisting aspects of the other to fit in with a new framework with this idea in mind it's not impossible to create versions of black white that suit any plane it's up to your imagination and that of the designers to see how far this concept can be stretched without losing its meaning as we move on with the series we'll see how every color when brought together can create something thanks again for checking out my latest color theory video first we'll start off with green the color that values the natural order above all else you see green knows that there is no seeker to life it's quite obvious isn't it the world is perfect as it is with every single thing down to a blade of grass serving a greater purpose and nothing above the other in this way nature shows us that community and traditions are important for nearly the same reasons the individual is nowhere near as strong as the group and we must all strive to find our place within it as it has always been for centuries when it comes to blue the reasoning behind its philosophy is quite simple and it boils down to one thing progress is the most important thing in this life blue takes learning with a ravenous curiosity and with the help of magic and its many mechanizations it is always growing and improving for to grow complacent is the greatest sin to blue so what we have here are two very different colors one that looks to the future while the other to the past such opposing ideals is the difficulty when discussing enemy colors but it's also the fun it may be less apparent finding where these enemy colors intersect but the answer is there surely you're asking yourself how can the natural order coincide with progress these are things that are traditionally at odds with each other at least on our world and yes you would be right partially green may see a world that it deems perfect one that needs no tampering but is blue that says there's always room for improvement sure nature does better itself in the act of evolution the cutting of a mountain or the formation of a river it just does it at a very slow and deliberate pace but when you add blue to the mix something special happens that process speeds up and boy does it speed up this happens in one of two ways the first is selective breeding which gives us the many efficient and brutal creatures of blue green these monstrosities have their weakest elements bred out between each generation until only a perfect creature remains is this not the very definition of evolution something so green but it's helped along by mage's hand something very blue so i would say that selective breathing is the more green centered side of the natural improvement but what happens when we lean more into blue well what we get is mutation a process where the maker takes a heavy hand in creating something new or improving upon something until it is unrecognizable this is why you will see many mutants in blue-green creatures other colors may call abominations but not blue-green they only see something beautiful the culmination of many iterations mutation isn't only something forced onto others blue is always looking for self-improvement and green looks to nature for inspiration when combined what we get is self-mutation taking what works from nature and adding it to oneself in this regard the possibilities are endless and when we can supplement ourselves with magic of nature we can come closer to perfection now let's step away from the concept of tampering with the natural order for a bit and let's move to what happens naturally on some planes when blue and green come together think for a moment what race you would get that combines magic with nature that is elf-like in its connections with its surroundings yet lives in the sea well you get merfolk they may span many different worlds but they all hold the similarity of being one with the sea and the creatures within it something quite green at the same time their capabilities in magic are quite spectacular something quite blue the merfolk are a perfect example of a race exemplifying a color combination as vampires wear to black white merfolk are the blue green now where mutation is taking something green and adding blue to it i would say wizards are something very blue influenced by green sure every color has them but when thinking in this framework we must see how they come to be so abundant in blue-green where blue by itself often uses artificers to create artificial mechanizations for self-improvement this is something that is obviously the antithesis of green you see it's okay to bend the colors when finding common ground but the designers always keep an eye out not to break the rules they've set for themselves and artificial meddling is a break for green so when finding the middle ground what you get is wizards that use biological or natural magic these wizards know that they need not look any further than their surroundings to unlock the secrets of the universe and all power found within it's not always so apparent where colors find common ground but when you sit down and flip through all the cards patterns begin to emerge with blue green we begin to see a force for change one that is always looking to improve its surroundings and itself always using nature as an example to us and many of the colors of magic nature seems like something unfazble something so vast and timeless yet it is something that is always changing always improving and if it needs a helping hand then blue green is the color combination to do it thanks again for checking out episode 2 first let's begin with red the color that follows its heart no matter where that may lead them you see the answer to life lays in our souls and not in our minds it's that fiery feeling you get down in your gut that tells you to act and act red does because the more time spent deciphering our feelings the more we move away from who we truly are green is confident in the knowledge that we're all part of a greater ecosystem one that spans the world and has been thriving before us and will thrive after we're gone we all have no choice but to move along with the winds that guide us and in fact it is our honor to do so on most planes the ideals of any color pair may vary as they are affected by their environment but when it comes to red green i feel that is the pair most confident in its design very rarely do we see a separation or changing in the way it thinks it's very consistent when brought together red brings out the side of green that is wild the side of it in every beast that