Slicing the Pie Marathon | Shards & Wedges Color Philosophy

[Music] the slicing the pie series is by far one of the most popular series on my channel as i believe there isn't really anything like it out there covering the philosophies of each of the shards and wedges of magic the gathering is really what launched this channel into the trajectory it is on and so to celebrate that i decided to put it all together into one single video for your viewing pleasure i trimmed down some of the extra parts and edited each episode together to be one seamless experience that i know you'll enjoy before we get into it though i just wanted to give a special shout out to my patreons your added support to this channel is greatly appreciated if you want to become a patreon i'll have more information at the end as always though leaving a comment and a like on this video will always remain what makes this all worthwhile thanks for your time now enjoy the video when combining three colors the result is something that is inherently complex therefore we will have to lay the groundwork before we can dive into the different philosophies of the color combination in question from there we will be able to learn what versions of asper are possible with the colors that are at our disposal i will be dissecting the colors in question as well as the colors that are not in the shard that way we will better understand the esper combination and we'll be able to create philosophies that fit within that framework the best place to start is with the color that bridges the gap between the two enemy colors of that shard that's why i'm glad we're starting this series off with esberg as our bridge will have the task of bringing two iconic enemies together in white and black in the case of asper our bridge color is blue so let's start things off with expanding our bridge then from there we can talk about how blue's interactions affect each of its neighbors blue is the color that is always looking for perfection not just in itself but in everything around it because of this guiding ideal blue is the color that is always hungry to learn and to create at a constant rate blue is never satisfied with good enough and believes there is always room for improvement and discovery simple enough right but how does this relate to the colors that share its shard to learn this we will have to discuss how each adjacent color interacts with our bridge color let's start with blue and white when this combination comes together we have a philosophy that believes in perfection of society through creation of an ever-evolving system of laws government and infrastructure blue white is confident that together we can reach heights that alone we may not so what then does blue see in black and what philosophy is created from their merger well it's in black's unwavering hand that blue may find answers in places it may otherwise be afraid to look then blue opens black's eyes to the endless possibilities found in expanding your thought you see when blue and black are brought together we have a combination that believes in self-improvement unhindered by morality and that nothing is out of reach for those who take it with this understanding we can start to get an idea of what the shard of asper might believe in but before we can dissect this shard properly we'll have to take the next step and learn about what esper's missing colors tell us about this combination in this case it would be the colors red and green so let's start with red the lack of red mana tells us that asper is a color combination that is not guided by emotion we can then assume that any variation of this shard will lack any empathy or impulsiveness esper is a color that acts in a cold and calculated manner with no room for fleeting emotions next the lack of green mana tells us that there will never be any regard for the natural order or the circle of life what's more is that asper doesn't try to fulfill a destiny it will instead carve out its own path esper then is the shard that thinks only of what can be done and not what should be done at least as far as the natural order is concerned to esper nature and its inhabitants are nothing more than a resource alright so now that we have crafted the framework for our discussion we'll have to put it all to use to that end we will discuss three possible versions of what white blue and black's relationship could potentially look like as the traditional esper perspective isn't the whole story just as we've learned in the duality series there are many interpretations to any color and their combinations so let's start with the first concept perfection through ruthless order so we know that blue and black when combined are interested in self-improvement unhindered by morality while on the other hand white and blue believe that society as a whole may be perfected through the use of systems so of course the first clash is with black and white over the idea of improvement of self or improvement of society what blue says is that no we must improve society for society may prosper then so too will i you see for a world to reach its potential it must create an environment where potential may be cultivated and if a person is not interested in this idea then to asper that person has no place in it esper is not the combination to waste its energy on those who do not share its vision this is a combination that does have what's best in mind for its kin or those under its rule but it will not tolerate those who would step against the flow of its ideals you see where one might be influenced to find order through peace an ideal guided by empathy this just isn't the case for esper as being devoid of red mana leaves no room for trivial emotions such as these they know that only under unified front guided only by logic may we have any progress and in progress we gain power and through power perfection to those who would step out of line esper will use the prisons of white the re-education of blue or the swift executions of black in any case a culture is created under the watch of this version of esper one where the ideals of progress trump individual rights wisdom can be summed up in two rules control what you can eliminate what you can't what we have here is a belief system that calls weakness from its ranks so that what is left is better for it i mean you can't argue with results right okay so now you see what happens when we lean into blue and white's idea of an ideal society mixed with black's ruthlessness let's move into our next version which leans more into blue black side the power of unrestricted knowledge is an ideal that supersedes humanity and attempts to grasp into the darkness for answers asper puts value in the concept that to obtain perfection knowledge must be unrestricted by morality and that we must be willing to look for answers from those who reside in darkness then within those answers that others have neglected we may evolve our understanding of our place within the world the issue is that the knowledge that esper values is one that is often rejected by humanity as a whole so this pushes esper into the shadows in the previous example we had a group that controlled swaths of society or a whole world this version instead must rely on like-minded individuals who share their same fervor and result this version of esper utilizes white's piety and belief in a higher power black's willingness to seek out what is forbidden and blues curiosity all combining to form cults or dark brotherhoods from there they may gain an understanding and control over the powers that lay outside of man's grasp you see true enlightenment may only be obtained by those willing to stare into the void and from there man may evolve to reach heights that it would otherwise keep at arm's length in white these bonds are formed in blue the insatiable desire to learn is fostered and in black that curiosity is extended to the dark places of the multiverse we know that without any green mana present and with the lack of emotion found in red coupled with its already strong belief in perfection and order esper is a shard that views everything as a resource to be used for its ambitions white states that we must all add to the collective black will consume without much thought to its consequences and blue will look for any advantage it can what we get is a shard that combines all of these aspects into a philosophy that perceives the world around it including its people as a resource anything whether it be humanoid life or nature itself has a more useful or productive form than what it currently is it is not necessarily evolution but a sure and careful hand crafting raw life into a useful machine of progress if a tree can be cut down to make a house should it not if a death can create an endless servant why should we mourn a life lost if flesh can become machine isn't that peak efficiency if we set aside our worries of ethics and empathy we can then take what is lying dormant and unused and put it to work to some they may see extinction of life but to esper they see the use of life there is more we can do for the world than simply exist and this is extended to the plane itself we should not fear progress we should devote ourselves to it there is not much more to be said about esper and its beliefs it keeps its intentions quite clear this is a shard whose philosophy is rooted in a desire to perfect society a goal unhindered by morality on some planes it may be on a large scale an unrelenting hand that forcefully guides society towards an ever-shifting view of an ideal world while on other planes this concept may be carried out on a small scale with others who share its vision one of knowledge found in forgotten dark corners only through knowledge may we be set free and that knowledge may come from places that the weak may be too afraid to touch only through knowledge may we be set free and that knowledge must come from places the weak may be too afraid to touch no matter the goal though the method is always the same do not feel empathy for what needs changing whether that be for man or world everything is a resource to be utilized on the path to perfection and it is our duty not just to ourselves but to our comrades to foster progress for progress is power and power is perfection hey friends thanks for checking out my first installment of the slicing the pie series i'll first expand on the bridge color and then talk about how it pairs up with each of its neighboring colors after that we must take a look at what mana is missing from this shard and what that tells us about it from there we can come up with three different ways of translating the philosophies within that shard okay with that let's get into it by asking what is red and how does it transform when paired with each of its neighbors red is honestly one of the simplest colors to explain and i think that's just the way red would have it for red nothing really has to be as complicated as people make it out to be it's as simple as being guided by your inner self it's trusting your gut it's instinct above introspection above all else it's the passion to follow your heart no matter where that may lead you see if you attach yourself to red you'd best be ready to live your life guided purely by your emotions so then what does this look like when combined with green and what philosophies lie within this pair well what we see is that red brings out the side of green that embraces its total animal side it transforms into a philosophy that forgoes everything except for pure instinct and freedom when combined with red green sheds its ideals of tradition and instead finds harmony in the laws of nature on the other side of red's pairings we have something not so dissimilar in red black the difference between these two pairings in my opinion is that this version is more the human side of such a combination what i mean is that red black doesn't follow animal instincts of hunter and prey like red green instead it becomes more twisted with the desires of humanity's darkest impulses black is always looking to take on the full extent of its existence and gains power so that is never restricted so when red is brought into the mix this combination will go about black selfish needs with added ferocity the commonality here with both of these pairs lies in the idea of freedom being the key factor that red injects into each of these colors both black and green see the value in freedom it's just pushed to the surface when red is fused with either of them so now we understand that jund is a color combination that values individual freedom above all else and is willing if not cruel in its path to achieve this you see john knows that it must possess the vicious and callous nature of a predator to get the most out of its life now before we can really understand a shard or wedge it is best to also look at what the missing mana tells us about it as what a shard is not is just as important as what it is in the case of jund our missing mana is white and blue so with a lack of any white mana we know for sure that john lacks empathy for those below it and thinks that rigid social structures has no place in the world simple enough but what does the lack of blue mana tell us well this lets us know that john does