Black Border

Possibility of Return to Chronicles

Do you anticipate a return to Chronicles?

Chronicles was a product that printed black border cards that hadn’t been printed in black border in that native language (back when first printings were black border and reprints were white border). I don’t know how to return to that.

Black Border Reprints White

Possible Card Mechanic and Storyline

Hello Mark, I wanted to use my birthday ask to ask if a mechanic like Sole Performer could work in black border? I would also like to request Garruk come back to the story soon

Sole Performer is nowhere close to working in black border. Garruk should return one day. Happy Birthday!

Birthday Black Border Mechanics Performers Story / Lore Sole Performer

Importance of Squirrels in Magic

Question for you and Sally. How does it feel to have your work advocating for squirrels in black border Magic culminating in an entire archetype in a premier set? And an entire commander precon?

It feels good. 🐿️ - Representation matters.

Black Border Commander Premier Sets Squirrels

Query about Card Position Mechanics

“Can mechanics involving the relative position of cards be black border space?” Raging River’s original text did.

That wasn’t orientation. It didn’t matter what card was to the right of another. It did divide the battlefield in two.

Black Border Mechanics

Relative Position Card Mechanics

Can mechanics involving the relative position of cards be black border space? (e.g. Creatures to the left of ~ get…)

Nope.

Black Border Creatures Mechanics

Acorn Counters Enquiry

Could acorn counters from Acornelia ever return on a non-acorn (haha), black-bordered card?

Black border can handle the icon just fine.

Black Border Humor Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Silver Border Problem Explanation

Can you explain how the "silver border problem" differs from format legality? Like, if you can use a Rare card in Pauper because it was at one point printed as a Common, why can't you use a silver border card that's also been printed in black border?

It just creates confusion. Silver border has loudly been not for tournaments for so long, that it would cause arguments.

Black Border Card Printing Format Legality Pauper Rares Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Black-boarding Silver or Acorn Cards

Would it be possible to reprint silver-bordered/acorn cards as black-bordered cards in future (assuming they already work within the rules)? Or is there any rule preventing that?

The troublesome issue is the conflict of two standing rules: 1) Any card with the same English name is playable in tournaments.2) Silver-border/acorn cards aren’t tournament legal. Printing a silver-border/acorn card in black border makes us have to break one of those rules.

Black Border Card Printing English Reprints Rules Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Hand Size Rule

Is having a "minimum hand size" possible in black border? Essentially draw until you have N number of cards in hand

That’s not how I believe minimum hand size would work if applied to the rules as is. I believe it would prevent you from playing a card if you’re at or below the minimum. Note that this is speculation on my behalf.

Black Border Rules Your Hand

Opponent's Cards in Your Graveyard

Is there a way for my opponents cards to end up in my graveyard in black border?

No.

Black Border The Graveyard

Animate Object Eternal Legality Issue

What about animate object makes it not eternal legal? You can represent tokens with non card objects in black border.

The template to make it eternal legal was clunky and confusing, so we went with the more elegant version.

Animate Object Black Border Eternal Templating Tokens

Card Names in Black Border

Can a black border card care about words in the name of a card, or is that also strictly acorn (like with Vorthos, Stward of Myth)?

That’s strictly acorn (with the sole exception that you can refer to a card’s full name).

Black Border Card Names Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets Vorthos

Black Border Rules Text Restriction

Can black border care about any words in rules text? For example countering a spell that uses the word "the"?

It can care about actions of cards, but not about what words appear in the rules text. The one exception is cards can call out, and thus care about, other cards by name.

Black Border Rules

Crow Storm in Black Border

What hinders Crow Storm from being black border?

We costed it more aggressively than we normally would, but the card works just fine in the rules.

Black Border Crow Storm Rules

Surprising Black Border Mechanic

what was an acorn mechanic/aesthetic that you were surprised when it was ok'd for black border?

I was quite surprised Exchange of Words worked.

Black Border Exchange Exchange of Words Mechanics Un-Magic / Silver Border / Acorn Un-sets

Contraptions in Black Border Sets

Greetings. I'm trying to make my rigger/contraption matters EDH deck, but it seems there is only one legal card in that theme. When do you project us seeing contraptions in a black border set?

I wouldn’t hold your breath. I’d look into Rule 0-ing it.

Black Border Commander Contraptions Rigger Rules

Recent Game Innovations

Whats the most recent ‘big if’ thats come to fruition? is it still dice rolling in black border?

Probably. We don’t hit a lot of big if’s.

Black Border Die Rolling Fruition

Contraptions and Bans

With attractions banned in eternal, is there any hope for assembling contraptions in black border? Contraptions themselves are still black border, and I was really hoping we could see them in a premier set someday.

Attractions getting banned doesn’t help.

Attractions Bannings Black Border Contraptions Eternal Format Legality Format Legality Premier Sets

Silver into Black

“All cards with the same name are treated the same mechanically” I feel like I’m missing something, I don’t see how that affects reprinting a silver bordered card into black border formats with the same name. How is it different from reprinting a card from a commander pre-con into modern?

It means the silver-bordered version would be legal in the formats where the black-bordered card of the same name is legal. You can play the reprint in Modern as well as the original printing.

Black Black Border Card Printing Commander Format Legality Modern Reprints

Silver Bordered Legality

Why would a silver bordered card need a new name to be reprinted into black border formats? Couldn’t you just say the silver bordered printings aren’t tournament legal, like gold bordered cards?

All cards with the same English name are treated the same mechanically.EDIT: As noted in the comments, gold-bordered cards have a different card back.

Black Border Card Backs Card Printing English Reprints