Birds

Balancing Flying and Reach Abilities

Is R&D down on flying or high on reach? From Midnight Hunt through Murders at Karlov Manor sets averaged just over 5 creatures with reach, topping out at 7 four times in those 11 sets. In OTJ there were 10 creatures with reach, and Bloomburrow has 13. A rather high number for a set where the theme is small woodland creatures.

Bloomburrow has more reach because two of the ten dedicated animal creature types (Birds and Bats) all have flying.Other than that, I think it’s just an ebb and flow thing.

Bats Birds Bloomburrow Creatures Flying Game Design Murders at Karlov Manor Outlaws of Thunder Junction

White Cards With Flying Ability

Bloomburrow birds made me think if from now on White will have more cards with "Give flying to a creature without flying"

We’ll have to see how that theme goes over.

Birds Bloomburrow Creatures Flying White

Bird Versus Mole Mechanics

Now that Bloomburrow is in preview season, feels like a great opportunity to ask a question about magic which has always bugged me. How come birds get to fly but moles and other similar creatures don't get an evasion mechanic called "burrow" (i.e. flying but underground)?

Because we have an evergreen mechanic called flying and not one called burrowing. : )The closest we have to burrowing is “target creature with power 2 or less is unblockable” first seen on Dwarven Warriors in Alpha.

Birds Bloomburrow Creatures Evasion Evergreen Flying Humor Mechanics Moles Spoilers Warriors Burrowing Dwarven Warriors

Purpose of Bloomburrow Deck

Maro, Bloomburrow looks amazing, but I have one problem. I am a kitchen table player and I love creature type decks. Some decks (like my knights) regularly get new cards, but others (like my kithkin) might see a new card once a decade. For Bloomburrow, I know that rats, squirrels, and birds are likely to show up I. The future and have a ton of past cards to use, but for the types like rabbits or raccoons, I imagine they will not be supported long term. Why should I make a deck for those types?

Bloomburrow existing will make us create them more than we would of had it not existed. If volume of creature types is a core issue to you (and I get why it would be), yeah, I’d stick to the creature types that have more history with the game. But there are a lot of players who will have a lot of fun using Rabbits or Raccoons even if they have to stretch a bit (and probably play changelings).

Birds Bloomburrow Casual Play Creatures Kithkins Knights Mark Rosewater Rabbits Raccoons Rats Squirrels

Classification of Animal Species

Hey Mark, so have a question for you from an ecologists perspective here. Why is it that some classes of animals within magic, such as mammals, amphibians, reptiles are broken down into family classes as archetypes (rabbit, wolf, frog, lizard, snake etc) but birds are just birds and not broken down any further? Just an odd one I've noticed for a while haha

We wanted to make bird lords rather than hawk lords.

Birds Frogs Humor Lizards Rabbits Snakes Wolf

Simic Guild Symbol Story

the simic guild symbol sticker from the Return to Ravnica prerelease guild kit has been on my family's sliding glass door for over a decade now, serving as a way to make it obvious whether it is open or closed to birds and humans alikei just though maybe you'd get a kick out of hearing that : )

I do.

Birds Humans Humor Prerelease Return to Ravnica Sealed Format Simic (G/U) Stickers Story / Lore Two Color

Reimagining Mana Color

If you could start mtg over, do you think you'd consider making cards like Birds of Paradise add a "mana of EVERY color" where you could add it to pool without choosing a color, and use it for any colored or generic cost? I think that would add enough value to the game to justify its own mana symbol. Do you think that would need a new timeline, or could it exist in ours?

I think it adds complexity for little gain. And it would cause a lot of headaches in digital.

Bird Birds of Paradise Colorless Colors Mana

Birds of Paradise Query

Is birds of paradise considered a break because it has flying? Or is it a bend because a 0-power flyer is basically reach?

It’s only a slight bend. Green does get a little flying and 0 power is relevant.