resides in the forest a side that even hides within us all what green brings to red is the validation of its feelings it becomes more than following your heart there's a greater purpose you're following nature you are who you are meant to be you are simply fulfilling your purpose so how then do we know what the role is and how we fit into it well red green knows for the answers are there with us the moment we're born it's in the impulses that lie deep within our gut a trait that is read through and through it's in the instincts that sit in the animal part of our soul which comes from green so when red and green are brought together then so too are these ideas they become a product of their impulses and of their instincts red green acts as it knows it should and never stops to question the validity of such actions it is the combination of humanity's latent impulses and of the animals guiding instincts it is wild and free passionate and vicious there is no part of red green that seeks more from life beyond following its primal urges because to this color combination existence isn't any more complicated than that green on its own may find reason for stability and order but when combined with red it taps into its animalistic nature a side of green that lives in every animal a side that hides in each and every one of us we can see examples of this merger of humanity and a beast and the types of creatures available to red green ones that blur the line between human and animal such as its many centaurs seders and werewolves these creatures are not quite man or animal and are a literal representation of the passion of humanity mixed with the wild nature of a beast just like in the animal kingdom red green lives in packs and small families of others of its kind or those who share its way of life you see red may bring out the wild nature of green but it's in their merger that green shows red the value in family and kinship red on its own does make friends and follows others it agrees with but because of green's value of the group red green is able to form tight bonds with others who share their way of thinking or who may be like them in other ways now this isn't to say that they create social structure instead it's more like friends who share the same ideals and the one in charge is the loudest and strongest in fact when it comes down to it red green has a natural disdain for the structures that it sees in say white or blue while green on its own can agree with aspects of white this is not the case when combined with red the difference with finding and sticking with others like you rather than forming cities and governments is that it doesn't stop red green from being wild and free just as a lion in a cage would shrivel and die so too would red green and so it sees cities as just that cages this aversion to structure can often become more than just that and turn into disdain such as the gruel on ravnica who see the city as nothing more than a prison something that strangles the land this quote from domri best sums it up when civilization teeters on the brink i'll be there to kick it the rest of the way so even though you may see red green roaming in packs you'll never quite see them stuck adhering to the laws of those who build cities on land that was meant to be wild sometimes the wild and destructive nature of red green can be more than an ideal and on some planes it can take on a physical form of its own we see this not only in the storms earthquakes and fires that the plane themselves may conjure up but also in the elementals of red green beings or swirling destruction given sentience these elementals and storms are the ultimate manifestation of red green and of the wild and fierce side of nature you see the paw of a giant bear may cut into you the breath of a dragon may burn you but nature itself is the ultimate mindless destroyer it has no pity and it does only as it wishes it's as if the base ideals of red green have been conjured up and refined into something that never thinks never reacts and only just does as it wishes the combination of red and green is what happens when the true animal side of us all is allowed to come bursting forth it's what happens when we tune out all doubt that surrounds our impulses and instead listen closely to the instincts that drive the natural world any actions outside of this push us further and further away from what we're meant to be all we can do is become part of the current that drives every world by following our heart and our soul thanks for checking out my latest color theory video let's briefly talk about the core beliefs of the two pieces of the pie being discussed beginning with red if you want a more in-depth explanation of the individual colors being discussed i'll leave an annotation before each feel free to check those out after red is the color that lives life with a fiery passion it allows itself to be swept away by its impulses and desires red believes there is no need to overthink what we feel because what we feel is at the core of who we are and any act of analyzing what our gut tells us pulls us further away from that ideal blue on the other hand sees itself and the world around it as incomplete which isn't a bad thing you see when you believe that everything can and should be improved upon there's nowhere to go but up blue is rigid in the belief that there is only one path to self-improvement though and that is through studying practice and patience these enemy colors couldn't be farther from each other in a lot of ways you have blue on one end a color that is slow to act one who knows there is a right way of doing things but it just needs time to figure that out then you have red who believes the only right way of doing things is to simply just do things and it throws caution and forethought to the wind how then can these two opposing philosophies get anything done well like any enemy colors coming together it's in that middle ground that we find out how one color's differences fixes the others weaknesses it turns out that if red's passions can be turned into something constructive and blue can be compelled into action we can get some amazing acts of science and match this leads us perfectly into why red blue is such a force of discovery and that is its curiosity mixed with its desire to learn and improve within us all is that wonder that we had as a child which slowly dampened with age this isn't the case for red blue in fact the more it discovers of its world the more it wishes to find out more it