not think about the deeper meaning behind itself or the world around it i would say that with blue mana missing john is not looking too far into the future it is simply acting following one instinct to the next so with everything we know so far we now have managed to craft the framework for understanding jund from this position we can now talk about three possible philosophies for this shard but remember there's always more to be discovered about the colors than just what we've been shown before color philosophy is all about leaning more or less into different parts of the color's ideals so if you have any alternative ideas for how you see jund then write those down in the comments i'd love to read them and start a discussion okay let's get on with it the first point and what i think is at the core of john's every decision is the concept of authenticity of self through savage expression it not only dictates that we follow our heart but that it must be the animal side of ourselves the side with no empathy the side that acts impulsively and aggressively red tells us to trust our instincts green says that those instincts must be rooted in animal impulses and black states that those impulses must only serve us with no thought for others jun says that inside every one of us there is the hidden capacity for animal brutality it's just that our cushy lives have pushed that aspect of ourselves further and further down to jund we must express ourselves through vicious acts for that is our original nature it is in john's mind our truest form to this end john is the color combination that not only finds purpose in expressing its raw aggression but also gains satisfaction in the act of consuming the weak as if displaying its strength over others is a key to understanding its true self and its place in this world for if i'm not able to aggressively pursue my raw instincts then what purpose is there in my life other than being a victim for if you're not a predator then you are a prey because of this there is no middle ground or room for pacifism in jund it must always display its raw power in order to prove the worth of its existence within the philosophy of junt we know that there is no room for deeper introspection therefore any philosophies that fall within john must also adhere to the ideal that i call chaos of thought and confidence of action this means that those who follow jun live a life of mental chaos but in the end believe themselves to be the only ones confident in their actions only through living our lives with no thought as to why we're doing something may we truly be who we were meant to be jun says that so much is wasted in introspection we must remove the layers of thinking that slow our impulses and taint our actions think of it as a barrier that slows your actions due to time spent evaluating thought if we remove that barrier we may then act quickly and be closer to our truer self now this doesn't just mean blocking the thought process that limit instinct part of it is also a complete lack of conscience a conscience that would limit one's actions judd is following through on any impulse no matter how brutal or depraved it may be red is swept away by its emotions never letting deeper thought come into play green taps into its animal brain which lacks empathy and black is consumed by what it desires so when we bring all of this together we of course create a philosophy that is not compelled by thought but by the chaos of the heart gut and soul a combination that is confident in what it is and what it wants the dragon has no pretense of compassion no false mask of civilization just hunger heat and need so far it may seem like jund is a philosophy with absolutely no structure and while this isn't too far from the truth it is important to keep in mind that green is still part of jaund and greene believes that there must be harmony but not necessarily peace harmony through domination means that creatures of the natural world will position themselves properly given enough time due to the natural roles of predator and prey what this means is that a structure is formed through domination and not law even though this harmony is formed through brutality it is still harmony nonetheless this structure may not look anything like the rigidity of white and blue's idea of society but it is a kind of structure the best place to look for an example of this idea is in the natural world itself here we see how nature and instinct can create structure and even harmony in simplest terms this ideal is derivative of another term here on earth the food chain it's a concept that orders every ecosystem into a hierarchy of predator and prey and in doing so maintains a delicate ecosystem sure some may strike against those above them when the opportunity presents itself but the order of power is never shifting so in this way jun still has leaders but these leaders are not elected nor does it have anything to do with their policies it's just a matter of domination through raw power so in a way the use of aggression to dominate others creates an odd sense of harmony only truly displayed in jund so we know for sure that jund is a color combination that can only be its authentic self through its expression of its every savage impulse not just to act on its instincts but to truly display its aggression on others because of this john lives its life in what others would call chaos of thought in that it never thinks it just acts out its every human and animal impulse for in spending time wondering why you act you miss out on the act itself it's in this way of life that any version of john will find itself either at the top of the food chain or a victim to something stronger the philosophy of jund is one that is confident in its every action and one where domination is the only law hey there friends and thanks for checking out my latest color philosophy video i honestly have in this case the bridge color is white from there we can talk about how that bridge interacts with each of its neighbors from there we have to talk about the colors that are missing from the equation as what colors are missing in a shard is just as important as the colors that are within so let's start things off with advanced bridge color wait the main thing to keep in mind when trying to understand white is that it is the color whose main focus is peace for all the issue is that it knows there are those that don't share its ideals and so uses strict levels of order and morality to achieve this goal white is the color that will look to laws and religion to regulate our wilder sides all in an effort to ensure peace and order for all so any version of band will have a focus on community and social structure when that bridge color is brought together with a color like green who has a similar focus on community that ideal is shifted towards acceptance rather than control with green on board white learns that it cannot change our nature and if we're all to get along we must be willing to accept each other's flaws now with blue it takes a different approach instead leaning much more heavily into the mechanisms that enact order it believes that the only way to create a perfect society is to create an environment where everyone can reach their potential to do this it may take structures of learning or laws to keep chaos at bay but all of this must be willing to evolve okay i think we're getting somewhere with this but there's still an important aspect that needs addressing and that is the colors that are missing from the shard let's first think about what a world or philosophy would be like with no black mana for one we remove selfishness from the equation with no black mana present we can be certain that band is a color always thinking about the effects it has on those around it alright now how will we take rent from this and see what we're left with in the case of band the lack of red mana tells us that this is a shard that respects the rule of law and is willing to restrict itself for the betterment of others there are rules and the rules supersede impulses now that we've created the framework we can build the shard's philosophy but before we do i always like to say one thing color philosophy is by no means an exact science and while on this channel we aim to further expand upon it there are many sides to every color and especially of every combination wizards of the coast has laid out for us an interesting set of colors and it's up to us to explore their potential so if there is a version or ideal of band that i do not cover then be sure to let me know in the comments or join the discussion on my discord okay with that let's get into my first point and one that i feel is a great basis for understanding band i always like to start things off with the most low-hanging fruit so to speak and bring up the concept that is a good basis for any philosophies that lie within the shard we're discussing with bant i believe that concept is progression in order through tradition what i mean by this is that bad believes that if we all were to mold ourselves around proven rituals we could then all march to the same beat and thus march forward together it takes green's predilection to maintaining the old ways or traditions white's need for order and blue's desire to move things ever forward typically the blue side may not be so inclined to follow along with the old and would rather seek out the new but when combined with white and green it can see the value in rallying around something and from everyone's progress as a unit what is important to note is that bant is not stagnant because of tradition as traditions can be iterated on instead it's a slow and methodical march forward together a reliance on an established order also creates roles and by these roles you're handed your purpose in this way a perfect functioning version of band would be similar to an ant colony everyone would have their place and know their role within the established tradition and rules and from there they could act accordingly instead of creating the friction that individuality brings forth an ant colony is close to a perfect example but i think that ban no matter the form is always looking to accept others and wouldn't be so tribal because at the end of the day bant will always be the most diverse and welcoming of all shards traditions can be taught and through this action outsiders are made to become a part of the collective and then through those repetitive rituals we can begin to march to the same beat with that established i want to move on to the next point one that allows the growth to happen and leans a little more into band's blue side evolution through acceptance and peace is a philosophy of bant that believes we can only move forward as a society when we can work together if we take our own existence as an example humanity's greatest weakness and potentially our extinction is our inability to treat each other as equals what i'm saying is that our divisiveness will be our downfall and what band believes is that in a world where all are one we can become better as a whole blue believes that we must always be looking to become a better version of ourselves white believes that our strength lies within each other and green believes we all have a part to play therefore perfect society to bend would be one where the entire plane is banded together and one where war is nothing more than a passing thought and chaos is nothing more than a concept in this ideal world bant could create an environment where learning and expansion of thought society and culture could take precedence in this way band could accomplish the cultivation of both nature and nurture and in essence reach a new plateau of evolution the interesting thing about this concept is that it wouldn't take place in a single tightly knit city as you first might picture but instead could be sprawled across the whole plane imagine a web of small villages sprawled across the plain none of which have to spend resources on war with each other instead they could build up their own expertise and share freely in this world you would have networks of diverse thinkers artists and builders all of whom could devote themselves to their specialty okay let's move on to the final point and another broad philosophy important to band religion i would say another important piece of band's framework is the concept of acceptance through piety where traditions give a guiding focus that can bring about natural order i think religion is the catalyst for acceptance when it comes to band of course this might not be present in every version but as you will see it can appear quite naturally because of the colors present let's break it down first in green we see a color that knows there is a greater force behind everything some might call her mother nature itself white of course is the color most drawn to worship and fellowship and blue is curious as to the deeper meaning behind things all of this combined can easily culminate into a religion now it's not enough for the colors to come together in this way the real question is why is it important to bats identity well i think it comes down to the way it can bring people together that bat finds not only useful but important it isn't doing it for its own