Bestow

Bestow Mechanic Rules

Currently every Bestow creature just grants its power/toughness as a bonus and all of its other abilities to the creature it enchants. Why did you not bake that into the keyword itself so that the cards don't have to list everything twice? If it was to keep open flexibility, is there a particular reason that space hasn't been explored since then?

Usually things like this are due to rules issues. I don’t know the specifics on this mechanic.

Bestow Creatures Keywords Mechanics Rules

MH3 Bestow Cards Appreciation

Love seeing the new bestow cards in MH3! Bestow is my favorite mechanic from OG Theros. Where does it currently sit on the storm scale?

I’d call it a 6. It needs a decent amount of infrastructure.

Appreciation Bestow Mechanics Modern Horizons 3 Storm Scale Theros

Bestow Mechanic Template

Template question: Can a bestow mechanic (Enchantment-Aura cast from a creature) work as an Adventure frame? or would it require its own template?

Adventure frames only work for adventures. Bestow has a different mechanical execution.

Bestow Card Frames Creatures Mechanics Templating

Keyword Ability Limitation

Would it not be better for creatures like odric (and more recently, urborg scavengers) to just bestow "all abilities" rather than rattling off a list of inconsistent and ever changing abilities? Are there too many interactions that could break the game?

Those cards list abilities because the black border rules can’t handle saying “all abilities” or even “all keyword abilities”.

Bestow Black Border Creatures Keyword Abilities Rules Urborg Scavengers

Aura Creature Concept

Could special rules text create an Aura Creature? If not, would R&D be open to errataing the rules so that an Aura Creature would exist (like what happened with incubator tokens).

What exactly is an Aura Creature? Bestow is the closest I could think of and that’s not both at the same time.

Auras Bestow Creatures Game Design Rules Tokens

Auras and Equipment

Will Enchantments ever get a variation on equiptment? Like a Mantle that transfers between recipients? Or has that window closed between auras, bestow and sagas?

We have auras that you can move to another creature. We have auras that come back to hand when the enchanted creature dies. We have auras you can pay to return to your hand and then cast again. I don’t think we’ll ever have Auras that mimic Equipment exactly, but we’ve done a lot to give them extra utility.

Auras Bestow Creatures Enchantments Equipment Sagas Sagas Your Hand

Sorcery Bestow Challenge

Can I request an ability that does to sorceries what bestow does to creatures? I want a rules workable staying power

If we had a rules workable staying power, it wouldn’t be acorn/silver bordered. Trust me, I explored getting it to work in the rules numerous times. In Unfinity, I tried again, and Jess (Dunks, the Rules Manager) basically said, “Nope.”

Bestow Creatures Rules Rules Manager Sorceries Staying Power Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Bestow Mechanic Query

Could a non-creature card have bestow?

My gut is no as the mechanic is currently written, but rules are not my forte.

Bestow Mechanics Non-creatures Rules

Future of Bestow Ability

Hi Mark. I demand my birthday question. I'm building a commander deck with Wyleth and just fascinated seeing the potential of Bestow as avoiding a 2x1. My question, will we see that ability in the future to further enhance the enchantments (creatures) beyond Theros, or some aura-equipment?

I believe we will.

Bestow Birthday Commander Decks Creatures Enchantments Theros

Complicated Card Design Scenario

Mark, I will ask the obligatory if or when. An artifact enchantment creature with reconfigure and bestow. Note: I fully recognize this is convoluted and I know designers don’t design things just because they can. I just know others are thinking the same thing, so I’d like to get your two cents.

First, I doubt the card type line would fit. Even if it could, it would be a very hard card for most players to play it correctly.

Artifacts Bestow Card Types Creatures Enchantments If/When Reconfigure

Bestow and Reconfigure Combination

Considering the question of bestow being in neon dynasty. Could bestow creatures be printed with reconfigure?

The rules might support it, but it would be very complicated.

Bestow Creatures Reconfigure Rules

Bestow in Neon Dynasty

Was Bestow ever considered for Neon Dynasty? It seems like a perfect fit for this world

We didn’t want reconfigure and bestow in the same set. Similar but different causes lots of confusion.

Bestow Reconfigure

Possibility of Mutate and Bestow

Would it be possible for a card to have both mutate and bestow?

Possible, but highly improbable.

Bestow Mutate

Giving Cards Bestow

Could black bordered rules support giving cards Bestow that don’t already have it?

I’m skeptical.

Bestow Black Rules

Bestow-MDFC Mechanic Possibility

"No. Bestow works differently than a MDFC." I meant as Bestow-like. Instead of having Bestow, we get MDFC with one side is the enchantment creature, and the other side, the aura.

That’s possible.

Auras Bestow Creatures Enchantments Mechanics Modal Dual Faced Cards

Bestow Mechanic vs MDFC

If/When we return to Theros, could "bestow" be MDFC?

No. Bestow works differently than a MDFC.

Bestow If/When Mechanics Modal Dual Faced Cards Theros

Bestow's Storm Rating

You previously rated Bestow a 7 on the Storm Scale (in 2016). Was it being left out of TBD a reflection of that, or have conversations in the last few years adjusted your opinion of Bestow's Storm rating?

Besow’s low rating has to do with a lot of under the hood issues. It was popular enough.

Bestow Reflection Storm Scale

Innovation in Card Mechanics

Was companion not just "commander like mechanic" for standard And mutate just worse bestow? I do not meam to sound disrespectful but those mechanics did not have an innovative feel (like manifest had)

Magic has made over 20,000 cards and there have been over 100 formats. If your bar for “innovation” is not reminiscent of anything Magic has ever done before, then almost nothing is innovative, so I’m not sure the term even means anything. Manifest, by the way, was a variant of morph which itself was inspired by two cards in Alpha. So, by your own definition, that wasn’t innovative.

Bestow Commander Companion Manifest Mechanics Morph Morph Mutate Standard

Decision Against Bestow's Return

Did mutate being in Ikoria Impact the decision to not bring Bestow back in Theros Beyond Death?

No. We chose to not bring back bestow in Theros Beyond Death before we created mutate in Ikoria.

Bestow Mutate Theros Beyond Death

Public Reception of Mutate

I love the Godzilla cards and Mutate! Mutate is my favorite mechanic ever. I liked Bestow, but I love Mutate. How is mutate doing in the research? Could it return sooner rather than later? Thanks for doing a commander mutate deck as well!

I haven’t seen the data yet. Anecdotally, it’s been received well.

Bestow Commander Mechanics Mutate