takes that underlying desire to know more that is within us all and amplifies it blue of course is curious on his own as it wishes to know more about the world but its curiosity is rooted in a desire to gain something you see blue's curiosity is derived from the need to improve not from that curiosity itself when we bring red's influence in that curiosity and wonder become the focus the search for answers becomes more important than the answer itself the whole process then becomes an obsession something it cannot turn away from then when its blue side does find an answer it undoubtedly leads to another question and then red takes over and the cycle continues when you enjoy what leads you to an answer as much as the answer itself you're the core of what drives every aspect of red blue so now what to do with all of that curiosity and bubbling need for discovery well time to put it into action this is the part where red blue excels and at times catastrophically fails but at the end of the day the experiment is as important as the result you see red is all about action and blue is all about results this leads us then to experimentation and discovery it is a voracious need to put thoughts into actions to test what is known to find out more it is making things happen which could in turn create questions which need answers as opposed to cautious studying of a subject these experiments aren't always scientific either it's just the name given to a purely impulsive action based on curiosity there is a level of play here it's having fun with discovery it's pushing the limits past where you might feel comfortable for some that may be a mage trying a new spell a goblin alchemist messing around with matter or an artificer pushing the limits of what a machine can be this method of doing things is nothing if not reckless and red blue would not have it any other way if you're not having fun then what's the point the upside to this way of thinking is that it leads to moments where blue on its own may struggle it's those eureka moments found within the chaos of experimentation you see where some colors may find themselves crippled by rigid planning red blue instead finds inspiration in those unexpected results it is only through pushing yourself past where you thought you could go and throwing caution to the wind that you may find that special place where true magic can happen you see red on its own might be too consumed with action to care about discoveries but with blue at its side its impulses turn to imagination fleeting from one idea to the next is where this combination can flourish and with blue in the mix this pair has the ability to articulate these ideas into something concrete redblue doesn't think if it should do something it simply just does it in this way red blue is closer to an artist than a mage or an artificer it's like lightning in a bottle it sparks so bright but can go out in just a moment it is no mistake that the red blue god of pharaohs is karanos the god that is the fury of a storm and the sudden blaze of inspiration we see some of this reckless self-improvement or improvement of the world around it in the weirds of ravnica beings of pure imagination once crafted unlike any other it's in this power of imagination and this spark of inspiration that make red blue something to be fascinated by just don't get too close red blue in essence is the color repair that is driven by curiosity to make impulsive experiments in an effort to build on its ideal of reckless self-improvement there is no need to worry about where a discovery may lead it's more important to make that discovery this is why red blue is the color with so many wizards artificers and the oddities that those minds create this quote sums up this combination best the passionate intensity of the ge2 tempered by the cool insight of talarian training thanks again for checking out my latest my color pair series [Music] now let's begin with white white wants to create a world of peace and order one where no one suffers and everyone has what they need the thing is white believes that we can't all be trusted to achieve this ideal on our own so it utilizes morality and order as a way of holding back our more savage impulses these guiding principles take the form of religion and law blue is the color that is always looking to better itself a goal it devotes its entire existence to you see we're all born into this world a blank slate and through knowledge devotion and practice we can all improve on what came before so when you have a strong desire to improve not just yourself but the world around you and that desire is coupled with a focus on community and order you get blue white when we all live in a safe society we can then all spend energies we would otherwise devote elsewhere to things like art and learning because of this blue white is always looking to create a world where peace can allow for learning in many ways this color combination is the epitome of modern society one where the rule of law aims for the betterment of all in a lot of ways we can all see many parallels between blue white in our own world just maybe not as much magic so how then does blue white create a world where learning and growth can take center stage well for that this combination borrows heavily from white the color who creates laws and structures that protect society this in turn can give its blue side breathing room to do its research now the area where white has to change one of its two primary methods of structure is in its use of religion because with blue on board they tend to shy away from that instead they want to lean into systems that are more under their control so having a deity is usually out of the question they instead move towards governmental bodies and laws that can be added to or improved upon where white on its own can be very steadfast in its beliefs blue adds the flexibility to their relationship the laws they create and the ways of adapting those laws must be flexible because things change and discoveries are made as well these laws must be rooted in logic rather than emotion this is where a base morality falls apart and logical thinking comes to the forefront don't get me wrong morality of course exists in the creation of many laws but should never supersede intelligent discovery or thinking this is where governments instead of monarchies come in on its own white will usually look to a single bastion of order whereas blue see the value in democracy and of putting ideas to the test when you have a