gain or to manipulate but it earnestly believes what it preaches and accepts others into its guiding ideals the specifics of the religion aren't important as they change from plane to plane it's more about their willingness to accept a power beyond what they understand than to use it as a way that brings people together there is a pureness to it that i don't think we have seen yet here on earth it honestly seems to be one that only an idealist color philosophy could create what we've learned is that in the end ben wants to create a world where all are one a unified philosophy dictating that all must be accepted so that we may march forward together to do this it may rely on things like tradition to create the ideals that unify us or perhaps it's in a common belief that we may share a bond through piety once we've achieved this we can then craft a world of peace one that will allow us to concentrate on bettering not just ourselves but those around us to some this may seem like a philosophy of an idealist but to bant no philosophy is worth considering if it's not ideal for all well thanks for checking out my latest slicing the pie episode each of the five shards is a grouping of three colors with one color in the middle surrounded by its allies we call this the bridge color this color gives the shard its focus and binds two allies together in the case of grixes that color is black as we have learned from previous videos we know that black is the color most concerned with the self and of what it can get out of its existence black knows that there is no one else looking out for you but yourself and that it's up to you to take what you want from this life nothing is off limits to those who live by this ideal with that covered we must now move on to the second step and that is figuring out how the bridge interacts with each of its neighbors this way we can begin to glean core aspects of grix's philosophy let's start off with the combination of red and black this pairing is one that allows itself to fulfill black's desires with a focus and fervor only brought about by red there's no question to red block as to the purpose to life it takes what it wishes and does as it pleases never stopping to question its actions these desires may often be rooted in sadistic human impulses but not always it's important to note that red can love and that red can have empathy it's just that black makes sure that there's always something in it for itself on the other side of it we have black and blue appearing that takes life a bit more seriously this pair believes that to get what we want and to be in a place of perfection we must take deliberate steps through control and subterfuge to position ourselves in a place where we make the rules and shape the world around us a world where our power and knowledge is absolute so with both of those pairs explained we can begin to see that great sis is a combination that is focused on what it can get out of life it sees its desires as objectives to be fulfilled no matter the means it may take a direct and short-term approach or it can plan and plot its way into a position of absolute power it's all a matter of leaning more or less into different aspects of the colors present but with black as its bridge it will always make decisions that will better itself or at least what it deems important with what we've uncovered so far we can begin to see what a philosophy of grixis could potentially be but our framework is not complete to get the whole picture we still have to move on to the final step which is to select the two colors that are missing in order to learn what the shard is not because what a shard is not or cannot be tells us a lot about grixis first up let's cover white because i think its absence will really give us perspective on grixis that is very important white is the color whose actions are always concerned with how it affects others at a macro level it shapes society in a way that it sees as improvement and at a micro level it is the color that will go out of its way to change the lives of people for what it deems to be the better what this tells us in the end and especially with a focus on black is that grace's is a combination whose decisions are always rooted in the self it will only act in regard to others based on how it is affected and if that effect benefits them in any way next we have a complete lack of green mana in grixes and the result is something very similar with no green mana present we can now see that grixis is in no way concerned with how things should be what i mean is that grixes will never make decisions based on the natural order it will bite above the food chain it will consume without thought and it will pervert whatever it feels it needs to in the end the real thing we glean from these colors being devoid in grexis is that we have a combination that only acts in accordance to self sometimes actively doing harm to others for gain or simply for pleasure well there we have it the basis or framework that will allow us to build our philosophy for grixis for this video i'll cover what i feel are the shard's three core ideas but as i've said before it won't be the whole picture as there is always more to be discussed and discovered when it comes to color philosophy and magic so with that out of the way let's cover the first tenet of grix's ideals unbridled ambition through control is a core tenet of grix's philosophy as it perfectly encapsulates what is at the basis of a lot of its decisions what i mean is that grix's is an obsessive combination that is never satisfied with what it has and is always looking to what others possess thinking only of what it can take grixes sees lives and possessions as something that is merely not theirs yet it is greed and envy in the strongest sense of the word what's more is that it knows that in order to rest from others what they hold dear a crushing level of control must be created and maintained through fear and manipulation grixes may take what it covets from others in red we have obsessive tendencies in black we see a ruthless greed and in blue there's the manipulation of its surroundings all culminating into greed and envy disguised as ambition when it comes to a shard like grexis it will consume life knowledge and possessions until there is not but dust and still it will look to other places for what it desires it is hunger for power beyond what we can imagine now the need is not the whole picture for to simply want is not enough to bring about results to gain what grixes desires it must use what it has at its disposal to gain control over others and in turn use them to gain ever more influence control and power to extend yourself beyond your limitations you must exert yourself onto others and in turn those you have gained influence over may spread your tendrils of control even further think of a cult leader on a small scale or a multiverse spanning threat like nicol bolas all must bow or die you are either their god or their devil and it is their choice and there is no in between okay now let's move away from what i would call peak villainy into something a bit more grounded in real world thought to say grixis is only world-consuming dark plots wouldn't be giving it enough credit as there is a side of its ideals that we can find in our own world this aspect of grix's philosophy is based in its creative side an artist's mind if you will and it's one i want to highlight in this video that way you can get a better perspective of the facets that make up this shard i call this side of grix's philosophy self-indulgent creativity it is a side of grixis that wishes to create instead of destroy or consume now of course as we discussed earlier this is a black focused shard with a lack of white or green mana and therefore every aspect of its creativity only serves to fulfill its ego or desire this manifests itself in a few ways but i think the most obvious is the egotistical artist this side of grixis pulls heavily from the combination of red and blue who together have an insatiable need to experiment and create with black's requirement to be the focus of every decision it makes think for a moment of the creative who spends more time waiting for a compliment than working at their craft they obsess over the image people have of them in their head and use their creative ability to achieve fame or greatness it's more a result of the ego than the need to create something that others may enjoy perhaps they don't even create something that is necessarily enjoyed as long as its creation or art is on everyone's lips its legacy over content of course every creative action is done so that others may witness it but to grixiss the result is worth more than the action it is creativity only for fame and fortune not to create in order to better others alright now let's cover one more primary aspect of grix's ideals when thinking of what a world populated by those who have lived within the philosophy of grexis would be i think it's best to understand what structures it would find most important it's not just a matter of constant ambition desire and control as those are an end goal or a motivation no what i want to answer with this tenant is what is the type of action a soul who is wrapped up in this philosophy would take what sort of mind would you be working with and what interests would be important to that mind it is with this question in mind where i came up with the concept of revelry in cruel magic what this means is that a grix's mage which i think would be quite common considering blue is part of the equation would be one who would seek out magic that accompanies its mindset this of course would manifest itself in magic that's rooted in death malice and hate not just ways of control but ways to punish and to merely draw satisfaction through exertion of its magic think for a moment of the magic that would be created with blue's need for constant iteration and perfection combined with black's ruthless and amoral outlook with the impulsive and emotional side of red we naturally see this in the combination red black and almost cruel obsession with pain and the human experience so if we combine that with the magic focus of blue it's no surprise that we can find ourselves in a place where suffering and magic go hand in hand of course this magic isn't just a matter of causing pain but it is one that is always looking to take every aspect of humanity and stretch it as far as it can go it is bringing death into life pain into pleasure and trust into fear it's with these tools that grixis may exact its control and fulfill its ambition when it comes down to it i believe what lies at the core of grixis is the human experience brought to its most extreme conclusion it's the obsession and emotion of red the curiosity of blue and the fully idealized version of self that black brings with it this all manifests itself into traits such as ambition envy and pride to some these qualities may be reviled but to grixis it's a matter of being honest with oneself it's allowing yourself to enjoy the full extent of your being and really being honest with your feelings and it is them who pity you for restricting what comes natural for if you are not exacting the entire extent of your existence then what is the purpose of that existence wow i can't believe we finally have covered grix's thanks in the case of nia our three colors are red green and white making our bridge color green this bridge color has the task of bringing two enemy colors together creating a well bridge that allows the others to find common ground so what do we know about green well green believes that we're all born with a role in this world and by fulfilling our role we may be in harmony with all things this is to say that everything has a function and by respecting that function we may all gain what we need from the ecosystems we find ourselves in this tells us that nia's focus will always be a matter of the bigger picture and how it fits within the world around it and that nothing is out of place and everything belongs now that we've established the bridge it's time to apply the bridge's philosophy to each of its neighbors as this will begin to expand what naya can be first up we have the combination of red green here we have a pair that brings red's impulses and green's instincts into a philosophy that is the epitome of freedom of self and expression of the soul red green perhaps is the most confident in itself as it is driven not by the mind but by the heart and gut then on the other side we have the pear white green a combination whose primary focus is the acceptance of what makes us who we are and through that acceptance we may all coexist in a habitat where our nature may thrive what these combinations together tell us is that naya will be a shard who needs freedom to thrive and that freedom must be extended to all through acceptance and coexistence as you can probably see the shard of nia is beginning to take shape but we still have not crafted the whole framework to do that we must look at the final step which is to extrapolate what we can from the mana that is missing from this shard which are the enemies of our bridge in the case of naya that is black and blue let's start with black what we know of