"Ally vs Opposite" seems like the theme that would be easiest to build a set around/communicate the themes. I like the idea of centering the colours and having its allies vs its enemies
If a new set was announced around shards Vs Wedges, which variation would you want to see and which matchup do you find most interesting?
So Close We Hate Them (Ally Colour v.1) Abzan ⚪⚫🟢 -> Bant 🔵⚪🟢 Sultai ⚫🟢🔵 -> Grixis 🔵⚫🔴 Jeskai 🔵🔴⚪ -> Esper ⚪🔵⚫ Mardu 🔴⚪⚫ -> Jund ⚫🔴🟢 Temur 🟢🔵🔴 -> Naya 🔴🟢⚪
So Hate Them We're Close (Ally Colour v.2) Abzan ⚪⚫🟢 -> Naya 🔴🟢⚪ Sultai ⚫🟢🔵 -> Esper ⚪🔵⚫ Jeskai 🔵🔴⚪ -> Bant 🔵⚪🟢 Mardu 🔴⚪⚫-> Grixis 🔵⚫🔴 Temur 🟢🔵🔴 -> Jund ⚫🔴🟢
Hate We're Close Them So (Ally Vs Opposite) Abzan ⚪⚫🟢 -> Grixis 🔵⚫🔴 Sultai ⚫🟢🔵 -> Naya 🔴🟢⚪ Jeskai 🔵🔴⚪ -> Jund ⚫🔴🟢 Mardu 🔴⚪⚫ -> Bant 🟢⚪🔵 Temur 🟢🔵🔴 -> Esper ⚪🔵⚫
Most Opposite (Enemy Colour v.1) Abzan ⚪⚫🟢 -> Jund ⚫🔴🟢 Sultai ⚫🟢🔵 -> Bant 🟢⚪🔵 Jeskai 🔵🔴⚪ -> Naya 🔴🟢⚪ Mardu 🔴⚪⚫ -> Esper ⚪🔵⚫ Temur 🟢🔵🔴 -> Grixis 🔵⚫🔴
Opposite Most (Enemy Colour v.2) Abzan ⚪⚫🟢 -> Esper ⚪🔵⚫ Sultai ⚫🟢🔵 -> Jund ⚫🔴🟢 Jeskai 🔵🔴⚪ -> Grixis 🔵⚫🔴 Mardu 🔴⚪⚫ -> Naya 🔴🟢⚪ Temur 🟢🔵🔴 -> Bant 🟢⚪🔵
"Ally vs Opposite" seems like the theme that would be easiest to build a set around/communicate the themes. I like the idea of centering the colours and having its allies vs its enemies
From what Maro has said, supporting ten three-color factions in one set isn't practical. That said, on the topic of contrasting shards with wedge counterparts, I've found it interesting to consider the possibility of an Echoverse wedge Alara. Which shards would become which wedges? I feel like dropping the middle color (Esper > Abzan/Mardu) or both side colors (Esper > Temur) changes too much, so the sweet spot is probably dropping one side color. In that case the question becomes which direction to go. Esper > Jeskai, Grixis > Sultai, Jund > Mardu, Naya > Temur, Bant > Abzan? I feel like there's too much overlap there. You end up with the center of the original shard being the same color as the wedge's philosophical focus in KTK, so keeping that focus results in feeling too much like the KTK versions. On the other hand - Esper > Sultai, Grixis > Mardu, Jund > Temur, Naya > Abzan, Bant > Jeskai? That could be pretty interesting. Each wedge ends up emphasizing the one color that it hasn't really gotten before, while remaining tied to the shard. I guess you could call this an answer for shards vs wedges, since that's basically the undercurrent.
Here's my completely unwarrranted and 99% chance to be incorrect prediction for the upcoming Kamigawa Titanbreach set, which in this hypothetical I am posing as a wedges v shards set.
Wedges are obvious, each Ikoria region already represents one.
Shards go as follows:
Naya comprises the main benefactors of the Modified theme, through use of auras, counters, and equipment (reminder that Red Green is getting more artifact support, see Konstrari). This is where the Samurai (red/white) are
Bant is for Spirits and Kami and other supernatural forces of Kamigawa joining up to fight off the monsters. There probably won't be Shrines, but if there ARE shrines, it'd be here.
Ninjas are either going to learn to be friends to help save the worle (gaining White for Esper) or obtain evil cool ninja powers (gaining Red for Grixis.) Frankly I don't know which, nor which role the other will fill.
in Neon Dynasty, red/black was the artifact sacrifice archetype. Jund, therefore, will combine that with the improved red/green artifact shenanigans happening as mentioned earlier.
... Now, as for which of these Kamigawan factions is paired against which Ikorian regions, I have no idea. I'm not that familiar with Ikoria's lore lol. But uh, this seemed at least tangentially relevant...?