group that can spend time thinking and discussing every facet of law or society as a whole you can get a bigger picture in this way you can see what a monarchical ruling system may overlook with such a society in place we can create perfection through order a goal that is always moving and can always be iterated on now shaping a world where intelligence and creativity can take center stage is more than intangible things like law and the ideal of order it can be something more concrete i would say that of all the colors of magic white blue is the most concerned with and the best at the creation of cities that facilitate self-improvement and expression in white we have a color that builds castles and walls to keep its people safe in blue we see the building of institutions for discovery one of the best examples of this is the city of mellitus on theros a place where every bit of architecture means something a place where libraries and temples are of high importance a place where the handiwork of its people can be seen on every street corner you see learning cannot happen without the physical means to do so this means libraries and laboratories not only that the people must be safe to learn this means walls and structures i protect then tie this all together with the use of magic and technology and what you have is a society positioned in a way where the only way to move is up a city where opportunity hides around every corner sometimes the representation of white blue can be translated into wisdom and intellect discipline and learning it is peace through knowledge it is understanding oneself so that we may understand others and in turn be of service to others a good example of this is the jutai clan who look for enlightenment and martial prowess in equal order the dragons and monks of this order live a life of strict discipline in the hopes of reaching perfection in many ways this is the combination of the order and discipline of white and the self-improvement of blue on the other hand we have the sphinx beings who embody wisdom and intellect like no other they live a life that may often be solitude but they're all too willing to help those who need them it is through their understanding of the world around them and the people within as well as the ability to look into the future that these benevolent beings may help those in need whether it be self-reflection building structures or creating laws it is the primary goal of blue white to build a society where order can foster perfection a society of peace where learning and self-improvement are more than ideals and instead are right of every person well thanks for checking out my latest video [Music] when it comes to the core philosophy of green what you get is the color most in tune with the natural order one who see their own role within nature and in turn aims to fulfill that role to do this green looks to the use of deep-rooted traditions based on nature's examples black on the other hand rejects any role put onto it for wishes to carve its own path to power in other words what this means is that it is only us who can achieve our goals and nothing whether that be morality or law should ever stand in our way so what we have here is a pair of colors in which one side wishes to be the focus while the other wants nothing more than to meld into the tapestry of nature the question then becomes is it possible to achieve our own goals while still conforming to the greater plan of nature itself well the truth is none of us can escape nature no matter how much effort we exert black on its own may try its hardest to reject this notion but in the end green shows black that there is no way to stave off such things as life and death of predator and prey and of the eventual rod of all things deep down black knows that green speaks true it knows better than anyone the harsh realities of life its issue is in the constraints that accepting your lack of control would mean perhaps though there is an element of control that green on its own has overlooked what green black has figured out which allows them that control is their view on life and death itself they view both stages of existence in equal measure in turn giving them agency over the natural world's most exacting force sure on its own black may wish to manipulate death but this isn't exactly what's being said here what greenblack understands is that life and death are merely states and that the circle of life is continuous and not a path this pair doesn't look at raising the dead as anything more than continuing what nature has created the body may rot mine may fade there is still something beautiful there there still exists that perfect form that mother nature herself has designed they simply do not believe that nature in any form should go to waste this ideal gives green black the control over what may seem to others as uncontrollable destiny of nature especially green on its own who does not look past its direct existence but with black along can question its convictions now green black still makes the distinction that is not breaking from nature for each part of the circle is still within creation but simply asks if life may continue on should it not no matter what form that may be nature's most raw beauty is the circle perfect in its continuance with no break between life and death selfish desires and a need for control may seem at first thought something that green may not understand and yet there is many examples of this within nature as nature is all too willing to do as it wishes never once regarding the consequence or succumbing to remorse green may want a world of coexistence but it is no fool to what it sees around it take for example the apex predator sitting atop the food chain who exerts its control over every other living thing you see if preying on the weak is within the scope of nature which is something that green can understand then it becomes easy to rationalize being that predator especially when combined with the color like black it then becomes all too important to put themselves into the role of that predator for if you are not the predator then you are the prey and in turn lose any control that you once had in the end green black is the side of nature that can be cruel and selfish green black is the pair that can find beauty in things that others may be repulsed by you see an apple on the tree red and shiny may be mesmerizing in its simplicity but an apple on the ground rotten and dead is vastly more interesting and complex not only is