black is that it's the color of self and of the drive to do things that bring yourself the power to enact your will so with a lack of black manna we know that naya is a shard of community or at least harmony naya knows its place and isn't about to take on more than it needs next we have a lack of blue mana blue is the color of discovery an improvement in all things both internal and external so of course with no blue mana present naya is a shard that isn't looking to change or discover more about itself it's confident in its actions and who it is there we have it the framework is built and i think we have a good starting point for this and future discussions for as i like to say there's always more to discuss and discover when it comes to magic the gathering color philosophy so if you have an idea of nay in mind or any tweaks to the ideas that i bring up today then be sure to let me know in the comments okay with that let's get into our first tenenya color philosophy one that is at its core an ideal that should always be in your mind when thinking of naya and that is simply put balance this concept is one that i only think could be possible with a bridge like green holding it all together sure we can see balance in any pairing but when it comes to naya there's this undeniable sense of harmony and balance only seen as perfectly as it is in nia you see no color is more neutral than green it does not fight against anything it doesn't try to change anything it simply just is with this in mind we can then look to its neighbors white and red or order and chaos naya sees how there are two forces pulling against each other and says instead of allowing one to take over what if we accept this dichotomy and allow it to govern us what i mean by this is that order does not always mean restraint it can be found in allowing the uncontrollable to happen all with a mindset that is rooted in acceptance instead of resistance we cannot remove the beast from the man nor the man from the beast we are both animal and something more and to fight against this dichotomy within us all would be rejecting who we really are now this does not in any way equate to chaotic action for its own sake merely accepting things that are not in our control and by doing this we can live a more balanced life for if we are to concentrate on ourselves and fulfill not just our duties but fulfill our hearts desires we may live a more full life and in that we may find balance and structure white on its own might say our impulses will lead us down the wrong path and red will tell you that order breeds out our humanity but green says that each are both right and wrong yes allowing ourselves to be swept away by our impulses will lead to chaos and then of course a rigid society goes against our animal nature but is there no middle ground why can we not recognize that we are animals deep down and there are aspects that we must not deny ourselves but at the same time we must be conscious of how our actions affect others for if they're not able to express themselves then we run the risk of creating a world where we either are paralyzed by fear or driven by selfless action taniya it's all a matter of balancing the two sides of us to make something that is more whole and better for it imagine a world where we have the space to act out our animal needs and yet felt safe in doing so a world where structures helped those at the bottom but did not stifle harmony now let's move on to the next point and one that sort of piggybacks off the one we just covered and that is freedom through coexistence is a concept based in the idea that the only way for us all to be truly free is to learn to coexist nia knows that there are vast differences that separate us but says it's in those differences we may find a new meaning to life you see we may all look sound and act different but in the end we're all human or leone and elvin well you get the idea you see green tells us that we're all made for a reason and our existence has meaning white says that we must accept those who feel like they're on the outside and finally red holds it all together with the love and passion that only red could bring if we expand this further it becomes more than just accepting what makes us different from each other there is a reason for it one that may seem obvious but also never really is put into practice if we can accept each other for who we are we may then free up space in our own minds space which was once used to house the anxiety of how others perceived us nia says that if we follow this ideal and accept eccentricities that make us individuals we then don't need to worry about how others perceive us if they do the same in this way we may then feel a true freedom that i think most never experience it's that freedom to be the person you really want to be and deep down who you really are aside of ourselves we fail to express because of pressures from society and fear of judgment we know now in our own modern time that there are people who are pushed aside into the shadows because of their sexual orientation their beliefs or simply just how they wish to dress nia says no no one should ever feel that way and by pushing others away because of their differences we are then limiting our own freedom to express ourselves and feel accepted try to imagine who you really are and how the fear of judgment has limited your life now of course i don't want you think that naya is all just peace and acceptance for of course there is a side of naya that will not sit idly by let's move on to the third concept the concept of nature's retribution is the side of naya that explains its sense of justice when it comes to nature i'm sure it isn't much of a surprise to you if you've been with me for a while but green isn't just peace and harmony it won't sit idly by while mother nature is being used and abused then let's take this a step further and think for a moment what sort of effect red and white have on this already inherent sense of duty to the natural world in white we see a color that stands up for those who cannot stand up for themselves in red there's passion which adds a relentless quality to this ideal so when we bring these two colors together there's a sense of justice that is unparalleled by any other pairing then after we add our bridge to this pair green it gives this sense of justice a focus what we have then is a shard that will go to extreme lengths to defend its plane and its vulnerable inhabitants from over consumption and abuse in the multiverse this has many forms but the one i always imagine first is that of obesial deity which enacts the rage of the animal kingdom all in order to defend against those who would abuse its kin and its home on the plane of earth this entity would be closer to activists who protest the building of pipelines or interfere with the whaling industry among other acts of defiance it's an anger that comes from the realization that there are those who would rather consume until there is nothing left from a world that cannot defend itself only to sit on their cash while the world burns to this end nia has no patience and will do whatever it can to help which cannot help itself and is more than willing to take the fight to those who would do the plain harm in the end what we've learned about naya always comes back to one word balance it may fight for the earth's means of maintaining balance or it may come in a way that is direct through accepting what lies at the core of our being nia will tell us that by simply placing our animal and human sides in equal measure within us we can find a balance of soul and mind or we might find balance in the freedom to be who we are and accept who others are as well for if we can all find something about ourselves to love and in turn love others then maybe we can all experience the balance and freedom that true acceptance can offer we did it that's all five shards of magic now don't worry i will because of their composition wedges are well intrinsically different than shards so it becomes a matter of necessity to change the framework of our discussion to better suit those wedges what i mean is that i'll be tackling the next five videos a little bit differently than the last five at least in its initial setup the new framework will be built in three steps first we'll begin by discussing the pairing of allied colors that make up the wedge this is because within the wedge we have two colors that already find common ground and because of this they'll have the strongest influence over what the wedge is i think of it this way you have a group of three people two of which seem to agree on most things while the third in this case the enemy color just doesn't seem to agree with either of their decisions in the end the enemy color will have influence over the group but it will always have trouble being the focal point of any philosophy even if it's the color we're leaning into green white's presence will always be strongly felt in the case of absent our three colors are white black and green with green and white being the allied pairing so i think it's important that we dive into the pair of green white and see what sort of philosophy comes when these two colors are brought together the pear green white is the combination of peace and unity through acceptance it takes green's core ideal which states we're all just small imperfect pieces of one whole perfect ecosystem and then combines it with white's need for peace through order thus creating a philosophy which aims to craft a society where all can find their place and no one is an outsider it is a combination that sees the value in both total acceptance of our nature and the structures that hold it all together now that we've established our pairing i would like to move on to the second step by bringing in the outsider the color that is the enemy of the pair we just discussed in the case of absent that color is black this does make things a bit tricky but at the same time is a great practice in understanding color philosophy so what is black black is the color that follows its ambition to its final conclusion it sees strength in itself and rejects anything that goes against its best interest to some it may seem selfish to black is prosperity of self in the context of absent this self-interest is widened a bit due to the presence of green and white in the end it tells us that absent isn't concerned with the betterment of all through acceptance but instead prosperity of the group it finds itself within okay let's move on to the final step which is one that is shared by the shards and that is picking out the two colors that are not present in the wedge and figuring out what their absence tells us about the wedge we're discussing in the case of absent those colors are blue and red so let's break them down and see what it tells us blue is the color of learning discovery and self-improvement so without any blue present it tells us that absent finds strength in traditions and in keeping with the old ways making only slow changes to its way of thinking next up we have red the color of passion emotion and impulse with the lack of red mana we know that absan will not make decisions based on its heart but rather proven paths which makes its ideals come off as cold and at times heartless alright there we have it the framework for the discussion of the wedge of abzan this time around i just want to give a special shout out to the community over on the dice tri discord it's just such an awesome and ever growing community so if you would like to be part of the discussion then be sure to join up i'll have a link in the description all right with that out of the way let's dive into the first and i would say primary ideal of absent in most people's minds and that is unity in tribalism it's what happens when you take green white's perspective on community and twist it in a way that is influenced by black resulting in a philosophy of us versus them now it isn't abandoning the idea of community-driven prosperity but instead is saying that it's just the group you belong to that deserves to prosper this of course makes it so that anyone outside of the group is lesser or an antagonist abzan sees all that it has created as an already perfect ecosystem and one that it wishes to keep safe at all costs now this doesn't mean it's not willing to bring others in it's just that in doing so you must prove an unwavering loyalty no matter the cost you see absent does not have an ounce of patience for those who would deteriorate what they have built it's a philosophy bred from a survival mindset and to that end is very successful it takes green's fervent protection of its own ecosystem white's sense of order and duty and blacks focus on what is good for the self now this is not to say that absent does not have sights for wider swaths of control no quite the opposite unity and tribalism doesn't solely mean that absent is focused on simply keeping what it has safe it's still looking outward to other peoples and other lands to absent it's simply not enough to keep your own kin in a structure of prosperity you must always pursue the true ideal and that is placing all under the shade of your banner to this end abzan will use its large and varied military force