Bend / Break Bird Birds of Paradise Flying Green

Design Inspiration Sources

Mark, on the topic of Designing to Art is the creation of Birds of Paradise, from the Mark Poole art that was supposed to be an Island (Or Tropical Island I've also heard?), the most impactful or significant card from designing to art?

I thought it was a Tropical Island, but I talked with Mark Poole and he said it was a Volcanic Island.

Art Bird Birds of Paradise Tropical Island Volcanic Island

Defender Necessity

"0-power us an important tool for creatures with defender." Why does a creature need defender if it has 0 power? No one's going to attack with it anyway unless they're doing something clever. Birds of Paradise is a classic example.

0/1 isn’t an issue but 0/5 is. We makes ways to pump creatures, so we’d have to cost for that if it didn’t have defender.

Bird Birds of Paradise Creatures Defender

Future of Mana Dorks

Is birds of paradise too strong for standard? Will green ever get a 1 mana dork without drawback in standard again?

It’s possible, although I’m skeptical Birds of Paradise will be the card.

Bird Birds of Paradise Green Mana Power Level Standard

Design Comparison

What's the difference between a 1 mana rock, and Birds of Paradise? Why is BoP not too good for legacy, while a Rock of Paradise would be?

It’s a lot easier in constructed tournaments to get rid of a 0/1 creature than a noncreature artifact as you play creature removal in all decks.

Artifacts Bird Birds of Paradise Constructed Creatures Legacy Mana Non-creatures

New Mana Symbol

If/When: A "rainbow/wubrg" mana symbol for cards like Cavern of Souls, Ancient Ziggurat, Birds of Paradise, etc.?

If. We are wary to add new symbols, so they gave up carry a lot of weight.

Ancient Ziggurat Bird Birds of Paradise Cavern of Souls If/When Mana

Card Simplicity

Hi Mark! Do you agree that the best and most memorable cards in Magic tend to be the easiest to grok? Lightning Bolt, Time Warp, Birds of Paradise and now even Shivan Devastator fit this description.

Magic likes having some simple, clean, evocative cards.

Bird Birds of Paradise Lightning Bolt Shivan Devastator Time Warp

Fear of Birds of Paradise

Is birds of paradise too strong for standard?

It being in Standards warps it, but I’m unsure if it’s “too strong”.

Bird Birds of Paradise Fear Power Level Standard

Grandfathered-In Magic Cards

Why is Birds of Paradise grandfathered in but Prodigal Sorcerer is not?

Because green gets flying infrequently while blue does not get direct damage infrequently.

Bird Birds of Paradise Blue Flying Green Prodigal Sorcerer

Birds of Paradise in Standard

If or When? Birds of Paradise in Standard again.

My best guess is when, but not necessarily soon.

Bird Birds of Paradise If/When Standard

Trivia on Creature Types

Hey Mark, it's my birthday! Can I please have some trivia about creature types? Anything you find intresting.Thank you and have a great day!

When Magic first started creatures only had one creature type (and artifact creatures didn’t get any), but there were three exceptions. Birds of Paradise was Mana Birds, Goblin King was Goblin King and Lord of Atlantis was Lord of Atlantis. Will-O’-The-Wisp was Will-O’-The-Wisp, but it was hyphenated, so technically one word. Happy Birthday!

Appreciation Artifacts Bird Birds of Paradise Birthday Creatures Goblin Goblin King Lord of Atlantis Mana Will-o'-the-Wisp

Gilded Goose and Monogreen Discrepancy

So is gilded goose also monogreen because birds of paradise grandfathered it in? 0 power and flying doesn't seem that different from reach to me.

It turns out there is a difference, but as you feel they’re the same hopefully us doing the one more in color pie shouldn’t be a big deal. : )

Bird Birds of Paradise Color Pie Flying Gilded Goose Humor

Reach Vs Flying in Standard

Birds of Paradise, but reach instead of flying--it would be well within mono-green's remit but would it be printable in a premier set or too pushed for standard?

A one mana creature that taps for any color is possible, I think, but puts a lot of constraints on play design.

Bird Birds of Paradise Colors Creatures Flying Mana Play Design Premier Sets Standard