Cabal Therapy

Cabal Therapist Appreciation

Everyone is talking about how great Serra is (and I love her too), but I want to thank you for Cabal Therapist as an excellent callback to Cabal Therapy. I think the design as a creature works really well.

Happy you like it.

Appreciation Appreciation Cabal Therapist Cabal Therapy Creatures

League Origin Joke

I enjoyed that the origins of the League of Dastardly Doom was a Cabal Therapy session.

: )

Cabal Therapy

Cabal Therapy Feedback

re: cabal therapy is too weak without flashback... Mark, it gets played in decks that have almost no way to flash it back. Probe makes it backbreaking but it's still quite strong when paired with other discard OR a caster who knows how to leverage it. It's very skill-testing.

It never got printed without flashback because development said it was too weak.

Cabal Therapy Card Printing Discard Flashback Power Level

Cabal Therapy Trivia

A few things to get off my chest, some good, some not: Cycling is awesome, the invocations are second only to inventions, I love far future references, I think it's nice to see commons and uncommons as early previews, and, since I won't have access to electricity on my birthday for voluntary reasons, could you give me a little bit of trivia about one of my favorite cards, Cabal Therapy or Ensnaring Bridge?

Cabal Therapy was called Go Fish in design. I had previously tried to print it without the flashback but it was too weak.Happy Birthday!

Birthday Cabal Therapy Card Printing Commons Cycling Ensnaring Bridge Fish Flashback Power Level Spoilers

Tombstone Icon Promos

FYI, there are several modern bordered FNM Promos with the Tombstone icon: Cabal Therapy, Chainers Edict, Deep Analysis, Roar of the Wurm, and Wonder.

Years later, technology changed and we were able to do it.

Cabal Therapy Deep Analysis Modern Promos Roar of the Wurm Wurm

Cabal Therapy Question

So I'm curious after watching a friend of mine play legacy, would cabal therapy be too powerful for standard? Answer is probably yes, but if so, why?

Not a developer, but yes. it would be too powerful.

Cabal Therapy Legacy Not a developer Standard

Naming Utility Cards

Do you ever regret giving utility cards like Cabal Therapy world-specific names?

Cabal is an actual word and not a made-up name so it’s not a name that would prevent a reprint. Its power level (and the need for flashback) is the biggest culprit.

Cabal Therapy Card Printing Flashback Power Level Reprints

Flashback and Cabal Therapy

If Flashback were to return again, would it be possible to print Cabal Therapy (maybe as a rare)?

Not a developer, but I believe it is probably too good for Standard.

Cabal Therapy Card Printing Flashback Not a developer Rares Standard

Misstated Mechanic Correction

Cabal therapy has flashback, not buyback.

Oops. I meant flashback.

Buyback Cabal Therapy Flashback

Reevaluating Thoughtseize

I can't imagine cabal therapy being stronger than Thoughtseize which is already in Standard. Having to sacrifice a creature isn't super easy in a format like standard

I think the current thought is Thoughtseize being brought back into Standard was a mistake.

Brought Back Cabal Therapy Creatures Sacrifice Standard Thoughtseize

Cabal Therapy in Standard

Could Cabal Therapy ever be printed in a standard-legal set? It's a very fun and skill-testing card that I have recently fallen in love with. I'm fairly certain it would be fine and Standard and while it is debatable in Modern, I still think it would be OK. I know you are a designer not a developer but what are your thoughts?

Not a developer, but Cabal Therapy is too good for Standard. The effect without buyback might be doable.

Buyback Cabal Therapy Card Printing Modern Not a developer Standard

Flashback's Impact

Would Cabal Therapy without flashback be too good for standard, do you think? I adore the skill-intensive nature of the card.

I tried to make the card without flashback for years and it kept getting taken out of designs for being too weak.

Cabal Therapy Flashback Power Level Standard

Cabal Therapy Humor

You mentioned in your podcast about how Bosom Buddy's art featured members of the Cabal in a support group. Would you say they're in Cabal Therapy? =)

: )

Art Bosom Buddy Cabal Therapy Drive to Work Keyword Actions

Cabal Therapy's Power

In your opinion is cabal therapy to strong for standard?

Yes. Not a developer.

Cabal Therapy Not a developer Standard

Carnival of Souls

I saw you say Carnival of Souls was a failure of design. If it makes you feel better it's a card in my 5c casual deck alongside Young Pyromancer, Lingering Souls, Skullclamp, Cabal Therapy, Blood Artist, Thoughtseize, Dismember, Gush, Fastbond, and others like Ponder and Brainstorm.

A lot of people spoke up professing their fondness for Carnival of Souls. Mudhole, not so much.

Art Blood Blood Artist Brainstorm Cabal Therapy Carnival of Souls Casual Play Dismember Fastbond Lingering Souls Mudhole Skullclamp Thoughtseize Young Pyromancer

Cabal Therapy Reprint

was cabal therapy ever considered as a reprint for innistrad?

We chose not to have an non-mana flashback costs so no.

Cabal Therapy Card Printing Flashback Innistrad Mana Reprints

Spiky Cards Query

I've been trying to come up with the Top 5 Spikiest Cards. The only ones I know for sure are Gifts Ungiven, and probably Cabal Therapy. Do you agree? Could you finish the list?

Fact or Fiction’s probably in the top 5. I’m not sure what the others are.

Cabal Therapy Fact or Fiction Gifts Ungiven

Cabal Therapy Power

Is cabal therapy too powerful?

I’m not sure we’d reprint it in Standard if that’s your question.

Cabal Therapy Card Printing Reprints Standard

Dredge Deck Contribution

It's hard to send you a Dredge list since Tumblr doesn't allow links and also doesn't give enough room to copypaste the decklist into the question field, but Ando Ferguson made top 8 at GP Indianapolis with a Dredge deck and you can see his list if you look up the coverage.

Cards from that deck that I had a hand in creating: Cephalid Colisseum, Gemstone Mine, Tarnished Citadel, Flayer of the Hatebound, Golgari Grave-Troll, Golgari Thug, Ichorid, Narcomeba, Stinkweed Imp, Breakthrough, Bridge from Below, Cabal Therapy, Dread Return, Faithless Looting, Lion’s Eye Diamond, Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, Iona, Shield of Emeria. You’ll also notice that about 90+% of the cards come from sets I lead.

Blogatog / Tumblr Bridge from Below Cabal Therapy Cephalid Conventions Dread Return Dredge Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite Eye Faithless Looting Flayer of the Hatebound Gemstone Mine Golgari (B/G) Golgari Grave-Troll Golgari Thug Ichorid Imp Iona, Shield of Emeria Stinkweed Imp Tarnished Citadel Troll Your Hand

Mill Strategy Colors

I've always been a fan of Mill as a strategy, but I've been wondering something recently. Why is it that Blue (the color of knowledge and intellect) gets the "brute force" milling effects like traumatize, while black (the "win at any cost" color) gets the precision milling effects like cabal therapy and surgical extraction? It seems like the styles should be flipped.

Blue overwhelms your mind while black destroys parts of it.

Black Blue Brute Force Cabal Therapy Colors Mill Surgical Extraction Traumatize