full of devout soldiers to spread its influence as far as it can all the while enveloping others into its society what becomes of these new additions to absent you may ask well even though green white is willing to bring others into the fold all in order to find harmony through unity absence still sees those who belong to its core group as special abzan will always take in other people of course but those people usually will find themselves as lesser citizens sure they may often enjoy the structures of peace that absent provides but they are still considered lesser than i believe it is here where we see a true face of absent philosophy one that takes acceptance through order and asks what more can this be now i don't like to always paint things in a dark light so let's look at this from a perspective that allows us to see its value as a society it may seem that absent is harsh and to those outside of its core people it may be but think for a second how powerful of an idea this is absent is the philosophy of conquerors of great nations i think of rome which had a diverse population because of its vast expansionist ideals it was a vast nation that saw a time of great prosperity even if some suffered under its rule absent sees its way of thinking as practical and in the end better for all those who fall under its rule whether they like it or not okay now i think it's time to take a look at another way of seeing the combination of green white and black one that reflects a better understanding of life and death the tendon i will cover next is one that i actually touched on in my green black video and that is an idea i call oneness with the cycle i do believe that pairs are a great way of finding a variety of interesting philosophies but here we have an example of why three color philosophies can make a concept more complex and yet refined what i'm talking about here is what happens when we take green black's view on death and then build upon it by bringing white into the fold this cycle which focused more on death initially now becomes a perfect circle so what does this all mean well absent is the wedge that sees the whole picture of life and death in equal parts white represents life and light green as the affected plane of existence and black as death and darkness itself absence states that it is through the acceptance of the whole picture that we may find true understanding of our place and how our actions affect it physically and spiritually we see this represented perfectly with the three colors present white represents the realms of life light and of the heavens green is the natural plane the basis for all things and then finally we have black which takes on the role of death darkness and of what one might call hell itself if we can accept the circle as continuous we can then find peace in our own existence there's no longer a fear of death or a wish for something better beyond our own life because to absent it's all one equal picture an absent philosophy might then believe in ideals of reincarnation or of a second life found in death perhaps it will tell us of how the forms beyond our material plane is the state in which we will find true harmony think for a moment of what is bred from the lack of understanding in why we're here and to what ends are the meaning of life and death think of how many conflicting religions or anxieties spring forth from this lack of knowing absence states that this is a foolish endeavor and if we could simply just see the cycle for what it is we would finally be one with ourselves and everything around us i think it's finally time that we talk about how absent could apply to our own lives with the concept i call inner peace through structured self i believe that absent is a combination that is able to achieve inner peace through routines which benefit it by creating structures in its own life in this way absent is able to fulfill its daily needs and from there it may achieve its ambitions where others may look outward to find what they need absent can find it within themselves all by forming routines and values that facilitate balance within think about how each of the core ideals within each color can be applied to your own life what you get is a philosophy that is more about structure balance and achieving your goals in white we have a color of order designed to facilitate peace in green there is a balance in all things and in black there are the actions taken to find satisfaction in self-preservation and prosperity what this entails is that absent fashions routines and structures in its life in order to find satisfaction in the balancing of oneself it may not be so great at bringing that peace to others but it may weather any storm around it by finding peace in its routines and by allowing things out of its control to pass by an absent person might be one who wakes up and meditates to find its calming center for the day then works to achieve its goals benefited by the rigid routines it has set up for itself you see by removing the fear of the greater forces that are out of your control and by building up structures that bring about the means for you to achieve your goals you'll find that your mind is able to achieve true wholeness and from that state your ambitions will be within reach i think in a lot of ways this version of absent is better off alone and can sometimes come off as an introvert but this isn't always the case it's more a matter of taking care of yourself first and then applying it outward in a way that serves your goals absent is an interesting case in that it has to reconcile ideas of acceptance and order all while making sure those functions serve it in this regard black's influence forces green and white to ask themselves what's important to them in some cases this means taking care of your tribe first abzan believes that it's only in this way that peace can be cultivated it is only from there that your ideas can then be extended to the rest of the plane even if this transition happens by force don't worry they'll thank you for it later in other ways it's the structure of white and balance of green applied to the self in a way that breeds inner peace but from there your ambitions may be achieved interestingly though the colors present may instead take on a wider concept and showcase themselves as all of known reality it's in understanding our place within the cycle and how we're able to affect it that we may achieve a oneness that other colors may fall short of whatever the case absent is the combination of the structured approach to harmony built to serve those important to you for we cannot hope to shape the rest of the world if we cannot first find peace within ourselves hey thanks for the patience on this one wedges are in the case of mardu our three colors are white red and black with white being the outsider or enemy color so what does the combination of red and black believe in well in my original color pairing video that i made for this combination i don't think i really did the pair justice and i'm happy to have a chance to give it another go even if the explanation will be brief red black is the combination with the passion and fervor to follow its desires and ambitions to their final conclusions while this can lead to sadistic desire fulfillment this isn't always the case in reality it's usually an unflinching focus on what is important to red black sure at times it can translate into things as simple as carnal desire but it can also be world-changing ambition it can be an obsessive love for someone or wearing your hopes and desires on your sleeves it's still a combination that will always be focused on how things or people affect it or how it may affect others but if something is important to red black there's nothing it won't do to follow through on it now that we have that covered it's time to ask what the enemy color brings to the table and how its beliefs will influence the wedge in the case of mardu our outlying color is white so what do we know of white then well with a heavy focus on the beings who inhabit its plane it is the color that desires peace above all else and wants to create a world where all get what they need the issue is that what white wants and what others want don't always line up and even if its intentions are well-meaning it can creep into fascism like all color philosophy though it is a spectrum on one end white is peace and love well on the other end it's law and order so far we can begin to see what is being built here ideals that are rooted in unflinching conviction based around ambition and desire while this is a great foundation we're still not done with our framework to do that we'll have to talk about the colors that are missing and what their absence tells us about mardu in the case of mardu our two absent colors are blue and green let's first tackle blue the color of knowledge and introspection with no blue mana we know that mardu can be swept away by its emotions and ideals ones based on its feelings concepts like self-expression or pleasure hold more of an importance than self-improvement or discovery next we have a lack of green mana green is the color that wants to keep things as they are in their already perfect state with no green mana we know that mardu is all too willing to change and use up whatever it wishes with no regard for how things should or shouldn't be alright that's it the basis or framework for our discussion from here i will represent three philosophies which i believe are three major faces of mardu if you have any other ideas as to what mardu believes in or more to add to the ideas i present then be sure to let me know in the comments as i read every single one also if it's your first time here and you did enjoy the video then be sure to subscribe as we'll be covering more color philosophy in the future okay with that let's dive into the first mardu philosophy and that is truth in martial expression this ideal is based in a sort of warrior code and while it may not directly apply to our own lives it's nonetheless a core ideal when applying mardu to fantasy worlds or historic figures what mardu values with this ideal is to carry itself in a manner that allows it to express itself in a way that values individual power all in order to strengthen the group it's an ideal that takes the saying of the group is only as strong as the weakest link and demands that those within the chain strive to be the strongest link this demand is more than just an empty motto it is held as the highest code one could aim for in a mardu society it is the individual's ability to express their strength in a way that benefits all who fall within that society in a lot of ways i think the best parallel would be the spartans of history here we have individuals who valued raw power and ability above all else but because of this created one of the strongest fighting forces of its time it takes black's strive for power red's relentless nature and then brings it all in with white's focus on discipline and concern for the group it's easy to see how mardu could rise above some of the other color combinations in its martial prowess that said it's not a very forgiving philosophy sure white stands on the outside asking for equality and kindness but it's downplayed by red and black's demand for proof of strength a reason to exist this mentality lifts up the strong and breeds heroes but has no time for the weak it may not outright kill or exile those who are weak but it will not spend any time caring for them anyone who stumbles in mardu's eyes deserves to be left behind i think this quote from lycia sheds some light on what i'm talking about i give my blood my life all i have in exchange for victory in the eyes of this version of mardu victory is all that matters and to achieve victory there is no room for weakness and so the value of the individual's strength is of key importance as always i think the first philosophy is grabbing at the low low-hanging fruit as i believe this is what most people imagine when they think of mardu for our next one i'd like to ask what would happen when white's devotion is aided by red and black with a philosophy i call confidence and zealous action what we have here is a potential philosophy that stands firm in an absolute devotion to the ideals that it holds ideals which are lofty enough for mardu to demand that they be followed by all it's when a strong sense of morality however flawed it may be is hyper-focused and followed through with an obsessive passion this may all sound extreme but let's break it down by color and you'll start to see what i mean with white present mardu can hold a sort of perceived moral high ground one that is bolstered by black self-confidence which is ignited and obsessively carried out by red as you can see this is by no means a stretch once you break down the sources of each of the colors present in mardu so these are fine words to toss around but what does this look like well in a lot of ways my first thought goes to zealous religious beliefs ones that can take an extreme turn this version of mardu would base its morality on a higher power or doctrine now i don't want to get too much into the logistics of it but perhaps it's one that would allow for more carnal human expression