that apple producing a new scent and form it becomes a host for new life and in turn out matches what it once was in a lot of ways this is how green black see the death of any form a body decomposing may be used as a vessel for something new may feed something hungry or simply may rise back up and begin its new phase this mindset of viewing the dark side of nature is at the core of the physicality of green black's ideals it's not just in rotten death either it's in things like poison and disease it's the cruel and lingering death conducted by mother nature herself who disguises her worst atrocities in the most colorful animals in exotic plants death rot and disease is a side of nature that others overlook but not green black no what green black sees is perfection beauty and complexity at first glance nature may seem like perfection and a force out of our control but green black doesn't see things this way you see at closer inspection what we find is an ecosystem that is nothing but selfish and cruel and if we just tap into this side of nature we may harness it for our own good with this outlook in mind we can then look at the world around us and at concepts such as life and death of rotten decay in a new light and that's green black color philosophy [Music] so first things first let's talk about red the color of passion and impulse the best way to look at red is to understand this sentence i believe everyone should have the right to follow their heart no matter where it leads them in essence freedom to answer the call of your heart not bound by arbitrary laws there is no need to question our impulses because that is what our heart truly wants and when we begin to dissect why we desire something it begins to lose its meaning now what black wants isn't so dissimilar it just goes about it in a more cold and calculating fashion you see black wants everything that life has to offer this means the power to do so the thing with black is that it will do whatever it takes to get itself into that position it has no ties to kin or morality it sees what it wants as a straight path and it isn't obstructed by the limitations that others put on themselves so i'm sure you can see where these two ideologies begin to intersect and that's a given because unlike the previous two episodes this color combination are natural allies on the wheel this does not mean that they are the same nor do they always agree on everything it's just that they do hold very similar values they just go about it a little different for instance red needs freedom for without freedom how can it fulfill its impulses whereas black needs freedom but freedom to fulfill its every wish now these two ideas may sound very similar and you may think to yourself dice you're just splitting hairs here and to a degree you would be right that is what it comes down to with allied colors let me explain further you see red wants the freedom to express itself it wants to love whoever wants to love or fight whoever makes it angry black on the other hand wants those same freedoms but purely for selfish reasons black wants the freedom to do as it pleases it wants to use others in lusts after or kill those who gets in its way so what happens then when red black are combined well red black wants freedom pure and simple no allowances of freedom handed out by lawmakers but pure chaotic freedom that allows them to express their darkest desires we see it as best represented on ravnica with the cult of rakdos a guild whose antics have no boundaries and whom live a lifestyle others have trouble understanding they live on the edge of society personifying the darkest desires within us all they act without much thought beyond accomplishing carnal satisfaction a twist on red's ideals and they will go to any length to achieve this spurred on by their black side you see within us all are those dark thoughts that we would never act upon but to red black no idea is off the table and in fact those dark thoughts are what we must seek out and act upon when we see red black within the multiverse it often represents chaos and madness on many planes you see when passion goes unchecked and that same passion is always hungry for more it can push the mind of red black over the edge nonetheless out of all the colors of magic it is the one that thrives on its madness often in flavor it is a color that cares not for its safety or those who fight alongside it it presses forward not just to win but to simply kill and cause pain for the sheer enjoyment of it i think in any one color it would be impossible to represent madness but when we take the two sides that red and black bring to the table we see it displayed perfectly in red we have an almost frantic desire to act upon our whims and not our mind yet in black those same frantic desires take dark turns red black's mind is a mess of one selfish impulse after another making it hard to form long-term decisions causing a loss of stability living this life with no stability and in essence chaos creates madness very often in magic the colors are represented to be neutral no one color is truly evil nor are any truly good it's simply a matter of perspective even black isn't purely evil by its nature selfish sure but it's not always evil something happens though when red and black are brought together something sinister i think it has a lot to do with allowing our darkest impulses to take center stage without any of the guardrails of morality to keep it in check within red black we see what the true personification of that would be in physical form as the demons and horrors that are common among this color combination or even the many elementals that take the form of true fiery rage sure there is usually a reason for everything but for red black i think we have the one exception to this rule sure ready mobile characters do exist in this color combination but they are just that exceptions red black to me is the most unique of all the color combinations because it is hard to find any redeemable qualities it desires to cause harm to all those around it and enjoys causing suffering when we look at any of the other colors of magic we can see that the magic team really do try to make it so that there's no good or bad and that morality is all a matter of perspective based on what color you relate to even black who's willing to kill those in its way to get what it wants does so with a purpose whereas red black find purpose only in the act of killing any world where red black exists can never truly be safe but hey