or it could be one of valor and strength whatever the case the source of their doctrine or ideology isn't important as it would change from plane to plane what is important is how mardu expresses itself through the religion or ideology you see here we have a very interesting set of colors that sort of whip each other up into a fanatical sort of frenzy let's bring it back to the colors to explain what i mean think about black and how it cares only for its own view of the world and how it might want to push that view onto others then we have white who by no means is a stranger to using martial force to uphold its ideals and finally we have red who is more than happy to be swept away with its emotions and would allow itself to fulfill the other's colors desires without question in the end we would have a dangerous combination that feels that it's the only one with the answers and that it has a duty to bring those ideologies onto others without getting too much into it here on this channel i'm sure you can think of plenty of examples all throughout human history of religious conversions at any cost in a lot of ways this version scares me the most out of any of the philosophies that we've covered here so far but as always this is but one face of this philosophy so let's end it on a positive note and cover just one more idea one that could potentially do away with our current way of viewing society and that is peace and fulfilled desires here we have a way of thinking that aims to be better for all by being better for the individual we spend so much of our life worrying working and fighting for our place that by the time we die we question if we ever truly lived and this version of mardu is fed up with this way of thinking why can we not all know a good life why is it only reserved for a small few an ideal society for this version of mardu then would be a life well lived for all one where we may all be free to fulfill our desires but how do we get there well mardu states that we must create a world where we all put in equal work and in doing so all get equal reward it simply believes that there should not be a world where a small percent flourish while the rest suffer we should be more focused on what we want to get out of our own existence rather than just scraping by so how does mardu come by this way of thinking well let's break it down by color you see black's the color who demands self-fulfillment and enjoyment of life's pleasure then it adds the compassion and need for freedom of red and finally combines it with white's desires for those aspects to be applied to all ultimately creating a world where we all work together all in order to provide a fulfilling life for all to accomplish this marty would abolish all forms of state-run government and instead put the power back into the people's hands as even though white is all for law and order is willing to drop this facet of its ideals when in the presence of red and black both of which value individual freedom instead it would be a flexible society run by the people and for the people with no room for the rigid structures that benefit those at the top and all of this would have a focus on creating a world where everyone has the chance to live a full and satisfying life with no fear of a few elites subjugating and oppressing the many whatever the final philosophy you do settle on with mardu it always seems extreme to our standard ways of seeing the world around us and honestly i don't think it could go any other way here we have a combination heavily influenced by red and black colors who live their lives in the most extreme fashion at least compared to any of the other colors there can be no sitting on the sidelines or moderate ways of thinking with this pair when white comes along it merely adds a wider scope to their ideals and in many ways makes those ideals more grandiose and inclusive to those who agree with them in the end mardu is the combination that feels very strongly about what it believes and is all too willing to fulfill the finality of those ideals whether it's a society of warriors bred stronger by individualism a philosophy of religious fanaticism or anarchist ideals that aim to tear down the shackles that bind us mardu is a passionate force for change and you're either with them or you're against them wow that ended up being a bit of a heavier episode than i was intending but in the case of jess guy our three colors present are white blue and red with blue and white being our allied pair the reason that the allied pair is important is that when coming up with concepts within the wedge we have two colors who are more closely aligned with each other and in turn will more likely agree with each other this isn't to say that red isn't a factor it's just more of an outside influence so let's start things off with expanding on what white and blue when combined believe in white blue is the combination that values the structures which accommodate the perfection of self and society it sees the truest ideal as one that sets up not just yourself but others for success always looking on how these things can be improved to do this it creates an ever-evolving system of order law and infrastructure at the same time it is the color combination that values self-reflection in the pursuit of betterment through discipline in simplest terms blue white is the combination of perfection through order this tells us that jessica is a wedge always concerned with the improvement of not just oneself but the world around it all in an effort to bring about a better world because of it a goal that always moves forward all right with that covered it's still important to talk about the outsider or enemy color present within the wedge we are discussing as this color will bring in influences that add nuance to this already established ideal in the case of jet sky our enemy color is red so what does red believe well it's not that red actively believes in anything it would be the first to tell you that it simply just follows what its heart desires it is the color that embodies every spectrum of the human emotion it can be violent and aggressive or it can be compassionate and loyal when thinking of red it's all a matter of impulse for mindfulness leads to doubt and doubt is the only wrong path so then what does this mean in terms of just sky well we all know that sometimes white and blue's decisions lack empathy sure white wants to do what's right but it hardly asks what's right for each individual with red along jessica is very aware of its humanity it must always grapple with its impulses all while maintaining its discipline and forward thinking as you can imagine this is quite an inner battle but that's just the inner conflict that enemy colors bring to the table alright that's the first two steps covered when building our framework but we still have one more aspect to cover and that is discussing what the missing colors tell us about chess guy as their absence is yet another avenue for understanding a wedge or shard in the case of jet sky our missing colors are black and green let's start things off with black black is the color of self-interest and a hunger for power with a lack of black mana we know that jessica is not the combination to focus only on what it needs it is able to look to how it can be of service of others or at the very least holds compassion in their heart next we have green the color of tradition and harmony with a lack of green mana in just sky we know that it is not the kind of combination that will get bogged down in the old ways and is focused on always improving what came before as well it does not mind fighting for its place or the upholding of its ideals as conflict breeds evolution and harmony breeds stagnation okay there you have it the framework for the wedge of jazz guy with this at our disposal it becomes easier to find possible philosophies that lie within this combination in this video i'll cover three but remember there are always more philosophies to be discovered so if you have any new ideas about jessica or ways to tweak the ones that i bring up here then be sure to let me know in the comments as i read each one also if you are enjoying the video so far then this is as good a time as any to hit that subscribe button so you don't miss any future content and hit that like button as it lets me know you enjoy my work and with that let's cover our first philosophy and that is true self through discipline here we have an ideal that desires to utilize the explosive energy of red and the need for introspective self-discovery of blue jessica is able to achieve this lofty goal through the discipline found in white what this means essentially is that jessica understands that there is two strong and yet opposing forces within us that wish to take precedence and yet it can balance these things by keeping a level of control there is an ever-present force created when red and blue come together one that is always waiting to explode forth but instead of having it wreak havoc it can be focused instead becoming an energy that surpasses all i think the only way i can illustrate what i mean is through breaking down each color present in this context red is the core the drive it's the heart the impulse a sort of motivating force that must be respected then there is blue this color represents the mindfulness and forethought that dares to utilize every aspect of its being all in order to find out what is the conclusion of its very existence then it takes white's discipline and systems of self-governance to grasp at both energies and pull them together to create something that could not be possible if it weren't for the colors present so what does this look like well let's imagine what happens when you take all of these aspects and give it a physical representation i first think of those who practice the martial arts of course what we have here are people who harness the raw aggression and physical output that the human body is capable of then they harness that energy through discipline and regimental hierarchies of skill finally applying learned techniques to add a level of efficiency and purpose now of course this is all well and good and honestly one ideal you probably saw coming nonetheless it's one that i had to bring up as it's a concept that i am a big fan of now let's shift things from the self and move on to an aspect of jess guy that could be applied to society as a whole or at least small groups and a philosophy i like to call prosperity in a creative society there's no way we could talk about a wedge that contains both white and blue without discussing how the given combination would view and shape society now this discussion becomes even more interesting when you include a color like red a color that has little care for society or at least structures that restrict one's ability to act out its impulses but as i said at the top red is but an outsider here and is forced into a position that merely influences the wedge's philosophy because of this it is able to forego some freedoms in order to facilitate freedom of expression in others so what sort of world would a jet sky philosophy look like and how would it go about shaping it well white blue is the combination of colors that look to carefully craft a society that facilitates not just order but an ever-evolving ideal of perfecting society this does mean structures that stop all forms of chaos in order to better focus on how it can iterate on the culture it finds itself in this includes a focus on learning philosophy and the infrastructures that facilitate self-improvement this of course is far too cold of a world for red and lacks a key component creativity you see while white blue is willing to work at things and is never satisfied it still lacks that human aspect of art creativity and culture so what this gives us is an ideal that not just creates a world where its inhabitants prosper but also flourish just guys says that the human mind does not just contain a need to learn and find peace but to also fulfill its imaginative needs humans are beings of creative design and it's in leaning into this impulsive ingenuity that jessica says we can actually find the perfection of humankind in white we have the structures that allow for peace and in peace we can concentrate on what is important to us in blue there is a need to work at a skill and discover something new that lies within us and finally red says that it's not just an intellect that we can find fulfillment it's also in our creativity and passion we see glimpses of this when we bring together red and blue a combination of creative expression through science and to some degree art so in the end what we have is a society that creates an environment where art and science are supported in equal measure as a society where all are free to pursue a skill that gives them a sense of value and meaning to their life will be a better society for it all right let's cover one last idea of jessicai and oddly enough i'm not sure i would call this one a philosophy exactly rather a system for jessica to come to its conclusions and that is wisdom through contest this is an ideal of just guy that states simply enough no idea is worth considering unless it can be put to the test and in turn no philosophy can shape its society unless it can stand against others it is a way of thinking that is focused on challenging ways of thought all in order to create a society that's better for it one where each avenue is discussed until the clearest way reveals itself in simplest terms thought brought to action in service of the people let's break it down into the colors present and then move on to a bit of an example of what i mean in white we have the even and open playing field for discussion one that wishes to do so with the aim of making society better in blue we have the need to learn discuss and perfect and in red we have the passion and desire to put those ideas to the test what i find most interesting here is that philosophical thinking is something that comes pretty easy to just guy because of the combination of white blue what you might remember from the video i made covering that combination and i'll have a link for that one in the description if you haven't is that white blue tends to be focused on philosophy and finds it actually quite important to society where white on its own would look to a higher power for answers usually a religion it instead moves towards a more flexible intelligence-based way of governance all because of the presence of blue so instead of looking upwards as white might be prone to do it instead looks inwards to the wisdom we all hold within our own minds what red brings to the table is the passion to share and test those ideas because as we established earlier no idea is worth considering unless it can be put to the test so what does this look like well i think it's quite simple really what we have then is a society that wishes to perfect itself through the use of ever evolving wisdom wisdom decided on through debate it's a people who value the highest form of thought all with an aim to create a better world this version of jessica states that far too many nations fall under the weight of stupidity and only in the testing and refining of thought in a manner that's safe for all can we come to a conclusion that's better for all when you have a philosophy that combines the heart the soul and the mind you end up with concepts that are as close to the human condition as any philosophy can have its aggression impulse and compassion its curiosity intellect and wisdom all held within the container of our body and given purpose by our soul just guy may stumble at times as it grapples with the forces within but it will always find its footing and learn something about itself because of it this idea is not just for the self though whether we are one or many there will always be conflicting ideas and the need to express them but if we can all adhere to jessica's way we can instead turn that into a mode of progress this can mean creating spaces where we're able to express ourselves in a safe way either through the debate of idea or the expression of physical mastery all of these aspects are there to allow us to iterate through expression in a manner where no idea or endeavor is wrong inherently because at the end of the day to just guy no idea is worth covering if we cannot first prove its merit well there it is jess guy i honestly am so happy to have finished this one in the case of soltai our three colors are blue black and green with blue and black as the allied pair so let's break down this combination to find out more about the wedge of salti blue black is the combination of manipulation control and most of all ambition it takes blue's need for constant improvement and iteration and black's insatiable desire to obtain the power to achieve its every need together becoming a force that is never satisfied with what it has and never questions what is right this combination is also the pair most comfortable with dark and forbidden magic or any tools that can be used to further its ambitions tools others might be too morally object to utilize so what does this tell us about sulti well of course it shows us that there is nothing off limits to this wedge whether that be morally or functionally it will be a wedge that knows what it wants and will go to any length to get there next it is important to lay out the beliefs of the enemy color present in the case of sultai that is green this is because while an outsider it will still influence and add nuance to the combination's philosophies so what does green believe in and what does it bring to the table well green is the color of acceptance of its place within its given ecosystem it looks to the past for answers and solidifies its future in traditions green is the color that does not look to change itself or the world around it as everything and everyone is perfect the way it is so what does this influence have on blue and black and what can we infer about soltai because of it well green's influence adds perspective to the combination it's not just about the future or what it needs there are bigger forces at plate now of course this will not change sultai's forward momentum but it will open its eyes to the world around it as you can see salty is remarkably interesting indeed but sort of mindset is created when these colors come together well to get to that point we have to finish the final part of our foundation as you see to truly know a wedge or chart it is quite important to reflect on the colors that are absent as well as these missing ideals will place the final pieces of our puzzle in place in the case of soltai our missing colors are red and white so then let's take a closer look and see what the absence of these colors tells us about this wedge let's begin with red red is the color of emotion pure and simple it is the heart that does not question its actions for better or worse so with the lack of red manor present we know that saltai is guided by another force it instead is guided by its mind its desires and a grander plan next is white white is the color of peace and order with a lack of white mana we know that sultai does not concern itself with the moral boundaries that others place on themselves black sees only itself blue sees only the future and green sees only the world and not the people i bet you're already starting to understand sultai and a philosophy is beginning to form in your head well hold on to that creative spark and let me know in the comments what you might imagine when you think of soltai i'd love to hear your perspective that said let's dive into three ideas that i formed while digging into the potential philosophies of the wedge of salti beginning with power through manipulation there's no way to talk about a combination that holds both blue and black within it without bringing up ideas of manipulation control and of the power taken from forbidden places and yes that even happens when green is involved in fact green places this control in the space of what is ancient transforming it into a wedge that looks to the dark corners of nature for what it needs on the path to what it desires we see this sort of perversion of nature taken place when green is combined with either blue or black as either of those pairs look to how they can take what nature is and bend it to either something new or something of use they do this by either forcing evolution or by looking to the end of nature's cycle that which has died and begun to rot and breathe life into something new by either staving off death or through the transformation of that which has died you start to see that sultai then takes all of these aspects and manipulates all that lives all that rots and all that has died creating new forms from each place within nature's cycle it of all wedges and shards covered is the most focused on how it can manipulate that which is discarded forgotten or forbidden so how does this come to be with the colors present well let's take a look in blue there is a need to utilize all at its disposal always seeking new tools to achieve its ever-changing goals in black you have the amoral outlook that is willing to act on any avenue that will facilitate its needs finally green provides the tools that blue and black seek it is nature's gifts ready to be used it is long forgotten magic as old as the gods now i hope you're beginning to form a picture of what i speak salty is the combination that finds power and truth in dark and ancient corners it's the forgotten places where the old gods whisper the dead moan and the rotting creatures howl and if these places strike fear in you then perhaps sulti is not your wedge for a weak heart has no place where even the shadows fear tread okay well that was fun being super dramatic but hey this is by no means the only side of sultai and in fact this is one that you may have expected me to cover so let's start to take things in a direction that is less about the dark actions taken and more of a broad outlook that you could apply to your own life a sort of perspective that allows you to see things more clearly and that is an ideal i call perspective through acceptance saltai is a combination that is able to manifest a clear path what do i mean by this well to put it plainly salty has within it the combination of colors that represent the flow of humanity's existence and in that an understanding it is able to see things clearly in fact more clearly it would claim than any other wedge or shard you see in saltai we have green the color that is the basis of life the foundation of all that is then we have blue the color that manifests itself as the mode in which we desire to always press forward fueled by curiosity at the end of the track we have black the color of finality death and the eventual end of all things what we have then is an understanding of the process in which the human condition is laid out for us like a map but what good is this well sultai is able to gain clarity by appreciating what has come before it by marching ever forward and by being at peace with its eventual end it can then act in a manner that is free from question it's the ability to almost see things from far above with a clarity that is mostly reserved for gods in knowing this and appreciating its unwavering nature it is able to utilize the full extent of all that has come before and all that will be in a manner that facilitates its ambitions it is a mindset that can build upon the traditions of its forefathers march forward with a clear conscience and finally be at peace when it all eventually ends all while knowing that it gave everything it could a life with no regrets so what does this sort of philosophy mean then for you and for me and why is it important well think of it this way first with a clear outlook as to the course of our lives we can be free of all doubts as to the meaning and purpose of our existence if all roads lead to an eventual end then it becomes a matter of getting the most out of what your life can be with green in mind we can look to proven paths to find our way what i mean by this is that in philosophies and traditions that have worked so well for others we may have a stronger start then we move on to blue which fills us with purpose and drives us to be the best we can be through curiosity and the need to improve finally in black we are given the knowledge of death and its finality there is no second chance and so in that we must make the most of our lives and accept the hand of the reaper when it comes do not fear death for death is unchanging fear instead a life not live i honestly hope this side of soul tie gives you a bit of inspiration or at the very least something to think about but we're not done let's cover one more philosophy of sultai before we close things off and that is rooted ambition one of blue black's biggest strengths and weaknesses is its unrelenting focus on its ambitions it always has an eye to what it wants and in every action it makes it moves ever closer towards its goals now of course this is a good thing but the issue is that this starts to create a personality that is narcissistic and psychopathic one that only sees others and the world around it as a means to an end if you take black's focus on self and blue's cold calculated outlook you begin to create a way of thinking that has a sort of tunnel vision where there's only the self and the goal this is where green comes in and helps sultan along to be well more grounded green takes this unrelenting ambition and adds a wider view of things and creates a sense of calm and peace but like i always say let's go to the colors present to get a better picture of what i'm saying in black there's a need to do what is right for you to take care of your needs first in blue is the desire to improve at a constant rate and in green we have the perspective and harmony to slow all of those things down with this mindset in place saltai is able to still act on its convictions but it's able to know when to consider its impact not just the world around it but how its actions shape itself as a person what i mean is that if we're just blue black going it alone we would find ourselves more and more detached from the world and people around us and eventually we would succumb to our more narcissistic and unfeeling side think of what sort of a shell of a person you become when all you are is your ambitions and you're consumed by your goals with no time given to