at least they're having fun and that's gotta count for something right well thanks again [Music] let's start off with white white's beliefs couldn't be more upfront and simple they wanted to create a world of order and peace one where all can be free of suffering the issue is that not everyone shares their ideal and so laws must be created and enforced to ensure this lofty goal as you would expect from an enemy color though red does not see things this way it wants a world of absolute freedom freedom and action and freedom and thought red believes that we should be motivated by nothing else but our impulses for that is our true unhindered nature so just like any other time in which you are combining enemy colors the result may seem impossible at first glance freedom and order obviously are quite contradictory so let's not concentrate so much on the concrete translation of their ideals and instead let's look at the root of their beliefs white ultimately just wants to protect people and defend the weak okay well that's something red can understand as they are all too willing to go to the ends of the earth for those they love on the flip side freedom of thought and action really just translates into unhindered passion which white can understand as it feels so strongly about its beliefs that it's willing to devote its entire life to its ideals all right now we're beginning to get somewhere let's just dive in a little bit deeper and see where this idea leads the best place to start when trying to understand red white's motivations is in its view of community which manifests itself in different ways no matter the community whether that be their family a brotherhood an organization or within a city structure itself red white is passionate about upholding its fellow man at its core white on its own is the color that puts the needs of all before their own and this isn't too much of a stretch for red sure on their own they don't want to be part of a rigid structure found within a city but they can show undying love for their kin so what happens when white is brought into the mix well this familial connection then is broadened to an undying empathy for all now this empathy would normally lead white to the creation of structures to keep others safe but red says that's not enough and is firm in the belief that only action can keep others safe they don't need systems to protect others they simply stamp out those who would do harm much like a mother bear protecting her children from an aggressor that comes too close now besides his desire to protect the weak red white will find others who share their value and create a brotherhood of like-minded individuals willing to lay down their life for each other much like a police force or as we see in the multiverse soldiers soldiers represent the side of red white that is selfless based on its undying convictions with this self-made kinship formed of like-minded individuals they may in turn do their duty something to which they have devoted their life to this allows red white to hold up each other and in turn they may hold up those who aren't able to help themselves whether alone or in a group red white in essence believes that peace can only be achieved through action as there will always be those who oppose order and who are all too willing to prey on the weak which in red white's eyes is unacceptable in a lot of ways red white sees anyone that has crossed the lines they have drawn as enemies and will exact punishment without mercy they believe that anyone who preys on the weak deserves no mercy it is the fiery anger of retribution it's the red hot fire in your belly when you see injustices it's when you know something must be done and it's on you to do it this is best illuminated by the angels of red white beings of pure conviction who will do anything to help those in need but to those that harm the vulnerable they will purify them in flame it is a code of justice without quarter it is retribution for those who cannot fight for themselves in a lot of ways action is the only way that red white can express itself you see red is prone to outbursts of emotion triggered by what is important to them to white what is important is standing up for those who cannot stand up for themselves it's acting on their convictions in the only way they know how even with the confines of white stringent morality there's still room for prideful action action which is for the good of the group what do i mean by that well in times when things seem their bleakest a red white personality may step forward and act outside of their position they may break rank or do something that may seem foolish in order to turn the tide in their favor it is in these moments though that heroes are born in times of tribulation red may express itself and white may inspire others to greatness in this way redway may find freedom through order or self-expression through inspiration what this means is that others may hear of this tale or witness this example and in turn that action becomes a higher code in which others may live their life in a way a single moment may create a figure in which people hold themselves to a higher code white on its own may be too rigid for acts of spontaneous action but red allows this combination to take on seemingly selfish and prideful actions which end up being for the good of all sometimes it takes a leader rising above despair so that others may be stronger because of it in the end what this all comes down to is a combination that will go to the ends of the earth for its family its brotherhood or anyone in need what this means is that red white is the color combination that believes that only through action can we help others it is the person who runs into a fire to save a life or puts themselves between danger and the innocent where some may simply set up structures to help others or let nature run its course is just as in the case for red white for if we do not act on our convictions then do we truly even believe in them [Music] [Music] you

Channel: DiceTry

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Keywords: mtg color pie, color pie, color philosophy, color pie mtg, color pie philosophy, color philosophy mtg, magic the gathering color philosophy, dicetry color pie, mtg color pie explained, mtg color pie philosophy, mtg color philosophy, mtg colour philosophy, mtg mana, magic the gathering, mtg colors, mtg colors explained, Magic: the gathering

Id: N7_TjIFf6gk

Length: 57min 42sec (3462 seconds)

Published: Sat Nov 06 2021