stop and breathe to smell the flowers to find peace now don't get me wrong ambition is important taking care of yourself is important but if all you have is yourself and ambition then your humanity will surely wear down to nothing until all you are is a soulless person who only hungers for money and power there's more to our lives than that and green is here to at least tell you go for a walk open your mind and find value in things that are less tangible soltai is an interesting case in that when it applies to more fantasy settings it has a way of getting ahead of itself and acting almost like a super villain but if we apply it to real world thinking we can begin to see what power it has it's a philosophy that is driven and curious but is still able to be at peace due to its unique perspective it is a philosophy that views the breadth of its life and in turn lives a life free of regret to me sultai is a way of looking at things and seeing value in both the cultivation of self and the joy found in that which nature provides for there is value to be found in places others might be too afraid to look well thanks for checking out my sultai video i'm very happy to be finally done this one so then what does green and red when combined believe in and how does this apply to teemer well green red is the pair who seeks the freedom to be its authentic self it never stops to think about its actions as it merely is acting upon its impulses and instincts breaking life down to its most primal version it believes its life is no accident and because of this following one's own heart is following one's own destiny so what does this tell us about temer well simply put temer follows its heart its passions and when it doubts itself or the meaning of things it looks to nature as a sort of guide for the originator of all life is the one with all the answers we need with that covered it's still important to talk about the enemy color within teamer as even though i stated that it was an outsider this does not mean its influence cannot be felt in the case of teemer the enemy color is blue so what does blue believe in and what does it add to the pair we already discussed blue is the color of intellect curiosity and an endless desire to iterate and improve it is always looking to the future to what can be discovered and mastered now obviously this amount of thoughtfulness goes against red green but it's not this side that really gets added to teamer when combined with ride green blue adds more of a sense of wonder and curiosity a need to know what exactly do i mean well it's blue's curiosity and mastery where green and red can both find a level of appreciation and so you see these ideals seep into teamer's philosophy alright construction so to speak is nearly complete and temur is beginning to take shape but we're not done yet to finish off our framework we still have one more step and that is the two colors that are missing yes it does sound weird but what is not present in a wedge or shard is actually quite important as knowing what something cannot be or won't be tells us a lot about a combination in the case of temir the missing colors are white and black so let's start with white white is a combination of community order and of selflessness with a lack of white man a present we know that teemer accepts the fate that nature hands out there will always be a predator and a prey it also tells us that tamer does not obey the laws of man as those are constructs used to control and freedom is key next we have black black is the color that is primarily concerned with self of its power and the ability to act out its own will with a lack of black mana we know that temir is not concerned with the grabbing and holding of power and is able to look past itself and in turn views the bigger picture as more important than even its own existence and there it is the framework for teamer with this at our disposal we will be able to come up with our own philosophies of course i will present three to you in this video but remember that color philosophy is malleable there's always more to discuss and discover so if you have any ideas about teamer then please be sure to share them i do love reading over how each person views the colors of magic alright let's dive into the first philosophy and that is mother nature's right hand at the core of any philosophy there lies a view of its physical surroundings and how it affects and is affected by it in the case of esper it was society in saltai it was life and death and in the case of teemer it is mother nature herself the goddess of origination of no form and all forms of all that was and is of the very earth we can thank for our existence temer being a color that on a basic level represents each of her core elements has a unique perspective as to the power and beauty that is the plane we all call home it's the erupting mountains of red which breed new lands and remove the old it's in blues oceans and skies which breathe life into our mortal bodies and its greens vast forests and beasts where we make our homes and feed our families temer has a perspective that no other wedge or shard can mimic it's a close tie to the ancient wonders of our moral plane where some look past this life to what lies beyond temer has its feet firmly planted on their plain soil it understands completely the unbiased hand of mother nature and in fact it is a willing participant in all that she gives and takes away temer looks at her for answers and heeds the ones it is given there is no give and take there is only fear and respect and in this position a wonder at her majesty in blue there is that sense of true understanding and wonder of what makes up all life in red there is a joy at moving alongside the controlled chaos of nature and in green there is the acceptance and harmony found in knowing one's own place because of this ideal temer is the wedge that acts on her behalf it does not sit by when others look to pervert her nor does it question her actions if an earthquake destroys what you have built it is because she did not want it to exist there if a fire clears a forest it is because she wishes to grow something new and if the winds thrash your crops it's because she wishes to carry your seed somewhere else do not stand stiff in the wind for you will be blown over flow with her movements and you will come to understand what she needs of you this is normally where i bring up an mtg quote but in this case we'll look to a quote from the late bruce lee this of course is a very physical manifestation of teamer beliefs and gives you a good idea of what lies at the core of this philosophy wonder understanding passion and acceptance of what is and what will be it's the kind of thing that comes along with the colors we have at our disposal but let's now move on to something that takes a closer look at self and how one would seek its place in a tenant i call purpose and curiosity talking about the teamer mindset and broad strokes is all well and good but i think it is important to dive into the why of teamr how does this mind work and how is it applied well temer has a big picture mindset all while staying low to the ground it wishes to understand its purpose while still flowing along with whatever comes next in a lot of ways it's laid back and open to change all while looking for the understanding that pieces everything together temer can find joy just as much in a blade of grass as in the eruption of a volcano if everything that mother nature provides is a gift then every day holds within it the potential for discovery and adventure in green teamer finds harmony with all things and the tools to understand its place in red there lies the joy and passion that gives it purpose and in blue there is the curiosity and the need to understand even if that understanding leads to a place of tranquility temer might be the wedge to experiment with mother nature's gifts in order to gain that connection and understanding nature already provides us with the means to do so if you pick the right mushroom you can feel her breath if you smoke the right herb you can find tranquility in her hands temer is always looking to learn more about how to fit into such a vast and seemingly perfect ecosystem all while still enjoying the experience for its own sake we see this need to experiment and understand within the combination of red blue all too well it's just instead of using science to fill that need it looks to the trees to the vast mountains and to the sky within this mindset temer can find itself lost in thought and action but if everything around you is your home are you ever really lost this idea is a lot of fun and honestly i think we could all use this sort of vast introspection and acceptance at least once in a while in our life as the ever-enclosing cities around us have removed some of that need a need our ancestors knew all too well perhaps through ritual and experimentation we might gain a deeper understanding of mother nature and in turn our own existence all right let's cover one more philosophy before we close this one out and that is freedom and experience teamer is one of those combinations that appreciates freedom in any form and that's not really a surprise with red and green at its core it wants to live outside of man's law and experience its life the way it was meant to in the wild but what does blue have to say about this well simply put blue is more than fine with this as long as there's a driving purpose so what is the purpose found in freedom among nature well simply put it takes skill and experience to live in the wild skills that must be mastered this version of teamer will often find itself alone a hermit where it is free to act as it sees fit and to take nature's examples as the only true law a law that is loose and open to interpretation and one that does not limit one's actions think of it more as a guide this hermit version of temer will often find itself as a druid a hunter or a sage it lives out in the wild honing its craft and steering clear of any human influence becoming more of a beast among beasts than a human trying to carve out a home in green we see the need to act as a piece of nature's puzzle in red there is the desire to experience unobstructed freedom of action and in blue we receive the mastery of a craft which will facilitate this freedom imagine this a hunter draped in skins of their kills face grizzled with age speaking a language not quite human or beast and with the ability to become a part of the landscape it finds itself within a long time ago this was humanity's default but through incremental conveniences and a reliance on one another this version has been stripped away this is not to say this person does not exist anymore but as time goes they become ever rarer an ideal society to tamir would be one where humanity sheds its cities in favor of huts and caves a society where people rely only on nature and the skills acquired through time spent honing your craft within nature this of course is a very anti-social mindset but tmir claims that our modern conveniences are what will be our eventual extinction if we continue to build our cities and strip away mother nature's gifts then we deserve our fate for long after we cease to be she will continue to exist and hopefully the next life form to spring up appreciates what they've been given temer is the wedge that finds purpose and understanding through its closeness with mother nature it understands its place within the plane it calls home and allows nature to work her magic for nature will act as it wishes whether we stand against it or not it is then important to look to her with fear and respect and in doing so gain insight that others may miss the answers won't come easy though and it's up to us not nature to find her way this may require us to experiment using her tools to grasp at the deeper concepts of our existence while being sure to take in the joy and wonder of it all every step of the way if this way of thinking pulls you further from your humanity than so be it for humans have become a curse upon the creator and she will exist long after we are gone so it's best to walk alongside her than to stand against her for it is through mother nature that we may know true freedom and anyone who does not see this has blinded themselves by their own hand well i hope you enjoyed that compilation if it does well enough i will consider giving some of my other completed series the same treatment like i said at the top i want to thank my patreons especially gam danielle draconino and shamrock for their support and if you want to become a patreon then links as always are down below with that friends i'll catch you in the multiverse bye

Channel: DiceTry

Views: 36,057

Keywords: mtg shards, mtg wedges, color pie, mtg colors, dicetry, mtg, magic the gathering, mtg color pie, mtg mana, slicing the pie, shards, wedges, color philosophy, mtg color, mtg colors explained, mtg color philosophy, mtg color guide, magic the gathering colors, magic the gathering colors explained, magic: the gathering, mtg color combinations, mtg color combination, magic the gathering color pie, mtg color combinations explained

Id: I4UsCRjJi5w

Length: 119min 47sec (7187 seconds)

Published: Mon Sep 13 2021